The Snow God sat upon a prayer mat in the main hall, with Bai Haoran seated across from her. Her hands moved in a blur, weaving a series of divine seals. Finally, the seals coalesced into an ancient rune that flew toward Bai Haoran’s forehead.
Bai Haoran’s entire body trembled as an archaic aura washed over him—the aura of the Ancient God Temple. He focused his mind, sensing its depths with profound concentration. When he finally opened his eyes, they were ethereal and deep; a portion of the Ancient God Temple’s inheritance had been etched into his sea of consciousness.
"Bai Haoran of the Heavenly Fox Race, take your place in the West of the Main Hall. Return to your seat, Heavenly God!" The Snow God tapped the center of Bai Haoran’s brow with her right index finger. A Heavenly Fox totem merged into the rune, and the Ancient God Temple shuddered. A Fox totem rose in the west of the main hall, radiating a dense, primordial aura.
Bai Haoran was inwardly delighted. After gaining insights from the temple’s inheritance, his cultivation realm had advanced another step. The hope of ascending to the rank of an Ancient God became clearer; he sensed that the realm was no longer unreachable. He believed that after several dozen or perhaps a few hundred eras, he too could reach that height.
No wonder the five races were always shaken whenever an Ancient God Decree was issued, and the competition for the position of a Guardian Heavenly God grew so fierce. It turned out there were such immense benefits.
***
**The Spirit Realm, Spirit Race**
The Spirit Race Leader, Ye Shen, was also an Ancient God. He looked warmly at the Snow God and Bai Haoran, who were seated in the guest positions.
"Fellow Daoist Snow God is truly young and promising. To reach the realm of an Ancient God in a mere ten eras!" Ye Shen spoke to her with great kindness.
"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Ye Shen," the Snow God replied with a polite bow.
"Alas, it is the fault of us old fogies. We failed to guide you in time, causing the construction of your Ancient God Temple to be delayed until now!" Ye Shen said with genuine regret. He had never imagined that the reason the Snow God Decree had been so late was simply because she was unaware of the rules. It was an oversight on the part of the seniors.
The Snow God hurriedly demurred, claiming she did not deserve such concern. Knowing that the Heavenly God she was about to meet was one raised by an Ancient God, she felt he would likely be capable, and a small smile graced her lips.
"Chen’er, come in at once!" Ye Shen called out toward the void.
A refreshing, soul-cleansing fragrance wafted through the air as a sea of flowers appeared at the entrance of the Spirit Race’s Great Hall. Amidst the blossoms stood a man of enchanting beauty and cold demeanor. Yet, no matter how frigid his expression, it could not mask his breathtaking features. This was the Flower God, Ye Wuchen.
The Flower God stepped upon blooming petals as he entered the hall. The Snow God observed him closely; his talent was excellent, likely a newly ascended Heavenly God of this era. She felt satisfied, and her expression softened.
Bai Haoran’s lip twitched. He grumbled inwardly, *Look at this grandstanding. What a show-off!*
Ye Shen’s brow furrowed deeply, clearly displeased with his son’s flamboyant entrance. "Greet our guest at once!" he barked. Then, turning back to the Snow God, he lowered his voice to a moderate tone and introduced him: "This is my son, Ye Wuchen."
Ye Wuchen rolled his eyes at his father. Every time his father saw him, it was nothing but stern lectures and scolding. So many eras had passed, yet the old man hadn't changed a bit. Did he really think his son was afraid of him? Honestly.
Ye Wuchen looked at the Snow God with curiosity. That Ancient God aura was familiar, just like his father’s, but the slightly maternal warmth in her gaze made his heart feel inexplicably cozy. This feeling was strangely familiar. Right—he remembered sensing it from his father back when he was still growing inside a flower bud. Ever since he grew up, his father had only shown the face of a stern patriarch, and he had grown used to it.
Sensing this warmth from the Snow God now made him feel dazed and a bit longing. His gaze toward her became filled with a sense of wandering wonder.
Ye Shen sensed the change in his son, and his heart sank as his gaze grew complex. Had he made a mistake in this arrangement? Was this his son’s destined tribulation? However, in the last hundred eras, only the Snow God had ascended. If they missed this chance, who knew how many thousands of eras they would have to wait? Forget it, forget it. Even if he didn't serve in the Snow God Temple, a seed of tribulation had already been planted in Chen’er’s heart.
***
The Snow God returned to her temple with Bai Haoran and Ye Wuchen.
Ye Wuchen stood in a daze as he looked at the incredibly sparse Ancient God Temple. He was very familiar with such places; one could say he grew up in the Ye God Temple. While his father’s temple wasn't exactly gaudy, it was incomparably magnificent.
The Snow God’s face flushed slightly. She sat on her prayer mat in the main hall and did not rush Ye Wuchen.
Finally, Bai Haoran couldn't bear to watch any longer and interrupted Ye Wuchen’s thoughts. "Flower God, the hour is late."
"Ah! Oh!" Ye Wuchen looked at the Snow God in the center of the hall and said with a hint of embarrassment, "I didn't expect this place to be so... minimalist."
Bai Haoran’s face twitched as he explained, "Other Ancient God Temples are built with the combined resources of the five races. This place was built by Her Eminence alone."
Ye Wuchen’s jaw dropped in shock.
The Snow God said helplessly, "Enough. Let us begin the appointment."
Respect finally flickered in Ye Wuchen’s eyes as he looked at her. He nodded and stepped before the Snow God.
Once Ye Wuchen had received the inheritance insights in his sea of consciousness, the Snow God chanted, "Ye Wuchen of the Spirit Race, take your place in the East of the Main Hall. Return to your seat, Heavenly God!" With a flick of her finger, a Spirit Race Ancient Totem merged into Ye Wuchen’s brow.
