God-Seal Coronation!

Cloudvast Heavenly Domain.

Heavenly God City.

A single day passed in the blink of an eye.

After a night, the entire Blazing Flame Sect, a thousand-strong force, had completed its preparations and crossed the sea aboard warships.

Traveling eastward, the world's aura underwent layer upon layer of transformation. They left behind the perpetually scorching, violent fire-attributed Soul Power of the Blazing Flame Mountains.

Upon setting foot in Heavenly God Prefecture, all turbid air dispersed along the way. Spiritual radiance filled the sky, while faint golden light blanketed heaven and earth, cleansing the bodies and minds of every Blazing Flame Sect member.

Even outer disciples with low cultivation, whose progress had stagnated for years, could clearly sense the stagnant Soul Power within them quietly stirring to life as they walked this land. Their exhaustion and cultivation shackles were completely washed away by the holy radiance.

When the entire party entered the territory of Heavenly God City and looked up, the city's grandeur far exceeded everyone's imagination. White jade paved its streets, with layer upon layer of patterns hidden beneath the tiles, circulating without rest day and night;

The halls built along the mountain stood in orderly tiers, steeped in immortal mist and wrapped in rosy light. Every inch of land was saturated with pure primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Compared to the Blazing Flame Sect's year-round blazing infernos and its scorching atmosphere of ruthless slaughter, this place was peaceful and tranquil, holy and transcendent. Every blade of grass and tree carried an air beyond the mortal world.

"Heavens, the aura of this one city alone crushes Spirit City and the two imperial capitals. This is truly a miracle!"

"It is genuinely a sight rarely seen in all eternity!"

"..."

The Blazing Flame Sect elders stopped to look around, their eyes filled with immense shock and envy.

After entering the city, the Judgment Knights stepped forward in an orderly fashion to receive them. Their postures were upright and their bearing solemn. They advanced and retreated with perfect decorum, every word and gesture displaying the regulations of Holy City. Without needing further instructions, they led all the ordinary disciples and lower-ranking elders of the Blazing Flame Sect to their designated accommodations.

This residential area was rich in primordial energy, and its dwellings were elegant. Training grounds, meditation chambers, medicinal herb gardens, and body-tempering pools were all available. Its facilities far surpassed even the core area of the Blazing Flame Sect headquarters, enough for every disciple to cultivate in peace and stabilize their foundations.

The Blazing Flame Sect disciples settled down safely, rested in earnest, and quietly awaited further arrangements.

The father and son, Ma Mingshan and Ma Jinyan, were led by designated personnel toward the most central and majestic sacred ground of Heavenly God City.

At the very center of the city stood a great hall that connected heaven and earth, piercing through the sea of clouds. It alone occupied the core of the entire Holy City's destiny.

The hall had been cast from Nine Heavens Divine Jade and Purple-Gold Divine Rock. Tens of thousands of ancient, intricate divine patterns were engraved across it, their light and darkness cycling endlessly. Every pattern bore supreme divine might capable of suppressing the heavens and stabilizing the universe.

This was the central core of Heavenly God City—the Heavenly God Palace!

The father and son, Ma Mingshan and Ma Jinyan, climbed the steps. Countless white jade stairs rose layer upon layer, leading directly to the gates of the divine hall.

They ascended all the way to the summit and entered the main hall of the Heavenly God Palace.

The space within was boundless, its dome encompassing all phenomena of heaven and earth, vast and unfathomable. Golden divine patterns floated across the four walls, slowly circulating without end and casting down endless holy light that illuminated the entire hall.

Inside the great hall.

Qian Xunzong, dressed in a sacred robe of flowing gold, sat upon the high seat.

At his side, Shen Ye stood solemnly as his guardian. His aura was as sharp and cold as a frosty blade as he guarded all directions, never leaving even half a step;

Yue Guan and Gui Mei stood with their hands lowered, their expressions respectful and solemn, not daring to show the slightest carelessness; Mo Hengchuan sat quietly in a seat nearby, like an ordinary reclusive scholar.

"This subordinate, Ma Mingshan, greets my lord!" Ma Mingshan bowed deeply and formally.

Qian Xunzong raised a hand slightly. His calm yet imposing voice echoed through the entire hall, piercing the mind and intimidating the soul:

"No need for formalities. I summoned you today to grant you the supreme opportunity I spoke of before—to rebuild your foundation and defy fate itself."

The instant his words fell, Qian Xunzong's gaze abruptly lifted toward the boundless void of the great hall. Golden light surged in his eyes as vast, limitless Creation God-level power erupted forth and swept through the entire Heavenly God Palace.

Endless spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered madly, weaving into a dazzling golden divine glow beneath the temple dome. Even the laws of the entire space trembled faintly.

