A Deposed God. So it refers to a god whose Great Dao is useless.

Having understood this, Wu Wang's budding interest instantly vanished.

Was he that free? Some minor god from the Heaven Palace shows up, and they expect him to rush over to greet and receive them? What if that Young Master had hidden an avatar in the envoy delegation and decided to drag him straight to the Heaven Palace this time? Who could he appeal to then?

Wu Wang's response was straightforward:

"Not going! This Hall Master is busy adjudicating the case of Widow Wang's stolen dog from the neighboring market town. Isn't that more important than bickering with an Innate God?"

With that, Wu Wang waved his hand, and the few messengers departed, unsure whether to laugh or cry, to carry out their orders.

Lin Suqing chuckled beside him. "Hall Master, isn't it a bit improper to shirk your duties like this? These words are for Pavilion Master Liu to hear; they won't anger anyone from the Heaven Palace."

The Blue Bird spread its wings and flew to a nearby perch, preening its feathers.

Wu Wang puffed out his chest and laughed.

"The Heaven Palace sent an Innate God with no combat strength. Their purpose is self-evident. Either they've come feigning peace while secretly plotting to make us lower our guard, or they've come to deliver an ultimatum, demanding we hand over the Dao of Fire by a certain year, month, day, and hour. Could there be anything else?"

Wu Wang strolled over to the bookshelf, hands clasped behind his back. He picked up a couple of books on artifact refinement insights from seniors and headed to the soft couch.

He said leisurely, "The Human Domain has plenty of experts. Not everything requires our intervention. Without you and me, would the Human Domain cease to function?"

"CHIRP CHIRP!"

The Blue Bird bobbed its head, seemingly in full agreement.

Wu Wang casually picked up some Dried Spirit Fruit from the round table and naturally offered it to the Blue Bird.

The Blue Bird seemed to hesitate for a moment before carefully nibbling at a corner of the Dried Spirit Fruit, cautious not to touch Wu Wang.

Wu Wang chuckled softly and lowered his head, flipping through the book in his hand.

He couldn't absorb a single word of what was written, only ensuring he held the book the right way up.

「An hour later.」

"Hall Master—"

A familiar call, a familiar stream of light. Wu Wang looked up. Lin Suqing stepped forward to open the door, revealing the same few messengers standing outside, bowing their heads to report.

"Reporting to the Hall Master! We've just received Pavilion Master Liu's order! The Pavilion Master insists that you must make the trip. Widow Wang's case can be handed over to the deacons of the Punishment Hall!"

Lin Suqing couldn't help but let out a few soft laughs, quickly turning away to avoid others' gazes.

Wu Wang put down the book, puzzled. "Why must they insist I go?"

"Hall Master! The envoy delegation from the Heaven Palace specifically requested to negotiate with you. They said… they said…" The messengers looked at each other, then one braced himself and said, somewhat sheepishly, "The envoys from the Heaven Palace said that the only beings in the entire Human Domain they deem worthy of their attention are His Majesty and you, Hall Master. If you don't go, they won't utter another word, and both sides can prepare for war. If the Human Domain refuses to negotiate, it will be held responsible for the calamity that will engulf the Hundred Races. The Heaven Palace has come with sincerity this time."

Wu Wang: …

They've learned to sow discord so quickly? Did the Heaven Palace change its spokesperson? Was the Head Manager demoted?

A glint of light flashed in Wu Wang's eyes as he chuckled.

"Then tell them to get lost! Who are they trying to scare? If the Heaven Palace didn't oppress our Human Domain, how could such a calamity arise? Relay my words. The Heaven Palace's intention to annihilate the Human Domain—which race in the Great Wilderness doesn't know this? The Heaven Palace is the root of all turmoil in the world. If they think they can offer a ceasefire as if it's some kind of charity, that won't fly. Could our situation in the Human Domain be any worse than it was before the great war in the Southeastern Region?"

The messengers, their confidence somewhat bolstered, acknowledged the order and hurried away.

Lin Suqing closed the door. Wu Wang rose and paced with his hands behind his back, genuinely surprised.

Pigs were climbing trees, fish were soaring into the sky… The Heaven Palace had actually learned to use strategy!

