“Whoosh”
The rumbling clouds above the sky were even more spectacular than before. Golden light cascaded like a waterfall, and rosy clouds spread like an ocean, illuminating the entire sky brilliantly.
Deep within the clouds, ethereal celestial music drifted, and auspicious energy rose. Dragon and phoenix silhouettes coiled faintly in the sky, while qilin stepped on clouds. Countless divine beast phantoms flickered in and out of view within the radiant light.
The test takers inside the dungeon looked up at this magnificent scene, their eyes filled with awe and envy.
“Oh my god! This is even bigger than when Shen Gongbao showed up!”
“Could an even stronger deity be coming?”
“Who could it be?”
“I don’t know, but I want to know too!”
“It’s definitely someone incredibly powerful—otherwise, why would it be even more grand than before?”
“This is unbearable! My jealousy is triggered!”
Everyone stared upward, their eyes red with envy, wishing they could rush up and snatch some of that fortune for themselves.
Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm.
Shen Gongbao was happily returning to the Divine Realm. Though he had nearly gotten lost, he had managed to deliver the divine technique.
Su Fu wouldn’t let him down. After all, the technique he gave her, “Misfortune Entanglement,” was his specialty—practically invincible in the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.
‘Heh heh, this is solid. If she makes it big, my name will echo across the land!’
As he thought this, he suddenly stopped, his eyes wide as he stared ahead.
‘Good heavens! Why is there a sea of deities ahead?’
On the Divine Realm’s pathway, divine light blazed, and countless immortal shadows gathered. Various gods rode clouds and cranes, surging toward a single destination in a grand procession—more lively than the Peach Festival.
“What… what’s going on? Is there some major event in the Divine Realm?”
Shen Gongbao quickly hid to the side, afraid of being dragged into something he knew nothing about.
He quietly observed, occasionally catching snippets of conversations among the immortals.
“Did you hear? Empress Nüwa has taken a disciple!”
“Oh, I know! It’s that Divine Summoner, Su Fu, right?”
“Exactly! This is the first disciple under Nüwa!”
“It’s truly unprecedented since the creation of the world—a once-in-a-millennium joyous occasion!”
“Let’s go, let’s go! We must hurry to offer congratulations and show our support!”
Shen Gongbao’s eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating.
‘Wait… who? Su Fu?’
‘The first disciple under Nüwa?’
He had been in such a hurry, delivering the technique and leaving immediately, that he hadn’t paid attention.
‘No, I need to find out what’s going on!’
Shen Gongbao rushed back to the East Sea Dragon Palace in a panic to ask his Dragon King brothers for news.
“Old Dragon! Big news! I just saw in the Divine Realm…”
Dragon King Ao Guang was leisurely sipping tea. He looked up at Shen Gongbao. “Oh, you mean Nüwa taking a disciple?”
“That’s right! It’s that Su Fu you went to see. She’s now the first disciple under Nüwa!”
“Empress Nüwa has also bestowed her the title: Heaven-Extending Saint Lord!”
“Calm down, calm down. Here’s what happened…”
Ao Guang explained the events in the dungeon in detail.
“What?!” Shen Gongbao’s mind exploded. He was completely stunned.
‘Wow! No wonder I nearly got lost! It turns out Nüwa was fighting the dungeon boss.’
‘That’s why the whole dungeon was shaking, and the anchor point kept flickering…’
‘No! The point is—Nüwa took a disciple? Su Fu is the first disciple?’
‘Damn, I was too late. I didn’t even get to see Empress Nüwa, and I forgot to congratulate Su Fu.’
‘Should I…’
“Don’t even think about it,” the East Sea Dragon King interrupted. “The entire Divine Realm is buzzing. They’re all swarming over there. You wouldn’t even get a spot in line.”
Shen Gongbao suddenly remembered. “So all those gods I saw on my way back were heading to congratulate Su Fu?”
The East Sea Dragon King burst into laughter. “You bet!”
“This is the first disciple of Nüwa. The Three Realms are shaken, and all gods are sending gifts.”
After all, Empress Nüwa’s status in the Divine Realm was truly supreme.
As the creator goddess who molded humans from clay, mended the sky, and saved the world, her merits were boundless.
She was also the master of creation, governing the vitality of all things, transcending great tribulations, and immortal through countless ages.
Just from her title “Empress Wa,” one could see—not every being could be called a sovereign.
Though she was kind and gentle, she rarely took disciples and had never publicly acknowledged any.
Now, she had personally descended into the primordial dungeon, bestowed the title “Heaven-Extending Saint Lord” on Su Fu, and announced her discipleship to the Divine Realm.
Naturally, this was the most important event in the Divine Realm.
Su Fu was Nüwa’s first personally taught disciple since the dawn of the Great Desolation.
In other words, she was the founding disciple.
This weight was enough to shake the entire Divine Realm.
Shen Gongbao thought, ‘No wonder so many gods are rushing to offer congratulations. This must be one of the greatest events in thousands of years.’
The East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang stroked his dragon whiskers and sighed. “But, you know, a restricted-level dungeon can’t withstand so many divine descents. It’ll probably collapse directly.”
“As lively as it looks now, most gods probably can’t even get in.”
“By the way, old leopard, when you came back, who was at the front of the line of gods?”
Shen Gongbao recalled. “The Three Pure Ones—Taishang Laojun, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Grandmaster Tongtian.”
“Whoa!” Ao Guang’s dragon eyes widened. “The Three Pure Ones came in person!”
Meanwhile, Su Fu stood beneath the endless auspicious clouds, looking at the gradually coalescing divine phantoms, blinking.
‘I’m curious too… who is it this time?’
Just then, a sharp sword intent tore through the sky, and Grandmaster Tongtian strode through the air.
