《Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener》


 Chapter 1: The Sole Talent Awakener

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Sole Talent Awakener</h4>


    In the Holy Mountain Empire, within the Val Administrative Region.


    At the Earth Seed Base, number 71392, within the Talent Awakening Zone.


    ...


    "Base number: 01254110, awakening failed, no talent, next."


    "Wait, please, give me another chance!"


    "Get lost."


    "Base number: 01254111, awakening failed, no talent, next."


    "It''s impossible! Impossible!I even have mastery-level skills, how could I not awaken?"


    "Shut up, get out!"


    "Base number..."


    ...


    Underneath a giant shining orb in the square.


    A group of young boys and girls walked forward, feeling disheartened and even unbelievably rolling around after being illuminated by the brilliant rays.


    But in the end, they were all escorted off the stage.


    And the middle-aged man overseeing it all remained calm: "Such poor quality in this batch of neers! Not a single one with potential talent?"


    "Forget it. This is a normal phenomenon."


    At the edge of the square, a young man was panicking.


    Everyone before him had failed!


    It was almost his turn, and it didn''t look hopeful.


    Can I awaken a talent?


    No way!


    Someone whispered beside him: "Isn''t it? We''ve tested almost half of our batch, and not a single one has awakened a talent?"


    "Don''t panic! They''re just stepping stones! ording to statistics, every base test averages one or two awakenings. If no one before us has seeded, our chances just got better!"


    "Holy crap! That makes so much sense!" the young man thought.


    He couldn''t help but nce back at a slightly chubby boy with faint freckles speaking confidently.


    But then, Sterl, the young man from before, could only bitterly smile in his heart. In his previous life, he was a bottom yer in ying UNO card games. But after crossing time, now he had to rely on luck to decide his future as either a special ability user or a nameless nobody.


    He was different from the people around him. Although he appeared young, Sterl''s soul came from a ce called the Earth.


    He used to be a programmer in America. but one day when he woke up, he found himself in a


    Game world.


    Yes, you heard right, a Game world.


    Humans in this world also once lived on a called the Earth. But with the outbreak of World War III, human civilization was nearly annihted.


    The terrifying energy released from nuclear warfare even identally tore through space, allowing countless extraterrestrial monsters to invade and upy the world, forcing humanity to hide in bases and caves, barely surviving.


    Until the Explorer, which was sent out countless years ago, brought a game called [Transcendence] that connected the entire universe. As a result, humans moved their physical bodies to the underground world and their spirits entered Transcendence to live.


    In reality, only some workers responsible for producing babies and powerful "professionals" could survive.


    "Professionals" are the changes brought to humanity by the game [Transcendence].


    How could a game connect the entire universe? In the game, yers could obtain various extraordinary powers to use in reality.


    And a professional is the title that yers possess in the game after sessfully transitioning to professions such as warrior, priest, or mage through a series of missions.


    This, however, was too far-fetched for Sterl.


    If he couldn''t awaken a talent, his life would pretty much be over.


    Because in the game world, Earth''s humanity was just one insignificant race among countless others. And because they joined [Transcendence] veryte, they didn''t even have their own territory. They could only rely on a ce called Vastuo Continent and rely on numerous local NPCs to develop smoothly.


    Thus, Earth''s forces could only train a few individuals with potential to be yers. And if one were to remain amoner, surviving in the extremely realistic game of [Transcendence] would mean a constant struggle for survival.


    "If I can''t awaken a talent, I''ll just have to live off someone else." Sterl sighed helplessly. Young boys and girls of the same age around him are still chattering.


    "I will definitely awaken a talent this time! To be a great warrior!"


    "It feels like after this test, ourst illusions will be shattered. Might as well wait for death."


    "Don''t talk nonsense. Who says we can''t be the ones with talents?"


    ...


    Some imagined a future where they awakened talents and became powerful, while others were utterly pessimistic, feeling that after the test, theirst hope of bing a yer would be crushed.


    And at that moment, a middle-aged man in ming red armor, exuding authority, shouted:


    "Silence!"


    At the same time, a crimson me aura spread out from around him.


    Instantly, countless eighteen-year-olds fell silent, not daring to make a sound.


    They all felt a wave of me power sweep past them, knowing that a slight exertion of force could reduce them to ashes!


    They also looked up to the middle-aged man with admiration.


    "It''s him! Commander Smith!"


    "He soared to the skies by awakening a talent!"


    "This is the regionalmander! I didn''t expect him to personally oversee our talent awakening."


    ...


    Sterl also looked up at the figure on the high tform, slightly envious. He knew that imposing man was a professional who had awakened a D-grade fire talent.


    After the middle-aged man awakened his talent, the base provided a few yer training sessions. Then the base arranged for experts to level up with him and his batch of neers.


    Later, the middle-aged man smoothly advanced to level five, gaining the ability to solo monsters. And then he climbed step by step, going from amoner directly to themander of the Sixth District, managing tens of thousands of people, an incredibly noble status!


    Who wouldn''t be envious?


    You know, the man was originally just a mediocre orphan!


    "Next, base number: 01254114." The middle-aged man coldly called out the number.


    Sterl was startled, then hurriedly stepped forward. This was his number in the base.


    "Go for it, man!"


    "Come on! Awaken a talent!" Sterl''s somewhat familiar friends cheered him on as a matter of routine.


    Their words were kind, but their expressions held no expectation at all. Awaken a talent? Sterl? How could that be possible?


    Sterl, unaware of his friends'' thoughts, took a few steps forward and stood under the orb, bathed in its strange light.


    "Uh..." Bathed in a strange radiance, Sterl felt as if his body and mind had been washed away. Then an extremely wonderful energy burst forth from his soul.


    He heard a buzzing in his ears, and his vision was filled with white.


    However, the outside world was astir:


    "Holy shit! That''s the light of awakening!"


    "Wow! Sterl is going to soar! He''s awakened a talent!"


    "What talent is it? Did the machine detect it?"


    "Why him!! Why!"


    ...


    For a moment, the scene became chaotic, with some amazed, some envious, and some extremely envious.


    Even the middle-aged man couldn''t continue to manage the order. Instead, he looked towards the giant crystal ball that disyed the anomaly with surprise and then loudly announced:


    "Number 01254114, Mr. Sterl, congrattions on awakening a D-grade talent... Attribute Enhancement!"


    "Not bad, not bad! Young man, you are truly the pride of our Sixth District."


    "Attribute Enhancement may be amon talent, but it allows you to solo monsters right from the start. You don''t have to wait for the base to arrange someone to lead you, you can quickly be a formal yer!"


    "If you''re interested, I can rmend you to the Green Pastures Guild. Hmm, a D-grade talent is quite impressive."


    The man had lost his previously cold demeanor and instead warmly weed him.


    And below the high tform, countless young men and women were excited.


    "Sterl actually made it! He''s the guy who spent over a decade maSterling basic steps without sess!"


    "Damn! I feel like I can do it too!"


    "Holy shit! Sterl has turned his fate around! He''s really taken off!"


    ...


    Many people showed envy, but even more were ignited with hope �� who would think themselves inferior to an utterly ordinary peer?


    If Sterl could awaken a talent, then we should have a chance too!


    However, despite the hustle and bustle of the outside world, Sterl didn''t respond and just stood there dumbfounded.


    The middle-aged man was generous, "Mr. Sterl is too excited. Let''s give him some time."


    But Sterl was indeed a bit dazed. Having awakened a talent, he automatically received a yer panel, but he was stunned by the strange words disyed on his attribute panel.


    "Wait a minute."


    "Could this be..."


    "My cheat as a time traveler?"


    His expression was nk, seemingly overwhelmed by the joy of awakening a talent.


    In reality, he was equally stunned, shocked by another piece of good news.


    [yer: Sterl]


    [Level: 0]


    [Physique: 1]


    [Strength: 1]


    [Agility: 1]


    [Spirit: 1]


    [Physical Talent Ability: Attribute Amplification (D-grade)]+


    [Mental Talent Ability: Current potential insufficient for awakening]+


    The panel seemed normal. But behind both talent abilities, there appeared a plus sign.


    What was happening?

 Chapter 2: Talent Evolution--From D to C level!

    <h4>Chapter 2: Talent Evolution--From D to C level!</h4>


    Sterl felt a bit dazed.


    All other attributes on his panel are normal, with each item having a value of one. These are all attributes of standard adults, and they are also the maximum values of various attributes for level 0 yers in Transcendence.


    But the talent column actually turned into "Physical Talent Ability", followed by a shiny plus sign.


    That plus sign seemed to be tempting Sterl to click.


    And somehow, he sensed that all he needed was a thought to press that plus sign.


    Also, there was a new entry: "Mental Talent Ability", showing "Insufficient Potential".


    Sterl had a vague idea about mental talents.


    There were two kinds of talent awakenings��


    One was physical enhancement, buffing one''s physique.


    The other, like the middle-aged man beside him, was mental powers like "me Enhancement".


    Based on what Sterl learned in "school", thetter kind of talent was rarer and stronger. And before bing a "yer," the amount of mental power one had was naturally fixed.


    Now, more information flooded into Sterl''s mind.


    He sensed that with a mere thought, he could upgrade either his physical or mental talent by choosing any plus sign on the attribute panel.


    "Could this be my golden ticket after transmigrating?"


    A wave of ecstasy surged in Sterl.


    A D-level physical talent would only make him an average yer.


    Enhanced attributes, as the middle-aged man mentioned, could allow Sterl to awaken his talent and have the ability to grind the lowest level monsters outside the base. It would quickly turn Sterl into a yer, earning some resources for a modestlyfortable life.


    But that was the limit.


    "If talent levels could evolve with this golden ticket..."


    Stelle couldn''t help but let her imagination run wild, thinking of those yers in the [Transcendence] game who possessed supreme abilities, akin to gods.


    "Do I have a chance to reach that level too?" His mind buzzed excitedly.


    But then, Sterl calmed his excited heart and didn''t choose to upgrade his panel.


    He is worried that if his talent improves in public, he will be targeted if there are any anomalies.


    Staying low-key was the best strategy until he fully grew into his powers!


    ...


    Regaining hisposure, Sterl turned to the enthusiastic middle-aged man with a grateful expression:


    "Thank you."


    "But I haven''t decided about joining the guild yet. I''ll surely speak up if I need to in the future."


    The middle-aged man didn''t press him, instead encouraging Sterl a bit more: "Do well. Once you be a yer, you''ll see how vast the world is."


    Sterl nodded slightly, then resumed his ce in line with the proud demeanor of a victorious youth.


    Around him, peers who could once jest easily with him now looked on with envy and awe.


    The testing proceeded as usual.


    But aside from Sterl, no one else awakened any talent.


    The middle-aged man could only shake his head in disappointment, "This year, our District 6 reallycks talent."


    As the talent awakening ceremony ended, the disappointed boys and girls dispersed.


    Sterl''s panel flickered.


    He received a DM from the ID[District Six Manager]��


    [Congrattions, Mr. Sterl! You''ve sessfully awakened your talent and unlocked the attribute panel. The base will offer you a free skill learning opportunity.]


    [Please, within a month, head to the base and learn skills from the following NPCs: Shadow Assassin Seren, Pyromancer West, and Scarlet de Ankon....]


    The old Sterl might have jumped for joy at this message, but now he was in no mood, quickly hopping on the maglev train back home.


    He dashed into his bedroom. He thought for a moment, then he dove straight into the closet.


    After preparing, Sterl pulled up his attribute panel again.


    This time, he unhesitatingly chose the plus sign behind his physical talent.


    "Come on!"


    Sterl''s eyes were full of anticipation.


    He didn''t choose the mental talent, fearing if he could only add points once and failed to awaken a new talent, it would be a huge loss.


    The next second, Sterl saw a sh of light.


    His body felt like it was being crushed and then rapidly reassembled in a superior way, all without an ounce of pain.


    And in a blink, the transformation wasplete.


    Sterl saw a prompt in his mind.


    [Physical Talent Evolved: Attribute Enhancement (D��C)]


    "This... is it??"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, quickly sensing the change.


    His D-level talent "Attribute Enhancement" used to give a t two-point increase to all attributes and an additional 10% boost, roughly three times more than a normal adult.


    That was why the middle-aged man said Sterl, with this talent, could grind mobs in the open world.


    Now upgraded to C-level, it was a t five-point increase to all attributes and an additional 20% boost.


    The talent''s effect had more than doubled!


    "Not bad for a C-level talent!"


    Sterl was thrilled. Now he could boldly say his future potential was even higher than the middle-aged man who led their awakening!


    The difference between C and D-level talents was huge. Even if the middle-aged man had a superior mental talent, it couldn''tpare!


    Sterl had casually pressed a plus sign on the attribute panel, and his future was now wide open!


    A D-level physical talent was enough to make Sterl an average yer.


    But a C-level talent was destined to make him a ruler of a base sector, holding the power of life and death over thousands!


    "Now I won''t just be freeloading. Linna and Rayna will have to rely on me." Sterl was in high spirits. As a time traveler, just arriving in a new world, he felt chosen by fate. He anticipated dominating and achieving greatness.


    But his eighteen years of ordinary life had already dulled his passion. Who would have thought, the moment he awakened his talent was when his real cheat code activated!


    After the excitement, he couldn''t help but open his attribute panel again.


    And it was essentially the same as before.


    [yer: Sterl]


    ...


    [Physical Talent Ability: ...]+ (Unavable)


    [Mental Talent Ability: ...]+ (Unavable)


    The panel confirmed his talent had upgraded from D to C-level, and the plus signs were still there. However, the only issue was both had turned grey, marked as unavable.


    But Sterl was more ted than disappointed.


    The plus signs not disappearing meant the unavability was only temporary.


    Before his travels, he had read many novels. Generally, such a direct talent upgrade cheat required activation conditions...


    Like defeating a powerful enemy or collecting high-energy items for the panel to absorb, etc.


    "No worries. I''ve already got a grand avenue to power up. All that''s left is to work hard!" Filled with passion, Sterl then received new information after a bit of mental exploration.


    Then,


    He was dumbfounded.


    [Current Evolution Count: 0/1. Remaining Refill Time: 23:57:44]


    "Huh?"


    Sterl didn''t catch on at first.


    The next second��


    [Current Evolution Count: 0/1. Remaining Refill Time: 23:57:43]


    Wait, what?


    Hold on!


    Sterl was incredulous, even thinking he was dreaming.


    My super powerful cheat''s condition is��


    I can only use it once a day??


    I don''t need to grind mobs in the open world?


    I don''t need to collect treasures?


    "Alright, alright! So this is how it''s gonna be??" Sterl was bbergasted.


    By this logic, it wouldn''t take many days for him to max out his physical talent and even forcibly awaken and max out his mental talent.


    Doesn''t that mean...


    "I''m going to be invincible?" Sterl''s mind was in utter chaos, overwhelmed with joy.


    He couldn''t care less about anything else, sitting in his bedroom, pulling out books like "What You Must Know Before Bing a yer" and "Wilderness Survival Guide", trying to divert his attention and pass the time.


    Until 24 hourster,


    Sterl excitedly opened his attribute panel.


    Sure enough!


    Both talent plus signs were highlighted again.


    Sterl swallowed nervously.

 Chapter 3: Crazy Evolution -- SSS-Class Physical Talent!

    <h4>Chapter 3: Crazy Evolution -- SSS-ss Physical Talent!</h4>


    "Can''t believe this is actually happening!"


    Sterl''s hands were slightly trembling as the book he was holding, "A Detailed Guide to Common Wild Beasts of the Divine Mountain Empire," rolled off and hit the floor with a thud.


    The sound of the book hitting the floor reverberated through the room. Without hesitation, Sterl focused his mind and selected the plus icon next to "Physical Talent" on his status panel.


    "Upgradation!" he silently roared in his heart. The next second, Sterl felt a jolt through his body followed by a warm flow circting within him.


    In no time, Sterl felt as if messages were flowing into his mind from the universe.


    [Physical Talent has evolved: Attribute Amplification (C��B)]


    [Current Evolution Count: 0/1. Remaining Time: 23:59:59]


    He excitedly pulled up his attribute panel, and sure enough, it had changed.


    [yer: Sterl]


    ...


    [Physical Talent Ability: Attribute Amplification (Grade B)] + (Unavable)


    [Mental Talent Ability: ...] + (Unavable)


    "My talent really did level up!"


    "And it jumped from C to B level!"


    Sterl thought he would be overjoyed, but the immense surprise made his mind go nk.


    A B-grade Attribute Amplification meant a higher effect, activating it would now permanently increase all attributes by 8 points, with an additional 40% boost!


    "Amazing!" Sterl couldn''t help but feel exhrated. To know that B-grade talents were rare within the entire base, with an average of only one "yer" awakening such a talent every couple of years.


    In the base, even the top leader only possessed a B-grade talent. The other higher-ups had a mix of B and C grades.


    With his inexplicably awakened cheat, Sterl could now reach the pinnacle of the small world he had lived in for eighteen years after transmigrating!


    What excited him even more was the hint his cheat gave him��


    Wait another 24 hours, and he could evolve again!


    "In the next few days, besides awakening talents like me, everyone else who turns eighteen has to take the skill test to see if they can be a ''yer''..."


    "Right before Linna and Rayna return, I''ll max out my physical talent!" Sterl muttered to himself.


    Then, hey on his bed and fell asleep.


    The anticipation for today''s evolution had made Sterl too excited to sleep. Now knowing the cheat could be used continuously, his mind rxed, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    For the next several days, Sterl kept a low profile. Aside from stepping out a couple of times to buy some groceries, he stayed at home.


    Meanwhile, in the base, tens of thousands of boys and girls who had not awakened their talents were undergoing intensive training to acquire proficient-level skills.


    Before the training ended, the base would tally all individuals who had proficient-level skills and grant them the second batch of yer qualifications.


    This was the only chance for those youths without innate talents.


    Countless vendors and merchants gathered around the training facilities to serve these young people, leaving the streets much emptier than usual.


    Sterl didn''t care about any of that. He just hid in his bedroom''s closet on time every day and then��


    "Upgradation!" he wouldmand in his heart.


    Sterl''s first evolution happened at 3:24 PM. So, in order not to waste the charging time of evolution, he chose to activate his cheat at the same time for several days in a row.


    And his talent abilities kept improving!


    [Physical Talent has evolved: Attribute Amplification (B��A)]


    An A-grade Attribute Amplification meant all attributes permanently increased by 15 points, with an additional 50% boost!


    To say the least, Sterl could turn into a superhero once he activated his skills. Ordinary low-level yers couldn''tpete against him.


    And his potential directly surpassed the limits of his base.


    What surprised Sterl even more was...


    The evolution continued over the next few days!


    [Physical Talent has evolved: Attribute Amplification (A��S)]. Talent effect enhanced to permanently increase all attributes by 20 points, with an additional 60% boost.


    [Physical Talent has evolved: Attribute Amplification (S��SS)]. Talent effect enhanced to permanently increase all attributes by 30 points, with an additional 80% boost.


    [Physical Talent has evolved: Attribute Amplification (SS��SSS)]


    [Attribute Amplification upgraded to perfection, transformed into the talent: Descent of the Heavenly God (SSS)]


    "Is this the peak?"


    Sterl was dazed. When he evolved from SS to SSS grade, he felt as if his entire body was forged in a furnace from the inside out. At that moment, Sterl was drenched in sweat and extremely weak.


    But the oue was exhrating.


    On one hand, the plus icon behind his physical talent disappeared, and the messages flooding his mind confirmed that his talent had reached its zenith and undergone a transformation.


    On the other hand, when he couldn''t help but check his new talent, he was utterly shocked!


    [Descent of the Heavenly God (SSS): Upon activation, all attributes permanently increase by fifty points, with an additional 100% boost.


    Upon activation, reduces all damage by 30%, increases damage output efficiency by 30%.


    After obtaining this talent, the yer can choose to resurrect on-site within 0-7 hours of death (Cooldown Time: 7 days)]


    [Introduction: A top-tier talent evolved from a body with infinite possibilities granted by [Transcendence], unparalleled and unique in the world!]


    "Holy Shit! Fifty points of attributes!!"


    Despite guessing that an SSS-grade talent would be extremely powerful, Sterl had not anticipated it being this potent!


    You see, in [Transcendence], it wasn''t easy for yers to enhance their attributes.


    Before level 20, each level up would add one point to all attributes and grant one free attribute point.


    As for after level 20, Sterl wasn''t too sure, but he roughly knew that depending on the quality of the profession chosen during job change, the fixed increase in attribute points per level varied. But it was definitely stronger than just a one-point increase in all attributes, and each level would at least grant two free attribute points.


    But Sterl was still a level 0 yer. If he activated his talent, even those high-level yers who had changed jobs wouldn''t have higher attributes than him until after level 30!


    To be on par with others at level 30 while still at level 0...


    Isn''t that absurd?


    And, the additional 100% attribute boost from Descent of the Heavenly God, although not very useful now since all his attributes were just one point, would be a terrifyingly powerful boost as he leveled up!


    How could an opponent of the same level fight against someone whose attributes were doubled?


    Not to mention same level, even enemies several levels higher than Sterl couldn''tpete!


    Sterl was truly dumbfounded.


    Frankly, he had heard that the highest talent grade was S, which was already the cream of the crop among all human forces on Earth.


    SSS grade... There wasn''t even such a legend.


    Now that Sterl had experienced it firsthand, he realized just how fierce it was!


    "And there''s also a damage reduction and resurrection effect?" He continued to scan his new talent, unable to help but marvel again.


    That''s way too awesome!


    As for the value of the damage reduction effect, Sterl wasn''t sure. He was just an ordinary person in the base, never having encountered such high-end attribute terms.


    But since it''s an SSS-grade talent, its value goes without saying.It''s invincible!


    As for thest resurrection effect, that''s like a bug-like existence.


    [Transcendence], the game, was extremely realistic. Once a character died, it meant true death in the game, resulting in ount deletion, preventing further login.


    But he can get an extra life every seven days.


    This is truly invaluable!


    This means Sterl doesn''t have to face difficulties and challenges like other yers, tiptoeing around.


    Just go for it because he can resurrect once anyway!


    Then his development speed would definitely far exceed his peers!


    "Just maxing out a physical talent is this fierce, if I max out my mental talent in a few days, wouldn''t that be even more invincible??" Sterl thought, his breathing growing heavier.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    But at that moment, suddenly, the "door" was knocked on fiercely.


    No, to be precise, it was the closet door where Sterl was hiding.


    The closet door was yanked open, and then a fair and pretty face appeared right in front of Sterl.


    Along with his face, there were also two balls of flesh sticking tightly together, wearing low cut home clothes and revealingrge snowy chests.


    Sterl and the person in front of him instantly became glued together.


    Sterton''s expression changed as he was clearly impacted by thetter''s two huge breasts.


    "Linna? You guys finished the assessment?"


    "How did it go? Did you get the yer qualification?" Sterl asked with concern.


    The girl in front of him was a pretty blonde, smiling brightly at him, and one of Sterl''s housemates.


    "She was the one he had decided to live off as ast resort if he couldn''t awaken his talents."

 Chapter 4: Boosting Mental Potential

    <h4>Chapter 4: Boosting Mental Potential</h4>


    As for why she''s one of the housemates.


    Sterl turned his head slightly, avoiding the long golden hair of the girl in front of him, and behind her was a much quieter girl with ck hair. She was holding a suitcase filled with clothes, quietly tidying up the room.


    They were Sterl''s "family."


    Because all children within the Earth''s human forces are cultivated through specialized baby incubators and professional gene banks. And the babies are sent into the game world as soon as they develop consciousness.


    There''s hardly any concept of family here.


    Most people grow up in one social care institution after another.


    And Sterl and the two girls in front of him��


    With flowing golden hair and a good figure, Linna, and the much quieter but more beautiful and ssically elegant Rayna, were just "roommates" after leaving the social care institutions.


    As for how it developed to this point... that''s aplex story.


    In short, as a time traveler with an adult''s mind, Sterl had taken care of the two girls multiple times in the social care institution, helping them grow up healthily.


    Naturally, after the age of 15, the three of them developed a certain level of self-care ability and rented a house together in the sixth district of the base to live together.


    Partly because they got along well, and partly because the ie of ordinary people before bing yers was often insufficient. Living together, three people could significantly reduce living costs.


    The blonde girl smiled very brightly, telling Sterl,


    "Of course, I passed. I already have a mastery level basic boxing technique."


    "And guess what, Rayna actually managed to break through to the mastery level in basic meditation during these few days of training!"


    "Now both of us can be yers!"


    Hearing this news, Sterl was quite surprised.


    Well, that''s great!


    Now all three of us can be yers!


    In [Transcendence], theoretically, anyone can gain experience by killing monsters and then convert that experience into their own strength through meditation.


    However, as a newly emerging force, Earth''s human forces don''t have enough resources to train all humans into yers, let alone professionals.


    Newbies without resources almost have no chance of killing monsters independently without someone else''s help.


    Moreover, the game itself is extremely difficult. Failure results in permanent death, preventing any further login.


    ...


    Therefore, themon choice of all bases is to try awakening talents when everyone turns 18. Those with talents will be trained as yers. That was Sterl''s situation.


    But those without talents aren''tpletely hopeless.


    As long as you master any basic skill, be it boxing, footwork, swordsmanship, or the like, to an expert level or beyond, you''ll get the chance to be a yer. Someone can then take you under their wing for leveling up and teach you meditation techniques.


    But thetter also requires "talent," which ordinary people can''t achieve.


    Because in [Transcendence], proficient-level skills require not only proficiency but also personal insight into the skill. Many people can''t acquire a proficient skill in their lifetime.


    Sterl had been practicing [Basic Footwork] all this time. But since he had not broken through to a proficient level, he had to pin his hopes on talent awakening.


    On the other hand, the blonde girl Linna, who had been living with him, had a good aptitude and had reached mastery level in basic fist technique a year ago.


    The dark-haired girl, Rayna, has potential in a unique way, she''s practicing basic meditation, the hardest yet most rewarding skill among all the basics.


    But she had always been just a step away from reaching proficient level until she broke through during thest few days of training before the test.


    "Alright! Little Sterl, from now on, just stick with us," Linna said with feigned bravado, grabbing Sterl by the neck and pulling him out of the closet.


    Sterl felt Lina''s tender and smooth skin, as well as the extremely perfect body curves trained with the help of master level basic boxing techniques.


    He kept a straight face, having gotten used to it after living together for so many years.


    And Rayna cautiously approached, seeing that Sterl didn''t object, she also leaned on him.


    "We''ve thought it through! First, we''ll follow the officials to level up outside the base. Once we officially be yers and save some money, we''ll buy a bigger house, preferably with a front and back yard."


    "Sterl, didn''t you always want to have a pet? When we have money, we can choose a bear or a cheetah with no level..."


    The girl rambled on, enjoying the future. When she got excited, her face turned slightly red, showing a sweet smile.


    But Sterl just smiled slightly:


    "What do you mean? It''s as if I can only rely on you guys in the future."


    "Let me tell you, don''t be scared."


    "I''m a D-grade talent awakener!"


    He trusted his two housemates. But before he truly grew strong, Sterl felt it was better to keep a low profile.


    As for the cheat, there was no need to disclose it to anyone.


    "You... awakened a talent??" Linna and Rayna''s expressions changed instantly. They had just been joking around to ease Sterl''s potential blow to his self-esteem. Now, the two truly showed happy smiles, extremely delighted.


    The two girls couldn''t help but hug Sterl tighter until he opened the yer panel and shared the view with other units.


    "Really D-grade?!" Linna and Rayna''s uncertainty turned into joy. Because only talent awakeners could pull up the attribute panel before reaching level one!


    Sterl really seeded!


    "That''s great!" Linna jumped up excitedly, her golden hair fluttering in the air. Then, she gave Sterl a deep kiss, hanging on him like a ko.


    Sterl, in turn, hugged the girl back, kissing deeply, his tongue gently sucking and tasting the girl''s innocence and passion.


    After a while.


    The two slowly parted, leaving a few strands of glistening threads in the air.


    Sterl looked at the girl next to him; the ck-haired girl had taken a half step back, longing and shyly looking at him.


    "Don''t worry, you''re included too!"


    "Today we won''t cook anymore, let''s find a fancy restaurant outside to celebrate..." Sterl felt his penis bing a bit stiff and swollen.


    Two stunning beautiful girls lived with him for three years, so naturally everything that should have been done was already done.


    What only makes Sterl ufortable is that he didn''t have mastery level skills before. In the past, after fucking Linna in bed, he could only face Rayna, who had stronger endurance and mastery in martial arts, with resentment and defeat.


    Today, he''s going to redeem himself!


    He immediately activated his talent, "Descent of the God"!


    All yers follow the same usage rules for their talent abilities. Physical talents slowly drain one''s stamina (without any job or other influences, stamina equals constitution times one hundred), while mental talents consume energy (energy equals spirit times one hundred).


    Additionally, activating a talent will increase the consumption of stamina or energy based on how proficiently you use the talent. In simpler terms, the more intense the battle, the greater the consumption.


    And as for Stel''s current "battle" intensity...


    He could keep his talent activated all day long!


    "Go to bed..." Linna''s eyes were hazy, she gasped for breath and exhaled a trail of fragrance.


    However, Stel just shook his head.


    He relied on the supernatural power of the heavenly deity to descend to earth and directly tore open the girl''s clothes. He parted the young girl''s white and slender legs, and then vigorously straightened his waist...


    In an instant, Linna''s mind went nk!


    "Oh yes!"


    This is the gold content of Stel''s constitution bonus to fifty points!


    The blonde girl felt like her whole body was filled with pration.


    "No! No!"


    "No! Don''t stop!" Her mind was nk and chaotic, and she could only shout randomly.


    And Stel, on the other hand, was enjoying the waves of damp heat and entanglement emanating from his penis.


    Activate at 50 points of power! Activate agility at 50 points!


    It''s like the most urgent drumbeat, or like a heavy hammer pounding fiercely.


    In just a few seconds, Stel sprinted wildly, to the point where there were shadows on her waist, while Lina''s eyes turned white and her body tilted backwards like a long bow.


    " Oh yes!"


    " Oh yeah!" saliva dripped weakly, and Lina stuck out her tongue, barely gasping for breath, with a mischievous expression on her face.


    However, Stel was pleasantly surprised to find that the girl''s physique was also quite unusual. In such a fast sprint, the entanglement of the penis bes even stronger, making him extremelyfortable...


    On the other side,


    the ck haired girl Rayna waspletely stunned. She knelt on both knees, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes blurred.

 Chapter 5: Boosting Mental Potential, SSS Talent [Soul of Arcana]

    <h4>Chapter 5: Boosting Mental Potential, SSS Talent [Soul of Arcana]</h4>


    "Oh! YES..."


    "Oh! FUCK..."


    "Oh!Please !Please! Please! "


    In the room, the sound of physical impact and water echoed through.


    The blonde girl felt like her whole body was about to break. If it could have been considered a pleasure at first, now she feels like she''s been stabbed through and really going to be spoiled.


    But Sterl''s body is still the graceful and slender young man of the past, with no trace of such terrifying supernatural power and durability hidden.


    Sterl continued to charge wildly and mercilessly, until a few secondster, he felt his penis being soothed by a fierce contraction force, and finally released it.


    Later, he gently picked up Linna and ced her on the bed.


    Continuing to grab Rayna''s wrist, she felt both anticipation and fear.


    The ck haired girl stepped back slightly with an uneasy expression and said, "Sterl, please be gentle... I... I really can''t stand it."


    Sterl just smiled gently, then hugged the girl and slowly aimed it at his waist, putting it down.


    " Oh god...!" Rayna gasped for breath at the first moment, feeling like she was already filled, even about to burst out!


    And Sterl''s expression was also a burst of relief. Although Rayna''s physique was not as strong as Linna''s, he felt that the channel he inserted into was even tighter. With just a little movement, he could feel waves of surging and confinementing from the girl''s body.


    Sterl immediately stopped hesitating and straightened his waist vigorously. Soon, the deep cries of a young girl could be heard in front of him.


    Apanied by several fierce battles and asional sharp cries from the ck haired girl Rayna.


    It wasn''t until an hourter that Sterl slowly ced the girl who had turned into a puddle on the bed.


    At this moment, Linna had already woken up and looked at Sterl, who was slowly walking towards her with his penis still erect and ferocious. Her expression went from the initial confusion she had just woken up to fear and then to longing.


    "No! No! No way..."


    "I... don''t."


    "Oh! Yeah..."


    Soon, the room was filled with cries of pain and joy mixed by the young girl.


    Sterl, on the other hand, became more and more brave as he fought. Linna fainted three times, and only then did he sprint fiercely before Raynapletely passed out.


    "Wuwuwu~~" Linna struggled to swallow with her mouth, but soon, she still heard a drowning like cough, and finally copsedpletely on the bed.


    "I can''t do it, really can''t do it..." The girl murmured, slowly losing consciousness.


    At this moment, Sterl slowly released from the state of the heavenly god descending to earth.


    "How do you feel? Two girls... are not enough to satisfy me!" He pondered seriously, although in the game [Transcendence], it is not umon for the strong to have multiple spousal partners.


    But Sterl has always firmly believed that he is a pure love god of war.


    "I have no choice, for the sake of Rayna and Linna''s health, I can only reluctantly find a few more shtup buddies in the future."


    Sterl went to the bathroom while muttering, took out a towel and hot water, wiped the two girls, and then the three of themy in bed together, falling asleep.


    The next day.


    The two girls couldn''t get up at all, and they were even in a semi unconscious state.


    Fortunately, Sterl has some savings on his end, and after bing a yer, he probably won''t be short of money in the future. He hired a temporary nanny to take care of two young girls.


    After the nanny left, Sterl made a beeline for the closet to hide.


    His physical talents were maxed out, and now it was time to boost his mental ones.


    "Upgradation!" he shouted in his mind with undeniable authority.


    Without any hesitation, Sterl clicked on the plus sign next to mental potential,


    feeling afortable shudder in his mind.


    But the result was��


    [Mental Talent Ability: Current potential insufficient for awakening]


    �� [Mental Talent Ability: Current potential insufficient for awakening]


    "What?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but suspect that there might be a problem with the system


    However, he soon realized he was far from awakening his mental talent with just one upgrade.


    So in the next few days, Sterl lived a busy and fulfilling life. Linna and Rayna took care of the household chores, and Sterl fucked them in return.


    In his free time, he dove into books on outdoor survival for yers, adding points to his mental talent over and over.


    The second upgrade had no effect.


    Then came the third, fourth...


    By the fifth upgrade, Sterl''s mental talent finally emerged��


    [Enhanced Magic (Grade F)], a passive talent increasing the effects of all cast spells by 5%.


    To be honest. It''s quite rubbish


    But no worries! His cheat would kick in!


    After the sixth upgrade,


    [Mental Talent Evolved: Enhanced Magic (F��E)], boosting the effects of all spells by 10%.


    Seventh upgrade...


    Eighth...


    By the ninth upgrade, [Mental Talent Evolved: Enhanced Magic (B��A)], transforming the talent significantly to increase spell effects by 75% and reduce magic consumption by 20%.


    Then came the tenth, eleventh, and finally the twelfth upgrade!


    It took twelve days for Sterl''s second talent to max out!


    [Mental Talent Evolved: Enhanced Magic (SS��SSS)]


    [Attribute Amplification advanced to Perfection, transformed into Talent: Soul of Arcana (SSS)]


    [Soul of Arcana (SSS): Passive ability, boosts all magic effects by 100%, ignoring 50% of the opponent''s defense and damage reduction.


    Holding this talent, the yer can cast and learn magic without any prerequisites.]


    [Introduction: A supreme talent born from the full development of potentialbined with the dual spiritual power of [Souls from Another World]. Unparalleled and unique in the world.]


    "Finally!"


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled at his new talent,


    though he frowned, "Seems not as strong as before?"


    The talent''s first feature, boosting magic by 100% and ignoring defenses, was fierce.


    The man who had helped Sterl awaken his talent only had a 20% increase in fire damage, which had helped him rise to be the leader of District Six.


    But Sterl''s talent...


    The concept of doubling the power is beyond his own imagination!


    What only makes Sterl unhappy is that releasing and learning magic disregards any conditions, and feels inferior to... resurrecting in ce.


    Of course, Sterl didn''t realize how terrifying this talent really was.


    If the effects of his Soul of Arcana were to be revealed...


    In "Transcend," legendary mages over level hundred would go crazy wanting him as a disciple!


    Even those beyond legendary status and those climbing the ranks of the divine in the way of the mage would drool over this talent!


    Ignoring the conditions for releasing magic is extremely outrageous


    Ignoring the conditions for learning magic is even more powerful than it should exist in the world.


    However, Sterl was clueless about all this.


    Living in the base after crossing over, he knew almost nothing about "Transcend."


    Moving on.


    Then, Sterl casually walked into a tower bathed in dim blue light at the base, nning to pick up some mage skills from any NPC.


    He raced to the top, where an NPC in a crimson robe stood, his face aged, hunched over, looking into the distance silently.


    This was the Smoky Mage West.


    After awakening his talent, the base had hinted that Sterl could learn a skill from West for free.


    NPCs in "Transcend" were indigenous with intelligence on par with yers and high autonomy, capable of issuing quests, teaching skills, and offering ss changes.


    yers could also master thetter two abilities.


    The only restriction for NPCs was they had to provide the promised reward once yerspleted their quests.


    Sterl approached, not even having the chance to mention his desire for a free skill.


    The NPC nced at him, and instantly, the Smoky Mage West trembled with tears streaming down his face, "My God... I never thought I''d meet a youth with such talent!"


    " There is justice in this world."


    West fell to his knees.


    While Sterl was stunned, the game system chimed in��


    [Congrattions, you have triggered a quest...]

 Chapter 6: Hidden Quest - [Smoky Tricks]

    <h4>Chapter 6: Hidden Quest - [Smoky Tricks]</h4>


    "Congrats, you''ve triggered the [Smoky Tricks (Hidden)] quest. ept? Yes/No?"


    "Triggered a quest?"


    "And a hidden one at that??" Sterl was somewhat taken aback before feeling puzzled.


    As a game, "Transcend" naturally had a quest system, but the NPCs around the base were all high-paid to teach new yers skills.


    If these NPCs had quests, the higher-ups at the base should have discovered them long ago.


    As for hidden quests... Sterl had only read about them in novels circted around the base, where heroes in "Transcend" often triggered hidden quests due to various fortunes, propelling them to the pinnacle of life...


    "ept the quest!" Sterl quickly responded with a nod.


    The Smoky Mage looked thrilled, "Wonderful! Young hero from another world, I have never encountered someone as talented as you before!"


    "Would you be willing to learn our school''s magic?"


    Then, this NPC went on and on about a bunch of stories.


    Their Smoky School was an obscure branch within the fire magic disciplines. The strongest spell developed by the founder of the school was only of green quality (suitable for yers around level 40).


    Therefore, this NPC and his teacher had always hoped to improve the school''s magic to at least a blue quality (suitable for yers around level 60), but this required someone with exceptional arcane magic talent.


    And from Sterl, the Smoky Mage sensed countless glimmers of magical brilliance, clinging to the young man like moths to a me.


    This NPC couldn''t see Sterl''s talent of the Soul of Arcana, but he could tell that thetter was a supreme genius!


    Through this conversation, Sterl finally understood the power of his cheat.


    After enhancing his mental talent, he managed to make an NPC ce great value on him, offering a hidden quest!


    "No problem, I''ll do my best to refine the spells." Sterl actually had no idea how to refine them, but he had faith in his cheat...


    No, in his potential!


    [You have epted the quest [Smoky Tricks]]


    [Description: You can learn a Smoky School spell for free at levels 0, 20, and 40 from NPC West. After refining any acquired spell to blue quality, you can obtain the [Legacy of the Smoky School]]


    [Current Progress: Blue Quality Magic (0/1)]


    Sterl chuckled at the quest details. What kind of quest was this? He didn''t have to do anything and could learn magic three times for free!


    It was already a win-win, and if he could really achieve the goal, refining a blue quality spell would grant him an entire school''s legacy??


    Wasn''t that just skyrocketing??


    Could it be that high-talented yers really could do whatever they wanted? The quest''s requirements and rewards felt almost fake.


    Sterl had heard stories about a mage yer known as [Frost Sword] at the base, who had to kill a boss in the wild just to learn a green quality spell!


    That yer nearly lost his life barelypleting it.


    Here Sterl was, with a hidden quest dropping in hisp, green quality spell? Learn for free! Just level up to 40...


    He now truly understood that the benefits of upgrading his talent weren''t just aboutbat power... The immense potential that made NPCs take notice was an invisible fortune.


    Sterl immediately took advantage of the quest to learn the level 0 free spell.


    [Congrattions, you have learned the skill: Fireball (Gray)]


    [Fireball: Consumes a certain amount of energy to create a fireball, causing minor damage (Damage is linked to the yer''s mental attribute).]


    Seeing the notification on the panel, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement.


    In "Transcend," yers'' power systems were mainlyposed of various basic attributes plus [Talent] plus [Skills] plus [Profession] plus [Pets], [Titles], etc.


    Talent goes without saying, Sterl could max out his with his cheat, [Profession] was a bit far off for now.


    And [Skills] were the key factor in the difference inbat power among yers when their attributes were simr.


    The Fireball spell Sterl now learned was provided by the quest and was of gray quality, the strongest skill that yers could learn between levels 0-20.


    It was stronger than the skill [Sever Tendon] learned from a warrior NPC or [Blink Step] from an assassin NPC... those without any quality.


    Not to mention, he saw that [Fireball] had a plus sign next to it!


    How familiar that plus sign was!


    How exciting that plus sign was!


    Sterl''s cheat panel coulde into y again!


    He bit his lip, looking forward to how far this gray-quality skill could evolve!


    After saying goodbye to West, Sterl decided to head home. Originally, he nned to apply for a permit to grind levels outside the base after obtaining the skill. But now, to be cautious, he decided to first upgrade the quality of this skill in hand.


    Another two days passed.


    Sterl''s panel had already changed.


    [yer: Sterl]


    [Level: 0]


    [Vitality: 1]


    [Strength: 1]


    [Agility: 1]


    [Mental: 1]


    [Physical Talent Ability: Descend of the God (SSS level)]


    [Mental Talent Ability: Soul of Arcana (SSS level)]


    [Skill: [mestorm (Green): Consumes a certain amount of energy to create a burning mestorm with binding effects, causing significant damage. This skill can ignite and burn the opponent''s energy, causing damage equal to the lost energy value.]]


    In three days, Sterl directly evolved Fireball twice, from gray to white, and then from white to green. After that, [Fireball]''s potential seemed to have reached its limit and could not advance further.


    Sterl quickly realized something. Both of his max-level talents had descriptions��


    The physical talent could be maxed because "Transcend" provided all yers with a body of unlimited potential, and the mental talent could be maxed because Sterl had the power of a soul from another world.


    And [Fireball] was just a gray-quality skill, evolving to green quality, which theoretically only yers above level 41 could learn, was already impressive!


    And don''t think that just because it''s a green-quality skill, any level 41 yer could learn it... yers need a way to learn it first!


    Skills above green quality were extremely rare and precious!


    One could say, now in the entire base, only a handful of people possessed green-quality skills!


    Sterl was exhrated.


    ...


    The next day at noon, he rolled around in the sheets with Linna and Rayna again.


    "My talent is attribute enhancement, I can go out and grind levels on my own now."


    "You two just wait for me at home." Sterl said with a smile.


    Under normal circumstances, the two beauties would be extremely worried, persuading Sterl to wait for an official to take them leveling as it was safer, but now they were all in a dazed, semi-conscious state, only managing to nod vaguely: "Be careful."


    "Stay safe..."


    Both were like limp mud,pletelycking any ability to stop Sterl''s actions.


    ...


    Sterl gently kissed Rayna and Linna goodbye, then left home.


    He registered his information at the base''s outer registry, informing the staff that his talent was [Attribute Enhancement].


    Finally, eighteen years into his life, he was about to leave the base for the first time.


    "Here, take this basic experience potion. It gives you an extra 30% experience for ten hours," the staff member handed out a crystal-clear potion as a matter of routine.


    This was a resource produced by yers who had switched their ss to Alchemist in the base.


    All new yers were gifted one, but any subsequent potions would have to be bought with their own money, either using credit points or copper coins obtained from killing monsters orpleting quests in "Transcend."


    If using credit points to buy, one potion would cost fifty thousand credit points.


    As you know, Sterl''s family only pays 5,000 credits a month for their house rent. Once you be a yer, the amount of wealth you burn through on resources is just insane for the average person.


    Sterl pocketed the experience potion and quickly made his way outside the base.


    He looked out into the distance, seeing a lush forest with numerous trails formed by frequent trampling, and could vaguely make out low-level goblins, wild wolves, brown bears, and other monsters.


    "So, this is the world outside the base?" Sterl was slightly stunned.

 Chapter 7: Instant Kill!

    <h4>Chapter 7: Instant Kill!</h4>


    Before venturing out from the base, Sterl had done his homework.


    After a brief consideration, he headed towards the southeast.


    Armed with the evolved [mestorm], a spell capable of massive area damage, he was set for rapid leveling in monster-dense areas.


    Near the base, strong creatures were periodically cleared out, resulting in lower monster density and strength. The southeast and southwest were the farthest from the base, hence had more monsters and stronger ones.


    However, knowing that official forces were leading newbie yers in monster hunting in the southwest, Sterl opted for the southeast.


    Not long after setting off, Sterl noticed scattered solo yers or small groups engaging monsters. Right ahead, three yers were ganging up on a monster��


    a swift wolf lunged forward, viciously biting the arm of the yer blocking its path, causing him to scream in agony.


    Although "Transcendence" is a game, itsbat is as real as it gets, with no health bars.


    So, Sterl watched as the unlucky yer, severely injured, had no choice but to fall back and let his twopanions finish the wolf off with their swords.


    The wolf howled in pain before dissolving into an experience orb, absorbed by the two yers who dealt the final blows, leaving the injured yer with nothing.


    Later, he said in pain, "I can''t fight monsters anymore because of my injuries. You guys keep going, I''ll go back to the base."


    "I really took a hit this time. With injuries this bad, it''ll cost at least ten or twenty thousand credit points to heal... and all I got was a few dozen experience points."


    Sterl, observing from a distance, wasn''t surprised.


    In "Transcendence," especially for lower-level yers, life was tough.


    Even level 1 monsters typically had all attributes around three, with specific strengths varying by creature type.


    For example, the agility and strength of the wild wolf are both four points, the mental constitution is three points, and there is also a skill called [Tear: Causes additional bleeding effect].


    Therefore, yers must at least be led by the base to level three before they can have the ability to practice outside, and even need to form teams.


    Killing a wolf granted roughly 10 experience points, shared among yers dealing the final blow.


    A scene that Sterl just witnessed was where two yers each gained five points of experience.


    In Transcendence, level one to level two requires 100 experience, and then each level requires 1.5 times more experience. It is said that high-level yers have an additional increase in experience for each level.


    That poor yer who got bitten earlier really had it rough. He was at least level three, meaning he needed over 200 experience points to level up. A few dozen points didn''t even make up a quarter of what he needed for the next level, yet he had to fork over thousands of credits for treatment...


    Before bing a yer, the average person''s savings would be just a few thousand credits.


    After bing a yer, grinding low-level monsters like wild wolves could asionally drop items like Wolf Pelts or Wolf Fangs, each worth a few thousand credits.


    Early on, yers tend to team up for leveling, sharing the profits. Getting injured could mean losing a week or two''s worth of earnings.


    Brutal, isn''t it?


    Sterl, however, didn''t show any sympathy.


    That''s just how ruthless the game [Transcendence] is. Without cheats, relying solely on a D-grade [Attribute Amplification], he''d be in the same boat��


    Leveling up is a life-threatening ordeal, constantly risking injuries and spending a fortune on treatment.


    Along the way, Sterl happened to walk past that injured yer heading back to the base. Their eyes met, and they nodded at each other as a form of greeting.


    Then, two other yers, seeing Sterl, approached him, asking, "Hey dude, wanna level up with us?"


    "We''re one person short."


    "No, I''ve got ns with other friends," Sterl made up an excuse on the spot. He couldn''t risk exposing his [me Storm].


    The two yers, disappointed by the rejection, had no choice but to leave sulkily.


    No sooner had Sterl walked away than those two yers were targeted by new monsters.


    Low growls of beasts filled the air.


    Two wild wolves, one in front and one behind, had thempletely surrounded.


    The color drained from their faces, "Damn, where did these twoe from?"


    "We can''t beat them, run!"


    Without hesitation, the two yers took off. They were only level three or four, barely matching the wolves in attributes.


    In a two-on-two situation, the yers could win but risked losing their lives. Why not give up?


    Seeing this, the wild wolves'' ferocity was ignited, and they chased after the yers...


    The three yers, who were leveling just moments ago, one injured and two fleeing like their lives depended on it.


    Unaware of what transpired after he left, Sterl took a few steps forward when suddenly, an intense stench hit him.


    Pairs of dark green eyes suddenly appeared in the jungle ahead, one, two, three, four...


    A total of eight low-level wolves sprang out!


    Any regr newbie yer team would freeze in fear at the sight of so many monsters and run for their lives.


    But Sterl was thrilled:


    "All gathered in one spot, nice, saves me some time!"


    He uttered two strange sybles.


    [me Storm]!


    In an instant, a raging fire ignited, turning into a terrifying airflow that enveloped the pack of wolves.


    Sterl just used one skill covered the entire area, all eight wolves were trapped and burned by the mes!


    They couldn''t escape. The vortex and suction force of the storm dragged these monsters towards the scorching center!


    Their low growls turned into screams.


    They were pulled into the air and incinerated!


    The air was filled with the scent of charred flesh. In just a few moments, the wolves'' fur waspletely ignited, turning into torches, then they fell, wailing in agony...


    Afterward, most of the forest turned into a firestorm under the whirlwind''s influence!


    Ten seconds!


    It was all over in just ten seconds!


    Eight wolves, no, even a level two goblin that was a bit farther away got caught in the me storm, turning into charcoal.


    A single one could give multiple yers a run for their money, and two could have three yers running for their lives. This is the "Wild Wolf" that an entire group or even a squad of a dozen yers wouldn''t dare mess with.


    Faced with Sterl, they were all wiped out in an instant!


    ...


    Meanwhile, the three yers who had escaped earlier looked back at the forest now engulfed in mes, a horrific sight.


    They were stunned, then relieved as if they had narrowly escaped disaster: "Was there a boss spawn in that forest?"


    "Or maybe high-level yers encountered a formidable enemy! How else could there be such a terrifying effect?"


    "Lucky we ran fast. If we got caught in that battle, we''d definitely be goners!"


    They were the same team Sterl had encountered earlier, who had just escaped the two wolves and were resting.


    Now, the mes from the forest had scared them, prompting them to flee back to the base.


    Not just this team, but many yers leveling in the southeastern area, upon seeing the terrifying mes in the forest, gritted their teeth and gave up on the nearly defeated monsters, running away.


    They all knew one thing, Such a terrifying power erupting in the forest meant a powerful being had arrived!


    This... if they get caught in that, they ''re dead for sure.


    What else was there to hesitate about?


    Hurry up and run!


    ...


    Sterl didn''t know that with just one skill he had, he had caused so much trouble.


    He saw a series of strange lights sh before his eyes.


    [Congrattions, you have killed the monster [Wild Wolf] and gained 10 experience points.]


    [Congrattions, you have killed the monster [Wild Wolf] and gained 10 experience points.]


    ...


    [Congrattions, you have killed the monster [Goblin] and gained 20 experience points.]

 Chapter 8: Evolution Item [Advanced Experience Potion]

    <h4>Chapter 8: Evolution Item [Advanced Experience Potion]</h4>


    Besides the experience point notifications, Sterl also got another system prompt in his ear...


    [You have cast [mestorm] once. Proficiency +2, current proficiency: (2/100) Beginner.]


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction. Just this one wave of mestorm had brought him 100 points of experience, enough to level up to level 2.


    However, he couldn''t level up just yet.


    As mentioned before, in "Transcendence," the experience gained from killing enemies needs to be converted into one''s own strength through meditation.


    Sterl would have to return to his base and refine the experience points at home to officially level up.


    The proficiency prompt was a pleasant surprise for Sterl. Using magic once had added two points to his proficiency!


    He could only attribute this to [Arcane Spirit], which had endowed him with a terrifying magical talent, hence the rapid increase in proficiency.


    Soon, Sterl could get [mestorm] to the mastery level!


    And if his magical talent was really as good as it seemed, even breaking through to the expert level seemed hopeful!


    By the way, the proficiency system in [Transcendence] is divided into five levels: Beginner, Mastery, Expert, Master, and Enlightenment.


    From Beginner to Expert, it''s all about increasing the skill''s casting speed and power. Reaching Master level, besides the aforementioned improvements, also allows one to teach the skill to others.


    As for achieving [Enlightenment], Sterl wasn''t clear about its benefits, but he had heard it could optimize the essence of the skill...


    While Sterl pondered, the corpses of monsters ahead shimmered with light, catching his eye.


    He stepped forward and picked up the item within the glow.


    [You have obtained a copper coin.]


    "Nice." He smiled.


    Credit points are the internal currency issued within the base, while the universal currency in [Transcendence], besides what''s issued by various national forces,es from coins obtained through monster hunting and quests in the game system.


    Copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and purple gold coins, each denomination has a 100:1 exchange ratio against the next level up.


    In the base, a copper coin can be exchanged for 10,000 credit points, but the drop rate of copper coins from low-level monsters is very low. Otherwise, yers wouldn''t struggle so much.


    Sterl, as a newbie, got off to a good start.


    Next, he encountered another group of monsters in the forest. The monsters were spread out, so Sterl used two mestorms to deal with them, and gained 50 experience points.


    If other yers knew about his leveling efficiency, they''d be green with envy!


    Because for a typical yer group, they might not even get 50 points of experience per person in a day.


    However, mestorm, being a green-quality skill, consumes a lot of energy. Fortunately, Sterl can activate his talent, [Descend of the Gods].


    yer''s energy and stamina values are converted from their base spirit and constitution stats. Activating talents doesn''t increase the cap.


    But higher spirit and constitution stats can achieve faster energy and stamina recovery.


    As Sterl hunted, mestorm''s output was already sufficient. So he didn''t need to activate his physical talent. Instead, he chose to activate his talent to recover mana while searching for monsters.


    After clearing the monsters, Sterl paused and thought:


    "It''s pretty much confirmed that heading southeast increases monster density. So there''s no need to save the experience potion anymore."


    He didn''t use any medicine before, mainly because he was afraid of waste. Now, without hesitation, he took out the bottle of crystal clear liquid.


    Then, Sterl focused to check the potion''s properties.


    [Basic Experience Potion: Use to gain an additional 30% experience for 10 hours.]+


    "Wait??"


    Sterl was taken aback.


    He had never imagined that his evolution ability would also work on items?!


    After a few seconds of thought, Sterl decided to use an "evolution" charge.


    After all, if he could max out everything on his panel, saving evolution charges was a waste.


    However, the plus sign behind the experience potion also gave Sterl a wake-up call.


    "Maybe... my cheat ability is broader than I imagined?"


    "After this leveling session, I can experiment a bit. Maybe I can evolve various equipment, pets, titles, or even other people''s talents?"


    Sterl''s first reaction was whether he could help Linna and Rayna evolve, but he quickly dismissed the idea.


    Sterl was clear-headed. Until he was strong enough, he must not reveal his evolution ability to anyone.


    To put it bluntly, Sterl even doubted whether he could keep the secret perfectly. Adding up his ages from both lives, he wasn''t even 40 yet, far from those truly cunning characters.


    What he could do was minimize the number of people who knew about his evolution ability and disguise himself as much as possible��


    I''m just a yer with low-level talent who developed quickly through various adventures.


    Sterl pondered while searching for a wave in the forest, cleared two more groups of monsters, gaining a total of 80 experience points and 8 points of mestorm proficiency.


    Finally, at 3 p.m., his evolution charge was recharged.


    Sterl pocketed the experience potion and silently said, "Evolve."


    The crystal bottle concealed by his clothes emitted a faint golden light, then turned into a wine-red potion.


    Sterl eagerly took out the potion.


    [Advanced Experience Potion: Use to gain an additional 120% experience for 48 hours.]


    "Holy shit! More than double the experience?! And itsts for two whole days??"


    Seeing the new potion properties, Sterl''s heart raced. The basic experience potion was already a good item in the base, but it couldn''tpare to this advanced potion!


    And the duration was even more outrageous��two days!


    Even the higher-ups in the base could only asionally use [Intermediate Experience Potions] that increased experience by 50%.


    Given this situation, since Sterl had an evolution charge every day, he could keep leveling up with a 120% experience bonus!


    And he could even spare an evolution charge every two days.


    How fast would his leveling speed be?! He''d outpace everyone in the base!


    "No plus sign afterward? Is it already evolved to the max?"


    "Did it go straight from basic to advanced because it''s a one-time-use item?" In his excitement, Sterl took the opportunity to study his cheat ability.


    First, he confirmed that the evolution limit is rted to the item''s quality.


    Second, he had a new hypothesis: the evolution effect for one-time-use items seemed to be doubled.


    ording tomon sense, it should be a beginner experience potion, and it will only be an advanced experience potion after the second evolution to intermediate experience potions...


    Without hesitation, Sterl ventured further, found a new group of monsters, and unhesitatingly drank the experience potion.


    "Forty-eight hours is a bit long."


    "Linna and Rayna''s official leveling group is set to leave in two days. Hope I can catch up," Sterl mumbled.


    He approached, directly provoking the twelve monsters ahead!


    Eight level two goblins, wielding whips, drove four tamed level one wild boars to charge at Sterl.


    However, the oue was that, because the monsters grouped together.


    Boom!!!


    Sterl''s mestorm engulfed them all, turning into a series of notification sounds.


    [You have killed [Goblin], gaining 22 experience points.]


    [You have killed...]


    ...


    Then, for a full two days, Sterl went on a killing spree outside the base, with each mestorm turning the low-level monsters into wheat in a field, effortlessly reaped by him.


    [You have killed...]


    [You have killed...]


    His ears were filled with constant experience gain notifications.


    With the double experience bonus, Sterl averaged 140-150 experience points per hour, and during those 48 hours, he didn''t even sleep.


    Crazy mob grinding!


    ...


    Until��


    Boom!!


    Vivid mes surged around Sterl, turning a group of goblins, which had surrounded him and were in the midst of attacking, into mummified corpses.


    A prompt was heard by Sterl''s ear.


    [You have cast [mestorm]. Proficiency +2, current proficiency: (378/2000) Mastery.]


    [You have killed...]

 Chapter 9: Human Meditation Method, Efficiency Doubled!

    <h4>Chapter 9: Human Meditation Method, Efficiency Doubled!</h4>


    In addition to the sound of kill alerts chiming in his ears, Sterl received another message.


    [The effect duration of the Advanced Experience Potion has ended.]


    Sterl let out a long sigh, shaking his head slightly with a mix of exhaustion and excitement as he opened his attribute panel to a wave of thrill.


    [yer: Sterl]


    [Level: 0]


    [Experience: 6700/100]


    ...


    [Skill: [mestorm (Mastery: 378/2000)]]


    In the span of 48 hours, he had unleashed the mestorm over 200 times, dramatically boosting the skill to a mastery level of proficiency. Moreover, he had racked up a whopping 6700 points in experience!


    What does this mean?


    As mentioned before, the yer squads Sterl encountered would grind hard all day for just thirty or forty experience points per person, which was considered a handsome yield.


    And Sterl? He bagged 6700 experience points in two days, which is forty times thebined yield of that three-person squad!


    How insane is that?


    Such an astronomical efficiency in gaining experience was off the charts!


    Even the powerful professionals within the base, taking on high-level monsters, couldn''t farm this much in two days!


    It was all thanks to Sterl''s evolved mestorm being so suited for early-game grinding, coupled with the exaggerated effects of the Advanced Experience Potion, creating this miracle.


    After all, the former skill is something yers over level 40 would master, and thetter is something even level 70 to 100 legendary figures would use sparingly!


    Yet Sterl used them all on level one and two wild monsters.How could the efficiency not be sky-high?


    And Sterl quickly figured that this haul was enough to boost him up to level 8! (Pre-transformation experience calction rule: each level up �� 1.5, rounded up. For example, level three to four requires 337.5, which actually rounds up to 350 experience points.)


    A level 8 yer has eight points in all attributes, plus an extra eight points in free attributes, equating to twelve times the strength of a normal human, and stepping out from the bottom yer tier �� no longer just scraping by in monster grinding.


    A level 8 yer could secure a decent ie within the base, easilynding a job with a monthly sry of tens of thousands of credit points.


    For instance, the official lead newbie leveling teams usually require hitters around levels 8 to 10.


    Although Sterl was using cheats, he still felt somewhat dazed. Had he really climbed the socialdder just by grinding for two days? Even capable of leading "newbies" now??


    He couldn''t help but feel amazed. If he kept developing at this rate... He might soon transcend all the powerhouses within the base!


    ...


    "Today, Linna and Rayna are going leveling."


    "I''d better head home for a quick nap, then join them. It''s good to have someone watching your back in case of danger."


    Sterl pondered after tallying up his gains.


    Two days without sleep left his head spinning, nearly forgetting the essentials.


    Official-led newbie leveling sessions could still result in casualties.


    Though the odds were slim, Sterl wasn''t willing to take chances. He cannot entrust his family''s safety to others.


    Of course, he wasn''t a newbie like Linna and Rayna. He wasn''t allowed to kill or cripple monsters weakened by the official hitters, or he''d face a horrific fine.


    However, Sterl simply being there as a bodyguard was fine.


    Soon, he was back at the base entrance, registering his return with the staff.


    During the registration, the staff member spoke with a grave expression, "You came back from the southeast area, right?"


    "Spending over two days leveling there, did you encounter any dangerous characters? Coming back safe and sound... you''re quite lucky."


    "Dangerous characters?" Sterl blinked.


    The staff member then exined, "You might not be aware, but the base has issued a level B warning. A mysterious power-wieldermanding mes has appeared in the southeast area."


    "The output level is already at the professional level, likely a newly spawned boss."


    "Now, there are fewer teams heading out for leveling."


    "The base''s higher-ups have nned to send a team of professionals to hunt down this boss."


    The staff member kindly warned.


    Sterl was momentarily stunned.


    A level B warning? That was considered a major event within the base.


    However, what the staff member said made sense. A professional-level boss lurking in the outskirts could deal a devastating blow to newbie yers, necessitating a cleanup by the base.


    "Wait, that so-called BOSS, you''re not talking about me, are you??" It took a moment for Sterl to catch on, but now it clicked.


    His mestorm, as a green-quality skill, even without Sterl utilizing the Divinity Descent buff, had an effect equivalent to that of a professional-level boss.


    "I actually caused a panic within the base?" The more Sterl thought about it, the more it seemed likely, leaving him speechless.


    ...


    After registering, Sterl didn''t rush home but first visited the base''s official shop. He sold some wolf pelts, Brin skulls, and other materials, purchasing four bottles of Basic Experience Potion. Naturally, two days of leveling didn''t just yield experience.


    The drop rate for coins and materials from the outer base''s wild monsters was low, but Sterl managed to farm several at a time.


    In the end, he sold arge amount of materials at the official shop, exchanging them for 95,000 credit points (with a drop rate of about 10% for wild monster materials, each priced around 3000 credit points), spending 100,000 credit points and 10 copper coins on purchasing experience potions.


    Leaving the shop, Sterl had two copper coins left and a shared savings of 74,000 credit points with Rayna and Linna.


    ...


    Once home, Sterl found Linna and Rayna were out.


    He wasn''t surprised. It was noon, and the twodies had probably gone out to shop for groceries.


    He headed to his bedroom first, sitting down cross-legged, ready to start leveling up using the meditation method.


    [Human Meditation Method: Increases experience refining speed by 100%.]


    [Description: Optimized from the basic meditation method developed by the Earth human race, uniquely suited to this race and cannot be further enhanced.]


    Sterl''s 48 hours of leveling meant he had an extra evolution point, which he absolutely didn''t want to waste, choosing to evolve the basic skill of meditation.


    As a basic skill, the Earth human race had almost perfected the meditation method, allowing only one evolution.


    Sterl also realized that the Human Meditation Method was more about correcting small errors in the basic meditation method, umting small improvements for a 100% effect increase.


    Sterl, without hesitation, began to meditate.


    Instantly, he "saw" the "scenery" inside his body, resembling a vast and infinite universe, with specks of light that represented the experience points he had earned from defeating monsters.


    Sterl''s objective in meditation was to converge all these lights into one point.


    With the optimized meditation method, this task wasn''t difficult. The points of light were captured, kneaded, and converged by an invisible hand.


    Time flew by...


    Sterl''s ears were filled with prompts.


    [Congrattions on leveling up to Level 1, all attributes increased by one, and you have received one free attribute point.]


    [Congrattions on leveling up to Level 2...]


    ...


    Until ��


    [Congrattions on leveling up to Level 8, all attributes increased by one, and you have received one free attribute point.]


    Sterl exhaled a breath.


    The boost from leveling up eight levels in a row swept away his mental fatigue.


    At this moment, he felt as though there was an explosive power contained within his body. Even without activating his talent, his basic attributes had increased by as much as nine times!


    "Now my strength isparable to some guild members," Sterl thought with a hint of excitement.


    If yers below level 5 are at the bottom tier, those above level 5 receive much better treatment, typically being invited to join guilds.


    [Guilds] are a distinctive feature in [Transcendence], essentially allowing yers to form their own factions, and even the lowest-level guilds can provide buffs like +1 strength, +1 agility, etc.


    Thus, power and status in [Transcendence] are primarily held by various guilds.


    The middle-aged man who hosted the awakening ceremony had noticed Sterl''s attribute boost and wanted to rmend him to join the Green Pasture Guild.


    Joining a guild meant bing a person of high status within the base.


    Before having ess to cheats, Sterl''s biggest dream was to join a moderately strong guild, ensuring a worry-free life for himself, Linna, and Rayna.


    But now...


    Sterl had no interest in joining any guilds. His goal was to apany Rayna and Linna until theypleted their newbie leveling. After that, Sterl nned to partake in an assessment to be a pioneering yer!

 Chapter 10: The Blood Mist Guild! The Threat of Professionals

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Blood Mist Guild! The Threat of Professionals</h4>


    The so-called pioneer yers are a term exclusive to the Earth''s human forces.


    Since humanity''s entry into Transcendence hasn''t been long, and in a bid to amass arger yer base, weaker yers are only allowed to explore the outskirts of the base. It''s only after joining a guild that they can venture into the true wilderness alongside their guildmates to level up and develop.


    However, guilds operate on a team basis, and joining one isn''t just about enjoying the buffs. There''s also the obligation to regrly contribute a portion of the loot from monster ying.


    Participating in team activities could expose Sterl''s secrets. He couldn''t bear that risk.


    Moreover, guilds, to ensure that yers genuinely contribute their share of the loot, would often demand to inspect yers'' backpacks. Sterl found this even less appealing.


    Take this leveling session, for instance. His backpack was brimming with various low-level materials, a clear indicator to anyone that he''d been grinding a lot of monsters.


    So the only viable option for Sterl was to attempt the pioneer yer assessment. Passing it would unlock the permission for him to leave the base''s outskirts and truly enter the vast world of Transcendence.


    Moreover, the reminder from the staff member upon his return to the base had made Sterl slightly wary. His use of mestorm had already caught the base''s attention.


    Sticking to the outskirts for leveling would mean not only dealing with less densely packed and weaker monsters but also the risk of exposing his secrets.


    For Sterl, taking the assessment was imperative.


    He pondered this as he pushed open his bedroom door.


    "You''re so slow! We were just waiting for you!" A blonde beauty sat indelicately on a bench, tapping a porcin te with her fork and knife.


    "Sterl, you went to meditate just now, right? Does that mean you''ve already gained enough experience points to level up from this session?" The ck-haired girl asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling.


    "Yeah, got lucky. I''ve leveled up to three," Sterl admitted, albeit with some omissions. He was well aware that reaching level three in two days was a terrifying feat within the base.


    He intended to keep his trump card hidden, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t show off a bit of his talent. Disying some strength could improve Sterl''s quality of life and make it easier for him to take Linna and Rayna with him for future leveling.


    "So amazing! I''ve always known you were extraordinary, Sterl!" Linna couldn''t contain her excitement.


    To the two girls, Sterl, who had shown matured demeanors from a young age, could never be just an ordinary person. Before, he couldn''t even master a single advanced skill. It was unbelievable.


    But, with his talent awakened, Sterl''s rise was unstoppable!


    The three of them were all in a good mood and had lunch while chatting andughing.


    Then they went out together to participate in the official training team.


    Soon, they stood before a magnificent building made of huge blue ss panels, crowned with a massive sign:


    The Base Government Hall.


    This ce served as the discussion hub for affairs concerning the base''s nine sectors.


    Inside, several guild teams in uniform, all trying to act cool, had already taken up positions in different corners of the hall.


    The central electronic screen continuously updated with base numbers, directing new yers to their assigned guild teams.


    Linna and Rayna''s brows furrowed upon seeing the screen.


    "The Blood Mist Guild?"


    "We''re not going to run into him, are we?" Their expressions stiffened.


    Originally, this batch of neers wasn''t supposed to be led by the Blood Mist Guild. However, due to a ss-B alert issued by the base, indicating the presence of a suspected boss-level entity wielding fire in the southeast sector, many of the guild''s elites were reassigned.


    As a result, the task of training neers fell to other guilds.


    The Blood Mist Guild, a mid-tier guild that had risen in the base in recent years, boasted an average yer level of six to seven, with its elite members and four vice-presidents ranging from levels fourteen to sixteen.


    The guild leader was a level twenty professional, a rare breed within the base.


    Linna and Rayna''s unease stemmed from an encounter a year ago, where a member of the Blood Mist Guild had harassed them. At the time, he was only level seven but had since reached level fifteen, bing one of the guild''s elites.


    Facing Sterl and the two girls, now fresh-faced yers, seemed all too easy for him.


    Despite their worries, Sterl remained calm. His mestorm''s output was already on par with professionals, and that was without activating his Divine Descent for enhanced output.


    At full strength, Sterl''s power was equivalent to a level thirty-plus yer!


    The Blood Mist Guild, once a group Sterl looked up to, was now barely a match for him. In a few days, obliterating such a guild single-handedly would be a breeze.


    Fortunately, the situation didn''t evolve as the girls had feared. The Blood Mist Guild, under calm leadership, left the base for the southwestern outskirts where monsters were ripe for the picking.


    Sterl and his friends chatted casually, noticing how teams gradually split into groups of guild members and neers, heading in different directions.


    Their team seemed poised to stay put and start pulling monsters...


    Suddenly, there was a stir: "It''s David, the Blood Mist Guild''s leader!"


    "Why''s the big shot here?"


    "Did the base really pull out all the stops...getting a professional to help with leveling?"


    Amidst the admiring gazes of countless yers, a young man in a blood-colored robe approached, apanied by a defiant-looking blond in simr attire.


    "These must be Miss Linna and Rayna."


    "I only found out today that Lova had been disrespectful towards you. I''ve brought him here to apologize," Guild Leader David spoke with an unexpected grace.


    Reluctantly, the blond muttered, "Sorry."


    The girls turned to Sterl, their pir of strength, puzzled by the guild leader''s unexpected humility.


    Despite the base''sws against bullying ordinary people, the strong could easily bend the rules. Once outside, if the Blood Mist Guild decided to kill them and me it on monsters, the base wouldn''t bat an eyelid.


    Sterl sensed something was amiss. "An abnormal situation must have an underlying reason," he thought.


    Guild Leader David continued, "How about this? I''ll personally take you three for leveling."


    "Sir, it''s not yet your batch''s turn to gain experience. But no matter, I''ll step in today."


    It seemed he wanted to include them, making any foul y convenient.


    Sterl sneered inwardly, convinced that the other party must have an ulterior motive. After thinking for a moment, he decided to probe, adopting a shrewd and worldly-wise demeanor, "Linna and Rayna are already eligible for experience. They don''t need to follow you."


    "How about I apany you, sir? Anything you need, just tell me."


    Though unsure of Sterl''s n, the girls quickly supported him.


    However, the previously apologetic blond''s expression darkened.


    "Like you have a choice!" he sneered.


    Guild Leader David frowned, "I could agree to your terms, but..."


    "Do you think you''re in a position to negotiate with me?"


    With a wave of his hand, elite members surrounded Sterl and his friends, shocking the surrounding yers.


    Just moments ago, everyone envied Sterl''s group, thinking they were about to soar.


    Now, they could only offer sympathetic nces.


    "I knew the Blood Mist Guild was too good to be true."


    "These three are done for."


    "That blond''s always been a lecher. Probably set his sights on the girls, and their friend got dragged into it."


    "These three are screwed."

 Chapter 11: A Move That Annihilates Professionals!

    <h4>Chapter 11: A Move That Annihtes Professionals!</h4>


    All the rookie yers looked like they''d seen a ghost, their faces a mix of shock and sheer panic as they kept their distance from Sterl and his twopanions as if afraid of catching some contagion.


    Rayna and Linna, who were rxed just a moment ago, suddenly stiffened up.


    They were terrified, their bodies trembling slightly as they instinctively moved closer to Sterl, their eyes filled with despair.


    Linna and Rayna are in immense pain. After finally having the whole family be yers, bringing hope to their lives, are they really going to die here on their very first day out of the base?


    What hurt the most was having that hope snatched away so cruelly!


    Sterl frowned slightly. With his god-like powers activated, he could easily take out all these members left by the Blood Mist Guild. But what about all these ordinary yers around him?


    Was he supposed to kill them all to keep a secret?


    The guild leader, David, looked at Sterl with a sort of admiration. Faced with such a dire situation, only to look slightly ufortable, he had good mental strength.


    David leisurely took out a ss bottle that shimmered with light, clearly a magical item.


    "Boss, shall we make our move?" a member of the Blood Mist Guild asked.


    David nodded nonchntly, "I didn''t want to do this. But since they won''t fall for it, don''t me me."


    His words seemed tinged with a guilty conscience.


    But the yers around were baffled.


    What was he talking about?


    But in the next second, the rookie yers understood.


    "What are you doing??!"


    "Stop it!!"


    ...


    Countless new yers scream out in agony.


    The ones remaining here were actually the elite members of the Blood Mist Guild. Although there were only about a dozen of them, in just a brief encounter, they unleashed various skills and began a frenzied ughter.


    The rookie yers had no means to resist, and within seconds, nearly a hundred of them were decimated.


    The area turned into a deep hell made of limbs and blood.


    Sterl, who hadn''t activated his god-like powers, with his attributes only at nine (not counting the free attribute points), was taken aback.


    He hadn''t expected the Blood Mist Guild to be so ruthless, killing hundreds of new yers - this wasn''t something that could be easily exined away.


    Even if it was to target the three of them, it was not worth it.


    Rayna and Linna were pale with fright, clinging to Sterl.


    In their eighteen years of life, they had never witnessed such a horrific scene.


    David patted the shoulder of a blonde-haired man, "Lova, I''ll give you face. I will reward you with these two girls after I finish ying. Take them away now."


    "Yes, Boss!" The man with the lustful gleam in his eyes approached Linna and Rayna.


    David, ying with the ss bottle in his hand, smirked coldly at Sterl,


    "Now, it''s your turn."


    "There are too few talents awakened in the base this year, and the D-level attribute enhancement can only make do with it."


    Throughout this exchange, the Blood Mist Guild didn''t see Sterl and hispanions as human beings, treating them as fish on a chopping board, ready to be ughtered at will.


    David didn''t even bother to hide his disdain anymore. His real target wasn''t the two young girls, Linna and Rayna.


    As a professional, what kind of beauty couldn''t he have?


    His real target was Sterl, the D-rank talent.


    Extracting his flesh and blood into the ss bottle would create a [Crimson Force].


    "If it wasn''t for this, I wouldn''t have needed to silence all the other yers."


    "Fortunately,pleting this task will meet the quota required by that person this year..."


    "If he bestows his blessing, my strength could improve even further!"


    The guild leader pondered, recalling a terrifying figure, shivering with a mix of fear and anticipation.


    But now, Sterl, although still confused, understood one thing.


    There were no witnesses left around!


    Only the enemies from the Blood Mist Guild.


    What was there to wait for?


    Just kill them!


    [Descend of the God]!


    A golden light shed around Sterl, and his aura soared.


    The members of the Blood Mist Guild, including the guild leader, were momentarily stunned, but itsted only half a second.


    "You still want to resist??" The yers in bright red robes sneered menacingly.


    Sterl''s aura was indeed frightening, but how could they believe that a newly awakened yer with low-level talent could fight back?


    Even standing still and letting him hit wouldn''t make a difference.


    Could he possibly take down so many level ten yers all by himself?


    Sterl smirked coldly. He could already picture it: unleashing a firestorm that would have the members of the Blood Mist Guild kneeling, then interrogating them about their sinister ns...


    Boom!!


    With a casual snap of his fingers and uttering two sybles, Sterl unleashed an advanced-level firestorm that erupted instantly!


    Enhanced by his god-like powers, with a whopping 68 spirit points behind it, the spell''s impact was equivalent to a level thirty yer''s ultimate move, with a hundred percent power boost from his Arcane Soul.


    The fire consumed everything in its path.


    Rayna and Linna, in their despair, saw the mes cover the sky.


    The elite yers of the Blood Mist Guild didn''t even have time to react before they were engulfed by the intense heat, turning into charred remains. In less than a second, their bodies dried up and turned to ash, leaving only charred skeletons that crackled and broke apart in the mes.


    The guild leader and the blonde-haired man were thest to be affected.


    Thetter turned to ash just like the others in less than a second.


    The guild leader managed to resist for a few more seconds, his body shimmering with protective lights before they shattered, his protective items destroyed in an instant.


    Then, in a mere moment, David''s eyes shed with shock, panic, fear, and despair as he desperately tried to flee.


    But it was toote!


    Hested less than five seconds before the mes overtook him, extinguishing his life.


    His body, however, remained somewhat intact, burning like a torch for a while longer.


    When the firestorm spell finally dissipated, not only were the Blood Mist Guild yers gone, but the corpses of the rookie yers had turned to ash as well.


    Around Sterl, Linna, and Rayna, the ground was scorched with dark, spiral patterns. Trees were reduced to ash, the soil baked and cracked, resembling an apocalyptic scene.


    "What??"


    Sterl was dazed. This wasn''t how it was supposed to go...


    Wasn''t he supposed to have them kneeling, begging for mercy, while he delivered some cool lines before interrogating them about who was behind this plot?


    Everything was gone, not even a corpse left!


    What the hell!


    Was his full-powered attack always this powerful?


    He was utterly stunned.


    Little did he know, with the enhancement from his Arcane Soul and god-like powers, his firestorm had reached the might of a full-strength attack from a level forty professional.


    And this was considering a professional with a good job ss, high attribute bonuses, and superior talents capable of such output.


    This level ofbat power was something only top twenty individuals in the base possessed.


    To use it on a newly turned professional yer was indeed overkill...


    As for the other Blood Mist Guild members who hadn''t turned professional, they were simply outmatched.


    Despite his shock, Sterl keenly noticed something that survived the firestorm, lying on the ground and emitting a faint glow��


    It was the strange ss bottle that the Blood Mist Guild leader, David, had taken out.

 Chapter 12: The Offering - The Blood Fiend’s Curse. Can this even evolve?

    <h4>Chapter 12: The Offering - The Blood Fiend''s Curse. Can this even evolve?</h4>


    "What''s this?"


    Without hesitation, Sterl stepped forward and picked up the glittering item.


    Then, an introduction popped up before his eyes.


    [Blood Fiend''s Curse]+


    [Category: Offering]


    [Effect: You can ce this item on the forehead of a yer with talents (only living ones), turning them into a source of Bloody Power. Those with talents below Grade C can extract one strand of Bloody Power, while those with Grade C and above can extract three strands.]


    [Description: An offering from the Blood God Sect, rumored to be from Lord Byron of Blood, from the 6712th level of hell. Despite being long wanted, the Blood God Sect developed a new organizational form. The Blood Fiend''s Curse is the sect''s only identity verification, with low-level followers collecting Bloody Power through this offering, and high-level followers sacrificing it for blessings from the Blood Duke.]


    "Blood God Sect??"


    A flicker of unease instinctively passed through Sterl''s eyes.


    The general education at the base had mentioned this infamous sect of the Divine Mountain Empire, which hadunched numerous massacres, evenpletely ughtering several human bases on Earth.


    He understood now. No wonder the Blood Mist Guild wanted to kill off other newbie yers��the base had a strict crackdown on cults like the Blood God Sect.


    David must ensure there were no informants.otherwise, the base would surely send masters to hunt him down.


    However, Sterl had no intention of using this offering to report the Blood Mist Guild.


    For one, he suspected that David was not the only member of the Blood God Sect in the base. From just a few words from the guild leader, Sterl guessed that this wasn''t the first time they had collected Bloody Power.


    Plus, David dared to ughter newbie yers without hesitation, likely having a high-ranking backer in the base to avoid ountability repeatedly.


    Also, Sterl had no ns to reveal his strength, so reporting was out of the question.


    As for the offering itself, it made him frown: "How cruel, to actually have to drain talented yers alive to refine Bloody Power..."


    Just reading the description of the offering made Sterl shudder and feel a chill all over.


    He didn''t continue to study the [Blood Fiend''s Curse] but instead stored the item in his inventory.


    Then, Sterl approached Linna and Rayna.


    The two beauties were in a daze, looking at the gentle-looking Sterl beside them, then at the charred marks around: "What just happened?"


    "Why are we here?"


    "Weren''t we supposed to be leveling up with the Blood Mist Guild?"


    "Where are they, and the other yers?"


    Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information, the two girls were a bit out of it.


    Plus, with Sterl''s swift killing, turning enemies to ashes in seconds, Linna and Rayna even doubted if they had hallucinated the whole scene of him swiftly killing the enemies...


    "It''s all good now," Sterl stepped forward and embraced them.


    "You saw right. I received a hidden task and took a powerful mage as my master."


    "That fiery storm just now was from a magic scroll given by my NPC teacher. I''ve learned the move too, but it''s not as powerful."


    As he spoke, he demonstrated the fire storm again without the divine intervention boost.


    mes surged up on the ground fiercely!


    The brilliant visual effect and the burning sensation brought Linna and Rayna back to reality.


    It was real!


    Everything that had happened was real!


    They were targeted by the Blood Mist Guild leader, but Sterl turned the tide and killed the enemy instantly!


    "No wonder you were leveling up so fast," Rayna gradually regained her senses, her voice shifting from initial tremble to joy.


    Linna suddenly grinned and punched Sterl hard on the chest: "Ah, so you were keeping this from us, huh?"


    "If something hadn''t happened, were you nning to keep it a secret forever?"


    Seeing the girls'' emotions stabilizing, Sterl also raised his hands in a cating gesture with a smile: "This kind of thing..."


    Before he could finish exining, the ck-haired girl shook her head and interrupted him, saying to Linna, "Don''t be so willful, Linna. It''s not something that should be shared."


    "You''ve forgotten about the big fuss at the base before?"


    "Rumor has it that a yer with Grade C talent received a hidden quest, but it was somehow taken away by the higher-ups of the base."


    "We, along with Sterl, can''t possibly guard a hidden quest. The fewer people know about this, the better, right?"


    "Well... you''re right. I''m not unreasonable, just got a bit too excited just now..." Linna''s voice softened a lot, showing a bit of embarrassment.


    Sterl took the opportunity tofort her, and soon the atmosphere among the three of them normalized, with Linna and Rayna even bursting into exmations of awe.


    "Wow! Sterl, you''re really going to soar now!"


    "We''re all gonna rely on you from now on!"


    "That move just now was so cool, even those in the base specializing in fire magic can''tpare at all!"


    ...


    The two girls were overjoyed. Sterl had been like family to them from the start, and no matter how strong he became, it wouldn''t make them feel uneasy or scared. They were simply proud of him.


    In the following period,


    Sterl listened to the two beauties praising him while leading them around the base''s outskirts to level up by hunting monsters.


    The method was somewhat unusual. Sterl, with his mastery-level proficiency in the Firestorm, would target the monsters'' sides or behind to release the skill.


    Ensuring that the monsters were only grazed by the Firestorm, even a slight touch was enough to leave the monsters with just a sliver of health, or even dying from the burning mes in a few seconds.


    Therefore, after releasing the skill, Sterl would let Linna and Rayna quickly move in for the kill.


    Moreover, the two girls had only mastered expert-level skills and hadn''t acquired yer panels, so they couldn''t see item attributes.


    Sterl used today''s evolution opportunity to evolve advanced experience potions, letting each girl drink half a bottle.


    He had already revealed having a powerful teacher, so there was no need to hide the advanced experience potions from Linna and Rayna.


    The issue was, if the two girls knew how powerful the potion''s effects were, they would definitely want to save it for Sterl''s use.


    Now that Linna and Rayna couldn''t check the item''s attributes, Sterl easily persuaded them, and they obediently drank it.


    In [Transcend], various potions could be shared, with the potion''s effect determined by the dosage consumed.


    Linna and Rayna now had a 120% experience boost for 24 hours.


    Sterl nned to evolve another bottle of advanced experience potion the next day for the two beauties to consume. This way, they could level up for a total of 48 hours and return to the base with the batch of new yers.


    After that, it was a simple, monotonous process of grinding.


    Sterl casually unleashed Firestorms, leaving a group of monsters struggling painfully as they nearly turned into charred corpses, with Rayna and Linna swiftly moving in for the kills.


    "First, we level up. After returning to the base and getting more evolution points, I can look into that offering," Sterl mused while watching the action, remembering the offering from the Blood God Sect that could also evolve.


    He hadn''t forgotten that the sole function of such an item was to collect Bloody Power, and Sterl wasn''t sure if evolving it would turn into something useful for him...


    As he pondered, a flood of information surged in his mind, seemingly his golden finger hinting��


    Evolution ability would always optimize various items, skills, and abilities in a direction beneficial to the host.


    "Well? Is that so??"


    Sterl raised his hand again to release a Firestorm, forcing three goblins touched by the mes to charge forward in agony.


    Rayna and Linna drew the standard longswords produced by the base, each stabbing a goblin and earning forty-two experience points.


    Sterl himself was contemting on the side, feeling somewhat excited...


    Offerings weren''t only about the [Blood Fiend''s Curse] mentioned by the Blood God Sect. In the Divine Mountain Empire where the base was located, powerful priests in some orthodox churches also relied on offerings tomunicate with deities for blessings.


    Although [Blood Fiend''s Curse], as an offering held by low-level followers of the Blood God Sect with only the function of collecting Bloody Power and unable tomunicate with the Blood Duke, still held high value!


    If he could evolve this item into something usable for Sterl...


    The benefits would be absolutely terrifying!

 Chapter 13: Evolving the Blood Diamond - Insane Effects!

    <h4>Chapter 13: Evolving the Blood Diamond - Insane Effects!</h4>


    Two days of leveling flew by in no time.


    Sterl and the two beauties have already blended into the crowd of newbie yers and returned to the base.


    Normally, once yers are leveled up to level three, they''re kicked out of the leveling squad. They either head back to the base or go solo, hunting down random mobs in the wilderness.


    This ensures the base''s leveling efficiency and gives yers fresh out of level three a taste of life-and-death battles with monsters.


    So, with no witnesses around, the trio''s return to the base was seamless.


    "Sterl, are you really in such a rush? You just got back and now you''re already gearing up for the pioneer yer assessment?" Rayna gently grasped Sterl''s hand, clearly worried.


    Pioneer yers hold an esteemed position within the Earth''s human forces, true to their namesake - Pioneers.


    They venture into the [Transcendence]for humanity''s future and development, collecting precious items, various equipment blueprints, potion forms, inheritable skills...


    They dive into dungeons to gather materials desperately needed by the human forces of Earth.


    It''s thanks to the tireless efforts of countless pioneer yers that humanity has managed to gain a foothold in the [Transcendence].


    Therefore, the perks of being a pioneer yer are outstanding.


    Even the lowest-ranked pioneers enjoy a fixed ie of 200,000 credit points per month and can join exclusive guilds for pioneers, which offer various high-level buffs for free.


    Pioneer yers can also take on various pioneering missions issued by the major bases on Earth, earning substantial rewards for eachpleted task.


    No exaggeration �C pioneer yers are the real powerhouses of Earth''s human forces!


    But such a prestigious position and wealth of resources naturally don''te for free.


    Bing a pioneer yer is straightforward: first, you must pass a basic test at the base.


    This test is challenging, and many reach at least level 10 before they can pass.


    But with such strength, joining any guild would secure a high status, at the very least as one of the top members with the best treatment.


    So, why bother bing a pioneer yer?


    Moreover, passing the basic test is just the beginning. yers need to participate in pioneering missions published jointly by multiple bases.


    Sess means bing a pioneer.


    However, pioneering missions are life-threatening, involving collecting rare items, defeating bosses, and even dungeon diving, with a high mortality rate!


    Facing Rayna''s persuasion, Sterl merely shook his head lightly, "You know, with ''that mission'' I have now, staying in the base is even more dangerous."


    "Don''t worry, if the pioneering task is too tough, I''ll drop it. Priority one is staying alive."


    Danger? Not an issue.


    Sterl''s realbat strength was already on par with a level 30 professional yer. Pioneering tasks would be a breeze.


    "In a couple of days when I''m not here, you two need to keep leveling up," he added.


    "Remember to use the meditation technique I taught you."


    Rayna and Linna both nodded.


    During this 48-hour leveling spree, Sterl''s second round of mob farming was much more efficient. The two beauties each gained about 3600 experience, enough to reach level 7.


    Such a level was considered quite skilled within the base, ensuring at least a bully-free,fortable life.


    Chatting andughing, the trio headed home.


    Sterl meditated, refining and absorbing the scattered experience he gained �C Despite his best efforts to leave monsters on theirst breath for the girls to finish off, his me Storm was too powerful, often killing them outright, so he still gained some experience.


    Once home, Sterl took out the offering, the "Blood Demon''s Sin," and silentlymanded it to "evolve."


    Instantly, the blood-red liquid encased in ss seemed to ignite, boiling over, while the ss shell melted instantly. ss and solution merged into a pentagon-shaped glowing crystal.


    A prompt appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Bloodstone" + "Category: Offering]


    [Effect: ..." (Unchanged)]


    [You can use blood force to break through the limits of skill proficiency. One blood force can break through the limit frompetent to master level, ten blood forces can break through the master level to grandmaster level.]


    "Nice find!"


    Sterl couldn''t hide his excitement. Every level of skill proficiency you break through is a game changer!


    It looks like the Bloodstone''s abilities are super practical!


    If those higher-ups in the base saw this, they''d probably be itching to use this thing to collect blood energy too!


    It''s just a shame, though. I mean, I''m not some moral purist who refuses to use the Bloodstone... But I''m also not crazy enough to go after other yers with it.


    I guess if someone decides to mess with me, instead of just taking them out, might as well make some use of them, right?


    But there''s a catch.


    Relying solely on enemies to collect blood energy isn''t gonna be very efficient.


    Lucky for me, the Bloodstone can evolve further. I can only hope it grows even more powerful... Over the next three days, instead of evolving high-level XP potions, I head out to level up in the wild. After evolving my item three times, I finally max out the Bloodstone.


    [Blood Diamond]


    [Category: Offering]


    [Effect: Born from Sterl''s power and evolved from the creation of the Blood Duke, it umtes blood points (equal to the basic experience of the unit killed) through killing any unit. Every ten thousand blood points can be exchanged for a blood force. ]


    [Using blood force, you can choose from the following effects:


    Break through the limit of skill proficiencyEnhance any target''s talent level Learn specific skills using blood force Create specific set equipment using blood force Create an invincible shield or corrosive damage beam using blood force.]


    [Note: When you have used fifty blood forces, this item will be upgraded. ]


    "Holy cow! That''s a lot of effects!" Sterl was dumbfounded seeing the maxed-out offering.


    He never saw anything with so many properties in textbooks back in base.


    And looking at the Blood Diamond''s effects, Sterl was drooling.


    First off, umting blood force just got a whole lot easier, and the functionalities are freaking amazing. I can break through proficiency limits, learn a whole set of skills, craft armor sets, create shields, and direct output.


    There''s even an ability to boost others'' talents.


    That gets me pumped.


    I''ve tried, but it seems like I can''t boost others'' stats since my cheat is based on the game''s system. I can only ''add points'' to things I can see on a panel...


    But I can''t see Linna and Rayna''s stat panels, can I?


    I''m trying to keep my cheat a secret for now, but when I''m stronger, I still couldn''t boost my family''s mental or physical talents.


    This offering solves my worries.


    Now I just need to rack up blood points, and my specialty is farming mobs!


    By the way, in these three days, I''ve also gathered enough XP to hit level 9. ...


    An hourter, I''m standing outside the Pioneer Hall in Base''s Eighth District.


    This building is as massive as the city hall.


    And I''m a bit excited inside. Back when I was just a yer in other games, what was it really about? Roaming the game world, taking on quests, diving into dungeons, facing bosses, not just hanging around some so-called base where you barely see any NPCs!


    The gear, pets, titles... everything a yer needs to truly be strong has to be earned through exploration and risking it all in [Transcendence].


    And besides, aside from evolving my abilities, I''m thinking I can also evolve some items and gear to sell. Those high-level goods? They''re not something a small base can handle.


    Bing a pioneer yer? I''m all in!


    "Wee, yer."


    "We''re d to have you join the ranks of pioneers."


    Just as I step into the building, a pleasant female voice greets me through the PA system.


    And what I see is a crowd of serious-looking yers, their energy and vibe a whole notch above those of the Blood Mist Guild members.

 Chapter 14: High-Difficulty Test, Duel with an Elite Monster!

    <h4>Chapter 14: High-Difficulty Test, Duel with an Elite Monster!</h4>


    Sterl waded through the crowd and approached the hall''s front desk, where he used a self-service machine to sign up for the pioneer yer assessment.


    Then, the machine spat out a slip of paper.


    "Testing room, third room, number one hundred and ten."


    Sterl pocketed the slip and, following the hall''s signs, made his way to room three.


    Along the way, he overheard quite a few yers discussing among themselves.


    "William, how many times have you taken the assessment?"


    "Must be the fourth time, I guess. The previous pioneering missions were just outrageous, fighting bosses, delving into dungeons��who would dare to take those on?"


    "Same here. After passing the basic testst time, I didn''t dare to ept the mission."


    "We live the good life here at the base. Whether or not we be pioneer yers doesn''t really matter. Why risk so much for it?"


    "I don''t know why, but the pioneering missions issued by the bases are getting harder and harder. Only the greenhornsing here for the first time would dare to take them."


    "Right, that guy over there seems pretty confident. Do you think he''ll take on the pioneering mission this time?"


    ...


    Sterl, maintaining a calm demeanor, continued through the hall, somewhat surprised to find that people were talking about him.


    The confident neer the veteran yers were talking about was indeed Sterl.


    However, he didn''t care about their discussions.


    Sterl felt a slight unease, knowing from the information he had gathered at the base that the death rate for the pioneer yer assessment was incredibly high.


    The pass rate for yers was about 5% to 6%, but the death rate was a staggering 40% to 50%.


    Yet, ording to what these veteran yers were saying, after every basic test, if the pioneering mission was too difficult, the veterans would immediately give up, leaving only the rookies who were taking the assessment for the first time to ept the missions.


    In such cases, a 40% death rate seemed low, considering that the surviving 60% included those veterans who had given up.


    The survival rate for the true neers... was probably far below sixty percent.


    The difficulty of the pioneering missions was much higher than Sterl had initially imagined.


    With these thoughts quickly running through his mind, he soon arrived at testing room three.


    About a hundred yers were quietly waiting there.


    In front of them was a piece of high-tech equipment developed by the human forces of Earth: the Virtual Imaging Device.


    [Virtual Imaging Device]+


    [Effect: Can create beings of level 20 or below, including normal and elite units.]


    "This can evolve?" Sterl raised an eyebrow.


    However, he naturally wouldn''t waste his evolution points on such a public good. He simply took a seat quietly in the waiting stands of the examination room.


    Soon, it seemed to be the turn of a yer holding a number one sign. The room echoed with the beautiful female voice Sterl had heard before: "The assessment officially begins. Basic test objective, defeat a level 10 elite: Gically Modified Werewolf."


    Instantly, a pale blue light cascaded down, slowly coalescing into a figure with white fur, blood-red eyes, and terrifyingly ferocious fangs��a werewolf howling at the sky:


    "Aoooooo!!"


    Even from a distance, Sterl could still sense the beast''s stench, seeing the bloodstains and rotting flesh between its teeth, incredibly realistic.


    Meanwhile, the advancing yer was dumbfounded: "Wait, why is the basic test using an elite monster this time? Isn''t it usually just normal ones?"


    However, the sweet and tranquil voice over the PA system responded:


    "Dear tester, greetings."


    "The difficulty of the basic test for the pioneer yer assessment is directly rted to the difficulty of the uing pioneering mission."


    "The purpose of this basic test is to minimize casualties in the subsequent pioneering tasks."


    Following this announcement, the expressions of many yers who were prepared to take the assessment changed, and both new and veteran yers seemed to reconsider their participation.


    While the new yers tended to be more reckless, they were also aware of the high dangers associated with pioneering tasks. ording to the hint from the testing room''s voice, this time''s pioneering task would be even more terrifying... Who would dare to take part?


    However, people didn''t immediately decide to quit the test, as they were unsure how much stronger this elite monster waspared to the normal monsters usually featured in the basic tests. They opted to wait and see.


    But soon, the yers'' reluctance to continue solidified.


    The werewolf, covered in white fur, let out a howl and suddenly pounced forward!


    It moved so fast that the yer facing it couldn''t react in time!!


    sh!


    In a swing of its ws, the unfortunate tester was gashed open across the chest and abdomen, then pped against the wall by the werewolf, copsing onto the ground like a lump of mud, a sight too gruesome to behold.


    A single encounter resulted in severe injury!


    Seeing this, the yers present lost all hope of luck. The elite monster was not just a little stronger than the normal monsters, but significantly so. Did the difficulty of this pioneering task even need to be mentioned?


    Participating was akin to courting death!


    "I''m out!"


    "I apply to give up this basic test."


    "Let''s go, we''lle back next time."


    "Why is the difficulty of the pioneer yer assessment increasing each time?"


    Suddenly, room three was abuzz with discussions and noise, a scene that was almost simultaneously replicated in the other testing rooms.


    Sterl was dumbfounded to discover that, originally ranked over a hundred, the number of yers who had quit in just a few minutes was nearly a hundred!


    Before Sterl, there were a few stubborn yers who didn''t believe in the impossible and attempted to face the elite werewolf, all of them met with a terrible defeat!


    Among them, ording to the discussions among the surrounding yers, the strongest yer seemed to have reached level 18 but only managed to struggle against the elite monster for a while before being bitten in the major artery by the werewolf, nearly dying on the spot.


    Now, even more yers decided to flee.


    Thus, Sterl had to wait less than 10 minutes before it was his turn to take the test.


    "Tester number 110, pleasee to the stage to take the test."


    "Please..."


    The room''s announcement echoed.


    Sterl, with aposed expression, stepped forward to face the elite werewolf.


    The attributes of the monster appeared before his eyes.


    [Name: Gically Modified Werewolf]


    [Category: Elite Monster]


    [Level: 10]


    [Physique: 20]


    [Strength: 25]


    [Agility: 25]


    [Spirit: 15]


    [Bloodlust: Automatically collects blood when attacking an opponent, healing its own wounds.]


    [Frenzy: Increases attack speed by 100%, and each attack randomly increases the attack speed by an additional 50% to 200%.]


    "Truly an elite."


    Sterl was facing this kind of enemy for the first time. Although it was only level 10, its attributes suggested that only yers close to level 20 could match it.


    Moreover, it had a healing skill along with a passive ability that significantly boosted its attack speed. The defeat of the level 18 yer earlier wasn''t unjust; it seemed that only those professionals who had undergone job advancement could reliably take down this werewolf.


    By the time Sterl took to the stage, some of the stubborn yers still willing to take the test, as well as some who had dered their intention to quit but remained to watch, brightened up at the sight of him.


    This yer was clearly a greenhorn!


    On one hand, Sterl had a youthful appearance, looking much like those who had just turned 18, undergoing talent awakening and skill testing to qualify as a yer.


    On the other hand, Sterl''s every move did not resemble someone who had survived in the wild for long. It was more akin to a post-war PTSD state, always slightly tense, which also suggested that Sterl had only recently be a yer, likely within this orst year''s batch.


    For such a yer to participate in the pioneer yer assessment, facing a gically modified werewolf that had already disyed terrifyingbat power, and still daring to step forward, there were two possibilities��


    One was sheer foolishness, the naivety of a newborn calf not fearing a tiger, but this seemed unlikely because getting severely injured in the test would cost money to heal.


    The second possibility was that this neer had some fortuitous encounters and exceptional talent, confident enough to step forward! That would make him a genius in the base!


    The uing battle promised to be interesting!


    Sterl, with a calm demeanor, felt that killing this level 10 elite werewolf wouldn''t be difficult. However, he didn''t n to use mestorm but intended to activate Divine Descent, holding back a bit and relying on his physical strength toplete this test.


    He wanted to keep his trump card hidden, but constantly hiding it would only slow down his development. Participating in this pioneer yer assessment, it was better to show a bit of his edge, letting others see his potential!

 Chapter 15: Shocking the Audience, The High Commander’s Astonishment!

    <h4>Chapter 15: Shocking the Audience, The High Commander''s Astonishment!</h4>


    At this moment, not only were countless yers in Test Room No. 3 watching intently.


    Sterl''s battle footage was also captured by cameras and broadcasted to various bases participating in this pioneer assessment.


    In the God Mountain Empire, within Base 5677, situated in the municipal center, a conversation was unfolding.


    "Commander Miste, look, this young man seems very confident, as if he''s sure of himself," said a young man dressed in ck leather respectfully to the figure sitting in the main seat.


    The room was filled with yers, their eyes glued to arge screen broadcasting the event.


    The screen disyed thousands of surveince videos, covering the testing conditions in twelve bases for this pioneer yer assessment.


    What was shocking was the aura of the yers around; anyone with a detection skill would realize these were all professionals above level 20!


    Base 5677, identified by its four-digit code, was a mid-level base among Earth''s human forces and the superior to Sterl''s Base 71392.


    "He looks young and confident? Good."


    "Sterl from Base 71392... just became a yer this year? With only a D-grade talent level?"


    "Did hee across some opportunity, or was there a mistake in recording his talent level?" The person known as Commander Miste was a solemn-faced man dressed in a white robe.


    "Forget it, switch his surveince to my screen," Mistemanded.


    "Yes," his subordinate responded.


    Soon, another surveince feed appeared before themander, adding to the over one hundred and twenty screens he was already monitoring, showcasing rtively young yers facing elite monsters.


    However, Miste''s attention wasn''t on Sterl''s feed. After checking the data, he realized that this young man from Base 71392 seemed too ordinary.


    Even taking the time to watch his surveince video felt like a potential waste, as Sterl might indeed be overconfident and unable to ovee the challenge.


    "Base 71394''s Judy has awakened a B-grade mental talent, [Wind Mastery]."


    "Base 71388''s Verden, C-grade talent, and has triggered a hidden quest with high potential."


    "Base 71044''s Norville, C-grade talent, became a yerst year, participated in a boss hunt, and survived sessfully."


    "Base 71055..."


    Commander Miste pondered. These were the genius yers that emerged from the various bases under the jurisdiction of Base 5677 in this andst year''s batches, and they were his primary subjects of interest.


    ...


    Meanwhile, back in the testing room,


    Sterl was oblivious to the attention he had garnered.


    He had already nned his exnation if he won against the elite monster. He would im it was due to his [Attribute Enhancement] talent, which was of a very high tier, but not fully revealed during the initial testing.


    The awakening devices in the base were developed by Earth''s humans themselves, not originating from the "Transcendence" game system. Instances of misrecording talent levels had urred multiple times, ording to records.


    With such an exnation, Sterl believed no one could fault him.


    He was deep in thought, but the gically modified werewolf opposite him wasn''t about to wait idly by; instead, itunched a ferocious attack.


    "Aoooooo!!"


    With a low growl, the werewolf charged forward, bing a blur of motion!


    In less than half a second, Sterl could see the monster''s fierce canine teeth and smell its foul stench.


    Yet, to others, what might be an unbelievably fast attack was meaningless against Sterl.


    He directly activated [Descent of the Gods]!


    A faint golden light enveloped Sterl, increasing all his attributes by 50 points, in addition to doubling his base attributes. Given he was level 9 and hadn''t allocated his points yet, all his attributes reached seventy points!


    Now, his attributes were nearly three times those of the elite monster.


    With such a terrifying gap, Sterl had an overwhelming advantage even without using any skills. The werewolf''s charge was met with Sterl slightly sidestepping, dodging at an extreme angle.


    Then, he threw a punch, swift as lightning and with the force of a thousand pounds,


    hitting the target''s skull squarely!


    The werewolf screamed as its head was pulverized into a mist of blood!!


    Instant kill!


    The monster''s torso continued its forward momentum, neck spraying blood, before its body, following inertia, copsed on one side of the arena.


    And with that, the battle was over.


    A voice soon echoed in the air. "Congrattions to Tester No. 110 forpleting the test!" "Congrattions..."


    ...


    This scene left everyone present dumbfounded.


    No one had processed what had happened.


    "Wait, what just happened?"


    "Did that young man win??"


    "Did he just one-shot it, are you kidding me??"


    "Is there a bug in the virtual imaging system?"


    "An elite monster got one-shot, could it be that this young man is a professional?"


    The audience was in an uproar. It''s not that the yers present weren''t prepared for Sterl to win, but who could have imagined that a yer, evidently a neer, facing an elite monster that even yers near level 20 struggled with...


    Would achieve a one-shot victory?


    Is this world crazy, or are they mentally deranged?


    And it wasn''t just the people on the scene who were stunned.


    At this moment, in Base 5677, Commander Miste, watching one of the hundreds of screens before him disy the message "Assessment Sessful," was also bewildered.


    Just a second ago, he had nced at the screen, where the surveince showed the genius yers from various bases; most hadn''t started their battles, and the few who did were just beginning. How could one suddenly show a sessful assessment??


    Upon checking, Miste was even more astonished to find that the yer who had passed the assessment wasn''t any of the "geniuses" he had been focusing on.


    The ones he had noted down, Judy with a B-grade talent, Verden with a C-grade talent...


    On the screens, they either hadn''t started or were in the midst of a fierce battle with monsters.


    "Then, who exactly passed the assessment?"


    After asking the yers present, everyone was just as clueless.


    On the screen, a thousand people were taking the assessment at the same time, and Sterl finished his battle in less than two seconds. Unfortunately, no one happened to witness the moment he instantly killed the gically modified werewolf.


    Then, after their initial confusion, the yers immediately opted to pull up the system data, and the truth was revealed.


    "Is this the Sterl from Base 73192?? ording to the rey, he took down that elite monster in one move!!"


    "What? An instant kill? You must be joking."


    "Could it be a glitch in the virtual imaging system?"


    Despite being from a mid-level base, the yers and Commander Mister reacted just like those in Sterl''s testing room, unable to believe their eyes and suspecting a bug in the system.


    It was only after repeatedly watching the video that they confirmed... it couldn''t be a BUG!


    The speed and the force of the werewolf''s attacks, perceivable through the video, clearly demonstrated the strength of a level ten elite!The battle ended so quickly solely because the yer named Sterl... was too strong!


    "Damn!!"


    Mister couldn''t help but curse, and he even lost interest in watching the assessments of other yers.


    "You guys keep watching; I must report this new yer''s performance to the authorities at Base 131 in the Val Administrative Region."


    "I never expected we''d catch such a big fish during this exploration mission."


    "If this Sterl... Brother Sterl, is deemed qualified by the higher-ups to join the Spark Project, bing an important talent reserve for our human race on Earth..."


    "Our base''s funding for the next ten years would be secured!"


    Mister spoke with extreme excitement.


    The so-called Spark Project is a n by the human race on Earth to better cultivate yers with top-tier talents.


    yers who join can enjoy various rare resources collected by the human race, including ss change items, skills, books, rare titles, pets, and equipment.


    They also gain ess to important information, such as the initiation of certain hidden quests and strategies to increase favorability with important NPCs...


    Of course, these resources are not free. yers who join the project mustplete additional tasks and assessments. However, for many people, such high-level resources are out of reach.


    It''s no exaggeration to say that yers who join the Spark Project are bound to soar to great heights!

 Chapter 16: Launch of the Exploration Mission, Instance [Starfall Wasteland]

    <h4>Chapter 16: Launch of the Exploration Mission, Instance [Starfall Wastnd]</h4>


    Sterl achieved an instant kill against a Level 10 elite, marking his debut as a tenderfoot yer.


    He has the potential to join the Spark Project!


    What excited Mister, themander of Base 5677, even more was that the base and its leader responsible for discovering a yer capable of joining the Spark Project would receive a substantial reward!


    Themander decided to immediately report the information about this genius yer, Sterl, putting aside all other matters.


    What about the other talents he had been focusing on from various bases? They no longer mattered!


    Thosee by the batch every year! In low-level bases, they are treasured; in mid-level bases with four-digit codes, they are like leeks in the ground, cut and regrown in cycles; and in three-digit numbered bases, they are even less valuable...


    On the contrary, Sterl is the new hope for the entire Val Administrative Region and the human race on Earth!


    ...


    Sterl was naturally unaware of the stir he had caused.


    With his previous status, he wasn''t even qualified to hear about the "Spark Project."


    For now, he was calmly pondering in his mind��


    The assessment for exploration yers is organized jointly by multiple bases, and the leaders of mid-level four-digit coded bases are responsible for the review. After my instant kill of the gically modified werewolf, I''ll probably be given some special training, right?


    Sterl''s strategy was to keep a low profile and hide his trump card, but there was no benefit to being high-profile either. Like in this exploration yer assessment, showing some capabilities and attributing it to his physical talent was all benefit and no harm...


    As he was contemting, the announcement came again.


    "All yers who have passed the test and chosen to participate in the exploration mission, please proceed to Gate 7."


    "All yers..."


    Hearing this, Sterl stood up without hesitation and headed towards Gate 7, following the map inside the hall.


    His actions caused another stir in Test Room 3. Many yers looked at him withplicated eyes, some admiring, others filled with jealousy and malice.


    "Don''t think you''re amazing just because you can kill a Level 10 elite. The exploration mission is not that simple!"


    "I bet 20,000 credit points this kid won''tplete the mission."


    "I bet 30,000 points he''ll die in the exploration task!"


    ...


    After Sterl left, many people continued to talk. They were just jealous!


    Why should someone who just became a yer be so powerful?


    ...


    Upon arriving at Gate 7, Sterl found that it actually led directly outside the base.


    Two figures in robes, presumably NPCs, were waiting with a crystal each, with a teleportation circle inscribed with mysterious magical runes in front of them.


    Sterl waited for two hours, and gradually, people arrived.


    Perhaps due to the high difficulty of the basic test or maybe the fear of the exploration mission itself... In the end, including Sterl, only eight yers appeared at Gate 7.


    Ding...Ding...


    Apanied by mechanical sounds, a skinny old man wearing a silk long coat descended to the ground on a device resembling an elevator.


    Everyone, including Sterl, bowed respectfully and greeted, "Commander."


    The neer was the chief in charge of Base 73192!


    A Level 50 professional!


    The elderly man appeared friendly, "Gentlemen, bying here, I assume you are already mentally prepared."


    "This exploration mission requires a high level of secrecy. If anyone wishes to withdraw, now is yourst chance."


    His words were met with silence.


    The eight yers present, already aware of the mission''s high difficulty, dared to ept the challenge and naturally would not give up at thest moment.


    After waiting a few seconds, themander smiled,


    "Congrattions! An opportunity to change your fate lies before you."


    "I''ll keep it brief."


    "This mission requires you to challenge an instance."


    Upon hearing this, all yers except Sterl showed a change in their expressions!


    Sterl, noticing this, also pretended to look shocked and uneasy to blend in.


    An instance, in the world of "Transcend," is a vital source of resources. Completing an instance might reward yers with items that could trigger hidden quests, equipment, skill books, and arge amount of money...


    The strong yers in "Transcend" continuously grow stronger through numerous instance runs.


    However, the difficulty of instances is also extremely high.


    Firstly, unlike the rare elite boss monsters in the wild, an instance will definitely contain more than two elite monsters and at least one boss!


    The strength of elite monsters goes without saying. From thebat power of the gically modified werewolf, it''s clear that unless one possesses an extremely resilient talent, yers of the same level absolutely cannot defeat them.


    Or, after reaching Level 20 and choosing a powerful profession with high bonuses, yers might stand a chance in solobat.


    And bosses are even more exaggerated. Generally, bosses of the same level have more terrifying attributes, more skills, more health, and additional bonuses. It usually takes a team of twenty to thirty yers to have a chance at defeating them.


    Therefore, the yer mortality rate in instances is far higher than in the wild!


    Especially for yers who haven''t chosen a profession, without attribute bonuses and profession-specific skills, entering an instance is akin to seeking death!


    The eight yers, including Sterl, were extremely uneasy.


    "Are you joking, us, challenge an instance?"


    "Isn''t that certain death??"


    "Can the mission proceed normally? What if people from other bases are reluctant to go, what then? Can we skip the instance?"


    "Why wasn''t this mentioned before? Can''t I opt out now?"


    ...


    Panic ensued among the yers!


    This exploration mission was too absurd!


    Facing a boss, yers who hadn''t chosen a profession had no hope of survival!


    Fortunately, the basemander continued, "On the outskirts of Base 70471, two second-stage professionals discovered an instance limited to yers below Level 20."


    "The instance is named [Starfall Wastnd]. ording to the intelligence from the taskspleted by the two professionals, this instance... produces [Pets]!"


    "This is also why the difficulty of this basic test was so high. The slots for [Starfall Wastnd] are limited to 100 yers per month. We cannot afford to waste them; we must select the elite for the challenge!"


    With themander''s words, everyone''s breathing grew heavier, including Sterl, who was also taken aback.


    Pets!


    This is something all yers in "Transcend" dream of having!


    Simply put, pets, just like yers, can carry equipment, learn skills, and wear titles.


    Moreover, pets are like having an additional profession, receiving fixed attribute bonuses with each level up, and under certain conditions, can even learn exclusive skills.


    The only w is that pets have a potential limit, restricting them to a certain maximum level.


    For example, a pet that can reach Level 20 would have thebat power equivalent to a Level 20 professional!


    This would be a significant boost for any yer!


    However, pets can only be obtained from instances and some hidden quests, making them almost impossible to acquire through normal means.


    For the yers present, if this instance hadn''t spawned near Base 70471, giving them early ess due to proximity, and if it wasn''t limited to yers below Level 20, they wouldn''t have had the chance to challenge [Starfall Wastnd]!


    This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    This might be the only chance in their entire gaming careers to obtain a pet.


    For everyone present, this opportunity came with both risks and rewards! Go big or go home.


    Immediately, the morale, which had been at rock bottom, began to rise!


    Sterl was even more thrilled. An instance limited to yers below Level 20? Even if there were bosses, he wouldn''t be afraid!


    With his dual SSS-tier talents, me Storm, and even a backup hidden power like the Bloody Diamond, he could use the power of blood to transform into a shield or output damage at critical moments.


    Sterl had no need to worry about safety.


    Instead, this was a great opportunity for him to get a pet!


    This time,ing for the yer assessment was the right choice!


    He thought excitedly.


    And at that moment, seeing the yers gradually gaining courage, themander took a step back.


    "Now, you can enter the teleportation formation to go to Base 5677, and join other yers who have passed the assessment from different bases to challenge the instance."


    The eight yers present didn''t hesitate and stepped into the teleportation formation, with Sterl being thest one.


    He only felt a sh of bright light before his eyes, followed by a moment of dizziness...

 Chapter 17: Heading to the Instance, A Special Way to Clear?

    <h4>Chapter 17: Heading to the Instance, A Special Way to Clear?</h4>


    As the scenery before Sterl gradually became clear, he found himself standing in a deste wastnd.


    Around him, a hundred new yers from various bases had all gathered together.


    "Neither more or less than, About 8 people?" Sterl was momentarily stunned, sensing something significant.


    With limited slots for the instance, if the number of participants from his base exceeded eight, some might be forcibly eliminated...


    Indeed, though the death rate for this mission might be extremely high, it''s not an opportunity easilye by for ordinary people!


    For any base, slots to participate in the instance were incredibly precious!


    To Sterl''s surprise, the eight people from his base stood aside with little interaction or conversation among them.


    However, the rest of the yers had subtly formed several small groups.


    "Judy, this time the lives of our brothers are all tied to you."


    "I have an item that can temporarily increase wind damage by 20%. I wonder if I could follow you?"


    "Bro, no more words. Give me a hand, and I''ll give you 500,000 credit points after we get out of the instance."


    About 10 yers gathered around a red haired man named Judy, constantly praising him. As they all known that this exploration task was extremely difficult. Naturally they all wanted to ride on his coattails.


    Besides Judy, there were several other small groups��


    "Hale, let''s work together and each get a pet. How about it?"


    "Ken, you should know that only bybining forces do we stand a chance to survive this mission..."


    Previously, yers would chase after those with superior talents. But now the stronger yers were actively forming groups to seek a way to survive.


    Those who had joined these groups appeared much more rxed, while those who hadn''t managed to join were despondent, as if they were already waiting for death.


    As for Sterl, he was somewhat left out in the cold.


    Although he had impressive results in the preliminary tests. No one else from test room 3 had passed the assessment, and Sterl had not been well-known within the base before this.


    No one knew of Sterl''sbat capabilities, so naturally, none of the yers paid him any extra attention.


    Meanwhile, a clear eagle''s cry echoed through the sky.


    A ck giant eagle flew down from high in the air, and above its back, yers with powerful digital aura took turnsnding on the ground.


    After reaching the ground, this group of people immediately bowed slightly


    Then, a young man wearing a white robe and military boots leaped down from the giant eagle.


    The many yers present showed a solemn respect, recognizing his authority.


    "That''s Commander Miste!"


    "No wonder he''s involved, considering this instance might produce pets."


    "Whether we can turn our fortunes depends on this exploration mission!"


    Everyone looked towards the figure in the white robe standing at the forefront of the crowd, showing admiration and respect.


    The new yers, fresh on the scene, might not know the specifics of Miste''s strength. But they had heard that he was at least level 60, a big shot who hadpleted the second ss change mission!


    Such a presence, appearing for a mission to evaluate new yers, essentially confirmed the rumors about pets being produced in the instance!


    "That person is looking over here!"


    "It must be me! Does it mean my potential is good? That I''m being noticed!"


    "Stop dreaming! It''s definitely Judy, Hale, and those other high-talented yers he''s looking at."


    ...


    Every move of a superior could cause astonishment among those below...


    However, what no one knew was that Commander Miste''s attention was entirely focused on Sterl alone.


    The other so-called "genius yers"?


    Ha! They were worthless!


    Just a bunch of them every year!


    Yet, themander''s mood was far from as calm as he appeared, "The higher-ups insist that we can only judge whether Sterl qualifies for the Spark Project after he goes through the instance?"


    "What a joke! Does a genius like him even need an opportunity to obtain a pet?"


    A flicker of unease passed through Miste''s eyes. As he felt more and more that something was amiss in the Val district and even in the entire Mountain Empire''s high-level bases...


    It used to be that a genius yer like Sterl would be highly valued by those above. The base will never send a yer who hasn''t even undergone ss change to enter an instance and gamble his life!


    But Miste was powerless in this situation. Since the big shots from the high-level bases had spoken, wanting to test Sterl, then a test it must be.


    As a second-ss yer, he might be incredibly powerful. But in front of those true powerhouses, he was still nothing but an ant!


    Miste dared not defy themands of the high-level bases.


    He could only sigh softly in his heart, praying that Sterl would return safely: "Such a genius should have a not so small chance ofing back alive!"


    Misteforted himself and, seeing that the yers had assembled, took the opportunity to speak up.


    "Cough."


    He coughed lightly, and instantly, the aura of a second-ss yer enveloped the entire area. The lively novice yers who were just discussing were all silent, afraid to speak anymore.


    Miste slowly began to exin the key points of this mission, "You should know what you''re about to do."


    He pointed behind him. A faint purple crack that is somewhat hidden but can still be detected through careful observation is slowly surging.


    "Touching this crack will allow you to enter the instance."


    "You should know that this exploration mission is about risking your life for a chance to obtain a pet. Those who seed can leave the instance and have a smooth path ahead... but if you fail, you''ll die inside."


    "However, there''s good news. This instance is of a special type. ording to the limited intelligence we''ve received, once certain conditions are met, a batch of pet eggs will be hatched."


    "yers who obtain the pet eggs don''t need to defeat the instance boss. You just need to survive for a period to automatically exit the instance."


    Miste''s tone was steady and unhurried.


    And among the yers, who had been a mix of nervousness and excitement, eyes lit up one by one!


    Those daring to take part in this mission naturally had a bit of a gambling spirit. But who wouldin about having a greater chance of surviving?


    Not having to fight the BOSS? That was great news!


    Following that, Miste made a deeply meaningful statement, "Instances with level restrictions tend to produce valuable items. If you manage to find opportunities beyond pet eggs within the instance, it could be another chance for you to grow stronger."


    Unfortunately, for the yers present, this statement was almost meaningless.


    More opportunities?


    Oh...Thank heavens!


    "Earn it with life, but might not live to spend it."


    Sterl, blending in with the crowd, seemed to go with the flow, seemingly grateful for the opportunity to risk his life this time. After all, being able to leave the instance without facing a boss - could there be anything better?


    However, Miste, who had been quietly observing Sterl, frowned slightly...


    He couldn''t help feeling that this genius was a bit too ordinary. Hepletelycks the temperament of the top yers Miste used to meet.


    Those individuals, even before their ss change, possessed immense confidence, convinced they were the chosen ones.


    Though disappointed, Miste thought Sterl''s reaction at least made sense. Before the ss change, killing a boss was a rare urrence in the history of the game "Transcendence." This genius was just being realistic, not delusional.


    After all��


    The lowest-level bosses were at least level 20, requiring abined effort from multiple professionals to have a chance of killing them.


    And even if a field boss could be taken down by sheer numbers, how many would have to die if they were all unssed yers? Wouldn''t that be a huge loss?


    ording to legends, the only time a boss was overwhelmed without a loss was achieved by one of the earliest groups to enter "Transcendence," known as the Three-Eyed n.


    Using unssed yers, they defeated a level 20 field boss, earning one of the rarest rewards in "Transcendence" �� a [Feat]


    [Feat: First boss kill by unssed yers.]


    It''s said that the Three-Eyed n received a reward that greatly satisfied them.


    But, that was probably thousands of years ago.


    As for instance bosses, since they''re inherently stronger than field bosses and the number of yers in an instance is limited, there''s no chance of overwhelming them with sheer numbers!


    In short, if killing the boss was the only way to clear an instance, the major bases wouldn''t send new yers to their deaths!


    Then, Miste turned his head to look at the space crack behind him. And by doing so, he missed a slight change in Sterl''s expression��


    "An instance boss? If I could take it down... wouldn''t that be a huge leap forward?!"


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

 Chapter 18: Elite Team? Total Annihilation!

    <h4>Chapter 18: Elite Team? Total Annihtion!</h4>


    "Good luck to you all from here on out."


    Miste stepped aside to open the path to the instance.


    It wasn''t long before yers took the lead, notably one named Judy who had awakened a B-grade talent. And the small group following him also followed closely into the instance.


    Then, yers huddling together touched the transport fracture to ensure theynded close to each other within the instance.


    It was only after most groups had entered that individual yers like Sterl gradually approached and touched the fracture.


    [You have discovered the instance Starfall Wastnd, current vacancies 37/100, Enter/Do not enter?]


    "Yes."


    Sterl nodded without hesitation.


    Immediately, he saw the fracture before him suddenly expand, enveloping him in a starry sky.


    Once Sterl came to his senses, he found himself standing on solid ground again.


    [Wee to Starfall Wastnd.]


    [Your entry method is via the teleportation circle within the borders of the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [Notice: Please be cautious of yers who arrive via different teleportation circles.]


    Upon arrival, Sterl was slightly dazed by a series of messages from the game system.


    He immediately felt that this instance was no simple matter!


    ording to the system, the entrance within the Divine Mountain Empire was just one of the pathways into Starfall Wastnd.


    At this moment, there were yers from other pathways in the instance. These people could very well be hostile towards Sterl!


    This was far from a simple instance restricted to yers above level 20!


    There was even content involving yerbat...


    Sterl felt that the difficulty of the instance was probably much higher than what Miste, the leader, had envisioned. At the same time, the rewards could potentially be much greater.


    While pondering, he surveyed his surroundings.


    The environment matched the name of the instance, Starfall Wastnd, with Sterl stepping on dry, cracked soil, and sparse weeds visible in the distance.


    It seemed to be nighttime within the instance.


    Above, several bright gxies were visible, dazzlingly brilliant.


    Under the starlight, visibility was as good as during the day.


    Sterl quickly noticed that in this deste area. There was almost no cover in this deste area. There were only a series of sunken underground pits, not knowing what is hidden, which made people feel inexplicably uneasy.


    Shush! Shush! Shush!


    At that moment, Sterl noticed a group of yer figures appearing nearby. He instinctively took a defensive stance but rxed slightly the next second, recognizing them as acquaintances, albeit barely.


    They were that group... what were they called again?


    Anyway, they were an elite teamposed of seemingly powerful yers.


    Since the instance warned to be wary of yers from other entrances, those from the same entrance naturally became allies by default.


    Sterl pondered. He nned to show goodwill towards the yers whoeter, such as saying hello.


    However, those yers merely nced at him disdainfully before showing signs of disgust.


    "Why do we keep running into those wanting to ride on our coattails?"


    "Just rejected a bunch of losers outside. Here inside the instance, it''s like dealing with clingy pests."


    "Forget about that guy. Apart from us, most people are just cannon fodder anyway."


    "We still don''t know how to get pet eggs in this instance. Let''s find a ce to lie low for now."


    ...


    The group looked at Sterl as if he were a piece of trash, turning around without hesitation and walking away.


    Sterl was slightly speechless. He had wanted tomunicate, wondering why he, who entered the instanceter, was teleported here before this small group.


    At this moment, he no longer wanted to impose himself on those who clearly weren''t interested. So he chose a direction opposite to theirs, ready to leave.


    Shush! Shush!


    Before Sterl could take a step, a burst of light shone around him. More yers were teleported in. About seven or eight in total, all of them solo yers.


    These neers were quite eager, showing surprise and joy upon seeing the elite team, wanting to rush over and attach themselves...


    Suddenly��


    A short burst of air!


    From one of the ground''s holes, a creature burst out. Its neck wrapped in a pure ck cloak, its head resembling that of a cheetah, wielding a sinisterly curved de in its hand.


    From afar, Sterl saw its attributes.


    [Name: Jackal Warrior]


    [Type: Elite Monster]


    [Level: 20]


    [Constitution: 30]


    [Strength: 35]


    [Agility: ???]


    [Spirit: ???]


    [???]


    [???]


    Lacking detection skills, Sterl could only know so much.


    The next second, the Jackal Warrior charged into the elite team like a wolf among sheep, swinging its de like the wind!


    In just one second, this monster shed out a de of light mixed with terrifying ck energy, directly awakening a yer named Hale, a C-level talent in the yer team...


    Cut it both ways!


    Blood sttered everywhere!


    The upper half of that yer didn''t even have time to react before falling tragically to the ground. His intestines, heart, kidneys scattered all over, followed by a few short, tragic screams...


    Dead on the spot!!


    "An elite monster? Level 20?"


    "Weren''t we told we wouldn''t have to fight bosses? How is the difficulty of this instance so outrageous, facing a level 20 elite monster right after entering??"


    "Limiting it to yers below level 20, but the monster allocation is this exaggerated??"


    The faces of the yers in the elite team twisted in extreme shock and anger!


    They instantly realized that the difficulty of this instance was far beyond what they had anticipated!


    "Run!"


    "Focus fire!"


    "How are we supposed to fight this??"


    "Fight back? We can''t outrun a speed-type monster!"


    In a moment, the elite team was in disarray!


    Each had their own thoughts. Some wanted to run. Others wanted to fight back... But facing a level 20 elite monster, they had no chance of resistance.


    With a swing of its de, the Jackal Warrior sent a yer''s head flying into the air.


    The next second, the creature twisted its body to dodge a fireball and countered with another sh.


    A spleen ruptured!


    The yer who was hit screamed in agony, feeling powerless all over. He was bitten off by the monster''s cheetah head and his carotid artery was severed.


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Three yers were already dead.


    Those who wanted to run, despite a few seconds of dy from theirrades, found it utterly futile!


    The Jackal Warrior, with swift steps and its curved de, unleashed waves of ck energy, slicing several yers into minced meat.


    Less than a minute had passed since they entered the instance.


    The elite team, which had just been mocking Sterl and feeling superior, waspletely annihted!


    And the elite monster ughtered them as easily as if they were chickens!


    The solo yers watching were petrified.


    Such experts were wiped out just like that? Completely obliterated?


    Keep in mind, these were among the strongest of the 100 yers, aside from Judy who had awakened a B-grade talent!


    What a joke!


    If this group couldn''t survive... what chance did they have?


    The solo yers'' moralepletely shattered.


    They fled in panic!


    Run! Run for their lives.


    "Don''t kill me! Help!"


    "How could this happen? Why do we have to die just after entering the instance!"


    "Miste, you traitor! I won''t let you off even as a ghost!"


    ...


    yers had no passion for not entering the dungeon just now, and they regretted and despaired one by one!


    Unfortunately, against a speed-type elite monster and the vast difference in raw power, the yers stood no chance of survival.


    After ughtering the "elite" squad, the Jackal Warrior turned its attention to the ordinary yers. Some scattered people were more clever and had already run away, living a few more seconds.


    But those who were slower to react were instantly massacred by the elite monster!


    This monster shed multiple dark rays of light. It activated a skill, turning into seven or eight afterimages, shing in all directions.


    Like a meat grinder, five or six yers were sliced into a rain of blood and flesh.


    Those who had fled earlier were also caught up with, one by one falling to the Jackal Warrior''s de.


    Finally, the elite monster''s eyes glowed with a blood-red light, its body surrounded by a blood-red aura that kept intensifying.


    It seemed to activate another skill, showcasing terrifying eleration as it charged at itsst prey!


    "Howl..."


    In the eyes of the monster, a human-like bloodlust shone.


    Closer! Just a bit closer! Soon I shall satisfy my thirst for killing!


    It looked at the figure with a mocking smile.


    Run? How could you possibly outrun me!


    The Jackal Warrior swung its arm, the de light spreading at an incredibly fast speed!


    Under the skill''s enhancement, the red aura surged like a devouring demon!

 Chapter 19: The Bloody Set [Visage of the Void]

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Bloody Set [Visage of the Void]</h4>


    The elite monster, breathing heavily in excitement, envisioned the next few seconds.


    Thest prey must have been cut directly from the skull to the waist and abdomen! Delicious internal organs would fall all over the ground waiting for itself to enjoy...


    However, at that moment, the Jackal Warrior realized its prey had stopped running. The target turned around, uttering two sybles, wrapped in dazzling golden light.


    [me storm]!


    Such a brilliant... shade of red!


    That was thest thing the Jackal Warrior perceived.


    The next second, it was engulfed and burnt by the fierce mes!


    ...


    "A level 20 elite should drop something." Sterl said emotionlessly.


    He was the yer who had run the farthest, thest to be chased down.


    Facing the Jackal Warrior''s skill-enhanced sh, Sterl countered with abination of Divine Descent and me storm.


    He had used thisbo once before against the members of the Blood Mist Guild, where his output had exceedingly overflowed.


    And now, facing a level 20 elite monster...


    Sorry, the damage was still excessively high!


    The Jackal Warrior, charging head-on, was blinded by the fire in the first second and immediately veered off course, tumbling to the ground to be a torch.


    Under the starlit night sky, it was extraordinarily brilliant!


    Eventually, the level 20 elite monstersted about seven or eight seconds before being burnt alive.


    For others, this elite monster was a terrifying enemy or the nightmare that decimated the elite squad... But for Sterl, it was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside that could be easily kicked aside.


    However, Sterl felt that annihting a level 10 elite with a quick strike could still be excused by iming to be a prodigy...


    But instantly killing a level 20 elite in front of everyone would make the issues with him seem rather significant...


    Therefore, he chose to flee initially instead of taking action.


    ording to Sterl''s original n, due to the presence of yers entering the dungeon at the entrance of the Divine Mountain Empire, he tried his best not to reveal his strength.What if the instance mechanism required collective cooperation?


    He couldn''t just eliminate the elite monster and then turn around to silence the yers, could he?


    But the Jackal Warrior, not knowing chalk from cheese any better, killed the other yers beforeing after Sterl...


    This sealed its fate.


    Of course, Sterl''s decision to act wasn''t just because of the Jackal Warrior''s final pursuit.


    Without witnesses, Sterl would have circled back after running for a bit to take down the elite monster.


    After all, killing an elite monster not only granted experience points but was also guaranteed to drop something.


    At that moment, a system prompt sounded in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have sessfully killed a level 20 elite monster, the Jackal Warrior, and gained 3000 experience points.]


    "Three thousand?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but crack a smile.


    The reason is quite straightforward. Before level 20, the experience calction for monsters is simple: ten per level, with elite monsters granting an additional fivefold experience.


    If Sterl killed a level 19 elite monster, he would receive 950 experience points.


    However, at level 20, yers can significantly increase theirbat effectiveness through ss advancement, while monsters do not require such advancement. There is a sheer cliff of difference inbat effectiveness between monsters above level 20 and those below.


    Naturally, killing monsters above level 20 yields a surge in experience points.


    The Jackal Warrior, though only one level higher than a level 19 elite monster, offered a whopping 3000 experience points upon its defeat!


    Moreover��


    To Sterl''s delight, this elite monster seemed quite generous...


    He quickly moved forward to collect the spoils of battle.


    [You have received one silver coin.]


    This was worth a million credit points back at the base!


    Sterl now personally understood why, for those powerful yers, the benefits offered within the base were hardly worth mentioning.


    A single silver coin could allow you to indulge in all sorts of women to the point of exhaustion, or gorge on various foods until you''re sick.


    However, Sterl also knew that within the yer trade system, any equipment below level 20 was worth at least several copper coins. While equipment used by yers after advancing their ss at level 20 generally went for around 10 silver coins.


    If Sterl really used this silver coin, he couldn''t afford any good equipment.


    Fortunately, in addition to the silver coin, the Jackal Warrior also dropped something else.


    [Gloomy Curved Saber]


    [Quality: ck Iron]


    [Category: Weapon]


    [Additional Effects: Strength, Agility +10.]


    [Equipment Level: 15.]


    get a gear drop!


    [Transcendence], unlike the games Sterl had yed before he was transported to this world, is known for its low drop rates for materials, currency, items, and naturally, equipment is also very hard toe by!


    The [Gloomy Curved Saber], a level 15 equipment with additional attributes, is very suitable for melee yers. Comparing to other equipment categories, weapons are in high demand for yers.


    This is something that could sell for around five silver coins!


    Sterl couldn''t keep the smile off his face.


    Of course, the [Gloomy Curved Saber] being the first piece of equipment Sterl had ever obtained, he cherished it greatly. He stroked the de and equipped it for himself.


    With a few swings, Sterl could feel the saber''s sharpness as it whistled through the air.


    "I have a weapon now!" His expression was ecstatic.


    By the way,


    The equipment system in [Transcendence] is as follows:


    ck Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, Diamond, Legendary, Epic, Mythical.


    And different pieces of equipment have different level requirements.


    Generally, equipment below level 20 is in one category, those for first-ss advancement yers above level 20 are in another, followed by a category for second-ss advancement yers above level 60...


    As for anything higher, Sterl admits��


    He doesn''t know.


    The value of equipment is primarily determined by its level category.


    Within the same category, the higher the equipment''s level requirement, the stronger its attributes and the higher its value.


    Finally, additional value is added based on the equipment''s quality.


    Of course, it''s said that equipment of tinum grade and abovees with incredibly powerful skill effects that the next lower tiers of Gold and Silver equipment might not match.


    Diamond, Legendary, and Epic quality equipment requirepleting extremely difficult quests or can only be found in certain specific dungeons, with their power off the charts!


    They are the rare treasures that all yers can only dream of obtaining.


    In summary, when the quality of equipment is low, its value mainly depends on its level category. When the quality is high, each piece is invaluable, and its worth is difficult to estimate with money!


    To get to the point, Sterl, put away the silver coins and equip the curved saber in his hand.


    He didn''t have enough intelligence at the moment, so he had to wander aimlessly in the dungeon for a while, and many level 20 monsters came to die one after another.


    Sterl, who could have easily obliterated them with a me storm, chose instead to activate his Divine Descent and took up his newly acquired saber to hack the monsters to death.


    Battle was exhrating!


    Soon, he had umted the ten thousand experience points needed to level up to level 10... and then some.


    Another prompt sounded in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have sessfully condensed your first Blood Essence.]


    [You have unlocked the Blood Set list (partial).]


    [You have unlocked the Blood Skills list (partial).]


    He paused, then realized the power of the Bloody Diamond had taken effect. He hurriedly opened the two refreshed lists, looking forward to what he might find.


    Sterl was not disappointed, although each list only revealed one piece of equipment and one skill.


    But��


    "This piece of equipment is something special..."


    "This skill seems pretty useful too!" Sterl couldn''t help but murmur to himself.


    In the equipment list��


    [Visage of the Void]


    [Type: Head]


    [Additional Effects: Spirit +20.]


    [Equipment Level: 15.]


    [Skill: Vanity of the Visage, no one can see your panel attributes through any detection skills, and you can freely edit a false set of panel attributes for others to investigate. (Warning: If the difference in strength between the two parties is too great, the Visage of the Void may be damaged.)]


    [Crafting Cost: Three points of Blood Essence.]


    [Crafting Materials: None.]


    Seeing this...


    Sterl was thrilled!


    He was most concerned about his secrets being exposed. If someone discovered he possessed two SSS-tier talents, it would definitely spell trouble!


    Fortunately, in [Transcendence], skills were already rare, and detection skills were even rarer... To see through someone''s talents required specific skills.


    But the risk objectively existed!


    Sterl couldn''t take the gamble. If by any chance a powerful individual with detection abilities happened to cross paths with him and became curious...


    Now, if he used Blood Essence to craft the Visage of the Void, the problem would be solved... Even if those significantly more powerful attempted to probe him, at most, the equipment would be damaged.


    As long as Sterl prepared a wless set of false panel attributes in advance, he could easily deceive others.


    This item was crucial for him!

 Chapter 20: Divine Technique! Bloody Sprint

    <h4>Chapter 20: Divine Technique! Bloody Sprint</h4>


    Sterl felt his luck was indeed good.


    The first piece of the Bloody Set could solve a huge problem for him��How to actively perform to gain the support of the human race on Earth, while also not exposing too many of his own secrets.


    With the "Visage of Void," the problem was effortlessly solved!


    Sterl was thrilled for more reasons than just this piece of equipment. After obtaining the power of blood, the skill list provided by the Bloody Diamond revealed��


    [Bloody Sprint]


    [Quality: Special]


    [Effect: Consumes a certain amount of energy to initiate a sprint, speeding up to ten times the yer''s normal state for the duration of the sprint. During the sprint, the yer enjoys 0.5 seconds of invincibility frames. Continuous use doubles the energy consumed each time.]


    "What a great skill!" Sterl''s eyes lit up.


    This skill was the essential [Dodge] found in various games before his transmigration, wasn''t it? To dodge a BOSS''s attack with invincibility frames!


    Needless to say, the value of this move was immense. This can be considered a necessary skill for facing strong enemies.


    The 0.5 seconds of invincibility after activating Bloody Sprint could often be decisive inbat!


    Sterl had heard during a general education ss about a legendary powerful ck dragon boss in the Divine Mountain Empire. Its ultimate move, [Death Sentence], dealt damage equivalent to 20% of the boss''s own health in true damage.


    Given the boss''s additional health bonuses, this move could instantly kill even yers who were levels higher than this ck dragon boss!


    There was once a legendary yer over level 100 who challenged this ck dragon boss in the Divine Mountain Empire. He was killed instantly by [Death Sentence]! It was incredibly frustrating.


    But if Sterl were to face that BOSS, as long as he timed it right andunched Bloody Sprint, he could dodge [Death Sentence].


    Because the way it worked was by shing a crimson lightning, from the attackunch to hitting in less than 0.5 seconds!


    "No wonder it''s a offering made by a god-level demon. It''s too strong once fully evolved!" Sterl couldn''t help but exim.


    Next, his thoughts became clear.


    Although he still didn''t know how to y this instance, the monster resources here should be quite abundant.


    Sterl decided to level up diligently and set a small goal for himself��


    To umte enough experience for level 20 before leaving the instance, and then use the umted power of blood to develop himself thoroughly.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside the instance.


    Miste and a group of yers gathered together, looking at a projection in front of them with grim expressions.


    Outside the projection was a crystal-clear crystal ball.


    [Divination Crystal Ball]


    [Quality: Special]


    [Effect: You can initiate a divination to obtain the vision around a specific target and project it out.]


    [Note: Your divination must be consented by the target.]


    The two yers who discovered the [Starfall Wilderness] could not enter the instance restricted to levels 20 and below.


    Thus, Miste and the others were not familiar with the [Starfall Wilderness].


    It was only after arge number of new yers entered the instance that they were able to use this special item to detect information within the instance.


    Incidentally, this type of Divination Crystal Ball was widely used among the major forces in [Transcend], with a very high rate of poprity.


    However, after Miste and his group selected some yers to scout ording to the order of entry into the instance...


    They were stupefied!


    "What''s going on? Why is this instance so hard?"


    "Practically all the yers encountered enemies of at least level 20!"


    "Why are there so many level 20 elite monsters just after entering the instance?"


    "With this level of difficulty, practically no one can survive, right??"


    "This instance actually restricts to below level 20. Are they insane?"


    ...


    Before these yers could recover from their shock, bad news came one after another.


    "Judy is severely injured. His team scattered in all directions."


    "Hale, who awakened a ss C talent, died too quickly!"


    "The most elite squad among the newbie yers was wiped out just after entering the instance?"


    "This loss is too severe!"


    Everyone was dumbfounded!


    The death rate for pioneering missions is high... But this was just too high.


    Seeing the difficulty of this instance, there was a very high probability that 100 yers would be wiped out.


    As for whether anyone could bring back a pet?


    That was simply a dream!


    And after this disastrously costly venture into the instance, it was inevitable that the dozens of bases participating in this pioneering mission would face a talent gap for the next one or two years...


    A total loss!!


    "Wait, what''s this?"


    On the Divination Crystal Ball, the scene of the elite squad being wiped out was ying on loop.


    And suddenly, Miste saw, in the blind spot of the vision, a familiar figure appeared��


    It was that genius, Sterl!


    Then, they discovered in thest scene shown in the Divination Crystal Ball. The direction the level 20 elite monster, the Jackal Warrior, was pursuing, was precisely the direction Sterl was fleeing!


    "It''s all over! Everything''s gone!"


    Miste felt darkness before his eyes, almost copsing to the ground.


    The talent of various bases wasrgely lost. Even Sterl, who had hopes of joining the Starfire n, was wiped out by this cursed instance!


    This genius yer, who could kill a level 10 elite monster in seconds.


    But the strength of a level 20 elite monster was several times greater than that of a level 10! It was impossible to win!


    Moreover, the Jackal Warrior was a speed-type monster, one couldn''t even run away!


    "We''ve wronged him."


    "Search for yer Sterl." Miste muttered to the Divination Crystal Ball.


    He knew, Sterl was undoubtedly doomed.


    This leader felt very ufortable in his heart, feeling as if he had caused the other''s death. If he had just directly eliminated Sterl from the team entering the instance from the start, maybe another star of genius could have risen...


    Now, Miste only wanted to confirm the location of this genius yer''s corpse. If there was a way to handle the [Starfall Wilderness] instance in the future, he could at least retrieve Sterl''s body.


    As for the others... Sorry, they weren''t even worth collecting the bodies for. Dead is dead...


    However, as the Divination Crystal Ball emitted light,


    what Miste saw wasn''t the torn and broken body of the genius youth.


    In the scene, a wild beast charged at Sterl.


    Sterl punched the monster, inflicting severe damage, and then followed up with a palm strike, piercing right through the gori-like beast!


    Killing a monster was nothing special, but the key point was... Sterl was unharmed!


    "He escaped from a level 20 elite monster? How fierce is that?"


    "Genius really is different!"


    "Thank goodness. If Sterl had died, we would have really been at a loss this time!"


    ...


    For a moment, Miste and the others felt a lot better.


    If at the beginning they were told that all yers going into the instance would basically die, leaving only one genius barely alive, Miste and the others would definitely be unwilling.


    But when they thought everyone, including Sterl, was wiped out, and finally found out that this genius yer was still alive. That was a surprise!


    After snapping out of his daze, Miste realized something.


    He sent a private message to the person in charge of his superior base, informing them that Sterl was absolutely a genius, and not even a level 20 elite could trouble him.


    ording to previous investigations, Sterl''s talent was only a ss D attribute boost. But first, he instantly killed a level 10 elite, and then escaped from the pursuit of a level 20 elite monster in the instance.


    Looking at it this way...


    Sterl''s attribute enhancement talent could not possibly just be ss D. It was very likely to be ss B... or even above ss A!


    He must be vigorously cultivated!


    The leader was full of praise and then made a small request.


    "I apply for the use of a rescue scroll."


    The effect of a rescue scroll is to forcibly extract a yer from the instance. But it''s quite precious. He, a second-tier professional, didn''t have one on hand.


    The only hope was for the superior base to allocate one.


    Miste then waited anxiously for a response.


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    In [Starfall Wilderness].


    A skinny old man in a blood-red robe also received a message: "A yer with potential above ss A talent?"


    "Not bad. It seems that the [Pets] hatched this time can go up a grade in quality."


    He revealed a sinister smile. "Humans from Earth, the Centaur stars, the Titan race... the lives of these one thousand outstanding yers..."


    "Will just serve as a boost, helping me ascend to greater heights!"


    The old man''s eyes shed with a strange light as he swallowed a pill from his bag. The next second, his aura broke through level by level.

 Chapter 21: Level 50! Blood God Priest

    <h4>Chapter 21: Level 50! Blood God Priest</h4>


    As streams of bright red aura emerged, the surroundings were engulfed in a nauseating scent of blood.


    In an instant, the skinny old man''s figure became much more robust, his skin gradually bulging and bing smooth and moist. Eventually, he transformed into a bizarre youth with a blood-red lotus pattern on his forehead.


    He opened his attribute panel, which originally disyed [Level 20, No ss], but now it had directly changed to��


    [Level 50 Blood God Priest].


    At the same time, the previously empty skill column was now filled with various abilities.


    The talent column also changed to [Blood Conversion (ss A)].


    This was clearly a very powerful yer!


    Theoretically, he shouldn''t have been able to enter the instance at all!


    The youth, with a very clear goal in mind, headed towards the northwest direction of the instance.


    Along the way, some monsters that emerged from holes in the ground were instantly turned into mist of blood by some strange power before they could even touch the youth, turning into streams of blood light that flew into the youth''s sleeve.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Sterl had a rxed expression. Not long ago, he received a system prompt��


    [yer Miste is using the item Divination Crystal Ball to detect your situation. Do you allow the detection? Yes/No]


    Sterl naturally allowed it.


    After all, the shocking feat of single-handedly killing a level 20 elite had not been discovered, which was all that mattered.


    And Sterl, disguising himself with the [Aspect of the Void], simply killing some level 20 ordinary monsters, would only add to his genius reputation!


    He indeed hadn''t expected that it was the death perspective of others that revealed his previous pursuit by the wolf warriors.


    At this moment, Sterl was running through the wilderness, causing quite amotion.


    Soon, a beast that had been moving very quickly from behind charged over.


    [Ster Remnant (Ape Form)]


    [Category: Ordinary Level Monster]


    [Level: 20]


    [Constitution: ???]


    [Strength: 30]


    [Agility: 20]


    [Spirit: ???]


    [???]


    [Meteor Drop: Leaps high into the air tounch a falling attack.]


    After closing the distance with Sterl, this ape-like monster jumped into the air, surrounded by azure ster light, and charged downwards.


    Sterl calmly activated Divine Descent and grabbed his shadowy scimitar. With the enhancement of over seventy points in strength and agility, a mere level 20 monster, even using a skill, couldn''tpete with him.


    Swoosh!


    The de shed, and the ape-like monster was cut in two. Then it turned into two balls of azure light that ascended into the sky.


    [You have killed Ster Remnant (Ape Form) and gained 700 experience points.]


    "It seems, this kind of monster is rtively strong?" Sterl said with ease. The reason he said this was that monsters above level 20 not only give experience based on their level but also their strength.


    The weakest level 20 monster might only give four to five hundred experience points, while stronger monsters of the same level give more experience.


    However, Sterl''s attributes were too high, making every monster, regardless of strength, fall to his de in a single strike.


    As he pondered, faint footsteps arose from behind.


    Two monsters, one tiger-shaped and the other leopard-shaped, both bearing the name [Ster Remnant], approached him from the left and the right in a pincer move.


    "More experience pointsing?" Sterl greeted them with a weing expression, having confirmed he had ventured into an area dense with monsters.


    He then used up today''s quota for evolution.


    [Basic Experience Potion] �� [Advanced Experience Potion].


    After that, Sterl downed the potion in one gulp and, wielding his shadowy scimitar, charged into battle!


    As he drew his sword, he briefly considered for a second whether to refuse the Divination Crystal Ball''s detection and switch to grinding with Firestorm instead. However, considering that finding monsters itself took some time, switching to Firestorm might not be very profitable, so Sterl chose to stick with his de.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    After two shes, the two wild beasts were severely injured.


    Although Sterl didn''t have any skills specific to swordsmanship, he had learned the basics in a general education course and handled the weaponpetently inbat.


    In less than 10 rounds, the two monsters were turned into experience points.


    Then, Sterl went in search of his next target...


    His experience bar was rapidly leaping forward.


    One hourter, he had gathered enough experience points to reach level 11.


    Three hourster, he was at level 12.


    Five hourster...


    Eight hourster...


    Twelve hourster...


    Inside the instance, the dazzling starry night seemed endless.


    Sterl lightly lifted his hand, leaped high, and then from above, he shed down, splitting a humanoid monster in two from head to toe.


    Then, two system prompts followed��


    [You have killed a Ster Remnant (Humanoid Form), gaining 700 experience points.]


    [You have sessfully gathered a stream of Blood Essence.]


    Sterl initially ignored the game system''s announcements, moving forward to collect his loot, "Another piece of stardust? Not even a copper coin dropped, how stingy."


    However, after tallying his gains since entering the instance, his mood brightened.


    In terms of experience points, he had amassed enough for level 17, just waiting to be refined through meditation.


    But the collection of Blood Essence wasn''t much, only fifteen streams. The reason being that Blood Points were only calcted based on the monster''s base experience... That is to say, a level 20 monster, whether ordinary, elite, or even a boss, only yielded two hundred Blood Points, naturally umting slowly.


    In addition, there were the loot from killing monsters, a total of 10 stardust shards.


    [Stardust Shard]


    [A shining crystal that seems to hide special power.]


    Sterl didn''t know its use and it seemed it couldn''t be used for leveling up. But suspecting it to be a special product of the Starfall Wilderness, he still treasured and stored the stardust shards in his backpack.


    And now...


    He nced at his status bar and noticed the [Marked by Divination] effect was still active.


    "Are those folks at the mid-level base really that idle? Watching me y monsters for almost a day without taking a break?"


    Resigned, Sterl took out the [Wilderness Survival Kit] he had purchased at the base from his backpack.


    Upon choosing to use it, a tent immediately sprang up on the spot.


    Sterl then entered the tent, pretending to sleep, and conveniently chose to block the divination mark.


    It all made perfect sense. Wanting some privacy while sleeping is normal, right?


    Inside the tent, Sterl hastily pulled out the Bloody Diamond, silently invoking:


    "Consume three streams of Blood Essence to craft the Visage of Void.


    Consume ten streams of Blood Essence to learn the Bloody Sprint."


    Instantly, a sinister and crimson light shed over the Bloody Treasure, catching Sterl off-guard. After using the item, he felt as if his consciousness had ascended to a vast expanse above, transforming into a vague figure in red.


    The power of the Bloody Duke within the Bloody Diamond surged and pulsed.


    A beam of light infused into the void, another beam into the figure that Sterl had be.


    Sterl, feeling the energy coursing through him without the slightest difort, felt incredibly light and ethereal. He even took the opportunity to peer around from his high vantage point.


    He quickly realized he seemed to be in the void, looking down upon the Starfall Wilderness below��the instance zone.


    It appeared as a gigantic continent shaped like a turtle, with strange orbs of starlight floating above it.


    "Is this the real appearance of the instance world?" Sterl pondered, also marveling at the fact that such a creation of a god-like demon allowed him to overlook an entire world just by using it once!


    However, what truly startled him was the clear sensation of another bright red orb shimmering within the Starfall Wilderness.


    "The power of the Bloody Duke?"


    "No, wait!"


    "It''s someone from the Cult of the Blood God!" Sterl paused, instantly realizing the connection.