Wu Wang merely chuckled at their words and dismissed them. Any Human Domain cultivator with a modicum of wisdom wouldn't be swayed by such a simple ploy.

But just like on Blue Star in his previous life, one would always encounter individuals who had slipped through the cracks of compulsory education.

If these words spread, a great number of powerful cultivators in the Human Domain would undoubtedly view him with displeasure.

Unless Wu Wang took another step forward and solidified his position as the Human Emperor's successor, this simple scheme by the Heaven Palace could, paradoxically, help him establish his authority.

But could he, just to foil this plot, gamble away his future happy life? Obviously not.

「Another hour passed.」

The messengers rushed back.

"Hall Master! The Heaven Palace envoy delegation has replied!"

"They said that although the Human Domain is quite impolite, they, as Innate Gods, adhere to the principle of treating all beings of the Hundred Races equally and will still come to negotiate. If Wu Wangzi dares not come to the border, they can enter the Human Domain and accept full supervision. If the Human Domain lacks this courage and magnanimity, then we should act as if they never said any of this."

"Hall Master, that's all they said."

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "This Deposed God from the Heaven Palace's envoy delegation is quite something, eh? Has the Pavilion Master mentioned which God this is?"

The messengers shook their heads.

"What are the Pavilion Master's thoughts?" Wu Wang asked again.

"Hall Master, Pavilion Master Liu said you should decide for yourself whether to go or not."

Wu Wang nodded, pondering for a moment.

In truth, he had to attend this meeting. Pavilion Master Liu allowing him to choose was already giving him considerable face. The Pavilion Master himself had already gone. If he, the Hall Master, remained unmoved after three invitations, it would be rather unbecoming.

The Heaven Palace had clearly come prepared this time. They were using verbal pressure, moral blackmail, subtly lowering their own stance while overtly seizing the moral high ground, all under the banner of 'for the peace and prosperity of the Hundred Races of the Great Wilderness.' Absurd, yes, but undeniably effective.

The Human Domain was also playing the 'Hundred Races' card. If they didn't want this card to become useless in the future, they had to outdo the Heaven Palace on the moral high ground.

One wave had barely subsided before another rose. He had just been looking forward to a few decades of vacation with Little Jingwei, and now the Heaven Palace was here to stir up trouble for him again.

Forget it. I'll just consider it helping the old senior relieve some pressure.

Presently, Wu Wang had the messengers reply, asking Pavilion Master Liu to designate a meeting place, stating that he would proceed there shortly.

After the messengers left, Wu Wang contemplated for a while, then summoned Lin Qi and the Grand Elder. He also called Fairy Immortal Ling down from her cultivation upstairs.

Wu Wang took Lin Qi's arm and gave him some instructions via voice transmission. Lin Qi's face lit up with understanding, and he nodded repeatedly.

Then, Wu Wang handed a Jade Talisman to the Grand Elder, instructing him to immediately mobilize troops from the periphery of the main pavilion to accompany him north later.

As for Ling Xiaolan, Wu Wang, for once, gave her a task.

"Fairy Immortal, the Xuan Nu Sect is most adept in the art of music and has many melodies that can calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Do you have any… well, the kind that…"

Wu Wang gestured vaguely, finding it hard to describe.

Ling Xiaolan smiled. "Melodies that stir one's heart and make one's Dao heart itch a little?"

"Yes, yes! As long as the Fairy Immortal understands."

"Naturally, we have such melodies," Ling Xiaolan said, her almond eyes sparkling. "Are you planning to play a little trick on the Heaven Palace envoys?"

"Trick? Hardly," Wu Wang said calmly. "Just a small warning."

"In that case, I shall contact a few elders from my sect immediately."

Ling Xiaolan added, "My cultivation is still shallow. I'm afraid it will be difficult to affect an Innate God, even a Deposed God."

"I appreciate your efforts, Fairy Immortal."

"I dare not be remiss in carrying out the Hall Master's orders."

Ling Xiaolan departed with a smile, her figure as graceful as a butterfly.

Wu Wang glanced at the Blue Bird with a smile, noticing her perched on Lin Suqing's shoulder with narrowed eyes, seemingly unfazed.

And so, after these arrangements were made.

After half a day of bustling activity, Wu Wang set off northwards, leading tens of thousands of Immortal Soldiers and over a hundred experts.