The Spirit Race totem rose in the east of the hall, bringing with it a wave of ancient aura.
Aside from the four Heavenly Gods of the main hall who had to be from different races, the Heavenly Gods of the five secondary halls could be chosen through competition, ensuring only the best remained.
Beyond the nine Heavenly Gods, nine Divine Guards were needed to handle the temple's daily affairs. The Heavenly Gods only needed to be present for major events; usually, they were absent.
The nine Divine Guards were selected from the various Divine Beast races.
In the God Realm, besides the Dragon, Phoenix, Heavenly Fox, Spirit, and Human races, there were many Divine Beast clans. The most famous were known as the Nine Great Divine Beast Races: the Black Wolf, Wind Tiger, Silver Lion, Ice Whale, Blue Sable, Golden Crow, Thunder Peng, Cloud Crane, and Phantom Butterfly.
Once members of these nine races reached the God realm, they could enter divine service as Divine Guards. Gods could sign divine service contracts with these guards based on strength or destiny. Of course, there were also beast contracts signed before reaching godhood that would transition into divine service contracts.
Ordinary gods usually possessed only one or two Divine Guards. Great Gods and Heavenly Gods might have more, but only an Ancient God could possess all nine. Because the Ancient God Temple was the pillar of the Six Realms, each temple held its own authority to maintain the stability of existence.
The long-awaited Ancient God Decree—the Snow God Decree—finally descended upon the God Realm.
The five great races, the nine divine beast races, and several mysterious clans all emerged. The most ancient Heavenly Gods and reclusive cultivators also showed themselves. Even those with no hope of competing for a main hall position paid close attention to this grand event.
After a fierce competition, the five Heavenly Gods of the secondary halls and the nine Divine Guards finally took their places. The Snow God Temple opened, activating its preliminary functions. Starting from this era, each subsequent era would be extended by one hundred million years.
Thus began the law of Era Cycles every billion years.
The Six Realms—Mortal, God, Immortal, Demon, Devil, and Buddha—faced a Great Calamity at the end of every era. If they survived, a new era began; if they failed, the Six Realms would perish and return to chaos.
Every calamity required at least one Ancient God to undergo reincarnation to meet the tribulation. This time, it was the Snow God, along with her newly born Snow God Temple, who was destined to meet the calamity of this era.
***
**Within the Heavenly Fox Race**
Twenty Fox Elders were gathered, earnestly trying to persuade Bai Haoran.
"Haoran, you are the Leader of the Heavenly Fox Race! How can you go into the cycle of reincarnation?" the Second Elder barked sternly.
"Indeed, Ran’er. There are many ways to meet a tribulation; you don't necessarily have to reincarnate in the lower realms!" the Tenth Elder added.
Bai Haoran’s expression was grim. The mere thought of the Snow God reincarnating caused an inexplicable ache in his heart. With her personality, she would surely do nothing but bitter cultivation. How long would it take her to reach the Ancient God realm again? How would she face the calamity? If she failed, she would be wiped from existence.
At that thought, he could no longer sit still. He swept his gaze over the elders and said firmly, "My mind is made up!"
The Second Elder was so angry he was jumping up and down, his beard twitching. The other elders sighed and groaned, but they remained steadfast in forbidding Bai Haoran from reincarnating.
As the stalemate continued, the Twentieth Elder suddenly spoke up. "Reincarnating in the lower realms isn't impossible..."
"What did you say? Say that again and I'll kick you out of the Elders' Hall!" The Second Elder grabbed the Twentieth Elder, ready to toss him out.
"Second Elder, calm down. Let’s hear what Twenty has to say first," the Ninth Elder interjected.
"Our Heavenly Fox Race is born with nine tails. Each tail can become a person in its own right. Why not use avatars to undergo reincarnation instead?" The Twentieth Elder straightened his collar and tossed his head gallantly.
"That’s right!"
"Exactly!"
"Why didn't I think of that?"
Bai Haoran’s heart stirred. He thought to himself: *If I send all my avatars into reincarnation, wouldn't the probability of finding Her Eminence increase?* At this thought, he could no longer suppress his excitement and burst into loud laughter.
None of the twenty elders expected that their leader, in order to increase his chances, would send all nine avatars into the lower realms. They had originally intended for him to send only one. By the time they realized his plan, it was already too late.
Because the nine tails were part of the original body, sending all nine avatars down caused the main body’s strength to drop significantly. Fortunately, Bai Haoran mostly stayed within the race's territory, so his safety was guaranteed.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 叶神 | Ye Shen | The Ancient God and Leader of the Spirit Race. |
| 叶无尘 | Ye Wuchen | The Flower God, son of Ye Shen. |
| 精灵族 | Spirit Race | One of the five great races (often translated as Elves/Spirits). |
| 花神 | Flower God | The divine title of Ye Wuchen. |
| 雪神谕 | Snow God Decree | The official mandate issued by the Snow God. |
| 九大神兽族 | Nine Great Divine Beast Races | The nine prominent beast clans serving the gods. |
| 黑狼族 | Black Wolf Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 风虎族 | Wind Tiger Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 银狮族 | Silver Lion Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 冰鲸族 | Ice Whale Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 蓝貂族 | Blue Sable Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 金乌族 | Golden Crow Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 雷鹏族 | Thunder Peng Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 云鹤族 | Cloud Crane Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 幻蝶族 | Phantom Butterfly Race | One of the nine divine beast races. |
| 神卫 | Divine Guard | Divine officials/protectors chosen from the beast races. |
| 浩劫 | Great Calamity | The periodic cataclysm that threatens the Six Realms. |
| 应劫 | Meeting the Calamity | The act of facing or resolving a predestined tribulation. |
| 分身 | Avatar / Clone | A separate body created from a portion of the original's power. |
