"Counting stars? Sleeping? Or, like some people, gathering together to play cards?"
Upon hearing the words "playing cards," Xiao Wu, Ice Empress, and the others below awkwardly shrank back, exchanged glances, and stuck out their tongues.
"This kind of life is bearable for a hundred or two hundred years. But what about for ten or twenty thousand years? Or a hundred or two hundred million years?"
"Immortality, without goals or things to do, is the most terrible curse. The once lifeless Divine Realm was largely because everyone was bored out of their minds, yet bound by rules, unable to do anything."
"Now that the Divine Realm has been upgraded, everyone has become stronger. If we're still just mascots who laze around and wait to die like before, what's the point of building this Great God Realm? Is it just for retirement?"
These words left the gods present speechless, yet their hearts were filled with emotion.
yes!
They were so incredibly bored before!
That kind of monotonous routine, day after day, year after year, could drive even a god mad.
That's why so many people supported the God of Destruction when he wanted to expand the Divine Realm —because deep down, everyone yearned for change and passion.
Chapter 496 The Sea of Stars
"So you mean..." The God of Destruction looked at Xuan Ming, seemingly lost in thought.
"It must be changed."
Xuan Ming made the final decision, "Since we're going to build Great God Realm, and since we're going to connect all the worlds, then we must completely break down the barriers between the divine and mortal realms."
"What needs to be addressed must be addressed."
Xuan Ming held up five fingers. "Currently, the mortal planes under the jurisdiction of the Divine Realm only number around five hundred, right?"
The Goddess of Life nodded. "To be precise, it's one hundred and eight primary planes, and more than three hundred and sixty secondary planes."
"Only this many?" Xuan Ming raised an eyebrow slightly. "How many gods do we have now? We have dozens of First-Level God alone, and hundreds or even thousands of second- and Third-Level God. It would be such a waste to waste such abundant human resources."
"Effective immediately, the old calendar that 'Gods shall not interfere with the mortal realm' is hereby abolished."
"Implement a 'divine responsibility system'."
"Each of the First-Level God present is in charge of several planes. The Second-Level God and Third-Level God will be your subordinates, responsible for specific execution."
"Your mission is no longer to stand aloof and watch, but to act as 'guides' and 'guardians,' venturing deep into these planes."
"To guide the progress of civilization, to spread advanced knowledge, to quell unnecessary wars, and to establish a relatively fair order."
"Of course, it's not about turning you into babysitters, nor is it about letting you lord it over others," Xuan Ming added, "But rather, it's about you existing as a 'final ruling force'."
"If any plane goes into chaos, such as an overabundance of demons, genocide, or an out-of-control interplane war... report it directly, and then the gods will descend to earth to quell the unrest!"
"What I want to see is not a series of wild, untamed jungles, but a series of prosperous, orderly, and vibrant civilized worlds."
At this point, Xuan Ming looked at the two God King, Kindness and Evil, who were somewhat stunned.
The balance issue you're worried about is actually quite easy to solve.
"Change 'non-interference' to 'intervention according to law.' Develop a detailed 'Code of Conduct for Gods Descending to the Mortal Realm,' stipulating what is permissible and what is not. Anyone who violates this code, such as slaughtering mortals for personal gain, will be dealt with by the enforcement team... that is, Bibi Dong's Asura Guard."
"In this way, the gods will have something to do, and the mortal realm can also develop better. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
After hearing Xuan Ming's plan, the hall fell into a brief silence.
A heated discussion then erupted.
Those young new gods, such as Qian Renxue and Xiao Wu, were all eager and excited.
To become a "guardian deity" in the mortal realm? To guide civilization?
This sounds much more interesting than meditating and cultivating in the Divine Realm every day! It's like finding a new game instance for the long divine life!
Even the old-fashioned deities, upon careful consideration, found this matter plausible.
Instead of idling around in the Divine Realm, you should go down and find something to do; boredom really can drive you crazy.