    When he had received [Demons of Blood Magic], he knew about the offerings from the Bloody Duke in the Blood God Cult, clearly ranked among themselves.


    And the Bloody Diamond in his hand, maximized with evolutionary power, was likely considered a high-grade offering under the Bloody Duke''smand.


    At this moment of activation, he naturally sensed the presence of his subordinates.


    Yet, Sterl remained calm.


    Even if a member of the Blood God Cult were toe, what of it?


    After all, the instance limits to those below level 20.


    Then I am invincible!


    Sterl mused wildly, and at that moment, he found his vision returning to the inside of the tent.


    A strange energy churned within him. A piece of bright red silky quietly by his side.

 Chapter 22: Instance Shock! Pet Eggs Start to Emerge!

    <h4>Chapter 22: Instance Shock! Pet Eggs Start to Emerge!</h4>


    Meanwhile, on the northwest side of the Starfall Wilderness.


    "What?"


    "How is this possible??" The youth with a demonic visage knelt on the ground, feeling a terrifying suppression enveloping his whole being, his body breaking out in cold sweat.


    "Could there really be a high-ranking member of the cult... in this instance??"


    "Damn it! Could it be that the news about this instance potentially hatching A-grade pets has leaked??" His face twisted in frustration.


    What does an A-grade pet signify? It can be nurtured to level 100, the standard of a third-ss professional!


    It means, unless one ascends to legend, most yers will never reach the power level of an A-grade pet in their lifetimes!


    Such pets are incredibly rare treasures!


    Ordinary third-ss professionals, even after spending all their wealth and searching for many years, might not obtain one!


    It was no exaggeration to say, despite Miste and othersmenting the loss of many talents outside the instance, if they knew the final reward was an A-grade pet egg, they would feel like taking the gamble was worth it!


    "Hold on! Don''t panic, it''s very likely that those old fools were just attracted by the 1000 talented individuals from various races, hoping to transform the blood essence."


    "But... if it''s for the blood essence, spending such a huge price to downgrade and enter the instance doesn''t seem worth it, does it??"


    "Never mind. No matter who you are, those who block my path shall die!" The youth muttered hatefully.


    The [Starfall Wilderness] instance might have a somewhat romantic name, but its nature was extremely brutal!


    The entire map''s purpose was to hatch the Starborne ��


    A special life form that yers could tame as pets.


    Currently, the instance was in its wilderness phase, where no pet eggs would appear. But as the number of monsters and yers dying gradually increased...


    The instance would slowly transition to a fertile phase. Then the instance would absorb the life force of the dead to create Starborne pet eggs. The more life energy absorbed, the higher the quality of the pet eggs.


    This absorption processsted three days, during which all the monsters'' life forces would be extracted at once, and then the instance would automatically end.


    Since the instance could be entered through multiple teleportation arrays, with a maximum capacity of 1000 yers.


    Thus, the upper limit of the quality of the pet eggs created is the death of all 1000 yers, capable of hatching an A-grade pet egg!


    This youth, with his demonic visage, had forcefully downgraded to level 20 and smuggled himself into the instance, spending years of umted chances and connections, all for this pet egg!


    Should he seed, he would be able to change his destiny against the heavens!


    At the very least, he could reach level 100 with the help of the pet, bing a third-ss yer.


    That would make him a top-tier existence in the God Mountain Empire!


    "The position of the next base leader will definitely be mine!" the youth grew more excited as he thought about it. But once he realized there was a higher-ranking member of the Blood God Cult also in the instance.


    He became so irritated he almost wished to start a massacre.


    "Excuse me, please..." Just then, a team of yers dressed in attire clearly not of Earth''s human race approached from a distance, seemingly wanting to ask something.


    The youth''s eyes lit up.


    "Help!"


    "Help!"


    "No!!!"


    Screams filled the air, but soon, tranquility returned.


    At this moment, Sterl had no idea that his presence had brought such tremendous pressure to the member of the Blood God Cult.


    He was currently tallying the gains from spending the blood essence, his eyes brimming with joy.


    First was the [Visage of the Void], a semi-transparent blood-colored scarf. Upon equipping it, Sterl felt as though his face was veiled in a thinyer of gauze.


    His senses became sharper, a testament to the mental amplification effect attached to this piece of equipment.


    Then, a system prompt appeared:


    [Please input your false information.]


    After a moment of thought, Sterl quickly concocted some information for himself.


    At this stage, he didn''t have much to modify. He changed the [Visage of the Void] to [Silk Scarf] (a in piece of equipment that adds 20 points to mental attributes), altered the quality of the skill [me Storm] to white, and hid [Blood Rush].


    Of Sterl''s two talents, [Descent of the God] was changed to an A-grade [Attribute Amplification], and [Soul of Arcane] to a C-grade [Enhanced Magic].


    In an instant, Sterl''s persona shifted from an obviously overpowered cheater to a reasonably talented genius.


    Then, leaving his tent, he roughly tested the effects of Blood Rush.


    It was very practical. Upon using the skill, Sterl felt as though he had transformed into a whirlwind, able to cross dozens of meters in just half a second!


    And when activating [Descent of the God] to increase his agility by over 70 points, a single Blood Rush could propel him nearly 200 meters!


    The only w of this skill was that as the rushing distance increased, Sterl found it increasingly difficult to control precisely, often finding himself much farther away than intended.


    It was quite practical for escaping or covering ground quickly. But Sterl analyzed that the duration of Blood Rush was around one second, including an invincible 0.5 seconds, leaving the remaining 0.5 seconds in a boosted speed state.


    If he could utilize this speed for attacking and dodging in directbat, the value of this skill would undoubtedly increase significantly!


    As for mastering this skill perfectly, Sterl naturally had a n��He could increase the proficiency, and then directly break through the mastery limit with the power of the blood essence.


    However, Sterl was somewhat regretful that since the Blood Ruby had already evolved to its peak, the skills and equipment it produced could no longer evolve.


    "After collecting fifty strands of blood essence, will it continue to unlock the ability to learn new skills? Equipment crafting rights?"


    "That works. The Blood Ruby will evolve again by then." Sterl reviewed the offerings in his hand, pondering.


    Following that, Sterl didn''t immediately continue to level up but chose to rest first, meditating to refine his experience points.


    After about three to four hours, he sessfully reached level 17. The free attribute points he had umted so far totaled 17, which he had yet to allocate.


    In Transcendence, certain equipment and skills have attribute requirements, considering only the yer''s base attributes.


    Moreover, after changing sses, different professions require different attributes �C For instance, mage sses demand more in spirit attributes, while warrior sses lean towards strength...


    Some special ss changes even necessitate following a fixed method of attribute allocation, and generally speaking, the stronger the profession, the more systematic their attribute allocation tends to be.


    Sterl has been holding off on allocating his attribute points, ready to use them in urgent situations where he faces unbeatable monsters, without hesitation.


    Just as he stepped out of his tent, a sudden notification echoed in his ears.


    [Current number of deceased yers: 307!]


    [The instance has officially begun.]


    [Ding! Ding! Ding!...]


    [Pet egg spawn locations have been marked on your personal map.]


    [Note: After obtaining a pet egg, you can improve its quality by killing yers who entered the instance through a different teleportation point. The lowest quality of a pet egg is F-grade, and it can be enhanced up to B+ grade.]


    "B-grade pets?" Sterl perked up, knowing that B-grade pets could be trained up to level 60, equivalent to thebat power of a second-tier yer.


    And a B+ grade implies that the pet''s maximum level cap is above 60 but below 100.


    "No wonder they said to be cautious of yersing from other teleportation points..."


    "An F-grade pet egg is basically useless after the yer reaches level 30."


    "But a B+ grade pet egg. Let alone me, even the big shots in the advanced bases might not have one!"


    "So, as long as I don''t see acquaintances, I can kill them! This can improve the quality of pet eggs!" Sterl realized that with this instance announcement, there would be no room for trust among yers.


    Even if they came from the same teleportation point. If you''re not familiar with them, or forget they''re on your side...


    Since it''s possible to use another''s demise to enhance your pet''s quality, it makes sense to strike first!


    The monsters within this instance are already ridiculously strong. But the ughter among yers will be even bloodier!


    Sterl sighed at this thought, feeling a bit mncholy.


    He wondered, if he didn''t belong to any teleportation point, could he eliminate all yers? Could that potentially push a pet egg to A-grade quality?

 Chapter 23: A Boss-Level Unit, An Unprecedented Formidable Foe!

    <h4>Chapter 23: A Boss-Level Unit, An Unprecedented Formidable Foe!</h4>


    Sterl didn''t hesitate to activate his personal map feature.


    There already were seven highlighted yellow dots, indicating the locations of pet eggs as informed by the system prompt.


    He set off immediately.


    However, Sterl wasn''t in a particr rush. He still had the buff from a high-level experience potion active, nning to grind some monsters along the way to continue benefiting from the potion''s effects.


    He opened the recent system prompts and discovered further detailed instructions...


    [In this instance, you can destroy other pet eggs to transfer their life energy to the remaining pet eggs in the instance.]


    The meaning was simple. Sterl didn''t need to worry about attacking other yers personally. As long as he could ensure he was thest one standing in the instance, he would definitely get the highest quality pet egg.


    Sterl grabbed his weapon and moved towards the nearest yellow dot, ying countless monsters along the way, all of whom met their demise under his dark scythe.


    Moreover, after meditating, Sterl realized that the people from the intermediate base had stopped using the divination crystal ball to monitor his actions.


    So, Sterl unabashedly used me storm to speed up clearing the monsters.


    Until he had filled most of the experience bar from level 17 to 18, he suddenly noticed that the yellow dot representing a pet egg on his personal map was extremely close.


    At the same time, he faintly heard a barrage of cursing voices below.


    "This voice. Doesn''t seem to be in thenguage of us Earth humans?" Sterl slightly tilted his head, then realized something.


    In [Transcendence], yers from different races were automatically equipped with a trantion system, ensuringmunication was barrier-free. Upon hearing thenguage of other races, the meaning would automatically emerge in the yers'' minds.


    But with a bit of focus, one could identify it was a foreignnguage.


    And along with these foreign voices, there were also the terrifying roars of wild beasts.


    Just hearing that sound, Sterl felt a slight fear in his heart and an impulse to run away... Clearly, this was the effect of a skill.


    "Even from such a distance, it can be effective for me?" Sterl was slightly shocked.


    Combining the pet egg symbol on the map, he suspected that the beast issuing the roar was likely the guardian of the pet egg, presumably of high strength.


    Sterl sprinted forward rapidly, activating Bloody Sprint to quickly bypass the surrounding monsters.


    Soon, he arrived above a mine.


    Sterl cautiously stepped into it, using the towering boulders within the mine to hide and stealthily made his way into the battlefield.


    Then, Sterl saw a half-dragon creature with its lower body rotting and festering, furiously roaring.


    The attributes of this creature quickly shed before his eyes.


    [Crippled Earth Dragon (Guardian of the Star Egg)]


    [Category: Boss-level Monster]


    [Level: 20]


    [Constitution: ???]


    [Strength: ???]


    [Agility: ???]


    [Spirit: ???]


    [???]


    [???]


    [???]


    The so-called leader level monster is����


    "Boss?"


    After reading the attributes, Sterl was stunned, filled with question marks?


    The only information he could glean was that this was a level 20 boss with three skills.


    But generally speaking, there should only be one boss in an instance!


    What was the situation here?


    Sterl would bet that this was definitely not any ordinary boss guarding the area. The words [Guardian of the Star Egg] indicated that the crippled earth dragon before him was likely guarding a pet egg.


    Most likely, there were simr guardian bosses near the other pet eggs!


    Sterl''s guess was immediately confirmed.


    Behind the BOSS, there was a sandy-yellow tform with an egg glowing with a faint azure light ced on a red velvet cushion.


    When Sterl cast his gaze upon it, an attribute screen popped up.


    [Star Egg]


    [Quality: D+ grade]


    [Effect: When carried by a yer, after a period, it will hatch into a D+ grade pet of the Star race.]


    [Note: If not acquired by a yer, this item will hatch into a wild monster after 2104 days.]


    "Already a D+ grade quality?"


    "The life force of the 300+ deceased yers, 1/7th of it is contained within this Star Egg," Sterl observed with ease.


    He was under no pressure.


    However, not far away, those who were battling... or rather, being unterally hunted by the crippled earth dragon, were in agony.


    Sterl observed and found that this was a group of beings quite simr in appearance to humans.


    The only difference was that they had gill-like structures on their faces and their skin was a pale blue, suggesting they could live both in water and onnd.


    This group of yers was quite strong, all below level 20 and without having changed sses, they were much stronger than the elite squadposed of Sterl''s batch of yers.


    Basically, each of them could unleash wind des, fireballs, and electric shocks towards the boss. Just by the looks of it, these yers had at least C-grade or B-grade talents.


    Moreover, some could harden their skin or create light shields to tank, while a few with healing abilities were well-protected at the back.


    This squad, totaling 12 people, each could be considered outstanding talents among Earth''s humans.


    Unfortunately, despite their strengths and desperate struggles,


    Facing the boss, it was all in vain!


    A team of twelve, even if they had changed sses to be professionals, would risk facing a boss of the same level... not to mention these yers hadn''t changed sses yet, had much lower attributes, andcked powerful skills.


    Rather than saying this group was battling the boss, it was more urate to say they were merely being toyed with by the crippled earth dragon.


    Every time it unleashed ava breath, at least one yer was instantly killed, burned into a semi-melted liquid state.


    Whenever the dragon simply turned over or rolled, the warriors and tanks trying to hold the boss down would at best suffer broken limbs, or at worst, be ttened to death!


    In the time it took Sterl to check the attributes of the pet egg and the boss, half of the elite squad had already perished!


    "Since you''re all busy fighting, I''ll just help myself." Sterl muttered,unching his skill [Bloody Charge].


    The tform where the egg rested, guarded by the boss at the rear, was normally impossible for yers to reach without defeating the boss.


    However, [Bloody Charge], a rare skill obtainable only through sacrifice, far exceeded the limitations of the instance!


    At that moment, the yers desperately battling the boss saw a blur of a blood-red figure sh by. The next second, another figure appeared atop the tform, grabbing the pet egg in hand.


    "Who are you? One of the Earth''s humans?"


    "My friend, we beseech your aid, and we shall reward you!"


    ...


    The yers reacted quickly and sensibly, not mentioning Sterl''s opportunistic acquisition of the pet egg at all, merely pleading for his help.


    By the usual storyline, Sterl expected these yers to beg for his help, then, upon refusal, curse him out in anger...


    That''s how it went in the novels Sterl had read.


    In reality, he was overthinking it.


    The yers battling the boss below only spared a fraction of their attention for Sterl when the boss let out a roar, spewing a massive stream ofva!


    Caught off guard, the yers failed to scatter in time and were all engulfed by theva!


    No resistance. No counterattack.


    Boom!


    The breath ofva surged, and for a moment, the only sound in the entire mine was that of the deadly dragon''s breath destroying everything!


    The yers were instantly reduced to ashes in the terrifying heat, leaving no trace behind.


    Ironically, a notification rang in Sterl''s ears:


    [Congrattions, your pet egg has upgraded in quality, reaching grade C.]


    After dealing with the other yers, the crippled earth dragon''s golden slit pupils suddenly fixed on the figure atop the tform.


    The BOSS, seeing Sterl take the pet egg, roared in extreme anger.


    Fury overflowed!


    Sterl hesitated for a moment, choosing not to use Bloody Charge to escape again.


    Upon entering the instance, his initial n was to challenge the boss.


    The boss''s recent use of its powerfulva attack to wipe out the yers from another race was absurd indeed. But after some thought, Sterl figured the boss must have expended some energy in the fight.


    This was the best opportunity to challenge the boss!

 Chapter 24: This is Simply Unbeatable!

    <h4>Chapter 24: This is Simply Unbeatable!</h4>


    "Roar!!!"


    The crippled earth dragon let out a massive roar that shook the ground and mountains.


    Once again, a wave of dragon me surged toward Sterl''s position. Its range so vast that it nearly encircled all possible escape routes Sterl had.


    Yet Sterl remained calm.


    Although all three of the boss''s abilities were marked with question marks, he had already deduced based on his prior observations��


    The crippled earth dragon had three capabilities:


    A roar with a fear effect, serving as a control ability. A high-damageva spew that had wiped out the group of yers. And now, thest skill remained unknown.


    Sterl has a solution for both the first two moves of the boss.


    For instance, facing the raging mes, he unleashed [Bloody Charge], transforming into a blood-red afterimage as he charged into the mes, seemingly courting death.


    But in the next second, a figure burst forth from the sea of moltenva.


    The invincibility frame of the Bloody Charge skill allowed Sterl to dodge all damage from the dragon me!


    With the eleration, Sterl moved out of theva zone, ignoring the subsequent damage and flew atop the enemy''s head with a teleportation-like maneuver.


    Strictly speaking, it''s not teleportation, but rather Sterl leveraging a powerful leap from the high tform!


    Mid-air, he activated Divine Descent, with golden light swirling around him, and terrifying mes burning in his palms.


    [me Storm]!


    Boom!!


    A massive explosion of high-energy mes sent Sterl flying back, allowing him to dodge any follow-up attacks from the crippled earth dragon while on the offensive.


    The n was executed perfectly. Sterlnded gracefully, without even a single corner of his clothes damaged.


    "Roar!!!"


    However, facing the full-powered me Storm, the crippled earth dragon''s head caught fire... but its thick skin and flesh seemed to make this injury insignificant.


    Sterl''s expression darkened considerably.


    His me Storm, unleashed with all his might, was equivalent to the full burst of a level thirty or forty professional.


    But that was it. After all, Sterl didn''t have the bonus of a profession. Normally, most monsters could be easily killed, and even elite monsters couldn''t withstand it.


    However, bosses always have an extra health boost. ording to the general education sses Sterl attended at the base, dragon-type monsters inherently have an additionalyer of health property amplification.


    Moreover, bosses within instances are inherently stronger than those in the wild.


    With these three factorsbined, this crippled earth dragon was indeed an insurmountable foe for a level thirty or forty professional on their own.


    Thus, Sterl''s me Storm could only inflict minor damage... far from enough to defeat the boss.


    Although, with the boost from Bloody Charge, the boss couldn''t kill Sterl either, he could keep using me Storm to whittle down its health.


    But the problem was... Sterl''s base attributes were limited. He simply didn''t have enough energy to use the two skills frenziedly!


    He couldn''t deplete the boss''s health.


    Reluctantly, he decided to abandon the challenge and flee... Sterl was quite calm, not feeling anything was amiss with his decision.


    After all, the general education sses he had attended at the base made it clear: history had never seen an unssed yer sessfully challenge a boss.


    This wasn''t him being cowardly!


    Sterl even thought that the only thing hecked was energy. Otherwise, he could have whittled the boss down to death, which was quite an achievement in itself.


    Without hesitation, he activated Bloody Charge, instantly moving out of the crippled earth dragon''s attack range.


    However, after running some distance, Sterl noticed that the boss showed no signs of following him...


    "Wait a second. Where is the crippled earth dragon?"


    "Could it be..." Sterl took a closer look at the boss within the mine. Although this dragon-type monster was massive, its lower body waspletely twisted. Its attack range was terrifying, and its movements were incredibly swift.


    But it was precisely because of this that a significant w of the monster itself was obscured��


    It had no mobility!


    At the position where Sterl''s Bloody Charge had taken him, he was already beyond the boss''s attack range. The boss could only roar and bellow in fury, watching helplessly as the incredibly precious Star Egg was taken, unable to do anything.


    And Sterl seemed to realize something...


    The energy cost of using Bloody Charge consecutively would double (the energy consumption doubles if used continuously within one minute). At this point, Sterl''s energy cap allowed him to use it twice before his energy bar would be depleted.


    With 17 free attribute points at hand, investing five points in Spirit would not provide enough energy for a third Bloody Charge, but it would allow him to cast one me Storm.


    That meant...


    Sterl could exploit the monster''sck of mobility, charging in with Bloody Charge to get within the attack range for me Storm.


    Then, after casting the skill, he could charge out again.


    Sterl didn''t even have to worry about the crippled earth dragon''s furious counterattack. The reason is quite simple: he can finish pronouncing the two sybles required to unleash mestorm during the initial 0.5 seconds of the dash, which is the period of invincibility frames.


    Then, immediately after the invincibility frame of [Bloody Charge] ended, he could initiate the next charge.


    As long as Sterl managed the distance and timing well, it was rtively safe.


    Of course, the risk was high. If Sterl wasn''t careful, he could be instantly killed by a breath of dragon fire from the boss.


    Should he try it?


    Sterl hesitated. The operation was theoretically feasible, and adding five attribute points to Spirit wasn''t a loss.


    In [Transcendence], the game he was ying, few people went for extreme attribute allocation, pouring all points into one or two attributes. Regardless of the profession, adding five points to Spirit was always beneficial.


    However, humans are not machines. The boss could be attacked many times, but Sterl could be instantly killed by a single mistake. Combat in [Transcendence] was incredibly realistic.


    In the end, it was the dragon''s wide-ranging me breath that was too much of a nuisance!


    Not only did it cause damage on its own, but theva also had a strong binding and blocking effect.


    Getting hit by this meant being baked alive under continuous high temperatures, with no chance to escape.


    Sterl''s Bloody Charge only provided speed, not the ability to phase through walls or teleport!


    "I''ll stake it all!"


    His eyes hardened with resolve, after all, the passive ability of Divine Descent gave him a chance at revival.


    Facing a boss-level enemy, one could imagine the bounty of good loot to be had. If he didn''t dare to risk it even with a chance to revive, Sterl would feel he was being overly cautious.


    Besides, as long as he didn''t make a mistake, he wouldn''t lose his chance at revival, right?


    Sterl made up his mind and also devised a backup n. Currently, he had five charges of Blood Essence (he had gained three more while hunting for the pet egg by defeating monsters).


    He could create a Bloody Shield once. Maybe the ability of the Blood Diamond could also block an attack from the crippled earth dragon, giving him a chance to recover from a mistake without losing his revival armor.


    With everything ready, Sterl no longer hesitated.


    "Evolution!"


    "Spirit enhance!" He felt a rity in his mind.


    The next second��Sterl transformed into a surging crimson shadow.


    [Bloody Charge]!


    As he rapidly approached the boss, he uttered the two magical sybles of me Storm and activated Divine Descent!


    The mes, fiercer than before, surged forward!!


    Once again, dealing with the crippled earth dragon... well, not very significant damage.


    But at least, the boss''s vitality was steadfastly and slowly depleting!


    "ROAR!!"


    The earth dragon roared in fury, unable to believe that the insignificant ant from before dared toe back and seek trouble.


    It was even somewhat surprised, perhaps seeing a chance to reim the Star Egg!


    Then it could fulfill its duty!


    The dragon''s breath surged forth!


    Facing the crippled earth dragon''s counterattack, Sterl didn''t hesitate and once again transformed into a bloody shadow, dashing out of the boss''s attack range!!


    With an extremely stylish move, Sterl nted one hand on the ground, catching his breath, perfectly dodging the boss''s onught!


    But his coolnesssted only a few seconds. He looked back with a palpable sense of relief, only to see magma scorching the ground in front of him, partially dissolving the incredibly solid stone terrain of the mine.


    Sterl stood in a safe zone, but before him was a veritable inferno!!


    He couldn''t help but click his tongue.


    ording to the general education courses in the base, the strength of a crippled earth dragon far exceeds that of a regr level 20 BOSS!!

 Chapter 25: 【Feats: The First Solo Kill of a Boss Monster by an Uninitiated Player.】

    <h4>Chapter 25: ��Feats: The First Solo Kill of a Boss Monster by an Uninitiated yer.��</h4>


    Just before, the crippled earth dragon had not even exerted its full strength against the elite yer squad. Now, in a rage to reim the guarded Star Egg, itunched an attack with its true might, which could be described as cataclysmic!


    Despite being unharmed, Sterl still swallowed hard, easing his tense mood...


    Then, he quietly sat aside, waiting for his energy values to recover.


    Under the state of Divine Descent, his energy replenished quite swiftly. About five minutester, he was ready to go again!


    Sterl charged towards the giant dragon once more with a Bloody Charge, followed by a me Storm!


    This time, Sterl even daringly attempted to scorch the boss''s eyes, hoping to blind it.


    However, although the mes sessfully hit the earth dragon''s eyes, it merely howled in pain without getting blinded.


    Instead, it roared even more furiously!


    The next second.


    The ground shook violently!


    Magic radiance shimmered on the crippled earth dragon, illuminating the mine as bright as day.


    Sterl realized that the opponent was about to use its third powerful move, which had been kept hidden until now.


    Although he didn''t know the specific name of the move, he could see countless rocks in the mine transforming into des, with rock spears swiftly piercing and intersecting.


    In just a few seconds, the mine, which was originally scorched byva and looked like a human purgatory, has now turned into a sword moundposed of countless swords and spears.


    Fortunately, Sterl was quick to react... or rather, he didn''t need to react, having already nned his escape.


    Using Bloody Charge, he once again reached a safe area.


    And this time, the boss saw that the ultimate move failed to take effect and screamed in extreme anger and pain. It not only uses its skills but also unleashes its physical strength to wreak havoc within its attack range.


    The sharp des made up of countless rocks were directly smashed by the beating.


    Unfortunately, it couldn''t harm Sterl, who had already fled.


    The flow of the battle remained consistent after that.


    Familiarityes with practice. Sterl repeatedly used abination of Bloody Charge and me Storm, while the injuries on the crippled earth dragon gradually umted.


    Initially, only its head was somewhat charred, but then its entire body was ravaged by mes, its cries growing more wretched and its movements more frantic.


    Although it seemed like the boss was now trapped in a desperate struggle.


    Sterl didn''t rx for a moment. He could tell from the dragon''s resentful gaze that it was waiting for Sterl to make a mistake!


    And its wait was not in vain.


    The boss''s health was simply too vast for Sterl''s damage output, which was limited to a single me Storm per attack.


    The battle of attrition was far from over!


    The crippled earth dragon had plenty of opportunities!


    And indeed, after several rounds, Sterl encountered a problem��


    He was running out of stamina.


    Activating Divine Descent consumed stamina, and the temporary increase in constitution due to his physical talents did not bring about extra stamina recovery efficiency. Otherwise, it would have been like having a perpetual motion machine.


    So, Sterl could only sit down, take out some instant food from his backpack, and start cooking.


    In the absence of specialized stamina recovery potions, the best way to regain stamina was to have a full meal and rest for a while.


    Sterl''s actions infuriated the immobilized crippled earth dragon even more, sending it into a terrifying frenzy.


    It was bad enough that Sterl would hit and run, leaving it in such a wretched state.


    But to stop for a meal in the middle of the fight?? Was this not a bit too contemptuous... even for a dragon??


    The crippled earth dragon rolled around, spewed dragon breath, created rock des, and even emitted roars with a fear effect.


    Unfortunately, only thest skill had some effect on Sterl. But after the boss roared a few more times, Sterl gradually became immune.


    Next, as Sterl''s stamina slowly recovered, he began a new round of attacks.


    [Bloody Charge], [me Storm], [Bloody Charge]��an unexinedbo of three consecutive hits.


    Then again, Bloody Charge, me Storm...


    Initially, the crippled earth dragon maintained high vignce, constantly retaliating in anticipation of Sterl''s mistakes.


    But not only did Sterl not make any mistakes, his performance improved as the fight went on. He had thought he might need to use the power of blood to create a shield or consume the revival armor of Divine Descent, but during the battle, Sterl felt he had entered the state of "flow" described in psychology in his previous life.


    He was fully immersed in the battle, his movements bing more precise. Sterl could even perfectly time the first half of Bloody Charge at just the right speed,plete the two sybles of me Storm. When he arrived in front of the crippled earth dragon, he even had a moment to aim at the part he wanted to attack.


    Sterl ignored the notifications constantlying to his ears.


    [You have used Bloody Charge, currently in a state of insight, gaining four proficiency points.]


    [You have used me Storm, currently in a state of insight, gaining four proficiency points.]


    [You have used...]


    Sterl''s skill proficiency increased rapidly.


    Unfortunately, he soon felt at a loss!


    Because Sterl was forced out of the state of flow, the proficiency had barely increased a few times before it was over.


    His stamina was depleted again.


    Sterl could only sit cross-legged and rest, unable to replenish his strength through eating because he was already full.


    He had to rest for a longer period before re-entering the battlefield.


    It''s worth mentioning that thebat in[Transcendence]is quite realistic. Without healing abilities, bosses cannot auto-regenerate health either.


    But the [Transcendence] system doesn''t leave loopholes for yers to exploit. Once it determines that a boss monster has disengaged frombat, it automatically refreshes its status back to full.


    Therefore, while Sterl rested, he couldn''tpletely let his guard down. He had to intermittently, without activating Divine Descent, use a basic version of thebo of Bloody Charge and me Storm.


    It didn''t do much damage, but it was mainly to keep the crippled earth dragon engaged inbat.


    Sterl was quite rxed, even joking about his inability to continue increasing his proficiency.


    But the boss was far more miserable. Soon, the crippled earth dragon realized a fact: no matter how hard it tried, it couldn''t harm this little bug that had taken the Star Egg it was guarding.


    Initially, the crippled earth dragonunched retaliations full of vigor. But eventually, the boss even started to give up.


    Sterl found that sometimes, even when he used Bloody Charge to rush in front of the crippled earth dragon, the creature didn''t attack immediately. Instead, it was slow to react, only attacking after Sterl had already moved to a safe area using Bloody Charge, its attacks arriving toote.


    Sterl remained very cautious, constantly reminding himself in his mind��


    Acting! It must be acting!


    This boss must be pretending to have lost the will to fight. If I let my guard down, it will seize the opportunity to take me out in one fell swoop!


    So Sterl kept mumbling to himself while continuously reducing the enemy''s health in front of him.


    Until��


    Sterl himself was somewhat distracted, mechanically repeating the output process ...


    me Storm!


    The intense mes struck the crippled earth dragon, which was on itsst breath and barely responding to attacks, for thest time.


    And after Sterl ran away with Bloody Charge...


    He suddenly realized that the boss behind him, as if rallying with thest of its strength, suddenly raised its head andunched a frenzied attack. Dragon breath surged wildly for nearly 10 seconds, even nearly melting through the ceiling of the mine withva.


    Finally, the massive dragon suddenly stiffened, emitting a deafening roar. Then its body twisted, and its once vibrant flesh slowly turned into stone, solidifying into a massive statue.


    And a notification came to Sterl''s ears.


    [Congrattions! You have killed the boss, the crippled earth dragon!]


    Then, as if the system had glitched, it dyed in informing him of the experience gained.


    And Sterl was speechless to discover... Where''s my reward for defeating the boss?


    It was outrageous that the crippled earth dragon seemed to have dropped nothing at all.


    What''s going on here? Could it be I''ve encountered one of those legendary bugs in [Transcendence]??


    Sterlined to himself.


    The next second, he got it. It wasn''t a BUG!


    Another sound rang in his ears.


    This time, it wasn''t the familiar system notification tone that Sterl was used to, but a very solemn and serious male voice, speaking deliberately.


    [Congrattions! yer Sterl, you have aplished a feat!]

 Chapter 26: Tremors Across the Realm of Transcendence!

    <h4>Chapter 26: Tremors Across the Realm of Transcendence!</h4>


    A shimmering screen of light shed before Sterl''s eyes��


    [Achievement: First non-ss yer to solo kill a boss-level monster.]


    Then, the screen transformed into a radiant golden badge and merged into his body...


    Instantly, he felt a slight tremor in his body.


    "Achievement? What''s that?"


    That was Sterl''s initial reaction...


    Faced with such a grand announcement, he couldn''t grasp its meaning.


    Sterl had been mingling around the base for over a decade and had never heard of an "Achievement." Even in the fantasy novels published within the base, where protagonists ventured through transcendence and seized many opportunities, there was no mention of anyone achieving an "Achievement"!


    Could it be... I''ve triggered a very rare hidden reward?? And given the system''s serious announcement, could this reward be incredibly generous??


    Sterl was lost in thought, slightly baffled.


    ording to the system, was he really the first person in history to solo kill a boss without having chosen a ss?


    That seemed a bit unbelievable.


    [Transcendence] had been running for thousands of years! Every possible first kill should have been imed by others by now, so how could it be Sterl''s turn?


    However, he soon realized something.


    Based on the condition of his achievement... being the first to solo kill a boss as a non-ss yer, one must be the "first" to achieve a certain feat to be recognized as having achieved an Achievement.


    [Transcendence] has been operating for thousands of years. How many more first kills could there possibly be left for yers to discover?


    No wonder the concept of an Achievement wasn''t mentioned in general education sses, and those novelists hadn''t thought of it.


    Because the human faction entered Transcendencete, they werepletely unaware of the existence of Achievements!


    The only issue was, Sterl couldn''t help but feel... the honor of solo killing a boss shouldn''t have fallen to him.


    He was genuinely confused.


    After so many years of [Transcendence]''s operation, could there really not have been other genius yers?


    In reality, Sterl had vastly underestimated the significance of his recent battle.


    The crippled earth dragon had the w of being immobile, but in reality, this was hardly a w!


    Its attack range was outrageouslyrge, far beyond that of normal professional yers! Trying to hit-and-run against this boss? That would be a devastating defeat!


    As for non-ss yers, their skill setup was even poorer, limiting their attack range even more!


    It was only because Sterl possessed Bloody Charge that he could rush up to the crippled earth dragon with a single skill.


    Normal yers, even with movement skills, would be dealt abo by the boss before they could even get close!


    It''s not that you yers are hitting and running the boss to lower the challenge; instead, the boss is kiting yers, making anyone daring enough to challenge it look foolish!


    And Bloody Charge, this skill was a product of both an offering and Sterl''s evolutionary abilitybined!


    Generally, non-ss professionals, even if they received an offering from a deity, like the previous president of the Blood Mist Guild, David, would get the lowest grade offering, only usable for collecting the resources and faith required by the deity, and couldn''t even independently receive the deity''s blessings.


    Even for professional-level yers, the best they could hope for from an offering was perhaps to break through the skill proficiency cap with the power of blood... But that would only allow them to surpass the mastery level limit.


    Master level cap? Don''t even think about it!


    That was something only followers of deities of the second-ss and above could enjoy!


    As for acquiring equipment and skills constructed from the power of deities, that had nothing to do with the yer''s level. You must receive the grace of a powerful entity you belong to!


    And Sterl, through his evolutionary ability, unlocked the full permissions of the offering from the Blood Duke!


    This means... the difficulty of acquiring the skill Bloody Charge was actually extremely high!


    Typically, only the best among second-ss yers, or even third-ss yers, would have a chance to learn it!


    Under such miraculous circumstances created by his evolutionary ability, Sterl also had to rely on the doubled output from the Soul of Arcane, the ridiculous attribute bonuses of Descending Deity, and a green-quality skill, mestorm��


    Thebination of these three allowed him to deal some effective damage as a non-ss yer.


    This means that even if other people received the grace of a deity, they wouldn''t possibly be able to challenge a boss alone!


    Sterl indeed aplished an achievement!


    However, as a transmigrator who had yed various games in his previous life, where seeing yers soloing bosses or even challenging higher levels wasmon, which expert hadn''t tried it?


    He didn''t think a "first kill" was that impressive.


    At the same time, Sterl was also unaware of the significance of his actions.


    In his imagination... hadn''t there been stronger individuals during the newbie phase in [Transcendence], which had been running for so many years?


    But the reality was... In a game where you only have one life and the monster AI is extremely realistic, who would dare to challenge higher levels as a skilled yer? Isn''t that just asking for death?


    Not to mention, Sterl''s evolutionary ability was unique in the thousands of years [Transcendence] had been running!


    So,


    This challenge could only be aplished by him.


    Confused as Sterl was, he was still in a good mood. Even if it was a system bug that awarded him an "Achievement" that should have been sessfully challenged by someone else...


    As long as there were rewards toe, it was all good, right??


    A splendid light shone around Sterl.


    First, a prompt sounded in his ear.


    [You havepleted an Achievement. Would you like to announce it?]


    "Announce?"


    "No! No! No!" Sterl quickly thought to himself.


    What good would announcing do?


    It would only expose his uniqueness and doom him if others targeted him!


    Then, the system popped up another prompt.


    [Would you like to hide your current location?]


    "Hide!"


    Sterl chose again.


    Afterward, he heard a sound in his ear.


    [Congrattions to yer "Anonymous" in a Hidden Region forpleting the feat: First solo kill of a boss-level monster by a non-ss yer.]


    [Let''s cheer for them. As another powerful figure takes the stage in the epic saga of Transcendence!]


    [Congrattions to yer...]


    ...


    "That''s pretty extravagant." Sterl mused to himself.


    He was familiar with such broadcasts from ying variousrge-scale MMORPGs in his past life, where guilds would nearlye to blows over iming first kills.


    Back then, Sterl had also devoted himself day and night, foregoing sleep and food, all for the sake of gaining some recognition among yers worldwide.


    But in Transcendence, he still preferred to keep a low profile. What use was fame?


    Power was the true path!


    ...


    However, at this moment, Sterl appeared calm andposed, unaware that the outside world was already in an uproar!


    [Congrattions to yer...]


    [Congrattions to yer...]


    New yers from various races inside the instance looked confused. An achievement... what did that mean? What was this system broadcast about? It seemed so prestigious!


    And that level 50 yer from the Blood God Sect blinked in surprise.


    "People can still aplish a new achievement these days?"


    "Wow! A non-ss yer soloing a boss, isn''t that wild?"


    "Another genius yer is about to emerge."


    The normally irritable and angry youth now spoke of feats with a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    People tend to be jealous of those who are simr to themselves, but not of those who are far beyond their reach.


    The youth was acutely aware of the significance of a non-ss yer soloing a boss! Such a world-beating genius yer would never cross paths with someone like him in this lifetime!


    Their ultimate goal was to be legendary. To ignite the divine spark and embark on the path to divinity, while he, even if he obtained an A-grade pet egg, might never be a legend in his life...


    Outside the instance, yers like Miste were no longer concerned with the situation of the yers inside��


    Mainly because almost everyone except Sterl had died, and Sterl consistently refused to be divined by the crystal ball.


    With nothing better to do, they started discussing the recent system broadcast.


    "Thest time someone aplish an achievement in [Transcendence] was three or four hundred years ago, before we were even born."


    "Yes, more like our grandfathers weren''t born yet, not even our great-grandfathers!"


    "This might not necessarily be a good thing, though. I remember that a few hundred years ago, after the achievement was aplished, that yer eventually reached the demi-god realm and ughtered several continents. We''re not going to get ughtered by this new yer who aplish an achievement, are we??"


    ...


    Their tone was casual, but it was enough to show the significance ofpleting a feat��


    The demi-god realm, the ughter of numerous continents!


    Sterl probably never imagined that in the eyes of others, he was already being ced in such a terrifying realm...


    Following this, in the base of the Earth''s human faction, all the higher-ups were quietly pondering and digesting this news.

 Chapter 27: The Third Talent Opening Scroll! An Explosive Reward!

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Third Talent Opening Scroll! An Explosive Reward!</h4>


    The higher echelons of Earth''s human race quickly came to a conclusion.


    Even though the feat was broadcast across all of [Transcendence]... what if the yer who achieved the feat was nearby? They must be prepared to make friends!


    Otherwise, it could potentially bring a cataclysmic crisis to the human race of Earth!


    Within the Divine Mountain Empire, numerous powerhouses and leaders from countless factions were deeply moved,menting the emergence of a new star. They too instructed their subordinates to make contingency ns. in case they encountered the genius who had aplished the achievement, he must be treated well.


    And then��


    In the vast continent of Vashto, belonging to the Divine Mountain Empire, many legendary powerhouses pondered thoughtfully.


    Within the Crystal Wall System, which Vashto Continent is a part of��


    A warrior facing several level hundred me demons blinked in surprise.


    Inside a towering mage tower, a mummified old man''s eyeballs moved.


    In the dense forest sea, amidst thousands of prostrating animals, a brown bear showed a human-like expression...


    These individuals, seemingly ordinary, would astonish anyone aware of their identities��


    They were all demi-god powerhouses of the Crystal Wall System!


    These people all paused their current tasks, pondering over the "Hidden Region" and "Hidden yer" mentioned in the system broadcast.


    Was another being of their caliber about to emerge?


    A reason for celebration!


    The effect of the broadcast across all of [Transcendence] continued.


    Even...


    In somepletely secluded divine realms, amidst the flowingva and sulfur of hell, within realms that exist only in the spiritual domain...


    The actions of some deities paused for a moment.


    ...


    And Sterl waspletely unaware of the huge uproar his actions had caused throughout the entire world of the game [Transcendence].


    He was just happily waiting for his reward afterpleting the achievement.


    And the final result did not disappoint him.


    [Hello, yer Sterl.]


    [Based on your current level status, you have received the following rewards forpleting the achievement��


    You have received 3 Energy Crystals.


    You have received the Third Talent Opening Scroll.


    Your legend level has increased by one.]


    The rewards shed across the screen so quickly that Sterl was stunned��not because the rewards were too good, but��


    "Only three things?"


    "I thought achievements were supposed to be hard to aplish. Who is looked down upon when only three items are given??" Sterl couldn''t help butin.


    Then he looked at the details of the rewards and quickly became sincerely impressed!


    [Energy Crystal]


    [Category: Special]


    [Effect: After using this item, you can directly level up by one.]


    [Note: This item is only effective for yers below level 50.]


    "Holy shit! That''s intense."


    Sterl read through the item description word by word, almost fainting in disbelief!


    This must be the item meant to rece the experience gained from defeating a boss.


    But the reward was too generous!


    Defeating a single boss would at most allow Sterl to reach level 18, yet three Energy Crystals meant a direct jump of three levels!


    And he could entirely wait until he was level 47, then use all three crystals in one go to jump straight to level 50!!


    This was a massive gain!!


    Sterl felt he was already winning big time.


    Next��


    [Third Talent Expansion Scroll]


    [Category: Special]


    [Effect: Upon use, unlocks the Third Talent for the yer��Divine Talent]


    [Warning: This item is of extremely high value, please use it immediately!]


    [Warning: ...]


    "What''s this??"


    "There''s a third talent??" Sterl waspletely baffled.


    And looking at the name, Divine Talent! Anything associated with the word ''divine'' sounded incredibly powerful!


    Lastly, Sterl was even more shocked by the warning note in the item description.


    Again, those people writing novels back at the base wouldn''t dare to imagine this! After receiving an item, the system actively prompts the yer to use it immediately!


    He didn''t hesitate at all and immediately used the scroll with a p of his hands.


    [Your Third Talent Slot has been activated.]


    Radiant golden light surged from the scroll, rushing into Sterl''s body.


    If this wasn''t happening inside a mine, the towering energy radiance could probably be seen clearly from thousands of miles away.


    [Your Third Talent has been unlocked.]


    [Based on your feat, the Transcendence system has generated the following three talents for you]


    [Derived from the experience of ying the crippled earth dragon��


    Thick Earth Divine Power: You receive a significant boost in mastering all earth attribute skills, allowing you to learn all skills of the same attribute without conditions. The consumption of using the same attribute skills is halved, and their power is increased by 50%.


    When you use earth attribute skills tounch attacks, the effect includes a divine amplification, ignoring the opponent''s resistance to earth attributes.


    Derived from the incredible feat of oveing as a non-ss user��


    Rebel: You deal an additional 30% damage to all enemies of higher levels than yourself and receive 30% damage reduction.


    When attacking enemies of higher levels, you gain divine amplification, removing one of the opponent''s buff states with each attack, and ignoring 15% of their defense.


    Dimensional Visitor: After your ss change, second ss, third ss, promotion to legend, and ascent to demigod status, you will receive an additional gift and enhancement from another dimension each time.]


    Sterl was momentarily stunned.


    The main reason was that all three talents were incredibly attractive, each being at least equivalent to an SS-grade regr talent!


    But he didn''t hesitate for too long. Thick Earth Divine Power was immediately ruled out as it limited future career development.


    Rebel, though practical, gave Sterl a bit of an inted ego. After all, he had aplished an achievement in thousands of years of [Transcendence] that no one else had achieved, thanks to his awakening of the evolution cheat.


    What if one day Sterl surpassed everyone in levels...


    Wouldn''t this talent be useless?


    On the other hand, thest talent, [Dimensional Visitor], intrigued him. Although its description was vague and didn''t specify what kind of enhancements and rewards would be given for job changes and advancements, being listed alongside the first two talents suggested it wouldn''t be weak.


    Moreover, the system prompt mentioned that this talent was created from an experience of [data deleted], hinting at Sterl''s identity as a traveler between dimensions based on the name Dimensional Visitor.


    "The third one!" Sterl bit his teeth and silently decided.


    [You have acquired the talent: Dimensional Visitor]


    Upon hearing the prompt, Sterl immediately opened his panel and couldn''t help but grin.


    Really, he couldn''t suppress his expression.


    Dimensional Visitor, there was a plus sign next to this talent!


    "Evolution!" Sterl didn''t hesitate, but the next second, he was doused with cold water.


    Information from the evolution talent merged into his mind. The third talent, Divine Talent, contained powerful divine forces.


    And the bodies of ordinary yers couldn''t withstand divine power.


    The current strength of Dimensional Visitor was already the limit for Sterl''s physical body. Adding more points would cause him to explode and die.


    He estimated that he would be able to evolve this talent once more after changing jobs.


    "So, did the scroll just now also modify my body?" he pondered, while shifting his attention to thest reward of this feat.


    [Legend Points +1]


    [Exnation: Your current legend points are one. All NPCs will have an initial favorable impression of you, and all NPC units and factions that require being more than friendly to unlock quests will now be directly essible.]


    [Exnation: Currently, you are 1/10 of the way to the legend status required for promotion.]


    [Exnation: There are other additional effects of legend points, please continue to explore in the game.]


    "What?"


    "Wow!!" At first, Sterl didn''t think the legend points were that important. The initial favorability from NPCs unlocking some quests sounded good, but it seemed somewhat inferiorpared to the first two items...


    Until Sterl saw the second exnation.


    "To ascend to a legendary yer, I need 10 legend points??"


    "Does this mean that even before I''ve changed jobs, I''ve alreadyid down 1/10 of the foundation for advancing to legend??" Sterl''s tone was slightly excited.


    What does being a legendary yer mean?


    There are hardly a few among all of humanity on Earth!


    They are extremely rare even in the Divine Mountain Empire and Vastor Continent!


    It''s said that to ascend to legend, merely leveling up and being strong isn''t enough. One also needs to meet certain special conditions, which could potentially block some yers with excellent talents for a lifetime.


    Now, Sterl finally understood what had hindered those people for a lifetime.


    It was mostly due to the legend points!


    They were incredibly rare, with only a single feat adding one point!

 Chapter 28: Evolving Pet Egg, Mysterious Patterns

    <h4>Chapter 28: Evolving Pet Egg, Mysterious Patterns</h4>


    After tallying his gains, Sterl hurriedly made his escape.


    The sound and light effects from merging the third talent were too intense. Although this dungeon should only have yers below level 20, Sterl still adhered to the principle of staying low-key and did his best to conceal his presence.


    He headed towards the nearest pet egg marker.


    After about four hours, Sterl arrived at the location.


    On the way, he grinded his experience up to level 18 and then used his evolution chance for the day.


    [Star Egg (Grade C)] �� [Star Egg (Grade B)].


    [Star Egg]+


    [Quality: Grade B]


    [Effect: After a period of time, carrying this egg will hatch a Grade B pet of the Star lineage.]


    [Note: If not acquired by a yer, this item will hatch into a wild monster after 1504 days.]


    [Note: This pet egg has been infused with extra energy but can still be enhanced by absorbing the life force in the [Falling Stars Wilderness] dungeon.]


    Sterl was satisfied. The Star Egg also had a plus sign next to it, indicating it could be further upgraded.


    This dungeon run hadted him a significant gain!


    A guaranteed Grade A pet egg at minimum!


    The reason it was only a Grade A pet egg was due to the inherent quality limit of the item, meaning there was a cap on how many times it could evolve. Sterl could only be sure that the Star Egg could be upgraded once more, but after reaching Grade A, it might not be possible to add more points.


    Moreover, ording to the item description, regardless of how many times it could be upgraded, if Sterl wanted a higher-grade pet egg, he would need to destroy the other six eggs in the dungeon to truly maximize the quality of the Star Egg he held!


    However, when he arrived at the location of the second pet egg, he felt overwhelmed.


    The second Star Egg was located in a forest, guarded by a giant treant, which didn''t have the immobility issue of the crippled earth dragon.


    Though rtively speaking, this guardian was much slower and its output couldn''tpare to dragon-type bosses.


    But Sterl couldn''t defeat it! He couldn''t rely on thebination of Bloody Rush and mestorm to cheese his way through. In a head-on fight, Sterl''s energy couldn''t keep up.


    Soon, he would be hit by the boss due to the inability to use Bloody Rush to trigger invincibility frames. With Sterl''s pre-job change physique, he would essentially be instant-killed.


    Sterl could only leave reluctantly, thinking bitterly, "You just wait. I''ll level up first and thene back for your bad luck!"


    ording to Miste from the intermediate base earlier, there were three days left in the dungeon timer after the pet eggs appeared.


    Sterl had aplete chance to level up to 20 by farming elite monsters, then equip some gear dropped by these elites to boost hisbat power.


    He would then try to challenge this boss again.


    So, in the following period, capitalizing on the tail end of the high-level experience potion effect, Sterl went back to grinding!


    Along the way, he also checked the locations of the other pet eggs.


    To Sterl''s delight, it seemed that only the first two pet eggs he encountered were guarded by boss-level units, while the rest were merely watched over by elite monsters.


    And then...


    Boom!!


    Intense mes surged, engulfing a beetle-like elite monster, which emitted creaking noises as the fire consumed it.


    Finally, the beetle copsed to the ground, dropping two glowing orbs.


    Sterl, standing a short distance away, slowly lowered his hand as a notification sounded by his ear.


    [Congrattions, you''ve killed a level 20 elite monster, the Emerald Beetle, and earned 6700 experience points.]


    He then moved forward to pick up the loot.


    Three silver coins and a piece of ck iron grade equipment.


    [Ice-Cold Wristguards]


    [Quality: ck Iron Grade]


    [Category: Wristguards]


    [Enhancement Effect: +10 Agility, +10 Spirit.]


    [Equipment Level: 15.]


    Sterl equipped the wristguards, slightly boosting his attributes.


    It''s worth mentioning that in [Transcendence], yers could equip nine pieces of gear: head, upper body, lower body, belt, boots, wristguards, ne, rings, and a weapon.


    At the same level, being fully equipped could double the attributes of a yer without gear.


    Back to the matter at hand, after collecting the elite monster''s drops, Sterl quickly made his way behind the boss guarding the pet egg and shattered it with a palm strike.


    As the eggshell cracked, a pale blue light soared into the sky, splitting into five, with one stream flowing into the Star Egg in Sterl''s inventory and the other four scattering into the distance.


    "Have other people destroyed pet eggs already?" Sterl observed and concluded.


    "It makes sense, given it was only guarded by an elite. Even the team wiped by the crippled earth dragon could have a chance at obtaining a pet egg."


    "It doesn''t matter. yers below level 20 are definitely easier to handle than elite monsters."


    After some thought, Sterl wasn''t worried even if other yers got their hands on a pet egg. Thus, he moved towards the next yellow dot on the map with a rxed expression.


    In the following period...


    Sterl went on a killing spree, eliminating not just ordinary monsters but also four elite units and an elite monster guarding a pet egg.


    In total, three pieces of equipment were dropped.


    [Leather Long Boots]


    [Quality: ck Iron Grade]


    [Category: Boots]


    [Enhancement Effect: +10 Agility, +10% Movement Speed.]


    [Equipment Level: 20.]


    Though the attribute boosts were modest, the fixed increase in movement speed was very appealing.


    As for the other two pieces of equipment��


    [Tattered Cloak]


    [Quality: ck Iron Grade]


    [Category: Upper Body]


    [Enhancement Effect: +15 Constitution, +10 Agility.]


    [Equipment Level: 20.]


    [Azure Visage]


    [Quality: ck Iron Grade]


    [Category: Head]


    [Enhancement Effect: +10 Agility, +5% Magic Damage.]


    [Equipment Level: 20.]


    Sterl immediately donned the cloak, but since the Azure Visage and his current face equipment were both for the same slot, he had to store the newly dropped one in his inventory.


    The Azure Visage was an exquisitely crafted water-blue mask with high aesthetic value.


    Sterl nned to give it to Linna or Rayna, but no matter who he gives it to, the other one will definitely be jealous.So he decided that until he found another piece of equipment that could be used as a gift, the Azure Visage could only lie in his backpack for a while.


    Besides, during his monster-ying spree, Sterl collected a total of seven silver coins, materials worth about four silver coins, and 30 pieces of the dungeon''s specialty, Star Dust.


    ...


    Next, Sterl continued to grind.He sessfully umted his reserve experience points to full before the expiration of the experience potion time.


    [Your experience points can no longer increase. Please level up to 20 andplete the ss change.]


    When the system notification came through, Sterl was standing on a giant tree not far from the next pet egg location, tossing the corpse of a simian monster to the ground.


    After receiving the notification, naturally, he stopped grinding and found a secluded cave to enter.


    Then, Sterl sat down cross-legged and began to meditate, rapidly refining the experience and integrating it into his body, gradually enhancing his aura.


    Three hourster, he suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing the level 20 on his panel, he was extremely delighted!


    In Sterl''s base, being level 20 could already qualify one to be the leader of a small guild. Once the ss change was sessful to be a professional, he would be a renowned strong individual throughout the base!


    He had metamorphosed just through a single dungeon run!


    Sterl stood up.


    Creak, creak.


    The sound of sand and stones under his feet echoed through the cave.


    Sterl didn''t rush to the location of the nearby pet egg, but took out his Star Egg first.


    At this point, with the continuous death of yers in the dungeon and the shattering of several other pet eggs, the egg had automatically been promoted to A grade.


    Now, the cooldown of Sterl''s golden finger was over after 24 hours, ready for further evolution.


    "Evolve!" Sterl shouted in his heart.


    Apanied by a strange glow, the appearance of the Star Egg drastically changed!


    [Star Egg (A Grade)] �� [Star Egg (S Grade)]


    What was originally a pale blue sphere now, with the glow of promotion to S grade, rapidly emerged with magnificent cloud patterns and intricate text.


    Just one nce was enough topletely captivate the mind, as if ced amidst the vast gxy.


    Sterl even felt as if he was about to be assimted by the light into one of the countless stars in the sky...


    Until he suddenly jolted back to reality.

 Chapter 29: S-Class Job Advancement Ceremony: Master of Stars

    <h4>Chapter 29: S-ss Job Advancement Ceremony: Master of Stars</h4>


    "What on earth is this??"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, feeling as though he was almost assimted by the patterns on the pet egg!


    If it hadn''t been for... the divine talent he had just awakened, releasing waves within him and snapping him back to reality, he could have been in real trouble!


    "Was I almost killed by a pet egg??" Sterlined.


    He didn''t know what being assimted would entail, but assuming the worst, it might mean losing himself, bing a zombie, beyond even a god''s ability to resurrect!


    Had he just faced the biggest crisis of his gaming career?? And what''s more bizarre, he didn''t really feel it because it all happened too fast.


    From falling into crisis to immediately being safe again.


    However, Sterl quickly lost interest in pondering his safety, as an unexpected event urred in the instance!


    [Warning: A major transformation is happening in the Starfall Wilderness instance!]


    [Warning: ...]


    The system''s prompt echoed!


    At the same time, Sterl felt the ground shake, and the energy of the starry sky above churned continuously, turning into brilliant light that poured into the Star Egg in his hand.


    This wasn''t just the stars sharing their energy. It was as if the entire sky was being drained!


    One by one, the stars in the sky dimmed.


    Simultaneously, as the stars extinguished, it seemed as if the power sustaining the entire instance world was lost. Sterl felt the ground beneath him gradually loosen, as if it might copse at any moment.


    Suddenly, a prompt from the game system diverted Sterl''s attention.


    [Automatic Trantion System activated.]


    Then, Sterl saw countless texts on the Star Egg, as ifing to life, flooding into his mind.


    [You have read the secret lore of the Star n.]


    [You have gained the following information:


    Now you can undergo a specific ceremony to change your job to the hidden job [Master of Stars].


    Now you can create your own [Main Star] and [Auxiliary Stars] through a specific ceremony.]


    "What?"


    "What is... this??" Sterl felt his brain was stuffed with a ton of information, making his head spin!


    Job advancement ceremony?


    Main Star?


    Auxiliary Stars?


    What are these??


    He was so dazed he could hardly stand.


    Sterl barely managed to open his panel, and indeed, new content had appeared.


    [You have unlocked the job advancement ceremony��Master of Stars]


    [Master of Stars]


    [Job Quality: S-ss]


    [Description: The title released by the Star n in ancient times, that is the Master of Stars. This powerful being was naturally capable ofmanding and refining stars, thus arousing the envy of countless gods and being jointly executed. The Star n was cursed, forever unable to produce beings above A-ss.


    Before the death of the Master of Stars, a legacy was left in the bloodline of the Star n. Those who assist the Star n in breaking the A-ss potential limit will gain ess to the Master of Stars job advancement ceremony.]


    [Ceremony Details:


    �� Absorb sixty Star Fragments.


    �� Complete a challenge against a BOSS-level enemy alone and survive. (Completed)


    �� Possess a master-level skill as a vessel for star power.


    �� Refine the first [Main Star] or [Auxiliary Star].


    �� Resist the invasion of the consciousness of stars. (Completed)]


    [Ceremony Reward: Assume the role of Master of Stars, receiving the S-ss Job Heart [Master of Stars]]


    "S-ss job?" Sterl''s breathing slowed.


    As a "newbie," the highest quality of Job Heart he had seen among professionals at the base was probably only C-ss.


    Because the foundation of humanity on Earth in transcending was unstable. While talent could theoretically be umted through sheer numbers of yers, advancing to those powerful jobs objectively required resources.


    For example, sources for advanced job advancement quests, favorability with NPCs who held powerful legacies, ess to special map entrances, ownership of instances with high rewards...


    These resources were often controlled by powerful yer groups. Human beings on Earth really can''t grab it


    As a result, Sterl had learned in his general education history courses that among humanity on Earth, the top powerhouses generally only had A-ss jobs. There were only 7 individuals who had reached S-ss jobs.


    Six of them yed a huge role in the development of humanity on Earth, such as creating the base system, developing game props thatbined Earth technology like the virtual imaging device, and earning massive amounts of reputation on the Vashto Continent so that humanity on Earth could attach itself to various NPC forces...


    It can be said that without them, humanity on Earth would not have the foundation it has today.


    As for thest S-ss job changer, he betrayed humanity on Earth, leading to the destruction of hundreds of bases. Over a million people from Earth were forced to quit the game, doomed to live in dark caves in reality for life.


    In short, any S-ss job holder had a tremendous impact on the entire human race on Earth!


    After changing ss, as long as one develops smoothly, they are destined to make history!


    How could Sterl not be excited at the sight of an S-ss job advancement ceremony?


    Normally, even with his evolutionary cheat, he couldn''t ess those high-level job advancement quests. Having a B-ss or C-ss job advancement would already be a reason to rejoice!


    Who would have thought that after running an instance would hit the jackpot?


    First, he received a reward for a [Feast of Valor], and now he was getting an S-ss job advancement ceremony! Sterl began to suspected that as a time traveller, he really had incredibly strong luck.


    When fortunees, even the heavens and earth align!


    Moreover...


    "Normally, people need toplete a bunch of quests to unlock the job advancement ceremony."


    "I can skip the prerequisite quests directly, how cool is that!" Sterl muttered, taking another look at the requirements for the job advancement ceremony.


    Wow! It''s so simple!


    No, it''s not right to say it''s simple. In fact, as an S-ss job advancement task, the difficulty is daunting!


    It''s just that Sterl had alreadypleted the two most difficult tasks: facing a boss and resisting the invasion of the stars'' power.


    Facing the boss naturally doesn''t mean you can just get by in a boss fight. If Sterl looked into the details of the ceremony, he would see that it required dealing at least 5% damage to the boss''s health.


    For those who haven''t changed ss, this is an almost impossible requirement to meet!


    Resisting the invasion of the stars'' power, Sterl managed to cheat through with his divine talent, a level of power hardly attainable by ordinary people.


    As a result, Sterl''s job advancement ceremony was practically in the bag.


    All that remained was to collect star fragments, master an advanced skill, and refine either a [Primary Star] or [Secondary Star] to be an S-ss professional!


    In terms of collecting star fragments, Sterl had already umted forty-nine from previous monster hunts. Even without actively farming for more, he could gather enough through normal monster encounters in instances.


    Meeting the requirement for an advanced skill was also within reach.


    Sterl''s proficiency in me Storm was at [1901/2000], almost maxed out, and he could soon break through to advanced level by leveraging the power of blood.


    Thus, for the aforementioned aspects of the ceremony, Sterl was just a step away.


    The only task that required his effort was refining a [Primary Star] or [Secondary Star]. As for what these were exactly, Sterl was unclear and had to continue checking his panel for details.


    "Holy shit! Is this job that awesome??" Sterl couldn''t help but exim as he noticed two new special abilities on his panel.


    [Special Ability: Refine Primary Star]


    [Effect: yers with this ability can choose to refine the following units as their Primary Star: pets, yers, monsters. After refining a Primary Star, the yer can gain the following effects:


    �� Acquire 15% of the Primary Star unit''s attributes, stamina, and energy limits.


    �� Use the skills of the Primary Star unit (excluding special skills that utilize organs such as tails, horns, etc.)


    �� Gain the talents of the Primary Star unit.]


    [Special Ability: Refine Secondary Star]


    [Effect: yers with this ability can choose to refine the following units as their Secondary Star: pets, yers, monsters. After refining a Secondary Star, the yer can choose one of the following effects:


    �� Acquire 10% of the Secondary Star unit''s attributes, stamina, and energy limits.


    �� Use one skill of the Secondary Star unit.


    �� Gain a weakened version of the Secondary Star unit''s talent.]

 Chapter 30: Refining the Primary Star

    <h4>Chapter 30: Refining the Primary Star</h4>


    No wonder Sterl was so taken aback. He could only marvel at the prestige of an S-ss profession��it was outrageously powerful!


    The enhancements to attributes and the skill list post the Lord of Stars'' job transition were still unknown, yet just the capability to create a Primary and Secondary Star was somewhat twisted in its own right.


    A Primary Star offering attribute bonuses, a set of skills, plus an extra talent��what kind of concept was this?


    A 15% attribute increase could equate to the kind of enhancement yers might only achieve after leveling up several times in theter stages of the game.


    An additional set of skills could massively boostbat effectiveness.


    Human energy is limited. Even for someone like Sterl, who could break through skill proficiency limits with the power of blood, there wasn''t enough time to master many skills.


    But after choosing a Primary Star, you could directly borrow a set of skills!


    And to top it all off, you could gain an extra talent��Sterl could theoretically acquire an ability on the same level as Soul of Arcane or Descend of the Gods!


    It''s no exaggeration to say that if the chosen Primary Star was powerful enough, it could increase the Lord of Stars'' strength by more than fifty percent!


    The Secondary Star, on the other hand, offered a weakened version of one of the three enhancements provided by the Primary Star.


    Even though it was a weakened version, each of the three enhancements from the Primary Star was so strong that the boost from the Secondary Star was also incredibly significant!


    "No wonder the Lord of Stars was jointly executed. This profession might outgrow even the higher SS or even SSS ranks as it develops..." Sterl felt a bit dizzy with the thought.


    Continuing to examine his panel, he discovered that creating Primary and Secondary Stars had its limitations.


    You could create one Primary Star initially, add another upon the second-ss transition, one more as a legend, and a third at the divine level.Essentially, you could create one every two major stages of power increase.


    For Secondary Stars, you start with one, add another after ss transitioning, and then one more with each subsequent ss transition...


    The power level increasing by one stage meant you could create another.


    Moreover, the chosen Primary and Secondary Stars could not be reced. The choice among the three enhancements for the Secondary Star had to be made at the time of refinement, with no option to changeter.


    However, these limitations seemed trivialpared to the immense boost provided by refining Primary and Secondary Stars!


    Sterl almost immediately had an idea. Toplete his job transition, he needed to refine either a Primary or Secondary Star, and he had an excellent candidate for a Primary Star right before him.


    [Star Egg]+


    [Quality: S-rank]


    ...


    [Yes/No, refine as Primary/Secondary Star?]


    Right!


    This pet egg could be directly refined before hatching!


    And with the evolution system confirming that the Star Egg could be upgraded to SS rank, was there even a choice to be made?


    Sterl promptly chose to refine the Star Egg as his first Primary Star.


    He ced his palm on the eggshell, intricately patterned with dense ster designs, and then turned to leave.


    Adhering to the spirit of cautious advancement, Sterl naturally wouldn''t start the refinement process right there and then.


    Earlier in the cave, when the Star Egg absorbed the power of the stars, it caused quite amotion. Sterl chose to relocate, seeking a secluded spot to acquire his first Primary Star.


    Soon, he wandered around the instance and hid in a natural limestone cave.


    While searching for this secluded spot, Sterl sharply noticed that the instance had already undergone significant changes. The stars in the sky gradually dimmed, and the ground beneath his feet felt loose.


    To make an inappropriate analogy, it seemed as if the instance had suddenly aged from its prime into a terminally ill elder.


    Yet, Sterl had no interest in dwelling on these changes. Upon entering the limestone cave, he slightly furrowed his brows, rejecting what seemed like the umpteenth divination request.


    Sterl was aware that this likely stemmed from the concern the strong individuals at the mid-level base had for the safety of this talent, but what he was currently undertaking could not be exposed.


    He quickly made his way deeper into the cave, taking out the Star Egg and holding it in his palm.


    Sterl silentlymanded, "Refine."


    Instantly, a buzzing filled his mind, and Sterl closed his eyes to tune in quietly. He faintly saw himself as if he were in the midst of a vast gxy, standing at the center of thousands of star rivers, with the Star Egg transforming into the most magnificent and shining supernova among the endless stars.


    A strange energy flowed between Sterl and the pet egg!


    If anyone hade into this limestone cave, they would be astonished to find that the originally dim cave was now brilliantly lit, resembling a newly formed gxy. This stark contrast with the gradually declining, dying stars outside the instance was striking.


    ...


    After Sterl once again refused the mid-level base''s detection, the people outside finally became restless.


    "Commander Miste, let me go." the speaker, a seductive woman veiled thinly, suggested.


    "The restrictive power of the Starfall Wilderness has weakened. ording to calctions, it can now amodate yers up to level fifty-nine, and I am exactly at that level."


    "Rest assured, I will bring Sterl back safely," she stated firmly.


    After a second of hesitation, Miste, themander of the mid-level base, simply nodded, "Alright, it''s up to you. Once you enter the instance, if possible, wait with Sterl until the instance''s time limit ends."


    "If there''s danger, use the escape scroll..."


    "Of course, your safety is the most important."


    "Otherwise, that big shot won''t let me off."


    After a discussion, the yers from the mid-level base had determined a rescue n.


    The reason for this scene was due to the Star Egg in Sterl''s hands absorbing the power of the starry sky in the instance, causing a severe decline in the [Starfall Wilderness], to the point where the energy maintaining the instance''s rule [yers above level 20 cannot enter] was insufficient.


    The yers stationed outside from the mid-level base, upon discovering this, made a prompt decision��other yers dying was one thing, but they had to preserve Sterl. He was theirst hope!


    Especially after repeatedly initiating divination, and the constant refusals indicated that this talent was certainly still alive.


    As for the escape scroll mentioned by Miste, it was simr to the rescue scroll he mentioned earlier, which could also forcibly extract a yer from the instance.


    However, the escape scroll had to be used by the yer themselves within the instance, meaning someone had to deliver the scroll into the instance so Sterl could use it to escape.


    Returning to the main topic, after the discussion was concluded, the female yer didn''t hesitate to approach the spatial rift and chose to teleport into the instance.


    The next second, her figure just vanished.


    As if provoked, the rift shed with light, and bolts of thunder surged.


    Miste and the others who were watching quickly backed away, knowing this was the instance''s rule power retaliating.


    After forcibly allowing one yer to enter, the instance, despite itsck of energy, would instinctively react, reinforcing the investment in rule-based energy.


    At this point, it was no longer possible to send more people into the [Starfall Wilderness].


    Miste and the others could only wait patiently for the oue.


    "Predict yer Teresa for me." a yermanded towards the divination crystal ball.


    Immediately, a light screen appeared on the crystal ball. Teresa, the female yer, stood vigntly within the instance, looking around cautiously.


    And seeing the scene within the instance, Miste and others were shocked...


    Since other yers had already died, and Sterl had continuously refused divination, they had no idea what had happened inside the instance. They only saw the originally bright and brilliant gxy had changed.


    The stars gradually dimmed, and the ground slowly cracked and shattered.


    It was extremely dpidated.


    Meanwhile, the female yer was seen mouthing towards an empty space, "I should be able to find Sterl smoothly after this."


    "After entering the instance, I received a prompt. There''s more than a day left until the instance ends, and all unimed pet eggs will be marked with their locations."


    "When there''s only one day left in the instance, all pet eggs'' locations will be marked by the system."


    "If Sterl hasn''t given up hope of living, there are two possibilities. One is that he hasn''t gotten the pet egg yet, and I can just wait at the location marked by the system."


    "The other is that he has already gotten the pet egg, then I''ll find him when there''s only one day left in the instance time."


    This female yer was quite thoughtful and quickly had a n in mind.


    Thus, she observed the map for a while and noticed only two yellow dots representing pet eggs were still shining.


    Teresa swiftly ran towards the nearest pet egg to her.


    It didn''t take long for her to sessfully reach the ce.


    However, right in front, a figure appeared that was somewhat familiar and surprising to Teresa.

 Chapter 31: Philip Waldo

    <h4>Chapter 31: Philip Waldo</h4>


    "Philip Waldo?"


    Teresa paused slightly, recognizing the youth in front of her with an eerie face, draped in a blood-red robe.


    He was one of the progeny of Regan Waldo, the leader of Base 157.


    Among Regan Waldo''s descendants, Philip wasn''t particrly known for his talent, but he had still reached level 40 at a young age, advancing to the C-ss profession of Jungle Ranger.


    Teresa had once undertaken pioneering missions with him.


    However, what puzzled the female yer was that Philip''s usual attire was not as it appeared now, but rather a suit of dark green leather armor.


    Yet, in the few seconds of her confusion, a change had already urred.


    Outside, Miste and the others noticed that the crystal ball had gone dark.


    "What''s happening? Teresa wouldn''t refuse divination, would she?"


    "What did she see at the end? Her expression changed right before the divination was blocked??"


    "Nothing bad should happen, right? After all, a level 59 professional should be more than capable of handling themselves in the instance."


    The gathered yers couldn''t help but frown, though they weren''t particrly anxious.


    A level 59 professional, even when facing the strongest unit in the Starfall Wilderness��a level 20 boss��should be able to fight! The level gap was too significant.


    Theoretically, Teresa shouldn''t be in any danger.


    Only Miste''s frown deepened, feeling that this pioneering mission was gued with issues for some reason.


    From the beginning, with the higher-ups'' strange attitude, to the absurd difficulty of the instance that led to the yers'' rampant deaths.


    Even Teresa, at level 59, had encountered a strange event upon entering the instance...


    Miste could only pray that the genius yer and Teresa would return safely.


    If the former were to fall within the instance, the loss from this pioneering mission would be immense!


    And if something happened to thetter, it would be disastrous!


    Miste wasn''t fully aware of Teresa''s identity. He only knew she was the only daughter of a significant figure, reputedly very talented, having reached level 59 in just over a year. Her visit to the Val Administrative Zone was merely for experience.


    If something happened to her, Miste''s loss wouldn''t just be a future genius yer. It would be catastrophic!


    Unfortunately...


    Inside the instance, events did not unfold as the leader hoped.


    "Philip, how did you enter the instance?" Teresa asked with caution, especially wary of acquaintances under such peculiar circumstances.


    She remembered how Philip had once pursued her relentlessly at Base 157. Encountering him here in the instance, if he were to entangle her again, would be troublesome.


    Moreover, the youth, who once had a gentle demeanor, now had madness flickering in his eyes.


    "Teresa!"


    "Wonderful! wonderful!"


    "Although the limit of pet eggs can''t be raised any further."


    "But the life force of another level 59 yer might allow me toplete the cultivation of the Star Egg ahead of schedule!" The youth''s eerie face lit up with fervor and delight.


    This person was the Blood God Priest of level 50, previously discovered by Sterl in the instance.


    He was madly ughtering other yers to collect pet eggs, all the while extremely anxious.


    Philip was worried about another member of the Blood God Cult sneaking into the instance, potentially spoiling his ns.


    But now, he found himself confronted with an old acquaintance, a level 59 yer!


    Killing her could significantly elerate the life force collection progress for the Star Egg, potentially allowing him to obtain an A-ss pet egg ahead of schedule. Then, by using a special item to escape, it wouldn''t matter what the other cult member lurking in the instance thought. They couldn''t interfere with his ns anymore.


    If the youth knew that Teresa was even considering the problem of him bothering her again, he would probably just scoff.


    Just a woman!


    A year ago, at the base, Philip had seen Teresa''s face beneath her veil by chance and was struck by her beauty, leading him to pursue her madly.


    But now, even if this female yer''s beauty were doubled, Philip wouldn''t care. What allure couldpare to an A-ss pet egg?


    "You..." Although Teresa was on her guard, her vignce slightly dropped in the face of her once fervent pursuer.


    However, she regretted it the next second.


    Philip smiled faintly, "I never thought I''d see you here..." His tone was warm, as if he was excited to see an old friend, even mixing in a bit of the excitement a lovestruck fool shows when seeing their goddess.


    But in the next second.


    Whoosh!


    A cold look shed in the youth''s eyes, and with a flick of his finger, a blood-colored de of light surged from his sleeve, eventually forming a blood-colored that covered a hundred meters around them!


    Each part of the gleamed coldly. The spectacle immense.


    "Blood God Cult??" Teresa''s voice was surprised. This infamous church was well-known throughout the Divine Mountain Empire.


    But at this moment, the female yer had no time to ponder when Philip had joined the cult.


    Instead, she counterattacked!


    Teresa was quite confident in her strength. She was an A-level talent holder! Ordinary yers of the same level were no match for her.


    [Thunder Command (A-level)]: When releasing any thunder attribute skills, the power is increased by 70%.


    The effect was simple and crude, but it didn''t diminish its incredible power!


    Then Teresa summoned her power��


    [Surging Thunder Snakes], a green-quality skill!


    Under Teresa''smand, streaks of lightning charged towards the blood-colored, the disgusting smell of blood mixed with the scent of burning. Silver light burst forth, nearly all of the blood-colored des in the sky shattered!


    For a moment, within the forest where the two battled, a blood-red shield could be seen covering the area, directly draining the blood from numerous wild monsters, killing them instantly.


    Meanwhile, on the surface of the blood-colored shield, electricity gathered bit by bit, constantly shing until finally!


    Whoosh!


    It burst through!


    Teresa smiled.


    But before she could speak, the next second, a blood-red pir of light shot out from the youth''s hand.


    It pierced through the once valiant female yer.


    It was an attack from the Blood God Cult, utilizing the power of blood from the offerings to the Blood Duke��using the force of blood for an assault!


    "How is this possible!!" Teresa fell to her knees, coughing up blood. She had been heavily injured by a careless move.


    What was more terrifying was that a strange power of blood was circting within her, causing Teresa''s injuries to worsen continuously, leaving her powerless to resist.


    And Philip''s face twisted, "Damn! Bitch!"


    "Why resist? Why not just let me kill you peacefully! Do you have any idea how long it took me to gather those 50 forces of blood?"


    "You wretch!!"


    Then, he showed a deranged yet gentle smile: "It''s okay, there''s still time. I can enjoy myself a bit before I kill you."


    "Don''t be afraid, we''ll both have a great time."


    The young man''s twisted demeanor terrified Teresa, draining her of any will to fight.


    She remembered rumors she had heard before, that those who joined the Blood God Cult would eventually go mad!


    Philip, it seemed, had gone thoroughly insane.


    Teresa thought about pulling out an escape scroll. But seeing the young man approaching her in his madness, she decided against it for the moment. She knew that using the escape scroll required at least five seconds, and she would surely be interrupted if she tried now.


    "Damn it!" Teresa took a crystal from her backpack and threw it on the ground with all her might.


    Boom!!


    Intense mes burst forth, engulfing dozens of square meters around her in pure molten fire!


    The young man''s face changed dramatically, and he quickly summoned the power of blood again to call forth a shield.


    Seeing this, Teresa didn''t hesitate and turned to run.


    She had used a life-saving item given by her family, but Teresa knew that members of the Blood God Cult weren''t so easily killed.


    She had to escape quickly!


    Indeed! Just as Teresa had made some distance, an angry roar came from within the mes.


    Then, the young man, wrapped in a blood-red light shield, chased after her at an incredible speed.


    "You''re dead!"


    "I will torture you in the most brutal way!"


    "To think you used up 100 of my blood forces."


    "I spent so much effort umting resources across numerous bases, and you, bitch, used them all up!"


    Philip Waldo ranted, his eyes growing more frenzied.


    Teresa showed a look of resignation.


    Indeed, she wouldn''t have had enough time to use the escape scroll directly!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the instance, inside a stctite cave.


    Sterl slowly opened his eyes, the visions of stars all around him gradually being absorbed into his body.

 Chapter 32: Class Change Completed, Becoming the Master of Stars!

    <h4>Chapter 32: ss Change Completed, Bing the Master of Stars!</h4>


    Sterl let out a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, he felt a faint sense of blood connection between himself and the Star Egg in his hand.


    A system notification rang in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have sessfully refined your Main Star.]


    [Note: The Main Star and Sub Stars units will be absolutely loyal to the Master of Stars.]


    "There wasn''t really a need to say thatst part." Sterl muttered to himself, considering the refining of Main and Sub Stars wasn''t some dark magic, but required the other party to willingly submit to Sterl.


    Otherwise, the refining would inevitably fail.


    Certainly, in the Star Egg, Sterl''s unborn petcks self-awareness.


    Sterl naturallypleted the refining process in one go.


    In fact, apart from the innate absolute loyalty of pets, the only w of the Star Lord profession is how to tame wild monsters and yers to willingly follow them. This is a big challenge!


    However, for Sterl, with an SS-tier guaranteed pet as his Main Star before his second ss change, he had no worries about the Main Star issue.


    And how would Sterl find a suitable Sub Star?


    Considering the rtively low bonus from a Sub Star, he decided it was better to have none than to settle for less, leaving the position vacant for the time being if no suitable candidate was found.


    At that moment.


    Whoosh!


    With a sh of light, Sterl left the cave, a boon gained from refining his Main Star.


    Since the pet egg was still hatching, he hadn''t received attribute or skill bonuses yet, but he shared his pet''s S-tier talent��


    [Starforce (S)]


    [Effect: Upon activating this talent, a domain of starlight is created. Within this domain, stamina and energy recovery rates are doubled, and the skill Starlight Leap can be used (unlimited teleportation within the starlight domain).


    Once the starlight domain is activated, if enemies are also within the domain, all their terrain-based buffs are nullified. Their efficiency in casting skills using external elemental forces is reduced by 100%.


    Note: Dragging an opponent stronger than oneself into the starlight domain will increase the consumption.


    This skill consumes star power, not energy or stamina.]


    Unquestionably, this was a talent with significantbat potential.


    Within the starlight domain, Sterl could teleport without limit, and with his stamina and energy recovery rate doubled, hisbat effectiveness significantly increased, along with the ability to nullify opponent''s buffs and slow their skill casting...


    It was purely abat-oriented talent.


    For Sterl at this stage, it also had the function of opening the domain to recover energy and stamina.


    This talent was very practical!


    As for the star power needed to activate Starforce, Sterl had all the necessary information in his mind after refining his Main Star.


    Simply put, as long as there were stars shining, the star power would umte automatically.


    Sterl could roughly umte enough star power to activate the starlight domain for an hour every day.


    As for his instant movement out of the cave just now, it was because, within the Starfall Wilderness dungeon, he was by default in a starlight domain.


    Sterl effectively had unrestricted ess to his newly acquired talent.


    "This is perfect forpleting the final steps of the job change ceremony with the bonus of unrestricted teleportation."


    He thought that the boost from the Main Star,pared to the transformation after an actual job change, was nothing significant!


    Sterl can''t wait anymore!


    And so...


    Along the way, nearly every monster was startled by Sterl''s barrage of me Storms,ing out enraged to attack him.


    Sterl, taking advantage of unlimited teleportation, bombarded them relentlessly!


    A variety of notifications kept ringing in his ears.


    [You have killed a level 20 monster, Star Remnant. Since you have not changed jobs yet, you cannot gain experience.]


    [You have killed...]


    ...


    [You cast the skill [me Storm]. Proficiency +2, Current proficiency: (1933/2000) Mastery.]


    [You cast...]


    ...


    asional monster drops were swiftly picked up by Sterl''s rapid teleportation.


    [You have obtained the material: Star Fragment]


    [You have obtained...]


    The number of Star Fragments required for the job change slowly umted.


    For efficiency, Sterl even stopped deliberately heading towards thest two dots symbolizing pet eggs, focusing solely on finding monsters��wherever there were more monsters, that''s where he''d go!


    Thus, he was getting closer and closer to bing the Master of Stars.


    The proficiency of me Storm kept increasing.


    [You cast... (1937/2000) Expertise.]


    [... (1939/2000)]


    ...


    [1979/2000]


    ...


    And with the death of each wild beast,


    The number of Star Fragments in Sterl''s hands also increased.


    Fifty-two.


    Fifty-three.


    ...


    Fifty-eight...


    ...


    Several hourster.


    In a giant pit on the southwest side of the dungeon.


    Sterl was breathing lightly, surrounded by the bodies of wild beasts named Star Remnants, which turned into starlight and merged back into the dungeon.


    The entire mine was covered in scorch marks from the explosions of fire.


    Sterl rubbed his forehead slightly, the crazy use of skills and the consequent energy expenditure causing him a bit of a headache now.


    "Luckily, being in the dungeon is equivalent to having an unlimited starlight domain. Otherwise, it would not be possible to farm monsters so efficiently."


    "That job change task would have taken even longer." he reflected.


    At the same time, Sterl squinted his eyes, "It''s just a pity that despite the high efficiency of monster farming under the condition of double energy recovery speed and unlimited teleportation, I can''t gain experience because I haven''t changed the ss yet."


    "What a loss!"


    "But fortunately..."


    "It''s finally about to end!"


    Sterl faced thest wild beast...


    A "gazelle" shaped Star Remnant that even showed fear.


    He revealed a bloodthirsty smile.


    The "gazelle" shivered all over, hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran!


    Sterl coldly watched until the gazelle had run several hundred meters away.


    Then he quickly chanted two sybles��


    me Storm!


    In the midst of intensebat, Sterl himself hadn''t realized that the me Storms he was casting had undergone a tremendous change from before.


    Originally, this move could only target a specific direction, creating a hurricane-like vortex of mes,bining control and killing power.


    But this time, Sterlpressed the mes into a wind bullet in the form of a fierce wind. Then��


    It burst forth!


    He created a me spear, piercing through!


    With the fire serpent''s breath, it pierced through the body of the gazelle-shaped beast like a sharp sword, followed by a fierce fire that burst into terrifying high temperatures from within the creature!


    In an instant, [me Storm��Modified] turned thest beast on the battlefield to ashes.


    At the same time, Sterl was somewhat surprised to hear a system notification by his ear.


    [You have cast the skill [me Storm]. Proficiency +11, current proficiency: (2000/2000) Mastery.] (Excess proficiency does not count)


    [You have sessfully understood another way to use the skill me Storm through your own insights, raising your skill proficiency to the level of Mastery.]


    Sterl was slightly stunned, "I reached mastery level in me Storm without using the power of blood."


    By the way, this is a green-quality skill!


    Sterl had been worried that he wasn''t qualified to be a yer. He had practiced the basic steps for nearly more than 10 years without breaking through to mastery.


    He thought his talent was inadequate and that he needed the power of blood to have a mastery-level skill, thereby meeting the requirements for the job change ceremony.


    Sterl didn''t expect that he would break through the proficiency level of me Storm on his own.


    "Maybe, I''m a genius after all?" Sterl joked.


    However, his mind wasn''t on the skill proficiency at all, but rather he hurried forward to pick up the light orb dropped by thest beast.


    Several notifications sounded in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have obtained the material: Star Fragment]


    [You have met the condition for the job change ceremony: Collect 60 Star Fragments.]


    [You havepleted all the prerequisites for the job change ceremony: Master of Stars.]


    [The inauguration ceremony for Master of Stars is now open: Relevant information has been issued.]


    [Warning: The inauguration ceremony is irreversible. Please choose carefully!]


    At this moment, Sterl felt a surge of information flooding into his mind, intuitively understanding how to inaugurate as the Master of Stars.


    As for the system''s warning, he naturally chose to ignore it.


    With this S-ss job, which has high potential for future growth, what was there to hesitate about?


    He sat down cross-legged right in the pit.


    Then, Sterl took out 60 Star Fragments, cing them in his palm.


    He closed his eyes, conjured an image of the gxy, and instantly the power from the Star Fragments was drawn out, surging into his body!

 Chapter 33: Class Change Completed

    <h4>Chapter 33: ss Change Completed</h4>


    Sterl closed his eyes, quietly sensing the surge of energy within his body.


    Around him, the energy of the gxy swirled.


    He even felt the very essence of his life changing...


    And then...


    Sterl vaguely saw two versions of himself: one was sitting cross-legged in the instance of the Fallen Star Wilderness, and the other was lying in a rudimentary gaming pod in a basement lit by pale blue light.


    Both versions of himself were emitting dazzling light at the same time!


    Moreover, Sterl felt his physical body rapidly growing, and his soul and mental power also strengthening quickly...


    At this moment, he observed a golden orb within his sea of consciousness, symbolizing the divine talent [Dimensional Visitor] power.


    Sterl had a feeling that during the inauguration ceremony, the capacity of his body and soul had greatly increased, and the [Dimensional Visitor] talent could now be upgraded.


    However, Sterl''s evolution points had not yet recovered, preventing him from upgrading it.


    Time flew by...


    Sterl was somewhat surprised to find that, whereas the awakening of a profession for most yers would take only an hour or two, he remained sitting in the mine.


    The power of the stars from the entire instance gradually flowed into his body, creating an incredibly spectacr scene!


    From a distance, those are the stars in the sky, falling like raindrops towards the same spot.


    Time flew by...


    Soon, Sterl''s evolution time cooldown wasplete. In a somewhat blurry state of consciousness, he quickly upgraded the [Dimensional Visitor] divine talent.


    After all, after the ss change, this talent would provide him with new abilities for the first time. If he didn''t upgrade now and the quality of the abilities providedter was inferior, wouldn''t that be a huge loss?


    Then, he vaguely sensed in his sea of consciousness that the next upgrade for this divine talent would require him toplete his second ss change.


    Sterl was satisfied and continued to close his eyes, feeling the transformation brought by the power of the stars.


    Now, it was not only his body and soul that were nourished, but the green orb symbolizing me Storm in his sea of consciousness was also filled with the power of the stars, gradually showing a transparent form.


    Afterward, Sterl remained in a dazed state until a system notification sounded in his ears��


    [Instance countdown: 23:23:59.]


    [Entering the final phase, all units holding pet eggs will be marked on the map.]


    On Sterl''s map, a total of three pale blue points lit up��one representing himself, one representing the pet egg guarded by the boss, both stationary.


    However, thest point was moving across the map at an extremely fast speed, rapidly approaching the point representing Sterl.


    "Teresa, don''t go!"


    "I''ll treat you right!"


    "Damn! Bitch! Where the hell are you going?" Philip, still in his mad frenzy, had his originally handsome face grotesquely twisted.


    This was because he realized that while he was chasing Teresa, she suddenly spotted a beam of starlight appearing in the instance and ran towards it with all her might!


    This instantly put Philip on high alert. Through the system''s prompt, he knew that location was exactly where a pet egg holder was.


    And the other stationary light point was the pet egg guarded by the boss.


    Philip figured that the other moving light point, symbolizing a pet egg taken by a yer, must be the work of someone from his own Blood God Sect!


    Moreover, the fact that the person had offerings that could spy on him suggested that this person might hold a higher position within the sect and possess greater strength than himself!


    He dared not seek trouble with such a formidable opponent.


    So, Philip''s n changed the moment he saw Teresa... to kill this level 59 powerhouse to nourish the pet egg, then to keep circling in the instance.


    Waiting for the fellow Blood God Sect member to fail in capturing him, leaving them no choice but to break the pet egg guarded by the boss... By then, his own pet egg, having absorbed the life force of a level 59 yer, could advance to grade A first.


    Then, Philip could just use an escape scroll to get away, and the grade A pet egg would be his!


    As for killing that high-ranking member of the Blood God Sect?? To slightly improve the quality of the grade A pet egg?


    Philip thought it unnecessary!


    Back in Base 157, he lived cautiously, always behaving and never revealed his membership in the Blood God Sect, all thanks to being careful and not greedy!


    Slightly improving a grade A pet egg wouldn''t cause a qualitative change, better to safely secure the bag.


    But now, as Teresa headed towards the location of that beam of starlight, Philip found himself getting closer to the high-ranking member of the sect!


    He didn''t dare to just turn around and leave because missing out on this level 59 yer, he would still have to confront that high-ranking member.


    Philip could only hope to kill Teresa before encountering the high-ranking member of the Blood God Sect, thus his resentment grew even stronger!


    However, things did not go as nned.


    Philip, furious, released a wave of blood magic power shockwaves, transforming them into flying des.


    But Teresa was prepared, she took out a jade stone and crushed it.


    Instantly, a dazzling shield of light appeared around her, sessfully blocking the attack!


    The two of them continued their chase.


    Philip, despite the pain, kept releasing rays transformed from his bloody power, but Teresa, sparing no expense in throwing out various life-saving items, managed to make her way to the giant column of starlight!


    When both arrived at the pit where the column of starlight was, they simultaneously saw the figure slowly rising from the starlight.


    Then, both were stunned!


    Because that person... they knew him!


    Without hesitation, Teresa threw out a scroll, "Use this escape scroll, hurry!"


    Ahead was��Sterl, the target Teresa sought to rescue, her idea being, save whoever she can!


    Meanwhile, Philip took out a strange crystal and crushed it, a blood-red grid forming a cage that trapped all three yers simultaneously!


    Heughed wildly.


    "Well! Well! Well! I didn''t expect my fellow sect member wouldn''te to collect the pet egg!"


    "And I ended up running into you!"


    Philip recognized the yer before him.


    When Miste and the others reported to the higher base about discovering a gifted young man,


    As the son of the leader of Base 157, Philip used his authority to request the lower base to allow Sterl into the instance, intending to use him as nourishment.


    yers with better talents provide more life force!


    ...


    At this moment, within the blood-red prison.


    "We''re done for! Looks like we''re all going to die here!" Teresa said despairingly. After throwing the scroll, she didn''t even spare Sterl another nc. After all, he was just a yer not even level 20, what could he do?


    Philip also ignored Sterl, his tone cold, "Well, at least I''ll get a few more streams of blood power."


    He appeared ready to kill Teresa and refine Sterl alive with the bloody offering.


    In his eyes, Sterl was not worth mentioning!


    "Die!"


    A chill gleamed in Philip''s eyes as he unleashed his professional skill.


    [Blood Net]!


    However, as Teresa was about to dodge, she realized that she wasn''t the target of this attack.


    The eerie-faced young man was extremely cautious. He had earlier noticed a beam of starlight shimmering in the mine.


    Even though he considered Sterl an ant posing no threat to him.


    With Teresa already within his grasp, he decided to eliminate the potentially unpredictable gifted young man first!


    " what a pity." Teresa sighed.


    She hadn''t expected that the rescue target she had just met a few seconds ago would die so miserably on the spot!


    Had she not entered the instance, maybe he could have lived a bit longer, though only a bit.


    Teresa knew that Philip would surely ughter all other yers in the instance. Otherwise, his identity as a member of the Blood God Sect could be exposed.


    The level 59 yer only had onement for Sterl, "What a pity."


    If Philip had chosen to attack her first, Teresa wouldn''t mind if Sterl used the time while she was dying to escape using the escape scroll.


    But now, Sterl''s death was certain.


    Teresa felt no turmoil in her heart. After all, he was just an unfamiliar passerby.


    However, the eerie-faced young manunching the attack was somewhat puzzled...


    Something was off!


    Very off!


    This so-called genius yer Sterl has such good mental fortitude?


    Facing certain death, he just slightly frowned.


    As if he found it all to be very troublesome, very unwilling.


    What the hell??


    Why isn''t he afraid at all?

 Chapter 34 A Level 20 Standing Firm Against a Level 50?

    34 A Level 20 Standing Firm Against a Level 50?


    Sterl was dumbfounded.


    He hadn''t expected that right after his ss change, a level 50 enemy would smash into his face!


    Due to the level gap, the only information he could see was as follows.


    [yer: Philip Waldo]


    [Level: 50]


    [ss: Blood God Priest (Grade C)]


    [Attributes: ???]


    [Talents: ???]


    [Skills: ???]


    And another yer standing nearby, looking at him with a face full of regret as if she was looking at a dead man, was a female yer. The detection result for her was��


    [???]


    [???]


    [???]


    This female yer seemed to be of an even higher level, leaving Sterl unable to detect anything about her.


    "What, I''m fighting a level 50?"


    "Can I win??" Sterl logically thought that, being just a level 20 yer who had just changed sses, fighting a level 50 enemy seemed like a huge disadvantage.


    But somehow, perhaps sensing some mysterious and profound aura, he felt no pressure at all.


    Faced with the blockade of the Bloody Trap, Sterl easily evaded it with just one teleportation by leveraging the effects of unlimited ess to the Starry Domain in the dungeon


    This scene made the other two yers present slightly startled.


    "True to being a genius yer... such a practical skill." Teresa muttered, unable to help butment, feeling it was a pity.


    It would be great if such a talent could survive!


    Philip, however, just smirked: "Well, Well, Well��The more you struggle, the happier I get!"


    He had been scared into a panic by that "high-ranking member of the Blood God Sect," feeling extremely frustrated and violent. Facing Sterl, a mere ant to him, Philip only wanted to toy with him and torment him!


    The youth with an eerie appearance once again burst forth,unching an attack!


    A professional skill from the Blood God Priest��[Hatred Spike].


    Philip''s palm opened in a grasping motion, then suddenly made a crushing gesture, as fresh red des burst forth from the ground!


    Like blooming flowers scattering everywhere!


    As soon as Sterl is about to be pricked into a sieve...


    At the same time, Philip personally joined the fray, his hand wielding a long spear made of blood, thrusting straight at Sterl''s head!


    The youth''s face flushed with excitement, his whole body trembling - He had blocked all possible escape routes for Sterl.


    Even if Sterl could teleport, dodging the[Hatred Spike]... Philip''s own attack was inescapable!


    At this moment, Teresa, without hesitation, released her skill [Thunderous Break]!


    Instantly, a dazzling bolt of lightning was summoned by her.


    "Take this!"


    Apanied by Teresa''s shout, the lightning bolt fiercely struck Philip''s blood-red barrier.


    A rescue?


    Impossible.


    For Teresa, her own life was the priority.


    She didn''t mind using her own death in exchange for Sterl''s escape. That was simply because having one more person die was meaningless.


    But now, for some reason, this newbie yer had such a strong survival ability. It seemed he could hold Philip Waldo off.


    Naturally, Teresa wanted to find a way to survive!


    As for Sterl, Teresa had already considered him as good as dead!


    This genius neer, even if he possessed the teleportation skill, and giving him the benefit of the doubt, could release multiple teleports... he ultimately couldn''t teleport indefinitely.


    Facing a level 50 Blood God Priest, the most Sterl could do was to hang on for a little while longer.


    In Teresa''s view, the greatest respect she could show this neer yer was to make good use of the time he had bought with his life!


    The skill worked!


    The dazzling lightning indeed tore a hole in the blood-red barrier. But to Teresa''s despair, following a stream of bloody light automatically emanating from the ring-shaped sacrificial offering on Philip...


    The barrier restored itself to its original state.


    Teresa still couldn''t escape.


    "How could this be..."


    "It''s over..." Instantly, despair filled the eyes of the female yer.


    She truly was out of options, having used up almost all her life-saving items to reach the pit, only to find it empty.


    And now, the hope of using the time Sterl had bought with his life to escape was also gone.


    Even with her strong will, Teresa could only smile wryly and resignedly.


    She knew that today, she was destined to die here...


    And even before her death, she would be tormented by Philip.


    With a resigned look, Teresa turned towards Sterl and managed a bittersweet smile, "Kid, I couldn''t rescue you from the dungeon. So let''s die together."


    Teresa gathered the lightning in her hand, aiming it at herself.


    She had decided, the moment Sterl died would be when she took her own life.


    However...


    Just as Teresa turned her head back, she heard an infuriated roar.


    "You bastard!! How dare you!!"


    It was Philip''s shout.


    But what Teresa saw was unbelievable.


    The spikes made of strange bloody energy were easily dodged by Sterl with a teleport.


    This, Teresa was not surprised by. At most, she would remark on the genius of this neer yer, being able to consecutively use such a rare skill. If Sterl wasn''t doomed to fall today, his future would be boundless.


    Then what Teresa saw was��


    After easilypleting his dodge, Sterl did not flee in disarray. Instead, he swung his right hand, effortlessly condensing a de of light.


    Sterl''s body shone with an incredibly intense light, unleashing a sh!


    The blood-red spear created by the level 50 Blood God Priest shed with the de of light. In less than three seconds, a cracking sound was heard!


    Then��


    ng!


    A crisp sound.


    Philip Waldo showed a look of astonishment. He didn''t even have time to react before the glowing de wounded his right shoulder de, and he fell clumsily to the ground, screaming.


    "Fuck!!!"


    Philip clutched his wound, disbelief written all over his face, "How is this possible? What precious item did you use?"


    "Damn it! Damn it! After I kill you, if it drops, it should be mine!"


    "You''re using my item against me!"


    "Youson of bitch!"


    He screamed hysterically.


    But Teresa, witnessing this scene, was even more incredulous!


    Using an item?


    She really couldn''t see it!


    Just then, Sterl summoning the de of light was entirely an act of using a skill!


    And for that reason, Teresa waspletely dumbfounded.


    A yer of at most level 20, casually using a skill, could contend with a level 50, Grade C ss character?


    What kind of joke was that!


    Since when did [Transcendence], this game, be so unbnced?


    After Philip Waldo''s rant, he gradually realized that Sterl hadn''t seemed to use any items just now. His eyes shifted, sensing something was amiss!


    Both Teresa and Philip Waldo released their detection skills at the same time.


    [Detection Spell]


    [Eye of the Blood God]


    Due to the vast level difference, they received detailed information about Sterl.


    [yer: Sterl]


    [Level: 20]


    [ss: Starlight Mage (C-ss)]


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 30


    Strength: 30


    Agility: 30 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Spirit: 30]


    [Talent: Attribute Amplification (A): Permanently increases all attributes by 20 points.]


    Teresa: "???"


    Philip Waldo: "???"


    After reviewing these attributes, both were utterly baffled.


    Are you kidding me?


    After the detection, they realized something��the beam of starlight earlier must have been the effect of Sterl''s ss change.


    This neer was now a professional.


    But these attributes... something wasn''t right.


    Although a C-ss profession plus an A-ss talent proved that Sterl was indeed a genius yer...


    With just these attributes, such an A-ss talent, and a seemingly useless skill...


    You managed to go head-to-head with a level 50 Blood God Priest and win??


    Whoever believes that must be out of their mind!!


    Both Teresa and Philip were intelligent enough to realize something immediately!


    Sterl''s attribute panel was disguised!


    This kid was actually very strong!!


    Instantly, Philip Waldo''s expression turned cautious... no longer the crazed demeanor from before.


    His thoughts raced, quickly forming a n.


    No matter how much Sterl had disguised, unless he had used a special item like himself, the fact that he could enter the dungeon meant this genius yer was at most level 19 before.


    Now, Sterl had just leveled up andpleted his ss change within the dungeon.


    But even if the panel was disguised, and Sterl actually gained a massive opportunity, boosting his strength significantly after the ss change, he couldn''t possibly truly surpass a level 50, C-ss profession!


    Thinking this, Philip Waldo decided...


    He would go all out!


    He would kill Teresa, whosebat strength he had already gauged, and then slowly deal with this genius yer.


    Blood God Priest ss skill��


    [Soul Devour]!


    This was a new skill Philip Waldo learned upon reaching level 50, a blue-quality skill! Theoretically, it was a skill that yers over level 60 could learn!


    But with the blessing of the Duke of Blood, he had obtained this powerful move ahead of time!

 Chapter 35 Terrifying Bonuses!!

    Chapter 35 Terrifying Bonuses!!


    With an insanely crazed expression, Philip Waldo was surrounded by bizarre ethereal shadowsposed of purplish-gray and blood-red.


    These spirits let out piercing shrieks, charging towards where Teresa was located. Merely gazing at these spectral figures was enough to send shivers down one''s spine and shock one''s soul!


    Teresa was in a particrly dire situation. She had just unleashed a powerful move in an attempt to break through the bloody barrier but failed, leaving her drained. Then, she was startled by Sterl''s terrifyingbat power, reacting a split second too slow.


    And it was this split second that sealed her defeat!


    Despite Teresa also being a C-ss profession, the [Thunder Mage], she was significantly outmatched in skill strengthpared to the god-blessed [Blood God Priest], not to mention being chased down all this while.


    Teresa was in a terrible state...


    Thus, she could only manage to release a few bolts of lightning. Although they seemed impressive and shattered a few spectral spirits, more of them simply overwhelmed Teresa!


    The female yer showed a look of despair as her vision waspletely overtaken by the spirits��


    She saw Sterl.


    The genius yer who had easily withstood Philip''s attacks and killing moves, made his move!


    "Argh!!!" Teresa let out a violent scream! Being devoured by countless spirits felt like being dismembered, instantly sliced by a thousand des.


    Even the most resilient of wills couldn''t bear it!


    Teresa was severely injured in an instant, her protective gear shattered, her body bloodied and torn with wounds so deep they revealed bone. It was only the strong vitality of a level 59 yer that kept her clinging to life.


    Sterl, on the other hand, simply brushed off his clothes, dusting off the dirt.


    Some of the lightning bolts Teresa had unleashed had actually headed his way... Although Sterl dodged in time, the dust kicked up by the lightning strikes dirtied his clothes.


    He certainly wouldn''t lift a finger to help the female yer who came to his rescue.


    The reason was simple...


    After the other two yers initiated their detection, Sterl knew all too well.


    Because he heard the system''s prompts��


    [Your [Visage of Void] has endured detection from yers more than 30 levels above you]


    [Your...]


    [[Visage of Void]''s durability has decreased to 60%]


    Damn!


    My equipment, forged with three strands of the Blood Essence, had been squandered by you so much??


    Sterl felt a twinge of pain, feeling it was a loss!


    Because his disguise was meaningless to the two in front of him, his disy ofbat power was too outrageous! He had taken a hit from a level 50 yer head-on and even managed to strike back.


    The durability of [Visage of Void] was simply wasted. The two yers nearby would never believe the results of their detection.


    Of course, aside from feeling the pinch, Sterl understood...


    The two yers in front of him must die!


    Otherwise, they would definitely expose his secrets. The old saying goes, being one or two steps ahead makes you a genius, and you''d be specially nurtured by the human race.


    Being far too ahead, Sterl might also receive nurturing. But it''s more likely that people would suspect Sterl of harboring some massive fortune, and they would attempt to see if this fortune could be taken from him!


    Now, with an S-ss profession and a golden finger for adding points, systematically developing his abilities would undoubtedly make him a formidable power, necessitating the elimination of any risk of exposure!


    The sight of the bizarre-faced youth attacking the female yer almost made Sterlugh out loud. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Dog eat dog!


    The best oue would be both sides inflicting heavy damage on each other!


    It''s just a pity...


    Sterl hadn''t expected the female yer to be so useless, taken down by the bizarre-faced youth in one strike, and looking close to death.


    "Well, that''s fine. That skill she used looked pretty powerful."


    "At least it will make that bizarre-faced youth expend some energy." Sterl mused silently.


    At the same time...


    "This unknown female yer, I''ll bury you and erect a tombstone for youter." Sterl silently resolved. He wasn''tpletely devoid of morals, after all. The woman had previously thrown him an escape scroll, hoping Sterl could get away.


    Sterl was quite grateful for this, feeling some fondness for the female yer.


    But Sterl couldn''t risk exposing his own secrets for this reason.


    Meanwhile...


    The battle continued, and although the female yer seemed on herst breath, she barely managed to stand up again, gathering lightning.


    Seeing that Sterl had no intention of running away, Philip showed a bloodthirsty smile towards Teresa: "Yes, just like that, my dear. You look absolutely beautiful now!"


    "Let me adorn you further!"


    Laughing crazily, the youth gathered blood into a small knife and rushed forward!


    This time, he wasn''t in a rush to kill Teresa, but leisurely cut off pieces of Teresa''s flesh, one slice at a time!


    And the female yer''s face was filled with despair. But at such a moment, she struggled to survive with all her might.


    She kept releasing skills imbued with lightning, but each time her opponent easily broke them!


    The bloody des bit by bit turned the originally beautiful Teresa into a true "beauty of bones."


    Philip Waldo''s expression became increasingly excited, as he saw Teresa had no power to resist.


    Even if a fellow member of his Blood God Sect found him now...


    Philip could instantly end his toying with his prey, kill Teresa, and use an item to leave the dungeon!


    But for now, he wanted to enjoy himself a bit more.


    On the other side, seeing the two level 50+ powerhouses still entangled,


    Sterl wasn''t in a hurry to join the fight but quickly went through the benefits of his ss change.


    He had justpleted his ss change when he was attacked by that Blood God Priest, only managing to instinctively use a new skill.


    Now, he could carefully review the changes after the ss change...


    Sterl began to scroll through the system''s prompt records.


    [You have sessfully assumed the profession: Master of Stars]


    [Your attribute bonuses have changed. The attribute category for Master of Stars is: Bnced.]


    [Starting from level 20, with every level-up, you gain +2 to all attributes and 2.5 free attribute points. The points you allocate to any attribute will have their effect doubled.]


    [As a result of the above effects, your Spirit attribute has increased: 25��30.] (Previously added five points)


    Sterl was immediately met with a huge surprise upon reading!


    The attribute bonuses for Master of Stars are quite powerful!


    Based on what Sterl learned in his general education sses...


    Typically, if you change to the lowest F-ss profession, the increase in attributes per level and the bonus from free attribute points after bing a professional remain the same as before the ss change, making the change nearly pointless.


    For an E-ss profession, there would be a single attribute that increases by 1.2 points per level, and putting free attribute points on this attribute would also have a 1.2x effect.


    Moreover, depending on the profession, the specific attribute that gets enhanced varies, such as Strength or Constitution for warriors, and Spirit for mages, Agility for assassin-type professions.


    By the time you get to D-ss professions, the strength isn''t much to speak of. About one attribute, each level-up and bonus from adding points be 1.3x.


    As for C-ss professions, they are already quite rare, and yers who manage to change to these professions experience a surge inbat power.


    Having two attributes increase by 1.5 points per level, and a 1.5x increase when allocating points, plus, with C-ss professions, the concept of exclusive skills emerges.


    It can be said that changing to a C-ss profession is a groundbreaking opportunity among the people of Earth.


    This was also one of the key reasons Philip Waldo joined the Blood God Sect.


    Although his father was a leader of a superior base, only those children with the finest aptitude could persuade the leader to spare no expense in securing them a C-ss profession qualification.


    Philip Waldo couldn''t hope for such treatment.


    He joined the Blood God Sect with the aim of obtaining a C-ss profession��the Blood God Priest.


    After bing a Blood God Priest, it wasn''t an exaggeration to say Philip had defied fate.


    D-ss professionals, those who can reach the second transformation are rare, and even among their peers, they are just cannon fodder.


    Among C-ss professionals, many reach the third transformation, and there are records of advancement to legend.


    As for professions above C-ss, Sterl wasn''t clear on the specifics.


    But anyway, his S-ss Master of Stars profession was truly extravagant!


    Each level-up grants +2 to all attributes!


    And gaining 2.5 free attribute points, with each point allocated to any attribute having a doubled effect.


    That means... theoretically, Sterl gains thirteen attributes per level! Compared to C-ss professionals, one level for him is worth two levels for them!


    A level 50 Blood God Priest, purely in terms of base attributes, would only be as strong as Sterl at level 35.


    Isn''t that exaggerated??


    Afterward, Sterl continued to read the system prompts.


    [You have acquired the profession trait: Child of the Stars]


    [Child of the Stars: Under the illumination of the stars, your rate of injury recovery increases by 300%, and all attributes increase by twenty points.]


    [Your me Storm has been transformed into the blue-quality skill zing Starfire (0/30000) at the mastery level.]


    [You have unlocked the skill tree for the Master of Stars profession: You have acquired the initial skill��Green-quality skill de of the Stars.]

 Chapter 36 The Eye of the Stars - Reward from a Dimensional Visitor

    Chapter 36 The Eye of the Stars - Reward from a Dimensional Visitor


    This section made Sterl pause in surprise...


    He had never heard of something called upational traits before!


    He could only guess that perhaps it was a characteristic of professions of at least B-level or above?


    After all, Sterl was only familiar with the circumstances of C-level professions.


    As for the trait of the Star Child itself, it was actually quite powerful, enhancing all attributes by 20 points under the illumination of the stars... This was equivalent to a boost of about seven levels after Sterl''s sschange.


    And the total speed of injury recovery was quadrupled. Although it wasn''t much of an advantage inbat, the condition of being under the stars'' glow was easy to meet, generally requiring only the environment to be at night.


    Thus, Sterl''s survival in the wilderness would be extremely favorable.


    Every night, he could quickly recover from the hidden injuries sustained during the day''s battles.


    If he could acquire some skills to heal injuries in the future, the elerated recovery effect of being a Star Child would be even stronger!


    As for the two new skills Sterl acquired, one was a blue-quality skill transformed from the me storm - "Phosphorus Fire".


    It''s worth noting that blue-quality skills are usually only learnable by yers above level sixty-one... The power of such skills is self-evident!


    Moreover, the special effects attached to Phosphorus Fire were also exceptionally powerful.


    [Phosphorus Fire: Unleashes mes descended from the Phosphorus, attacking in three forms:


    Storm Form, adding absorption and binding effects.


    Impact Form, increasing the maximum attack range and armor-piercing effects.


    Falling Star Form, consumes double energy, invokes the power of Phosphorus, causing double damage, doubling the kill range, and adding armor-piercing and binding effects. This form requires the condition of being under the stars'' glow.]


    The first two forms were reflections of Sterl''s research oues on the me storm, offering versatile output methods, both close and far, with control and defense reduction, extremely practical!


    Thest form, under the stars'' glow, maximized the output capability and functionality of this move!


    In Sterl''s view, the Falling Star Form of Phosphorus Fire could perhaps beparable to the legendary purple-quality moves!


    The reason for "perhaps" is because Sterl, this "newbie", had no idea what a purple-quality move was really like...


    Another skill, [Star de], though only of green quality, was quite extraordinary as the starting point of the master of stars skill tree.


    [Star de: Each time the yer''s strength reaches a major milestone, the quality of this skill increases by one grade.


    Upon activation, it condenses the power of the stars to create weapons of any shape.


    The lethality of the weapon is determined by the yer''s own attributes��


    Vitality enhances the weapon''s durability, strength its sharpness, agility its additional attack speed, and spirit its additional damage.


    Under the stars'' glow, it can consume double energy to double the enhancement of any of the four aforementioned attributes, and Star de provides an effect of adding 10 points to all attributes.]


    After reading through, Sterl finally understood the effect of this Star de...


    In short, the stronger the yer, the more powerful this skill bes!


    Initially, this skill is of green quality after the sschange, but after Sterl''s second sschange, it would turn into blue quality...


    And upon the third sschange, [Star de] would be of purple quality, showcasing its growth potential!


    Under the illumination of countless stars, his abilities had dramatically increased.


    "This is insanely powerful!"


    By now, Sterl had nearly sorted through all the gains from his ss transition.


    Without any exaggeration, he had undergone aplete transformation!


    Hisbat power had increased manifold!


    Furthermore...


    While others who became the Master of Stars only experienced a significant increase inbat power under the starlight, bing mere S-tier professionals on ordinary days,


    Sterl, by utilizing the [Main Star] to share his pet''s talent, could unfold the star domain at any moment.


    Within this star domain, Sterl was deemed to be under the glow of the stars!


    In other words, he could activate all the enhancements of the Master of Stars at any time!


    ...


    He then discovered some scattered pieces of information.


    Firstly, regarding the skill tree for the Master of Stars profession, the initial skill is Star de. After reaching level 35, Sterl could choose one of the two new skills for free learning, while acquiring the other would requirepleting a ritual and gathering materials.


    Additionally, there was��


    [Your talent: Dimensional Visitor (Enhanced) has been activated.]


    [Drawing rewards.]


    [You have received the equipment: Eye of the Stars]


    [Due to the effect of your talent: Dimensional Visitor (Enhanced), you have received an additional reward orb (miniature).]


    [You have gained 4 free attribute points]


    Previously, during his ss transition, Sterl, after enhancing Dimensional Visitor, received Dimensional Visitor (Enhanced), which resulted in him getting an additional miniature reward orb after each reward draw.


    Now that Sterl hadpleted his ss transition, he immediately received two rewards.


    One was the equipment��


    [Eye of the Stars]


    [Type: Other-Dimensional Artifact (Unique), Eye]


    [Effect: Upon equipping, +30 to mental attribute. You can activate [Astrological Observation: For units with a mental attribute not exceeding yours by 30 points, you can obtainplete information about them. When used on monsters, you can obtain a list of potential loot.]]


    "A detection skill! And 30 points to mental attribute!" Sterl was thrilled, and his excitement intensified after examining the details of the Eye of the Stars.


    The [Eye of the Stars] not only boosts the mental attribute by 30 points but also its detection effect transcends level differences. As long as the opponent''s mental attribute does not exceed his own by more than 30 points, he could acquireplete information about them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Incredibly practical!


    Since many professions do not prioritize mental attributes, yers of those sses might be at level seventy or eighty and still be fully revealed by Sterl''s astrological observation...


    The capability to inspect a monster''s potential loot list was a huge boon!


    Sterl was well aware of howplex [Transcendence], this game, was. Many hidden opportunities could remain undiscovered for years.


    He had heard that in the Divine Mountain Empire, there was a dungeon suitable for level 10 yers that concealed an S-tier profession ss change item. An ancestor of humankind on Earth had, by a stroke of luck and a betrayal by his peers, been left injured for 7 days and 7 nights, triggering a hidden condition that allowed him to obtain the ss change item to be an S-tier professional, ultimately leading to his rise to power!


    Normally, no one would think of staying in a dungeon for so long, would they? Especially since most level 10 dungeons don''t offer such opportunities!


    In theory, unless by coincidence, the fortunes within this dungeon might never be discovered.


    Simrly, in the [Transcendence], there are often many special monsters. They are very powerful, yet their defeat yields little reward, or they are extremely rare and valuable, hard to find, and killing them grants no reward at all.


    However, these monsters have a very low chance of dropping hidden items, which could allow the finder to learn new skills, get a chance to change sses, or acquire precious equipment...


    Therefore, Sterl''s "Eyes of the Stars" significantly increases his chances of uncovering numerous additional opportunities.


    He could directly see whether those seemingly special monsters had any hidden treasures in their loot list.


    How could he not be thrilled?


    As for the reward from another dimensional visitor, it was straightforward: four free attribute points. For Sterl, who could double the efficiency of any attribute point added, this was very practical.


    ...


    At this moment,


    After tallying his gains, Sterl frowned upon discovering��


    No way, that female yer was just too weak,pletely dominated by another, somewhat twisted young man, unable to resist at all.


    Instantly, Sterl knew he couldn''t wait any longer. It was imperative to act now...


    Otherwise, the uing situation was destined to be a one-on-one battle between himself and that young man!


    Thus, he went full throttle!


    Previously, when Sterl was shing with the Blood God Priest, he simply activated "Descent of the Heavenly God" and passively activated "Child of the Stars," managing to withstand the opponent''s onught.


    And now...


    Firstly, evolution!


    For the first 20 levels, there were twenty free attribute points, and Sterl had previously added 5 points to Spirit.


    Now, Sterl evenly distributed the remaining 15 points among the other three attributes, then added the 4 attribute points given by the dimensional visitor to each attribute, one point each.


    Next, he equipped the "Eyes of the Stars" and ced the Dark Curved de in his off-hand. Sterl, holding his breath and focusing, expended double the energy to create a brand new Star de��a dagger!


    Finally...


    "Descent of the Heavenly God," activated!


    Sterl''s vision was filled with brilliant golden light, and a terrifying aura spread out in all directions!


    Even Philip Waldo, indulging in his sadistic desires, had to halt his actions and look back in horror!


    What...


    What is this?


    Meanwhile, Teresa, already with a blurred consciousness and a nk mind,


    She slightly squinted, seeing a young man in front of her, draped in the clear blue power of the stars and an inexplicably oppressive, brilliant golden radiance!


    The light was so magnificent, it pierced the heavens and the earth!

 Chapter 37 A Level 50 C-Class Profession? Trash!

    Chapter 37 A Level 50 C-ss Profession? Trash!


    Teresa was witnessing everything before her eyes.


    At this moment, the radiance emanating from Sterl, to this female yer, was quite simr to...


    Quite simr to...


    The time when she was being pursued and saw that beam of starlight!


    Her consciousness was already muddled. She could only instinctually prostrate on the ground, adopting a posture of worship... as if she was earnestly waiting for salvation!


    Meanwhile, Philip Waldo''s expression was extremely ugly!


    First, he seemed to have misjudged the strength of this newly transitioned ss. Just by the aura alone, he should have prioritized dealing with him!


    Second, the bigger themotion, the more likely it would attract his colleague from the Blood God Sect!


    "Damn it!!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Without hesitation, Philip Waldo lunged at Sterl!


    [Soul Devourer]!


    He gathered his strength for his big move again, hoping to take down his enemy in one fell swoop.


    Philip knew Teresa inside out and naturally wanted to toy with her some more... but regarding this new ss transitioner, he instinctively felt uneasy.


    Philip would rather use his big move to crush the opponent into dust than take any more risks!


    In an instant, countless dark grey and crimson spirits burst forth like a fountain,pletely surrounding Sterl, even the radiant light bursting from Sterl was instantly obscured!


    The wailing and howling of the evil spirits enveloped the surroundings.


    Turning this pit into a hell on earth.


    "Go to hell! Hahaha!"


    "Trash! The strong should brutally oppress the weak!" Philip Waldo was still insanely deranged. Meanwhile, Teresa, who had fallen behind, with the light column triggered by Sterl being obscured, this female yer''s consciousness blurred once more.


    Hopelessness filled her eyes... Even she herself, going all out, struggles to withstand such a powerful move.How could a mere newly transitioned professional possibly contend?


    At this moment, Teresa temporarily exited the fight, her consciousness slightly clearing.


    She was now in a severely injured state, and although her backpack even contained many healing items, she had no intention of using them. Instead, after calming down, her will to survive dimmed bit by bit.


    Teresa knew that continuing to resist would only mean being further tortured by Philip Waldo, so she made a decision!


    Electric light shed in her hand, aiming at her temple.


    Swoosh!!!


    The light shone!


    But it wasn''t Teresa sessfullymitting suicide, in fact... her action of gathering lightning was interrupted by a sudden fright.


    The sea of evil spirits released by Philip Waldo was easily torn apart by Sterl!


    Those countless roaring, ferocious spirits melted away as quickly as snow under sunlight!


    In an instant, all three present were dumbfounded!


    Philip Waldo couldn''t even maintain his manic demeanor anymore.


    Previously, when he directly confronted Sterl without using any skills, merely gathering his bloody energy, and lost half a move, he still thought the opponent had just obtained a very powerful skill after the ss transition...


    But now... his ultimate move was easily broken by the opponent???


    Teresa was also in a daze, her consciousness somewhat blurred, but the remaining rationality still made this female yer feel... Was she experiencing a mistake in consciousness at the brink of death??


    Was this what people refer to as "ast rally" or "a final burst of energy before death?"


    Was her brain, in the final moments of life, fabricating a scene where Philip Waldo was about to be defeated?


    In any case, Teresa absolutely refused to believe that what was happening before her eyes was real.


    On the other hand.


    Sterl was surprised. He hadn''t expected...


    The fight to go so smoothly?


    The opponent clearly used a powerful skill, and he had just casually tried the storm mode of his newly acquired blue-quality skill [Flickering Fire of Enchantment]...


    And as a result, he easily shattered that sea of evil spirits??


    Sterl was a bit dumbfounded. He activated [Astrological Detection], and this time, the detailed attributes of the Blood God Priest were revealed.


    [yer Philip Waldo]


    ...


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 86+40


    Strength: 61+20


    Dexterity: 59+15


    Spirit: 89+35](The numbers after the plus sign are the total additional attributes from various pieces of equipment)


    [Skills:


    Soul Devourer (Blue): ...


    Bloody Web (Green): ...


    Spike of Hatred (Green): ...]


    [Talent: Death Resistance (D-ss) Immune to fatal damage for 0.2s]


    Sterl made a preliminary estimation. Philip Waldo''s Blood God Priest''s boosted attributes should be constitution and spirit, which were the highest, while he also added some points to strength and dexterity, likely for equipping gear.


    After seeing the attributes of this Blood God Priest, Sterl finally understood why he won so easily.


    Because his own attribute bonuses were ��


    Dark Scimitar along with the Visage of Void plus the enhanced Star de, just right all attributes plus twenty, and Eye of the Star increasing spirit by thirty points... these were the equipment bonuses.


    Then, the fixed all-attribute boost of fifty points from Descending Deity, plus the doubling effect... The doubling effect not only applied to the base attributes but also calcted the ss trait [Child of the Stars]''s twenty points all-attribute bonus!


    To sum up, Sterl''s attributes ��


    Constitution, strength, dexterity, all were: (32+20)*2+20, totaling 124 points.


    Spirit had an additional thirty points, totaling 154 points!


    Just in terms of attributes, Sterl had already surpassed the so-called level 50 "high yer"!


    And with Soul Devourer being a blue-quality skill, when Philip Waldo released it, the spirit attribute that was calcted for the bonus was only 124 points, thirty points less than Sterl''s spirit attribute!


    Plus, the power of the Arcane Soul was doubled...


    Wasn''t Soul Devourer directly annihted by the Flickering Fire of Enchantment??


    Sterl quietly did the math in his mind, his expression gradually bing serene.


    So, this is it. I''m just too powerful. This is the confidence that an S-ss profession and SSS-ss talent give me!


    Invincible! How should I put it?


    A level 50 C-ss profession dares to call itself powerful in front of me? That''s just trash, alright!


    Meanwhile, Philip Waldo was even more hysterical: "Impossible!"


    "Absolutely..."


    Unfortunately, before he couldment further, Sterl had alreadyunched his skill again��[Flickering Fire of Enchantment��Meteor Form].


    After consuming double the energy, the skill''s output and range doubled, with the added effects of armor pration and binding!


    Philip Waldo instantly felt an inexplicable chill. He didn''t dare to continue his harsh talk. Having just used his ultimate move [Soul Devourer], the Blood God Priest was not in a good state. Gritting his teeth, he used his bloody power, with the help of the sacrificial ring in his hand, to create a shield.


    Instantly, a bright red shield enveloped him entirely.


    Not far away, Teresa''s consciousness had somewhat recovered by now.


    She was still in a daze...


    Teresa couldn''t understand how a yer who had justpleted their ss transition could directly break through Philip Waldo''s ultimate move?


    But Teresa also realized that the chance to survive hade! Without hesitation, she took out an item from her backpack.


    [Instant Recovery Capsule]


    [Effect: Effective for yers below the second ss transition, heals all injuries.]


    The item''s description was brief, but its effect was extremely domineering.


    Instantly, the previously wretched Teresa was fully revived!


    All the injuries on Teresa''s body healed, revealing smooth, fair skin, though her equipment was tattered, and the veil originally used to cover her face had long been destroyed.


    But the patches of exposed skin,bined with Teresa''s features, made her look all the more pitiful and enticing!


    However, none of the three yers present cared about such details...


    Teresa herself was quickly gathering strength, preparing to assist Sterl in the attack.


    Philip Waldo was full of confidence, believing that the protective shield formed by the bloody power was invincible!


    Sterl''s expression was indifferent. Originally, he had thought about surprising his opponent with a teleport, but since Philip Waldo''s shield was already up, there was no need for that anymore.


    He just indifferently channeled his skill.


    Then��


    Above the high skies of the Starfall Wilderness instance, a crimson star lit up.


    The next second, from high above,


    The fire descended!


    At first, it seemed just a tiny spark, but as the fireball fell faster, it turned into a massive meteor!


    Finally��


    Boom!


    The mes collided with the ground, bursting into a terrifying brilliance!


    The indigo mes, like swarms of ants, devoured everything around, focusing on Philip Waldo''s shield, burning everything in its vicinity!


    Including Teresa, who had been preparing to assist Sterl, was also swallowed by the mes!


    Forced to retreat, she was still scorched by the mes!


    Surrounded by the mes, Teresa felt as if the air around her had turned into a liquid-like viscosity, making it difficult for her to move!


    Moreover, this eerie me possessed a strange force, constantly attacking Teresa''s body, causing her to spit out several mouthfuls of blood.


    And the blood that she spat out had barely hit the ground before it burst into fierce mes!


    "What�� What skill is this?"


    Teresa''s face was filled with despair!


    She felt she hadn''t been killed by Philip Waldo, but instead, she was about to be killed by the aftermath of Sterl''s skill!

 Chapter 38 Refining the Secondary Star

    38 Refining the Secondary Star


    Teresa was in agony, but Philip Waldo, who was directly hit by Sterl''s Flickering Fire of Enchantment, had it even worse!


    The force behind Sterl''s move was equivalent to a fourfold power of a blue-quality skill, and this skill was at a mastery level proficiency,ing from an S-ss profession!


    Previously, Teresa''s full force could just barely block the blood-conversion shield, with some strength to spare...


    But now, facing the heavenly fire falling from the sky, the shield waspletely evaporated in just half a second!


    Then the roaring mes directly engulfed Philip Waldo''s entire body.


    With a fourfold output under the enhancement of 154 points of spirit...


    It was simply not something that the Blood God Priest, with just over 100 points of constitution, could withstand.


    He didn''t even have the chance to be surprised that the protection from the Blood Duke was broken, before he was swallowed by the raging fire!


    Philip Waldo''s nerve endings were instantly burnt, preventing him from making any response or screaming in agony...


    The next second, his flesh and bones were ignited and carbonized in session.


    This level 50 yer, facing Sterl''s full-force ultimate move, was instantly killed!


    Not far away, another female yer, also of a high level of 59, was entangled in mes, her life hanging by a thread!


    Following this, several notifications rang in Sterl''s ear.


    [You have killed yer Philip Waldo]


    [Killing yers above your level increases loot drop rate!]


    Then, he saw three glowing loot orbs drop from where the Blood God Priest died.


    Sterl went straight forward to pick up the drops.


    [You have obtained a quest scroll: Death Vige gue Investigation Report]


    [You have obtained equipment: Luxurious Ribbon]


    [You have obtained equipment: Tyrannical Boots]


    Sterl looked at the three drops with interest, then showed a vexed expression.


    The quest scroll was fine. It just meant that Sterl had to go to a ce nicknamed Death Vige in the Val Administrative Region of the Divine Mountain Empire to trigger it.


    He was satisfied with this drop, because quests that require special items to start generally have good rewards.


    But the following two pieces of equipment were vexing.


    Human beings on Earth, due to theirck of strength, only upy a remote area in the Divine Mountain Empire game region.


    Therefore, the most precious thing on Philip Waldo was a piece of silver-level equipment.


    The Luxurious Ribbon that Philip Waldo dropped was silver-level, with an effect of adding twenty points to all attributes, and it came with a skill [Lustrous: When in full condition, the damage from iing attacks will be reduced by 30%, with a cooldown of 12 hours.]


    As for the other piece of equipment, [Tyrannical Boots], it was bronze-level and did not provide attributes but came with a teleportation skill, with a cooldown of two days.


    In a sense, both were decent items.


    But what vexed Sterl was... the equipment level requirement for both items was level 50, which he couldn''t use at all right now!


    Feeling frustrated, he then walked over to the side.


    The mes on the female yer had already extinguished by then. After all, she was only affected by the aftermath, not the actual target of the attack.


    "Sorry..."


    "I''ll make a grave for you."


    "You just knew too much."


    Sterl expressed his regret to Teresa with a look of disappointment on his face.


    As he moved closer step by step, Teresa barely snapped out of her daze.


    She thought she must have gone mad... to believe she had just seen a newly ss-changed yer instantly kill Philip Waldo, a level 50, C-ss professional!


    But as the sound of Sterl''s footsteps approached,


    Teresa faced a ludicrous reality.


    She wasn''t crazy!


    It was [Transcendence], the game, that had gone mad!


    This genius yer named Sterl, indeed, had soloed a level 50!


    Wait!


    No!


    He seemed... to being to silence her now!


    Because she knew his secret? Knew that he was no ordinary yer?


    As Teresa''s mind gradually cleared, she decisively used her second [Instant Recovery Capsule], the most precious life-saving item given to her by her family, of which she only had two.


    Her decision to use it now was not a death wish to resist Sterl but had another purpose...


    That me had already extinguished any will to resist within her.


    Knowing that even Philip Waldo''s offerings couldn''t withstand Sterl''s attack, her own ultimate move couldn''t even break through the barrier formed by the power of blood.


    Now... after using the item, n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Her body, burned by the mes, was instantly rejuvenated, but her equipment was even more tattered than before.


    However, under the cover of the starlight in the sky,


    A peerless beauty''s figure emerged. Teresa''s delicate face showed a pleading expression, her brows slightly furrowed, looking pitifully charming.


    Her chest and abdomen revealedrge expanses of snow-white skin, extremely enticing. Her long legs, as if to modestly cover her privates, gently opened and closed, inciting an even stronger desire to peek.


    Teresa smiled inwardly, noticing a change in Sterl''s gaze, filled with longing!


    Then...


    She saw Sterl raising his hand without hesitation, preparing to release the same move that had incinerated Philip Waldo once again.


    Teresa panicked, quickly begging for mercy: "Don''t kill me!"


    "I will keep your secret, not revealing any of your information!"


    However, Sterl remained cold and unmoved.


    Seeing this, Teresa reluctantly bit her lip and shouted: "I''m a member of the Sequence Base, number seventy-seven!"


    "I have the authority to mobilize the files of all under the Sequence Base. With my help, not only will your current anomalies remain undisclosed... even if you cause a huge uproar in the future, I can ensure that your information won''t appear in anyone else''s eyes!"


    She quickly stated her price.


    Indeed, this time, Sterl halted his action and showed an interested look.


    But he was sparing with his words: "Not enough."


    "To buy your life, this is far from enough."


    Teresa''s expression gradually cooled down, returning to her usual demeanor. She knew the person in front of her couldn''t be dealt with through pretense and seduction: "What... do you want?"


    Sterl was genuinely stumped by this question.


    He was indeed a novice, even the term Sequence Base was new to him.


    But based on the designation of number 77... he guessed it might be an entity even higher than a superior base?


    After thinking a bit, he spoke: "Ways to further enhance an A-level pet egg, methods to obtain titles, diamond-level equipment, and how to initiate hidden quests."


    The A-level pet egg was a smokescreen Sterl released. This way, even if Teresa''s life was spared, some of the information she knew about him would be incorrect.


    Teresa looked at him as if he were insane: "The method to enhance a pet egg? The whole Divine Mountain Empire might not be able to find one! Diamond-level equipment? Our entire human race on Earth doesn''t have much of a stock, I can''t get my hands on that at all!"


    "Is that so?" Sterl''s gaze turned cold.


    "Wait!" Teresa saw Sterl''s hand gathering energy again and quickly spoke up.


    "I have a way to obtain titles!"


    "As for hidden quests... I can''t provide one immediately, but I can share one with you after a while. I must first return to the Sequence Base and use my umted contribution points to exchange for it!"


    She was slightly exhausted. This genius yer in front of her seemed tockmon sense, making demands that were impossible to meet!


    "If you need money, along with what my elders have given me, I can scrape together up to seventy or eighty gold coins."


    "I can also provide you with a skill book of blue quality... though it''s only usable by those above level 61."


    Teresa offered the best terms she could.


    However, Sterl just smiled, took a step forward, and directly grabbed her by the neck: "So all you can offer now is an unverified method to obtain a title... and some gold coins?"


    "It''s easier for me just to kill you."


    And Teresa was internally speechless. Did he even listen to himself? Seventy or eighty gold coins were just ''some'' to him?


    That''s about the total assets of an average two-ss yer!


    "What exactly do you want?" Teresa was slightly annoyed but still had to speak softly.


    Seeing this proud female yer''s frustrated expression, Sterl thought for a moment. Actually, he was quite satisfied with Teresa''s terms.


    A hidden quest, a method to obtain a title, and eighty gold coins.


    Each benefit was much greater than simply killing her.


    Moreover, the offer Teresa made, using the authority of the Sequence Base to manipte Sterl''s files, was particrly tempting.


    What Sterlcked was time to develop.


    With Teresa''s help, he could safely pass through his period of weakness.


    The only problem was��


    "You''ve written too many nk checks. I must have some guarantee, or you might as well die."


    "Don''t resist!" Sterl raised his hand, and a strange glow illuminated.


    He ced his hand on Teresa''s head.


    This was a power from the Lord of Stars, the ability to refine a sub-star!


    It''s worth mentioning that Sterl''s main star couldn''t be changed.


    And while the sub-star couldn''t be exchanged either, if the refined target died, it could be reced after a cooldown of one month.


    Thus, this was a perfect insurance!


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library��


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Whisk92


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 39 Restrictions on Using Abilities on Others

    39 Restrictions on Using Abilities on Others


    Sterl''s thought process was clear��


    The satellite refinement provided by the Master of Stars ensured absolute loyalty from the target. As long as Teresa didn''t resist, Sterl wasn''t opposed to giving her a chance to live.


    Later, if Sterl encountered a more superior satellite, one whose benefits surpassed the support Teresa''s identity provided to Sterl.


    Then...


    He would simply discard this female yer and rece her.


    Sterl''s palm radiated with a brilliant azure light, gradually merging into Teresa''s body.


    The female yer seemed to sense something terrifying, struggling frantically. With a soft ''pfft'' sound, the ster power in Sterl''s palm dissipated, transforming into specks of light and vanishing into thin air.


    Clearly, the refinement had failed.


    Sterl felt a slight sense of helplessness. He really wanted to, just like the major viins in various literary works, control others with just one skill.


    How cool would that be?


    Unfortunately, the ability to refine satellites requiredplete cooperation from the other party. Thus, Sterl gently patted Teresa''s face in a friendly manner.


    The delicate and beautiful face of the female yer was instantly filled with panic.


    "This is the security I am leaving behind. Either fully ept my ster power,"


    "Or die now," Sterl stated sinctly.


    "I... I understand," Teresa''s voice was slightly hoarse, as she lowered her head as if resigned to her fate.


    It wasn''t just the fear of death that influenced her decision but also the term "ster power" that had startled her. It sounded like a high-level force!


    Combining this with the magnificent scene Sterl had created during his sschange, Teresa suspected that the job Sterl held was at least B-grade, mostly likely A-grade...


    As for an S-grade job.


    Teresa didn''t dare to think about it. Those were the realms of the gods, with only seven individuals on the entire Earth achieving such a status...


    If she were to follow such a strong A-grade professional, even as a ve, there might be a chance for her to rise to greatness by association.


    Teresa decided��


    Even though she was utterly terrified of the ster power Sterl had released, Teresa chose to actively ept it!


    With her cooperation, Sterl''s second attempt at refinement went much smoother.


    As the azure gas flowed into her, Sterl felt a special connection being established between Teresa and himself, as if she became his puppet.


    Sterl could evenmand Teresa tomit suicide with just a thought. This was the absolute controlling power of the Master of Stars over a satellite.


    At this moment, Teresa, feeling the changes in her body, was slightly pleased. It seemed her consciousness hadn''t changed much.


    In that case, things were much better than Teresa had feared... She still possessed her independent consciousness, only restrained by a shackle preventing her from harming Sterl.


    "That''s not too bad."


    "After all, from now on, this genius yer and I are tied together, and share both glory and loss."


    "By the way, why would I ever harm him? Instead, I need to protect Sterl''s interests." Teresa pondered.


    Before, Teresa harbored some resentment in her heart. After encountering Sterl, she had thrown out an escape scroll immediately. Didn''t this kid know how to repay a favor at all?


    Now, Teresa''s hatred had vanished without a trace.Instead, she was utterly astounded by Sterl''s potential... She felt that perhaps she could use this opportunity to step onto an even bigger stage!


    ...


    After Sterlpleted the refinement, Teresa''s panel popped up before his eyes.


    She was also a C-ss professional, with a total attribute simr to Philip Waldo, but she had an additional level 9 basic attribute enhancement and nine free attribute points.


    Teresa''s talent was A-level, enhancing the output of lightning and electricity attacks. Her skill slot was filled with skills of green quality.


    However, what made Sterl slightly startled was that on Teresa''s panel, there were pluses on her skills, talent, and heart of profession.


    "Wait a minute... Isn''t it impossible to add points to someone else?" Sterl wondered. When he had been leveling up with Linna and Rayna, he had seen their panels they shared voluntarily, and there were no pluses at all?


    Sterl pondered for a while,ing up with two spections.


    One was that his evolutionary ability clearly stated that all points added would definitely transform in a way that was beneficial to him. So, adding points to other yers, what if they became hostile to him?


    Therefore, only yers like Teresa, who had been refined into a sub-star and had no possibility of betrayal, could enjoy the added points.


    The other possibility was that after refining a sub-star, Teresa was no longer an independent yer but a part of Sterl''s power, so points could be added.


    And Sterl was overjoyed by this...


    "In that case, the positions for the two sub-stars in the future are set, directly reserved for Linna and Rayna. With the ability to add points, I can help them transform into the yers with the strongest talents!"


    His mind was a whirlwind, but he remainedposed on the surface. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the same time, Sterl hesitated for a moment. For the first sub-star enhancement, he chose attribute enhancement, which was the safest option. He immediately benefited from Teresa''s 10% basic attribute boost.


    Andter, if Sterl wanted to increase the benefits of the attribute enhancement, he could also choose to add points to Teresa''s "Heart of Profession."


    Yes... "Heart of Profession" could also evolve through added points!


    This was something he discovered afterpleting his ss change. So Sterl knew that his "Master of Stars" could conservatively be promoted to SS-ss!


    His gains from this dungeon adventure could continue to expand.


    Sterl felt like he was truly on a winning streak!


    Back to the main topic. After Sterl selected the sub-star enhancement, he gained 10 points in spirit, 9 points in agility, and an increase of 6 points in strength and constitution.


    He moved his muscles a little and immediately felt a significant increase in strength.


    At this moment, Teresa finally recovered from the effects of being refined into a sub-star. She stood up, regaining the demeanor of an expert: "Sterl, what are your ns next..."


    "What did you call me?" A chill shed in Sterl''s eyes, and then��he snapped his fingers.


    Teresa''s body uncontrobly stiffened, and she stretched out her palm, pping herself with all her might!


    The female yer''s exquisite face was full of disbelief as she covered her mouth, "Are you crazy?!"


    "Is this how you speak to me?" Sterl took a step forward, pushing Teresa to the ground. Without invoking the state of a god descending, Sterl''s attributes were still not a match for this level 59 yer.


    But just as Teresa was about to angrily resist, the shackles of being a sub-star activated��leaving her limbs weak and unable to move.


    Sterl felt like he had captured a fierce lioness one moment, and the next, he held agentle and beautiful woman in his arms, the touch was exquisite.


    He smiled slightly, now having a good understanding of the effects of a sub-star.


    The refined subject absolutely cannot defy Sterl... No wonder it''s called absolute loyalty!


    No matter what you think in your mind, your body belongs to me!


    "What exactly do you want to do..." The anger in Teresa''s heart seemed ready to burst forth. But it was precisely her defiant emotions that made her body even less under her control. The words she spoke came out in an extremely soft tone, not at all threatening, but more like flirting.


    "From now on, you should call me master." Sterl said, while fondling the body of the female yer, seemingly unable to let go.


    The first time Teresa had her appearance restored, Sterl was stunned by her beauty, which even Linna and Rayna couldn''t match in terms of sheer attractiveness!


    But thetter two beauties, one lively and the other serene, had their own charm in bed, whichbined could surpass Teresa''s.


    At this moment, Sterl''s hand roamed, even directly moving through her tattered equipment to Teresa''s chest, casually kneading.


    Her extremely white and tender skin and flesh overflowed uncontrobly from his fingers, like surging waves.


    Although Sterl hadn''t been away from home for long, he had been fighting intensely with various monsters in the dungeon, even challenging a level 50 professional beyond his level��


    Before the fight, he even doubted if he could win.


    Sterl''s pressure was about to explode, and he had long wanted to release it.


    "You''re crazy! Impossible!" Teresa screamed in her mind, almost going mad!


    She was a genius from the sequence base! Although she didn''t have permanent residency of the sequence base before her second ss change. After the change, she could choose any superior base to enter, where she would hold a high status everywhere!


    As for the opposite sex, no matter how excellent the pursuer, they all acted like submissive dogs in front of Teresa, daring not to overstep.


    Even Philip Waldo, despite having a third-ss father as his backer when pursuing Teresa, never dared to touch her, showing utmost respect.


    Among the yers with excellent talents who emerged from the sequence base with her, there were those who had passionately pursued Teresa. The end result was��


    That person never even managed to hold her hand but instead got pped by Teresa in public, turning them into enemies.


    ould be humiliated like this!

 Chapter 40 Training and Venting

    40 Training and Venting


    For the first time in her life, Teresa was being toyed with by someone of the opposite sex like this. If it were in the past, she would have felt immense disgust. But under the influence of the sub-star''s shackles, that repulsion was suppressed.


    "Stop... Please...Give me a break."


    Her voice was incredibly weak. However, what terrified Teresa even more was that, perhaps due to her suppressed feelings of disgust, her body began to experience waves of pleasure instead.


    On the surface, Sterl seemed to be enjoying himself, yet his eyes were cold. He certainly took action against Teresa with the intention of venting his desire.


    But venting his desires was only a small part of Sterl''s motivation.


    Seeing the look in Teresa''s eyes when she tried to stand, Sterl knew that even though she was loyal to him under the control of the sub-star, her heart was still rebellious.


    Sterl could predict that Teresa would execute hismands without fail, but she would not put her heart into it. These twopletely different attitudes are destined to result in a significant gap in the profits Sterl will receive whenmanding Teresa in the future


    Almost immediately, Sterl had an idea.


    He was fundamentally different from other yers in the bases... With knowledge and memories from his previous life, Sterl knew that, ording to the rigorous science of psychology, people can be tamed.


    Especially regarding the opposite sex, everything about power has to do with "sex," and "sex" itself is about power.


    Sterl was delighted to conclude from Teresa''s reactions��she was still a virgin, untouched by anyone.


    That was perfect. He coulddestroy the self-esteem of this female yer in one wave andpletely tame her


    "I guessI have no choice but topromise myself for the loyalty of my subordinates." Sterlmented to himself sarcastically.


    Later, Sterl watched Teresa''s face gradually turn red, sweat constantly oozing from her body, and her delicate face became even more radiant after being stained with water droplets... This female yer was actually a bit intoxicated by it.


    So, Sterl casually opened his panel. The[Transcendence] game system provided a very convenient feature, a one-click option to remove all clothing.


    He made his selections quickly, while staring at Teresa: "Take off your clothes. In addition, you should have a wilderness survival kit. Use itnow." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterlmanded, and Teresa felt her mind go nk.


    She saw the nude of the opposite sex for the first time in her life, and was so close to herself. However, under the influence of the sub-star, she was only frightened and had no ability to generate any disgust or disgust towards Sterl.


    Teresa instinctively swallowed her saliva as she looked at hisperfect and robust figure


    Even in a daze, she directly used a wilderness survival kit to create a rather exquisite camping tent, while obediently removing all her tattered equipment and personal clothing.


    In an instant, the two were naked together, and Teresa felt the waves of masculine heat emanating from her skin, and was even more panicked, with tears streaming down her face.


    "No, this can''t be happening..."


    "Pleasedon''t touch me."


    Previously, when Teresa begged Sterl for survival, she knew how to bargain and maintain basic dignity... If it weren''t for Sterl''s high potential, making her feel that surrendering would also be profitable, otherwise even if the other party gave her the opportunity to surrender, Teresa would rather die.


    But now, her mind was a nk te, her words filled with nothing but pleas.


    Not only limited by sub-star, but also by the scent of opposite sex hormones, Teresa inexplicably became intoxicated. However, she was extremely resistant to this feeling in her heart, causing her face to turn red and hot, and her mind to turn sticky.


    However, Sterl, with one hand, continued to knead Teresa''s breast, while his other hand ventured towards her lower body.


    Without any mercy, Sterl directly targeted her never-before-touched vulva, charging fiercely.


    "Oh my god!!!" Teresa, previously somewhat lost in intoxication, now disyed a look of agony. She had never had sex before!


    Teresa could only be even more limp in Sterl''s arms.


    Then, Sterl brutally threw the female yer into a corner of the tent''s bedding and slowly walked over to her.


    Teresa barely managed to get up, protecting her private part: "Don''t."


    "Please spare me!"


    "I will die."


    The female yer, with her hair disheveled and golden strands falling over her snowy shoulders, looked exceptionally tempting.


    But Teresa was extremely panicked as she looked at Sterl''s huge penis. At least in her opinion, stuffing it in so big would really kill someone, right? Shewon''t be directly torn and prated, would she??


    Knowing she couldn''t resist, Teresa pleaded bitterly: "Master... please spare me."


    "I won''t dare again."


    "I really won''t dare anymore."


    She was truly in a state of bewildered despair, even when Philip Waldo nearly tortured her to death, Teresa could still calmly attempt suicide.


    Now, Teresa was like a simpleton.


    The faint physical pleasure, faced with Sterl''s approaching fear and mixed expectations, made herpletely afraid to resist.


    Even with the base attributes of a Level 59 yer, she was like a bitch, kneeling on the ground, and even bowing repeatedly to Sterl''s toes as he approached.


    However, perhaps Teresa''s prayer in her heart came into effect, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that Sterl... her master, really did not forcefully continue.


    Sterl directly grabbed Teresa by the hair, forcing her to kneel on the ground.


    "Want to stop?"


    "Shouldn''t you take care of me then?" Sterl smiled: "Open your mouthnow."


    Under the sub-star''s shackles, Teresa seemed to realize something, but still opened her pink lips with a frightened look in her eyes


    And then��


    "Argh..."Teresa felt her mouth instantly pierced through, to the point where she couldn''t even breathe. The giant stick was inserted straight into her throat.


    She instinctively wanted to close her mouth, but she was unable to control it. Under the influence of thesub-star''s shackles, the movements that could harm Sterl were directly suppressed.


    Sterl, on the other hand, felt the girl''s mouth and throat contract around him, providing immense satisfaction.


    Then�� Hepletely disregarded Teresa''s extremely painful expression, gripping her hair with one hand and circling her neck with the other finger from behind, firmly mping her down.Sterl shook his waist without any mercy, venting the pressure he had umted through his life and death struggles in the dungeon!


    At this moment, Teresa was in unbearable pain, her consciousness fading.


    She vaguely remembered thest time a man touched her hair and neck was her father.


    When Teresa was a child, her father oncebed her hair. At that time, That gentle man''s movements were incredibly gentle, afraid of damaging Teresa''s delicate skin and pulling her hair apart.


    But now, she was being extremely roughly controlled, feeling like her tongue and throat have been damaged, and her neck and hair are being pulled and pulled with arbitrary force, causing extreme pain.


    However, what frightened Teresa even more was that she couldn''t develop any hatred towards Sterl. Instead, under the impact of the opposite sex, her whole body was hot and dry, and an inexplicable desire grew in her heart, causing her immense pain!She felt like she was no longerlikeherself !


    But at this moment, Teresa couldn''t afford to think about suchplex matters, as Sterl''s speed of action was elerating! If it weren''t for the physical enhancements granted by her yer status, Teresa feared her face might have been torn apart!


    ��


    "Mmm!"


    "Mmm!"


    At this moment, within a giant hole of the Starfall Wilderness dungeon, inside a tent located at the southwest corner, Sterl indulged in his pleasure!


    He didn''t know Teresa''s past, but he probably knew that this female yer had received countless favors from the opposite sex before.


    This only excited Sterl more, spoiling a woman whom others treasured without any mercy!


    After all, yers had robust constitutions, and a bit of recovery potion would quickly mend any damage.


    It didn''t matter if her body was injured!


    After a long sprint, Teresa was even rolling her eyes back, almost dislocating her jaw, her once enchanting and delicate face now smeared with Sterl''s fluids.


    And then, Sterl suddenly ejacted powerfully.


    "Argh!"


    "Cough, cough, cough.." Teresa, who hadn''t screamed in a while,pletely rolled her eyes back, then coughed as if choking.


    Even, due to too much liquid flowing into the female yer''s throat in a short period of time, Teresa''s trachea was directly blocked, like a dying fish, lying on the ground constantly coughing, with a suffocating expression, struggling in pain


    However, Sterl just watched coldly as Teresa rolled on the ground, nearly suffocating to death.


    Only until the female yer reluctantly regained some energy andy weakly on the ground without moving, Sterl finally stepped forward����


    Thwack.


    He pped her again, without a hint of mercy.


    "Help me clean up and change clothes." Sterl said coldly.

 Chapter 41 The Master Among SS Stars!

    41 The Master Among SS Stars!


    "Don''t y dead." Sterl, seeing no initial reaction from Teresa, directly grabbed her hair. Fear and submission were all that remained in the eyes of this female yer.


    Although Teresa was in a state of blurred consciousness, she only heard Sterl''s voice and began to take action. Following her master''s instructions, she took cleaning supplies from her inventory and cleaned Sterl up.


    After Sterl had changed back into his clothes and equipment, Teresa remained kneeling on the ground, daring not to make any move.


    "Good, you''ve worked hard."


    "You should tidy yourself up too." Sterl suddenly spoke in a much gentler tone than his previous outburst of desires.


    This sudden kindness startled Teresa, making her quickly nod and say, "Thank you, Master."


    She hurried to clean herself up, removing all the sticky substances from her body... As for the liquids that had been forced down her throat, Teresa had already swallowed them, so no further cleaning was needed.


    She changed into her clothes and took a set of spare equipment from her backpack to wear.


    In just a few minutes, Teresa was back to being the dazzling 59th-level powerhouse she was before, although her gaze remained incredibly submissive.


    And Sterl, seeing her expression, knew that his maniption had essentially seeded.


    It seemed he had harshly oppressed Teresa. But in fact, at this moment, not only did the female yer harbor no thoughts of resistance against Sterl, she even felt a sense of gratitude and submission.


    Having been oppressed for so long, a slightly kind gesture from Sterl was enough to deeply move Teresa.


    Now,manding Teresa to do anything would be much easier for Sterl.


    "Controlling a deputy star isn''t omnipotent... I still have to figure out ways to increase my subordinates'' loyalty. Life isn''t easy for me." Sterl reflected internally, also settling on a principle.


    To increase the reliability of his deputy stars, he didn''t mind enduring some hardships himself. However, he decided it would be better to primarily recruit individuals of the opposite sex as deputy and main stars in the future... n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Otherwise, Sterl might not be able to bear it.


    After a great battle and the time spent on ss changing, the dungeon was nearing its end. Sterl''s evolution count had alsopleted its charging.


    Thinking it over, he gestured to Teresa, "Come here."


    The female yer, who stood with an air of pride and coldness, immediately changed her expression to one of docility upon Sterl''smand, her face melting into a smile like ice and snow under the sun.


    Sterl calmly said, "This is for you."


    He handed a B+ grade pet egg, previously belonging to Philip Waldo, to Teresa.


    This pet egg had not been dropped before.


    Sterl had only found it while searching his inventory, presumably because of the dungeon''s mechanics, where a yer''s pet egg automatically transfers to the inventory of the yer who killed them upon their death.


    Also, due to the dungeon''s mechanics, the life force of Philip Waldo, along with the bloody power stored in his bloody offerings, had all been absorbed by the remaining three pet eggs in the Starfall Wastnd.


    Sterl discovered that his pet egg now showed [Life Force Absorbed to Maximum Limit]. So he decided not to destroy the remaining two B+ grade pet eggs (one of which was with the boss) but to keep them instead.


    He had it all nned out. After evolving a pet egg to its limit, he would give it to Linna and Rayna. It can hatch at least one A-level pet, more than enough to protect the two beautiful girls.


    As for the remaining egg from Philip Waldo, it was perfect for Teresa. Sterl knew well that taming a person, much like taming an animal, required more than just brute forcer. Ewards were essential too.


    Indeed, Teresa was thrilled upon receiving and checking the attributes of the pet egg!


