Chapter 949: The Divine Empire of Dazheng

Blue Lantern had entered the valley to console Blue Jade some time ago.

Outside the valley, several of Blue Lantern's subordinates appeared restless and wanted to enter to investigate.

"What are you doing? Blue Jade is emotionally unstable. Don't barge in and risk agitating her further." Ye Sanshui stopped them.

The group frowned, exchanging glances as if silently debating among themselves.

At that moment, Blue Lantern emerged from the valley, carrying Blue Jade in his arms. Her hair was disheveled, her face haggard, and her eyes swollen red from crying. It seemed as if her entire world had narrowed to just Blue Lantern. She paid no attention to anyone else, like a sick kitten clinging to his embrace.

"Let's go!" Blue Lantern said.

Only then did his subordinates relax and nod in agreement.

The group took to the skies and headed toward Yongding.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Word had quickly spread: today was the day Dazheng would become a divine empire. Countless cultivators flocked to witness the momentous event.

Yongding had transformed dramatically over the past decade. It was now many times larger and ranked among the most expansive immortal capitals in the world. However, the stone stele at the city gate remained blank as it awaited a new name.

Dazheng's six hundred Immortal cities had undergone sweeping reforms during this time. New laws, new officials, the approval of noble clans, and the righting of past injustices had garnered deep loyalty among the populace. The surging tide of public sentiment was reflected in the sea of golden fortune high above, roiling like a tsunami and leaving onlookers in awe.

"Dazheng's fortune is immense—it's unrivaled among the empires of the world."

"Even some divine empires might not have such a staggering quantity of fortune..."

"Dazheng's strategy of winning the hearts of the people is truly remarkable. To think it could have gathered so much fortune in such a short period of time..."

The crowd of cultivators from various factions marveled at the sight.

Within the imperial palace, Blue Lantern had summoned a draconic vein to establish a grand formation. A massive dragon-shaped peak had suddenly risen from the ground with stairs leading up from its base. It exuded an awe-inspiring grandeur.

Soldiers stood guard at the foot of the peak. On the mountaintop, countless officials and soldiers gathered outside Xuanhuang Hall, their eyes fixed on the five-colored altar in the square as they awaited Xiao Nanfeng's appearance.

As the auspicious hour arrived, an officer declared loudly, "The ceremony shall now begin!"

"All hail His Majesty!" countless officials called in unison. Everyone turned their attention toward Xuanhuang Hall.

Xiao Nanfeng emerged from within, clad in a golden draconic robe and wearing an imperial crown on his head. With the eyes of countless officials upon him, he made his way slowly toward the five-colored altar at the center of the square.

Musicians from the Ministry of Rites blew on horns, and Immortal music echoed through the grounds. Countless Immortal birds and divine beasts performed a ceremonial dance in the skies, while auspicious rays of light and multicolored clouds filled the air, enveloping Yongding in an atmosphere of celebration.

Xiao Nanfeng ascended the five-colored altar step by step, his movements deliberate and solemn.

On a distant peak outside Yongding City, Chu Tianban stood with several others, observing Xiao Nanfeng from afar.

"The ascension ceremony has begun. I wonder if Xiao Nanfeng has merged his two avatars yet," one of them remarked.

"For the ascension ceremony, he must perform a ritual to honor heaven and earth. Both his avatars must be simultaneously recognized by the primordial altar, so they must merge into one. Otherwise, how can he demonstrate his sincerity to the altar?" Chu Tianban replied.

"The day Dazheng becomes a divine empire will also be the day it changes hands. What a perfect occasion," another of the cultivators murmured.

Chu Tianban smirked coldly. "Xiao Nanfeng refused our overtures. He can't blame us for taking action. If he won't serve under His Highness, then we'll have someone else take his place to rule Dazheng."

"Is everything ready?"

"Don't worry. Su Tianxin has set up the formation. Everything will go according to plan."

"Excellent!" The cultivators exchanged sinister smiles.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng reached the top of the five-colored altar. The music ceased, and the divine beasts and immortal birds withdrew from the sky.

Standing at the altar, Xiao Nanfeng surveyed the gathered officials with a solemn expression. Taking a deep breath, he declared in a loud voice, "Citizens of Dazheng! Today is a momentous occasion for our nation. I, your emperor, will lead you in a ritual to honor the world, seeking its approval for Dazheng's ascension to a divine empire. Now, I ask all citizens to set aside their tasks and join me in petitioning the heavens."

With a resounding roar, the sea of fortune reverberated and spread Xiao Nanfeng's voice to every corner of Dazheng.

In all six hundred Immortal cities, citizens stopped what they were doing. Though they had long known this day was coming, the moment still filled them with excitement. They responded eagerly, preparing to join Xiao Nanfeng in petitioning the heavens.

On the altar, Xiao Nanfeng raised the Divine Seal of Dazheng with his left hand and the Dazheng Code of Laws with his right.

With a wave of his hand, the seal and scroll flew into the sky, merging with the sea of fortune in a burst of golden light.

Bowing deeply, Xiao Nanfeng addressed the world. "I, Xiao Nanfeng, Emperor of Dazheng, humbly lead the people of this realm in petitioning for Dazheng's ascension to a divine empire. I vow to lead with integrity, guide my people to prosperity, and oppose the tyranny of the heavens. May the world grant us their blessing and bestow a dragon upon us!"

