After a long while, everyone else had been dismissed from the altar, leaving only Qin Zi and Qin Chuan.
"Father, now that I've become the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord, I'll surely become a target for countless powerful figures. Do you have a plan to handle this?"
Qin Zi asked with some worry.
He understood a basic principle—position without strength leads to disaster! And what was strength? It was power!
Although he had already broken through to the Seventh Heaven of the Heavenly God realm, that level of power was far from enough to justify holding the position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord.
"Don't worry. As long as no Grand Emperors return, no one will dare to touch you. In fact... you can exercise the authority of the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord. While many might not be convinced, none will openly defy you."
Qin Chuan said confidently with a smile.
"Why is that?"
Qin Zi asked, puzzled.
Qin Chuan chuckled and explained:
"Because this title was bestowed upon you by Xuanhuang Mountain. They must uphold that dignity. Until the Grand Emperors openly oppose your position, it means they tacitly accept it. If anyone speaks out against you before the Grand Emperors do, it's considered a challenge to their authority."
"In other words, the Grand Emperors have the privilege of speaking first. No one else is allowed to voice their opinion before they do."
"And, let's consider the worst case scenario—even if the Grand Emperors haven't voiced their stance, there's always the possibility that they could support you. Although that chance might be slim, it's still there."
"So, until the situation becomes crystal clear, none of Xuanhuang Heaven's experts will act recklessly. They'll simply go with the flow."
After hearing this, Qin Zi began to understand.
But then, his brows furrowed again, and he said, "But what happens when the Grand Emperors return? I doubt they'd support me. In fact, they might want to kill me."
Qin Chuan casually shook his head and replied, "It will take them a long time to return. The more powerful they are, the harder it is for them to come back. We've got at least a few decades."
He paused, then a sly smile appeared on his face as he whispered, "And a few decades later... hehe…"
His laughter was filled with confidence and a touch of disdain. Though he didn't finish his sentence, the meaning was clear.
In a few decades, Grand Emperors?
Your father will be invincible by then!!
Hearing this, Qin Zi's worries completely dissipated. In his heart, his father had never deceived him.
He took a deep breath, his excitement building as he asked, "Father, does this mean... I'm now truly the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord?"
"Indeed."
Qin Chuan nodded with a smile.
Qin Zi's breathing quickened, and he eagerly asked, "So, I can exercise all the powers of the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord?"
"Why not?"
Qin Chuan continued to smile.
"Can I plunder all the legacies of the world and have the major factions offer tributes to me?" Qin Zi's eyes lit up with excitement.
Qin Chuan was momentarily taken aback, then he laughed, "Of course."
Qin Zi's talent for inviting trouble even surprised Qin Chuan, who could only sigh with satisfaction—this child was truly teachable!
…
Half a month later.
High above Xuanhuang Mountain stood a majestic palace—this was the Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace, the official residence of the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord.
This palace was built by Qin Chuan himself.
As the saying goes, the higher one rises, the harder the fall. Now that he had pushed his son to the forefront, he didn't mind adding fuel to the fire.
Qin Zi's title as Xuanhuang Heaven Lord was accepted by few, if any. And in such a situation, the more ostentatious Qin Zi became, the more envy and resentment he would provoke—You've already got the position, why flaunt it?
But that wasn't all.
Qin Chuan, acting as his son's "agent," recruited several bodyguards for Qin Zi, namely the eight Divine Kings from before.
These eight old fellows had personally witnessed Qin Zi absorbing half of the Creation Incense and were eager to latch onto him as their golden opportunity. So, the moment Qin Chuan asked, they immediately agreed.
Thus, the originally empty Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace now had eight Divine Kings as the first wave of core personnel.
Moreover, Xuan Yuzi, the old man, also broke through to the Divine King Realm after Xuanhuang Heaven fully revived.
It seemed this old man had once been a Divine King, but for some reason, his realm had fallen, and then the catastrophe had struck…
After establishing the Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace, Qin Chuan didn't rest. He continued his operations, striking while the iron was hot.
"What? The Heaven Lord has established Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace and ordered all major forces to come and pay tribute?"
"They even demand that the patriarchs show up in person?"
"This is outrageous!"
"That little brat! Does he really think he's the Heaven Lord? He's been given a big head now!"
"Exactly! Does he have no self-awareness? He got lucky, but instead of keeping a low profile, he dares to flaunt it!"
"But… can we afford not to go? He is, after all, the nominal Xuanhuang Heaven Lord…"
"The position of Heaven Lord was conferred by Xuanhuang Mountain and is a symbol of Xuanhuang Heaven. It wouldn't be wise to embarrass him publicly."
"Sigh… since the Grand Emperors haven't returned and the situation is still unclear, let the little brat cause a stir for a while longer!"
In the end, the higher-ups of the major factions relented.
Their hearts were full of frustration.
Especially factions like the Green Leaf Sect and the Sea King Sect, which hated Qin Zi so much they could barely restrain themselves from tearing him apart.
But for now, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and head to Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace, bearing gifts.
Boom!
On that day, under the leadership of Divine King-level patriarchs, countless major factions gathered at Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace.
The sky was filled with auspicious light, and mythical beasts flew through the air. A scene of unparalleled grandeur unfolded, as if the very elements themselves were welcoming the arrival of distinguished guests.
"The Immortal Sect of Penglai, here to pay tribute!"
"The Nine Phoenix Heavenly Clan, here to pay tribute!"
"The Ma Clan of the Northeast, here to pay tribute!"
"The Green Leaf Sect, here to pay tribute!"
…
The names of various sects rang out one after another, and those sects and clans hovered in the sky, filling it entirely.
At least a thousand forces had gathered!
"Is everyone here?"
A young and dignified voice rang out, carrying a hint of pretentiousness. It was none other than Qin Zi's voice.
As his voice echoed, a massive golden square appeared in front of Xuanhuang Heavenly Palace.
This square was conjured by the eight Divine Kings using their divine power, and at the center of the square stood a magnificent golden throne.
Dressed in a dragon robe, Qin Zi sat regally upon the throne, with the eight Divine Kings standing solemnly on either side.
The various patriarchs in the sky couldn't help but twitch as they saw Qin Zi dressed in such ostentatious attire.
Tacky!!
Though the Xuanhuang Heaven Lord was indeed the ruler of Xuanhuang Heaven, never in history had any Heaven Lord donned a dragon robe.
It seemed overly deliberate.
It was like a man caking himself with makeup, dressed head to toe in luxury brands, and slicked back his hair, all while proclaiming himself a high-quality individual.
Sure, his quality might not be low, but it just didn't sit right.
"Everyone, take your seats."
With a wave of his hand, yellow cushions appeared across the square, densely packed.
"Yes."
The old patriarchs of the various forces gritted their teeth and answered in unison, each one taking a seat on the cushions.
Today, they had come to be treated like subordinates.
As Qin Zi looked down at these ancient powerhouses, he continued with a pompous air, "I have inherited the position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord by divine mandate. Though I am aware that my cultivation and virtues are lacking, the heavens have bestowed this great responsibility upon me, so I must bear it. From this day forward, I hope that all of you will sincerely assist me in revitalizing Xuanhuang Heaven!"
"Rest assured, Heaven Lord."
"We will do our best."
The ancient powerhouses replied with empty promises, knowing this was all just a charade.
They had been through countless ups and downs in life—this was nothing.
At that moment, Qin Zi finally brought up the main point. Looking at the crowd, he asked, "By the way, have you all brought your tribute gifts?"