    The human race of Earth was indeed too impoverished, even for someone like her who came from the Sequence Base, acquiring a B+ grade pet egg was quite difficult.


    Teresa could never have imagined... Sterl would casually give her something so precious!


    She even spected that Philip Waldo''s goal for entering this dungeon might have been thisegg!


    Yet now, the Blood God Priest had met a grisly end at the hands of her master, and the final reward had gone to Teresa herself.


    The girl''s expression went through several changes.


    Previously, she had been forcibly subdued under fear after a violent indoctrination.


    Now, Teresa''s eyes gradually lit up with hope, as if seeing a new path in life. She looked over to see Sterl standing there, calm andposed.


    The more Teresa looked at him, the more heroic and extraordinary his posture seemed. Her perception of Sterl underwent a transformative uplift in just a moment!


    The pain and anger Teresa initially felt were minimized under the influence of being a deputy star, and now they werepletely overshadowed by the joy of receiving a B+ grade pet egg!


    Even if she were still in the Sequence Base, epting high-reward missions... she would never have been able to acquire such an item.


    It was priceless!


    Without even realizing it, Teresa no longer harbored any resistance or dissatisfaction towards Sterl. She even began to feel from the bottom of her heart...


    Having such a master wasn''t so bad after all!


    Teresa felt a bit smug, thinking thating to the dungeon was the right choice.


    She felt like she hadn''t suffered any significant loss, except for being...


    As Teresa recalled the scene of Sterl''s violent desecration, she couldn''t help but feel her body heat up, her legs clench together, her cheeks flush, and a warm current surge through her.


    "The final gain is so great. It was worth it!" Teresa consoled herself. Even though she would rather die than let a man touch her lightly on a normal day. Now, Teresa brought up some examples from her memory to convince herself��


    In the Sequence Base, some female yers would sleep with others for a piece of equipment.


    Moreover, her chastity was still intact!


    Teresa thoughrtshe got this b+level pet egg... it''s a bit too easy


    Sterl, witnessing Teresa''s entire transformation from the sidelines, simply smiled lightly in his heart.


    He knew that this marked the preliminarypletion of Teresa''s indoctrination, making her reliable for any tasks he might have for her.


    The physical shackles of being a deputy star were certainly reliable. But as with any rule, there could always be loopholes.


    However, the shackles Teresa set for herself were utterly insurmountable!


    Of course, beyond that, Sterl was in a great mood.


    Who wouldn''t enjoy being adored by a beautiful girl?


    ...


    In the final period of the dungeon, Sterl was anything but idle.


    He casually added a point to his Profession Heart.


    The leap from S to SS grade in professions, simr to the talent upgrade from S to SS, wasn''t too significant.


    It merely granted Sterl the ability to increase all attributes by 2.5 with each level-up, along with a 2.5x effect when adding points to any attribute... and an unknown skill of blue quality was added to the skill tree of the Starlord at level thirty.


    Sterl surmised that the jump from S to SS grade might lean more towards benefitingter stages and wouldn''t show immediate results.


    But he was indifferent.


    Because Sterl noticed a plus sign behind the Profession Heart... His Starlord profession could still be upgraded!


    Another point would elevate it to an SSS-grade Profession Heart.


    That was a qualitative change!


    Sterl feltpletely uninterested in anything else, eagerly awaiting the refresh of the evolution point the next afternoon.


    Later, Sterl and Teresa arrived at thest yellow dot marked on the map, located in a dense jungle. There, Sterl encountered the boss that had previously pursued him once again.


    "Master, shall we challenge this boss together?" Teresa asked obediently, though with a hint of concern in her voice.


    "It might be difficult. I used up almost all my supplies when I was being chased earlier."


    "This boss might have attributes simr to Philip Waldo, but it has more health and higher attack power. Can we win?"


    Teresa hadpletely adopted a mindset of considering Sterl''s best interest.


    A level 20 boss was hard for a level 50 yer to solo defeat!


    Because bosses are powerful and hardy but are constrained by the fundamental logic of "Transcendence," easily attracting the aggro of tank warriors. Unless through special mechanics, they don''t flee.


    yers form teams that can apply buffs, debuff the boss, hold aggro, deal damage, and provide continuous healing, making it easier to defeat the boss.


    Generally, it requires coboration among over twelve ss-changed yers.


    Higher-level yers facing a lower-level boss might reduce the team size ordingly, but there still needs to be roles for aggro, healing, and DPS.


    Sterl and Teresa, bothcking healing and aggro-pulling capabilities and being DPS-focused, couldn''t likely defeat the boss despite not being in danger of losing their lives.


    However, Sterl just shook his head with a peculiar expression: "Us? Challenge the boss? There''s no need for us. I can handle it alone."


    "What?" Teresa blinked in surprise.

 Chapter 42 Soloing the Boss! A Walk in the Park!

    42 Soloing the Boss! A Walk in the Park!


    Teresa blinked in surprise, instinctively showing a look of anxiety: "Facing it alone could be life-threatening!"


    "Master, the move you used to kill Philip Waldo must have drained a lot of energy, and it won''t insta-kill a boss."


    "We really shouldn''t go!"


    By now, she had fully immersed herself in her role, deeply concerned for Sterl''s well-being.


    It''s known that solo killing a boss of the same level is an "achievement"... one that wasst achieved over a thousand years ago by a yer from the "Tears of the Lamenting Song" n.


    Such a feat is beyond the reach of ordinary yers, isn''t it?


    No matter how talented Sterl might be, this seemed like a suicide mission!


    Teresa couldn''t shake the feeling that this was a bad idea.


    Even with her support, in a critical moment, she could rescue her master and then they could flee...


    But Teresa didn''t want to see Sterl severely injured.


    However... n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterl ignored his maid''s concerns. With a Bloodthirsty Sprint, he appeared right in front of the treant-shaped boss.


    Descending God!


    zing golden mes enveloped Sterl.


    After evolving into an SS-grade Starlord, saying the upgrade wasn''t significant was an understatement. Sterl''s attributes significantly increased, adding a total of 13 points across all attributes, which could be included in the base attributes boosted by Descending God.


    This means...


    His attributes soared by 26 points, equivalent to a C-grade yer leveling up more than four times!


    In the midst of the battlefield, the dazzling golden mes surged uncontrobly, unable to be hidden even by the dense forest.


    The treant boss, in rage, extended its gigantic branches, furiously mming down!


    Its power was terrifying, smashing an area of tens of square meters with a single hit.


    From the ground, countless sharp branches violently sprouted!


    "Master!" Teresa, standing on the outskirts, almost couldn''t resist intervening.


    Her worry was causing chaos. As this female yer, fully aware of her master''s ability to teleport, was still utterly terrified.


    At this moment, Sterl had already teleported above the treant boss.


    [Phosphor Fire - Meteor Form]!


    Instantly, mes descended from the sky, bombarding everything!


    Although the treant boss was huge and had strong vitality, its size made it impossible to dodge the heavenly fire.


    In an instant, the intense mes engulfed the entire treant boss!


    It turned into a spectacr torch!


    The entire forest was set aze by the boss, turning into a sea of fire.


    Even from a distance, one could witness this magnificent scene. High above, the stars shone with a cerulean light, while on the ground, the simrly blue mes echoed the starlight, resembling a meticulously crafted painting by an artist!


    Due to the mes'' effectiveness against the treant boss, Sterl''s attack caused massive damage.


    However, as Teresa mentioned, after a smoothbo, Sterl''s energy was significantly depleted.


    What Teresa didn''t know was that under the starlight, Sterl''s recovery speed was also remarkably fast.


    Moreover, within the dungeon, the Starfield was unleashed without limit. Sterl''s teleportation within the field, which usually consumed star power, now had zero cost.


    Thus, the battle quickly entered its final, decisive phase.


    Sterl was indeed burning through energy at an rming rate, maintaining the doubled energy consumption of the Star de to boost his attributes, andunching blue-quality skills that doubled the drain... But as long as he could endlessly utilize the teleportation provided by the Starfield, he could easily bide his time until his energy was restored!


    Then, Sterl unleashed one Meteoric Phosphor Fire after another!


    At first, the treant boss still had the capacity to resist.


    However, after the second ze, many of the boss''s branches fell to the ground, diminishing itsbat strength.


    After the third ze, the boss''s mobility was greatly limited, and its attack desire sharply dropped.


    The fourth...


    The fifth...


    After a total of eight Meteoric Phosphor Fires, the treant boss waspletely reduced to charred timber, copsing to the ground.


    And the forest in the Starfall Wilderness, a rarity in itself, was turned into a sea of mes.


    Including Teresa, who urgently sent a team invitation to her master so they could form a duo and be spared from friendly fire damage. Otherwise, she feared she might be dried out by the residual effects of the skills!


    In the center of the mes, Sterl teleported in front of the charred remains of the boss, his demeanor calm.


    At this moment, he seemed like a deity in control of the mes!


    And the sole witness to this spectacle, Teresa, flushed with emotion, couldn''t help but kneel to the ground.


    Partly due to the influence of the secondary star, and partly because her own emotions were overwhelming.


    This was the master she followed!


    Even a top-tier lifeform boss was effortlessly defeated by him!


    Sterl stepped forward to collect the drops from the boss.


    First was a B+ grade pet egg, which he stored in his backpack.


    The boss dropped three other items.


    [You have obtained ten gold coins.]


    [You have obtained the Heart of nt Essence (Special)]


    [You have obtained an item: Green Grass Potion.]


    "No equipment dropped?" Sterl frowned slightly, feeling a bit unlucky this time. Although ten gold coins were substantial, Teresa''s entire fortune was already his. Sterl hardlycked these ten gold coins.


    As for the remaining two drops��


    [Green Grass Potion: A potion rich in special energy. Upon use, permanently increases all attributes by one point.]


    Sterl yed with the crystal bottle filled with pale green liquid, not hesitating to down it in one gulp.


    A warm sensation spread through his body, and his attributes increased by 2.5.


    Then came thest item.


    [Heart of nt Essence (Special)]


    [Effect: When consumed by a pet, there''s a chance it will learn to harness the power of flora. When crafting equipment, this item can be integrated into the equipment to add extra effects.]


    "An addition?" Sterl toyed with the pale green crystal that pulsated like a heart, a bit disappointed.


    Though it could boost attributes, this item was only useful for pets or crafting equipment.


    So, did that mean the only real gain from this boss was the attribute boost from the Green Grass Potion?


    No wonder... yers in the Transcendent realm are so struggling. Even after paying a huge price and defeating a boss, they might not get anything good. Truly a pitfall.


    Sterl grumbled, as he casually stored the [Heart of nt Essence] in his backpack.


    At that moment, Teresa also rushed over, looking at him with a face full of admiration, "Master, you are truly mighty!"


    "You could challenge a boss of the same level!"


    "It''s just a shame that others have already achieved this feat before. Otherwise, your strength could have significantly increased!"


    Teresa babbled on, clearly genuinely feeling that Sterl had missed out...


    Sterl, on the other hand, appeared indifferent.


    Could the reward for this feat of challenging a boss of the same level be more than the reward I got for challenging a boss before my ss advancement?


    Impossible.


    ...


    After the boss fight, Sterl, though still in good condition, felt slightly fatigued.


    By then, he had squeezed every bit of value out of the Starfall Wilderness. For the time being, he didn''t continue his ventures but instead used Teresa''s high-end wilderness survival kit. Sterly in the tent, using his maid as a pillow, enjoying a massage.


    Time flew, and soon the instance was officiallying to an end.


    Sterl saw the stars in the sky dimming bit by bit, the ground of the instance cracked, and space itself fissured.


    Sterl''s primary star was the Star Egg. He could sense that the instance was nearing the end of its life and was about to copse.


    With a faint glow, Sterl and Teresa''s bodies are gradually bing illusory and are about to be teleported back to the dungeon entrance of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Teresa quickly stood to one side, adopting the indifferent posture Sterl had instructed, pretending the two were hardly acquainted.


    Finally...


    Sterl felt a sh before his eyes. His body lightened, and then he was standing on solid ground again.


    This time, he felt a sense of relief in his heart, as if the imminent copse of the Starfall Wilderness instance had kept him instinctively on edge. Back in the main universe, Sterl felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.


    Then, he saw a group of extremely surprised yers running towards him.


    The leader of the intermediate base, Miste, along with many professional yers, shouted loudly.


    "Thank goodness! Are you alright, Miss Teresa!"


    "We''re relieved to see you''ve returned safely!!"


    "We don''t know what happened to the instance. It suddenly copsed, and it nearly scared us to death just now!"


    "If anything had happened to you, we wouldn''t have been able to live with ourselves!"


    ...


    The group was nearly in tears.


    At the same time, they brushed past Sterl, running to Teresa''s side.


    What was that abouting to rescue Sterl, the genius yer??


    Ha, what a joke!


    No one cared!


    Not a single person gave Sterl a second nce!!


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library��


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Whisk92


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 43 How Dare You Speak to Him Like That?

    43 How Dare You Speak to Him Like That?


    The thoughts of the yers present were unanimously the same��


    Just a genius with potential to join the Spark Program.


    Could hepare to someone like Teresa?


    Sterl stood in ce, honestly feeling a bit awkward.


    At this moment, from the back, a yer d in purple and white armor slowly approached.


    He leisurely made his way to Sterl.


    Sterl thought the man was about to greet him and was about to speak��


    "It''s an honor to meet you, Miss Teresa. I am William Chmet, from Sequence Base No. 68, currently residing in Superior Base No. 146."


    "I am in charge of the qualification approval for yers under level thirty from the human race on Earth to join the Spark Project." The man d in battle armor actually initiated a skill simr to teleportation, moving from ater position to get ahead, blocking Teresa''s way first, offering his attentions fervently.


    Sterl: "..."


    He was slightly speechless. So, I''m that insignificant?


    In a burst of anger, emmmm... he just felt a sh of annoyance. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterl''s emotions are rtively stable. After all,having traveled through so many years and being looked down upon more often, he wouldn''t suddenly have any invible authority after his strength skyrocketed.


    Meanwhile, Teresa was stunned. After spending some time in the instance, it felt like ages had passed.


    So much had happened!


    She had been chased, nearly killed, reduced to a ve by Sterl losing all her dignity, and finally obtained a B+ grade pet egg, something extremely cherished within the sequence bases.


    Teresa feels like she''s from another world. The scene of being kneeled and licked by other yers of the opposite sex in fear before her seemed to have happened a long time ago.


    Teresa looked around with some annoyance at the group of people fanatically surrounding her.


    And instinctively, her gaze fell on Sterl��


    Immediately, Teresa''s brows furrowed. Surrounded by the crowd, she hadn''t realized at first that her master was being ignored. This plunged Teresa into deep guilt.


    She wanted to scold them angrily, but remembering Sterl''s prior instructions not to reveal their rtionship, she had to speak more gently, "Sir, aren''t you in charge of the Spark Program assessments? You shouldn''t let our Earth''s future genius just wait like this."


    At this moment, the many yers present still behaved very gracefully.


    "Miss Teresa, you always think things through."


    "You always think too much for others."


    "Your kindness and care touch us all!"


    ��


    The yers from the intermediate basevishly praised, hoping to leave a good impression on Teresa from the sequence base.


    This group regretted deeply. Before William arrived, they had no idea Teresa''s status was so high, a true VIP from the sequence base!


    Otherwise, why would such a distinguished persone to save Sterl in an instance?


    Including Miste, the leader who had been very optimistic about Sterl, was now fully focused on Teresa.


    Sterl? A genius yer? Does it matter? Miste rmended a yer who, after being sessfully selected for the Spark Program, received a decent reward. However, if he gets involved with the Sequence Base, that could be an opportunity to skyrocket to sess.


    Miss Teresa, possessing an A-level talent, might very well secure a permanent residence at the Sequence Base in the future, cing her at the very pinnacle among Earth''s human race.


    William, the person in charge of the Spark Program, didn''t mince his words: "I''m sorry, Miss Teresa. Your kindness moves me."


    "But we hardlyck for ordinary geniuses."


    "Just like the weeds by the roadside, sprouting time and again, very few truly manage to grow."


    "Outsiders may value the talents in the Spark Program highly, but with our status, we needn''t be so concerned."


    "They''re just a bunch of dogs we''re raising."


    "What matters more is your safety. The copse of the Starfall Wilderness instance must have been quite a shock to you. What you need now is some good rest."


    At this moment, Sterl, who had thought the conversation was about to turn to him, was finding it hard to keep hisposure.


    Putting aside whether the conversation has touched upon my own issues or not, this is definitely a personal attack, isn''t it?


    22:21


    He wasn''t really angry, mainly because, as a disciple of the survival doctrine, Sterl had long understood that until he grew nearly invincible, enduring humiliation was part of the journey.


    However, while Sterl was "swallowing his pride" and the other yers were "merrily" engaging, Teresa felt a surge of nameless anger, directly shouting, "Dare you speak about my master... about him like that!"


    Her brows lifted slightly, her anger evident.


    Even the lightning between Teresa''s palms shone brightly, aimed directly at William''s neck, the man responsible for assessing the Spark Program.


    Instantly, everyone present was dumbfounded, and William took a few steps back, raising his hands, "Miss Teresa, what do you mean by this?"


    He was panicking. Although he was an assessor for the Spark Program,pared to Teresa, who also came from a Sequence Base and possessed an A-level talent, his status was much lower.


    Otherwise, William wouldn''t have been so obsequious. Facing Teresa''s threat, he didn''t dare to act rashly. Unless he silenced everyone present, if Teresa were harmed, William would only end up in a worse situation.


    "Apologize!" Teresa initially wanted to force these yers, who couldn''t recognize a great man when they saw one, to beg Sterl for forgiveness.


    But before she could speak out, she felt Sterl''s will transmitted through a secondary star connection, subtly signaling her not to show too much bias towards him to avoid exposing their rtionship.


    Teresa barely suppressed her anger, "William, do you not realize that it is precisely the talents nurtured by the Spark Program that have shaped the development of our Earth''s human race?"


    "Otherwise, how many strong individuals could emerge from the poption of the Sequence Base? What you said earlier is nothing short of sphemy against the countless predecessors who have emerged from the Spark Program, expanding our territories and making sacrifices!"


    After regaining herposure, Teresa resorted to moral high ground.


    Then she casually mentioned, "This time, after entering the instance, I gained a significant opportunity with the help of Mr. Sterl."


    "How did you treat him? By ignoring? By making outrageous statements? Don''t you think you owe him an apology?"


    As her words fell, the yers present looked at each other.


    But upon hearing Teresa mention the significant opportunity she gained with Sterl''s help, they all came to a realization, pping their thighs in frustration��


    Well, letting Teresa go down for the rescue was a mistake. Look at us now, we didn''t get any favor. But Sterl, this kid, got to cling to the powerful!


    Miste and a group of yers from the mid-level base quickly tried to smooth things over: "We''re so sorry. We were too hasty earlier."


    "We overlooked little brother Sterl."


    "In this instance, where other yers died in battle, Sterl, your survival alone has proven your potential. The Spark Program is designed for talents like you."


    "We were a bit neglectful just now. Please don''t take it to heart."


    One by one, they offered smiles.


    For yers from the mid-level base, offending a yer valued by the big shots from the Sequence Base was thest thing they wanted.


    Only William, the assessor for the Spark Program, had a grim look, staring at Sterl with a hostile gaze for several seconds before speaking slowly.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t notice there was another person here."


    "You''re the talent reported to the Spark Program by leader Miste, aren''t you?"


    William activated a detection skill, seeing the false attributes Sterl had concocted for himself.


    He nodded casually.


    "A C-ss profession, with a B-level talent?"


    "Not bad. Considering that you coulde back alive from the dungeon, we could give you some extra points as appropriate."


    "Let''s do this. For Miss Teresa''s sake, we''ll ssify you directly as a third-tier[Brilliant Star]level talent."


    Although William was displeased, he didn''t particrly make things difficult for Sterl, even intentionally upgrading the treatment Sterl could enjoy.


    In his view, this was just some trash from a lower base. So what if he had talent?


    Sterl,pared to someone like Teresa, was like owing a favor that could never be repaid in a lifetime.


    And in the rest of his life, it was unlikely the two would meet again.


    William did not think himself so petty as to be unable to tolerate such an ant.


    Coming from the Sequence Base himself, and sharing a C-ss profession and B-level talent like Sterl, William believed his future held at least a second-ss, if not a third-ss transformation.


    And for Sterl, even with the support of the Spark Program, achieving a second-ss transformation would still be difficult!


    Moreover, William was certain that Sterl''s skills and equipment would be far inferior to his own. This kid from the lower base and Teresa were simply from two different worlds.

 Chapter 44 Hidden Mission, Title [The Slaughterer]

    44 Hidden Mission, Title [The ughterer]


    William felt Sterl posed no threat.


    Other yers came forward with congrattions: "A Brilliant Star-level talent? Sterl, your future is boundless!"


    "Congrattions!"


    ��


    They also took the opportunity to give Sterl a rundown.


    In the Spark Program, the potential of the selected talents is divided into 5 tiers.


    The 5th tier is the lowest, the 1st tier the highest, with the tiers named from bottom to top as [Ster Glow], [Satellite], [Brilliant Star], ], and [Constetion].


    As a Brilliant Star, the third-tier talent, there are only about five thousand such individuals among Earth''s nearly ten billion poption, making them extremely rare!


    William then began to outline the privileges of being a Brilliant Star level: "I see you''ve alreadypleted your ss change. So the first reward, a trigger scheme for a D-ss or higher job change mission, won''t apply to you."


    "However, it can be converted into apensation of 5 million credit points."


    "Your rewards for joining the Spark Program include three items: fifty silver coins or fifty million credit points."


    "A level 20 piece of equipment."


    "A white-quality skill book."


    "Additionally, as a Brilliant Star talent, you can purchase ten stamina and energy recovery potions each month at cost price from any mid-level base."


    "And if you want to join a mid-level or high-level base, you can directly participate in the assessment without waiting for eligibility review. After passing the selection, you can bring up to three family members to join the new base with you."


    After listing these details, William returned to a cold demeanor, unwilling to engage further with Sterl.


    Teresa''s expression changed, ready to burst out, but then she caught a signal from Sterl in the corner of her eye and obediently stayed put.


    "Thank you, sir. I''ll take the fifty silver coins." Sterl said offhandedly. He felt the rewards for joining the Spark Program were rather meager.


    He had just defeated a boss and earned ten gold coins.


    Although theoretically, that required the cooperation of over a dozen level 20 yers to challenge and then divide the loot.


    But now, fifty silver coins?


    Sterl was unimpressed, and the level 20 equipment and white-quality skill book were even less significant to him.


    The equipment was unlikely to be anything special, probably just iron-grade. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Incidentally, the gear like the Shadow Curved de that Sterl had acquired before could evolve with added points. But considering how quickly equipment was reced, he had prioritized other enhancements.


    After all, Sterl''s daily evolution point was far from enough, leaving little room for low-level equipment to enjoy.


    As for the white-quality skill, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to learn it. Even if he could enhance it with evolution points, it was inherently insufficient and not worth his time. After all, to truly unleash the power of a skill, one had to use it repeatedly to increase proficiency.


    William nodded, "These items will be delivered to your base within ten days."


    Following this, the "big shot" overseeing the Spark Program was reluctant to speak more with Sterl.


    But the yers from the mid-level base were still quite enthusiastic about introducing him to the benefits of joining the Spark Program��


    The energy and stamina recovery potions mentioned by William are great stuff, which weredeveloped by an S-ss professional among the human race on Earth. These potions can restore 10% of one''s stamina or energy within 10 seconds and are effective for yers below the third advancement.


    They are a specialty of the human race on Earth. Many other races are willing to purchase them at a high price.


    yers who join the Spark Program can buy these potions at the cost price of 5 silver coins each, whereas others may need to pay 20 to 30 silver coins for one. The price is even higher for non-human races.


    These potions are so coveted that even high-level yers, close to the third ss, are willing to spend a significant amount of their wealth to stock up on them.


    And as William mentioned, joining the assessment of intermediate and advanced bases,


    yers at intermediate bases strongly rmend that after Sterl''s strength improves, they try to challenge him.


    The assessments are conducted in the form of selection battles, which are organized whenever a sufficient number of applicants have umted.


    The top three yers in the selection battle can move to live in a high-level or mid-level base.


    The facilities at these two bases are much better, and in the regions where the bases are located, the number of NPCs, the amount of quests, and the richness of wild monsters are also far superior to those of lower-level bases.


    Moreover, yers who perform well in the promotions for the high-level base can receive awards from the human race on Earth. In short, participating in the selection battles is all gain and no loss. Ordinary people wishing to apply need to pay a significant registration fee andplete tasks to earn a spot, but yers from the Spark Program can apply directly.


    Additionally, after enrolling in the Spark Program, based on their own levels of potential.


    yers can also look up how to trigger certain quests, pay to enter highly efficient leveling areas governed by the human race of Earth, and find out how to obtain the necessary items and equipment.


    In essence, while the tangible rewards might not be abundant, as the Earth group is also strapped for resources, the intangible assistance provided is substantial.


    After hearing all this, Sterl was contemtive.


    He felt that joining the Spark Program was indeed a good idea. With his ability to add points, he couldpletely use the Spark Program''s information system to select and acquire powerful skills and equipment post-evolution.


    As for joining the mid-level or high-level bases, this was also quite tempting for him. If the area outside the base was rich in resources, allowing easy ess to rewarding quests and high-level monsters, it could save a lot of time and help him grow stronger faster.


    What''s more important is that the conditions at the intermediate and advanced bases are better, and the security is stronger. Sterl really wants Linna and Rayna to join them.


    It''s worth noting that the bases of the human race on Earth are not absolutely safe.


    In the game [Transcendence], periodic events known as [Monster Sieges] ur, during which many bases under the humans have been breached, leading to heavy casualties among yers and civilians.


    Sterl, whose strength was rapidly increasing, could ignore such threats. However, his two family members remained his Achilles'' heel...


    After the briefing, Sterl gave a slight bow to the yers from the mid-level base, indicating his understanding and appreciation for their exnation. He then quickly became friendly and engaged in pleasant conversations with the group of yers.


    William, seeing that Sterl didn''t continue to pester Teresa, merely sneered inwardly, thinking that the young man knew his ce. After all, a person of William''s stature could easily crush him with just a breath.


    He then eagerly approached Teresa. But the female yer responded with minimal interest, clearly uninterested in engaging in conversation with William.


    However, the more dismissive she was, the more enthusiastic William became.


    This only served to dissipate any annoyance Sterl might have felt towards the examiner from the Spark Program, even leading him to feel a bit of sympathy for him.


    Sterl''s training nearly caused Teresa''s physical and mental breakdown. Even when Sterl was slightly displeased, he would make herp herown face.


    But now, William is almost on his knees, groveling...


    Such a bootlicker...


    Sterl couldn''t help but shake his head in disbelief.


    ...


    Subsequently, although Teresa was very eager to personally take Sterl back to the base, she knew she couldn''t expose their rtionship. So she used social niceties to refuse others and left alone.


    Sterl, on the other hand, used a teleportation circle to return to the low-level base number 71392. Upon arrival, he immediately received a private message from Teresa.


    Teresa had initially offered it as a bargaining chip merely for survival. Now she meekly suggested that Sterl need not waste his time pursuing such a title.


    22:22


    "I''m sorry! Master! I could only stand by and watch."


    "I was wrong! Please, punish me."


    Reading the message, Sterl could almost picture Teresa''s anxious expression.


    "We''ll settle this the next time we meet. I''ll make sure you''re properly disciplined." he replied nonchntly before moving on to more serious matters.


    Teresa answered his questions about the hidden quest and the title.


    She had umted some contribution points in the sequence base, enough to exchange for an item that would trigger a hidden quest. But it is highly likely that this hidden task is not an exclusive task


    Teresa would have toplete it alongside other yers emerging from the sequence bases. She nned to pretend to invite Sterl to participate as a way of repaying him for his "kindness."


    Since they had to wait for other yers, the hidden quest wouldn''t start immediately.


    As for the title, Teresa was somewhat embarrassed. She presented a title that her ancestors had previously achieved


    The title she mentioned was[yer]. The requirement for the title was to continuously kill enemies for 24 hours without a break (with a maximum interval of 5 seconds between kills).


    This meant that to earn the title, a yer would have to forsake all rest, find a spot with constant monster spawns, and kill for a full 24 hours.


    It was no easy feat.


    And the title''s benefit was to ignore 5% of an opponent''s defense during attacks.


    Teresa had initially offered it as a bargaining chip merely for survival. Now she meekly suggested that Sterl need not waste his time pursuing such a title.


    Teresa promised to quickly umte more contribution points in the sequence base to exchange for more practical title acquisition ns...


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library��


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Whisk92


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 45 Level Up Evolution, SSS-Class Profession!

    45 Level Up Evolution, SSS-ss Profession!


    The effect of the [yer]title is to ignore 5% of the defense, which might seem low, but for someone like Sterl, who has the ability to enhance his stats, what matters is the type of bonus the title provides.


    "Ignore defense??" As someone who had yed various online games in his previous life, Sterl''s first thought was that this was essentially an extra bonus to his damage output!


    Its potential after evolution could be immense!


    Although the conditions were indeed challenging, it was worth attempting to acquire this title if the opportunity arose. Teresa''s information wasn''t useless after all.


    Sterl pondered for a moment. Facing Teresa''s unease, he didn''t overly criticize her, simply indicating that he understood.


    This was also a method of managing his subordinates.


    Compared to mere happiness or dissatisfaction, Sterl''s ambiguous attitude could instill the greatest sense of awe.


    He then approached his home with the air of a master.


    But then, Sterl''sposure instantly broke.


    "Wow!! You''re finally back!"


    "Sterl, how have you been out there? Why did the quest take so long?"


    Blonde girl Linna stood with her hands on her hips, bombarding him with questions aggressively.


    Meanwhile, Rayna, holding a household cookbook, stared at Sterl with clear, resentful eyes, making him feel guilty. The duration of histest dungeon run had indeed been quite long.


    "It''s all the fault of the person who issued the quest. If the reward isn''t good, I''ll have to find trouble with them sooner orter." Sterl grumbled internally, slightly overwhelmed by the smiling beauties before him.


    He knew he couldn''t tell them the truth, especially since Rayna had previously used "running dungeons" as an example to argue that such quests were too dangerous and absolutely should be avoided!


    Sterl had even agreed at the time.


    Now, faced with Linna''s probing question, a spark of inspiration hit him.


    "Actually, I''ve prepared a surprise for you both!"


    "Look!"


    Both girls had yer panels, so they immediately noticed that Sterl had produced a B+ grade pet egg.


    "Oh my god!" Linna''s eyes widened.


    And Rayna reacted even faster, pulling Sterl back into the house and mming the door shut.


    "A pet egg? And it''s such a high level. What''s going on?"


    Sterl then began to weave his story. He didn''tpletely hide the fact that he ran a dungeon, only mentioned that people from the mid-level base assured him it wasn''t dangerous.


    However, he omitted the fact that all the other yers had died, a detail the two girls might eventually find out.


    Sterl didn''t say the dungeon was easy, instead adopting a look of someone who had narrowly escaped death: "When we realized something was wrong with the dungeon, a level 50 powerhouse used a loophole to enter and rescue me. We bothpleted a hidden quest and each obtained a B+ grade pet egg."


    "In the end, I was safe. But the others weren''t so lucky."


    After finishing his story, Linna and Rayna''s expressions changed dramatically, their initial joy reced by fear.


    "What? That quest sounds utterly unreliable!Weren''t they just sending you to your death?"


    "We really need to thank that powerhouse, Sterl. You were incredibly lucky." the two beautiful girls couldn''t help but say.


    In his heart, Sterl couldn''t help but scoff slightly. Thank Teresa?


    I did thank her properly... she''s even calling me master to show her satisfaction...


    "You can''t take such risks next time!"


    "You taught us, after all. Life is precious. There''s no need to push it so hard."


    "Among those who surpass, only those with top talents can stand at the peak. We ordinary people should just live our lives well." However, Linna and Rayna were still uneasy, even terrified.


    Seeing this, Sterl realized it might take a while to convince them. So he quickly switched to another method of persuasion.


    "Wow!"


    "What are you doing?!"


    "Sterl, stop... stop..."


    Amidst Linna and Rayna''s screams, Sterl dragged them both onto the bed. Initially, the two girls were somewhat shy and wanted to resist.


    But having not seen Sterl for several days, the suppressed emotions in their hearts could no longer be contained, and the three soon ended up sleeping together.


    After satisfying Linna and Rayna, Sterl felt happy.Then, he headed to the kitchen to cook. However, halfway through chopping the vegetables, he suddenly realized something��


    The credit point system in the base had be meaningless to Sterl. A single gold coin was worth a million credit points! And a luxurious meal only cost about ten or twenty thousand points.


    Then why hesitate? Just ce the order and it''s done!


    Sterl began to spend extravagantly. After ordering a meal, he went on a shopping spree online, upgrading all the furniture in the house to the highest quality.


    When the two beauties woke up, they were tremendously shocked. But Sterl showed them the 10 gold coins he had earned from defeating the boss, iming they were also rewards from the hidden quest.


    Linna and Rayna had no objections then, even appearing somewhat dazed.


    Sterl''s progress was incredibly fast. He had just be a yer not long ago, and now he could casually produce gold coins?


    "Wow! Our family is really wealthy now!" Linna excitedly opened a bottle of expensive red wine at the dining table, her cheeks flushing as she drank.


    Rayna was moreposed: "Sterl, are you leaving this B+ grade pet egg with us? No, it should be yours."


    "We can level up around the base. It''s not dangerous at all."


    Sterl thought for a moment, then once again brought up the mysterious powerhouse: "There''s more to that hidden quest. He will take me leveling with him next. Keep the pet egg with you for now."


    "I can only be at ease if you two are safe. When the timees for me to explore alone, you can lend me the pet temporarily."


    Sterl''s words sessfully calmed Linna and Rayna.


    At the same time, the two girls grew even more grateful towards that mysterious powerhouse! Such a prominent figure taking great care to mentor Sterl was truly a stroke of fortune!


    They even had a vision in their minds��


    In the dungeon known as Starfall Wilderness, an extraordinary powerhouse with an imposing aura led the way, with Sterl respectfully following behind, full of admiration.


    If Sterl knew what Linna and Rayna were thinking, he would definitely give them a thumbs up, affirming the girls'' thoughts.


    At that moment, Teresa was indeed in front of him, her main task being to hold and suck onSterl''s penis��


    ��


    After celebrating with Linna and Rayna, Sterl decided to take a few days off for himself.


    Mainly because the resources near the low-level base were too sparse, the experience from monster hunting was incredibly low, and there were no quests. Even if he went out to level up, the efficiency would still be extremely low, even with the boost from high-level experience potions.


    It was the perfect time to start leveling up like crazy!


    On the first day back home, Sterl opened his panel and saw the [Heart of Profession: SS-grade Lord of Stars]. Without hesitation, he roared in his mind: "Evolve!"


    Instantly, he felt as though lightning struck him, with a strange energy gathering rapidly from his chest and abdomen.


    Sterl was adding points at home, hiding in the closet. He couldn''t help but kneel on the ground, his head heavily knocking against the wooden board.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s physique was extraordinary, so a knock was of no concern.


    He then felt the energy of the stars coursing through him rapidly, expanding his meridians and transforming his body.


    Meanwhile, an angle that Sterl couldn''t see, the sky above Base 71392 suddenly turned from day to night. Numerous stars gleaming with light, their splendid brilliance falling from the sky to the ground!


    Fortunately, each star''s power was immense, and it was impossible to tell from thending points alone that this energy was being absorbed by Sterl.


    However, rms sounded throughout the base!


    Beep~!


    Beep~!


    "The base is under attack by an unidentified energy!"


    "All yers, please return to your homes and maintain order!"


    "The base is now in the highest state of alert!"


    "Currently, there is no indication of what harm this special energy might cause, but the base cannot counter it. We urge everyone to actively save yourself."


    "Good luck to everyone, and may the human race on Earth prosper!"


    ��


    At first, the base attempted to counter the star power, but soon, even the strongest Transcender in the base despairingly realized��


    Counter it? Impossible!


    The terrifying power descending from the high heavens was not something mortals could touch.


    Even phrases like "may the human race on Earth prosper" were being uttered, implying a simple message: We''re out of options.Whether we can survive or not, let''s just leave it to fate.. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Themanding Transcender of the base, now quietly lying in his office bed, sent a message to the higher-level base: "Reporting to my superior, this might be myst duty report in my life��"


    ��


    The entire base was engulfed in an atmosphere of despair.


    This continued for a full three to four hours��


    In a small area of the base, Sterl, hiding inside the closet, slowly opened his eyes.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library��


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Whisk92


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 46 SSS-Class Profession - Mercury

    46 SSS-ss Profession - Mercury


    If someone were observing at that moment, they would notice that Sterl''s eyes were incredibly profound, as if reflecting a gxy.


    He felt as if his physical body had undergone aplete transformation simr to when he had ss-changed, with significant changes also apparent in his spiritual realm. If previously Sterl needed to meditate to sense the sea of stars,


    Now, his consciousness and soul felt as though they had transformed into the stars themselves.


    Then��


    Sterl was somewhat dazed. "Where am I?"


    "Oh, right!" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I''m in the closet at home!"


    What had only been a few hours of evolution felt to Sterl like an entirely different era.


    Climbing out of the closet, he discovered that all his clothes had vanished without a trace. After casually changing into a set of pajamas, Sterl couldn''t resist opening his panel.


    As expected, the system was flooding with notifications.


    [Affected by an unknown power, your Heart of Profession has been upgraded to SSS-ss.]


    [Your profession has undergone a significant change, you have obtained the new profession SSS-ss Star of Chen]


    "I''ve really reached an SSS-ss profession! My Heart of Profession, I''ve also leveled it up to the max!"


    "Mercury?" Sterl first smiled happily at the thought, then froze looking at the name of the new profession.


    In the system panel, these two characters were in dazzling gold, standing out starkly against all other attributes!


    However, after scouring the system prompts, Sterl still had no idea why.


    He decided not to dwell on it, guessing that perhaps the SSS-ss profession had some special traits?


    Sterl then turned to look at the bonuses from his new profession.


    SSS-ss profession, indeed, was a qualitative transformation!


    First, regarding attributes, every level-up added three points to all attributes, with four attribute points gained per level-up, and the effect of each attribute point added was tripled.


    ording to Sterl''s leveling strategy, in simple terms, this meant that every level-up added 6 points to all attributes!


    He felt�� it was a bit exaggerated. Was he a bit too overpowered??


    A C-ss yer only got a total of 6.5 attribute points per level-up, and here he was, effectively getting 4 times that per level-up!


    Next was the profession trait [Child of the Stars]which had transformed into [Avatar of the Stars: When under the illumination of the stars, wounds heal at an extremely fast rate, and all attributes increase by 40 points.]


    After reading this, Sterl''s heart raced. That 40-point attribute bonus could be doubled by a descent of a god! As for the rapid healing of wounds��


    Sterl decided to test it. He casually took out a shadowy curved de, pierced his palm thoroughly, then activated the star field. A faint light illuminated the room.


    Sterl watched, wide-eyed, as his palm itched and flesh rapidly regrew at a visible rate, weaving together blood vessels and skin.


    Five seconds!


    Just 5 seconds! The huge hole in his palm had healedpletely, as good as new.


    Sterl examined his palm, noting the skin was wlessly smooth and tender.


    "Such incredible healing power!" he couldn''t help but exim.


    Then, Sterl turned his attention to the final content of his profession panel, the skills section.


    The original two skills remained unchanged, but after level thirty, Sterl discovered two purple-tier skills had appeared in the skill tree, ready to be learned once he reached the required level.


    Later, he flipped through the skill tree that still disyed a question mark and saw a faint and exquisite glow.


    "So after learning the level 30 skills, the following ones are golden-tier moves!" Sterl couldn''t help but swallow hard, finding the SSS-ss profession overwhelmingly powerful.


    It''s known that blue-tier skills are for yers above level 61, purple-tier skills directly cater to yers above level 91 who havepleted their second ss change, and golden-tier skills are for those above level 141 who havepleted at least three ss changes!!


    An SSS-ss profession truly is audacious!


    Sterl felt dizzy with excitement, and what was even more outrageous was that he had justpleted his ss change, meaning the full strength of his profession had yet to be realized. In theing period, as long as he leveled up, his strength would grow explosively!


    After his moment of reflection.


    Sterl was quickly brought back to reality by a "thud" as the bedroom door was pushed open.


    Linna and Rayna, carrying bags big and small, were stunned to see Sterl.


    "Where did you go?"


    "We''ve been looking for you for ages!"


    "So you were at home! That''s great!" The two beautiful girls were both excited and tearful.


    "What happened? What''s going on?" Sterl, equally surprised, grew serious. This clearly indicated something major had urred.


    As the two girls exined, Sterl''s expression darkened considerably.


    ording to Linna and Rayna��


    Somehow, the base had suddenly activated its highest level of alert.


    Themanding officer even dered it a lost cause, telling everyone the base was beyond saving and to prepare for death, advising everyone to fend for themselves.


    Consequently, the base was inplete chaos.


    Some yers chose to flee, while others found their usual enemies and started fighting, causing many civilian casualties in the aftermath of the battles.


    All the major guilds, including the official ones, having received the news earlier, were the first to flee, and now they have all evacuated their bases.


    As a result, there is no force left within the bases to maintain order.


    In the neighborhood where Sterl and his family lived, it was pure chaos. Ordinary people, too afraid to venture into the wilderness, quietly awaited their fate at home, while many others desperately broke into homes to kill, rob, and rape.


    Sterl hid in the wardrobe, while Linna and Rayna searched for a long time but couldn''t find it. After adventuring around themunity, they prepared to turn back home, pack up their valuable belongings, and then search for Sterl all the way.


    However, upon their return, they found Sterl safe and sound in the bedroom...


    Sterl was deeply concerned, as the highest level of alert usually indicated events like monster sieges.


    However, he wasn''t panicked.


    Feeling confident as an SSS-ss professional, Sterl believed he could protect Linna and Rayna as they traversed the wilderness to seek refuge in another base.


    Thus, Sterl quickly packed up some belongings with the two girls and they all made their escape from the base.


    But upon reaching the outskirts of the base, Sterl waspletely dumbfounded. The area was packed with ordinary people and yers, and the surrounding wild monsters seemed to have been almost entirely cleared by someone.


    But what exactly was the disaster that warranted such caution?


    Everything seemed calm and peaceful!


    It was only after discussing with Linna and Rayna that Sterl realized... The alert was because of him??


    The base had nearly disintegrated from the sudden, inexplicable influx of a massive amount of ster power?


    Sterl was dizzy with confusion! He had no idea how to even begin toin about the situation. Though, if he put himself in the shoes of the base''smander, he probably would have reacted the same way. Sterl''s assumption into his celestial role had caused quite the stir!!


    In the game "Transcendence," the bigger themotion, the bigger the event! It was impossible that such a massive influx of ster power would result in nothing happening.


    Not just a low-level basemander, but even those in charge of mid-level or higher bases would have been terrified by the spectacle.


    Sterl was at a loss. He couldn''t exin the anomaly, which actually posed no threat. He had no choice but to act ignorant and, along with Linna and Rayna, stay at an official refuge far from the base for the time being.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s identity ID recorded that he was a member of the Spark Project, and his status as a pioneering yer had been recognized, granting them a temporary small vi to stay in. The living environment was quite eptable.


    So, for the next while.


    Sterl settled down in the vi, fuckingLinna and Rayna when they were not busy, and took the opportunity to allocate his various resources and organize his affairs.


    Sterl''s first task was to upgrade his pet egg.


    From a [Ster Egg (S)]to a [Ster Egg (SS)].


    Since it hadn''t hatched yet, the upgrade didn''t show any special effects.


    However, the skill Sterl shared became��


    [Ster Power (SS)], with effectsrgely simr to before but now with reduced consumption of ster energy and enhanced output of moves imbued with ster power.


    Moreover, the Ster Egg couldn''t be upgraded further, but the good news was that as soon as Sterl ced the egg in his palm, the system automatically prompted, [Due to your profession''s influence, the Ster Egg is evolving].


    It seemed the pet could indeed reach SSS rank.


    Sterl felt a bit disappointed, as upgrading directly was more convenient. Slow evolution meant there was no telling when it wouldplete...


    Next, he upgraded a second item.


    Sterl upgraded a special piece of equipment from the "Dimensional Visitor," the "Eye of the Stars." After upgrading it twice, the "Eye of the Stars" transformed into the "Insight of the Stars." Originally, this piece of equipment was simr to a cosmetic contact lens. Sterl simply had to ce it in front of his pupil.


    After the evolution, the [Star Insight] turned into a liquid, much like eye drops.


    Sterl could equip it by simply dropping it into his eyes.


    The upgraded [Star Insight] maintained the same equipment bonuses and effects.


    But now, Sterl could detect entities with spiritual attributes not exceeding his own by 100 points, and the [Star Insight] gained a new skill��


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Whisk92

 Chapter 47 Continuous Upgrades, Pet Hatching!

    47 Continuous Upgrades, Pet Hatching!


    [Veil of the Stars]


    [Category: Special Skill]


    [Effect: After using this ability, you can disguise yourself as any appearance. Only entities with a mental attribute exceeding the yer''s by more than 100 points can see through it.]


    Sterl was quite surprised by this.


    The Veil of Nothingness concealed his abilities, and now the Veil of the Stars could disguise his appearance. With this, Sterl could fully exert himself while adventuring outside!


    He could create countless false identities, and no one would guess that the powerful individuals stirring up trouble were actually just an ordinary genius from the third tier of Earth''s Spark Project��Sterl.


    "Doesn''t this sound a bit pretentious?" Sterl criticized inwardly.


    Over the next few days, he also upgraded some misceneous items.


    Firstly, the Heart of nt Essence he had obtained from a boss drop, which Sterl was quite excited about regarding its potential evolution.


    Upgraded once.


    [Heart of nt Essence] �� [Spirit of Flora].


    What originally looked like a transparent, heart-shaped, emerald soft jade, pulsating continuously, now ceased its beating and transformed into an emerald crystal, with a vague human silhouette flickering inside.


    [Spirit of Flora]


    [Effect: Allows for the fusion with a pet, granting it nt-based energy and rted skills, and significantly increasing the pet''s hatching speed. When integrated into equipment, it adds a high vampiric effect and strengthens nt-based attributes.]


    An item that seemed somewhat mediocre instantly became something Sterl was in dire need of.


    "elerate the pet''s hatching?" Sterl was pleasantly surprised. He knew the hatching time for an SS-grade Ster Egg was far longer than the B+ grade versions Teresa, Linna, and Rayna had!


    Sterl had braced himself for not enjoying the benefits of his pet anytime soon, but now there was an unexpected joy.


    He didn''t hesitate to use it on his SS-grade Ster Egg.


    Then, Sterl saw a clear disy on the Ster Egg��[This pet egg will hatch soon. Please be prepared.]


    After evolving the Heart of Flora, Sterl, who was staying in the shelter, sessfully received the dyed rewards for joining the Spark Project.


    The white skill book was [Blink], allowing the yer to move a short distance quickly.


    The equipment was a level 10 iron-grade, Very useless��


    [Crude Wooden Ring], with the simple effect of adding 5 to mental attribute.


    The iron-grade equipment Sterl had previously obtained in the Starfall Wilderness dungeon was much better.


    He suspected that this kind of iron equipment might be what you''d find dropping from ordinary monsters.


    22:32


    It was the third reward, however, thatpensated with 5 million credit points and 50 silver coins, that Sterl handed over to Linna and Rayna for them to manage the household''s daily expenses, giving the two beauties a good time.


    This considerably improved Sterl''s mood as well.


    By the way, Sterl had given the two level 50 pieces of equipment he obtained from defeating Philip Waldo to Teresa to handle. He nned to sell them for about thirty to forty gold coins, but they hadn''t been sold yet.


    Then, Sterl spent another two days evolving two bottles of advanced experience potions to stockpile.


    The drama within the base finally came to an end. This incident had caused quite a stir, attracting several third-tier yers from higher-level bases. After verification and calctions, they deemed everything to be normal.


    The star energy from before might be an unexplored mechanism within [Transcendence].


    Countless ordinary people and yers gradually moved back to the base.


    ...


    After Sterl and hispanions returned home, they were busy for a while, tidying up the rooms that had been left in disarray in preparation for their escape.


    Linna and Rayna ungracefully copsed onto the floor.


    The blonde beauty pouted, "Low-level bases are just not reliable."


    "Sterl, when can we move to a mid-level base?"


    "I heard that after bing a professional, you can apply to take the assessment."


    "Over there, we shouldn''t have to deal with a bit of weirdness causing such a fuss, right?"


    "There was really nothing strange, yet they made such a big deal out of it."


    Rayna, who was usually quite reserved, couldn''t help but make a smallint, "Yeah, the security in lower-level bases is too low, even without this incident."


    "It could be breached by a monster siege at any time."


    Sterl paused for a moment but smiled and reassured them, "Don''t worry, I''ll be moving us out soon."


    "Really?" Linna was somewhat surprised, and Rayna looked hopeful.


    They had also heard that the selection for joining a mid-level base posed no danger to life. Sterl was already a professional, so trying wouldn''t hurt.


    However, Sterl had decided to develop for a while and directly sign up for the selection of a high-level base.


    Typically, moving from a low-level base to a mid-level base required professional level, and advancing to a high-level base required second-tier level.


    Incidentally, if you''re a native of the base, to obtain permanent residency, the requirement drops a level: for a mid-level base, you simply need to be a yer, and for a high-level base, bing a professional is sufficient. However, even with reduced requirements, every year, many people from mid-level and high-level bases are forced to join lower-level bases because the poption capacity of mid and high-level bases is limited. To make room for neers, the old residents must leave.


    Meanwhile, the human race on Earth continues to build lower-level bases to ensure there''s enough space for the growing poption.


    With Sterl having a 3S-grade profession, he estimated that by around level 50, or even sooner, he would have the strength to challenge second-tier yers.


    He simply decided, with the Veil of Nothingness and the Veil of the Stars abilities at his disposal, to develop a bit more and then fake a level 60 profile with apleted second-tier transformation with rtive ease.


    Although advancing to the second-tier at such a pace would seem miraculous, at least the level, something others wouldn''t covet. Bypleting the selection for a high-level base, he could ensure Linna and Rayna live in a safer ce.


    Since their establishment, Earth''s human race''s high-level bases have never been breached.


    For his family, Sterl decided to reveal a bit more of his capabilities.


    ...


    The next day, at five in the morning.


    Sterl had already arrived at the location of the base''s teleportation circle, the same old ce��the hall serving the pioneering yers.


    He didn''t say goodbye to Linna and Rayna because the incident with thest dungeon had made the two beauties overly nervous, fearing Sterl would venture into danger again.


    Thus, Sterl decided to act first and exinter��runaway first!


    After arriving at the hall, he settled the rewards for thest pioneering mission with the staff, receiving only 5 silver coins.


    However, every little bit counts.


    Sterl also picked up another mission from the pioneering task list, heading to "Death Vige" to collect three gue spores. The reward for this task was just a bottle of antidote potion.


    But Sterl didn''t hesitate to ept it because he was heading to Death Vige toplete a mission scroll that dropped from Philip Waldo, which was more profitable than aimlessly grinding monsters.


    Taking on an additional mission for extra profit was always good.


    Then, he spent two silver coins to use the teleportation circle within the base to travel to base number 70111.


    Following the map he obtained through the pioneering yer benefits, Sterl left base number 70111 and headed southwest. He then stepped into a dense forest and never came out again.


    Five minutes after he entered the forest, a burly man with a scar on his face emerged from the other side of the forest and headed southeast.


    This burly man was naturally Sterl''s disguised appearance.


    It was only now that he officially headed towards Death Vige.


    However, Sterl hadn''t gone far before his expression suddenly changed, revealing excitement.


    He took out the Star Egg from his backpack. At this moment, the pet egg was constantly shining, pulsating like a heartbeat.


    Thump! Thump!


    Thump! Thump!


    "Is it finally going to hatch??" Sterl looked forward with anticipation as he ced the Star Egg on the ground.


    Subsequently, intense energy fluctuations surged.


    The Star Egg, originally the size of a palm, rapidly expanded to three times Sterl''s height, bing a giant egg!


    Then, the sky suddenly changed color! The clear sky was instantly covered with dense clouds, and silver snakes flickered faintly among the clouds.


    Boom!!


    With a loud noise, a bolt of lightning struck directly down!


    "Oh shit!" Sterl didn''t have time to react and couldn''t dodge in time, getting struck by the lightning along with the Star Egg!


    He was severely injured by the strike, but fortunately, Sterl quickly activated the [Power of the Stars]. With his domain activated and the boost from his professional trait, the Avatar of the Stars, his injuries rapidly healed.


    At this moment, Sterl felt the absurdity of having an SSS-grade profession, marveling at how his severely injured body could recover in just over a minute! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Absolutely outrageous!


    But at that time, Sterl couldn''t afford to be happy as he noticed a crack appearing on his precious Star Egg. However, it wasn''t a crack from the pet inside hatching, but damage caused by the lightning strike!


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Whisk92

 Chapter 48 Monster Slaying Mastery, Starlight Splash!

    48 Monster ying Mastery, Starlight Ssh!


    "Is heaven trying to prevent the birth of an SS-grade powerhouse from the Star n?" Sterl recalled the backstory he learned in the dungeon, how the path to S-grade talents for the Star n was blocked!


    It was only through his evolutionary abilities that Sterl managed to reverse this reality.


    But even if it were just S-level, the arrival of an SS-level Star Race would inevitably provoke the ire of the heavens and the earth.


    To prevent further damage to the Star Egg, Sterl had no choice but to face the second bolt of lightning gathering in the sky and meet it head-on. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He could recover from injuries, but the pet egg couldn''t.


    Boom!!


    After the second sh of lightning, Sterl was once again brought to his knees,


    Then, one after another, bolts of lightning struck down.


    Fortunately, the power of each lightning strike did not continue to increase, and there was a minute or two interval between each.


    Relying on the Star Force reserves, Sterl was able to withstand the strikes with his domain activated...


    As time ticked away by the second.


    he glow of the Star Egg grew even brighter...


    And this barrage of heavenly lightning made countless wild beasts tremble in fear, hiding in their caves, daring not to show themselves.


    When the thunder gradually dissipated, all was silent.


    Only Sterl, bathed in the glow of the stars, was rapidly recovering. His battered flesh, along with threadsposed of starlight, was reassembling bit by bit, akin to a deity.


    Just then��


    Crack, crack, crack.


    With a series of crisp sounds, the dramatic Star Egg finally shattered, revealing a long-bodied dragon with a pair of wings on its back, covered in silver-white scales, with wheat-ear-like patterns on its tail and scales, fluttering its wings and gentlynding beside Sterl.


    It spread its wings, showering a healing glow, and looked at Sterl with a deep fondness.


    "Has it finally hatched?" Sterl, looking at the majestic dragon, was thrilled. Feeling the friendly aura emitted by the dragon, he was even more delighted.


    He immediately checked his pet''s attribute panel.


    [Starlight Dragon (SS)]


    [Level: 0]


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 10


    Strength: 10


    Agility: 10


    Spirit: 10]


    [Talent: Power of the Stars (Abbr.)]


    [Skills: Healing Starlight (Green): Scatters starlight to heal units in range. Upon reaching level 60, this skill evolves to blue quality.


    Guardian''s Power (Special): The Starlight Dragon canunch a guardianship against its owner, protecting them from all damage, relieving all simple states, restoring all states. After activation, the Starlight Dragon will enter the Starry Egg state and recover after 48 hours.


    Starlight Ssh (Blue): Passive skill, the surplus damage from all attacks that kill an enemy is converted into Starlight Ssh to nearby enemies. The starlight itself can also trigger this effect. This skill evolves to purple quality when the Starlight Dragon reaches level 90.]


    "Great! It''s not in vain that I''ve been struck so many times by lightning!" Sterl was quite satisfied with his pet''s attributes.


    Firstly, having all attributes at 10 points even at level zero, its status as a main star granted Sterl a slight boost already.


    Upon further inspection, Sterl discovered that the SS-grade Starlight Dragon gained 3 points in all attributes per level without any free attribute points.It was expected that after proper leveling, Sterl will receive a high gain


    The Starlight Dragon''s talent goes without saying, shared with Sterl, and its three skills are also of high quality.


    Healing Starlight filled the gap of Sterlcking a healing skill.


    And with the power of Guardian''s Force, Sterl found that in addition to being able to equip himself with this almost invincible buff as a pet, Starlight Dragon, Sterl can also use it on others after sharing it. However, he cannot transform into a Star Egg and will directly die, triggering the resurrection armor of the Heavenly God descending to earth.


    As for thest skill, Starlight Ssh, Sterl studied it and roughly understood its significance.


    For instance, his Scorched Fire technique, though powerful, often resulted in overkill when used in Starfall mode, wasting output!


    With the effect of Starlight Ssh, however, surplus output is directly converted into starlight, which sshes over a wide area, even reaching beyond the range of the Scorched Fire technique. Moreover, the starlight can transform again after killing an enemy.


    This ensures no waste of output! At the same time, it significantly increases Sterl''s attack range, making monster farming incredibly fast when facing groups of enemies.


    "A godly skill!" Sterl mused, giving a fair assessment.


    For his current stage, where leveling up against monsters is almost instantaneous. This efficiency-boosting Starlight Ssh...


    Is the best of the best!


    At this time, the Starlight Dragon, which had been protecting Sterl and casting healing glows, seeing its master fully recovered, excitedly hopped around.


    However, its massive size caused a whirlwind of dust and shook the ground.


    "Cough, cough, cough..."


    "What are you doing?" Sterlined, his mouth full of dust.


    Fortunately, the Starlight Dragon quickly realized it was causing trouble for its master.


    With a sh of light, it shrank rapidly, transforming into a tiny dragon, small enough to fit in Sterl''s palm.


    Eventually, itnded on Sterl''s head, burrowing into his hair as if nesting, moving around affectionately.


    "From now on, I''ll call you... Starlight," Sterl saidzily, naming it offhand, as he fished the Starlight Dragon out of his hair.


    Previously, its massive size had been imposing. But now reduced, Sterl found the newly-hatched pet''s plump feel quite pleasant.


    He became very yful and tossed the Starlight Dragon into the air, catching and throwing it alternately with his left and right hands, thoroughly enjoying himself as he tossed and caught it again and again.


    The Starlight Dragon seemed to love this, chirping joyfully.


    ...


    "Bro, are youalso heading to the Death Vige?"


    "It''s indeed a superior monster farming spot."


    "How about we go together?"


    "The map? Yes, there''s something off with it. For some reason, the coordinates of Death Vige have changed several times over the years. Only us old-timers can ensure we find it."


    At this moment, Sterl still looked like a scar-faced brawny man, with Starlight hiding in his sleeve.The newborn creature seems to be very drowsy, trying to catch up on sleep.


    The one who had just spoken was a blue-haired young man, inviting Sterl with great enthusiasm.


    Behind the young man were four other yers: an old man dressed in a robe that was clearly a priest''s garb, a woman in leather armor with a good figure, who appeared to be an assassin or rogue.


    The other two were an archer and a mage holding a battered and tattered staff.


    The blue-haired young man, d in heavy armor, seemed to be a tank warrior.


    This was a quintessential adventure party.


    After interacting with Starlight Dragon, Sterl set off again ording to the map. However, despite searching for a long time, he couldn''t locate Death Vige.


    Instead, he encountered this seemingly enthusiastic adventure party leader.


    After some hesitation, he decisively nodded, "Then I''ll be in your care."


    "Can you tell me about Death Vige? I''m here for a quest."


    Sterl didn''t care whether the intentions of the party members were genuine or not, as long as they could lead him to his destination.


    He had alreadypleted a detection using "Insight of the Stars."


    Among the party, the strongest was the blue-haired young man, at level 45, a C-grade ss.


    The others were only between levels 38-42, a mix of C and D-grade sses.


    Such strength is simply not worth mentioning for Sterl at the moment.


    If this group harbored any ill will, Sterl could easily take them all down.


    Hearing Sterl''s question, the blue-haired young man was all smiles, "That''s great. Having one more person means having one more source of strength."


    "Everyone will be safer."


    But the other four members of the team scoffed.


    The woman in leather armor was particrly dissatisfied, "Is the boss being too kind-hearted again?"


    "This is clearly a newbie yer. Just don''t drag us down."


    Sheined, and the rest of the team seemed helplessly in agreement, clearly siding with the woman''s opinion.


    Sterl naturally ignored this. It wasn''t him who was being disdained, just his disguise. If they disdain him, so be it.


    Just follow the team and that''s it!


    On the way, the blue-haired young man also briefly introduced the situation in Death Vige.


    "This map is special. As soon as someone enters, it starts spawning monsters. The longer you stay, the faster the spawn rate."


    "At first, it''s only two or three at a time. Butter on, it could even be dozens or hundreds."


    "The monsters inside are known as gue Walkers, starting at level 35. With each wave, their strength slightly increases."


    "With the several shifts in coordinates of Death Vige, the spawning pattern has be more chaotic."


    "So, Philip Waldo, don''t stay in Death Vige too long. If things look bad, run. Survival is the most important."


    The blue-haired young man joked.


    Sterl nodded seriously, "Thanks for the warning."


    Yes, the fake name he was using was Philip Waldo! Not only killing him, but also using his name.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Whisk92

 Chapter 49 The Village of Death

    49 The Vige of Death


    For the next period, Sterl followed a small team in their exploration of the wilderness.


    Along the way, they encountered numerous wild beasts. Sterl, not wanting to reveal his true strength, made only casual efforts.


    He conjured a de of the Stars, transforming it into the lessmonly used form of a long spear, and dealt with level 20-30 wild beasts as if he were slicing through vegetables.


    This somewhat changed the adventure team''s perception of Sterl... The neer, who seemed like aplete novice, actually had some decent skills.


    As a result, the atmosphere within the team eased considerably.


    "Philip Waldo, I see you''re a solo yer. How about you join us on a permanent basis?"


    "Yeah, our team could really use a warrior, couldn''t it?"


    "Philip, you''ve got some skills!"


    The yers in the adventure team even started joking around.


    "Here, take this." The previously rude assassin, under the persuasion of a young man with blue hair, also proactively offered a healing potion.


    Sterl chose to ept it and was in a good mood.


    The atmosphere in this adventure team was indeed very pleasant, truly reminiscent of the time in his previous life when he yed MMORPGs with a few good friends starting new adventures. However, the invitation for Sterl to join their team was merely a formality.


    As they traveled, the team subtly kept Sterl on the outskirts of the group, ensuring that in case of conflict, the mages and archers wouldn''t be the first to be attacked.


    After clearing several waves of monsters, Sterl frowned slightly, "Although I''ve disguised my identity, my skill pool remains the same... There''s still the risk of exposure."


    Sterl pondered.


    If he could disy different skills or even exhibit a move that clearly required mastery or higher level of proficiency after each disguise...


    Then, no one would be able to link Sterl''s various identities together.


    Generally, yers have limited energy and can''t master arge number of highly proficient skills. But after Sterl''s job change and the addition of a secondary star slot, he could perfectly disguise a new identity by absorbing a secondary star with excellent skills and extracting those skills.


    While Sterl was nning, he also observed the adventure team beside him.


    This team wasn''tposed of humans from Earth but was a mix of yers from various races. The overall strength of the team was quite impressive, with a minimum of D-ss professions and everyone possessing decentbat abilities.


    The young man with blue hair and the female assassin in leather armor demonstrated particr talent inbat, handling various wild beasts with smooth maneuvers.


    The members of the team had several pieces of equipment, faring much better than the impoverished humans of Earth.


    In fact, this was the norm in the game "Transcendence."


    Unlike other races, humans from Earth had a harsh living environment and had no choice but to throw themselves into "Transcendence."


    As a result, they focused their racial strength to ensure the survival of as many people as possible. To achieve this goal, many bases were established in the poorer regions of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Consequently, despite the numerical advantage of Earth''s humans and the cultivation of many talented yers and professionals, they remained impoverished.


    However, don''t assume that the situation for yers of other races is much better.


    They practice a form ofissez-faire, with vast disparities in wealth among yers.


    The team Sterl encountered wasposed of elites from several races, far stronger than the average yers of the human race on Earth. Yet, others from their races struggle to survive in "Transcendence"!


    Moreover, within each race, there aren''t that many yers of simr strength to form partnerships. It requires members from several racesing together to form a team.


    As for the pros and cons of how humans and other races nurture their yers, Sterl couldn''t say. However, from what he learned in general education courses, the development speed of the human race has been slow yet steadily elerating.


    History books have recorded that many races that entered the game world alongside humans have perished over a millennium.


    Lost in thought, Sterl and the adventure team finally reached the outskirts of the Vige of Death the next day.


    Since Sterl had set out at noon the day before and didn''t want to waste evolution points, he could only slightly enhance the healing potion given to him by the adventure team, resulting in an item:


    [Ultimate Healing Potion]


    [Effect: Restores all injuries, heals amputations and disabilities, limb deficiencies (yers who have died but whose brains are intact and not brain dead can be resurrected by consuming this potion).]


    The evolution effect surprised Sterl. This was no longer just a healing potion, but a resurrection potion. The only limitation was that deceased yers couldn''t be brain dead.


    Whether for self-preservation or for use on others, it was extremely precious!


    Sterl packed this bottle of potion into his bag.


    As for why he didn''t add points to his skills. Mainly because none of them can be added.


    After advancing to an SSS-ss Celestial Star, both the ze of Mars and de of the Stars skills indicated they would evolve slowly with the absorption of ster energy.


    Sterl needed to wait some time.


    ...


    "We''re here."


    At this moment, the young man with blue hair took the lead, cautiously taking out his equipment, a giant tower shield shimmering with light.


    Following his gaze, Sterl saw a cluster of earthy yellow bungalows.


    Logically, such a number of rural dwellings wouldn''t cluster too closely, or the poption would necessitate developing into a town.


    Yet, the buildings stretched indeterminably, the countless earthy bungalows vanishing into the distance.


    "As soon as we enter those buildings, we''ll be automatically teleported to random points... Let''s hold hands and go in together." No sooner had the blue-haired young man finished speaking than the other team members had already formed up.


    The team leader, holding hands with the female assassin on one side, reached out to Sterl with the other.


    The team members understood that their leader was being kind again. In a ce like the Vige of Death, entering alone meant certain death!


    Without waiting for Philip Waldo to speak, the young man with blue hair naturally pulled him into the formation, integrating him into the team as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    To the surprise of everyone present, Sterl shook his body, stepped aside, and outright refused the kindness of the adventure team.


    "I''ll go on toplete my quest then.As mountains and rivers are destined to meet, so are we bound to meet again in the future."


    "If I make it out, I''ll buy you all a drink." Sterl casually mentioned. After entering the Vige of Death, yers were teleported to random locations.


    Given the vast expanse of the vige, once yers dispersed, it was nearly impossible to encounter each other again.


    Sterl''s words were clearly half-hearted, instantly changing the atmosphere.


    "You... you''re noting with us?"


    "No way? Are you out of your mind? Going into the Vige of Death alone is suicide!"


    "Philip Waldo, you might have some skills, but facing a tide of monsters alone, you won''tst long!"


    "Have you lost your mind?"


    ...


    The rest of the adventure team tried to persuade him, their faces showing unmistakable dissatisfaction.


    In "Transcendence," yers have only one life, making adventure teams extremely reluctant to take on new members in the face of danger.


    If someone with ill intentions joined, it could lead to the entire team being wiped out.


    They had taken a huge risk to temporarily ept Sterl, and now he seemedpletely ungrateful? Kindness is taken for granted. Anyone will feel a bit unhappy.


    Sterl felt quite helpless and a bit troubled by the adventure team''s reaction.


    They were genuinely concerned for his safety, which was why they invited him along.


    However, with skills like Starfall, Sterl could farm efficiently! Teaming up with them meant sharing a significant amount of experience!


    That would be a loss for him.


    Sterl had no choice but to go solo.


    It''s worth mentioning that the team mechanism in "Transcendence" is straightforward and brutal��


    Experience is shared, and for every item that drops, each yer rolls a number between 0-100. The yer with the highest number gets the loot. If there''s a tie for the highest number, those yers roll again.


    Given Sterl''s strength, unless he was teaming up with yers of the second transformation or higher, he would always be at a loss.


    He didn''t want to exin too much, so he simply walked alone towards the cluster of low buildings ahead.


    Meanwhile...


    The members of the adventure team were even more frustrated.


    "Let him be. If he wants to seek death, that''s his choice." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Good advice is wasted on the damned."


    The blue-haired young man, hearing hispanions''ints, could only helplessly shake his head. He wasn''t a saint.


    If Philip Waldo chose this path, he could only respect his fate.


    The female assassin, conversing with the team''s mage, remarked, "It''s for the best. He clearly wasn''t thinking straight."


    "Having him in our team could even drag us down."


    "We might as well look around the Vige of Deathter; maybe we''ll even find Philip Waldo''s inheritance."


    Clearly, in their minds, they had already sentenced the overly ambitious Philip Waldo to death.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Whisk92

 Chapter 50: An Unbelievable Monster Farming Efficiency

    Sterl had barely stepped into a civilian house when a system alert shed before his eyes.


    [You have entered the special zone: Vige of Death.]


    [Embrace this brutal pleasure!]


    Thetter message appeared in blood-red letters, unsettling him slightly.


    Sterl felt a slight tremble under his feet, and then... nothing happened.


    He wandered around the house for a bit, finding nothing of value��only seeing signs that no one had lived there for a long time.


    Pots and pans that had weathered the years were now so brittle they would crumble to dust upon touch.


    After confirming there was nothing to gain in the room, Sterl had no choice but to head back the way he came, pushing the door open to leave.


    However, as soon as he stepped out, Sterl found the scenery around him had drastically changed. He was now in the center of a cluster of civilian houses, surrounded by buildings and streets swirling with yellow sand.


    Looking far into the distance, Sterl realized he would have to traverse several kilometers to leave. Without hesitation, he took out the quest scroll he had obtained earlier and chose to use it.


    Immediately, a new quest appeared in Sterl''s quest log: [Death ughter].


    [Death ughter]


    [Type: Repeatable Quest]


    [Description: Kill 200 units of enemies in the Vige of Death to receive a trophy orb as a reward.]


    [Note: This quest can bepleted up to ten times, with an extra reward appearing upon fullpletion.]


    [Time Limit: 10 hours.]


    "2000 monsters in 10 hours?" Sterl frowned slightly, not because he doubted hisbat skills, but whether it was possible to spawn that many monsters.


    At this point, he could only hope that the Vige of Death would live up to what the adventure team had said about its insane monster spawning rate.


    Incidentally, Sterl''s quest log also contained another quest��the [Smoke and Mirrors] quest he had taken on before.


    However, Sterl didn''t have the energy to learn another skill at the moment, having decided to skip learning the level 20 skill when hest returned to base.


    His n was to learn both skills after reaching level 40, then tweak and submit his quest to master the Smoke and Mirrors skill in one go.


    Now in the Vige of Death, Sterl looked around with curiosity. It was his first visit here. With his skills and boldness, he found everything intriguing.


    Soon, he noticed a pair of decaying, dark green arms grotesquely stretching out from the front door of the house he had entered earlier.


    Apanied by a strange howl, a gue-ridden zombie with a contorted figure and crawling gait appeared before Sterl.


    With the appearance of the first monster, it was as if a call to arms had sounded.


    From about a dozen houses, monsters emerged. In less than five minutes after Sterl had entered the Vige of Death, he waspletely surrounded.


    Sterl casually activated the detection effect of Star Insight.


    He quickly assessed the strength of this horde of wild beasts. They were mostly between levels 35 and 40, not low in attributes, and could at least match a D-ss professional. Moreover, they came with the skill [Rotting gue]��


    Units hit by the gue-ridden zombies would umte ayer of poison status. This effect could stack indefinitely, shared among all gue-ridden zombie units.


    Instantly, Sterl understood why the previous team had strongly advised him against going solo.


    These monsters were formidable in their own right, challenging for yers of the same level to tackle solo, not to mention their vile skill.


    In solobat, it was inevitable for yers to get hit a few times, allowing the [Rotting gue]''s toxic effect to continuously stack. Even for yers in the high seventies or eighties, the umting toxicity could prove fatal.


    Having a priest on hand to dispel the magic was essential. Otherwise, no matter how strong you were, death was certain.


    Or...


    Another strategy was to ensure the monsters couldn''t touch you at all!


    A confident gleam shed in Sterl''s eyes as he opted for the third solution.


    Descending Deity, activate!


    ze of Bewilderment: Storm Form!


    Golden mes erupted around Sterl, and then��


    He downed a bottle of advanced experience potion and dragged his pet, the Starlight Dragon, out of his sleeve.This little guy is still sleeping.


    Sterl force-fed it a potion as well.


    By now, the gue-ridden zombies had closed in, their eyes glowing green, their ws, carrying terrifying poison, gleamed coldly.


    Facing such a threat, Sterl calmly stuffed the Starlight Dragon back into his sleeve to let it continue sleeping. Only then did he casually snap his fingers.


    [ze of Bewilderment: Storm Form].


    The mes, mixed with the power of the stars and turning a deep blue, formed a storm that instantly engulfed several gue-ridden zombies nearby, turning them into charred remains within seconds.


    Then, the power of the ze of Bewilderment underwent a curious transformation, pouring entirely into the bodies of those already dead monsters.


    In the next second, energy burst forth, the mes turning into very sharp, cobalt blue, thread-like energy bodies, sshing around. Each time they hit a wall or the ground, they would bounce and refract.


    Within seconds, the surroundings turned into a storm of countless blue light beams.


    This energy raged on until it hit the monsters.


    This was the skill shared with the Starlight Dragon, Starlight Ssh!


    The ze of Bewilderment took three seconds to kill four monsters, but Sterl''s passive skill, Starlight Ssh, took only two seconds to kill the remaining ten or so gue-ridden zombies.


    Those thread-like energy bodies turned the monsters into a hive of holes.


    After the second wave of gue-ridden zombies were killed, their bodies burst forth with slightly dimmer thread-like energy bodies.


    Starlight Ssh would continue to trigger in a cycle until it had expended the overflow damage!


    Unfortunately, since there were no monsters nearby, the effect of Starlight Ssh just bounced between the cracks in the walls of the houses before slowly fading away.


    "Holy shit! This is just... too incredible!" Sterl was also surprised and delighted by the sight.


    Such efficiency was noteworthy!


    Typically, monsters scattered in all directions were the most troublesome and the hardest to deal with.Sterl would have to use several skills to kill them all.


    But now, a single ze of Bewilderment cleared them all?? Even the efficiency of Starlight Ssh was unbelievably fast,pleting a wave of harvest in two seconds.


    System notifications continuously rang in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have killed a level 35 gue-ridden zombie, earning 644 experience.]


    [You have killed a level 37 gue-ridden...]


    Sterl''s experience bar slowly increased, and within his inventory, the power of blood within the Bloody Gem condensed another strand.


    It''s worth mentioning that after level twenty, the experience required to level up varies significantly between different sses. So Sterl had no idea how much experience he would need for future levels.


    For him, advancing from level 20 to 21 required 100,000 experience...


    Meanwhile, the stock of blood power within his Bloody Gem, including the newly acquired strand, totaled 27 strands.


    Sterl estimated that afterpleting missions in Death Vige, he should significantly elerate the progress of umting 50 strands of blood power in the Bloody Gem.


    Additionally, there were several other notifications.


    [Your pet Starlight Dragon has gained 644 experience points.]


    [Your pet Starlight Dragon has gained��]


    ��


    Sterl''s little pet, without doing anything other than sleeping, was leveling up.


    By the way, pets are considered half a teammate. The reason they''re only half is that when yers carry pets, the experience gained decreases by 25%, and both the yer and the pet receive 75% of the original monster-killing experience.


    Clearly, the game system of [Transcendence] encourages yers to train a pet.


    However, the experience buff is independent for yers and pets, which is why Sterl had also given the Starlight Dragon an experience potion.


    Furthermore, pets also need to meditate to convert their experience into levels.


    Back to the matter at hand, after Sterl had killed the first wave of monsters, he noticed a subtle change in the sky. What was once an azure sky, almost invisible due to the dense yellow sand, gradually darkened as it was enveloped by dust storms.


    Then, over 30 gue-ridden zombies spawned at once, surrounding Sterl. Unfortunately for these monsters, they hadn''t even had time to react before Sterl once again��


    [ze of Bewilderment: Storm Form].


    The first batch of six monsters hit by the skill were burned to death, followed by densely packed blue lines formed by Starlight Ssh ricocheting through the surrounding space.


    The remaining monsters were effortlessly cut into pieces. Despite the doubled number of gue-ridden zombies, it took Sterl merely five seconds to clear them.


    Subsequently, the sky turned increasingly gloomy and dark, even showing a very peculiar blood-red color.


    Sterl felt a bit uneasy. During his time with that adventuring party before, they had never mentioned such a phenomenon.


    He felt a slight sense of difort.


    As the blood-red in the sky grew denser, more and more monsters spawned.


    From over 30 to over 40, to over 60��


    After Sterl cleared several waves of monsters, he could hear continuous banging soundsing from the nearby residential buildings.


    Then��


    A group of foul-smelling bodies forcefully squeezed out from those narrow doorways!

 Chapter 51: The Monster Slaying Feast, A Frenzy of Carnage!

    At this moment, an utterly absurd scene unfolded across the Death Vige zone.


    The newly spawned wave of gue-ridden zombies was terrifyingly numerous! They even squeezed their torsos to shreds just to emerge from the houses!


    Many of the monsters copsed to the ground without even making an entrance, trampled in a frenzy.


    It made one wonder how those dpidated houses could contain so many monsters.


    But, if the initial scene was merely horrifying, what followed was a vision of hell that would drive countless yers to despair!


    At the entrance of every household, at least a dozen gue-ridden zombies were stacked up. At a nce, those innumerable monsters crept forward at a slow pace.


    The movements of the gue-ridden zombies were almostical, but their sheer number was terrifying to behold!


    Indeed, at this moment, numerous yer teams exploring the Death Vige were in utter chaos.


    "What''s going on?? Why are so many monsters spawning all of a sudden?"


    "Fuck! The number of monsters is still increasing!"


    "Holy shit! What''s happening??"


    "Don''te any closer, stay back!"


    "Argh!!!"


    ��


    yers were horrified to find that after the sky turned blood-red, the speed at which monsters spawned from the surrounding houses dramatically increased!


    Leveling up and monster ying in Death Vige was always a risky endeavor. With every change in the vige''s coordinates as a cycle, hundreds of yers would lose their lives in each cycle.


    Many teams were already at their limit in terms of monster aggro and damage output.


    With the sudden surge in the number of gue-ridden zombies, the yers were overwhelmed! First, the warriors couldn''t hold the aggro, allowing the gue-ridden zombies to rush towards the ranged sses. Then, once the ranged sses were entangled and their damage output was silenced, they couldn''t use healing abilities.


    In a vicious cycle, both front and back lines fell together!


    Under the crimson sky of Death Vige, a simrly bloody requiem yed, with countless yer teams wiped out in an instant!


    Meanwhile, in the southwestern corner of this special region.


    "Damn it!"


    "Why did the difficulty of this map suddenly spike so much?" The blue-haired young man who had previously invited Sterl to team up was holding a tower shield, struggling to fend off the enemies.


    The female assassin behind him cursed while trying to fend off the monsters that had lost their aggro, to prevent them from targeting the archers and mages.


    Despite this team being verycautious and retreating to an area with fewer monsters after entering Death Vige, and their strength being superior to others exploring this map.


    But... facing the tidal wave of gue-ridden zombies was still too hard!


    Previously, they faced only about twenty to thirty monsters at a time. But now there were at least a hundred monsters, with gue-ridden zombies continuously gathering from all directions.


    The adventure team led by the blue-haired young man, even if they could resist temporarily, were doomed.


    "We''re done for! We''re definitely going to die!" The team''s mage, in the midst of casting, suddenly copsed, throwing his staff to the ground: "I''ve got a private message from Norman and his team.They''ve been wiped out!"


    Upon hearing these words, the team, already teetering under the onught of a tidal wave of monsters, became even more disheartened.


    "Argh!!" The female assassin was the first to slip up, getting hit by several gue-ridden zombies at once. The stack of gue buffs on her skyrocketed, and her health plummeted rapidly�� Despite quickly drinking a potion from her bag to halt the decline, her eyes were filled with despair.


    Because their team could barely defend themselves, let alone kill the enemy, and the number of monsters kept increasing.


    "Fuck�� Let it go at that."


    "Meeting you as a leader was my luck!"


    "Let''s be teammates in our next life," said the archer with a nonchnt smile.


    "In my next life�� I don''t even know if I''ll be able to save up enough money to afford a gaming pod." the blue-haired young man joked.


    Unlike Earth humans, these yers knew that even if their characters in[Transcendence]were deleted and they could no longer log in, it wouldn''t mean the end of their actual lives.


    At this moment, they showed a remarkable sense of detachment, beginning to wave goodbye.


    However�� once their gaming characters died, the enhancements given to their real selves would also dissipate. These yers were well aware that returning to reality would mean a fall from being superpowered individuals to the bottom of society.


    In a sense, this kind of downfall brought damage that was no less severe than death itself.


    The adventure team smiled with their lips, but their eyes held only despair and emptiness.


    And such scenes were happening all over the Death Vige map.


    ��


    Yet, someone was having the time of their life.


    "Fuck! It''s so great!"


    Sterl was exhrated!


    He was surrounded by a peculiar azure glow, the effect of activating the Ster Domain, which doubled his energy recovery rate! Moreover, after the hatching of the Starlight Dragon, thanks to the main star''s effect, Sterl had inherited a portion of its energy pool.


    He was no longer the unlucky soul gued by constant mana shortages.


    To other yers, the increasing number of gue-ridden zombies was a deadly threat.


    But for Sterl, it was a non-issue.


    Though the monsters spawned ferociously, they had to squeeze out of the houses slowly.


    And what about Sterl?


    He didn''t even need to use his double energy-consuming skill, Phosphorescent Fire-Falling Star Form.


    Just using the storm mode of this skill was enough!


    At that moment, Sterl uttered two sybles!


    mes burst forth, charring several gue-ridden zombies. Hundreds of monsters still surrounded him tightly.


    But the next second, stardust sttered!


    Countless blue lines sshed across the space!


    From a high vantage point, the area where Sterl stood resembled an artwork, with monsters falling like dominoes from the center to the outskirts, turning into minced meatyer byyer!


    Hundreds of monsters were cleared in an instant!


    Then, the houses along the path made noises as if they were producing more gue-ridden zombies.


    Sterl didn''t wait. Instead, he sprinted forward, running to a street he hadn''t cleared yet.


    Seeing hundreds more gue-ridden zombies attracted by him and gathering, he couldn''t help but grin even wider.


    He unleashed another skill��


    Clearing the field!


    As Sterl continued to cut down a multitude of monsters, his earpiece kept buzzing with notifications.


    [You havepleted a loop of the repeatable quest, receiving abat-grade magic orb]


    [...gained experience...]


    [...gained experience...]


    ��


    Simultaneously, Sterl''s experience bar surged!


    The experience needed for level 21, filled!


    The experience needed for level 22, filled!


    Level 23��


    Moreover, the power of blood within the Bloody Diamond also rapidly condensed.


    31 strands��


    32 strands��


    ��


    Thus, while numerous yers were wailing in despair,


    Sterl forcefully carried out a rapid march through the Death Vige, killing his way through and clearing vast areas!


    Even more, the more he fought, the more proficient his movements became.


    A Bloody Sprint suddenly elerated him into the center of a monster group, followed by an explosive me Storm and a blooming Starlight Ssh at the center!


    Next, he utilized the teleportation ability that came with the Ster Domain, diving into the monster groups and repeating the process.


    After the continuous usage penalty for Bloody Sprint vanished, he switched back to this move for discement.


    Sterl aimed not only to farm experience but also to improve his proficiency with Bloody Sprint!


    After such a mechanized operation, Sterl could even manage to take down a group of monsters every thirty seconds�� This was mainly because he needed to keep moving. Otherwise his efficiency would be even higher.


    Soon, due to the great distances he covered,Sterl encountered some yers along the way.


    Some were crying andughing in groups, others were inexplicably killing each other, shouting, "We''re going to die anyway, I''ve always hated your guts!" and some were holding their heads in their hands, sobbing, "Brother, let''s hit the road together."


    Then, these yers were dumbfounded.


    Because just a second ago, they were all emotionally prepared for a tearful farewell!


    And what did they see?


    A figure shed by.


    Seemed like a muscr man with a scarred face?


    This big guy raised his hand��


    mes erupted.


    Then, starlight scattered everywhere!


    Gone.


    This ''gone'' didn''t just refer to the big guy''s figure disappearing. The surrounding monsters were also gone, all chopped into minced meat??


    So much so that the yers stood there, stunned for quite a while, even pping themselves to make sure they weren''t dreaming, this was real.


    "What the hell is this??"


    "Could it be that this is the Death Vige''s protection system, that an NPCes to rescue us when the monsters spawn crazily??"


    "It must be! How else could the difficulty of this ce suddenly increase so much?"


    "Only an NPC could have such strength, his skills must be of purple quality or higher, right?"


    "Is this NPC in their second or third transformation? Too fierce."


    "I get it now! Facing hundreds of monsters was just a cutscene for us to watch. As long as we hold on for a little while, we can survive!"

 Chapter 52: Ten Levels Soar!

    In the beginning, the yers were utterly baffled but they eventually came to a conclusion.


    It seemed that a special mechanism within the Death Vige had been triggered, and an NPC hade to the rescue!


    Their reasoning was clear��


    The figure that had just appeared, ughtering mobs en masse, with hundreds of gue zombies unable tost even a second, could that be a yer? Any being with such power wouldn''t bother with these low-level monsters.


    In [Transcendence], the rules are clear. yers more than twenty levels above the monsters can no longer gain experience... This is to limit some of the top yers from going on a rampage.


    For instance, a legendary or even demigod-level yer could potentially annihte an entire district within the Divine Mountain Empire with all their might!


    If theycould normally gain experience, then even if all the monsters in the area were dead, the rewards for legendary or even demigod yers would not be low.


    Naturally, [Transcendence] had to plug this loophole. Otherwise, how could lower-level yers possibly develop, with all the monsters being monopolized by those powerful beings using mass destruction skills?


    ording to this theory, it was impossible for yers above level 60 to appear in Death Vige. That muscr man with the scar could only be an NPC!


    yers below level 60 couldn''t possibly be that strong!


    After the adventuring teams in Death Vige and other acquainted yers chatted privately, they were even more convinced of their guess��It really was the NPC who had saved them all!


    What they overlooked was a detail... those who hadn''t been saved were already dead and couldn''t send private messages.


    However... not everyone had misunderstood Sterl''s identity.


    On the southwest side of Death Vige��


    The team led by a young man with blue hair had been cornered against a wall made up of several residential buildings.


    He stood in the forefront, blocking the monsters'' charge, his once shiny shield now dented and severely worn, on the verge of falling apart.


    Behind him, the mage, archer, and priest were sitting in a corner, out of breath. Their energy had been depleted, their supplies used up, leaving them without the ability to fight.


    The female assassin, emanating a dark green glow, as a melee ss, had umted severalyers of the "gue" effect, barely clinging to life with some cheap health potions.


    Ideally, the female assassin just needed to wait for the team''s priest to recover energy to remove the abnormal status, but she seemed resigned to her fate.


    It was toote!


    Although the blue-haired young man was strong, even with the advantage of the terrain, facing the flood of monsters, he couldst at most another dozen seconds.


    Without this tank, the adventuring team would be wiped out in an instant.


    "We''ve held on for so long, but to no avail, we''re still going to die."


    "Damn, the name Death Vige is ominous to begin with. We must have been out of our minds to choose it as our main leveling ground."


    "Let''s go meet our end together., brothers!"


    ��


    Several yers faced their fate with calm, ready to embrace death. From the beginning, they had no hope of survival.


    Even the priest made a joke, "Speaking of which, Philip Waldo is probably ahead of us on this path."


    "Him going solo, he might have died before even encountering this map''s anomaly."


    The female assassin weakly agreed, "It just goes to show that him not teaming up with us was the right choice. Dead either way, why bother mixing with a bunch of strangers?"


    The mage and archer also chimed in with theirints, "Look at us, thinking about pulling someone else into this mess. We''re all doomed!"


    Finally, even the blue-haired young man joined in the conversation, apparently ready to rant about that ungrateful jerk they encountered on the way.


    He blurted out, "Holy shit! Philip Waldo!"


    The other members of the adventuring team nodded silently. Although their leader usually didn''t like to talk about others,perhaps at a moment like this, the captain couldn''t maintain his usual demeanor...


    It''s said that a dying person always speaks their truth.


    Wait a second?


    Something wasn''t right!


    In the next second, their minds took a sharp turn.


    What did he mean by��"Holy shit! Philip Waldo?" That sounded so odd.


    They couldn''t help but look in the direction the blue-haired young man was facing, and then they saw a figure rushing towards them at high speed.


    "Holy shit! Philip Waldo!" the members of the adventuring team couldn''t help but exim the same words, as the scene unfolding before them was incredibly absurd.


    Just seconds ago, the man with a scar, Philip Waldo, whom they had been sure was doomed to die, was now sprinting from a distance at a terrifying speed!


    Just the intensity of his speed made it clear he was no ordinary level 30 or 40 yer.


    Considering Philip Waldo had survived alone under the uprising in Death Vige also spoke volumes of the yer''s exceptional strength.


    Suddenly, the hearts of the many members of the adventure team sank, and they even wished they could p their own mouths.


    They had pieced together the whole picture��


    Philip Waldo was strong, which is why he didn''t need to team up with them, having declined earlier.


    Now realizing that Death Vige was in turmoil, the ridiculed Philip Waldo hade to their rescue, hence his rapid approach!


    How touching!


    Could that be it?


    The adventuring team pondered, a glimmer of hope for survival rising in their hearts!


    "If we join forces with Philip Waldo, might we have a chance to survive?"


    "What an opportunity! It''s time to fight with all we''ve got!"


    Just as they were sparing no expense in using up thest of their energy bottles from their backpacks, ready for a do-or-die effort.


    Boom!!


    mes erupted!


    Several gue zombies were burned to a crisp!


    The next second��


    Azure energy rays crazily ricocheted!


    Transforming into an extremely fine of death, shooting out all around!


    The adventuring team was just about to spring into action, only to see all the monsters around them turned into minced meat, all in less than three seconds!


    And before they could even react.


    "Philip Waldo" didn''t even nce their way, his body shimmering with an azure glow, disappearing in a few shes.


    It took a full ten seconds or more for the members of the adventuring team to btedly realize��


    Philip Waldo wasn''t here to save anyone. He was just passing by to grind mobs!


    And then, the horde of monsters that threatened the lives of the adventuring team was annihted with a single gesture from him.


    "Maybe, we''re just not on the same level as him."


    "I even wanted to say thank you." the blue-haired young man said, stunned, ending with a bitter smile.


    The other members of the team fell into silence.


    Their previous scorn and mockery of "Philip Waldo," followed by the "surprise" of seeing hime to their rescue, now seemed utterly ridiculous.


    The gap in levels was just too huge! Enemies that were easily annihted by Philip Waldo were insurmountable obstacles for them, even at the cost of their lives!


    No wonder heignored their mockery earlier. Who cares about the opinions of ants?


    Just like now, while Philip Waldo was farming monsters, hepletely ignored the adventuring team. These yers probably understood something��


    Even for saving their lives, they weren''t qualified to give thanks!


    ...


    Sterl had no idea that his casual monster clearing had prompted the adventuring team he encountered earlier to reflect.


    He ran all the way, and even with the enhanced energy and stamina recovery rates from the Star Domain, he couldn''t keep it up after a long sprint.


    Sterl could only find a spot to sit down and rest after clearing the area of monsters.


    However, the thought of other ces in Death Vige still swarming with monsters, which he couldn''t farm, made him feel a loss.


    By the way, after joining the Spark Project, Sterl could now purchase some energy and stamina potions, but only at an intermediate base, and he didn''t have time to go there at the moment.


    In[Transcendence], the system for yer interaction, the private messaging function could be used without restrictions except on special maps, but the mailing function required specific items.


    Sterl couldn''t ask Teresa to send him potions.


    Of course, that being said.: humanity on Earth was rtively poor. The recovery potions stored by Teresa, considering Sterl''s current pace of farming monsters in Death Vige, wouldn''t be enough anyway.


    After resting for a while and feeling rejuvenated, Sterl stood up, a trace of worry in his expression.


    Because the blood-red color in the sky above Death Vige was gradually fading!


    Sterl didn''t know what this meant, but he feared it indicated that the monster respawn rate would slow down.


    Without hesitation, he embarked on a second round of frenzied farming!


    This time, Sterl hardly encountered any other yers on the road. It seemed he was the only one left on the entire map.


    So...


    He freely unleashed his skills, turning areas that were extremely dangerous for other yers into his personal yground.


    As Death Vige gradually returned to normal and the sky turned azure blue.


    Sterl''s experience bar skyrocketed!


    When he released the Enchanting Fire for thest time, starlight sttered, and the monsters around him were shattered into pieces, while the residential houses in Death Vige temporarily ceased producing monsters.


    Sterl casually opened his attribute panel.


    He had umted enough experience points to level up to level 30, allowing for a ten-level jump!

 Chapter 53: New Skills, Power Surge!

    Sterl couldn''t help but feel his heart pounding as he stared at the experience bar.


    This round, he had hit the jackpot!


    His dashboard showed that his advanced experience potion had a little over 30 hours left on its duration.


    That meant, in just over ten hours of turmoil in Death Vige, Sterl had skyrocketed 10 levels!


    What did that signify?


    Why had that adventuring teame to Death Vige in the first ce? Knowing that this map hardly had any rewards, Sterl had farmed so many gue zombies and got nothing!


    The adventuring team was there to level up! Because a spot like Death Vige, where one could steadily farm monsters without wasting time searching, was too rare.


    But for regr yers, Death Vige was impossible to tackle alone. They had to form teams and share experience. Even so, this map was highly sought after, which indicated just how painfully slow the leveling speed was for ordinary yers!


    For Sterl, factoring in the 1.2x multiplier from the advanced experience potion and his ability to clear hundreds of wild monsters every two to three minutes, the experience he farmed in over ten hours might equate to more than a year or two of progression for a regr yer!


    Furthermore, Sterl noticed something else.


    "ording to the data provided by the base, on average, it takes about a year for ordinary yers to level from 20 to 30."


    "And the higher the professional level, the more experience required for each level-up."


    "I''ve just leveled up 10 levels in one go. It seems the SSS-ss profession doesn''t just have high strength, the experience required for leveling up isn''t too exaggerated either?" he concluded silently, realizing that surprises were everywhere for the powerful!


    Seeing Death Vige return to peace without the frenzied monster farming, and having alreadypleted his repeatable quest multiple times, Sterl simply sprinted away from the map at full speed.


    To Sterl''s slight surprise, after leaving Death Vige, he found himself in apletely unfamiliar territory: "Could this be the periodic coordinate shift of Death Vige that the adventuring team mentioned?"


    "And it enters a berserk state when it shifts coordinates?" Sterl spected.


    He wasn''t panicked in the deste area. Such a worthless ce, given the poverty of the human race on Earth, surely had a base nearby for poption settlement.


    Sterl found an entrance to a base within two hours. Using his participant status in the Spark Project, he easily passed the authentication and entered the base. He then spent some credit points to rent a room and went into seclusion to digest his experience.


    This was Sterl''s first meditation session after his sschange.


    Soon, he realized this session was unlike any before. During the meditation, Sterl felt as if he was in a bizarre void.


    Everything was pitch ck and void, except for a central area where a giant star shone with a brilliant azure light, churning tumultuously.


    While Sterl sensed this, countless specks of experience points outside the void were formed intos by him.


    Sterl found the process of his meditation and strengthening akin to creating a universe.


    Then��


    His aura broke through continuously!


    Simultaneously, the Starlight Dragon lying on Sterl''s wrist also refined its own experience, with its level soaring.


    After a while.


    Sterl slowly opened his eyes.


    He had intended to act like a master and slowly exhale a breath of foul air, but the pet on his wrist gently bit the hem of his sleeve.


    "Are you hungry?"


    "Alright then, let''s eat first." Sterl, feeling somewhat resigned, took out some food from his backpack, and along with it, he began to review his gains from the turmoil in Death Vige.


    First off, Sterl himself had reached level 30,with a significant boost in his base attributes.


    His pet, the Starlight Dragon, had reached level 26, its attributes having also increased... and with the main star''s enhancement, it brought a considerable boost to Sterl.


    It was just unfortunate that the Starlight Dragon''s next skill, like Sterl''s professional skills, could only be learned at level 30. Without a holy ground like Death Vige for farming experience, it was temporarily out of reach.


    After reviewing his attribute panel, Sterl opened his quest panel toplete the ten-round monster farming quest.


    He opened all ten loot spheres, along with a rare sphere obtained frompleting the ten-round quest.


    Ding! Ding!


    With a pleasant ringing sound, system notifications flooded Sterl''s vision.


    [You''ve obtained four gold coins.]


    [You''ve obtained two free attribute points.]


    [You''ve obtained equipment: Thousand Needles, Azure Moon Ne]


    [You''ve obtained: Teleportation Scrolls*2]


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction. The quest scroll dropped by Philip Waldo wasn''t anything particrly great. So obtaining two free attribute points felt like a huge win to him.


    The teleportation scrolls, simple and unadorned in effect, allowed one to bind to a location and teleport back using the scroll.


    As for the two pieces of equipment, it was somewhat amusing��a bronze-level weapon and a bronze-level ne, both requiring level 35.Sterl wasspeechless.


    Not farming monsters above one''s level meant too low efficiency in leveling up. But farming above one''s level meant the loot couldn''t be used, truly a dilemma.


    And thest rare loot sphere, amidst a burst of golden light, dropped something��


    [Skill Card: Devour]


    [Category: Pet]


    [Effect: Can activate the skill to devour the power of monsters after their death, obtaining extra experience points. If the devoured target is a boss-level monster, there''s a very small chance to obtain the monster''s special ability.]


    [This skill is limited to pet units.]


    "What?" Sterl was momentarily stunned, then looked at the skill description again, "Holy shit! This is awesome!"


    This skill had two functions: one was to elerate the leveling up of the pet. The second was to gain special abilities by consuming the corpses of bosses.


    For example, if the Starlight Dragon learned this skill, it could theoretically grow indefinitely! Its final strength could even surpass other SSS-ss pets.


    Hence, this skill had one restriction: only pets could learn it, not yers.


    But for Sterl, this restriction was practically non-existent... except for those abilities that required special organs to execute, Sterl could freeload all the special abilities gained by the Starlight Dragon!


    However, Sterl was speechless upon checking the details of this skill.


    True to a reward from amon running-around quest. Even though it seemed strong at first nce, it was actually trash��


    The efficiency of converting devoured monster corpses into experience was only 2%, barely enough to fill the gaps between teeth, and the chance of obtaining a special ability was a mere one in a hundred thousand.


    Isn''t this just totally useless?


    Fortunately, he noticed a plus sign behind the skill book, indicating it could be upgraded.


    And Sterl just happened to have some evolution points restored.


    He decisively upgraded the skill!


    [Skill Card: Devour]��[Skill Card: Devour+].


    Sterl checked the item information again, after the upgrade, the efficiency of experience conversion was 5%, and the chance of obtaining special abilities was one in fifty thousand. It was still a trash skill, but at least the "plus" was still there.


    "I refuse to believe that if I max this out, Devour will be useless!" Sterl dered fiercely.


    Then, he put the skill card into his backpack, deciding to leave it be for now.


    Sterl rubbed his hands together. Now down to two more gains.


    First, two purple-quality skills on his skill tree were directly unlocked.


    The power, theoretically essible to second-transcendence yers above level 91, was now in his hands!


    The first skill was��


    [Celestial Star (Purple)]


    [Effect: Upon activation, conjures a celestial star to fall from the sky, causing massive damage. Under the starlight, Celestial Star will deal extra damage, include a stun effect, and provide a shield for allies within the area]


    Sterl pondered for a moment. Just by reading the description, it wasn''t clear how powerful this move was. So, it was an output skill? It has increased damage, control, and a group shield after activating the starlight domain?


    In any case, it definitely wasn''t weak.


    The second skill was a passive ability��


    [Stardust (Purple)]


    [Category: Passive Skill]


    [Effect: ��After each enemy kill, collect stardust. The amount of stardust collected is the enemy''s level divided by ten. You cannot collect stardust from enemies lower than your level.


    ��Every time you collect 500 stardust, you receive a skill enhancement charge. You can choose to consume a charge to double the following attributes of any skill: output efficiency, area of effect, buff efficiency, or control effect.


    All effects can stack repeatedly, with each additional stack doubling the consumption, up to a maximum of five stacks.]


    "Wait a minute? All effects can stack repeatedly??" Sterl originally only nced over this passive skill, but he was stunned upon reading the additional details.


    ording to this passive skill''s description, with his efficiency in killing monsters, collecting stardust would be very quick, meaning Sterl could gather several skill enhancements in minutes.


    Taking the newly acquired Celestial Star as an example, if it were stacked to the limit, could it make the skill''s output, area of effect, control effect, and ally shield, all multiply by six??


    Holy crap! That would truly be like stars falling from the sky!


    Sterl imagined the scene of him unleashing his full power with this ultimate move. Second-ssyers... forget it, they don''t stand a chance.


    Even third-ssyers would find it painfully hard to withstand!

 Chapter 54: The Starlight Dragons New Skill 【Infinite Evolution】

    Sterl indulged in his fantasies for a moment before regaining his senses. The actual strength of the two purple skills would still have to be tested in realbat.


    At this moment, he took out thest gain from his insane grind in the Death Vige.


    It was a blood diamond shimmering with a crimson glow.


    This item, when absorbing monster blood points, only calctes the most basic value, making the umtion of the power of blood very slow.


    However, this time, Sterl''s frenzied grind in the Death Vige had explosively umted blood points!


    The blood diamond now directly disyed [Power of Blood Bnce: 133].


    "I''ve never been in such a rich battle!" Sterl couldn''t help but exim.


    He first chose to upgrade the blood diamond, spending 50 blood points.


    Instantly, the translucent diamond shining with eerie light, revealed a pattern of a demon with a masked face and horns.


    Sterl even heard a sinisterughter near his ear.


    "The Blood Duke?" Sterl felt somewhat uneasy. After all, this offering came from the power of a god-level demon. It being useful was one thing, but there was also the chance of attracting the attention of the Blood Duke...


    But the golden finger clearly stated that the evolved product would definitely be beneficial to Sterl, so he just raised a bit of vignce in his heart and examined the properties of the new version of the blood diamond.


    "Mainly, it''s the amplification of various bonuses, right?"


    "After evolution, skills above the golden level can also be broken through with the power of blood."


    "However, breaking through to mastery level requires fifty blood points?? That''s a bit too steep." Sterlined.


    Golden level skills were the powers that third-ssyers above level 141 could use. When Sterl was taking sses at the base, the teachers had only vaguely introduced them, touching upon the realm of legendary powers.


    Therefore, golden skills were often of great might, and naturally, the cost of breaking through their proficiency was terrifyingly high.


    Sterlined verbally, but he was actually quite surprised. Others wouldn''t even have the means to spend blood points like this.


    Next were some routine enhancements of the blood diamond��increases in the strength of attacks and shields created by the power of blood.


    The highlight was the new equipment and skills��


    More than ten pieces of equipment were unlocked, but many were for yers at levels forty to seventy, even sixty to seventy. After much selection, Sterl found two pieces he could use right now.


    [Blood Wristband (Gold)]


    [Category: Growth-type]


    [Level Requirement: 0-70]


    [Attached Attributes: All Attributes +0~35]


    [Additional Skill: [Bloodthirst: Converts 10% of the damage dealt into healing effect]]


    A growth-type wristband, where the yer gains +5 to all attributes for every 10 levels increased, up to a maximum use at level 70.


    The price to craft this equipment was slightly more "expensive" than the previous Void Aspect, requiring twenty blood points. The problem was that it also needed a bunch of materials, like Purple Vine Flowers, Mandrake, Wild Wing Bat Fangs...


    Sterl had never even heard of these, so he decided to directly spend 50 blood points to craft it, ignoring material requirements.


    The other piece of equipment was��


    [Terror Amulet]


    [Category: Special]


    [Requirement: More than 1 kill count]


    [Attached Effect: [Soul Theft: Every time a yer is killed, randomly extract one point from either Spirit, Constitution, Strength, or Agility, with a maximum of ten points extractable from each attribute. Once all soul thefts arepleted, your damage to other yers increases by 10%.]]


    The requirement of more than 1 kill count means that you must have killed at least one yer. Sterl naturally meets this condition. This equipment is not expensive to craft, ignoring material requirements and only needing thirty blood points.


    The reason why the Terror Amulet''s attributes are far inferior to those of the Blood Wristband, yet still requires thirty blood points, is because amulet-type equipment can take effect just by being in the inventory and can be infinitely stacked, making them extremely precious!


    As for the requirement to kill a total of forty yers to fully enhance the attributes, Sterl didn''t find this condition too harsh. First, no matter how stringent the requirements for amulet-type equipment, it''s all profit!


    Second, in the game [Transcendence], yer killings for resource contests are far toomon.


    His path ahead will involve countless oppositions against others. As such, maxing out Soul Theft isn''t a problem. Rather, the exclusive damage boost against yers after maxing it out is a rare and practical attribute.


    Having crafted bloody equipment once before made the second time easier for Sterl. He simply closed his eyes briefly and quickly finished the task.


    Afterward, he equipped the Blood Wristband and tossed the Terror Amulet into his backpack. With only three blood points remaining, he decided not to use them further.


    Incidentally, the new skills that appeared on the blood diamond were eight in total, but all were pure output skills simr to Philip Waldo''s [Soul Eater] and [Blood Net]. Quality were just the blue gear, Sterl can''t even use them


    The new prompt on the blood diamond was��


    [To unlock more skills and equipment slots, two hundred blood points are required.]


    Sterl wasn''t in a rush. Once he had umted 200 blood points for the blood diamond''s upgrade and reached a higher level, he would have many new pieces of equipment to craft.


    ...


    After sorting out his gains, Sterl used the teleportation circle to return home.


    He had been away for about three to four days. Linna and Rayna, although unhappy about his departure without notice, didn''t give Sterl a warm wee back. However, the two beauties quickly got over their anger, and the trio enjoyed a harmonious meal together.


    Upon returning home, Sterl had nned to take on a few pioneering tasks to level up. However, he received a message from Teresa indicating that the preparations for the hidden mission were nearlyplete.


    Sterl decided not to leave, avoiding the situation where he couldn''t use the teleportation circle for the mission. He stayed at home,fortably working on adding points to his newly acquired skill card.


    Sterl rested for a week, adding points to [Devour] seven times before finally maxing it out.


    [Skill Card: Devour+]��[Skill Card: Devour++], with an experience efficiency increase to 7%, and the probability of acquiring abilities at one in thirty thousand.


    [Skill Card: Devour++]��[Skill Card: Devour+++]...


    ...


    Until the final point addition and evolution.


    [Skill Card: DevourMAX]��[Infinite Evolution].


    By the afternoon of the seventh day after Sterl returned home, he watched as a bright golden card fell into his hands, tears involuntarily welling up in his eyes!


    It had not been easy! He had painstakingly relied on point additions to transform a trash skill into a divine one!


    At this moment, the information of the new skill card popped up in his eyes.


    [Infinite Evolution]


    [Category: Exclusive Unique (Once this skill is learned by any unit, it will never appear in Transcendence again until the unit permanently ceases to exist.)]


    [Effect: After being learned by a pet, all enemies killed will provide an additional 25% experience to both the pet and its master. There is a 1/3 chance of acquiring a special ability after killing boss-level monsters (a guaranteed special ability acquisition after killing three bosses).]


    "It''s done!" Sterl''s face showed calm eptance.


    Is this skill strong? Absolutely, it is. First, the initial effect directlypensates for the experience loss Sterl would have suffered from having a pet.


    The second effect, true to the name Infinite Evolution, allows the pet that has learned this skill to gain a special ability every three boss kills. Moreover, there''s a high probability that Sterl can share this ability for free, making it unbeatable!


    However, Sterl wasn''t too surprised, as this is the value he expected after eight rounds of point additions!


    He knew, like the skill card Devour, and his initial mental potential, started off too weak, hence the need for additional point additions to optimize.


    Without hesitation, Sterl pulled out his sleeping Starlight Dragon from his sleeve.


    The Starlight Dragon wore a confused expression until its master pped a glowing card onto its head.


    Instantly, the Starlight Dragon felt a surge of energy take root and twine within its body, making it seem to glimpse an invincible future.


    In its excitement, the Starlight Dragon, lying in Sterl''s palm, couldn''t help but roll over.


    "You''re done here." Sterl tucked the Starlight Dragon back into his sleeve.


    This newly born star race creature once again drifted into slumber.


    "How great it would be to have your ability to fall asleep instantly." Sterl felt a bit envious when, at that moment, a corner of his vision lit up with an envelope-shaped cursor.


    [Your special care yer "Teresa" has sent a message.]


    Sterl didn''t hesitate to open the private message, his expression turning into one of excitement!


    [Teresa: I''ve sessfully exchanged for the hidden mission. Master, let''s meet tomorrow at the development hall of Base No. 113.]


    [Master, can you disguise your attributes to appear around level 40? It could save us a lot of trouble.]


    [Master, I miss you so much. Also, I''ve found a way to hatch the pet egg you gave me...]


    ...


    Aside from the formalities, Teresa seemed quite enthusiastic, even showing signs of missing him.


    Sterl merely smiled slightly. Evidently, his training in the instances previously was quite sessful. He coolly replied with two words.


    [Sterl: Received.]

 Chapter 55: The Hidden Quest Begins, Two-Class Players Emerge

    Sterl, the aloof, closed the private chat window.


    "Excellent!" He clenched his fist tightly and cheered.


    This was a hidden quest, and the rewards were bound to be substantial! Moreover, hidden quests were generally tied to the main storyline of various regions, offering reputation rewards.


    For instance, in the Divine Mountain Empire, where Sterl was, enough reputation was required to participate in the empire''s main storyline.


    What''s the use of asking?


    Sterl had heard that only main storyline quests and above offered legend points! Yes, those he had earned bypleting achievements before.


    If Sterl wanted to achieve legendary status in the future, he must umte arge number of legend points.


    With the experience of the first hidden quest, it was the beginning of a snowball effect, all the way to bing a legend!


    To have his name engraved in the annals of [Transcendence], to be remembered for all eternity!


    Sterl, excited, couldn''t help but pace around his house.


    Finally, the next morning, he bid farewell to Linna and Rayna and headed to the teleportation formation at the base.


    The two beautiful girls were very supportive of Sterl''s departure because they knew Sterl was going to seek out that mysterious powerhouse who had helped him in the dungeonst time!


    For Sterl, familiar with the teleportation formation, this was his first visit to the high-level base''s development hall. Speaking of which, it was all thanks to his identity as a member of the Spark Project. Otherwise, the high-level base wouldn''t have been essible to him.


    At the same time, Sterl received a private message from Teresa��


    [Master, the starting point of the hidden quest has been revealed. Please meet at the coordinates I sent.]


    He silently noted the location and looked around.


    "Wow, this ce is quite majestic." Sterl observed the hall, seemingly constructed of crystal, with a dome covered in dense decorations, each shining brilliantly. Just the appearance alone was extraordinary.


    Sterl spent a long time navigating through the huge hall with the map before leaving the base to enter the wilderness.


    After about two hours, at a temple-like structure, he finally saw a group of people from afar.


    Each person shone with the glow of several pieces of equipment, indicating their formidable strength. Teresa and another girl stood together.


    Sterl didn''t rush to greet them: "The yers participating in the hidden quest must be those next to Teresa. Let''s scope them out first."


    Sterl silently conjured a Star de, activated Divine Descent, unleashed the Ster Domain to pile up attributes, and then initiated[Insight of the Stars].


    As expected, none of the many yers present had a spirit higher than his 30 points at that moment.


    The data unfolded before Sterl''s eyes.


    At that moment, the team had about twenty people.


    About half of them had attributes simr to Philip Waldo, only higher in level and with a bit of extra attribute points.


    And there were a few yers whose strength was formidable!


    For instance��


    [yer Name: Peter]


    [Heart of Profession: C-grade me Mage (Second-ss enhancement, equivalent to B-grade profession)]


    [Level: 62 (Second-ss)]


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 73+30


    Strength: 73+10


    Agility: 165+45


    Spirit: 165+50](The numbers after the plus sign represent the total additional attributes from multiple pieces of equipment)


    [Skills:


    Explosive me (Blue): ...


    Fire Resistance Ring (Green): ...


    Path of me (Blue): ...]


    [Talent: Attribute Amplification (B-grade) All attributes increased by twenty points, agility, and spirit an additional five]


    "Two-ss yers?" Sterl''s tone was filled with surprise and skepticism.


    This fellow named Peter had alreadypleted a dual-ss, with his Heart of Profession directly enhanced by one level, leading to a surge in attributespared to before the two-ss! Hisbat power had massively increased!


    Moreover, quite coincidentally, Peter''s talent was also attribute amplification. Though different from Sterl''s version, as it didn''t enhance attributes by a percentage but provided additional main attribute boosts.


    And this yer''s equipment also contributed a significant amount of attribute values.


    Sterl considered this formidablebat power.


    After a moment, he finally let out two words��


    "That''s it?"


    Sterl felt that, given this attribute and skill sheet, despite being a dual-ss yer, it wasn''t that impressive.


    "With this, safety in this mission is assured. No one can pose a threat to me."


    Sterl''s mood instantly improved.


    So, he happily decided to wait on the spot for a while until the rest of the yers arrived, after which he would scan them all before going to find Teresa.


    "Wait, this person''s talent is intense!"


    "And their level... is also very high!?"


    Sterl was startled, suddenly spotting a big fish.


    ��


    Meanwhile.


    At the Human Race No. 113 High-level Base, in the Development Hall.


    "Teresa, why do we have toe and wait so early?" A girl in a short-sleeved T-shirt, revealing a waist with defined abs, asked with curiosity.


    There was a semnce between her brows and Teresa''s, but she appeared younger, giving off an aura of innocence and cuteness. Standing together, they were strikingly charming, attracting the side nces of nearby yers.


    The girl was Teresa''s distant rtive. Initially, their rtionship wasn''t close. But since they both awakened A-grade talents at the same time, they reached out to each other and gradually became familiar through a life-and-death experience together.


    This time, Teresa and she exchanged for the hidden quest at the same time, deciding to team up.


    It''s worth mentioning that, given the poverty of the human race, hidden quests were exceedingly rare.


    This particr mission was discovered by an S-grade professional suitable for yers around the two-ss level of strength. Its trigger location was conveniently in the Val Administrative Region. Thus, the professional posted the hidden quest in a nearby sequence base.


    That''s how Teresa got the chance to exchange for it. Also, in her base, there were quite a few yers with near two-ss strength who also spent contribution points to participate.


    At this moment, Teresa didn''t respond to the girl''s question, instead focusing on her private chat panel. Sterl had only replied with two words, seemingly quite indifferent.


    From yesterday to now, every time Teresa saw this reply and remembered the times she was under Sterl''smand, she couldn''t help but feel a surge of heat throughout her body.


    Partly due to the influence of the vice star, and partly because Sterl was so generous, gifting her a B+ grade pet egg, which hadpletely floored Teresa.


    The more Teresa thought about it, the more she filled with adoration and a special kind of feeling towards this master.


    "Teresa, what''s wrong with you?" The girl beside her kept asking with curiosity.


    She found it strange. Teresa was usually soposed. Why was she now staring at her attribute panel as if she was in heat?


    She shared her feelings honestly.


    "Daphne, do you have a death wish?" Teresa suddenly became angry and embarrassed, even going as far as to punch herpanion on the shoulder.


    The magnitude of the motion made Daphne yelp in surprise like a startled rabbit: "Argh!"


    But her eyes grew even more suspicious. If Teresa hadn''t been hit by her words, why react so strongly?


    Daphne had initially been joking, but now she was genuinely suspicious.


    "Could it be that junior you''re supposed to be mentoring?"


    "What exactly is your rtionship with him??" She continued to probe.


    The so-called junior was Sterl.


    Teresa had paid twice the contribution points required for the hidden quests, outwardly iming it was because Sterl had helped her seize an opportunity in a dungeon.


    Teresa didn''t mention the B+ grade pet. Such items were too precious among the human race, and even with her background at the sequence base, it couldn''t be secured.


    A vague opportunity wouldn''t arouse suspicion. After all, the Starfall Wilderness was just a dungeon for those below level 20.


    This time, however, Daphne wasn''t pushed away by Teresa again. Thinking she might have guessed incorrectly, she then realized her dear sister had already moved to the side, her gaze coldly fixed forward,pletely ignoring her.


    "Goodness, I guessed right again." Daphne thought, her lips curling into a smile, delighting in the drama.


    She hadn''t expected Teresa, usually so aloof, to have a day filled with romance!


    "Sterl, you bettere quickly. I can''t wait for the show." she outwardly returned to Teresa''s side with an obedient expression. In reality, the soul of a gossip enthusiast burns fiercely within.


    Before Daphne could continue to seek amusement, she noticed Teresa suddenly step back half a step.


    When Daphne turned her head, her expression drastically changed.


    "It''s you?!"


    "What do you want??"


    "How dare you show your face in front of me?!"


    The usually exquisite and beautiful faces of sisters Daphne and Teresa twisted in anger.


    They stared ahead at a middle-aged man wearing a gold-threaded cape, his equipment emitting more spiritual light than others, showing an extremely annoyed expression!


    Teresa''s chest heaved with anger. This man was the reason she and Daphne had be close��


    Mark, the guild leader of the Death Poem within the No. 113 High-level Base. By chance, Teresa and Daphne had once joined this guild leader in a dungeon run.


    The requirement to unlock the hidden boss in that dungeon was to push two yers into the sacrificial pit, directly resulting in Teresa and Daphne falling into the pit, facing a level 70 boss!


    They had nearly be sacrifices.

 Chapter 56: Soar Together? Wedding Items?

    Initially, if Teresa and Daphne weren''t both from the sequence base with A-level talents, identified by the human race as having excellent potential, and hadn''t been given special life-saving items, they might already be dead!


    That middle-aged man, Mark, was now sporting a grin: "Why are you twodies so hostile towards me?"


    "I had no idea that quest would turn out like that."


    "It was just a dungeon hint that entering the pit with two yers would unlock a hidden mechanism. Didn''t you both agree to enter?"


    Hearing Mark''s words, Teresa and Daphne were even more furious. At that time, they were just novices, freshly done with their sschanges, while Mark was already a level 50 yer.


    He imed to have a guide for the dungeon, saying that yers who entered the pit could gain extra experience rewards.


    The two beauties were fooled, and under the threat of Mark''s level 50 strength, they reluctantly agreed.


    Thinking back, they were too naive and too trusting.


    "Well, let''s settle both old and new scores together." Daphne''s eyes reddened as if she was gathering her power.


    The human race officially prohibits infighting, but in the wilds and dungeons, it''smon for yers to be enemies over interests. Thepromise is that base internals are off-limits for such activities. But outside, yers can resolve conflicts on their own.


    The so-called self-resolution of conflict, that is �� start a PK! Only one side can survive.


    Suddenly, a figure in white stepped between the confrontational parties: "We''re all colleagues who''ve done quests together. Let''s not fight at a time like this."


    "We should work together to gain more."


    Teresa and Daphne, upon seeing the yer in front of them, had their momentum halted.


    They knew the person. It was Eric Dane from the No. 113 High-level Base, a renowned solo yer who had reached level 70 just two years after awakening his A-level talent!


    Moreover, Eric had a high reputation. His A-level talent was said to be among the strongest, hailed as the closest to an S-level talent in recent years among the human race.


    Of course, don''t get it wrong. Although the human race is poor, it has arge poption. There are one or two S-level talents born every year, and Eric is just the closest to S-level among those with A-level talents.


    But this still proved his strength!


    Among the participants of this hidden mission, Eric facing a bunch of two-ss yers is simply a dimensionality reduction attack.


    In the wild, where yers could PK at will.


    Teresa and Daphne''s faces turned extremely ugly.If this level 70 two-ss yer wanted to cause trouble, it would be really difficult for them to resist.


    As for why they were sure Eric had ill intentions, the reason was simple. In a situation where Mark was obviously in the wrong, Eric chose to maintain "neutrality"? Wasn''t this already taking sides?


    "Let it go. Let it go." Teresa tugged at Daphne''s sleeve.


    Daphne also knew that the situation was against them, begrudgingly nodding: "Let''s not start conflicts during the quest. Let''splete the mission first."


    "Everyone spent a good amount of contribution points to qualify for this mission."


    However, Daphne, ever impulsive, couldn''t keep her emotions hidden, her face flushing with anger.


    She had been eagerly awaiting Sterl''s entrance, ready to watch the drama unfold.


    Now, she waspletely out of the mood.


    Yet, the situation was far from over. Mark, with a smile as warm as a spring breeze, said, "Ladies, I know you have misunderstandings about me. But today, I''m here to offer you something beneficial."


    "It can significantly boost your attributes and grant you an additional skill."


    "Sorry, we''re not interested," Teresa coldly refused, aware that Mark''s intentions were far from good.


    Boost attributes? An additional skill? Wasn''t this the same spiel he used to deceive her into sacrificing herself to a boss earlier?


    But then, the young man in white, Eric, shook his head and stepped forward again: "Ladies, you can definitely acquire the attribute boost and the additional skill."


    As he spoke, he revealed an item, a set of rings shimmering in silver-white light, each embedded with tiny diamonds.


    [Soar together]


    [Category: Wedding Item (Special)]


    [Effect: Upon using this item, you can establish a partner rtionship with any two yers (regardless of gender, with their consent).]


    "I''m here today to propose to both of you."


    "As A-level talents, it''s natural for us to join forces and venture together into the [Transcendence]."


    "I''ve long admired Miss Teresa and Miss Daphne. What do you say?"


    Upon hearing this, Teresa and Daphne hadn''t even reacted before the surrounding onlookers were shocked.


    "Marriage? Holy shit! So this was Eric''s n?"


    "So ruthless, so cunning? He''s managed to secure two of the finest from the sequence bases??"


    "The strong really can do whatever they want! Eric must be over the moon! Two beauties! Both A-level talents!"


    ...


    The yers exchanged looks, a mix of envy and admiration towards Eric.


    Impressive! This guy!


    In[Transcendence], there''s a marriage system. Unlike in the real world where a ceremony suffices to marry, in the game, forming a couple requires an item known as a wedding ring.


    Getting a wedding ring is extremely difficult and expensive. Somehow, Eric not only managed to obtain one but also a special version, Soar together, allowing him to establish a partner rtionship with two yers at once.


    After the wedding ceremony, the couple cannot harm each other and will receive extra attribute bonuses based on the depth of their feelings, alongside a special skill��[Love''s Guard: When both spouses are inbat together, if one receives a fatal blow, the other can take the damage instead. Cooldown: One month.]


    For yers truly in love, forming a couple is definitely a good thing. But the power of the couple''s effect also means that once married, both parties are bound together!


    Eric intends to trap two A-level talent yers with a single item!


    The families behind Teresa and Daphne from their respective sequence bases wouldn''t step up for them. The marriage would indeed provide real attribute boosts!


    As long as Eric isn''t foolish enough to harm Teresa and Daphne himself.


    Eric''s move can be described as utterly ruthless and cunning.


    No matter how renowned he was, he was just a solo yer without any backing. Even with A-level talent, he was still just at level A.


    But if the wedding were to bepleted, even if Teresa and Daphne were unwilling, their families would likely pressure them into developing feelings for Eric to gain more attributes, eventually making them entirely his.


    Moreover, they were now in the wilderness, where Eric held an absolute advantage in strength.


    If Teresa and Daphne refused, they would be killed on the spot.


    At this moment, Eric''s hand was already glowing with a dark purple light, slowly forming a long-ded weapon. The threat was unmistakable!


    "In your dreams!" Daphne, obviously more temperamental, couldn''t hold back at all.


    Her strength was simr to Teresa''s, both at level 60 and preparing for the two-ss stage, also nning to use this hidden mission to make a breakthrough in one fell swoop.


    Against a yer who hadpleted the two-ss and was at level 70, Daphne created an illusion with a wave of her hand, attacking from both sides simultaneously with her real body.


    However, Eric didn''t even need to use a skill. With the gap in attributes, he used the dark purple de in his hand to instantly dispel the illusion.


    But the next second, he was stunned.


    Daphne''s real body hadn''t intended to attack at all, but had somehow taken out a device at some point, a dark green, melon-shaped structure with rapidly flickering energy light.


    The yers present were all dumbfounded.


    They recognized this thing... It wasn''t a product of Transcendence, but an item developed by the human race of Earth,bining real-world technology.


    [Portable Bomb]


    [Effect: Causes massive fixed damage to all units in the vicinity, cannot be mitigated, and affects friendly units as well.]


    This item wasn''t easy to use.


    The massive damage that couldn''t be mitigated was strong. But the manufacturing cost of the [Portable Bomb]was also high, making it not cost-effective for clearing mobs!


    For low-level monsters, it was a loss after the explosion, and high-level monsters themselves had more durability than yers, making them impossible to kill!


    As for using it against bosses? Even more unlikely. Even the weakest boss at level 20 had extremely high durability! A dozen bombs might not be enough to kill it.


    But this thing was very powerful against yers!


    Apart from some special sses, yers below level 100 would undoubtedly die if hit by the explosion!


    Of course, by taking out this item, Daphne also meant that she was within the st radius!


    Everyone present, including Eric, Mark, the other onlookers, Teresa, and Daphne herself, would all die!


    "Wait! Calm down."


    "Aren''t we just discussing?"


    Eric, who had been confident andposed, as if he had everything under control, quickly gestured with his hands.

 Chapter 57: The Star Falls! A Strike to Kill!

    "If you two are not intending to marry, can we discuss this further?"


    "Don''t do something that''ll hurt yourself." Mark quickly tried to mediate, his face pale with fear.


    The explosion of this bomb would leave no one alive here!


    The surrounding yers, initially just spectators, couldn''t help but speak up now.


    "Look, Miss Daphne, we have no quarrel with you."


    "Don''t detonate it! Please, we beg you! There are specific targets for grievance. This has nothing to do with us!"


    "Why would you kill us too?"


    "How about this, Miss Daphne, you and Miss Teresa take the bomb and leave. No one will dare to stop you."


    "Yeah, once you''re back at the base, with your backgrounds, Eric and Mark wouldn''t darey a finger on you!"


    The other yers present, including some who had reached the two-ss level, were on the verge of tears.


    They had not expected that simply taking on a hidden mission, for which they had even spent contribution points, wouldnd them in such a dire situation.


    Their lives were at stake!


    At this moment, Daphne hesitated too.


    She is young and naturally does not want to die. Moreover, being from a sequence base and possessing A-level talent, she has a bright future ahead of her.


    So, Daphne nodded. "Everyone, back off. I want to..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, a cold gleam shed in Eric Dane''s eyes.


    Letting them go? Impossible.


    If the marriage had been sessful, the families behind Daphne and Teresa would naturally ept it for the sake of benefits.


    But given the current circumstances, if the two managed to leave and thenin to their families, Eric, at the very least, would have to pay a heftypensation, or at worst, face a vendetta leading to his death!


    He wouldn''t give up until he achieved his goal today!


    Eric took advantage of the moment Daphne was responding to the other yers and, without hesitation, crushed an item!


    He was gambling!


    Gambling that Daphne wouldn''t react in time!


    The final result was...


    Eric Dane revealed a look of wild joy. He had seeded!


    A pure white shockwave spread out, directly stunning Mark, Daphne, and Teresa nearby, plunging them into a dazed state.


    It seemed Daphne had equipment resistant to control effects. Her dazested only 0.3 seconds.


    But Eric Dane was as quick as lightning. He directly took the portable bomb from Daphne''s hand and stored it in his item slot.


    Then, he stood there with a smile, not moving at all. After waiting for the three people present to recover from their dizziness, Eric said, "Miss Daphne, it would be better not to y with such dangerous toys."


    "How about we discuss the marriage again now?"


    His confident expression implied that even if Daphne had more self-destructive devices, he wasn''t afraid.


    It was only because he had been distracted by the illusion and let his guard down that he had made a mistake.


    Now, everything was set in stone!


    Eric boldly approached Teresa, who seemed not as defiant as Daphne, perhaps a bit easier to bully.


    Witnessing this scene, despair was evident in Daphne''s eyes. If it wasn''t for her momentary oversight, allowing herself to be ambushed, they wouldn''t have ended up in this situation!


    At the same time, she was incredibly fearful of what was toe.


    What to do?


    Was she really going to marry this Eric today?


    Her future life would be controlled by him, and under the pressure of her family, was she truly willing to be his wife...


    "I''m sorry, Teresa."


    "And I''m sorry to myself."


    The girl sighed, full of regret.


    Perhaps from the beginning, they shouldn''t have coveted the benefits of the so-called hidden mission...


    The surrounding yers also breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Good, that lunatic didn''t detonate the bomb."


    "It''s over now. Let''s continue with the mission in a while."


    "Nice reaction from Eric."


    ...


    As it didn''t concern them, the yers didn''t care about Teresa and Daphne''s future fates, just d that they didn''t have to die from a bomb explosion. In fact, they even thought Eric did well! He prevented a disaster.


    Eric, with a lustful face, walked up to Teresa. Looking at the still expressionless beauty, he couldn''t help but guess that Teresa was scared stiff.


    He reached out, wanting to lift the veil she always wore and touch her face.


    Thwack!


    However, Eric was suddenly pped.


    Teresa coldly said, "Don''t touch me. You''re not worthy!"


    Her words were simple. Only her master had the right to touch her! Everyone else was equally unworthy.


    Eric, whose attention was on whether Daphne and Teresa had the intention to use any items from their inventory, was caught off guard and got pped across the face.


    Instantly, he was furious.


    "Good!You asked for it!"


    "It seems I need to discipline you as your husband!" In an instant, the purple-ck de in his hand gleamed as he stabbed towards Teresa''s abdomen.


    If this hitnded, it would pierce right through her!


    Eric''s eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light.


    Daphne instinctively wanted to step forward to stop him, but Mark, with a smiling face, blocked her: "Don''t rush. It will be your turn soon."


    The surrounding yers remained indifferent to the scene, some even interested in seeing how things would unfold.


    Unfortunately...


    Eric suddenly stopped his attack and retreated cautiously, as he noticed a cerulean light screen covering the ground beneath him.


    But retreating was useless!


    Because the cerulean light screen covered an area of several dozen square meters, not something he could simply step back to avoid!


    Even the onlooking yers found themselves enveloped by a azure light barrier. Fortunately, most of them were at the edge of the barrier, and they instinctively heightened their alertness and ran out.


    After all, being nearly at the two-ss level, none of the yers were fools.


    Teresa then suddenly shouted at Daphne: "ept the team invite quick!"


    Daphne was startled, indeed noticing a prompt shing before her eyes��


    [yer Sterl invites you to join the team, ept/Decline?]


    Sterl, isn''t that the "junior" Teresa knows? Since it''s one of our own and Teresa has spoken, Daphne instinctively clicked confirm.


    The very next second, Daphne understood why she had to join the team��


    To avoid friendly fire.


    Boom!!


    Buzzing!!


    First came the deafening crash, followed by a buzzing in the heads of Daphne, Teresa, and the other yers.


    What they witnessed next was nothing short of astonishing.


    A cerulean meteor descended from the sky with a loud bang, and the light screen under people''s feet before was the coverage area of this meteorite!


    Indeed, an energy giant stone with a diameter of several dozen meters had crashed down from the sky to the ground.


    As for its power? Many yers onsite couldn''t even begin to describe it in words. The center of the meteor''s impact, where Mark and Eric were, saw them directly smashed into dust.


    First, their bodies were crushed, then vaporized by the high heat of the energy, leaving behind only two glowing loot balls.


    Subsequently, the entire area covered by the meteor was forcibly indented by tens of meters, forming a seemingly bottomless crater.


    Inside, azure energy flickered, apanied by wafting hot air that was startling to behold.


    And it wasn''t just the area directly hit, yers who had retreated quickly were also thrown into disarray by the shockwave brought on by the meteor.


    They tumbled on the ground in a very sorry state, looking disheveled and dirt-covered.


    Those who ran slower, being closer to the meteor, suffered internal injuries. The high temperature and heat scorched arge area of their torso, causing the flesh to rot and leaving them screaming in agony.


    In the entire scene, only three people stood unharmed.


    First were Teresa and Daphne, who had epted the team invite, each with a different expression.


    Teresa''s expression went from utterly calm to extremely excited, even with tears in her eyes as she looked at the newly appeared figure.


    "Mas... Sterl, you''re here!" Her voice trembled as she spoke, filled with happiness.


    Teresa always knew her master woulde!


    It was a kind of blind and even somewhat foolish trust... And when Sterl truly made his entrance and instantly dealt with the enemies, Teresa was trembling all over, feverish...


    The other, Daphne, waspletely dumbfounded. Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?


    Wait a minute...


    A moment ago, I was being threatened, even prepared to die.


    Feeling very sorry for Teresa, regretting participating in this hidden mission.


    But now, what am I doing?


    Right, it seems I epted a team invite, and then the two enemies just died.


    Daphne was stupefied!


    Unlike those spectating yers, she witnessed with her own eyes a giant meteor striking with erupting energy flows, seeing every detail of how Mark and Eric turned into ashes.


    Such overwhelming power nearly made Daphne faint!


    She barely regained some semnce of reason, looking at the calmly standing male figure at the center.


    Daphne couldn''t help but swallow several times.

 Chapter 58: Daphnes Fantasy

    The case was solved, all of it was solved.


    Daphne felt she had grasped the truth.


    Why was Teresa, who was usually so cold, exclusively interested in Sterl? Could it be simply because he helped her gain an opportunity?


    Impossible!


    Why was Teresa so calm in the face of Eric''s threat just now?


    Why did she suddenly have to ept Sterl''s invitation to join the team?


    The celestial event just now and the sudden appearance of a figure exined everything.


    Daphne felt she had seen through it all.


    Sterl, this person is marvelous!


    He might be the descendant or rtive of a very powerful yer...


    Exactly!


    Daphne looked at the man standing in the center of the meteorite crater and immediately determined that he must be Sterl''s elder.


    And this elder, seeing Teresa, Sterl''s closely rted "girlfriend," in trouble, defeated Eric and the others in one move!


    The reason Sterl invited Daphne to join the team just now was because his elder was also in this team!


    Daphne thought her analysis waspletely correct. That move just now, she suspected, was at least of purple quality or above, which could only be executed by a yer of level 91 or above!


    She never considered that the male in the huge crater created by the meteorite was Sterl himself.


    Teresa referred to Sterl as a "junior," meaning Sterl must have be a yerter than Teresa, and at most just changed his ss,pletely unlikely to be on the same level as the powerful being who delivered the devastating blow.


    Daphne, looking at the elder in the field, felt her heart pounding excitedly at such terrifyingbat power! He even saved her from danger, making Daphne''s heart unable to help but feel a strange emotion.


    "Iguessed that Sterl''s elder must be quite old, just a yer with great strength and youthful appearance."


    "But I don''t mind!"


    "And in this way, it could also make me and Teresa even closer in the future! Quite nice, huh!" Daphne had already entered into a fantasy.


    She was in a very good mood, while the other yers around her felt creeped out.


    Even the dumbest among them knew that the sudden figure and the meteorite that appeared just now must be rted!


    "Who exactly is this person? How can he be so strong?"


    "Eric, level 70, two-ss, couldn''t even block a single move?"


    "Was it really that he couldn''t block a single move? The power of that meteorite probably could have killed him several times over!"


    "This level of yer, howe I''ve never heard of him, could it be he''s from a base outside the Val administrative region?"


    ...


    The yers discussed with faces full of shock and suspicion.


    The only certainty was that the big shot in front of them was very strong.


    For a moment, everyone looked at the figure standing proudly in the center of the crater with eyes full of admiration.


    They all eximed, what a peerless master''s demeanor!


    Who else could be standing in the center of the craternow, if not Sterl?


    His thoughts were -


    Oh my, I was just too cool this time!


    Sterl was feeling a bit high.


    In fact, when Eric Dane first made his appearance, Sterl had already used Star Insight to check his panel. After confirming that he could easily handle him, he didn''t rush to act. Instead, he waited for the right moment, when Teresa was about to be attacked, to fiercelyunch his move!


    This was to better increase the loyalty of this subordinate. The psychological shift from extreme danger to safety would surely make Teresa extremely grateful!


    By the way, just by the way, isn''t it cool to save someone at the critical moment?


    For this, he was fully focused on the scene, not daring to even blink...


    As for the move that killed the enemy in an instant, it was naturally the purple quality skill Starfall he learned after reaching level 30.


    Although Sterl appeared calm and collected now, when he released the skill, it was like a god descending, with all sorts of buffs from Star de maximizing, creating an extremely shocking scene.


    Even if he hadn''t run out of stardust, he would have wanted to enhance Starfall before releasing it.Because it was Sterl''s first time using this move, and he was a bit unsure of its power.


    At this moment, he appeared indifferent on the surface, silently acting like a master, but his heart was racing.


    Is this the move that fits an SSS-grade profession with purple quality?


    Too awesome!!


    In fact, Sterl''s observation results showed that Eric Dane was not weak.


    His equipment was luxurious, with all four attributes reaching over one hundred twenty points, and his A-grade talent, Fear Mark, capable of inflicting damage on any enemy, marking them, and then increasing the power of subsequent attacks by 60%, was an incredibly fierce offensive talent. Moreover, this guy had several blue quality skills, all of which were mastered.


    Compared to him, Philip Waldo was just nobody.


    Yet, such a strong opponent was vaporized by Starfall, with even the damage overflowing!


    Sterl was scared himself. But on the surface, he still looked like everything was under control, as if to say - I''m using such a powerful move not for anything else but to intimidate others.


    My people are protected by me!


    Sterl looked at the expressions of the people around him, especially Teresa''s gaze, with her eyes slightly reddened and tears in her eyes appearing crystal clear yet revealing a firm resolve. It was a perfect interpretation of what "loyalty" means!


    At that moment, he felt this big move was very worthwhile.


    Sterl stood quietly in ce, while the surrounding yers were as silent as cicadas, none daring to move.


    Only Teresa actively picked up the loot from Mark and Eric, handing it to her master.


    "OK." Sterl casually opened the two orbs.


    [You have received a special item: Soar together]


    [You have received 12 gold coins.]


    Gold coins, of course, the more the merrier.Sterl dly epted.


    The drop of Soar together made him pause.


    Having observed from the shadows earlier, he naturally knew it was an item that could establish a marriage rtionship with two yers/NPCs at the same time.


    He was immediately in a dilemma. Sterl''s first reaction was naturally to marry Linna and Rayna.But the problem was, these two were currently too weak to adventure with Sterl, rendering the marriage system''s[Affection Guard]useless.


    "Let''s keep it for now, use it when needed��"


    "Moreover, if it can be used on NPCs, then perhaps it could trigger some special quests for the NPCs." Sterl was quite satisfied with this drop.


    By the way, after killing two yers, the amulet in Sterl''s backpack gained two additionalyers.


    Then, Sterl turned his cold gaze towards the surrounding yers.


    At this moment, using Star Insight, he was in a disguised state, having changed his appearance. Only Teresa knew Sterl''s identity through a private message sent to her in advance.


    Logically speaking, there was no need to silence these yers. But Sterl had noticed their schadenfreude when Teresa was about to suffer. Since his amulet stillcked a fewyers, he decided to just kill them all...


    In his palm, the power of fire slowly gathered.


    At this time, the spectating yers'' faces drastically changed.


    "Wait, Big Shot.this has nothing to do with us!"


    "We''re also victims! We''re innocent."


    "Spare usr!"


    ...


    A crowd of people were crying and begging, while also taking out various items from their inventory, preparing to escape.


    Fortunately, at this moment��


    "Sir, please don''t act rashly." Teresa spoke up, mentioning that Sterl had messaged her, pretending to be "a mysterious expert known to Sterl".


    She naturally obeyed.


    Unexpectedly, after Teresa spoke, Daphne''s eyes lit up, excited. I guessed right! This bigshotmust be Sterl''s elders!


    I''ve decided! I must win over Teresa''s little boyfriend''s elders!


    Daphne once again entered her fantasy, a smile spreading across her face.


    Meanwhile, Teresa had no idea what her good sister was plotting. She simply took out a bunch of scrolls: "I have contract scrolls here, which can turn them into your servants."


    "When you need something, I canmand these people to help you handle and execute it."


    "Moreover, these yers with about two-ss strength are the backbone of our Earth''s human race in facing racial wars. It would be better to preserve some if possible."


    Teresa earnestly persuaded.


    Sterl''sst training session was very sessful. His maid had already begun to take initiative in thinking for him. These contract scrolls were something Teresa had obtained by nearly spending all her resources.


    The purpose was simple, to help Sterl gradually build his power.


    When Teresa returned to the base, she realized something. With Sterl''s abilities, he was destined to stand at the pinnacle of Earth''s humanity!


    Although she was an A-grade talent, her profession was only C-grade. Could she really keep up with her master in the future? Teresa decided to find another way and prepare logistical support for Sterl.

 Chapter 59: Hidden Mission: The Imperial Trial

    Sterl was taken aback for a moment but then showed a smile: "Well done."


    "Thene up and sign the scrolls. My demands are not harsh, just ensure your obedience and do not betray me."


    "Of course, you can also try to run away."


    He was quite tempted by Teresa''s proposal. After all, having a group of people under him would make various tasks and arrangements much more convenient.


    Regarding the racial wars Teresa mentioned, Sterl was stunned for a moment before he remembered. Indeed, there was such a thing��


    In[Transcendence], countless races from the universe are gathered. Even though the resources of the Divine Mountain Empire upied by the human race of Earth are not rich, there are still manyrge tribes with numerous memberspeting with humans.


    Some excellent leveling spots, dungeons, and points of production for equipment or items would cause crazypetition among various races.


    Among the human race of Earth, bing an explorer yer and possessing two-ss strength would require one to ept a war mission every year, with very generous rewards, albeit a high mortality rate.


    However, this seemed somewhat distant for Sterl, who not long ago, was prepared to live an ordinary life at the base.


    Now, he suddenly realized that his current strength seemed to qualify him to participate in major events concerning the survival of the human race.


    Sterl still had the mood for idle thoughts.


    The surrounding yers, however, had faces full of bitterness,and no one dared to try to run away. After all, if they scattered, most would probably be killed by this powerful being, with only a few managing to escape.


    Given the current situation, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Whoever runs first would undoubtedly die. So the yers did not dare to make a move.


    They could only step forward one by one, reluctantly signing the scrolls to be Sterl''s subordinates.


    These yers regretted their guts, wishing they had never participated in this damned hidden mission. However, they were notpletely without hope, as the contract scrolls Teresa obtained only affected yers below level 100.


    They felt there was still hope to break free in the future.


    However, when Sterl received the master scroll handed over respectfully by Teresa, his eyes slightly narrowed.


    [Contract Scroll: Master]+


    [Effect: A binding force will be exerted on units that have signed the Contract Scroll: Subordinate. This effect only works on yers below level 100.]


    "This item has a plus sign?" Sterl quickly made a decision. He still needed to evolve the Contract Scroll further when he had the chance, ensuring the yers under his control remained obedient.


    After dealing with this group of yers, Sterl still appeared cold. At this moment, Daphne boldly stepped forward: "Are you the elders expert known to Sterl?"


    "My name is Daphne. Thank you for saving me." This beautiful girlpletely restrained her usually lively style, introducing herself in a very dignified and elegant manner.


    Sterl''s attitude was also not bad: "It was nothing." Although he often ordered Teresa around, it was mainly for better training and taming. Sterl was actually quite satisfied with this deputy star, and since Daphne was Teresa''s sister, he was rtively friendly towards her.


    Daphne took the opportunity to continue the conversation. Seeing that "Sterl''s elders" was amiable towards her, she brought up another topic: "By the way, where is Mr. Sterl? Is he not participating in this hidden mission?"


    "He was arranged by me to join a copy, and I was entrusted to protect Miss Teresa. But as soon as I arrived, I encountered you guys nearly being insulted." Sterl exined offhandedly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Daphne came up to him with great enthusiasm. Although this beautiful girl called Teresa her sister, her age was actually not much younger than Teresa''s. And in some aspects, it couldn''t be said to be "smaller" but rather rger." For example, having a busty chest...


    Daphne boldly snuggled up to Sterl, allowing him to feel an extremely full and soft sensation rippling through his arm.


    "We will still need to trouble you along the way."


    "The difficulty of hidden missions is unpredictable."


    "Oh, how so?" Sterl initially sneered in disdain,pletely indifferent to Daphne''s hint. You''re using this to seduceme? I''ve had my fair share of indulgence at home already!


    But as a newbie, Sterl indeed didn''t know much about hidden missions. So he gestured for Daphne to continue.


    "I''ll introduce it." said Teresa, who, for some reason, stepped forward anxiously and slightly exerted force to pull Daphne away...


    Attempting to pull...


    But she couldn''t!


    From the beginning, Teresa''s smile to the twitching of the corner of her eye, it was clear she exerted a lot of effort.


    Unfortunately, as a mage with spirit and agility as her main attributes, how could she possibly overpower Daphne, whose main attributes were strength and agility?


    And Daphne, still with a sweet smile, clung tightly to Sterl, making Teresa unable to bear it any longer, directly opening the yer panel to initiate a private chat.


    "What are you doing?"


    Her response was��


    "Don''t you like Mr. Sterl? Don''t worry, I''ll sort it out for you!"


    I like...


    Wait, sort it out for me...


    Teresa initially wanted to deny it, but somehow, her heart was racing, and she was even slightly pleased.


    She couldn''t lie to herself. Since leaving Sterl, Teresa found herself missing him more, even dreaming several times about the moment she was forced...


    After some thought, Teresa found Daphne''s suggestion quite good. She was colder in temperament on regr days and indeed not as good at handling interpersonal rtionships as hersister. If she had her help...


    Teresa couldn''t help but fantasize that her rtionship with the master would definitely progress further!


    But she quickly snapped back to reality.


    What does that have to do with Daphne clinging to Sterl now?


    Teresa quickly questioned again through the private message.


    Daphne righteously dered��


    "Wenaturally have to help each other out. I will definitely help you handle the matter between you and Sterlter."


    "Later?" Teresa was taken aback.


    "First, help me get Sterl''s elders. That meteor heunched earlier was so cool! I feel like I''m in love!"


    Teresa: "???" Suddenly, she was dumbfounded.


    Wereyouinterested in Sterl''s elders? It''s him himself that you were interested in!


    Teresa was furious. But she regarded the master''s orders as supreme. Sterl wanted to keep his identity hidden, so Teresa could only swallow her anger.


    She, smiling on the outside but not on the inside, directly grabbing Daphne''s wrist.


    Teresa released a burst of electricity, aiming to dissolve the opposition''s resistance. However, Daphne''s body went limp, and she fell into Sterl''s arms, simultaneously making faces at Teresa to express��


    Thanks for the assist, dear sister!


    Thank you, honey!


    "I''m sorry... I feel a bit unwell," Daphne feigned difort...


    Sterl looked rxed, probably realizing that this beautiful girl, whose looks were not inferior to Teresa''s, was showing interest in him and also noticing that Teresa seemed somewhat unhappy about it.


    But what did Teresa''s unhappiness have to do with Sterl? Was he supposed to refuse enjoying the benefits?


    The atmosphere in the room became incredibly awkward.


    Sterl felt the touch of the beautiful girl in his arms, who had an explosive figure but was toned from extensive exercise, without an ounce of excess fat.


    The yers he had subdued as his subordinates were all looking away, not daring to nce in their direction. However, the faint sounds they overheard were enough to make the group inwardly curse.


    "Damn! He gets to enjoy all the benefits!"


    Their envy was palpable. Previously, Eric Dane had to resort to threats to have a chance with two top beauties. But this so-called "Sterl''s elders" had barely appeared for five minutes, and both Daphne and Teresa seemed to be emotionally and physically attached to him...


    ...


    Sterl''s enjoyment did notst long. Holding Daphne in one arm and with Teresa, who had a look of utter despair, on the other, he led the multitude of yers into the temple''s interior.


    Sterl looked around. The temple was made primarily of yellow-brown bricks and stones, spacious, with walls adorned with murals. Many of these depicted the legendary stories of how the founders of the Divine Mountain Empire fought against monsters and step by step built the nation.


    As they reached the center of the temple, a muscr man with his upper body bare and painted in greenish-blue oil paint was waiting silently. Behind him were several altars surrounded by orange-red mes.


    Upon seeing the yers, the muscr man showed a hint of disdain but quickly suppressed it and slowly spoke.


    "You are the warriors from foreignnds, I hear you wish to serve the empire?"


    "Sorry, we do not take in the worthless."


    "You must prove your potential. Sit at the altar, take part in the trial. Only the strongest among the foreigners can follow us."


    As the muscr man''s words concluded.


    A prompt lit up before all the yers present.


    [You have epted the hidden mission: Empire''s Trial]

 Chapter 60: Extremely Generous Rewards

    Sterl felt a slight surge of excitement. Is it here, the hidden quest?


    Just now, Daphne had introduced him to some characteristics of hidden quests, such as the significant variability of rewards. The better the performance of the yer, the higher the gains.


    For instance, this current quest, although it is said to be suitable for yers around two-ss strength, if one canplete the hidden quest with a very high degree ofpletion, then the rewards could be equivalent to the high-value reward quests epted by yers of levels eighty to ny!


    Sterl gazed at the light screen before him.


    [Quest: Empire Trial]


    [Description: Survive as many rounds of the trial as possible, and achieve as high a rank as possible in the final selection battle.]


    [Hint: Although this trial is officially organized by the Divine Mountain Empire. It selects talents through temples within the empire''s territory. Perhaps this is not quite the approach expected of that bold emperor?]


    [Hint: After achieving excellent results in the Empire Trial, you will have the opportunity to unlock the main quest of the Divine Mountain Empire [Kings Pursuing the Crown].]


    "A chance for the main quest?" Sterl''s expression twitched slightly, almost unable to maintain his usual aloof demeanor.


    Main quests! Those are the top-tier opportunities in [Transcendence]! They mean extremely generous rewards, and the legendary status spoken of in legendses from them.


    Legends say that those demigods and other powerful beings also obtained key items for advancement through some high-level main quests involving several continents...


    However, he was a bit excited while the yers around him, including Daphne and Teresa, appeared calm andposed.


    As a top-level expert, Sterl was puzzled, but he couldn''t just ask outright. So, he sent a private message to Teresa, and the response he got was somewhat amusing.


    Because achieving excellent results in a hidden quest was simply beyond what a normal yer could imagine.


    With so many pioneering yers among the human race on Earth, a considerable number of hidden quests are uncovered each year. Yet, it might take several years or even over a decade for one to bepleted with an excellent rating.


    Because the difficulty is just too high! Often, one needs to possess strength far beyond the requirements of the quest to have a chance ofpletion. But if you have such strength, you would definitely go for quests that match your level.


    Completing a hidden quest perfectly requires much effort, and with the huge difference in levels, the rewards might not even be satisfying. One would have to be crazy to take on such a challenge.


    Therefore, Sterl saw the yers around him casually discussing.


    "Anyway, just mixing in for a few rounds should be fine."


    "Let''s just get some rewards as theye. The difficulty of hidden quests is quite high."


    "But our current leader... might actually have a chance ofpleting it perfectly?? But for him, the rewards of the hidden quest might not even be appealing. Our leader''s strength is probably around level ny!"


    ...


    The yers indeed had quite a bit of confidence in Sterl.


    And that muscr NPC smelling of paint then walked up to Sterl, looking at this person who clearly seemed to be the leader of the yer team and extended an invitation.


    "Warriors from other races, please sit on those altars."


    "Don''t worry, this selection trial will not cause any casualties."


    "You can fight to your heart''s content."


    Upon hearing this, Sterl and the others looked at the refreshing prompt on the mission panel��


    [Enter the altar.]


    They followed the muscr man''s invitation without hesitation. After all, the quest system would not deceive them.


    As Sterl stood on the altar, he felt a screen of mes light up before him, and eventually, he found his consciousness being transported into a special zone.


    Then...


    Sterl found himself sitting in the stands of a gigantic arena, with an extremely vastbat field below. On the spectator stands, Sterl noticed that the buildings made of coarse gravel were stained with mottled blood, clearly having witnessed countless conflicts.


    Near Sterl in the spectator seats were other yers.


    "This mission turns out to be of the non-dangerous type."


    "We are in luck." Daphne moved as fast as lightning, forcibly taking a seat next to Sterl before Teresa could.


    Teresa''s face turned sour. She regretted not using electric stimtion on her muscles to speed up. Wouldn''t that have allowed her to grab theseat?


    The spot where Sterl sat was exactly at the dividing point between two sections of the spectator stands, with only one space avable on his right side.


    Left with no choice, Teresa thought for a moment and could only take the seat behind Sterl.


    Teresa stared at Daphne''s backwith a resentful gaze. Hersister, truly a rare beauty!


    She consoled herself, after this hidden mission, given her master''s cautious habits, it''s likely that Senior Sterl would no longer use this identity.


    "I''ll endure this for now..." Teresa silently muttered to herself.


