Chapter 541: The Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress

"Whoosh!"

Accompanied by powerful wind pressure, the "Tianting" hidden within the clouds descended, then halted its downward momentum to reveal its silhouette, and a staircase made of cloud vapor lowered onto the plaza. Lacking the ability to fly, this was the only way to approach the Tianting.

Amidst the praise and adulation of the attendants and Dragon-Blooded guards, Snorri straightened his attire and walked toward the Heavenly Ladder; this had been prepared specifically for him, a guest. It was fine for the Jade Blood Clan, but for the mortal soldiers, this existed only in hearsay, and many served their entire lives without ever catching a glimpse of it.

"It's even automatic; they're giving me enough face!"

Standing steady on the final step, before he even lifted his feet, the Heavenly Ladder automatically rolled upward. The dragons manifested their true forms one after another, flying alongside him. It was only about the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn before the Heavenly Ladder reached its end.

What came into view were not complex pavilions and towers, but a memorial archway made of deep green glazed tiles and adorned with bright, precious jade. The plaque was inscribed with the golden characters "Heavenly Gate," written by the same hand as the one in the Bingmayong Muyuan—the Haotian Longdi.

"Please!"

The dragons also landed on the cloud bank supporting the archway. Yuanbo transformed back into his human form and gestured toward the shimmering vortex slowly rotating within the archway. The moment he stepped inside, the pressure of crossing space made his knees sink slightly, but he recovered quickly.

"What a magnificent realm!"

What met his eyes were ten thousand paths of golden light rolling in red neon, and a thousand strands of auspicious energy spraying purple mist. The dragons following closely behind were surprised to see the Dwarf so composed; they did not know that Snorri had already entered many Divine Kingdoms—Valaya, Ranald, Ulric, and even Ursun—so he naturally would not look disheveled.

The mortals of Zhendan described the Tianting as the palace where the Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress lived, but Snorri had long had his suspicions. First, simply floating in the sky above Weijing Cheng served no purpose; second, his master Kelagedeng's teachings before ascending to godhood—that as one's strength increases, one will gradually be repelled by this world.

"Eldest Brother, is this the honored guest from the Western Lands?"

"Haha, could there be any doubt?"

Inside the Heavenly Gate, there were golden-armored divine beings standing like pillars and holding halberds on guard. After a brief glance, Snorri discovered they were all spiritual bodies. The leading warrior cupped his hands and asked a question, clearly showing that his visit had been reported in advance.

"This place is a small world opened up by Father and Mother with great divine power; only those among mortals with distinguished merits may enter to enjoy blessings."

Accompanied by strains of clear music coming from an unknown source, Snorri followed the dragons as they quickly passed through several halls and arrived beneath the plaque of the "Lingxiao Treasure Hall," where celestial maidens had already set out tables and feasts inside.

"Respectfully wishing Father and Mother holy peace!"

"With a guest present, there is no need for such formalities."

"Dwarf Demigod Snorri Thorsson pays respects to the Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress! Long live, long live, long live!"

A couple sat settled in the center seat; the man had a dignified appearance and an imposing manner, while the woman had a beautiful face and was graceful and luxurious. The Dragon-Blooded bowed, and Snorri did not dare to be negligent, calling out "long live" after introducing himself.

"Long have I heard of your name; you are indeed no ordinary person. Come, please take a seat!"

The Haotian Longdi stood up and nodded in greeting, lifting Snorri up from afar, and his seat had been reserved opposite Yuanbo at their lower side.

"Back then, I had a brief encounter with the ancestor of your clan; you are all upright and honorable people, though brothers sharing a wife goes against human ethics, it goes against human ethics indeed!"

"Time is tight, why bring up those old stories? The last time a guest from outside the Celestial Empire came here was over a thousand years ago!"