* * *

The official reception for the Heaven Palace envoy delegation was to be held at a garrisoned dome.

The Human Domain naturally didn't look kindly upon the Heaven Palace.

However, it was extremely rare for the Heaven Palace to send a formal delegation. Furthermore, they had publicly announced that their visit was for the sake of peace among the Hundred Races.

If the Human Domain refused, they would undoubtedly face criticism from the Hundred Races.

If they agreed too readily, it would be tantamount to showing weakness to the Heaven Palace, leading them to believe the Human Domain was merely feigning strength.

The matter seemed simple but was, in fact, quite troublesome.

Fortunately, Pavilion Master Liu was also a 'man of profound schemes and foresight.' With a wave of his hand, several measures were decided upon.

First, during the talks, the Human Domain would deploy numerous image-recording Magic Treasures and reserve the right to disseminate these recordings throughout the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness.

Second, the talks must be witnessed by at least thirty envoys from no fewer than thirty different tribes.

Third, the talks would last only one day. If the Heaven Palace made any unreasonable demands, they would be expelled from the territory immediately.

* * *

These measures, had they been applied to the Heaven Palace of the past, would each have been considered a grave insult.

But this time, the Heaven Palace's envoy delegation was markedly different. Not only did they agree to every condition, but they also haggled with the Human Domain over the details for a considerable time.

This left the Human Domain's senior figures rather astonished.

While en route, Wu Wang received a message from Pavilion Master Liu, asking him to slow his pace and wait for the thirty envoys from the Hundred Races to arrive at the Human Domain's border.

This caused a further delay of two days.

Large numbers of Human Domain experts, hearing the news, flocked to the border to observe the Heaven Palace envoys.

The scene was not unlike watching monkeys in a zoo.

Ling Xiaolan had invited several Supreme Elders from the Xuan Nu Sect; one or two qin virtuosos would perform later.

Ji Mo, hearing of such an exciting event, immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed over to join the spectacle, hoping to cut a fine figure beside Wu Wang.

On this day, Wu Wang received a message from Liu Baiyi stating that the Heaven Palace envoy delegation would arrive at the dome in six hours.

The Pavilion Master had also requested that Wu Wang arrive slightly after the Heaven Palace party, displaying the Human Domain's grandeur before their own experts and the envoys of the Hundred Races, thereby overshadowing the Heaven Palace god's presence.

Wu Wang: …

Asking him to show off? Weren't they mistaken? He was a very low-profile person.

Wu Wang looked up at the Whistling Serpent standing not far away. The latter clearly sensed a hint of danger and instinctively shuffled a few steps to the side.

In six hours, there was actually much that could be prepared.

For instance, crafting a 'saddle' for the Whistling Serpent, or summoning a few hundred experts to later create some fireworks in the sky using a battle formation.

They would certainly have both prestige and spectacle.

But Wu Wang felt that this was a bit too ostentatious and placed too much importance on the visitors from the Heaven Palace. It was somewhat incongruous with his status as the Young Master of the Bear Hug Tribe, Hall Master of the Punishment Hall, and the Little Golden Dragon of the Human Domain.

Therefore, after much deliberation, he devised a relatively simple and unpretentious entrance plan.

「Six hours later.」

The garrisoned dome was already overflowing, with Human Domain cultivators packed three layers deep, both inside and out.

From the north, a white cloud approached. Upon it, Golden Armor Divine Guards advanced, four abreast, their procession stretching for a thousand *zhang*.

On either side of these Divine Guards were Human Domain elites, several times their number, arrayed in tight formation. A great restraining array hung above the Divine Guards' heads, ready to be activated at any moment.

Following the Divine Guard ranks, several giants clad in armor advanced slowly. With heights surpassing ten *zhang*, they hailed from the Country of Giants. Their blood qi surged, and they had a ferocious, intimidating aura. The Wolf Fang Clubs in their hands, several *zhang* long, were quite terrifying.

Chains were bound around the waists of these four giants, and they pulled a small 'palace' behind them.

This palace was actually a carriage, quite spacious within. Soft immortal music and the sounds of men's and women's laughter could be heard emanating from it.