The Godess of Kindness and the God of Evil exchanged a glance, both seeing a bitter smile and a sense of relief in each other's eyes.
"It seems... we really are getting old."
The Godess of Kindness sighed, then nodded to Xuan Ming with a relieved smile. " Xuan Ming, your ideas are indeed much more far-sighted than those of us old-fashioned folks. Let's do as you say."
"Since no one has any objections, then it's settled."
Xuan Ming waved his hand and made the decision directly.
" Destruction. You are fully responsible for the construction of the Great God Realm. Any resources you need can be directly transferred from the Central Government."
" Life, you are responsible for screening and evaluating the ecological environments of each dimension to see which ones are suitable for focused cultivation."
" Bibi Dong, you are responsible for drafting the 'Code of Conduct for the Gods' and establishing the enforcement team. Anyone who dares to misbehave, you can just chop them down; if you can't chop them down, I will."
" Gu Yuena, you're in charge of overseeing the Soul Beast lineage. If Soul Beast in the mortal realm want to become gods, they need a path to ascend."
"As for Kindness and Evil... you two are experienced, so you'll be in charge of training these young gods. Teach them how to be qualified gods, so they don't just go down there and play around and forget their duties."
A series of instructions were issued, clearly organized and with well-defined division of responsibilities.
The previously somewhat disorganized God Realm Committee, at this moment, seemed to transform into a precise machine, beginning to operate with a roar.
The gods all nodded, their faces beaming with enthusiasm.
Xuan Ming nodded as he watched this scene.
This is the Divine Realm he desired.
No longer a lifeless nursing home, but a vibrant hub that controls all realms—the Nexus of God.
"Alright, meeting adjourned."
Xuan Ming sat back down in his chair, resuming his languid demeanor. "Everyone, get back to your work. I need to go back too... Hmm, time to rest."
The gods smiled knowingly and rose to leave.
They knew that the "rest" the God King spoke of was probably just the beginning of another round of "internal mediation."
After all, the Douluo Federation issue was resolved, and the Divine Realm issue was also arranged, but his family's private affairs... were still unresolved.
However, that's not their responsibility.
Now they're going to conquer the stars and the sea!
The noise subsided inside the magnificent council hall.
The gods, some excited and some thoughtful, left in small groups to prepare for their next "grand plan for descending to the mortal realm."
For these gods with endless lifespans, nothing is more exciting than a new goal or a new game.
The main hall quickly became empty.
Xuan Ming remained seated in the main seat, rubbing his slightly swollen temples. His intense "persuasion" and "pie-in-the-sky" rhetoric, while effective, had certainly taken a toll on his brain.
Just then, a light and rhythmic sound of footsteps came from the side.
Xuan Ming didn't even need to look up to know who it was.
The Ice Dragon King, dressed in a well-tailored yet capable ice-blue dress, and toying with an ice crystal playing card that he hadn't retrieved from the Sea God Hall, walked up to Xuan Ming with a half-smile.
Instead of bowing like other deities, she plopped down on the edge of the table beside her, her long, beautiful legs casually crossed, exuding a unique blend of languidness and sharpness characteristic of a mature woman.
"I must say, you've painted a really grand picture; even the idea of Destruction that guy has you all fired up."
The Ice Dragon King twirled the playing cards in his hand, his crystalline fingertips lightly tracing the surface. "However... little brother, you can't fool me."
She leaned down slightly, her icy blue eyes fixed intently on Xuan Ming.
"You've made such a big fuss, abolishing the old calendar and sending everyone out to work... is it just to get everyone out of the way?"
"Or rather... to resolve your troublesome harem Asura?"
Xuan Ming paused slightly, leaned back, and did not deny it.
"Indeed, that's part of the reason."
"The future is long, and gods possess eternal Life. Ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, even a hundred million years. In such a long period of time, if we just stay cooped up in this Divine Realm, staring at each other blankly, or like today, gambling in groups over jealousy..."