    However, Sterl''s attention was not on these sisters at all. He realized that the spectator area he was in was filled with yers of the human race from Earth.


    At the same time, in this gigantic arena, there were also a handful of spectators scattered across about a dozen stands, some of whom had distinct racial characteristics, such as back wings, fiery red skin, or tails and animal-like ears.


    "Alien races?" Sterl muttered.


    The so-called alien races refer to those with clear racial characteristic differences from humans on Earth, such as the adventure team Sterl had encountered previously, which also came from various races, but had life forms simr to humans on Earth.


    However, whether they were alien races or not was not important. The rtionship between humans on Earth and other races could generally be summarized by the strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking those nearby". Because with races living in close proximity, as soon as the poption increases, there would inevitably be significant conflicts over interests with humans on Earth.


    Races living far away, even if there are substantial differences in life forms, could still engage in trade andmerce with humans on Earth, each taking what they need.


    Moreover, Sterl noticed that each spectator area mostly represented yers from a different race...


    At that moment, the arena below was hosting an opening ceremony.


    A group of muscr men covered in paint danced a strange dance, humming a rather rough war song, seemingly celebrating themencement of some grand event.


    Sterl watched with considerable interest. This peculiar dance, he guessed, probably symbolized some traditions and folklore of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    The performance ended quickly, and a person dressed in a white robe, resembling a priest, raised a scepter towards the audience in the stands,prising yers of various races, and announced: "Wee, warriors from different races. Complete our test, and you will gain the qualifications to serve the empire."


    At the same time, a prompt popped up in the eyes of all the yers present.


    [Quest Objective: Complete the first round of the test.]


    [The rule for this test is tost the longest in the arena, with the 30 yers who endure for at least half an hour qualifying for the next round of tests.]


    [This round''s reward: Unlock the Divine Mountain Empire reputation and receive 500 reputation points. Unlock the permission to ept quests from the Divine Mountain Empire''s army and administrative office.]


    Upon seeing the light screen before them, the atmosphere among the yers in the audience stands heated up significantly.


    Directly unlocking the quest permissions for both the Divine Mountain Empire''s army and administration? The future gains must be terrifyingly high! And to directly gain the entire empire''s reputation??


    This not only means that there''s a chance to participate in the main storyline of the Divine Mountain Empire or its national-level side quests in the future,but also to ept quests previously unattainable across all domains of the Divine Mountain Empire with this reputation!


    Instantly, everyone''s breathing became heavier.


    But precisely because of this, Daphne, standing next to Sterl, frowned slightly, feeling a bit worried.


    Can the quest bepleted? With death penalties waived and such generous rewards, it feels like the difficulty will be terrifying!


    On the other hand, Teresa was much moreposed: "Sir, I might not be able to apany you in the uing quest journey."


    Their attitudes showed a clear difference.


    Daphne was worried about herself, while Teresa felt ashamed that she couldn''t assist Sterl in the subsequent hidden quests.


    Sterl himself remained calm. He had already used the Star Insight to examine the attributes of all the yers present. It has to be said that among the various races, there were indeed talented individuals, with about seven or eight of them possessing strengthparable to Eric Dane, and there was even a yer with A-level talent and B-level, two-ss profession, extremely fierce inbat.


    For the humans from Earth, securing a spot in the top 30 would be very difficult.


    But Sterl didn''t care. He was invincible anyway!


    And his newly recruited subordinates couldn''t help but discuss among themselves.


    "It seems we can only go through the motions in this quest."


    "It''s disgusting, we spent so many contribution points, and it turned out to be abat-type hidden quest?"


    "Damn, these kinds of quests are basically monopolized by the top talents of various races, and we ordinary yers are just wasting our time!"


    Most of those who hadn''t reached two-ss twitched in frustration, regretting their earlier decision to exchange for this quest. They wished they could strangle their past selves!


    A total loss! They couldn''t earn any rewards from the quest itself and ended up bing ves to others.


    Aplete loss! A total wipeout!


    Only a few two-ss yers remained calm, their expressions unchanged.

 Chapter 61: Provocation from a Hostile Race

    The two-ss yers were in good spirits, thinking that even passing the first round of the test would be a great victory!


    However, seeing their colleagues crying and mourning, they felt embarrassed to show their excitement...


    At that moment, apparently hearing the yers discussing, Sterl noticed someone in the spectator stands nearby letting out a disdainful sneer.


    "Earth humans? You lot are quite amusing, you trash."


    "Heh. This time, the mission won''t be yours, winning by sheer numbers won''t work."


    "Your inferior race will surely be annihted."


    ...


    Sterl and the other yers turned around and saw in the spectator stands to their left front, yers of a race that looked almost identical to humans from Earth were mocking them, their eyes filled with hatred.


    Daphne, recognizing the unique hairstyles of the mocking yers, cozily pressed herself against Sterl and whispered in his ear, "These are the Centaurians, and they have a lot of conflicts with our Earth human race. We have been attacking each other for thest few decades, with many people dying on both sides. Overall, we have the upper hand."


    "They, like most advanced races, follow the path of elitism."


    "But the Centaurian race has arge poption and plenty of yers, so they can sustain the war..."


    Facing the mockery, the Earth human yers, who had been despondent, retorted sharply.


    "When you were running away with your tails between your legs on the battlefield, you weren''t saying that."


    "Wasn''t it because we didn''t teach you a harsh enough lesson that you dare to talk to us like this?"


    "This mission won''t result in death anyway. How about we go for a PK outside and see??"


    ...


    Their rebuttal hit the Centaurians hard, pointing out their painful defeat on the battlefield.


    But the Earth human yers barely had time to celebrate their verbal victory...


    Soon after, mocking voices came from all directions.


    "You Earth humans, only capable of raising a bunch of trash, what''s the use of having so many people? Haven''t you always been the most miserably defeated in every hidden mission contest?"


    "You should feel lucky that this mission won''t result in death, otherwise not one of you would survive!"


    ...


    A group of human-like beings with reddish skin and strange patterns on their bodies stood up, one by one, to mock them.


    "On the battlefield, you''re nothing but a horde leveraging your numbers, without that advantage, you''re worthless."


    "This trial, I bet the Earth humans are just here to make up the numbers."


    Then another race, looking simr to Earth humans, joined in the mockery.


    "Go back home! Evolved monkeys!"


    "You lowly races should just roll back to the ruins in your reality and slowly wait for death!"


    "You bunch without the spirit of gaming, you disgrace the gamey of Transcend!"


    ...


    One after another, races stood up, all with attitudes of attack.


    ...


    For a moment, Sterl and the yers around him were subjected to a barrage of mockery.


    The human race of Earth, taking advantage of theirrge poption, plundered most of the resources in the Divine Mountain Empire, and thus made numerous enemies.


    These alien yers each wished for the death of the human race from Earth, even though death in [Transcendence]did not lead to actual death in reality. However, once a character perished, all of their superpowers would vanish, and it also meant that these alien yers would lose theirrades-in-arms forever, only able to meet again in reality...


    The hatred had already umted!


    Whenever the yers of different races met, it was a fight to the death. If it weren''t for the restrictions of hidden missions, they probably would have already started fighting!


    And the yers of the Earth human race, how could they possibly withstand the hostility of all the yers in the arena? They werepletely overwhelmed just by the volume of voices, turning red with anger, and many looked towards Sterl with hopeful eyes.


    Only thisbig shot!


    They knew, this big shot could easily obliterate a level 70 two-ss yer with a single move, leaving nothing behind!


    These alien yers could also be easily wiped out by a counterattack!


    Big shot! Please say something!


    At this moment, the alien yers were stillunching various vicious verbal attacks, while Sterl, among the Earth human yers, didn''t stand out. He just sat there, calmly.


    However... soon the atmosphere in the arena changed. It wasn''t hard for the alien yers to see that all the Earth humans were looking at one person, full of expectation.


    Clearly, this yer held a high status among the Earth humans, almost like a pir of support.


    Immediately, many turned their heads to start attacking.


    "So you still have a strong yer? I see he''s just trash, too busy ying with women at a time like this."


    "Hey, during the trialter, I''ll outperform you so badly!"


    "A leader of trash is still trash?? Look at his frail appearance, I could kill him three times with one punch."


    ...


    For a moment, Sterl was at the center of a storm of verbal attacks.


    Under the watchful eyes of many, Sterl finally made a slight move, slowly speaking��


    "Daphne, you''ve kept in good shape."


    "How do you train? I have two friends who might also need your methods."


    He couldn''t care less about everything happening around him.


    The honor of the Earth humans? What did that have to do with him?


    As for being attacked along with everyone else, Sterl was even more indifferent. Back in the base without any golden fingers, he had been stepped on countless times.


    He never bothered to retort, but would instead take advantage of the deep night to find the person who cursed him the most and hit them hard with a blunt object.


    Sterl still wanted toplete his mission. So at this time in the spectator stands, he wasn''t going to take any risks. He wouldn''t directly attack out of concern for the face of the Divine Mountain Empire, but during the trialter...


    "Don''t let me catch the opportunity, or else... you''ll regret it." Sterl thought to himself silently.


    Seeing hisck of response, the alien yersughed even louder: "Where did you find this leader? Even more cowardly than you!"


    "I''m dying ofughter. So this is the strong yer of the Earth human race."


    "Not even daring to retort?Could it be you''ve been fooled, and this guy is actually just trash."


    "How boring, a whole race of trash actually feelsfortable being punching bags now."


    ...


    The alien yers mocked them.


    But the yers of the Earth human race knew well that those people were obviously not telling the truth. The mysterious big shotwas extremely strong!


    They grew even angrier, their faces turning red.


    Because ording to the logic provided in the mission prompt, this trial required the yers to withstand the enemy for a certain period.


    The mysterious big shotcould definitely pass, but that was just it.


    The Earth human race was to be trampled upon. As their individual strength indeed fell short, with probably few being able tost into the top 30, and a total wipeout was also very normal.


    And now, the big shotcould do nothing but watch these alien yers pass through!


    Damn! So infuriating!


    Unlike Sterl, a time traveler born with a set of fixed principles, the yers of the Earth human race, including Teresa, still ced great importance on the honor and disgrace of their race.


    So at this moment, the more they tried to endure, the angrier they became!


    The alien yers, on the other hand, were jubnt. Perhaps there were frictions among the various races on normal days, but when facing themon foe of the Earth human race, they united!


    "We can''t beat you on the battlefield on a regr day, losing so many resources, but now in the hidden dungeon, it''s our turn to show off!"


    Thus, the only area in the audience that looked gloomy was a small section.


    In this strange atmosphere, the figure in a white robe, full of smiles, watched this scene. For him, a priest of the Divine Mountain Empire, the more disunited these alien warriors were, the better he could control them!


    He loudly announced: "Warriors, the trial officially begins now."


    Instantly, dazzling golden light shed in the arena below.


    "You only need tost for a certain period in your respective areas."


    As his words fell, the first batch of yers was directly transported to those areas.


    Sterl was among them!


    Looking over the entire area, then at the dozen or so yers who arrived at the same time, he seemed thoughtful.


    "The trash of the Earth human race, I will show you what a gap in strength looks like." A yer from the Centaur star threatened Sterl fiercely.


    And this yer gathered a frost de in his hand and threw it directly at Sterl.


    However, at that moment, a dragon glowing with azure light flew out from Sterl''s sleeve and melted the ice de with a breath.


    "You have a pet!" The Centaur yer revealed a hint of greed: "It''s a pity. If it were in the wild, I would have killed you no matter what."


    "With a pet, you must have other good things on you too."


    And Sterl remained calm-faced.


    Until...


    The situation in the trial field changed again, causing the expressions of all yers to change!


    All the yers were scattered, spread across various parts of the arena.


    However, what they saw��

 Chapter 62: Even Our Own Are Stunned

    Monsters! Monsters everywhere!


    After a sh of golden light, over ten thousand monsters of level 30 to 40 appeared on the field, eyeing aggressively!


    The yers on the field immediately felt tremendous pressure!


    Melee ss yers were panicking. Because facing the endless onught of monsters, even if the monsters were of a lower level, they would eventually be overwhelmed due to the efficiency of clearing the monsters not keeping up and the high damage received.


    Ranged ss yers were also panicking. Although they could clear the monsters quickly, once they were approached, it would be disastrous. And facing such a number of monsters, maintaining distance was nothing but a dream.


    At this time, a priest from the Divine Mountain Empire kindly hinted: "You yers who entered the battlefield first have an initial advantage."


    "As long as you are not killed by the monsters, you can stay in the field."


    "And the number of yers maintained on the field will always be eighteen."


    "So, lucky ones! You have a very good chance of qualifying through the trial."


    His words fell.


    The first batch of yers to take part in the trial were already on the verge of cursing. An initial advantage??


    This trial''s difficulty is outrageous, okay? Facing such a massive number of monsters, it''s unknown whether the yers participating in this task could evenst half an hour, let alone gather 30 people!


    What advantage does the first batch to participate in the trial have?


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, the yers of various races all looked upset. But the people of the Earth human race felt a lot better. Many of them had already felt it impossible to pass, so seeing the high difficulty actually made them happy.


    Especially that mysterious big shotbelow, his Sky Star ability, dealing with arge number of monsters, was simply effortless!


    Although they could not receive the rewards from the hidden task, being able to p these alien races in the face felt worth the ticket price!


    And seeing the yers of the Earth human race''s mood improving, the other alien yers weren''t stupid, immediately feeling a twinge of unease. But they still spoke arrogantly: "What? Does your leader have the ability to pass the trial?"


    "Haha! I think he might be the first to die."


    "In your race, I have never heard of any particrly strong two-ss yers?"


    "Could he be that Eric Dane? Sorry, in my opinion, he''s just a newbie."


    ...


    Perhaps because the yers selected this time all came from the Val Administrative Region, some guessed Sterl to be Eric Dane.


    And while the alien yers continued to mock, a bit more wariness appeared in their eyes.Eric Dane''s threat was not small! Not only was he a fairly outstanding two-ss yer among the Earth human race, but he also had a slight reputation throughout the entire Val Administrative Region.


    But it was just wariness.


    Among the many racial yers present, many were confident their strength already surpassed Eric Dane! They mockingly jeered with confidence.


    And at this time, in the arena.


    The battle had already begun!


    They said to hold on for 30 minutes, but not even a minute in, the yers were already fleeing in extreme disarray.


    These tens of thousands of monsters were not only numerous but also had clear roles, with shield-bearing guardians responsible for tanking, sky-circling eagles shing with lightning or frost for ranged attacks, and orc shamans in the rear continuously casting healing and control spells.


    The yers were having an incredibly hard time resisting!


    Suddenly, the many alien race yers present could no longer mock the Earth human race, instead looking somewhat worriedly towards the people of their own races.


    If it were a normal hidden task, yers would only care about themselves.


    But when ites to confrontation between different races, most yers would hope for the individuals of their own race toe out on top in the end!


    In the arena, the yers, one after another, pulled out all the stops, not only unleashing skills of blue quality and above but also taking out many rare items, continuously healing themselves or forcibly teleporting to dodge attacks. For a while, by relying on consuming supplies, the yers were barely able to hold the line.


    What frustrated them, however, was that after a batch of monsters was eliminated, another batch of tens of thousands would refresh, their numbers not decreasing in the slightest.


    In the spectator stands��


    "It seems that trying to kill enemies to hold out longer is useless. Is this trial mainly testing our survival ability?" Daphne, bored, chatted with her best friend Teresa.


    Unfortunately, Teresa was still in a sulky mood and didn''t want to talk to her.


    It was a centaur yer from the sideline who sneered: "Survival? I know that Eric Daneisnot good at surviving, he''s done for."


    While saying this, the centaur yer found the atmosphere around him somewhat cold hispatriots didn''t support him, and other alien yers didn''t speak up either, which puzzled him.


    Then, looking down at the arena, he was stunned!


    Boom!!


    A loud booming sound echoed!


    While other yers were being chased around like dogs, struggling to survive, that Earth human race yer casually snapped his fingers, and a sky-blue star fell from the sky!


    A terrifyingbination of light, me, and heat wave burst forth simultaneously, directly smashing a huge crater into the ground! Apanied by the golden light of the arena shining, the terrain was restored.


    But within dozens of square meters around the meteor, all monsters were wiped out! And what was even more terrifying...


    After the monsters were cleared, blue threads crazily shot out from their bodies, creating a death ripple that spread like waves from the center.


    At least thousands of monsters perished in this wave of attack!


    Even in that gigantic arena, a nearly hundred-square-meter vacuum zone appeared!


    The entire ce fell silent!


    Even the priests from the Divine Mountain Empire were frozen in ce.


    For a moment, everyone''s minds went nk, not knowing how to react.


    It was only because the arena was extremelyrge, spanning tens of thousands of square meters, and distributed the eighteen yers so far apart from each other.


    Otherwise, with this one starfall, several yers would have been directly out of the trial, with no monsters left around them!


    It took about several dozen seconds before a tidal wave of monsters gradually filled the void...


    At this moment, in the spectator stands, even the most stubbornly defiant yers from other races were stunned.


    Could this be an attack made by a human?


    Do the Earth humans have some kind of illness? This clearly isn''t a move that a two-ss strength yer could make! Could this be a third-ssyer? Then why would heparticipate in such a hidden mission? Was he looking for something to do because hewasbored?


    Of course, the alien yers were even more helpless, expecting to be ridiculed by the human race from Earth at this moment. However, they were surprised to find that the audience from the human race on Earth was also silent in the stands, with everyone looking extremely astonished.


    Including Daphne, and even Teresa!


    "Is this... the effectwhen a big shot goes all out?"


    "So strong! The instant kill of Eric Foster wasn''t even his realbat strength!"


    "Too awesome!! Holy shit!!!"


    "So strong! Is this our leader??"


    ...


    The yers from the Earth human race had no mind to mock others, instead, they were bewildered. This big shot was even more formidable than they had imagined, and they even began to feel...


    Following such a person might not be a bad thing at all!


    Teresa was even more shockingly mixed with joy. She had not expected that her master could grow so crazily strong in less than a month! His strength hadincreased so much since he just changed his ss. Itwasunbelievable!!


    And Daphne''s eyes were already sparkling with stars, she had been thinking about taking down this big shot, maybe start a romance or something. But now she had changed her mind. She must put in more effort, go all out! Even if she had to throw herself at him and serve the big shot, it wouldn''t be a loss.


    However... the yers from the Earth human race didn''t attack first, and were about to be attacked!


    "No way, did you guys think that having a strong yer would help you pass the trial?"


    "Is it glorious to use third-ssstrength for a two-ss mission to bully the weak?"


    "Don''t know what you''re so proud of, you''ll still have to leave the mission one by er!"


    "The final victory will still belong to us!"


    ...


    As everyone knows, the most important thing in a verbal fight is momentum, as well as a strong and powerful point.


    Although the yers from other races were frightened by the big shot''s strength, they could only seize on the point that the singlebat capabilities of the yers from the Earth human race were not excellent, and that they would definitely be eliminated, to harshly attack!


    However...


    These people overlooked one thing. After being taunted, Sterl seemed indifferent, but he would definitely strike back decisively when he had the chance.


    At this moment, a cold light shed in his eyes.


    He directly initiated several instances of teleportation, crossing several thousand meters, to arrive beside a yer from another race, precisely the centaur alien yer who had mocked him earlier.


    "What do you want to do!!" The yer''splexion changed drastically! Everyone had seen the shocking scene just now.


    Along with that, Sterl snapped his fingers again.


    The centaur alien yer immediately activated an item, speeding up frantically, trying to escape: "Idiot! Go to hell!" He sneered. Just now, he saw the range of the Heavenly Star skill, only a few dozen square meters, which he could easily dodge.

 Chapter 63: Stardust Strengthening, Celestial Stars Overturns the Earth

    The centaur star yer was brimming with pride, even unable to resist giving himself a thumbs up in his heart.


    He had previously noticed Sterl''s terrifying Celestial Starsattack. It was a full attack range of nearly 50 square meters, and it instantly took out all the monsters within a hundred square meters.It was so scary!!


    That''s why, this centaur star yer, who was extremely displeased watching this Earth human yer show off, even seeing him possibly passing the trial with the best results in the future!


    He thought of the hatred between races. The more he thought, the angrier he got!


    But now, that Earth big shoing to trouble him gave the centaur star yer the only possible way to interfere with this Earth big shot!


    Such a powerful move must have a significant energy consumption, right??


    "That meteor has a slight dy, my speed is enough to get out of the impact range." the centaur star yer thought, even continuing to mockingly say,


    "What a trash skill!"


    "You are a disgrace!!"


    His thought process was very clear. Since the meteor couldn''t hit him, then he should taunt more, attracting the Earth big shotto waste a few more big moves on him. With massive energy consumption, the Earth big shotmight even fail the trial!!


    At this moment, many distant yers participating in the trial also looked at the centaur star yer with admiration.


    Not everyone''s main attribute is speed. Some are also afraid of being hit by Sterl''s meteor out of nowhere, which basically means saying goodbye to the trial.


    Now with this centaur star guy drawing aggro, draining the Earth big shot''s strength, everyone is happy!


    However...


    These yers in the arena failed to notice that the members of their own race, who were originally sitting in the stands actively interacting and supporting them, were now silent and bowing their heads like quails.


    And the centaur star yers��originally they were the first to fire at the Earth human race, but now one by one looked extremely ugly, unable to utter half a mocking word, instead continuously calling out to the yer below: "Use whatever life-saving skills you have, hurry!"


    "Run! Run!"


    "Don''t just stand there, posing! You''re about to die, do you know that?"


    They were so anxious andpractically breaking down!


    Other yers sitting in the spectator stands from various races were also dumbstruck.


    "Impossible, what kind of joke is this??"


    "Is this a third-ssyer? I''ve seen other third-ssyers'' moves, but none were this outrageous??"


    "What''s the story with this Earth human yer?"


    One by one, the yers watched the attack created by Sterl, their faces showing signs of copse.


    Everyone in the arena was under immense pressure, involuntarily lowering their voices!


    Even the Earth humans couldn''t help but twitch their mouths, incredulously watching the scene below...


    Every time they thought their leader was outrageous enough, they found he could pull out yet another trump card!


    In the field of vision of the people on the spectator stands��


    The blue alert area signifying the meteor''s fall had now expanded to a terrifying extent!


    A full near 200 square meters!


    That''s the size of a small vi!


    And that centaur star yer, surrounded by monsters, had only run out of the original meteor''s range. But now with this suspected enhanced version of the meteor, he didn''t escape at all!


    "If the attack range has increased, it must have sacrificed firepower!" yers sitting close to the Earth humans could faintly hear the centaur star people murmuring to themselves as ifforting themselves.


    Then...


    "That makes sense." The yers who had just been recruited by Sterl thought it was reasonable.


    Logically, isn''t it always the case? You can''t have your cake and eat it too. This meteor''s power would probably be far less than before��


    At this moment, Sterl slightly frowned, he had originally nned to wait until the centaur star yer was about to run out of his attack range before controlling the Celestial Starsto descend.


    The Celestial Starsat this moment was naturally the version amplified by using the stardust''s strengthening ability. Although killing monsters in the trial did not yield experience, the stardust still grew normally. Sterl cleared a massive number of monsters in one move, and the number of times his skill was enhanced also surged dramatically.


    He used seven opportunities to enhance his skill, and the impact range of the Celestial Starswas strengthened three times in a row, bing four times its original size.


    And this move, from the warning time to the actual initiation, was just a fraction of a second. Otherwise how could Eric Dane react immediately but still be hit directly?


    And after enhancing the range, the nearly two hundred square meters of Celestial Starswas impossible for anyone to dodge.


    Sterl originally wanted to mimic the viins in various popr novels, giving his opponent hope and then leading them to despair.


    But that centaur star yer didn''t run? Still standing there talking nonsense??


    Then forget it!


    Just go die!


    Sterl slightly waved his hand, and the Celestial Starsdescended once again!


    Intense blue mes burst forth!


    Celestial Starsdescended once again!


    But this time, it directly dumbfounded all the yers in the trial field!


    What''s the effect of a meteor with a diameter of more than 200 meters smashing into the ground??


    Visually, one could see it was like a giant rock of apocalyptic destruction hitting the ground thunderously!


    Boom!!!


    The ground shook and the mountains trembled! The entire arena seemed to be shaking!


    Many in the spectator stands, caught off guard, were directly shaken off their seats, tumbling embarrassingly to the ground. Many NPC members of the Divine Mountain Empire are also unstable.


    That priest had to activate his power to create a shield to ensure he wasn''t disturbed.


    However, this was just the initial impact! Subsequently, the pure azure star power of the Celestial Starstransformed into mes and exploded!


    Everyone saw the azure mes sweeping across nearly half of the arena like a storm!


    This is also why the effect of the Celestial Starsisn''t really about summoning stars from the cosmos. Otherwise a meteor of 200 square meters would have been enough topletely destroy the entire arena and the adjacent areas.


    But even a weakened version of the meteor turned this round of the trial into somewhat of a joke!


    With the addition of the starlight ssh bonus, tens of thousands of monsters on the field were cleared by at least four to five thousand! A few yers who were rtively close to Sterl and were being embarrassingly chased found that their surroundings had suddenly cleared!


    But these yers were not lucky.


    First, they were knocked to the ground by the massive shockwave of the Celestial Stars, tumbling around in disarray. Then they were scorched by the high temperature and heat of the ster power, catching fire on their bodies, even being ignited like torches!!


    Finally, they were finished off by the cutting effect of the countless azure energy fments formed by the falling starlight.


    These alien yers didn''t even have time to react! Moreover, due to the control effect apanying the shockwave of the Celestial Stars, within a few seconds, these individuals vanished into light.


    Obviously, they were directly killed!


    Of course, it was also their bad luck for not anticipating the extensive impact range of the Celestial Stars. Otherwise, in a full-effort survival mode, they wouldn''t have been instantly killed by the aftermath of Sterl''s skill. At least they could havested a bit longer...


    At this moment, the spectator stands werepletely silent!


    In the arena that was supposed to symbolize passion and fervor, there was only��silence!


    "No way, how is this possible?"


    "Am I crazy, or is there a problem with the[Transcendence]system?"


    "Why though? Even if it''s a purple-quality skill,It shouldn''t be this overpowered, right? The range is sorge, and the damage is ridiculously high??"


    "You can''t tell me this is a golden-quality ultimate. That would be even more unreasonable!"


    ...


    yers were really a bit dumbfounded, even suspecting, could this be a golden skill?


    But soon, they dismissed their own spection.


    Only those with legendary status can use golden skills!


    This is an ironw in [Transcendence], involving legendary powers, relying on the yer''s personal legendary status!


    Even if youplete an extremely difficult hidden task early and learn a golden skill. Without the enhancement of legendary status, that golden skill and a purple skill are basically no different, and might even be somewhat weaker.


    But to say that the Earth strongman in the arena below has legendary status is even more illogical!


    This isn''t something you can get by simply grinding monsters. You at least have to have participated in the main quests of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Then why would you need to participate in the empire''s trial?


    If you''ve got legendary status from the main storyline, you''d be a big shot in the entire Divine Mountain Empire. Wouldn''t the priest below fawn over you?


    It just doesn''t make any sense!


    Those who were even more panicked than the spectators werethe yers participating in the trial.As they realized that if the Earth strongman wished, many of them might be directly eliminated, unable to continue in the trial at all!!


    This is the end!!


    For a moment, everyone was intimidated by Sterl''s ultimate move!


    No one dared to move! They really didn''t dare to move!


    Wait, what happened to that centaur star yer...


    No one cared.


    Because the moment he was directly hit by the Celestial Stars, he had already turned into ashes!


    And then, the most terrifying thing for the yers participating in the trial happened.


    Sterl, without any hesitation, continuously activated the instant teleportation effect of the star domain, chasing after another yer who was the closest, and then another Celestial Starswas unleashed!!

 Chapter 64: Dont Panic! He Cant Possibly Kill Us All.

    After teleporting, Sterl stood with his hand turned over, embodying the aura of a master. Then with aposed expression, he pointed his index finger towards the sky.


    Snap!


    He snapped his fingers.


    On the ground, a warning area of two hundred square meters in azure blue appeared!


    A fraction of a secondter...


    Celestial Starsdescended from the sky, overshadowing thend!


    The yer who was targeted was even more desperate, rapidly taking out an item from his inventory and then hurriedly putting it back.


    There''s no escape!


    Absolutely no escape!


    As for using a life-saving item, he must be out of his mind to use it in this trial where death wasn''t permanent!


    Besides, itwasuseless even if itwasused!!


    However, while the yer targeted by Sterl was resigned to his fate, several alien race yers around him ran like madmen to escape!


    They didn''t want to end up like the previous unfortunate ones, directly killed by the residual effects of the move.


    Even though these yers ran as fast as they could, the terrifying airwave of Celestial Starseventually caught up with them, igniting these individuals with the fierce fire of the stars!


    Fortunately, these alien race yers were prepared in advance, and only suffered severe burns. After taking some life potions and simr items, they barely recovered from their injuries and then ran even more frantically to escape.


    After that...


    Watching Sterl casting his gaze over the other yers in the arena like a demon selecting people to drag to hell, all the participants of the trial wailed.


    Why did they encounter such a ruthless person in a hidden mission?


    Whether they couldplete the mission or not had already be irrelevant to their own efforts. It entirely depended on whether this Earth human would show mercy.


    Indeed, the alien race yers dared not curse anymore. They could only respectfully call him a boss, hoping Sterl would spare them.


    If Sterl knew what these people were thinking, he would sneer. He wasn''t upset about being mocked earlier, but as someone who had been at the bottom in the base, his habit was to take revenge thoroughly. Otherwise, he would only be subjected to more humiliation next time!


    At this point, it was kill or be killed!


    Sterl took a few seconds to catch his breath, thenunched a bloody sprint, chasing the next unfortunate victim.


    The consumption of Celestial Starsas a purple skill was not small. But fortunately, it was enhanced with stardust and did not additionally increase energy consumption, allowing Sterl to keep going.


    Soon��


    Boom!!


    The earth shook, and a deafening explosion along with azure blue mes erupted simultaneously.


    Another Celestial Starssmashed onto the ground.


    One yer was instantly killed on the spot, two unlucky ones affected by the residual effects were eliminated, and three were severely injured.


    In the entire arena, the remaining yers were just a few scattered minor characters, and their looks towards Sterl were filled with unprecedented terror.


    "What are you going to do?"


    "Don''te over here!"


    "Big shot, please spare me.I spent a lot of resources to get this hidden mission!"


    "You scum, remember this. Once we''re out, I''ll definitely bring the strong ones from my race to surround and kill you. You''re dead for sure!"


    ...


    Some were begging for mercy, others were making threats.


    Sterl treated them all the same, sending them away with Celestial Stars!


    Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, yers from various alien races had unpleasant expressions on their faces and remained silent.


    Only the humans from Earth were puffing up with pride.


    Initially, they were also terrified by the barrage of skills from Sterl. This was simply outrageous.


    But as they got used to it, these yers, despite not being as strong as those from alien races individually, puffed out their chests too!


    This was not just any strong individual from Earth, but their leader! The big figure they were following! How could they not get excited??


    These yers suddenly felt hopeful about their future lives!


    Perhaps under Sterl''s leadership, they could be stronger and more powerful!


    And as the yers in the arena were being killed off one by one, the priest in charge of the trial waved his staff, replenishing the arena with new yers to take part in the trial!


    However, the replenished yers were also crying and screaming, looking at Sterl''s figure with immense fear and trembling.


    With the situation developing in this way, the yers from the human race on the spectator stands finally had their moment to retort, "Still acting tough, huh? Why back down now?"


    "Do you want me to beg for mercy on your behalf, to let a few of you survive?"


    "30 spots, that''s a lot! We can''t even use them all. What a headache!"


    Faced with such insults and mockery, the yers from alien races really had no good retort, as this was not a matter of talking tough anymore. The gap in strength was too vast, leaving no room for struggle!


    Now, no matter who was brought down to the arena, they would be instantly killed by that strong individual from the human race.


    The only retort that yers of other races coulde up with after much thought and consideration was��


    "What are you so proud of? That meteor summoning skill must have a high energy cost. Just because you kill a few, you think you''re invincible?"


    "Now that there are more than a dozen people on the field prepared, your so-called strong individual can at most deal with a few more, probably reaching his limit soon. He can''t possibly kill everyone, can he?"


    As they spoke, they showed a victorious expression.


    "Don''t panic. No matter how strong that human is, he has his limits!"


    "Just hold on a little longer, and he''ll run out of steam!"


    ...


    However, after making these threatening remarks, the alien race yers were horrified to discover.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    With Celestial Starsclearing the field below, except for Sterl, the seventeen other yers were quickly bombed to dust! Although Sterl was slightly panting, he managed to hold on by relying on the double energy recovery of the Star Domain and the additional energy bar of the Starlight Dragon at this time.


    And in the stands, countless yers from various alien races once again fell into silence!


    What else could they say?


    Someone had truly ughtered the entire arena by himself, not giving even the slightest chance for anyone toplete a hidden mission.


    Remembering their own previous confident assertions that the Earth strongman was about to falter... now felt like a burning pain on their faces.


    This time, even before the yers from the human race had a chance to mock, someone from the alien races shouted in frustration: "Fine, I refuse to believe he can kill us all."


    "Everyone, don''t panic. That Earthling is already starting to gasp for air, he won''tst much longer!"


    "As long as a few more of us die, he''ll have no tricks left!"


    "Those who enter the arena next, make sure to scatter and run, to deplete that Earthling''s stamina and energy as much as possible."


    Then, surprisingly, quite a few yers from different races actually started to get excited.


    "That''s right, even if we have to pile up in numbers, we can win!"


    "Folks, don''t give up! There''s still a chance!"


    In their tone, these yers seemed not to be talking about feeding kills until Sterl was tired, but rather about defeating Sterl with their numerical advantage.


    They were united! Full of passion!


    To the point that Sterl''s subordinates werepletely taken aback, not knowing what to say...


    And at this moment... the priest in charge of the trial seemed to remember something, and only after Sterl had cleared the other yers, he waved his staff again, adding seventeen new people to the battlefield.


    This time, among those who came to take the trial, for the first time, there was another yer from Earth besides Sterl.


    Immediately, the yers from the alien races in the spectator stands were stunned, then started shouting frantically: "Kill him!"


    "Get rid of him!"


    "Do it!!"


    ...


    Can''t deal with that mysterious strongman but can''t deal with you??


    And the yers from the alien races on the field also showed a bloodthirsty look! They were well aware that although the Earth strongman seemed to be gasping for air and heavily spent, he could definitely still eliminate quite a few more people.


    So rather than being smashed to death by a meteor, why not kill the other Earth yers first to vent their frustration!


    The Earth yer seemed to realize something too. After a moment''s hesitation, he suddenly sprinted! His target was towards where Sterl was, directly taking out a pack of potions from his backpack and throwing it over.


    "Lord, use this!" This yer was shouting. And behind him, followed by numerous experts of two-ss from different races, emitting various skill res simultaneously. Amidst the thunder, mes, and frost, this Earth yer instantly vanished in a sh of light, clearly having met his demise.


    Sterl frowned slightly.Killing someone right in front of me, they werequite bold.


    He actually didn''t care much about the death of this seemingly much more loyal yer, but it made him realize a weakness of his own, which was theck of abilities to protect people.


    Even though the Starlight Dragon shared healing starlight, if a teammate was instantly killed, they couldn''t be saved.


    Unless Sterl used the sacrificial divine descent''s resurrection count, with the shared and modified protective force. Otherwise, if he went out exploring with Linna and Rayna, he''d have no other rescue abilities.


    He pondered slowly. While those alien yers, after killing the person, dared not stay for even a second longer and immediately ran off, fearing being attacked by Sterl if they stayed.


    Unfortunately, their escape was meaningless.


    Sterl looked at the azure potion in his hand, a cold light shing in his eyes.


    "Evolution!"

 Chapter 65: Energy Storage Potion

    The item that the Earth yer threw to Sterl before dying was a benefit avable for purchase at various intermediate bases after joining the Spark Project.


    [Rapid Energy Recovery Potion]


    [Produced by: Humans of Earth]


    [Effect: Instantly restores 10% of maximum energy, slowly recovers 150 energy points]


    [Note: Sessive use halves the effect each time.]


    There were a total of fifteen potions, and it seemed that the Earth yer had thrown out all the potions he had at once.


    Moreover, there was a plus sign on this energy recovery potion!


    After his continuous pursuit and release of Celestial Stars against the alien yers, he indeed had a huge expenditure of energy. These energy potions relieved his urgent need. However, there was the side effect of reduced efficacy with continuous use.


    Sterl also knew that it was unlikely to kill all the alien yers with just fifteen potions. So he did not hesitate to use the evolution points he had.


    Sterl held his palm open over a potion, and when he opened his hand again, the originally small and translucent blue potion had turned into a solution inteced with blue and gold, looking extraordinarily luxurious.


    [Energy Storage Potion]


    [Produced by: ???]


    [Effect: Instantly restores 100% of energy and stores 10,000 energy points. Each time energy is consumed, it is first deducted from the stored energy.]


    "Not bad." Sterl nodded slightly, simr to his previous experience with evolving an experience potion, the effect of evolving a one-time-use item was particrly strong.


    The effect of this potion could be said to be quite domineering.


    Instantly refilling energy, plus an additional 10,000 points of energy, meant that Sterl could unleash his abilities non-stop, unleashing skills like crazy!


    His current base spirit was also just over a hundred, with an energy limit of just over a thousand. Taking this potion meant he obtained 11 times the mana!


    If it weren''t for the fact that evolution points were limited to one per day, Sterl would have wanted to evolve more of these potions to keep on hand! It directly solved the problem of running out of mana due to using too many powerful moves.


    However, seeing Sterl drink the potion, the expressions of the yers on the field didn''t change, and the yers in the spectator stands also seemed indifferent.


    Because the effect of using various energy potions multiple times would definitely diminish, this was an ironw. Although it was said that potion masters legendary and above could concoct potions without any side effects, allowing for multiple uses.


    But that was definitely not something a mere yer, at most at the third ss, could have ess to.


    As for the act of the Earth yer delivering the potion before dying, it even made the alien races in the audience sneer: "What''s the use?"


    "Dying and still making a foolish move!" They mocked loudly without restraint. Did that Earth strongman really have no recovery potions on hand? Was there a need for you to deliver them??


    Unfortunately, these alien yers really guessed wrong.Sterl trulycked energy potions! It wasn''t that he didn''t have the money, but he didn''t have the means to buy them! He had previously forgotten to ask Teresa for some, and after continuously unleashing powerful moves, his mana recovery couldn''t keep up!


    Now, the potion delivered by his subordinate truly solved Sterl''s urgent need.


    And so...


    Multiple Celestial Stars rained down! The 16 new yers who joined the fieldsted less than a minute before they werepletely wiped out!


    In the following period, what awaited the various alien yers was utter copse and despair!


    The priest from the Divine Mountain Empire didn''t care about the ongoing pursuit and killings in the arena. He just mechanically teleported people into thebat arena whenever Sterl finished off the other yers.


    And the alien yers in the audience watched as the situation gradually developed in a way they least wanted.


    The first group of yers teleported into thebat arena after Sterl took the potionsted three minutes before they werepletely ughtered!


    The alien yers thenforted themselves: "It''s okay, just wait a bit longer. He just used a potion to recover a bit, the next wave will overwhelm this Earth strongman!"


    Then, the second wave of yers fared even worse. Because they were teleported to a bad location, Sterl killed them all with three Celestial Stars, not evensting a minute.


    Then��


    The third wave, annihted!


    The fourth wave, annihted! Only one Earth yer took the chaos as an opportunity to run to Sterl''s side, leaving only two surviving yers on the field!


    "He must have finished off the potion while we weren''t paying attention, or perhaps he has some special item in his backpack that automatically uses energy potions!" The alien yers were quite knowledgeable and quickly came up with a new hypothesis, convincing themselves��


    Don''t panic!


    Victory is at hand!


    After all, this Earth strongman couldn''t possibly kill us all!


    The fifth wave, the sixth wave, the seventh wave��


    Sterl was getting more and more exhrated! If thebat arena wasn''t a special region created by the Divine Mountain Empire using an altar, capable of self-repair, it might have been destroyed by him during this hidden mission.


    In the audience stands, the number of alien yers had significantly decreased, yet they watched Sterl, shouting with fierce expressions.


    "I just don''t believe his mana can keep up much longer!"


    "He must be at the end of his rope now. Don''t be afraid of him!"


    Their voices were loud and their spirits high.


    However, the yers teleported to thebat arena below were cursing in their hearts��


    Wasn''t it agreed that his energy had been exhausted? That he had finished his potions?


    Why is he still so fierce??


    Fortunately, Sterl was kind-hearted and didn''t let these yers suffer too long before quickly dispatching them with Celestial Stars.


    By this time, most Earth yers had already joined the trial, and since Sterl casually protected them, thebat arena, which could amodate 18 yers simultaneously for the trial, quickly filled up.


    The priest from the Divine Mountain Empire hesitated for a moment, then decided not to waste any more time. He couldn''t sense any signs of weakness from this otherworldly warrior (referring to Sterl) and didn''t want to waste time, so he waved his hand and teleported all remaining yers onto thebat arena.


    Then, boom!! Blue mes burst forth!


    Sterl was the first to react, quickly moving to the vicinity of the Earth human yers, using Celestial Stars to cover them as they rapidly regrouped.


    At this moment, in thebat arena, including Sterl, a total of 22 Earth yers stood extremely leisurely in the trial field.


    Because thebination of Celestial Stars and the spray of starlight was too fierce! Sterl, just with the aftermath, cleared most of the monsters while eliminating the yers of other races.


    The spawn rate in thebat arena simply couldn''t keep up.


    And the alien yers, also thanks to this easily "scattered gathering"��the reason for saying scattered gathering was to avoid the Celestial Stars. They dared not stand too close.


    However��


    At this moment, the alien yers, after gathering, were indeed at a loss, not knowing what to do.


    ording to their analysis, the strong Earth human at this moment should be rtively weak. With everyone joining the trial simultaneously, it was a great opportunity to kill the Earth human strongman.


    "Let''s do it together."


    "This mission isn''t lethal, what''s there to fear? Recing that Earth human isn''t a loss."


    "Alright! Kill!!"


    They roared.


    Sterl''s subordinates, in fact, weren''t sure if their leader had enough energy left and instinctively protected the front.


    A great battle seemed imminent.


    But then��


    Snap!


    Just as Sterl snapped his fingers and a new Celestial Star was about to descend.


    "How is this possible!"


    "Does his energy never run out? What kind of person is this!! A monster!!"


    "We can''t possibly win!!"


    "It''s over! No one will pass this trial!!"


    These alien yers, as if on reflex, saw the Celestial Star and their legs simply wouldn''t obey their brains''mands, they instinctively fled in panic, their previously formed formations torn apart!


    They ran away in utter disarray.


    Clearly�� they had been influenced by Sterl''s terrifying record of battles before, losing all their courage!


    But at this moment, Sterl was still in excellent condition, with over 3000 energy points left in his energy storage potion. He was still teleporting and using Blood Rush for mobility, cleansing the ground with Celestial Stars!


    Even, because the attack range was too wide, those alien yers only saw a figure sh by them, and death had already caught up.


    Boom!!


    One Celestial Star after another smashed down, therge number of alien yers turned into a disadvantage. Because now Sterl could kill several yers with one move, and the aftermath of the Celestial Stars could affect a dozen yers, drastically increasing the efficiency of the ughter!


    And in the final moments of this mission, some of the alien yers tried to take out their weapons to resist, while others opened their panels, seemingly operating something��


    But in the end, they all met a deadly conclusion.


    Then��


    Only 22 Earth human yers were left in the field.


    Sterl originally thought he would have to wait a while, since some of his subordinates hadn''tsted the full 30 minutes.


    The priest already came to Sterl with a smile on his face, "Noble warrior! Your strength truly amazes me."


    "Our Divine Mountain Empire needs strong individuals like you to join!"


    Behind him, countless stalwart men, seeing Sterl''s gaze upon them, also showed respectful expressions.

 Chapter 66: Explosive Rewards and New Hidden Quests

    If there were one word to describe the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, it would be "obsequious."


    Their gazes towards Sterl were filled with admiration and respect.


    Initially, the NPCs looked down on the yers, but now they were in awe of Sterl''s power.


    "Brave warriors, you have sessfullypleted the trial!"


    "From now on, let us work together for the Empire."


    The leading priest didn''t even mention the yers from the other Earthling ns. They managed to pass the quest because of Sterl''s outrageous actions. Nor did he mention Sterl''s deliberate elimination of non-human yers.


    It didn''t matter! The Empire only cared about strength.


    From the priest''s perspective, having Sterl alone made the loss of other yers worth it.


    As for the Earth human yers who passed the trial, they were merelyplimentary extras.


    The Empire wasn''t short on rewards to give to yers. What theycked were true talents.


    Moreover... the priest gave Sterl a meaningful look: "The prince''s current ns require a decisive powerhouse like him."


    "This person has exceptionalbat capabilities and an overwhelming influence on the battlefield! We must win him over at any cost!"


    Putting aside the priest''s thoughts, he smiled and said, "Now, you may receive the rewards from the Empire."


    "By the way, are you two thepanions of the powerful individual who created the meteor?"


    "You''ve found an extraordinary person."


    As he finished speaking, Daphne and Teresa were taken aback. They didn''t know what to say. They weren''t actually Sterl''spanions. But they were also reluctant to deny it. So they remained silent.


    The surrounding yers were ecstatic as notifications appeared before their eyes.


    [Congrattions onpleting the hidden quest: The First Trial of the Empire.]


    [You have received 500 Contribution Points from the Divine Mountain Empire. You have unlocked ess to the tasks from the Civil Affairs Department and the Military Affairs Department of the Divine Mountain Empire. You have gained 500 Reputation Points with the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    "Holy crap!"


    "The rewards are maxed out!"


    The yers couldn''t help but whisper in amazement. Comparing their rewards with each other, they were all excited, their eyes turning red. Under normal circumstances, only a few of them, if any, would have passed this trial!


    After all, Earth human yers weren''t particrly strong in solobatpared to non-human yers.


    But their leader had carried them to victory. Who wouldn''t be excited?


    The value of Reputation Points, and the significance of being able to ept tasks from the Civil Affairs Department and the Military Affairs Department, had already been discussed.


    It meant that this group of yers won''t need to worry aboutcking good development opportunities during their second to third sstransition in the future. They couldjust follow the routine andpletedthe tasks assigned by the empire.


    They had essentially hit the jackpot!!


    As for the Contribution Points, their value was even higher��


    They could be exchanged for equipment, skills, job advancement items, and various rare creations. The Empire, with its long-standing heritage, was far richer than the Earth human yers. With enough Contribution Points, they could even exchange for legendary-level equipment and obtain gold-quality or higher skills!


    The difficulty of passing this hidden quest was extremely high. But the final rewards were terrifyingly great!


    The yers'' gazes toward Sterl had changed. If before they were forced to follow him grudgingly, now they were genuinely convinced and felt like they had benefited from it!


    Given Sterl''s previous performances, the yers felt that he wasn''t some sort of psychological tormentor who would abuse them. So, what did it matter if they had to follow his orders?


    Just a bit of the resources from this big shot would be enough to sustain themselves!


    They were winning!


    Teresa and Daphne, however, were in shock. After the priest''s deliberate inquiry, their questpletion notifications were vastly different from other yers''.


    "Why are my rewards so..." Daphne began to speak, but Teresa quickly covered her mouth and shook her head.


    Teresa signaled her not to speak out.


    Their eyes shone with astonishment. Unlike the ordinary yers, they received an additional 500 Contribution Points and 500 Reputation Points with the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Teresa immediately realized that this was the NPC''s way of currying favor with Sterl through them.


    "However, if we reveal that our rewards are better while everyone else is happy, it could undermine the master''s control over these people." she couldn''t help but think.


    While Teresa was contemting the loyalty of Sterl''s followers, Daphne had already secretly made up her mind: "I can''t miss out on such a big shot.I''d regret it for a lifetime."


    "I must find an opportunity..."


    Her eyes darted around.


    Of course, the most ecstatic was Sterl himself. His reward notifications kept flooding his screen.


    [You have sessfullypleted the hidden quest: The First Trial of the Empire.]


    [You have achieved the following in this quest��


    Executioner: Actively eliminated a yer. Completely Insane: Eliminated more than 10 yers. Nightmare: Over 85% of yers were eliminated because of you. Massacre: Killed over a thousand monsters. King of the Arena: umted 10,000 monster kills. Last Man Standing: Lasted the longest in the trial.


    Untouched: Suffered no damage during the trial. Champion: Achieved the highest overall score among all yers in the trial.]


    [You have received rewards, and the task systems of the Divine Mountain Empire''s Civil Affairs Department and Military Affairs Department are now open to you.]


    [You have gained 3,000 Reputation Points with the Divine Mountain Empire and 3,000 Contribution Points.]


    [You have gained 3,000 personal reputation points with the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire and 2,000 reputation points with the special faction of the Fourth Prince.]


    [Some hidden quests have been unlocked for you.]


    [You have set a new record for the [First Stage of the Empire''s Trial].]


    [You have unlocked ess to the next stage of the hidden quest for the Empire''s Trial.]


    [You have obtained a special item: Blood of the Brave.]


    Sterl was utterly shocked. He also overheard the other yers'' discussions and naturally realized that his rewards were several times greater than theirs!


    The reputation with the Empire and the contribution points were impressive enough. But Sterl had also gained a significant amount of reputation with the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire and his faction. Moreover, the system directly notified him��


    Sterl had unlocked a new hidden quest!


    This was practically...


    A perpetual motion machine! If every time he participated in a hidden quest, he could gain such vast rewards by achieving high scores.


    Sterl pondered that as long as he performed well in hidden quests, he could continue to unlock new ones, leading to an endless cycle of hidden tasks.


    Seeing the yers'' expressions of satisfaction with their rewards, the priest spoke again in a loud voice, "Congrattions to you all for entering the next round of trials."


    He took out a series of rings and distributed them.


    "You represent the yers of the Val Administrative Region. In a few days, after the first round of trials in other regions ends, you can use these rings to teleport to the consciousness space in various temples and participate in the final trial with yers from across the Divine Mountain Empire."


    "The victors will receive the most generous rewards from the Empire."


    "If you do not wish to participate in the subsequent trials, you can also exchange the rings for 500 Contribution Points with the Divine Mountain Empire."


    The temples the priest referred to were dedicated to the Empire''s founder, and there was one near each major base.


    The temple where Sterl and the others were currently stationed was simply the highest grade, with a resident priest. Ordinary temples were scattered all over the Empire.


    Now, with the rings, yers could enter ordinary temples to participate in the second round of trials, without needing to travel so far to a special temple.


    Upon hearing that the rings could be exchanged for contribution points, some yers became restless.


    "I want to exchange mine!"


    However, Teresa immediately grabbed this yer''s wrist.


    "Our leader hasn''t spoken yet. Are you just going to abandon the task?"


    "Do you dare to disrespect our leader''s authority?"


    Her words were extremely stern.


    The yer who wanted to exchange his ring for contribution points was stunned. Was it really necessary to be so serious? And who did she think she was, ordering him around like this?


    However... the yer''s face quickly changed as the crowd suddenly became indignant.


    "Yeah! What do you mean by that?"


    "Are you ignoring our leader''s will?"


    "He must be severely punished. We can''t let him off easily!"


    "You bastard! Who gave you the right to make decisions on your own?"


    In an instant, voices rose one after another, making the yer who merely wanted to exchange his ring feel as if he hadmitted a grave crime.


    The other yers were simply using this as an excuse to fervently show their loyalty to Sterl!


    The yer who wanted to exchange his ring turned pale.


    "Uh... I... Leader."


    He looked at Sterl with immense fear in his eyes and nced at the others with frustration. He could swear that many of them also wanted to exchange their rings for contribution points. He just happened to stick hisneck out and got hit hard for it!

 Chapter 67: The Birth of the "Family"

    Sterl himself didn''t care at all. When he initially refined Teresa as a subordinate star, he had already considered that if he found someone more suitable, he would kill Teresa to make room.


    He had no interest in a bunch of newly-acquired subordinates.


    However, due to the strong demands from many yers, Sterl decided to announce that all the contribution points from the yer who wanted to exchange his ring would be distributed to the others, quelling the unrest.


    Sterl knew that managing his subordinates was very important. Exchanging the ring first wasn''t a big deal, but Sterl had just given the yers a huge benefit by leading them through the hidden quest. In such a situation, he needed to establish his authority.


    Rewards must be apanied by punishments. Otherwise, how could hemand respect?


    Sterl had been lost in the immense rewards he had just received and hadn''t thought of this, but Teresa reacted quickly.


    Sterl cast a look of approval at Teresa, making the young girl smile, feeling that her efforts hadn''t been in vain.


    Meanwhile, Daphne, who was standing nearby, was overjoyed.


    Oh my, the big shotlooked at me! And he smiled! Could it be that he''s interested in me?


    Even though I haven''t done anything, I still have to thank myself for all the effort...


    ...


    Later, with Sterl''s permission, most of the other yers exchanged their rings for contribution points.


    They didn''t think they could continue to coast through the second stage of the hidden quest, especially with the priest subtly reminding them: "Mighty warrior, you may not be able to help your kin pass the uing trials smoothly."


    Ordinary yers naturally didn''t hold out hope of continuing to exploit the hidden quest''s rewards.


    Then, the priest waved his hand, and everyone''s vision went ck. They found themselves back in the temple where they had been before entering the quest.


    As they were about to part ways, Teresa took the lead in organizing a set ofmunication signals among the yers to facilitate future service to Sterl.


    One by one, the yers bowed respectfully to Sterl and slowly retreated.


    At this moment, Sterl also realized that after the hidden quest, these subordinates were genuinely convinced and could be considered reliable.


    "Big shot, do you have any ns afterward?"


    "Why note to our base and take a look?" Daphne suggested excitedly once most of the other yers had dispersed.


    Sterl hesitated slightly, but Daphne immediately jumped in, "You really helped us out this time."


    "I''d feel guilty if I didn''t properly thank you."


    Sterl watched as the petite girl rubbed herself against him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Teresa also seemed to be showing a hint of interest.


    "Consider it a reward for her."


    "Teresa hadbeen helping me round up my subordinates and establishedmy authority. This mission hadindeed been quite a hassle for her." he thought as he casually nodded.


    "Yay!" Daphne jumped up, hugging Sterl''s arm!


    Her soft and ample chest rubbed against him rapidly, making even Sterl feel a slight stir in his heart...


    ...


    After running in the wilderness for a few hours, the three finally arrived at Advanced Base 113.


    Sterl used his identity as a member of the Spark Project to enter.


    While there, he took a leisurely stroll around the advanced base. It was indeed far superior to his old home. Walking down the streets, he was surrounded by bustling shops. For a moment, Sterl felt as if he had returned to the big cities from before his time travel.


    He spent quite a few credits, buying a bunch of snacks, stuffing them into his mouth.


    This was what life was all about!


    Sterl also noticed that the ordinary people in the advanced base looked rxed. They casually bought various daily necessities and food on the streets, clearly having a decent ie level.


    "I can''t wait any longer! I need to finish my current hidden tasks and immediately join the selectionpetition to bring Linna, Rayna to the advanced base!"


    Sterl thought to himself.


    Next, he went to the Expansion Hall and bought all the discounted stamina and endurance potions he could as a Spark Project member. Sterl even wanted to buy some at full price, but such potions were in short supply across the entire Earth human race. He couldn''t get any more.


    Both Teresa and Daphne offered to give him their stock of potions for free.


    But Sterl declined. These potions were meant to be stockpiled and used after some evolution. Getting more of the unevolved versions wasn''t particrly useful. He wanted to buy more just to avoid making another trip.


    The three continued their shopping. As Sterl was examining a small stall with interest and casually buying a couple of trinkets, not far away��


    Teresa held Daphne''s hand, "We returned safely this time and gained so much. Maybe we can report this to the family to get more support."


    "I''ll leave that to you, please. I really don''t want to deal with those lunatics."


    When she mentioned the family, Teresa''s eyes showed a hint of fear and unease.


    The so-called "family" was not a traditional Earth human bloodline n. Simply put, it was connected by bonds rather than blood.


    When the Earth human race entered [Transcendence], almost all familial and n rtionships copsed because "people" were produced on assembly lines in factories.


    Take Sterl, for example. His genes must havee from a biological mother and father, but their pairing was entirely automated and random. The individuals providing the genes might have lived decades or even centuries ago.


    Rayna and Linna, who lived with Sterl, were in the same situation. They all grew up in social orphanages and only formed families voluntarily after needing to be self-sufficient at age 15.


    Typically, parent-child or close family rtionships only existed among "big figures," who were at least basemanders. These individuals had the authority to allocate limited resources to "create" children with their partners.


    As for the origin of "families," they arose because yers who had undergone three transformations and attained legendary status permanently altered their bloodlines. Their offspring had a chance to inherit higher-grade talents.


    Thus, within the Earth human race, numerous yers who had undergone three transformations and achieved legendary status banded together to form "families." These transformed yers, with the support of the human race, fervently produced offspring in the real world.


    They then subjected these offspring to extremely rigorous training programs. Those who awakened B-level or higher talents by the age of 18 would be peripheral members of the family, while those with A-level or higher talents would be official family members.


    Anyone else would be expelled from the family and exiled to various lower-level bases.


    Teresa and Daphne were both born into such families. They had never experienced any familial warmth��only fear and disgust toward the core members of their families!


    Teresa always hated dealing with family reports. But fortunately, Daphne was adept at navigating these matters and could help her out...


    Daphne readily agreed to handle the task and took out a tool to report their gains. Her expression was joyful. Clearly, she was in a good mood.


    The massive rewards from this hidden quest would significantly elevate their family''s training evaluation, allowing them to receive more resources.


    As Daphne slipped into a nearby alley and her voice faded away, Teresa''s expression changed. She quickly walked up to Sterl.


    "Master, you probably don''t have a ce to stay in the base, right? Why note to my ce to rest for a while?"


    "It''s also around mealtime... Shall we head back?" Teresa suggested in a gentle tone.


    Sterl didn''t think too much about it and casually nodded.


    He followed Teresa to a scenic vi area in the base, surrounded by mountains and water. Teresa respectfully led Sterl into thergest vi.


    It wasn''t until Sterl sat on the sofa, gazing at the lush trees outside the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, that he noticed Teresa had somehow changed into a set of ckce lingerie.


    Normally, Teresa exuded an aura of distant elegance, like an untouchable piece of cold jade.


    But now, her perfect figure, entuated by the lingerie, radiated a captivating allure.


    Teresa''s face was flushed, feeling utterly embarrassed by her bold actions, but she had no choice. Daphne''s constant advances had made her feel increasingly threatened.


    Teresa even feared that her position as Sterl''s secondary star was unstable.


    Daphne might be infatuated with Sterl''s disguised identity. But what if other women approached him in the future?


    Teresa didn''t dare to hope to monopolize her master, but she wished to at least be more important to him.


    "??" Sterl raised an eyebrow, surprised by Teresa''s initiative.


    "No need to trouble yourself." Teresa stepped forward, helping Sterl remove his clothes. Then, she positioned herself in front of Sterl''s penis and slowly opened her mouth.


    "Mm...Oh yeah..."


    Teresa took it all in one go, her throat trembling, providing Sterl with a tightly bound,pressive, and constrictive sensation that was both delicate and resilient...

 Chapter 68: Empire Exchange Store

    "We''ve finally arrived..." Daphne muttered softly, her expression turning odd.


    "Why is he at Teresa''s house?" she wondered aloud. Beside her, a paper-like bird pped its wings gently.


    Earlier, when she reported the hidden mission''s gains to her family, she had casually used the [Navigation Bird] tool to track the mysterious senior, just in case they got separated.


    But after following him all the way, she was surprised to find that he had gone to Teresa''s house!


    Daphne pondered for a moment and then activated the skill [Phantom Technique]. Instantly, she created an illusion that darted forward and hid by Teresa''s vi to observe the situation.


    However... what she saw made Daphne''s eyes widen in shock: "That senior actually!!!"


    ...


    "Cough, cough, cough!" Teresa clutched her chest, choking as if she were drowning, coughing incessantly, a trace of milky white liquid at the corner of her mouth.


    At this moment, Sterl was in high spirits. Seeing Teresa disy such a delicate demeanor, he immediately pushed her to the ground, gripping her neck with one hand while lifting her voluptuous thigh with the other.


    Then, Sterly down on his side and thrust his hips with all his might!


    "Oh my god!!!"


    In the extremely spacious vi living room, the sounds of a woman begging and moaning in pleasure echoed.


    But Sterl showed no mercy. Usually, when he yed with Rayna and Linna, he was quite gentle. Now was the perfect time to let loose!


    Time to try something a bit bold.


    He immediately activated his god-like power-up, his muscles rippling like flowing water. Then, he began pounding away with wild intensity.


    "Mm, mm, mm!!"


    "Oh my god!" Just a second ago, Teresa was in a state of both joy and fear. She had finally given her virginity to her master. But Sterl''s terrifying force and size made her feel like her lower body was about to be torn apart. Teresa was extremely uneasy.


    However, soon, she couldn''t think about it at all.


    Sterl''s speed increased rapidly. Soon, Teresa felt as if a burning torch was relentlessly thrusting within her, waves of pleasure gradually washing over her, making her mind hazy. With her neck being tightly gripped, even her cries came out in broken, muffled whimpers. At the same time, she felt a swelling in her lower abdomen, as if it might burst from the pressure.


    As Sterl continued to speed up, Teresa quickly lost her usual noble and graceful appearance. Instead, her body was covered in beads of sweat, making her skin appear even more enticingly fair and delicate. Her face contorted into an expression of extreme distortion, with her eyes rolling back and froth escaping her mouth, which oddly disyed a unique kind of allure.


    What was even more absurd was that under the influence of the secondary star, the physical pain Teresa felt was significantly diminished, leaving only an ever-increasing sensation of pleasure.


    With a sharp, prolonged howl, Teresa couldn''t help but tremble all over, and Sterl felt an intense tightening and twisting around his lower body.


    Sterl exhaled deeply, releasing a torrent of pleasure. Teresay on the ground, gasping for air like a fish out of water, seeminglypletely exhausted and unable to continue.


    Teresa looked at Sterl with a pleading expression...


    But he showed no signs of mercy.


    "Wait? Master... do you still... still want to continue?"


    "I''m not sure I can take it anymore."


    Teresa mumbled something incoherent. On the surface, it seemed like she was resisting, but her eyes betrayed a mix of anticipation and longing, along with a hint of fear and hesitation.


    With a stern expression, Sterl pressed Teresa back onto the ground. He then pulled her onto hisp, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and began a new round of thrusting.


    In this state, Teresa felt an overwhelming sense of fullness within her. With the intense movements, she even noticed a trickle of bright red liquid from her lower body...


    But at that moment.


    Teresa''s entire body trembled, lost in the throes of pleasure. She begged for mercy while moaning, producing extremely alluring sounds.


    After a long while, with Sterl''s powerful thrusts, Teresa''s body shook violently, convulsing uncontrobly, as she remained in a dazed state for quite some time. Eventually, she copsed weakly into Sterl''s arms.


    This time, she couldn''t even muster the strength to beg for mercy. Shey helplessly on the ground.


    "I can''t... take it anymore..."


    "I really can''t..."


    Teresa''s voice was faint, as if she were on the brink of death.


    Daphne, who had made her way to the edge of the vi, couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    She originally nned to find "Sterl''s elder" and offer herself. This was partly due to her gratitude for being saved earlier and partly for her own benefit.


    But now Daphne hesitated. Being treated like that could really be life-threatening, right? She could actually die from it, couldn''t she?


    Her legs felt glued to the spot, unable to move!


    Daphne''s heart raced, and she couldn''t shake the image of Teresa''s extremely contorted face from her mind. Although Teresa seemed to be in pain, she also appeared to be enjoying it immensely.


    "What should I do?" Daphne was still conflicted.


    However, inside the vi, Sterl walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and beckoned to Daphne with his finger. He had long since realized he was being followed.


    From the beginning, Sterl had a good idea of what Daphne was up to, but he chose not to expose her intentions.


    Now, seeing that Daphne was still hesitating toe in, he was starting to get a bit impatient.


    "I don''t have a key..." Daphne said weakly. Sterl wasted no time, punching the window and shattering it into pieces. Before Daphne could react, Sterl made a bloodthirsty dash towards her, grabbing her and tossing her onto the gold-embroidered carpet in Teresa''s vi.


    "Wait... I''m not ready," Daphne panicked, but Sterl had no intention of waiting for her to prepare.


    He swiftly pinned Daphne down and kissed her roughly. Soon, the two were entwined, with Sterl savoring the fragrance and sweetness of the young girl''s mouth while forcefully spreading her legs apart.


    He thrust with all his might!!


    "Wait!! Oh my!!!"


    Daphne quickly understood why Teresa had shown such an odd expression, a mix of pain and pleasure...


    She was in a simr state now, feeling as if Sterl was going topletely prate her, like a fish pinned to a cutting board. At the same time, the waves of pleasure emanating from her body amidst the violent force left Daphne in a daze!


    Daphne''s physique was considerably better than Teresa''s.


    Sterl first unleashed a wild surge of energy, then switched to various positions to enjoy Daphne.


    But no matter how strong the young girl''s physique was, facing a monster who had activated the [Descent of the Deity] ability, she soon began to plead for mercy.


    "Stop, I can''t take it anymore!"


    "Please, I beg you!"


    "Spare me!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Teresa, who had been unconscious, slowly regained consciousness.


    "You guys..."


    "I..."


    "What exactly happened?"


    "Daphne?? Why are you here?"


    "This vi is one I don''t typically use?"


    "How did you get in?"


    "Master... no, wait..." Teresa''s mind was still foggy as she struggled to wake up, feeling even more confused.


    Before she couldprehend the situation, Sterl roughly grabbed both women, holding one in each arm.


    Both young women were in a semi-paralyzed state, unable to resist at all.


    Sterl then tossed them onto a bed in a nearby bedroom, stacking them together. The sight before him was incredibly alluring.


    Two beauties: one with a cold elegance and a perfect figure, the other radiating vitality, with tight muscles and explosive curves in her chest and hips.


    At this moment, they bothy there pitifully, at his mercy.


    Sterl took a step forward, pressing down on the struggling Teresa, and began to thrust violently once more!


    This time, he went all out, choosing one of the two, Daphne or Teresa, to target with each thrust.


    With the two sisters sharing the burden, they barely managed to withstand the onught.


    Allowing Sterl to fully enjoy himself...


    This time, both Daphne and Teresa let out suppressed, painful yet incredibly enticing moans simultaneously.


    Until...


    The sky turned dark, and then lightened again with the dawn.


    Sterl finally sighed in satisfaction.


    The two young women were left trembling, copsed on the bed, unable to form aplete sentence.


    Seeing that Sterl was finally done, they clung to each other in a half-conscious embrace...


    When Daphne and Teresa hadpletely fallen into a deep sleep, Sterl''s eyes lit up slightly. His bare upper body leaned against the bed as he rubbed the ring given to him earlier by the priest of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    [Ring of the Empire]


    [Description: A ring symbolizing the status of a recruited strongman by the Divine Mountain Empire. You can use this item to teleport into the consciousness space created by the Divine Mountain Empire. You can also use this item to ess the Divine Mountain Empire''s contribution exchange store.]


    "Open the store." Sterl muttered without hesitation.

 Chapter 69: Special Skills: Arcane and Mastery

    [Hello, brave warrior of the Divine Mountain Empire!]


    [Ding! Warrior, you have received a gift. Please check it.]


    [You have acquired an Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation (Sealed).]


    [Ding! You have received a message��


    To the mighty warrior from another world, on behalf of the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire, I extend an invitation to you. Should you choose to join our faction, we will generously provide all the resources you require.


    The legendary secret technique we are offering this time was discovered by the Fourth Prince in an ancient ruin. It is currently unknown to anyone else and will not reveal the connection between us.]


    [You have triggered a hidden quest.]


    [Game of Thrones]


    [Hint: You achieved exceptional results in the first phase of the Imperial Trial, meeting the conditions to unlock the hidden quest.]


    [Description: Join/Refuse to join the Fourth Prince''s faction of the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [Hint: The arcane skill you received can only be unlocked if you ept this hidden quest and join the Fourth Prince''s faction.]


    "It''s here!" So, this is the hidden quest they mentioned earlier? Sterl smiled, looking quite excited.


    Should he ept the quest?


    "ept!" Sterl didn''t hesitate for a second.


    He could figure out with his butt that joining this faction would likely involve helping the Fourth Prince in some sort of power struggle for the throne, which would be extremely dangerous. A slight mistake could cost him his life.


    But for yers in [Transcendence], who wouldn''t risk their necks to make their way in the world? Having a chance to risk it all was actually a kind of luck.


    However, there was one thing that puzzled Sterl��


    What''s an arcane skill? Being somewhat ignorant, he really had no clue what it was.


    Sterl epted the quest and then messaged the strongest member of his newly recruited subordinates, intending to ask for some information.


    Of course, as a "cool and mysterious strongman," Sterl wouldn''t ask directly. Instead, he sent a private message��


    [Compile all the information you know about arcane skills and send it to me.]


    With that sentence, he emanated the aura of a true boss.


    After sending the message, Sterl noticed a new prompt in his quest log.


    [Hidden National-Level Side Quest: Game of Thrones, has been activated.]


    [Objective: Achieve the best possible ranking in the Imperial Trial to earn an additional reward.]


    [Warning: The higher your ranking, the more likely you are to face attacks from enemies within the Fourth Prince''s faction and hostile NPCs and yers.]


    "So, the essence of this quest is to fend off enemies to earn rewards?" Sterl quickly understood.


    He broke into a smile. Sterl loved these kinds of missions where you just wait for the enemy toe to you! It didn''t interfere with anything else at all! Whether leveling up or traveling, he couldplete it effortlessly! Rounding it up, it was essentially a free reward!


    Sterl''s expression was joyful. Thinking back to the huge benefits from the first mission of the Empire''s trial, his mood improved even more. He was already beginning to look forward to what kind of enemies woulde to attack him...


    Then, seeing that his subordinates hadn''t responded yet, Sterl decided to check out the contribution exchange store of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    He opened it and was immediately taken aback: "Wow!"


    Indeed, it was incredibly wealthy!


    Sterl was immediately dazzled by several pieces of diamond-tier equipment.


    [Chain of Resentment (Diamond)]


    [Category: Weapon]


    [Attribute Bonus: All attributes +20, Strength and Agility +20.]


    [Skill Bonus: [Bind: Units causing damage to the yer will be bound in ce for 0.5 seconds. This can only affect each enemy once every 30 seconds.]]


    [Level Requirement: Level 30]


    "Holy shit! This is top-notch!" Sterl couldn''t help but marvel. The attribute bonuses alone were impressive, but the attached skill was even more formidable! Under the effect of [Bind], any enemy attacking would be controlled, and in one-on-onebat, a 0.5-second bind could be a game-changer.


    In group battles, this skill''s strategic value would be even greater, offering significant maneuvering space.


    In addition, there were items like [Dragonblood Cloak], [Crystal Crown], [Radiant Robe]...


    Each piece of diamond-tier equipment had excellent attribute bonuses and powerful attached skills.


    However, despite his excitement, Sterl quickly calmed down.


    He thought only a fool would exchange for these items. Although they were well-suited to his current level 30, and the attributes and skills were excellent, worthy of diamond-tier status, they would soon be obsolete given his rapid leveling speed.


    Diamond-tier equipment was indeed of high quality, but level 50 or 60 gold and tinum-tier equipment were also excellent. In the Divine Mountain Empire''s contribution shop, they were much cheaper to exchange for.


    Sterl realized he was in a somewhat awkward stage, where his strength was increasing too quickly, making his gear transitional.


    Sterl pondered, "I should look for skills that can fill the gaps in my current abilities."


    "Or perhaps growth equipment like the one I previously refined through Blood Power, which would be more suitable for me."


    He opened the skills exchange page, and the first thing that popped up was [Arcane: Mountain], priced at...


    "1,000,000 contribution points??"


    Seeing the number, Sterl was stunned. What was this?


    He clicked on the details page and discovered��


    [Arcane: Mountain]


    [Bonus: Adds an earth attribute bonus to the forged legendary path.]


    [Effect: After a second awakening talent, the talent has a chance to include earth-rted abilities. Uncover physical attributes.]


    [Learning Requirements: Two master-level gold earth skills, A-level earth-rted talent, yer level 141]


    [Training Difficulty: High]


    [Description: The top-tier arcane skill, foundational to the Divine Mountain Empire, for which several nations have gone to war.]


    "Are arcane skills that precious?"


    "Even a B-level one can cause several countries to vie for it, and it costs 1,000,000 contribution points to exchange?"


    Sterl was stunned for a few seconds.


    He was also surprised that the hidden quest [Game of Thrones] had given him an arcane skill just for epting it. Was the reward really that generous?


    Sterl quickly calmed down, realizing that the arcane skill gifted by the Fourth Prince was probably not as high-rated as a B-level one... It was likely a rtively mediocre arcane skill, far inferior to the Divine Mountain Empire''s [Mountain].


    Sterl then looked at the introduction of [Arcane: Mountain], and he became even more confused.


    First, it mentioned the term "Legendary Path," which made Sterl realize that these so-called arcane skills were likely rted to realms beyond the third ss change.


    But what exactly is the "Legendary Path"? And what is "Second Awakening Talent"? Sterl had never been taught these terms in any of his sses!


    What did "Training Difficulty" mean??


    Sterl was momentarily stunned. If this was a skill, wouldn''t he just learn it instantly? Did the training difficulty refer to the difficulty in increasing proficiency?


    Moreover, arcane skills had such stringent learning requirements. They required gold-level skills, the yer''s own talents, and a very high level...


    "If that''s the case, what if I can''t even learn the arcane skill given by the Fourth Prince?" Sterl suddenly realized something. Considering the description of arcane skills, he roughly guessed the truth. In the first round of the hidden quest assessment, Sterl''sbat performance made people mistakenly think he was a third-ss yer.


    For third-ss yers, the most attractive bargaining chips were resources rted to breaking into the legendary realm.


    The Fourth Prince was extremely generous, offering an arcane skill to recruit Sterl...


    Sterl also checked the other arcane skills in the shop, and sure enough, they all mentioned the three indicators: Legendary Path, Training Difficulty, and Learning Requirements.


    After browsing for a bit, he directly filtered out the arcane skills from the shop disy.


    Sterl had only 3000 contribution points, which wasn''t enough to buy any arcane skills. Even if he had enough, he wouldn''t buy them!


    Sterl already had the arcane skill gifted by the Fourth Prince. Even if the quality was poor, Sterl hadthe ability to allocate points. Thest thing he fears was poor quality.


    Initially, Sterl intended to look for some practical skills. But soon he noticed something new that he hadn''t heard of before, besides the arcane skills��


    [Mastery]


    This type of skill also had restrictions like Training Difficulty and Learning Requirements, but this time Sterl didn''t need to ask his subordinates.


    With [Mastery], Sterl understood immediately after clicking on one of the introductions��


    [Mastery: Divine Mountain Empire Spearmanship]


    [Description: Through training with this mastery, you will learn spearmanship primarily in the style of the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [Effect: After training in this mastery, you can umte proficiency to acquire the following three skills: Furious Thrust, me Spear Sweep, and Heavy Stone Guard.]


    [Skill Proficiency Level is the same as Mastery Proficiency Level.]


    [Learning Requirements: Proficient in Basic Spearmanship, Basic Footwork, and Basic Polearms.]


    [Training Difficulty: Easy]


    In addition to the description, there was a transparent screen demonstrating the Divine Mountain Empire spearmanship and the three skills.


    After analyzing it for a bit, Sterl understood and became highly interested in masteries.


    It wasn''t just because mastering one of these would allow him to learn multiple skills. What intrigued him was thebat techniques that came with the mastery itself!

 Chapter 70: An Early Opportunity to Learn Secret Techniques??

    Let''s continue with the example of the Divine Mountain Empire''s spear technique.


    Suppose Sterl masters this move. The three apanying skills wouldn''t matter much. He''d be able to use the spear to enhance his output and deflect enemy attacks purely with technique in closebat.


    In fact, even if he doesn''t use a spear, but other long weapons or even fights bare-handed, Sterl''sbat skills would still see a significant improvement.


    To illustrate, Sterl''s previous fighting style relied heavily on using powerful skills, much like someone carrying a rocketuncher,unching a rocket with every attack, devoid of any finesse. Once he masters the ultimate technique, he can engage in close-quartersbat with skill and precision, countering moves effectively.


    Sterl believed that mastering the [Ultimate Technique] was essential. Beyond everything else, it would improve hisbat intelligence, making him more perceptive of the battle''s dynamics��a crucial advantage.


    As for which [Ultimate Technique] to choose, Sterl spent some time browsing through the contribution store.


    Finally, he found one that he was quite satisfied with��


    [Ultimate Technique: Master of All Weapons]


    [Description: Through the practice of this ultimate technique, you will learn to fight using the methods of over twenty different close and ranged weapons from various countries.]


    [Effect: After training and reaching proficiency, you will gain the following skill: [Instant Strike (After activating this skill, the power of your next attack/skill increases by 50%)]


    [Skill proficiency level is the same as the ultimate technique proficiency level.]


    [Learning Requirements: Basic Spear Techniques, Basic Footwork, Basic Fist Techniques, Basic Archery, Basic Swordsmanship... proficient level or above.]


    [Training Difficulty: Extremely Difficult]


    [Price: 2000 Contribution Points]


    This ultimate technique would maximize Sterl''s goals, enhancing hisbat abilities and awareness. The apanying skill was excellent, allowing the next move to deal extra damage unconditionally!


    This was far more useful than any shy blue or even purple skills.


    With an SSS-ss profession, Sterl needed skills that offered auxiliary support. His offensive abilities were already more than sufficient within the Star System.


    The only issue was the high difficulty of training this ultimate technique, but Sterl wasn''t worried at all��he already had a solution in mind.


    "Redeem Ultimate Technique: Master of All Weapons." Sterl selected on the panel before him. His contribution points bnce quickly decreased, leaving him with only 1000 points. A torrent of information flooded into his mind.


    For a moment, he felt he could master any weapon in the world with ease. But once he conjured a longsword using the Star de and swung it a few times, he realized it was just an illusion.


    Without meeting the learning requirements of the ultimate technique, he only had a memory of the Master of All Weapons.


    With the remaining 1000 contribution points, Sterl decided to hold off on spending them immediately. He nned to earn more points in the uing Empire Trials and subsequent evaluations, aiming for a one-time redemption. He had set his sights on a highly promising piece of growth-oriented equipment that he could use well beyond level 100��definitely worth acquiring.


    After closing the Contribution Points shop, Sterl finally had some time to review the information sent by his subordinates.


    At first, he frowned slightly, but then he smiled.


    Sterl finally understood what the arcane skills truly were.


    He had known from the start that yers, after their third ssadvancement, could ascend to the legendary realm at level 150.


    However, Sterl had no idea how to ascend to the legendary status. The information gathered by his subordinates rified this for him.


    Unlike ssadvancements, second ssadvancements, or third ssadvancements, the process was different.


    The initial ssadvancement required yers toplete a ceremony, with no demand on the yer''s innate talent. Even a useless yer could forcibly advance to an S-rank profession if backed by a powerful organization.


    The second ssadvancement further developed the power from the first ssadvancement. yers needed toplete an enhanced ceremony. Though more difficult than the initial ssadvancement, it could still be achieved by pouring in resources.


    The third ssadvancement meant that yers had already pushed their profession to its limits, showcasing the upper echelons of their profession''s power. At this point, yers needed toplete the final ceremony of their profession. While it was challenging to brute-force through this with resources, some powerful organizations could still aplish it.


    But ascending to legendary status was a different story.


    The essence of bing a legend involvedbining the fully-explored powers of the yer''s profession to forge a unique path��essentially, zing a new trail!


    yers first needed to use a secret technique to unlock the hidden potential of their talents, achieving a second awakening.


    Next, they had to use at least one, and up to three, gold-quality skills to forge their legendary foundation. The higher the quality and quantity of skills used, the more Legendary Points required.


    Because yers need to inscribe their foundational powers into the world of [Transcendence]. Once this is done, the essence of the skills inscribed as foundational will fundamentally change, truly unleashing the power of golden-quality skills and harnessing the forces of heaven and earth!


    After achieving the above two points, yers must thenplete their personal legendary-level ritual through self-perception in order to advance.


    These concepts were quite distant for Sterl.


    As for the specific functions of the arcane skills, the information from Sterl''s subordinates exined them in detail.


    First, arcane skills could rece meditation methods, helping yers refine experience points, effectively providing an experience boost. This meant that 100 experience points could potentially be absorbed as 150 or even 200 experience points, greatly increasing leveling efficiency.


    Secondly, arcane skills could help yers unlock their inner potential, resulting in a second awakening and enhanced effects.


    The higher the quality of the arcane skills, the greater the experience conversion bonus, and the stronger the effects after the second awakening.


    High-quality arcane skills could also enhance attributes, giving corresponding attributes additional effects.


    For example, each point of Spirit could increase the effect on skills by 50%, or Agility could increase the yer''s speed and skill casting speed by 50%...


    In summary, mastering anarcane skill and achieving a second awakening would significantly boost attribute points, dramatically increasing a yer''sbat power!


    The only issue was that higher-quality arcane skills demandedgreater innate talent from the cultivator. Not only didthey need to master the corresponding golden skills, but the yer''s own talent must also be high.


    For many people, obtaining high-level arcane skills was almost meaningless unless they were willing to spend a significant amount of money on items that reducedthe learning requirements for arcane skills.


    Using the [Mountain]technique that Sterl just saw as an example, yers could use earth element essence to temporarily lower the talent level requirements for learning. Simrly, energy essence could temporarily lower the level requirements for learning.


    However, these essences were quite expensive and awkwardly positioned. yers without talent couldn''t afford them, and talented yers typically didn''t need them to learn arcane skills.


    After reviewing all the information, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a wave of excitement. Setting everything else aside, his talent was already exceptional. If he could undergo a second awakening, he would surely soar to new heights!


    Moreover, the attribute enhancement functionality was even more impressive. With his SSS-ss profession, all his attributes were already explosive. Adding the enhancement effects would push his strength through the roof!


    He quickly opened the gift from the Fourth Prince, although he knew it was wishful thinking, he still fantasized about the requirements being low.


    [Secret Technique: Star Soul Rotation]


    [Bonus: None]


    [Effect: None, unlocks mental attributes.]


    [Learning Requirements: yer Level 141]


    [Training Difficulty: Easy]


    [Description: Anarcane skillfrom ancient times. Its effectiveness may not match the ingenuity ofter generations, but itrepresentedanother stride towards strength for the myriad beings in [Transcendence].]


    Sterl was dumbfounded.


    The learning requirements for this arcane skillwere too simple! No need to master any gold-quality skills; you just had to be level 141 to learn it.


    But the problem was, Sterl was far from reaching level 141!


    At least... it would take one or two, maybe two or three years! That''s too long.


    If other yers knew what Sterl was thinking, they would surely spit blood in frustration. Who didhe think he was? So arrogant that he believedhe couldreach level 140 in two or three years?


    Didhehadany idea that it might tookus four or five, even up to ten years to go from level 30 to 40??


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t help but stare at the information his subordinates had sent, which mentioned��


    Consuming energy essence couldlower the level requirements for learning secret techniques.


    He was deeply tempted!


    Sterl quickly tallied his assets. After ounting for the potion he bought yesterday, he still had 127 gold coins on him. With a little help from Teresa, reaching 200 gold coins shouldn''t be a problem.


    Sterl estimated, "If I spend all this money, I should be able to buy some energy essence, right?"


    He didn''t have high demands. Afew low-quality ones would suffice!


    Then, wouldn''t he be able to learn the arcane skihead of time??


    Sterl''s heart couldn''t stop racing with excitement.


    He couldn''t even imagine how much he would soar if this n seeded.


    Because... his [Arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation]allowed him to allocate points!


    Sterl could use energy essence to forcefully learn the arcane skill, then allocate points to Star Soul Rotation, obtaining a top-tier arcane skill.


    He might be able to unlock multiple attributes, leveraging the high base stats of his SSS-ss profession and the doubled attribute boost from his divine descent.


    Duringbat��


    Sterl was absolutely unbeatable!!

 Chapter 71: [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts]

    The only problem with Sterl''s n was��


    Once he learned an arcane skill and then enhanced it, the difficulty of training would not be low. umting proficiency wouldn''t be that easy.


    Sterl had a strategy for this. He could continue to farm ces like the Death Vige to umte blood force.


    Including [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts], Sterl could use blood force to brute-force his proficiency in arcane skills.


    Blood force itself could push a yer''s skill proficiency to a mastery level and even break through to a grandmaster level. Naturally, it could be used to increase daily proficiency. Though it would be somewhat wasteful.


    So, no matter how difficult it was to train secret techniques and arcane skills, as long as he utilized blood force, he could forcefully increase his proficiency. And with skills like Starfall, Sterl''s efficiency in farming monsters was extremely high, fully supporting this approach.


    "I originally thought that thest time, when I farmed nearly 100 blood forces in one go, this stuff would eventually overflow��"


    "In the end, it''s still not enough" Sterl sighed helplessly.


    After finishing his n, he nced at the bedside. Daphne and Teresa were still sound asleep.They were really exhausted.


    Sterl also felt a bit tired. So he simply flipped onto the bed, hugging both Daphne and Teresa, and fell asleep, enjoying the softness of the two pillows.


    ...


    When Sterl woke up, it was already the next morning.


    The aroma of fried eggs drifted through the air.


    Teresa and Daphne had already prepared breakfast and brought it to the bedroom.


    By the way, Sterl rified that he slept for a whole day not because of overexertion but because he had used too many ultimate moves in the temple to deal with other alien yers, which left him mentally exhausted.


    With his physical strength andbat power, he could easily go a few hundred more rounds with Teresa and Daphne without feeling any fatigue!


    "Not bad." Sterl fairly evaluated the breakfast they had made.


    Then, looking at Daphne''s alluring figure, he made a decision that went against his usual style... He decided to use this mysterious senior identity for a few more days.


    After enjoying breakfast, Sterl quickly used Teresa''s and Daphne''s permissions to investigate suitable leveling spots nearby.


    It had to be said that the intelligence work of Earth''s human race was quite good.


    Sterl saw ces like [Azure Lake], [Sunset Forest], [Mental Cathedral], and so on, all of which had high monster densities and rich experience gains, although they couldn''tpare to the frenzied monster farming in the Death Vige.


    Sterl casually chose the Mental Cathedral as his leveling spot since. Although the average level of monsters there was lower, their numbers were higher.


    He wasn''t just farming experience.The most important thing was to farm blood force to first learn the foundational abilities required for [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts].


    This could only be aplished with blood force.


    Because Sterl''s talent [Arcane Soul] only enhanced his aptitude in spell-rted skills.Back in the day, he had practiced basic footwork for nearly ten years without reaching mastery. The proficiency in over ten types of cold weapons required for [Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts] would take too long to achieve through his own practice��


    Sterl spent half a day traveling to the leveling spot.


    This was an imposing cathedral, with massive portraits on both sides. However, each face was covered with eerie stains, transforming what was once a sacred ce into something deeply unsettling.


    As Sterl walked through, he noticed several yer teams leveling up around the area. Their eyes met, and they nodded at each other in acknowledgment.


    Utilizing the teleportation ability of his Starlight Domain, Sterl made his way to the deepest part of the cathedral. There were no other yers in sight now, as this area had the highest density of monsters and was extremely dangerous.


    With a quick nce using his Star Insight, Sterl observed that most of the monsters were around levels 30 to 35. He realized he didn''t need to use his Celestial Stars for this.


    Sterl drank an advanced experience potion he had evolved from yesterday''s evolution points and activated Ignition me.


    Soon, mes erupted!


    Numerous monsters were charred to a crisp, and then Starfall scattered, slicing humanoid creatures wielding scythes into pieces with energy threads.


    Notification sounds continuously rang in Sterl''s ears��


    [You have in a level 33 wild monster [Purified Monk], gaining 511 experience points.]


    [You have in...]


    ...


    Simultaneously, the blood points in his Blood Treasure were steadily increasing.


    Sterl needed to master twenty-three basic skills to learn Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts. Although he didn''t need to reach mastery, even with his current increased efficiency in training basic skills, it would take at least half a month to master one.


    On the other hand, using blood force to boost proficiency, he only needed two blood forces for each skill.


    Clearly, it was a better deal!


    So, for the next three days, he stayed immersed in the Mental Cathedral, steadily increasing his experience and blood force.


    ...


    Bang!!


    A swift figure was mmed against the cathedral wall, letting out a scream of agony.


    "How dare you ughter so many of my followers!!" A priest in a robe and tall hat screamed in rage.


    Standing opposite him was a young man with a youthful face��Sterl.


    "Incredible!!" Sterl eximed, ying with a spear formed by his Star de.


    Through Star Insight, he sensed that the enraged humanoid monster was an elite level 38 [Sacrificial Shepherd]. Monster durability was much higher than that of yers, and elite monsters had additional vitality. So, if Sterl used Celestial Stars, it might leave the monster with just a sliver of health.


    Not long ago, after using blood force to enhance his basic skills, Sterl finally learned [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts], which he had exchanged for 2000 contribution points.


    He decided to fight in closebat using his Star de.


    And the results�� his expression said it all��he was extremely satisfied.


    Sterl felt that in previous battles, he had fought like a brute, relying on sheer strength and heavy blows to defeat his enemies. While this worked against weaker opponents, it could put him at a disadvantage against those of simr strength.


    But now, facing this elite monster, Sterl didn''t even need to activate his Celestial Descent. Relying solely on a spear and the effects of Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts, he perfectly suppressed the enemy in closebat!


    Sterl shouted as the priest got up again, pulling out a sharp dagger and charging at him. Sterl stepped back half a step, easily dodging the attack. With a sweep of his spear, he effortlessly knocked the elite monster to its knees.


    With a powerful flick, Sterl brought the spear de down from above, striking the elite monster''s head with force.


    The umted damage from earlier was enough to crush the [Sacrificial Shepherd]''s head, sttering blood and brain matter. The red and white gore stained Sterl''s weapon, which he then dismissed, allowing the filth to fall to the ground, creating a crimson scene.


    "Well,well,well...Not bad"


    Sterl was in a great mood. After this battle, he felt that the shorings in his skillset had been significantly addressed. Learning Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts was worth it!


    Of course, he quickly discovered the skill''s drawbacks. After all, it only cost 2000 exchange points.


    While Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts sounded great on paper, iming mastery over a dozen cold weapons, the reality was that it made Sterlpetent with these weapons but far from being able to use them to their full potential. He couldn''t rely on technique to ovee stronger opponents.


    Additionally, leveling the overall proficiency of Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts to a mastery level to unlock its additional skills was extremely challenging.


    Sterl had learned the skill yesterday, and after a day of practice, his proficiency had only increased by three points.


    On the skill panel, it showed up as��[Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts: Novice (3/6000)].


    Just to reach the [Proficient] level required 6000 proficiency points... At this rate, it would take Sterl six or seven years!


    "Is this what they mean by high-value difficulty in training?" Sterl helplessly rubbed his forehead. After three days of leveling, he had reached level 31 and a half. After deducting the blood force used for prerequisite skills for Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts, he had twenty blood forces left.


    As for why Sterl didn''t use blood force to add points directly to [Mastery], it was mainly because he had more important arcane skills in hand!


    Once he learned those arcane skills using items to lower the requirements, he nned to raise their quality. The training difficulty for those could be even higher than Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts!


    In short, the need for blood force was immense.


    So, after dealing with the elite monster, Sterl continued to scour the cathedral, hunting monsters as efficiently as possible. Three hourster, he paused.


    Sterl opened his panel and saw messages from Teresa and Daphne in the private chat.


    [Master, we''ve collected five units of the energy essence you requested!]


    [Boss! Boss! Come back quickly. We''ve got great news, super great news!]


    ...


    Ignoring Daphne''s excited calls, Sterl decisively stopped leveling and returned to the base after receiving the messages.

 Chapter 72: [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation]

    "Master, I have instructed Daphne to gather intelligence for you in the Exploration Hall." Teresa said respectfully.


    "Here are the five energy essences I collected, costing 300 gold coins."


    Although she was curious about why Sterl needed such items, she didn''t ask any questions. She carefully ensured that no one else was around to interfere with Sterl''s ns.


    Teresa spected that her master might need the energy essences to craft some equipment. She knew that Sterl had recently reached level 20 andpleted his ss change in the Starfall Wastnd instance.So his equipment probably wasn''t fully upgraded.


    As for another use of energy essences��to lower the requirements for learning an arcane skill...


    Even though Teresa believed her master was destined to be invincible, the idea that Sterl might be dealing with legendary arcane skills seemed like a dream to her. It was simply unimaginable.


    Sterl, on the other hand, felt a wave of excitement and a touch of gratitude as he took the pure white energy crystals from Teresa. He knew that theirbined assets didn''t even amount to 300 gold coins. So Teresa must have gone through considerable trouble to gather the funds.


    In Sterl''s eyes, the attributes of the item appeared��


    [Energy Essence (Inferior)]+


    [Category: Special Artifact]


    [Effect: �� When used in forging equipment, this item randomly adds ten points to one of the four basic attributes.


    �� Consuming this item directly lowers the level requirement for learning an arcane skill by five levels.]


    "Exactly what I needed!"


    A sh of joy crossed Sterl''s eyes. His arcane skill, Star Soul Rotation, only required a certain level to learn, and one energy essence could reduce the requirement by five levels.


    Additionally, this consumable item indeed had a plus sign, indicating it could be enhanced! During his three days of leveling up, Sterl had used his evolution points on the first two days to evolve a stamina storage potion and a vigor storage potion.


    He hadn''t used his evolution points for today yet! Sterl nodded approvingly at Teresa. "Well done."


    With a nce, Teresa obediently left the vi to him, leaving him alone.


    As he watched Teresa''s graceful figure fade from view, Sterl rxed on the sofa, casually tossing the newly acquired pure white crystal.


    "Evolve!" he thought to himself.


    A brilliant light enveloped the crystal, transforming it. What had been a wed, stone-like object now gleamed brightly, bing crystal clear. It felt as smooth as jade in his hand. Just a light touch sent a cool andfortable sensation across his skin.


    The attributes of the item in Sterl''s vision changed as well.


    [Energy Essence (Superior)]+


    [Category: Special Artifact]


    [Effect: �� When used in forging equipment, this item randomly adds twenty points to one of the four basic attributes.


    �� Consuming this item directly lowers the level requirement for learning an arcane skill by ten levels.]


    Sterl was momentarily stunned. It was the first time he had encountered a consumable item that could be enhanced multiple times.


    "Items rted to the legendary domain are indeed extraordinary, aren''t they?" Sterl was more delighted than surprised. Each of the five energy essences only reduced the level requirement by ten, it wouldn''t be enough. The fact that he could enhance them further was a great advantage!


    In the following days, Sterl ventured back into the wilderness for leveling up, farming blood force and experience while slowly evolving the energy essences.


    These special items could be enhanced three times in total. The final product, at perfect quality, could reduce the level requirement for learning an arcane skill by twenty-five levels.


    Sterl spent a full two weeks maxing out the energy essences. During this time, he reached level 35, his Starlight Dragon reached level 34, and his blood force count hit 173.


    "The efficiency is still too slow." Sterl muttered as he stood at the edge of a "jungle." What was once a dense forest was now littered with craters from meteor impacts and steaming hot crystals, resembling a wastnd.


    Sterl was frustrated. The leveling efficiency was too low! Compared to the frenzied monster farming mode in the Vige of Death, finding monsters in the quality leveling spots marked by the Earth human race was a slow process. Moreover, each level required exponentially more experience points.


    Sterl felt that reaching level 60 and achieving his second ss change was a distant dream!


    After the second ss change, besides the inherent attribute bonuses, Sterl could unlock another main star and gain a new skill from the Lord of the Stars ss, likely of golden quality. This would be a significant transformation!


    But at the current rate, Sterl felt exasperated. He had no idea when he would see the day of his second ss change.


    He muttered to himself as he found a giant tree in the jungle. Sterl crawled into the hollow of the tree and sat down cross-legged.


    With anticipation, he began to consume the energy essences one by one. The brilliant crystals turned into liquid and flowed into his body, causing his expression to change dramatically!


    At first, Sterl enjoyed the sensation. Within seconds, however, veins bulged on his skin, and he turned beet red as if he were being boiled alive. Steam rose from his body, sweat poured down, and the violent energy surged inside him, threatening to tear him apart!


    He was forced to activate his "Divine Descent" state to amplify his physique, barely withstanding the turbulent energy from the essences.


    Sterl wasn''t surprised by this. The essence of energy allows yers to learn arcane skills ahead of time by using rare items, which are originally meant for crafting equipment, as disposable items. This creates the illusion that the energy within the yer has reached the required level to learn the corresponding arcane skill.


    This put immense pressure on the yer''s physical body, andcking sufficient constitution would be suicidal.


    Fortunately, Sterl was prepared. He hadn''t used his evolution points for the day yet!


    "Evolution!"


    [Treatment Potion] �� [Life Storage Elixir].


    The treatment potion, crafted by the Earth human race, was something Sterl had casually purchased earlier. This item helped yers recover from injuries, simr to stamina and vigor potions.


    After evolving, it turned into a [Life Storage Elixir], akin to the vigor storage elixir Sterl had evolved earlier. It could instantly restore injuries and store arge amount of life force to heal Sterl''s damaged body.


    After consuming the elixir, Sterl couldn''t help but let out screams of pain.


    It felt like his body was experiencing both extreme cold and scorching heat! On one side, the violent energy from the energy essences tore through him, subjecting his body to energy levels equivalent to nearly 160 levels! Even his Divine Descent state couldn''t withstand it!


    At the same time, a healing force continuously mended Sterl''s shattered body, preventing him from dying instantly...


    At that moment, Sterl quickly took out an arcane skill scroll and pped his hands together.


    Instantly, the scroll emitted a radiant light, and a spiritual energy surged into Sterl''s mind. He vaguely felt like he had learned something, but before he could react further, he was writhing on the ground in pain.


    Sterl gritted his teeth. He had to wait for the energy essence''s power to dissipate on its own before he could return to normal��


    ...


    In the jungle, countless wild monsters sensed the terrifying energy aura emanating from the giant tree and the hellish screams. They shivered in fear and quickly fled far away.


    Many nearby leveling yer groups also chose to retreat��this was too frightening!


    In an instant, whereused to be a decent leveling spot became deserted. Only the energy mes swirling around Sterl''s body remained, setting the giant tree aze and causing the fire to spread outward until the entire jungle was engulfed in mes.


    It was unknown how much time had passed, but Sterl finally regained consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes. He had already stored his equipment in his inventory. He was nowpletely naked��his clothes had been entirely burned away by the energy.


    Sterl moved slightly and felt a sharp pain throughout his body.


    "I really pushed my luck this time."


    "Continue next time!" Sterl grumbled. Typically, arcane skills were learned by yers who were missing a few levels but already had a legendary status at their third ss change. These yers used energy essences to lower the learning threshold or collected items topensate for insufficient talent.


    Only Sterl, at just over level 30, had learned an arcane skill by relying on his ability to enhance items! Even the main system of the game [Transcend]probably hadn''t anticipated someone doing this!


    But when Sterl looked at the newly appeared content on his interface.


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation (No Rank)]


    [Effect: �� Convert experience to gain an additional 20% benefit]


    [�� All your attributes receive a 5% effect amplification]


    [Proficiency: 0/500 (Phase Zero)]


    "Totally worth it!"


    Hey exhausted on the ground, but his eyes sparkled with joy! He had sessfully learned the arcane skill. The 20% extra experience alone would save him a lot of time.


    And the 5% attribute effect amplification, though it seemed small, was an additional multiplier! Duringbat calctions, it would be Sterl''s maxed-out attributes from Divine Descent plus his equipment attributes, all multiplied by the 5% amplification!

 Chapter 73: Hidden Quest Second Phase

    Moreover, the attribute boost from Star Soul Rotation was already equivalent to nearly ten points in all attributes when Sterl was in full power mode. In the future, as the quality of the arcane skill improved, this amplification would be even more potent!


    Sterl opened the details page to understand thest part of the panel about proficiency.


    The proficiency system for arcane skills was different from other skills.It was divided into phases. The higher the quality of the arcane skill, the more phases it had. For example, Star Soul Rotation had only two phases (Zero Phase, One Phase, Two Phase). Each phase upgrade could potentially introduce new benefits or enhance existing ones.


    As for how to specifically increase proficiency...


    Sterl sensed the cultivation method emerging in his mind and decided to give it a try.


    He sat cross-legged, sensing the energy and mental will within him. With the influence of the arcane skill, Sterl noticed that when he viewed his inner self, he saw an expansive starry sea, representing his mental realm. When he channeled experience energy into this realm, the energy transformed intos, reflecting Sterl''s levels.


    Mental power and physical power operated separately, but under the influence of the arcane skill, Sterl crushed each of the already transformeds, allowing them to re-integrate into the starry sea as semi-transparent, bluish, strange celestial bodies.


    The process was not pleasant. Every time he crushed a, he felt mentally exhausted and spat blood. However, once the transformation wasplete, he felt a sense of relief, as if his whole being had been cleansed.


    When Sterl exited the meditation state, a notification appeared.


    [Ding! You have sessfullypleted a Star Soul Rotation cultivation session, proficiency +20.]


    No wonder it was considered the lowest tier arcane skill.It wasn''t hard to cultivate. Sterl vaguely realized that his Arcane Soul talent provided a training bonus for arcane skills. He should be able to quickly master the subsequent phases of Star Soul Rotation...


    Sterl looked at the arcane skill description on the panel and, sure enough, there was a plus sign next to [Star Soul Rotation].


    His golden finger subtly hinted that he could now cultivate this arcane skill, and the progress from evolving Star Soul Rotation would be converted into proficiency for the new arcane skill.


    Sterl made a mental note. Since that was the case, he would spend a few more days leveling up while perfecting the arcane skill...


    Before he could continue searching for wild monsters, he received a notification.


    [Ding! Hidden Quest: Imperial Trial.Stage 2 is now open. Please proceed to the Imperial Temple for the challenge.]


    Sterl clicked his tongue in frustration.


    His usual habit was to max out his points before heading out for adventures.


    Unfortunately, hidden quests wait for no one...


    He had no choice but to send a private message to Teresa and Daphne, informing them that he was heading for the second quest stage and wouldn''t be back for a while.


    Then, Sterl set off, rushing towards the nearby temple.


    "The aura around you is..." This temple was the advanced version equipped with priests. The NPC who came to greet Sterl seemed to sense something, their tone slightly excited, and their actions quite enthusiastic.


    "Wee, warrior!"


    The priest gave several meaningful nces, and Sterl paused, realizing that this person was likely one of the subordinates of the so-called Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    "Are they allies?" Sterl wondered silently.


    The priest led Sterl to an altar, indicating for him to sit down and enter a state of consciousness. Sterlplied, closing his eyes and finding himself enveloped in darkness.


    When his vision cleared again, Sterl found himself in a setting simr to the arena from the first phase of the hidden quest, though this area was much smaller. The walls were adorned with expensive gemstones, and the spectator seats were furnished with variousfortable cushions.


    The number of NPCs had significantly increased. Sterl saw many guards in uniform patrolling the area, and several young people in luxurious robes were gathered, engaging in animated conversations.


    "Broyou also found time to watch this talent selection?"


    "Of course, otherwise, you''d scoop up all the good prospects."


    Sterl observed from a distance, noting the sharp, sarcastic tone in their conversations. It was clear their rtionships weren''t very amicable...


    "Are these the princes of the Divine Mountain Empire?" he spected.


    A new quest notification popped up in front of Sterl.


    [Imperial Trial: Second Phase Activated]


    [Objective: Achieve the highest rank possible in the one-on-one selection rounds.]


    [Quest Completion Reward: Commendation from the Divine Mountain Empire (based on final rank).]


    Additionally, another hidden quest notification appeared with simr text, but the reward was amendation from the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire, along with a warning��


    The higher the rank you achieve, the greater the risks you will face in subsequent quests.


    "One-on-one, PVP?" Sterl scanned the surroundings, noticing that other yers from various administrative regions of the Divine Mountain Empire were also looking cautious.


    Using his Star Insight ability, Sterl observed that the quality of yers this time was exceptionally high. Most were at least at their second ss change, with many in the 70s or 80s level range. Even yers above level 90, who had mastered purple-quality skills, were not umon.


    Compared to the first trial, the difficulty of this second trial had increased nearly tenfold!


    First, the challenge was not against monsters but against other yers who could strategize and hide their trump cards.


    Second, the strength of the opponents was... overwhelming!


    Sterl was relieved that his subordinates and Teresa had chosen to forgo the ring.Otherwise, this second phase would be nearly impossible for them.


    Of course, there were a few yers who had just reached their second ss change, but they would likely be eliminated quickly.


    A look of caution shed in Sterl''s eyes. He knew that this trial could easily lead to failure if he wasn''t careful. Purple-quality skills had immense power.Even if his opponents didn''t possess skills matching an SSS-ss profession, they could still pose a significant threat.


    Sterl''s Celestial Stars could easily one-shot opponents, but a single misstep could also result in his own demise!


    At that moment, the princes of the Divine Mountain Empire stepped into the center of the arena.


    "It is an honor to have brave warriors from another world serve the Empire."


    "You have a total of 48 hours to determine a ranking among yourselves."


    "The true hero will receive the Empire''smendation."


    The eldest prince spoke casually, and with a snap of his fingers, a number appeared before everyone''s eyes.


    "Number 1 pairs with Number 2, Number 3 pairs with Number 4."


    "Following this pattern, please proceed to the arena for your matches."


    As the eldest prince spoke, light screens gradually rose in the arena, dividing it into four tforms.


    The yers from within the Divine Mountain Empire, each boasting exceptional strength, wasted no time. Those numbered 1 through 8 immediately leapt from the audience seats and headed towards their respective arenas.


    The other yers scanned their surroundings, eager to identify their opponents.


    Only Sterl was momentarily stunned.There was no number on his card. He quickly realized that there were a total of...


    He estimated around 161 yers, meaning he had a bye.


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, feeling lucky. He had rushed to the temple and hadn''t had time to train his newly acquired arcane skill.


    Given his previous training efficiency, 48 hours would be enough to at leastplete one phase of his arcane skill. So having some free time suited him just fine.


    Sterl''s bye quickly drew the attention of the other yers and the Divine Mountain Empire NPCs. The Fourth Prince''s eyes shed with surprise when he saw Sterl but quickly returned to a calm demeanor.


    "A yer from the Earth Human race? Looks like he got lucky with a bye." the eldest prince announced with a coldugh. The Earth Humans were notorious for their poor one-on-onebat skills within the Divine Mountain Empire.


    The Fourth Prince, despite holding backughter, nodded in agreement. "You''re right.I think so too."


    Sterl, unsurprisingly, became the target of a wave of ridicule.


    "Why is it always the Earth Human guys who get lucky?"


    "This kind of trash should have been eliminated in the first round, yet he managed to slip through?"


    "Damn, why wasn''t I the lucky one? A bye means keeping some of my skills hidden."


    "Well, it''s like giving a weaker opponent a free pass. Let''s see which lucky person gets to face him next."


    Given the reputation of the Earth Humans, Sterl''s bye naturally annoyed many of the otherworldly yers present.


    However, no one envied him. The alien yers all thought that Sterl making it to a higher rank through byes was just a matter of luck.


    Luck might get you through one round, but it wouldn''t elevate the hidden quest rewards significantly. Without strength, he''d still be eliminated.


    On the contrary, some people were quite pleased. If this Earth human trash made it to the next round, wouldn''t whoever drew him be guaranteed another easy pass?


    Everyone was eagerly hoping for such luck toe their way.

 Chapter 74: The Empires Grand Gesture

    Sterl had no time to pay attention to the mocking remarks from the otherworldly yers. His focus was entirely on Ring One.


    The reason was simple: one of the contestants was a level 95 yer!


    Using his Star Insight, Sterl had already analyzed the level 95 yer, who possessed master-level purple-quality skills and master-level techniques.


    At this moment, almost all yers with detection skills had their eyes glued to Ring One, not daring to blink.


    Even the previously arrogant eldest prince showed a look of interest. Undoubtedly, such a powerful second-ss yer held significant value for thepeting princes.


    The only exception was the Fourth Prince, whom Sterl had chosen to follow in his quest. The Fourth Prince watched the figure below with a faint smile and openly dered, "This one is mine. Don''t even think about taking him."


    "Yours?"


    "I wouldn''t dream of taking what''s yours."


    "Heh."


    "Hehe." The eldest prince''s expression turned rigid, a shadow of malice flickering in his eyes before he regained hisposure.


    In Ring One, the two contestants squared off. One was a yer from an alien race that looked very simr to the Earth Humans, around level 80, and possessed several master-level blue-quality skills.


    The other contestant was a girl dressed in a light blue robe, holding a staff, with matching light blue hair.


    Sterl, being an unsophisticated person, had no idea what the other person''s status was.However, the exmations from the surrounding yers filled in the gaps.


    "That''s a yer from the Blue Water Tribe!"


    "The Blue Water Tribe that produced a demigod and had their entire race''s bloodline enhanced!"


    "No wonder we haven''t heard of this female yer before. She must be newly awakened as an official yer, rapidly advancing thanks to her racial bloodline."


    Blue Water Tribe? What''s that?


    Sterl was still puzzled, but luckily he had subordinates now. He picked one at random and sent a curt message: "Compile and send me all the information you have on the Blue Water Tribe."


    His subordinate responded instantly, sending a long message.


    After reading it, Sterl understood what the Blue Water Tribe was all about.


    The Blue Water Tribe was originally a very ordinary merfolk race. Before entering [Transcendence], they were merely a small n. Everything changed when a legendary figure emerged from the Blue Water Tribe, reaching the demigod realm!


    What did reaching this status mean? The information from Sterl''s subordinate provided some insight.


    Sterl already knew that third-ss yers could improve their descendants'' bloodline, enhancing their natural talents. Legendary yers could amplify this effect, giving their descendants better innate abilities and improved aptitude in magic and martial arts.


    But demigod yers were even more extraordinary. They could trace their bloodline back to its origin, enhancing the innate talents of all those sharing the same race!


    Of course, this enhancement had its limits. The Earth Humans had produced four demigod figures in total. Due to theirrge poption, the enhancement didn''t cover the entire race. Instead, three of these demigods'' descendants formed separate families and left the Divine Mountain Empire to develop independently.


    The descendants of the remaining demigod who stayed behind became the current rulers of the Earth Human race, residing in Base Zero.


    By the way, the information Sterl''s subordinate provided was overly detailed. It mentioned that among the four demigods of the Earth Human race, one had the opportunity to ascend to the divine realm.


    However, after seeking a breakthrough and entering a special dimension, that legendary figure disappeared without a trace, and it''s been over 600 years since then. The family of this demigod also chose to separate themselves from the human race on Earth.


    Back to the main topic, the Blue Water Tribe was originally an ordinary merfolk race. After a demigod enhanced their entire race''s talents, sessive legendary figures further optimized their bloodline.


    Due to their small poption, the Blue Water Tribe''s overall aptitude improved generation by generation, making them one of the top-tier races in the Divine Mountain Empire!


    Members of the Blue Water Tribe generally started with C-level talents, and most yers could achieve second-ss status or higher. Because of their small poption, they rarely had significant conflicts with other races, including the Earth Humans, with whom they maintained good diplomatic rtions.


    The girl in the mage''s robe before them seemed to be a newly emerging genius from this tribe! Judging by the murmurs Sterl overheard, her name was "Faye".But beyond that, there was no additional information.


    As the golden light protecting the yers on each tform slowly dissipated, the battle was about to begin.


    All eyes were on Ring One, especially those of Sterl''s "boss," the Fourth Prince, who waspletely focused.


    The Fourth Prince had previously sent out many loyal priests to secretly win people over during the first phase of the trial, with remarkable sess.


    His most prized recruits were three experts.


    One was George Tiffin from the Thorn Administrative Region, a level 91 B-ss professional.


    Another was a mysterious yer from the Val Administrative Region, who called himself "David." His level, talent, and profession were unknown, but he could unleash a powerful purple-quality summoning meteor ability, easily killing ordinary second-ss yers. He was suspected of having third-ss strength.


    The Fourth Prince had used an arcane skill to probe him, but he still doubted whether "David" was aiming to be a legendary third-ss yer.


    Because David''s ability, known as Celestial Stars, was terrifying, but theoretically, a talented second-ss yer could achieve it.


    Nevertheless, the Fourth Prince knew this was a talent he had to seize.


    The final expert the prince recruited was Faye from the Blue Water Tribe, for whom he had paid a hefty price to win her over.


    However, during the first phase of the hidden mission, this female yer had been protected by two guards and hadn''t made a move.


    The Fourth Prince was now eagerly anticipating Faye''s performance. Was her talent worth the investment?


    As the battle on the tform was about tomence, the eldest prince spoke again, "Come on, everyone, show your bravery and skill to the fullest!"


    "I promise you, the winner of thispetition will receive the arcane skill legacy of ''Mountain'' from our Divine Mountain Empire."


    This announcement changed the atmosphere of the entire venue.


    "They''re giving away ''Mountain''?"


    "How could that be a joke? Isn''t that arcane skill only passed down within the royal family?"


    "Did I hear that right?"


    ...


    The yers below looked puzzled, each one in disbelief.


    After making that deration, the eldest prince maintained a calm expression, and none of the other princes present offered any rebuttal.


    The arcane skill was typically not shared outside the Divine Mountain Empire because the empire only possessed B-level arcane skills. However, the empire was now actively recruiting talent for a n that had been ongoing for centuries.


    If sessful, it would mean that the empire had a chance to acquire an A-level arcane skill! For such a goal, offering a B-level arcane skill was deemed worthwhile.


    Moreover, the Divine Mountain Empire did not intend to provide the entire arcane skill but only portions of it, thereby binding the trial winners to their cause...


    "A B-level arcane skill! There''s a great chance of advancing to legendary status!"


    "This time, we must give it our all..."


    As the yers on the scene excitedly discussed this revtion, the battles on the tforms erupted.


    Unfortunately...


    The results of the first round were disappointing. On all four tforms, the disparity in yer strength was significant. The more powerful contestants easily ended their battles with a single purple-quality skill, leaving no room for any real spectacle.


    Sterl overheard some yers nearby murmuring, "The purple skill used on tform 2cked long-range output... The skill on tform 3 seemed to enhance weapons..."


    Despite their earnest analysis, the battles ended too quickly to ensure the uracy of their observations. Sterl couldn''t be bothered to listen further.


    Thest tform to determine a winner was where Faye from the Blue Water Tribe stood. Her opponent appeared somewhat formidable, being over level 80 and capable inbat.


    However, the fight never really began. The level 80+ yer seemed to have faced Faye before. Standing on the tform, he merely smiled wryly and said, "Holy Maiden of the Blue Water Tribe, I am no match for you. I concede."


    "I hope you''ll remember this favor." he added before jumping off the tform with ease.


    Faye responded with a gentle nod and a smile, "Our tribe will remember your gesture of friendship."


    Facing an opponent far weaker than herself, the young girl disyed grace and kindness, leaving everyone feeling as if they had been bathed in a spring breeze.


    However, countless spectators cursed in their hearts.


    After all that anticipation, this is what we get to see??


    Faye''s true strength remainedpletely concealed.


    The crowd, frustrated, could only wait for the next round. However, it was equallyckluster, with mismatched opponents leading to swift conclusions.


    Before long, the first round of the 161-to-81 selection ended.


    Eighty yers now sat dejectedly in the audience seats, having lost the opportunity to earn further rewards.

 Chapter 75: A Level 100 Player, Defeated in an Instant?

    After watching two rounds of the arena battles, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to watch any further.


    He closed his eyes to rest while silently practicing his arcane skill.


    In his sea of consciousness, he repeatedly crushed the energy he had already absorbed into his body,bining his mental and physical strength to refine it into a new form.


    The gxy in Sterl''s mind transformed from its original cosmic imitation into a purely spiritual world, glowing everywhere and surrounding Sterl. He vaguely sensed something...


    "Forging countless stars, constructing a universe that belongs solely to me��this is the foundation of a legend..." He mused, as if having an epiphany.


    Energy continued to surge within Sterl''s body.


    System notifications kept ringing in his ears����


    [Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency increased!]


    [Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency increased!]


    [Your...]


    While cultivating and feeling the power of Star Soul Rotation gradually nourish his body, Sterl casually watched the matches.


    He was surprised to find that the selection of yers in this consciousness space seemed to follow a certain pattern, mostly matching the weaker yers against the top-tier ones.


    This resulted in them being eliminated in the first round...


    On the previous tforms, one yer after another was instantly destroyed by dazzling ultimate moves.


    The slightly stronger yers were all promoted to the second round, avoiding internal conflicts early on and preventing weaker yers from advancing by luck.


    Thus, the first-round arena battles mostly ended in overwhelming victories.


    Sterl understood why he had a bye in the first round.Becausehe didn''t need to fight.


    In the judgment of the consciousness space, he was likely considered the strongest among the yers. If anyone should get a bye, it would be him.


    "But that doesn''t seem right..." Sterl was puzzled. It seemed like a mechanism of the consciousness space, yet the princes of the Divine Mountain Empire appeared unaware.


    They had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Faye''s easy victory and had alsoined about Sterl''s bye...


    What''s going on?


    Sterl spected: Could this intelligent selection mechanism have appeared recently? Or did it change without the knowledge of the Divine Mountain Empire''s rulers?


    Do the royal family of the Divine Mountain Empire only have the right to use the consciousness space but notplete control over it?


    While Sterl pondered and practiced his arcane skill, the energy in his body surged rapidly, tearing his meridians and flesh. After all, this was something only those close to legendary status could learn. Forcing it woulde at a cost.


    Fortunately, the effects of the life serum within Sterl''s body had not worn off. He could practice for a while and then rest, allowing his injuries to heal automatically.


    When it came time for the second round of yer pairings, Sterl saw the nk crystal floating before him and wore an expression of realization.


    Another bye! I''m still considered the strongest.


    "How does this guy keep getting so lucky?"


    "This round is much tougher than thest. Most of the remaining yers are experts!"


    "Damn, what''s the use of such luck for a loser?" The non-human yers grumbled, their eyes filled with discontent. Having fought through one round, they naturally looked down on a yer who kept winning by default.


    Especially those yers who were eliminated in the first round, their faces turned beet red with anger.


    "I refuse to ept this! I want to challenge that kid! Why do I get eliminated despite all my efforts, while he advances without doing anything?"


    "Make him get out with us!"


    "Earth humans shouldn''t even be able to pass the first round of battles!"


    ...


    This group was utterly furious. In their eyes, if they had drawn a bye, they would have had a chance at the hidden quest rewards! Even if they didn''t get a bye, drawing that lucky Earth human kid would have been fine! He looks like a weakling! Drawing him would have meant an easy win and advancing to the next round of the arena matches!


    The frantic barking of these losers was naturally ignored. The people of the Divine Mountain Empire would not change the rules for this group of weaklings.


    However, Sterl''s luck did catch the attention of many NPCs in the Divine Mountain Empire. The eldest prince, with a cold expression, remarked, "Whether it''s luck or something else, the final assessment will still depend on strength."


    He didn''t seem too fond of this lucky kid.


    The fourth prince, as usual, yed along: "You''re absolutely right."


    The eldest prince beamed, clearly pleased with his younger brother''s fawning behavior.


    "Let''s enjoy the show!" he said.


    As the eldest prince spoke, the crowd''s chatter quickly died down, leaving them no time to continueining about Sterl''s luck.


    Everyone started to buzz with excitement!


    "This time, it won''t be a friendly match!"


    "This Blue Water Tribe genius seems unlucky, running into a level 100 expert already recruited by the eldest prince!"


    "What a coincidence.Faye is on tform One again, and she''s the first to go?"


    "It''s a pity.Faye could have advanced, but now she''s up against Noah?"


    ...


    The yers in the audience sat upright, fully focused on tform One.


    They were both thrilled and regretful.


    Thrilled because the matchup on tform One was perfect.


    One contestant was the mysterious and powerful Faye, the Holy Maiden of the Blue Water Tribe. Her talent and status in her tribe surely meant she had many hidden cards!


    The other was Noah, the level 100 expert recruited by the eldest prince, who was rumored to be undergoing his third ss advancement.


    This sh would undoubtedly bring out all their trump cards, a fight to the finish.


    As spectators, the yers could enjoy an exciting match and gather valuable intel on these future formidable opponents. It was a win-win.


    However, the only issue was that facing a near-third-ss advancement expert, Faye''s chances of winning were low. Given her beauty, many felt sorry for her.


    Sterl''s expression changed.He was a bit surprised. Naturally, Sterl was also interested in the mysterious Faye and curious about the strength of a nearly third-ss advancement level 100 yer.


    But Sterl had just concluded that the selection rules of the consciousness space were to eliminate the weak first. So why was there now a strong-strong sh? What was going on?


    However, out of the corner of his eye, Sterl suddenly noticed something.


    The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire were whispering to each other.


    The eldest prince had a sinister smile and was mocking the fourth prince. Sterl seemed to understand something...


    "The people of the Divine Mountain Empire do have some control over the consciousness space. At least this round''s matchup was deliberately arranged by the eldest prince."


    "And I guess it''s because I haven''t been targeted and am still being automatically assigned by the system, which is why I continue to get byes." Sterl mused.


    At this moment, the battle had already erupted. As the golden light of the arena''s barrier faded, Noah spoke, "Apologies, Miss Faye. I have long admired your beauty and strength, but unfortunately, we serve different masters."


    The mage, dressed in a white robe, bowed slightly. Though Noah appeared friendly on the surface, he was smiling while...unching an attack!


    Noah drew the staff from his waist and with a slight wave, conjured dozens of gleaming energy des that shot out abruptly!


    The speed was astonishing, and these des emitted a chilling airflow as they flew, slicing through the space and leaving behind visible trails!


    yers familiar with Noah shouted in rm.


    "Watch out, Miss Faye! Dodge quickly!"


    "You sneaky bastard, attacking by surprise?"


    "Those are Noah''s Shadow Shards! They can paralyze and break defenses, and they deal massive damage! Don''t get hit!"


    Evidently, Faye''s renowned status and beauty had earned her much sympathy from yers, who loudly warned her.


    The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire disyed varied expressions.


    The eldest prince wore a smug smile, while the fourth prince sighed and directed his gaze towards Sterl.


    The fourth prince believed that Faye, being a neer with just over a year of experience,cked the necessary skills. If she got hit by this sneak attack, she might not stand a chance in this arena match.


    He thought he could only pin his hopes on "David," who seemed strong enough to rival Faye, though he wasn''t sure if David could defeat Noah.


    If... David really was a yer beyond the third ss advancement, there might still be hope! The fourth prince pondered.


    However... on the arena stage, everything happened in a sh.


    Although the crowd was shouting for Faye to be cautious of the sneak attack, by the time their words were out, the scene on the stage had already changed.


    Faye seemed to have prepared for this. She spun in the air, and a shimmering, crystalline water barrier appeared around her, enveloping and dissolving Noah''s des.


    The water barrier then twisted nimbly into a cage.


    In just a moment, the situation reversed. Noah, having just cast his skill and trying to control his Shadow Shards to strike Faye''s vital points, found himself a split second too slow and waspletely trapped by the water cage!


    At that moment, countless yers were cheering for Faye, resulting in a scene where many of their indignant words got stuck in their throats, unable to form any coherent sentences for a long time!

 Chapter 76: True Talent! David, Forget It!

    "Farewell!" Faye said politely, bowing slightly.


    "No! Wait! Stop!!" Noah cried out. Trapped within the water cage, he couldn''t resist and was forcefully inundated by streams of water.


    "Argh!" The level 100 expert let out strange, agonizing screams, clearly in immense pain. The water seemed to have a mana-suppressing effect, rendering Noah unable to use his skills to fight back.


    For over three minutes, Noah struggled until his movements gradually ceased.


    His face turned deathly pale as he drowned.


    After his body disintegrated into light, this expert, who had started his third ss advancement quest, reappeared in the spectator seats. Noah then copsed to the ground, supporting himself with one hand, looking as if he had just escaped from hell.


    "Thank you for the match." Faye said, still bowing gracefully on the tform.


    The entire arena fell silent.


    The main reason was that everyone who had beenmenting Faye''s imminent elimination hadn''t even finished their sentences when the situation turned around. The reversal was so swift that people couldn''t react in time.


    It took a few seconds for everyone to snap back to reality. The fourth prince of the Divine Mountain Empire, who had been emotionless and repeatedly agreeing with his elder brother, suddenly shouted excitedly, "Well done! Beautifully executed!"


    "Perfect!"


    "Defeating the enemy in one move! Truly worthy of being the Holy Maiden of the Blue Water Tribe!"


    "For the Divine Mountain Empire to have such talent, it is indeed a blessing for the empire!"


    Faye was openly a talent the fourth prince was trying to recruit, but she had been targeted by the eldest prince during this assessment. Initially, the fourth prince thought he had to swallow his anger.


    But the situation reversed in an instant! Not only did Faye defeat her opponent, but she also did so with a one-hit kill! What did this mean? The fourth prince vaguely saw that a top-tier talent had officially fallen into his hands!


    Countless yers and NPCs present also came to their senses, showering her with praise.


    "Such powerful strength! Even a level 100 yer is no match!"


    "The fourth prince has truly found a treasure!"


    "With such talent, the Blue Water Tribe could thrive for decades, even centuries!"


    Amidst themotion, Faye showed a slightly annoyed expression.


    Sterl sighed slightly, "The foundation of such elite tribes is truly terrifying."


    His "Star Insight" ability, a reward from the [Dimensional Visitor], theoretically stemmed from otherworldly power of the highest rank, allowing him to easily detect Faye''s exact attributes.


    This Holy Maiden of the Blue Water Tribe had an S-grade talent, an A-grade ss, and was using a purple-quality skill, [Azure Wave Technique],plemented by the [Mastery: Blue Water Arcane Skill]. With such multiple enhancements, although Faye seemed to be at a disadvantage in terms of level in the previous duel, she could easily crush Noah!


    Not to mention that Noah''s sneak attack waspletely caught by Faye, and she took the opportunity to finish him off.


    Seeing this, Sterl felt a bit envious. Faye''s ss, skills, and mastery were clearly part of aprehensive system, likely a legacy from the Blue Water Tribe. It could only be said that some yers were born with limitless potential, as their tribes would pave the way for them only if they had enough potential.


    yers of the Earth Human race were born to be nobodies, with no resources at all...


    At this moment, Sterl was deep in thought, unaware that several NPCs were casting sympathetic nces his way.


    These NPCs were subordinates of the fourth prince, and they felt that "David" was likely to fall out of favor.


    The fourth prince himself had his attention fully on Faye, almost ignoring Sterl entirely.


    "With the help of this genius from the Blue Water Tribe, I will surely gain more contributions in the Empire''s future ns!"


    "Heaven helps me too!"


    Though the fourth prince was quite shrewd, he couldn''t suppress the smile on his face.


    As for "David," he couldn''t care less.


    After all, the fourth prince''s think tank had already analyzed the situation. That person was most likely a powerful second-ss yer, with the probability of being above third-ss very low! Previously, the fourth prince had no other capable people. So he had high hopes for David and even gave him an arcane skill of no particr rank.


    But now that he had Faye, David was irrelevant...


    After all, he was just an Earth Human. Even if he had decent talent and strongbat abilities, did he haveplementary skills? Did he have matching masteries? His future potential ultimately couldn''tpare to Faye''s!


    And in terms of purebat power, Faye could one-shot a level 100 yer. Could David do that? Absolutely not. He didn''t have that capability.


    Of course, the Fourth Prince was merely analyzing in his mind, ranking his subordinates by their level of importance.On the surface, he still maintained a good demeanor, nodding and smiling at Sterl.


    However, the prince didn''t notice that his elder brother was looking into the void with a grim expression, his fingers moving as if operating something, a cold smile on his lips.


    After the first match on the highly anticipated tform No. 1 ended, Sterl withdrew his attention and continued his training.


    With faint energy fluctuations, one by one, the stars within his body were being reced by versions refined with mental power. If it weren''t for the subtle fluctuations of his no-rank arcane skill, Star Soul Rotation, the surrounding yers would surely have noticed the monumental changes happening within Sterl!


    Continuous notifications echoed in Sterl''s ears��


    [Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency...]


    [Your... ]


    ...


    Meanwhile, the tournament was in full swing.


    In the second round, there were noticeably fewer one-sided matches. On all four tforms, yers were battling each other for half an hour or more before a winner emerged.


    Some defensive-oriented yers even ended up paired against each other, resulting in a situation where��


    One aimed to defend and counter-attack, while the other sought to exhaust the opponent''s stamina. They stared each other down, turning an average 10-minute match into a four-hour ordeal.


    And so... time flew by.


    Until��


    [Ding! Your arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation, proficiency maxed, sessfully advanced to Phase One.]


    Sterl suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.


    A notification screen appeared before his eyes��


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation(No Rank)]


    [Effects: �� Converts experience, gaining an additional 25% bonus]


    [�� Increases all attributes by 10%]


    [Proficiency: 0/1000 [Phase One]]


    Sterl''s arcane skill had slightly improved, providing an additional 5% experience bonus and 5% attribute enhancement.


    Although it seemed like a small gain, every bit counted. With Sterl going all out, his attributes increased by nearly 10 points in just half a day��a significant improvement!


    He then nced at the ongoing tournament. Despite many yers being engrossed in the matches, Sterl was disinterested because there were no top-tierbatants like Faye.


    After a short rest, Sterl resumed his training.


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but the second round of matches finally concluded. Only 41 yers, including Sterl, remained. Those who were left were all strong contenders.


    These formidable warriors either crossed their arms over their chests, looked up at the sky, or flexed their muscles, each showcasing their immense strength in their own way and basking in the admiration of the audience below.


    As they sat in their seats, several princes of the Divine Mountain Empire sent people to recruit them...


    Sterl noticed that while these yers eagerly epted various recruitment offers, they did not mention any hidden tasks during their conversations. This implied that only those who performed exceptionally well in the Empire''s first trial could join the fourth prince''s faction and receive "hidden tasks."


    "It seems this fourth prince has significant issues. Only his faction offers hidden tasks." Sterl thought, unfazed. The bigger the problem, the higher the risk.The higher the risk, the better the rewards!


    Sterl hoped the fourth prince''s ns were as grand as possible!


    Then... Sterl continued his training, ignoring the outside world.


    When the third round of matches began, Sterl once again received a bye.


    An observant yer noticed that Sterl''s name was still not disyed on the match board.


    "Is it that Earth Human yer again? He still doesn''t have topete?"


    By now, many eliminated yers were shouting excitedly, "Rigged! This is rigged!"


    "I don''t believe anyone can be this lucky, getting a bye every time!"


    "There''s definitely something fishy going on! Either he''s cheating or bribed the people in charge of drawing match slots."


    "We need to make this Earth Human yer fight! How can he keep getting byes?"


    ...


    Before the third-round matches even started, both eliminated yers and those about topete were losing their minds.


    They were furious!


    Those who had been eliminated felt extremely wronged. In their view, they were far superior to this Earth Human trash, yet they had to sit in the audience with far inferior rewards!


    Was that fair?

 Chapter 77: Consecutive Byes? Cheating?

    Even the yers who hadn''t been eliminated had something to say.You, an Earth Human yer, what kind of strength do you have? Do you deserve to get the same tier of rewards as me?


    They could ept someone getting extra rewards through luck, but this Earth Human yer had received byes for three consecutive rounds! To put it bluntly, even a pig sitting there would achieve the same result!


    In the eyes of many alien yers, this was the weakest person by far, yet he was guaranteed to get at least the 21st ce reward. Was this a joke?


    Even some NPCs frowned slightly, feeling that the draw results for this arena battle were somewhat unfair andcked impartiality.


    Sterl continued to sit in ce, cultivating with the calmness of a mountain.


    The eldestprince, who was in charge of overseeing this arena battle, disappeared with a gloomy expression after his trusted subordinate was defeated. Even some of the NPCs who followed him vanished, leaving everyone wondering what they were up to.


    Therefore, no one paid attention to the yers'' uproar.


    Although the remaining princes felt that having consecutive byes was somewhat inappropriate, they didn''t have the authority to address it. Moreover, the fourth prince of the Divine Mountain Empire casually remarked, "It''s just a reward for the top 21. Let it go."


    With someone from their own ranks smoothing things over, the matter was left unresolved.


    Therefore, amidst the arena filled with jeers and curses directed at Sterl, the third round of the tournament began.


    Forty yers would be reduced to twenty!


    Since all the yers present were elite, this round of thepetition was expected to be more intense and drawn-out. As a result, the format changed; instead of four matches happening simultaneously, the golden barriers around the arena disappeared.


    Each match would now take up the entire arena, giving the champions the respect they deserved.


    Soon enough, the Saintess of the Blue Water Tribe, Faye, took the stage again. Facing an opponent far weaker than Noah, she politely engaged in a brief skirmish before using a wave to knock her opponent to the ground, causing them to disappear in a sh of light...


    This gesture boosted Faye''s poprity once more, with many NPCs standing up to apud.


    The fourth prince of the Divine Mountain Empire even personally descended to the arena to encourage her.


    He and Faye exchanged polite social pleasantries, engaging in a lively conversation.


    This drew considerable attention, making things much quieter around Sterl.


    After watching Faye''s match, Sterl resumed his intense training.


    As for the yers who found him annoying, after their first wave of taunts had no effect, they gradually lost interest in speaking up. Since each match in this round of thepetition was followed by a certain intermission period, the entire event was expected to take most of the day. Who had the time to keep following Sterl and cursing him all day long?


    However, just when yers were starting to ignore Sterl...


    The energy within his arcane skill underwent another transformation!


    With the qualification of the Arcane Soul, his training speed was already impressive. When the increase in proficiency began to slow, Sterl directly utilized his stored Blood Power to elerate the process.


    The final oue was that Sterl hurriedly pushed his arcane skill proficiency to 879 points. Just in time, his evolution points refreshed.


    The reason his proficiency only reached 879 points was that Sterl had already reshaped all the stars in his body formed from experience power. He could only continue to increase his arcane skill proficiency after leveling up.


    And now...


    "It''s time to evolve!" Sterl felt a surge of excitement. He had been urgently training with Blood Power to max out his progress so that he could immediately allocate points without wasting the refresh of his golden finger.


    The training method for Star Soul Rotation involved re-refining the stars formed by already processed experience points.


    Sterl spected that even after his arcane skill evolved, the training method would likely retain its original characteristics. For example, the training form would still involve re-refining the stars within Sterl''s body.


    When the arcane skill evolved, it might also advance the already refined stars, allowing Sterl to snag considerable progress for free! Plus, after allocating points, hisbat power would surely soar.


    So now, after pushing the no-rank Star Soul Rotationto its current level limit, Sterl didn''t hesitate and mentallymanded, "Evolve!"


    Instantly, he felt a vast power circting within him.


    "Ugh~" Sterl couldn''t help but widen his eyes, covering his mouth to prevent himself from shouting.


    He knew he was in for a rough time again.


    Much like his previous arcane skill training, Sterl once again found himself in a state of overwhelming energy surges and intense pain. Fortunately, the effects of theLife StoragePotion were still active...


    His body was rapidly destroyed and repaired, using up thest bit of the Life Storage Potion''s reserves.


    In the end, Sterly drenched in sweat, slumped in his seat. But upon seeing the new arcane skill enhancements, he couldn''t help but grin, his mood lifting instantly.


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation(Grade F)]


    [Effects: �� Converts experience, gaining an additional 30% bonus]


    [�� Increases all attributes by 15%]


    [Proficiency: 444/2000 [Phase One]]


    Just as Sterl had anticipated, there was a reduction in proficiency after allocating points, but the arcane skill remained in Phase One. The attribute enhancement and experience gain increased by another 5%.


    Another substantial boost!


    Feeling quite exhausted, Sterl decided not to continue training. He nced at the arena.


    Soon, Sterl sat up straight.


    A powerful yer had appeared!


    In thebat arena, an elderly yer d in a gray-ck cloak stood still, holding a dagger with a vignt expression. Opposite him was a level 93 female yer.


    Both sides faced each other, seemingly feeling significant pressure.


    When the battle suddenly erupted, the elderly yer became a dim streak of light, lunging forward with a swift stab.


    The female yer reacted quickly, first raising a shield and then beginning to chant a spell...


    Swish!


    In an instant, the elderly yer''s de pierced through the female yer''s shield, and a dark purple light pierced her heart.


    Instant kill!!


    Subsequently, the female yer''s body, as if contaminated by some toxin, became covered in purple-ck cracks and shattered into crystalline fragments.


    The elderly yer was gasping for breath.


    "Well done!" A young man from the Divine Mountain Empire''s royal stands apuded. The elderly yer was one of his subordinates.


    However, most of the yers present did not pay much attention to this swiftly concluded battle.


    Only Sterl, using his Ster Insight, gleaned more information.


    A glint of caution shed in his eyes.


    The elderly yer''s explosive skill was of purple quality, but the female yer''s shield was also a mastery-level purple quality defensive skill. That''s why she had confidently started chanting her spell.


    Yet, the mastery-level purple defensive skill couldn''t withstand even half a second.


    "This old man''s strength is formidable!" Sterl couldn''t help but take a few more nces. Facing such an explosive skill, he could potentially be in trouble too...


    Apart from the protective power of the Starlight Dragon, Sterl didn''t have any defensive skills. Usually, he relied on Blood Rush and teleportation to dodge attacks.


    Dealing with the elderly yer''s swift and powerful single-target moves would be challenging.


    But after a brief moment of thought, Sterl chuckled to himself, "Why am I worrying?"


    "I might not even face this old yer."


    "If I keep getting byes, maybe someone else will eliminate him..."


    Externally, he seemed calm. But in reality, he stopped watching the match and closed his eyes to resume his training.


    After evolving his arcane skill and allocating points, his proficiency had decreased. Sterl could now further refine some of the already processed "stars."


    Time flew by in this manner.


    Soon, the third round ended, and the fourth round began.


    Sterl got a bye again.


    At this point, even though the eldest prince wasn''t present, the remaining princes started discussing the situation.


    "This is getting ridiculous. Can wemunicate with [Titan]? Ask why this is happening, why the consecutive byes."


    "We need to address this.Otherwise, the warriors from other worlds won''t be satisfied."


    "We can''t just give our rewards to a weakling, can we?"


    "Or is it possible that this Earth Human yer has found a way to cheat [Titan]?"


    The princes discussed openly, not bothering to hide their conversation from the yers and NPCs below.


    As a result, the mocking Sterl faced decreased significantly.


    "Good, this kid is about to have bad luck."


    "Your lucky streak is about to end!"


    "Get ready to be eliminated and go home crying..."


    The alien yers looked at Sterl with malicious eyes.


    Meanwhile, as the fourth round of the tournament began, the princes took out a dazzling golden orb and ced it on the high tform of the arena.


    The brilliant light illuminated the area, causing a stir among the countless yers present.


    Sterl, too, couldn''t help but nce at the orb and saw its panel.

 Chapter 78: Targeting by changing the rules? Sterl Takes the Stage

    [Inheritance Stone (Arcane Skill: Mountain)]


    [Type: Special Item]


    [Effect: Pressing your forehead against this item allows you to directly learn the Arcane Skill: Mountain.]


    [Note: Learning Arcane Skill: Mountain requires meeting specific conditions.]


    "They''re really offering a B-grade arcane skill??" Sterl couldn''t help but be surprised. Divine Mountain Empire was being quite generous.


    After this interlude, the fourth round of the tournament had yet to officially begin.


    The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire seemed to have reached some sort of agreement.


    With a p of their hands, attendants entered the arena, guiding the yers and NPCs to nearby amodations for rest, supplying them with ample food and drink.


    Naturally, Sterl epted the offerings, indulging for a while before recing his night''s sleep with training. The next day, he returned to the arena with the other yers to spectate.


    The tournament battles continued until the afternoon, and once again, Sterl used his bye toplete his training and allocate points.


    He was still in considerable pain... mainly because he was out of Life Storage Potions. If it weren''t for the fact that he couldn''t die in his consciousness space, Sterl would have waited until the next day to allocate points. He needed to evolvea life-saving potion first.


    But as soon as Sterl looked at his evolved panel, all his pain seemed to vanish in an instant.


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation(Grade E)]


    [Effects: �� Converts experience, gaining an additional 40% bonus]


    [�� Increases all attributes by 20%]


    [�� Talent enhancement, effect increased by 20% (Chosen: Celestial Descent)]


    [Proficiency: 156/4000 [Phase One]]


    Sterl was overjoyed at the content on the panel!


    He had initially thought that advancing to Grade E would only slightly increase experience gain and attribute boost. But the Grade E arcane skill had undergone a qualitative change!


    A 10% bonus to experience, no need to say more.


    A 10% increase in attribute effect, equating to nearly twenty points in all attributes.But the best part was that the first phase of the Grade E arcane skill already enhanced Sterl''s talent.


    The effect of Celestial Descent increased by 20%, meaning that when this talent was activated, all attributes increased by 60 points and an additional 120%!


    Moreover, this wasn''t just a simple enhancement of Celestial Descent because the more attributes there were, the greater the overall attribute effect boost!


    The upgrade from Grade F to Grade E made Sterl feel like he had hit the jackpot! His strength skyrocketed!


    Compared to the other yers in the arena, Sterl''s strength was already quite formidable. His purple skills were matched with a 3S-ss profession, he had Mastery, and his attributes were boosted by double SSS-ss talents.


    Even the Holy Maiden Faye from the Water Blue Tribe likely couldn''t match the output of Celestial Stars enhanced by Stardust!


    But Sterl continued to push forward, managing to max out his arcane skill to the current phase''s limit andpleting two point allocations and evolutions, achieving qualitative change before the next match.


    While other yers might have purple-quality skills at best, still within their second-tier systems, Sterl had already started using arcane skills nearing the legendary realm!


    The main focus was to beat the crap out of those primitives!


    Sterl sensed the changes in his internal energy and slowly opened his eyes, a smile on his face.


    His actions immediately irked the other yers, especially those who had been eliminated. They gritted their teeth, their eyes nearly popping out in anger.


    The yers were visibly annoyed with Sterl.


    "Damn it! We''re fighting for our lives up there!"


    "And this Earth human trash just sleeps his way into the top twenty-one?"


    "This is ridiculous!"


    "Get him out of the tournament!"


    ...


    However, this time, the prayers of many yers were finally answered.


    After the fifth round of the tournament''s draw, to the dismay of countless yers, Sterl once again drew a bye card!


    But without waiting for the angry outcries of other yers, the princes proactively announced, "There is a change in the ranking rules for determining the top 21."


    "From now on, we will implement a battle royale mode. Everyone will enter the arena at once.The longer youst, the higher your rank."


    As soon as these words were spoken, the entire arena erupted in excitement.


    The remaining 20 yers'' faces changed, each scanning their potential opponents, silently cursing. This type ofpetition meant that relying solely on strength would make it difficult to be thest one standing.


    Instead, the strongest would likely be targeted first, as the weaker yers would unite to drive them out, maximizing their own chances of securing a higher rank.


    This made the oue of the uing ranking battle highly unpredictable.


    Of course, there were a few who remained unfazed. One was the Holy Maiden of the Water Blue Tribe, Faye, who still wore a faint smile, standing gracefully to the side like a statue carved from jade.


    Another was the elderly yer who had caught Sterl''s attention. He hunched over, hiding in a corner of the audience, his gaze sharp as a knife.


    Thest notably calm yer was a burly man with a bare torso, an exaggeratedlyrge sword strapped to his back. His demeanor wasposed, indifferent to the new rules.


    While the top 21 yers stayed quiet, those who had been eliminated were overjoyed.


    "Yes! Finally, that Earth human trash is going to be eliminated!"


    "I''ve been waiting for this moment for so long! Make sure he''s the first to go! He shouldn''t get any rewards for being in the top 20!"


    "Asshole! Did you think your luck wouldst forever? Luck alone is useless!"


    "Wait and see, you''ll be running around like a beaten dog!"


    ...


    The alien yers were ecstatic, wildly mocking Sterl. Meanwhile, the few Earth human yers present didn''t dare to show support, fearing they''d be targeted as well.


    In fact, even they were fed up with Sterl, who had seemingly lucked his way into more rewards. They were eagerly waiting for his downfall.


    As for Sterl, despite the hostile atmosphere and collective taunting, he remained calm.


    So, these princes don''t have the authority to redraw the bye slots? Instead, they can only change the format of thepetition? This consciousness space definitely has some tricks up its sleeve.


    He pondered.


    As for being the first to be knocked off the stage due to relentless attacks...


    A glint shed in Sterl''s eyes, and the more he listened, the happier he became!


    I just upgraded my arcane skill! My strength just skyrocketed!


    This is a perfect opportunity to show off!


    Sterl took the lead, stepping onto the stage with a confident stance, hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a master. He was waiting for some oblivious person to challenge him.Thenhe could unleash his formidable strength, instantly defeating them and impressing the audience in one fell swoop!


    As he stood there, a space opened up around him. After the other top 21 yers stepped onto the stage, they collectively chose to ignore Sterl. Although they were somewhat annoyed by this luck-based climber, they were more focused on securing their own ranks!


    The slightly weaker yers grouped together to attack the stronger ones, while the stronger yers formed alliances to first eliminate the weaker groups. As for the three experts Sterl had previously noticed, who remained calm in the face of the new rules, they stood their ground, awaiting challenges.


    Sterl, being a lone weak yer without a group, became an outcast from everyone''s target list.


    This made things awkward!


    Sterl stood there, unsure of what to do.If he were to move, how should he move, and towards whom?


    If he didn''t move, all he could hear were the shouts of the yers below.


    "This Earth human is still putting on a show. Why aren''t you guys attacking him? Get him out first."


    "No way, is he going to luck his way into a few more ranks? How can everyone ignore this asshole?"


    "I''m about to explode with anger. How can this waste have such good luck!!!"


    The yers below were stunned! The rules were explicitly set to target this lucky guy, yet he was still surviving?


    This is absurd!


    Sterl was even more frustrated. He was itching to show off and put everyone in their ce, but no one was giving him the chance.


    Meanwhile, the central battlefield had turned chaotic.


    Faye swung her staff, and instantly, the entire stage was engulfed in a terrifying torrent of water. Her full-force attack was affecting everyone present!


    Several weaker yers were directly drowned and vanished in shes of light. Even the remaining yers, including the two previously calm experts, had their expressions change dramatically!


    "Take her out first!" The yers roared, unleashing a barrage of lightning, mes, and frost. But under the Water Blue Tribe''s Holy Maiden''s Masteryand purple-grade ability, none of their attacks could prate her water shield.


    Instead, several yers were ensnared by the water, pinned to the ground. The water then transformed into des, not only simting the effect of drowning but also cutting them from the inside!


    On the stage, the pool formed by Faye''s skill gradually turned crimson.


    The match hadpletely be her stage, as she took on neen opponents by herself!


    Except for Sterl, who stood in a corner lookingpletely unbothered. His position was so out of the way that even Faye''s ultimate attack didn''t reach him...

 Chapter 79: Finally, the Chance to Strike!

    The yers off the field were in an uproar, angrily shouting and cursing.


    The yers on the field were terrified, doing everything they could to fend off Faye''s assault.


    Sterl, however, found the noise rather annoying.


    Mainly because he was just standing there, unsure of what to do!


    He was so bored that he found himself watching Faye''s disy of power, silently musing, "Facing so many enemies at once and creating such a vast water curtain must be incredibly draining."


    "From my earlier use of Star Insight, Faye can probably only hold out for another thirty seconds."


    "...Well, that''s good!" Sterl nodded slightly.


    The most awkward scenario for Sterl would be if Faye managed to defeat all the other yers but then became too exhausted to keep fighting.


    Even if he then won easily, it wouldn''t feel satisfying at all. He wouldn''t be able to vent his frustration from earlier taunts.


    Sterl would likely be attacked by the spectators, who would think he only won by luck.


    That wouldn''t do at all!


    "At this rate, with all the other yers working together, Faye is going to be defeated soon..."


    "As for me..." Sterl was in the midst of pondering when the situation suddenly shifted.


    Boom!!


    A slender yer unleashed a massive burst of mes that shed with the water curtain surrounding him. The result was an explosion of thick white steam and a powerful bacsh.


    "Cough, cough..."


    The yer rolled to a stop at Sterl''s feet from the force of the explosion, in a position that looked extremely humiliating.


    It seemed as if he was bowing down to Sterl in submission.


    The slender yer was still dazed, but the yers from his faction were furious.


    "How did that Earthling manage to get lucky again?"


    "If you must bow to someone, it shouldn''t be him!"


    "Can''t you see that Earthling gloating? Get up and take him down!"


    These people were genuinely emotionally shattered.Seriously, bro? Losing to that powerful Water Blue Saintess is one thing��she''s undeniably strong. But now you''re groveling at the feet of some trash? That''s an insult to our entire faction!


    You have to kill him or you won''t be able to show your face!


    They felt like their entire faction was being humiliated.


    The slender yer paused, seemingly realizing the situation. His face turned red with anger almost instantly.


    "You... dare to humiliate me like this?"


    "I will kill you!"


    He was seething with rage, as if mes were burning all over his body. He could ept being defeated by a strong opponent, but he couldn''t ept being insulted by the biggest "clown" of this mission, a guy who purely relied on luck.


    Even if he had ended up at the guy''s feet by ident, it didn''t matter!


    Sterl was baffled. What did I do? I was just standing here...


    He merely looked at the person in front of him with an expectant and encouraging gaze��


    Come on, make your move.


    I can''t wait any longer!


    As Sterl had anticipated, the slender yer, in a fit of rage, unleashed his full power!


    This yer wasn''t weak. He was level 92, held a C-rank profession, and possessed a "Proficient" level purple-quality skill!


    At this moment, he decided to use his ultimate move��


    Azure Fire Descent!


    The effect of this move was to condense intense heat, instantly turning the opponent to ash with scorching mes!


    The slender yer showed no emotion. To him, using such a powerful move on a weakling seemed impulsive and wasteful... a real loss!


    As for Sterl''s fate, in this yer''s mind, it was a foregone conclusion��instant incineration. He didn''t even need to give it a second thought. He had killed countless peoplelike this in the past. Why would this one be any different?


    The slender yer was already preparing to turn and leave.


    But in that split second...


    The audience in the stands erupted in excitement! Each yer was thrilled beyond measure!


    It was worth the wait. Finally, the moment had arrived! The Earthling yer who had relied on sheer luck to get this far was finally going to meet his doom!


    Directly facing a purple-quality skill woulddefinitely make him scared.


    This move could easily obliterate that trash a dozen times over!


    They were eagerly anticipating this, with some even ready to vent their earlier frustrations.


    Only the quickest to react managed to shout out��


    "Nice!"


    "Good kill!"


    "Bravo!"


    ...simple phrases like these.


    Most were still holding their words in their throats, not yet having the chance to speak.


    Then they saw it��the lucky Earthling yer who had made it this far by default finally made a move!


    Sterl had been itching for this moment!


    He went all out!


    The Star de had long been formed, providing attribute boosts.


    He was fully equipped, and Divine Descent was activated!


    At that moment, a radiant golden me enveloped Sterl, interwoven with even more dazzling golden threads��a clear sign of an arcane skill triggering a second awakening of his talent.


    Sterl then began to hurl star fragments, quadrupling the output of Celestial Stars! Five times the damage! Four times the range! Five times the scope! Enhanced control effects, tripling the duration of control!


    It was all thanks to the first trial round, where Sterl had single-handedly in over ten thousand wild monsters, amassing tens of thousands of star fragments.


    But he didn''t max out the doubling effect, as that would have been too costly! The fifth doubling required 8000 star fragments...


    Now, facing the opponent''s intense mes, Sterl simply teleported slightly to dodge and snapped his fingers.


    The other yers in the arena, as well as the spectators, felt something was off but couldn''t pinpoint what it was.


    The entire ground of the battle arena was covered in the azure warning light of Celestial Stars. But since Faye''s water curtain also covered the ground and both were simr in color, no one realized that Sterl was the one behind it.


    Even if some sharp-eyed spectators could see the entire arena��since Faye''s water curtain didn''t cover the entire ground, they might notice the obvious warning light on the bare areas. However, these people, after a brief moment of confusion, instinctively thought it was another trick by the Water Blue Saintess...


    Yes, even though Sterl had already unleashed his ultimate move, he remainedrgely ignored.


    Only the slender yer, watching Sterl seemingly dodge the effects of Azure Fire Descent, smirked coldly. "Dodge? Dodging is useless!"


    Those were his final words.


    The next second.


    Boom!!


    Celestial Stars descended! Apanied by a thunderous roar, a gigantic meteor fell from the sky, bringing with it extreme heat and energy. This strike was five times more powerful than the one Sterl released during the first round of the hidden mission!


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that its force far exceeded that of an average third-ssyer''s attack!


    The guy who targeted Sterl was almost instantly turned to ash...


    When he reappeared in the spectator stands, he still had a "cool" look on his face, not fullyprehending what had happened.


    At this moment, the power of Celestial Stars was just beginning to unfold.