"I bear the will of eternal antiquity, wield the divine power of creation over all things, and open heaven and earth for this world—Divine Seal Throne!!!"

His soft chant was neither loud nor angry, yet it shook heaven and earth!

Rumble—!!

The layered sea of clouds above the Heavenly God Palace suddenly exploded. Endless golden divine light pierced through the void of ages as countless rays of creation divine radiance poured down, enveloping the entire hall.

A supreme throne towering above the clouds slowly descended from the depths of chaotic void, hovering steadily above the great hall.

It floated silently there, without the slightest fierce or murderous aura, yet it possessed a supreme majesty that suppressed the heavens and rendered all laws inviolable. It was as though all things in heaven and earth, and the order of all living beings, lay within the throne's command.

A sacred, ancient, and boundless aura filled the hall, making the souls of everyone within submit involuntarily.

At that moment, everyone in the hall was profoundly shaken.

Even Mo Hengchuan, a Limit Douluo standing at the peak of the continent, showed deep reverence and emotion in his eyes.

The light carried Qian Xunzong's body upward. He rose into the air, stepping upon flowing clouds of holy radiance. With an ethereal bearing, he slowly descended onto the Eternal and Creation God-Seal Throne.

The instant he sat upon the throne, his entire aura underwent a complete transformation.

His usual lazy ease and youthful spirit vanished, replaced by sacred majesty that commanded heaven and earth, judged all things, created the world, and protected life.

His eyes were as clear as the sun, moon, stars, and Xinghe. His gaze could pierce the void of ages and see through all falsehood in the world.

Endless holy light gathered around the throne. The spiritual energy, laws, and divine essence between heaven and earth all bowed their heads, forming an independent and sacred domain of coronation centered upon the throne.

"Ma Mingshan, step forward, hear the oath, and receive my God-Seal Coronation."

The calm words carried the supreme power of the laws of heaven and earth. They echoed through every inch of the hall, each word weighing a thousand pounds and allowing no refusal.

Ma Mingshan's mind trembled, and his soul became solemn. He did not dare hesitate in the slightest.

He dragged his body forward step by difficult step. With every step he took, he felt ever more keenly how small and insignificant he was.

To Ma Mingshan, Qian Xunzong seated upon the supreme throne was like a mortal facing the gods of the heavens. Endless reverence and devotion welled up within his heart.

When Ma Mingshan stood three feet beneath the throne, Qian Xunzong slowly raised his hand.

A wisp of flawless Creation God light condensed at his fingertips. The divine light was jade-like in its purity, warm and profound, carrying the phantom image of a sacred throne, entirely milky white and suffused with gentle divine radiance, which slowly took shape from the void.

The throne was ancient and majestic in design, grand yet dignified. Gentle holy light suffused with compassion for all beings and protection for all things coiled around it. Its patterns were all engraved with the profound truths of protection, healing, and shelter.

It was one of the six great Divine Seal Thrones, possessing the world's strongest group defense and governing the path of protecting all living beings—the Throne of Guardian and Mercy!

The throne's phantom floated in the void, slowly revolving as endless gentle holy light descended and completely enveloped Ma Mingshan.

Soft yet vast power of protection seeped into his flesh, meridians, and soul origin, quietly soothing the wounds and decay throughout his body and gradually stripping away the chronic ailments accumulated within him.

Qian Xunzong sat upon the Eternal Throne. His gaze was solemn as his sacred, majestic voice rang out once more, each word striking the soul and resounding through the Nine Heavens:

"Ma Mingshan, today I grant you the Throne of Guardian and Mercy. You shall command the ultimate power of protection in this world, shelter all living beings, and guard Holy City."

"Are you willing to relinquish the freedom of the mortal world from this day onward, to guard Heavenly God City for all eternity, defend the territory of Heavenly God Prefecture for life, never leave this place, protect the lives within the city, and preserve the peace of this land?"

"If you break this oath, you will bear the throne's hundredfold shackles of divine punishment. Your soul will burn day and night, your life force will wither, your cultivation will be utterly destroyed, until you perish and your dao dissipates, never to find release for all eternity!"

Ma Mingshan's body trembled slightly. He raised his eyes toward the sacred and majestic Guardian Throne in the void, feeling the vigorous life force quietly surging within him. Countless emotions filled his heart, only to become boundless devotion and gratitude in an instant.

He had spent half his life fighting and toiling, guarding the increasingly declining Blazing Flame Sect. He had suffered from incurable beast poison for years; his lifespan was nearly exhausted, and his foundation was ruined. He had long been at the end of his rope. Thinking his days were few and death inevitable, he had already grown indifferent to life and death.

