"This…"
"He… he actually…"
This sudden turn of events left everyone dumbfounded.
As for the Dragon Emperor and Princess Bing Ning, after a moment of shock, they both sneered.
"He dares to take on the position of Xuanhuang Heaven Lord? He's overestimating himself! Let's see how he dies!"
"Reckless fool, bringing about his own destruction!"
In their eyes, Qin Zi was doomed, and no one could save him.
At that moment, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Diagram in the sky surged like ocean waves, its golden light flowing like water, cascading down in torrents.
Whoosh!
Endless streams of golden light poured onto Qin Zi, forming layer after layer of resplendent golden halos around him—thirteen layers in total!
At the same time, a golden glow appeared, not only over Xuanhuang Mountain but throughout the entire Nine Skies Realm, resonating with the light surrounding him.
It was as if the heavens were declaring that from now on, he was tied to Xuanhuang Heaven itself. He was the new Xuanhuang Heaven Lord.
"The Heaven Lord is established, and the heavens return to their place!"
A voice, ancient and profound, resounded from an unknown origin, echoing across Xuanhuang Mountain and throughout the Nine Skies Realm.
Rumble!
The entire Nine Skies Realm trembled violently, with endless light shining as if to engulf the mortal world.
"What's that?!"
"What a magnificent sight!"
In the Nine Skies Realm, countless beings squinted through the piercing light, looking up at the sky.
They saw phantom-like ruins materializing from the glow, slowly rising into the sky. As they ascended, these ruins became more real, rapidly repairing and solidifying.
They didn't know what these ruins represented, but they instinctively understood that it was something untouchable, radiating supreme authority.
Sacred.
Majestic.
Indescribable!
This was the manifestation of the heavens—born from Xuanhuang Mountain and giving rise to the world of Xuanhuang Heaven.
Once, Xuanhuang Heaven had faced a catastrophic collapse. But now, those fallen heavens were being restored to their rightful place.
At the same time, the Nine Skies Realm began expanding at a visible rate.
Rip!
"Ow, my groin!"
"My house, my house!"
A man, standing still with his legs close together, suddenly found the ground beneath him widening, causing his pants to rip apart. He was forced into a painful split, feeling a painful strain in a very sensitive area.
To make matters worse, he watched as his house, once nearby, quickly receded into the distance.
And the small mound in his garden suddenly swelled, transforming into towering mountains, blocking his view.
As the saying goes: The voices of people once nearby, now muffled by mountains between them.
"Stop, thief! Take my sword!"
"Wait, what's happening? Why am I moving backward? Come back, thief, get back here!!"
Someone, in hot pursuit of his enemy, suddenly found himself moving backward.
No matter how hard he tried to fly forward, he found the scenery rapidly moving past him.
Meanwhile, his enemy, after a moment of confusion, waved mockingly as he slid away, standing firm as if riding a skateboard, and vanished over the horizon.
Some people were lying on the ground, peering at ants through small cracks, only to watch in horror as those cracks expanded into vast chasms.
The cracks became bottomless abysses!
One person nearly fell in, scrambling backward like a dog to save himself, barely escaping with his life, his heart pounding in terror.
Scenes like these were happening everywhere.
In an instant, the entire Nine Skies Realm had expanded by tens, hundreds, thousands of times!
Ding… ding…
A divine sound echoed across the heavens and earth, with purple energy sweeping in from the east. Spiritual dragons of fortune burst from the ground, coiling through the sky.
Xuanhuang Heaven had fully awakened!!
Boundless spiritual energy fell like rain, while the light of creation bathed every corner like sunlight.
"I've broken through!"
"I've broken through too!"
"I've become an Emperor!"
"What?! My dog surpassed me? This can't be! It's just a dog! Wait, it's still breaking through?!"
The heavens' blessings caused everyone's cultivation to surge, with many breaking through several realms in quick succession.
Even ordinary animals and plants suddenly evolved as if their meridians had been opened, growing stronger at an incredible pace.
In a short time, countless new monstrous creatures emerged.
"Hahaha, I've awakened!"
"After billions of years of slumber, this king has returned! Tremble before my might, you ants!"
"The Lost Moon Ancient Sect has returned!"
"The Green Leaf Sect has returned!"
"The Eastern Flower Immortal Sect has returned!"
From one ancient ruin after another, ancient beings revived. Entire sects that had been dormant for eons were awakening, ready to reclaim their former glory.
"Look! What's that?"
"So many bubbles!"
Many people looked to the sky, noticing that the heavens seemed to have become transparent, and beyond the sky, countless bubbles were descending.
"Those aren't bubbles. They're worlds. They're falling because our world is rising!"
"I understand now! Xuanhuang Heaven is breaking free from the lower realm and returning to the upper realm!"
Many ancient beings flushed with excitement. Their long-lost era of glory was truly returning.
At the same time…
On the altar of Xuanhuang Mountain, strands of innate purple energy, accompanied by the fortune dragons, descended upon Qin Zi.
His cultivation surged rapidly!
Second Level of Heavenly God.
Third Level of Heavenly God.
Fourth Level of Heavenly God.
…
Seventh Level of Heavenly God!!
Eventually, his cultivation stabilized at the Seventh Level of the Heavenly God Realm.
"The Heaven Lord is established. All beings bow!"
That ancient, majestic voice echoed once more from Xuanhuang Mountain, resounding in the ears of all beings.
At the same time, Qin Zi's radiant image was imprinted in the minds of everyone.
Countless beings were stunned.
"What?! The new Xuanhuang Heaven Lord is him? A young man at the Heavenly God Realm?!"
"Ridiculous! A mere Heavenly God Realm cultivator as the Heaven Lord? There's never been such a precedent!"
"Can an ant really govern the heavens?"
"Even though Xuanhuang Heaven has suffered a great calamity and just revived, it hasn't fallen this low, has it?"
Many old monsters at the peak of the Divine King Realm were furious, including Sea King, Daoist Qing Ye, and the venerable Elder Ti Hu.
"Daoist brother, let's go kill him!"
"Yes, as long as I live, I will not bow to an ant! It would be shameful!"
"Let's go, destroy him!"
Some directly stirred up the flames, intent on destroying Qin Zi, the Heaven Lord only in name.
However, soon, wiser heads intervened and stopped them.
"Everyone, do not act rashly! We may not accept his title of Heaven Lord, but… this isn't the time to express our feelings. If we act hastily, we may bring about our own deaths."
A voice of wisdom spoke gravely.
Instantly, the hot-headed old monsters cooled down. Given their high status and experience, they quickly grasped the situation.
Grand Emperors!
The Grand Emperors of Xuanhuang Heaven had yet to express their stance. Who were they to call for bloodshed now?
Cao Cao might have bullied the Han Emperor, but if others dared to do the same, he would swiftly destroy them for their treason!
Because that was his right alone.
At that moment, Qin Zi was like a coveted dish.
Even if the Grand Emperors didn't like it, no one else dared to toss it aside without their say-so.
"Fine, we'll wait. Once the Grand Emperors return, they can deal with him!"
And so, these disgruntled old monsters quieted down, deciding to leave Qin Zi alone for now.
They neither supported nor opposed him.
Pretending not to see what was happening!
But could they really stay out of it so easily?
They were unaware that the new Xuanhuang Heaven Lord had a rather ambitious and meddlesome father.