    In an instant, the terrifying heatpletely evaporated the water curtain created by Faye, the Water Blue Saintess!


    The yers nearby got incredibly lucky. The water curtain that had been giving them so much trouble disappeared, and they no longer had to worry about Faye''s assault or their own survival!


    Under the power of Celestial Stars, everyone was instantly vaporized!


    From the yers'' perspective, it felt like their bodies got hot and light for a moment, and then they found themselves bewildered back in their seats in the spectator stands...


    What happened? Who am I? Where am I? Wasn''t I just in the arena battle?


    They didn''t even realize they had died!


    It happened too fast! The pain simtion of [Transcendence]couldn''t keep up! Neither could the yers'' visual, auditory, and tactile senses! The power of Celestial Stars had not even fully erupted. Just the initial wave of intense heat and starfire was enough to nearly clear the field.


    The few yers Sterl had paid particr attention to earlier��the elderly man with the aged face and the burly man carrying a giant sword��did indeed have some strength.


    They managed to hold on for a few more seconds, screaming in agony under the intense heat, only to be smashed to pieces by the full force of Celestial Stars...


    Holding on longer was futile. They still had to die.


    For a moment, whether they were spectators, NPCs, or the yers who had been eliminated, everyone was in an extreme state of bewilderment.


    They turned to look at the arena screen again and were stunned.


    The dazzling light made it impossible to see anything clearly!


    But it wasn''t over yet!


    The surging shockwave from the impact of Celestial Stars followed! Fortunately, the spectator stands in the consciousness space had automatic protective functions. Much of the shockwave was mitigated, but the people in the stands still felt a deafening explosion in their ears, and a terrifying wind pressure blew past, causing many to tumble to the ground in disarray.


    Thankfully, no one was injured.


    "What just happened??"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Did the arena get hit by a meteorite??"


    ...


    yers and NPCs alike were in a state of chaotic rambling.


    It wasn''t until several seconds had passed that the scene in the arena gradually became clear.

 Chapter 80: How Could It Be Him??

    In the arena, Celestial Stars had vanished.


    After the terrifying impact, a massive crater had formed. Under the influence of the extreme heat, the crater was filled with a blue liquid. But unlike the water curtain created by Faye, this was a river of high-temperature moltenva!


    Just looking at it was enough to send chills down one''s spine.


    The entire arena had turned into ruins. Even though the constructs within the consciousness space had self-repair functions, the destruction was so thorough that it couldn''t keep up with the repairs.


    What everyone saw was an extremely bizarre scene. The area surrounded by countless spectator stands no longer looked like an arena but had purely be a giant pit!


    Sterl stood there with his hands behind his back, his face calm, exuding the demeanor of a seasoned master.


    Gradually, the NPCs and yers managed to shake off their confusion. They looked at the scene in the arena, each disying an expression of extreme shock!


    "This... the Water Blue Saintess was hiding her true power too deeply!"


    "I never thought Faye could manipte not just water but fire and meteors too!"


    "So powerful! Incredibly strong! No wonder she used such a massive water flow earlier.I thought it was a waste, but it was just to control the opponent??"


    "Faye''s real ultimate move is this meteor!"


    "This is insane! To think a mere level 95 could produce an output that should belong to someone at level 130 or higher! As expected of the top genius of the Water Blue n!"


    Everyone was shouting excitedly, all while looking at the figure in the arena��


    The Water Blue Saintess, who appeared extremely disheveled and was half-kneeling on the ground, seemingly on the brink of death, was being revered by all.


    That meteor move was just too strong! It defied normal expectations! It was an instant kill for everything! Some NPCs, who clearly had the power of a third-ssor higher, were trembling in fear, thinking that if they had been in that position, they probably wouldn''t have been able to block that move either! They would have been taken out along with the yers!


    What? You say "David"? Who has time to care about that weakling now?


    Even those who had previously disliked this lucky kid couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to him at this moment...


    The point was, the yers knew they were witnessing history!


    The Water Blue Saintess Faye was bound to rise, easily reaching legendary status, and possibly even the demigod realm!


    Of course, not everyone was looking at Faye in awe��there was one exception: the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    He had an extremely shocked expression on his face as he looked at Sterl, unable to form a coherent sentence.


    "My heavens..."


    "Could it be... that I truly am the chosen one??"


    The Fourth Prince was bewildered. He knew the truth! The meteor skill belonged to David!


    Compared to his elder brother, he was far more miserable, with far fewer subordinates. Yet, he had somehow managed to draw two of the most outrageous cards.


    One was the Water Blue Saintess Faye, unbeatable below the third ss! Dominating all!


    And the other, David... Mr. David was even more absurd!


    Previously, the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire thought he had seen David''s limits, especially since "David" had often been visibly exhausted while chasing down alien yers.


    That''s why the Fourth Prince dared to make the judgment that the opponent''s strength couldn''t possibly be at the third ss! He must be a rtively strong second-ssyer! While everyone was mocking "David," the Fourth Prince had even nned to seize the moment when the mocking reached its peak and step forward to defend him, showing his skill in managing subordinates.


    The n was well thought out... but now the sudden change left the Fourth Princepletely dumbfounded!


    David''s disyedbat power was too strongthat the Fourth Prince doubted whether the chips he''d offered earlier would be enough to win him over.


    He was even filled with regret... He should have stepped up to defend this master when he was being mocked by the crowd. Now that David had single-handedly wiped out all the enemies, any attempt to make amends seemed pointless.


    All he felt was regret, pure regret!


    No one cared about the prince''s thoughts. All the yers and NPCs were looking at Faye with awe, witnessing the emergence of a future legend. The surroundings were eerily silent, everyone waiting for the Water Blue Saintess to make her next move.


    Meanwhile, Sterl felt a bit speechless. He had expected to hear the astonished shouts from the yers below, as was customary in such moments.


    But... how could he be ignored again? The only constion was that, at least this time, no one was cursing him.


    Sterl realized that his ultimate move had been mistaken as someone else''s, but he didn''t rush to rify, choosing instead to wait patiently.


    It wasn''t until the Water Blue Saintess struggled to her feet and spoke her first words: "Who are you? How can a second-ssyer be as strong as you?"


    "That meteor earlier... was incredibly strong."


    "If it weren''t for my life-saving skill, I might have been instantly killed like everyone else!"


    "Faye is lying," Sterl''s eyes narrowed. Through Star Insight, he could clearly see that Faye''s skill list did not include any life-saving abilities.


    He then realized��he had never disclosed his current level, not even the disguised version.


    And Faye''s skill list alsocked any detection abilities.


    This Water Blue Saintess was no simple character...


    However, the calm dialogue on the field left countless spectators stunned, making them doubt their hearing.


    "From what Faye said, that move was actually executed by the Earthling kid?"


    The yers began to change their tune. Just moments ago, they had been calling Sterl a waste of space, but now they were referring to him as a "lucky kid" in a more neutral tone.


    "Is this some kind of joke?"


    "What does Miss Faye mean? There''s no way she''s speaking up for an Earthling yer, right?"


    "Did I hear that wrong?"


    ...


    Both yers and NPCs were in a state of utter disbelief. Who could believe that a race known for its poor solobat abilities could produce such a powerful individual?


    The princes of the Divine Mountain Empire were also staring in shock at the figure below, who stood there with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a master��Sterl had been striking a pose for a long time, and finally, someone was recognizing its value.


    The princes couldn''t help but whisper among themselves.


    "Has anyone recruited David yet? We must get him on our side!"


    "If we have such a master in our future ns, the Empire''s chances of acquiring an A-grade arcane skill would be incredibly high!"


    "Faye said David is a second-ssyer? Then perhaps he even has a shot at an S-grade arcane skill..."


    "We have to win him over, no matter if he was the one who released that meteor or not. We can''t afford to let him slip through our fingers. His value is immense!"


    The princes didn''t care about how David had been mocked earlier. They valued his potential and strength.


    Meanwhile, the yers on the field still wore pained expressions, struggling to ept the reality...


    No matter how they thought about it, it didn''t make sense!


    Faye, from the Water Blue n, wouldn''t lie so tantly for an Earthling yer by crediting that terrifying move to him. Could David really pull off something like that? He didn''t look like he hadthat ability!!


    Unless... Faye was telling the truth.


    If that move really was executed by David, it would make sense.


    This realization made everyone hold their breath for a moment.


    The bizarre water curtain created by Faye had been effortlessly destroyed by the meteor, which also wiped out all the yers around it. And it was all done effortlessly by that Earthling yer!


    People clearly saw that he merely snapped his fingers to cause such a massive impact!!


    Instantly, the atmosphere felt suffocating!


    The yers who had been mocking David were now in a state of disbelief. Rationally, they couldn''t ept that an Earthling yer could be so strong. At the same time, they felt extremely embarrassed because they had just assumed that the yer who released the meteor��


    Was a future legend, with the potential to ascend to a demigod! Such a title fitted Faye perfectly, but when attributed to David, it caused a shift in everyone''s mindset...


    Regardless of what these people thought, the battle was still ongoing.


    Sterl stretched his muscles.


    "Come on, you should have one more movebined with the skill from your Mastery, right?"


    "And don''t think I didn''t notice what you''re hiding."


    "You don''t have any life-saving skills. Reveal your trump card."


    "Do your best to amuse me."


    He spoke in a detached tone, like a master seeking a worthy defeat.


    In reality, Sterl''s thinking was that if this were a life-and-death battle in the wild, he wouldn''t be so arrogant. He would ensure to take down his opponent cautiously. But now he felt Faye had only a one percent chance of turning the tables, and since no one truly died in the consciousness space, it was fine to be a bit reckless...


    However, Faye''s fear grew more intense. "How does he know!"


    Her face changed, showing unprecedented panic and unease!


    It was as if a monumental secret had been exposed!


    Seeing Faye so flustered, Sterl smiled slightly, "How could I not know?"

 Chapter 81: Mastery Level [Bloody Rush]

    Sterl had no clue. He only discovered through the Insight of the Stars that the abilities Faye mentioned didn''t match her stats panel.


    However, as a "master," Sterl intentionally used vague words to mislead her: "When did you conclude that I didn''t know?"


    Faye''s expression shifted repeatedly, disying a deep sense of dread.


    As they exchanged words, the audience and NPCs below were left bewildered. Faye''s control of the entire arena with a water screen wasn''t even her true strength.Wasn''t the difficulty of this hidden trial quest a bit too high?


    Two formidable characters in a row?


    At this moment, most people had subconsciously epted that the terrifying meteor from earlier was indeed the handiwork of "David."


    Moreover...


    Many yers started getting excited. If Faye was hiding her true strength, could she defeat this David?


    After all, he was a yer from the Earthlings, inherently having a poor rtionship with most of the people present. Moreover, all kinds of taunts had already been uttered earlier. At this point, the yers couldn''t back down and could only hope that "David" would lose as miserably as possible!


    But...


    yers looked at the slowly repairing ground of the arena, recalling the terrifying meteor from earlier.


    Could Faye win?


    Suddenly...


    A yer of an alien race, with purple-brown skin and wearing a cloak, stood up.


    "Faye,e on!"


    "You must defeat him!"


    His eyes were fervent, almost pleading as he shouted.


    Then came the support from countless yers in the stands!


    "Don''t lose! Use your trump card!"


    "Faye, we believe in you!"


    "David, you''ll be the one to be defeated!"


    Yes! They knew Faye''s chances of winning were slim, and even hiding a trump card wouldn''t match the meteor''s level of destruction!


    But it wasn''t about winning or losing now!


    She was their only hope! Faye was the only one still standing here!


    for a moment, the atmosphere was electric, and everyone was united in their collective hope.


    Faye, however, remained unaffected by the factors in the arena. She took a deep look at Sterl, closed her eyes for a moment, and then, as if making a resolute decision, said, "Watch closely for the next move."


    The girl''s previously gentle tone became extremely firm, her speech somewhat archaic.


    Boom!!


    A mighty torrent surged wildly. To Sterl''s surprise, Faye didn''t use Mastery, nor did she employ any skill from her stats panel.


    With a casual wave, she unleashed the same water screen as before, only with greater power, a higher range, and a deeper color.


    As the torrent approached Sterl, he remained incredibly calm.


    Until��his expression changed. Countless streams of water simultaneously froze into frost, transforming into thousands of piercing des!


    The vast water screen instantly turned into an unstoppable force of weaponry!


    After what seemed to be Faye''s full-force attack, countless yers in the stands showed looks of anticipation. In that split second, they had already begun their daydreams��


    For instance, yers spected that David might not be able to unleash another powerful move so soon after his previous one. They also wondered if Faye''s devastating attack might instantly defeat David.


    However, at this moment, Sterl didn''t use any celestial power. Instead, he tilted his head back and drank a stamina potion. Utilizing the dual teleportation abilities of the Starfield and Bloody Rush...


    He transformed into multiple afterimages within the arena. Despite the formidable power of Faye''s frost des, they couldn''t hit him!


    Instead, Sterl closed the distance between them. He conjured a longsword with the Star de and, thanks to the Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts, easily dominated the closebat against the Water Blue n''s saintess.


    sh! sh! sh!


    Sterl swiftly swung his de. Faye couldn''t dodge in time and was repeatedly shed, while her frost-forged weapons couldn''t even graze Sterl''s clothes!


    The dual teleportationbined with the stamina potion allowed Sterl''s Bloody Rush to operate almost continuously. His terrifying mobility left Faye with no means of resistance!


    Sterl grew more exhrated with each strike, entering a flow state. Both his Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts and Bloody Rush skills were rapidly advancing.


    [Your [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts] has improved, proficiency +3]


    [Your...]


    ...


    [You have used the skill [Bloody Rush]. Proficiency +2, current proficiency: (4881/5000) Mastery.]


    [You have used...]


    ...


    It''s often said that realbat can significantly boost a yer''s abilities. Sterl, without realizing it, was developing his potential under the intense pressure of Faye''s frost de pursuit!


    Not only did the proficiency of his Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts skill skyrocket, but the Bloody Rush skill, which he had been using intensively, was nearing mastery��a qualitative leap!


    Meanwhile, Faye, after unleashing a wave of frost des, was starting to falter. But noticing David''s special state, she hesitated for a few seconds before closing her eyes in contemtion. Then, resolutely, she chose to persist, continuing to release her frost des and prolonging the battle.


    However, the yers below couldn''t fully grasp this strategy and grew increasingly anxious.


    "Hang in there! I can''t believe he can dodge forever!"


    "So close! Why can''t it just hit once?!"


    "Just one hit would do!!"


    They were desperate to jump in and rece Faye in the chase against David.


    Only a few stronger yers paused, then couldn''t help butmend, "The Water Blue n''s saintess has some tricks up her sleeve!"


    "David''s going to owe her a big one for this."


    They also realized that David was in a state of "enlightenment," and Faye, as his opponent, was helping him improve his skill proficiency at the cost of exhausting her own energy!


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the arena grew tense, filled only with the roaring sound of frost des sweeping through.


    About thirty minutester.


    The effects of the stamina potion Sterl drank had finally worn off. He gradually pulled himself out of the deeply immersive state of skill execution.


    Standing still, he noticed that Faye had conjured another dozen ice des.


    This time, Sterl felt a sudden rity. He channeled his inner energy and activated Bloody Rush, a technique originating from a God-level demon��the Blood Archduke. This time, it shone with unprecedented brilliance.


    Sterl felt that, unlike before when using Bloody Rush would make his body feel light and propel him dozens or even hundreds of meters, he could now distinctly sense the world slowing down. The once-speedy ice des seemed to crawl like turtles in his eyes. He could even see, from a distance, the veins and spittle of the spectators in the arena as they shouted.


    Sterl dashed forward at a leisurely pace, casually circling behind Faye as if on a stroll. Then, he thrust his de.


    To the yers and NPCs watching, it appeared as follows:


    "David" flickered and appeared right behind Faye. Before she could react, his de had already pierced her body, stabbing straight through her heart!


    Faye instantly turned into light and dissipated, reappearing on the spectator stands.


    She sat in her seat, shaking her head as if waking from a dream.


    Faye closed her eyes, internally eximing in astonishment, "LadyFelicia... did we lose?"


    Had any NPCs present heard Faye''s inner thoughts, they would have been immensely shocked. These NPCs, well-versed in history, knew that the name of the first semi-god yer born at the rise of the Water Blue n was��Felicia.


    ording to legend, Felicia, along with a demigod from the Earthling race and several other demigodpanions, ventured into a mysterious realm in search of an opportunity to ascend to godhood. Since then, all of them have disappeared, and it has been over 600 years now.


    No one would have guessed that the legendary figure was now inhabiting the body of a descendant from the Water Blue n.


    What left Faye in disbelief was that even when facing some powerful thirdss opponents, her ancestor''s possession would allow her to win easily. Her vast frost de array was nearly impossible to dodge, no matter how fast the opponent.


    Feliciamunicated with her descendant in the sea of consciousness: "That Earth human yer is highly unusual. One of his teleportation abilities is beyond myprehension, seemingly borrowing the power of the stars, which suggests a very high-level special ability."


    "The other appears to be a god-given skill!"


    "If he were using just one of these abilities, I could counter it. But with bothbined, we stand no chance!" Felicia''s tone carried a hint of surprise. Could it be that she had fallen behind the times? Could it be that I had already fallen behind the times? In recent years, there had actually been yers like this in[Transcendence]. A mere second ss, yet with such overwhelming strength?


    Upon hearing this, Faye was stunned. Was this a joke? Her ancestor was a semi-god!


    A demi-god, capable of etching her existence into history and optimizing her initial ss to an S-rank. Could "David''s" teleportation abilities really surpass even that?

 Chapter 82: The Shock of the Demi-God

    ording to Faye''smon knowledge, a yer''s special abilities primarilye from their chosen ss or the rewards from some extremely difficult hidden quests.


    Yet, David possessed abilities that even her ancestor, Felicia, with an S-rank ss, couldn''tprehend.


    Either David had an SS-rank ss, or he hadpleted an insanely difficult hidden quest��something practically inessible to a second-ss yer.


    No matter how she thought about it, it didn''t make sense! Faye''s mind was spinning!


    Regarding David''s other teleportation ability, which Felicia referred to as a god-given skill, Faye found that somewhat more eptable.


    Given David''s potential, it wasn''t unreasonable to think he could receive a skill as a divine blessing if he offeredplete faith to a deity.


    What puzzled Faye was that Earth humans seemed tock any deities to worship...


    Nheless, as she watched the calm figure still standing in the arena, her emotions remained turbulent.


    With aplex expression, she reflected on her life. Since birth, she had been hailed as the most talented genius within her n for the past century. After a fortunate event allowed her ancestor''s remaining soul to attach to her, Faye had be invincible within her realm.


    This was her first failure in life.


    "I had no choice. The opponent was too strong." the young maiden could only console herself.


    While herpetitive spirit was crushed, her mindset remained steadfast.


    Felicia, the remnant soul of a demigod, was even more astonished. With her broader knowledge and experience, she felt an inexplicable fear towards "David."


    Felicia had ascended from an ordinary yer in the Water Blue n to a demigod. Not only had she traveled extensively across the Divine Mountain Empire, but she had also toured surrounding nations and even visited other dimensions.


    Yet a second-ss yer with suchbat prowess...


    "David" was truly one of a kind!


    Felicia couldn''t believe the information she had detected. "David''s" talents, skill set, and profession were all remarkably ordinary. It was impossible for him to have unleashed the meteor strike just now.


    She knew this prodigious youth was hiding his true strength. The only question was...


    "What level of talent does David possess? S-rank? Or perhaps the legendary SS-rank?"


    "What rank is his ss? Could it be an S-rank ss??? Or even higher..."


    She couldn''t see through him! Absolutely couldn''t see through him!


    The more Felicia thought about it, the more she felt she might have witnessed an extraordinary individual. She recalled her earlier, instinctual decision to help David train his skills...


    The soul fragment floating in Felicia''s sea of consciousness couldn''t help but flicker with excitement!


    This David might just be a significant opportunity for her dear pupil!


    Felicia even had a premonition that despite being of a second-ss status, David might have a chance to step into the demigod realm. "If that''s the case," she thought, "then this fragment of my soul could also have a chance to be resurrected through him."


    At this moment, Felicia hadpletely abandoned any supposed demi-god dignity. She urgently transmitted to Faye, "When David returns to the spectator seats, make sure to get to know him well."


    "He owes us a small favor from earlier. Seize the opportunity! If he''s still single, try to win him over!"


    "What? LadyFelicia, what are you saying?" Faye, who had been sitting in the spectator seats with aposed and graceful expression, suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed by Felicia''s words echoing in her mind. Her face flushed.


    Faye was still just a kid who had never even been in a rtionship...


    "I''m not going! No way, I''m not going!"


    "I just got defeated by him. I don''t want to talk to him until I win next time." Unbeknownst to outsiders, the girl was speaking in apletely pouty tone, a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor. "What is this? I''m just asking you to say a few nice words. You don''t even have to do anything extra, and you''re scared?"


    "You''re embarrassing me!"


    "When I was your age, I wasn''t afraid to seduce yers from enemy races for a piece of equipment!"


    "How did I end up with a socially anxious disciple like you!"


    Felicia sounded like she had weathered many storms.


    In reality, her face was slightly flushed and hot within her sea of consciousness. Despite her confident tone, Felicia was mostly making up stories.


    But no worries! A disciple should undergo the master''s rigorous training.


    ...


    Meanwhile, as the battle concluded, the NPCs finally reacted. The princes, one by one, enthusiastically rushed down from the spectator stands, and the Fourth Prince was the first to warmly grasp Sterl''s hands.


    "I announce that the final victor of this match is Mr. David from the Earth Human n!"


    "Of course, he is also my most loyal old friend."


    "Haha! Mr. David, I knew from the start that you were going to win this match."


    Instantly, the other princes following behind turned from enthusiastic and courteous to utterly disheartened.


    Damn it!


    So David was already aligned with the Fourth Prince???


    They immediately beat their chests in regret, their faces darkening. They were so frustrated that they felt a tightness in their chests, and their eyes shot daggers at the Fourth Prince.


    On the spectator stands, the yers also finally realized...


    It''s over!


    David was undoubtedly the strongest!


    The yers quickly changed their attitudes!


    "I''ve never seen such an outrageous second-ss yer in my life!"


    "Could it be that the Earth Human n is really going to rise?"


    "Has anyone ever heard of David''s name before? I don''t recall any mention of him."


    "Could he be another rapidly rising figure like Lady Felicia? That would be terrifying!"


    ...


    For a moment, yers from various ns felt a tingle in their scalps!


    Those ns that didn''t have a good rtionship with the Earth Human n were looking bitter. If David remained loyal and fought for his n''s resources, they were doomed!


    Having someone like David on the front lines, destined to be a legend and potentially ascend to demi-god status, could spell the end for many ns!


    On the flip side, the ns that were friendly with the Earth Human n were overjoyed and already discussing internally how to strengthen their cooperation with Earth Humans in the future...


    "Go quickly!" Felicia urged anxiously in the mind of the Water Blue n''s saintess.


    And as nearly the entire audience wasuding Sterl, Faye, though reluctant, finally approached Sterl.


    "Earlier, thank you for your assistance." Sterl greeted Faye warmly. After exiting his flow state, he noticed that his proficiency panel showed that Bloodthirsty Dash had reached mastery level,rgely thanks to Faye''s relentless support with Frost de during their practice.


    To go to such lengths as an opponent was indeed a favor.


    "Um...ah."


    "Well... it''s nothing, really." Faye stammered, unable to speak coherently.


    She frantically pleaded in her mind for help, "Ancestor, what should I say?!"


    "Help me! I''m going to die of embarrassment!"


    Unfortunately, Felicia was also at a loss. While she could easily guide Faye in the usual social niceties with the Fourth Prince, this situation was different. Felicia, being a socially anxious person herself in her past life, had no experience in initiating conversations with the opposite sex...


    So, Felicia decisively chose to y dead and ignored her descendant''s plea for help.


    "Huh? The saintess is actually socially anxious?" Sterl was dumbfounded. He was open to Faye''s attempt to make friends, so he took the initiative to speak, "You must be under the Fourth Prince''smand as well."


    "Let''s work together to tackle the subsequent hidden quests."


    "Ah�� oh, okay."


    "Yes! Sure!" Without Felicia acting as her external brain, Faye''s speech was halting, and she eventually just clenched her fists and nodded vigorously.


    "..." Sterl felt that the image of the Water Blue n''s saintess in his mind was crumbling...


    He had thought Faye was the kind of yer who appeared gentle on the surface but was strong-willed inside. In [Transcendence], most female yers from the Earth Human n were like that��no matter how delicate they appeared, they had a tough inner core forged through desperate struggles in a resource-poor environment.


    But Faye was theplete opposite, appearing extremely strong on the outside but a bit...adorable on the inside?


    Looking at her delicate features and the figure that even the loose robe couldn''t hide, along with the earnest expression on her face as she clenched her fists, Sterl found her quite endearing.


    Sterl began to fancy Faye...


    Because...


    "She seems to be a perfect match for being my secondary or even primary star."


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled. During their battle, when Faye unleashed her hidden power, he had used Star Insight to catch glimpses of some unclear entries.


    [Possessed State]


    [Residual Soul: Fe%��ia]


    This made Sterl realize that Faye''s body was harboring another entity!


    Most likely someone named Fe%��ia.


    Sterl couldn''t help but think, could it be like in those novels where Faye has a mentor spirit with her? Someone who can guide her development and even possess her body to fight at critical moments?

 Chapter 83: Hidden Quest: Perfect Completion!

    Sterl had it all figured out in his mind regarding Faye.


    This saintess from the Water Blue n seemed pretty easy to deceive...


    Moreover, if she really had a powerful mentor guiding her andbined with her own talent, her future potential should be quite high.


    Perhaps she could even reach the legendary level? Maybe even higher.


    Sterl thought that Faye was probably the best top-tier primary star he could find within the Divine Mountain Empire after reaching second ss.


    Even without considering the issues of primary and secondary stars, since Faye had the backing of a powerful soul fragment, her insights were likely to be quite extensive. For someone as inexperienced as Sterl, this could be of significant help.


    Thus, Faye and Sterl were ready to join forces.


    "By the way, Miss Faye, your race can be ssified under the Merfolk category. Do you have a mermaid form?"


    "Uh... um... that''s... I can''t say." Faye immediately took a step back, her face turning red. She was internally panicking, "Ancestor, this... this topic is off-limits.


    Help me out here!"


    But Felicia continued to y dead.


    Fortunately, the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire stepped in and grabbed Sterl, "Mr.David, you might not know this."


    "Within the Merfolk, different ns have different customs. The Water Blue n mostly lives onnd."


    "The mermaid form, well... you know, it''s only revealed to the closest of people."


    With that hint, Sterl immediately understood and nodded apologetically, "I''m sorry, that was inappropriate of me."


    He still intended to gain Faye''s favor, acting very gentlemanly on the surface, though internally he couldn''t help but think, "Maybe I can use this mermaid form as a bargaining chip..." Sterl was already nning.


    ...


    It was only then that the other princes managed to join the conversation, "Our eldest brother hasn''t returned yet."


    "We''ve alreadymunicated with the Titans, and we can directly distribute the quest rewards to the warriors from the other world."


    "Great! Great!" The Fourth Prince, now holding the loyalty of two powerful warriors, was entirely in charge.


    "Congrattions to everyone. No matter how long yousted in the tournament, your presence in the arena has already proven your worth. The Empire sincerely appreciates the participation of the brave warriors from the other world!"


    "Except for the sarcane skill: Mountain, which I have no authority to deploy, all other rewards will be distributed now." In Transcendence, NPCs didn''t shy away from using terms like quest rewards.


    With the Fourth Prince''s deration, the yers on the field soon saw a series of prompts shing before their eyes.


    Regardless of their rankings, everyone''s eyes were gleaming, indicating that the Divine Mountain Empire had indeed been quite generous this time.


    "Wow! So many rewards..."


    "Woo..." Sterl noticed that Faye beside him was somewhat excitedly celebrating, but she quickly remembered to maintain her saintess image and covered her mouth. She resembled a little hamster hiding food, trying hard to keep a calm demeanor, but her bodynguage had already given away her joypletely.


    Sterl quickly lost interest in observing others as he focused on the barrage of prompts before him, swallowing hard.


    "Is this the value of a hidden quest??"


    "This is amazing!"


    [You have sessfullypleted the hidden quest: Empire Trial.]


    [Achievements you have earned during this quest:


    Champion:Achieved the highest rank. Reaper: Eliminated the highestbined rank of yers. Overwhelming Damage: Dealt more damage than any other yer. Untouched: Received no damage during the trial.]


    In this round of tasks, Sterl didn''t achieve many aplishments, but then the list of rewards quickly appeared.


    [You have received the following rewards:


    - Legendary Point +1


    - Divine Mountain Empire Reputation: 12,000 points. Current Reputation Level: Revered.


    - Divine Mountain Empire Contribution: 12,000 points.


    - Fourth Prince Personal Reputation: 8,000 points. Rtionship Status: Friendly.


    - Special Faction Reputation: Divine Mountain Empire Fourth Prince Faction: 12,000 points. Reputation Level: Revered.


    - New Record: [Empire Trial].


    - Main Quest Eligibility Unlocked.


    - Special Item Acquired: King''s Blood.


    - Final Task Evaluation: Perfect.


    - Experience Reward: Level Up x5.


    - Mary Reward: 10 Purple Gold Coins.


    - Special Reward: Free Attribute Points x20.


    "Holy crap! Over 10,000 points of reputation and contribution in one go, this is insane!" Sterl''s heart raced. He had seen some incredible items in the Empire''s contribution shop before!


    Moreover, with his reputation in the Empire now at the Revered level, what did this mean? It meant that almost every NPC in the Divine Mountain Empire would have to tip their hat and greet him. There was no quest he couldn''t take in the Empire now!


    Triggering hidden quests in the future would be a breeze!


    This wave of rewards was truly a massive win!


    As for the reputation within the Fourth Prince''s faction, Sterl estimated that it meant the prince would now entrust him with more important and rewarding tasks, which was another massive win!


    Of course, those two points paled inparison to the main quest eligibility and the legendary point he obtained.


    Sterl felt that at this rate, achieving legendary status in the future would be a breeze.


    He had already learned the arcane skill, and all that was left was to allocate points, and he even got the Gold-tier skill [Star of Dawn] directly attached.


    He had already umted 2 legendary points��one from a great feat and another from a perfect evaluation of a hidden quest, plus more legendary points could be earned by engaging in the main quest.


    Sterl did a quick calction and was stunned to realize that he was only short of experience points to reach the legendary level��the least valuable resource!


    Because as yers leveled up, their lifespan increased. Even for slow levelers, as long as they ensured smooth transitions through second ss, third ss, and legendary without hitting bottlenecks, they wouldn''t fail to level up due to old age.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a sense of surrealism. Through his hard work and effort, his dream of bing a legend, which he had since crossing into this world, was now on the verge of bing a reality.


    He just needed to keep leveling up diligently in the future! And what did it mean to be a legend? Among the human race on Earth, the demigod was mostly in seclusion, and the remaining legendary figures controlled the entire race.


    And Sterl could achieve this status just by investing time!


    Looking at the remaining rewards from the quest, Sterl felt ecstatic. Leveling up five levels instantly! Needless to say, his experience bar was filled to the brim, along with the extra experience gain efficiency from the arcane skill.


    After meditating, Sterl figured he could easily level up 6 to 7 levels.


    Then there were the five purple gold coins, equivalent to 500 gold coins, and 20 free attribute points, which would allow Sterl to power up significantly.


    As for the item "King''s Blood," like the "Blood of the Brave" he received in the previous trial phase, it only had a name, and he had no idea how to use it.


    Sterl decided to toss it into his backpack and forget about it for now.


    Seeing him snap out of his ecstatic trance, the Fourth Prince approached warmly.


    "Mr. David, our eldest brother hasn''t returned yet. As the first-ce winner, we can''t immediately grant you the arcane skill."


    "Why don''t you rest in your guest room for a while today?"


    "We''re also going to hold a wee party in the alternate space to wee the warriors from another world to our Empire."


    "If you''re not in a hurry, could you wait for two days?"


    The Fourth Prince was exceedingly courteous, almost to the point of treating Sterl like royalty.


    Sterl naturally nodded, "Alright, I haven''t had a chance to rx properly since preparing for thepetition."


    Then...


    The yers in the arena were also led to other parts of the consciousness space to rest, as there was a grand celebration nned for the next day.


    After returning, Sterl didn''t have to lift a finger. Soon, two curvaceous maids approached and guided him to a private bath where he soaked. More maids, d in sheer fabrics, brought chilled fruits and drinks for Sterl to enjoy.


    However, when the maids tried to cozy up to him, he casually held them, roughly groping their ample bosoms before dismissing them with a wave.


    Having experienced the best beauties, these women, though considered top-notch, didn''t impress Sterl.


    After bathing, he immediately sat cross-legged on the bed to cultivate.


    With the hidden quest''s perfect rating and the 5 levels of experience gained, he could at least reach level 41, then continue to evolve and enhance his secret art!


    In a few days, Sterl''s power would undergo a massive transformation.


    This time, his meditation felt different from before. The experience and power flowing into his consciousness seabined with his spiritual energy, forming an exceptionally radiant and transparent star.


    In the vast and empty universe, an eternal, shining star stream gradually took shape.


    Sterl''s ears were filled with continuous prompts.


    [Your level has increased...]


    [Your...]

 Chapter 84: The Star Point

    When Sterl opened his eyes again, it was already the next day. He nced at the information disyed on his panel.


    "Level 41, huh?"


    "Even though it''s just an E-rank arcane skill, it''s increased my leveling speed quite a bit."


    "Looks like leveling up through questing isn''t a bad idea after all?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but marvel at the thought. The experience gained from perfectlypleting a hidden quest was indeedparable to grinding monsters!


    Then, instead of continuing to train, he joined the maid who had entered the room, heading to attend the Divine Mountain Empire''s wee banquet for these otherworldly warriors.


    The atmosphere at the banquet was quite lively, and Sterl quickly became the center of attention.


    In the Divine Mountain Empire, third-ss yers were already considered high-level forces. The Empire''s royal family''s strongestbatants were about on par with the Earth''s human race,prising several legends and a reclusive demigod.


    Basically, in the absence of the few legendary figures taking action, the elite among the third-ss yers represent the pinnacle of the Empire''sbat strength.


    Someone like Sterl, who had already demonstrated output capabilities that even third-ss yers couldn''t match, and had a high probability of advancing to legendary or even demigod status in the future, was not someone anyone wanted to offend.


    "Mr. David, let me toast to you."


    "I was wondering which area you''re primarily active in. Maybe we could do aninstancetogether sometime?"


    "Mr. David, how did you restst night?"


    ��


    Faces full of warmth and friendliness came and went.


    What? Poor rtions with the Earth''s human race? Nonsense! Mr. David has long been our old friend.


    Sterl exchanged pleasantries with everyone, appearing to enjoy the conversation.


    However, his mind was already focused on the light screen open in front of him. Sterl was browsing the contribution store of the Divine Mountain Empire. Last time, he had 1,000 contribution points left.now, he had a total of 13,000 points, enough for a decent shopping spree.


    "It would be best to pick out a skill. I''m currentlycking single-target burst moves."


    "And if there''s suitable gear, I need to get it too. I still don''t have enough equipment. If I were fully geared, my attribute points would increase by at least a few hundred��"


    He pondered.


    And then, Sterl was pleasantly surprised to find that after reaching a respected reputation level, the items in the contribution store had significantly increased.


    For example, the [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts] he had previously exchanged was now followed by [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts Insights] in the store. This was a special crystal, infused with the insights of a strong practitioner who had mastered the corresponding skills. Using it would greatly enhance one''s proficiency.


    However, Sterl naturally wouldn''t choose to buy it.He didn''t have enough contribution points to waste on such luxuries.


    He was currently browsing therge skill category. Since there were now many more skills, he had to start from the beginning, looking for a suitable single-target burst move.


    [Piercing (Blue Quality)]


    [Description: A special force technique developed by the Divine Mountain Empire''s military.]


    [Effect: When using melee weapons, it can ignore part of the opponent''s defense. Activating it unleashes a powerful piercing attack.]


    [Contribution Points]: 2000


    ...


    [Spiral Arrow (Blue Quality)]


    [Description: ...]


    ...


    [Death Strike (Blue Quality)]


    ...


    The skills in the contribution store were mostly of blue, white, and green quality, with prices ranging from 2000 to 4000 contribution points.


    Sterl casually nced at a few and nodded to himself. As expected of the Empire, these skills were quite excellent among their kind.


    As Sterl continued browsing, his breath caught.


    [Star Point Finger (Blue Quality)]


    [Description: Suspected to be a special skill inherited from the ancient Star Race, its power is slightly higher than typical blue-quality skills, with extremely high piercing efficiency.]


    [Effect: After activating the skill, it gathers ster power to unleash a highly powerful piercing strike.]


    [Contribution Points: 4000]


    Sterl''s eyes lit up. He had been looking for a single-target burst skill, and this Star Point Finger not only met his requirements but was also a legacy from the Star Race?!


    Wouldn''t that mean it could synergize with his ss?


    Immediately, in Sterl''s mind, the priority for redeeming this skill shot up to the highest level.


    The only thing that displeased him was the price of the Star Point Finger. It was on the higher end for blue-quality skills.


    But Sterl managed to console himself.


    "Worth it!"


    "After redeeming the skill, I can enhance it through skill points, further evolving it to purple quality!"


    "Getting a skill rted to the Star Race is already hitting the jackpot!"


    Without hesitation, he selected the skill for redemption in the store. In the next second, a crystal shimmering with light appeared before him.


    He casually caught it, and the yers and NPCs around him, seeing Sterl''s actions, realized that his attention was not on the banquet but on redeeming items.


    Everyone reacted the same way: they quietly left to avoid disturbing "David."


    But Sterl''s spending spree was far from over.


    He continued to search the store, looking for other valuable items. After spending about half an hour, Sterl found two items that greatly piqued his interest.


    First was an amulet.


    [Peaceful Blessing]


    [Type: Amulet]


    [Description: A blessing from the Divine Mountain Empire''s military. The wooden piece represents a mother''s blessing to her child heading to the battlefield.]


    [Effect: +10 to all attributes, special ability [Good Fortune: When killing monsters, there is a 1% chance to drop an additional item].


    [Redemption Cost: 3000 contribution points]


    Sterl was quite interested in this amulet.


    He wasn''t mainly enticed by the additional item drop effect after killing monsters.He valued that the [Peaceful Blessing] was an amulet that could be infinitely stacked in his inventory.


    Although its effect wasn''t particrly outstanding, it was priced at 3000 contribution points.


    But Sterl felt it was worth it. After all, it was the only amulet in the entire contribution store, indicating its rarity as special equipment.


    Thest item that caught Sterl''s attention was something he discovered by chance. Initially, he knew that reaching a respected reputation level had unlocked more items in the store. He wasn''t in a rush to spend the remaining contribution points, thinking he could save them for when the next reputation tier unlocked.


    However, just as he was about to close the store, he stumbled upon a piece of equipment that thrilled him to no end.


    "Is this even possible?"


    [Divine Mountain Empire Standard Armor (Silver Grade)]


    [Type: Upper Garment]


    [Description: Exclusive military gear supplied to elite soldiers by the Divine Mountain Empire. After special modification and enhancement, this gear is gifted to friends who have formed a bond with the Empire.]


    [Effect: +40 to all attributes, +30 to Strength and Agility. Special Ability [Grand Morale: Upon activation, you can release a morale effect to all surrounding units, increasing their attributes by 10% and granting 30% resistance to abnormal statuses.]]


    [Requirement: Reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire must be at least Respected.]


    [Redemption Cost: 5000 contribution points]


    What excited Sterl wasn''t just the stats or abilities of this armor, which were standard for second-ss yer gear.


    The key point was that the only requirement was having a respected reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire!


    No level requirement!


    For Sterl, this was a godsend!


    5000 contribution points? Not expensive at all! He bought it outright!


    After purchasing these three items, Sterl was left with only 1000 contribution points, just like thest time.


    By then, the banquet had also just ended.


    Eagerly, Sterl chose to return to his room to rest and allocate his points.


    The first thing he did was to enhance the skill��Star Point Finger.


    In his room, he shattered the corresponding skill crystal, and soon, a blue-quality skill appeared in his skill bar.


    He didn''t hesitate to allocate points!


    A brilliant light shed.


    Sterl felt a surge of unique knowledge in his mind, giving him a deeper understanding of the Star Point Finger skill. Originally, this move gathered ster power to pierce a single point.


    Now, Sterl vaguely sensed the principles of celestial movements and gradually integrated them into the Star Point Finger.


    He pondered��


    "By allowing the energy to spin and cancel out each other, it bursts forth with destructive power. When this skill is activated, it can harness the force of a star''s demise to deliver the ultimate single-point damage!" Sterlprehended!


    At the same time, he had a faint feeling that as he gathered the legacy of the Star n, his SSS-ss profession, Star of Dawnseemed to have a slight fluctuation, as if it were growing stronger!


    But that wasn''t the main point. Sterl opened his eyes, his face lit with joy as he sensed the power of the Star Point Finger.


    What a powerful move!


    Originally, the Star Point Finger was already a top-tier skill among blue-quality ones. Now, having evolved to purple quality, it was even more formidable!


    Considering that the Star Point Finger could receive enhancements from stardust, the power this skill could unleash in Sterl''s hands would be insanely exaggerated.


    After his excitement subsided, Sterl opened his panel again, ready to assess the exact strength of his newly acquired third purple skill. He was stunned.

 Chapter 85: The First Gold-Quality Skill

    [Star Point Finger (Purple Quality)]+


    [Description: Suspected to be a special skill inherited from the ancient Star Race. Its power is slightly higher than typical purple-quality skills, boasting extremely high piercing efficiency.]


    [Effect: After activating this skill, it gathers ster power to unleash a highly powerful piercing strike, ignoring 80% of the opponent''s defense.]


    "Holy crap! There''s a plus sign!!"


    Doesn''t this mean his first gold-quality skill is about to be born?


    At first, Sterl didn''t react when he saw the panel for Star Point Finger. But then he realized with excitement that the potential of this skill, inherited from the Star Race, was so high that it could be upgraded all the way to gold quality!


    In an instant, Sterl was overwhelmed with excitement.


    He didn''t know much about gold-quality skills before. He simply thought they were just one level higher than purple. But after many adventures and from bits and pieces he heard, he came to know that gold-quality skills and purple-quality skills were onpletely different levels! They involved legendary powers!


    Such skills required a rare resource known as "Legend Points," which could only be obtained by third-ss yers at level 130 or above!


    This showed just how terrifying gold-quality skills were!


    Coincidentally, Sterl had Legend Points��two of them, to be exact. Wasn''t this a jackpot?!


    He hadn''t been this excited in a long time.He was almost breathless with anticipation��


    Thest time Sterl was this thrilled was when he first got his cheat ability, looking forward to using points to enhance his talents.


    He felt fortunate. Thankfully, he hadn''t used today''s points to further boost his arcane skill. Sterl had decided to first max out his proficiency at the current level before adding more points, to better benefit from the enhancements.


    Because of this, he upgraded Star Point Finger first. This meant that tomorrow he could wield a gold-quality skill.


    To endure the agonizing wait for the gold-quality skill to arrive, Sterl chose to meditate and train his arcane skill. After reaching E-rank, it became harder to improve his Star Soul proficiency. He spent the entire day and only increased his proficiency by about 100 points.


    The next day, when Sterl was invited to attend the second banquet of the Divine Mountain Empire, he seemed quite distracted, his mind filled with thoughts of the gold-quality skill��


    Sterl kept checking the countdown for his cheat ability.


    "When will the points refresh��?"


    "Can it be any faster?"


    "Um�� Mr. David?" Nearby, Faye approached with a te of desserts in her hands.


    Having both wanted to build a good rtionship, they were now quite familiar with each other.


    In the presence of many people, the socially anxious Faye chose to approach Sterl, finding it less awkward.


    In her mental space, Felicia looked on with a gratified expression. All my hard work paid off.The shy kid finally took the initiative!


    Seeing a beautiful girl approaching with delight, even the preupied Sterl couldn''t help but smile warmly.


    However, before he could say anything, an unexpected change urred!


    At the center of the banquet, near avish long table, several princes were in discussion. "Originally, we nned to let the warriors from the other world leave after yesterday''s banquet."


    "But now we have to find excuses to keep them here."


    "Where on earth did our elder brother go?"


    Beside them stood a massive cab made entirely of pure gold, which contained the extra champion reward meant for Sterl��an arcane skill: [Mountain].


    However, without the presence of the eldest prince, the other princes couldn''t open the golden cab unless they resorted to forceful methods. They had no choice but to stall for time, waiting for the return of the eldest prince.


    While the princes were growing increasingly anxious, the fourth prince suddenly leaped aside with extreme vignce. He then threw a crystal, creating a shield that protected the golden cab holding the arcane skill.


    ""Who goes there? How dare you!" he roared furiously, while the others present were still clueless about what had provoked him.


    The next second, streaks of dark purple marks appeared in the high sky of the consciousness space. It was as if the heavens were weeping, with dark purple rain falling down.


    Many yers were caught off guard and were hit by the raindrops.


    "What is this stuff?!"


    "Aargh!!"


    "My arm! My skin!"


    They screamed in excruciating pain, as if enduring some horrific torture.


    "What''s going on?" Sterl frowned slightly. He couldn''t dodge the pervasive rain even with his teleportation, so he ignited mes in his hands.


    He intended to use the Fire of Mars to evaporate the raindrops around him.


    But before Sterl could act, Faye had already summoned a water barrier, shielding him and several other yers nearby.


    Sterl remained calm outwardly, though he was puzzled inside. As an expert, he couldn''t just ask questions randomly.


    Fortunately, other yers started shouting excitedly, "What''s happening? Isn''t the consciousness space supposed to be absolutely safe? Who''s behind this?"


    Faye''s expression shifted. She seemed to enter a strange state, and her tone changed as she spoke, "This appears to be a special ritual that invades the consciousness space. These purple raindrops have altered the rules here."


    "Now the consciousness space might be just like other ces in [Transcendence]."


    "What do you mean, just like other ces?" Many yers were confused.


    Some quick-witted yers cried out in horror, "If the consciousness space is like other ces��"


    "Does that mean we can''t revive?"


    "We could actually die?"


    No sooner had they spoken than someone countered, "That''s impossible! We''re just using our consciousness to move in the consciousness space. Our physical bodies are still outside. How could dying here mean we actually die?"


    However, they didn''t need others to refute them. Soon, they covered their mouths in terror.


    yers, no matter where they were, were using their consciousness to y [Transcendence]!


    This was a game world!


    "This situation is very simr to the Netherworld Rain mentioned in the ancient texts I once read."


    "After the Netherworld Rain is activated, all healing and resurrection effects within arge area be nullified."


    "Don''t have any illusions. If we die now, the [Transcendence]system will instantly destroy our game characters." Faye said calmly.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became tense.


    The yers all looked grim, and even the nowposed Faye felt extremely frustrated!


    The Netherworld Rainitself was already disgusting enough, but it was clear that initiating such a ritual came at a great cost.


    The person who summoned this rain must be seeking something.


    And targeting all the yers and NPCs present right from the start clearly meant they had ill intentions!


    Sterl furrowed his brows in deep thought, his eyes lingering on the golden cab guarded by the princes.


    He recalled seeing the description of the [Mountain]arcane skill in the contribution shop. It mentioned that several countries had once gone to war with the Divine Mountain Empire for this arcane skill.


    And now, for some reason, the Divine Mountain Empire had chosen to bring out [Mountain]when recruiting these otherworldly yers.


    So, it seemed quite normal for some trouble to arise.


    The only question was�� the Divine Mountain Empire should be well aware of the allure of [Mountain]. To prevent any leaks, they even used the highly secure consciousness space.


    Why hadn''t they been attacked yet? Could there be a traitor?


    Of course, it was also possible that this attack had nothing to do with the [Mountain]arcane skill.


    Sterl, without any mental pressure, casually spected.


    At that moment, as the dark purple raindrops continued to fall, a spatial rift opened. Several figures slowly emerged.


    Leading them was a middle-aged man in dark purple heavy armor, wielding a long spear, with a stern expression. Upon his appearance, most of the yers were still confused.


    But many of the NPCs present, especially the princes, looked as if they had seen a ghost.


    "Constantine, what are you doing here?"


    "Are you insane??"


    "This is an act of provocation from the Antic Empire towards our Divine Mountain Empire. Can I consider this a deration of war?!" The fourth prince, who held two powerful experts, once again took the lead, stepping forward and shouting excitedly.


    However, his face was flushed, and sweat dripped continuously, indicating that while he appeared imposing, he was actually terrified.


    Constantine was a recently risen young general of the Antic Empire, with third-ss strength and immense power! ording to legend,he had sessfully learned an arcane skill and was preparing to break into the legendary realm.


    It''s worth mentioning that the rules for NPCs to increase their strength were simr to those for yers. For instance, to reach the legendary level, they also needed thebination of a gold-quality skill, an arcane skill, and legend points.


    However, NPCs couldn''t grind for levels by killing monsters. Instead, they could gain substantial experience by participating in significant events, which they could then refine through meditation to level up.


    Additionally, NPCs had an extra enhancement system��[Fortune]!

 Chapter 86: Elite Template NPC, Third Class , Level 133!

    Once NPCs have enough [Fortune], they can be enhanced into elite or boss forms. Uponpleting the aforementioned two enhancements, the NPCs will gain attribute boosts and a significant increase in health, and might even acquire additional skills.


    As for how to obtain "Fortune", it varies based on the NPC''s identity. For instance, a pirate NPC would need to engage in frequent plundering to be a pirate elite or even a pirate boss.


    However, bing elite or boss-leveles at a price. Afterpleting these enhancements, an NPC can only increase their power by one rank in the future. For instance, a third-ss NPC can only advance to legendary, and a legendary NPC can only advance to demigod.


    If NPCs want unlimited potential like yers, they must forgo elite and boss enhancements.


    At this moment, the Constantine before them, as a general, could gain [Fortune]by starting wars!


    This exined the fourth prince''s panic.


    Dering war on the Divine Mountain Empire on behalf of the Antis Empire is a significant event capable of gaining legendary status. Moreover, if Constantine earns sufficient merit during the war, his fortune will also surge dramatically, potentially giving him the opportunity to reach boss-level status!


    So, Constantine daring to unleash the Netherworld Rainand break into the consciousness space meant he was here to cause trouble, aiming to pave the way for his legendary and boss transformation.


    The fourth prince''s threats were meaningless.


    In reality, the fourth prince wasn''t trying to scare off the enemy with words. He was secretly signaling the other princes to quickly activate a ritual to send everyone back to the temple they had teleported from.


    The other princes were not fools either. They had long understood the situation and were ready to use special talismans to take action.


    However, to their great surprise...


    "Why isn''t it working?"


    "Titan, what''s going on??"


    Their faces grew frantic.


    The yers and NPCs in the room remained in their ces.


    "Your efforts are futile." a figure behind Constantine said, slowly pulling down the hood of their cloak.


    As this person revealed themselves, everyone disyed expressions of extreme astonishment.


    "It''s you! How is this possible?"


    "Elder brother??"


    "Why are you...?"


    The princes were shocked, as if witnessing something incredibly absurd.


    The yers and NPCs were equally bewildered.


    "What is going on?"


    "The eldest prince has been missing for half a day, and now he''s mixed up with people from the Antic Empire??"


    "Is this the next phase of the mission? Does this hidden quest have such high stakes and a third part?"


    "I wonder how the rewards and difficulty will be this time?"


    The reactions of the NPCs and yers werepletely different.


    The former were extremely confused and terrified, while thetter, though a bit anxious about losing their free resurrection in the mission, felt a thrill of excitement, sensing another opportunity to earn rewards.


    "Big brother, have you gone mad? What benefit do you gain from siding with the Antic Empire?


    You were already the crown prince!" The fourth prince''s face was filled with disbelief.


    The eldest prince merely sneered, "Crown prince? Ever since that old man decided to pit us against each other, he already had a bias in his heart."


    "Our empire''s tradition has always been to pass the throne to the eldest son, a custom that hassted nearly a thousand years. And now, they want to change it."


    "Do you believe it''s not against me?"


    "From the start, this struggle was predetermined. Anyone could be the winner��except for me."


    "Moreover..." The eldest prince nced at Faye and "David." He had personally witnessed Faye''s performance in the tournament, and his informants had reported on David''s even more astounding abilities.


    Both of these talented individuals are in the hands of hisgood fourth brother, which means that in the empire''s future attempts to acquire an A-level arcane skill, the fourth brother will gain the greatest merit.


    In contrast, his own prospects had dimmed... even his top recruits were no match for Faye.


    Betraying to the enemy nation meant no real loss for the eldest prince...


    He couldn''t attain the throne by conventional means. So he had to resort to extreme measures.


    As the two sides conversed, notifications popped up for all the yers present.


    [You have forcibly triggered the main quest: Empire''s Turmoil (Stage One)]


    [Warning: Due to your insufficient rating in the Empire Trial Hidden Quest, you can only participate in Stage One of this main quest.]


    "Holy crap!"


    "A main quest!"


    "Are you kidding me?" The yers'' first reaction was excitement about striking it rich.Their second reaction was panic.


    Main quests were something every yer dreamed of, but no second-ss yer had ever survived one!


    This matter was too big, so big that they simply hadno ability to handle it.


    As for only participating in Stage One, who cared? Surviving was the priority.


    At this point, some yers used their detection skills, and their faces changed dramatically when they saw Constantine''s stats.


    "How is this possible? This has to be a joke!"


    "A level 133 elite temte NPC? Are you kidding me?"


    "Who could possibly defeat him? What kind of quest is this?"


    "This is practically a death sentence!"


    Everyone was stunned!


    "Could we have triggered a special storyline?" Some yers shouted in despair. [Transcendence]was known for its tight logic, where every quest had a reason for its existence. It wasn''t umon for yers to start what seemed like an ordinary quest, only to have the difficulty spike midway, leading to their demise.


    Tasks involving special plotlines were generally reserved for top-tier yers of third ss and above. For mere second ss yers like them to be treated in such a manner, it was a bit overwhelming, to say the least...


    It was practically a death trap!


    Though panicked, the yers quickly formted a clear strategy. Many of them sprinted toward the princes.


    The general from the Antic Empire and the eldest prince didn''t seem to have any intention of stopping the yers from running away.


    "Your Highness, we can''t just sit here and wait to die! Shut down the consciousness space and let us out." the yers shouted desperately, unaware that the princes had already tried and failed.


    Before the princes could respond, the general from the Antic Empire sneered, "Want to escape? Then by all means, run." He shed a bloodthirsty smile.


    The princes exined helplessly."We''ve already tried.We can''t use the talismans to teleport everyone back."


    "We don''t need talismans! We need to break through! Staying here means certain death!" the yers cried out.


    The princes'' expressions turned even more desperate.


    "This consciousness space doesn''t exist in the real world. It was created with no real entry or exit."


    "It''s a construct of the imagination. We''re being affected by the Netherworld Rain, and anyone who dies here will be erased by the Supreme Will."


    "This has nothing to do with the consciousness space!"


    The "Supreme Will" referred to by the NPCs was the transcendent system.


    With the princes'' exnation, everyone present felt their spirits crumble.


    So there was no hope? Were they just supposed to wait for death?


    General Constantine of the Antic Empire merely smirked, enjoying the despair in the yers'' eyes, and pped his hands.


    The figures behind him also pulled down their hoods, revealing their faces.


    The princes and NPCs quickly recognized these people.


    They were all young generals from the Antic Empire, belonging to the same faction as Constantine, and had always advocated for military action against neighboring empires.


    Their presence here spoke volumes!


    The Antic Empire''s intent to kill was undeniable!


    "ughtering all of you doesn''t count as dering war on the Divine Mountain Empire."


    "Besides, there''s the [Arcane Skill: Mountain]." Constantine smiled, the potential rewards of this venture were immense.


    The B-grade arcane skill could allow him to switch his cultivation directly, greatly enhancing his chances of breaking through to the legendary level in the future. Moreover, by ughtering multiple princes of the Divine Mountain Empire, he could also gain a significant amount of [Fortune].


    Moreover...


    With Constantine''s gaze, the eldest princeughed heartily, "Everyone, once I ascend to the throne, I will ensure the Divine Mountain Empire deres war on the Antic Empire."


    "And the resources I promised will be delivered."


    This prince had evidently chosen to betray his country to secure the throne.


    The other princes and NPCs were furious, their eyes aze with anger.


    "How dare you..."


    "Kill him first!"


    They charged at the eldest prince as if they intended to die with him.These people were well aware that under the influence of the Netherworld Rain, anyone who died in the consciousness space would experience true death.


    However, Constantine casually drew his sword and blocked their path, stopping the NPCs'' furious assault.


    At the same time, more spatial rifts appeared in the sky, and soldiers d in blue and white armor began to emerge.


    They shouted, "For the glory of the empire!"


    Then, the soldiers drew their weapons and charged at the yers and NPCs.


    The battle was about to begin!

 Chapter 87: He’s Already Overwhelmed

    The standoff on the field onlysted for a few seconds before the soldiers of the Antean Empire made their move.


    In just a brief moment, many yers found themselves entangled inbat.


    These yers, who had all passed the first stage of the Empire''s trials, were quite capable. However, they were now up against the most elite troops of the Antean Empire.


    All the soldiers were of second-ss strength. Although their individualbat abilities were inferior to many of the yers present, they could at least hold their own for a few moves and avoid being instantly defeated.


    Moreover, the soldiers had proficientbat skills and worked seamlessly together, creating an extremely oppressive force.


    In a corner of the banquet hall, Sterl, who was initially hoping for some peace and quiet, witnessed the scene firsthand. He saw an elderly yer who had previously left a strong impression on him. This yer had once demonstrated a burst of power that even made Sterl marvel.


    Facing thebined assault of numerous soldiers, the elderly yer first unleashed several explosivebos, effortlessly piercing the throats of two soldiers and killing them. It looked quite dashing and impressive.


    Then��


    The elderly yer was surrounded by six soldiers from the Antean Empire, with no room to evade. The soldiers all swung their spears in unison, brutally killing the yer.


    Many other yers around were also in dire straits. Each of them had considerable burst capabilities, ensuring that whenever they used a skill, at least one soldier would be unfortunate enough to fall.


    Yet, the elite warriors of the Antean Empire seemed utterly unfeeling. Even as they watched theirrades die tragically, they continued to fight with unwavering determination. They were even able to simultaneously raise their shields to block the yers'' attacks and then thrust their standardized spears in unison.


    The yers'' counterattacks did manage to take down enemies, and just before their deaths, they would hear a very pleasing system notification.


    [You have killed a soldier of the Antean Empire''s Death Legion, gaining 21,141 experience points.]


    [You have earned 200 reputation points with the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    The system informed them that they had received substantial rewards, both in experience points and a significant increase in reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Under normal circumstances, the yers would be ecstatic. Killing just one soldier yielded such high rewards.If they could continue this spree, wouldn''t they be unstoppable?


    Unfortunately, in this moment, the yers had no chance to rejoice after killing a soldier. More often than not, they were quickly surrounded and beaten to death by the soldiers within seconds!


    On the NPC side, things weren''t much better.


    General Constantine had managed to fend off numerous NPCs attempting to assassinate the Eldest Prince.


    The Eldest Princehimself was reveling in the situation. "Weren''t you all so arrogant just a moment ago?"


    "Now die for me!"


    "Send my dear brothers on their way!"


    "And then those two��"


    the Eldest Princenced in the direction of Sterl and Faye, his face breaking into a malicious grin.


    He had hoped to recruit these two talents, but today''s events left no room for any loose ends. Everyone present had to die!


    Otherwise, if the news got out, the Eldest Princewould be branded a traitor, and any hopes of ascending the throne would be utterly dashed.


    Following the Eldest Prince''s orders, the soldiers and young generals of the Antic Empire responded swiftly and favorably. They quickly formed their battle formations and then charged into the crowd, initiating a massacre.


    Among the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, there were a few third sspowerhouses. However, in theory, the consciousness space was the safest ce within the Divine Mountain Empire. This was a ce with no entrances at all.


    If it weren''t for the Eldest Princeacting as a mole, it would have been impossible for the people of the Antic Empire to infiltrate, no matter how meticulously they nned.


    Therefore, most of the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire present in the consciousness space were nonbatant officials with minimal defensive escorts.


    Theirbat capabilities were far inferior to themanders of the Antean Empire''s junior officers.


    Very quickly, the people of the Divine Mountain Empire were being ughtered mercilessly. The few military officials from the Divine Mountain Empire were personally singled out and killed by the elite general, Constantine.


    Constantine wielded crimson mes, furiously swinging his fists. Every strike resulted in a kill! The military officials of the Divine Mountain Empire were pierced through one by one, dying with anguished screams.


    Among the remaining NPCs, the Fourth Prince was under heavy attack, surrounded by several soldiers.


    The Fourth Prince had decentbat abilities, wielding a silver sword to fend off the soldiers'' attacks. However, he was still young and only of second-ss strength...


    Even against ordinary soldiers, the Fourth Prince struggled, his situation bing increasingly perilous. If a few more soldiers targeted him, he would be undoubtedly doomed.


    At this moment, the Fourth Prince instinctively looked towards a person in the corner of the banquet hall. It was none other than David, who had previously outshone everyone to take the top spot in this trial.


    "David, can you create another miracle?" The Fourth Prince, in his desperation, was clutching at straws, hoping for a miracle from a second-ss yer instead of the numerous third ssNPCs present.


    David had consistently surprised him, making the Fourth Prince instinctively feel that perhaps David had a trump card up his sleeve!


    Besides, David had already demonstratedbat prowess far beyond that of an ordinary third ssyer. If anyone could stop Constantine, it would likely be him!


    As for Faye, she barely possessed thebat capabilities of a third sswarrior. Moreover, those present were the elite of the Antic Empire. Faye, who could suppress an ordinary third ssopponent, would likely only be able to hold her own against them. It would be quite an achievement for her to just protect herself and avoid any mishaps.


    How could the Fourth Prince rely on that?


    The Fourth Prince''s subtle maneuvers certainly did not escape the notice of those present.


    Constantine showed a hint of interest. He had learned from the Eldest Prince''s intelligence agents that a highly talented yer had emerged in the consciousness space''s tournament, a secondss yerparable to some third sspowerhouses!


    "Excellent." Constantine couldn''t help but reveal a bloodthirsty smile. His greatest pleasure was crushing these so-called geniuses bit by bit! Watching these proud individuals show fear and humility, their dignity shattered as they begged for their lives...


    The thought made Constantine''s face flush slightly, his body trembling. He had endured countless hardships to be a general, all because of hisck of innate talent and potential.


    Now that Constantine had power, he intended to repay the humiliation he had suffered in front of those geniuses, multiplied many times over!


    The Eldest Princemocked further, "Are you still counting on him?"


    "David is already overwhelmed. Even if he''s strong, what can he do? Facing so many soldiers, he''s bound to die!"


    "This time, your capable subordinate won''t be able to do anything. He''s just going to die miserably!"


    Following the Eldest Prince''s words, the Fourth Prince looked around, his face showing a look of despair, just as his older brother had said��


    David was surrounded by several soldiers, looking restrained and without the previous domineering aura that had allowed him to annihte everything with his Celestial Stars. Instead, he seemed to be retreating under pressure, giving the impression of being hunted down.


    Suddenly, the Fourth Prince felt a wave of darkness wash over his eyes. His morale plummeting, and he almost got captured by the soldiers attacking him on the spot.


    "It''s over! David can''t do it either!"


    "Does that mean we''re doomed?"


    "David, weren''t you always so rxed before? You must have a trump card left, right? Are you really just going to be hunted down like this?"


    "What about the NPCs? Is there no hidden powerhouse among them toe to our rescue?"


    The yers also heard the Eldest Prince''s words, and their morale shattered instantly!


    David''s strength was evident to all. Maybe a single Celestial Stars could even take down third sspowerhouses, but now he looked as pathetic as a stray dog��


    ...


    Sterl, on the other hand, was unaware that his less-than-ster performance had caused such a shift in the crowd''s emotions. He was just feeling frustrated because he was surrounded by yers!


    This meant he couldn''t use Celestial Stars, as it would harm the yers unless they were all in his party.


    However, the battle had erupted so quickly that, although Sterl had swiftly sent out party invitations to everyone, many had yet to ept them.


    If he used Celestial Stars now, the soldiers would certainly suffer heavy casualties, but the yers would likely be wiped out too��


    Sterl could only release a few bursts of Ignition me to incinerate and eliminate the soldiers encircling him.


    To his slight surprise, the elite soldiers of the Antic Empire were indeed formidable. The damage from the Ignition me barely managed to kill them, failing to generate any energy threads from the starlight sshes.


    After clearing out the soldiers around him, Sterl took a deep breath and aimed a Celestial Stars at the direction where the NPCs were.


    His reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire had already reached "Revered".So by adjusting his attack mode to faction mode, the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire wouldn''t be harmed by his attacks.


    Instantly, a Celestial Stars descended from the sky, and a pale blue warning marker appeared on the ground.


    Sterl hadn''t used Celestial Stars much outside, and apart from the first time, he had always enhanced its range with stardust.


    Therefore, at this moment, neither the Eldest Princenor the people of the Antic Empire had any defenses in ce. They believed that David''s ability to summon meteors had a wide range and would inevitably affect their own troops, making them hesitant to use it due to the potential coteral damage.

 Chapter 88: Turning the Tide

    "David has run out of tricks." the Eldest Princesmugly summarized to his younger brothers.


    A group of soldiers was besieging the princes, while the more formidable warriors had yet to make a move.


    This was all part of the Eldest Prince''s n to savor the expressions of despair on his brothers'' faces.


    However, the next second, the Eldest Prince''s expression changed.


    From high above, the Celestial Stars, burning with a blue me, were hurtling down at an unprecedented speed.


    This time, Sterl did not increase the range of the Celestial Stars but instead focused on enhancing the power, control, and shield capacity of the technique.


    As a result of the reduced size, the speed at which the Celestial Stars descended was significantly increased.


    In an instant, Celestial Stars crashed down!


    The terrifying blue mes shimmered, and several NPCs who were originally gravely injured and on the verge of death were suddenly enveloped by ayer of azure shields, instantly turning their peril into safety.


    As for the soldiers of the Antic Empire, they were not so fortunate. Many of them were directly vaporized under the power of the Celestial Stars.


    Even those who were lucky enough to escape the first wave of mes could not withstand the direct impact of the second wave of meteors, being crushed into minced meat.


    Even worse were the youngmanders of the Antic Empire. Though they could withstand the output of the Celestial Stars and wouldn''t be killed instantly, they were still overwhelmed by the control effects apanying the meteors.


    For the first time, Sterl witnessed the aftermath of the Celestial Stars'' impact��blue starlight mes transformed into chains, binding the NPCs and rendering them motionless, their faces contorted in agony.


    The NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire were overjoyed.


    "Well done!" they couldn''t help but shout in excitement.


    They quickly began to move and counterattack! In a head-on fight, they couldn''t match themanders of the Antic Empire. However, even if the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire weren''t skilled inbat, they could handle a group of immobilized enemies.


    They unleashed their ultimate skills, aiming to kill.


    Various skill effects shed across the battlefield, and a few third sspowerhouses of the Antic Empire, caught off guard and immobilized, died on the spot, sted into pieces of foul-smelling flesh.


    The only ones who remained unaffected were Constantine, who seemed to trigger some passive ability that freed him from control, and the Eldest Prince, who activated a life-saving item to dispel the azure starfire.


    However, even though they reacted, in those few seconds, the battle had already turned.


    The soldiers of the Antic Empire, despite their considerable losses, still found the casualties within eptable limits due to theirrge numbers.


    However, the youngmanders suffered a graver fate. Originally numbering seven, three were killed instantly by the recent barrage of Celestial Stars, and the remaining four were severely injured.


    They had no choice but to rely on their soldiers for protection while they hastily consumed various potions to heal their wounds.


    Seeing this, the Eldest Prince''s expression copsed: "How is this possible?"


    "So many people were killed by a single move of his??"


    "No! No! It''s fake! It''s an illusion!"


    He was losing his mind! The Eldest Princehad to pay a high price for coborating with the Antic Empire, which included paying hefty ransoms for each soldier ormander killed.


    Sterl''s single use of Celestial Stars left the Eldest Princeflushed with embarrassment, a stark contrast to his earlier confident demeanor.


    Constantine, too, wore a dark expression. He frowned at the tiny blue starfire flickering on his body while protecting a few severely injuredmanders, his eyes filled with murderous intent.


    "A true genius indeed. That''s why you must not be allowed to live." If Constantine had initially intended to toy with David, he now saw him as a formidable enemy.


    Such talent was tolerable if born in the Antic Empire, but David was from the Divine Mountain Empire!


    If he participated in major historical events, it would surely spell significant losses for the Antic Empire.


    David was merely a secondss now and already this terrifying��what would he be like after advancing to the third ss?


    Constantine decided David had to die. His eyes turned red with determination.


    In the yers'' pance, "major historical events" referred to main storyline quests.


    The next second��


    Bang!


    A loud explosion echoed through the air!


    "Watch out!" Faye''s rmed cry pierced the tension as Constantine sprang into action!


    He yed a psychological tactic, first ncing at the Fourth Prince and saying, "Rest assured, I''ll kill you first, and then quickly send David to join you."


    In the next moment, he ignored the princes and charged towards Sterl, his hand radiating an incredibly terrifying energy, clearly intending to strike with full force!


    Compared to his earlier attacks on the third ssNPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, where he had maintained a rxed demeanor, Constantine now unleashed his full power with a fierce expression!


    Helping the Eldest Princeascend the throne, eliminating his brothers��such concerns were trivial! Clearing obstacles for the Antic Empire''s future was far more important!


    David had to die!


    Faye was the first to react. David was the first person she met after no longer relying on her teacher''s "power." She did not want anything to happen to him!


    Immediately, she conjured multipleyers of water shields in front of Sterl, attempting to block Constantine''s attack.


    However, the general of the Antic Empire remained unfazed. The zing mes on his body pierced through the water shields!


    For a moment, the entire banquet hall was filled with the sound of burning mes!


    Constantine''s fist, engulfed in mes, struck towards Sterl with immense force!


    Boom!!


    The shockwave rolled out, forming a transparent vacuum zone.


    Upon witnessing this scene...


    All the yers and NPCs present were overjoyed!


    Yes, yes, yes! Chase down David!


    No problem, we all support this!


    Everyone knew David had two extremely tricky teleportation abilities. No matter how strong Constantine was, he wouldn''t be able to deal with David in a short period.


    Instead, with Constantine''s attention diverted, everyone else present would be much safer!


    Sterl, living up to expectations, activated the teleportation effect of the Ster Domain. In an instant, he swiftly dodged to the side, evading the imminent danger.


    "What?" Constantine was slightly taken aback. He knew about David''s abilities and how potent his teleportation was, but he hadn''t expected it to be this exaggerated!


    Initially, when facing Sterl''s teleportation, Constantine had maintained the demeanor of a strong contender, scoffing coldly.


    But soon his expression changed.


    "Is this kid made of grease? He''s so slippery, I can''t catch him at all."


    Constantine continuously unleashed his ultimate moves. The first wave was a fiery canopy covering nearly half of the banquet hall, with countless zing meteors crashing down. Yet Sterl easily evaded them with abination of blinks and dashes.


    The second wave saw Constantine using another one of his purple-tier skills. Countless mes were driven into the ground with a single palm strike, erupting rapidly and unexpectedly.


    Sterl, however, merely smiled and shook his head. As a faint blood-red glow appeared around him, he deftly navigated the ground like a stroll in the park. Every time the mes threatened to hit him, he would burst forward with an almost otherworldly speed, elegantly dodging the fiery assault.


    This made Constantine, a third-ss yer far stronger than Sterl, look quite ridiculous, like a heavy bear being toyed with.


    Even though the surrounding NPCs and yers of the Divine Mountain Empire were busy with their own struggles, they couldn''t help but brighten up at the sight.


    "Well done!"


    "Keep toying with him like that!"


    "So what if he''s a third-ss elite? If he can''t touch you, all that strength is useless!"


    Constantine''s face grew darker. He still had a golden-tier skill left unused: "I don''t have any legendary skills yet, and my golden-tier skill is only slightly stronger than a purple-tier skill."


    "And it''s not even arge-scale attack��"


    "Looks like there''s no quick way to deal with David."


    A seasoned veteran, Constantine quickly realized that continuing to chase David would waste an unpredictable amount of time and might not even seed. It could also introduce many variables into his n.


    Constantine sneered, "Looks like your subordinates aren''t willing to die in your ce."


    "I''ll just have to send you off first."


    He turned towards the Fourth Prince, partly to see if David woulde to his rescue, but also because he was determined not to waste more time. He decided to kill the others first.


    Seeing Constantine shift his focus, the Fourth Prince was terrified, knowing things were about to go south.


    Moments ago, he had felt relieved and encouraged by David''s ability to toy with such a powerful general even in dire circumstances.


    Now, the Fourth Prince wished David was in a bit more trouble.At least then he might survive a little longer��


    Constantine waved his hand, "You few, go distract him. I''ll handle the rest."


    He directed the remaining third-ssmanders, who had survived the initial Celestial Stars attack, to engage Sterl. Constantine couldn''t just ignore Sterl, after all.

 Chapter 89: Golden Transformation - Star Point Finger

    Constantine was well aware that if they let Sterl casually throw Celestial Stars around based on their previous power calctions, this mission could end in a devastating victory.


    Few from the Antic Empire would likely survive the conscious space.


    Seeing the general remain calm andposed even in such an advantageous situation, and able to take David''s mockery in stride, further shattered the morale of the NPCs and yers of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    "It''s over! It seems we can''t escape this time."


    "David, can''t you do something? Save us! Aren''t you supposed to have many trump cards?"


    "Even David can''t do anything. A thirdsselite warrior can take at least four or five Celestial Stars head-on without dying. Not to mention, they can fight back!"


    Despair hadpletely set in now.


    At first, they had hoped for a miracle, but the final result left no room for any chance.


    Constantine''s sheer power could crush everything.


    A hint of ruthlessness gradually appeared in many eyes.


    "Let''s take them down with us!"


    "At worst, we''ll self-destruct!"


    "I''ll drag a few down with me before I die!"


    From the tone and expressions of the yers and NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, it was clear they were no longer thinking about survival. They only wanted to take a piece out of their enemies before they died.


    However, just as several princes were trembling in fear, Sterl once again used his mastery-level Bloodthirsty Charge to elerate and stand in front of Constantine.


    "I never said you could leave."


    Faced with such an arrogant statement, the general was not angered but delighted.


    "Seeking death!" Constantine could see that "David" had justpleted an eleration skill and was in a very brief vacuum period. It was the perfect time to kill him.


    Thus, the general of the Antic Empire went all out!


    He utilized his trump card, the golden-quality skill [Divine me Drive]! In an instant, mes of nearly every color��red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet��enveloped Constantine.


    However, despite their imposing appearance, these mes seemed somewhat ethereal. Clearly, without the legendary status to bolster them, the power of the golden skill was far from fully unleashed.


    Nevertheless, this still caused countless NPCs and yers on the side of the Divine Mountain Empire to disy expressions of terror!


    Even an elite third-tier powerhouse, unleashing what could only be considered an enhanced version of a purple-quality ultimate move, remained unstoppable!


    Could it be that David, like the rest of us, thought he was going to die anyway and decided to make a desperate move?


    But crashing into someone else''s ultimate move seems too foolish.


    That would be apletely meaningless death!


    The NPCs and yers from the Divine Mountain Empire could only sigh inwardly. Such a brilliant individual was destined to fall.


    If previously there were still those who harbored reservations about David''s identity as a human yer from Earth, now, in the face of themon enemy that is the Antic Empire, everyone felt a sense of regret!


    "If David doesn''t die today, he will surely be a legend someday!" Many people had this thought sh through their minds in that split second.


    However, Sterl merely smiled faintly.


    He knew his moment to show off had arrived again!


    At this point, Sterl hadpleted another skill upgrade and converted all his remaining Bloodthirsty Power into proficiency for the newly acquired golden-quality skill.


    [Star Point Finger (Gold)]


    [Proficiency: Mastery (142/15000)]


    [Current State: Activated (Two Legendary Points Invested)]


    [Description: A skill of the Celestial Star n once thought to exist only in imagination, now brought to the world by the new Star Lord after countless lost ages.]


    [Effect: Ignores opponent''s defense, delivering a powerful strike with a debilitating effect (opponent cannot recover health through any skills or items).]


    [Legendary Point Enhancements:


    One Legendary Point: Doubles the power of Star Point Finger and significantly drains the opponent''s life force.


    Two Legendary Points: Triples the release speed of Star Point Finger, adds a break move effect, forcibly interrupting any charging skills of the opponent and removing all beneficial statuses. For each interrupted skill and removed beneficial status, Star Point Finger''s power increases by 30%.


    Four Legendary Points (Not Activated)


    Eight Legendary Points (Not Activated)]


    [Celestial Illumination Bonus: Reduces release consumption by half.]


    Sterl was stunned by the stats of Star Point Finger. As a golden-quality skill, it already outperformed purple-quality moves by a significant margin.


    Completely ignoring the opponent''s defenses and preventing any of their recovery abilities, anyone struck by the Star Point Finger would be left either dead or severely crippled.


    And with the legendary activation effect of the Star Point Finger, the damage would be truly astronomical!


    By investing his two Legendary Points, Star Point Finger''s power was doubled, its release speed tripled, and it gained life force drain and break move effects.


    Theyers of power umted in this single-target burst move had reached an unimaginable level.


    As a skill of golden quality, the only drawback of the Star Point Finger was that it consumed 2/3 of Sterl''s current energy upon use. However, the special effects attached to the Star Point Finger under the starlight condition directly mitigated this issue. Additionally, Sterl possessed energy storage potions as a backup power source, allowing him to freely use the Star Point Finger without worry!


    Moreover, Sterl had Stardust, which could enhance this move. Although when enhancing a golden-quality skill, Sterl would receive a system prompt whenever he attempted to use Stardust��


    [Ding! Enhancing skills beyond purple quality will result in a fourfold consumption of Stardust.]


    But since he still had more than twenty thousand units of Stardust on hand, he could afford to use it.


    At this moment, Sterl decisively acted, positioning himself in front of Constantine.


    He was very clear in his mind: with the two points of legend status boosting the Star Point Finger, its speed would be tripled. Even if he failed, he would still have time to activate Bloody Rush to escape.


    By taking action now, Sterl could earn double rewards: the newly issued main quest rewards and the hidden quest rewards from the Fourth Prince''s faction.


    Constantine''s personal targeting of him earlier was, in a way, part of the hidden quest''s requirements. The better he performed, the greater the subsequent risks he would face.


    Seeing Constantine about to leave, Sterl decided to initiate the conflict, ensuring that the risks mentioned in the hidden quest would continue to appear, thus earning him more rewards.


    Naturally, the others present were unaware of all these thoughts. They didn''t have time to ponder, as the sh of moves happened in mere moments.


    Wrapped in seven-colored mes, Constantine charged forward at a terrifying speed, truly driven by Divine me!


    The speed of this move was so fast that even Sterl''s Bloodthirsty Charge couldn''t keep up. The only w was that Constantine couldn''t precisely control his direction due to the sheer speed.


    In the eyes of countless onlookers, the seven-colored mes alone emitted such intense light that many felt their eyes sting, tearing up and shutting their eyes.


    The banquet hall was engulfed in an extreme heat.


    "David''s" small figure seemed about to be swallowed in an instant.


    At that moment, "David" moved. He flicked his finger forward.


    Compared to Constantine''s Divine me-driven charge, David''s action seemed almostughable, appearing incredibly weak.


    Due to their viewing angles, many people couldn''t even see what David did, assuming he had given up hope and was standing there awaiting death.


    The mes quickly engulfed Sterl''s figure.


    "Is it over?" This thought involuntarily shed through the minds of those present.


    "Haha! Finally crushed that pesky insect!" The Eldest Prince eximed joyfully, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.


    On the side of the Antic Empire, everyone couldn''t help but feel a tinge of joy. David''s Celestial Stars was terrifying, and no one wanted to be struck by it.


    How could they feel at ease with David alive?


    Witnessing the "death" of the legendary genius, the people of the Divine Mountain Empire were instead filled with renewed fighting spirit. Some even shouted, "To die alongside a genius like David! My name will go down in history!"


    "What''s there to fear now? Let''s take them on!"


    However, both sides quickly sensed something amiss.


    The seven-colored mes burned on the ground, crackling and popping, but that was all they did��crackle and pop, creating an eerie atmosphere.


    If David had been killed outright by the Divine me, Constantine should have extinguished the mes by now. Why were they still burning in such a strange state?


    One second...


    Two seconds...


    Three seconds...


    It wasn''t until a full five seconds had passed that the atmosphere on the battlefield grew increasingly tense.


    Although the elite soldiers of the Antic Empire continued their relentless pursuit of the Divine Mountain Empire''s NPCs and yers, they couldn''t help but cast puzzled nces at the mes.


    Constantine remained motionless.


    No one thought the general had been counter-killed��the power disparity was simply too great! But the current situation defied exnation...


    Until the mes slowly began to dissipate, revealing the figures of Constantine and "David" once more under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

 Chapter 90: Pierced with a Single Finger!

    "General Constantine!"


    "Mr. Constantine, you''ve finally taken care of that guy!"


    Many soldiers of the Antean Empire shouted with joy.


    The people of the Divine Mountain Empire looked grim. Although they had expected this oue, the final confirmation extinguished theirst glimmer of hope.


    However...


    Just a few secondster, as thest bit of me and smoke dissipated, the people of the Antean Empire seemed like their mouths had been sewn shut, and they couldn''t utter a word.


    The NPCs and yers from the Divine Mountain Empire widened their eyes in disbelief, as if they had seen something impossible.


    After the mes cleared, at first nce, General Constantine was half-crouched, poised to throw a punch, as if about tounch an attack.


    But how could he maintain such a stance for dozens of seconds without moving?


    David, who had been shielded by Constantine''s massive frame, now wore a rxed expression as he slowly stood up.


    He walked around Constantine''s body, making his way to a corner of the banquet hall. Then, he picked up a wine ss and, with a mboyant gesture, poured himself a ss of red wine, drinking it down with reckless abandon.


    The soldiers of the Antean Empire were so intimidated by his aura that they dared not make a move.


    What exactly had happened?


    That was a golden-tier skill! David had taken a direct hit and waspletely unscathed??


    The people of the Divine Mountain Empire were equally bewildered by the scene.


    How had David survived? And what was going on with Constantine? Why wasn''t he moving at all?


    Could David really have a trump card that controlled Constantine with a skill?


    Confusion...


    Bewilderment...


    Everyone on the field was puzzled, except for Sterl, who was enjoying his wine with an air of nonchnce.


    It was as if the battlefield, meant to be a bloody meat grinder, had frozen in time just for him.


    While everyone wore different expressions, the yers'' faces changed first.


    A prompt sounded in their ears:


    [Main Quest Phase One Complete.]


    [Objective: Kill Antic Empire General Constantine (1/1).]


    [Your contribution to this task is 0%, and you will not receive any rewards.]


    Oh, the first phase of the main quest isplete.


    Because the objective of killing Constantine was achieved...


    Wait, system, what are you saying?


    The yers were stunned for a few seconds before looking at Sterl in horror, then at Constantine, still in his punching stance.


    "No way... Is this a joke?"


    "A joke? Did you get the system prompt or not?"


    "The prompt says the first phase of the main quest isplete. Constantine is dead?"


    The yers couldn''t help but discuss among themselves.


    However, this caused the Antean Empire''s side to burst into uproariousughter, especially the Eldest Prince, who clutched his stomach as heughed, "You must be out of your minds!"


    "Constantine is an elite temte. Who here could possibly kill him?"


    "Are you all experiencing some kind of collective hallucination before you die?"


    He sneered, as if he were watching a farcical y unfold before him.


    However, the Eldest Prince found it peculiar that none of the people from the Antic Empire were engaging in conversation with him. The soldiers and the younger officers all wore ashen faces, unable to suppress their nervous gulps.


    They found it hard to believe that these warriors from another world would collectively experience hallucinations. Moreover, they were aware that these warriors had been blessed by the supreme will, which sometimes granted them infallibly urate information.


    Adding to the strangeness, Constantine had been holding his punch in mid-air for an unnaturally long time,pletely motionless. The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they felt, sinking deeper into an eerie silence.


    "You can''t seriously believe..." the Eldest Princedidn''t finish his sentence.


    Bang.


    The once overbearing general now copsed to the ground with a resounding thud, as if a mighty pir of gold and jade had crumbled.


    At the same time, a cerulean starfire began to glow on his body. Initially, it appeared as mere sparks, but soon it transformed into a raging inferno, gradually reducing his once robust form to charred remains.


    At this moment, the NPCs and yers standing nearby finally saw what had been hidden by Constantine''s half-crouched posture��a blue, glowing hole in his chest.


    Even the dullest person could now realize that the general had been killed by a single blow that pierced his chest.


    "There''s another powerful figure in hiding!" The NPCs from both nations reacted in unison, each convinced that a hidden expert had struck down Constantine.


    They scanned their surroundings warily, though the expressions on their faces differed markedly: those from the Divine Mountain Empire wore looks of joy, while those from the Antic Empire appeared visibly tense.


    But then Faye spoke up, "It was David.He killed Constantine."


    There was no doubt about it.


    Faye and the other yers could see it clearly in the [Main Quest Phase One: Contribution Rankings], which listed [Constantine: Kill Participants] with only David''s name, marked with 100% contribution.


    This general hadn''t suffered any damage in the battle prior.He had been killed solely by David...


    He was killed instantly, even while using a golden-tier skill!!


    When Faye exined the facts, she leaned against a wall, fighting her social anxiety to speak such a long sentence.


    But Faye''s feelings no longer mattered.


    Everyone present, from both sides, was stunned, including the Divine Mountain Empire''s people.


    Though they knew the Water Blue n''s Saintess wouldn''t lie, they couldn''t fathom why David could kill an elite-tier, thirdsspowerhouse.


    And he did it in an instant! Even while directly facing a golden-tier skill!


    Despite the fact that this was incredibly advantageous for the Divine Mountain Empire, it was hard to believe. They wondered if they were under some kind of illusion.


    David hadn''t even made any dramatic gestures for a big move!


    Constantine was dead just like that? Ridiculous!


    Several youngmanders from the Antic Empire pulled out dark crystals and crushed them, shouting, "Illusion dispel!"


    "Illusion dispel!"


    They shouted multiple times, but to no avail!


    Nothing around them changed.


    The broken crystal shards fell to the ground with a series of clinks, as if mocking these Antic Empire soldiers for their futile efforts.


    The NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire wore expressions of reluctant eptance. They whispered to the yers beside them, "Is that really what the supreme will''s historical event information says?"


    "Yes, David killed Constantine by himself, with a 100% contribution! There''s no possibility that anyone else intervened!"


    "That''s too incredible!"


    "So, does this mean we''re saved..."


    "No, it means the Antic Empire is doomed!"


    In an instant, the people of the Divine Mountain Empire had a change in their eyes. Despite how unbelievable it seemed, reality was reality!


    In a sh...


    The atmosphere in the field shifted. The people of the Divine Mountain Empire looked at Sterl with eyes full of fervor, as if they were gazing at a savior!


    In contrast, the soldiers of the Antic Empire were terrified.


    If even General Constantine could be killed by the enemy, then they were the ones in trouble now. Under the influence of the Underworld Rain and the consciousness space, they couldn''t even escape.They were destined to be ughtered!


    "Impossible!" the Eldest Princehad the darkest expression of all.Hisposure waspletely shattered! He had paid such a high price to ally with the Antic Empire, only to see the reinforcements he had painstakingly sought out get killed?


    And killed by the otherworldly warriors hired by his most hated fourth brother!


    Moreover, the Eldest Princenow understood his predicament. Either he would die in this otherworldly space, or if he survived, he would be sent to the Imperial Tribunal, tortured, and die a miserable death.


    He couldn''t ept it!


    "Damn it! Titan, Imand you with the highest authority, lend me your power!" As the Eldest Princeshouted, a terrifying power surged. In the consciousness space, a dark purple mist rapidly flowed into the Eldest Prince''s body.


    Amid everyone''s horrified gazes, his aura broke through continuously, escting from second-ss strength to third turn, and his level kept rising.


    "You''re insane! Borrowing the power of the space will kill you too..." an NPC from the Divine Mountain Empire shouted beside him.


    Several princes and more NPCs turned pale, as if they were witnessing something incredibly horrifying, andunched frenzied attacks, throwing all their skills at him.


    Unfortunately, the air currents around the Eldest Princeprovided formidable defense, and all attacks dissipated like stones sinking into the sea, leaving no ripples.


    The soldiers and yers of the Antic Empire were dumbfounded, while the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire were terrified, panicking to the extreme!


    They hadn''t been this scared even when Constantine appeared!


    A soft sound was heard.


    the Eldest Prince''s swelling aura suddenly halted.


    A blue hole appeared in his chest.


    The terrifying air currents that had been gathering around him rapidly dispersed. In just a few moments, the consciousness space returned to a state of tranquility.

 Chapter 91: The Name of David Will Resound Across Nations

    Everyone present understood how Constantine met his end.


    This time, all eyes were on David and the Eldest Prince, witnessing clearly��


    David flicked his fingers slightly, and a blue beam of light shot out from his hand. It looked incredibly refined, almost simple in appearance, but anyone who dared to focus on that light would feel a searing pain in their eyes.


    Then...


    The beam pierced through the Eldest Prince''s body, draining him of all life instantly!


    Even though he had reached the third sslevel and was supposedly blessed with the "Titan" enhancement, with an almost imprable defensive aura surrounding the Eldest Prince...


    In the end, he still died silently.


    David lifted his hand and, just like that, it was over in a second!


    "What kind of technique is this?" Everyone''s expressions were stiff as they spoke. They couldn''t believe this was one of the skills listed on David''s panel.


    But the key question was��what grade of technique was that finger flick?


    A purple-tier skill might achieve such an effect, but surely it couldn''t be a gold-tier skill, right?


    A second-ss yer, no matter how strong, simply had no chance of obtaining a golden-quality skill! The reason Constantine possessed a golden-quality move was because of his countless meritorious deeds for the Antic Empire, and also due to his partial royal bloodline connection to the empire. That''s why it was bestowed upon him.


    David, on the other hand, belonged to the impoverished Earth Human race. How could he possess a gold-tier skill?


    But at this moment, it no longer mattered how confused or bewildered everyone present was.


    The people on the side of the Divine Mountain Empire looked at David, who was still leaning casually against the dining table, savoring the blood-red wine in his ss, with eyes full of reverence!


    Meanwhile, the morale of the people from the Antic Empire hadpletely copsed.


    They had been chasing down various NPCs and yers, but now were at a loss. Continue fighting? It was pointless.Theirmander was dead!


    Surrender? Impossible! Falling into enemy hands would mean a fate worse than death!


    The soldiers and remainingmanders of the Antic Empire were so demoralized that they quickly fell to the losing side in battle, suffering rapid casualties.


    Sterl, outwardly calm andposed, was inwardly quite pleased.


    Earlier, he had used Star Point Finger, enhanced with stardust to maximize its output. To ensure sess, he had even boosted it to level 4, costing him over 20,000 stardusts, increasing its power fivefold.


    With such instantaneous output, even an elite-enhanced Constantine couldn''t survive unless he transformed into a boss.


    Of course, Sterl felt a slight twinge of regret.


    His stardust reserves had beenrgely umted from the initial wave of imperial trials. Normally, it would take months to gather tens of thousands of stardusts.


    Fortunately, the opponent was killed instantly.Otherwise, Sterl would have felt it was a huge waste!


    As for the instant kill of the Eldest Prince with that Star Point Finger, Sterl had only enhanced it once. Breaking through that strange protective aura, he sessfully achieved an instant kill.


    Sterl pondered this while continuing to lean against the dining table, sipping his drink.


    At the same time, he casually unleashed more Star Point Fingers, killing the soldiers andmanders of the Antic Empire.


    On the surface, it appeared as though he was expending no effort and waspletely at ease.


    In reality, he was entirely reliant on energy potions to barely sustain the continuous release of golden-tier techniques.


    Sterl may have looked calm, but the intense consumption of energy made him feel like he was about to copse.


    However, in order to maintain the image of a strongman and to eliminate at least the second-ss units of the Antic Empire to gain more rewards, he had no choice but to put on a brave front.


    The system notifications ringing in his ears brought him immense joy, allowing him to ignore the physical pain.


    [You have killed Hoffmann, a general of the Antic Empire, gaining 145,671 experience points, 2,000 Divine Mountain Empire reputation points, and 1,000 Divine Mountain Empire contribution points.]


    [You have killed an elite soldier of the Antic Empire, gaining 21,441...]


    Especially given his low level, the experience from killing these strong enemies skyrocketed! His experience bar surged like a rocket!


    At this moment, Sterl had an epiphany.


    That''s right, although he cleared monsters quickly, it was merely to collect stardust and blood power. When it came to truly leveling up, he had to take on higher-level challenge tasks. The efficiency was just off the charts!


    About ten minutester, all the Antic Empire members were cleared out.


    Sterl didn''t need to lift a finger, as someone collected all the dropped loot orbs and handed them to him.


    "Lord David, please verify the quantity." a leather-armored yer said, kneeling on one knee with utmost respect. This yer had been among those mocking Sterl earlier.


    Seeing him groveling now, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to care and waved his hand, "Thank you."


    The yer looked both honored and surprised, "I dare not take the credit."


    After that, the atmosphere grew somewhat tense.


    The yers and NPCs all stared at Sterl, falling into an eerie silence. Everyone knew that this disaster had beenpletely turned around by David alone.


    The terrifyingbat prowess disyed by this yer convinced everyone.


    Before long, David''s name would surely resound across nations! Previously, people merely thought David had the potential to be a legend, perhaps even a demigod.


    Now...


    They believed that David would undoubtedly stand at the pinnacle of all yers! Being a demigod might not even be the end of his power.


    The NPCs and some well-read yers knew their history. Before the Divine Mountain Empire was established, a god of hunting had once ascended to godhood on thisnd.


    Though poets had embellished his past, even at his second-ss stage, this god''s feats paled inparison to David''s!


    For a time, there was widespread unease.


    Everyone looked at David as if gazing at an unapproachable sun. Faced with such a powerful figure, even those who wished to curry favor didn''t dare to approach!


    Even the Fourth Prince felt the same. He pondered whether rushing forward to kneel and express his gratitude woulde off as too sycophantic.


    However, the awkward atmosphere was broken within seconds.


    "Thank goodness you''re alright!" Faye approached Sterl with a joyful expression. She hadn''t overthought it.She was simply relieved that "David" was unharmed.


    In Faye''s mind, Felicia was frantically shouting, "Hey! Hey! No, no, no!"


    "Now is the time to build a good rtionship with him. You can''t just blurt things out."


    "Thanks for your help earlier." Sterl responded with a smile.


    He was still quite fond of Faye, who had the potential to be his primary star, and treated her kindly.


    "Huh?"


    "That worked!"


    Felicia was stunned for a moment, then excitedly eximed, "Good!"


    "You did well!"


    She had initially thought that after David revealed his true power, he would disdain interacting with a bunch of weaker individuals.


    Felicia had been worried about how to ensure her good disciple maintained a rtionship with him.


    Unexpectedly, Felicia had aplished this daunting task herself.


    Could it be that... sincerity truly is the ultimate weapon?


    Sensing her disciple''s genuine concern for David, Felicia couldn''t help but ponder.


    At this moment, seeing Felicia and David chatting, the eyes of the others lit up.


    David wasn''t that difficult to talk to after all!


    "Lord David, we owe you so much!"


    "Words cannot express our gratitude. If you have the time, you can visit our Bird Feather Tribeor Snow ins Tribe, and our tribe will reward you generously!"


    "Warrior David, your Earth Human race has long wanted to coborate with the empire on the development of Lustrous Crystals. We, on behalf of the empire, agree to this cooperation as a small token of gratitude for saving us."


    yers and NPCs alike wereing up with various reasons to get closer to him.


    After listening for a while, Sterl started feeling bored.


    He nced at the Fourth Prince. "Is the issue not resolved yet?"


    The Fourth Prince was momentarily stunned, then realized that David, being a warrior from another world, was concerned about the rewards after the historical event concluded.


    The Fourth Prince quickly spoke, "There''s onest step, restoring the consciousness space to normal."


    He walked over to the Eldest Prince''s corpse, which had beenpletely reduced to ashes. Amid the dust, there was a golden chain gleaming brightly.


    The Fourth Prince picked it up and chanted, "Titan, restore the consciousness space to normal."


    As the Fourth Prince spoke, a strange light illuminated the area. Everyone felt a sense of relief, as if some kind of constraint had been lifted.


    At the same time, all the yers present showed expressions of ecstatic joy.


    The main quest rewards were being distributed!


    Although most of them had zero contribution, even inflicting a little damage on those soldiers would yield some benefits.


    Moreover, the scattered rewards from the main quest were still higher than the full rewards from many regr quests!

 Chapter 92: Multiple Rewards, Explosive Gains!

    yers stared at the system notifications of their rewards, and only one thought was left in their minds:


    "This wave was an absolute win."


    They looked at Sterl with immense gratitude in their eyes. Any previous grievances against the Earth Human race were forgotten.


    "Sterl is practically our savior! He saved our lives and helped us get these rewards."


    Even if it meant betraying their own race to follow him, they would only think��


    "Really? Am I not getting too good a deal? Should I go kill a few more of my own kind to bnce it out?"


    Meanwhile, Sterl nearly crushed the wine ss in his hand, overwhelmed with excitement.


    System notifications flooded Sterl''s view:


    First��


    [Regional Main Quest: Empire''s Turmoil (Phase One) Completed]


    [Notice: You will receive the Phase Two quest in due course.]


    [Quest Evaluation: Perfect!]


    [You have received the following rewards: Level 5 Experience Points.]


    [You have gained 20,000 Divine Mountain Empire Reputation Points and 20,000 Divine Mountain Empire Contribution Points.]


    [Perfect Evaluation Bonus: +1 Legendary Status.]


    [For killing Constantine, you have received an additional +1 Legendary Status.]


    [You have received the Blood of Sacrifice.]


    [Hidden Quest: Power Game Phase Rewards Distributed.]


    [Due to your performance, you have received the following rewards��]


    [You have received the following rewards: Level 3 Experience Points.]


    [You have gained 20,000 Divine Mountain Empire Reputation Points and 20,000 Divine Mountain Empire Contribution Points.]


    [You have received the Blood of the Warrior.]


    [Notice: You will continue this hidden quest in due course.]


    After tallying the rewards from both quests, Sterl felt like he had hit the jackpot!


    First off, he reconfirmed that grinding mobs didn''t yield as high gains aspleting quests. This wave aloneted him Level 8 Experience Points! Although, for Sterl, given his lower level, this reward felt a bit underwhelming.


    He estimated that other true second-ss yers present would also gain a few levels frompleting the quest, but the experience required for them to level up was much higher than for Sterl.


    But it didn''t matter. Finishing this wave of tasks meant he still had main quests and hidden quests to do. So he wasn''tcking in experience points!


    Additionally, he gained 40,000 Divine Mountain Empire Reputation Points and 40,000 Contribution Points!


    His status panel now disyed [Divine Mountain Empire: Revered (15124/80000)], with a huge leap in reputation. The contribution shop would likely open up a wealth of new items!


    Of course, what thrilled Sterl the most was that the main quest lived up to its name, generously granting him two Legendary Status points, and that was just from Phase One. Continuing with this quest would likely yield even more significant rewards!


    This wave was an absolute win!


    As for the Blood of the Warrior, it remained a mysterious item that Sterl tucked into his backpack.


    At this point, he had no interest in small talk with the other yers and NPCs. All he wanted was to find a ce to sort through his gains and spendvishly in the contribution shop.


    Of course�� While Sterl was rejoicing, the Fourth Prince, who had retrieved the golden chain from the Eldest Prince''s body, opened the sealed golden cab containing the [Arcane skill: Mountain]. He took out a specially crafted crystal and respectfully approached Sterl, holding it with both hands.


    "This is the reward for the champion of this trial. I didn''t expect that I would be the one to present it to you." The Fourth Prince''s expression was somewhat mncholic, sighing at the unpredictability of life.


    Previously, although he and his elder brother weren''t particrly close, they maintained a facade of harmony. Who could have predicted that it would end in fratricide?


    Thinking of this, the Fourth Prince looked at Sterl with gratitude. As the strongest contender for the throne, having the reputation of killing his elder brother would have been extremely detrimental.


    Even if he had transported the Eldest Prince back for execution, the Fourth Prince would have faced public bacsh, used of disregarding familial bonds.


    Thankfully, David''s intervention inadvertently resolved this dilemma for the Fourth Prince��


    "Mr. David, thank you for everything you''ve done for our empire."


    "In four days, the empire will be celebrating its founding anniversary. I sincerely invite you to our royal banquet. Would you honor us with your presence?" The Fourth Prince asked, showing a look of anticipation.


    Sterl waited for a moment, confirming that no new quest notifications had popped up, and then unhesitatingly declined.


    "Sorry, I have a quiet personality and am not interested in banquets."


    No rewards and you still want to waste my time?


    After Sterl spoke, the people of the Divine Mountain Empire showed no particr reaction. They were used to dealing with warriors from other worlds and knew that their behavior often differed from ordinary people. Many of them disliked socializing.


    After a brief exchange with Sterl, the Fourth Prince respectfully said, "I have another matter to announce. Mr. David, if you don''t mind, I will disturb youter."


    In theory, the Fourth Prince should be Sterl''s liege, but he was acting extremely humble.


    Sterl found it amusing and exasperating. If you have something to do, just do it. Do you really need my permission?


    He nodded reluctantly.


    Only then did the Fourth Prince look relieved. He walked to the center of the hall.


    "Warriors from another world, the reason our empire recruited you and even took out treasures like the Mountain is because we have our own interests at heart."


    "Our Divine Mountain Empire, part of the Dark Moon Alliance, has discovered a unique otherworld."


    "ording to our investigations, the energy concentration in this otherworld is low, meaning only yers below level 100 can operate normally. yers above level 100 or those who havepleted their third ss change will have their energy suppressed and worn down by the world''s will."


    "Not only would you be limited to level 100bat power in this otherworld, but any progress beyond level 100 andpleted ss changes would be forcibly reset, requiring you to train them back up."


    "So, the Dark Moon Alliance has informed each country to select yers below the second ss to enter this otherworld."


    "Our Divine Mountain Empire has obtained some intelligence indicating that this otherworld once had a high energy concentration. However, after an apocalyptic war, its civilization was shattered, and the world''s core was damaged, leading to its current state."


    "As a result, this otherworld is said to contain a plethora of advanced arcane skills, skills of golden quality and above, and even fragments of divinity required for ascending to demigod status."


    "The top twenty yers from this trial will be allowed to enter the otherworld under the guidance of the Dark Moon Alliance."


    "Of course, if any of you do not wish to participate in this operation, you are free to opt out."


    The Fourth Prince slowly revealed the information he had, although his eyes flickered, suggesting he was withholding some details.


    The yers below, especially the twenty who qualified to enter the otherworld, listened with growing excitement.


    Entering another world! Advanced arcane skills, golden-quality skills??


    And this ce conveniently limits power to below level 100??


    That means we second-ss yers also have a chance to obtain these precious resources!


    Their eyes practically glowed red with anticipation.


    Only Sterl was utterly confused.


    Fortunately, Felicia, ever understanding, walked over.


    In the mind of the Water Blue n''s saintess, Felicia urgently shouted, "As expected, Earth Human yers are missing some vital information. This is your chance to stand out!"


    "Go on!"


    Meanwhile, Faye began to exin: "What the Fourth Prince mentioned about the Dark Moon Alliance and the otherworld is actually��"


    As the girl exined, Sterl started to piece together some of the intel.


    The so-called Dark Moon Alliance was the governing body of the Divine Mountain Empire and over 70 surrounding nations. They managed to subdue over 70 countries because the Dark Moon Alliance was controlled by a true deity.


    The goddess Gloria, who wielded the powers of shadow and moon, demanded that the Divine Mountain Empire and the surrounding nations offer one-tenth of their annual ie in precious resources as tribute to her.


    In return, the Dark Moon Goddess would protect these countries from being invaded by nations under other deities'' dominion.


    Though Sterl found it somewhat fishy��it sounded like these gods were just ying a coordinated game. If you didn''t follow one god, others woulde after you��


    The so-called otherworld was essentially an instance, but an enormous one that had be a real world.


    yers entering it wouldn''t need toplete any tasks or conditions to leave.They could exit using specific items.


    Unlike Starfall Wastnd, which used rules to restrict yers above level 20, theoretically, yers could force their way in using items.


    The otherworld mentioned by the Fourth Prince had a world core that could only support yers below level 100. Even a god entering it would see their power rapidly dissipate.


    "Unless one is at a level beyond a god, but such a level may not exist in the entire main world of [Transcendence]," Faye said in an unusually strange tone, which Sterl knew was likely Felicia speaking through her.

 Chapter 93: The Netherworld, Divine-Level Power?

    However, Sterl had no interest in focusing on realms beyond the gods.That was too far-fetched for him.


    He was more intrigued by the term "main world of [Transcendence]."


    Unfortunately, Felicia seemed to realize she had misspoken and immediately mmed up. No matter how Sterl tried to coax her, she refused to divulge any more information.


    At that moment, a new prompt appeared before the top twenty yers of the tournament:


    [ept Regional Main Quest: Explore the Netherworld?]


    [Description: A once ravaged and deste realm, devastated by ancient wars, has now resurfaced under the guidance of a deity. Adventurers will have the opportunity to enter this lost domain and recover its long-forgotten treasures.]


    [Rewards: Depending on the treasures obtained, you will receive Dark Moon Alliance reputation and contribution points.]


    Another main quest!


    The yers were thrilled.After all, this was a main quest with difficulty capped below level 100, meaning it carried the same risks as other tasks but promised higher rewards.


    Only a fool would pass this up!


    They naturally epted without hesitation. Entering an otherworldly realm was bound to be extremely dangerous, but if one was unwilling to take even this level of risk and dared not to stake their life, how could they ever talk about bing strong?


    Sterl was just about to ept the mission when he noticed the fourth prince had stealthily approached him.


    "Mr. David, I have something to discuss..." He had a look that suggested he was about to share some secret, yet Faye, without any hint from Felicia, just stood there with an adorably earnest expression on her face.


    "Never mind, Miss Faye can listen in too." the Fourth Prince sighed.


    Seeing the seriousness on his face, Sterl was taken aback.


    The Fourth Prince began to exin, "Most of what I told the otherworld warriors about this quest is true. But there''s one thing��the Dark Moon Alliance isn''t doing this out of charity."


    "The Alliance will imnt a special restriction in the bodies of yers entering the otherworld, preventing you from using any of your gains while there."


    "This ensures that everything yers bring back from the otherworld belongs to the Alliance and the respective countries."


    "Our Divine Mountain Empire has been promised that all arcane skills obtained by yers in the otherworld will belong to us, while other resources will go to the Alliance."


    After hearing the Fourth Prince''s exnation, Sterl frowned. "But the quest description doesn''t mention that we have to turn over the resources we obtain."


    At this moment, Faye inexplicably spoke in an indignant tone, "Because the one standing behind the Dark Moon Alliance is that Goddess!"


    "The godscouldoverride some of [Transcendence]''s rules!"


    "That old woman is just as greedy as ever."


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, realizing it was clearly Felicia speaking now.


    He had a suspicion that his earlier theory was now confirmed.


    It''s understandable that Felicia knew so much information, as it could be exined by the knowledge she had acquired as a member of the Water Blue n. However, the information involving deities... there was no way such knowledge could have been learned by a fragmented personality within the Water Blue n.


    Could Felicia really be the remnant soul of some powerful entity?


    Sterl''s eyes lit up. He had a bold idea: when Felicia took over, she was considered part of Felicia.


    This was evident to Sterl when he checked Felicia''s panel using Star Insight.


    "If I refine Faye as the primary or secondary star while Felicia is in control, wouldn''t it be like getting two for the price of one?"


    Sterl let his mind wander while casually asking a question.


    "But why did you feel the need to tell me this? Wouldn''t obtaining arcane skills be more important for the Divine Mountain Empire?"


    "Because this matter can''t be kept hidden. It''s said that the goddess will use a special item to distribute divine power to each yer."


    "At that point, your panel will directly show that you''re restricted."


    "To be blunt, you might not even get the arcane skills. But someone of your talent, our empire can''t afford to lose." To the Fourth Prince, other yers might ept their fate, as entering the otherworld and gaining reputation and contribution points from the Dark Moon Alliance was already a huge reward.


    But for someone like David, these rewards were probably insignificant.


    Sterl''s mind raced as he heard the Fourth Prince''s words. The goddess''s restriction would show up on his panel?


    He suddenly had a daring thought. If he could add points, couldn''t he potentially hijack the goddess''s power? Sterl had long figured out that anything disyed on his panel could have points added to it, and it would always evolve in a way beneficial to him.


    The only time he couldn''t add points was when the quality was insufficient.


    But a restriction made from divine powercking quality? That would be absurd.


    Suddenly, in Sterl''s eyes, it seemed that this main quest had gained another advantage: the ability to acquire god-level power for free, albeit just a tiny fraction.


    But divine power was divine power!


    He even felt a bit eager to have the goddess ce a restriction on him.


    "I understand. But I am still interested in the otherworld."


    "I''ll ept the quest."


    As Sterl epted the quest on his panel, he looked at the Fourth Prince and said, "And thank you for the heads-up from the empire."


    "May our friendship endure."


    Seeing Sterl''s response, the Fourth Prince visibly rxed.


    "Then, Mr. David, please try to gather as many advanced arcane skills as possible during the quest. Our empire really needs them."


    "The Dark Moon Alliance has promised that if the total contribution of yers selected by the Divine Mountain Empire reaches a certain level, they will provide an A-grade arcane skill."


    "But we want a bit more assurance."


    "If you seed, I can persuade my father to open the empire''s true treasury and let you pick any resource you want."


    The Fourth Prince said.


    Sterl nodded nonchntly as a new task popped up in front of him.


    [Collect Arcane Skills]


    [Description: The Divine Mountain Empire has tasked you with obtaining an A-grade or higher arcane skill after entering the Netherworld.]


    [Reward: Choose any two items from the Empire''s treasury.]


    The Empire''s treasury... it sounded like it was filled with treasures.


    "After you leave the consciousness space, we''ll arrange for someone to take you to the entrance of the otherworld. It''s located in a border city of the Pompeii Empire. It would be too troublesome for you to go there on your own."


    "Thank you for the assistance."


    Sterl nodded slightly. For the time being, he had no desire to interact with the sycophantic NPCs and yers who only knew how to tter.


    He closed his eyes and began to practice his arcane skills. Given his current status, no one dared to disturb him.


    Soon enough...


    "Um..." Sterl felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, followed by Faye''s soft voice in his ear.


    "The prince said we can leave now."


    The Fourth Prince stood nearby as well. "Mr. David, you may now exit the consciousness space."


    Simultaneously, the princes activated golden-glowing talismans in their hands.


    Sterl felt a sh of light before his eyes. When the white glow dissipated and his vision returned to normal, he found himself sitting on the altar in the temple.


    "Mr. David, wee back." The temple priest, busy with a book in his hands, greeted him casually.


    The priest was unaware of everything that had transpired in the consciousness space, especially the royal scandal. In fact, all yers present, except for Sterl, had signed a confidentiality agreement.


    At this moment, the priest''s attitude towards "David" was nothing special, just friendly as a colleague.


    Sterl felt slightly morefortable.


    The incessant ttery had been a bit overwhelming for him.


    Half an hourter, at Advanced Base No. 113...


    In Teresa''s luxurious vi, Sterl sat on the sofa, enjoying himself.


    Teresa and Daphne were positioned on either side of him, their mouths working on his lower body.


    It seemed the two had taken some time to practice their skills during Sterl''s absence.


    They skillfully used their tongues to caress every part of Sterl''s genitals.


    Moreover, Teresa and Daphne had a clear division ofbor. While serving Sterl, Teresa also had a stack of documents to report.


    "Master, our organization is gradually getting on track. Thanks to the contribution points and reputation from the Divine Mountain Empire, the yers have taken on many new tasks. However, due to the short time frame, most haven''tpleted them yet."


    "ording to the organization''s rules, one-tenth of the task rewards will be contributed to you."


    "Goodjob. You all are very considerate." Sterl was entirely caught up in the sensations below, barely paying attention to the report. Organizational development...


    Task rewards...


    They were trivial to him.


    The mention of one-tenth of the rewards made him chuckle.


    Just moments ago, he had beenining with Faye about the greed of the Dark Moon Alliance.


    And now, here he was, taking a tenth of his subordinates'' resources.

 Chapter 94: The Power of Bloodline?

    Teresa paused her report and slowly knelt down.


    "Move aside." She snatched the "prey" from Daphne''s hands, causing Daphne to look displeased.


    Sterl continued to enjoy himself with eyes closed. He then grabbed Teresa''s head and started thrusting aggressively.


    "Mmm~~"


    With Teresa struggling like she was drowning, Sterl finally released with a sense of satisfaction.


    Daphne, with a seductive smile, moved forward and opened her mouth to clean up Sterl.


    After his pleasure, Sterl ruthlessly got dressed and took over the best room in the vi.


    "I''m going into seclusion. The Divine Mountain Empire will send someone to pick me up in a while. Unless it''s something crucial, do not disturb me."


    His approach was to enjoy and then leave.


    "Yes."


    "Understood." Teresa and Daphne responded obediently.


    In the following days, Sterl finally had the peace to go into seclusion and allocate his points.


    He had quite a few resources at his disposal that he hadn''t had the chance to enhance yet.


    If he had, the earlier encounter with Constantine wouldn''t have dragged on. He wouldn''t have had to wait for the cooldown to finish before he could activate a golden-tier skill to counterattack.


    "The situation in the consciousness space was a bit risky." Sterl frowned. If he hadn''t leveled up Star Point Finger through adding points, he would have been in serious trouble.


    Sterl could use divine descent to resurrect. Theoretically, if he died in the consciousness space, under the effect of the Rain of the Netherworld, the[Transcendence]system would determine that his "physical body" in the external world had also died, and then Sterl would be resurrected in the temple.


    So, while others might die, Sterl actually faced little risk. But using up his resurrection ability meant he wouldn''t take any more risks until the cooldown was over, which could waste a lot of time.


    Sterl sat cross-legged in the room. He didn''t rush to start his training or allocate points. Instead, he first opened the Divine Mountain Empire''s Reputation Shop.


    This time, he had a whopping 74,500 contribution points.


    These weren''t just frompleting tasks but also from killing Constantine and numerous soldiers and generals of the Antic Empire.


    Opening the reputation shop, he found that many new items were avable due to his revered reputation.


    After a brief look, he found something very interesting.


    The standard armor he had previously exchanged for in the Divine Mountain Empire now had an upgraded version.


    [Mountain Robe (tinum Grade)]


    [Category:Upper Body]


    [Description: Armor secretly forged by the Divine Mountain Empire, offered as tribute to the royal family. Only friends of the empire can obtain it.]


    [Effect: +50 to all attributes, +40 to strength and agility. Grants the special ability [Grand Morale+: When activated, this ability releases a morale boost to all nearby units, increasing all attributes by 20% and providing 40% resistance to abnormal statuses.]


    [Requirement:Divine Mountain Empire reputation must be Revered or higher.]


    [Exchange Price: 10,000 contribution points]


    Sterl took a few nces and immediately recognized that this was an upper-body equipment equivalent to a second-tier tinum level. The requirements to equip it were quite simple as well; one only needed to reach Revered reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire, with no level restrictions.


    Since Sterl had previously exchanged for a lower version of the Divine Mountain Empire''s standard armor, he could directly spend 5000 contribution points to upgrade it to the Robe of the Mountain.


    To Sterl''s delight, besides the Mountain Robe, there were several other reputation-based items avable with a revered reputation.


    [Mountain Landscape (tinum Grade)]


    [Category: Cloak]


    [Description: A cloak depicting the vast territories of the Divine Mountain Empire. It has high collectible value.]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 30 points, and constitution and spirit by 20 points. Grants the special ability [Refraction: Passive ability, you have a 13% chance to negate an attack when hit by an opponent.]


    [Requirement: Divine Mountain Empire reputation must be Revered or higher.]


    [Exchange Price: 10,000 contribution points]


    ...


    [Mountain Heart (tinum Grade)]


    [Category: Ne]


    [Description: A treasure infused with the power of the mountains, owned exclusively by esteemed guests of the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 30 points. Grants the special ability [Protection: Passive ability, reduces damage received by 15% and increases damage dealt by 15%]


    [Requirement: Divine Mountain Empire reputation must be Revered or higher.]


    [Exchange Price: 10,000 contribution points]


    ...


    With the upper body armor, cloak, and ne, there were a total of three second-tier tinum-grade pieces of equipment!


    Normally, Sterl would need to be around level 80 to equip these. His thought process was clear: He was leveling up quickly bypleting hidden tasks, his next venture was into an otherworldly realm, which posed significant risks. Equipping these three pieces would greatly enhance his strength.


    Spending contribution points was definitely worth it!


    Sterl quickly spent 25,000 contribution points to acquire all three pieces of equipment.


    Even though using contribution points to exchange for purple-quality skills unlocked at Revered reputation or a few Diamond-grade pieces of equipment would be more profitable, Sterl didn''tck purple skills, and the Diamond equipment required levels 90 or even 100. If he exchanged for them, they would just sit in his inventory gathering dust...


    After purchasing the equipment, Sterl continued to browse the reputation shop.


    He soon found another valuable item:


    [Mastery: Mobile Casting]


    [Description: Through mastering this ability, you will learn how to cast spells while moving, enhancing the stability, efficiency, and slight power of your skill releases.]


    [Effect: After practicing this mastery and reaching proficiency, you will gain the following skill: [Mobile Casting: Passive ability, you can cast skills under any conditions, including but not limited to high-speed movement, mid-air, etc.]


    [No proficiency levels for passive skills]


    [Learning Requirement: Must have learned any two purple-quality spell skills.]


    [Training Difficulty: Difficult]


    [Price: 15,000 contribution points]


    This was an incredibly useful Mastery. Unlike the previous Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts, which was purely designed for individuals like Sterl who leveled up too quickly and whose strength increased at an overwhelming pace, making it difficult for them to control their own power.


    The ability to cast while moving was incredibly precious! For any magic-based damage-dealing ss, it held immense value. Imagine during a battle, once a magic-based ss was engaged in closebat, theirbat effectiveness was significantly reduced because they found it difficult to cast spells while dodging enemy attacks.


    But with the Mobile Casting technique, mages could maintain their ability to counterattack while evading.


    Theirbat effectiveness would increase significantly.


    For Sterl, acquiring this Mastery was a no-brainer.


    After some consideration, with over 30,000 contribution points remaining, he also exchanged for an amulet worth 5,000 contribution points.


    [Universal Love]


    [Type: Amulet]


    [Effect: When carrying this amulet, each time you use a different skill, the effect of the next skill increases by 10%, stacking up to 8 times.]


    For Sterl, fully utilizing this amulet''s effect was challenging because his skills were so overwhelmingly powerful that he could often one-shot opponents several levels higher, leaving little opportunity to use eight different skills.


    But as always, when he saw a valuable amulet, Sterl had to have it!


    With over 20,000 contribution points remaining, Sterl decided to save them for now. Having already achieved a Revered reputation with the Divine Mountain Empire, he nned to continue grinding, especially with his uing otherworldly expedition. If he could acquire an A-rank arcane skill and trade it with the empire, he might even reach the highest level of reputation��Worship.


    At that point, all items in the reputation shop would be unlocked, and Sterl could spend his contribution points for the highest return.


    Afterpleting his exchanges, Sterl decided not to wear the newly acquired gear right away. Instead, he packed the Mountain series cloak, upper body armor, and ne into his backpack.


    At that moment, something in the [Transcendence] system''s inventory caught his eye.


    The four types of blood he had previously deemed useless��


    Hero''s Blood, King''s Blood, Priest''s Blood, Warrior''s Blood��were now glowing.


    "Hidden quest and main quest rewards? I knew they couldn''t bepletely useless!"


    Sterl''s eyes lit up as he took out the four types of blood. They immediately floated in the air, swirling and resonating with each other.


    Finally, with a blinding sh of light, the four types of blood slowly merged into one, transforming into a single drop of liquid interwoven with golden threads, which thennded in Sterl''s palm.


    "What is this..." Sterl was a bit puzzled. He could clearly see a blood droplet rolling in his palm. It was incredibly resilient, like crystal in texture, yet it also had the fluid characteristics of liquid, able to change shape freely.


    After a moment of observation, a notification popped up before his eyes��


    [Congrattions! You have collected four hidden items.]


    [The four types of blood have now assembled. You have obtained the bloodline item��Primordial Human.]


    Bloodline item? What is that?


    Sterl was utterly confused.


    Unfortunately, without Felicia, his external brain, Sterl was left to figure it out on his own.


    He opened the description of the bloodline item.


    Instantly, a look of disbelief crossed Sterl''s face.


    Holy crap, isn''t this a bit too exaggerated?

 Chapter 95: Bloodline—Primordial Human

    The details of the Primordial Human bloodline appeared before Sterl.


    [Primordial Human (Bloodline)]


    [Category: Bloodline Item]


    [Description: On the continent of Vastor, the first being to achieve godhood as a human left behind only one thing after their fall, along with the fall of their race: a refined and concentrated bloodline, optimized upon their ascension to divinity.]


    [Effect: Upon use, grants the bloodline��Primordial Human. You will receive an additional bloodline talent, and the difficulty of advancing to Legendary, Demigod, and God levels will be reduced.]


    After reading the description, Sterl understood what the bloodline item was.


    In simple terms, it was the legacy of a being who, though originally human, had ascended to godhood. After their death, they left behind this bloodline as a heritage.


    Just like Teresa''s family, who could continuously refine their bloodline through the coboration of third-tier yers, the Faye n experienced a significant enhancement in their entire Water Blue n''s bloodline due to the emergence of a demigod.


    The optimization of a race''s bloodline by someone who had truly be a god would be even more profound!


    A bloodline item is the product of such concentrated bloodline power! In other words, if Sterl were to merge with this bloodline, it would be akin to bing a direct descendant of a former god!


    This drastically reduces the difficulty for Sterl to advance to Demigod and God levels!


    As for the Legendary level, that''s a given.Sterl felt confident he could achieve it without external aids.


    This realization was why he was so shocked earlier.


    Isn''t this a bit too overpowered?!


    All he did wasplete a few hidden and main quests, theoretically with perfect evaluations, including the stage hidden quest involving the fourth prince. Even though no specific evaluation was shown, Sterl was confident he had done everything possible. If there were a scoring system, he would have maxed it out.


    But could all of that really be worth such a bloodline?


    This involves divine-level creations, after all.


    Sterl felt it was highly unreasonable!


    However, after a few seconds of hesitation, he chose to merge with the bloodline item. After all, it''s not like it would turn him into some half-beast or anything.He would still remain human. There was nothing to worry about.


    As the mystical light enveloped him, the blood merged into Sterl''s body. He couldn''t help but feel thrilled as the new notifications appeared before him.


    Sterl couldn''t care less why he had acquired the bloodline item so easily...


    In any case, he hit the jackpot!


    The Primordial Human bloodline indeed increased Sterl''s chances of advancing to godhood!


    Unfortunately, it only slightly improved those chances.


    At that moment, the system began shing notifications.


    [You have merged with the Primordial Human bloodline.]


    [You have received the following benefits: Your arcane skill training efficiency is increased by 100%, and the quality of legendary foundations forged through arcane skill training is elevated by one tier.]


    [You have gained a special ability: Divine Vessel, allowing you to use your physical body as a fragment of divine essence to contain aw.]


    [Your failure rate in merging with divine roles through the power ofws is slightly reduced.]


    [Your descendants will inherit the above effects, with an additional level increase in awakened talents.]


    "Huh?"


    Sterl looked at the information on the bloodline item, feeling quite conflicted.


    It wasn''t that the bloodline was weak.It was actually quite powerful. One of its effects, allowing him to use his physical body as a fragment of divine essence, made Sterl realize this was no ordinary item!


    He had heard of divine essence fragments before, which, simr to the legendary status required for advancement, were essential for ascending to demigod status.


    Moreover, this was unlike legendary status, which could be achieved bypleting major events. In theory, the world of [Transcendence] was constantly evolving, with new nations emerging every moment and new major events to participate in. As long as you were strong enough, legendary status was guaranteed.


    However, divine essence fragments were concrete items. If they did not exist within the Divine Mountain Empire or nearby countries, no matter how extraordinary Sterl''s point system was, it would have been impossible to obtain them.


    This alone demonstrated the bloodline''s value.


    Another effect of the bloodline was reducing the failure rate of merging divine roles with the power ofws.


    Sterl recognized the words but had no idea what they meant together. He could only guess that this was rted to the increased probability of ascending to godhood mentioned in the bloodline''s description.


    These two effects alone made the Primordial Human bloodline invaluable! Despite being a bit of an amateur, Sterl had heard that the ancestors of Earth''s human race, who were demigods, disappeared while trying to be gods.


    There were countless demigods in the world of [Transcendence], and if they knew about this bloodline''s effects, they would go insane and do anything to obtain it.


    And the effect of giving a fragment of divine essence to Sterl for free, if it were to spread, would also attract countless legendary powerhouses, drawn by the news.


    "It''s just a shame that the increased quality of the legendary foundations forged through arcane skill training is useless to me.I can already max out my skills with my system." Sterl said, shaking his head with a slight sigh.


    Next, he opened his panel to examine the newly acquired bloodline.


    To his great surprise, the bloodline page disyed a plus sign.


    Without hesitation, he said, "Add points!"


    The Primordial Human bloodline was already incredibly strong, and if he could add points to it a few more times, how powerful could it be?


    After silentlymanding the system, Sterl immediately felt a surge of heat throughout his body. Strange energy rapidly flowed into him, causing his already transformed body to resonate and vibrate. He felt a surge of exhratingfort.


    However, at that moment, Sterl suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence within his body, which let out a desperate scream: "No, this can''t be!"


    "What is this power? My divine power... No!!!"


    "I am not willing!"


    "I''m not willing at all!!"


    "After waiting thousands of years, I finally had a chance!"


    Even though Sterl had no connection to the owner of the voice, hearing such a desperate cry made him feel an intense sorrow, as if the person who had passed was his closest friend, or even family...


    Sterl couldn''t help but burst into tears.


    After a few seconds, as the screams gradually faded away, Sterl felt something within his bloodline shatter and transform into nourishment, continually enhancing his body.


    "What is this?"


    "What just happened?"


    Sterl snapped back to reality, his expression drastically changing.


    He btedly showed a look of horror, realizing that during the bloodline evolution, his point-adding system seemed to have erased a mysterious will hidden within his body!


    Combining this realization with the desperate scream and the mention of "divine power" by that will, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of intense panic.


    If his guess was correct...


    The will that had just spoken was likely the source of the Primordial Human bloodline��


    The fallen god!


    "Was it him?"


    Sterl''s face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat.


    He remembered something Felicia had mentioned offhandedly before��


    Gods, to some extent, can bypass the rules of [Transcendence].


    Sterl had initially thought it was just an interesting tidbit and hadn''t paid much attention, but now he was genuinely terrified.


    ording to the [Transcendence] system''s prompt, the bloodline item clearly stated that the god hadpletely fallen and there were no side effects.


    Sterl couldn''t help but wonder, if it weren''t for his point-adding system erasing that god''s will...


    What would have happened to him?


    Having read various fantastical novels, Sterl couldn''t help but specte, "Could I have been taken over by that god, bing a vessel for his resurrection?"


    The more he thought about it, the more fearful he became. Being controlled by a god and used as a body double for resurrection��no revival items or divine protection would have worked!


    Sterl might have vanished without anyone knowing.


    "It turns out, gifts bestowed by fate are often marked with a hidden price." he thought with lingering fear. No wonder the Primordial Human bloodline, which could increase the probability of ascending to godhood, required only four perfect evaluations in hidden or main quests.


    While achieving four perfect evaluations was difficult, it wasn''t worth such a bloodline! The true reason was��


    yers capable of achieving four perfect evaluations in a row were highly talented, catching the eye of that god. The four bloodlines would then merge into a bloodline item, and anyone who used it would be a fool.


    Now, with the risk removed by his point-adding system, Sterl felt slightly smug. That god had been waiting for countless years without a chance to revive.


    It seemed that achieving four perfect evaluations in a row... only I could do it!


    As Sterl was contemting, a sudden light shed before his eyes��


    [Error detected.]


    [Detected %��#��...]


    [Detection in progress...]


    Suddenly, a series of garbled messages popped up before Sterl''s eyes.


    But eventually, the [Transcendence] system provided a clear message.


    [Your bloodline has been upgraded.]

 Chapter 96: Surging Bloodline Power, [Mastery: All Soldiers]

    Sterl saw a new system prompt appear before his eyes.


    [Your Primordial Human bloodline can now grant you��]


    [Your physical body is equivalent to 10 divine essence fragments and can contain correspondingw power.]


    [You have obtained the Divine Role: Human Race.]


    [Divine Role: Human Race]


    [Minimum effect to utilize this Divine Role: Achieve Demi-God level.]


    [Tip: You can be a deity by following your unique path through this divine office and with sufficient divine power andws.]


    [Congrattions, yer Sterl, you are now poised for godhood.]


    [May you ultimately reach the realm of Transcendence on your journey.]


    "Huh?"


    One second, Sterl was still feeling a lingering sense of fear.The next second, his expression hadpletely changed, and he could not help but smile.


    "Is this for real? Am I about to take off?" He felt a bit dizzy. Although he didn''t know exactly how valuable a physical body equivalent to 10 divine essence fragments was, he could be sure that just one divine essence fragment was already insanely valuable. Now it had increased tenfold...


    He didn''t even know how to describe it. He even wondered how long it would take and how vast a map he would need to traverse to gather 10 divine essence fragments on his own.


    But this wasn''t even the grand prize.There was also a [Divine Role]??


    What exactly did this do??


    Although Sterl was somewhat confused, after reading the description following the Divine Role, he roughly understood that with this role.Once he ascended to the Demi-God realm, one of the major hurdles to bing a god would be significantly reduced.


    In fact, if obtaining divine power andw power wasn''t extremely difficult, Sterl might have already cleared the only real obstacle to bing a god!


    Of course, this was all just his spection.


    "No way..."


    "Is this even real?" The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his luck was simply too overwhelming.


    Not even at the second ss yet, and the path to godhood was alreadyid out for him??


    As for the fear and chaos from almost being possessed earlier, it had long vanished...


    After a considerable effort, Sterl finally managed to calm himself down from his excitement.


    He activated his arcane skill and began to cultivate.


    Sterl nned to first refine the umted eleven levels of experience (8 levels from mission rewards and 3 levels from over-level challenges). Through his arcane skill cultivation, he smoothly sensed the formation ofs made from the convergence of spiritual energy and the energy of the real world.


    However... to Sterl''s surprise, theses, which originally floated randomly in his mental space, surrounding the giant light band symbolizing Sterl''s will, began to show signs of life.


    Somes at a suitable distance from the light band started to sprout nts, mountains, and rivers, and eventually, the tiny shadows of humans appeared.


    They multiplied and thrived, their numbers continuously growing. When Sterl cast his gaze upon theses, he noticed that the human shadows seemed to sense something and began to worship him.


    Sterl shuddered and snapped out of his meditative state.


    A special prompt lit up before his eyes.


    [Your ss, Star of Dawn, has reacted uniquely with your Divine Role: Human Race and the arcane skill: Star Soul Rotation.]


    [Currently, your mental domain will simte an unnamed human race, which will provide you with faith power.]


    -[Warning: Your rank is below Demi-God and cannot utilize faith power.]


    Sterl: "I have no idea what''s happening, but surprises are everywhere for the strong��"


    Although Sterl usually came across as a bit of a bumpkin, he now disyed a level of insight different from other yers in [Transcendence].


    Sterl knew very well how humanity evolved on Earth before he crossed over. Part of the reason was Earth''s optimal position, benefiting from the sun''s light and heat, which gave birth to life.


    His mental domain, influenced by his ss, also met the conditions for life to emerge. But the mental domain was essentially a phantom realm, not capable of true physical evolution like the real world. It wasn''t until Sterl obtained the Divine Role: Human Race that a qualitative change urred.


    "Now I''ve got all these massive boosts, but I have to wait until the Demi-God realm to use them." Sterl looked at his experience bar. He had originally thought he was leveling up quickly, but now it didn''t seem fast enough!


    After hesitating for a few seconds, he decided to focus on leveling up and improving his arcane skill proficiency. He''d allocate points to arcane skillster. He had already mastered the strategy of grinding hidden quests for a ton of experience.


    Heading into The Netherworld would yield massive experience gains, whereas blood power was more precious, and arcane skill proficiency was harder to increase...


    So, he''d suffer a small loss for a bigger gain.


    Sterl made a small n: for every 10 levels, he would allocate points to his arcane skill once.


    He resumed his cultivation.


    With the excitement of acquiring what seemed to be incredibly powerful but unusable faith power, it took Sterl a long time to calm down and re-enter a meditative state.


    Then, his level skyrocketed.


    The energy in his experience bar was rapidly consumed.


    Sterl''s aura continuously broke through new thresholds.


    Level 42, Level 43, Level 44��


    With the experience of eleven levels, he ultimately leveled up 13 times, reaching Level 54 in one fell swoop!


    When Sterl finally opened his eyes, he couldn''t help but feel a bit smug. From his ss change until now, only a few months had passed. Many yers at Level 50 struggled to level up even once or twice.


    Sterl, however, had rocketed up over 30 levels!


    "Excellent, next time I head to The Netherworld, it should take just a bit of effort to start my second ss quest."


    He admired his Level 54 status for a few seconds, feeling very pleased.


    After waiting a few minutes, Sterl''s daily skill point allocation reset. He decisively chose a skill on his panel to enhance.


    First was [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts]. Sterl spent four days and allocated points four times to max it out.


    During this process, he felt an immense amount of knowledge about various weapons flow into his mind.


    Finally, he gained a new ability.


    [Mastery: All Soldiers]


    [Description: Through the honing of this Mastery, you will automatically understand how to wield all weapons in the world.]


    [Effect: After cultivating this art, any weapon you touch will automatically be considered as mastered by you at a proficiency level.]


    When the proficiency of this Mastery reaches ''Mastered,'' you will gain the following skill: [All Soldiers (Passive ability: Any weapon you hold will automatically increase in quality, enhancing attributes such as sharpness and cutting power.)]


    When the proficiency of this Mastery reaches ''Proficient,'' you will gain the following skill: [Instant (Upon activating this skill, your next attack/skill power will increase by 80%)]


    [Skill proficiency level is the same as the Mastery proficiency level.]


    [Learning requirements: ???]


    [Difficulty of cultivation: Extremely difficult]


    "Awesome!" Sterl gave a concise one-word evaluation. Originally, [Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts]merely ensured he had no obvious weaknesses in battle and could wield any weaponpetently.


    But now, [Mastery: All Soldiers] had transformed this quantitative change into a qualitative leap. The difference between having a proficient foundational skill and merely being able to use a weaponpetently was enormous!


    A proficient foundational skill was enough to allow a yer to be selectively equipped with a weapon that maximizes their strengths.


    For instance, a yer with staff proficiency could achieve faster casting speeds when wielding a staff. Meanwhile, a yer with sword proficiency could experience increased power when using sword techniques and equipping de-type weapons...


    In [Transcendence], the rule for all strong yers in weapon selection is to choose based on thebination of ss, skills, and proficiency skills!


    Thistest evolution in Sterl''s Mastery allowed him to enjoy proficiency-level bonuses with any weapon!


    Moreover, Sterl''s ss skill, [Star de], had the unique feature of transforming into any type of weapon.


    He could transform the Star de into a staff to gain a speed boost when casting spells. During a [Bloody Rush], he could switch the weapon to a dagger to extend the duration of speed-rted skills. When using [Star Point Finger], he could convert the Star de into a knuckle duster, enhancing its power.


    For [Celestial Stars], Sterl could summon stars faster using a staff or use a [Divination Weapon] to gain additional effects for star-rted skills.


    Especially with the foundational skill of [Divination Weapon], which was extremely rare, it''s something Earth humans didn''t even have the materials to study. Theoretically, Sterl wouldn''t be able to elevate it to proficiency, let alone mastery!


    The value of [Mastery: All Soldiers] was apparent!


    Infinite transformations at Sterl''s whim! The enhancement effects could apply across variousbat scenarios.


    As for the two additional skills gained after allocating points, Sterl was very pleased.


    [Instant]saw its power increase from 50% to 80%, and the other skill, which only required a ''Mastered'' proficiency level to learn, had an even more domineering effect: directly upgrading the weapon''s quality by one tier.

 Chapter 97: Arcane Skill Enhancement, [Mastery: Spellcasting Expertise]

    The weapon quality increases by one tier, but without enhancing the attributes or the effects of attached skills, it may seem underwhelming.


    Actually, under normal circumstances, this skill enhancement was quite excellent. It could elevate the quality of a weapon by one tier. Melee weapons had increased output, while ranged weapons benefited from better mana conduction efficiency, resulting in a boost in skill power.


    Moreover, since it''s an unconditional quality boost, Sterl''s future legendary, epic, or mythical weapons will benefit greatly from this skill, making it extremely overpowered.


    Higher-tier weapons experience a qualitative change with each tier increase.


    Sterl was exceedingly excited, though slightly frustrated by the effort required to achieve ''Mastered'' proficiency in [Mastery: All Soldiers].


    After the point allocation, the umted proficiency in Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts depreciated significantly, currently at [Beginner: 611/10000]. Fortunately, [Mastery: All Soldiers] proficiency would gradually increase throughbat.


    Sterl had already nned to grind proficiencies in The Netherworld. In critical battles, he would use his blood power to make a surge, and it shouldn''t take long to enjoy the benefits of this Mastery.


    Next, Sterl spent another day training, taking a total of five days to max out his arcane skill proficiency and allocate points.


    The quality of Star Soul Rotation has risen once again, reaching D-tier. Since Sterl has not yet reached the new cultivation stage for arcane skills, this wave of additional enhancements is modest, just a 10% increase in experience efficiency and a 10% boost in attribute effects.


    Then, he spent three more days maxing out another Mastery, [Mastery: Mobile Spellcasting].


    Finally, Sterl obtained��


    [Mastery: Spellcasting Expertise]


    [Description: You can cast spells in any harsh environment and gain additional benefits from spellcasting. You can cast spells freely while moving, receiving damage, under control effects, or near death.]


    [Effect: Spellcasting efficiency is increased by 30%. You can still cast spells while under control effects, depleting stamina instead of mana when out of mana. In special maps where spellcasting is restricted, you can choose to expend additional stamina to forcefully cast spells.


    When the proficiency of this skill reaches Mastery, you will acquire the ability [Maximized Spell (You can invest additional stamina to increase the power of your next spell. The maximum enhancement is achieved by investing 200% of your stamina, resulting in a 100% power increase.)


    When the proficiency of this skill reaches Grandmaster, you will acquire the skill [Destructive Arcane (You can remove any additional effects from your skill. For each effect removed, you need to spend an extra 100% stamina, increasing the spell''s power by 50%.)].


    [Difficulty of cultivation: Difficult]


    "This is incredible!" Sterl eximed with excitement. After three point allocations, the newly evolved Mastery was highly satisfying.


    Sterl initially learned [Mobile Spellcasting]to ensure his spellcasting would be unrestricted.


    Now, this goal was more than achieved. He could cast spells even when controlled or silenced, with an empty mana bar, and even in anti-magic zones.


    As for casting spells while moving, flying, or being hit��thesemon scenarios couldn''t stop Sterl from unleashing his skills.


    The effects of this Mastery were maxed out!


    Even the two additional skills seemed like bonus gifts.


    [High-Efficiency Spell] and [Destructive Arcana] also took Sterl by surprise. One triples the stamina cost to double the spell''s power, while the other removes skill effects to further boost spell power.


    Take his [Celestial Stars]as an example. It has two additional effects: ally shielding and enemy control. Removing all of them would double its power again!


    "However, the two skills thate with this Mastery have pretty steep costs. [Ignition me]only requires double the stamina for double power, but [High-Efficiency Spell] and [Destructive Arcana] need triple the stamina..." Sterl couldn''t help but grumble.


    He had always been terrified of running out of stamina.


    Sterl knew that stamina was just a number. As long as he had enough, the expenditure wouldn''t be an issue. But the problem now was, if he truly mastered [High-Efficiency Spell]and [Destructive Arcana], even stamina potions might not be enough to support his frequent casting.


    "It seems I need to find some amulets that help with stamina regeneration, or perhaps acquire some rted skills." He pondered...


    And just then��


    Sterl frowned. He noticed amotion outside his room.


    ...


    A few minutes ago, Daphne and Teresa were chatting when their expressions suddenly turned to astonishment. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, they could see a group of fully armed soldiers escorting a middle-aged man they knew very well.


    It was none other than the "Great Elder" from Daphne and Teresa''s family. In terms of status, he could stand on equal footing with the n leader. Additionally, he was themander of the advanced Base 113, an experienced and powerful third-tier warrior, already nning to break through to the legendary tier.


    Daphne and Teresa''s faces changed instantly. Having grown up within the family, they knew that this Great Elder had executed many peers who were deemedcking in potential. Both of them trembled at the sight of him.


    Fortunately, the Great Elder was currently bowing and scraping before a young man standing beside him.


    "Your Highness, let us handle this matter."


    "How could we let you personally intervene?"


    The young man looked a bit awkward and uneasy. "No, I must go personally..."


    "Let me inquire first. If you went in person and it turned out to be nothing, facing thosemoners would be a disgrace."


    The Great Elder was extremely respectful, trying to persuade him.


    The young man frowned slightly but thought it over. "Then please, go ahead and check it out for me. But even if there''s a chance that Mr. David is there, please show some respect. He is my friend."


    This young man was none other than Sterl''s "boss," the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire. No, he should now be called the Crown Prince.


    At this moment, the Fourth Prince did not overly emphasize the extraordinary nature of "David." This was because the Divine Mountain Empire had also conducted investigations and found very little information about "David." There was even a mix-up where they mistakenly thought that the president of a guild from a low-level base of a human n on Earth was "David." It turned out to be just a person with the same name, and that guild president "David" had gone missing several months ago.


    The Fourth Prince understood that David must prefer to keep a low profile. Therefore, he naturally wouldn''t reveal too much to themander of Base 113, an outsider.


    "Understood."


    "Understood."


    The Great Elder nodded seriously. Anyone connected to the Fourth Prince of the Divine Mountain Empire was not someone he would neglect.


    However, upon entering the vi and seeing Teresa and Daphne, a look of disdain shed in his eyes. "Is that David here with you?"


    The Great Elder exuded an air of superiority, his tone dripping with contempt. He recognized Teresa and Daphne as second-ss yers from their family.


    To an elder like him, they were nothing more than servants.


    "What business do you have with Lord David?" Daphne hadn''t yet reacted, but Teresa frowned and asked.


    She knew Sterl had repeatedly instructed her to keep his strength and secrets hidden.


    Teresa had long since arranged to have all of Sterl''s records and information at the lower-level base destroyed.


    The Great Elder''s arrival made Teresa feel an ominous premonition.


    "Could it be that the master''s abilities have been exposed? Is someone targeting him?"


    However, the Great Elder merely snorted coldly. "Hmm?"


    A silver gleam shed in his eyes.


    "Aargh!" Teresa seemed to suffer a severe blow, immediately copsing to the ground, bleeding from her orifices.


    She was already gravely injured, on the brink of death!


    The family rules were clear: for elders and patriarchs, ordinary members were not to question them and were expected to give their lives and everything without hesitation.


    If any ordinary member disobeyed, elders or patriarchs had the right to execute them at will. This was to ensure the family''s absolute control over its members, instilling such fear that they wouldn''t dare contemte betrayal or defiance.


    The only downside was that those elders and high-ranking members saw ordinary family members as less than human. But so what? In the real-world factories, the efficiency of producing new family members was incredibly high, ensuring that the great families nevercked people.


    The Great Elder''s eyes were filled with anger. If he didn''t need to ask questions, he would have killed Teresa on the spot!


    Daphne, trembling with fear, didn''t dare to move an inch.


    Years ago, during their training in the family, this Great Elder had been one of their instructors.


    That training session was a nightmare.


    At least 30 yers had been ughtered for failing to show enough respect to the Elder or for speaking inappropriately.


    The traumatic memories flooded back for Daphne, causing her entire body to tremble.


    "Is David here?" The Great Elder''s tone was t, as if he had just taken a sip of water.


    Daphne''s mind went nk, but she still remained silent...

 Chapter 98: Journey to The Netherworld

    Although Daphne wasn''t fully loyal to David, she knew that if she provided information while Teresa remained silent, her dear friend would surely be doomed.


    At this moment, the Great Elder''s expression changed. How dare these two second-ss members act so boldly? One dared to question him, and the other dared to ignore him.


    "Well! Well! Well!" His face turned cold, and a dazzling silver light gathered in his eyes.


    The Great Elder was aware of Teresa and Daphne''s exceptional talents, but to the family, loyalty was far more important than talent.


    Killing these two might be regrettable, but if he let them off, wouldn''t it unsettle the other family members?


    "Wait! Spare me!"


    "Spare me!"


    Daphne''s face was filled with terror.


    Teresa, on the other hand, struggled to stand up, gathering lightning in her hands.


    Not far away, the Fourth Prince was stunned by the scene. What''s going on? Why are they fighting? Should he intervene?


    He hadn''t yet reacted.


    In the next second, a brilliant blue starry light shed.


    Then, everything fell silent once more.


    The silver gleam in the Great Elder''s eyes vanished without a trace.


    A second passed...


    Three seconds passed...


    Ten seconds passed...


    Daphne''s initially terrified expression turned into one of puzzlement.


    What was this elder doing, posing like that for so long? And why had the energy aura around him dissipated entirely? What happened?


    Teresa was equally stunned. The once aggressive Great Elder suddenly stood there motionless. What was going on?


    Surely the elder hadn''t had a change of heart.


    The lightning in her hands remained, but she dared not make the first move, knowing she couldn''t win. A stalemate was preferable.


    The two observed for a while longer, still unable to discern anything, when the distant Fourth Prince excitedly ran over.


    He knew what had happened!


    With prior experience, the Fourth Prince looked toward the Great Elder''s chest and abdomen, where a faintly glowing small hole had appeared.


    Wasn''t this the same move David had used to instantly kill Constantine earlier?


    The Fourth Prince was ecstatic. Taking a few steps forward, he saw a familiar figure emerging from a room.


    Without hesitation, the Fourth Prince called out, "Mr. David! I''ve finally found you!"


    His face was filled with excitement, but then he realized something and quickly exined, "The situation escted suddenly, and I didn''t have time to intervene."


    The Fourth Prince mentally berated himself, wishing he could p himself.


    These two women were clearly connected to David! But his reaction had been far too slow! He should have ordered his soldiers to intervene immediately.


    Maybe he could have earned some favor in David''s eyes, but now, forget about gaining points��he''d be lucky not to lose any.


    Sterl nodded slightly.


    The Fourth Prince walked over to the Great Elder''s corpse, casually pushing it over and handing the glowing orb it had dropped to Sterl.


    "This old fool dared to offend you. He deserves to die." the Fourth Prince cursed sincerely.


    At this moment, Daphne and Teresa finally realized what had happened. The Great Elder, a terrifying and seemingly invincible figure in their eyes, someone absolutely unquestionable within the family, had been instantly killed by Sterl!


    The Great Elder hadn''t even realized how he died before it was all over!


    Understanding this, Teresa was dumbfounded. She knew that Sterl''s power was increasing rapidly, but wasn''t this a bit too fast?


    A third-ssyer couldn''t withstand even one move from him?


    Even the legendary ancestors of the human race, those who ascended to demigod status with S-ss professions, weren''t this formidable.


    Teresa''s face flushed red, her whole body trembling. This was my master, whose future wouldundoubtedly surpass that of our entire human n on Earth!


    Daphne, on the other hand, had simpler thoughts.


    At first, she just wanted to have a romantic rtionship, then she thought of offering her body to win the favor of a powerful figure...


    But she never expected to catch such a big fish!


    This was the leader of their Level 113 Advanced Base! And he had dealt with the Great Elder as easily as squashing an ant!


    Daphne felt her gaze towards David almost turning into heart-shaped sparkles...


    She felt that her future as a yer was now secure!


    Putting aside the thoughts of the two beauties for a moment.


    Sterl didn''t even nce at the base leader''s corpse. Instead, he kindly started chatting with the Fourth Prince: "Of course I know, whether it''s due to the friendship between me and the Empire, or our personal friendship, you wouldn''t just stand by and do nothing."


    "Even if I didn''t act, with you here, I wasn''t worried."


    "It''s great that this bastard didn''t affect our rtionship," the Fourth Prince said, smiling broadly.


    Daphne and Teresa watched the conversation with trepidation, not daring to interrupt.


    They now understood more and looked at the Fourth Prince with a bit of awe.


    Although they didn''t know exactly who he was, the fact that the Great Elder, the base leader, had been so deferential to him said a lot.


    However, terms like "prince" or "heir apparent" didn''t cross the minds of the two beauties. That was too far-fetched.They didn''t dare to imagine such things!


    After chatting for a while, the Fourth Prince finally got to the point: "Mr. David, the Empire''s shuttle is ready."


    "When can we depart?"


    "The entry time into The Netherworld is determined by the Dark Moon Alliance.We don''t have the right to defy it."


    Sterl simply responded, "Give me a few hours. I''ll meet you outside the base shortly."


    Hearing this, the Fourth Prince guessed that Sterl might have some things to discuss with the two beauties and kindly excused himself.


    "Then I won''t intrude any further."


    ...


    The vi was once again left with just the three of them.


    Daphne was about to say something when Teresa shot her a stern look, "Don''t ask what you shouldn''t ask."


    Then, Teresa stood respectfully to the side, awaiting Sterl''s orders.


    "Good, you always know how to please me." Sterl praised, though he wasn''t nning to exin much.


    To keep his true self hidden, Sterl never disclosed his real situation to anyone. The more lies he wove, the more chances there were for things to unravel. Maintaining an air of mystery was the best approach.


    The reason he stayed behind at this moment was to open the loot chests.


    This included the drops from the Great Elder he just killed, as well as those from Constantine and a bunch of Antic Empire NPCs. Sterl nned to open everything in one go and sort it out before heading to The Netherworld.


    With a p of his hands, Sterl opened all the light orbs at once, causing a barrage of notifications to flood his vision.


    [You have opened a loot orb: Acquired 154 gold coins.]


    [You have opened a loot orb: Acquired equipment [Golden Belt]]


    [You have opened...]


    ...


    [You have opened a loot orb: Acquired skill book [Divine me Drive]]


    ...


    Sterl couldn''t even catch everything with his hands as the vi''s floor quickly became covered with a thickyer of loot.


    Teresa and Daphne were left dumbfounded.


    "Lord David, just how many instances have you cleared?" Teresa asked in a daze.


    She didn''t realize that Sterl hadn''t been clearing instances. When he killed the Antic Empire soldiers, generals, and Constantine, he was merely around level 40.


    Sterl received an extremely high cross-levelbat bonus, ensuring that all opponents dropped loot orbs, and the items they dropped were exceptionally good.


    For instance, Sterl noticed that one of the final items from the loot orbs was the skill book [Divine me Drive], a skill of golden quality!


    Thanks to his general education, Sterl knew that the drop rate for purple-quality skills was less than 1%, and golden skills were even rarer. Yet, the first time he encountered a unit with a golden skill, it dropped immediately!


    Even with the cross-level challenge bonus, Sterl felt that his luck this time was extraordinarily good.


    Looking at the loot covering the floor, he called out to the still-stunned Teresa and Daphne, "What are you staring at? Help me sort this out."


    The two beauties, at this moment, couldn''t care less about maintaining any semnce ofposure.


    As yers, they felt like the dazzling loot before them was about to blind them!


    It was overwhelming��just the items shining with purple light, indicating purple-quality, amounted to four pieces!


    There were also two items glowing with a watery blue light, symbolizing diamond-grade equipment in their imagination!


    The rest included emerald green items representing tinum-grade equipment and numerous blue-glowing items symbolizing valuable blue-quality skills.


    Sterl''s estimation was correct. It took roughly two to three hours for the three of them topletely sort out the loot.


    First, Sterl had acquired a total of 48 purple gold coins and 5,841 gold coins. Thanks to the cross-level challenge, the money dropped was many times more than what the hidden quests had given!


    Adding this to the resources Sterl already had, his total wealth now equated to 110.56 purple gold coins.

 Chapter 99: The Second Golden Skill [Divine Flame Drive]

    Aside from the gold coins, Sterl first sifted through the equipment.


    As expected, there wasn''t a single piece he could use.


    All the gear required a minimum level of 100, including two diamond-grade items.


    Sterl casually handed all the equipment to Teresa. "Handle these for me.Just exchange them for purple gold coins."


    If converted to money, including the value of the diamond-grade equipment, the total would be worth at least a thousand purple gold coins.


