"Princess Bing Ning, this young friend Qin Zi is an old friend of us few elders. Could you give us a bit of face and let bygones be bygones?" one of the Divine Kings said.
The other Divine Kings also stepped forward, standing united, showing their stance through their actions.
They were choosing sides.
They were betting that Qin Zi would emerge victorious in the end! After all, this was a freak who had absorbed half of the Creation Incense Sticks. As long as he didn't make a foolish, altruistic wish like "May all beings become dragons," his future was limitless.
In the face of this world-shaking opportunity, even Princess Bing Ning's father, the Ice Lord, wasn't worth considering!
So, they were confident in their choice and secretly rejoiced that Princess Bing Ning didn't know what had just happened. Her rash desire to kill Qin Zi gave them the perfect opportunity to show their support.
This was a deal they couldn't lose!
"Give you some face? Haha, if this were an ordinary matter, I might have given you face. But this boy has defiled me, such a heinous crime! I'm afraid your face isn't worth enough!" Princess Bing Ning coldly replied.
She was extremely domineering.
Even in the face of eight Divine Kings, she remained arrogant, showing no regard for them.
Though she couldn't defeat them now, did these old men dare to touch her? Forget Divine Kings— even Grand Emperors had to think twice before crossing her!
"Princess, while your status is indeed noble, your current strength is limited, and the Ice Lord has not yet returned. It might be best not to push too far, or this could end badly," one of the old Divine Kings said gravely.
He was willing to risk it all to take a side!
"If it ends badly, then let it! I want to see who dares to stop me today!" Princess Bing Ning snorted coldly, raising her hand to point at Qin Zi. Instantly, a beam of white light shot toward him.
Bang!
However, the old Divine King moved in an instant, using his chest to block the beam of light. It exploded into shards of ice, but the Divine King's robes fluttered in the wind, and he remained motionless!
"You!!"
Princess Bing Ning's face turned pale with anger. Not only had they stopped her from killing Qin Zi, but they had also taken her blow head-on without defending.
This was a direct blow to her pride.
Even though it was expected, it was still humiliating when it actually happened.
"Princess, I dare not defend against you, so I could only use my body to protect my friend," the old Divine King said politely, his words both a warning and a subtle declaration that he now considered Qin Zi his "friend." His shamelessness knew no bounds!
"We are the same!"
"We hit it off with Qin Zi instantly and cannot stand by while you harm him."
"If you want to kill him, you'll have to step over our old bones first!"
The elderly Divine Kings spoke righteously, their words dripping with justice.
However, Qin Zi, hearing all this, felt a bit strange. "Are we really that close? Aren't they overdoing it a bit?"
Still, since they were risking their lives to protect him, Qin Zi decided to remain silent and not question their intentions.
"You... you…"
Princess Bing Ning glared at the old men, her chest heaving with fury, visibly enraged.
Rumble!
Rumble!
At that moment, the sky trembled violently, and vast clouds of gold gathered above the plaza, boiling like hot water.
Then, a fan-shaped beam of golden light burst from the clouds, spreading into a magnificent painting.
The painting depicted beautiful mountains and rivers, the sun, moon, and stars, the changing of the seasons—an awe-inspiring vision.
"What is this?!"
"It's the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram!"
"Legend says that the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram is the manifestation of Xuanhuang Heaven's will. Whoever it chooses will be the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord!"
The crowd gasped in shock, trembling with excitement, their blood boiling.
Which person doesn't dream of greatness?
Which person doesn't dream of miracles?
Every one of them hoped to be chosen by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram, to rise above all others in one fell swoop!
Even if the crown's weight crushed them in the end, it would be better than living an uneventful, forgotten life.
Buzz!
Finally, the enormous scroll moved. Golden beams of light gathered from the painting and then transformed into pillars of light that shot downward.
Originally, they were falling straight down.
And directly below one beam was a plain-looking young man. He raised his head, his mouth agape, trembling with excitement, already losing control of his bladder as a large stain spread across his pants.
"I am the Heaven Lord... the Heaven Lord…"
His mind had long ceased functioning, and he didn't even realize he had wet himself, his eyes locked in a daze on the beam of light.
The others around him couldn't believe what they were seeing. Was the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram really going to choose this random nobody?
Buzz!!!
Just then, the light, which had been descending vertically, suddenly split into three beams, shooting in three different directions.
Like a tripod!
Triangles are inherently stable.
And these three beams of light enveloped three individuals: Qin Zi, Princess Bing Ning, and the Dragon Emperor!
What?!
The crowd was dumbfounded.
Three?!
There was only one position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord, so how could it split between three? Was the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram malfunctioning?
At that moment, the three people bathed in the golden light were momentarily stunned before their hearts began to race uncontrollably. Eventually, panic set in.
They were all extraordinary individuals, so they weren't easily blinded by this sudden stroke of fortune.
They realized… this crown of the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord was too heavy to bear!
Especially Princess Bing Ning. As the daughter of the Ice Lord, she understood Xuanhuang Heaven's upper echelon better than anyone, and she was terrified.
The position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord— even her father, the Ice Lord, couldn't handle it!
Xuanhuang Heaven had thirty-eight Grand Emperors, some of whom were so terrifying that even her father had to give way.
For instance, Dusk Grand Emperor, Golden Dragon Emperor, the Human Emperor, and the Sun-Devouring Grand Emperor, who was the Human Emperor's brother...
So, if she dared to take the position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord, not even her father could save her!
"What do I do, what do I do?"
Her mind raced with anxiety.
At the same time, both Qin Zi and the Dragon Emperor were equally anxious, like ants on a hot stove.
As they became more restless and resistant, the golden light surrounding them began to flicker, as if fading away.
Perhaps, in the eyes of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram, those who lacked the courage to bear the crown were not fit to be entrusted with such a great responsibility!
Thud!
At that moment, a strong hand landed on Qin Zi's shoulder.
Instantly, Qin Zi's agitated heart calmed, and he dumbly looked up to see the encouraging gaze of his father.
Qin Chuan looked at his son and said in a deep voice:
"Qin Zi, don't be afraid. If this is your destiny, then take it. Don't worry about whether you can handle it. No matter what happens... your dad is here!!"
His voice was deep and full of fatherly love. The ocean-like reassurance and encouragement instantly filled Qin Zi with boundless courage.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Qin Zi took a deep breath, and his eyes gradually filled with determination.
He raised his head, looked toward the golden Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram, and said with resolve: "What's a crown? As long as you dare to give it to me, I dare to wear it! The Xuanhuang Heaven Lord— who else but me?!"
Boom!
At that moment, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram shook. The beams of light that had been falling on the Dragon Emperor and Princess Bing Ning instantly retracted and all converged on Qin Zi!