The Haotian Longdi stroked the three long whiskers under his chin, reminiscing about the past, but the Moon Empress decisively stopped him when she saw he was speaking nonsense. Lidao and Yuanbo briefly reported on the hospitality shown to Snorri, and then their gazes all focused on the Dwarf.

Snorri was also calming his mood at this time; the Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress were strong, but still fell short of his expectations. Shenyang gave him a feeling similar to Ursun, still slightly inferior to the faith-abundant Ulric. Superimposed with his past life's filter for Eastern Dragons, the transmigrator had once thought they could be on par with the Phoenix God Asuryan.

"Perhaps after a certain point in time, the strength of a true Dragon no longer grows linearly with age?"

This couple had almost never taken public action since the Great Vortex was built, and the legends among the Zhendan populace were meaningless—the power stratification above the level of a Demigod was not something mortals could fathom, and the assessment of the Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress was, of course, based on their offspring.

The eldest, Yuanbo, was in his prime; as a Peak Demigod, he could be said to be invincible in the Mortal World. The second, Miaoying, was at the tail end of her youth, like a mortal of twenty-eight or twenty-nine; she was at the Advanced Demigod realm, but relying on her Storm Authority and combat experience, she could also hold her own against a Peak Demigod.

The twin fourth and fifth were in the prime of their youth, both at the same Intermediate Demigod realm, though the Candle Dragon's fire authority was better at killing and was considered capable of contending with an Advanced Demigod.

The eighth, Zhaoming, had just reached adulthood and possessed an extraordinary metal authority, appearing not so "low-level" and capable of standing on his own; as for the ninth sister, Shenzhu, she was still a girl of sixteen, and it was not abrupt that she was only at the Threshold of Demigod.

"Honored guest, are the customs of my Celestial Empire pleasing to your eyes?"

The Haotian Longdi's question pulled Snorri back from his combat power calculations. After exchanging a few polite words and offering gifts, he proceeded to pitch his plan for a northern expedition into the Chaos Wastes.

Snorri's situation was much like a startup company, taking existing results and future concepts to visit everyone and solicit investment—constantly polished through communication with various big shots, what was presented before the Haotian Longdi and the Moon Empress was already a mature plan.

"Very good! If the rifts are not destroyed, the demons will never cease. Children, you must never fall behind others!"

Unsurprisingly, Shenyang clapped in praise, and Guiyin smiled and nodded repeatedly; as the first beings born of this world, they loved it more than anything.

"Your Majesty, I have one thing I do not understand: why do you two not absorb faith to condense Godhood? The Cathayan Celestial Empire has hundreds of millions of people; at that time, the incense offerings would likely be..."

"Haha, I know. Your clan's ancestor gods cannot manifest; go ask that old wolf, is He still It?"

Seeing they were in a good mood, Snorri took the opportunity to ask the doubt in his heart—when the Old Gods were born, they still walked in the Mortal World, and the mysteries within were clear; not imitating them naturally had its special reasons. He was just about to step into the Advanced Demigod realm and would take the final step before long; if there were hidden dangers, they needed to be eliminated in advance.

"This, how is this to be explained?"

"Godhood is cast from divine power, and divine power is produced by faith. Gods manifest great power to gain believers, and the believers' cognition in turn reflects back onto the gods."

The Moon Empress further explained to Snorri in plain language. Their clarity of vision left the Dwarf stunned on the spot—his believers were so diverse, would he be distorted into an unspeakable monster?

"The time has come, children, take good care of our guest!"

In a daze, he was flanked by the dragons and returned to before the Heavenly Gate. Standing on the cloud bank, he saw Weijing Cheng illuminated in a myriad of colors by thousands of brilliant lanterns.

"Don't they only light lanterns on the Lantern Festival?"

"Haha, the honored guest truly has a thorough grasp of our dynasty's customs!"

"A day in the Tianting is a year in the Mortal World. We have been inside for half an hour, and half a month has passed in this human world; the bright lanterns being lit should be the night of the Lantern Festival!"

(End of chapter)