The sound of his voice fell, and the thousand qi essences immediately began to burn, transforming into a stream of purple flames that enveloped Gu Yuan's entire body.
A purple light shot straight into the sky, and in an instant, countless streams of starlight descended from the starry expanse, pouring into Gu Yuan's body.
Gu Yuan's mind flickered, and the scene before his eyes suddenly changed.
Imposing divine statues, reaching into the heavens, appeared before Gu Yuan. Some were mysterious, some majestic, some wrathful, some compassionate...
Each divine statue possessed distinct characteristics, cloaked in varying degrees of divine radiance, exuding infinite majesty.
Gu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart. He finally understood why Yang Tian Kui could make him feel utterly devoid of any will to resist; his divinity was too awe-inspiring and potent.
What was the point of Gu Yuan's superior strength if his opponent could directly suppress him from a higher echelon?
Gu Yuan took several deep breaths and mentally inquired of the Dao Fortune Celestial Map on how to invite a deity into his destiny.
He could clearly feel the gazes of most of the deities and buddhas filling the sky cast upon him, their eyes carrying goodwill, scrutiny, and even testing.
Upon receiving the information from the Dao Fortune Celestial Map, Gu Yuan's expression faltered. Was it truly this simple?
Gu Yuan found it almost unbelievable. Due to his exceptionally high destiny, the ingress of a deity into his being would also benefit the deity. Thus, many deities were vying for the opportunity. Gu Yuan merely needed to open his mind and allow a deity capable of dominating the entire assembly to enter him.
Following the Dao Fortune Celestial Map's instructions, Gu Yuan opened his mind. In that instant, he felt the surging auras of countless deities and buddhas, stirring the winds and clouds of the nine heavens.
As the multitude of deities and buddhas sought to enter Gu Yuan's body, a sudden presence was felt. They all halted their divine forms and turned to look at this entity. Wherever this being passed, each deity would bow their head in reverence.
Gu Yuan was still pondering internally, wondering which deity would become his destined god.
His body suddenly trembled, and he felt an aura that shook the myriad heavens descend from the highest celestial realms. Excitement bloomed in Gu Yuan's heart; this aura was unmistakably that of a tremendously powerful deity. He just didn't know which one.
*Dong!*
A magnificent bell sound, as if from the highest celestial realm, echoed, accompanied by a Dao song:
"With utmost sincerity, I pay homage.
From the Grand Luo Heavens, the Zi Wei Star Palace.
Residing in the heights of the North Star, presiding above the center of the heavens.
His Dharma name is Golden Wheel Radiance, his Dao is the Profound Venerable of the Jade Dipper.
With Xuan Ji and Yu Heng aligning the Seven Luminaries, governing the heavens and earth.
The Sun, Moon, and Stars align with the Four Seasons, traversing the Yellow Path and the Purple Enclosure.
Master of all phenomena, Ruler of all heavens.
With great compassion, great vows, great sage, great benevolence.
Lord of Myriad Stars, Primordial Emperor of the Infinite.
Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens, the North Star.
Wait! Gu Yuan was somewhat bewildered. What was that Dao sound just saying? Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens, the North Star?
By my stars, could such an almighty being be interested in me?
Was it because of the Primordial Yuan Embryo within me?
"We welcome the Emperor!" All the deities and buddhas bowed in unison, for this was Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens, the North Star.
Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens: One of the Four Imperial Lords of the Heavenly Court, second only to the Jade Emperor, assisting him in managing the celestial realms. Zi Wei the Great Emperor governs the heavens and earth, the movement of stars, and the four seasons. He can summon wind and rain, command spirits and demons, and is the master of all phenomena and the lord of all stars.
The Four Imperial Lords of the Heavenly Court: Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens, the North Star; the Great Emperor Chang Sheng of the South Pole; the Heavenly Emperor Gou Chen of the Upper Palace; and Hou Tu Huang Di Qi.
In the Heavenly Court, few could surpass him. He was a first-tier celestial being. Was this the power of the Primordial Beginning?
