"Lu Sheng—who is Lu Sheng?!"
When Sheng's name appeared alongside Dilius' at the very top of the list, a considerable stir finally erupted within the Celestial Serpent's Heart. Many were shocked and deeply moved. They couldn't believe that there was actually someone capable of standing on equal footing with Dilius.
Especially the three major clans associated with the three Monarch-level Blood geniuses—their expressions were as if they'd swallowed several cosmic flies whole, a mix of shock and disgust. Soon, details of Lu Sheng's exploits were unearthed by many. Only then did these people realize. It turned out that the one who had previously engaged in a massive battle with Dilius in the starry skies outside the Celestial Serpent's Heart was none other than him.
"Just what level of Blood talent does this man possess to be able to go head-to-head with a Sovereign-level figure like Dilius? Could he possibly have a Sovereign-level Blood himself?"
"No way. He has grasped an Extreme Rank Law. Before a Sovereign-level cultivator has fully matured, the combat power boost from Extreme Rank Laws is immense—it nearly erased the gap between them."
"I assume his innate Blood talent isn't bad either; it's definitely above that of an ordinary Monarch-level cultivator."
"I see."
The onlookers above the Celestial Serpent's Heart buzzed with discussion.
Just then, a strange, horn-like sound suddenly rang out from the Celestial Serpent's Heart below. The sound was distant and vast, carrying a thick sense of antiquity.
Then, a massive pillar of light erupted from somewhere on Celestial Serpent's Heart planet. Followed by a second, a third, a fourth... Before long, countless massive red pillars of light rose across the entire Celestial Serpent's Heart. These pillars blazed like beacon fires ignited on the vast plains of tribal lands in the primordial age.
Finally, the countless pillars of light traced the outline of a coiled serpent crowned with a royal diadem in the starry sky above the Celestial Serpent's Heart. The appearance of this pattern seemed to stir the entire starry sky. Everyone could sense the rhythmic vibrations of distant life-bearing planets resonating in response.
This was... the will of the Celestial Serpent galaxy. The onlookers were shaken by this majestic spectacle, still unsure of exactly what was happening.
At that moment, the leaderboard and the blue light gate before their eyes suddenly vanished. In their place appeared a massive light screen. On the screen, two figures stood facing each other.
Upon seeing these two figures appear, the expressions of the onlookers gathered at the Celestial Serpent's Heart all froze momentarily, before their eyes and faces rapidly burst with unparalleled anticipation and fervor.
"Celestial Throne. Do you also wish to witness the showdown between these two?"
"Dilius."
Sheng was taken aback. He had actually encountered Dilius in the eighth stage of the selection trials. The moment Dilius saw him, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Clearly, Dilius was just as surprised by Sheng's appearance.
Sheng and Dilius had both ascended to level 13 at roughly the same time. During the ascension process, the two had vied for the cosmic energy within the range of the Celestial Serpent's Heart, stirring up the tides. After ascending, they had fought another battle.
It could be said that old and new grudges had piled up. After conquering seven consecutive trials, both were in a state of surging combat intent and overwhelming momentum. Now that they'd met, their auras clashed instantly. Their gazes locked, sparking invisible sparks in the void.
"How unexpected."
Dilius narrowed his eyes at Sheng and sneered, "What a pleasant surprise. So is this the reward for passing the selection? The Academy has specially given me a—" Light burst from Dilius' three eyes as he summoned thunder and hurricane in his hands, saying slowly, "A chance to truly crush you."
Facing Dilius' barrage of trash talk, Lu Sheng chose to ignore it completely. He scanned his surroundings, surmising that the selection committee must have had a specific purpose in pairing him with Dilius. Sure enough, not long after the two met, at the far end of this space, as far as their eyes could see, a massive and magnificent portal suddenly materialized.
This portal was different from the ones before. It was golden. Beyond the gateway, the faint outline of a golden path stretched out into the distance.
"Having passed the seven trials…" As the golden gateway appeared, a voice—impossible to discern as male or female, or to read for emotion—echoed in their ears. "You have earned the right to embark on the King Coronation Path. Since the founding of the Celestial Throne academy, fewer than ten people have qualified to walk this path. And only one has successfully attained the title of King. That person is none other than the current Galaxy Lord of our Celestial Serpent galaxy."