His voice reverberated across the land, stirring the hearts of all of Dazheng's citizens.

The people had been instructed on how to participate in the ritual beforehand.

"Grant us your blessing! Grant us a dragon!" the people cried in unison, their voices carried by the sea of fortune to the heavens.

Suddenly, the skies above Yongding darkened as storm clouds formed a swirling vortex.

From the vortex emerged a faint projection of the primordial altar, radiating an overwhelming aura that made every soul in the city tremble.

The primordial altar began absorbing Dazheng's sea of fortune.

The observers watched on with bated breath.

Xiao Nanfeng was fully focused, his senses expanding throughout his empire. Fortune, seal, and scroll alike were drawn into the primordial altar.

Everything proceeded as per normal. Once Dazheng's fortune condensed into a golden dragon of fortune, the ritual and ascension would come to an end.

However, just as all the empire's fortune entered the Eternal Altar, there was a buzzing sound, and the altar began to tremble. The dark clouds surrounding it gradually turned blood red.

"Something's wrong! Why are the dark clouds changing color?" Many onlookers expressed astonishment.

Even Xiao Nanfeng was puzzled. What had gone wrong?

Suddenly, he had a flash of insight.

"It must be the Dazheng Code of Laws..."

His Dazheng Code of Laws was forged from a fragment of the Heavenly Dao Scroll. Madam Rouge had once mentioned to him that, before the heavens descended upon the world, everything within it was governed by the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao Scroll served as a ledger for recording all major events and as a medium for communication between the Heavenly Dao and all living beings.

However, when the heavens descended, the Heavenly Dao was severed. From that moment, the Heavenly Dao collapsed, and the Heavenly Dao Scroll was destroyed and discarded.

Part of it had since become the Dazheng Code of Laws—and that part now seemed to be resonating with the primordial altar.

"Does the Eternal Altar have some connection to the former Heavenly Dao?" Xiao Nanfeng's expression shifted as a certain thought formed in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Nanfeng addressed the Eternal Altar once more. "Eternal Altar, bear witness. I, Xiao Nanfeng, vow to protect all living beings and to stand against the heavens. Our feud is irreconcilable."

With a thunderous roar, the primordial altar trembled again. The blood-red clouds slowly receded, revealing the dark clouds underneath. The retreating blood-red clouds condensed into a beam of blood-red light, which surged straight into Xiao Nanfeng.

With a loud boom, the blood-red light entered Xiao Nanfeng's body, causing his entire being to radiate with brilliant crimson light.

"What was that? I've never seen such a phenomenon, not even when other empires ascended! All those blood clouds entered Xiao Nanfeng's body—just what are they?"

"It's a boon. It must be a gift from the world to Xiao Nanfeng!"

"Xiao Nanfeng received an additional boon? Why?"

Countless people exclaimed in disbelief.

Xiao Nanfeng, however, was overjoyed. The gift seemed stable for the time being; he didn't rush to absorb it, as the ascension ceremony was still ongoing.

With a deafening roar, Dazheng's sea of fortune emerged once more from the primordial altar and flooded Xiao Nanfeng's body, causing him to radiate boundless golden light that illuminated the heavens and the earth.

A dragon's roar echoed from within him—a majestic sound that reverberated across the entire world, reaching the ears of every citizen of Dazheng.

The empire's fortune coursed through his body for a moment before emerging once more. But this time, it was no longer raw fortune; it had coalesced into a magnificent golden dragon. The golden dragon of fortune was immense, with a head as large as a mountain.

It slowly emerged from Xiao Nanfeng's body, stretching tens of thousands of feet into the air as it coiled and ascended. It exuded a celestial majesty that was awe-inspiring.

Xiao Nanfeng could feel that the golden dragon of fortune was an extension of himself. Through its eyes, he could see all of Dazheng, as if its sight were his own.

The dragon opened its maw, releasing the Divine Seal of Dazheng and the Dazheng Code of Laws, which fell into Xiao Nanfeng's hands. Both treasures now radiated extraordinary energy and glowed with boundless light.

With a final roar, the golden dragon of fortune soared into the sky, circling high above Yongding before coming to rest where its sea of fortune had been. The entirety of the empire's fortune had condensed into this single dragon. Though the fortune had been consumed, the golden dragon's emergence now transformed Dazheng into something entirely new.

"I thank the world for its blessing and this dragon. Xiao Nanfeng of the divine empire of Dazheng bows in gratitude to the primordial altar," Xiao Nanfeng proclaimed loudly.

His voice resounded across all of Dazheng, filling the hearts of its people with joy. From this moment on, Dazheng was no longer an ordinary empire, but rather a divine empire.

Immediately, cheers erupted across the land.

"We did it! Dazheng has ascended into a divine empire!"

"Long live Dazheng! Long live His Majesty!"

Countless voices of celebration echoed. All of Yongding was awash in jubilant cheers.

At the same time, streams of new fortune, like countless rivers flowing into the sea, began converging from the six hundred Immortal cities toward the golden dragon of fortune. Gradually, a golden mist began to form around the dragon, giving it an even more divine and majestic appearance.