He wore a black robe, with sharp brows and starlike eyes, holding a green lotus. Boundless sword energy swirled around him, dimming heaven and earth.
Su Fu hadn’t expected Grandmaster Tongtian to come. She immediately bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Grandmaster Tongtian!”
Grandmaster Tongtian nodded slightly, a rare look of satisfaction in his eyes.
“Su Fu.”
“Though you are not a disciple of the Sect of Interception, you embody its spirit. In the Ten Thousand Immortals Array, you turned the tide against the odds and broke the shackles of the Heavenly Dao.”
“This act is something I wanted to do but couldn’t in the past. It brings me great comfort.”
“I congratulate you on becoming the first disciple under Nüwa, the founding disciple of her lineage.”
“This is a great joy for the Three Realms. We shall all celebrate.”
Su Fu was taken aback, then realized—Grandmaster Tongtian wasn’t just here to praise her, but to congratulate Nüwa on taking a disciple.
Strictly speaking, she was indeed Nüwa’s first disciple, the founding one.
At that moment, Grandmaster Tongtian waved his hand, and a blue light descended from the sky, directly merging into Su Fu’s body.
Meanwhile, Shen Yan’s voice echoed in her ears.
[Ding!]
[You have received the divine technique bestowed by Grandmaster Tongtian: Zhu Xian Sword Array · Heaven’s Severance]
[Grade: S]
[Effect 1: One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws—Unleash the Zhu Xian Sword Array, usable with the Four Swords of Zhuxian. At full power, under a saint, one slash cuts through flesh, soul, and magical treasures alike.]
[Effect 2: Severing Heaven’s Thread—The stronger the enemy, the greater the sword array’s power, until the enemy’s divine techniques fail and their laws crumble. This is Severing Heaven.]
[Special Note: “Neither copper nor iron nor steel, once hidden beneath Mount Sumeru.” This array was Grandmaster Tongtian’s supreme killing formation that suppressed the Sect of Interception’s fate. During the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, it held its own against four saints.]
Su Fu: “!!!”
Grandmaster Tongtian had given her the Zhu Xian Sword Array, perfect for use with the Four Swords of Zhuxian!
This technique was absurdly powerful.
Grandmaster Tongtian said calmly, “This is my gift.”
“Empress Nüwa is the creator goddess, virtuous and lofty.”
“As her disciple, you must cultivate diligently and not disappoint your master’s expectations.”
“Thank you, Grandmaster Tongtian, for bestowing this technique!” Su Fu bowed deeply, performing a great ceremonial bow.
Her heart was shaken. ‘Grandmaster Tongtian is truly generous—giving a divine technique as a gift.’
‘And it’s the Zhu Xian Sword Array, his signature killing technique.’
After all, in the Investiture of the Gods, the Zhu Xian Sword Array was a supreme formation that even Great Golden Immortals struggled to crack, requiring four saints to break it.
This gesture was utterly extravagant.
Grandmaster Tongtian nodded with satisfaction. His figure gradually faded, finally turning into a blue light that merged into the sea of clouds.
The moment he vanished, the sky changed again!
The golden auspicious clouds transformed into celebratory clouds. Necklaces of jewels rained down, and thousands of auspicious streams filled the sky, making everything shimmer.
Seeing this, the test takers in the dungeon lost their composure.
“No way?! Grandmaster Tongtian came, and there’s more?!”
“Ahhh, more?! My mind is breaking!”
“Grandmaster Tongtian showed up… Could it be… all Three Pure Ones are coming?!”
“Wait, wait… Holy crap! It’s possible!”
The next second, a golden light tore through the air. The Nine-Dragon Agarwood Chariot arrived, carrying Yuanshi Tianzun!
He wore a crown of celestial celebratory clouds, surrounded by seven-colored divine light, holding a jade ruyi scepter—majestic and awe-inspiring.
“Su Fu.”
Yuanshi spoke.
Su Fu’s heart trembled. She quickly bowed. “Greetings, Yuanshi Tianzun!”
Yuanshi Tianzun smiled. “Now we should call you Heaven-Extending Saint Lord. Your induction into Nüwa’s sect today is truly a millennial event.”
“Nüwa’s merits in creation benefit all beings. Taking you as her disciple shows she recognizes your potential.”
“Today, I come especially to congratulate you. I hope you live up to Nüwa’s expectations and achieve unparalleled deeds for heaven and earth.”
With that, he waved his sleeve. A brilliant golden light descended from the sky, directly merging into Su Fu’s body.
[Ding!]
[You have received the divine technique bestowed by Yuanshi Tianzun: Jade Void Command · Heavenly Decree]
[Grade: S]
[Effect 1: Acting for the Heavenly Dao—Temporarily borrow the authority of the Heavenly Dao. By reciting decrees (e.g., “This place forbids magic,” “All treasures return to mundanity”), you can briefly modify local Heavenly Dao rules. Duration increases with cultivation.]
[Effect 2: Celebratory Cloud Golden Lamps—A celebratory cloud manifests above your head, golden light descends, and you become invulnerable to all spells and curses below the saint level.]
[Special Note: “Yuanshi opens heaven, commanding all things.” This technique represents the Heavenly Dao’s authority over order. When used, it often brings purple mists from the east and golden lotuses springing from the earth.]
Su Fu’s heart raced, ‘Another great technique! Only Empress Nüwa could command such an honor guard!’
“Thank you, Yuanshi Tianzun, for granting this technique!” Su Fu bowed excitedly.
Yuanshi Tianzun nodded in approval, then gradually faded away.
Just then, the sky shifted again.
Purple mists stretched thousands of miles eastward. The Taiji Diagram’s shadow spanned the sky.