King Coronation Path… Hearing the voice's explanation, both Sheng and Dilius were momentarily taken aback. Immediately afterward, Dilius' eyes lit up, his face betraying a look of eagerness and intense anticipation.
'King Coronation'. Those two words seemed to instantly stir every nerve in his body.
Sheng's face also betrayed a flicker of interest. However, what he was thinking about was this so-called King Coronation Path. If he could complete it, the rewards would surely be substantial. He needed resources—vast quantities of resources, the more the better. As long as there was an opportunity to seize it, he would not let it slip away.
"Current unrivaled kings. In the end, only one person can walk the King Coronation Path."
As soon as the voice finished speaking those final words, it vanished, never to reappear.
The voice vanished after uttering that final sentence, never to reappear. Yet the meaning could not have been clearer. This meant Lu Sheng and the other man must first settle the matter between them. Only the victor would be qualified to step onto this King Coronation Path, shimmering with golden light.
"Unrivaled kings. Ha!"
Not long after the voice fell silent, Dilius' loud laughter shattered the stillness of the space.
"What kind of nonsense is this guy spouting!"
Dilius clenched his hand into a fist and plucked a massive, pitch-black halberd from the void. His three eyes fixed intently on Sheng, his gaze as sharp as a celestial blade. A surge of aura erupted from his body with a thunderous roar, surging wildly and instantly engulfing the entire space.
"Where are these kings? In this generation of the Celestial Serpent, from beginning to end... there is only one king—me, Dilius!"
As he spoke, Dilius let out a maniacal laugh. He swung the great halberd in his hand, and his entire being instantly merged with boundless thunder and storm. Then, like a furious dragon capable of destroying galaxies, he charged madly toward Lu Sheng.
Terrifying energy raged through the void, tearing the outer dimension to shreds in an instant. The white expanse instantly grew dark and murky. This entire region... had become Dilius' domain.
Facing Dilius' assault—which was more than ten times more terrifying than before— Sheng's expression remained as calm as an ancient pond untouched by time, not a ripple stirring. His pupils reflected the brutal figure of Dilius, who was harnessing thunderstorms and thrusting his great halberd straight toward him. His expression remained composed.
Driven by his fighting spirit, over 367 million Extreme Yang Immortal Cells within his body pumped out a terrifying power so immense it defied description. His entire body was gradually enveloped by a pure white light. His black hair rapidly lengthened, transforming into a luminous white. A pure white crown emerged upon his forehead.
His posture, his aura, and his expression began to rapidly transform into that of a supreme deity, one who commands the heavens and the stars. He struck. Like a hand sculpted and forged by the heavens, that nearly perfect, pure-white hand reached toward Dilius—a movement that seemed slow yet was swift.
That posture. It was as if a god seated high above the clouds were reaching down to grab a worm standing on the ground, snarling and flailing at the sky.
"I shall let you be crowned king," Lu Sheng said, his gaze cold and devoid of even a trace of emotion. "Did you know... Royal authority is bestowed by gods?"
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Translation notes by dhoo
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Celestial Serpent's Heart planet
Now we know that it's a planet name, not the name of an area.
Introduced as 天蛇的心 celestial serpent 's heart
Once also called 天蛇星系的心 celestial serpent galaxy (星系) 's heart
Now called 天蛇之心星球 celestial serpent 's heart planet (星球)
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Path/Road to Kingship
封王之路
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I am a god
I had found it presumptuous, I removed it, it's still implied in an indirect way.
My version: "Did you know... Royal authority is bestowed by gods?"
Original: "I am a god. Did you know... Royal authority is bestowed by gods."
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Divine Right of Kings
For this chapter title, I used an existing phrase, "the divine right of kings", also known as the divine-right theory of kingship. It is a political and religious doctrine which "posits that monarchs derive their authority directly from a deity" [source: ebsco.com] and thus aren't accountable to any earthly authority. Well, they are accountable to gods though, and apparently this includes Lu Sheng :)