How long do you think this relationship can last?
The Ice Dragon King paused slightly, his hand holding the playing cards coming to a stop.
"I know very well that feelings are essentially a product of impulse," Xuan Ming continued. "They need novelty, excitement, and the beauty that distance creates."
"If we really spend all our time together, all we do is try to get my attention, compare ourselves to each other, be jealous, and be suspicious... then it won't be long before even the deepest love will be worn away by these trivial matters."
"At that time, so-called love will turn into a mess, or even resentment."
Xuan Ming turned his head and looked at the vast starry sky outside the main hall, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.
"And more importantly... I don't want them to become like that."
"I don't want everyone to stay cooped up at home all day, their minds only filled with thoughts of who Xuan Ming slept with today or who Xuan Ming likes more."
That's not love, that's dependence, that's Parasitism.
Xuan Ming stood up, walked to the Ice Dragon King, and his tone became extremely serious.
"I love Bibi Dong, who strategizes and exudes domineering power in the Pope's Palace; I love Qian Renxue, who dares to defy fate and is incredibly proud in her pursuit of godhood; I love Gu Yuena, who shoulders the heavy responsibility of reviving the Soul Beast and is noble and aloof..."
"What I love is each and every one of their vibrant, independent souls."
"I hope they can all have their own lives, their own careers, and their own hobbies. I hope they are independent and well-rounded individuals, goddesses revered by all, and not merely appendages to the label of 'woman of Xuan Ming.'"
"They are only at their most beautiful when they shine in their respective fields."
"Only in this way can the joy of a long-awaited reunion and the satisfaction of sharing each other's achievements when we occasionally meet keep this feeling fresh and new throughout the long river of time."
Xuan Ming's words were frank and insightful.
The Ice Dragon King listened quietly, looking at the man before him who had shed his youthful immaturity and truly possessed the aura of God King. The playfulness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of satisfaction and admiration.
After a long while, she sighed softly, jumped off the table, and reached out to straighten Xuan Ming's collar.
"Alright, you brat."
The Ice Dragon King patted his chest and laughed, "It seems you've truly grown up. Not only has your strength reached its peak, but even your state of mind... you've come to understand life."
"You're right."
"Instead of keeping a pack of tigresses in a cage and letting them tear each other apart, it's better to release them back into the mountains and let them patrol their own territories."
"In this way, they are kings, and you are a king. Only the union of two kings is worthy of the word 'eternity.'"
Chapter 497 I Don't Want to Be Welded to Death
"Alright, stop reminiscing."
The Ice Dragon King jumped down from the edge of the table, looked at Xuan Ming who was preparing to go back to face the "storm," and suddenly seemed to remember something, calling out to him.
"Wait a minute, there's something else."
Xuan Ming stopped and turned to look at her. "Is there anything else? If it's about who will serve you tonight, go and tell them yourself. I don't want to hear it."
"Get lost, all you can think about is sleep."
The Ice Dragon King rolled his eyes at him, then said seriously, "It's about the name of the Divine Realm. Now that the Divine Realm has been upgraded, we'll launch the Great God Realm Plan to connect with and merge more Divine Realm."
"From now on, we'll be facing the vast universe, so we need a resounding name, right? Otherwise, we won't know how to introduce ourselves when we go out into the world."
Xuan Ming was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
name?
He hadn't really paid much attention to that.
"What's there to agonize over? A name is just a label. Call it Douluo God Realm or Great God Realm, it doesn't matter. You decide, I don't care."
The Ice Dragon King shook his head helplessly. "You still have that hands-off boss attitude. A name is a matter of face and intimidation."
"And..."
The Ice Dragon King's gaze turned grave. "The universe is vast and boundless. Although we reign supreme in this corner, no one knows how many other Divine Realm exist outside. Since we are expanding, we will inevitably come into contact with the deities of other Divine Realm in the future, and there may even be clashes between civilizations."