Now, to receive such a supreme divine opportunity—to defy fate, gain a new life, and escape death's shackles—was already an immense gift. Lifelong guardianship and the loss of worldly freedom were not worth mentioning beside his life and rebirth.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ma Mingshan bowed deeply. His knees bent as he solemnly knelt toward the supreme throne, his voice devout and resolute as it resounded through the entire hall:

"This subordinate, Ma Mingshan, is willing! I am willing to relinquish worldly freedom, guard Heavenly God Prefecture for all eternity, remain in Heavenly God City, protect all living beings, defend this territory, and never violate my oath!"

"Good!"

Qian Xunzong nodded heavily. The Creation God light at his fingertips suddenly blazed with immeasurable brilliance as the supreme God-Seal Coronation ceremony officially began!

Buzz—!!

The void shook violently, and all laws of heaven and earth resonated! The phantom of the Throne of Guardian and Mercy suddenly erupted with countless rays of sacred holy light. Divine patterns of protection unfurled and circulated across the sky, spreading layer upon layer before turning into golden divine radiance that poured into Ma Mingshan like a celestial river.

The sacred golden light of coronation descended from above, thoroughly cleansing his flesh, meridians, soul origin, and martial soul foundation. The origin poison that had accumulated for decades within his internal organs, meridians, bones, and flesh—

Even the Undying Sect's highest-grade healing soul skills had been unable to eradicate it. Yet before pure divine power of protection, it was like ice and snow before the blazing sun, black mist before dawn's light. It instantly melted away, completely purged without leaving the slightest trace!

His once decayed, exhausted, and badly damaged meridians were repaired one by one by the holy light, remade and widened until they became resilient, broad, and flawlessly transparent;

His dried and sluggish martial soul origin once more burst forth with extreme vitality. Its foundation accumulated layer upon layer, becoming ever more profound; his blood vitality and soul, which had been on the verge of collapse, instantly stabilized and filled out, while his soul origin was tempered and elevated.

Crack, crack, crack—

Subtle sounds of physical transformation rang out continuously, clearly echoing through the silent air.

Ma Mingshan's formerly hunched and frail body gradually straightened. His gaunt, shriveled flesh filled out once more, while his dry, pallid face regained a healthy flush.

In only a few breaths, the dying old man, whose lifespan had held less than half a year, seemed to experience a second spring. All traces of decay, age, and ruin faded from him, replaced by powerful, steady, and enduring life force.

Soul Power far exceeding his former peak erupted from his body. His damaged cultivation, which had only allowed him to display the strength of Rank 92, instantly stabilized at the peak of Rank 95 Super Douluo. His foundation was complete and flawless, without the slightest hidden danger!

He could clearly sense that his lifespan had increased by several decades, adding a full thirty years to his life. His remaining years would be peaceful and enduring. He had completely escaped the crisis of death and dissolution, and would no longer suffer from dwindling lifespan or poison backlash!

Ma Mingshan clenched his fist and raised his hand, feeling the full, vast, ceaseless power within him. His eyes overflowed with shock and wild joy, and his eye sockets reddened slightly.

The despair of decades of illness, falling cultivation, and exhausted lifespan, along with the fatigue of half a lifetime spent toiling and rushing about, all vanished in that instant. In their place was the utmost fortune of gaining a new life.

"This subordinate thanks my lord!!!"

Qian Xunzong quietly looked down upon the reborn Ma Mingshan. His voice was calm and unhurried as he slowly explained the throne's rules and supreme abilities, every word clear as it entered everyone's ears:

"The Throne of Guardian and Mercy possesses, as its core ability, the power to unfold an endless curtain of protection over a thousand-mile territory. All allied living beings within its range will be immune to every physical attack, Soul Power assault, soul curse, and illusionary erosion, achieving an absolutely invincible golden body.

Those under your protection will be immune to blades and weapons, untouched by evil, and unbreakable by any hardship."

"Furthermore, the throne can resonate and link with the earth veins of Heavenly God City and my Eternal Throne. Within the city's territory, your defensive power will be doubled. The protective barrier will be indestructible. Even the full-force bombardment of a Titled Douluo or a probing strike from a Limit Douluo will struggle to break it."

"But remember the shackles of your oath. You may never leave the territory of Heavenly God Prefecture for the rest of your life, nor may you betray your duty of guardianship.

If your heart holds all living beings and you remain true to your original intent, the throne's power will be inexhaustible and everlasting. But should stray thoughts arise and you attempt to rebel, the Divine Seal's backlash will activate at once. Your cultivation will be destroyed, your soul annihilated, and you will never be reborn for all eternity."

Ma Mingshan bowed with his head lowered, his heart full of devotion. He solemnly kowtowed and replied:

"This subordinate will remember my lord's teachings and uphold the divine oath. I will guard Heavenly God City for life, protect all living beings, and never dare overstep in the slightest!

To be reborn and receive this supreme opportunity is already an immense blessing. This subordinate harbors not the slightest grievance. In this life, I swear to serve my lord unto death and never betray you!"