Further behind were several hundred envoys from the Hundred Races, summoned by the Heaven Palace to witness the day's talks.

The Human Domain's side, in contrast, appeared simple and unadorned.

The Pavilion Masters remained out of sight. Xiao Jian Daoist, along with several Vice Pavilion Masters, was responsible for welcoming the Heaven Palace contingent.

When Wu Wang arrived later, he would naturally take over the hosting duties. The Pavilion Masters remained hidden, partly to avoid causing Wu Wang embarrassment.

—The Human Domain's higher-ups had, it seemed, tacitly approved of the Heaven Palace's tactic of 'killing him with praise'.

From a distance, Wu Wang's Immortal Consciousness captured this scene, and a faint smile touched his lips.

The divine aura of the arriving god from the Heaven Palace is quite unique.

It was completely different from the divine presence of the Innate Gods Wu Wang had encountered before. This aura was largely nonchalant, indolent, and unconcerned with worldly affairs, carrying a hint of reluctance.

It was as if a freewheeling, nonchalant god who cared for nothing had suddenly received an order from the Heaven Palace and was reluctantly making a trip to the Human Domain, this den of dragons and tigers.

Wu Wang then asked, "Which Innate God is this?"

The Grand Elder replied, "According to reports from the border, none of us have encountered this Innate God before. It is likely a god who was in deep slumber and has only recently emerged from seclusion."

Wu Wang nodded. "Among the hundreds of Divine Spirits in the Heaven Palace, there must be hidden talents. Not all of them are as obstinate and arrogant as the Head Manager. We must not be careless."

The experts behind him all nodded in agreement.

Ling Xiaolan asked, "Brother Wuwang, when shall we proceed?"

"Let's depart now."

Wu Wang gestured, and dozens of messengers swiftly flew off in various directions.

Shortly thereafter, fleets of Flying Shuttles emerged from the forest, forming neat formations and heading towards that garrisoned dome hundreds of *li* away.

Wu Wang and his immediate party, however, were not among them.

As the Heaven Palace Divine Guards began to arrange themselves in ranks upon the cloud, spreading out evenly to either side, the four giants pulled the small palace onto the dome. A long yawn echoed from within.

Xiao Jian Daoist, the Pavilion Masters, the soldiers garrisoned at the dome, and the surrounding crowd of Human Domain cultivators who had come to watch all wore rather grim expressions.

No one liked to be underestimated, especially by their sworn enemy, the Heaven Palace.

The Divine Light around the palace faded, and a number of men and women of striking appearance, clad in magnificent robes and gowns, peered out from the palace's doors and windows.

Typically, these were the attendants of Innate Gods, much like the bevy of beauties in the Head Manager's palace.

"We've finally arrived."

A slightly disgruntled voice, sounding like that of a young man, came from within. The Innate God who then emerged from the main hall was indeed somewhat chubby, with a fair, beardless face.

He clasped his hands behind his back, as if trying to appear more dignified, and descended from the clouds with a few handsome men and women. He then announced in a somewhat listless voice, "Heaven Palace, God of Sleep and Dreams."

The God of Sleep and Dreams?

People were somewhat at a loss for how to react.

Just then, a long neigh resounded from the southern sky. Countless gazes and strands of Immortal Consciousness probed in that direction.

Hundreds of Flying Shuttles approached through the air. Viewed from the front, they appeared as nine Flying Shuttles flying abreast.

Directly above this formation of Flying Shuttles, two pure white heavenly horses spread their feathered wings, neighed with heads held high, and pulled a silver chariot behind them.

On the chariot, a woman with slender eyes stood at the forefront, holding the reins.

Wu Wang was seated in the center. To his left was the Tianyan Saintess, so radiant she was almost hard to look at directly. To his right were Ji Mo and Lin Qi. A Blue Bird was perched to the side.

He wore a long robe with a black cloak draped over it. A faint smile played on his lips, giving him an air devoid of any imposing authority.

But in the next moment, gasps of admiration rippled through the crowd.

"What's that beneath the chariot?"

"So many ores… no, wait, is that chassis built from top-grade treasure ores, and they weren't even refined?"

"That's an Evil God! The Whistling Serpent, an Evil God, is driving the chariot!"

Wu Wang smiled calmly.

That, indeed, was enough.

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