    Sterl would instantly be quite wealthy.


    After returning from The Netherworld, he could directly purchase a full set of gear ording to his current level and then rece it every few levels. With ample funds, he need not worry about losses.


    Teresa, holding a pile of equipment, felt her eyes well up with tears. She never expected to be entrusted with such responsibility. "Yes, Master... Lord David, I will not let you down!"


    A thousand purple gold coins��frankly speaking, even Teresa''s family had only umted a few hundred purple gold coins in liquid assets over the years.


    Beside her, Daphne looked at Teresa with a hint of envy, but she understood. Her close friend always considered David in everything she did, so gaining such trust was only natural...


    "Isn''t this a bit too much favor?" Daphne felt a twinge of jealousy. David was being so generous.She wished she had met him first.


    "I could definitely outshine Teresa! In every sense of the word!"


    Sterl, unfazed by these thoughts, continued sorting through the loot. The second wave consisted of various skill books and misceneous items��


    All blue-quality skills were handed over to Teresa for sale, while there were four purple-quality skills��


    [Volcano (Purple)]


    [Effect: Creates a fiery terrain that continuously erupts with high-temperature me damage.]


    [Skyfall (Purple)]


    [Effect: Can be activated while airborne, rapidly elerating the fall and causing shockwave damage.]


    [Overheal (Purple)]


    [Effect: Passive ability. Excess healing done to others is fully converted into a shield.]


    [Life Ignite (Purple)]


    [Effect: Burns life force every second to unlock potential, granting a 20% boost to all attributes.]


    After some hesitation, Sterl chose to learn Overheal and Life Ignite.


    Life Ignite needed no further exnation. It would significantly enhance Sterl''s attribute amplification. Overheal, on the other hand, was a reinforcement of Sterl''s defensive capabilities.


    Sterl had healing skills from wielding the Starlight Dragon, but they could only heal others after a battle, not provide preemptive protection. With Overheal, he could now use healing spells to create shields in advance.


    Sterl was somewhat disappointed that these two skills did not have an upgrade option, indicating they couldn''t be leveled up. He wasn''t too surprised, though.


    The transformative effects of golden skills were already immensely powerful. It wouldn''t be reasonable for just any skill to be upgradable.


    Looking at the remaining two skill books, Sterl said casually, "These two skills aren''t suitable for you. Sell them and use the money to get yourself a purple-quality skill. You can spend a bit more to find one that suits you."


    He patted Teresa on the shoulder.


    Sterl no longercked resources and felt it was time to give his loyal subordinate a small perk.


    "Really? I can..." Teresa, who had previously maintained a calm and elegant demeanor, couldn''t contain her excitement. Her eyes sparkled with joy and a hint of apprehension.


    A purple-quality skill! Its value was immense! For many humans on Earth, some yers only managed to learn one after their third ss change.


    Although Teresa''s family background spared her such hardship, her future prospects likely involved obtaining just one purple-quality skill, and it might not even suit her talents. Moreover, she''d probably have to contribute significantly to her family before getting a chance to acquire it.


    But here, Sterl casually handed her two purple-quality skill books and told her she could spend extra to find one that fit her.


    In Teresa''s eyes, a light of deep reverence shone as she looked at Sterl.


    Teresa then felt a bit uneasy. "Master''s power is growing so quickly. With such a big investment in me, can he really recoup the cost?"


    Sterl, understanding her thoughts, simply patted her shoulder. "Don''t worry. Our interests are aligned. The stronger you be, the better you can assist me."


    "Yes, I understand!" Teresa replied, her face flushed with excitement.


    Sterl continued, "The resources we''ll get from this exchange will likely be substantial. If you need anything for your second ss advancement, just take it from there."


    "Yes, yes." Teresa nodded repeatedly, moved to tears.


    Meanwhile, Daphne stood by, feeling a wave of jealousy wash over her.


    It was so enviable.


    She and Teresa were good friends, so she knew Teresa''s situation well.


    Although Teresa was very loyal, she didn''t actually have much utility for David, whose power was skyrocketing. Yet, she was able to enjoy such treatment��a purple-quality skill and free ess to resources.


    Daphne felt extremely ufortable because all of this happened just because Teresa met "David" before she did.


    "I will not fail your expectations." Teresa said loudly.


    Sterl remained indifferent. He wasn''t arrogant, but aside from his pet, the Starlight Dragon, it was unlikely that any primary star or sub-star could keep up with him.


    If Teresa could remain loyal, Sterl wouldn''t mind boosting her stats a few times after he ascended to godhood, allowing her to rise easily!


    Finally, the three of them sorted through the items obtained from the loot orb.


    In terms of items, Sterl''s luck wasn''t great this time. Nothing particrly valuable dropped.


    The main items included��


    Various recovery potions.


    Sterl picked out a batch with stronger effects than those crafted by the humans on Earth and ced them in his backpack for emergencies or future use after leveling up.


    Then there was a pile of misceneous items, materials for enhancement and crafting, as well as some scrolls that could trigger special quests.


    Sterl handed all of it over to Teresa.


    That''s right. He didn''t even care about the quest scrolls anymore.


    Ordinary quests couldn''tpare to the hidden rewards from mainline quests.


    "You can take on any of these quest scrolls if you want, and use any materials as needed without asking me."


    "You might also want to set up a contribution system. Put some of the equipment and materials on it for the yers to exchange." Sterl suggested after some thought.


    His words included Daphne, who looked pleasantly surprised.


    "I can too??"


    She was dumbfounded! Although she didn''t get as much as Teresa��no free ess to resources or purple-quality skills��the materials and quest scrolls were still extremely valuable!


    At least, it would take Daphne over a month to get a quest scroll on her own.


    She felt a bit dizzy. Ever since meeting David, her life as a yer had been too smooth...


    After sorting through the items, Sterl didn''t linger but spoke gently, "I have another task at hand. There''s an NPC from the Divine Mountain Empire waiting for me, so I''ll be leaving now."


    He then left the vi.


    Leaving behind two beautiful girls still immersed in surprise and mixed emotions.


    They stared at the several pieces of diamond equipment, the purple-quality skill books, and the plethora of materials in their hands...


    "Am I dreaming? Pinch me to check." Daphne murmured.


    "Ouch!!"


    "You actually pinched me!"


    ...


    Sterl walked along the road and took out a crystal.


    It was the skill book for the golden-quality skill [Divine me Drive], thoughtfully gifted by General Constantine of the Antic Empire.


    When Sterl found it among the loot, he had immediately slipped it into his backpack.


    He didn''t n to reveal this skill to Daphne and Teresa. Sterl intended to keep [Divine me Drive] as a new trump card, so the fewer people who knew about it, the better.


    While leaving the base, Sterl pped his hands and learned the new golden-quality skill.


    At this moment, he had 2 points of legendary status. Initially, Sterl nned to use them to unlock the third effect of Star Point Finger. But afterpleting the task, he figured there wouldn''t be any immediate battles and decided to keep them in reserve.


    Now, it was perfect timing to use these points to enhance [Divine me Drive]! Activating two golden skills would certainly be more cost-effective.


    However, as soon as he opened the panel, Sterl''s breath caught.


    "Holy crap, this thing can be upgraded too!"


    Sterl was astonished to see��


    [Divine me Drive (Golden)] +


    [Proficiency: Beginner (0/5000)]


    [Current Status: Inactive]


    [Description: The highest secret of the Antic Empire''s royal lineage, only transferable to those with royal blood.]


    [Effect: Creates a seven-colored divine me to propel the body, greatly boosting agility, constitution, and strength, and adds divine me augmentation to attacks. However, the eleration caused by the divine me makes changing direction difficult.]


    [Legendary Status Enhancement:


    One point of legendary status (Inactive)


    Two points of legendary status (Inactive)


    Four points of legendary status (Inactive)]


    [Warning: Using this skill will immediately be sensed by the Antic royal family, triggering a pursuit.]


    Sterl found that the panel for [Divine me Drive] had a plus sign!

 Chapter 100: The Ultimate Golden-Quality Skill

    However, Sterl also keenly noticed something: [Divine me Drive] could only use up to 4 points of legendary status at most. Was its quality perhaps not as high as his self-evolved [Star Point Finger]?


    Sterl paused for a moment and suddenly realized something.


    He had heard before that to upgrade to legendary status, one typically needed three fully activated golden-quality skills.


    This was why third-ss yers were so fervent in their pursuit of legendary status points.


    But if two people were to ascend to legendary status with three skills each, and one person had [Star Point Finger], which could use up to 8 legendary points, while the other had [Divine me Drive], which maxed out at 4 points, it was clear who would be stronger.


    Moreover, Sterl suspected that the highest golden-quality skill might not necessarily be limited to just 8 legendary points.


    He suddenly felt a bit troubled. "Does this mean that to perfectly ascend to legendary status, I need to collect more golden-quality skills to ensure I have three skills that can use the maximum number of legendary points?"


    Sterl wasn''tcking confidence in himself, but the resources within the Divine Mountain Empire weren''t that abundant.


    "I can only hope that this mission allows me to connect with the Dark Moon Alliance."


    "The alliance itself and its 70-plus member countries must have some resource-rich areas."


    He pondered over this. As for the warning in [Divine me Drive] about being hunted by the Antic Empire upon using the skill, Sterl was not worried at all.


    For one, once he added the points, his skill might no longer be traceable. Secondly, he nned to use [Divine me Drive] sparingly, mostly as a trump card in The Netherworld. By the time he left this otherworld, he would likely have new trump cards.


    Finally, Sterl even thought that being hunted might not be so bad. It could turn into a new hidden quest. After all, ording to Felicia, legends wouldn''t make a move easily.


    Having finished his thoughts, Sterl decided not to rush into using his legendary points. He would first focus on fully enhancing [Divine me Drive].


    Since he would have to wait for a day, Sterl temporarily ignored his skill panel and decisively left the city to find the shuttle where the fourth prince was located.


    The search wasn''t difficult. In the base of the human race on Earth, the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire held very high status. Particrly someone as noble-looking as the fourth prince��even the basemander would bow and scrape before him.


    The shuttle was positioned in the most prime location on the outskirts of the base��


    It was a very spacious in, not only open in terrain but also repeatedly cleared of monsters by experts from the base, making it extremely safe.


    "Mr. David, you''re here!" Upon boarding the shuttle, it was naturally the fourth prince himself who came to greet him with a sincere demeanor.


    After exchanging pleasantries with the prince, Sterl settled into the most luxurious room on the shuttle and began his training.


    Even with the shuttle, the journey to the Pompeii Empire would take a day and a night, giving Sterl just enough time to add some points.


    He trained through the night, and once the cooldown for adding points had passed, he immediately allocated points to [Divine me Drive].


    With a fervent gaze, Sterl checked his panel:


    ---


    [Divine me Drive (Golden)]


    [Proficiency: Beginner (0/5000)]


    [Current Status: Inactive]


    [Description: The highest secret of the Antic Empire''s royal lineage, only transferable to those with royal blood. Modified through special power to eliminate its ws and slightly enhance the skill''s effects.]


    [Effect: Creates a seven-colored divine me to propel the body, greatly boosting agility, constitution, and strength, and adds a divine me augmentation to attacks. Each time an enemy is hit, the divine me burns more fiercely, increasing its power but also consuming additional stamina and endurance.]


    [Legendary Status Enhancement:


    One point of legendary status (Inactive)


    Two points of legendary status (Inactive)


    Four points of legendary status (Inactive)


    Eight points of legendary status (Inactive)


    Twenty points of legendary status (Inactive)]


    ---


    "Still golden?" Sterl was momentarily stunned. He had hoped to see what a skill above golden quality would look like, but his expectations were dashed.


    However, he wasn''t too disappointed. Since golden skills required legendary points to use, higher-quality skills might not be usable directly either. They might even require the power of demigod-levelws.


    Sterl spected wildly, as he only knew the term "demigod-level" but little else about it.


    He then reviewed the effects of the newly enhanced [Divine me Drive] and nodded in satisfaction.


    Firstly, the risk of being hunted by the Antic royal family had been eliminated.


    Additionally, [Divine me Drive] had improved upon its previous issue of difficulty in changing direction during an attack and now included a "the more you fight, the stronger you get" effect.


    However, seeing the additional stamina and endurance consumption made Sterl feel slightly troubled again. It seemed his energy deficit was growingrger.


    Finally, Sterl vaguely confirmed one thing: the maximum legendary points that could be invested in a single skill was likely twenty.


    His golden finger had subtly given him feedback that [Divine me Drive] was already at the highest limit for golden-quality skills.


    Secondly, the activation tiers for [Divine me Drive] required a doubling of legendary points for each tier. The jump from thest tier, which needed 8 points, to 20 points was quite significant, indicating something special.


    Thus, it made perfect sense that 20 legendary points would be the maximum investment for a golden-quality skill!


    Seeing that he couldn''t invest any more points into the newly enhanced [Divine me Drive], Sterl allocated his two avable legendary points into it.


    The results were quite gratifying.


    The first two activation entries for [Divine me Drive] now read:


    ---


    One point of legendary status: Divine me power increased by 100%.


    Two points of legendary status: You can release the umted Divine me in one go, causing devastating damage.


    ---


    The first entry was straightforward, allowing the golden-quality skill to truly shine, while the second entry added a burst capability, both of which were quite impressive.


    Satisfied with the ultimate effects of his golden-quality skill, Sterl then closed his eyes to meditate, continuing to train his arcane skill while waiting for the shuttle to arrive.


    After a long while, the shuttle gradually decelerated from its originally high speed, and the surrounding scenery became clearer.


    At the border town of the Pompeii Empire, arge area had been cleared out. The original inhabitants had been forcibly relocated, leaving behind a newly expanded open space.


    Sterl could see through the window that the area was shrouded in a dense magical aura, seemingly emanating from a conspicuous teleportation vortex in the center of the open ground.


    The entire sky had turned a pale purple, with highly concentrated magical elements.


    A normal person would surely feel ufortable here, but Sterl, being attuned to arcane elements, felt quite at home.


    Casually observing the strange surroundings, he mused, "So this is the entrance to the otherworld?"


    Watching the gigantic vortex churn and cause spatial rifts around it, Sterl felt a surge of anticipation.


    Not wasting any time, he noted that the cooldown for adding points hadpleted.


    Sterl retrieved an item from his backpack, aiming for the amulet [Blessing of Peace]. The first amulet crafted through his blood magic couldn''t be enhanced, but the two subsequent amulets he exchanged for in the Divine Mountain Empire''s contribution shop could be.


    He had previouslycked the points to enhance them.


    "Let''s add some points." he murmured. The ancient-looking wooden piece in his hand began to glow brightly, transforming and adding a ribbon to its form.


    ---


    [Blessing of Peace]


    [Type: Amulet]


    [Description: A blessing from the Divine Mountain Empire''s military, enhanced by special energy to reveal a more perfect form.]


    [Effect: +15 to all attributes, special ability [Good Fortune: When killing monsters, there is a 5% chance to drop additional or rare items].


    "Hmm... it seems useful, yet not so much." Sterl muttered as he looked at the newly enhanced amulet. The all-attributes increase was only five points, which felt a bit underwhelming.


    The passive skill''s effect had increased fivefold, and there was now an additional chance to obtain rare items. However, even at five times the original rate, it was only a 5% chance. Against powerful bosses, this effect might not even activate.


    "Let''s hope this thing can bring me some surprises." he murmured. The shuttle further decelerated, clearly approaching its docking point.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another room on the same shuttle where Sterl was, Faye''s eyes were filled with a heavy seriousness, a stark contrast to her usual youthful demeanor.


    She observed the surroundings and the group of yers/NPCs below, dressed in blue-purple robes with a crescent moon emblem on their backs, with a deep, contemtive gaze.


    "We''re meeting again, the Dark Moon Alliance." It was evident that Felicia was in control of the body at this moment.


    "Ancestor, please calm down!"


    "If we provoke Gloria, or even just her legendary subordinates, we''re doomed!" Inside the consciousness, the disced Faye anxiously called out.


    Having spent some time together, she hade to understand her ancestor''s personality quite well. Despite being a demigod who had lived for centuries, Felicia could sometimes be even more capricious than Faye herself.


    "Don''t worry."


    "Like I need you to tell me that." Felicia replied, rolling her eyes. There was no way she would make such a rookie mistake.

 Chapter 101: The Dark Moon Alliance

    Felicia was well aware that seeking trouble with the Dark Moon Alliance now was utterly pointless and a surefire way to get killed.


    Her grudge with Gloria would have to be settled eventually, but not today.


    The current mission was to head to The Netherworld.


    "I have something valuable hidden in The Netherworld." Felicia mused. "I can''t use it anymore, but it can elevate your talents and profession to a higher level."


    "At the very least, it could give you a sliver of a chance to ascend to godhood."


    "If you follow the same path I did, bing a demigod and then fortifying your foundation, the chances are too slim, and there''s always the risk of someone else stealing it." Felicia continued.


    In the mental space, Faye clenched her fists, "Yes, Master! I will not disappoint you!"


    "Not disappoint me..." Felicia sighed. "Listen, if you run into David again, make sure to build a good rtionship with him. I need to have a backup n."


    "If you could have be a demigod and helped me restore my physical body, it would have been great. It would have been even more perfect if, in the future, you could have be a god and solved the issues with the resurrection spell for me."


    "If that doesn''t work out, David seems to have more potential than you under normal circumstances. Getting him to help me resurrect would be another option." Felicia said casually.


    To her surprise, Faye hesitated, "I think David and I are already friends. There''s no need to be so utilitarian about it."


    "Huh?" Felicia, who had seemed so confident a moment ago, felt a sudden pang of unease. Something didn''t add up. My dear disciple... something''s wrong!


    Weren''t we supposed to get close to David for our benefit? Why does it seem like Faye is taking this seriously?


    Wouldn''t that mean I''m at a total loss, giving away my precious disciple without gaining any resources?


    Felicia''s mind became a chaotic mess, and she couldn''t maintain her possession. She retreated back into the mental sea.


    She realized she might have made a grave mistake.


    By forcing Faye to befriend David and even pretending to be dead to avoid offering any help, she had inadvertently made Faye believe that David was her first real friend in life. Faye''s loyalty seemed to be shifting.


    "Damn, I totally messed this up!" Felicia resolved.


    "I need to have a serious talk with this foolish disciple..."


    Felicia was about to continue her thoughts when the shuttle suddenly experienced a few violent jolts and then gradually came to a halt.


    Faye looked out the window with delight. "Ancestor, we''ve arrived!"


    Seeing Faye''s adorable excitement, Felicia decided against giving her a lecture. "Alright, let her enjoy this moment." she thought.


    ...


    As the shuttle slowly came to a stop, Sterl was the first to rush out.


    He stood on the open ground, eagerly surveying his surroundings. Already, several other shuttles were hovering in mid-air.


    Top second-ss yers from over 70 countries had gathered here.


    Sterl activated his Star Insight ability and noticed that many of them had A-grade professions and A-grade talents.


    In contrast, the yers selected by the Divine Mountain Empire included many with only A-grade talents but B-grade professions.


    Sterl couldn''t help butment once again how the Earth human race seemed to be struggling, even in choosing their imperial allies.


    As Sterl continued to observe, he realized that not only were the Divine Mountain Empire yers rtively weaker, but their numbers were also significantly fewer.


    He saw that other countries'' shuttles hadnded, and one shuttle alone had over 160 yers disembark, each one no weaker than those from the Divine Mountain Empire.


    At a minimum, they had B-grade professions, with over a third possessing A-grade professions and talents no lower than A-grade.


    It was no exaggeration to say that the gathering of elite talents from over 70 countries left Sterl somewhat awestruck.


    At this moment, the Fourth Prince and Faye arrived behind Sterl.


    "David, long time no see." Faye said, visibly cheerful, her happiness evident on her face.


    The Fourth Prince, however, looked around cautiously. "David, I know you''re very strong, but this time the Dark Moon Alliance has gathered talents from over 70 countries. You need to be careful."


    "There might be some who can pose a threat to you."


    "And whatever you do, don''t provoke anyone from the Dark Moon Alliance. Theoretically, they can kill us at will without facing any consequences."


    Seeing both Faye and Sterl nodding solemnly, the Fourth Prince visibly rxed. He waved to the dozen or so yers behind him, saying, "Next, let''s head to the temporary structures set up by the Dark Moon Alliance to establish your connections."


    In NPC terms, "establishing connections" meant starting the relevant faction''s reputation and contribution points.


    As the Fourth Prince spoke, the group moved towards a newly constructed building made of strange purple crystals in the open area.


    Under the guidance of an NPC dressed in a long robe with a star-and-moon-shaped crystal embedded in his forehead, notifications shed in the yers'' vision.


    [You have begun the faction: the Dark Moon Alliance]


    [Current Reputation: (Indifferent 0/2000)]


    [Current Contribution Points: 0]


    The NPC then handed each yer a ring.


    [Eye of the Moon]


    [Description: A ring infused with a trace of Gloria''s power.]


    [Effect: When you enter The Netherworld, the ring will automatically shatter, applying a buff to you.]


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, realizing that this was likely how the Dark Moon Alliance would impose restrictions on yers entering the otherworld.


    The packaging was clever, phrasing it as applying a buff.


    He looked around and saw that most people, upon receiving the ring, were beaming with joy, believing that a ring with a trace of the goddess''s power had to be a good thing.


    Sterl, however, had long nned to exploit the point system to gain divine power without cost, so he quietly slipped the ring onto his finger.


    At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, Sterl noticed Faye using some trick to lightly brush the ring and then store it in her backpack.


    The NPC from the Dark Moon Alliance didn''t react to this maneuver. In fact, several yers hadn''t immediately put on the rings, but the NPC seemed unfazed.


    To pass through the portal to The Netherworld, wearing the ring was mandatory.


    That was the authority of a deity-backed organization.


    After receiving their rings, Sterl and his group quickly returned to the open area where they had been before.


    The Fourth Prince suggested, "We have about half a day before we officially enter The Netherworld. How about we go back to the shuttle and rest for a bit?"


    This was what most countries'' representatives were doing. Entering another world would undoubtedly be a fierce battle, so they needed to rest and recover now.


    Just as Sterl''s group was about to nod in agreement, they heard a loud explosion.


    Boom!!


    A terrifying shockwave swept down from the sky, causing several yers to stumble, nearly getting blown away. But this was just the beginning.


    The next moment, a giant airship appeared, bringing with it a horrifying gust of wind. yers standing too close were caught in the turbulence, their bodies torn apart and severely injured in an instant.


    No one present could react in time...


    Or rather, Sterl did react, but he didn''t want to reveal his ability to generate shields through healing skills, so he chose not to intervene.


    Felicia also reacted. She took over Faye''s body immediately, creating a water shield that protected only herself.


    Faye,ing to her senses, tried to cast a shield on Sterl, only to find that "David" had already dodged to the side.


    The Fourth Prince, meanwhile, rolled several times on the ground in a very undignified manner. After getting up, he looked at the giant airship with extreme anger in his voice. "The bastards of the Antic Empire!"


    "Are you insane, flying the airship this low?" he shouted furiously.


    However, the door of the airship slowly opened, and a handsome young man, dressed in an opulent outfit embedded with multicolored diamonds, sneered, "Aren''t these the people from the Divine Mountain Empire? Why are you kneeling on the ground as if you''re so eager to wee us? We really can''t handle such enthusiasm."


    "You!" The Fourth Prince was enraged but could only re at the other party.


    The reality was that the Antic Empire''s airship was thergest around, indicating that theirbat power far exceeded that of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    The Fourth Prince had no choice but to swallow his anger.


    Sterl, standing nearby, also frowned as he observed the scene.


    Could the Antic Empire really be the strongest country under the Dark Moon Alliance?


    Just at the entrance of the shuttle, Sterl could see nearly 200 yers from the Antic Empire. However, after using Star Insight to examine them, he felt more at ease.


    The Antic Empire had arger number of yers, but their overall strength was only average. Most yers had A-grade talents paired with B-grade professions, and only a few had A-grade professions. There were no S-grade professions and only one with an S-grade talent.


    Still...


    Sterl was puzzled, "If the Antic Empire''s strength isn''t that high, how did they bring so many people?"


    At this moment, the Divine Mountain Empire''s people were in a sorry state, while the yers from the Antic Empire above wereughing and loudly mocking.


    Due to the distance, their words were not entirely clear, but the scorn was evident.

 Chapter 102: Constantine Appears Again?

    "Seriously, this is hrious. They''re lying on the ground like dogs."


    "Kneeling the moment they see us? So courteous, too formal!"


    "What can you do? The Divine Mountain Empire probably knows they will soon be annexed by us. Sucking up to us in advance is normal."


    The scattered voices came down from above.


    The second-ss yers of the Divine Mountain Empire merely showed mild annoyance on their faces.


    Most of them had a sense of belonging to their race but felt no allegiance to the Divine Mountain Empire. In contrast, the yers from the Antic Empire seemed highly united...


    Though the Fourth Prince was furious, he still found time to turn to Sterl and say, "Mr. David, we mustn''t sh with them now."


    "The people of the Dark Moon Alliance don''t care about fairness. They will annihte whoever they see making the first move."


    "The Antic Empire''s people are trying to provoke us."


    He was particrly worried that David, being a strong individual, might retaliate after being insulted.


    Sterl casually nodded. They were insulting the Divine Mountain Empire. What does that have to do with me? Making a move? That was never my n to begin with.


    At this moment, amid the growingmotion, several NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance appeared out of nowhere and boarded the Antic Empire''s shuttle.


    Though they maintained their usual cold and businesslike demeanor, it was clear that their attitude softened somewhat when dealing with the Antic Empire''s people.


    "Remember your promise. If you disrupt the bishop''s ns, the royal family of the Antic Empire will be reced."


    "Also, stop expecting us to intervene in every little issue."


    "It''s just a minor country. Can''t you handle it yourselves?"


    The Dark Moon Alliance members then turned to the Divine Mountain Empire, saying, "Any fighting near the portal is strictly forbidden."


    "If you vite this again, you will all be executed on the spot."


    With that, the NPCs flickered and vanished.


    The Fourth Prince and the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire wore expressions of utter humiliation. The Dark Moon Alliance''s people seemed ostensibly fair, prohibiting any conflict.


    Yet, given that the Divine Mountain Empir''s people had already severely injured several individuals, it was tantly biased.


    "Understood. Rest assured, we will give it our all this time." said the young leader of the Antic Empire, watching the figures of the Dark Moon Alliance members disappear.


    He then turned to the Fourth Prince, "Sorry, I didn''t have time to deal with you just now."


    "But don''t worry, we still have half a day before entering The Netherworld. We can have some fun."


    "Oh, and don''t forget, fighting is prohibited. If any of our people get hurt, we will certainly report it to the Dark Moon Alliance." The young leader smiled brightly.


    At this moment, the yers of the Divine Mountain Empire were utterly bewildered.


    Isn''t this grudge between the Antic Empire and the Divine Mountain Empire? What does it have to do with us? We''re just here toplete a mission��


    How did we get dragged into this mess?


    The Fourth Prince responded loudly, "The warriors of the Empire will never sumb to any threats."


    "Everyone, this time, our Empire has caused you trouble, but there will bepensation in the future."


    As his words fell, a notification appeared in the eyes of all the yers, indicating they had earned 1,000 contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire.


    However... not a single one could muster a smile.


    How are we supposed to y like this??


    yers and NPCs from over 70 countries were gathered here, and there were only a few NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance.


    On the surface, fighting and mutual ughter were forbidden, but if you acted quickly enough, it wouldn''t be pursued.


    The problem now was that the Antic Empire had far more people than the Divine Mountain Empire, and with the Dark Moon Alliance unfairly tilting the bnce, any actions from the Antic Empire would go unchecked.


    If the Divine Mountain Empire''s people made a move, the Antic Empire would immediately have the Dark Moon Alliance investigate ferociously. Any evidence would give them legitimate grounds to ughter everyone from the Divine Mountain Empire...


    In this situation, over the next half day, the Antic Empire couldpletely wipe out all the yers and NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire!


    "David, I have a hidden scroll. Let''s hide together." Faye started to speak, but then realized...


    Huh?


    Where''s David??


    Just then, a sudden change urred!


    Boom!!!


    At an unknown moment, a figure shed across the sky and stopped right above the Antic Empire''s shuttle.


    "Hmm? General Constantine, weren''t you missing..." The young leader''s eyes shed with delight.


    Earlier, all the troops Constantine had led perished in the consciousness space, and except for Sterl, all the surviving yers and NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire had signed confidentiality agreements.


    The Antic Empire waspletely unaware that this young leader had died.


    At this moment, aside from the young leader, many yers showed expressions of joy upon seeing Constantine appear. But before they could speak...


    "Constantine" moved.


    "Only a little over four thousand stardust left, sigh..." Constantine sighed lightly. "In that case, let''s amplify the power one more time."


    Then...


    The leaders and yers of the Antic Empire witnessed a skill they were extremely familiar with: [Divine me Drive]!


    Boom!!!


    Seven-colored mes enveloped Constantine as he transformed into a meteor, charging directly into the shuttle!


    The terrifying heat and high temperature melted a massive hole into the shuttle, causing the alloy to liquefy and flow out, burning any yers it touched and eliciting intense screams of pain.


    [Warning: You are currently in a no-PK zone. Killing yers/NPCs will yield no benefits!]


    [Warning: You are currently...]


    [Warn...]


    ...


    The **Transcendence** system buzzed in "Constantine''s" ears, but he ignored it and attacked anyone he saw inside the shuttle!


    There weren''t many strong individuals aboard the shuttle, given that it was the territory of the Dark Moon Alliance. Apart from a few influential connections, who else would dare to act recklessly?


    With seven-colored divine mes burning around him, every punch "Constantine" threw turned yers and NPCs he touched into ashes on the spot.


    "Impossible! Did he achieve legendary status?? His power increased so much!"


    "No way! Did Constantine possibly go mad from training some arcane skill?"


    "Everyone, disperse and retreat! Run!" The young leader frowned deeply. On any other day, seeing Constantine''s power surge and him killing some yers and NPCs wouldn''t have mattered at all.


    Finding a few legendary figures to subdue him and find a way to bring him back to his senses would normally be the solution. However, this time they were heading to The Netherworld under a mission from a bishop of the Dark Moon Alliance. If too many people died... the mission would fail.


    The entire royal family would be held ountable and dethroned.


    "Of all times, Constantine had to lose his mind now." the young leader muttered helplessly, gritting his teeth as he sent a distress signal through themunicator given to him by the Dark Moon Alliance, requesting backup.


    His expression was grim, knowing full well that this meant Constantine would certainly be killed by the Dark Moon Alliance on the spot.


    Forget about any rtionships or pleas for mercy from the Antic Empire.


    With Constantine causing such a massivemotion, the Dark Moon Alliance, eager to maintain their dignity, would undoubtedly show no mercy!


    However, the young leader was clearly overthinking it.


    Constantine, at this moment, unleashed a brilliant fist technique imbued with divine mes, killing a third-ss NPC. The seven-colored mes on his body grew so intense that they hurt the eyes of anyone who looked at them.


    In the distance, figures from the Dark Moon Alliance NPCs began to sh into view.


    But just then��


    Boom!!


    The intense seven-colored mes erupted wildly!! It was as if a new sun had risen in the sky!


    The already battered shuttle of the Antic Empire twisted and melted under the extreme heat.


    It eventually turned into a massive, semi-melted heap of scrap metal that fell to the ground.


    The members of the Divine Mountain Empire had long fled far away, but the shockwaves still knocked many of them over, though thankfully, there were no casualties.


    However... countless people from the Antic Empire were burned to death by the mes in an instant, including the young leader. His final expression was one of pain and regret.


    The seven-colored mes burned brightly, and people from at least forty or fifty countries present could only stand and watch in stunned silence.


    Even those second-ss yers with S-grade talents and professions, who had always seen themselves as the chosen ones, trembled at the sight. They all knew that if they were hit by those seven-colored mes, they would undoubtedly die!


    Countless individuals looked on in terror, knowing that this was a move that could only be pulled off by a yer close to legendary third-ss status! No one dared to provoke him, fearing they would be caught in the aftermath and meet their end.


    Finally, a few NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance arrived, albeit a bitte. It had only taken them a few seconds, but they had been blown away by the shockwave earlier and had to reappear, which took an additional two seconds.


    Their faces darkened as they looked at the smoldering wreckage of the shuttle.


    "Who dares to be so audacious??"


    "How dare you attack personnel from another nation??"


    "You''re done for. The Alliance will find you, and you will be ground to dust."


    The NPCs cursed aloud, their hearts filled with rage.


    This was a tant provocation against the Dark Moon Alliance! If they couldn''t find the culprit and make an example of them, the Alliance''s authority would take a significant hit!

 Chapter 103: Members of the Atlantic Empire? All Wiped Out for Contribution

    The three NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance weren''t even thinking about the deaths of the Antic Empire members or the potential failure of the bishop''s mission.


    The most important thing was the invible dignity of the Alliance.


    How could the mere title of a goddess keep over 70 countries in line, making them obediently hand over one-tenth of their revenue each year?


    It was the fear of devastating repercussions for any disrespect or betrayal against the Alliance that kept those countries obedient under the Dark Moon Alliance''s rule.


    Today''s incident was extremely serious!


    However, when these NPCs tried to investigate the matter and gathered all the witnesses, they received an answer that left them utterly bewildered.


    "The one who attacked was Constantine from the Antic Empire? They were killing each other."


    The Dark Moon Alliance NPCs had expressions that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?"


    Yet, everyone around them swore they weren''t mistaken. After all...


    The appearance was the same, the techniques were the same, and even the mastery-level fist technique and the gold-quality skill [Divine me Drive]were used. Who else could it be but Constantine?


    At this moment, one of the three NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance suddenly returned to his colleagues and whispered, "The Antic Empire confirmed. They did not detect any outsiders using Divine me Drive."


    "It is very likely that Constantine went mad trying to achieve legendary status bypleting some forbidden task."


    "That does seem to be the case." another NPC chimed in.


    Meanwhile, inside a building made of special purple crystals, yers and NPCs from a dozen countries were waiting idly.


    The three NPCs from the Dark Moon Alliance could only announce reluctantly, "This seems to be a case of internal strife. Our Alliance does not interfere in the internal affairs of each country. So there is no need for concern."


    "The Alliance will continue to ensure that no inter-country conflicts ur."


    "Now, the gathering is dismissed."


    The three NPCs were only third-ss in strength themselves. Feeling that the truth had been uncovered, they couldn''t justify detaining people from the surrounding countries of the Antic Empire like criminals.


    The previously tense atmosphere quickly dissipated.


    The multitude of yers gradually left, their expressions rxed. They had nothing to do with the incident and had just been waiting for the Dark Moon Alliance to rify the situation.


    Only the people from the Divine Mountain Empire had strange expressions on their faces; they were utterly confused.


    After all, they knew Constantine had died long ago and couldn''t possibly appear here.


    The investigation results from the Dark Moon Alliance only left them even more bewildered.


    The problem was that the Divine me Drive, a gold-quality skill, couldn''t be faked. Even the Antic Empire had personally confirmed that this skill hadn''t leaked out. So, if the person who attacked wasn''t Constantine, it had to be someone from the Antic royal family.


    "Could it be that, like our country, they are also fighting for the future throne and killing each other?"


    The yers chatted openly about the situation.


    At this point, the Fourth Prince overheard and felt a bit awkward, but he shook his head and said, "Indeed, the princes of the Antic royal family all have a chance to ascend to the throne. But the Emperor of the Antic Empire is in the prime of his life and has even broken through to the legendary realm. He can live for another three to five hundred years.


    There''s no point in fighting for the throne now."


    What?


    Seeing this possibility dismissed, the yers became even more puzzled.


    Could it be that Constantine really didn''t die?


    After all, he was killed in a mental space. If he had some contingency n to escape death, it wasn''t impossible.


    Though everyone was confused, they didn''t voice these spections.


    After chatting for a while and arriving at no conclusion, they shifted the topic.


    No matter who the attacker was, it was a good thing; they had solved a major problem for the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Only one person had a peculiar expression: Felicia. She was upying Faye''s body and kept ncing at David, feeling something was off.


    In the sea of consciousness, Faye had a strange look on her face and said, "Ancestor, aren''t you overthinking this?"


    "How could it be David?"


    "How could he use the Divine me Drive without the Antic royal family noticing?"


    "You''ve exined it to me before, right? The Divine me Drive has seals ced by multiple demigods, and even ordinary demigods can''t escape detection."


    "Besides, David has never shown any ability to change his appearance."


    "It just doesn''t make sense for it to be him, does it?"


    Felicia fell silent.


    She had noticed something while using Faye''s perspective��


    When Constantine appeared, David was conveniently absent, although he reappeared soon after.


    But the problem was, David''s disappearance and reappearance perfectly covered the time frame of Constantine''s appearance and disappearance. Any normal person would find it suspicious.


    However, Faye''s points were also valid and couldn''t be ignored.


    Felicia could only furrow her brow and keep her doubts to herself. Yet, she had a feeling that whatever David was hiding might be even more extraordinary than she initially thought.


    Felicia turned her head and saw "David" enthusiastically discussing what might have happened with Constantine with others. When David noticed "Faye" looking at him, he merely gave a warm smile and nodded in acknowledgment.


    ...


    Sterl, while nodding at "Faye," hummed a little tune to himself.


    Indeed, Constantine was a great benefactor!


    If it weren''t for him dropping the Divine me Drive, which allowed Sterl to learn and upgrade it, Sterl wouldn''t have chosen to attack the people of the Antic Empire. After all, if he were caught by the Dark Moon Alliance, it would spell trouble.


    They had gods backing them, and a few legendary figures could easily deal with Sterl.


    The reason Sterl dared to act was because he leveraged the Divine me Drive, the Antic royal family''s anti-counterfeiting mark. With Sterl''s current attributes, unless a legendary figure intervened, no one could see through his disguise.


    Of course, Sterl wasn''t acting to uphold the dignity of the Divine Mountain Empire. He realized that if the Antic Empire''s people continued to target them, even attempting to kill all Divine Mountain Empire yers, he would inevitably have to act. Worse, the Antic Empire people might get help from the Dark Moon Alliance NPCs.


    If he lost the initiative, Sterl might have to reveal many of his trump cards just to barely survive, and he could even lose his chance to enter The Netherworld.


    Therefore, a thunderous, decisive strike to eliminate the problem was his best choice.


    And Sterl didn''te away empty-handed. Although the system warned that killing yers in a safe zone wouldn''t yield benefits from NPCs.


    His disguise fooled the world but not the [Transcendence]system.


    The system promptly notified him:


    [You have issued a severe provocation in a god-level faction''s territory and sessfully deceived everyone.]


    [You have gained +1 legendary status.]


    Sterl was stunned for a few seconds. Wasn''t it said that legendary status points could only be gained through main quests and hidden tasks?


    He quickly recalled that he had earned his first legendary status point by achieving a remarkable feat.


    Clearly, this special value, as the name suggests, could be obtained by performing legendary acts, though achieving such feats outside of quests was usually very difficult.


    Deceiving a god-level faction was typically a surefire way to get oneself killed. Sterl managed to pull it off only by leveraging a gold-quality skill that theoretically would never leak out.


    The risk was incredibly high, making it much more challenging than gaining legendary status through regr main quests.


    With this extra gain, Sterl was naturally in high spirits.


    "Another legendary status point." But before he could revel in his joy for long, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere around him had changed.


    "What is that..."


    Sterl looked up into the sky. The originally zing sun suddenly dimmed, transforming into a dark moon!


    In the center of the dark moon, a figure wearing a long robe and a demon mask appeared.


    At this moment, no further exnation was needed.


    Sterl''s interface directly showed the data.


    [You are affected by thews of shadows and the moon, entering a state of suppression.]


    "Laws of power? Could it be..."


    Sterl looked at the figure in the sky.


    Two words floated into his mind��


    "Demigod." the Fourth Prince said slowly, "I originally thought that at most a few legendary figures woulde to preside over the ceremony to enter The Netherworld. But such a high-level figure?"


    As he spoke, he couldn''t help but gasp for breath, clearly struggling under the demigod''s pressure.


    Despite the intense pressure, everyone present, including the Fourth Prince, began to smile!


    A demigod leading the team signaled the high importance that the Dark Moon Alliance ced on this event!


    It seemed that the chances of finding valuable treasures in The Netherworld were incredibly high!


    "Damn, this quest is even more lucrative than we thought!"


    "This time, entering The Netherworld, I''ll eithere out rich or die trying!"


    "A demigod is here! Just how wealthy is The Netherworld?"

 Chapter 104: Demigod: Richard

    Many yers were shouting excitedly, getting hyped up, each one looking thrilled!


    But mindful of the demigod in the sky, their excitement was somewhat subdued, their voices lowered to avoid being too noisy.


    Even Sterl was in a good mood at this moment. "Judging by the current situation, The Netherworld should have a lot of good stuff." he thought to himself.


    Sterl looked around and saw that almost everyone had simr expressions of excitement. Theoretically, each nation should have some yers who knew the truth beforehand, but everyone was still thrilled. The Netherworld being rich in resources was a win-win situation for all.


    However, amidst this joyful scene, one person poured cold water on the enthusiasm.


    It was "Faye." She moved close to Sterl and said in a very serious tone, "David, this mission might have unforeseenplications."


    "This demigod is named Richard. Hhe used to do dirty work for Gloria back in the day."


    "Originally, a legendary figure leading us into The Netherworld would have sufficed. The fact that a demigod is here likely means something''s up."


    Sterl''s brow immediately furrowed. He knew that it was actually "Felicia" speaking, someone who knew many secrets about the Dark Moon Alliance.


    If she said something, it likely had some merit.


    Sterl hesitated for a second and then flipped his hand to take out two [Advanced Experience Potions].


    "Is anyone willing to trade items that can exit an instance or allowrge-scale teleportation for these?" he called out, not just to the people from the Divine Mountain Empire but also to yers from surrounding nations.


    The moment everyone saw the potions, their breath caught.


    For real? A potion that boosts experience by 1.2 times andsts for two days! Is this something you can actually sell? Some yers nced thoughtfully at Sterl and the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire.


    "Really someone from a small country."


    "To him, this experience potion is indeed less valuable than a life-saving item." Many people murmured to themselves.


    "I''ll trade! I''ll trade!" someone immediately shouted. Several yers even nearly came to blows to get the chance to make the exchange.


    Sterl sessfully acquired several escape scrolls (forcibly exit an instance), transfer capsules (allowingrge-scale yer teleportation), and hearthstones (return to any ce you''ve lived for more than a week, within the same spatial domain).


    Sterl calmly put these items away.


    With these, there''s a high probability that he could ensure his escape from The Netherworld.


    The only problem was that this public exchange of items might seem odd. Sterl did not rule out the possibility that some imaginative people might suspect he could enhance these items.


    But it didn''t really matter... Once he left The Netherworld and exchanged his contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire, the identity of David would be unnecessary.


    Sterl was deep in thought.


    At this moment, the demigod finally descended into the midst of everyone. With a wave of his hand, the terrifying aura dissipatedpletely, and everyone felt significantly relieved.


    Contrary to Sterl''s expectations, the demigod did not disy an aloof demeanor. Richard, the demigod, calmly spoke, "I believe everyone is eager to begin their exploration of the otherworld. Now, please put on your rings, and I will open the portal for you."


    Richard''s tone was even somewhat gentle, without the slightest hint of arrogance, making it hard not to feel goodwill towards him.


    After the demigod''s words, Sterl, Felicia, and some other yers who knew the inside story from various countries didn''t hesitate to follow suit and put the rings on their fingers.


    Everyone knew that without obeying the Dark Moon Alliance, there was no way they could enter The Netherworld.


    Once the rings were on, the demigod merely triggered a purple light in his hand.


    In an instant, the yers'' expressions changed drastically.


    "What does this mean? Why does my interface show a buff [Lunar Restriction] indicating that all gains in the otherworld cannot be used and must be marked and exchanged for Dark Moon Alliance contribution points?"


    "We go to explore but can''t keep any rewards? We can only exchange them for contribution points??"


    "Are you kidding me? This is a scam!"


    Immediately, the yers were in an uproar.


    Exploring the otherworld was undoubtedly perilous. The yers were prepared to risk their lives, hoping for a great return.


    But now it had changed to contribution points? What was the meaning of this?


    To put it bluntly, the Dark Moon Alliance''s contribution points could be earned by doing low-level tasks over time.


    It might take ten times the effort and timepared to going to the otherworld, but at least there was no danger!


    Moreover, if they had been told from the start that they could only gain Dark Moon Alliance contribution points, many yers might have epted it. But now it felt like they had been strung along.


    At that moment, everyone showed extremely angry expressions.


    But faced with a demigod, no one dared to voice theirints loudly. They only dared to murmur among themselves, "This is such a rip-off. If I had known earlier, I wouldn''t havee."


    "Exactly, making us risk our lives for the Dark Moon Alliance? That''s a joke."


    "Can we still back out? If we can, I''m leaving right now."


    ...


    The yers were nearly exploding with anger, but still kept theirposure, only daring toin quietly.


    Sterl, who had received advanced notice, remained calm. This group had already weighed the pros and cons and decided that even if they could only earn contribution points, they were still willing to enter the otherworld. Thus, they calmly epted the situation.


    Demigod Richard spoke slowly, "Anyone who does not wish to ept this can now exit."


    A prompt immediately popped up in the yers'' vision.


    [Do you wish to exit this mission? Yes/No]


    Seeing the prompt, many people weighed their options. Fueled by both anger from feeling deceived and concerns about safety, they chose "Yes."


    To them, abandoning this mission wasn''t a big deal, especially considering the high mortality rate associated with entering the otherworld.


    Within just 10 seconds, most had made their choice.


    Sterl and Faye, on the other hand, didn''t hesitate and chose "No." Seeing these two influential figures decide to enter The Netherworld, the yers from the Divine Mountain Empire followed suit and all selected "No."


    "Very well, those who wish to continue the mission, please wait a moment," Richard said, still in that incredibly gentle tone. "For those who chose not to participate, know that the goddess''s divine power has already entered your bodies."


    "Such exalted power cannot be wasted."


    As he spoke, those who had chosen to exit the mission suddenly had a crimson light sh in their eyes, and the [Transcendence] system began to issue frantic warnings.


    [Warning: The [Lunar Restriction] within your body has transformed into [Lunar Mark]!


    [Warning: ��]


    ��


    [Lunar Mark]


    [You must submit items worth 10 Dark Moon Alliance contribution points every hour, or you will suffer instant death.]


    [This effect ignores distance and spatial boundaries. You can dy the payment of contribution points for up to one week, but you must pay double the points to avoid instant death.]


    [You need to submit items worth at least 3000 contribution points to temporarily suspend the Lunar Mark.]


    Alerts kept shing rapidly, and the yers'' faces turned deathly pale. Dark purple lunar patterns appeared on their bodies.


    Sizzling sounds filled the air as the patterns manifested, burning like fire on the yers'' skin. Many couldn''t help but scream in agony.


    In an instant, at least a third of the yers were writhing on the ground in excruciating pain, facing a terrifying reality:


    Opting out of the mission was fine, but now they wouldn''t receive any rewards from the Dark Moon Alliance. They had to submit items worth 3000 contribution points to avoid death from the Lunar Mark.


    The value of the Dark Moon Alliance''s contribution points was exponentially higher than those of any empire. The yers'' only chance for survival was to enter The Netherworld and search for rare items.


    What''s worse, even if they managed to gather items worth 3000 contribution points, the Lunar Mark would only be temporarily suspended. The Dark Moon Alliance could re-activate it at any time, meaning these yers'' lives were no longer in their own hands.


    In the worst-case scenario, they might end up working for the Dark Moon Alliance for the rest of their lives!


    "Why is this happening? This has to be a joke."


    "We just refused one mission. Is this really necessary?"


    "I was wrong. I won''t quit the mission. Please, I won''t quit."


    ...


    Many couldn''t believe what was happening. Before they opted out, there had been no mention of any such consequences.


    If quitting the mission had such penalties, the [Transcendence] system should have issued a warning!


    How could they be silently branded with what essentially amounted to a ve contract?


    Unable to ept this harsh reality, many yers were on the verge of copse.


    Demigod Richard, however, merely smiled gently. "There''s no need to worry too much. The goddess offered you a golden opportunity, and you chose not to cherish it. I had to use some measures to help you realize its value."


    "But rest assured, once you leave The Netherworld and submit items worth 3000 contribution points for the first time, I can personally help remove the Lunar Mark."

 Chapter 105: Entering The Netherworld

    When Richard finished speaking, the yers, who were initially on the verge of a mental breakdown, seemed to regain a bit of vitality and hope.


    However, their eyes were still filled with skepticism. After all, they had already been deceived by the Dark Moon Alliance once, or perhaps even twice.


    The yers hade to understand the ruthlessness and maliciousness of this organization backed by a deity. Why would they believe that just by handing over enough items after entering The Netherworld, they could truly free themselves from control based on Richard''s words alone?


    Moreover, it wasn''t just the yers marked with the Lunar Mark who were mentally exploding. The remaining yers were also in shock.


    On the surface, they seemed normal, still able to enter The Netherworld and gain contributions from the Dark Moon Alliance. But who couldn''t see that the Lunar Mark was merely a conversion of the Lunar Restriction?


    It appeared that only a third of the unlucky yers were controlled and enved by the Dark Moon Alliance. But in reality, all yers were in the same boat!


    Who knows if the Lunar Restriction would be removed once they left The Netherworld? If not, wouldn''t that mean their lives would forever be under the control of the Dark Moon Alliance?


    As long as the Dark Moon Alliance had the inclination, they could turn these yers into ves at any moment.


    The yers, who were initially excited about exploring a different world, now looked pale and terrified.


    They gazed at their markedpanions with a sense of shared misfortune, deeply regretting their decision to ept this cursed mission.


    Even Sterl showed a look of despair, following the crowd. However, Faye remained calm. She took small steps and ran to Sterl''s side. "Mr. David, don''t panic."


    "I have a way to break Gloria''s divine power."


    As she spoke, she ced a small metal object into Sterl''s hand.


    "After we enter the other world, we''ll most likely be randomly teleported. This resonator will alert us when we''re within a certain range of each other."


    "When that happens, find me, and I''ll help you lift the restriction." Faye said, while in her consciousness, Felicia was screaming in frustration: "Name your terms! Name your terms!"


    "I told you to name your terms!"


    "How could you just give it away for free?"


    "The items needed to break divine power are not cheap!"


    Sterl looked at Faye, stunned, and for the first time, showed a genuine sense of gratitude.


    "Alright, I''lle find you then." Sterl said seriously.


    "It''s okay! It''s okay!"


    "Aren''t we good friends? We should help each other."


    "My ancestor taught me that."


    Faye''s eyes sparkled with excitement, feeling that her genuine friendship had been reciprocated. Only Felicia sighed in the consciousness space: "How did I end up with a sessor like you?"


    The two chatted happily, but they both maintained a sorrowful appearance to avoid standing out.


    The fourth prince, finding a moment to interject, said, "Mr. David, Miss Felicia, I honestly didn''t know about this." His face was full of guilt and even a bit of difort.


    If he had known that the Dark Moon Alliance could control both Felicia and David, turning them into theirckeys, the fourth prince would have been distraught.


    Unless this exploration of the other world yielded an arcane skill of grade A or higher, it would be a massive loss for the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Losing two top talents directly��how could the fourth prince ept that?


    However, Sterl had no time tofort the fourth prince. He needed to maintain his fa?ade of panic, just like the other yers.


    At this moment, the demigod Richard wasted no time and waved his arm, once again revealing a smile. No, he had always maintained a gentle, smiling demeanor.


    "Everyone, you are now officially ready to enter The Netherworld for exploration." Richard announced.


    "On behalf of the Dark Moon Alliance, I wish you all the best of luck. As long as you collect enough items, you can exchange them for the numerous resources we offer, helping you easily advance to the third rank and even umte what you need for legendary status."


    "Trust me, the resources umted by an alliance under a deity''smand far exceed your imagination."


    Richard painted a rosy picture, and the yers, having no other options, were somewhat convinced by his rhetoric. A glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes.


    After all, The Netherworld was just a world with a power cap at the second ss level. Ancient treasures existed, but not everyone could obtain them.


    It seemed more practical to collect items and exchange them for contributions, at least ensuring they could choose skills and equipment they could actually use.


    Of course, the main reason the yers were convinced was that they had no other choice. They had to believe that the Dark Moon Alliance would keep its promises.


    Only Sterl and Faye showed a sh of disdain in their eyes.


    Sterl remembered very clearly that Felicia had previously mentioned that a deity''s realm possessed the power to deceive the Transcendence system.


    In other words, without reaching the deity realm, it was absolutely impossible to achieve this.


    As a demigod, no matter how powerful Richard was, he could not deceive the yers into thinking they could quit the mission without any warning from the Transcendence system about the consequences.


    The idea that he could convert the Lunar Restriction into the Lunar Mark through his own will was nonsense. The core rule of the Transcendence game was that NPCs must submit to the mission system.


    Thus, for Richard to be causing trouble, the only exnation was: it seemed that this demigod was acting out of anger because the yers didn''t appreciate his power. In reality, behind everything, there must be the goddess Gloria secretly pulling the strings.


    Ordinary yers and NPCs had no way of knowing information about deities, which allowed the demigod to use his rhetoric to sessfully calm the yers down.


    Unlike Sterl, "Faye" furrowed her brows, looking extremely troubled. She suddenly realized something:


    Was the Dark Moon Alliance really so desperate that they needed to seize all the gains from the entire world? Was it really necessary to force yers who wanted to quit to continue exploring? Even the goddess behind the scenes was scheming.


    The only exnation was...


    In The Netherworld...


    "There''s something Gloria absolutely needs to obtain. So she must ensure enough yers are collecting all the items."


    "This world has been sealed off for hundreds of years, yet she can still find it."


    "It''s just like you..." Felicia, upying the body of her descendant, felt a slight unease in her eyes. Over a year ago, when she first learned that Gloria had discovered The Netherworld, she felt smug, thinking that wretch had inadvertently done her a favor.


    But now, Felicia sensed that something was increasingly amiss...


    At this moment, the demigod Richard was already channeling his magic, fully activating the portal above the vast in.


    The originally deep vortex expanded wildly, epassing countless yers. Apart from NPCs from various countries, the yers'' figures disappeared one by one into the vortex.


    Richard thoughtfully reminded them, "You may experience some dizziness during the teleportation, which is normal. Additionally, please refrain from using any skills or magic to avoidplications. After all, this is a journey across worlds, and any mishap could result in a faulty teleport. If you fall into the interdimensional turbulence, not even the goddess can save you."


    As these words resonated, Sterl felt his body gradually being peeled away from space, transported to a strange realm.


    His vision turned into an expanse of pure, pitch-ck nothingness, so intense that even a few extra seconds of staring made him feel extremely ufortable.


    Sterl was caught in the turbulence of space.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Sterl sensed the spatial currents gradually cease.


    He slowly opened his eyes and found himself beside a hillside, surrounded by lush trees. In the distance, he could vaguely see a vige with smoke curling up from it, indicating habitation.


    The pastoral scenery made Sterl feel quite refreshed.


    At the same time, a series of prompts appeared before him��


    [You have entered the other world: The Netherworld.]


    [Warning: The world consciousness of this other world has sensed the presence of intruders.]


    [You are forced to ept the quest: Survival in the Other World.]


    [Quest Description: In this world, you cannot directly ept all quests from native NPCs, nor can you trade with NPCs. You must first gain a basic level of favorability before you canmunicate with NPCs normally.


    Your loot drops from killing monsters are halved.


    Your cultivation speed is halved.


    Strive to survive.]


    [Quest Reward: Title [Heaven''s Challenger]]


    "So this is the so-called suppression by the world consciousness?" Sterl muttered, feeling a rush of malevolence. The once beautiful pastoral scenery now felt to him as if it were menacing and wing at him.


    However, the opportunity to earn a title intrigued him, as it meant an additionalbat power boost, and it might even evolve through skill points.


    "A title earned by challenging an entire world should have a decent quality." he pondered.


    In the next second, Sterl felt a light within him shoot into the sky, merging with countless simr lights, eventually forming a peculiar that drifted away.


    [Your quest to explore The Netherworld has officially begun.]

 Chapter 106: The Law Powers: Moon, Divine Office Activated??

    Sterl''s eyes widened as the [Transcendence] system sent him a notification.


    [Quest: Explore The Netherworld]


    [Description: You can earn quest points by collecting various precious items in The Netherworld (gear of second ss level or higher, tinum quality or above, skills of purple quality or above...), and by defeating powerful units in The Netherworld.]


    [Reward: Points will be converted into equivalent the Dark Moon Alliance reputation and contribution at a 1:10 ratio.]


    "Hmm? Not bad." Sterl murmured as he read the system message. Suddenly, he realized something crucial: although deities could somewhat deceive the [Transcendence] system, they couldn''t fully go against it.


    At this moment, as long as yers who hadn''t quit the quest were in The Netherworld, collecting resources and defeating strong enemies, the Dark Moon Alliance would be forced to pay out additional rewards.


    Sterl felt ted. With hisbat prowess, he was sure to rake in a ton of extra contribution points!


    However, Sterl had no intention of exploring the outside world just yet.


    He still had the [Lunar Restriction] on him! This thing didn''t just prevent him from using the gains he acquired in the other world.It also recorded every item he dropped.


    Sterl suspected that with the [Lunar Restriction] on him, the Dark Moon Alliance could monitor his every move.


    Thus, Sterl decided to stay put on the hillside, finding a spot to settle down.


    He didn''t even bother to train his arcane skills. Instead, he pulled out a few novels from his backpack and began to read.


    ...


    One dayter.


    "Is this author out of their mind?" Sterl grumbled, holding a book titled "The Great Human God, Welter," his face twisted in displeasure.


    "Why would the protagonist go to such lengths to help a race that''s always treated him poorly, even at the cost of his own foundation?"


    "And what kind of nonsense is this? The author spends so much time describing how beautiful and powerful a demigod mermaid is, but there''s no romantic subplot with the protagonist at all?"


    "What kind of ridiculous ending is this? In the end, the thief, who barely had any screen time, seizes the final opportunity and ascends to godhood. And then you tell me she was disguised as a man all along. Was there any foreshadowing for this earlier on?"


    "Utter garbage! Pure, unadulterated garbage!"


    "And that ending, what kind of lunatic wrote this? The protagonist enters a forbidden area and just disappears?!"


    "We endured all that frustration for this kind of ending?!"


    He muttered, fuming, as he tossed the book back into his backpack. At that moment, Sterl noticed that his ability to allocate points had been restored.


    He quickly pushed the novel''s contents out of his mind and opened his status panel.


    Sure enough, there was a plus sign next to the [Lunar Restriction] buff.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to allocate points.


    In the next second, his expression changed dramatically.


    Sterl had made a grave error!


    The divine power that constituted the [Lunar Restriction], which had originally been stable within him, began to surge wildly once activated by the point allocation.


    Even though Sterl reacted quickly and activated his divine descent effect, his flesh still tore apart, leaving him gravely injured.


    Fortunately, the amount of divine power was still too small to be lethal.


    The pain came swiftly and left just as quickly. Sterl had barely copsed to the ground, not even having time to scream, before it was all over.


    He felt a mysterious force slowly surging within him, finally settling in the center of his forehead.


    The next second, the [Transcendence] system''s notification chimed.


    [You have gained the buff [Third Eye of the Moon].]


    [The buff [Third Eye of the Moon] has been consumed.]


    With these two notifications, Sterl felt a cool sensation at his forehead shatter and disperse throughout his body.


    Then, another set of prompts appeared��


    [Congrattions, you have obtained 0.01 units of Divine Power.]


    [Congrattions, you have obtained a Fragment of Laws: Moon.]


    [Detected: yer currently possesses the bloodline: Primordial Human. Your body can amodate 10 units of Laws'' power. Do you wish to absorb the Laws'' power: Moon? To harness the power of thisw, one unit of Divine Essence Fragments is required.]


    "Yes!" Sterl eximed. Although he wasn''t sure what had just happened, the Laws'' power, which seemed rted to demigods, was something he definitely wanted to absorb.


    As soon as he confirmed, he felt an overwhelmingly dominant force descend upon his mental realm. It carried an aura so grand that Sterl could not resist. The force directly constructed a bright moon in his otherworldly sea of consciousness.


    A massive stream of information flooded into Sterl''s mind, leaving him momentarily dazed.


    "So this is the power of a demigod''s domain��" Sterl muttered to himself. He remained in meditation for almost four to five hours before slowly opening his eyes.


    His status panel now disyed one... no, two new sections.


    [Laws Panel]


    [Current Divine Essence Fragments Slot: 1/10]


    [Mastered Laws��


    [Moon]


    [Effect: You now have the ability to control the power of the moon.]


    [Rted tinum Skills: None]


    [Growth Status of Laws'' Power: 1/100]]


    The panel didn''t show much, only indicating that Sterl had mastered the Laws of [Moon], along with a very abstract description, and a mention of [tinum Quality Skills].


    Gradually, Sterl''s initial excitement began to wane.


    He turned his palm over, and a silver-white energy slowly manifested.


    As always, the power Gloria had infused into the [Lunar Eye] was a very weak trace. The Law Powerswas only a single strand, and the divine power was merely 0.01 units.


    Sterl, through his point allocation ability, had only managed to turn the [Lunar Restriction] into something he could utilize.


    Now, with his Primordial Human bloodline, Sterl indeed managed to wield the Law Powerswith the body of an ordinary practitioner, but the [Moon] power was too scarce!


    Even with the Law Powers, Sterl could only add the following curse effects to his skills through the [Moon]��


    [The hit unit''s level decreases by ten for two days.]


    [Any one of the opponent''s resistances is reduced to zero for 20 minutes.]


    Additionally, he could perform some minor "tricks" using the Laws of the Moon.


    [All nearby enemies fall into a slowed state, reducing their movement speed by 100% for one minute.]


    [You can track any enemy you have attacked within thest three days by expending the Moon''s power, guaranteed to work on units below the deity level.]


    "Holy crap, this is seriously overpowered!" Sterl eximed as he sensed the abilities of the [Moon].


    Although he has only the faintest trace within him, allowing him to attach it to a single skill or use the[Moon]''s special effect just once, after which it will take a long time for the[Moon] to slowly recover.


    But each aspect of the Law Powers is overwhelmingly powerful!


    For anyone, especially high-tier yers or NPCs, dropping ten levels would drastically weaken their strength. Reducing an opponent''s resistance to zero would at least double the final output of Sterl''s attacks.


    The extremely cheeky slowing field and the relentless tracking effect were also incredibly practical.


    Sterl clearly felt that these four abilities were mainly limited by the small "quantity" of his Laws'' power and his own low level.


    As his [Moon] power umted and Sterl advanced to second ss, third ss, legend, and demigod, the brilliance of the Laws'' powerwould shine even brighter.


    After marveling at the exaggeration of his new abilities for a moment, Sterl turned his attention to the other unlocked panel.


    This one seemed rather unremarkable��


    [Divine Office Panel]


    [Current Divine Office: Human]


    [Remaining Divine Power: 0.01 units]


    When it came to the domain of deities, the [Transcendence] system provided even sparser exnations on the panel.


    However, Sterl intuitively sensed that 0.01 units of Divine Power were enough to activate the Divine Office: Human, for a brief moment.


    Moreover, he inexplicably understood that the Divine Office, Divine Power, and Laws formed a trinity, and at the moment they were simultaneously activated, no matter how insignificant Sterl himself might be, he would possess all the elements of a deity.


    In other words, by spending the 0.01 units of Divine Power granted by Gloria, Sterl could momentarily ascend to godhood!


    "I just wonder how powerful that state would be." he couldn''t help but fantasize excitedly. Unfortunately, Sterl didn''t get a chance to try out his godly ascension.


    Unlike the Law Powers, where the Primordial Human bloodline had transformed Sterl''s body, allowing [Moon] to integrate into him and be a part of him that could recover after being used up, the Divine Power was purely a result of the point allocation system forcefully retaining it.


    Sterl himself had no capacity to harbor Divine Power.He was merely hiding 0.01 units of Divine Power thanks to his cheat ability.


    Once he used up the Divine Power, it would be gone forever.


    However, Sterl had no intention of using it lightly. He had a hunch that this would be his strongest trump card.


    As he pondered, the ground shook violently the next second.


    The once peaceful hillside scene shattered instantly as the earth cracked open, revealing a terrifying chasm from which a massive aura began to emerge.


    "What''s happening?" Sterl was stunned for a few seconds. Then he noticed, in the distance, a small group of about a dozen yers staring at the ground in horror, as if they had seen a ghost.

 Chapter 107: The Malice of the World

    "Is the BOSS about to make a move??"


    "We just managed to raid a vige and got some supplies. Has the BOSS respawned already?"


    "Is this what they call the malice of the world??"


    "Damn, I think I get it now. The more we harm the native NPCs, the more targeted we be!"


    Sterl observed from a distance, able to faintly hear the shouts of the yer team. This also led to the yer team noticing Sterl''s presence, and they excitedly ran towards him.


    "Hey friend, a strong enemy is about to appear. Let''s team up."


    Even though Sterl was positioned rtively far from the epicenter of the ground''s upheaval and could theoretically escape, the yer squad decided to drag him into the mess without hesitation. An extra person meant extra strength to fend off the BOSS!


    BOSSes were something [Transcendence] yers both longed to encounter and feared greatly. Generally, the higher the BOSS level, the more it would overpower yers of the same level. Back in the day, it took about a dozen level 20 yers to barely take down a level 20 BOSS that Sterl faced.


    However, for a second-ss BOSS at levels 70-80, it might take dozens of yers of the same level to deal with it.


    So at this moment, any normal person seeing a yer team trying to lure a BOSS would likely turn and run.


    But Sterl stood his ground, unmoving. Although he was annoyed that this group of yers wanted to use him, he did gain some useful intel from their words: indiscriminately killing NPCs would result in the appearance of BOSS-level monsters.


    So, he decided to stay and team up to fight the BOSS. Besides, Sterl didn''t want to miss the chance to defeat a BOSS and reap the rewards.


    What made Sterl both amused and exasperated was that he had overestimated the other yers. Initially, they talked about joining forces to fight the BOSS. But when they saw Sterl standing still, ready to face the challenge, they one by one activated their skills and items, speeding past Sterl and fleeing for their lives.


    They didn''t dare confront the BOSS at all...


    Sterl merely frowned slightly and didn''t attack the fleeing yers because��it was toote!


    The creature emerging from the ground wasn''t the massive monster Sterl had initially imagined. Instead, it was an unbelievably fast and strange shadow, like a cloud of mist or a stain on the canvas of the sky, extremely bizarre.


    After activating Star Insight, detailed information flooded Sterl''s mind.


    [Shadow of Hatred]


    [Category: Boss-level Monster]


    [Level: 85]


    [Constitution: 500]


    [Strength: 480]


    [Agility: 580]


    [Mental: 300]


    [Shadow of Death: This unit''s agility attribute is increased by 20%, and each attack deals additional damage based on its agility, granting it terrifying speed.]


    "No doubt it''s a BOSS." Sterl nodded. Despite only being level 85, the attributes of the Shadow of Hatred, ifpared to an S-ss profession, would almost match those of a third ss or even legendary level.


    Excluding Sterl with his cheat abilities, the most talented yer recruited by the Dark Moon Alliance only had an S-ss profession.


    Although in [Transcendence],bat power can''t be measured solely by attributes, high attributes do allow one to overpower many others!


    The fact that this BOSS only had one skill made Sterl even more cautious. What does it mean by "granting this unit terrifying speed"? Does it imply that the Shadow of Hatred''s single skill is far superior to thebined skills of a typical BOSS?


    Swish!!


    In the next second, Sterl realized his guess was correct.


    He had prudently activated two enhancement skills, Divine Descent and Life Ignite, long ago. With the equipment bonuses, his agility was nearing 600 points!


    Moreover, as the Shadow of Hatred moved, Sterl activated Bloody Rush, reaching an almost unbelievable speed.


    However, even so, he was still a step slower than the BOSS! In just half a second, he was forced to summon his Star de into a round shield, blocking dozens of attacks.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Bang!


    The round shield formed by the Star de was shattered!


    At this moment, the sky disyed a bizarre scene. To the naked eye, it seemed like Sterl was simultaneously blocking in dozens of directions with his round shield!


    Each direction had a shadowy figure of the BOSS, resembling a wisp of smoke. The visual effect was incredibly striking.


    After his shield shattered, Sterl quickly used teleportation to retreat several hundred meters, gaining a brief respite and avoiding a direct hit from the Shadow of Hatred''s next attack.


    He took the opportunity to re-summon his shield formed by the Star de.


    The Shadow of Hatred then struck where Sterl had been before he teleported, transforming into a surge of dark shadow, as sharp as a de, stabbing into the ground!


    Its bizarre speed and damage potential sliced off a small mountain, reducing the peak to ashes, corroded into a dark ck mass.


    Meanwhile, the yer team fleeing in the distance, ncing back as they ran, was utterly terrified.


    "What is this BOSS? This is insane."


    "Such speed! Even third transformation yers can''t keep up! And the damage output is this high? My god..."


    "Good thing we ran fast!"


    The yer team''s initial thought was simple. With only a dozen people, even with an additional yer, they couldn''t possibly defeat a BOSS of the same level, so they chose to flee.


    But if there had been more people, they might have attempted to take on the BOSS.


    Now, they were immensely thankful!


    Fortunately, there were only a few of them. If they had recklessly engaged this BOSS, they''d be doomed.


    Typically, yers could kill a BOSS through tight coordination and teamwork, with dozens of yers working together.


    But this high-speed entity can take out a yer in less than half a second. No matter how many peoplee, they''re just cannon fodder! Specific skills would be needed to even consider taking it down.


    "Is that guy really a second-ss yer?"


    "Such a strong person! Does the Dark Moon Alliance have such a figure?"


    "Could that be Spike from the Principality of Morrow? I heard he has an S-ss talent and an S-ss profession. It''s normal for him to withstand a BOSS."


    "Damn! Are double-S yers really that powerful?"


    The yer team seemed well-informed, easily recalling the name of the strongest yer Sterl had identified using Star Insight.


    As they discussed, they continued to flee frantically, their hearts pounding in fear.


    While Spike was indeed strong, strong enough to exceed the imagination of these yers��a second-ss yer holding his own against a BOSS.


    But they think, what''s the use of that anyway?


    "Run, run! While Spike is buying us time with his life, let''s get as far away as possible!"


    "I have a tool to conceal our presence once we put enough distance between us!"


    "Spike, thank you! We''ll build a monument for you in the future!"


    The yers had a clear strategy. Spike might be strong, but the BOSS had an enormous health pool and high damage output. The BOSS could make countless mistakes, but Spike could only afford one.Asingle mistake would mean death!


    The yers believed the only thing they could do was cherish the time and opportunity Spike''s sacrifice was providing them.


    Sterl, floating in mid-air and overhearing the yers'' conversation, he was both shocked and amused by their audacity. "Seriously, didn''t you guys lure this BOSS over here?"


    "And now you''re brazenly asking me to buy you time?"


    However, Sterl did catch one piece of interesting information.


    "So, that double-S yer I saw earlier is from the Principality of Morrow?"


    Unfortunately, as a "newbie," Sterl knew nothing about the Principality of Morrow.


    He focused intently on the Shadow of Hatred, which, after slicing off a small hill, transformed back into a billowing cloud, floating in the air. It seemed to have no immediate intention to attack, perhaps searching for a w in Sterl''s defense.


    Sterl was under immense pressure, with no time to worry about the yers who treated him as cannon fodder. The secondss BOSS was putting more pressure on him than Constantine, the third ss.


    The Shadow of Hatred''s speed was overwhelming.Asingle misstep could mean instant death. After all, a yer''s health is inherently fragile.


    Even more frustrating was that, even if he unleashed a single-target burst like Star Point Finger, Sterl knew he couldn''t kill the BOSS in one hit! Especially now that his stardust was nearly depleted, using a golden-quality ultimate attack was a one-time deal.


    The yers were half-right! Sterl could only afford three mistakes: one hit absorbed by his life, one by the Power of Protection, and one by the resurrection item.


    The Shadow of Hatred, however, could make three to four mistakes, requiring Sterl to unleash at least three rounds of Star Point Finger to possibly kill it.


    Hmm... not much different from what the yers had guessed.


    But given the BOSS''s high speed, Sterl needed to find the right moment to use his ultimate attack.Otherwise, he''d waste a lot of energy.


    Sterl tried tofort himself with a bit of dark humor: "This is one of those ''face-pping'' moments from a novel. Those yers think I can''t take down this BOSS, but soon I''ll turn the tables and ughter it."


    "And then I''ll have a little chat with them about selling my services."


    Focusing all his attention, Sterl saw the Shadow of Hatred''s speed surge again, transforming into an eerie afterimage.


    Sterl immediately activated Bloody Rush, his form flickering away like light. He then realized the BOSS had no intention of attacking him, but instead, it was insanely fixated on the fleeing yer team in the distance!

 Chapter 108: Shadow of Hatred

    The BOSS''s cloud-like body contorted, emitting sharp spikes!


    The Shadow of Hatred transformed into a storming ck cloud, sweeping over the yer team. In less than half a second, everyone turned into ash-gray skeletons!


    The BOSS then ascended back into the sky, showing no intention of continuing the attack.


    "Why did that happen?"


    "Didn''t Spike already draw its aggro?"


    "Ugh!!"


    "Wait, why do I feel fine?"


    "Yeah, it doesn''t hurt at all. Why was I screaming just now?"


    The yers were initially stunned. However, Sterl watched in horror as an eerie scene unfolded. The BOSS''s attack was so fast that while the yers were still running, their bodies began to disintegrate, gradually turning into skeletal remains beforepletely dying off!


    It was a gruesome sight!


    Despite the horror, Sterl felt a surge of excitement.


    Stardust Enhancement activated! Power doubled! [Star Point Finger]!


    He didn''t understand why the boss insisted on bypassing him to kill other yers. He could only guess that it might be the Malice of the World targeting them.


    Perhaps the BOSS prioritizes fleeing targets. But as the Shadow of Hatred finished its attack, Sterl was ready and waiting. He unleashed his ultimate move!


    The golden-tier skill transformed into a streak of light, hitting the target instantly!


    Despite the BOSS''s thick health bar, a glowing dot appeared on the Shadow of Hatred. An agonizing surge of pain followed! The cloud-like body seemed as if it were being torn apart!


    Seizing the opportunity, Sterl activated his second golden-tier skill, [Divine me Drive].


    A colorful ze erupted from him. While this skill didn''t have the explosive power of Star Point Finger, it had a significant advantage: it boosted Sterl''s speed.


    Thus, previously just a step slower, Sterl now surged forward with the mes propelling him!


    He grabbed onto the Shadow of Hatred''s body and plunged into the ck mist! The rainbow mes burned fiercely, devouring the BOSS''s life force.


    Due to the damage from Star Point Finger, the Shadow of Hatred was still in a stunned state, unable to retaliate.


    From a distance, one could see the originally dark cloud starting to glow, bing increasingly bright and dazzling!


    Of course, Sterl''s actions seemedplex, but in reality, everything was over within a second.


    As the Shadow of Hatred began to recover from its stunned state, Sterl rapidly activated Bloody Rushand the teleportation effect of Celestial Domain, retreating far away! The mes surrounding him dissipated.


    The Shadow of Hatred, ready to counterattack, transformed into a de-like shadow, breaking the sound barrier with a loud boom as it dashed toward Sterl!


    But halfway through its attack, an intense burst of light and me erupted from within its body, scattering in all directions like popcorn kernels exploding! The pitch-ck cloud dispersed, revealing an empty cavity scorched by rainbow mes.


    The Shadow of Hatred, shot down!


    Even though this seamlessbo inflicted severe damage on the formidable BOSS, it was still far from dead.


    Sterl remained calm, slightly panting. He hadn''t used [Divine me Drive]for an initial speed boost because there were still other yers nearby.


    ording to Sterl''s initial n, he intended to operate under the identity of Constantine in The Netherworld.


    However, due to his prior arrangement with Faye and her genuine treatment of him, Sterl decided to save the "David" identity forter use, so he didn''t want anyone to see his [Divine me Drive].


    But since the yers had already been wiped out by the BOSS, it didn''t matter anymore.


    Sterl''s thoughts raced as he focused on replenishing his energy. The back-to-back use of golden-tier ultimates had drained him significantly, and even using energy restoration potions would take some time to refill his energy bar.


    Sterl''s head throbbed with pain, and he had no choice but to take a brief rest. After all, his level was theoretically far from being able to cast golden-tier skills.


    Nheless, Sterl''s recovery speed was still faster than the Shadow of Hatred''s ability to regroup its form.


    As the pitch-ck cloud reformed, Sterl reappeared right in front of it.


    [Star Point Finger]!


    A tiny beam of light pierced through everything.


    The shadowy form of the BOSS convulsed like boiling water, but its life force was already exhausted.


    The once all-epassing darkness turned gray and white, slowly dissipating into ash, leaving behind a brilliant golden orb that fell into Sterl''s hand.


    This immensely powerful entity had only withstood three moves before meeting its end!


    The Shadow of Hatred died a most inglorious death. As a rare speed-type BOSS, it would normally spell certain doom for any opponent.


    Only someone like Sterl, with his triple-S-grade talent and purple-quality essories, could boost his agility close to 600 points and,bined withthe [Bloody Rush]enhancement, engage the Shadow of Hatred inbat.


    For other yers, even with high stats, being outsped by this BOSS meant they could only hope to survive, not defeat it!


    And with the world''s consciousness empowering it, the Shadow of Hatred would relentlessly hunt yers to the bitter end.


    To put it bluntly, encountering this BOSS was like stepping in shit��it was highly likely to frustrate someone to death!


    Just as Sterl was about to check the BOSS''s loot, a notification from the [Transcendence] system appeared before him.


    "You have defeated a formidable enemy. Would you like to upload your score?"


    "This visit to The Netherworld has initiated arge-scale multiyer mission: the leaderboard is now active."


    "Top rank on the leaderboard will receive an additional 10,000 points of Dark Moon Alliance contribution."


    "Top three on the leaderboard will receive an additional 5,000 points of Dark Moon Alliance contribution."


    "Top ten on the leaderboard will receive..."


    "Each yer can only receive one tier of rewards."


    Sterl understood the system''s intent. Essentially, higher scores would yield additional rewards.


    He thought for a moment and chose "No" without hesitation.


    Sterl had always suspected that Gloria''s borate scheming had a significant motive.


    Both Richard and the goddess herself were likely focused on The Netherworld.


    If Sterl uploaded his score, the leaderboard��though visible only to yers through the mission system��could be monitored in real-time by the Dark Moon Alliance if they deployed a few loyal yers into The Netherworld.


    Sterl believed that revealing his capability to solo a BOSS-level entity would only attract unwanted attention, possibly even from deities.


    His cautious nature led him to forgo the contribution points.


    However, to Sterl''s pleasant surprise:


    "Points have been saved and can be uploaded at any time."


    The [Transcendence]system was indeed quite considerate.


    "That means I can upload all my points just before leaving The Netherworld, im my rewards, and then ''David'' can disappear for good..." he nned.


    ---


    At this moment, in the Netherworld, the Moonfall Gorge.


    This ce is a deste area within the Netherworld, rarely visited by the local inhabitants.


    At the bottom of the gorge lies a long, narrow pool of water, separated by two steep cliffs. Due to its unique terrain, the water in the pool is extremely cold and frigid.Even a slight touch would make a person shiver uncontrobly.


    Surrounding the pool are some light blue, peculiar flowerbeds, and ice-blue fish swimming within the cold waters.


    Normally, this serene area would remain undisturbed, but now an unexpected guest had arrived��a young girl dressed in a water-blue robe, holding a staff, and walking barefoot.


    What was particrly astonishing was that she walked effortlessly on the surface of the water, moving slowly forward. If any of The Netherworld''s natives saw this scene, they would be utterly terrified.


    Because around the girl were more than ten ice-blue-skinned monsters, with arms shaped like des.


    These were the feared creatures of Moonfall Gorge, known as [Frost Dual des]. Each one was a second-ss elite with a level close to 100.


    In the Netherworld, even the mightiest warriors would need two or three people to handle just one of these creatures.


    Yet at this moment, it appeared that the girl had effortlessly dealt with over a dozen [Frost Dual des]on her own!


    "Ancestor, we seem to be almost there." the girl, Faye, said. Her emotions wereplex��partly relieved and partly regretful.


    She was relieved because her arrival point was close to Moonfall Gorge, making it easy to reach her destination.


    However, she felt regret because the sensor in her hand showed no sign of David nearby. He was likely still under the control of the Dark Moon Goddess.


    With such a constraint, no matter how powerful David was, he would still be at risk of falling!


    In her mind, Felicia''s voice interrupted her thoughts: "We have finally arrived."


    "There should be three portions of Netherworld Water in the Netherworld."


    "You only need to use one to refine your talent and profession, upgrading them to an enhanced S-grade."


    "While it won''t be as strong as SS-grade, the difference isn''t significant."


    Felicia was in high spirits. An extreme-quality double-S yer already had the potential to ascend to godhood.


    As for double-SS yers, even during her time as a demigod wandering the Vastor continent, Felicia had only ever seen one person reach that level.


    That individualter ascended effortlessly with four divine roles: Sun, me, nting, and Hunting��two more than Gloria''s Shadow and Moon!


    Such a person could be considered a favorite of the entire [Transcendence]game world. Felicia believed her excellent student didn''t need topare herself to that individual.


    Seeing her n progressing smoothly, Felicia was already quite content.


    Hearing this, Faye couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement in her eyes. Who could refuse the allure of a powerful profession and talent?


    Normally calm andposed, even she felt a twinge of impatience.

 Chapter 109: Planes Origin, Netherworld Water

    As for David, given the vastness of The Netherworld, if their teleportation points were far apart, Faye had no way to reach him and could only pray he stayed safe.


    Now, Faye understood it was better to focus on enhancing her own strength first.


    However, after sensing her surroundings, she opened her eyes with some frustration.


    "Ancestor, I don''t feel anything special here." Faye couldn''t help but ask.


    Felicia smiled faintly.


    "Your soul hasn''t even reached the legendary realm. How could you possibly sense the ne''s Origin?"


    "Let me handle this." Felicia said, immediately taking control of Faye''s body.


    Instantly, the girl''s expression changed. She closed her eyes for about ten seconds and then looked down at the pool she was standing on.


    Without warning, she plunged into the water, diving deeper.


    As Felicia moved, even within her sea of consciousness, Faye felt a wave of cold and frigid energy surge into her body, making her extremely ufortable.


    As Felicia swam deeper, Faye noticed that the water became clearer and more transparent. It felt less like swimming in water and more like being surrounded by crystal ss.


    In the pool, Faye saw many powerful monsters, including a BOSS-level creature that made her heart race��a giant crab-like entity.


    But Felicia, fully focused, used her demigod-level soul power topletely shield Faye''s presence.


    She also expended energy to create a watery veil, making their form semi-transparent and effectively camouged.


    The BOSS sensed something but, finding nothing, retreated to rest under a massive rock.


    Felicia looked confident: "That''s why I told you not to harm the native NPCs. If you do, even if I can cloak your presence, the world''s will would force all monsters to attack us."


    "The tracking power of the world''s origin is something even gods can''t avoid."


    Felicia was quite pleased with herself.


    "I understand, Ancestor." Faye nodded obediently in her consciousness space.


    Then, she hesitated: "Ancestor, why didn''t you tell me earlier? I haven''t informed Mr. David yet."


    Felicia: "..."


    She was at a loss for words regarding her foolish student''s thought process. Can''t you be more like me in my prime, focused solely on your career and not on romantic interests?


    She could only console herself silently. After all, that David was also a rare genius. Building a good rtionship with him was definitely worthwhile!


    Felicia continued to dive for about three more hours. The scenery in the water changed again.


    The water''s color grew deeper, transitioning from light blue to deep blue until it was impossible to see anything outside.


    The surrounding temperature dropped to terrifying levels, creating a frigid frost that continuously invaded Faye''s physical body.


    At this point, Felicia activated her powers. The girl''s legs merged into a single tail, transforming her into a mermaid. With this new form, even though her body was almost frozen stiff, her swimming speed in the underwater environment increased significantly.


    She silently chanted a spell, causing a faint dark green glow to envelop Faye''s body.


    With incredible speed, Felicia shot toward the bottom of the pool. It felt as though she had pierced through an invisible membrane.


    Suddenly, Felicia felt a lightness in her body, and her view opened up. She found herself in a deep pit, surrounded by darkness. The only light source came from a small pool of liquid at the bottom.


    The strange liquid emitted both dark green and water-blue hues, illuminating the entire area.


    "As expected, the Netherworld has declined so much."


    "There are no guardians near the world''s origin."


    "Only on the outskirts was there a BOSS that survived due to its strong vitality, driving away those who coveted the Netherworld Water."


    Felicia smiled serenely. After meticulously nning for so long, it was finally time to reap the rewards.


    "Ancestor, you''re amazing!" In the consciousness space, Faye, feeling the moment was right, thought some praise was in order. However, she struggled to find the right words and ended up blurting out this simple statement.


    Felicia didn''t care what her obedient disciple said.


    At this moment, she suddenly extended her hand and pierced her own chest. Strangely, Faye''s body wasn''t harmed in the slightest.


    Felicia, however, gritted her teeth in apparent pain. Eventually, she forcibly pulled out a blue crystal from her soul.


    "Next, take this crystal and enter the Netherworld Water to refine and absorb it."


    "Yes, Ancestor." Faye replied, regaining control of her body. Though she felt heartache for her ancestor''s sacrifice, she knew this was not the time to hesitate.


    The girl stepped into the pool of liquid. Initially, she felt a significant barrier. But the crystal in her hand emitted a faint glow, breaking through the obstruction.


    Gradually, the Netherworld Water began to flow into Faye''s body, transforming her bit by bit. Light blue patterns appeared and shifted on her skin, signaling a profound metamorphosis.


    However...


    Just as Faye was absorbing the world''s origin, elsewhere in the Netherworld, in the bustling city of Noise City, at the Heaven Water Sect Hall...


    This ce was the holynd of The Netherworld''s religion, the Heaven Water Sect.It was said that the deity who had created the world had engaged in a fierce battle with an enemy over a certain object and had eventually passed away at the original site of the Heaven Water Sect.


    At this moment, it was the annual ceremony to worship this god.


    Countless believers, led by the Pope, knelt devoutly on the ground, worshiping three statues in the cathedral: a young man in armor, an old man with a cloak, and a smiling boy.


    These statues represented the trinity of the former god in the Heaven Water Sect.


    Countless believers knelt devoutly before the statues, praying for their blessings. Some even knocked their heads on the ground until they bled, while others offered rare resources, despite their own tattered clothing.


    "Pray to the God of Heaven Water, grant me a good marriage."


    "Great god, please let me be wealthy! I promise to offer a hundredfold in return!"


    "Great God, please take away the disaster and heal my parents..."


    The people prayed with utmost devotion because worshiping the God of Heaven Water genuinely worked!


    Despite the teachings of the Heaven Water Sect stating that this god had perished countless years ago, this temple was built at the ce where the God of Heaven Water, before dying,municated with the world''s origin of The Netherworld. Sometimes, the devout prayers of the believers did indeede true.


    While many believers prayed, an elderly man with crane-white hair and a youthful face raised his scepter, his eyes half-closed. Everyone who saw him knelt in fear and reverence.


    This man was the current Pope of the Heaven Water Sect.


    "Not bad, this year''s offerings are plentiful."


    "You fools should offer everything you have to me!" The Pope thought to himself, though outwardly he maintained a solemn appearance until amotion broke out below.


    "What''s happening??"


    "Great God! The Great God..."


    "Oh no! Are we going to be punished with disasters?"


    Hearing this, the Pope impatiently opened his eyes. "Silence!"


    "This is a sacred ce.How dare you make such noise?"


    At hismand, many believers looked to the Pope as if he were their anchor.


    "Sir, we didn''t mean to, but it''s..."


    Before the worshipers could exin, the Pope harshly reprimanded, "Don''t make excuses!"


    "Take them away to the Inquisition!"


    However, the soldiers who came forward were trembling and looked incredulous.


    The Pope sensed something was amiss. With aposed and elegant demeanor, he walked into the cathedral hall.


    The next moment, the Pope forgot all about the Inquisition.


    ng!


    The scepter in his hand hit the ground with a crisp sound, and the Pope himself sat down abruptly, eyes wide with terror.


    "How is this possible!?"


    The Pope saw that among the three statues representing the god��


    The "Young Heaven Water God Statue" was inexplicably weeping tears of blood, and cracks were appearing all over it, as if it were about to shatter!


    At this moment, both the Pope and the surrounding believers were petrified. Even if these statues didn''t possess divine power, such a bizarre sight would inevitably lead to wild spections.


    "Could this be an omen of some disaster?" the Pope murmured.


    In a ce beyond his sight...


    The will of the entire world of The Netherworld suddenly began to weaken! While the inhabitants couldn''t sense it yet, an outsider would see that the previously solid world crystal wall was starting to fracture!


    Simultaneously, in a void space...


    The demigod Richard, who had previously helped Sterl and others teleport, was now kneeling respectfully before a woman in a purple robe and a thin veil.


    "Goddess, the time hase."


    "Just as you predicted, the Netherworld Water is being taken."


    "And with any one of the three portions of Netherworld Water missing, your divine power can fully enter the Netherworld."


    Richard spoke with utmost reverence.


    The goddess, however, wore aplex expression. "Felicia, the aura I sensed back then��it was indeed you."


    "Only you could hold the key to the Netherworld."


    "I''m sorry, but I must use you once more."


    "For the sake of..."


    "My homnd."


    "I must obtain��"

 Chapter 110: Task Phase II, Contending for the Origin

    "Why does it feel more and more off the longer I look at it?"


    Sterl was currently sitting cross-legged atop a giant mountain fissure, a terrain formed by the appearance of the Shadow of Hatred.


    At the moment, he wasn''t in a rush to check the boss drops.


    Instead, he was cautiously observing his surroundings, sensing that something strange seemed to be happening in the Netherworld.


    "What is this..." Sterl''s gaze unintentionally drifted over the cracks in the ground. He was stunned. Earlier, when the Shadow of Hatred had first appeared, Sterl had observed the underground, where goldenva had flowed in bright, molten streams.


    But now, the once radiantva was gradually dimming.


    This couldn''t possibly be due to exposure to outside air, as coolingva would solidify into hard stone.


    But theva was still in a liquid state, only its color had dulled, almost as if theva itself was dying.


    This strange sight sent shivers down Sterl''s spine, prompting him to check the boss drops first.


    From the loot orb, only two items dropped, but upon inspecting them, Sterl''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    "Oh my! These are great!"


    The first item was 40 purple gold coins, which Sterl dly epted. The second item was an amulet, though it had no attribute bonuses.


    [Shadow Master]


    [Category: Amulet]


    [Description: Legend has it that in the Netherworld, there was once a deity who suppressed tens of thousands of vengeful spirits beneath a mountain range.Over time, these souls werepressed and condensed within the mountain, ultimately transforming into shadows filled with hatred for the world. Even though this creature is now dead, the intense shadow energy cannot bepletely dispelled.]


    [Effect: Allows you to use [Shadow Clone: Upon activating this skill, create a shadow clone with 25% of your attributes (including equipment). The clone can use all your skills and equipment abilities.]


    Sterl had essentially gained a special skill for free, and a highly useful one at that.


    After storing the amulet in his inventory, he immediately summoned a shadow clone. He then felt his perspective split in two.He could control the clone as easily as his own body, andmunication was seamless.


    Next, Sterl had the shadow clone cast Ignition me, which indeed disyed only a quarter of the power. But then...


    An idea struck Sterl. He had the clone use the Power of Protection on his main body.


    The shadow quickly disintegrated, but before itpletely vanished, a cerulean shield had already enveloped Sterl.


    His interface showed a new buff.


    [Power of Protection: You can ignore all attacks and damage (this effect does not apply to demigods or entities above your current power level). Duration remaining: 3 seconds.]


    "Holy crap! It actually worked!" Sterl was dumbfounded. This meant that the life-saving skill, which originally required the sacrifice of the Starlight Dragonto enter a temporary slumber before he could use it, could now be a regr move. He could just summon a shadow clone and use it.


    However, Sterl soon discovered a downside. The amulet disyed a message: [Special Death: Shadow Clone''s cooldown is tripled, currently needs 12 hours before it can be used again.]


    "Damn! I should''ve saved the Power of Protectionforter."


    Actually, Sterl had a better idea.


    Since the shadow clone could use equipment skills, he could use items like the Mask of Void and Star Insight to create a fake identity for his clone or have it impersonate Sterl''s current identity at critical moments.


    This would essentially give Sterl an extra alias, allowing him to better conceal his true strength. For instance, when he destroyed the Antic Empire''s shuttle earlier, if he had this skill, he wouldn''t have needed to make his main body vanish.


    "Thanks a lot!" Sterl couldn''t help but sincerely thank the now-dead Shadow of Hatred. This amulet was incredibly useful!


    Plus, [Shadow Clone] was a skill that he could use to its full potential without needing any practice��perfect!


    Sterl spent about an hour familiarizing himself with the specific abilities of the shadow clone. During this time, the already changing the Netherworld finally reached a tipping point.


    As Sterl''s gaze unconsciously swept across the sky, he suddenly noticed��


    In the high sky, the noonday sun was suddenly eclipsed by a dark purple moon, turning the world into a different hue. The next second, he seemed to hear a wailing and sighing sound from some unknown creature.


    The giant moon transformed into a meteorite plummeting toward the ground!


    "Holy crap!" Sterl''s knowledge from his previous life told him that such a massive meteorite, upon impact, would cause secondary disasters capable of annihting all life in the Netherworld. However, he had a suspicion: "Could it be the Dark Moon Goddess causing this?"


    Sterl calmly summoned the Starlight Dragon, ready to activate the Power of Protectionat any moment. The meteorite struck! The earth shook so violently that Sterl almost lost his footing, but that was all...


    Considering the size of the moon, the impact''s effects were surprisingly minimal, almost irrationally so.


    Sterl steadied himself. "I can''t tell if it''s a demigod or that goddess manipting things..." As an amateur, he couldn''tprehend the power level required to summon a dark moon.


    Thus, he couldn''t gauge the situation in the Netherworld��whether gods had descended or if it was just demigods causing trouble.


    Sterl was confused but resolved to be as cautious as possible andy low.


    Just then...


    Boom!!


    Sterl almost lost his bnce again as the ground trembled violently once more. At the same time, he saw three giant pirs of light rising from the southeast, northwest, and directly ahead, each piercing the clouds.


    In each light pir, waves of water-blue and dark green energy transformed into two giant flood dragons.


    Even an idiot could tell that these three light pirs were extraordinarily significant.


    At this moment, a notification shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Warning: Affected by unknown forces!]


    [Warning: Affected by unknown forces!]


    [Mission Updated: Seek out the Netherworld and initiate side quest��Acquire the Water of the Netherworld]


    [Mission Completion Rewards: �� Unknown reward �� Removal of Lunar Restriction/Mark.]


    "Wow, they''re not even pretending anymore, are they?"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned but quickly snapped back to reality.


    The new side quest''s "unknown reward" was one thing, but the second reward was clear as day��find that so-called Water of the Netherworld, or remain a ve of the Dark Moon Alliance forever.


    The fact that removing the Lunar Restriction and Lunar Mark were presented as equivalent rewards indicated that once yers were marked, they were no longer in control of their own fate. The restriction and the mark were essentially the same thing.


    Moreover, the Dark Moon Alliance had no intention of lifting these marks from the yers initially.They wanted a lifetime of servitude unless the yers could obtain the Water of the Netherworld.


    "How ruthless! Every yer will be fighting tooth and nail for the Water of the Netherworld," Sterl thought, though he maintained a calm exterior. The earlier warning from the [Transcendence] system indicated an influence, likely divine intervention.


    Sterl had no idea what gods were capable of, so he made sure not to show any unnecessary emotion.


    Without hesitation, he activated his Blood Rush and bolted into the distance.


    However, it wasn''t toplete the quest.


    Sterl had a clear thought process. He suspected that the Dark Moon Alliance''s goddess was likely interested in the Water of the Netherworld, or something rted to it, and that''s why so many yers were forced into the Netherworld.


    The Water of the Netherworld had to be incredibly valuable.


    Even a goddess coveted this resource, so of course, Sterl wanted it too!


    Unfortunately, after just a few seconds of advancing, he noticed one of the three light pirs dimming rapidly, though it hadn''tpletely disappeared.


    With a slight frown, Sterl decided to change direction.


    He suspected that a yer might have gotten there first. To ensure he obtained the Water of the Netherworld, he decided to head towards the still unaffected light pir.


    "If I can secure the remaining two portions of the Water of the Netherworld, it''ll still be worth checking the dimming pirter."


    With plenty of energy storage potions on hand, Sterl used Blood Rush and Divine me Drive in dual-core mode, turning himself into a meteor streaking across thendscape at incredible speed.


    However, after just a few more seconds of flying, he stopped again.


    As he passed the area where the yer team had been ughtered by the Shadow of Hatred, tiny specks of light merged into his body.


    The [Transcendence] system didn''t even prompt him.


    Sterl just felt a wave of warmth through his body. After checking his interface for a while, he saw��


    His Moon Law growth had increased by 13 points! And his divine power had grown by 0.12 points, reaching a total of 0.13 points.


    "Is this the divine power andw power that Gloria imnted in those yers?" Sterl was stunned for a moment but then filled with joy.


    Although thew power and divine power he acquired were still meager��insufficient to evolve his Moon Law and providing almost no enhancement��the divine power''s increase was significant enough to extend the duration he could maintain his godly form. Now, instead of a mere instant, he could sustain it for a moment, more than ten times longer.


    However, Sterl sensed that his godly form time was still less than 0.1 seconds.


    Nevertheless, the additional gains from the yers instilled a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

 Chapter 111: Acquiring the Water of the Netherworld

    Sterl''s expression was tinged with excitement. He had originally thought that hoping for growth in his Law Powersand Divine Power was...


    Well, in wishful thinking.


    To be honest, Reaching such heights would require him to attain at least a legendary level, perhaps even be a demigod.


    But while in the Netherworld, there was an exception!


    He could absorb the Divine Power and Law Powerembedded in the yers!


    In the [Transcendence] main world, Divine Power injected into yers by Gloria would be reimed by her upon their death.


    Sterl wouldn''t be able to touch it.


    However, in this otherworldly realm, under the rejection and hostility of the world''s will, even the goddess was suppressed.


    Her Divine Power and Law Power, once they left the yers'' bodies, would be quickly eroded by the world''s will until they dissipated.


    Sterl had arrived just in time.The Law Power and Divine Power had already been stripped of all characteristics belonging to the goddess Gloria, leaving only the purest form of power, which was then attracted to Sterl''s own Moon Law and Divine Power.


    And so, Sterl experienced his earlier boost.


    Sterl was now quite excited. While others farm monsters, he could farm yers. The yield was even greater.


    But he quickly calmed down. "It''s too risky to kill yers myself."


    He knew that the Lunar Restriction and Mark had the capability to record dropped items. If he actively attacked and killed yers to seize their Divine and Law Power, he could be monitored by the goddess or her demigods.


    Too risky!


    The best method was to wait for the yers to be killed by the bosses sent by the world''s will, allowing the goddess''s influence to be eroded from their Divine and Law Power before he swooped in to collect.


    "So, I just need to watch other yers die." Sterl''s thoughts quickly cleared up.


    He realized this wouldn''t be difficult. Under the relentless targeting by the world''s will, any yer who had previously killed NPCs wouldn''t escape.


    Sterl reckoned he''d have a great time picking up Divine Power!


    The only issue was encountering arge number of yers, which wasn''t difficult at all.


    Sterl knew that everyone was heading toward the three light pirs indicating the Water of the Netherworld!


    With this in mind, Sterl didn''t bother examining the changes in his body from the newly acquired Law and Divine Power. He immediately activated the dual-core eleration mode of Divine me Drive and Blood Rush.


    He surged forward!


    With the Shadow Clone at his disposal, he could now use Divine me Drive without restraint. Later, his clone could disguise itself as David, ensuring people wouldn''t link him to "Constantine."


    A multicolored me streaked across the sky like a meteor.


    Under this terrifying eleration, although Sterl was somewhat targeted by the world''s will, causing numerous monsters to emerge from every nook and cranny to attack him,


    the monsters couldn''t even react before Sterl was long gone.


    In his fric rush, the Netherworld��a rtively small realm��seemed to shrink. What appeared to be vast distances were covered in no time.


    About half a dayter, Sterl stopped in front of one of the light pirs.


    Under the immense radiance, there stood a towering mountain, with the light emanating from within its depths.


    "Argh!"


    "Roar!"


    ...


    The light was so intense that it illuminated the entire mountain.


    Sterl slowed down andnded on the mountainside. He immediately noticed a group of elite monsters surrounding him.


    However, he didn''t even get a good look at these creatures before he utilized the residual mes from his Divine me Drive eleration. He unleashed the single burst effect of this skill, enhanced by two points of legendary status!


    Boom!!


    Multicolored mes exploded on the mountainside, transforming into a fiery barrage.


    In an instant, countless monsters were reduced to ashes in the fiery onught!


    Elite monsters? They were meaningless! Unless faced with a boss-level entity, nothing could withstand Sterl''s output.


    Sterl''s ears were filled with a cascade of notifications��


    [Monster killed...]


    [Killed...]


    His experience points soared. Apart from his time in the Vige of Death, he rarely had such frenzied opportunities to farm monsters. Yet, driven by the world''s will, nearly all the wild creatures wereing to him willingly, practically offering themselves up.


    When Sterl finished his monster-clearing spree, he awkwardly realized that, perhaps due to his incredible speed, there were no yers around the light pir.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Sterl immediately adopted a cautious expression and quickly used his Shadow Clone to create David.


    The character he yed as, Constantine, stood arrogantly on the peak, while "David" looked on in terror and fled in panic.


    At that moment, Sterl sensed a powerful mental presence scanning both his clone and his real body.


    This was at least the soul power of a legendary being!


    While Sterl was still somewhat na?ve, he did possess Divine Power and Law Power within him. In his vague understanding, he could gauge the strength of the soul power that had just appeared.


    However, the real question was��


    "How did the Dark Moon Alliance manage this? Weren''t second-ss yers supposed to be the limit in this world?" Sterl was bewildered.


    A sudden sh of insight had made him realize that the Dark Moon Alliance would likely have people monitoring the light pirs with the Water of the Netherworld. So, after decimating the monsters, Sterl quickly used his Shadow Clone, which had juste off cooldown, to create a disguise.


    "Constantine" could be high-profile, as he was already marked by the Dark Moon Alliance due to his attack on the Antic Empire.


    "David" on the other hand, was Sterl''s main identity and needed to stay under the radar.


    Even though Sterl evaded this round of detection, he was still puzzled��


    How did the Dark Moon Alliance bypass the world''s origin restrictions to deploy legendaries? If they could really send people into The Netherworld without conditions, why would they still need yers?


    In fact, if Sterl knew about Felicia''s situation, he would understand that the Netherworld suppressed only physical power, not soul levels.


    The Dark Moon Alliance had long been stockpiling legendary souls for this mission.


    These souls, like Felicia''s, were usually weak but could ignite themselves to temporarily be legendary powerhouses!


    Once they entered the Netherworld, their primary goal was to ensure the goddess''s mission was executed smoothly, and their secondary goal was to monitor the yers'' movements.


    Sterl was unaware of this. After sensing the probing force had vanished, he first collected the drops from the elite monsters. However, his luck was a bit off this time. He obtained a total of 20 purple coins and a bunch of second-ss and higher gear, none of which he could use.


    With a calm expression, he stored the gear in his backpack and began to explore the interior of the mountain.


    The earlier Divine me explosion had created arge hole on the mountainside, through which Sterl easily entered the mountain.


    Indeed, this giant mountain was hollow.


    Sterl jumped downward and observed glowing moss and emerald-green crystals providing faint illumination.


    As he drew closer to the source of the light pir, he noticed increasingly aggressive monsters emerging. They were mostly semi-humanoid creatures covered in mud, looking quite disgusting.


    Sterl eliminated them effortlessly, using Ignition me and the starlight ssh effect to clear everything in his path.


    By the time hended at the bottom, the monsters'' relentless attacks had filled his experience bar by one level. He also collected some unusable gear and two blue-quality skill books.


    Finally, Sterl felt as if he had pierced through a thin membrane, and his vision suddenly opened up.


    Beneath the mountain, the visibility was surprisingly good. It was a vast underground world, with the deepest part illuminated by a bizarre pool of dark green and water-blue hues. The pool emitted a strong glow, lighting up the entire area.


    Upon closer inspection, Sterl noticed a semi-transparent protective barrier over the pool. A dark purple moon pattern was flowing over the barrier, eroding most of it.


    Just as Sterl was about to approach, his expression changed. He quickly activated teleportation and dodged aside.


    Boom!!


    The spot where he had just stood was suddenly upied by a giant bear covered in blue crystals, roaring fiercely at the sky.


    This was another secondss boss!


    If Sterl hadn''t arrived at the light pir first, a regr yer team would have suffered significant casualties from this ambush!


    But since Sterl was the one who arrived first, it was unfortunate for the boss.


    Unlike the previous Shadow of Hatred, which had special properties and extreme speed, this giant bear possessed all the typical characteristics of a secondss boss: high health and high damage output!


    However, against Sterl, high health was meaningless, and high damage output was irrelevant if it couldn''t hit.


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    Boom!!


    After three deafening explosions, Sterl knelt on one knee, panting heavily. He hadn''t taken any damage, but using Divine me Drive three times in a row had overexerted him.


    The giant bear boss, which Sterl didn''t even bother to inspect with Star Insight, was reduced to a charred corpse.


    Sterl ignored the boss''s drops and quickly approached the source of the light pir. With a light touch, the heavily eroded protective barrier shattered.


    Finally, Sterl reached out and touched the strange pool!

 Chapter 112: Legendary Soul? Control It and Its Over!

    At this moment, the underground world presented a fantastical scene.


    In the vast space, multicolored mes flickered everywhere. A young man reached out to touch the flowing water that shimmered with both aqua blue and dark green hues, contrasting starkly with the mes.


    The perfect juxtaposition of fire and water!


    This scene was like a painting.


    Sterl''s eyes quickly scanned the notifications��


    [You have discovered the World Origin: Water of the Netherworld.]


    [yers can physically enter the pool to absorb this item. You can choose one of the following effects.]


    [�� Enhance your talent and ss to the S-grade limit.]


    [�� Permanently improve your physique. For each stage��second ss, third ss, legendary, and demigod��you can gain an additional 20 levels before advancing, receiving the attributes of those extra 20 levels. (The experience required for these extra 20 levels is equal to the experience needed for the initial 20 levels of the current stage.)]


    [�� Obtain the LawPower: Flowing Water (Hidden option: This option will only appear if you possess absorbed divine essence fragments.)]


    [Note: Absorbing the Water of the Netherworld takes about 12 hours.]


    Sterl couldn''t help but twitch his lips at the notifications in front of him. This was the most powerful item he had encountered so far!


    Each of the three effects was extraordinary! The first one enhanced talent and ss to the S-grade limit. Even though the Dark Moon Alliance had gathered talents from over 70 empires, Sterl had only ever seen one double-S yer, and he believed it was only a regr double-S, not a double-S limit.


    Unfortunately, Sterl couldn''t use this option since he already had triple-S talents and sses fully maxed out!


    The second effect was straightforward: it allowed yers to gain up to an additional 80 levels of attribute boosts and free attribute points. The numbers were staggering! For someone with an SSS-grade ss like Sterl, this was invaluable! Moreover, the extra 20 levels required only the experience of the initial 20 levels of the current stage.


    For instance, if Sterl absorbed the Water of the Netherworld now and chose the second effect, he would only need the experience equivalent to levels 20-40 of histest ss advancement.


    Given the exponential experience requirements in [Transcendence], once Sterl reached level 60, the additional 20 levels'' worth of experience could be easily obtained bypleting a single hidden quest, rewarding him with one or two levels'' worth of experience, and even more!


    As for the third effect, its value was self-evident: it granted a new Law Power. Essentially, Sterl was the only one who could obtain this effect, as no one else could, given their secondss status, contain the Law Powerthrough their bloodline.


    However, Sterl found himself in a dilemma. While he was certain he''d choose the third effect, the Law Power, he couldn''t help but feel reluctant to give up the easily obtainable 80 levels of attributes.


    The most frustrating part was that the Water of the Netherworld was a natural resource, and Sterl couldn''t add it to his inventory. Otherwise, he felt he might have found a way to exploit an additional effect.


    "How do other yers collect this stuff? Do they hand it over?"


    "Could it be that with the Lunar Restriction/Mark on them, the Water of the Netherworld can use the yer''s body as a storage container? Did the goddess of the Netherworld separate the Water of the Netherworld?" Sterl spected.


    However, using divine power and the Law Powerto craft such intricate things clearly wasn''t something an ordinary ss yer like him could aplish.


    He was now certain that he had to choose only one of the three effects.


    The more Sterl thought about it, the more frustrated he became.


    Damn it!


    And at that moment...


    "Sorry, you can''t have this."


    A bizarre scene unfolded.


    Apanied by an inexplicable voice, Sterl suddenly saw a face eerily emerge from the inner rock wall of the mountain.


    Then a figure forced its way out. What struck Sterl as odd was that, outwardly, this figure appeared to be a handsome young man wearing a cloak with a gentle smile. However, he was semi-transparent, looking less like a real person.


    After activating Divine Descent andLife Ignite, Sterl used Star Insight to quickly discern the reality of his opponent.


    [Milo]


    [Category: Special Life/Legendary Soul]


    [Description: A life form forged through special powers. It doesn''t possess its original strength but can still use its legendary soul for sensing and reconnaissance.]


    "Legendary being? Soul form?" Sterl was momentarily stunned. The word "legendary" made him wary, but upon reading the description��


    A soul form that only had the title of "legendary" without any actualbat power. It was just for show...


    Seeing this, Sterl had no intention of showing any respect.


    You say I can''t have the Water of the Netherworld? So I should just give up on it?


    Ignoring Milo, he continued toward the pool, even putting one foot into the water.


    "This is something the goddess needs. This is your final warning: leave the vicinity of the Water of the Netherworld."


    "Constantine." Milo maintained his strong stance, saying coldly.


    If it were a regr yer here to collect the Water of the Netherworld, this legendary soul monitoring nearby wouldn''t have taken any action.


    The Lunar Restriction and Mark on the yers would ensure that the Water of the Netherworld would only temporarily merge into their bodies without wasting any effect. Once they left the Netherworld, the goddess could extract it.


    In contrast, if this thirdss powerhouse Constantine, who had somehow broken in, took the Water of the Netherworld, it would be a big problem.


    He could genuinely absorb the Water of the Netherworld.


    Though Gloria herself might not care about this resource, for this legendary soul, his duty was to guard the Water of the Netherworld.


    If he failed, the Dark Moon Alliance would no longer maintain his soul form, and he would be obliterated. He might even suffer torture from those fanatical demigods devoted to Gloria and die a gruesome death.


    Yet Sterl remained unfazed.


    What are you trying to pull? You''re just a soul, and you dare to threaten me??


    Milo''s face turned extremely grim as he saw "Constantine" step into the pool of water.


    The legendary soul could no longer bear it and snarled, "I will make you regret everything you''ve done."


    In an instant, Milo ignited himself!


    To Sterl''s senses, it was as if a zing torch had appeared in the underground world. This torch had no physical heat, but Sterl felt an intense difort, as if his very spirit was being scorched!


    A terrifying aura suddenly emerged.


    Where once Milo had been furious and humiliated, now his face was expressionless and full of power. "Insect, you have angered me!"


    "I will show you the most miserable way to die in this world!"


    "I dedicate your life, and your death, to the goddess."


    He looked at Sterl coldly, as if he had already won.


    Sterl felt his body grow heavy and found it hard to move.


    The power of a legendary being! This was the strongest enemy he had encountered so far!


    Clearly, he could no longer continue to collect the Water of the Netherworld. Sterl turned slightly and saw new data disyed in Star Insight.


    [Milo]


    [Category: Special Life/Legendary Soul]


    [Description: ... Currently, due to burning his soul''s essence, he has temporarily regained some of his legendary-level powers.]


    [Attributes ...]


    [Skills ...]


    [Legendary Ability: Unable to be probed]


    Sterl saw that Milo''s attributes were all over 500 points on average. As a former legendary figure, Milo''s ss must have been quite formidable.


    Despite being a soul, Milo had lost his ss talents, but by burning himself, his base attributes were terrifyingly high, and he even possessed a legendary ability that Sterl couldn''t probe!


    But Sterl hesitated for only a few seconds.He didn''t flee.


    He had the confidence to take such risks. With resurrection, the invincible protection of the Starlight Dragon, the ability to transform into a god for a short time, and the power of a demigod''sws, how could he not handle a legendary being??


    Moreover...


    A soul without a physical body would have much weaker defenses!


    Milo sneered coldly.


    He wasn''t stupid. He could tell that this thirdss yer seemed very confident. And before entering the Netherworld, Milo had been warned by the demigod Richard about "Constantine."


    This thirdss yer appearing just as the gates to the Netherworld were about to open, likely targeting this otherworld. He had to be cautious.


    Milo knew the power of Constantine''s Divine me Drive was immense!


    So...


    Despite his harsh words, he had been preparing his deadliest move from the start.


    As Sterl watched warily, Milo suddenly vanished.


    One second...


    Two seconds...


    Milo saw a slowly spreading silver light appear around Sterl.


    But he just sneered.


    [Shadow Wind]!


    Milo activated his gold-quality skill, which made his next attack immune to any control effects and also immune to one instance of damage.


    Then��


    [Shadow Spike], another gold-quality skill, a straightforward and violent attack move!


    Milo was extremely confident that his smoothbo would seriously injure even a demigod, though a demigod wouldn''t allow him to get close in the first ce...


    But this mere thirdss yer was doomed!


    Like a phantom, Milo appeared behind Sterl, a shadowy de forming in his hand, ready to strike!


    "Goodbye!" he said coldly.


    But then something shocking happened to the legendary soul!


    As he charged into the silver light, [Shadow Wind] did not activate to neutralize any damage or control effects!

 Chapter 113: Slaying the Legend!

    Milo''s face revealed an expression of utter disbelief!


    What seemed like an unavoidable strike didn''t even hit the target! The pitch-ck shadow sword emitted an extremely eerie glow.


    Anyone who saw it would be inexplicably terrified! Milo''s attack was incredibly powerful! But if it misses, it''s meaningless!


    On the contrary, Milo felt as if his entire body was submerged in mercury, his movements bing extremely slow.


    "How is this possible? You''re just a third ss! How can you possess such power?? Is this Law Power??"


    The legendary soul was utterly astonished, shouting in sheer terror. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to shout louder, but Milo''s speaking speed had slowed down so much that he could only utter��


    "You... how...?" These two words.


    Meanwhile, Sterl was smiling, looking as if he had everything under control, exuding a smug confidence.


    In reality, he barely reacted to Milo''s attack.


    Sterl spected that his opponent, even after hiding, couldn''t stay hidden forever and would eventually have to attack.


    Moreover, a legend fighting a third sswouldn''t stay hidden for long unless Milo was incredibly cowardly, which was unlikely.


    The moment his opponent disappeared, Sterl released the effects of the Moon Law around himself, creating a slow field.


    Sure enough, the legendary soul fell right into the trap!


    Sterl even suspected, judging from Milo''s expression, that the guy might have noticed the setup but still charged in headfirst.


    Milo might have had the means topletely crush a third ssyer, but against semi-divine Law Power, he had no chance to resist!


    Now, facing Law Power, the legendary soul was immobilized, swinging his de slowly.


    He wanted to escape, but his movements remained incredibly sluggish, like a mosquito struggling in amber, barely able to move!


    Moreover... Milo felt a deep sense of despair. As a soul, he was inherently fragile, not an elite or boss temte, and his life force was extremely weak!


    The damage output Constantine had shown earlier was enough to kill Milo!


    In this state of slowness, even though the legendary soul had a thousand methods, he couldn''t use any of them. He could only watch as Sterl slowly extended a finger towards his forehead.


    "What a brilliant light." Milo''sst conscious thought was this single sentence...


    In the next second, within the silver light screen, the body of the legendary soul turned into dazzling golden light,pletely melted by the power of the Star Point Finger, and finally turned to ashes.


    On the other hand, Sterl revealed an extremely joyful smile, feeling that he had won big!


    Because with Milo''s disappearance, several prompts popped up before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You have in a legend. Due to the opponent being in a soul state, the rewards are reduced.]


    [You have gained 3 points of Legend.]


    [You have obtained a Broken Legendary Crystal.]


    For now, Sterl didn''t care what the so-called Broken Legendary Crystal was.


    He was already getting excited. Three points of Legend!


    Usually,pleting a hidden quest would only him one or two points of Legend at most.


    And this battle with Milo took less than 5 seconds!


    He could almost see a broad path unfolding before him.


    In theory, perfect ascension to Legend required at most three skills invested with 20 points of Legend each, totaling sixty points of Legend. Ordinary yers might spend a lifetime just to gather ten or so points.


    Even though Sterl was highly efficient, he figured it would still take a long time, possibly two to three years of grinding hidden and main quests non-stop.


    But now, Sterl had a chance to get a huge boost!


    With his current power, thanks to the Moon Law, he had the ability to kill legendary figures, but it was still very risky. Each attempt was a life-and-death gamble with a high chance of failure.


    However, facing the fragile and significantly weakened legendary souls was a different story!


    When Sterl got the chance, it was an instant kill, reaping Legend points.


    And considering the Dark Moon Alliance''s ns in the Netherworld, they must have invested quite a number of legendary souls, which was Sterl''s golden opportunity!


    He didn''t expect to max out the 60 Legend points straight away but getting ten or so points should be feasible, right?


    After a moment of excitement, Sterl turned his attention to another drop��


    [Broken Legendary Crystal (Milo)] +


    [Category: Special Item]


    [Description: A crystal that has a very small chance of forming when a legendary figure fallspletely. Perhaps even in the face of death, they wish to leave a trace of their existence in the world, marking the path they walked.]


    [Effect: You can activate the crystal to release a one-time iplete version of [Legendary Ability: Shadow Stealth].]


    [Note: After activating the legendary ability, this item will be permanently destroyed.]


    Sterl felt a little disappointed after reading it.


    The item description mentioned it had a very small chance of forming, which had already got Sterl excited.


    But in the end, it was just a one-time skill?


    Although he believed the strength of [Shadow Stealth] should exceed that of golden-quality skills,


    it still felt like a letdown!


    Because in the Netherworld, the only enemies that really troubled him were the demigods of the Dark Moon Alliance and that goddess. To deal with such foes, Sterl had to temporarily ascend to godhood using Divine Power, and a one-time legendary ability wouldn''t help much.


    It was only against legendary souls that Sterl might need this legendary ability, but the item description already stated that the drop rate for legendary crystals was extremely low.


    Using this Broken Legendary Crystal to kill other legends wouldn''t yield new crystals, and besides, he probably could manage legendary souls with his Star Point Finger or Divine me Drive anyway...


    So this crystal would only ensure his kills on legendary souls, which felt like a waste...


    Fortunately, Sterl noticed that the [Broken Legendary Crystal] had a plus sign on it.


    "If it can be upgraded, there''s still hope." he muttered, noting that he still had half an hour before the cooldown for upgrading points would be over.


    Sterl hesitated for a moment but decided not to just sit and wait.


    He thought for a while and then headed towards the rock wall where Milo hade from. Activating the Divine me Drive, he used the mes to melt the wall and walked inside.


    Sterl''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    Inside the wall was a crystalline ss bottle. As he picked it up, a prompt appeared before him��


    [You have obtained the item [Curious sk].]


    [Curious sk]


    [Category: Special Item]


    [Description: A special container once used by the Nean people to store water. With the extinction of their race, their technology spread, making the Curious sk one of the most popr items for storing potions and elixirs in the main world of [Transcendence].]


    [Effect: You can use this item to store any liquid, with a maximum capacity of 3000 cubic units. You can freely designate various sections within the Curious sk to separate different potions.]


    After reading the item''s properties, Sterl immediately understood. This was obviously the tool Milo had intended to use to collect Netherworld Water.


    After all, the Dark Moon Alliance needed to consider that without any yers able to obtain the Netherworld Water, they couldn''t just leave it lying around freely in the Netherworld.


    Milo hadn''t had it on him because, as a soul, he didn''t have an inventory and couldn''t carry any items.


    Sterl happily held the ss bottle. Although the description indicated that it was a popr item in the main world of [Transcendence] and not particrly rare,


    for someone like Sterl, who came from Earth, it was very useful.


    He returned to the underground world and used the special effect of the Curious sk on the cluster of Netherworld Water. Instantly, the blue and green liquid rapidly flowed into the bottle.


    As expected, the Netherworld Water still couldn''t be upgraded because it was now stored in the Curious sk.


    Sterl could upgrade the Curious sk itself, but the liquid inside couldn''t evolve...


    Fortunately, because the Curious sk could store the Netherworld Water, Sterl didn''t need to refine it immediately.


    He could head to the next location of Netherworld Water and, by absorbing two portions, he could obtain all the beneficial effects from both types of Netherworld Water.


    Sterl happily stored the Curious sk in his inventory and retraced his steps to leave the underground world.


    When he returned to the surface, he was slightly surprised.


    Having taken the Netherworld Water, the pir of light in the sky had already disappeared, and the previously dim light pir was also gone.


    Sterl knew that the light pir would either be shining or extinguished when someone like him took the Netherworld Water. The transition from dim to extinguished could only mean one thing��


    Someone hadpletely refined and absorbed a portion of the Netherworld Water!


    Of course, that person might be a yer with a Lunar Mark and Restriction, who appeared to absorb the Netherworld Water but was actually still working for the Dark Moon Alliance.


    However, Sterl thought it was unlikely. Anyone capable of refining the Netherworld Water so soon after entering the alternate world probably had a way to break free from the Dark Moon Alliance''s control.


    Sterl pondered for a few seconds but didn''t waste any more time. He disguised himself as Constantine again, activated Divine me Drive and Bloody Rush, and flew at top speed towards thest known location of the Netherworld Water.


    ...


    While Sterl remained calm, all the yers who had entered the Netherworld were in shock.


    "Are you kidding me? Two portions of the Netherworld Water have already been taken?"


    "Even if that double-S ranker from the Principality of Morrow took one, there should still be one left. What''s going on?"


    "Could it be that the Dark Moon Alliance orchestrated this whole thing and took the Netherworld Water beforehand?"


    "How many people will have to die to get thest portion of the Netherworld Water?"


    ...

 Chapter 114: Absorbing Legendary Power! Battle Strength Surges!

    At this moment, countless yers in the Netherworld couldn''t help but put down what they were doing and look up at the sky and the people of the Dark Moon Alliance.


    They were on the verge of breaking down!


    So many people fighting over just one portion of the Netherworld Water... Do they even have a chance?


    Some even suspected that the Dark Moon Alliance was tricking them. They said thatpleting a task would remove the Lunar Restriction/Mark.


    But in reality, the alliance wasn''t giving them the chance toplete the task. They were taking the Netherworld Water themselves, thus having a legitimate reason to keep the Restriction in the yers'' bodies.


    It''s disgraceful for a force that worships a deity to pull such tricks, but yers who had been deceived before felt that the Dark Moon Alliance was definitely capable of doing such a thing!


    In reality, the Dark Moon Alliance wasn''t behind the yers'' misfortune.


    At that moment, in the void near the Netherworld, Richard''s face was grim.


    "My Goddess, besides the portion of Netherworld Water you initially nned to give to an old acquaintance, another portion has been taken, and our personnel stationed there were ughtered!"


    "What on earth is going on? Should I go and check it out?"


    Richard was getting anxious!


    The Netherworld Water is the world origin! Refining it would provide significant benefits, even for a demigod like him!


    If the Netherworld itself weren''t so weakened, with its world cap falling to second ss, the world origin would still be valuable to a goddess like Gloria.


    Moreover, the Dark Moon Alliance had lost a legendary soul.


    These materialized legendary souls were warriors created by Gloria using her special Law Power.


    In [Transcendence], there are often areas, alternate worlds, and instances that limit abilities, but soul entities can bypass these restrictions. However, not all legendary figures can be turned into soul entities after death, so losing one was a great loss for Richard!


    Additionally, with the strength of a legendary soul, they should easily crush normal third-ss opponents. How could one suddenly die? And without any intelligence being transmitted before death!


    Instead, Richard noticed that two light pirs of the Netherworld Water had extinguished and only realized Milo had vanished through proactive sensing.


    Layer uponyer of problems had shattered this demigod''s previously calm demeanor.


    However, despite his worries, when Richard looked up at his goddess, his anxiety disappeared.


    To his surprise, he found the goddess smiling serenely.


    Richard was momentarily lost in that smile, the same smile that had once captivated him and led him to follow Gloria until she became the Dark Moon Goddess.


    It had been a long time since he''d seen such a scene.


    "You don''t need to handle this matter."


    "Most of the troops and demigod-level warriors of the Alliance are now gathered on the front lines against the Buddha."


    "The fact that we two are executing this n already involves considerable risk."


    "The only opportunity to act is when that item appears."


    "Because once you show up, Buddhawill undoubtedlyunch a full-scale attack, leveraging their numerical advantage. Without me on the front lines, the alliance would suffer heavy casualties."


    When Gloria mentioned the heavy casualties, her expression still carried a smile. However, unlike the genuine smile from earlier, this one was eerily pale and strange.


    It seemed as if... she didn''t care at all about those front-line soldiers.


    "Well, gathering cannon fodder does require resources." Richard nodded. Apparently, the Dark Moon Alliance''s ruthlessness extended from the goddess herself to her demigod subordinates.


    "Just losing a portion of the Netherworld Water is nothing to worry about. Its value isn''t that high to us." Gloria said in a gentle tone.


    But somehow, Richard felt his goddess was in quite a good mood. His face showed slight confusion, and he even wondered if this was part of some n.


    In reality, Gloria indeed felt ted, as she hadn''t been this happy in centuries.


    The moon, in mysticism, symbolizes divination and prophecy.


    Gloria had long used her Divine Power to divine some information.


    The message she received was��


    The one who took the Netherworld Water and killed the legendary soul was a yer from Earth whose power hadn''t surpassed the Netherworld''s limits.


    "An original Earthling, even with sealed potential, has emerged as a genius."


    "Perhaps I will have another ally soon."


    Gloria was extremely delighted.


    However, she chose to bury this divined information deep within her heart, not even sharing a word with the loyal Richard beside her.


    After thinking for a moment, Gloria touched her forehead, sealing away the memories of her divination, leaving only one hint��


    "Don''t bother with the lost portion of the Netherworld Water."


    Secondster, Gloria''s eyes cleared.


    "Richard, wait patiently. Once the third portion of the Netherworld Water is taken, the copse of the Netherworld will begin."


    "The chaos from the world''s destruction will obscure all detection."


    "That will be our only chance to act."


    Richard unhesitatingly knelt on one knee, "As youmand, mydy."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Sterl had no idea that such an unfair ability existed in the world, allowing someone to know some of his information through so-called divination, even without any intelligence reports...


    Although the information was extremely abstract, the only valuable detail was that Sterl''s race was Earthling. As for his power level, it was uselessly vague, merely stating that Sterl''s level was below third ss, without specifying his exact strength.


    For someone like Sterl, who thrived on caution and stealth, having any information about him exposed without any mistakes on his part was incredibly frustrating!


    At this moment, Sterl stopped mid-flight andnded on the ground.


    His ability to allocate points had been restored.


    Sterl decisively took out the fragmented legendary crystal he had obtained earlier.


    He opened his palm, revealing a crystal that emitted a dim, eerie light.


    He silentlymanded, "Allocate points."


    Instantly, the crystal shone brilliantly. The previously jagged, dark object transformed into a smooth, lustrous gem, resembling a ck pearl.


    In front of Sterl, the attributes of the legendary crystal had drastically changed.


    [Legendary Foundation: Shadow Stealth]


    [Description: A theoretical impossibility, a construct formed by the essence of a legendary being''s life force under some unknown influence, existing only within a living organism as a legendary cornerstone.]


    [Effect: Using this item grants you an additional legendary ability: Shadow Stealth.]


    "Is it really that powerful?"


    Sterl was amazed, not just by the abilities themselves, but by the description that stated it was a theoretical impossibility!


    With this qualifier, the value of his point allocation ability was significantly enhanced!


    Although Sterl had always believed that his cheat potentialhad extremely high potential, this was an official acknowledgment from the [Transcendence] system!


    And looking at the ability of this item, Sterl was overjoyed!


    The description might be brief, but the implications were huge.


    Sterl could directly use the Legendary Foundation to learn Milo''s legendary ability!


    "My God..."


    "It looks like I''m really about to soar... No, I''m soaring again!"


    While Sterl might be a bit of a bumpkin, after encountering these legendary demigods, he had managed to gather some intelligence through his subordinates.


    He knew that all legendary beings had only one legendary ability.


    This didn''t even need to be emphasized.It was a naturalw with no exceptions.


    But Sterl''s point allocation ability had just created this exception! Even he initially thought that after allocating points, perhaps it would just allow for multiple uses of the legendary crystal.


    But the point allocation ability turned out to be overwhelmingly powerful!


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t help but start fantasizing about a future where he possesses dozens of legendary abilities, sweeping away all obstacles in his path.


    Of course, he quickly calmed down.


    The drop rate for legendary crystals was already terrifyingly low, and despite his ability to allocate points, amassing a plethora of legendary abilities would still be difficult.


    However, he felt that having seven or eight legendary abilities in the future shouldn''t be too far-fetched.


    It''s important to know that each legendary ability far surpasses gold-quality skills, and Sterl even suspected that if he were to create a legendary ability with the imagined 60 points of legendary degree, it could likely crush tinum-quality skills.


    Of course, Sterl also understood that tinum-quality skills might also be merged with Law Power in the realm of demigods or other things of equivalent value.


    After a moment of excitement, he didn''t hesitate to swallow the smooth legendary foundation.


    Sterl had expected to endure some intense pain to absorb this tremendous power.


    But the process was surprisingly easy.


    Sterl only felt a cold stream of air flowing through his body, which was almost pleasant, lulling him into a drowsy state.


    Over three hourster.


    Sterl reopened his eyes.


    He felt as though his entire body had been transformed, crossing some kind of threshold.


    Several notifications shed before his eyes.


    [You have undergone an extremely weak Legendary Ascension Ritual: All attributes increased by 10 points.]


    [You have acquired the legendary ability: Shadow Stealth.]


    An unexpected bonus?


    Sterl was stunned for a few seconds. A total of 40 attribute points was incredibly valuable!


    But that wasn''t the main focus. He quickly brought up his attribute panel, and sure enough, there was a new module added.

 Chapter 115: Contending for the Leaderboard

    At this moment, Sterl quickly examined the values of his legendary ability.


    [Legendary Ability: Shadow Stealth]


    [Category: Shadow]


    [Description: A legendary ability formed bybining the second awakening talent [Death Assassination] and the skills [Shadow Spike (Gold)] and [Shadow Wind (Gold)].]


    [Effect: Passive - When you do not wish to be detected by enemies, your presence is significantly diminished. For each second in this state, the power of your next skill output increases by 2%, up to a maximum of 200% (the bonus effect is retained for three seconds after leaving the hidden state).


    Active - You can vanish into the shadow realm, moving through it (this consumes arge amount of stamina). Entities in the main world cannot observe or attack you. This state can be maintained for up to two seconds. In this state, the power of your next skill output increases by 100% per second, up to a maximum of 200%. After leaving the shadow realm, the bonus effect is retained for three seconds.]


    [Note: The bonuses from legendary abilities are independent of all other bonuses.]


    "Huh? Just a pure damage increase? Doesn''t seem all that great."


    "But, the survival aspect is pretty good..."


    "Wait a minute, independent bonuses???" Sterl''s expression shifted rapidly. He nodded slightly, feeling somewhat satisfied with his new ability, and then he was shocked.


    He realized that his previous gamble with the legendary soul had really paid off!


    First of all, the passive effect of Shadow Stealth greatly pleased Sterl. Reducing his presence was incredibly useful for someone who adhered to the path of stealth.


    Not to mention that while reducing his presence, it also increased his damage output.


    The active effect allowed Sterl to traverse into an alternate world. Beyond the damage increase, being able to stay in an alternate world for two seconds essentially meant two seconds of invincibility.


    He had previously felt that hecked survival skills, but now he was reborn!


    Moreover, the most outrageous part was that the damage increase from the legendary ability was an additional bonus!


    This meant that all of Sterl''s previous attribute boosts and skill damage enhancements could potentially be tripled under the effect of Shadow Stealth!


    This was ridiculously overpowered!


    The only drawback of [Shadow Stealth] was the massive stamina consumption required to traverse the shadow realm. Sterl, with his divine descent augmentations, could amplify his attributes to terrifying levels. However, his base attributes, though high, still fell short of true legendary status, and his stamina limit was calcted based on his base mental strength...


    Seeing the phrase "massive consumption" made Sterl shudder. Would he even have enough mana to fully use [Shadow Stealth]?


    "It should be fine. I can barely use this skill. During those two seconds in the alternate world, stamina potions can help restore some of my energy." After assessing his capabilities, Sterl found that using Shadow Stealth to enter the shadow realm could deplete four-fifths of his stamina bar, making it nearly impossible to use any high-powered moves.


    He would have to rely on stamina potions for continuous replenishment and remain in the shadow realm for the full two seconds to ensure he could use his next skill.


    In summary, Sterl''s biggest headache now was still hisck of mana, or rather, his low level causing insufficient mana.


    After organizing his newly acquired legendary ability, Sterl casually nced at the mission panel. Instantly, he was taken aback!


    "Damn! I''m losing out!"


    He noticed that the leaderboard for the mission "Exploring the Netherworld" had an hourly reward! As long as he maintained the top ranking, he would receive 100 contribution points from the Dark Moon Alliance!


    He realized that many yers were already frantically racking up points.


    At this moment, Sterl decided not to rush ahead. He activated the effect of Bloody Rush and charged forward, while also using Star Insight to scan his surroundings.


    He mainly observed where the highest concentration of monsters was, and soon, he discovered a cluster of monster info bars in a basin to the southwest.


    Sterl decided to detour slightly and enter the basin.


    Perhaps because Sterl had not yet killed any NPCs, the surrounding monsters did not rush out to wee him.


    Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers.


    Celestial Star!


    Boom!!


    High above, the Celestial Stars crashed into the basin. This time, Sterl had enhanced the range of the move with stardust, causing azure mes to burn wildly across an area of hundreds of square meters.


    Countless monsters living underground were enraged as a result...


    Soon, Sterl saw a giant, ferocious mole-like creature lunging at him from his right side.


    Then from the front, behind, left, and right...


    A dozen elite monsters named [Earth Moles] charged at him with hateful res.


    Instead of being scared, Sterl was delighted: "Perfect, all elite monsters. This will save me a lot of trouble!"


    His next move was extremely simple. He directly used Star Point Finger and targeted the nearest mole.


    The immense damage easily killed the creature!


    The subsequent effect of star stter caused the mole''s belly to suddenly inte like a balloon, just as its kin were charging at Sterl with bloodthirsty intent!


    The next second!


    Boom!


    The mole hit by Sterl''s attack exploded, sending out brilliant azure energy beams in all directions.


    The overflow of energy from the creature was so intense that the beams formed a, slicing in all directions.


    After a faint slicing sound, there was a series of plopping noises.


    The horde of Earth Moles was neatly diced into one-centimeter squares, stacked orderly on the ground.


    This looked less like a battlefield and more like a ughterhouse.


    More than ten light orbs then fell to the ground, the loot from these elite monsters.


    Sterl opened the mission panel again.


    [Upload points? Yes/No]


    [Disy your disguised identity? Yes/No]


    "Yes."


    "Yes."


    This time, Sterl didn''t hesitate and nodded twice.


    To his pleasant surprise, the [Transcendence] system thoughtfully allowed him to choose to appear on the leaderboard under a hidden identity. Sterl chose the name "David" for the leaderboard.


    At this point, the sixteen elite monsters each provided Sterl with 100 points, totaling 1600 points.


    As a side note, the Shadow of Hatred, as a boss, provided 5000 points. Of course, this boss was substantially stronger than other 5000-point bosses in terms ofbat power.


    At this moment, Sterl checked the mission leaderboard. As expected, he had risen from an unnamed position to forty-sixth ce.


    Naturally, his rank couldn''t skyrocket to the top all at once.


    After all, many yers had set their minds on securing top positions on the mission leaderboard from the start to earn rewards.


    Even though their grinding efficiency was not as good as Sterl''s, they had a head start of nearly a day.


    As for Sterl, he had refrained from uploading the points he gained from killing monsters and bosses while collecting the Netherworld Water out of caution, so he still needed to grind more to contend for the top ranks.


    Subsequently, Sterl transformed into a bloody shadow and dashed toward the location of the third Netherworld Water, continuously using Star Insight along the way to find new clusters of monsters.


    Soon, Sterl stopped again,nding on an extremely calm and clear water surface. However, this seemingly tranquil water concealed hidden dangers.


    Just as Sterlnded, he heard gurgling noises from beneath him, and then a series of scarlet eyes slowly opened under the water.


    Ssh!!


    Dozens of monsters burst out!


    Yet Sterl remained unhurried. Suddenly, colorful mes appeared around him...


    ...


    At the same time, in a small town not far from the pir of light marking the third Netherworld Water,


    "Die!!" A burly man covered in various body paints roared furiously.


    Seven or eight other yers, also painted and standing around him, unleashed their skills together with the burly man.


    A giant, semi-transparent, dragon-patterned elephant manifested, roaring towards a simrly massive dragon lizard.


    The elephant''s tusks pierced into the dragon lizard, and the elephant charged, pushing the dragon lizard against a nearby rocky wall, pinning it there!


    Boom!!


    A thunderous explosion followed, the rocks shattered, and dust filled the air as if it were the end of the world.


    The elephant continued its onught, crashing into the wall repeatedly until most of the wall had copsed before it finally dissipated.


    The dragon lizard, meanwhile, howled in agony and fell to the ground.


    Its form gradually faded and shattered, dropping a pile of light orbs.


    The burly man and the surrounding yers all showed expressions of relief and joy.


    "We finally killed it!"


    "Do you think we might be the only team in the Netherworld capable of killing a boss right now?"


    "Haha! We''re invincible!"


    "Same rules as always, we''ll split the items. But Harriet gets all the points."


    Harriet, the burly man who had led the charge, merely smiled, appearing calm, but a hint of joy shed in his eyes.


    Harriet received a notification in his ear.


    [You have gained 4000 points.]


    [You have risen to second ce on the leaderboard.]


    "Second ce isn''t bad." Harriet nodded. Being in second ce on the leaderboard meant he earned 80 Dark Moon Alliance contribution points every hour, not to mention the final rewards.


    These contribution points were valuable! On average, 400 Dark Moon Alliance contribution points could be exchanged for a purple skill or a second-ss tinum-level piece of equipment!


    Moreover, umting 5000 contribution points allowed for the direct exchange of a gold-quality skill!

 Chapter 116: Who Exactly is David??

    With such high returns, Harriet felt that being ackey for the Dark Moon Alliance wasn''t so bad after all!


    As members of the Shadowweave Tribe, a tribal nation that revered strength above all, it was only logical to submit to an alliance blessed by deities. And the rewards were incredibly high��it was a win-win!


    The only thing that annoyed Harriet was the hypocrisy of yers from other nations! They allined about being exploited by the Alliance, but when it came to racking up points, they were more enthusiastic than anyone else!


    If not for the fortunate encounter with several tribal members upon being teleported to the Netherworld, who could join forces in using secret rune magic to hunt down bosses, Harriet would have never been able to exploit the Alliance and climb to second ce on the leaderboard!


    That''s right, Harriet believed that second ce was his limit.


    Because...


    At present, Harriet was sitting at second ce with a total of 34,000 points, while the third ce yer, Myron, was close behind with 32,000 points.


    But the first ce score was a staggering 60,000 points! And it belonged to the double-S rank yer, Spike from the Principality of Morrow.


    Harriet had no delusions ofpeting with such a prodigy. Competing with a double-S rank yer was out of the question��he didn''t have the capability!


    A double-S rank yer was destined to be a legend. Who would dare to challenge them for the top spot on the leaderboard?


    "Being second isn''t bad!" Harriet consoled himself.


    Just then, an annoying notification rang in his ears.


    [Your ranking has dropped to 3rd ce.]


    "Chasing up again? Myron must be farming bosses too?" Harriet was extremely displeased. He had just finished off a boss and hadn''t even had a break, and now he had to find more monsters and resources.


    But all the nearby monsters were wiped out, the NPCs in this town were all killed, and the items had been looted��every point-giving opportunity had been exhausted!


    Finding points now was a real hassle!


    The hourly rewards for the top ranks were 100 contribution points for first ce, 80 for second, and only 50 for third. It might not seem like a big difference, but yers could be stuck in the Netherworld for several days.


    The cumtive difference between second and third ce in hourly rewards could easily cost a purple-quality skill!


    For a second-ss yer, that was an unbearable loss!


    Harriet angrily opened the leaderboard and spat on the ground, ready to hunt for more monsters...


    But when he opened the leaderboard, he was dumbfounded.


    "Wait a minute, who the hell is David from the Divine Mountain Empire? Does this person even exist?"


    First off, what the hell was the Divine Mountain Empire? Was there even such a country in the Dark Moon Alliance?


    But what shocked Harriet even more was that this second-ce yer''s score was disyed as 50,000 points!


    At that moment, Spike was also farming monsters, but his score was only 60,500, which then ticked up to 60,600.


    But Harriet saw that the second-ce score of David from the Divine Mountain Empire suddenly jumped to 61,000!


    "Holy crap!" He was stunned!


    In Harriet''s mind, Spike was unbeatable and undisputedly the top of the leaderboard. But in an instant, he was overtaken!


    Spike dropped to second ce!


    "I must be dreaming..." Harriet rubbed his eyes and took another look. Sure enough, the numbers had changed, forming a stark contrast to the exaggerated figures he saw earlier��


    David''s score was now 70,800 points! It wasn''t the 61,000 he had seen before.


    "Isn''t this a bit too ridiculous?" Harriet clutched his chest, feeling overwhelmed.


    His frustration over dropping to third ce vanished, reced by extreme shock and fear!


    If David had slowly climbed the rankings, like Spike from the Principality of Morrow, it would have been understandable. Perhaps David had found a good spot to farm monsters, or like Harriet, had gathered a team to grind together, which could quickly boost his score.


    But David''s rapid ascent to the top was absurd!


    In just a few seconds, his score jumped, each time by nearly 10,000 points!


    The only exnation was that David genuinely had the ability to earn tens of thousands of points in mere seconds! He must have been able to instantly defeat multiple bosses or hundreds of elite monsters!


    As for the possibility that David umted points by collecting items? Harriet thought it made no difference. In a world so hostile, the better the items you obtained, the stronger the enemies you had to face. There was no room for trickery.


    "Could this be a second-ss yer??" Such terrifyingbat power made Harriet break out in a cold sweat, filled with a deep sense of fear!


    It was monstrous!


    At this moment, it wasn''t just Harriet who was filled with wild thoughts. Almost every yerpeting for the leaderboard noticed their rank suddenly drop by one.


    And when they opened the leaderboard, they saw a yer named David rapidly ascending to the top with terrifying efficiency!


    ...


    "Who exactly is this David? Divine Mountain Empire, Earth Human Tribe��are this country and this race really that strong?"


    "Wasn''t Spike supposed to be the only double-S rank powerhouse? What''s the deal with this Divine Mountain Empire guy?"


    "This point farming efficiency is ridiculous. Maybe David was the one who got the Netherworld Water earlier?"


    "So what if his point farming is efficient? The stronger you are, the more the Dark Moon Alliance will want to control you. You''ll never break free from the Lunar Restriction."


    ...


    Countless yers were specting, some even guessing part of the truth. Sterl had indeed obtained a portion of the Netherworld Water.


    Others were sarcastically suggesting that revealing such power would only make David a target for the controlling Dark Moon Alliance...


    And once again, the yers were partly right. David''s sudden rise did stir up waves within the Dark Moon Alliance.


    "Lady Goddess, why did you..." Richard''s face was full of disbelief.


    "You know I would never betray you."


    "I know, but the emergence of a genius among the Primordial Earth Humans is news that should never leak." Gloria said solemnly.


    "But... leaking it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Those major ns among the Earth Humans might support him." Richard continued to think loyally.


    "Do you really think the Earth Humans would want a strong figure to rise among their Primordial kin?"


    "They would most likely offer some petty benefits, only to stifle his potential." Gloria said.


    Gloria was in a good mood. She hadn''t expected that her n involving "that item" would lead her to discover yet another genius from the Primordial Earth Human Tribe.


    "Wait, why did I say ''yet another''?" Gloria paused, but the suggestion she had imnted in her own mind made her ignore this thought.


    The goddess simply ced a cold hand on Richard''s head, erasing all information he had about David from the Divine Mountain Empire and the Earth Human Tribe.


    As for herself, she retained the memory. After all, it was just a top-ranked yer with extraordinarybat power in the second ss.


    Gloria believed that if any real problem arose, she could protect this David.


    ...


    At this moment, Sterl was unaware that his simple act of farming points had caused such a stir.


    He was standing in a "basin."


    It wasn''t that he had found another basin while looking for monsters.This ce had originally been a mountain range, now ttened.


    Around Sterly the charred remains of elf-like beings, who had been carrying longbows.


    These elves were from the "Song of the Wind" tribe in the mountains, ranging from level 80 to 90, with many elite members among them. Sterl hadn''t initially nned to farm NPCs, but these elves had gone berserk at the sight of him flying in the sky, shooting arrows in rage. It seemed that the world''s will had made them extremely hostile to outsiders.


    Sterl wasn''t going to stand for that, so he fought back!


    After a few Celestial Star attacks, the mountain range turned into a basin. Using the "Song of the Wind" tribe, Sterl quickly climbed to the top of the leaderboard.


    Anyway, instant-killing elite second-ss units was only a small part of "David''s" strength. Many NPCs and yers from the Divine Mountain Empire were aware of this, so there was nothing to hide.


    Sterl gathered the dropped items around him and then transformed into a blood-red light, flying towards the location of the third Netherworld Water.


    ...


    "My dear disciple, can''t you just listen to me and find a safe ce to wait until Gloria takes what she wants, and then we can leave the Netherworld in peace?"


    "You want to catch up with David.There will be plenty of opportunities once we''re out of the Netherworld. Do you really doubt his ability to leave safely?"


    At this moment, in a luxuriously decorated carriage equipped with a temperature control device.


    Faye was sitting cross-legged in meditation, while Felicia''s voice echoed in her mind, filled with earnest persuasion.


    Felicia was really exasperated. The n to absorb the Netherworld Water had gone perfectly.


    Faye sessfully evolved into a double-S tier powerhouse. With a clear path ahead to reach the legendary realm, bing a demigod also seems quite promising.


    So, Felicia''s mindset instantly aligned with Sterl''s.


    No more searching for resources outside! Stay safe and steady! Once you reach legendary status, the world is your oyster!


    Any attempt to gather resources now was idiotic and disrespectful to the power of the Netherworld Water!


    But Faye insisted that she had promised David to help him break free from the Dark Moon Alliance''s control. Given David''s character, he would definitely be collecting the Netherworld Water.


    So, she decided to try her luck at the location of the third Netherworld Water, hoping to run into David.


    "Ancestor, of course, Mr. David''s strength is more than enough to sweep through the Netherworld."


    "But didn''t you also say that this time even demigods from the Dark Moon Alliance might intervene, and that even a deity might act?"


    "If the Lunar Restriction can''t be lifted, what if Mr. David is controlled and used as cannon fodder?" Faye said seriously.

 Chapter 117: Shadow Stealth Boost, Instant Boss Kill!

    Felicia was exasperated. Although she was stubborn, she knew Faye was right.


    Because of this, Felicia had ultimately agreed to her disciple''s request... which is why the two of them were now in this carriage heading toward the location of the third Netherworld Water.


    At that moment, Faye wasmunicating with her ancestor in an otherworldly space. Suddenly, amotion erupted nearby.


    "What''s going on? Get out of the way!"


    "How can there be... a BOSS?"


    "What''s happening? A Boss that ambushes??"


    "No, stay away, don''t kill me!"


    ...


    Screams filled the air.


    Faye immediately took on abat-ready stance.


    She had mingled with a group of yers. Although her strength had skyrocketed after absorbing the Netherworld Water, the sudden surge in attributes due to her promotion to an S-ss profession and S-ss talent made it challenging for her to control her body.


    By joining the yer group, she had used her exposed double-A rankbat power to earn a spot in a carriage, allowing her to train and adapt to her enhanced attributes while traveling.


    However, as a trade-off, Faye had to intervene whenever the yer group faced danger.


    Despite hearing numerous cries for help and knowing that a high-difficulty boss awaited outside, the idea of breaking her promise never crossed Faye''s mind.


    But as soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she was stunned!


    Within the convoy of yers'' carriages, a giant beast with dark green fur and a wolf''s head, standing over ten meters tall, was roaring!


    Its ws were already stained with fresh blood.


    The corpses of several yersy scattered around.


    The yer group''s formation hadpletely disintegrated.Everyone was fighting for themselves.


    Faye felt a chill run down her spine. Bosses were already beyond what yers of the same level could handle. The only way to win was for the front line to hold the boss while the backline healed and dealt damage.


    With the formation broken, there was no point in even attempting to fight.The oue was certain death!


    The only option now was to run!


    "Run! It''s a level 100 BOSS!"


    "And it has the world''s will boost! You can''t save anyone." Felicia said anxiously in the mental space.


    With the boss''s ambush, a third of the yer group was dead or injured. The remaining members were scattered and fleeing in all directions. Felicia feared her foolish disciple would charge in.


    Thankfully, Faye had her wits about her. She immediately turned and activated her staff, using the stored skill [Water Shadow Leap].


    Her form flickered, transforming into a stream of liquid, and she reappeared a hundred meters away at the edge of a pond.


    She had managed to distance herself from the boss.


    But the next second, the boss''s eyes, asrge as bronze bells, locked onto Faye!


    "The scent of the origin..."


    It muttered in a strangenguage. Since it was a boss unit, the [Transcendence] system did not provide a trantion. No one present could understand it, except for Felicia, who had learned some of the Netherworldnguages long ago and was now terrified in the mental space!


    She understood!


    This level 100 BOSS was after Faye. She had absorbed the Netherworld Water but hadn''t fully refined it, causing her to emit its aura! The world''s will was driving the boss to reim the Netherworld Water!


    Boom!!!


    The giant wolf-headed BOSS lunged frantically, tearing through the mountainside, rocks, and trees in its path. The fierce wind whipped around, sending the severely injured yers flying into the air.


    At the same time, the BOSS let out a sudden roar: "Howl!!!" The sound waves transformed into tangible waves of white light, prating and impacting everything in their path.


    Despite Faye''s quick reflexes, creating a water barrier around herself while rapidly retreating, the sonic waves still broke through the water and caused a reverberating effect!


    This left Faye feeling dizzy and disoriented, her head spinning!


    She couldn''t even cast another spell, let alone escape, and almost copsed to the ground, clearly under a control effect!


    In the next second...


    The wolf-headed beast pounced forward with a sudden leap!


    "It''s over! We''re going to suffer a huge loss this time." Felicia said, her tone filled with frustration! Just as Sterl had previously encountered a legendary soul that could ignite itself, a demigod soul could naturally do the same!


    But the problem was... it was a huge loss! For a second-ss BOSS, Felicia would have to permanently lose a part of her soul! Even if she were revived in the future, she would never be herplete self again.


    Faye, however, hadn''t given up hope and was desperately gathering energy within her...


    But it was futile!


    Though her talent was excellent and she made a breakthrough in a life-and-death situation, the Netherworld Water she had absorbed, which she previously couldn''t control, now flowed smoothly, and she could manipte her energy effortlessly.


    But there wasn''t enough time.Faye couldn''t cast any spells before the BOSS would strike her!


    Even though she had life-saving items on her, against the full-force attack of a level 100 BOSS, her fragile yer body would likely be torn to shreds in an instant.


    Suddenly, Faye felt an iron piece tied to her wrist vibrate and heat up! She didn''t have time to react...


    But Felicia instantly realized what was happening and halted her action of preparing to ignite her soul.


    "David! It''s up to you now! Use that technique of yours and insta-kill this BOSS!"


    The demigod soul prayed fervently...


    In the distant sky, a blood-red light gradually faded away. A fraction of a secondter, a figure appeared suddenly and then vanished just as quickly!


    A momentter, the previously invincible BOSS suddenly copsed!


    A blue dot appeared on its forehead.


    It had died instantly!


    All the yers present heard the notification in their ears.


    [You participated in killing the Blood Wolf Demon BOSS, gaining experience...]


    [You participated...]


    ...


    Then, about a secondter.


    Thud!


    The giant BOSS''s bodypletely crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!


    The yers, who had been screaming and fleeing just moments earlier, now stood dumbfounded.


    They trusted the [Transcendence] notifications, so they could only look around in confusion.


    "What... what just happened? How did the BOSS suddenly die?"


    "The BOSS was insta-killed?? What''s going on?"


    "Did someone just attack it?"


