Shen Nanyin's face brightened with joy at his words, feeling as though she had been granted the highest favor. Tears welled up, her happiness overwhelming her. She nodded repeatedly, her voice trembling with emotion, "Young Dragon Lord, I will surely perform well!"
"Let's go." The Young Dragon Lord laughed heartily, his arm wrapping around her waist with commanding grace. Together, they soared out of the Sun-Moon Star Tower.
Shen Nanyin found herself bathed in the spotlight, the attention of countless onlookers upon them. In that brilliant glow, they were the perfect match—talented and beautiful, their apparent love sweet and natural. This sight transformed everyone's impression of the Southern Divine Dragon Realm, solidifying the Young Dragon Lord's stature as he tightly held the banner of fighting to free the celestial slaves.
"Young Dragon Lord..."
Never before had Shen Nanyin experienced such a sublime moment. Clinging to the Young Dragon Lord's strong waist, she was immersed in bliss, her eyes shining with indescribable joy.
She knew deep down that now she was the emblem of the Southern Divine Dragon Realm's favored woman, her future destined to grow brighter... until the day when the Young Dragon Lord no longer needed to manage his image within the Heavenly Deity Stellar River.
That day was too distant for her to consider. She wished only to remain in this majestic embrace, never wanting to leave.
▬ι══????✧⚰
Back in the Grand Assembly, almost all the participants had arrived.
Above the horizon, streams of starlight cascaded down into a timer. And on these 10,000 Taiyi Sourcecores, everyone's hearts seemed to beat in sync with the countdown.
The Heavenly Deity Star Street was nearly deserted now.
In contrast, the Million Starlight Palace was teeming with life, packed with millions upon millions of people. The elites of the entire Samsara Galaxy had gathered here in large numbers.
The Million Starlight Palace itself was a vast Sourcecore Sanctuary. All the citizens of the Immortal Dao had congregated inside, holding their breath in anticipation.
Looking around, countless heads were packed tightly together.
Above the Million Starlight Palace, an endless light screen stretched across the sky, transforming the three-dimensional views of the Grand Assembly Arena's key areas into two-dimensional projections on this Million Starlight Sky Screen.
The Million Starlight Sky Screen was divided into 18 regions, with the Heavenly Deity Stellar River hosting at the center. Its vast expanse boasted the clearest projections, allowing even the smallest rocks to be seen with startling clarity.
At the very heart of the Heavenly Deity area stood ten esteemed seats. These seats belonged to the ten sects of the Heavenly Deity Alliance, each offering around 500 lower seats to accommodate their important figures. Nine of these seats were nearly full, a testament to the reverence the likes of the Ancestral Land, Elysian Immortal Palace, and Nine Yin Soul Sea held for the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects.
Yet, the final seat, designated for the Harmony Divine Palace, held only a solitary, graceful figure—the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen, who had successfully broken through to the Eighth Baptism Realm.
In such a grand setting, a member of the Heavenly Deity Alliance sending out only a single person stood out like a sore thumb.
Many people couldn't help but notice the discrepancy, eliciting many snickers and murmurs among the crowd.
"Oh." Gong Tianjian had expected as much. She replied coolly, "Then you must remind them that according to the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects' rules, any interference will result in the Harmony Divine Palace being ranked last and eliminated. I need not elaborate on how crucial this assembly is for you."
"Please rest assured, we are well aware," the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen responded.
After she spoke, the over 1,000 attendees couldn't suppress their laughter.
"Seems like the Harmony Divine Palace is flustered. They're trying so hard to protect their precious little prodigy."
"That's a good thing. The children don't know how to hold back. We can't have our Supreme Yin Cauldron being harmed."
News of the Supreme Yin Cauldron had spread throughout the Samsara Galaxy, and the elders of the Southern Divine Dragon Realm sat here, unable to conceal their longing.
At their age, they effortlessly spun crude jokes, delving into the most sensitive details... they picked them up with ease, amusing the crowd.
Men of the Dragon Devil Clan were indeed naturally confident; in their eyes, even women from other celestial sects were merely prey or playthings, just not easily conquered for the time being.
These remarks made the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen clench her fists, feeling deeply humiliated.
"Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen," Chi Wushuang said softly with a sweet smile. As the head of the Wind Pool Valley, she was the only other woman there. "Do you know why the Harmony Divine Palace only has you representing it today?"
After asking, without waiting for the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen to reply, she laughed, "That's because, as the saying goes, those who follow the Dao gain much assistance, while those who lose it have little support. Seek respect, avoid crooked ways, refrain from evil deeds, and steer clear of the path to self-destruction."
"Hahaha!"
The Blazing Yang Sect, Wind Pool Valley, and Thunder Devil Sect echoed the laughter of the Southern Divine Dragon Realm's strongmen, laughing together in unison.
Their laughter elevated the atmosphere of the Million Starlight Palace to its peak!
It painted a stark contrast to the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen's solitary anger.
The entire Million Starlight Palace was abuzz with noise and undercurrents of tension!
Before long, many glanced up at the Million Starlight Sky Screen as the countdown started approaching zero.
"The Grand Assembly Arena has been sealed. The Parent-Child Flags are descending. The Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects has begun!"
JustLivingJL's Thoughts