Gu Yuan dared not open his eyes. He felt a hand gently brush over his head, and a stream of starlight entered his soul.
His soul trembled, and he felt a sensation emanating from a vast, multi-dimensional, infinite universe spanning across all realms.
*Hiss!*
Gu Yuan gasped, his heart pounding. He had merely intended to invite a deity into his destiny, yet he had drawn the attention of such an incredibly powerful being. One could arguably call this his ultimate ancestor, a supreme entity.
A coolness spread through his mind. Gu Yuan felt as though he had been transformed, an oppressive force erased, and a sense of exhilarating release washed over him.
The darkness before his eyes shifted, and Gu Yuan found himself back in the space of the Dao Fortune Celestial Map. The countless deities and buddhas had dispersed. Looking up, the starlight that had filled the sky had vanished, leaving only a single star, exuding an aura of boundless, noble purple, twinkling continuously.
Gu Yuan knew this was the projection of the Zi Wei Star from the myriad realms.
Destiny Reflected:
[Dao Master]: [Gu Yuan]
[Destined Deity]: [Zi Wei the Great Emperor of the Central Heavens (Projection)]
[Destiny]: [Primordial Qi]
[Realm]: [Meridian Opening Realm (Minor Accomplishment)]
[Fortunes]: [Primordial Yuan Embryo (Gold)], [Zi Wei Star Destiny (Gold)], [Child of the Stars (Red)], [Innate Physique (Purple)], [Hundred Meridians Open (Purple)], [Golden Body Forging (Purple)], [Heaven-Shaking and Earth-Splitting (Purple)], [Body of External Cultivation (Green)], [Qi Swallowing Bulls and Cows (Green)], [Slaying Demons and Exorcising Evil (Green)], [Martial Skill Mastery (Green)], [Spiritual Energy Affinity (Green)], [Unparalleled (Green)], [Averting Danger and Seeking Fortune (Green)], [Never Missing the Mark (Green)], [Great Master of the Blade (Green)].
Evaluation: Two Gold, One Red, Four Purple, Nine Green.
A potential for godhood and devilry!
Two new fortunes had been added, one gold and one red, along with a new evaluation: "A potential for godhood and devilry" – what was that? And such a powerful destined deity was merely a projection of the true body. What more could he say? It was simply awesome.
Inquiring of the Dao Fortune Celestial Map yielded no answers, so he abandoned further investigation.
He then focused his attention on the two newly acquired fortunes.
[Zi Wei Star Destiny (Gold)]: [The Zi Wei Imperial Star is the lord of the stellar charts, a destiny befitting an emperor from birth!]
Was this telling him to become an emperor? Gu Yuan felt a twinge of annoyance.
Did he have to contend with Tian Xia for the position of ruler? Yet, the Tian Xia Kingdom no longer had the title of emperor; it was governed by twelve Regent Dukes.
When the boat reaches the pier, it will naturally go straight. Gu Yuan chose to ignore it.
[Child of the Stars (Red)]: [You can command the stars of the heavens, but your authority is lower than that of the Lord of the Stars.]
This was the junior version of the Lord of the Stars, but it was not bad; he could still channel the stars of the heavens for cultivation.
Exiting the Dao Fortune Celestial Map, Gu Yuan felt mentally exhausted. The pressure from facing the myriad deities and buddhas was something ordinary people could not comprehend. Most likely, they were mere projections, but even a ten-thousandth of their strength would have been overwhelming for the current Gu Yuan.
Returning to the outside world, Gu Yuan tidied his belongings and sent a message to the staff, informing them that he would be returning to Tian Yuan City tomorrow.
Having completed this, Gu Yuan fell asleep immediately.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Gu Yuan boarded a dedicated vehicle and embarked on his journey back to Tian Yuan City.
Upon receiving the news, numerous factions in Tian Yuan City immediately began their preparations, getting ready to pay their respects to Gu Yuan.
Instantly, Tian Yuan City was in an uproar.
Gu Yuan, however, remained unaware of this.