    "I only saw Miss Faye create a water barrier, and then the BOSS stopped moving. Could it be that Miss Faye''s ultimate move has a dy effect but is extremely powerful, directly killing the BOSS??"


    "I think I saw a blood-red shadow sh across the sky. Could it be a high-level expert passing by??"


    ...


    The yers had survived the ordeal.


    But... they were utterly bewildered! It feltpletely surreal!


    Because such a powerful BOSS would typically require even a top-tier expert to battle it for 300 rounds, with the sky and earth changing colors, before achieving a hard-fought victory, right?


    But nothing happened. The BOSS simply dropped dead.


    The yers couldn''t even dream of such an oue!


    Some even suspected that Faye had insta-killed the BOSS.


    But the girl just showed an innocent expression: "Do I look like I have that kind of explosive power?"


    The other yers nodded in agreement without any suspicion.


    In a corner where no one could see, however, Faye couldn''t help but show a sly smile.


    She hadn''t expected that, in her most dangerous moment, that person woulde to her rescue again...


    Even in the sea of consciousness, Felicia had a drained expression, looking at the now-vanished blood-red shadow in the sky, her eyes flickering with emotion.


    "That guy is pretty cool."


    "Ugh! Trying to steal my disciple, he''s no good!"


    Felicia instinctively said and then quickly corrected herself.


    Meanwhile, Faye opened her panel and, as expected, received a private message.


    "I''ve taken care of the Dark Moon Alliance''s Restriction. Let''s talk more after we leave the Netherworld."


    Surprisingly, the usually aloof David had taken the initiative to message her.


    Instantly, Faye''s eyes sparkled even brighter!


    After thinking for a moment, she typed a message and sent it.


    "Okay! Mr. David, it seems you were in a hurry. You didn''t pick up the boss''s loot. I''ll collect it for you."


    "After we leave the Netherworld, I''ll hand it over to you."


    While saying this, Faye sent a team request to Sterl. Upon receiving approval, she stepped forward to collect the boss''s loot. For the record, the loot collection rules in [Transcendence] are simple: as long as you deal more than 10% damage to a monster, you can pick up the loot.


    Therefore, in the wild, it''smon for yers to fight over boss drops.


    However, the Blood Wolf Demon was entirely insta-killed by Sterl using Shadow Stealthbined with the Star Point Finger enhanced by stardust.


    This BOSS had an extremely robust life force, given its massive size. But Sterl''s Shadow Stealth is a legendary ability that triples the output of all enhanced skills! With stardust enhancement tripling the power of the Star Point Finger, and Shadow Stealth multiplying it ninefold!


    Not to mention, Sterl also activated abilities like divine descent and Life Ignite to boost his base attributes.


    Thus, the Star Point Finger insta-killed it!


    Consequently, the [Blood Wolf Demon Kill Contribution Chart] showed Sterl ounting for 99.84% of the damage, while other yers, caught off guard by the boss''s sudden attack, barely dealt any damage.


    Now, Faye could only collect the loot for Sterl after teaming up.


    Sheter noticed in the private chat that David had responded with a concise "Okay."


    "So cool! Such a strong presence!" Faye couldn''t help but think.


    David''s image in her mind instantly elevated, resembling the aloof male protagonists in novels!


    At this moment, the bewildered yers hesitantly approached, starting to ask what exactly had happened...


    ...


    Meanwhile, having flown a great distance, Sterl looked at the private chat screen and finally felt relieved.


    Earlier, while heading towards the location of the Netherworld Water, he had suddenly sensed the iron piece given to Faye heating up. So, he decided to take a look. Upon spotting the Blood Wolf Demon from afar, Sterl thought of testing the effect of Shadow Stealth.

 Chapter 118: Level Surge, Second Class, Just a Step Away!

    Sterl was extremely pleased with his smoothbo.


    After using Shadow Stealth, he waited in the shadow world for two seconds to let his energy storage potion restore his mana. Then, he directly used the stardust-enhanced Star Point Finger!


    Last time, when facing the not-so-tanky boss, Shadow of Hatred, Sterl took it down in three moves.


    And this time, a single Star Point Finger sent the tough-skinned Blood Wolf Demon straight to its doom!


    The move was so impressive that Sterl didn''t even look back after insta-killing the BOSS. He immediately activated Bloody Rush to leave.


    He was all about that carefree style.


    Sterl thought to himself, "This was really cool!"


    The only problem was, after pulling off the stunt, he realized something.


    Wait a minute! I left, but the BOSS loot is still back there.


    Although he had insta-killed the Blood Wolf Demon, there was an animation where the BOSS''s body slowly fell and disappeared before the loot would appear...


    By the time Sterl realized this, he had already flown quite a distance.


    "Flying back isn''t impossible, but it''s too embarrassing..."


    "I''ll lose all the cool points I just earned..."


    He was frustrated!


    This led to the earlier scene��


    Sterl, uncharacteristically, sent a message to Faye. He initially thought he would need to hint at it, but the little girl from the Water Blue n was so perceptive that she proactively offered to collect the loot for him!


    This immediately made Sterl breathe a sigh of relief.


    Even though he might not desperately need a BOSS''s loot, what if it dropped a highly suitable skill or equipment with great potential for his build?


    For Sterl, not gaining something valuable would be a huge loss!


    ...


    After finishing his conversation with Faye, Sterl made a mental note of the location where the yer team encountered the BOSS.


    Sterl nned to returnter, after the Divine Power and Law Power that had leaked from the yers'' bodies had been worn down by the world''s will.


    Then, he continued flying towards the location of the Netherworld Water!


    This time, halfway through the journey, Sterl transformed into Constantine''s form, activating Divine me Drive along with Bloody Rush for dual-core eleration.


    At this point, he no longer needed to grind for points.


    Sterl had already secured the top spot on the leaderboard with a solid lead of ny thousand points.


    Considering that in theing days, yers would be gathering around the Netherworld Water, especially those at the top of the rankings who would surely be vying for the items the Dark Moon Alliance specifically needed to earn the goddess''s reward, they wouldn''t have time to grind monsters for resources.


    Sterl felt that his lead was unshakable.


    After about five hours of flying, Sterl stopped in a dpidated house in front of a giant checkpoint. Around him, a storm raged, with dark clouds as ck as leadpletely covering the sun.


    The wind and rain created a somber atmosphere.


    It was very fitting!


    The Netherworld, once all of its world origins have been taken, will inevitably copse!


    Sitting inside the broken house, Sterl began to sort through his previous gains.


    To earn points, he had killed over five thousand wild monsters, including nearly a hundred elite monsters. Aside from the NPC-like Wind Song Elves, who didn''t drop anything, Sterl had amassed a significant amount of resources.


    At this moment, he opened his panel��


    The first benefit from his monster farming spree was experience points.


    Since he was in the Netherworld, Sterl had been taking on higher-level challenges with significant bonuses. The monsters, driven by the world''s will, came to him willingly. Although his farming efficiency wasn''t as insane as in the Vige of Death, it was stillparable to regr farming zones.


    Sterl had now umted enough experience to level up to 57.


    Next came the various loot drops��


    First, he had collected over seven hundred purple gold coins, and an innumerable amount of potions and materials. Sterl was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity: potions for alchemy, materials for enhancing equipment, and items for crafting special tools...


    In short, once Sterl left the Netherworld, his long-standing issue��where his rapid leveling made upgrading equipment cost-ineffective��would finally be resolved. He used to find himself needing new gear every ten days or so after just spending a fortune.


    Now, because Sterl was so wealthy, cost-effectiveness no longer mattered. Even a slight improvement was better than letting the money sit idle in his backpack.


    Then, Sterl sorted through the various pieces of equipment that had dropped.


    While the drop rate for regr and elite monsters wasn''t high, the sheer number he farmed resulted in a total of 243 pieces of second-ss or higher-tier equipment...


    Though the highest quality among them was gold, with most being iron or bronze, Sterl wasn''t impressed. However, selling them all would still him considerable wealth and resources. More importantly, it could significantly boost the strength of his second-ss subordinates!


    Because none of them had aplete set of gear.


    When Sterl returned, he could immediately elevate his faction to a mid-to-upper level among the Earth human tribes.


    "They don''t need to do much, just help Linna and Raynalevel up and protect them." he nned.


    Sterl quickly categorized the remaining loot��


    There were 56 skill books, with the highest quality being blue. They were all standard offensive, support, and healing skills. After a quick nce, Sterl didn''t find any with significant potential for skill points.


    There was a pile of misceneous items, including potions for increasing experience gain, healing potions, energy recovery potions, and various teleport scrolls. These teleport scrolls were what Sterl had exchanged for using a high-level experience potion before entering the Netherworld.


    Looking back, Sterl realized he had lost out.


    This time, the loot included a total of sixty-nine teleport scrolls��more than he could use in years.


    "Once I get out, I doubt Teresawill be able to handle so many items. I''ll need to connect with the Dark Moon Alliance." Sterl frowned slightly. Too much loot could be a hassle.


    Given the Earth human tribe''s frugal nature, flooding the market with these resources would certainly lead to devaluation.


    Sterl estimated that selling them all would result in a significant loss of purple gold coins.


    He thought it would be more practical to offload these resources through the Dark Moon Alliance. With the consumption market of over seventy countries, the resources he was putting out would be just a drop in the ocean, unlikely to affect market prices.


    ...


    After sorting everything, Sterl stored all the materials back into his backpack.


    He also frustratingly discovered that his backpack was almost full.


    In the world of [Transcendence], a yer''s backpack capacity is determined by their level, and it can also be expanded by creating [backpack items].


    For most yers, the capacity thates with leveling up is more than enough. Only those who are heavily involved in crafting professions usually need additional space.


    But today was an exception. Sterl''s monster farming efficiency was so high that he absolutely needed extra backpack space.Otherwise, he couldn''t carry all the loot...


    "Maybe the Dark Moon Alliance''s reputation shop has some for sale?" Sterl muttered as he closed his eyes to start refining his experience points.


    With the help of his arcane skill, he quickly refined the experience points...


    It only took him half a day.


    Sterl reopened his eyes, and he was pleasantly surprised as he looked at his panel.


    He had reached level 59!


    It wasn''t easy!


    Sterl felt a bit emotional. After pretending to be a second-ss yer for so long, he was finally about to reach level 60 and could undergo his second ss advancement!


    Once hepleted the second ss advancement, he would gain new skills from his ss! Hisbat power would skyrocket! Additionally, he would receive rewards for being an interdimensional traveler and gain ess to his second primary star!


    This would significantly boost Sterl''s battle capabilities!


    Of course, he wouldn''t rush it. His n was to secure the second portion of the Netherworld Water, allowing him to gain an additional 80 levels of attributes for free!


    He wouldn''t advance to his second ss until he achieved this goal!


    Afterpleting his leveling, Sterl quickly flew back to the ce where he had met Faye earlier. He swiftly absorbed the Divine Power and Law Power, which had been nearly worn down by the world''s will.


    This round brought Sterl''s Divine Power to 0.31 and his Law Power to 31 points.


    He had a hunch that while Divine Power was still umting gradually, once his Law Power reached 50 points, it would undergo a significant transformation.


    After finishing up, Sterl flew towards the location of the third Netherworld Water.


    Now, he had serious business to attend to!


    The reason Sterl was in a hurry to level up was to confront the legendary soul guarding the third Netherworld Water!


    He was even a bit excited at the thought. If another legendary crystal dropped, allowing him to gain another point, wouldn''t that be amazing??


    The more Sterl thought about it, the more thrilled he became!


    This was why he chose to digest his experience points before heading to the third Netherworld Water.


    Even with legendary abilities, Sterl knew that facing a legendary soul was risky. It was safer to max out his level first.


    As for why he didn''t max out his arcane skill proficiency, it was mainly because it would take too much time. Sterl was afraid that while he was training, other yers mighte and die, wasting some Divine Power and Law Power before he could finish.


    That would be a huge loss.


    Sterl quickly returned to the dpidated house where he had been meditating earlier.


    He then flew over the towering checkpoint, heading towards the sky-piercing pir of light.


    When Sterl arrived at the location of the third Netherworld Water, he wore a serious expression because it was different from what he had initially imagined.


    The area containing the Netherworld Water was no longer underground.


    Instead, it was in a pool on an open-air za.


    Near the pool, beneath the checkpoint, several giant statues of deities stood guard.


    Sterl also saw that an army from the native Netherworld realm was stationed nearby, protecting the pool.


    Each soldier had a strange expression and looked extremely ferocious.


    Clearly, on the eve of the world''s destruction, the world''s will had already brainwashed and controlled these natives, turning them into its soldiers.


    They were resisting the Dark Moon Goddess!

 Chapter 119: The Eerie Divine Power and the Unusual Legendary Soul

    Sterl stood still, having activated the passive effect of Shadow Stealth. The patrolling soldiers did not notice an extra figure on the city wall.


    Looking down��


    The soldiers below, who hadpletely lost their humanity and resembled the frenzied elves from the Wind Song tribe that had attacked him earlier, filled Sterl with a sense of sorrow and reflection.


    Sterl had no clear understanding of the Dark Moon Goddess''s exact ns.


    However, because of her n, the fate of an entire world''s living beings was sealed��they were destined to march towards death! Even before their demise, their self-will had been stripped away by the world''s will, which was supposed to protect them.


    "Why am I even feeling sorry for them..." Sterl felt a pang of sadness for a few seconds but quickly shook his head. He realized he was being hypocritical. Hemented the cold-bloodedness of the Dark Moon Goddess for destroying this world.


    But if he were in a simr position, if destroying a world like the Netherworld would benefit him, he wouldn''t hesitate...


    To be blunt, Sterl wasn''t even sure if the NPCs in the world of[Transcendence]were truly sentient beings or just AI simtions created by [Transcendence]''sputational power...


    He leaned towards the former, but thetter wasn''t impossible either.


    Moreover, in a game world, even if these NPCs had souls, their deaths might not be real...


    In short, it wasn''t something Sterl needed to worry about.


    "But, how do I get my hands on the Netherworld Water?"


    Sterl observed that the area around the Netherworld Water was glowing with strange magical light and had a unique aura.


    He wasn''t sure if his Shadow Stealth could work perfectly in such conditions.


    After all, thest portion of the Netherworld Water was also being watched by the world''s will...


    Could even a legendary ability contend with an entire world? Probably not...


    "Wait, is this really my concern?" Sterlughed at himself.


    Did he really need to sneak around? He could just charge in!


    Even with an army in his way, with Sterl''s efficiency in clearing monsters using his Starburst ability, he could break through easily.


    However, Sterl didn''t n to attack immediately.


    Even if he killed all the NPC soldiers below, he wouldn''t gain much. If he didn''t kill them, they could act as a defense against other yers trying to seize the Netherworld Water.


    Sterl figured that even if he killed those legendary souls, it wouldn''t prompt the goddess to personally target him. But if he stole her Divine Power and she noticed, things could get messy.


    Using the NPCs to kill other yers was the safest strategy.


    "So, I''ll wait for other yers to show up..." Sterl quickly calcted in his mind.


    Suddenly, his expression changed, and he activated the effect of Bloody Rush to dodge to the side.


    That wasn''t enough��Sterl also used the teleport function of his Star Domain ability to quickly distance himself nearly a kilometer from the checkpoint guarding the Netherworld Water.


    Only then did he look ahead with a serious expression.


    The spot he had just upied was now filled with eerie, dark green arms wing and tearing at the air.


    It didn''t seem like a particrly powerful skill, but Sterl felt a wave of inexplicable tension!


    This was fear stemming from life itself!


    Those arms seemed capable of tearing apart both soul and flesh effortlessly! If even a single one touched him, he would be done for.


    Sterl barely had time to react, feeling a chill at the thought that if he had been any slower, he would have had to use his resurrection gear.


    His expression changed again, and he reluctantly enveloped himself in a multicolored me, quicklyunching himself into the air. The ground where he had been standing erupted with earthen spikes, violently piercing upwards as if trying to skewer him.


    It was as if they intended to turn him into a pincushion.


    Even after dodging two attacks in quick session, the onught was far from over.


    Suddenly, Sterl saw a figure high above��a young girl with wings, d in radiant golden armor, and wielding a ming sword. Her face was stern and resolute: "Sinner! You have defied the will of the goddess! You must die!"


    Sterl''s expression shifted dramatically. Another one?


    At that moment, he could clearly see three figures in his mental domain��


    One atop the gigantic checkpoint, another on the ground where he had just been standing, and one right in front of him. Three legendary souls were teaming up against him!


    Moreover, they had all ignited their own souls to forcibly return to their legendary state, attacking with full force and catching him off guard!


    Sterl nced at them with Star Insight, and the terrifying stats popped up before him.


    These legendary souls were no weaker than Milo! Of course, they still had the inherent weaknesses of being soul entities. They couldn''t use their innate abilities, their attribute values were slightly reduced, and they had lost most of their skills.


    But since they could still use their legendary abilities, they remained a significant threat to Sterl!


    Fortunately, Sterl had anticipated such a scenario.


    Initially, the Dark Moon Alliance had only sent one legendary soul to guard the Netherworld Water because they believed no second-ss yer could pose a threat to these entities. Knowing Milo had been instantly killed, it made sense for them to ce more legendary souls at the third Netherworld Water.


    Sterl had even considered the possibility of facing five or six legendary souls at once.


    With only three "people" attacking, it was actually fewer than he had expected.


    "It seems legendary souls are incredibly valuable.The Dark Moon Alliance wouldn''t waste them easily..." Sterl quickly pieced it together.


    The reason he was able to remain calm and think clearly even though he couldn''t exert any force in mid-air was that his shadow clone had suddenly appeared and activated the Power of Protection!


    A blue light shield firmly protected Sterl all around. This was a defensive technique that could only be used at the cost of sacrificing one''s life. Attacks below demigod level couldn''t break through, and even legendary abilities were ineffective!


    At the same time, Sterl''s trump card, which he had kept hidden until now��the Star Radiance Dragon��made its entrance!


    Since it didn''t benefit from the arcane skill''s experience boost, the Star Radiance Dragon was only at level 54. Although an SSS-ss pet, with attributes andbat power far exceeding its peers, it didn''t possess the absurd capabilities that Sterl had gained through his stat allocation system. It was roughly equivalent to a third-ssbat power.


    However, due to its high attributes and the abundant life force characteristic of dragons, it could at least buy Sterl some time.


    At this moment, the blue shimmering dragon beast quickly descended, charging towards the legendary soul on the ground.


    As a side note, in [Transcendence], the penalty for a pet''s death was slightly less severe than for a yer''s own death. While a pet couldn''t be resurrected after death, yers could collect items to bring it back to life.


    However, Sterl''s Star Radiance Dragon had a particrly cunning feature: when it was close to death, it could activate its Guardian''s Shield, feign death, and be reborn. This made it perfect for buying time.


    What shocked Sterl was...


    From the moment he was attacked at the checkpoint, he had already formted a n. First, he would create arge distance to get away from the first legendary soul that attacked him, while also observing if there were any new enemies.


    He would then usethe Power of Protectionto block the first wave of attacks from the legendary soul. If faced with multiple enemies, he would use the Star Radiance Dragon to buy some time.


    Sterl would try not to reveal his legendary abilities in the first wave. He would use his golden skills to kill one legendary soul, then use Shadow Stealth to take down another. Based on the number of remaining legendary souls, he would then decide whether to continue fighting or to retreat.


    If everything went well, the Star Radiance Dragon would still have one chance to release the Power of Protection. If things went south, and the Star Radiance Dragon had to use the Power of Protection to save itself, Sterl still had his resurrection gear as his trump card...


    He was strategizing, feeling a rush of excitement!


    This feeling of fully engaging in a life-or-death battle against formidable foes was something he relished! It reminded him of the time hepleted that achievement and killeda boss without even having a ss, dancing on the edge of life and death, maneuvering skillfully.


    In one word:


    Combat was exhrating!


    The initial steps of his n were executed smoothly.


    Sterl had drawn out all the enemies, faced their ultimate moves, and activated his Guardian''s Shield.


    But then, a major issue arose.


    Don''t misunderstand.Sterl''s defense wasn''t broken.


    Rather...


    Almost simultaneously as his Guardian''s Shield was fully activated, the winged angelic girl, a legendary soul who had been readying her ultimate move, suddenly froze!


    It was as if a camera had snapped a photo, freezing the moment in time.


    The zing mes she had gathered suddenly dimmed.


    Dark purple energy lines appeared on the angelic girl''s body, causing her amassed energy to dissipate instantly...


    She muttered incoherently, "This... how is it possible?"


    "Why... you?"


    In that moment, she couldn''t even attack Sterl. The angelic girl''s wings rapidly became tainted, faltering.


    Sterl was stunned, but his already charged ultimate move couldn''t wait!


    The multicolored mes of Divine me Drive burst forth.


    However, Sterl was extremely puzzled. He felt something was off and didn''t even use his Star Shard Enhancement��despite having replenished his star shards by farming in the Netherworld, using them to enhance his golden skills was still quite costly.


    Given such a strange situation, Sterl doubted his attack would even be effective...


    But to his shock, the multicolored mes instantly engulfed the legendary soul. His opponent seemed utterly incapable of resistance.


    Yet, this wasn''t the most shocking part.


    Sterl simultaneously sensed an aura that filled him with immense fear. It was... Divine Power!


    The same Divine Power that he had within himself!


    In other words, it was the power of the Dark Moon Goddess!


    It was this very power that had suddenly manifested, turning into those dark beams that disrupted the angelic girl!

 Chapter 120: Consecutive Slaughters, Legendary Points Soars!

    The dark Divine Power not only prevented the angelic girl from unleashing her ultimate move but also left her utterly defenseless, allowing the ordinary power of the Divine me Drive to burn her to death effortlessly.


    Under normal circumstances, she could have easily resisted some of the mes'' power simply by channeling her body''s energy...


    But the appearance of this Divine Power left Sterl with no joy in defeating such a formidable foe.


    He felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit!


    No kidding, being happy would be insane! Sterl had been urgently trying to enhance his Law Power and Divine Power but was always careful not to attack other yers. Why? Because he feared attracting the attention of that goddess!


    At this moment, his mind was a chaotic mess.


    Although Sterl had a trump card that could temporarily ascend him to godhood, whether it could withstand an attack from an ancient deity was still uncertain.


    Moreover, Sterl initially thought the greatest significance of this trump card was to face demigod-level enemies or to temporarily save his life when confronted by a deity.


    He never intended to use his godhood to directly confront the Dark Moon Goddess! That would be pure suicide! His godhood onlysted for a few moments!


    His mindset was crumbling!


    But Sterl was a battle-hardened veteran and knew that panic was the most useless reaction. He needed to retreat immediately!


    Fortunately, legendary souls didn''t drop much besides shattered legendary crystals. This time, the angelic girl didn''t drop a crystal, so Sterl didn''t have to waste time collecting items.


    The next second, he sessfully recalled his Star Radiance Dragon and prepared to flee into the distance.


    Wait? Sessfully recalled?


    Sterl was stunned for a moment, then noticed an incredibly eerie scene.


    As he had just killed the angelic girl, the legendary soul that had been on the checkpoint wall had already flown nearby, ready to join the ground-based legendary soul in killing Sterl''s pet.


    However, they were now simrly immobilized, entwined in dark purple energy, and appeared to be in extreme pain.


    Bear in mind, two full seconds had passed since Sterl killed the angelic girl, and these two legendary souls still couldn''t move...


    Sterl was dumbfounded.


    Everything had happened so quickly earlier that he didn''t have time to think. Now, he realized something was amiss. If it was truly the goddess intervening, why would she harm her own subordinates?


    Sterl hesitantly released a Star Point Finger. The blue light beam pierced through the forehead of one legendary soul, shattering his body into fragments.


    One-shot kill!


    The surroundings remained calm.No powerful deity suddenly appeared to attack...


    Sterl hesitated for a moment, waited another second, and activated his energy restoration potion. His mana replenished, and he unleashed a Celestial Star, killing thest legendary soul as well!


    The entire process was as easy as drinking water, except that the remaining two legendary souls didn''t drop any crystals either.


    After ughtering his enemies, Sterl broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had been a bit greedy, dying for a few extra seconds...


    At this point, he was terrified!


    What if he had lost his chance to escape because of those few seconds? Wouldn''t that be game over??


    Sterl immediately activated a series of eleration skills, including Bloody Rush, Teleport, and Divine me Drive, and dashed away at full speed! He fled frantically!


    He had no idea where to run, using Void Form and Star Insight to conceal his form and disguise his information, while randomly altering his escape route.


    After running for more than three hours, Sterl finally stopped, descending from the sky andnding in a dense forest. Leaning against the trunk of a massive tree, he gasped for breath.


    "Why does everything feel so strange? It''s been eerily quiet..."


    Sterl had no idea which corner of the Netherworld he had fled to, but as he ran, the surroundings remained almost unchanged, leaving him more and more bewildered.


    Something just didn''t add up!


    Sterl was not entirely clear on how powerful deity-level forces were, but even the Law Power of a demigod was formidable enough. The divine roles and Divine Power of a god would undoubtedly be even more overwhelming.


    He knew full well that if a god truly had their sights set on him, running might not even be an option.


    But Sterl was not one to sit and wait for death. He had sprinted all this way, trying desperately to take fate into his own hands.


    Yet, after all this time, there was still no sign of the goddess making a move.


    This didn''t seem like the Dark Moon Goddess had discovered him and was acting against him.


    In fact, from the very beginning, the Dark Moon Goddess''s Divine Power had controlled those demigod souls, not Sterl, which was already odd.


    Sterl thought for a long time but couldn''te up with a reasonable exnation for the current situation.


    "Could it be that these so-called legendary souls were never supposed to exist in the world of Transcendence, and they malfunctioned?"


    "But that wouldn''t exin why all three souls malfunctioned at the same time."


    "Was it because they simultaneously burned their souls?"


    Though Sterl was somewhat of a novice, he had a broad range of knowledge. In his previous life, he knew that some game programs could appear to run normally, not because they were bug-free, but because multiple bugsbined to keep the program running.


    Could legendary souls be in the same situation??


    Souls were inherentlyplex entities. Even a goddess would find it challenging to manipte them perfectly. On the surface, legendary souls might seem stable, but internally they could be barely held together by multiple chaotic energies and structures.


    Normally, this might not be an issue, but when three of them burned their souls simultaneously, it caused the "bugs" to malfunction, leading to a domino-like copse.


    Everything fell apart!


    The appearance of Divine Power in the legendary souls was also exined!


    These souls relied on the Dark Moon Goddess''s power to maintain their forms. When they copsed, the Divine Power overflowed��perfectly reasonable!


    Sterl nodded, satisfied that his exnation was sound.


    Otherwise, the scene he had just witnessed made no sense!


    It couldn''t possibly be that the Dark Moon Goddess had intervened to protect him, right?


    Sterl had stolen the Netherworld Water and killed the legendary souls of the Dark Moon Alliance, so the enmity was already deep...


    Having figured things out, Sterl''s mindset stabilized.


    "What can I say? Luck is also a part of strength!"


    "To think I''d encounter such a fortunate turn of events." He shook his head, half-jokingly wondering if he might actually be the protagonist of a storybook.


    Muttering to himself and flying faster, Sterl navigated the bizarre path he had taken while fleeing. It took him over five hours to finally return to the location of the third Netherworld Water.


    Along the way, he used the skill points that had cooled down. Out of caution, Sterl evolved his highest-quality teleportation scroll.


    The final product was��


    [Emergency Escape Scroll]


    [Category: Consumable]


    [Effect: Tearing this scroll grants you two seconds of invincibility (not guaranteed to hold against attacks from demigods or higher)]. Simultaneously, you can teleport to any previously visited location (takes one second), limited to the entire crystal wall system.]


    Although Sterl had no idea what a "crystal wall system" was, he sensed that he could directly teleport from the Netherworld back to Advanced Base 113. The two seconds of invincibility were also quite valuable, as the teleport itself only took one second, leaving an extra second of safety.


    A top-tier lifesaving item! This was the true value of the skill point system!


    Meanwhile, Sterl also sorted through the rewards from killing the three legendary souls.


    The final result left him almost dumbstruck!


    With the legendary points he had previously umted, his bnce now stood at a full 20 points!


    This meant he could theoretically max out a newly acquired gold-quality skill in one go, or he could fully upgrade his Divine me Drive. As for Star Point Finger, Sterl decided against spending his legendary points on it for now, preferring to max out three gold skills worth 20 legendary points each first.


    After tallying up the rewards from his battle with the three legendary souls, Sterl was ted and headed to the checkpoint to await the arrival of other yers.


    Unbeknownst to him, far outside the Netherworld, the Dark Moon Goddess had opened her eyes again. A trace of confusion appeared on her wless, moon-like face.


    "The Restriction I set on the legendary souls was triggered."


    "What happened?"


    "Wait, all three souls outside the third Netherworld Water are dead??"


    "What on earth is going on...?"


    "Wait! Why did I set the Restriction in the first ce?"


    "What was it for?"


    The goddess pondered for a moment, growing increasingly confused.


    Fortunately, under the influence of her own psychological suggestion, she soon closed her eyes again.


    "The most important thing now is to obtain the object that emerged when the Netherworld copsed. Other matters can wait, to avoid disrupting the n."


    ...


    At this time, Sterl had no idea that his smooth ughter was actually thanks to someone silently bearing the burden.


    The Dark Moon Goddess was almost driving herself insane...


    Sterl hid with great interest in a watchtower on the checkpoint wall, having already reced and disguised the NPC soldiers.


    He was waiting for the yers toe and meet their doom!


    His wait wasn''t long.After practicing his arcane skills for half an hour, Sterl opened his eyes.


    In the distance, a yer squad of about 30 had arrived, riding their mounts in a standard boss-raiding formation.


    In [Transcendence], there was a system simr to most MMORPGs��mounts. The rarer the mount, the higher the movement efficiency it provided.


    Of course, given the struggles of Earth''s human race, no one could afford such luxuries.


    Watching the yers on their mounts galloping toward him, Sterl couldn''t help butment, "That lion looks pretty cool, and this tiger isn''t bad either."


    "The deer mount is quite elegant. Should I grab a couple to give to Linna and Rayna?"

 Chapter 121: Advancing to C-rank Arcane Skill!

    Sterl had the leisure to marvel at the quality of the yers'' mounts, his expression utterly rxed.


    Meanwhile, the approaching yer squad quickly found themselves in dire straits. Before they could even form up properly, just as they neared the massive checkpoint��


    The gates below the city walls suddenly swung wide open.


    Then, an overwhelming force surged forth!


    A heavy horn sounded.


    Sterl watched as a torrent of cavalry, followed by heavily-armored infantry, surged towards the yers!


    In an instant, a cavalry regiment of over a thousand riders was upon the yers!


    With his Star Insight, Sterl saw clearly that these cavalrymen were elite forces from various nations within the Netherworld, forcibly gathered by the world''s will.


    Though their armor was standardized, it was clearly not from a single set. Their mounts varied as well��tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves.


    There was even an exceptionallyrge elephant among them.


    Generally, the cavalrymen with the same mounts and armor formed squads to fight together. Each cavalryman was at level 60-70, and their leaders were almost entirely elite-tier.


    This thousand-strong cavalry regiment was equivalent to a thousand second-ss yers! They were even stronger than a normal yer squad because they had the support of a military formation!


    In terms of individual strength, these cavalrymen might not match yers with various skills and equipment.


    But in a head-on sh, they could easily eliminate an equal number of yers, or even twice that number!


    "This counterattack means the Netherworld is pulling out all the stops." Sterl couldn''t help but marvel. The terrifying momentum of the thousand cavalrymen represented the elite forces of an entire world!


    Sterl marveled, enjoying the spectacle without a care.


    The first wave of arriving yers was incredibly unlucky.


    The yers charging at the forefront were immediately engulfed and struck by the cavalry''s advance!


    The leading yers instinctively activated their protective skills, raising various colored shields, or their bodies glowed to fend off attacks.


    However, it was all in vain!


    The cavalrymen at the forefront of the charge plunged their swords into the shields! Although they might not have broken through the yers'' defenses, the sheer impact force knocked the yers off their mounts!


    Once they hit the ground, they had no time to react before being trampled by the following cavalry!


    Under the massive weight and impact��


    Even the sturdiest shields couldn''t hold for long!


    Not to mention, the cavalry''s trampling wasn''t just a matter of physical inertia and gravity.Many of them and their mounts were surrounded by strange glows, clearly enhanced by skills.


    yers, inherently more fragile than typical wild monsters or NPCs, faced the terrifying charge and trampling of the second-ss cavalry, and one by one, they were crushed to death!


    And this was just the beginning!


    As the cavalry charged, the rear yers also suffered!


    The yer team was split and interspersed!


    Rear-line yers like mages and priests couldn''t even cast many spells before being skewered by the cavalry''snces, falling miserably to the ground.


    "Help me!"


    "Damn it! How did so many soldiers appear out of nowhere?"


    "I knew the Dark Moon Alliance sent us here to die!"


    ...


    yers were being ughtered, crying out in despair.


    For a moment, the situation was utterly chaotic!


    The yers might have had decent individualbat abilities, but against the most formidable force of the cold weapon era��the cavalry charge��they stood no chance without overwhelming power.


    In the first wave of the assault, the slightly weaker yers werepletely wiped out.


    The surviving yers fared no better. After being divided by the cavalry, they had to fight alone, unable to receive help from theirrades. They were surrounded on all sides by soldiers rushing past them at high speed.


    One by one, yers activated their internal powers, with some even unleashing purple-quality skills!


    From a bird''s-eye view, bursts of energy swirled within the surging cavalry formation, like flowers suddenly blooming on the prairie.


    These counterattacks might have been powerful, but unless the yers could kill the cavalrymen instantly, the mounted soldiers would speed past, making it impossible for the yers to finish them off. The enemies would be hundreds of meters away by then, while new foes continuously surrounded the yers.


    Even the stronger yers found themselves in a tight spot! Despite their full-force outbursts, they struggled to kill their opponents.


    What was even more terrifying was that as the cavalry charged through, heavily-armored infantry surrounded the yers!


    Without the mobility constraints of the cavalry, the infantry''s heavy armor provided formidable defense. At the same level, ordinary spells and attacks barely scratched them.


    "Damn! We can''t even harm them!"


    "With our strength, how can we be ughtered by such a ruthless army?"


    "Who has a teleport scroll? I''ll trade a tinum-level item for it!"


    ...


    The remaining yers had no will to fight.All they wanted was to escape!


    The structured army was simply too terrifying!


    Subsequently, under the soldiers'' encirclement, the "strong" yers were all ughtered, except for a few who had lifesaving items like teleport scrolls.


    Even Sterl, observing from the watchtower on the city wall, couldn''t help but marvel, "So this is the power of an army?"


    "Truly formidable!"


    He even found a new idea forming in his mind��


    Recruiting ordinary yers as subordinates wouldn''t be helpful in directbat since his strength had skyrocketed too fast. But if he could form an army, he could leverage military formations to win with less power! After all, a and human civilizations had already emerged in his mental realm.


    Although he couldn''t yet utilize those human civilizations, Sterl had a feeling that if he ever reached the level of a god, or even a demigod, he could gradually interact with the "people" in his mental realm, bringing them into reality!


    That would be a natural source of troops!


    The more Sterl thought about it, the more excited he became, envisioning himselfmanding vast armies to conquer various dimensions with a single gesture.


    He got so excited that he rolled over in the watchtower andy down in a different position.


    "Alright, I''ll just wait for now��" Sterl couldn''t do much at the moment. After the yers outside died, the Divine Power and Law Power needed to be worn down by the world''s will before he dared to absorb them. For now, he decided to invest his time in training his arcane skill.


    Time flew by quickly.


    More yers gradually arrived, varying in strength, but none were as powerful as the first wave.


    Naturally, they were ughtered by the army, which behaved like rabid dogs.


    Sterl wasn''t in a hurry.He continued to happily train his arcane skill, gradually maxing out his proficiency.


    By the afternoon of the second day, he had sessfully maxed out his arcane skill proficiency and skill points.


    This time, he advanced his arcane skill directly to C-rank, just one level away from the B-rank arcane skill, Mountain.


    However, Sterl was somewhat regretful.It seemed he needed to reach at least level 60 toplete the second stage of the arcane skill advancement. His current status panel showed the following:


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation (C-rank)]


    [Effects: �� Converts experience, gaining an additional 80% yield]


    [�� All your attributes receive a 50% boost]


    [�� Talent enhancement, effect increased by 30% (currently selected: Divine Descent, current awakening level at 50%)]


    [Proficiency: 4999/5000 [Stage One] (maximum of three stages)]


    First, the experience yield had nearly doubled, and the attribute enhancement had reached 50%, effectively increasing Sterl''s overall attributes by 1.5 times! The awakening level of Divine Descent had also increased, and the SSS-level talent was nearing a breakthrough, approaching a secondary awakening!


    Furthermore, Sterl noticed that his proficiency was almost maxed out, just a tiny bit away from breaking through to the second stage of the arcane skill!


    Once Sterl reached level 60, hisbat power would receive a significant boost!


    After finishing his arcane skill training, Sterl didn''t hesitate to head to the battlefield and absorb the Divine Power and Law Power left behind by the dead yers.


    This time, his Divine Power reached 0.64 points, and the growth progress of his Law Power reached 64 points!


    As a result, Sterl could clearly sense a bright full moon illuminating his mental world!


    Moreover, he could sense countless "people" on the life-bearings silently gazing at the bright moonlight.


    Only half of these "people" worshiped the moon, spreading milky-white threads of light, which seemed to be a power called faith, dispersing into Sterl''s mental space.


    "What''s going on here?" Sterl thought as he watched, realizing that by adding celestial bodies or entities that matched the characteristics of the human race to his mental realm, he could promote the flourishing of the human race within it.


    And it would also provide more faith power? Although Sterl didn''t need this power at the moment, he knew it was undoubtedly valuable.


    "But it seems that only Law-level powers can create new entities in the mental realm."


    "In other words, if I want to gain more faith power, I need to acquire thews of the sun, stars, and other celestial bodies, as well as mountains, earth, rivers, and the like��the more, the better?"


    Sterl looked at the mental world evolved from his [Divine Office: Human Race], feeling as though he was beginning to understand something.


    He now vaguely felt that the [Divine Office: Human Race] might have way more potential than he initially imagined!


    He didn''t know the circumstances of the fallen deity who previously held this office, butbined with Sterl''s SSS-level profession, he gained almostpletepatibility with allws!

 Chapter 122: Mad Corpse Looting, Law Power Evolution!

    Sterl couldn''t help but fantasize about a future where, with the Divine Office: Human Race, he would integrate numerous Law Powers and ascend to demigod status with an invincible presence.


    Then he turned his attention back to the task at hand.


    With the recent boost in Divine Power and Law Power, he finally estimated the cost of his divine ascension��one point of Divine Power could sustain his divine state for one second.


    Reaching 50 points in Law Power slightly strengthened him, and he could now use the various effects of [Moon] three times before entering a cooldown period.


    "It seems that true transformation will have to wait until the growth progress bar is maxed out��"


    Sterl contemted, but he wasn''t particrly impatient.


    Because, even as Sterl pondered, he could see yers appearing on the distant horizon.


    For the next period, Sterl enjoyed rtively leisurely days, mostly waiting in the watchtower, watching as waves of yers came to their deaths.


    And he continued to reap the benefits.


    Divine Power +0.1��


    Divine Power +0.1��


    ...


    Law Power Growth Progress +1��


    Law Power Growth Progress +1


    One dayter.


    Sterl sessfully broke through one point of Divine Power, allowing him to ascend to a divine state for a full second.


    Law Power also maxed out at 100 points and evolved.


    [Moon (Iplete)]


    [Effect: You now possess the ability to control the power of the moon.]


    [Rted tinum Skills: None]


    [Law Power Growth: 23/1000]


    At this moment, Sterl had an epiphany��


    Law Power is divided into several stages: Iplete, Complete, and Perfect.


    Normally, demigods or legendary yers who haven''t yet be demigods, if their legendary abilities are of extremely high quality��derived from three gold skills with twenty levels of legend��could potentially deduce an ipletew on their own, given high enough talent and professional ranks.


    Otherwise, yers would need to travel to specific worlds toprehend the correspondingws. For example, Sterl''s [Shadow Stealth] could take him to the Shadow World, where he mightprehend Law Powers like [Shadow] or [Death].


    However, a skill like [Shadow Stealth], which only allows a few seconds in the Shadow World, couldn''t possibly enable someone toprehend Law Power.


    yers must physically enter certain special worlds for extended periods to sessfullyprehend them.


    Once they possess an ipletew, yers can continue to train in various otherworlds, continuously evolving thew to aplete and then perfect state. Each advancement would significantly enhance the Law Power''s effects.


    The Law Power Sterl previously obtained wasn''t even iplete, so he naturally didn''t know this information.


    Until now, he had truly possessed an iplete [Moon]w.


    Incidentally, besides normal training, there''s another way to enhance and acquire Law Power��by killing demigod-level NPCs or yers and looting their Law Power.


    yers can either absorb the Law Power from other demigods to be their own or crush the opponent''s Law Power into pure energy to enhance their existingws.


    In short, the path to rapidly enhance Law Power is incredibly bloody!


    For Sterl, whether it''s entering otherworlds to train or killing demigods, these options were far off and not even worth considering for now.


    However��


    "Wow, entering the Netherworld this time was a huge win."


    Absorbing these insights, akin to heavenly enlightenment, Sterl couldn''t help but marvel.


    He could freely exploit the Moon Law of the Dark Moon Goddess!


    In theory, around three to four thousand yers had entered the Netherworld this time (seventy countries, with each sending anywhere from a few dozen to two or three hundred yers on average).


    Sterl needed 1000 points of Law Power to advance from iplete toplete!


    Even considering that some weaker yers wouldn''tpete for the Waters of Netherworld, and he wouldn''t encounter them, it was still feasible for him to elevate the Moon Law topleteness!


    It was a massive win!


    After his initial excitement, Sterl finally had time to sort through the abilities of his iplete [Moon] Law.


    First, he could now expend energy to invoke Law Power. As long as he had mana, he could fire indefinitely.


    Additionally, all effects of the [Moon] ability were boosted by approximately 50%, and it could now affect demigod-level enemies. Previously, the iplete [Moon] could only bully legendary beings.


    ...


    In the following period, Sterl continued to wait for Divine Power and Law Power to umte.


    Sure enough, yers kepting to their deaths in waves.


    Sterl waited for more than two days, during which his Divine Power and Law Power grew to 2.74 points and 174 growth progress, respectively.


    Including the day his Law Power evolved, over three days, Sterl allocated points into three things��


    First, he exchanged for a second talisman in the reputation shop of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    [Heart of Benevolence]


    [Type: Talisman]


    [Effect: While carrying this talisman, each time you use a different skill, it enhances the next skill''s effect by 25%, stacking up to 10 times.]


    The talisman''s effect greatly improved after evolution.


    However, Sterl''s battles usually ended quickly, making it challenging to fully stack the bonus. But since it was effective simply by being in his backpack, any enhancement was wee.


    Second, he obtained an extremely rare full recovery potion from his rampant ughter in the Netherworld. The potion could instantly replenish energy, stamina, and life force.


    The evolved result was:


    [Source of Energy]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Effect: Instantly replenishes energy, stamina, and life force upon consumption. Provides an energy pool with a total value of 300,000. Whenever energy, stamina, or life force is depleted, it automatically draws from the pool to restore them. The recovery speed of this potion is doubled.]


    No need to borate��this was a top-tier life-saving potion! Even if Sterl''s body was shattered, as long as he had a breath left, he could recover, avoiding the loss of his resurrection armor.


    He was so thrilled that he wanted to evolve several more bottles, but unfortunately, only one full recovery potion was dropped.


    The third item was equipment crafted from the Bloody Jewel.


    After his carnage in the Netherworld, Sterl met the second evolution requirement for the Bloody Jewel (NPC kills didn''t yield benefits, but they did provide bloody power).


    Post-evolution, the Bloody Jewel''s ability to pay bloody power tounch attacks and create shields was enhanced. Its proficiency breakthrough ability now extended to all skills below tinum level (including tinum), allowing them to reach master proficiency through bloody power.


    Additionally, several pieces of equipment and skills were crafted.


    However, Sterl was no longer the pauper he once was.He had plenty of good items. Therefore, he only favored one piece of equipment.


    [Wail of Anguish]


    [Type: Special Equipment (Monocle)]


    [Description: This lens originated from a jest by the Blood Duke. He once promised a certain king eternal life in exchange for the sacrifice of the entire nation''s lives. The king''s soul was eternally sealed within this lens, forced to watch the endless wails of the countless souls from his nation.]


    [Effect: All attributes +30. Passive Ability [yer: Each time you kill any unit, surrounding enemies will undergo a fear check. Units with mental attributes not higher than 100 points above the yer will be feared for 0.5-1 second (cooldown time of one minute).]


    [Crafting Requirements: 500 Bloody Power, Materials: Dragon Tooth Crystal, Ice Emperor''s Essence, Blood Linen Flower...]


    [Warning: If materials are not used, and the item is forcibly crafted with only Bloody Power, it will not reach perfect quality.]


    After the evolution, Sterl still had 481 points of Bloody Power remaining in the Bloody Jewel. So, he took some time to leave the stronghold where the Waters of Netherworld were located, farmed a few waves of wild monsters, and collected various equipment and gold. He gathered enough Bloody Power and found a secluded spot in the wilderness to craft the [Wail of Anguish].


    He was pleasantly surprised to discover that since [Wail of Anguish] did not reach perfect quality, a plus sign appeared next to the equipment''s name. Sterl immediately allocated points to it.


    After evolving, the effect of [Wail of Anguish] increased to all attributes +50. The [yer] ability was also significantly enhanced.Units with mental attributes not higher than 200 points above Sterl would be feared, and the maximum fear time doubled to two seconds.


    For Sterl, this was a highly practical piece of equipment. Not only did it upy a special equipment slot (a monocle), leaving his other equipment slots free, but it also provided free attributes and skills.


    For someone like Sterl, who had extremely high burst damage but was rtively fragile (often challenging enemies above his level), possessing this equipment meant that once he entered an enemy formation and killed a target, he could induce area-wide fear. This acted as a powerful life-saving measure.


    The only downside was that the passive ability of [Wail of Anguish] did not reduce its cooldown time, preventing back-to-back fear effects.


    Of course, Sterl also thought that if the cooldown time were reduced, the equipment would be too overpowered. Theoretically, facing a group of enemies would be easier than facing a single enemy. If he could sneakily kill one, the rest would sumb to continuous fear, making them easy prey.


    ...


    As Sterl gradually transformed his evolution points and Bloody Power intobat strength, the yers finally began to gather in earnest.


    Many of theters, having learned about the situation at the third Waters of Netherworld through various channels, did not rush in to die, thus avoiding being ughtered by the Netherworld soldiers.


    yers gathered away from the stronghold, eventually forming a group of nearly 2,000 people.


    As a result, Sterl no longer hid in the watchtower. He cloaked himself and mingled within the yer groups, casually disguising himself as a yer corpse he had seen earlier in the wild.


    At this moment��


    Sterl was sitting cross-legged on a mound, looking ahead. On a high tform formed by earth element magic stood a young man in leather armor with a handsome face, raising his arm and calling for action.

 Chapter 123: The Brutal Meat Grinder!

    "Ladies and gentlemen, everyone here near the Waters of Netherworld must be quite formidable."


    "Many yers have already tested the situationfor us. The elite soldiers of the Netherworld, brainwashed by the world, are guarding the third Waters of Netherworld."


    "With their numbers, breaking through head-on is nearly impossible."


    "That''s why we''ve all been waiting nearby."


    "Now, we''ve gathered nearly 2,000 people, capable of withstanding the cavalry''s charge head-on."


    "I know a bit about military formations, so I boldly request the right tomand!"


    "I have a temporary legion contract scroll in my hand. We can form a legion together, making us immune to each other''s damage."


    "Let''s first deal with these NPCs, and then we can discuss who should get thest Waters of Netherworld."


    The young man spoke passionately, but his words held little allure to the second-ss yers present. Did he think they were rookies easily fooled?


    Despite many yers rolling their eyes, the young man''s speech was met with enthusiastic shouts from below: "No problem! Brother, we trust you!"


    "Time to show those NPCs who''s boss!"


    "They''ve been killing us because of their numbers. It''s time to fight back!"


    ...


    The yers could tell that the young man seekingmand had ulterior motives, but they also knew that waiting around was a waste of time.


    They did need someone knowledgeable in military tactics to help break through the defenses of the Waters of Netherworld, and at least the young manhad put forth a tangible offer��a legion contract.


    So, under Sterl''s cold gaze, the yers quickly organized themselves.


    Following the usual arrangement, warriors and tanks took the front lines, mages and priests were protected in the middle, and agile sses like rogues provided support from the rear.


    Everyone knew that the young man who had takenmand, had his own agenda, but at least he was doing a decent job.


    Soon, the yer-formed army once again marched towards the battlefield in front of the stronghold.


    This time, the NPC cavalry also charged to meet them, but unlike before, the yers no longer had a numerical disadvantage and had formed a proper formation. Plus, they had a richer pool of skills.


    "Follow the n!"manded the young man.


    The tank sses, in a scattered formation, activated their taunt skills.


    With a burst of multicolored energy, their auras spread rapidly.


    Instantly, the cavalry''s vanguard and middle ranks were affected by the taunt skills, causing their spearhead formation to splinter.


    Different cavalry units charged at different targets, unable to maintain their coordinated attack to pierce through the formation.


    When they reached the tank yers, their first attack still carried devastating inertia and high damage, but the taunted cavalry were forced to stay in ce, swinging their weapons in a melee against the tanks.


    Theirbat effectiveness was significantly diminished.


    Soon, many mage-type yers who could create objects and shape terrain began to craft pitfalls and lightning grids, forming tripping obstacles.


    As a result, the cavalry units in the rear, after charging a bit, were also tripped up by the immense inertia.


    Men and horses tumbled!


    Under the terrifying eleration, which had previously been a nightmare for countless yers, the impact now became a death sentence for the cavalry! Their mounts, under the influence of their own gravitational eleration, had their leg bones break on the spot! They were then subjected to the yers'' skill attacks, reducing their life force to zero.


    The mounts died en masse!


    And the cavalrymen were thrown off,nding at the yers'' feet.


    Naturally, they had no chance of survival either.


    Mage yers quickly cast spells to finish them off.


    Even Sterl was amazed at the coordination��this kind of coboration was beautiful, something rarely seen!


    It wasn''t because the young man''smand was particrly brilliant.


    Rather, it was because, against NPCs with no loot drops, yers could cooperate without any selfish motives.


    Otherwise, these powerful cavalry units, if considered monsters with loot, would definitely not see tank yers obediently taunting, nor mages daring to finish them off without worry of backstabbing...


    Sterl''s mind wandered, but the battlefield situation remained one-sided!


    With the copse of the cavalry, the heavily armored soldiers in the rear were doomed as well.


    Thanks to their distance advantage, yers activated one high-quality skill after another.


    Even though the heavy armor soldiers had strong defense, under themand of the young man, numerous armor-piercing and weakening skills erupted like a geyser!


    In just the first wave, the heavy armor soldiers were hit by corrosive dark green acid, highly prating armor-piercing bullets, and high-temperature melting rays...


    Under this continuous barrage, the soldiers'' heavy armor became so pitted and eroded it looked like it would rot away!


    Then, the yers frantically cast their skills.


    With various fire, frost, and lightning effects, the heavily armored soldiers were quickly wiped out!


    Next, the Netherworld soldiers who hade out to fight, including the archers and mages in the rear, were ughtered like sheep by the yers who had been holding back for so long!


    These fragile units were swiftly taken down by the tank and warrior yers who got up close!


    The once formidable NPC army waspletely wiped out in less than half an hour.


    Even without tangible rewards, the yer team couldn''t help but cheer.


    "Yes! We won!"


    "NPCs aren''t that tough!"


    "Haha! I took them down one by one!"


    ��


    While the atmosphere was jubnt, Sterl, hiding among the yers, watched coldly.


    With his knowledge from his previous life, he understood one thing very clearly... Field battles were nothing.The most challenging aspect of facing these armies would be��siege!


    The towering stronghold ahead, if its gates were locked tight, how would the yers break through?


    Moreover, Sterl noticed that the young man, who had takenmand, looked rxed...


    "Hmm? There''s no way he hasn''t thought of this."


    Sterl was puzzled, but the thought that the young man might have some scheme almost made him chuckle.


    No matter.


    Let him stir things up!


    Better if all the yers on the field end up dead! That way, Sterl could easily harvest a wave of Divine Power and Law Power!


    "I''ll just step in and save Faye when the timees." he schemed secretly. As for the other yers from the Divine Mountain Empire, Sterl''s attitude was indifferent��he might save them if it was convenient.


    However, the yers from the Divine Mountain Empire were quite astute and didn''t participate in this battle for the Waters of Netherworld. They were probably hiding somewhere in the Netherworld, waiting to be teleported back to the main world.


    Sterl pondered leisurely.


    But the subsequent battles took a sharp turn for the worse.


    After clearing the field of NPC armies, the yers pressed forward.


    However, after their defeat, the NPCs opted to fortify the walls, showing no intention ofing out.


    The siege battle was about to begin.


    It was only then that the yers realized what a true nightmare was. After resolving their numerical disadvantage, they no longer faced a disadvantage on the battlefield. But once they entered the siege battle, they encountered a grisly meat grinder!


    Soon, several yers charged toward the walls.


    They were promptly hit by boulders dropped by the NPCs, as well as doused in prepared scalding toxic liquids.


    Second-ss yers didn''t have the ability to fly.They needed specific skills to maneuver in the air.


    As a result, the dozen or so yers who charged ahead fell miserably from the walls, covered in various poisons, slowed movements, and debilitating conditions, suffering immensely.


    On the walls, several NPC archers and mages hurled their skills.


    The yers, being controlled, couldn''t dodge and were immediately turned into pincushions by arrows or blown to bits by spells, dying gruesomely on the spot!


    In an instant, the yers who had been eager to scale the walls were all dumbfounded!


    How were they supposed to fight this?


    Although the NPCs'' siege tools weren''t infinite, the current situation was that whoever charged first would die first.


    For a moment, the once aggressive yers halted their actions entirely.


    They weren''tcking in courage, but everyone knew that the first to charge would certainly die!


    The situation reached a stalemate.


    Sterl frowned and looked at the young man ...


    He felt a bit disappointed��was that all this guy had? Even if the yers were under hismand, it wasn''t going anywhere!


    However... at that moment, someone appeared to break the deadlock.


    Sterl, hidden among the crowd, twitched his face.


    It was the demigod Richard who had opened the portal. At this moment, he suddenly appeared��no, not appeared, but his projection seemed to show through a thin membrane, manifesting before the yers.


    "Warriors, this is the final barrier. Sacrifice your lives for the goddess!"


    Boom!!!


    Instantly, Richard snapped his fingers, and a blood-red notification popped up before all the yers!


    [You are affected by the Divine Power of the Moon and have entered the state [Coughing Blood]. You must kill monsters/NPCs to lift this state, or your life force will continuously weaken!]


    [You are affected...]


    The notifications echoed, and countless yers on the scene were stunned!


    Damn! Are they really trying to kill us here?


    "What a joke! Charging up the walls means certain death!"


    "Richard, are you fucking insane!!"


    "Damn the Dark Moon Alliance! If I can''t live, I''ll take you down with me!"


    "Wait, Demigod, we can''t attack head-on like this!"


    The yers shouted, roared in anger, and chaos ensued.

 Chapter 124: The Embodiment of World Will

    In just a brief moment, the yers'' mindset had utterly shattered.


    Some cursed the Dark Moon Alliance in desperation, their eyes filled with hatred, while others pleaded desperately to the demigod''s figure, hoping for a chance at survival.


    The effect of [Coughing Blood] was simple: yers had to kill NPCs to survive!


    The surroundings were deste, and the only ce with NPCs was atop the high wall guarding the Netherworld water. But everyone knew that charging the wall was pure suicide!


    Most of the yers present would likely die or be severely injured before achieving a pyrrhic victory!


    However, the yers'' pleas and curses were in vain. Richard''s expression remained unchanged as he coldly watched everything unfold.


    Of course, he couldn''t enter the Netherworld, or his power would permanently drop to second ss. Thus, he had no choice but to ignore the yers'' offenses.


    Richard silently noted those who verbally attacked him: "Once we leave the Netherworld, I will trigger the Divine Power of the goddess within them."


    "The Alliance cannot be insulted!"


    He waited in silence.


    Awaiting the only opportunity to strike when the world copses...


    ...


    The yers'' chaos didn''tst long, not because they quickly adjusted their mindset, but because the [Coughing Blood] buff had already taken effect!


    Many felt waves of pain surging through their bodies. This time, it didn''t matter whether they had the Lunar Mark or not!


    All yers descended into madness!


    Some had bloodshot eyes, scratching themselves incessantly, craving ughter.


    In the end, many lost their sanity and screamed, "To hell with it! I''m taking a few down with me before I die!" Then, they charged towards the city wall.


    Once someone took the lead, the rest of the yers couldn''t suppress the ever-growing desire from the Coughing Blood effect and also rushed towards the Netherworld water''s location!


    In a fleeting moment, everything went as the Dark Moon Alliance intended, with yers turning into cannon fodder, forcefully attacking the city!


    Among the chaotic crowd, Faye showed a slight hint of reluctance. She wasn''t going to have a saintly outburst, but she hesitated and closed her eyes, asking, "Ancestor, what should we do? Should we still try to obtain the other portion of the Netherworld water?"


    "Of course, we should give up!" Felicia said irritably.


    "It seems like the Dark Moon Alliance is determined to sacrifice all the yers and forcefully destroy the Netherworld realm."


    "Remember, these second-ss yers might not mean much to the Dark Moon Alliance now, but they are the backbone of the alliance''s next hundred years."


    "If they''re all lost, the Dark Moon Alliance will face a long period of decline. Gloria must see some significant benefit from this action, or she wouldn''t have lost her mind like this!"


    "And sacrificing these potential second-ss yers isn''t something Richard can decide on his own."


    "The downfall of the Netherworld realm this time must have Gloria herself behind it." Felicia analyzed. "As for this third portion of the Netherworld water, we''ll leave it to fate. If we can get it, we get it.If not, we''ll act as if nothing happened. Just keep your escape scroll ready at all times."


    "Understood, Ancestor." Faye clenched her fists and nodded vigorously.


    While Faye still held somepassion, Sterl outrightughed gleefully. "Perfect!"


    "Let them all die! Die until none are left!"


    Initially, he was worried that the yers wouldn''t engage inbat with the NPCs, which would have been awkward.


    If Sterl couldn''t max out his Moon Law growth points to 1000 in the Netherworld realm and advance to the perfect level, he''d have to wait until he reached legendary strength to continue enhancing thisw power.


    That could take years!


    Sterl couldn''t wait that long!


    Fortunately, with Richard taking the initiative, Sterl''s problem was alleviated.


    "One day, when I kill you, I''ll make it quick." Sterl muttered to himself.


    He bore a grudge against the Dark Moon Alliance. Without the point-adding system, he could not have easily broken free from that goddess''s restrictions.


    Sterl would have been one of those unlucky yers rushing to their deaths!


    In other words, the Dark Moon Alliance almost screwed him over too!


    How could he not seek revenge for that?


    Sterl, emotionally charged, shifted his gaze��


    And started to enjoy the show.


    Sure enough, a bloody battle unfolded.


    Driven by frenzied emotions, the yers lost all fear of death and charged desperately towards the high wall!


    Previously, they might have been hindered by rolling stones and poison, getting controlled and falling off the wall.


    But this time, the Coughing Blood buff provided them with some resilience against control effects. Ignoring their injuries, they charged forward with wild howls!


    Sterl could clearly see yers whose heads were half-severed, stillughing maniacally as they charged ahead.


    "Hahaha! Die! Die!"


    They were so frenzied that what Sterl initially thought would be a costly victory took only a few minutes before yers were on the wall!


    Despite being severely injured and nearly unable to fight, one yer crazily lunged at a lightly armored NPC, shouting, "Die with me!"


    This warrior-like yer unleashed a self-destructive move, igniting in mes and then��


    Boom!


    With a loud explosion, the life-burning attack of the second-ss yer sted a small gap in the massive city wall.


    Although the gap wasn''t enough to significantly ease the assault for other yers, it did kill over ten nearby NPCs, leaving them in a gruesome state!


    Remarkably, the yer still had half a head left, brain matter scorched dry, and an eyeball dangling by a nerve,nding on the rubble. "Hahaha!"


    "Nice!"


    Heughed maniacally.


    Until a stoic-faced NPC decapitated him with a single strike.


    It was evident that even after killing NPCs, the Coughing Blood buff on the yers was not dispelled.


    This scene was extremely eerie and instilled a sense of inexplicable fear!


    Even Sterl frowned slightly, but the yers below, upon witnessing this scene, became even more frenzied!


    They pounced on the NPCs like zombies from a horror movie Sterl had seen in his previous life, disregarding their own lives!


    Soon, the weaker warrior and tank-type yers were all dead, their bodies forcibly creating a path!


    The high wall was now piled with various flesh and blood, resembling a hellishndscape!


    But thebatants on both sides were starkly different. One side was madmen empowered by Divine Power, while the other, influenced by the world''s will, were cold and unfeeling machines unafraid of death!


    After a terrifying exchange of lives, both sides maintained their full morale and continued fighting relentlessly!!


    The sounds of battle cries, shing swords, and various elemental explosions filled the air.


    Even the mage and priest-type yers had climbed the wall, and they were utterly insane. Whenever the battle turned unfavorable or they were surrounded, they would self-destruct!


    They ignited all their internal energy, dragging enemies to death with them!


    This hysterical way of fighting significantly reduced the yers'' casualties, leading to a resounding defeat for the NPCs!


    From his distant vantage point, Sterl could vaguely see two spectral figures above the battling sides. One was a robed, veiled woman whose appearance was obscured, exuding an aura of irresistible beauty and charm!


    Though Sterl and the few yers still maintaining their sanity had never seen her before, they instinctively knew who she was.


    It was the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria!


    On the other side was a figure simultaneously disying old, young, and youthful faces��a man representing the God of Heaven Water!


    The same thoughts gathered in the minds of the yers who could still think clearly.


    Though they didn''t know much about this Heaven Water God, they guessed he was likely a native deity of the Netherworld realm, seemingly merged with the world''s will!


    But it was evident that this god had long since fallen, appearing devoid of life, more like a puppetpared to Gloria''s figure.


    The yers at the base of the wall who remained clear-headed couldn''t help but exim, "Is this a battle between gods? We second-ss yers actually get to be part of this. It feels worth it, even if we die!"


    Sterl didn''t know the speaker, but it seemed that a few yers beside him were discussing the person.


    Sterl vaguely heard that the speaker was Spike, a double S-rank yer from the Principality of Morrow.


    Many yers echoed Spike''s sentiments.


    "At least we''re dying gloriously!"


    "So that''s the Dark Moon Alliance''s goddess?? Bitch! One day, I''ll fuck you to death!"


    The yers vented their emotions freely, with some even daring to curse at the goddess!


    Everyone knew that facing god-levelbat, a mere second-ss yer had little chance of survival. They might as well curse to their heart''s content!


    Sterl, blending in, pretended to mutter a few things, "This isn''t a loss!", "Even if I can''t log into [Transcendence] anymore, I can brag about this!", "I''ll write a memoir after logging off!"


    Meanwhile, he struggled to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.


    The spectral figure of the Dark Moon Goddess, though imposing, remained outside the world''s boundaries and couldn''t exert any direct influence on the battlefield. Her impact, if any,y elsewhere...


    In contrast, the appearance of the Heaven Water God''s specter caused a sudden surge in the world''s will!


    As a result, the Divine Power and the will within the Law Powersspilling from the fallen yers around were rapidly eroded.


    Sterl didn''t have to do a thing.The surrounding Divine Power and Law Powersautomatically flowed into his body!

 Chapter 125: Perfection Realm [Law: Moon]

    Sterl stood there almost in a daze as the Divine Power and Law Powerswithin him expanded rapidly, far exceeding the efficiency of any previous attempts!


    So much so that he was forced to quickly rummage through his backpack and learned a blue-quality skill, [Purple Lightning Vortex]. This skill wasn''t particrly useful.Its damage was low, and itcked any outstanding additional effects, but its audiovisual effects were impressive.


    Sterl swiftly released a series of lightning vortices to swirl around him, and he charged up the wall alongside the frenzied yers.


    The main reason for this was that as various Divine Powers and Law Powersrapidly flowed into his body, a faint glow could be seen wrapping around Sterl. He had to use the chaos of the battlefield and the light pollution from the Purple Lightning Vortex to mask this effect.


    Simultaneously, he kept an eye on his status panel, growing increasingly excited!


    Divine Power: 2.88, Law PowerGrowth Progress: 188/1000.


    Divine Power: 4.12, Law PowerGrowth Progress: 312/1000.


    Divine Power: 5.61...


    Finally, after about an hour, a hint of wild joy shed in Sterl''s eyes!


    At this moment, the carnage on the wall had reached a new level of intensity.


    The armies shing were both far from normal. On one side were the fanatically suicidal yers, eager to self-destruct at the sight of an enemy, and on the other were the emotionless, fearless NPCs.


    In their battles, there was no fear or retreat, just kill, kill, kill!


    Thus, the battle resembled a hellishndscape! No one retreated, no one fled wounded.yers and NPCs collided in a fight to the death!


    In a little over an hour, nearly a thousand yers had been killed or wounded! The NPCs suffered three times the losses, with over three thousand casualties!


    The battle had reached its final stages. No matter how fearless both sides were, their living forces were nearly exhausted.


    The Netherworld realm, after all, was only a world with a cap at second-ss, level 100. The soldiers on the wall and the army that previously marched out to fight were the elite of this world.


    With their forces depleted, the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers below had no second-ss strength or higher.


    Clearly, those soldiers could only be ughtered by the yers.


    On the yers'' side, the situation was equally grim. The weaker ones, including those with slightly lower mental attributes, had almost all be cannon fodder, filling the wall.


    At this moment, the Coughing Blood buff had ended. The yers stood on the wall, looking around at the horrific scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere, bones, excrement, and flesh piled together.


    Many couldn''t help but cover their mouths, feeling the urge to vomit. Such intense warfare was something even many third-ss yers had never experienced, let alone second-ss yers!


    Even during resource wars between Sterl''s Earth human race and other races, it was usually second-ss yers shing, and suchrge-scale casualties were rare.


    At this moment, even those with the best mental states were starting to break down.


    The yers couldn''t even celebrate their victory.Instead, their hearts were filled with fear and hatred toward the Dark Moon Alliance!


    Of course, Sterl was in a great mood.


    His Divine Power continued to rise rapidly! The growth progress of his Law Powerwas also skyrocketing!


    He kept his eyes on the status panel��


    [Divine Power: 10.13, Law PowerGrowth Progress: 913/1000.]


    [Divine Power: 10.44, Law PowerGrowth Progress: 944/1000.]


    ��


    [Divine Power: 11, Law PowerGrowth Progress: 1000/1000.]


    In Sterl''s excited gaze, the growth progress of his Law Powerwas finally full!


    In an instant, Sterl felt as though his entire soul had undergone some kind of cleansing. The bright moon disk in his mental realm rapidly expanded and intensified. Although it was just a moon, it shone as brilliantly as the sun!


    The moonw within Sterl''s body was swiftly evolving from iplete to perfect!


    Only now did he understand what the true moonw entailed. It represented the symbolic attributes of mysticism, signifying mercury and the purest of poisons. Simultaneously, it was one of the celestial trinity, governing tides and phases.


    The essence of the moon''s existencey in foreknowledge and curses within the mental realm, and in mercury and gravity within the physical realm.


    At this moment, Sterl felt reborn!


    He sensed that with this perfectw, his perspective on the world had fundamentally changed, allowing him to grasp its essence directly!


    Sterl even thought that his previous, iplete moonw was nothing more than a child''s toy, merely a skill or a spell at best.


    And now, he felt as if the principles of the universe had merged within him. Although at this moment, Sterl had mastered only one "principle"��the moon!


    This transformation was also reflected in his skills, all of which had beenpletely revamped through the moon''s power!


    [Enemies cursed by the power of the moon will have their level reduced by twenty. This effect can only be removed by an equivalent Law Power.]


    [Reduce the opponent''s three resistances to zero. This effect can only be removed by an equivalent Law Power.]


    [All surrounding enemies will enter a slowed state. The degree of slowing depends on the invested energy. This effect is not considered a control effect and cannot be resisted.]


    [You can imnt the moonw into any entity, allowing you to suggest or curse the imnted entity.]


    Sterl felt ted with his strength''s improvement!


    The effects of the first few moonws were straightforward power boosts, needing no further exnation.


    However, thest Law Powerapplication, which was originally only useful for tracking enemies, had now evolved to be on par with Gloria''s abilities!


    The Dark Moon Goddess Gloria used the fourth effect of the moonw to ce yers under the Lunar Restriction/Mark status, forcibly applying the [Coughing Blood] buff.


    Of course, Gloria''s domineering use of this ability was also due to her investment of higher-level Divine Power.


    Sterl, having just acquired this new ability, could at most cause a sudden drop in the target''s attributes or suggest confusion to the imnted entity.


    Achieving Gloria''s level of seamless control would require extensive practice and possibly further upgrading the moonw.


    While Sterl quietly contemted his newfound abilities, the yers had all climbed the wall. Originally numbering nearly 2,000, only about 300 remained.


    Surrounded by the hellish scene, their eyes gradually filled with a fervent intensity.


    Because from now on, those ordinary soldiers posed no threat at all!


    It was time for the yers to reap their rewards!


    Although the surrounding environment was a bit disgusting, so what? yers couldpletely ignore the difort for the sake of profit.


    Very quickly, the first person who couldn''t hold back rushed down the city wall. Then, the other yers were stunned for a moment and one by one jumped to the other side of the pass.


    At this point, the [Coughing Blood] buff had not been reactivated. In fact, the surviving yers all found that the [Lunar Restriction/Mark]had dissipated from their bodies. Clearly, the resilience and enhancements provided by [Coughing Blood] had consumed the stored power of the [Eye of the Moon] (the ring yers received before entering the Netherworld realm).


    This was yet another piece of evidence of the Dark Moon Alliance''s deceit. The reward of Netherworld Water to remove the [Lunar Restriction/Mark]was aplete lie! Richard had preemptively consumed the [Lunar Restriction/Mark]!


    The previous quest was simply a ploy to gain without any cost.


    And now, the reason the surviving yers were so eager was that they were preparing to seize the Netherworld Water!


    "The Netherworld Water is mine!"


    "Get out of my way!"


    "Anyone who stands in my path will die."


    Many shouted loudly.


    The soldiers below, who were not even second-ss, were quickly ughtered, unable to put up any resistance.


    yers could kill a huge number with just a casual skill.


    Sterl also mingled among them, casually collecting some blood power.


    Incidentally, he felt both satisfied and a bit regretful. His Divine Power had finally stopped at 17.63, and the growth progress of his Law Powerhad halted at [663/10000].


    When Sterl''s Law Powerupgraded, he was still absorbing the battlefield''s energy, which made him quite satisfied��a bountiful harvest!


    However, he regretted that the remaining 300 or so yers were no longer useful for extracting energy. Their Divine Power and Law Powerhad beenpletely consumed by the [Coughing Blood] buff...


    The one-sided battle didn''tst long.


    The soldiers below were killed at a rapid pace. Their numerical advantage was useless because during the [Coughing Blood] buff''s duration, the yers had been fighting manically without any thought of using potions for recovery.


    Thus, when facing these minor soldiers, the yers still had ample supplies and stamina.


    After about 10 minutes of ughter, the area below the wall turned into a horrifdscape of countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood!


    However, just as the first wave of yers who had jumped down broke through the soldiers'' formations like a sharp de and reached the Netherworld Water...


    Sterl, who had been charging along and collecting blood power, suddenly retreated! With the perfect moonw, he had an inexplicable sense of the world''s changes.


    At this moment, he sensed something was wrong.


    Sure enough, a sharp wail echoed in the next second, a sound that didn''t seem human, extremely eerie! It was as if the Netherworld realm''s world consciousness was chanting its own dirge!


    Then...


    The corpses and flesh of countless soldiers were drawn away and surged towards the location of the final Netherworld Water, directly pouring into it!


    Seeing this, Sterl was momentarily stunned but then nodded thoughtfully.


    "Of course, this battle is the final showdown to end the Netherworld realm. How could there not be a boss fight?" This was a ssic setup in all therge-scale online games he had yed before his transmigration!


    He stood firmly to the side, unwavering.


    Countless yers'' expressions changed drastically, one after another. They ran away as quickly as they had charged!


    At the location of the Netherworld Water, the gathered flesh and blood began to form into a mass of purplish-ck sludge, which continued to umte and slowly took on a humanoid shape...

 Chapter 126: The Worlds Abomination

    Gurgle, gurgle...


    The grotesque mass of flesh and blood continuously poured together, transforming into a humanoid monster.


    Its face appeared to be wearing a pure white mask, but blood tears streamed down from it. Its body was bizarre, with one leg being extremely thick and the other unusually thin, creating a grotesque imbnce.


    This creature stood hunched over, slowly advancing toward the yers.


    More terrifyingly, because the monster bent its body low, its back of the head revealed a greenish human face��exactly resembling the deity of Heaven Water. This face roared continuously, emitting eerie sound waves.


    The yers couldn''t help but feel a wave of nausea.


    "Is this the BOSS?"


    "Great! There will be rewards!"


    "Nice! Now we don''t have to waste our time on these NPCs!"


    Excited exmations erupted from the yers.


    Despite the monster''s nauseating appearance, it didn''t matter!


    There''s no loot from defeating NPCs, but bosses might drop some rare items. Not to mention, this time it''s the embodiment of the World Origin power!


    There was a chance for extremely rare skills and gear to drop!


    As for whether they could defeat it?


    That wasn''t even a concern!


    The second-ss yers present were the elite chosen from over 70 countries within the Dark Moon Alliance!


    Ordinary bosses could be taken down by teams of dozens.


    No matter how powerful this embodiment of the world''s will was, three hundred yers should be enough to kill it!


    Moreover, several yers used detection skills and items to confirm that the BOSS was only level 90...


    Would they win?


    Absolutely!


    They were already contemting how to distribute the loot.


    Unfortunately, the yers celebrated too soon.


    In the next moment, the remaining five to six thousand soldiers on the field collectively stood up in eerie silence.


    The reason there were still so many soldiers left was that the yers couldn''t kill them all before going for the Netherworld Water. They mainly pierced through the army formation, killing only a few thousand soldiers.


    Now, the soldiers moved in unison, raising their swords and des, and suddenly thrusting them into their own chests!


    Squish!!


    The synchronized motion made the sound of des piercing flesh clear and distinct, echoing across the battlefield.


    This eerie scene,pleted in a silent state, was orchestrated by the world''s will. The soldiers didn''t scream in pain or agony.Theypleted their suicide with cold indifference.


    The soldiers, dissatisfied with the speed of their deaths, pulled out their swords and used their hands to further dig into their chests, crushing their own hearts!


    This eerie scene sent shivers down the yers'' spines.


    They stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Kill the soldiers? But they were alreadymitting suicide!


    In the next second, the yers watched in shock as the world''s will-embodied BOSS received a massive boost in power!


    After the sacrifice of five to six thousand soldiers, their flesh, blood, and souls turned into a rolling sludge, rapidly merging into the BOSS, causing its body to swell and expand!


    From its original human-sized form, it grew into a giant over 10 meters tall!


    The greenish face on the giant''s back let out another piercing roar!


    This time, the yers weren''t just disgusted.Everyone, under the influence of the sound waves, felt a wave of nausea and revulsion, scattering in all directions in extreme pain.


    On the yers'' interfaces, clear status effects were disyed: [Dizziness] [Fear]!


    Even a simple roar from this boss could cause incredibly terrifying control effects!


    Then, the boss grew a hand resembling a de and shed down fiercely! The de light shed, and the dozen or so yers closest to it were instantly cut in half at the waist!


    What''s even more terrifying was that the yers who were cut in half didn''t die immediately.They crawled on the ground in utter despair, leaving a trail of blood.


    "No! I don''t want to die! Help me!"


    "Where''s the healer? Heal me!"


    "Someone save me! Ugh!! It hurts so much!!"


    Even though it wasn''t real death, the intense pain was unbearable for the yers.


    The other yers were still under control, unable to provide any assistance.


    Among them was Sterl, who managed to break free from the control a bit earlier.


    "Damn! What a disgusting skill!"


    He looked disheveled and realized a w in his skill setup: hecked any control-breaking abilities! He usually relied on his high speed to crush opponents.


    But if he encountered such a widespread soundwave control, he might not be able to react in time and would get controlled!


    The battlefield changed in an instant. Sterl made a mental note to search for relevant skillster.


    He hesitated for a second, then stepped forward quickly and used [Healing Starlight] to save the yers who were severely injured by being cut in half.


    Sterl wasn''t acting out of sudden kindness.He had seen a piece of information about the BOSS through Star Insight that made him extremely cautious.


    After absorbing countless flesh and blood, and with the world copsing, the restrictions of the Netherworld realm were gradually breaking down, bing like the main world of [Transcendence], with no power limits.


    As a result, the BOSS, the embodiment of the world''s will, known as the "World''s Abomination," had broken through to a third-ss level, reaching level 107. Sterl even saw this number shing continuously, changing to 108 within seconds.


    Obviously, the Netherworld realm was in a state of copse, merging with the main world of [Transcendence] every second. The level cap was slowly but steadily increasing.


    Sterl estimated that if the boss fight dragged on for a long time, the level of the "World''s Abomination" could rise to the max level of the third-ss, or even reach a legendary state!


    Additionally, this BOSS had an outrageous skill:


    [Heaven Water Tidal Surge: Launches a tidal attack on all targets within arge area, causing three seconds of stun and absorbing 30% of the hit target''s life force per second. (Irresistible effect in the legendary state)]


    [Uses: 3/3]


    This was clearly a legendary ability!


    Or rather, it was a power that seemed to have degenerated from the Divine Power of the Heaven Water deity.


    Sterl immediately realized that dealing with this legendary power would be incredibly difficult! They needed to kill the BOSS quickly, or else thebat power of the "World''s Abomination" would keep increasing. This legendary ability could even evolve into a demi-god rule, or a Divine Power as the world''s limits were lifted��


    And if Sterl got into closebat with the BOSS and got controlled, it would be a disaster.


    It''s not that Sterl couldn''t handle it.With three uses of the legendary ability, Sterl had his shadow clone, the Star Radiance Dragon''s protective power, and a resurrection armor.


    There was no way he couldn''t get through this!


    However, Sterl had a nagging feeling that the real enemy was the Dark Moon Alliance! He had to keep some cards up his sleeve.


    By stepping in to save people now, Sterl aimed to create more cannon fodder for himself. He had secretly infused the power of the Moon Law into the yers'' bodies during the healing process.


    Sterl couldn''t give them the Coughing Blood BUFF, but he could ensure that these yers gradually lost their sanity during the battle, ultimately absorbing the BOSS''s three big moves!


    The healed yers had no idea they were being manipted. They gratefully looked at the unremarkable young man who had just saved them.


    "Thanks, brother!"


    "Priest, stay behind us. If they want to hurt you, they''ll have to walk over our dead bodies first!"


    "Everyone, form up! Protect this guy!"


    The yers quickly realized Sterl''s importance. He could dish out such high healing amounts effortlessly! A key asset! They had to protect him!


    Sterl was more than happy to let them think so. He didn''t need to fight.He just healed the yers who were injured by the boss.


    His [Healing Starlight] wasn''t particrly strong, but after activating divine descent and Life Ignite, his basic attributes alone allowed him to heal far more than other priests.


    Under his guidance, the yers grew more reckless, charging forward with increased ferocity. Of course, Sterl''s methods couldn''tpare to the Dark Moon Alliance.


    He merely leveraged the message that there was an infinite healing priest at the rear, so they didn''t need to fear, encouraging them to charge bravely. They still retained their subjective will.


    The BOSS roared furiously, continuously swinging its de-like arms and asionally emitting soundwave control attacks, but these were all countered by Sterl''s active healing and the dispelling spells of other priest yers!


    The yers present were all elites, extremely skilled in various boss-fighting strategies. They quickly chipped away at the World''s Abomination''s life force. Some yers even actively sought out the boss''s de attacks, getting themselves cut into pieces to allow their teammates to deal higher damage.


    Subsequently, these yers were healed and revived by the priests.


    The battle seemed to be going smoothly.


    Until the boss finally lost its cool and unleashed its first legendary ability!


    Heaven Water Tidal Surge!


    Boom!!!


    Massive torrents of water materialized directly from the space around them, surrounding the yers from all directions. The azure waters quickly enveloped the yers'' bodies like a cage.


    The range of this move wasn''t toorge, but it still managed to control over fifty yers. Struggling as if suffocating, their life energy was rapidly drained and transformed into power, flowing into the boss.


    In mere moments, dozens of yers were sucked dry!


    Sterl wanted to heal them, but it was toote.The healing light was blocked by the water.


    And the BOSS instantly restored itself to full health by absorbing the life force.


    The situation took a drastic turn.


    Sterl, however, smiled slightly. He realized he might have been overly worried. The range of this Heaven Water Tidal Surge wasn''t asrge as he had feared.


    Although it killed over fifty yers, Sterl found he couldpletely avoid it by reacting during the boss''s wind-up.


    But his good mood didn''tst long, as the yers'' previously unstoppable momentum came to a screeching halt.


    "No way? It restored itself to full health just like that."


    "You''ve got to be kidding!!"


    "No, no, this is way too overpowered!"

 Chapter 127: The Counterattack of the World Will!

    The yers'' mentality was starting to crumble!


    This one skill alone wiped out a sixth of the more than 300 yers on the field and restored all the health they had painstakingly drained from the boss. How were they supposed to keep ying?


    Moreover, the tidal wave had appeared so quickly that it trapped the surrounding yers in an instant, giving them no chance to dodge.


    Even though the yers now knew about this boss''s trump card, they couldn''t counter it!


    The melee fighters would be doomed as soon as the boss used this ability.


    And the damage dealt by the ranged attackers would be quickly healed.


    It was unyable!


    A lot of yers started contemting retreat.


    "We don''t have to stick it out against this boss, do we? The Dark Moon Alliance can''t force us to keep fighting."


    "Can we just hang around for a bit and wait to be teleported out?"


    "What are we waiting for? Retreat!"


    The yers'' earlier determination vanished without a trace.


    But the next second, the situation took a sudden turn. Someone pointed into the distance in horror.


    "What''s going on over there?!"


    Meanwhile, as the other yers fended off the boss''s attacks, they nced over and suddenly noticed an extremely eerie sight. On the once vast and distant horizon, crimson lines had appeared, and these lines were continuously advancing towards their location.


    Some yers with extremely long-range observation skills used their abilities and tools to take a closer look, and they were immediately terrified.


    "The Netherworld realm is copsing!"


    "Except for the area centered around the boss''s Netherworld Water, the rest of the Netherworld realm seems to be getting swallowed by the void!"


    "We need to find a way to escape quickly, or we''ll get sucked into the void too!"


    Several second-ss yers at the scene, who had some knowledge, immediately realized the severity of the situation and shouted urgently.


    However...


    Only now did the yers suddenly remember one crucial detail.


    The Dark Moon Alliance never mentioned opening a portal to bring them back to the main world of [Transcendence] upon meeting any conditions!


    Damn it!


    Many turned pale.They were caught between a rock and a hard ce!


    In front of them was an unbeatable boss, and behind them, the world was copsing into the void, where certain death awaited!


    How could they get out of this mess??


    "Teleportation scrolls won''t work either. It says we''re currently not in the [Transcendence] main world!"


    "Technically, we can only use the scrolls in the void!"


    "By then, we''ll be dead meat!" Many yers held various escape tools in their hands, but none of them could be used.


    At this moment, the young man who had previously takenmand and signed the legion contract with the yers stepped forward: "Brothers, our only chance of survival now is to kill this boss and obtain the Netherworld Water inside it!"


    "Netherworld Water can sustain the existence of the Netherworld realm. Even if the void swallows our coordinates, it can temporarily hold up a safe zone, and then we can use teleportation tools to escape!"


    "We can''t count on the Dark Moon Alliance! We have to save ourselves!" he said passionately.


    However...


    The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. No one was motivated by his words. The melee yers were too scared to engage, fearing they''d be instantly killed by the boss''s ultimate move. Without the melee fighters leading the charge, the ranged yers were even more hesitant. Without someone to hold aggro, the ranged sses would be obliterated with a single swipe from the boss.


    Although they''d eventually die being swallowed by the void, at least it wasn''t immediate.


    But as the yers retreated further, the World''s Abomination roared even more violently. It unleashed its sonic control skills, which had already cooled down, with eerie sounds echoing all around!


    Even though the yers were on guard this time, many still got hit, falling into a state of stun and fear.


    Several priest yers quickly dispelled and rescued those affected.


    However, not everyone was lucky enough to break free from the control. Following the boss''s roar, it unleashed a powerful attack, smashing six or seven yers into pulp.


    Luckily, this time the boss only aimed to kill and didn''t absorb any life energy.


    But this incident further dampened the already low morale of the yers.


    The problem now was that they couldn''t defeat the boss, and they couldn''t run away either. What were they supposed to do?


    Sterl observed silently, noting the chaotic situation. Only a few yers managed to keep a stable mindset.


    Among them was the young man who had been leading andmanding.


    Besides him, Faye remained calm, and then there was Spike from the Principality of Morrow, who looked hesitant, seemingly in a mental struggle.


    But the BOSS wouldn''t give them time to hesitate. It let out another roar and unleashed a skill called [Evil Thought st].


    Instantly, the BOSS straightened up from its hunched posture, revealing a massive cavity in its chest and abdomen. From within, a torrent of malevolence surged out, forming a shockwave!


    The attack path was set to hit nearly a hundred yers.


    Since it was a linear attack, many yers in the back were also at risk.


    Under normal boss-fighting tactics, the frontline and melee yers should step up to intercept. But the previous instant-kill debacle had them too scared to approach, and they all ran away quickly.


    This caused Sterl, hiding in the crowd, to frown. At this rate, the boss wouldn''t even need to use its ultimate moves.It could tear apart the yers'' formation with just its minor skills.


    Once that happened, the hundreds of yers would be easy prey for the boss due to its attribute advantage.


    "Do I have to step in now?" Sterl couldn''t just sit back and watch the BOSS annihte the yers. The Netherworld realm might hold further surprises, and he needed other yers to pave the way!


    In the crowd, Faye also gritted her teeth, ready to act.


    Unlike Sterl, she didn''t have an evolved teleportation scroll. If they failed to kill the BOSS and fell into the void, Felicia would have to sacrifice her soul power to save them.


    That was uneptable to Faye!


    But just as these two were about to make their move, a figure suddenly emerged from the hesitant crowd.


    "Don''t panic!"


    "If we can''t defeat this boss, we won''t survive either!"


    "All frontline yers, follow me! Hold the line against its attacks!"


    With these words, a young man fearlessly charged to the forefront of the Evil Thought st and tore apart a scroll.


    As dazzling light enveloped him, his body ignited with a radiant golden me, forming a set of heavy armor!


    Many yers recognized the significance of this sight.


    "That''s a scroll storing a golden-quality skill!"


    "The Principality of Morrow truly is themercial hub at the intersection of the Dark Moon Alliance and other divine realms. Spike, being of royal blood, sure has resources!"


    With someone leading the charge, the previously scattered yers began to rally.


    They were willing to fight the boss.They just couldn''t see any hope of winning before.


    As Spike charged forward, he brandished his weapon and a giant sword glowing with golden light, striking fiercely at the BOSS!


    Despite the World''s Abomination being only level 107...108, its status as a BOSS, bolstered by the world''s will, endowed it with incredibly high attributes. It had reached the level of a [Transcendence] legendary yer, albeit without the enhanced attribute buffs.


    Spike, a double-S rank yer, was level 100, with attributes far surpassing normal yers!


    Furthermore, under the golden-quality [Emperor''s Blessing], all of his attributes saw a significant boost, granting him enhanced attribute effects!


    With one mighty swing, Spike managed to cleave through the first part of the Evil Thought st! Unfortunately, he wasn''t a cheat-like character like Sterl.He didn''t have triple-S base attributes, and a golden-quality skill was nowhere near as overpowered as divine descent.


    Thus... the radiant golden sword light was quickly swallowed by the boss''s ultimate move, but Spike''s few seconds of resistance were enough to reinvigorate the yers'' morale!


    "Charge with me!"


    "Support Spike now!"


    "We''re here to help!"


    Soon, an array of colorful skill effects exploded around Spike. Under the legion contract, yers were immune to friendly fire.


    Thus, the mages in the backunched a barrage of attacks, easing much of the pressure on Spike. The golden light once again surged from within the murky shockwave.


    Melee yers also activated their charge skills, quickly joining the fray!


    Through theirbined efforts, the force of the Evil Thought st was forcibly contained. Spike then made a graceful turn, swinging his sword. Under the golden light, the boss''s move was reduced to a downpour of muddy rain.


    Seizing the moment, Spike pulled out a crystalline item and disyed its attributes to all his legion mates.


    [Superior Legendary Crystal]


    ...


    [Effect: You can activate the legendary ability [Flowing Beads: Clear all abnormal statuses for all allied units on the field, reduce damage received by 50%, and increase agility and spirit by 30% (these effects are calcted independently of all other bonuses).]]


    [Remaining uses: 6/10]


    "I''ve already used an item to scan the boss''s attributes. It can use its ultimate move at most two more times!"


    "I can use this Legendary Crystal to clear all of your controls!"


    Spike spoke, feeling a bit of the sting. He had several golden-quality skill scrolls left, but Legendary Crystals were not something money could easily buy.


    Otherwise, Spike would have used the Legendary Crystal right from the start.


    The yers were stunned upon seeing the item.


    "Is this the power of the Principality of Morrow? This is insane! They can pull out a Legendary Crystal of this quality!"


    "So this boss isn''t much of a threat anymore, is it??"


    "Does this mean we can actually win??"

 Chapter 128: Second Mutation! Faye Takes Action!

    Amid the shock, the yers'' eyes lit up with excitement. The biggest hurdle to defeating the boss had been ovee!


    Everyone''s expressions changed instantly.


    A moment ago, there was despair and fear. Now, the yers reverted to their typical mindset��


    Time to farm the boss! Time for loot! Charge!


    Only Sterl stood silently, watching the Legendary Crystal in Spike''s hand with a flicker in his eyes.


    To anyone else, that item would be a waste, but Sterl could allocate points to learn the legendary ability from the Legendary Crystal.


    Although "Flowing Beads" wasn''t as high-quality as "Shadow Stealth," it was still a legendary ability!


    He pondered how to get his hands on that Legendary Crystal.


    Under Spike''s lead, the yers regrouped.


    Though the World''s Abomination still had terrifyingbat power, each attack was forceful and heavy.


    But with over 200 remaining yers coordinating, it was futile!


    Frontline yers activated various damage reduction skills, while the backline yers cast healing and shields. As long as the World''s Abomination couldn''t one-shot them, it couldn''t break through their formation!


    The boss''s life force slowly but surely dwindled, and after a while, the battle continued.


    As more wounds appeared on the World''s Abomination, it let out another roar.


    Countless waves emerged from the void, and as time passed, the power limit of the Netherworld realm became increasingly unstable. Consequently, the boss''s moves slightly evolved beyond the level of legendary abilities.


    The range of Heaven Water''s tidal summoning was now evenrger!


    In an instant, the azure waters rapidly encircled many yers.


    Despite the yers being somewhat prepared this time, they still couldn''t evade! After all, they were only second ss... facing a legendary ability, especially one that seemed downgraded from Divine Power, they had no chance to resist!


    Numerous water prisons trapped the yers.


    Fortunately, Spike kept his promise. With a pained expression, he quickly activated the Legendary Crystal in his hand.


    The power of Flowing Beads surged!!


    A semi-transparent barrier, resembling flowing mercury, appeared over every yer on the field.


    In an instant, the yers trapped by the tidal waves were freed from control. They felt light as a feather and quickly retreated, distancing themselves from the boss''s attack range.


    Thus, the boss''s formidable move utterly failed!


    The World''s Abomination roared, hunched over! But no matter how hard it tried to absorb energy, it couldn''t draw in a single bit, and its wounds showed no signs of healing.


    "It worked!"


    "Haha, now we just need to finish off this boss!"


    "Kill, kill, kill!"


    ...


    Although the yers had already trusted Spike''s promise, now that Flowing Beads had nullified the BOSS''s ultimate move, theirst worry vanished.


    What does it matter if the boss in front of us has high attributes and powerfulbat abilities?


    The subsequent battle became somewhat tedious.


    The yers followed their usual raid process: dealing damage, healing, and rotating the frontline tanks.


    The World''s Abomination''s life force was rapidly depleting.


    Spike disyed extraordinary valor.Alone with his sword, his attributes boosted by the golden-quality skill, he fought like a war god!


    Facing the boss''s attacks, he even stood at the forefront, shing his de against the boss''s scythe-like hands!


    Although Spike was asionally knocked back, he managed to block the boss''s onught head-on!


    Spike''s efforts significantly reduced the pressure on the other yers.


    The crowd couldn''t help but praise him: "As expected of an S-rank yer, so strong!"


    "You''re invincible, Spike!"


    Amidst the cheers andughter, the World''s Abomination grew weaker. It used itsst legendary ability, which was promptly nullified by Flowing Beads.


    Sterl''s expression suddenly changed.He sensed that the boss''s life force was dwindling, now below 20%.


    Due to the legion contract, yers were considered a team.


    Therefore, the loot was obtained through an internal bidding system within the team. Whenever an item dropped, it was disyed on all yers'' panels, and everyone could bid to acquire it. The resources spent on the bid were then evenly distributed among the remaining yers.


    However, Sterl did not intend to y by these rules. He had already made up his mind to leave the team, deal at least 10% of the damage by himself, and take all the drops.


    Before he could act, he sensed something was wrong!


    The "world" around him felt off! This was the power of the Perfected Law, which granted Sterl his insight.


    He didn''t leave the team but silently stood at the back.


    At that moment, Spike pulled out another golden-quality skill scroll. Golden mes roared around him as he wielded a giant sword, shing fiercely!


    He charged through the "muck" barrage emitted by the boss, cutting through with his sword!


    But the next second...


    Boom!!!


    The BOSS''s body twisted once again, sprouting dozens of scythe-like structures. Its aura also changed dramatically, and its head split open, blooming like a flower to reveal numerous tentacles. It hadpletely transformed into a twisted being, no longer resembling anything human.


    The boss casually swiped its hand!


    Bang!


    The golden armor and giant sword vanished into shards of light.


    Spike, who previously outssed ordinary yers with his double S-rank strength, was instantly killed by this strike.


    The shift in the situation was so abrupt that many yers were caught off guard.


    They stood there, dumbfounded, unable to react!


    It was like a sudden death scenario.


    The World''s Abomination then took a deep breath and exhaled dark purple mes...


    Boom!!!


    The yers were momentarily stunned, but their instinctive reactions drove them to dodge and move away.


    However, the range of the fiery breath was simply too vast, and many yers couldn''t evade it in time. Even those who were merely grazed by the mes found their clothes igniting instantly. They were turned into human torches, screaming in agony as they met their demise.


    "Holy crap, how did it get close to legendary level??"


    "No way! Such a sudden power spike!"


    "We''re doomed, Spike is dead too!"


    Many yers used items and skills to scout the boss''s new attributes, only to find it had evolved to a third-ss, level 150 entity.


    And the basic attributes were terrifyingly high, with all four major stats around 1400 points!


    Now, any yer who gets touched is dead! The boss doesn''t even need to use skills to ughter everyone!


    Even Sterl looked grim. His base stats were all under 300 points. With the boosts from divine descent, Life Ignite, and other enhancing equipment, his actual attribute effects were only around 900 points.


    Previously, before he had evolved his arcane skill to a C-level, he was slightly inferior to the Shadow of Hatred.


    Now, facing the World''s Abomination, Sterl felt crushed for the first time.


    He was so overwhelmed that he didn''t even think about the fact that Spike had been seemingly one-shotted, meaning he wouldn''t get that Legendary Crystal.


    However...


    Sterl noticed something about the aura of the World''s Abomination��it hadn''t recovered its life force.


    "Maybe this is an opportunity?" A gleam shed in Sterl''s eyes. The boss was covered with curses and armor-breaking skills from the yers, so while its attributes were high, the physical/magical damage reduction from its constitution and spirit wasn''t too extreme!


    In other words...


    The boss could one-shot Sterl, but Sterl might also be able to one-shot the boss!


    All hecked now was a powerful offensive method��


    "Allocate points!" Sterl roared in his mind. This time, he added points to his legendary degree.


    The legendary increase for [Divine me Drive] unlocked rapidly!


    [Four Points: When Divine me erupts, it deals additional damage based on the opponent''s lost life force.]


    [Eight Points: You can use the Divine me eruption two more times, with only 75% power.]


    ...


    Sterl was readying himself.


    But on the frontlines, the yers'' morale hadpletely copsed. While they wanted to take advantage of the boss''s low life force and make a desperate counterattack, it seemed impossible.


    The World''s Abomination had entered a frenzied killing state. Without using any skills, it randomly swiped and breathed mes, releasing a few long-range malicious impacts. Any yer hit was instantly killed. To avoid these seemingly simple attacks, yers were forced to flee, leaving no chance to fight back. The boss could take countless hits, but any yer hit by it was dead!


    The continuous wailing echoed:


    "It''s over! We''re really doomed!"


    "Everyone could start preparing to delete their character."


    "Dark Moon Alliance, you bastards! Damn you!"


    "Spike got one-shotted?? No way, if the strongest yer can''t take one hit, how do we fight this?"


    ...


    Everyone was utterly despairing, already nning what small jobs they could do in real life to make a living after quitting [Transcendence].


    It wasn''t just about having a bad attitude.Fighting bosses had basic rules��


    The strongest melee unit couldn''t even withstand one attack, so there was no way to y.


    Within seconds, the yers dwindled rapidly.


    At this moment, a frigid aura suddenly surged.


    The boss''s attention instantly focused on a figure in a water-blue robe below.


    Then...


    Boom!! A st of fiery breath erupted!


    However... apanied by an inexplicable surge of water, the fiery breath was forcibly blocked.


    All the yers present were instantly dumbfounded. Who... who is this expert that has appeared out of nowhere??

 Chapter 129: Maxed Out Golden Skills, Instant Boss Kill!

    The person who intervened was none other than Faye!


    In her consciousness, Felicia was trembling with heartache: "We barely managed to gather some of the Netherworld Water to restore a bit of soul power, and now it''s all gone."


    Despite Faye being significantly stronger than Spike as a dual S-rank, she didn''t have a golden-quality skill scroll. Instead, she relied on ancestral support to enhance her with demigod-level soul power!


    The enhancement resulted in a 50% increase in all of Faye''s attributes and a 100% boost in attribute effects! Additionally, the power of all her skills was amplified!


    This effectively tripled her attributes! Combined with Faye''s innate talents and skills, the brilliance she radiated far surpassed Spike!


    Amid the astonished cries of the yers, the attack that previously one-shotted Spike was easily blocked by a water screen. The water then transformed into frosty des, swiftly severing one of the World''s Abomination''s tentacles in mere seconds!


    "Nice hit!" The yers below were ecstatic.


    Who wants to delete their character??


    That would be like going from a superhero to an ordinary person in real life!


    As long as there''s a glimmer of hope, the yers are willing to fight! Spike gave them that hope earlier, and now this unknown girl reignited their courage to resist.


    Moreover, the boss''s health was low, and there was a chance for a massive loot drop if they killed it!


    "Come on, guys, let''s attack! Otherwise, we might not get another chance!"


    "This could be ourst opportunity!"


    "Don''t hold back, use everything you''ve got!"


    ...


    The yers shouted, crazily unleashing their skills. The light effects of various buff skills lit up the scene in a dazzling array of colors!


    They all followed behind Faye, attacking with all their might.


    They couldn''t help but be amazed.They never expected such a powerful expert to appear!


    The strength of this girl was far superior to Spike''s! It seemed the Dark Moon Alliance''s territory was full of hidden talents.


    They looked at Faye with gratitude. Without her, this boss fight might have ended in failure, and everyone would have died!


    But their excitement was short-lived.The situation changed abruptly.


    After seeing its attack blocked by Faye, the boss''s form twisted, and it spewed out an energy vortex of various strange hues!!


    The surrounding space warped and surged with this move, making it look extremely rming!


    Yet, the yers charged forward bravely! They had nothing to fear anymore! If they didn''t kill the boss, they wouldn''t survive.


    And they believed!


    They believed that the newly appeared strong girl could block it...


    Boom!!


    The vortex shed head-on with the water screen Faye created, and in an instant, the water screen was torn apart!


    Faye reacted quickly, creating multiple water screens and frost barriers in an attempt to block the World''s Abomination''s attack, but it was futile!


    The water screens and ice walls were all shattered and polluted!


    Faye herself was forced to emit a very subtle energy ripple, barely deflecting the remnants of the boss''s attack. She then plummeted to the ground, looking as disheveled now as she was graceful when she flew up.


    Shey on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.


    However, the sinister vortex retained most of its power and transformed into a massive ck hurricane in mid-air. The yers caught in it were all gruesomely corroded, their flesh disintegrating into skeletons!


    After this devastating move, the morale that yers had barely managed to muster for a final assault on the boss instantly copsed!!


    In a sh, they couldn''t even react. They could only watch, wide-eyed, as the hurricane swept towards them at an rming speed.


    Everyone''s instinct was to run for their lives, but it was toote! The hurricane''s speed was terrifyingly fast.


    In the brief moment they realized Faye had been defeated, they had already lost their chance to escape.


    In their final moments, their eyes were filled with despair, reflecting the rapidly approaching ck hurricane.


    This time, the yers didn''t even have the chance to utter theirst words. All they could do was smile bitterly in their hearts, realizing it was all over!


    The strongest dual S-rank had failed, the hidden expert was defeated, and they couldn''t count on the Dark Moon Alliance, who couldn''t intervene in the Netherworld that hadn''tpletely copsed.


    It was all over!


    Meanwhile, Faye struggled to stand up... Though her life wasn''t in danger, this wave of attacks was incredibly difficult to withstand. The Felicia in her consciousness was on the verge of breaking down, worrying about yet another drain on her soul power...


    The hurricane expanded rapidly, threatening to engulf all the yers!


    Even the young man Felix, who had been rallying the yers looked grim.


    Hemunicated to the void, "Lord Richard, Lady Gloria, any new instructions? The yers are about to be wiped out!"


    But in the void, both the demigod and goddess of the Dark Moon Alliance looked equally grim.


    "The counterattack from the Netherworld,bined with the backhand of the God of Heaven Water, is indeed not to be underestimated."


    Gloria muttered, feeling a tightness in her chest. This wasn''t just about the impending failure of their mission.It seemed that the genius "David" from the Primordial Earth Human race might also perish in this world.


    She couldn''t intervene in the Netherworld!


    What pained Gloria even more was the nagging feeling in her subconscious that the losses were greater than she imagined!


    Because the "forgotten" Constantine would also die to that boss!


    Just as everyone''s spirits were about to break, a sudden change urred!


    The young man Felixfelt a sudden impact from behind! It was a small dragon, glowing with fluorescent colors.


    Caught off guard, he hastily raised a magical shield. Though the shield held, the impact sent him flying into the sky, where he was the first to be swallowed by the ck hurricane!


    He, along with some yers near the boss, became the first unlucky victims.


    "No, impossible!"


    After his body was destroyed, a semi-transparent soul emerged, exuding an extraordinary aura. He ignited himself, momentarily releasing a legendary aura that flickered and then vanished.


    The soul was swiftly shredded within the ck hurricane!


    It was clear that the young man Felixwas a hidden agent of the Dark Moon Alliance, his true identity being that of a legendary soul.


    He might have continued to stir up chaos, but now only a crystal, glimmering with a faint golden light, remained on the ground, swiftly snatched up by the Star Radiance Dragon.


    At the same time, in the ce where Faye was struggling, a figure that brought immense joy to the young girl appeared��it was David.


    He activated the healing effect of Star Radiance, rapidly casting excessive healing to create additional shields for both himself and Faye.


    These shields, of course, couldn''t withstand the boss''s hurricane.


    Even Sterl himself couldn''t create a shield strong enough, and at this moment, David was merely an avatar of Sterl.


    But dying for a fraction of a second was possible...


    And that was enough!


    High above, a figure that left a deep impression on all yers appeared��it was Constantine, the powerful figure from the Antean Empire who had openly challenged the Dark Moon Alliance before entering the Netherworld!


    Under the gaze of countless yers and even Richard and Gloria outside the Netherworld, Constantine was enveloped in a divine me of seven colors, resembling a divine descent!


    The mes were at least ten times more intense than when the yersst saw him!


    There was no doubt that this was Sterl''s true form. He already held the evolved teleportation scroll. Whether the demigods and gods of the Dark Moon Alliance could intervene or not was still unknown to Sterl, so he had to be ready to flee at any moment.


    But he had to fight this boss. Besides the Netherworld Water and the boss''s drops, the Star Radiance Dragon was about to trigger its [Infinite Evolution] safepoint!


    Killing the World''s Abomination would definitely grant a special ability. Sterl knew that such bosses, fused with the world''s will, were incredibly rare and powerful. Even after bing a god, he might not encounter many of them!


    Thus, the special ability dropped by the World''s Abomination was likely to be extremely powerful and valuable!


    This was Star Radiance Dragon''s opportunity, and also Sterl''s chance. He could leverage the primary star to freely obtain the abilities of the Star Radiance Dragon.


    The potential rewards were too great for Sterl to ignore!


    At this moment, the boss was fully focused on directing the hurricane against the yers,pletely unaware of Constantine''s sudden appearance!


    What followed was a breathtaking explosion of divine mes. Three consecutive bursts of divine fire erupted!


    After the three mes detonated, they converged inside the boss, forming an incredibly brilliant lotus of fire!


    In the terrified eyes of the yers, the ck hue of the hurricane was suddenly pierced by the radiant colors of the mes!!


    In the first second, or rather in 0.1 seconds.


    The hurricane ceased...


    In the next second, a volcanic eruption!


    The seven-colored mes burst out from within the boss, resembling an awakened volcano!


    The entire sky was impacted by the mes!


    The previously overcast sky, which had created an apocalyptic scene, was now burned and vaporized by the divine mes.


    The gloom turned into a clear and bright sky!


    The yers, after a few seconds of stunned silence, started to flee in panic!


    The descending seven-colored mes were not just majestic. They severely injured any yers they touched.


    Many used items and skills to escape the influence of the mes.


    At the same time, the once-dominant World''s Abomination waspletely engulfed by the mes, transforming into a massive, zing torch.


    The mes reached the heavens, as if igniting the entire world in a magnificent spectacle!


    Simultaneously, a sound echoed in all the yers'' ears.


    [Congrattions on participating in the world-ss boss kill of the World''s Abomination. Your contribution is...]


    [You have received a reward...]

 Chapter 130: The Second Legendary Ability [Inspire]

    Everyone at the scene was utterly bewildered, much like when the situation had abruptly turned dire and both Spike and the mysterious girl were instantly killed by the boss.


    The yers didn''t even have time to react before it was all over!


    Now, the situation was eerily simr. Although the Divine me was magnificent, it happened so quickly��within a fraction of a second, the boss was instantly obliterated!


    yers even heard the [Transcendence] system notification in their ears confirming that the boss was dead!


    They looked up at the figure descending slowly from the sky, extinguishing the colorful mes in his hand, and gazing down at them with indifference.


    It took a good while for the yers toprehend what had just happened.


    "Are we saved??"


    "We don''t have to die?"


    "The boss was instantly killed?"


    The yers could understand what had urred in front of them, but their brains refused to believe it.


    Because it was too absurd!


    That was a near-legendary third-ss boss. Even in a weakened state, its health was still terrifyingly high. How could it be killed in an instant? Who could possibly do that?


    If it had been a demigod from the Dark Moon Alliance making an appearance, the yers might have found it usible.


    But the person before them was someone they all recognized��Constantine, merely a third-ss individual. Could he really be that formidable?


    "Could this be my dying hallucination?" someone couldn''t help but ponder.


    "Or maybe the boss''s skill has pulled us into an illusion." Another person suggested.


    In any case, they couldn''t believe the boss fight had ended so abruptly...


    But no matter how long they waited, nothing else happened.


    After several seconds, someone suddenly copsed to their knees.


    "It seems to be truly over..."


    "We survived!"


    ...


    The yers'' joy soon doubled.


    Not long after, they noticed a dazzling light sphere appear before them. Upon touching it lightly, they received a notification.


    [Reward received, your legend rank has increased by 10 points.]


    The yers were stunned��there were rewards too!


    Wait a minute, wasn''t this the loot that usually drops after the boss is defeated? How could they already be benefiting?


    What was going on?


    And what was this world-ss boss all about? If Sterl knew how confused the yers were at that moment, he would be ted to find he wasn''t the only clueless one!


    No yer had any idea what was happening in front of them.


    But once they realized it, they all widened their eyes and trembled with excitement: "Ten points of legend rank??"


    "Holy crap!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Faye, who wasmunicating with Felicia, looked puzzled. "Ancestor, what''s this...?"


    Felicia''s tone was extremely excited: "This boss can actually be ssified as a world-ss boss!"


    "This is a huge stroke of luck for you all!"


    "I always thought that world-ss bosses had to be at least demigod level! But it turns out that even a second-ss, at most third-ss, monster can count!"


    "This is a massive win!"


    And at this moment, Faye was staring at the reward notification on her panel with sheer excitement��her legend rank had just increased by 10 points!


    It was unbelievable! And anyone who had inflicted damage on the boss received this reward!


    The reality was that the remaining 200 or so yers had aplished an extraordinary feat��they had participated in the defeat of an entity that symbolized an entire world, something even demigods might not have the chance to do!


    And with ten points of legend rank, they could fully max out some high-quality golden skills!


    This meant that all 200 yers present were now destined to ascend to legendary status! Considering that reaching third ss was already achievable with enough resources, these yers, just by revealing that they possessed ten points of legend rank, would undoubtedly attract countless investors eager to back them!


    This was a monumental win.


    The despair the yers had felt when facing the boss was now reced with exhration!


    For Faye, however, the joy was twofold. As she looked at David, who had shielded her, her heart was brimming with gratitude and happiness.


    "Mr. David! You''re here too."


    But the shy girl couldn''t muster up much to say.


    Sterl''s avatar merely nodded slightly.


    This rescue was just a convenient move to help Faye while also separating the identities of David and Constantine.


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s main body, hovering in the sky, approached the boss''s remains. The monstrous creature made of countless muddy substances had already dissipated, leaving behind two items.


    One was the Netherworld Water, now exposed to daylight after the boss''s death, its flowing stream radiating blue and green lights.


    The other was the loot orb dropped by the boss, shining with a prismatic glow, incredibly dazzling.


    "Constantine" stepped forward and calmly collected both items. The 200 or so yers below didn''t dare utter a single word of protest and could only watch in silence.


    Without a doubt,the strength of this individual was overwhelming!


    As the yers snapped out of their initial joy over the ten points of legend rank, they looked at "Constantine" with even greater reverence!


    They all bowed their heads in respect.


    Despite there being over 200 people present, the atmosphere was eerily silent, with only a few scattered whispers breaking the quiet.


    "Is this guy really a third-ss yer??"


    "The Antic Empire might really be on the rise!"


    "A third-ss yer killing a boss of the same level��he''s bound to be at least a demigod in the future."


    The yers'' eyes were filled with gratitude and a hint of something indescribable. They realized they had just witnessed the rise of a new deity, destined to shine brightly among the 70-plus nations governed by the Dark Moon Alliance!


    Of course, not everyone who witnessed Sterl instantly obliterate the boss was in such a state of awe.


    For instance, outside the void, Gloria felt somewhat exhausted.


    Beside her, Richard looked confused and said, "Felix is dead? The boss is dealt with? Is this your secret arrangement, my Goddess? You truly n wlessly."


    He was praising her, clearly his memory had been altered.


    After casting an energy rune on herself, Gloria nodded with some uncertainty. "The final phase is about to begin. When the world copses, the process of the God of Heaven Water obtaining that item will be traced back."


    "But we only have one chance to act. Even if it merges with the main world of [Transcendence], thest remnants of the Netherworld realm can''t amodate demigod or god-level powers."


    ...


    At this moment, Sterl was reviewing his gains, his eyes brimming with excitement.


    He had hit the jackpot this time!


    Initially, he only aimed to obtain the Netherworld Water, but the world-ss boss''s rewards were beyond his expectations!


    First of all, Sterl also received 10 points of legend rank, and his notification was different from the others.


    His disy read��


    [Congrattions on participating in the kill of a world-ss boss!]


    [Your ranking in the output leaderboard: 1st ce!]


    [Total damage dealt to the boss: 14.7%.]


    [You have received the following rewards: 10 levels of experience (based on your current level), and an additional 10 points of legend rank.]


    The numerical rewards alone were enough to make Sterl ecstatic!


    Twenty points of legend rank!


    He could max out another golden skill!


    How did he manage to instantly kill the abomination of the world moments ago?


    It was thanks to the maxed-out Divine me Drive, boosted by full legend rank!


    Beyond the previously shown legend rank enhancements, the final boost of this skill achieved a qualitative change.


    [Twenty points of legend rank: When Divine me erupts multiple times, its power does not diminish. Any unit suffering three cumtive eruptions of Divine me will trigger a final eruption, dealing double damage based on the opponent''s lost health.]


    A few seconds ago, Sterl, with all his buffs maxed, using Shadow Stealth and the star dust reinforcement for double power twice, unleashed the full might of Divine me Drive topletely deplete the boss''s remaining health!


    Incidentally, he alsomanded the Star Radiance Dragon to deal with Felix at that time.


    Sterl killed him not because he found Felix suspicious, but because Felix, as the contractor of the legion, could not be allowed to live!


    Otherwise, when Divine me Drive''s mes descended, yers would have been surprised to see, "Why does Constantine have friendly fire immunity with us??"


    Unexpectedly, this idental kill revealed a traitor and brought additional benefits.


    At this moment, the Star Radiance Dragonhidden in Sterl''s sleeve opened its mouth and spat out a crystal.


    [Shattered Legendary Crystal (Felix)]+


    [Type: Special Item]


    [Description: A legendary warrior haspletely fallen...]


    [Effect: You can trigger the crystal to release (2/2) uses of the iplete version of [Legendary Ability: Inspire].]


    [Note: The item will be permanently destroyed after releasing the legendary ability.]


    "Well done." Sterl secretly stroked the little head of the miniaturized Star Radiance Dragon with his finger, and the Star Radiance Dragon nuzzled contentedly.


    Without hesitation, Sterl used his recently-cooled down ability to allocate points, evolving the Legendary Crystal.


    He had anticipated that the boss fight might yield some valuable items, so he had saved a point allocation for this very moment. His foresight had paid off.


    Holding the Legendary Crystal in his palm, Sterl didn''t wait for any visual effects of its evolution to manifest. He mentallymanded to absorb it immediately.


    A warm sensation spread through his palm, followed by a surge of peculiar energy flowing into his body.


    Sterl opened his panel and, as expected, a new legendary ability had appeared.


    [Legendary Ability: Inspire]


    [Type: Domination]


    [Description: A legendary ability formed through the secondary awakening of the talent [Command] and the skills [High Morale (Golden)] and [Full Army Preparation (Golden)].]


    [Effect: Upon activation, all allied units within range receive a 20% enhancement to all attributes, a 20% increase in movement speed, a 20% faster skill casting speed, and gain 20% life steal.


    When Inspire is activated, all controlled effects on allied units are removed.]

 Chapter 131: [Ability: As a Creators Act]

    Sterl, while looking at the information on his panel, closed his eyes toprehend the newly acquired ability.


    The strength of Inspire was simr to Flowing Beads, but not as potent as Shadow Stealth.


    Sterl surmised that this was because Felix''s talent [Command] was likely inferior in qualitypared to Milo''s [Death Assassination].


    Consequently, the legendary ability that resulted from its fusion was naturally weaker and more inclined towards support and legion battles.


    For a lone wolf like Sterl, who preferred solo fights, it couldn''t be fully utilized.


    However, a legendary ability was still a legendary ability. Even if it was oriented towards group enhancement, Inspire was extremely useful for Sterl!


    Excitement shed in Sterl''s eyes. Attribute enhancement, increased movement speed, faster skill casting speed, and life steal were all incredibly valuable boosts!


    The first few enhancements would improve hisbat ability. The gold content of attribute enhancement needed no exnation, while increased movement and skill speed were bonuses independent of agility and spirit attributes, enhancing Sterl''s maneuverability and skill execution speed.


    Life steal meant that when attacking enemies, a percentage of the life force drained from them would replenish Sterl, significantly boosting his sustainedbat capability.


    He had numerous skills capable of instantly wiping out groups of enemies. With Inspire activated, even in a severely injured state, he could fully recover with a single Celestial Stars or Divine me Drive!


    For Sterl, the greatest significance of life steal in battle was that it provided an additional method of healing, allowing him to continually replenish his life force pool while also enjoying double the recovery effects from life steal, making it harder to be taken down in one hit!


    After all, when facing powerful enemies, if their damage output within a given time exceeded the recovery speed of his life force pool, they could potentially kill Sterl.


    But with life steal, enemies would have a much tougher time dealing more damage than the dual healing effects could recover!


    What excited Sterl even more was that Spike had been instantly killed earlier. Because it wasn''t a PvP kill, none of the items in his backpack dropped, including the [Flowing Beads] Legendary Crystal with the control removal effect. Sterl had been extremely frustrated about that.


    Now, through Felix''s Legendary Crystal, he had obtained Inspire, which also had a control removal effect!


    This was a huge win!


    Sterl was in high spirits.


    However, he quickly realized that something even more profitable wasing.


    [Ding! Infinite Evolution guarantee triggered. Your pet [Star Radiance Dragon] is extracting the ability from [Abomination of the World].]


    [Note: Ability extraction is random, and quality is uncertain.]


    Initially, seeing the note about the uncertain quality of the extracted ability, Sterl''s heart sank. He feared he might end up with something useless.


    But the final notification was��


    [Your pet [Star Radiance Dragon] has acquired the ability [As a Creator''s Act].]


    [You have acquired the ability [As a Creator''s Act] through primary star sharing.]


    "Ah?!" Sterl was unsure about the strength or quality of this skill, but from the name alone, he realized he had definitely hit the jackpot!


    Sterl quickly opened his skill panel. After searching for a while, he finally discovered that [Transcendence] had given it a separate page.


    [As a Creator''s Act]


    [Type: Special]


    [Description: This is a portion of creation authority from the main world of [Transcendence]. Each piece of this authority can only be transferred after theplete demise of its previous holder. If it cannot be transferred, this authority will turn into a hidden quest reward, randomly appearing in the main world of [Transcendence].


    This authorityes from the Daoist of the Netherworld realm [Data Deleted].]


    [Effect: You can create sub-worlds attached to the world of [Transcendence] and establish rted rules. Creating a world requires you to first use spiritual power to construct the framework and prototype of the world.]


    The content described on the panel wasn''t very clear.


    Sterl roughly understood that [As a Creator''s Act] was extremely important in the entire world of [Transcendence], with a limited number avable. Learning one meant there would be one less avable. Neers would have to wait for the previous holder topletely perish before they could acquire it.


    The Star Radiance Dragon not only hit the jackpot with its infinite evolution this time but also because the powerful figure who had once "merged with the Dao" of the Netherworld''s world will hadpletely perished along with the demise of the boss.


    As for the concept of "merging with the Dao," Sterl wasn''t entirely sure of the specifics. It could roughly be understood as a powerful individualpletely integrating themselves into a world.


    Why that powerful figure did so, and why his name couldn''t even be disyed in the [Transcendence] panel, was beyond Sterl''s understanding.


    He only knew that his luck was off the charts this time: "So, because the boss merged with the world will, they also merged with that strong figure''s skill panel."


    "But due to the world''s power limit, the boss theoretically had many of that strong figure''s skills, but couldn''t use any of them."


    "And in the end, when I used infinite evolution to extract skills, I ended up pulling out the best one??"


    After figuring it out, Sterl felt extremely fortunate.


    However, the content of [As a Creator''s Act] on the panel was quite abstract. He knew that actually using it wouldn''t be so easy.


    First, constructing a world with spiritual power was something Sterl couldn''t even begin to touch with his current attributes.


    Even though he was at the 3S level, he would need to reach a demigod state to...


    Wait, hasn''t a world already formed within my spiritual domain?


    Sterl suddenly realized this!


    He decisively closed his eyes, sensing his spiritual world. Inside, besides the brilliant starry sky, there was a bright full moon. Additionally, on one of thes, there was an illusory human poption providing faith power.


    This was much more realistic than any imagined virtual spiritual world!


    Originally, Sterl couldn''t utilize the faith power at all. It could only umte within his spiritual domain.


    Now, with just a slight invocation, he activated [As a Creator''s Act], allowing him to melt the faith power and gradually materialize the illusory world of his spiritual domain.


    However, after expending all his faith power, he only managed to materialize a small forest on the inhabited by humans.


    Then, Sterl sensed an enormous flow of information. He realized that the small forest had be a superposition of reality and spirit. Currently, it wasn''t very useful. Sterl could only transfer external items into the forest and retrieve them at will, functioning as an extra backpack space.


    But he wasn''t at all upset about spending all the faith power he had umted until now.


    Sterl faintly sensed that this piece ofnd was fundamentally different from a backpack. It was a ce truly unique to him, not something added by the [Transcendence] system.


    That forest was an extension of Sterl''s will! He could faintly feel a weak force emanating from the soil, strengthening him.


    However, this was not reflected on Sterl''s panel at all.


    "Anyway, this skill is definitely something good. I''ll slowly convert my spiritual domain into reality." he thought.


    Sterl closed the skill panel with great anticipation.


    In reality, he didn''t fully grasp the value of [As a Creator''s Act].


    For instance, the goddess of the Dark Moon Alliance, whom Sterl always considered his arch-nemesis, would likely be envious to the point of tears if she knew Sterl had such a skill.


    Creating one''s own world and turning it into a divine realm is essential for ascending to the level of great divine power!


    It''s worth noting that even though Gloria had been a deity for hundreds of years, she had barely reached the limit of minor divine power, which already showcased her considerable talent.


    In other words, if Sterl''s ability were exposed, he could very well face assassination attempts from dozens or even hundreds of gods!


    They wouldn''t be trying to steal the skill. They would simply want Sterl dead so that [As a Creator''s Act] would return to the main world of [Transcendence] and be a quest reward.


    Then, those gods could try their luck at obtaining it...


    Of course, although Sterl didn''t know the full value of his skill, he was always cautious. He naturally wouldn''t reveal [As a Creator''s Act] to anyone.


    At this moment, Sterl was about to check the boss''s loot.


    But he quickly stopped and looked around.


    As thest drop of the Netherworld Water was collected, the yers saw the scarlet lines that had swallowed the entire world into the void expanding rapidly toward them!


    However, the yers were in good spirits: "Finally, it''s about to end!"


    "We can leave now; we survived!"


    "Earned 10 Legend Points! Awesome!"


    The remaining yers couldn''t hide the smiles on their faces.


    Sterl, however, did not store thest drop of the Netherworld Water in his storage device. Instead, he used it to support an area with the world''s source.


    He wasn''t a bloodthirsty maniac. As long as it didn''t affect his own interests, he didn''t mind giving the other yers a lift back to the main world.


    But at that moment, everyone''s expressions changed!


    The now extremely small Netherworld realm, reduced to the size of just a za, suddenly erupted with immense gravitational force!


    Then, from the surrounding void, countless chaotic objects like soil, trees, minerals, and flesh began to rush in. These were materials from the Netherworld realm that had been swallowed but not yet fully digested by the void!


    Eventually, all these materials were forcibly piled around the yers...


    Before they realized what was happening, the immense gravity twisted into a vortex, sucking everyone in.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Again? The teleport scrolls are still useless!"


    "I just want to go back to the main world, why is this happening to me?"


    The yers were panicking! Clearly, they were in trouble once again.

 Chapter 132: [Instance: Touch of the Spirit]

    The yers were on the verge of tears. Originally, thousands had entered the instance, but now only a few nameless stragglers remained.


    Sure, they had earned some Legend Points, making the risk seem worthwhile, but it was precisely because the rewards were so generous that they were desperate to leave alive.


    They were already clutching their teleport scrolls, ready to escape the moment the void invaded.


    Now, another crisis?


    Can we catch a break?


    Luckily for them, danger did not immediately strike.


    The vortex created by the massive influx of materials ultimately copsed, forming a brand new small world. Although the yers were swept up in the chaos, they were unharmed.


    Instead, they found themselves observing the continuous expansion of a newborn world as bystanders.


    "Where are we?"


    After a few minutes, the yers snapped out of their dizzy state, asking in confusion.


    They realized they were no longer in the Netherworld realm. Instead, they were in a strange area surrounded by t, grayish-yellow soil and sparse trees.


    It seemed like a rather dpidated or declining world, but in the distance, a vibrant green light surged, exuding life.


    The yers watched as the sparse trees grew lush with leaves, producing fruit. Seeds fell to the ground, new trees sprouted, grass spread, and flowers bloomed.


    All under the glow of that vibrant green light.


    A scene of thriving life and burgeoning growth unfolded before their eyes.


    As the yers stood bewildered, they heard a prompt in their ears.


    [You have entered a special area.]


    [You have entered the instance: Touch of the Spirit.]


    What''s going on? An instance??


    The yers were baffled. They didn''t want to challenge an instance right now! They wanted to go home!


    High above, "Constantine" stored the Netherworld Water in his item inventory, while the surrounding world remained stable, indicating that this was no longer the Netherworld realm.


    On the ground, David wore a puzzled expression, while Faye shook her head in a daze, clearly indicating that even the ancestors in her mental space were confused by the scene.


    Despite their bewilderment, Sterl and Feliciashared a sudden realization��


    When the Netherworld Water appeared and the world boss emerged, the Dark Moon Alliance did not intervene.


    Now, with the copse of the Netherworld realm forming a new instance, everything seemed to unfold so naturally.


    Could it be that the item Gloria desires is within this instance?


    Instantly, the two became extraordinarily vignt.


    The [Transcendence] system didn''t offer any special prompts this time. After waiting for a while, all the yers received new information.


    [Objective: Witness the birth of the Newborn Sprout of Creation.]


    [Reward: None]


    "Did anyone get any special messages?"


    "I just got this one!"


    "Me too, what''s going on?"


    At this point, "Constantine" had already vanished from the sky.


    The yers mustered up the courage to talk amongst themselves, but they all found the same single message on their panels.


    After hesitating for a while, the group decided to walk towards the area emitting the vibrant green light.


    After all, the name [Newborn Sprout of Creation] suggested it might have the power to bring life and rejuvenate thend.


    The green light ahead continuously transformed the barrennd into fertile soil.


    Clearly, there was a high probability that the [Newborn Sprout of Creation] was there!


    Although the yers anticipated encountering the formidable "Constantine" again, they were determined toplete the task and return home with their 10 Legend Points!


    Fortunately, the journey wasn''t fraught with significant challenges. They just heard various explosions in the distance.


    They did encounter several elite second-ss monsters along the way.


    However, this group of over two hundred yers wasposed of the strongest second-ss individuals in the Dark Moon Alliance, easily soloing elite monsters of their own level.


    Thus, the monsters were quickly dispatched...


    But the monsters didn''t drop anything, nor did they yield experience points. Upon death, they evaporated into foam, as if everything was just an illusion.


    This alerted many yers, prompting them to tear open several scrolls in an attempt to dispel any illusions, but the environment remained unchanged...


    Reluctantly, the yers continued forward.


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s main body was busy.


    "Celestial Stars!"


    Boom!!


    In the sky, a blue Celestial Star crashed into the ground, unleashing a fiery shockwave and scattering blue energy threads. In an instant, hundreds of wolf-like creatures were shredded, pulverized into meat pulp, or vaporized by the intense heat.


    Sterl nodded slightly.


    Killing monsters didn''t yield experience or blood energy, but he could still collect stardust.


    This led him to a subtle realization: Stardust wasn''t derived from the physical energy of the monsters upon death but rather from the residual spiritual energy.


    This was simr to his first trial in the Divine Mountain Empire, where he could also absorb stardust from illusionary monsters.


    "So, in a certain sense, this instance is just an illusion?" he pondered.


    However, Sterl didn''t dwell on it for long, as he knew a fierce battle awaited him.


    He would likely face the Dark Moon Alliance, possibly even some demigod-level opponents, or the goddess herself.


    Sterl''s thoughts were clear. He, too, wielded the Moon Law and knew he could be tracked through it.


    Thus, after confronting the Dark Moon Goddess, he nned to ascend to godhood to cleanse the tracking power from his body.


    Then, to ensure his escape, he would ascend again to clean off any residual tracking energy.


    ...


    The instance entered a period of calm. The yers cautiously explored while Sterl frantically killed monsters to collect stardust, preparing for the potential battle ahead.


    After about half a day, the yers finally arrived at the source of the vibrant green light.


    They saw an incredibly towering tree before them.


    What was bizarre was that despite its massive size, towering over a thousand meters high, the tree was entirely withered and decayed, exuding a sense of deathly stillness.


    The only extraordinary aspect was a newborn sprout growing in the center of the dead branches.


    The sprout looked lush and vibrant, full of life and brimming with vitality.


    Despite knowing that this was beyond their reach, the yers couldn''t help but feel a strong desire.


    Some things are so precious that their value is evident at a nce.


    The yers felt a wave offort just from breathing in the air, which was no illusion. They saw a prompt indicating��


    [You have absorbed the aura of the Newborn Sprout of Creation, permanently increasing your life force. Current maximum enhancement: 1/1.]


    One by one, the yers showed expressions of astonishment. Just a single breath of air enhanced their life force? This seemed a bit overpowered, didn''t it?


    In Faye''s mind, Felicia was marveling, "Even my soul power has recovered a bit! This is incredible!"


    "Ancestor, what should we do now?" Faye asked obediently.


    "What should we do? Just stand here and wait." Felicia replied.


    "We can''t possibly guard something of this level by ourselves."


    "And considering the effects of this Newborn Sprout of Creation, it''s almost certain that this is what Gloria is after."


    So, Faye obediently stood in ce, showing no intention of coveting the invaluable sprout.


    In reality, it wasn''t just her. Many yers present could see the preciousness of the Newborn Sprout of Creation, but they all stood still, not daring to move an inch.


    A few secondster, the yers witnessed a bizarre scene near the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    It appeared to be an illusionary scene��


    A middle-aged man, existing only within the withered tree, emitted a faint glow. This was the embryonic form of the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    The middle-aged man then cast some unknown spell, re-forging the instance world into the Netherworld.


    The vitality from countless beings living in this world nourished the sprout within the withered tree, allowing it to grow slowly.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the middle-aged man''s figure no longer appeared, but the Newborn Sprout of Creation gradually matured, emitting a dazzling light in a part of the Netherworld.


    Suddenly, a familiar figure to the yers barged into this world from the void.


    It was none other than the God of Heaven Water, whom the yers had encountered earlier!


    What followed was the story of the God of Heaven Water. He arrived in the Netherworld to wait for the not-yet-fully-grown Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    He founded a religion and toiled painstakingly.


    But somehow, the news of the Newborn Sprout of Creation leaked out.


    Several god-level beings appeared from beyond the world.


    A terrifying war erupted in the Netherworld.


    A dreadful divine war ensued, leading to the tragic fall of the God of Heaven Water. The entire world was left riddled with wounds and in ruins. The world''s essence became so polluted that it could no longer sustain powerful beings; only second-ss creatures could move about in this world.


    And the middle-aged man who first found the Newborn Sprout of Creation never appeared again��


    As the yers silently watched the story of this world, they seemed to feel the endless suffering and cmity that the Netherworld had endured.


    At this moment, the sprout hidden within the withered tree shone brightly once more. Everyone present understood that this divine object had finally matured!

 Chapter 133: The Newborn Sprout of Creation

    At this moment, "David" in the crowd was deep in thought, presumably, that middle-aged man was the source of his "As a Creator''s Act."


    The man had transformed the instance into an entire world just to nurture the "Newborn Sprout of Creation" that originally emerged within the instance! His power appeared terrifyingly immense.


    However, it was unclear why the man chose to merge with the Netherworld... Perhaps he had his own ns.


    But the divine war triggered by the Newborn Sprout of Creation devastated the Netherworld, implicating the middle-aged man, who might have fallen or lost consciousness.


    In the end, he integrated into the boss and waspletely annihted by Sterl.


    "Hmm?" Sterl was lost in thought when he suddenly froze. A new light screen appeared before his eyes.


    The surrounding yers experienced the same thing. New content popped up on their panels.


    [You have witnessed everything in the Netherworld, gaining 2 points of Legend.]


    What the heck! They said there were no rewards??


    Even though they had already earned 10 points of Legend, the yers were still ecstatic!


    They now understood why the instance quest was said to offer no additional rewards��witnessing the birth of the Newborn Sprout of Creation required no effort!


    But a permanent increase in life force and 2 points of Legend? That was an incredible gain!


    The only issue was, why hadn''t the instance ended yet?


    "What''s going on? Do we have to wait for someone to take the Newborn Sprout of Creation?"


    "Where are the Dark Moon Alliance members? This should be their objective, right?"


    ...


    The yers were puzzled.


    They knew better than to covet such a precious item. That would be suicidal.


    Time passed, and after several minutes...


    Most of the yers were waiting in bewilderment when suddenly over 20 yers'' expressions changed.


    This group of yers suddenly stepped forward and approached the massive withered tree.


    "Huh?? Victor, what are you doing?"


    "Marcus, are you crazy? Don''t touch that thing!"


    "Stan, what the heck are you up to?"


    Some of these yers had close friends who immediately tried to dissuade them, even stepping forward to physically pull them back from approaching the withered tree, pleading desperately.


    This Newborn Sprout of Creation was not to be touched��touching it would be courting death!


    However, these 20 yers paid no heed, advancing in eerie silence. What was even more bizarre was that they were not from the same faction or country but were from different regions of the Dark Moon Alliance, yet they performed identical actions.


    This strange scene quickly silenced the other yers. They weren''t fools. They realizedthat these yers seemed to be under some sort of mind control.


    Was it the work of the Dark Moon Alliance? Or a contingency n left by the God of Heaven Water? Or perhaps some method from one of the gods involved in the Netherworld divine war?


    The other yers silently stepped aside, specting in their minds.


    Better not mess with them. Do whatever you want.


    So, the leading yer among the twenty easily took the Newborn Sprout of Creation from the tree. The whole process was smooth and calm.


    As the Newborn Sprout of Creation was taken, everyone heard a prompt in their ears.


    [The Newborn Sprout of Creation has been taken, the instance is about to end.]


    [Ding! The Newborn Sprout of Creation is a special item that cannot be stored in any storage item or yer backpack. Holding it for 10 seconds will automatically bind it, allowing it to be stored in storage items or yer backpacks.]


    [Once the Newborn Sprout of Creation is bound, the instance will officially end, and all yers will be teleported to theirst location in the main world of Transcendence.]


    ...


    The content of the prompt was not difficult to understand, and the yers instantly got it.


    It was a very normal instance mechanism, an item contest. Whoever could hold the Newborn Sprout of Creation for 10 seconds would be the final winner, and the other yers would be teleported out.


    Suddenly, their feelings were mixed.


    "So, will we be able to leave in 10 seconds?"


    "Let''s hope so. No more unexpected twists, please."


    "I have a feeling this won''t end so simply..."


    ...


    The yers weren''t fools. They had more or less guessed that the Dark Moon Alliance had likely been scheming for the Newborn Sprout of Creation all this time.


    Who would dare to risk their life to snatch it?


    Might as well wait 10 seconds and go home peacefully.


    The twenty or so yers at the front were most likely the Dark Moon Alliance''s nts, which was why they dared to step forward and collect the item.


    However, the yers also felt that it was unlikely to end so peacefully...


    It seemed too easy for the Dark Moon Alliance''s n to seed, right?


    In reality, the yers had misunderstood.


    If the ones taking the Newborn Sprout of Creation at the front were indeed the Dark Moon Alliance''s subordinates, the n wouldn''t have seeded so easily...


    After all, without Constantine''s intervention, the yers would have been wiped out by the boss, an avatar of the world''s will, and wouldn''t have been able to enter this instance at all!


    ...


    Time ticked by, second by second.


    Although the yers were anxious, they obediently stayed in ce.


    "What should we do now?" Faye hesitated, but Felicia was resolute. "Don''t make a move. I can sense the divine power of Gloria emanating from those people."


    "This instance has no power restrictions, but it''s incredibly unstable. Gloria has one chance to intervene. We just need to wait and return to the main world."


    Felicia knew well that precious items and powerful talents were meaninglesspared to one crucial thing:


    Survival! To realize her potential!


    Thus, the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.


    One second passed, then two, then three.


    As the countdown reached its final second...


    Everyone held their breath, sensing an impending storm, but nothing happened.


    Until the Transcendence system''s countdown disyed thest tick, from one to zero...


    A soft sound was heard.


    The yer holding the Newborn Sprout of Creation turned into a torch of multicolored mes.


    And Constantine appeared before everyone, the Newborn Sprout of Creation now in his hand.


    Yes, Sterl had made his move!


    Knowing that the strongest contenders for this item were merely god-level beings, Sterl decided he had no reason to back down.


    "After all, once I ascend to godhood, I can purge any otherdivine power from my body, ensuring I won''t be tracked. Then, using a teleportation scroll for arge-scale transfer should ensure my safety..."


    At this moment, holding the Newborn Sprout of Creation, Sterl felt a continuous flow of life energy, making him extremelyfortable.


    However, this moment of silence was abruptly shattered.


    The previously silent twenty-plus yers, who hadn''t uttered a word, suddenly spoke up. "Constantine, I advise you to put down the Newborn Sprout of Creation. This is something the Goddess desires."


    "Why should I?" Sterl, having to wait for the countdown to end anyway, didn''t mind chatting with these people.


    The other yers finally understood.


    As expected, these twenty-plus yers were from the Dark Moon Alliance.


    The yers quickly reacted the same way, scattering in all directions, fearing the aftermath of the impending battle.


    The twenty-plus yers, expressionless, drew their weapons and slit their own throats.


    The others barely had time to react. Sterl''s eyes narrowed, having already guessed what these "yers" really were...


    Amid the yers'' gasps, "What are they doing?"


    "Suicide? Why?"


    In an instant, twenty-two translucent soul bodies appeared!


    For something as trivial as the Netherworld''s Water, the Dark Moon Alliance had deployed at least four legendary souls to guard it.


    How could they send only Felix, a single legendary soul, to retrieve the Newborn Sprout of Creation that Gloria desired?


    Immediately, all the yers'' faces changed, retreating in fear.


    The presence of more than twenty legends was suffocating.


    "Why should I?" Those legendary souls burst intoughter as if they had heard the world''s biggest joke.


    No longer stiff and expressionless, as they had been when possessing the yers'' bodies, they nowughed wildly, some even pointing mockingly at Constantine.


    The next moment��


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The sound of mes igniting filled the air.


    Twenty or so soul fires were lit!


    These legendary souls were well aware of Constantine''s strength. They also knew that several of their legendary soulrades had likely been killed by him!


    Even though igniting their souls would cause them to lose parts of their memories and soul bodies permanently, the legendary souls didn''t hesitate!


    Facing Constantine without giving their all carried the risk of instant death.


    Sterl frowned slightly, feeling the immense pressure.


    More than twenty legendary souls, even if their individual power wasn''t exceptionally strong, and their abilities not as potent as Felix''s Inspire, still meant over twenty legendary abilities.


    Honestly, it wouldn''t be an easy fight.


    However, the battle didn''t start immediately.


    "Constantine, we''ll give you onest chance. Hand over the Newborn Sprout of Creation. Your potential is indeed impressive. You have a great chance of bing a demigod."


    "If you''re willing to surrender, we can rmend you join the Dark Moon Alliance."


    "Just sign the contract, serve the Alliance for a thousand years, and we can nurture you into a demigod!"


    The leading legendary soul spoke earnestly, his tone full of envy. The cost of sending Constantine to be a demigod was merely a thousand years of service��a total win!


    They knew all too well the price they paid for their own rebirth: eternal servitude to Gloria!


    At this moment, the onlooking yers were stunned.


    "No way? Can you really do whatever you want if you''re strong and talented?"


    "He''s already challenged the Goddess, and the Dark Moon Alliance is still willing to let him go? Even nurture him?"


    "That''s so over the top!"


    "Guaranteed to be a demigod! Damn! That''s an insanely good deal!"

 Chapter 134: The Dark Moon Alliances Recruitment

    The yers buzzed with conversation, their envy palpable! They honestly wished they could trade ces with Constantine.


    Some even whispered,


    "Could Constantine have deliberately tried to steal the Newborn Sprout of Creation just to see if the Goddess would recruit him?"


    "Is the Dark Moon Alliance really this generous to those with potential and talent, despite their other shorings?"


    At this point, no one believed Constantine would refuse...


    What would be the point of that?


    Facing an assault from over twenty legendary beings, no matter how strong he was, he would surely die as a third-ss!


    It''s not like he could realistically keep the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    Exchanging something that wasn''t truly his for demigod-level power would be a massive win!


    After all, reaching the demigod level, much like reaching the legendary level, required more than just talent. The former needed the continuous umtion of legendary deeds, and without participating in the main world events, there would be no way to obtain them. Additionally, high-quality golden skills were necessary for the upgrade.


    For thetter, ascending to demigod status was even more challenging, requiring theprehension of Law Power.


    There were indeed lone warriors whoprehended Law Power and ascended to demigod status, but they were exceedingly rare.


    yers had heard of factions like the Dark Moon Alliance, backed by deities, often having legends willingly join them to obtain the resources necessary for ascending to demigod status.


    Because all the gateways to ces where one couldprehendws were controlled by various deities! Not a single one was unimed!


    This meant that Constantine might have intended to join the Dark Moon Alliance upon reaching legend status anyway. Now, with such favorable terms offered, they wouldn''t even hold his offense against the Goddess against him.


    yers'' opinions of the Dark Moon Alliance rose significantly. Although they were currently being used as cannon fodder, the organization genuinely valued talent. Many started considering whether they should stick with the Alliance once they grew stronger in the future.


    Meanwhile, with all this dy, the countdown for the Newborn Sprout of Creation in Sterl''s hand had dwindled to just two seconds.


    He stood still...


    ying dumb.


    There were only two seconds left!


    He really wanted to dramatically and "coolly" reject the Dark Moon Alliance''s offer, showing off his strength, but it wasn''t worth it! Definitely not worth it!


    Dragging out these two seconds and making a run for it was the correct choice!


    So one second passed...


    The second second was almost over...


    Did the yers and those legendary souls still not understand Constantine''s intentions?


    He was dead set on keeping the Newborn Sprout of Creation!


    The leading legendary soul sneered and threw a shimmering crystal at Sterl. He easily dodged, but the crystal merely sparkled for a moment before...


    ...the crystal detonated, sending ripples of divine power through the air, causing countless ordinary yers'' faces to nch.


    [You have been affected by an unknown factor!]


    [Warning: You have been affected by an unknown factor!]


    The warnings popped up on their screens, and then nothing more. However, it didn''t take long for the yers to realize what had happened.


    The numbers that had been continuously flickering on everyone''s panels, symbolizing the progress bar for the Newborn Sprout of Creation''s recognition of its master, had nowe to aplete halt!


    It was over! Just when they thought they could escape, they were forcibly kept in the instance!


    Even Felicia, in Faye''s mental space, was furious, "Damn it, Constantine! Are you aplete moron?"


    "Fighting a deity over a relic?"


    "Damn it, am I going to have to use my soul power to block the fallout from the battle again?"


    She was fuming.


    ...


    Sterl quickly realized what this so-called unknown factor was.


    It was divine power from the Dark Moon Goddess.


    After absorbing a ton of it, how could he not recognize it?


    He hesitated for a moment. If he initiated his ascension now, he could immediately purge the divine power, allowing the progress bar for the Newborn Sprout of Creation to tick down its final second (throwing the crystal had cost a second).


    Then, using his evolved teleportation scroll, Sterl believed he could catch everyone off guard and make a sessful escape.


    "But it feels like a bit of a waste��"


    Sterl eyed the legendary souls, feeling a twinge of greed.


    After all, killing them had a small chance of dropping Legendary Crystals, and even if they didn''t drop, he''d still gain legendary points as a constion prize.


    As for how to fight them? At this point, he didn''t need to hold back! Several legendary abilities could probably one-shot him, and somebinations could pose a lethal threat.


    But Sterl''s Moon Law had a powerful crowd-control effect.


    If he went all out, he could immobilize all the legendary souls present. Then, using Divine me Drive, he could ignite his own protective power, ensuring an invincible state once the Moon Law''s control ended.


    He also had a clone hidden among the yers, providing an extra protectionpower.


    "No risk, high reward!"


    Sterl thought, his eyes brimming with desire.


    Seeing Sterl hesitate, the legendary souls encircled him, sneering as they formed a tight ring around him. To them, it was clear that "Constantine" was now gripped by fear.


    "You don''t seriously think you can take anything from the Goddess, do you?"


    "Goodbye! Maybe you''ll find yourself in hell for provoking the Goddess!"


    The legendary souls wore expressions of both satisfaction and slight regret.


    Setting everything else aside, "Constantine" had killed several of theirrades. They had to swallow their pride for the sake of the Goddess, but now the chance for revenge hade!


    Moreover, seeing "Constantine" in fear was making these legendary souls feel quite pleased.


    "Now you know fear, but it''s toote."


    "Don''t worry, we''ll take your soul back to the Alliance and burn it with soul fire. Perhaps you''ll endure a hundred years of torment before you finally disappear!"


    Their voices were filled with venom and murderous intent.


    However, the legendary souls felt somewhat regretful. After all, Constantine''s potential was indeed exceptional, and the situation on the front lines was bing increasingly dire. The Dark Moon Alliance was desperate for mid-to-high-levelbat power.


    Constantine had a good chance of bing a demigod-level force, but now it was all wasted!


    Without wasting another word, these legendary souls activated their legendary abilities!


    Terrifying waves of energy surged forth!


    The yers scrambled in panic, cursing under their breath, "Why are there so many hups? It''s thest second! They just won''t let us go!"


    They nced at Constantine with venomous disdain.


    "That bastard! You deserve to die!"


    "Hurry up and die! We need to get back!"


    "Before killing him, make sure you torture him! He''s caused so much chaos!"


    The yers'' mindset hadpletely deteriorated!


    The more eager they were to leave, to take their 12 points of legendary deeds and develop safely to be legends, the more they couldn''t.


    And now, at the veryst second, the one keeping them stuck in the instance was none other than Constantine!


    As the saying goes, blocking someone''s path to fortune is like killing their parents.


    How could the yers not hate him?


    They split into two factions: one hoping the legendary souls would quickly kill Constantine, and the other hoping they''d torture him thoroughly before killing him, making him pay the price!


    In short, they all wanted "Constantine" dead!


    As for their opinions on the battle itself? Sorry, they had none!


    No yer paid attention to the uing "battle." After all, a legendary against a third-ss was already a one-sided massacre, let alone over 20 legendaries against one third-ss!


    The idea of Constantine winning didn''t even cross their minds��it was a given, an undeniable fact that didn''t need further contemtion.


    Moreover, Constantine had been so decisive and imposing when he killed the boss earlier, but now he just stood there, seemingly terrified.


    It was obvious he had nned to snatch the Newborn Sprout of Creation amidst the chaos, but after failing, he was scared stiff.


    ...


    Sterl had no idea that his moment of calcting gains and losses had led the legendary souls to interpret it as "Constantine" being utterly terrified and losing all will to fight.


    In reality, Sterl was far from that��he was ready to unleash his full power!


    With the full legendary deed boost, the Divine me Drive erupted!


    A seven-colored me transformed into a colossal, sword-wielding giant!


    At this moment, even the legendary souls couldn''t outshine it!


    Yet, no one paid any real attention to "Constantine''s" counterattack. No matter how grand the disy, a golden skill was merely thatpared to a legendary ability forged with talent, it was likeparing a firefly to the bright moon.


    In the next instant, multiple legendary abilities were already closing in!


    Sterl could feel the energy storms from several abilities scorching his skin, and each was overwhelmingly powerful��


    [Legendary Ability: Sr re]


    [Effect: Releases sr mes that ignore all of the opponent''s defenses and resistances (reduced effects for demigods and higher), dealing massive damage!]


    An extremely high-damage skill that ignored all defenses, from a soul that looked like a bare-chested man with a sun tattoo on his chest.


    ...


    [Legendary Ability: Soul Shatter]


    [Effect: Upon release, the opponent randomly suffers from one of the following statuses every second: stun, silence, frenzy, curse, disease, etc. These statuses ignore control-removal skills below golden quality, and even golden quality skills have a high chance of failing.]


    The second ability inflicted a myriad of severe status effects. Sterl was certain that if he got hit, he''d be done for! This skill came from a soul that appeared as a ck-haired, ck-eyed woman in a robe.


    ...


    [Legendary Ability...]


    ...


    Legendary abilities were never weak. They were the culmination of the will and essence of legendary figures known across nations.


    Even Sterl couldn''t help but feel it would be unreasonable for him to survive this!


    But fortunately for him, he had the means to break through this overwhelming force!


    With an otherworldly ripple, the moon wheel in Sterl''s mental domain descended, casting an unparalleled light!

 Chapter 135: Perfect Law Power! Crushing the Legendaries!

    In the blink of an eye, almost no one realized what had transpired.


    The yers cursed "Constantine" a few more times in their minds and continued fleeing for their lives, terrified of being caught in the crossfire of the legendary abilities.


    The legendary souls wore indifferent expressions. In their minds, there was absolutely no chance Constantine could survive being targeted by multiple legendary abilities at once. Their only concern was whether they could still capture and punish Constantine''s soul as nned to demonstrate that the Dark Moon Alliance''s authority was not to be challenged.


    After all, there was a possibility that Constantine might be killed outright.


    However, outside the Netherworld realm��or rather, in the void just beyond this instance��two powerful figures, Richard and the Dark Moon Goddess, wore worried expressions.


    "My Lady, should I intervene?"


    "Should I save Constantine?"


    Richard could barely contain himself. This "Constantine" was one of the most talented individuals from the primordial Earth humans, someone the Goddess valued far more than a bunch of legendary souls.


    The initial n to recruit him had been Richard''s idea. But his n wasn''t to kill Constantine if the recruitment failed; rather, he intended to use the threat of the legendary souls to intimidate him. Then, Richard would step in to rescue Constantine, letting him realize the vast power gap and join the Dark Moon Alliance.


    In short, killing him was never an option.


    Gloria nodded slightly. She was also somewhat numb to the constant trouble Constantine seemed to cause. She no longer felt like erasing Richard''s and her own memories afterward.


    Once everything was resolved, she would deal with it all at once...


    It was for this reason that Richard had retained his memories and had been instructed to recruit "Constantine" in the first ce.


    However, before Richard could make a move, both he and Gloria were taken aback.


    "This is... impossible! How could a mere third ss have..."


    "Law Power!" Richard was utterly stunned!


    From the aura emanating from Constantine, he came to a conclusion that he foundpletely uneptable!


    But in the next instant, Richard was even more bewildered!


    "Moon Law?? At a perfect level! How is this possible??"


    If Richard had been unable to ept it rationally a moment ago, now he couldn''t ept it emotionally either!


    He prided himself on being Gloria''s loyal hound. Though he had mastered multiple Law Powers, he had always specialized in Moon Law to show his reverence for the Goddess.


    Yet, even for Richard, it was only thirty years ago��his nieth year as a demigod��that he had barely managed to elevate his Moon Law to a perfect level!


    How could this Constantine achieve the same feat as a third ss? How dare he! How could he!


    Richard was genuinely on the verge of a breakdown! It was as if something he cherished deeply was as insignificant as straw in the hands of someone else!


    What shattered Richard''sposure even more was...


    The Goddess Gloria, though equally surprised, wore an exceptionally radiant smile,pletely out of character for her usual noble and mysterious demeanor.


    This felt like a deep stab in Richard''s heart.


    ording to the original n, he was supposed to intervene forcefully and save Constantine from being killed by the legendary souls, a move that would inevitably cause significant repercussions for Richard himself.


    The instance created by the Netherworld realm''s remnants might not have any power limits, but it was inherently a shattered zone. A demigod taking action would cause the world to break apart, and the dimensional fragments generated in the process would be a torment for Richard.


    But now, with Constantine exhibiting perfect-level Law Power, it was clear he wouldn''t need rescuing. In fact, even all the legendary soulsbined probably wouldn''t be enough to challenge him!


    Because Moon Law excelled in control! The legendary souls wouldn''t even have the chance to trade injury for injury or life for life!


    Thus, Richard narrowly escaped a dire situation, but he couldn''t feel any relief. Instead, he stared at "Constantine" with eyes that seemed to ze with fire!


    Gloria, however, paid no mind to her subordinate''s feelings. Her eyes sparkled with delight. The stronger Constantine''s performance, the happier the Goddess seemed.


    "A third ss possessing Law Power..."


    "Unheard of."


    "How many more surprises do you have for me?"


    She was genuinely thrilled. Originally, she had thought Constantine was a peerless genius emerging from the primordial Earth humans. Now it appeared that, even when considering the myriad races of the [Transcendence] main world, Constantine was top-tier!


    Next, Gloria used Moon Law to perform a divination.


    "He gained Law Power through a unique opportunity in the Netherworld realm, but I can''t probe any further."


    "Wait, this is��!"


    The Goddess''s expression instantly turned to one of horror, and a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.


    She had tried to dig deeper, to learn what kind of opportunity had allowed Constantine to absorb Law Power, but Gloria seemed to glimpse an indescribably eerie [������]!


    She couldn''t even pronounce the name or title of this existence! Moreover, the overwhelming pressure had injured her internally!


    "What on earth..."


    "What kind of power is this? Completely unknown, entirely iprehensible?"


    "Could such an existence really be within [Transcendence]?"


    The Dark Moon Goddess floated in the void, genuinely stunned. The earliermunication with Richard and the divination had been done through divine sense, allowing for the exchange and understanding ofplex information in an instant.


    At this moment, for the first time in hundreds of years, Gloria''s divine sense fell into a void. Unlike before, she hadn''t erased her own memories this time. Yet, the memories from her recent divination, even the deeply terrifying ones, dissipated like bubbles in the air!


    All that remained was a profound understanding in Gloria''s heart: she must never attempt to divine Constantine''s secrets again! Otherwise, she would bring upon herself a great catastrophe!


    She remained in a daze, unable to focus on the scene unfolding in the instance, where Constantine was making his move. No, it wasn''t just ack of focus. She was powerless to watch!


    Coincidentally, while the Goddess was in a stupor, the yers and legendary souls within the instance couldn''t escape either. They too were "stunned"!


    Every living being within the instance was enveloped in a silvery, mercury-like field.


    Both the yers and legendary souls moved extremely slowly, like characters in a movie that had been put on slow motion.


    Even the legendary abilities, once too fast to be seen clearly, were now frozen��


    Pure crimson mes burned slowly, beautifully.


    ck smoke transformed into an apocalyptic rider, galloping on horseback.


    Emerald green light, like a miniature hurricane, spiraled around an arrow...


    ...


    All these spectacr abilities converged on "Constantine."


    And he, calmly raised his arm, the only one able to move freely within this slow-motion zone, gently pointing at the air.


    Like a conductor of an orchestra, he made the myriad of dazzling lights bloom around him.


    Extremely suave and dashing!!


    At this moment...


    The legendary souls and many yers, who were running while looking back, witnessed this scene, utterly dumbfounded!


    If not for the battlefield setting, many might have thought this was some grand festival performance.


    At this moment, whether human or soul, everyone wanted to cry out in surprise. But they quickly realized they couldn''t make a sound. Their mouths wouldn''t open, their tongues wouldn''t move, and their throats were frozen!


    The yers were dumbfounded!


    What kind of skill is this??


    Legendary souls, rendered powerless like helpless chicks.


    Is this a joke? Am I dreaming??


    What kind of ability is this?? Golden quality?? No way! It must be an even stronger power!


    Most second-ss yers only had a rudimentary understanding of legendary abilities, and while they might have heard the term Law Power, they subconsciously believed they would never encounter such a situation!


    I''m just second-ss! How could Ie across such a high-level power? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!


    So, they were utterly clueless about what was happening...


    Despite the yers'' immense surprise and confusion, strangely enough, they noticed through their peripheral vision that others shared the same expressions.


    In this extreme slow-motion, no matter how shocked the yers were, they couldn''t even change their expressions, remaining just as they were before.


    The legendary souls, on the other hand, were even more chaotic in their emotions. They were stunned at first, but once they realized what was happening, they were terrified!


    Unlike the yers, who were in a state of bewilderment, the legendary souls knew exactly what they were facing��


    It was the Law Power of the Moon, which most of the demigods in the Dark Moon Alliance practiced.


    The Alliance controlled the Shadow Moon Realm, an otherworldly domain where one could cultivate both Moon and Shadowws.


    This slow-motion effect was all too familiar to the legendary souls!


    They had served the Alliance''s demigods countless times, fought alongside them, helped them master theirws, and had been trapped by the Moon''s slowing effect more times than they could count.


    This feeling of being utterly powerless despite having strength was something they knew all too well. In every previous battle, they had beenpletely helpless against this Law Power!


    And soon, their fear deepened even further.


    This slow-motion power was extraordinarily tyrannical and formidable!


    Usually, when fighting demigods, the slowing effect wasn''t this extreme. It would make them difficult to move, but not to the point of being entirely frozen like they were now, as if encased in amber.


    Unless...


    Only Richard, the most loyal subordinate of the Goddess, could achieve such a level.


    But how could this be?


    A third-ss possessing Law Power was already astonishing enough. Could he also possess perfect-level Law Power?

 Chapter 136: Legendary Souls, All for Nourishment!

    Convincing the legendary souls to ept that Constantine possessed Law Power? Absolutely impossible!


    But now, realizing that Constantine could wield perfect-gradews, they could suddenly ept that a mere third-ss wielder could control the Moon Law...


    However, the most crucial point was...


    The legendary souls knew they were about to die!


    Constantine had already demonstrated his capability to kill theirrades, with immensely powerful means of attack. Once they were restrained, their lives werepletely at his mercy!


    These souls were so terrified that they wanted to tremble, but even such a simple action was beyond their capability.


    In extreme anxiety and pain, they could only maintain their previously arrogant expressions, staring at Constantine, whose pupils reflected a cold, deathly gaze��


    A gaze that came from the legendary souls themselves!


    ...


    At this moment, Sterl was also somewhat bewildered.


    The full eruption of the perfect-grade Law Power had shocked him with its final effect.


    He had only used the iplete [Moon] before!


    One moment, Sterl was brimming with vigor. The next, he was trembling all over, his energypletely drained.


    He even took the time to drink the potion he had previously evolved, instantly replenishing his energy, and then frantically drew energy from his energy storage pool to barely activate thew.


    Sterl was only able to stand with the continuous replenishment from his energy storage pool.


    The effect of [Moon] at this moment was incredibly exaggerated.


    Ten seconds!


    Within ten seconds, Sterl could move freely, while everything else in the vicinity, every entity present, was as if sealed, unable to move.


    "Next time, there''s no need to use full power to activate it. It''s too wasteful." he pondered.


    Although his body felt somewhat depleted, Sterl maintained an outward appearance of calm andposure. The face he wore as Constantine bore a faint smile, exuding the demeanor of an unparalleled strongman.


    Meanwhile, during the duration of the Moon domain, he did not rush to act!


    "After all this effort, shouldn''t I unt a bit?"


    Sterl was in a good mood. Under the Moon Law''s control effect, he was the only one who could move freely, akin to a deity holding the power over life and death.


    He couldn''t even be bothered to attack.


    Instead, he strolled leisurely, first approaching the burly spirit who had unleashed the legendary ability, Sr re.


    This legendary soul was now utterly terrified but could only maintain a semnce of maniacalughter, frozen in the pose of releasing his skill.


    Sterl advanced unhurriedly, gradually closing in.


    Coincidentally, the pure and intense mes produced by the legendary ability, Sr re, blocked Sterl''s path, resembling a blooming lotus of fire that separated the burly spirit from Sterl.


    Faced with this immensely powerful fiery creation, capable of easily incinerating third-ss or even legendary yers to ashes, Sterl extended his hand. As if drawing aside a curtain, he pushed the fiery lotus aside.


    Under the slowing effect of the Moon Law, the zing heat would take several seconds to cause damage.


    Thus, Sterl could move the mes with his bare hands!


    Of course, while the power was significantly reduced, the fiery lotus was still born of the legendary ability, Sr re. Even a brief touch caused horrendous burns and intense pain.


    But Sterl instantly regenerated via his life storage pool, the injuries vanishing without a trace. He suppressed any sign of pain, maintaining an air of unruffled calm, exuding the demeanor of an unmatched strongman.


    This scene left the myriad legendary souls utterly stupefied.


    Terrifying!


    Absolutely terrifying!


    Bare-handedly withstanding a legendary ability...


    This was no third-ss yer; he must be a hidden powerhouse!


    Yes, that makes sense!


    Third-ss was just Constantine''s facade. His real strength��calling him a demigod wouldn''t be an exaggeration!


    Meanwhile, the observing yers, though not understanding the intricacies of Sterl''s maneuver, were equally awestruck. A true master! To Constantine, others'' ultimate moves seemed like mere children''s toys.


    Sterl then slowly approached the burly legendary soul.


    Snap!


    Sterl snapped his fingers, and a rainbow-colored Divine me immediately engulfed the soul!


    No screams, no wails!


    The soul maintained its arrogant and disdainful expression as it turned to ashes.


    Next, Sterl, with a casual demeanor, looked at the other souls, his hands moving in mid-air as if ying an invisible piano, seemingly picking random targets to ignite with Sr re.


    In reality, he was using Star Insight''s detection data to prioritize the elimination of those with stronger legendary abilities.


    Nevertheless, Sterl''s expression held a faint disdain and indifference, giving no hint of his calcted actions.


    It seemed as if killing these legendary souls was as trivial to him as ughtering chickens, with no emotional ripple in his heart.


    In truth, Sterl''s impable expression management belied the glee in his heart as the [Transcendence] system notifications popped up incessantly before his eyes��


    [You have killed Legendary Wielding, gaining four points of Legendary Status.]


    [You have killed Legendary Oran, gaining two points of Legendary Status.]


    [You have killed...]


    Although no Legendary Crystal dropped, Sterl was more than satisfied with the rewards he reaped within these few seconds!


    Moreover, his seemingly leisurely and unhurried movements were meticulously calcted to ensure that he could kill all the legendary souls within the 10-second window of the Moon Law''s effect!


    As the saying goes, "showing off and reaping the benefits, both at once!"


    It seemed that the situation waspletely under Sterl''s control. Theoretically, the legendary souls would soon be obliterated, allowing Sterl to leave with the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    However, Sterl remained vignt, knowing that the legendary souls still clung to a sliver of hope.


    Both parties considered that the Dark Moon Alliance might still intervene!


    Would it be a demigod? Or a goddess descending?


    But in reality, in the void��


    "My Lady, are we really going to let him kill them all?" Richard couldn''t help but ask.


    Gloria frowned slightly, "Do I need to spell it out? These soul bodies turning into nourishment for Constantine is their best fate."


    Richard, rebuked, dared not speak further. Unlike before, he now harbored deep resentment towards Constantine, unwilling to see him gain so much legendary points effortlessly.


    After the brief exchange, silence once again enveloped the void.


    Sterl could never have guessed that these legendary souls were sent to him to be ughtered, nor could the legendary souls have realized they had already been abandoned!


    The goddess of the Dark Moon Alliance remained ever heartless.


    Any trace of emotion she might have had certainly did not belong to these subordinates.


    Within the instance, as Sterl was nearly done with the ughter of the legendary souls��


    He noticed that the soul fragments dispersed upon their deaths were continuously absorbed by the Newborn Sprout of Creation in his hand.


    "Wait, this thing isn''t fully matured yet?"


    Sterl paused momentarily, but his hands didn''t slow, continuing to ignite one legendary soul after another with the rainbow-colored Divine me.


    As Sterl killed the sixteenth legendary soul, the Newborn Sprout of Creation in his hand blossomed with a brilliant and dazzling light, intensely radiant!


    The rich aura of life grew even stronger.


    Everyone present inexplicably understood one thing in their hearts.


    At this moment, the Newborn Sprout of Creation was finallyplete!


    Previously, after its emergence, part of its power had been consumed to fully nurture the instance world. Now, with the nourishment from these legendary souls, it had finally reached a perfect and wless state!


    At this moment, Sterl''s expression changed dramatically.


    He couldn''t care less about continuing to hunt down the remaining legendary souls.


    Sterl tossed the Newborn Sprout of Creation aside, then wrapped himself in the power of the Moon Law,pressing it to just an inch around him, and fled at lightning speed!


    "Constantine is actually this powerful!"


    "That''s impossible, absolutely impossible��"


    yers and legendary souls alike were instantly freed from their slowed state, immediately voicing their reactions to the previous scene.


    Their bodies resumed their previous movements, skills and techniques that had been in mid-activation continued to operate...


    It was as if a paused movie had resumed ying.


    However, their attention was entirely on the discarded Newborn Sprout of Creation and Constantine''s bizarre actions.


    Everyone was utterly baffled!


    One legendary soul instinctively caught the Newborn Sprout of Creation that was thrown into the air, and the countdown reset to ten seconds.


    The previous halt in the countdown was due to the Dark Moon Alliance''s goddess''s Divine Power. She could finely manipte Divine Power to impose various restrictions and states on yers and had naturally controlled the Divine Power to stop the countdown, rendering it ineffective against those with legendary abilities.


    Time flew by.


    Ten seconds...


    Nine seconds...


    Eight seconds...


    ...


    Two seconds...


    One second...


    The atmosphere on the field was incredibly eerie. The legendary soul, having pocketed the Newborn Sprout of Creation, dared not act rashly against Constantine.


    Just moments ago, Constantine had clearly demonstrated the ability to ughter all of them. It was unclear why he had ceased his actions.


    The legendary souls were not foolish. They knew that Constantine abandoning the Newborn Sprout of Creation must have been due to some danger. However, out of extreme loyalty to the Dark Moon Goddess, they did not hesitate to take hold of the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    The legendary souls wanted to hurl a few harsh words at Constantine but didn''t quite dare.


    The yers held their breath, hoping they could go home soon, though they felt their chances were slim...


    As for Sterl, he was ready to invoke Divine Power at a moment''s notice, highly focused, with no time for anything else.


    Thus, an eerie silence enveloped the entire scene.

 Chapter 137: The Resurrection of the God of Heaven Water, Dual Gods Appear

    Silence, naturally, could notst forever.


    Just as everyone anticipated, when the countdown was about to change from one to zero...


    An unexpected event urred.


    A faint sigh echoed.


    It didn''t originate from any specific direction. Instead, it emanated from every corner of the instance, even from the mountains, soil, stones, vegetation, and within the yers and legendary souls themselves.


    Everyone, except Constantine...


    In the crowd, "David" stood among the other yers, blending in seamlessly. It seemed as though the sound emanated from within him as well, without revealing his unique identity to anyone.


    At this moment, Sterl was also a bit puzzled. Why was he the exception?


    "Is it because I possess Law Power??"


    He pondered. However, if Sterl knew that the Dark Moon Goddess had attempted to divine his information earlier but suffered a bacsh, he might realize that the source of his cheatslikely held an extremely high rank!


    Ordinary strong beings couldn''t detect this, and even attempting to kill Sterl wouldn''t have much effect.


    But those at the godly level, with their terrifying power, could touch upon the essence of Sterl''s cheatsand would immediately suffer for it!


    Simultaneously, due to the influence of the cheats, certain special abilities simply couldn''t affect Sterl...


    At this moment, as the eerie sigh was heard, yers disyed bitter smiles.


    "I knew it! What was bound to happen, had to happen!"


    Someone whispered. Constantine''s strange action earlier��abandoning the Newborn Sprout of Creation and fleeing��had already destined that things were far from over.


    Constantine must have done it to evade some powerful entity.


    The legendary souls swiftly formed up, cing the one who had taken the Newborn Sprout of Creation at the center of their formation, ready for a desperate fight.


    "For the Goddess!"


    "Protect the Newborn Sprout of Creation!"


    ...


    They shouted.


    But, s, nothing happened...


    No, wait! Something extremely bizarre urred in everyone''s vision, almost as if using editing techniques, a frame in the video suddenly inserted a new scene��


    In the void, countless waves rose, forming a hand that grasped the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    This scene was incredibly strange. One moment, the scene waspletely different, yet now, that hand harmoniously appeared, as if it had always been there, holding the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    As for the legendary souls, they vanished inexplicably...


    There were no screams, resistance, or battle; they were just gone! Gone in such a natural manner, as if they never existed, leaving one with a sense that perhaps their memory was ying tricks on them.


    However, what truly caught the yers'' attention was not just the disappearance of the legendary souls but the fact that arge swath ofnd around them had turned to nothingness. The entire instance now had a gaping hole, revealing the chaotic and disordered void outside.


    This indicated to everyone that the previous existence of the legendary souls was no illusion! They were indeed swallowed and annihted in an instant.


    The giant hand then slowly transformed, shrinking to the size of a normal human, forming a figure that was distinctly eerie. Judging by the figure''s shape, it appeared to be a normal, well-built man draped in a light blue robe.


    However, the figure''s face was extremely bizarre, resembling a triangr prism with three sides, each showing the visage of youth, middle age, and old age. Anyone who saw it would find it incredibly twisted!


    All three faces bore a gentle smile, instantly turning the yers'' initial wariness into trust. They each disyed rxed expressions, as if all danger had vanished from their surroundings.


    Only Sterl, both his original and his duplicate, remained extremely vignt! He had sensed earlier that the figure in the light blue robe had unleashed a trace of Divine Power when seizing the Newborn Sprout of Creation, annihting all the legendary souls.


    Sterl had no doubt that if he had been standing in that spot and had not reacted in time to ascend to godhood, he would have faced the same obliterating fate!


    As for the identity of the figure.


    Sterl, along with everyone present, could guess it��


    The God of Heaven Water!


    This god''s visage had previously appeared on the world boss, so who wouldn''t recognize it now?


    Sterl remained highly cautious. Using Star Insight, he detected��


    [???]


    ???


    ???


    ...


    Question marks! Nothing but question marks!


    If this wasn''t a god, what was it?


    However, Sterl wasn''t too surprised. The previous scene of the creation of the Newborn Sprout of Creation hadn''t clearly shown that the God of Heaven Water was dead. He had simply vanished after being gravely injured, retreating into the Netherworld.


    It was entirely possible that the God of Heaven Water had been lying in wait and had nowe to im the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    Sterl reasoned, not in a hurry. Since a god had already intervened, the Dark Moon Alliance would have to make a further move if they wanted to take the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    "I''d better watch from afar." Sterl analyzed, using the eleration from Divine me to float away to a safer distance.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, after the Newborn Sprout of Creation fell into the hands of the God of Heaven Water, no countdown numbers appeared. Instead, a strange, pure white shield formed, standing between the Newborn Sprout of Creation and the god''s hand.


    The god exerted a bit more force, causing the shield to tremble and appear as if it might dissipate at any moment.


    "Sorry, but I don''t intend to follow your rules."


    The God of Heaven Water didn''t speak aloud, but his words echoed in the minds of all living beings around.


    He continued to exert pressure, and cracks began to form on the white shield, emitting crisp "crack, crack" sounds.


    The yers present stood there, dumbfounded.


    Only Faye, pulling "David" along, and a few others silently retreated, seeking cover to hide themselves.


    Sterl found himself in a dilemma, unsure whether he should intervene. What was that white shield? Was there a seal on the Newborn Sprout of Creation that needed to be broken?


    But if the seal was broken, would the Newborn Sprout of Creation be immediately taken away by the God of Heaven Water?


    Sterl frowned but quickly rxed his expression once more.


    Because at that moment, another change urred!


    From the tear in the instance created by the God of Heaven Water, a figure suddenly appeared!


    In the crowd, in Faye''s mind, Felicia was making a ruckus in her consciousness space: "I knew it!"


    "That bitch hase too!"


    "She''s behind all of this! Gloria, you really are..."


    "Fine! Fine! Fine! You get what you want again!" Felicia muttered, clearly disgruntled, but she didn''t forget to warn her disciple: "Hide well! Hide well!"


    "The uing events are beyond our involvement."


    As the newly appeared figure gradually solidified, dark purple light spread out, dispersing the Divine Power of the God of Heaven Water. The yers who were previously affected also began to regain their senses and fled in panic.


    The god in the light blue robe made no move, simply continuing to press against the white shield with increasing force.


    Crack! Crack!


    The shield was covered in more and more fractures, on the verge of copsing.


    At the tear in the instance, a woman dressed in a purple robe, her face veiled with a thinyer of silk, and possessing a beauty akin to a masterpiece, slowly walked in.


    Her regal demeanor made many of the yers present feel an almost irresistible urge to bow down in worship.


    "Osmond, I suggest you save your strength."


    "In the past few centuries, the power of [Transcendence] has grown significantly.It is no longer an era where godswith merely weak Divine Power can do as they please."


    Her voice was soft and bewitching, sending shivers down the listeners'' spines.


    But the information contained in her words was nothing short of earth-shattering.


    [Transcendence]''s power has increased? Isn''t [Transcendence] just the name of this game? Does it have its own will?


    And what is weak Divine Power?


    What does she mean by an era when gods could do as they pleased, and it sounds like [Transcendence] is now restraining the gods?


    The yers were dumbfounded! Are these kind of secrets second-ss yers should be privy to?


    The God of Heaven Water, whose name had been revealed, remained calm: "Long time no see, Gloria."


    "It seems a lot has changed in the world while I was asleep."


    Without hesitation, he identified the other presence in the instance��the goddess worshipped by the Dark Moon Alliance, Gloria.


    The yers were left breathless!


    Although they had their suspicions, it was now confirmed that this small instance contained not one, but two gods.


    And they were here to fight over a precious artifact!


    The oue of the gods'' battle didn''t matter to the yers. What mattered was that any stray energy from the sh could easily obliterate them.


    We''re doomed!


    At this moment, the two gods seemed indifferent to the yers'' various small actions.


    "The Newborn Sprout of Creation is precious, but it''s not irreceable for you. Could you perhaps part with it for me?"


    "I need it to aplish something."


    "Since entering [Transcendence], it has been my constant pursuit."


    Gloria continued to advance, maintaining a very friendly demeanor, yet she immediately asked the God of Heaven Water to give up the Newborn Sprout of Creation, which he had undoubtedly nned for a long time.


    Osmond, however, was not angry: "Sorry, I refuse."


    "I''ve been asleep for a long time, and I didn''t waste all this time to make wedding clothes for someone else."


    Though the two gods appeared to be conversing amiably, their attitudes werepletely confrontational, neither willing to give an inch.


    And as they spoke, the entire world underwent bizarre changes.


    From the ground, the faint sound of tides could be heard. Even without the presence of water, the yers felt as if they were in the middle of a vast ocean.


    In the sky, a dark purple moon shone brilliantly. Though there was a "sun" within the instance, its light waspletely overshadowed by the dark moon.

 Chapter 138: Clash of the Twin Gods!

    The yers around them grew increasingly terrified as they listened, shivering in fear.


    They understood that negotiations had broken down!


    Although the two sides were still talking, a fight was imminent!


    These were god-level beings. Just the aftershocks of their battle could easily kill them!!


    "It''s over..."


    "We''re doomed!"


    ...


    Internally, the yers were extremely fearful, but on the surface, they remained motionless, not even daring to breathe loudly.


    They were afraid of attracting any divine attention and inviting disaster upon themselves.


    However, to the yers'' surprise, at this tense moment, Gloria nced at the crowd of yers and casually raised avender curtain, shielding them.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Are we being protected by the goddess??"


    "Thank you, Goddess! Thank you, Goddess!"


    ...


    For a moment, the yers were somewhat excited! Each one of them was almost ready to kneel down in worship!


    There was a way out!


    Gloria''s shield had saved the yers! Otherwise, they would have been obliterated by the aftershocks of the gods'' battle.


    Meanwhile, in Faye''s mind, Felicia eximed repeatedly: "Since when did Gloria be so kind-hearted?"


    "As far as I know, she''s an asshole who only cares about her own goals!"


    Sterl was also puzzled.


    If she really cared about these yers, why did she cause so much trouble earlier? Why think of protecting them now, when there are only about 200 left? What was she doing before?


    Despite the confusion, Sterl was in a good mood because his main body, Constantine, was also within the protective shield, and his avatar, David, mixed in with the yers, was simrly protected.


    He was safe now! Otherwise, to avoid the aftershocks of the two gods'' battle, Sterl might have been forced to ascend to godhood.


    At that point, while his life would be preserved, he wouldn''t be able to use his newfound divine power to seize the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    The two gods would likely join forces to drive out and eliminate him, the weakest "new god."


    ...


    Sterl pondered this, and then...


    As everyone remained unaware, the battle suddenly erupted!


    In an instant, the God of Heaven Water transformed into a thousand torrents.


    Just like when he first appeared, there was no warning at all!


    It was as if a film had been abruptly cut and inserted into the scene.


    In a sh, Gloria''s figure was engulfed by the vast ocean.


    However...


    In the very next second, like a celestial body''s natural transformation, a dark purple full moon rose over the sea, emitting a strange rhythm.


    Then, the water currents surged upward, striving to reach the sky and engulf the moon.


    The moon in the sky emitted a bright light, evaporating the ocean below.


    For a while, there was no visible battle scene��just two natural phenomena seemingly interacting, though with hidden lethality.


    Under the protection of the Dark Moon Goddess''s shield, the yers were stunned, including Sterl, who was bewildered.


    This god-level battle was beyondprehension!


    Sterl could only sense that it seemed like two principles embodying the ultimate truths of heaven and earth were shing.


    The small instance was utterly unqualified to serve as a battleground for the two gods, causing constant spatial cracks and instability! It seemed as though the instance mightpletely copse any second.


    The sh between the ocean and the moon did notst long.


    Despite the ocean currents desperately converging upward, they ultimately failed to diminish the dark purple moonlight. Instead, the currents themselves suffered significant losses as they ascended.


    The reasony in the fact that the moon, in addition to its own power, continuously created chains of purple-ck locks that hindered the ocean''s impact!


    Two against one, that ocean current, without an absolute advantage, could only retreat step by step.


    By this point, it was evident that the God of Heaven Water, an ancient relic, had fallen into a disadvantageous position.


    The thousands of tides he transformed into were controlled bit by bit by the light emitted from the full moon in the sky!


    The moon, inherently capable of manipting the tides and ocean currents, naturally countered the God of Heaven Water. Moreover, in terms of Divine Power, although both were referred to as "weak Divine Power" by Gloria, the Dark Moon Goddess seemed to wield the powers of both the moon and shadows, whereas the God of Heaven Water only controlled the tides.


    Thus, the God of Heaven Water had to contend not only with Gloria''s moon directly but also with the shadow chains that continuously ambushed him, cing him at an increasing disadvantage!


    Soon, the ocean created by Osmond began to evaporate and shrink. Even the green light of the Newborn Sprout of Creation, which had been enveloped by countless water currents, began to seep through!


    It seemed that the divine battle was about to conclude.


    However...


    The initially diminishing water currents suddenly elerated their "weakening" by tens of times, actually rapidly converging��


    The God of Heaven Water transformed into a giantposed of water currents, roaring furiously as he charged toward the moon in the sky!


    Clearly, he intended to make a desperate final attempt!


    Meanwhile, the Dark Moon Goddess floated serenely beneath the giant moon, a tranquil smile gracing her face.


    Most of the yers present dared not gaze directly at the divine battle, but the braver ones kept their eyes on the battlefield. What they saw left them utterly entranced, as if the goddess had stolen their very minds.


    Then, the forces of the moon and shadows converged, forming a massive crystalline barrier that swiftly descended, pressing down on the giant formed of water currents.


    As the two forces shed, the Newborn Sprout of Creation, situated at the core of the God of Heaven Water''s avatar, was simultaneously affected by the powers of both deities. It manifested a white shield, which began to waver under the dual impact, on the verge of shattering!


    The confrontation had evidently reached a fever pitch!


    The giant formed by the God of Heaven Water''s avatar gradually shifted from an upright stance to a kneeling one, being forcibly suppressed!


    As the battle neared its climax, with victory and defeat imminent, Constantine had discreetly vanished from an unnoticed corner.


    Sterl''s main bodyused the remaining bnce in the Blood Diamond to exchange for a shield from the Archduke of Blood.


    This shield was useless in the face of a god-level battle, but it carried the aura of a god-level demon!


    It could cloak Sterl with ayer of the Archduke of Blood''s essence!


    To the two gods, this disguise might be meaningless.


    But Sterl believed he had to give it his all to feel secure...


    With his final preparationsplete, Sterl looked up at the sky, where the white shield of the Newborn Sprout of Creation was down to itsst fragment.


    The divine artifact was about to lose its protection!


    Based on the earlier conversation between Gloria and Osmond, Sterl boldly spected that the white shield was actually a protection from the [Transcendence] system. Once it shattered, there would be no more restrictions preventing the Newborn Sprout of Creation from recognizing an owner once the countdown ended.


    Whoever imed it would own it!


    Sterl first activated Shadow Stealth to traverse into the shadow realm.


    In this alternate world, ensuring no one could observe him, he unleashed the Divine Power hidden within him!


    In an instant, Sterl was overwhelmed by a flood of information.


    In that brief moment, heprehended everything��the so-called gods were entities formed by thebination of Divine Power, Law Power, and divine consciousness that controlled these forces.


    Different divine offices could amodate different types ofws. The more types ofws a divine office could contain, the more Divine Power it could umte.


    And when a god had umted enough Divine Power, it could cause a qualitative change.


    Starting with weak Divine Power, it would progress to strong Divine Power, then to great Divine Power, and finally to vast Divine Power.


    Clearly, having multiple divine offices would allow one to umte Divine Power more efficiently from the start, making it easier to break through to new realms.


    Information about gods was extremely precious. Normally, even demigods under various deities couldn''t ess it.


    But Sterl, leveraging his brief ascension to godhood, understood everything!


    He no longer had an information gap. As long as he prepared methodically, he was destined to be a god in the future!


    Sterl also understood why he could temporarily ascend: the two biggest hurdles for a demigod to advance to godhood were obtaining a divine office and Divine Power. Divine consciousness, which meant a highly refined amount of Divine Power, could be slowly honed by both yers and NPCs as long as they lived long enough.


    Essentially, divine consciousness was just a tool to drive the divine office and Divine Power.


    Although Sterl''s refined Divine Power was far from reaching the level of "divine consciousness," it was barely enough to crudely wield the power for a few seconds of "godhood."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the outside world��


    Crack!


    Apanied by a crisp burst, the shield encasing the Newborn Sprout of Creation finally shattered.


    "Osmond, you''ve lost after all."


    "The power of creation is too important to me. My apologies." Gloria''s figure flickered within the high-hanging moon, then gathered an extremely terrifying torrent of power!


    Below, the giant formed by the God of Heaven Water''s avatar still hadn''t given up, but he was powerless to directly confront Gloria. He could only shield the Newborn Sprout of Creation held at his chest with one hand while the other hand desperately swung a giant sword formed from water towards the sky!


    For a moment, the heavens and earth were filled with the sh of dark purple light and water-blue des, meeting and colliding from sky and earth!


    The yers, guarded by the shields Gloria had created, huddled together for warmth, fearing that the aftershocks might shatter the goddess''s shields. Better to face the Divine Power''s edge in a group than alone!


    Despite the tension, the yers were in surprisingly good spirits: "It''s finally ending!"


    They weren''t blind. They could see the situation.


    The Dark Moon Goddess was about to achieve victory, which was the best possible oue!


    The Newborn Sprout of Creation was never something the yers dared to covet. They simply believed that once the goddess finished her battle, she would send them back to the main world!

 Chapter 139: Ascension to Godhood, Creating a World!

    The yers finally began to rx. After all, the barrier created by the Dark Moon Goddess showed no signs of breaking. Having endured so much torment, they could finally return safely!


    "Great!" Someone couldn''t help but exim excitedly.


    The Dark Moon Goddess, hidden within the full moon of her avatar, was also visibly excited. The most important thing for her was to obtain the Newborn Sprout of Creation. However, if she could take this opportunity to kill the God of Heaven''s Water, she might not be able to absorb his divine duties, but she could at least harvest a significant amount of Divine Power! Blood profit!


    For Gloria, this victory was more valuable than a hundred years of arduous cultivation.


    At this moment, the God of Heaven''s Water was also roaring frantically, "No! If I can''t have it, neither can you!"


    He transformed the water into countless sharp des, trying to destroy the Newborn Sprout of Creation within his own body.


    In that instant.


    Swish!!!


    A milky white pir of light suddenly appeared between the two gods, and a peculiar figure emerged.


    The appearance of this figure was extremely peculiar, overly perfect and symmetrical, bringing about a strange, non-human feeling!


    Surrounded by halos, his aura unmistakably reached the level of a god.


    However, the amount of Divine Power he possessed seemed extremely weak, like a flickering candle in the wind, barely holding on. Judging by his level, he should be on par with the other two gods, in the category of weak Divine Power.


    But in reality, one might ssify this new god as "very weak"pared to the others.


    The amount of Divine Power merely determines how long a god can fight before a quantitative change leads to a qualitative one.


    Therefore, at this moment...


    With the appearance of the figure bathed in light, everyone''s mindset changed ever so slightly.


    The yers showed expressions of horror��no way, another one?


    Gloria and Osmond slowly stopped their actions and temporarily ceased fighting, unsure of the situation concerning this newly emerged third god.


    "The Archduke of Blood??"


    "No, wait! Are you the enemy of the Archduke of Blood? Just cloaked in his aura??"


    Gloria reacted quickly and immediately saw through the disguise of the third deity��he was emanating a milky white glow, clearly out of ce among the hellish demons. How could he possibly be rted to the Archduke of Blood?


    It was evident that this was a tant attempt at framing. The third deity wanted to cause trouble and let the Archduke of Blood take the me. However, wasn''t this n somewhat clumsy? Who would believe it??


    Gloria mentally concocted an entirely erroneous conclusion.


    Because the third deity, Sterl, was merely borrowing the Archduke of Blood''s aura to add ayer of disguise for himself.


    At this moment, with Sterl''s sudden appearance, the other two gods were wary of this strange neer, leading to a brief silence.


    But Sterl couldn''t afford to wait. His ascension to godhood would onlyst a few seconds. He needed to act swiftly! Moreover, every passing second meant a decrease in his Divine Power, causing him great distress. If it weren''t for the unique circumstances of the Netherworld, Sterl wouldn''t have been able to gather Divine Power at all!


    He wanted to use this trump card a few more times in the future.


    So, Sterl decided to strike decisively!


    But just as he was about to make his move, he encountered an awkward problem.


    Sterl''s n hadn''t gone terribly wrong��in his godly state, he could indeed sense the Divine Power emanating from the Dark Moon Goddess and the God of Heaven''s Water around him. As long as he kept his wits about him, it was impossible for Divine Power to cling to him.


    Using his evolved teleportation scroll, he could escapepletely undetected. Safety was assured.


    However, it was precisely because he had ascended to godhood that he suddenly realized something: he had no skills to use.


    Third-ss yers used gold-quality skills. Legendary yers evolved these gold-quality skills into legendary abilities. Demigods utilized Law Power and tinum skills.


    But at the godly level, merely having divine duties and Divine Power wasn''t enough; one also needed "Prismatic-tier" skills��skills forged from abination of multiple tinum-level skills and Law Power, integrated with divine duties.


    The Dark Moon Goddess''s ability to summon the dark moon and the God of Heaven''s Water''s ability to transform into countless tides were their prismatic-tierskills!


    Sterl, however, had none of these!


    In a divine battle, legendary abilities were a joke, and Law Power could only be effectively used in scenarios where strong Divine Power crushed weak Divine Power.


    Sterl was at a loss! After ascending to godhood, hisbat prowess was far inferior to that of Gloria and Osmond!


    Only because the other two gods couldn''t gauge his true strength did they refrain from attacking immediately.


    It should be noted that Sterl had previously relied on his exceptional talent to challenge higher-level opponents, creating a psychological blind spot. He had assumed that hisbat power wouldn''t becking after ascending to godhood.


    As it turned out��


    He had be the weakest among his peers!


    Fortunately, there was still a glimmer of hope!


    After bing a god, Sterl appeared to be deep in thought, but in reality, not even a split second had passed in the external world.


    He knew that at least one skill could be useful in a divine battle!


    That was the ability, [As a Creator''s Act], which Sterl had previously obtained through the infinite evolution of the Star Radiance Dragon and shared using the primary star ability!


    A part of the [Transcendence] authority!


    Its rank surpassed even prismatic-tier skills!


    Sterl, adopting a rather dramatic ir, snapped his fingers.


    The sound was exceptionally crisp, reminiscent of the first cry of all creation during the dawn of time!


    The two gods around him had no time to react before they felt themselves enveloped by a rapidly expanding, illusory gxy.


    They quickly tried to activate their skills to escape...


    But it was impossible!


    Sterl had used the brilliant gxy within his mental domain as a blueprint to create two small worlds.


    The two gods could elerate to incredible speeds, but they remained trapped within those worlds.


    "This isn''t a binding skill! Nor is it some kind of spell!"


    "It''s the instantaneous creation of a world??"


    "Is this the power of a Great Divine Power?? Or Vast Divine Power??"


    What Sterl didn''t know was that his small worlds weren''t particrly sturdy, but they sessfully trapped the enemies.


    The reason being, Gloria and Osmond were scared witless!


    Creating a world equates to having the power to create a divine kingdom, implying at least a Great Divine Power level god...


    Holy crap!


    Doesn''t that mean we''re doomed??


    Gloria and Osmond were too terrified to even think about escaping...


    Facing such a formidable god... the fact that he hadn''t killed them outright was already a blessing! Trying to break out of his small world? That''d be pure suicide!


    For a moment, the two gods remained incredibly obedient, staying motionless within the gxy! In reality, they hadn''t realized that with a bit of effort, they could shatter the gxy.


    It wasn''t that Sterl''s "As a Creator''s Act"cked strength, but rather that he had invested too little Divine Power into it! The small worlds were already teetering on the edge of copse!


    Meanwhile, within the gxy, Gloria couldn''t help but use Moon Law to divine the situation of the yers outside, confirming that the Great Divine Power wasn''t interested in a bunch of ants, and breathing a sigh of relief.


    "Good, the Primordial human genius is safe."


    "Wait! Where''s Constantine??"


    The goddess''s exquisitely beautiful face suddenly changed.


    She hesitated for a second, recalling her earlier divination about Constantine''s... encounter... what was it again?


    Gloria felt a bit panicked but decided to divine Constantine''s situation. Confirming that he was still alive, she finally exhaled in relief.


    As for the Newborn Sprout of Creation...


    "Centuries of nning, all for nothing."


    "Could it be that my approach was ultimately wed? Forcibly ascending to godhood, in the face of this world, I am still nothing more than an ant."


    "Then... perhaps, the true hope lies with geniuses like ''David'' and ''Constantine.''"


    ...


    Outside, countless yers were truly at their wit''s end, some even feeling an urge to cry.


    What had they witnessed? This newly emerged third deity, suspected to be of godly status, had effortlessly trapped both Gloria and Osmond. The two previous gods had no power to resist.


    No way, could the Newborn Sprout of Creation be that precious? Even such terrifyingly powerful beings came topete for it??


    "Are there differences in strength even among gods? This third deity can casually seal other gods???"


    "That''s unbelievable! Even gods can be overpowered and crushed!"


    ...


    Aside from marveling at the power of this third deity��


    "I''ve seen so many things in my life, I can die content now."


    "If I said I saw gods, not just one but three at once, people in my n would think I was insane."


    "Haha! So, this is the power of gods! One day, I too will reach such heights."


    ...


    The yers'' mindsets had shifted from initial panic and resistance to eventual numbness, and finally to optimism and enjoyment.


    Haha!


    So what if theygained a ton of legendary points but can''t escape? No big deal!


    With three gods battling in the sky, giving them a show, what do they, second-ss yers, have to lose?


    Setting aside the yers'' mindset for now, the third new god, radiating a gentle light, slowly extended his hand, and the Newborn Sprout of Creation fell into his grasp.


    Of course, it appeared slow visually, but in reality, the entire process took no more than a blink of an eye.


    The Newborn Sprout of Creation, whose shield had already been broken earlier, disappeared the moment it touched the new god''s hand, having been taken into his possession.


    It seemed as though everything had settled!


    However, at that very moment, two beams of intense light shed!


    Apanied by the surging waves of countless gxies, the two gods whom the yers had thought were sealed or even killed reappeared.


    The Dark Moon Goddess and the God of Heaven''s Water made their return.

 Chapter 140: Why Does This God Seem to Be Running Away?

    "Are we being let go?"


    At this moment, Gloria and Osmond, both gods, looked puzzled, unable toprehend why that great being of Divine Power suddenly showed mercy.


    But it didn''t matter.They moved quickly. Regardless of the reason, running away was the priority!


    When faced with an unbeatable foe, anyone with a brain wouldn''t want to stay nearby.Their fate would be entirely out of their control!


    Osmond was the most decisive, transforming directly into a droplet of water and disappearing to an unknown location.


    Gloria, slightly more conscientious, cast a teleportation spell on the yers before fleeing, helping them escape!


    Then, she vanished in a sh of light...


    The yers were ecstatic at this moment: "Thank you, Goddess!"


    "We swear to serve the Dark Moon Alliance with our lives!"


    ...


    The yers were naturally unaware that Gloria intended only to teleport David away. To avoid revealing her true purpose, she sent all the yers back to the main world of [Transcendence].


    They were deeply grateful!


    Although the Dark Moon Alliance could be quite exploitativebefore, this goddess had good intentions.It was just poorly executed by those below her! She seemed genuinely kind!


    That must be it!


    However, what followed was an exceedingly bizarre scene.


    It made sense for the God of Heaven Water and the Dark Moon Goddess to flee before a formidable enemy.


    But the problem was, the third new god, emitting a milky white light, also seemed to be escaping by opening a teleportation scroll??


    A highly peculiar scene unfolded in this already devastated instance. The yers were fleeing, and so were the gods!


    What should have been an epic conclusion to a divine battle ended in a bizarre and humorous manner...


    Everyone was running away, both yers and gods.


    In an unnoticed corner, a milky white light slipped into the group of yers.


    ...


    At the Earth''s Fire Seed Base, number 71392.


    Sterl pushed open the door, having directly teleported home.


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t help but twitch his mouth. Creating two small worlds to trap enemies had consumed a significant amount of Divine Power. Although the entire process of Sterl ascending to godhood took no more than four or five seconds, his Divine Power was reduced to only 2.16 points.


    However, some of the Divine Power loss was due to the energy he imnted into "David" before fleeing. That avatar might still need to deal with the Dark Moon Alliance''s demigods, so it was prudent to avoid any ws.


    This wasn''t entirely wasteful, as using Divine Power to cloak his presence consumed very little. Sterl could dissolve the avatarter and reim the Divine Power.


    But now, Sterl has just over two points of Divine Power left, which basically means he can only ascend to godhood one more time....


    As Sterl pondered this, he sneaked into the living room, using the passive ability of Shadow Stealth to lower his presence.


    Then, he suddenly sprang out.


    "Who!"


    "Who''s there!"


    "Let go! Do you know who we are? We belong to Sterl! He knows high-ranking yers at the base and is a professional himself!"


    ...


    In an instant, Sterl sessfully ambushed Linna and Rayna, who were chatting on the sofa. The two young women struggled frantically, even threatening him with their words.


    But soon, even without turning around, they realized who it was.


    "Sterl?? You''re finally back from training with that senior."


    Linna and Rayna''s eyes lit up with joy as they turned their heads. The person holding them was indeed Sterl, their long-timepanion who had shared countless moments with them.


    "I''m back!"


    "Let''s move to a new ce after this." Sterl said with a smile. Despite the heart-pounding adventure he had just been through, facing two deity-level beings and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, seeing Linna and Rayna allowed him to finally rx.


    Now that he had teleported back, he nned to move Linna and Rayna to a higher-level base where it would be safer, and resources were more abundant, helping them grow stronger faster.


    As for why they wouldn''t go directly to a Sequence Base, it wasn''t that Sterlcked the capability. He just wanted to be cautious and scout those bases first, ensuring everything was safe before moving his loved ones there.


    While thinking, he casually joked, "By the way, who did you say you belong to?"


    "Hehe, not telling you..." The blonde girl licked her lips and blinked her eyes, looking extremely seductive.


    The dark-haired girl, with eyes shimmering, added, "Don''t you already have the answer in your heart?"


    "Not saying, huh?" Sterl''s expression changed, and he immediately said "menacingly."


    "Ah!! Stop!"


    "No!" Linna and Rayna pretended to be "terrified."but in reality, they clung to Sterl''s strong frame like two beautiful serpents, pressing closer and closer.


    Sterl''s physique had grown immensely stronger since theirst parting. So, he simply scooped up the more audacious Linna by the waist and, with a precise control of mes, burned away her clothes.


    "Wow! Wait! What are you doing!" Linna was a bit flustered, but only a bit. Her eyes gleamed with desire as she looked at Sterl.


    "Ugh!!"


    Sterl''s own clothes vanished into his inventory with a mere thought.


    "Wait, you''ve gotten bigger again, hold on!"


    "Don''t! I won''t be able to take it!" Linna''s seductive expression quickly turned into one of concern, but Sterl gave her no chance to back out. He preemptively cast a healing starlight spell on her!


    "Oh my god!!" Linna let out a short cry, her face flushed with excitement! As her lower body experienced intense fullness and tearing sensations, she felt her body being rapidly healed, bringing a tingling sensation that filled her mind with intense pleasure.


    Sterl held Linna in mid-air, thrusting vigorously.


    By now, Linna had sessfully transitioned into a professional. Sterl had hinted to Teresa to help the two girls get decent professions, but Earth''s human resources were indeed limited, and both Linna and Rayna ended up with C-rank professions.


    Fortunately, Sterl had a theory��no matter how low their original rank, the Heart of Profession and innate talents could likely be fully maxed out through leveling.


    Because this all revolves around the infinite potential for growth that yers have in [Transcendence].


    Sterl''s logic was simple: eventually, when the time was right, he could max out Linna and Rayna''s stats. So, it didn''t matter if their current professions were of lower quality.


    Back to the present moment, Sterl was thrusting vigorously. He noticed that Linna''s new profession had its benefits. Her body had be more resilient and responsive.


    While Daphne''s and Teresa''s bodies were stronger during their friendly duels, Linna and Rayna had been with Sterl for a long time. This added a touch of familiarity and novelty, giving Sterl a different kind of pleasure.


    Lost in his thoughts, Sterl continued his fervent movements.


    p!


    p!


    Held aloft in mid-air, Linna''s eyes rolled back. She had no footing and was entirely at Sterl''s mercy, being thrust upwards with each movement, feeling like she was soaring to the clouds and then crashing back down...


    "Oh my God!"


    "Ah!"


    "Sterl, I''m dying!"


    "I''m really dying!"


    ...


    Soon, Linna''s body trembled, her skin glistening with sweat, making her look even more enticing. Her eyes rolled back as she fainted in Sterl''s arms.


    Sterl gently stroked Linna''s head, kissing her softly beforeying her on the bed.


    As he moved forward, he saw Rayna, who was swallowing nervously and looking terrified. Sterl pounced on her, holding her close and whispering in her ear, "Do you want to try it too?"


    To Sterl''s surprise, despite her blushing and extreme shyness, Rayna murmured, "I... I want to try..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Sterl was reconnecting with Linna and Rayna after a long time apart.


    In a remote town on the edge of the Pompeii Empire, Sterl''s avatar, "David."had a peculiar expression.


    As he had anticipated, the avatar still had to deal with the Dark Moon Alliance, but he hadn''t expected to face the Dark Moon Goddess herself!


    At this moment, the yers stood in the wilderness, and the goddess had just descended. She used her Divine Power to transform the surroundings into a strange world made up of dark purple weapons, with delicate nts growing into seats beneath the yers.


    The yers were naturally eximing in awe.


    Even more surprising, Sterl''s avatar, with the Divine Power infused within him, could see faint milky white light drifting from the yers'' heads into the goddess''s body.


    Due to her previous assistance, the yers had grown to revere this goddess, even harboring a touch of faith. Now, witnessing Gloria''s divine entrance, their loyalty surged rapidly.


    This directly generatedfaithpower.


    However, Sterl''s avatar remained coldly observant. If it were before he ascended to godhood, he would have thought the scene before his eyes was vast and unpredictable Divine Power.


    Now he knew that the nt creation was a skill Gloria had specifically learned to enhance her aura.


    The moon and shadowws, even upon ascension to godhood, did not inherently include the ability to grow nts.

 Chapter 141: The Hall of Valor

    In other words, Gloria was putting on a show!


    What? Is she actually using the same tactics as me?


    Although Sterl internallyined, he also knew that, unlike his simple love for showing off, Gloria''s approach was probably verymon among the deities. Because as long as they were gods, there was a need to absorb the power of faith. Shortly after ascending to godhood, Sterl had already known that the power of faith could be refined into Divine Power.


    For most gods, this was the primary source of umting Divine Power. Hence, they needed to rule territories and educate the masses, all to absorb faith power.


    And how to efficiently absorb faith power? Naturally, it required disying divine majesty and grandeur through various actions!


    Unfortunately, refining faith powerrequired "divine consciousness."something Sterl couldn''t convert even after bing a god.


    Sterl''s mind wandered, but his movements suddenly froze.


    At this moment, the goddess, with a gentle smile, walked among the yers. Coincidentally, she stopped right next to Faye and "David."


    On Faye''s side, Felicia, who had been cursing incessantly in her mind, suddenly went silent... and fell into a state of withdrawal.


    She didn''t dare move, absolutely didn''t dare!


    From her perspective, if Gloria saw her, she''d surely be killed on the spot.


    Meanwhile, "David" wore an odd expression.


    The goddess was kind, but she was standing a bit too close.


    Sterl now found himself face-to-face with the extraordinarily beautiful and captivating goddess��Gloria.


    She spoke, "yers, thank you for your contributions to the Alliance."


    But Sterl''s main body was pressing Rayna against the floor-to-ceiling window in his room. Her ample chest was pressed and deformed against the ss as Sterl violently thrust into her...


    At the same time, Rayna''s subtle fragrance and Gloria''s simr aura filled Sterl''s senses.


    It made him momentarily dazed.


    He couldn''t tell whether he was thrusting into Rayna or... the goddess in front of him.


    Thanks to the Divine Power shrouding him, Gloria couldn''t detect the emotional fluctuations of Sterl''s avatar.


    The goddess continued to smile warmly, saying, "In addition to the Dark Moon Alliance contribution points you have earned, I am willing to rmend you to join the Hall of Valor."


    The Hall of Valor? What''s that?


    All the yers were confused, but that didn''t stop them from showing excitement!


    After all, any ce that required the goddess''s rmendation to enter must be extraordinary!


    Only Felicia, in Faye''s mind, looked shocked but still kept her head down, not daring to show any soul fluctuations...


    "Thank you, Goddess!"


    "We pledge our lives in your service!"


    "Your grace is unforgettable."


    The yers mored, many even kneeling on one knee to show their respect.


    Gloria, with a gentle smile on her face, was actually unfazed inside.


    She was merely trying to get David into the Hall. Sending all the yers there was just a cover to mask her true target.


    In reality, the slots for the Hall of Valor were extremely precious, and Gloria could rmend a maximum of 10 people at a time.


    Thankfully, the Hall of Valor required many cannon fodder to train its members.


    So, the Dark Moon Goddess could "rmend" the yers in bulk. Out of these 200-plus people, only 10 would survive, but ten would definitely survive!


    With David''s strength, he would surely be among those ten.


    "It''s a pity that Constantine has disappeared."


    "But given Constantine''s strength, perhaps I don''t need to worry too much..."


    "He doesn''t need to join the Hall of Valor to rise to prominence."Gloria pondered. She continued to stand serenely in ce, with many yers not daring to look at her directly, fearing they might taint the goddess''s radiance.


    Faye, of course, was stiff to avoid revealing the presence of her ancestor. Naturally, Sterl also bowed his head, following the crowd.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, he was pressing Rayna beneath him, thrusting wildly, unable to see the girl''s face, perfectly mirroring the current situation...


    "Then, the agreement is set."


    Gloria transformed into light and dissipated, leaving behind a floating piece of parchment before each yer.


    [Hall of Valor Invitation]


    [Description: It is said that this facility was built by a supreme deity of immense DivinePower in preparation for the end of the world.He invited countless mighty warriors from the mortal world to engage in nights of revelry andbat, aiming to train the most elite fighters.


    However, with the fall of that deity, the Hall of Valor was sealed for countless years until a group of new gods reopened it to jointly cultivate warriors to return home.]


    [Effect: Upon using the invitation, you will be taken aboard a rainbow ship from the void, transporting you to the Hall of Valor to participate in the entrance examination.]


    [Usage Restriction: Must havepleted the second ss]


    As a deity, Gloria naturally couldn''t waste too much time with mortals. After she left, the yers were ted!


    "A faction formed by a group of gods?? Holy shit!"


    "Does that mean we''ll have unlimited hidden quests and resources if we join?"


    "We''re rich! This time we''re really rich! Goddess, I will praise your name for eternity."


    The yers were overjoyed. Being second ss, they understood the significance of joining a powerful faction. For instance, Spike''s incredible strength came from joining the Principality of Morrow and achieving an S-rank profession, despite only having an S-grade talent. He also possessed numerous precious items, making hisbat power far exceed others at his level.


    Joining a faction co-founded by a group of gods wasn''t just a step up��it was a leap to ascension!


    At this moment, even Faye was excited, with Felicia jumping up and down in her consciousness.


    "Gloria has gone mad! She failed to join the Hall of Valor herself back then."


    "And now she''s willing to rmend you all!"


    "You must join!"


    But the demigoddess''s soul quickly calmed down. "Wait, Gloria imed she only had weak Divine Power. How can she rmend so many people at once??"


    "Faye, be cautious."


    "Stick with David. I have a feeling he has never used his full strength. Together, you should be able to pass the entrance examination mentioned in the invitation."


    Faye nodded in confusion, hearing only��


    "h h... stay with David... h h."


    "Yes, ancestor!" Faye replied.


    Felicia looked pleased.


    As for Sterl, he was also pleasantly surprised. The Power of the Moon inherently had divination abilities.


    After ascending to godhood, he had developed a certain instinct for manipting Divine Power. It wasn''t something he could actively control.Rather, it felt like muscle memory. He could clearly sense that Gloria''s mention of the Hall of Valor was filled with genuine goodwill.


    Of course, Sterl didn''t realize that this goodwill might be directed solely at him.


    All he knew was that by joining this new faction, he would have more opportunities to acquire resources!


    "Mr. David, should we head out together?" Faye asked, blushing and stammering a bit. It was evident that making such an invitation was quite challenging for her.


    Sterl hesitated slightly but then nodded. After changing his profession, he would have an open slot for his second primary star...


    "No problem, but I still have some things to take care of. How about we set a time?"


    Faye thought for a moment, seeing the other yers eagerly preparing to head to the Hall of Valor. Feeling the time was tight, she hesitated and then suggested, "One weekter?"


    "Alright! One weekter, we''ll meet in the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire."Sterl agreed. The Divine Mountain Empire had a close rtionship with the Earthlings, and there was a teleportation array leading directly to the capital in their advanced base.


    As he said this, he suddenly remembered that he had neglected the task of acquiring an A-grade arcane skill for the Divine Mountain Empire, having been entirely focused on the Waters of the Netherworld.


    Sterl felt a bit regretful.He had missed out on another reward!


    However, looking at his task panel, he realized that his remaining main and hidden quests involving the Divine Mountain Empire would likely take some time to progress. The tasks were primarily centered around a future struggle for the throne.


    Sterl figured he could first go to the Hall of Valor and, with his enhanced strength, quicklyplete his main and hidden quests!


    While he analyzed this, the remaining 200-plus yers, having built some camaraderie, began adding each other as friends.


    They were all top-tier yers who had survived dire situations, with legendary status. In the future, they were sure to soar to great heights, and forming connections now could create a loose yet powerful alliance.


    Faye initially wanted to stay out of it, but the roaring voice of her ancestor in her mind forced her to add friends.


    As a clone, Sterl didn''t have this functionality. After bidding farewell to Faye, he used Bloody Rush to leave. He then found a spot to dissolve his clone, and a beam of milky white light flew towards the direction of the Divine Mountain Empire...


    ...


    Meanwhile, back at Sterl''s main body.


    In the bedroom, among the three entangled figures, two beautiful girls were sound asleep. Sterl suddenly opened his eyes and immediately teleported outside the room.


    He first made a trip to the base. This time, upon returning, he finallypleted the [me Trick] task he had received when his golden finger first awakened.


    Boom!!


    mes radiated starlight, burning brightly!


    Sterl smiled at the NPC, "How do you like it?"


    For the "teacher" who had given him his first big break, Sterl remained courteous.


    Without magical skills, he couldn''t have allocated points to develop area-of-effect skills to farm monsters back then!

 Chapter 142: [Gate of Hell], Organizing the Spoils

    The azure starfire burned, containing an immensely terrifying power.


    The NPC mentor looked at Sterl''s improved Ignition me with tears in his eyes.


    He had only wanted to modify the me magic to produce a blue-quality skill. But in the hands of this warrior from another world, the me school''s skills had been transformed to purple, and some were even approaching gold quality!


    Without hesitation, the NPC handed something to Sterl. "Originally, I intended to take this with me to the grave, but perhaps you are the one truly deserving of it."


    The original task reward was directly canceled, and Sterl heard a notification in his ear.


    [Congrattions on exceeding the task expectations. You have received the skill book [Gate of Hell (Iplete)]]


    Sterl felt a brief surge of excitement at the notification, but quickly realized that even with the task overachieved, the reward was rather underwhelming.


    [Gate of Hell (Iplete)]��despite the intimidating name, its effect was merely to summon a gate etched with terrifying runes to block attacks.


    The quality was only blue.


    In a word: disappointing!


    Sterl thought about it. Given that this was the final reward for the first quest he ever took on, he decided to learn the skill out of sentimentality. However, he had no intention of actually training it.


    As expected, there was a plus sign next to [Gate of Hell (Iplete)], but Sterl noted that he had no extra points to allocate...


    "Hmm?"


    Sterl paused, sensing something��an instinctual feeling brought about by the Moon Divine Power.


    He had an inexplicable hunch that investing points in this new skill would yield significant future benefits.


    "Who would''ve thought, I picked up a hidden gem?"


    His eyes gradually brightened.


    ...


    After submitting the task, Sterl returned home. The earlier divine battle had seemed terrifying but had onlysted a few seconds. Therefore, his ability to allocate points hadn''t even cooled down yet.


    He returned to the bedroom, giving gentle kisses to the still-sleeping Linna and Rayna.


    Then Sterl went to his room and began organizing the spoils from his journey to the Netherworld.


    First, the task rewards.


    He scrolled through the panel, finding a bunch of notifications from the [Transcendence] system.


    [You havepleted the task: Explore the Netherworld.]


    [Task Evaluation: Average.]


    The evaluation system for this task required yers to contribute as many resources as possible to the Dark Moon Alliance. Since Sterl had only gained evaluation points by killing monsters, his final rating was naturally not high.


    [You have received the following rewards:


    Dark Moon Alliance Contribution: 5000 points.


    Two levels of experience.]


    This task indeed had little payoff.


    After confirming the information, Sterl checked his total contributions, including misceneous points he had gained. His total contribution to the Dark Moon Alliance was 31,500 points, which included hourly ranking rewards and the final first-ce ranking reward.


    Additionally, his experience bar showed he had umted experience worth 12 levels.


    From level 59, he could directly level up to 71.


    Not bad!


    The contribution points to the Dark Moon Alliance could definitely be exchanged for many valuable items, and his levels had also skyrocketed.


    However, Sterl felt a bit awkward since he had previously obtained three items that could instantly level him up once below level 60. Now, they were useless...


    "Those three items should be given to Linna and Rayna."Sterl quickly decided. The leveling speed for the two young women was definitely slower than his, and jumping up three levels would save them a lot of time. The only problem was how to divide the items.


    "But that''s not my problem to worry about. Let Linna and Rayna figure it out themselves."Sterl thought happily, already imagining the two girls bickering and ring at each other, which made him chuckle.


    Instead of rushing to level up, Sterl first focused on spending his contribution points.


    He decided to hold off on using the remaining contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire for now. Since he hadn''t obtained the A-grade arcane skill and thus hadn''t upgraded his reputation, he nned to clear out the Empire''s contribution points in one go afterpleting the hidden and main questster.


    As for the Dark Moon Alliance, despite having over 30,000 contribution points, Sterl''s reputation was only at "Friendly" because he hadn''t contributed resources to the alliance. Consequently, many valuable items were still locked out of his reach. Nevertheless, he rummaged through the avable items and found some that piqued his interest.


    First, he focused on collecting amulets, an endeavor he had beenmitted to for some time. The Dark Moon Alliance''s resources were evidently much richer, as even at the Friendly reputation level, he could purchase over ten different types of amulets.


    Sterl considered buying them all, but amulet-type items were generally expensive, and many had attributes he didn''t need. After some careful selection, he bought just one.


    [Heart of me]


    [Type: Amulet]


    [Description: A legendary item said to be crafted from the heart of a fire demon using special techniques.]


    [Effect: Increases the power of fire attribute skills by 50%]


    [Exchange Price: 15,000 Contribution Points]


    The price wasn''t low, and the effect was straightforward, but the amulet''s simplicity was its strength��it directly increased the power of fire-type skills by half!


    Moreover, it didn''t upy any equipment slots.


    "Holy crap! This is amazing!" Sterl could hardly believe he''d found such a valuable item.


    It was worth noting that none of his current gear or skills provided attribute bonuses. Acquiring this amulet meant an independent power multiplier for his three strongest skills: Divine me Drive, Celestial Stars (which had me damage on impact), and Ignition me!


    And the bonus was substantial, directly increasing the power by 50%!


    So, despite the high cost of 15,000 contribution points, Sterl didn''t hesitate to redeem the Heart of me.


    To his further delight, the amulet had a plus sign next to it, indicating it could be enhanced even further!


    "No wonder it''s the Dark Moon Alliance!"


    "So many great items!"


    Sterl couldn''t contain his excitement and began to daydream. If a single goddess of the Dark Moon could support such a powerful alliance, what kind of insane, over-the-top items would the Hall of Valor, built by countless deities, have?


    Wouldn''t joining them mean he''d be set to soar to new heights?


    Sterl felt an irresistible urge to join the Hall of Valor as soon as possible.


    Calming himself, he continued to browse the contribution shop.


    Next, instead of exchanging for equipment or skills, he looked for a consumable item��


    [Essence of the Moon]


    [Description: A special potion secretly crafted by the Dark Moon Alliance. When consumed, it instantly replenishes energy and increases the energy cap by 30%.]


    [Price: 300 Contribution Points.]


    "This is it!"


    Sterl''s eyes were immediately drawn to this liquid, which was contained in small test tubes and emitted a silver-white glow reminiscent of moonlight.


    His biggest issue right now was ack of mana.


    Even with an energy storage pool, it wasn''t enough. If Sterl wanted to unleash a barrage of firepower in a short period, it was practically impossible.


    Just using the Law Power at its peak could drain himpletely, requiring him to chug potions in advance. For several seconds afterward, he couldn''t even stand, let alone cast other spells!


    During the earlier instance in the Netherworld, Sterl didn''t seem to suffer from this problem.


    But that was because the enemies were merely legendary souls, weakened versions of legendary beings. They had no enhanced attributes, couldn''t use their innate abilities, and had limited skills��just one legendary ability and some minor attributes.


    These enemies were immobilized by the Moon Law, unable to resist!


    Sterl could afford to wait for his energy to replenish.


    But what if he encounters stronger foes next time?


    The Moon Law might not hold them long enough. By the time his energy regenerates, the opponent could be free, and then it''s game over.


    With the Essence of the Moon, Sterl would have an additional 30% energy cap, allowing him to follow up the Moon Law with another skill more quickly.


    The strategic value was immense!


    Without hesitation, Sterl purchased ten vials of the potion, spending a total of 3,000 contribution points. To his delight, the Essence of the Moon could also be enhanced.


    "Everything needs points to be enhanced.There just aren''t enough points to go around!"


    Sterl shook his head in resignation.


    He now had 13,500 contribution points left.


    Sterl continued to browse the shop''s offerings and soon came across some gear that intrigued him greatly.


    For example��


    [Royal Armguard]


    [Description: Once worshipped by the royal family of a nation that ruled for generations. After offending the Dark Moon Alliance, the only remnant of that nation is this armguard.]


    [Category: Weapon]


    [Effect: All attributes +50, Strength and Agility +40. Comes with the skill [Crush: When your strength exceeds your opponent''s, each skill will deal damage based on the opponent''s maximum health.]]


    [No level requirement.]


    [Price: 6,000 Contribution Points.]


    ...


    [Bird''s Crown]


    [Effect: All attributes +80. Comes with the skill [Ascend: After 30 seconds of continuousbat, all your attributes will increase by an additional 20%.]]


    [No level requirement.]


    [Price: 8,500 Contribution Points.]


    ...


    [Demon Garb]


    [Category: Top]


    [Effect: Strength and Constitution +120. Comes with the skill [Erge: You can increase your size, and as your size grows, your health and strength/constitution will also increase. Therger your size, the more energy and stamina you will consume per second.]]


    [No level requirement.]


    [Price: 9,900 Contribution Points.]


    ...


    Sterl was thrilled by these items.


    Indeed, the Dark Moon Alliance offered several unrestricted items that could be used as long as you had the contribution points, albeit at a higher pricepared to simrly tiered equipment.


    At his current Friendly reputation level, the unrestricted gear avable to him was roughly equivalent to third-ss tinum-quality items.


    However, he didn''t rush to buy them. Instead, he closed the shop interface and sent a private message to Teresa: "I''ll be over shortly."

 Chapter 143: Refining the [Newborn Sprout of Creation]

    "Master."


    "I''ve run into a bit of a situation here..."


    "Could youe by a bitter?"


    "I have some matters I need to handle first."


    Sterl frowned as he read Teresa''s message on the interface.


    He knew his deputy star quite well. Ordinary circumstances were not enough to make Teresa refuse him.


    Unless Teresa was facing a significant threat and didn''t want to drag Sterl into it.


    Sterl didn''t hesitate. He couldn''t abandon his loyal deputy star. Linna and Rayna still needed to stay with the human race on Earth for a while longeruntil Sterl felt it waspletely safe to enhance their abilities.


    The power and status that Teresamanded, along with her control over a group of second-ss yers, could protect Sterl''s two family members well.


    Since Teresa was in trouble, Sterl decided to help her out. After all...


    Having witnessed the divine war, Sterl felt a bit invincible, given that the strongest beings among Earth''s humans were only demigods!


    Of course, out of caution, even though he decided to set off immediately, he took an extra step.


    Sterl immediately activated his legendary ability, Shadow Stealth, to enter the shadow world.


    Two secondster, he returned with a look of joy.


    The attributes of the [Newborn Sprout of Creation] were now firmly etched in Sterl''s mind.


    Yes, he nned to use the [Newborn Sprout of Creation], but to be safe, he hid in the shadow world before taking out this divine artifact to check its properties��


    [Newborn Sprout of Creation]


    [Category: Special Item]


    [Description: Only by absorbing the life force of an entire world can such a divine artifact be born. Even gods would covet it.]


    [Effect: Upon use, grants the divine authority [Nature] and the special skill [Purification Ripple].]


    An additional divine authority?


    Wow!


    Sterl''s eyes shed with excitement. No wonder gods fought over this item��it was incredible!


    Obtaining a divine authority, what did that mean?


    Previously, when Sterl ascended to godhood, he sensed that Gloria possessed two types of divine power, corresponding to dual divine authorities. Meanwhile, the single-authority God of Heaven''s Water was utterly outssed by Gloria!


    This demonstrated that dual divine authorities not only allowed for rapid umtion of divine power but also significantly boostedbat strength.


    By refining the Newborn Sprout of Creation, Sterl would directly gain the [Nature] divine authority, which spoke volumes about its value.


    Sterl then looked at the other effect of the [Newborn Sprout of Creation] and was pleasantly surprised. Gaining a skill from such a high-tier item? It had to be powerful! What kind of skill would it be?


    Focusing his attention, the skill panel for [Purification Ripple] appeared before him.


    [Purification Ripple]


    [Description: A rare special skill that may onlye from a divine-level item of the [Nature] attribute or higher.]


    [Effect: Clears all abnormal cmities and restores the environment to its normal state.]


    [Usage Requirement: Must possess an area within your body capable of containing life and purification forces.]


    "Huh?"


    "What good is this?"


    Sterl was initially disappointed, thinking that [Purification Ripple] was a skill for removing control effects.


    The skill left him puzzled��what exactly did it mean to clear "abnormalities" and "cmities"?


    This was definitely not abat skill! In other words, it offered no direct benefit to Sterl. To be frank, he had never even encountered environmental abnormalities or cmities before.


    "Well, maybe it''s not entirely useless. Perhaps in some instances, I won''t even be able to stay without clearing cmities and abnormalities."Sterl tried to reassure himself.


    Then...


    He noticed the usage requirement for this item and paused.


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot! Items of this level usually have usage restrictions..."


    Originally, as a yer who hadn''t even reached second ss, Sterl would be incapable of hosting a divine authority.


    The [Human] divine authority he had previously obtained was purely due to a failed scheme by a god, which ended up benefiting Sterl.


    Luckily, the restriction for using the Newborn Sprout of Creation was having the ability to open an area within his body capable of storing life energy. For gods, this would likely require a significant sacrifice.


    It wasn''t a fixed level requirement.


    But Sterl had already created that small grove within his mental domain using As a Creator''s Act.


    Now, he didn''t need to do anything else.He could directly refine the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    Without hesitation, Sterl waited a few more seconds until his energy had almost fully recovered, then used his legendary ability again to slip into the shadow world.


    Quickly, he chose to use the [Newborn Sprout of Creation]!


    In an instant, in the shadow world, usually enveloped inyers of dark "light" that absorbed all illumination, a bright green light burst forth!


    Sterl felt a strange sprout touch his chest, as if it were taking root.


    Unlike normal nts that draw energy after rooting, Sterl felt a massive, peculiar force flow into him through the roots of the Newborn Sprout of Creation, continuously improving his physique!


    He then received several notifications in quick session.


    [You have been influenced by the Newborn Sprout of Creation, your life force has increased!]


    [You have been influenced by the Newborn Sprout of Creation, your life force has increased!]


    [You have been...]


    The same notification repeated five times.


    Thest one was even more significant��


    [You have been influenced by the Newborn Sprout of Creation, your life force has increased dramatically!]


    Sterl felt that in the brief moment within the shadow world, his entire body was enveloped and evolved by a dense life force.


    Then, the power from the divine authority began to merge with him!


    He felt as if his entire body had turned semi-transparent, with strange auras and energies continuously entering and transforming his form.


    Simultaneously, his mental domain underwent another massive change. This transformation was different from the previous one with Moon Law and the descent of the Human divine authority.All the celestial bodies inexplicably became much more solid.


    Sterl could clearly sense that if he used As a Creator''s Act to manifest these ces into reality, the amount of faith powerrequired had been reduced to just thirty percent of what it originally was!


    Meanwhile, lush green grass sprouted across all the celestial bodies. Depending on their distance from the radiant gxy, nts that could adapt to their environment began to grow, transforming thes'' ecosystems through their natural power.


    Sterl could faintly sense that it wouldn''t be long before all theses could give birth to new "humans."


    As he attuned to the power of his new divine authority, the vibrant pulse of life disrupted the tranquility of the shadow world. In this previously lifeless realm, several enormous creatures made of pure shadow energy opened their eyes in terror and fury.


    They emitted long, eerie sound waves that resonated throughout the world.


    Quickly, the entire realm seemed toe alive!


    Countless shadow element creatures surged violently.


    Like schools of startled fish, they frantically darted around.


    At this moment, several yers and NPCs who had entered the shadow world for various reasons��whether toprehend some Lawsor, like Sterl, to use it for their abilities��showed expressions of horror.


    "What is this? A shadow world riot?"


    "How is this possible? Isn''t this supposed to happen only once every few thousand years?"


    "Wait, what are you doing? No! Help me!"


    ...


    In an instant, these unfortunate souls were all devoured by the rampaging shadow beasts!


    Even their full resistance was futile, as the number of shadow beasts was simply overwhelming.


    In this seemingly silent world, almost all shadow energy could be activated and transformed into elemental life forms. A handful of yers and NPCs, even if they had reached legendary status or were close to demigod level, were instantly obliterated in this ocean of shadows!


    At the epicenter of it all��the ce filled with vibrant green energy��the terrifying aura actually caused the shadow beasts to retreat, not daring to approach!


    Deep within the shadow energy-filled world, a god opened his eyes: "Who is it?"


    "A god from the prime world. You have broken the pact..."


    "Huh?"


    The god exhibited a human-like expression of confusion, realizing that the brilliant life and nature energy had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had just passed by.


    ...


    "That went well. Merging in the shadow world was indeed safer, finished without a hitch."Sterl said calmly as he returned home.


    From his perspective, the shadow world hadn''t changed at all and was as quiet as ever...


    Having absorbed the [Newborn Sprout of Creation], Sterl knew his primary gains would manifest in the future, but he had already noticed one immediate benefit...


    The five consecutive boosts to his life force had made him far surpass elite NPCs, without the downside of a limited future. Sterl even felt, "With the nature divine authority residing in my body, my life force will continue to increase over time. Before long, I''ll probably have boss-level health!"


    Excitement shed in his eyes. Having elite-level health was very useful, significantly enhancing his survival abilities. However, strong yers could still one-shot same-level elite monsters.


    Thus, Sterl''sbat encounters were still risky. But once he reached boss-level health, even if facing opponents a whole tier higher (second ss against third ss, third ss against legendary), their full-force attacks wouldn''t be able to kill him!


    He also had a life force reservoir for rapid recovery and an ability to drain life to heal himself.


    In other words, Sterl would be invincible on the offensive end thanks to the abilities evolved over time!


    On the defensive side, he would be incredibly tanky, nearly impossible to kill.


    Wouldn''t that make him practically invincible??


    A glimmer of excitement shed in his eyes.

 Chapter 144: Public Trial of Teresa, Human Traitor?

    After absorbing the Newborn Sprout of Creation, Sterl didn''t linger. He headed straight to the Expansion Hall to use the teleportation array.


    At this moment, as Sterl had predicted, Teresa was in an extremely dire situation.


    She stood in the Expansion Hall of Advanced Base 131 with a very distressed expression on her face.


    Next to her was Daphne, equally furious.


    The second-ss yers Sterl had previously recruited were forced to stand at a distance from the two women, also looking angry.


    But they could only hold it in.


    The Expansion Hall was now packed with yers from at least four or five different bases.


    The tall chandelier on the domed ceiling cast a glow on the faces of countless people below. Anyone with a bit of knowledge would recognize that these were all notable figures, at least second-ss and above!


    They were the backbone of Earth''s human race!


    At this moment, a high chair and desk had been elevated in the center of the hall, forming a giant tribunal.


    On the tribunal, the chief judge slowly stepped forward.


    Seeing this person, Teresa and Daphne''s faces filled with terror��it was the head of their "Ironheart" family.


    A figure who had been at the third ss for a long time but was already capable of breaking through to the legendary level��Astrid.


    She was an olddy dressed in old-fashioned attire, wearing a gray nylon coat and a long hat.


    She was the strongest member of the "Ironheart" family and the symbol of the n!


    Teresa and Daphne knew that this matriarch possessed a fully maxed-out gold-quality skill! She seemed to be collecting other gold skills to prepare for an even stronger legendary promotion.


    Many second-ss, third-ss yers among Earth''s humans spected that having more gold-quality skills was better for advancing to the legendary level, based on thisdy''s actions.


    Beside thisdy, several jurors appeared with the glow of teleportation, each one holding an extraordinary position among Earth''s humans.


    The head of the "Dragonblood" family, Alcander.The head of the "Divine Might" family, Nelson.The head of the "World Anchor" family, Lexi.And numerous presidents of major guilds.


    This was the luxurious lineup assembled from nearly ten advanced bases!


    There was only one reason for this gathering.


    As the guards shouted, "The trial begins!"


    Beams of light instantly formed shackles that bound Teresa, Daphne, and the yers under Sterl''smand, rendering them unable to use any skills or even move. They could only stand there in a humiliating half-kneel.


    At this moment, Astrid wore a look of pity.


    "Teresa, you still refuse to reveal how you obtained that batch of equipment and resources?"


    "Furthermore, who did you conspire with to kill our n elder? Do you know he was themander of this base? If you confess, we can give you a painless death."


    "You should be aware of the reputation of the family''s Tribunal."


    n Chief Astrid of the "Ironheart" family questioned angrily, as if Teresa hadmitted an unforgivable crime.


    The other family heads and guild leaders nearby also gritted their teeth, seemingly sharing in the outrage.


    "This is insane! Killing the basemander? What won''t you dare do next?"


    "She must be executed to serve as a warning to others."


    "Astrid, you''re too lenient. That''s why this despicable wretch dared to kill a noble elder, to kill themander of our Earth human base!"


    Their righteous indignation was palpable, and they emanated the powerful aura of third-ss yers, pressing down on Teresa and Daphne.


    "Speak! Who did you conspire with to murder the basemander?"


    "How did youe by those mysterious skill books and equipment? Reveal the source immediately!"


    The third-ss powerhouses were relentless, their energy ring. It was clear that if Teresa and Daphne''s answers were unsatisfactory, they would be struck down without mercy.


    Their eyes shed with both anger and greed.


    The anger stemmed from the belief that yers cultivated by their families were nothing more than dogs who dared to bite the hand that fed them. This was a revolt that had to be crushed to set an example!


    At this point, the interests of all the families were highly aligned because they needed to jointly maintain this brutal system. Anyone who dared to rise up had to die! And they had to die miserably!


    At the same time, therge batch of second-ss equipment Teresa had revealed was highly tempting to these families.


    Earth''s human race was, after all, poor!


    Any family that acquired that batch of equipment could see a significant boost in strength.


    But more importantly, these families had concluded after analysis that Teresa and Daphne didn''t have the power to kill the basemander on their own.


    Someone or some force must be backing them, providing significant resources to support them.


    After killing the basemander, this person or force had gone into hiding, and Teresa and Daphne had done their best to cover it up.


    The conclusion was simple.


    This person or force wasn''t strong enough to confront Earth''s human ns head-on! Killing a third-ssmander had already taken a great deal of effort, forcing them into hiding.


    But the fact that this person or force could produce such arge amount of resources while being rtively weak indicated they had a very rich resource channel, capable of quickly acquiring second-ss equipment.


    This channel made the families'' eyes burn with desire!


    Thus, this public trial was convened! The families wanted the surrounding base yers to witness the unveiling of this resource channel, ensuring fair ess for all.


    Though a single family''s power was strong, they still needed to interact with other Earth human yers. If they were caught using underhanded tactics to monopolize the channel, their reputation would suffer greatly!


    Otherwise, Teresa and Daphne would have long been captured and interrogated by individual families.


    Faced with the terrifying aura of third-ss yers, Teresa and Daphne nearly buckled to their knees.


    Daphne was utterly bewildered. Her loyalty to "David" wasn''t that high, but she knew that whether she spoke or not, she was doomed. She could only grit her teeth, close her eyes, and brace for the worst.


    y Dead!


    Teresa breathed a slight sigh of relief. If Daphne showed even a hint of revealing their master''s information, even if it was false, Teresa would have no choice but to kill her!


    Sterl had given Teresa a lot of equipment. While Sterl hadn''t closely examined many of the attributes, Teresa had collected some with special functions. Even in her restrained state, she could still kill a simrly restrained and defenseless Daphne.


    This was Teresa''s ultimate loyalty as a "faithful dog"!


    At this moment, facing the intense questioning from numerous third-ss family members, Teresa remained calm. "I don''t know how the basemander died."


    "I''ve said many times that the resources were a reward frompleting a hidden mission."


    The second-ss yers who had be Sterl''s subordinates under a contract looked bitter. "We did participate in the hidden mission with Miss Teresa, and the reason she has so much equipment is because we handed over part of our rewards for her to distribute."


    Their statements were full of holes. Why would they listen to Teresa? Why would they give her the equipment? Didn''t this just prove that there was indeed a mysterious entity behind Teresa controlling them?


    At this point, the family heads and guild leaders didn''t even need to speak again. The yers below were already in an uproar.


    They could easily spot the inconsistencies in Sterl''s subordinates'' words, and their minds filled in the gaps��


    It was true!


    Teresa and Daphne, these two popr beauties in nearby advanced bases, really had betrayed them!


    The yers'' expressions changed!


    The Earth human race had always emphasized education from the moment yers were first born, ensuring that everyone lived in a fervor to sacrifice everything for their race.


    While most yers, as they grew stronger, were unwilling to give their lives for the so-called race, they at least still loved theirmunity!


    Only someone like Sterl, who had inherent memories, could be immune to such brainwashing.


    At this moment, the yers looked at Teresa and the others with intense hatred. "So you really did kill the basemander!"


    "Are you insane? If the base loses itsmander and gets destroyed, you will be the criminals!"


    "Do you know how many ordinary people live in the base?"


    "Kill them! Kill them all!"


    The yers shouted fervently, filled with rage!


    Many even pulled out potions and items from their inventories and threw them forward! Fortunately, the Expansion Hall had protective measures against attacks, with AI automatically shielding against toxic and explosive substances.


    Nevertheless, with the dark green toxic smoke and bursts of firelight, Teresa, Daphne, and Sterl''s subordinates looked increasingly pale and desperate.


    Seeing everyone''s extreme anger, the third-ss yers above them shouted, "Teresa, Daphne, confess the truth!!"


    Thismand was imbued with skill effects, carrying a soul-stirring power.


    Anyone with a weak mind would likely fall into a daze and spill everything when interrogated this way.


    However, Teresa covered Daphne''s mouth with one hand and shouted loudly, "I told you, I don''t know anything!"

 Chapter 145: Just a Second-Class?

    Teresa shouted excitedly.


    "You''re simply ndering us."


    "Who doesn''t know that the major families control all the resources, and have even ndered ordinary yers multiple times for their own gain!"


    "Do you think you can fool anyone? Previously, a yer at Advanced Base 441 got an B-level ss change quest scroll, but was directly captured by you and had their scroll taken away. You even destroyed their physical body!"


    "And at Intermediate Base 5111, a diamond-grade item appeared. Didn''t you kill all the guild members who discovered it?"


    "You guys��"


    She frantically exposed their dirty secrets.


    Teresa''s aggressive usations were intended to enrage the family leaders, hoping they would kill her and herpanions immediately.


    "To avoid�� putting the master in danger for a rescue."she thought.


    Although Teresa knew Sterl was usually rational, as a subordinate, she couldn''t let her master take any risks.


    In Teresa''s view, despite her master''s immense strength��capable of killing third-ss yers in one hit��such a move probably consumed a lot of energy and couldn''t be used easily.


    Sterl had managed an instant kill of a third-ss yer before, but that was under the advantage of a sneak attack.


    Now, with multiple third-ss yers from various families present, wouldn''t her master be walking into certain death if he came to their rescue? Even if the chance of that happening was one in ten thousand, Teresa wanted to eliminate that risk!


    She thought, even if her master had made breakthroughs due to his formidable talent, he might have only increased in level slightly. Breaking through to second-ss was still uncertain!


    Given the current situation, if Sterl came, it would be a death sentence!


    She only wanted a quick death! To be killed along with Daphne and the other yers as soon as possible��


    Although death wasn''t the end, because in reality, the families'' power was equally terrifying. Such major forces had already arranged for some professionals to patrol and act as enforcers in the real world.


    After being deleted in the game, Teresa and the other yers would undoubtedly meet a miserable end in reality��


    But she didn''t hesitate in deciding to sacrifice herself!


    "In reality, the master and I have no contact at all."


    "Even if the master wanted to help, he wouldn''t have the chance. He wouldn''t be in any danger."


    ��


    No one knew Teresa''s thoughts.


    But her provocation worked!


    After her revtions, the expressions of the ordinary second-ss yers below changed. They were well aware of the major families'' domineering and disgusting behavior.


    What Teresa said was most likely true!


    Or rather, the sudden disappearance of yers on the rise in those bases had always aroused suspicion.


    The people below had different looks in their eyes, but considering the third-ss powerhouses above, they kept silent. They were all adults and understood the need to avoid harm.


    Cursing the major families behind their backs was one thing, but facing them in person, which ordinary yer wouldn''t kneel and lick boots?


    The tiniest bit of benefit from the major families could make an ordinary yer''s life, while their slightest targeting could make it a living hell.


    While the yers suspected Teresa might truly be wronged, they still shouted:


    "Shut up! Still trying to argue!"


    "Killing the basemander is an unforgivable crime!"


    ��


    Although they appeared fervent, their momentum had undeniably weakened.


    The expressions on the faces of the many third-ss yers on the tribunal above were sinister. They could clearly see that the yers from various bases already believed about eighty percent of the dirt Teresa had thrown out.


    The third-ss yers were extremely angry��


    Just because they did it doesn''t mean you can say it! How audacious!


    "Since you are incorrigible."


    "I hereby sentence all of you to death for the crime of betraying humanity."


    "First, we''ll deal with your game characters. Then, in the real world, you will face a second trial!"


    Astrid stated coldly.


    The so-called second trial, of course, meant capturing these people in reality and torturing them until they revealed the way to easily obtain second-ss equipment.


    Human willpower has its limits, especially after a game character''s death, where all supernatural power turns to nothing. How could ordinary flesh and blood withstand professional interrogation?


    The yers below, although aware that the major families were no saints, also judged that Teresa and the others likely did kill the basemander, so they joined in the mor.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    The shouts were deafening!


    Astrid began to step down from the tribunal slowly, raising a scepter in her hand, golden light shining upon her.


    Astrid was poised to m the scepter into the ground!


    This was the signature move for her golden-quality skill [Divine Punishment], perfect for executing "sinners"!


    Teresa and the other yers were filled with terror and despair.


    To be honest, losing just their game characters was already a significant blow, as in the real world, ordinary people couldn''t survive and would quickly sumb to illness and death.


    But now, even dying from illness had be a luxury! The notorious interrogation chambers of the major families were infamous!


    Once captured, they would find that even death would be a difficult mercy to obtain!


    At this moment, many yers were already trembling in extreme fear.


    Teresa noticed this scene, a trace of panic shing in her eyes. She originally thought that her death would end it all.


    But now, the other yers'' mentality had copsed. Expecting them to keep secrets was impossible.


    The contracts they signed earlier were just shallow restrictions.They had to obey Sterl''s orders and couldn''t harm him. But simply revealing information? The contract couldn''t prevent that!


    Because now, the yers feared the prospect of not even being able to die in peace in the real world more than the destruction of their game characters!


    And Teresa''s despair deepened as she realized she couldn''t kill the other yers instantly while being restrained.


    "I''m sorry�� Master."


    "I couldn''t protect your information."


    As expected, Sterl''s subordinates began to speak out in terror, just as Teresa had feared.


    At this moment, the high-ranking third-ss yers also smirked coldly. They had known this oue from the start. It was possible that Teresa alone could be extremely loyal to that mysterious entity or individual.


    But for everyone to be so loyal??


    Moreover, even if they were all loyal, could they all withstand torture?


    From the beginning, when the family heads convened this tribunal, they had already nned to leverage the momentum of the ordinary yers and use the subtle pressure of the elevated position to pry open the mouths of Teresa and herpanions!


    However...


    While the third-ss yers were already wearing smug smiles, they suddenly heard some unexpected words��


    The yers, who had been forced to speak under pressure and fear, were not disclosing any information but instead saying��


    "Lord David? Why are you here?"


    "Did youe to save us? You need to leave! These are third-ss yers!"


    "Don''t worry about us.Just avenge uster."


    ��


    The yers, under duress and fear, were ready to reveal information.


    But their hearts still leaned towards "David." After all, this big shot had been generous and showed limitless potential, so they all began to persuade him.


    They believed that "Lord David" might not have the strength to rescue them now, but he could avenge them in the future!


    Teresa initially felt a burst of joy, "Lord Sterl actually hasn''t abandoned me!"


    But then her expression quickly turned tense.


    "Wait! No! These are all third-ss yers. If Lord Sterles this time, he might be in serious trouble."


    Suddenly, Teresa felt a pang of regret!


    Her own provocative actions were still somewhat too slow. If she could have acted earlier and let those family patriarchs pronounce the judgment results, although it might have caused the yers to lose theirposure even sooner and reveal the master''s information, perhaps, after divulging the information, they all would have been executed.


    Then Lord Sterl wouldn''t have to waste time on a rescue and wouldn''t be trapped in this dire situation!


    She knew that the third-ss yers standing on the tribunal were the heads of major families!


    Their strength far surpassed that of ordinary third-ss yers!


    Astrid, in particr, possessed a fully legendary golden skill, making her a semi-legendary figure! She was one of the top powerhouses among the entire human race on Earth, vastly superior to the third-ss yer Sterl had previously killed��a difference as vast as heaven and earth!


    Not to mention the other family heads, who were also formidable.


    Teresa was almost frantic with worry: "Lord David, run!"


    As she shouted, she seemed to activate some kind of item, suddenly breaking free from the shackles of the tribunal, her body enveloped in electric light, charging forward!


    She was actually using her newly-acquired second-ss strength to charge at the third-ss powerhouses!


    Her only goal was to buy time for Sterl to escape.


    Teresa''s actions instantly jolted everyone present awake.


    When Sterl appeared, the other yers were initially stunned��it turned out the family heads were right��


    There really was someone behind Teresa and her group!


    In other words, this newly-appeared figure was the one who killed the basemander!


    The third-ss yers on the tribunal were initially tense.


    ording to their investigation, themander of Base 131 was killed in an extremely short battle. Although the killer had remained elusive, this alone proved that his strength was not enough to rival the major families.


    But someone capable of instantly killing a third-ss yer was certainly not easy to deal with.


    The family heads, who had lived for countless years, were naturally very cautious and wouldn''t act rashly without knowing their opponent''s true strength.


    But when Teresa, a loyal subordinate, charged out at all costs to buy time for the mysterious figure that had appeared,


    The yers present and the family heads seemed to understand��


    Even his own subordinates didn''t believe he could win!

 Chapter 146: Family Forces? Exterminate Them All!

    The third-ss yers on the scene immediately felt reassured!


    The yers in the audience, initially taken aback, quickly realized the situation!


    The shadowy figure who had appeared was clearly no expert! Seeing his loyal subordinate, Teresa, going to such extreme lengths to buy time, even at the cost of her life, indicated that this person was far weaker than the third-ss yers of the major families.


    So, what to do? The answer was obvious.


    Soon, someone cautiously cast a series of detection spells on Sterl.


    Then, they excitedly shouted, "What a joke, he''s just a second-ss yer!"


    "Is this some kind of prank? A second-ss yer dares to show his face??"


    "Family heads, you don''t need to lift a finger. We''ll take care of him for you!"


    "So, you and those traitors conspired to kill our basemander??"


    The yers quickly reverted to their earlier staunch support for the family forces, and they were visibly excited, rushing towards Sterl at the front of the stage!


    They were afraid of being toote and missing the chance to attack because, after all, he was just a second-ss yer. If everyone here each cast a spell, he''d probably die instantly!


    So, they had to act quickly. The lucky ones who attacked first would have the chance to show off in front of the family heads!


    The third-ss yers merely frowned slightly without making a move or saying a word.


    Especially Astrid, the "Iron-Hearted" family head, who stood with her hands behind her back, canceling the skill she was about to unleash, her eyes filled with caution.


    As a yer who had lived for over a century and frequently used life-extending items, Astrid knew that unusual circumstances often meant something was amiss. For a mere second-ss yer to dare face a group of third-ss yers, he must have some hidden trump card, right?


    The other family heads had simr suspicions, so they let the ordinary second-ss yers rush forward to attack.


    Meanwhile, they secretly pondered��


    Whether this mysterious figure had a hidden card or was just a fool seeking death, their own safety could be assured while the ordinary yers probed him.


    If the person had no trump card and was beaten by the yers, the family heads could then step in to rescue "David" and capture him for interrogation.


    If he did have a trump card, then it was no loss if the ordinary yers died.


    The lives of frence yers were insignificantpared to the interests of the families.


    At this moment, Sterl remained calm, waiting for the yers to get close.


    Meanwhile, Teresa had been easily subdued.


    Sterl''s other subordinates looked pained, thinking that Lord David must be out of his mind... Was he nning to get himself killed too?


    The frenzied second-ss yers reached Sterl, each gathering their skills.


    But they noticed that "David" still showed no reaction, as if he was waiting to die.


    No, he was definitely waiting to die!


    With the same second-ss strength, even if this person had high attribute values and quick reflexes, there was no way he could escape now!


    The others'' skills were almost fully charged.


    The third-ss yers also reached a conclusion��


    "This guy, really has no trump card??"


    "He''s just here to die??"


    "After all this, turns out he''s just a lunatic."


    The family heads finally rxed, finding the situation almostughable. Such a worthless piece of trash had made them waste a few extra seconds of thought...


    This was a great offense. This person had to be sent to the family''s interrogation room afterward! He needed to learn what it meant to challenge their authority!


    The second-ss yers were also extremely excited. They had been a bit scared when they first charged forward, worried that Sterl might have a trump card. Now it seemed they could safely win the favor of the major families.


    Many of the yers couldn''t help but sincerely think, "Thank you, David!"


    What further reassured the surrounding yers and the third-ss family heads was the sight of Teresa and the rest of Sterl''s subordinates looking utterly despondent:


    "Lord David! Dodge quickly!"


    "Don''t worry about us.Escape while you can."


    "It''s all over. What''s happened to Lord David? Is he being controlled?"


    "Does this mean we have no hope of revenge in the future?"


    Their expressions were filled with despair and pain, no trace of pretense. They looked at the third-ss yers on the stage with hatred.


    They knew "David''s" realbat strength: second-ss yers were no match for him! He could dispatch a group with a wave of his hand! Now that Lord David wasn''t moving at all, he must be under some sort of control!


    They hadn''t seen any skill effects, so it must be that those third-ss yers used some special or highly concealed skills to ambush him!


    It was too despicable! With such a significant advantage in strength, they still resorted to such underhanded tactics.


    Sterl''s subordinates were seething with anger!


    Now, not only were they all going to be wiped out here, but even thest hope of Lord David avenging them in the future was gone!


    The yers from various bases and families present had simr thoughts to Sterl''s subordinates.


    The third-ss yers on the stage looked at the second-ss yers below, thinking that among these weaklings, someone actually possessed such a concealed control skill? It immobilized Davidpletely?


    They thought they could find and cultivate such a yer, adding another dog to the family.


    The ordinary second-ss yers below were in awe, believing that the family heads must have secretly acted to strip David of his ability to resist!


    This was the power and foundation of the third-ss family heads?


    Such strong control abilities, executed without any visible disturbance! Too powerful!


    As for why they only controlled "David."it was likely because the family heads thought letting themon yers kill "David" would alleviate public outrage!


    After all, everyone was united in their anger over the death of the basemander!


    The family heads were indeed farsighted!


    For a moment, everyone present reached a perfect consensus: "David" was controlled! He was doomed!


    At this point, Sterl finally moved slightly, lifting his gaze and raising an eyebrow.


    He had no idea that his usual silent demeanor, meant to maintain an air of mystery, had caused such a huge misunderstanding��


    Sterl was just waiting for the opposing yers to get close so he could take them out in one go, creating the most visually striking effect.


    After all, he enjoyed showing off.


    Additionally, it served to intimidate his subordinates, boosting their loyalty.


    Although Sterl didn''t need a bunch of second-ss yers, Linna and Rayna did require their protection...


    Even though attacks were about to hit him, Sterl''s mind wandered.


    Having experienced divine battles, facing a group of second-ss and third-ss yers felt almostughable to him...


    Standing still, Sterl wasn''t just posturing.He was also pondering which skill to use to kill these people in one go.


    After a moment, he calmly snapped his fingers, fully buffing himself with abilities like Divine Descent and Life Ignite, causing various visual effects to light up around him.


    But at this point, no one paid attention.Even if David broke free from control, there wouldn''t be enough time to cast any skills!


    Subsequently, Sterl tripled the power and doubled the range of his skills using Stardust Enhancement, and he cast two consecutive Celestial Stars!


    "What low consumption!"


    After casting the skills, Sterl was astonished to find that using these purple-quality skills, typically only essible to third-ss yers, barely depleted his energy bar.


    It just showed how absurdly high the consumption of his usual legendary abilities and Law Power was...


    Sterl mentally rxed and made a yfulment.


    Soon, the third-ss family heads were still sittingfortably, but beneath their feet, a blue attack indicator appeared.


    The yers who had rushed to the stage were simrly surrounded by another attack indicator.


    Only a few yers who hadn''t made it close to Sterl had empty space beneath their feet.


    What was this?


    The ordinary yers reacted slowly, but the third-ss family heads, with their long lifespans, were immediately on high alert!!


    The fact that Teresa''s backer was merely a second-ss yer had already made these heads suspicious. Now, they felt... could it be that someone else from "David''s" faction had taken action?


    Instantly, the third-ss family heads and guild leaders scattered in all directions!


    Despite this, they remained rxed. As they saw it, David''s faction couldn''t be that strong.Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been hiding all this time. Nheless, out of caution, they didn''t want to take a hit for no reason.


    Unfortunately, as they ran, they thought to themselves, "Teresa''s faction is really foolish..."


    "Do they think we weren''t prepared..."


    Boom!!


    The third-ss yers couldn''t escape!


    Celestial Stars plummeted to the ground, first crashing through the roof of the Expander Hall, creating a massive hole!


    Then, the terrifying power exploded! The first wave released an incredibly high-temperature me!!


    It nearly melted the entire Expander Hall into liquid!


    Countless second-ss yers who had rushed forward were incinerated by the first wave of mes from Celestial Stars!!


    Even the tank-ss yers, who had preemptively activated shields and damage reduction skills to guard against a counterattack from the "stationary David."were instantly consumed by the mes, their life forces extinguished!


    As a result, the subsequent impact force of Celestial Stars had no targets left to hit!


    The third-ss yers met a simrly tragic fate!


    Though they had cautiously activated speed-boosting skills to escape and protection skills to shield themselves, it was all in vain!


    After the first terrifying wave of mes, everyone was gravely injured.


    Then, the catastrophic impact force of Celestial Stars hitting the ground ttened several family heads and guild leaders into pulp!

 Chapter 147: Total Annihilation of the Third-Class!

    Indeed, Sterl had used only purple-quality skills in this round, yet he almost wiped out all the third-ss yers.


    After all, with all his attributes fully activated, he could even wrestle with near-max-level second-ss bosses like the Shadow of Hatred. Normal third-ss yers, unless they had S-level sses and additional attribute-boosting skills or talents, could never achieve such stats!


    Given the Earth''s humans were already resource-poor, the highest-tier ss Hearts among the family heads and guild leaders present were only B-level, far from sufficient!


    So, with the mental attribute boost and Stardust Enhancement, the third-ss yers, despite being family heads with numerous life-saving items, were instantly vaporized!


    Of course, these third-ss family heads and guild leaders felt incredibly aggrieved, as they hadn''t even been able to use their full strength to save themselves...


    They were just turned to ashes!


    The only exception...


    What made Sterl frown slightly was that one third-ss yer had survived.


    That yer was Astrid, the head of theIronheart family.


    She was in a dire state, but as a renowned third-ss yer from Earth, Astrid was equipped with a rare amulet that could shield her from a fatal blow.


    Earlier, the mes from Celestial Stars had burned away all of Astrid''s armor and protective skills, and the impact had forced her to use her life-saving amulet.


    But, the continuous burning from Celestial Stars and the stardust sshes triggered by the deaths of other family heads and guild leaders left the Ironheart familyleader in a wretched condition!


    Astrid stood there, dazed.


    Thest time she had been this severely injured was before her family was established.


    Back then, she was just an ordinary third-ss yer who had encountered a legendary opponent. A casual strike from the enemy had instilled immense fear in her!


    Facing the attack from David''s faction this time, she felt the same fear.


    Yes, even now Astrid didn''t believe that the Celestial Stars had been cast by David. She thought someone from his faction had intervened!


    After all, he was just a second-ss yer. Could he really deal such high damage??


    However, Sterl also frowned slightly at this moment. His originally perfect n to show off by annihting all opponents with two Celestial Stars...


    Had left a survivor?


    Sterl discreetly pointed a Star Point Finger.


    Before Astrid could react, a bloody hole appeared in her body, and she died instantly!


    Only then was Sterl satisfied. As long as hefollow-up attack was fast enough, all opponents were effectively one-shot!


    He stood there, hands behind his back, striking a pose as a master.


    Unfortunately, very few were left to appreciate this scene.


    Even those who weren''t in the attack range were in a dazed state, stunned by the terrifying power of Celestial Stars! They were dizzy, their figures swaying.


    It took a long while before the second-ss yers from various bases below couldprehend what had happened. They looked at the ground, now covered in dissipating dust and two massive craters, creating an extremely chaotic scene!


    As for the yers hit by the attack, even the family heads and guild leaders, there wasn''t a single body left behind.


    But everyone knew...


    They were dead!


    Because the ground was littered with nearly a hundred blood-red glowing loot orbs.


    This indicated that over a hundred yers had died in a "PK" (yer kill).


    Sterl stood quietly, gazing ahead.


    He observed the second-ss yers from various bases initially wearing extremely bewildered expressions, seemingly unable to ept the reality.


    Then, confusion turned into shock, followed by fear, panic, unease, and reverence.


    Their emotions esctedyer byyer!!


    The yers below were utterly bbergasted!


    "What just happened? What went down here??"


    "All those third-ss powerhouses were killed in an instant??"


    "Who did it? Was it that David guy? Doesn''t seem like it, but then again��"


    The yers were inplete disarray, struggling to ept the reality, but the loot orbs on the ground dered it loud and clear��the third-ss yers were dead.


    Even more difficult for them to ept was the fact that the seemingly controlled David had summoned two Celestial Stars, obliterating everything.


    Unlike Astrid before her death, these yers immediately assumed that David must have been the one to act.


    Mainly because if David hadn''t done it, why would he be striking such a pose? Looking all triumphant after casting a massive spell!?


    At this moment, Sterl moved, turning to look at the second-ss yers from various bases.


    Instantly, they all froze, not daring to move a muscle, their eyes filled with terror!


    "We''re screwed!"


    "Are we going to die here??"


    "This�� feels like there''s no way to escape."


    ...


    The second-ss yers from various bases were quite self-aware. The two Celestial Stars had a huge range and, although there was a warning, they fell incredibly fast. Even those third-ss big shots couldn''t escape.


    What could they possibly do??


    Moreover, seeing how rxed David looked, he could probably summon another Celestial Stars just as easily. Running now would be tantamount to waiting for death!


    But then they remembered how they had treated David''s subordinates earlier,pletely intent on skinning them alive and eating their flesh!


    Instantly, their hearts turned cold!


    The yers then looked at Sterl''s subordinates, realizing why they had been so defiant earlier��because they had such a powerful trump card...


    If it were them, theywouldn''t ept any judgment either!


    However, when the yers nced at Sterl''s subordinates, they were baffled once more.


    Because they too wore expressions of disbelief!


    Including the seemingly loyal Teresa, who looked utterly bewildered by the scene around her.


    She knelt on the ground, her hair disheveled, and the high-temperature air currents created by Celestial Stars blowing her clothes and hair, giving her a somewhat picturesque appearance.


    But her eyes were filled with confusion.


    "Lord David, your Celestial Stars..."


    Teresa began to speak but then realized she couldn''t reveal any information about her master, quickly shutting her mouth, though her eyes grew increasingly puzzled.


    Sterl''s other subordinates wore simr expressions, utterly baffled.


    Previously, during the trials in the Divine Mountain Empire, they had seen Lord David in action, but he had never been this powerful.


    Back then, Celestial Stars couldn''t have killed third-ss yers, especially those veteran powerhouses among them!


    For a moment, the atmosphere was incredibly silent, until the sound of footsteps echoed from a distance.


    Soon, Sterl saw several more third-ss yers arriving with a group of second-ss yers, seemingly here for reinforcements.


    The second-ss yers below rushed towards the newly arrived third-ss yers, exining what had just transpired.


    Sterl remained unmoved, allowing them tomunicate. He even pondered whether using Celestial Stars again on these new enemies would be too monotonous.


    His subordinates, including Teresa, hurried over to where Sterl stood, seeking shelter.


    "Lord David, it''s our ipetence."


    "We forced you to take action."


    "Please punish us!"


    Sterl''s subordinates knelt, begging for forgiveness.


    Sterl merely waved his hand slightly, indicating that he didn''t mind.


    "You all did well."


    "Teresa, your loyalty is indeed felt."


    Heforted them gently.


    Meanwhile, the second-ss yers from various bases wore strange expressions as they looked at the newly arrived third-ss yers.


    Some whispered in shock.


    "That''s an elder from the Ironheart family!"


    "That''s Mr. Kalman!"


    "Isn''t that...?"


    ...


    Amidst their scattered murmurs, Sterl could tell that these new arrivals were core members of the families that had previously judged Teresa and her group.


    As for why they had arrived only now, Sterl quickly understood that these families were indeed cautious. Not only did the prominent family heads show up, but they also had third-ss yers lying in ambush to ensure that if Teresa''s backers appeared, they could be taken down securely.


    Unfortunately, the family heads were wiped out in an instant, and by the time these reinforcements heard themotion and arrived, it was toote.


    The newly arrived third-ss yers listened to the reports from the onsite intelligence personnel, their expressions shifting continuously.


    The second-ss yers from various bases watched this scene with a glimmer of hope. They felt they had already offended David to the point of no return, making survival difficult!


    The two Celestial Stars earlier were terrifyingly powerful, and David didn''t seem to have expended much energy.


    But what if? What if David was just pretending to be nonchnt, and was actually severely drained? Then these third-ss family members still had a chance to kill him!


    And they would be saved!


    The second-ss yers felt somewhat relieved, watching expectantly for the actions of the third-ss family members.


    And their hopes were not in vain.


    The powerful third-ss yers, after hearing the intelligence reports, had their expressions change dramatically. They swiftly rushed towards "David"!


    They moved with great confidence, their actions bold and expansive!


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    They all knelt on the ground!


    "Apologies! Mr. David!"


    "We arrived toote!"


    "Huh?" Sterl was stunned, unable toprehend what these people were up to.


    Then, without hesitation, the third-ss family members waved their hands, signaling several other third-ss yers and a group of second-ss yers to attack the ordinary second-ss yers.


    They went all out, even using golden-quality skills.


    Although the killing efficiency was not as high as Sterl''s Celestial Stars, they still quickly turned the remaining second-ss forces of each base upside down!


    As they ughtered, they shouted curses.


    "You bastards dare to harm our honored guest of the human race!"


    "Using your heads to appease Mr. David''s anger!"

 Chapter 148: Forcibly Assimilate Each Family

    Soon, half of the ordinary second-ss yers were killed.


    The remaining yers gave up resisting...


    Faced with third-ss yers, they couldn''t run, and they couldn''t fight back. They could only drop their weapons and kneel, begging for mercy.


    "Spare us!"


    "We were coerced. We didn''t know the truth earlier!"


    "Lord David, please forgive me!"


    One after another, they pleaded desperately.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man, who was clearly a high-ranking member of one of the families, spoke very humbly, "Mr. David, how do you wish to deal with these remaining people? Their lives are yours tomand!"


    Sterl looked at the scene coldly and then turned to Teresa, "You arrange for some to be added to our organization."


    "You don''t need to go personally.I have another task for you."


    Teresa, upon hearing this, was slightly excited, "Yes, Master!"


    She was extremely delighted! Seeing Sterl''s power surge again made her happier than bing stronger herself.


    The third-ss yers from various families stood humbly to the side, waiting for Sterl to finish his orders before approaching him.


    "Honorable warrior, we deeply apologize.It seems there has been some misunderstanding earlier."


    These family members were very quick to adapt to the situation. Although their family heads had been killed, could they possibly resist David now?


    Ordinary yers from various worlds might think about taking a gamble, hoping David was depleted of energy and unable to fight any longer. If they won the gamble, they could kill David!


    But for family yers, there was no need for such a gamble! They valued their lives too much! Losing the gamble meant total annihtion, so they were unwilling to take the chance.


    Moreover...


    "Lord David, since our family heads crazily attacked you and were killed on the spot, why not be our family head instead?"


    These people used their ingenious wisdom: if you can''t beat them, join them! After all, the strength of each family was maintained by the bloodline of powerful individuals!


    David, whether he was truly a second-ss yer or someone hiding his true strength, could easily kill a bunch of third-ss yers!Having him join the family would be a huge gain!


    The family''s strength would actually rise to a higher level in the future.


    As long as Lord David was willing to join the family and share his gic material, they could instantly produce many highly talented yers!


    If David was truly second-ss, his offspring would have incredibly domineering talent. If he was hiding his strength, it wouldn''t be bad either.He was at least an extremely strong third-ss yer, possibly close to legendary! His offspring wouldn''tck talent either.


    The family would win either way!


    In a few years, when the next generation of yers matured, these families would benefit from their misfortune and be the strongest forces!


    Even though the current third-ss yers would soon retire due to talent limitations, the massive benefits brought before the new generation ascended to third-ss would be enough to fatten up many of them!


    In these families'' eyes, it was a win-win situation!


    David could also sit atop several of the strongest family forces!


    You see, among the human race on Earth, only the top 23 sequence bases have legendary figures, and the only demigod is from Base Zero.


    With the power of several families in his hands, plus the next generation cultivated from his gic material, David could directly wield significant influence among the human race on Earth!


    He would be the foremost beneath the legends!!


    The numerous third-ss family yers were confident, believing that David had no reason to refuse such an offer.


    Sterl was taken aback.He hadn''t expected he''d have to sell his gic material. Simply listening to the family yers'' conditions, he found himself somewhat tempted.


    In the game [Transcendence], there were many contracts with binding power. If these family members were willing to submit to him, he wouldn''t have to worry too much about their loyalty.


    Moreover, this would significantly boost Sterl''s power, giving him a directmand over a group of third-ss subordinates.


    However, Teresa quickly whispered a few words to him, and Sterl''s face darkened.


    As someone who has transmigrated,he actually possesses a certain moral fastidiousness. At the very least, he is not so casual when ites to his descendants.


    Producing thousands or tens of thousands of little Sterls, letting them fight each other, and selecting the best?


    Sterl couldn''t ept it. He wasn''t the type to give up immense benefits for a small sense of moral cleanliness, but the problem was, he would have to wait for decades. By that time, Sterl suspected he might already be a god!


    Is this tiny benefit worthpromising his morals??


    "I won''t provide my gic material to you."Sterl said, his face darkened.


    The family members were dumbfounded.They had never encountered someone like this.


    Providing gic material didn''t cost him anything.


    He could just wait and cultivate a powerful group of subordinates��what''s wrong with that?


    Teresa was also a bit surprised. She had only briefly informed her master about the obligations and benefits of bing a family head.


    She didn''t expect Lord Sterl to refuse for such a somewhat inexplicable reason.


    The family members'' faces turned a bit ugly.It seemed there was no room for negotiation: "So you''re refusing our offer, it seems we were aiming too high."


    Their expressions turned speechless, as if thinking this David must be out of his mind.


    However, Sterl merely sneered: "Did you misunderstand something? Do you think you can negotiate with me?"


    With that!


    Boom!!


    Another Celestial Stars attack smashed into the ground, directly overturning those family third-ss yers who seemed ready to leave! They were extremely disheveled! Although they weren''t hit directly, the zing mes unleashed by this volley of Celestial Stars still set their clothes and equipment on fire.


    Each third-ss yer looked uncertain and rmed, struggling to extinguish the mes.


    They stood there, utterly terrified.


    "Lord David, what do you mean by this?"


    "We''ve already shown you our friendship and respect.Why are you doing this?"


    ...


    Sterl coldly replied: "Today, you all must pledge your allegiance to me, or die here."


    Initially, he hadn''t thought of this, but now, after some reflection, having a few family forces under hismand would indeed be quite convenient.


    First, he could take Linna and Rayna along for proper development, and second, the various resources Sterl often crazily farmed could be distributed among the human race on Earth with the help of these families.


    These families,manding high positions within the human race on Earth, could sell the resources at good prices without any markdowns!


    So today, these people would either submit or die!


    At this moment, the faces of the third-ss family yers turned pale! However, this sudden turn of events somewhat lifted the spirits of the ordinary yers from various bases.


    From their perspective, the most disgusting ones were the family third-ss yers who had sided with David to kill them!


    They had refused to join forces with David for the sake of these families'' interests, only to be betrayed without hesitation!


    Now, seeing the family members being threatened, the ordinary yers couldn''t help but cover their mouths, trembling withughter.


    "Finally getting what they deserve!"


    "Poetic justice!"


    ...


    The family yers'' faces turned from green to white and back again. Just as Sterl was considering whether to flex his muscles one more time, these people suddenly made up their minds and solemnly said, "Fine! We are willing to acknowledge you as our master!"


    Family yers specialized in being cowards!


    They valued their lives far more than the average yer! These people often enjoyed tributes from various yers in their families and had long lost the courage to fight to the death in instances or quests.


    At this moment, Teresa hesitated, "Master, I don''t have enough contract scrolls on me."


    "No problem."Sterl nodded casually, then looked at the family yers, "You don''tck contract scrolls, do you?"


    As he spoke, a faint blue me appeared on his palm.


    "We have them!"


    "We have them!"


    The numerous third-ss family yers could only smile obsequiously.


    Meanwhile, Teresa and Daphne were already numb to it.


    They watched the elders from various families, whom they had to bow to as children, now wearing ttering smiles, utterly humble.


    Sterl didn''t even bother to nce at them, merely leaving with Teresa. After a moment, he waved to summon Daphne nearby.


    "Did Lord David call me?"


    The young girl was a bit excited, and Sterl nodded slightly. Though Daphne hadn''t signed a loyalty contract with him, she was fairly reliable.


    "Discuss with these families."Sterl ordered, "on how to integrate their forces into mine."


    As he spoke, he patted her shoulder. After ascending to godhoodst time, he could now use divine power through muscle memory and freely manipte thew power.


    At this moment, Sterl infused Daphne with a strand of Moon Law.


    If the third-ss family yers tried to resist or cause trouble, this strand of Law Power would be enough for Daphne to kill them all!


    The third-ss family yers were initially overjoyed that the negotiation had shifted from the invincible David to a mere "minion" of the Ironheart family.


    However, for some reason, when Daphne stood before them, they felt an inexplicable fear, as if the young girl''s body harbored something extremely lethal!

 Chapter 149: Real-World Data??

    Sterl pulled Teresa to a corner of the expansion hall, and his followers trailed closely behind. Only a few stayed behind to guard Daphne.


    Once they reached their destination, Teresa immediately knelt on one knee, "Master, what are your orders?"


    "My matters are not urgent."Sterl smiled slightly, looking at Teresa and the other followers present. "You all performed well this time."


    "You did not disappoint me."


    As Sterl''s words fell, his followers became incredibly excited, shouting enthusiastically, "Mr. David, it is our honor to sacrifice for you!"


    "We always knew that with your abilities, those mere family forces would be trampled underfoot sooner orter, but we didn''t expect it to happen so quickly!"


    "We''ve long been prepared toy down our lives for you!"


    ...


    The yers'' eyes were fervent, and they felt immense relief and gratitude!


    Fortunately, Lord David returned just in time, before they had a chance to disclose any information.


    Even if they had betrayed David earlier, the families would at most have given them a quick death. But now that David had returned and easily annihted numerous third-ss yers with terrifying ease, they were d they hadn''t spoken out.


    They thought to themselves that their previous disy of unwavering loyalty would now surely lead to their rise to prominence!


    Sterl chuckled. He had plenty of resources that he couldn''t use up anyway. He might as well take out some to reward these yers... However, before he could reach into his inventory for equipmentor skill books, Teresa suddenly walked over with a serious expression and whispered in his ear.


    "Master, through my investigation, I discovered that the intelligence and information of our human yers on Earth are stored not only online in the game but also offline in a storage point."


    "The base you are in is managed by our ''Ironheart'' family."


    "Your identity is temporarily undisclosed, but if someone were to investigate offline, they might still find information about you."


    Teresa''s face turned ashamed as she continued, "Earlier, I was investigating this matter and caught the family''s attention, which led to the exposure of you killing the basemander, almost implicating the entire organization."


    The girl looked uneasy.


    Sterl waved his hand, indicating it was fine.


    However, he soon fell into deep thought.


    There was offline information storage about him??


    It seemed that the "Ironheart" family could not be left intact.It had to be eradicated.


    From Teresa''s exnation, it appeared that Sterl''s identity was still just an ordinary, unknown yer, and it was unlikely anyone would deliberately pull his records offline.


    But what if?


    Sterl prepared to kill all the people within the "Ironheart" family who were managing the records...


    Wait, offline??


    Sterl''s thoughts were clear until he suddenly paused.


    He realized that offline and online were different matters.It involved actual killing! Killing yers online only deprived them of their login rights.


    The two situations were entirely different.


    However, Sterl didn''t dwell on it for long.


    After all, when he took lives online, he wasn''t thinking about the fact that his victims could still live offline.


    In fact, Sterl had already taken out quite a few human yers from Earth, and those who came offline were almost certainly doomed.


    Sterl saw no need to pretend to be more benevolent than he was.


    "You did well. This information is very important to me."Sterl encouraged, though Teresa seemed to have more to say. Sterl cut her off, "Don''t worry about this matter anymore.I will handle it."


    Having decided to take action in the real world, Sterl saw no need to discuss it further with Teresa. He could handle it himself.


    Sterl remained calm as he began to pull items from his inventory.


    "You all did well this time."he said, encouraging his followers. "Each of you can pick one piece of equipment and one skill book from these items."


    "Teresa, you can choose whatever you like."


    "The remaining resources should be used to purchase or craft a set of level 60 equipment for me, the higher the quality, the better. You have unlimited ess to resources."


    "If there are any resources left, use them for the development of the organization."


    "Yes!" Teresa nodded decisively.


    The other yers were stunned.


    "We? We can choose equipment and skill books??"


    "Thank you, Lord David!"


    ...


    However, Sterl''s subordinates had not yet realized the exaggerated nature of the situation.


    They assumed it would be simr to the rewards David had given themst time.


    However...


    Even so, it made the yers incredibly excited. Just a bit of the resources from Lord David''s hand was enough to significantly boost theirbat power!


    As mentioned before, the human yers on Earth were incredibly poor. These second-ss yers didn''t even have fully equipped gear!


    Of course, by "fully equipped",it didn''t mean there were empty slots.Rather, many of their pieces were still at the level of 30 or 40 and hadn''t reached second-ss standards.


    But what excited the yers even more was the terrifying extent of Lord David''s resources!


    Each of them getting a piece of equipment and a skill book meant there would be twenty or thirty items and skill books in total. This was no small number!


    Even those seemingly powerful third-ss families couldn''t just pull out so many items at once!


    It was clear that following Lord David was the most promising path.


    The yers'' eyes were filled with fervor!


    However, as Sterl continued to pull items from his inventory, their expressions began to change!


    Because...


    It waspletely different from what they had imagined!


    It wasn''t just twenty or thirty pieces of equipment and items.Rather, a massive pile of resources was forming like a small hill.


    And very few of these items were junk.Most of them gleamed with dazzling light.


    The majority of this glow came from the fact that the equipment was at least second-ss level or higher, emitting an energy radiance!


    There were even tinum-grade pieces! Extremely dazzling!


    And a few skill books shone with a purple glow, indicating their rare quality!


    The yers were stunned...


    "Holy crap! tinum-grade equipment! And several pieces at that?"


    "And they''re all second-ss level or higher."


    "My God! Purple-quality skill books!"


    "Am I dreaming?"


    ...


    They even felt a bit surreal!


    The massive haul Sterl had amassed from his relentless ughter in the Netherworld would leave even the wealthiest yers from ces like the Principality of Morrow speechless.


    Let alone the impoverished humans of Earth??


    Teresa and the other yers were dizzy, almost unable to stand as they stared at the mountain of resources before them!


    They realized howughable their previous thoughts had been.


    Thinking the resources would be simr tost time?? They hadpletely underestimated Lord David''s capabilities!


    Especially Teresa, who wore a numb expression.


    She had witnessed the "Ironheart" family, one of the most notable families among Earth''s humans, hold a grand ceremony to distribute rewards on a family-wide scale.


    Yet, the equipment and skill books distributed to thousands of people, including hundreds of second-ss yers, were not even a quarter of what Sterl had just casually taken out!


    And in terms of quality, the family''s resources were far inferior to what her master had just produced!


    At that time, the awarded second-ss yers were overjoyed! Teresa knew that those individuals had risked their lives for the family, barely scraping by, to earn such rewards!


    Teresa had been envious of them back then.


    Now, she too had risked her life, and the promise she received from Lord Sterl was �� to freely take purple-quality skill books and tinum-grade equipment, with explosive returns!


    In the family, no matter how hard Teresa worked, she could never achieve this. Even if she reced Lady Astridand became the family head, the "Ironheart" family couldn''t sell enough to gather such resources.


    The other yers, too, were overwhelmed by the enormous surprise. On ordinary days, even afterpleting several sequential tasks and risking their lives, they might not obtain a single second-ss piece of equipment or a decent blue-quality skill.


    This time, they had merelye close to being killed!


    Totally worth it!


    Sterl silently watched his followers as their expressions turned increasingly crazed. Despite the mountain of equipmentid before them, they still hesitated to take anything.


    So, Sterl waved his hand, "Hurry up and pick."


    "Teresa, handle the remaining resources by coordinating with those family members. Dispose of them."


    "The sooner, the better!"


    "Yes!" Teresa knew her master''s urgency was genuine.


    Immediately, she directed the yers, "Hurry up, what are you waiting for?"


    With Teresa''smand, the yers finally had no misgivings. They rushed to the pile of equipment and skill books like hungry tigers. However, they still adhered to the rules.No one dared to touch the tinum-grade equipment or purple-quality skills.


    Each yer took one piece of golden-grade equipment and a decent blue-quality skill before stepping back, satisfied.


    Teresa quickly gathered the remaining items into her inventory. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, what about Daphne?"


    Sterl casually replied, "You decide how she should be treated."


    Meanwhile...


    At the other end of the expansion hall.


    Daphne was visibly excited.


    "Easy, easy."


    "From now on, we''re all colleagues. Of course, I don''t hold grudges!"


    The girl was ted.The negotiation work had earned her several pieces of bronze equipment and a notably excellent green-quality skill book.


    Had she obtained these items through regr tasks, it would have taken her ages. Now, she had hit the jackpot!

 Chapter 150: Logging Out and Entering Reality

    Sterl waited patiently.


    First, he saw Daphne approaching with a smug look, showing off the green-quality skill she had obtained.


    "How about this? I got lucky, didn''t I? This skill is actually pretty good."


    "Of course, I have to thank Lord David for giving me this opportunity."


    However, the other yers looked at her with strange expressions.


    Daphne started to feel uneasy, "What? What''s going on?"


    Soon, a kind-hearted yer filled her in on what had happened earlier.


    "What??"


    "Are you kidding me? Everyone got a golden-grade second-ss piece of equipment and a blue-quality skill book?"


    Daphne''s face fell, "No way! Did I miss out on all those rewards??"


    If it weren''t for Lord David standing nearby, Daphne felt she might just throw a tantrum at her good friend Teresa. Her mood waspletely shattered!!


    All that effort in negotiations, and the stuff she got was pure trashpared to what Lord David had given out.


    Daphne could only report the negotiation results with a pitiful look.


    Several major families would integrate their intelligenceworks and resources and open up their gene warehouses to serve Sterl.


    In the future, Sterl could mobilize the families'' forces to do anything for him and freely use their stockpiled equipment and skill books.


    "But they also hope to get some benefits in return..." Daphne said cautiously. It wasn''t that she didn''t negotiate well.Thebined power of several families was substantial, with probably a thousand or two yers. The families kept them together with promises of gains far beyond what regr human yers on Earth could get.


    Sterl just nodded nonchntly, "Alright then."


    "Teresa, you can hand these resources over to the family members for processing. Let them take a small cut."


    "But remember, they are not considered part of our core. They mustbor to earn the equipment I bring back."


    Sterl figured he would continue to umte resources like this in the future. If those families managed the distribution, they could probably make a decent profit.


    While musing, Sterl transferred the Moon Law Power from Daphne to Teresa.


    "I won''t be involved in the uing negotiations."


    "Make sure to deliver the level 60 equipment to meter."


    After saying that, Sterl activated his teleportation ability and vanished from their sight.


    Only Teresa and the others remained, filled with excitement!


    "We must do this right for Lord David!!"


    ...


    Sterl didn''t mind whether his subordinates were actively serving him or not, as long as Teresawas in charge, nothing major would go wrong.


    For now, he quickly made his way back home.


    Linna and Rayna were surprised, "You''re back so soon this time?"


    They thought Sterl had snuck off on another adventure without telling them.


    "Is that really how you see me?" Sterlughed and teased them, stepping forward to pull Linna and Rayna into his arms and throwing them onto the bed.


    "Wow!!" After a moment of cuddling, Sterly on the bed and said, "I''m nning to log out for a while."


    "I''m almost level 60 now, and it''s about time I checked out the real world."


    He spoke casually, and Linna and Rayna didn''t think much of it, but they did offer some concerned advice, "You have to be careful out there. I''ve heard that there are many mutated creatures in the real world! These are caused by radiation, and killing them might pose a risk of infection and mutation!"


    "By the way, can you take a photo of what the outside world looks like?"


    "Oh! Wait! Once you leave the game, you won''t have the in-game photo feature anymore."


    The two girls chatted while Sterly on the bed, silently calling up his panel. He navigated to [Options] > [Other], and for the first time in his life, he pressed the [Log Out] button.


    [Log out? Yes/No]


    [Transcendence awaits your return.]


    Sterl hesitated for a few seconds,pleted a few more operations, and then chose "Yes."


    Apanied by a strange glow, he saw the surrounding scenery blur rapidly, as if he had Transmigrated through a long tunnel. Suddenly, the view before Sterl opened up, and he found himself lying on a "bed" again.


    But no, it wasn''t a bed. He was lying in something that resembled an extremely dpidated flight pod.


    "This must be the game pod."Sterl pondered. He felt weak...


    Perhaps because his real body had been lying in this pod for far too long (over a decade), and suddenly losing the support of his in-game equipment.


    Since he was lying on his back, Sterl could see the red and blue lights shing with a high-tech feel, disying data like heart rate, pulse, and oxygen supply.


    Sterl, being a Reincarnator, could barely recognize these things. Ordinary human yers from Earth wouldn''t have received such knowledge and education.


    Sterl fumbled around for a bit and found a big red buttonbeled "Power Off." After pressing it, the entire game pod gradually dimmed, and various holographic screens went dark.


    In the reflection of the ss, Sterl saw his own face. To his surprise, it was the face of a young man, but covered in long hair and a beard.


    He chuckled silently.No one in the real world had been maintaining his appearance.


    Sterl quickly pushed open the pod door and was immediately taken aback. Surrounding him were thousands of various pods, all operating quietly.


    Each pod contained a "yer."or someone who couldn''t be a yer but lived in Transcendence through the game pod.


    Despite having attributes consistent with his in-game character, Sterl slightly frowned, feeling the air filled with a strange odor, making him extremely ufortable.


    Seeing this scene, Sterl paused. Although the human race on Earth was far from perfect, this sight evoked a sense of respect in him.


    Countless individuals survived thanks to these devices.


    If it were any other race, they would never waste game pods on those who couldn''t be yers.


    "In a way, those from families like Teresa''s have it even worse."


    Sterl couldn''t help but sigh, reflecting on the fact that even ordinary people, if they couldn''t be yers, could live out their remaining days in the game pods.


    In contrast, those "people" produced by the family would be destroyed if they failed to pass the assessment. After all, these families couldn''t hijack the entire family for their own benefit and waste arge number of gaming pods.


    Using the reflection in the pod''s ss, Sterl tidied up his appearance, restoring himself to his in-game look. Satisfied, he nodded. Instinctively, he reached for a drink, only to realize that outside of Transcendence, he no longer had ess to an inventory or interface.


    ustomed to life in Transcendence, theck of such conveniences in reality left Sterl feeling uneasy. However, with a slight hesitation, a bottle of Thorn Juice, a specialty drink from the Divine Mountain Empire in the game, appeared in his hand.


    "It works."Sterl smiled, downing the drink in one go.


    Before logging out, he had performed a simple operation: using hisbined [Nature]divine authority and [Human Race]divine authority, he created a small world to store some equipment, skill books, and various supplies.


    Now, his hypothesis was confirmed. This unique world of his could transfer items between reality and the game!


    This was the power of divine authority!


    Something that even ordinary gods couldn''t grasp!


    Feeling slightly smug, Sterl conducted a few more experiments. He discovered that while he couldn''t view the attributes of equipment and skill books transferred from the small world, he could equip and use the items directly, gaining their benefits and effects. However, skill books couldn''t be used directly.


    When he tried to forcibly destroy a green-quality skill book, it transformed into green essence.


    Holding the strange crystal ball, Sterl sensed that by cing it against his forehead, he could instantly learn a new skill.


    "Transcendence... it''s definitely more than just a game world."


    Sterl was convinced. Because he needed to use As a Creator''s Act to convert virtual items into reality. However, transferring items from Transcendence to the real world through the small world required no such effort.


    This indicated that these items were inherently real!


    This was something that only Sterl, with his faith powerand As a Creator''s Act, could verify.


    "So, those NPCs aren''t virtual AI.They''re real people?" he murmured to himself.


    Sterl had suspected this before and now had his suspicions confirmed.


    He couldn''t help but recall the numerous NPCs he''d killed. However, after a moment of contemtion, he felt no remorse.


    Sterl had never maliciously ughtered NPCs.It was all for his own benefit.


    Havingpleted his experiments, Sterl casually opened another game pod and gifted a green-quality skill to the lucky person inside.


    Then, he suddenly furrowed his brows as a rustling sound came from ahead.


    Agrotesque creature with a hideous face covered in pimples and pustules, wearing a yellow-green robe, abruptly appeared!


    As soon as this monster emerged, it brought with it a wave of foul stench, causing Sterl to feel a surge of difort.

 Chapter 151: A Strange Discovery!

    Sterl didn''t make a move. Instead, the creature spoke in a garbled voice, "Are you a yer who has be a professional?"


    "I am the caretaker of this seed base, ssified as sequence D. Is there anything you need?"


    The "monster" spoke weakly.


    "If this is your first time entering reality, you can take a look at the books on that shelf over there."


    "There are also maps of the base and introductions to nearbyndmarks, but we haven''t explored the surface in a long time, so the information might be inurate."


    "I will be nearby. Just call me if you need anything."


    "But I am heavily irradiated, so I won''t stand too close to you."


    This "monster" was one of those who didn''t enter the game but watched over the game pods. It was thanks to their presence that countless yers could live peacefully in Transcendence.


    Sterl bowed to the "caretaker." He hadn''t attacked because he recognized these caretakers from the general education he received as a child at the base.


    These individuals lived underground, exposed to low levels of radiation. Unlike yers who could shield themselves from harm using the game pods, their bodies had be twisted, and they suffered from various diseases due to theck of sunlight. Their life expectancy rarely exceeded 30 years.


    Even though Sterl had reached level 60, he still held respect for this group of people.


    Incidentally, the reason he hadn''t initiated the second ss ceremony was that Sterl hadn''t found the time to absorb two portions of the Netherworld Water to gain additional level caps.


    He had been dealing with one thing after another. First, there was Teresa, the deputy star, who encountered danger. Then Sterl had toe to the real world to handle his own data.


    While the Earth humans publicly imed their strongest power was only demi-gods, even if Sterl ascended to godhood, he wouldn''t have any offensive skills, only the As a Creator''s Act to trap an enemy.


    Once his godhood ascended, and his divine power dissipated, the effect of trapping an enemy would naturally vanish.


    Thus, theoretically, revealing Sterl''s information still posed some risk. Moreover, Sterl, using Moon Law, could sense that the Earth humans were not as simple as they seemed.


    So, for now, Sterl could only wait until he went back online to fully absorb the Netherworld resources...


    "Go about your business. I''ll explore on my own."


    Sterl casually dismissed the caretaker and quickly found the map, ready to leave. However, before he left, he did one more thing: he took out Star Insight, which he had stored in his small world, and put it on.


    Sterl quickly checked the attributes of the departing caretaker.


    To his surprise, he could actually see the stats:


    [Casillia (Non-yer)]


    [Level: lv0]


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 1 (Less than one point, disyed as one)


    Strength��]


    [Status: Forbidden Poison: Continuously drains life powerand limits the talents acquired during awakening.]


    Sterl initially had a casual expression, only somewhat puzzled as to why, when using Star Insight in reality, he saw a temte that was almost identical to the one in Transcendence.


    However, when he saw the buff on the caretaker named Casillia, he was stunned.


    "Shouldn''t it be radiation?"


    "Why is it called Forbidden Poison?" Sterl mused. But after some thought, it made sense. After all, isn''t it quite normal for one''s body to mutate and innate abilities to deteriorate after being exposed to radiation?


    In Transcendence''s game terminology, there might not be a debuff explicitly named nuclear radiation.


    Sterl quickly left the base. His destination was the location of the "Ironheart" family, which he had found in the manual provided by the base. It was situated in a medium-sized human settlement.


    Incidentally, while survival in reality was difficult, some professionals who had no hope of breaking through in Transcendence chose to live in the real world instead of bing addicted to the virtual one. Additionally, those whose characters died in Transcendence didn''t immediately resort to suicide, leading to the gradual formation of some settlements.


    However, due to radiation, the average lifespan in these settlements was very short.


    With a general direction in mind, Sterl could easily find the "Ironheart" family''s settlement. Large poptions inevitably left behind a significant amount of living waste and traces.


    As he pondered, Sterl finally passed through a long corridor and emerged onto the surface.


    Upon leaving the base, his view opened up to a vast, destend with cracked soil everywhere. The ring sunlight made the whole world appear stark white.


    There was hardly any sign of life, except for a few sparse weeds, showcasing their resilience.


    Undoubtedly, it was a post-apocalyptic scene.


    Sterl frowned even more as the external radiation intensified, making him extremely ufortable. What made him feel even worse was...


    On the barren ground ahead, a humanoid creature inexplicably appeared, drooling as it looked at him.


    The creature, with a grayish-white body and thick limbs, crawled towards him.


    Using Star Insight, Sterl found that this creature also had the status of [Forbidden Poison]. Before the creature could pounce on him, he noted that its level was only in the 20s.


    If this was the weakest monster on this wastnd, it was clear that non-professionals couldn''t survive here.


    Sterl casually unleashed Ignition me, reducing the creature to ashes.


    This action seemed to stir up a ho''s nest. Dozens of monsters crawled out of the soil, poking their heads out, but they were all instantly shredded by the starburst effect triggered by Ignition me.


    Sterl waited for a moment, expecting to see some drops, but then he realized his mistake.


    "What am I thinking?"


    "Monsters in reality don''t drop loot."


    He initially thought so until he noticed a pure white mist emanating from the dead monsters.


    At first, Sterl couldn''t interact with these mist particles. It wasn''t until he had a vague premonition and invoked the power of [As a Creator''s Act] that he managed to materialize the white mist and absorb it into his body. He then disyed a look of extreme surprise.


    "This is..."


    After absorbing the mist, Sterl felt as if a certain shackle within his body had loosened slightly.


    If he hadn''t ascended to godhood and gained extreme control over his body, he might not have noticed this at all.


    However, the removal of this shackle didn''t seem to have any immediate benefit for Sterl.


    He could vaguely sense that if the shackles continued to loosen, he would be able to awaken higher-level talents. But the problem was, he had alreadypleted his awakening!


    This white mist was only useful for those who hadn''t awakened yet, or for those whose talents hadn''t reached their full potential after awakening.


    For Sterl, who already possessed a 3S-level talent, it was useless!


    However, he found it quite peculiar.


    Why did these monsters have such an effect?


    Sterl, having spent considerable time in Transcendence, naturally knew that if this information got out, countless people from variouss would flock to Earth, hunting these monsters like crazy until they were wiped out! This could help their offspring awaken higher-level talents.


    But apparently, this information hadn''t leaked out...


    The real world on Earth was incredibly deste.


    "Wait a minute, maybe I''m overthinking this?"


    "I had to use the power of As a Creator''s Act just to barely absorb this special energy."


    "Other yers probably need to be at least god-level to even sense this white mist."


    "So, isn''t it normal that this information hasn''t spread?"


    Sterl quickly analyzed and arrived at a reasonable exnation.


    He didn''t dwell on it any longer and swiftly activated Bloody Rush and Divine me Drive, heading towards the "Ironheart" family settlement.


    Soon enough, Sterl discovered a well-hidden cave entrance.


    He immediately used Shadow Stealth. The coordinates of the shadow world corresponded to those of the real world, allowing this legendary ability to let Sterl Transmigrate through shadows and appear in front of his enemies.


    Spotting the cave entrance, Sterl used Shadow Stealth and,bined with the eleration from Bloody Rush, quickly descended to the underground part of the cave, bypassing any possible guards on the settlement''s perimeter.


    Once he finished traversing through the shadow world, what greeted Sterl''s eyes was a rather bustling scene: a massive underground base.


    Blue crystals on the ceiling illuminated the world, and the streets were filled with many moving robots. The pedestrians in the underground world looked quite healthy, their faces flushed, unlike those living in poor conditions.


    However, they all had numerous pustules or simr afflictions on their bodies, clearly affected by radiation, which was somewhat nauseating.


    Sterl had no intention of observing the city''s scenes.


    He quickly located the most imposing building in the underground base and entered thergest office within.


    After a short wait, a portly, official-looking individual walked into the room.


    Sterl used Star Insight and found that this was indeed a professional yer who had reached level 26. However, he only had a single white-quality skill, indicating he was not strong inbat.


    But at least, with his levels, this official didn''t bear the ugly marks of radiation.


    Without hesitation, Sterl snapped his fingers.


    From his small world, he summoned his pet.


    The Star Radiance Dragon emerged, its terrifying aura immediately pinning the official to the ground!

 Chapter 152: Destroying the Data

    "Please, sir! Just tell me what you need, but don''t kill me!"


    Sterl didn''t even have to speak.His goal was already half aplished.


    He realized that this portly official, having be a professional, chose to hold an office in reality rather than explore Transcendence, clearly indicating that this guy wasn''t someone with a fighting spirit.


    Sterl didn''t bother to say much. He calmly asked, "Where is the ce nearby that stores yer data for the game?"


    "What? That''s controlled by the Ironheart family! I don''t have the authority to go there!"


    The official''s face turned bitter. This was a disaster! The aura of this ruthless man''s pet felt like an insurmountable mountain, utterly untouchable!


    But the Ironheart family was even more terrifying. They had several third-ss yers in the game. Revealing their information would be suicidal!


    Not to mention, yer data was crucial. The reason big families like the Ironheart could thrive was because they controlled yer data. Any yer with talent would most likely be recruited into their gic pool.


    This was how these big families continually produced highly talented "neers."


    No matter how fierce this guy in front of him was, he surely couldn''t be a third-ss, right?


    The official had some reservations, but Sterl casually flicked his fingers, releasing an extremely weakened version of Ignition me. The official screamed like a pig being ughtered.


    Very quickly, the official gave in.


    "Stop, stop! I''ll take you there, I''ll take you there." He surrendered without hesitation. Offending the Ironheart family might lead to a fate worse than death, but right now, defying this intruder would result in immediate agony.


    Sterl simply nodded, "Go find me some craftsmen who can maintain game pods. Have them wait here."


    With that, he followed the official to the data storage location.


    Sterl didn''t have to exert much effort. He and the official passed through several buildings, entering a basement within the underground world. They finally arrived at a machine room, filled with shing red and green mechanical lights.


    The official''s face remained bitter. "Sir, you can look for whatever data you need."


    Sterl didn''t waste any time. "Look for data? No need for that!"


    Without changing his expression, he raised his hand and released Ignition me. The terrifyingly high heat instantly melted countless data and the hardware storing it into molten metal!


    Then, the mes ignited something, causing a severe explosion in the room!


    Boom!


    Boom!!


    But those were just ordinary facility explosions, so neither the official nor Sterl was harmed.


    As the violent explosions echoed, the official''s eyes widened in despair. "No! Sir! How am I supposed to survive this?"


    He was on the verge of breaking down.


    But Sterl wasn''t done yet. He threw a few more Ignition mes, ensuring the entire machine room was reduced to ashes before stopping.


    Then, with keen interest, he asked the official, "Are you sure there''s no other ce nearby storing data?"


    Sterl asked just to be thorough.


    Because his original identity as "Sterl" was perceived by everyone as just an ordinary yer, his data shouldn''t have been stored in any special or secure manner.


    The official, now in a daze, murmured, "It''s all gone! Everything is gone!"


    "All the data in this base has been wiped out, and I''m doomed!"


    He initially thought that if it was just a matter of finding some data, the Ironheart family might not notice immediately. Even if they did, it would take some time, giving him a chance to escape to another human settlement.


    But now, with the machine roompletely destroyed, the Ironheart family would soon send people to investigate, and he was certain to be executed!


    Seeing Sterl about to leave, the official had a sudden burst of inspiration and shouted.


    "Sir, take me with you! I''m willing to serve you. I won''t survive if I stay here!"


    Sterl hesitated for a second but then readily agreed to his request.


    "No problem, you can follow me from now on."


    Sterl had a n in mind that required some manpower.


    For the next while, Sterl followed the official back to his office, where a group of bewildered craftsmen stood.


    Sterl smiled. These people had grotesque pustules all over their bodies, were hunched over, and looked extremely aged, clearly affected by nuclear radiation.


    They looked at Sterl and then at the official, confused about what was happening.


    "Sir, why have you summoned us?"


    "What do you need us to do?"


    The craftsmen spoke timidly, clearly not holding a high status within the settlement.


    Sterl did not respond verbally. Instead, he waved his hand slightly, releasing a unique skill��Purification Ripple.


    This skill, an additional ability from the [Newborn Sprout of Creation], imed to cleanse all cmities and anomalies.


    Sterl wasn''t sure if the radiation on these people counted as an anomaly, but it was worth a try.


    Outwardly, Sterl maintained an air of profound mystery, as if he was certain his skill would have some effect.


    At first, the craftsmen were terrified, shouting, "Sir! Spare us!"


    "Please, don''t kill us."


    They kowtowed frantically, but soon they noticed that a pure, green ripple of light enveloped them.


    They immediately felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if they had been freed from years of bondage.


    Some began to touch their faces.


    "My face!" They paused, stunned. Using therge floor mirror in the office, they saw their current appearance��


    "The pustules on my body are gone. What''s happening?"


    "Wait a minute! My body..."


    As they eximed in joy, some couldn''t help but remove their shirts, discovering that all the scars caused by radiation had vanished!


    Their skin was smooth and new, like that of a healthy person, their bodies free of years of toxins!


    Even the official felt a wave of relief, coughing up several mouthfuls of ck blood.


    Sterl, also within the range of the ripple, felt a slight relief in his body and exhaled a breath of impure air.


    "It really works!"


    "But this radiation is so strong? Even at my level, I couldn''t avoid its effects."


    "It seems that from now on, every time I enter the real world, I''ll need to use this Purification Ripple to cleanse myself."Sterl mused casually.


    Thanks to his Star Insight, he could see that everyone''s [Forbidden Poison] had been removed. Although he found the name of this abnormal status a bit odd, he was pleased that the previously useless Purification Ripple now had a practical application.


    Moreover, Sterl sensed that not only were the people present affected, but the massive office and at least dozens of square meters around it had been cleansed, making the environment exceptionally clear and pure.


    He had a hunch that this environment was now suitable for ordinary human life.


    Just then, with a thud, the official knelt down and pulled out a contract.


    "Sir, I found your secret and I know the rules. This is a loyalty contract. Once I sign it, my life will be in your hands. Spare me."


    He was very conscious! While the craftsmen seemed useful to this mysterious figure, he knew that if he didn''t show understanding, he might actually be killed.


    The official''s mind was working very quickly. This mysterious figure was able to purify the nuclear radiation that had always existed in the real world, but not as a representative of the authorities. What does that imply?


    It meant that a hidden faction had already mastered the ability to purify the real world and had been keeping it a secret until now. What could be their goal other than to dominate all of humanity?


    Otherwise, why not coborate with the authorities to quickly spread such a crucial purification ability?


    Sterl hadn''t expected the official to be so conscious. He nodded and took the contract. It was already written, stating that the official voluntarily pledged unconditional allegiance, dering the signee as his master, clearly prepared in advance.


    Sterl "..."


    This was the first time he had encountered someone so peculiar. To save his life, the official had even considered the possibility of having to sell himself into servitude. Should hemend the official for being thorough or criticize him for having no shame?


    As he read the contract, Sterl finally learned the official''s name��Beck.


    After signing the contract, Beck''s expression became more animated. He respectfully stood behind Sterl, looking ted to have found a powerful backer.


    Sterl then spoke.


    "As you''ve seen, I possess the power to purify radiation."


    "Now, I need you to establish a new underground base."


    "I will use my purification power to cleanse the entire base. You will be able to live there without any impact on your lifespan."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the craftsmen erupted in excitement. Their eyes were filled with joy. Given their low status in the settlement, relocating wasn''t a big deal, especially to a ce where they could live longer without radiation.


    Without hesitation, they all agreed enthusiastically.


    "No problem! No problem!"


    "Sir, thank you for your kindness. We will always remember your benevolence towards us."


    The craftsmen were overjoyed.


    Sterl then asked, "I have a question. Can you guys manufacture and maintain game pods?"


    The craftsmen''s expressions immediately turned awkward.


    "Sir, the technology behind game pods is something we humans have never managed to decipher."

 Chapter 153: Is Radiation a Hoax??

    The craftsmen chattered nervously, not daring to overpromise in front of this mysterious figure.


    "The game pods weren''t developed by us humans. They rely on the [Transcendence Core] continuously produced from core split pods gifted by a certain race thousands of years ago."


    "From what we know, different races have different types of game pods."


    "For our human race, the game pods mainly have added functions like radiation istion and heart rate monitoring for protection."


    "If these features arepromised, the game pods will automatically shut down until we craftsmen repair them."


    "But other races use the [Transcendence Core] directly. They let yers ce the core on their foreheads to enter Transcendence."


    "What we can do is manufacture and maintain the game pods using the [Transcendence Core] for our race."


    "However, with your purification ability, using the [Transcendence Core] directly to enter Transcendence would work the same."


    "But [Transcendence Core] is strictly controlled material. Even Lord Beck can''t request its use."


    The craftsmen finished speaking, looking anxious, worried that this big shot might discard them.


    "So, to get a game pod, we have to take it from the authorities?" Sterl frowned. He didn''t want a direct conflict with the human race on Earth.


    Fortunately, his new subordinate, Beck, proved to be useful.


    "Sir, if you need game pods, there''s no need for such trouble. Many yers die of old age every year."


    "Even though our settlement only has tens of thousands of people, we oversee hundreds of thousands of game pods."


    "Every day, a number of people die of old age or other reasons, leaving their game pods vacant. If you need, I can secretly arrange a batch for you."


    "I can''t promise much, but a few thousand game pods should be manageable."


    Beck''s words made Sterl''s eyes light up.


    His goal in collecting game pods was simply to ensure that himself, Linna, Rayna, Teresa, and future core yers wouldn''t be at anyone''s mercy.


    A few thousand game pods were more than enough.


    Sterl nodded approvingly. "Well done. Go ahead and arrange it for me."


    After speaking, he silently crushed a green-quality skill book in his small world, turning it into essence and cing it into Beck''s forehead.


    "Work for me. You won''t be disappointed."


    Sterl''s words left Beck initially dumbfounded, then overjoyed!


    A green-quality skill!!!


    He sensed that he had suddenly gained a powerful ability.


    Beck was stunned! Back when he was in Transcendence, he couldn''t even dream of such a high-grade ability!


    Now, just to save his life by following a powerful figure, he got it effortlessly!


    He had hit the jackpot!


    Without any shame, he knelt down and kowtowed fervently.


    "Thank you, Sir!"


    "Thank you, Sir!"


    Beck then hurriedly left the office.


    He even took the initiative to erase the records of the craftsmen Sterl had gathered.


    Since these people were not yers, their records weren''t strictly managed. After all, there were no hostile forces on Earth that would poach these craftsmen.


    Moreover, the craftsmen had short lifespans to begin with. Beck reported all of them as having died prematurely due to radiation, which wouldn''t raise any suspicions.


    After that, Beck headed to the department managing the game pods, leveraging his connections to free up a batch.


    Meanwhile, Sterl waited in the office. Feeling idle, he decided to take out some materials he had collected from the Transcendence world and dismantled a LCD screen in the office to handcraft a Geiger counter.


    This was the mostmon radiation measurement device in Sterl''s previous life before he transmigrated. Its advantagesy in its simplicity and low cost.


    It''s worth mentioning that as his power grew, especially after ascending to godhood, many memories from his past life had be clear again, enabling him to perform such manual tasks.


    Sterl conducted a measurement and, sure enough, the effect of his Purification Ripple was incredibly strong. The surrounding radiation levels dropped to zero!


    It''s important to note that even in his previous life before transmigrating, zero radiation was almost nonexistent in the natural environment.


    This only proved that the purification effect of a skill derived from a divine treasure was exceedingly thorough.


    Afterpleting the test, Sterl waited a bit longer.


    Soon, Beck arrived as expected, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.


    "Sir, it''s all set."


    "I''ve cleared out all the game pods in Sector C17 of the settlement. You just need to arrange for someone to collect them."


    Sterl nodded slightly and then said, "Let''s go."


    Beck and the craftsmen were puzzled. "With so many of us, moving around will attract too much attention."


    "Sir, perhaps I should arrange..."


    They raised their concerns, but Sterl waved his hand, instantly transporting everyone into his small world.


    In a sh, only Sterl remained.


    Regarding the game pods in Sector C17, Sterl had already found a map of the settlement while idly flipping through books in the office, pinpointing the location of Sector C17.


    He activated teleportation and quickly arrived near Sector C17, using Shadow Stealth to bypass the guards and slip inside.


    As expected, he found rows of game pods, silently operational after being cleared out.


    Not bothering to question how Beck had managed it, Sterl simply waved his hand, collecting all the game pods into his small world. He then swiftly left the settlement.


    Human settlements typically sought areas with minimal radiation, but since Sterl could purify it, he could choose any location to establish a base.


    Before long, he found a partially hollowed mountain. Sterl dispatched the Star Radiance Dragon, which transformed into its giant mode to carve out arge underground space.


    Using Ignition me, Sterl melted and solidified the soil and rocks into ss, creating a rudimentary base.


    After constructing everything, Sterl frowned. The area he had chosen had such high radiation that even with his high attributes, it was still ufortable.


    He took out the Geiger counter he had made earlier to check the radiation levels.


    To his shock, the Geiger counter showed a radiation level of��zero!


    "What is going on?" Sterl couldn''t help but swallow hard. He quickly took out more materials from his small world to handcraft another Geiger counter.


    However, the result was still zero. Unconvinced, he tested several more times, but the readings were always the same.


    Zero!


    Zero!


    Zero!


    These readings were extremely abnormal!


    Previously, it could still be exined by Purification Ripple, but now? Even Sterl was feeling extremely ufortable, and yet it was still zero radiation. Moreover, zero radiation can''t naturally ur in the environment.


    The only exnation is that the thing enveloping Earth, preventing people from surviving in reality, isn''t nuclear radiation at all!


    Rather, it is...


    A sh of realization struck Sterl''s mind: "It''s the Forbidden Poison!"


    The thing hidden in the air causing immense suffering to people, forcing them to escape into the game world, had nothing to do with radiation.


    At this moment, Sterl felt he had figured something out. Based on the knowledge he had acquired in his previous life, nuclear radiation couldn''t possiblyst for a thousand years without dissipating. Theoretically, Earth should be habitable again by now...


    He had always thought that maybe the nuclear weapons in this world were either not advanced enough and thus too "unclean," or they were extremely powerful, preventing the radiation from dispersing.


    But now it seemed that the supposed world destruction caused by nuclear war was probably a pure lie!


    Sterl felt a slight panic. He hadn''t expected that logging off to destroy some data would lead him to such a shocking secret...


    "However, knowing this doesn''t seem to help me at all."


    "Although my Purification Ripple can eliminate the Forbidden Poison, to clean up arge enough area for human survival, I''d need to ascend to godhood."


    "Moreover... the reason why Earth''s humans used nuclear radiation to cover up the existence of the Forbidden Poisonis also unknown."


    "There might even be external forces eyeing us covetously. If I act rashly and start arge-scale purification, it could invite trouble."


    Sterl pondered for a long time, but it all boiled down to one thing��strength!


    His current strength was insufficient. Knowing the secret, he couldn''t do anything about it, which only added to his anxiety.


    Instantly, Sterl felt a renewed sense of urgency. He quickly released the craftsmen and Beck, who had been hidden in the small world.


    He also took out arge amount of food, drinking water, and other resources from the small world, instructing them to develop the base first.


    Without hesitation, Sterl dismantled a game pod and used its core to log in.


    Instantly, his vision began to blur...


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Starfall Settlement, 46 floors underground.


    A giant game pod slowly illuminated, and then the ss door opened. A graceful figure stepped out,pletely naked.


    If any other human yers from Earth saw this, they would be shocked, as this was the original model of the game pod mentioned in history textbooks. It was extremely bulky and upied dozens of square meters, yet it could only allow one yer to enter the world of Transcendence and remain unaffected by "radiation."


    Theoretically, this model of the game pod should have been obsolete long ago, but for some reason, the naked woman was still using it.


    As the woman stepped out of the game pod, dark purple energy transformed into a veil, draping over her body.


    If Sterl were here, he would probably recognize her immediately��Shadow Powermixed with Moon Power. This was none other than the goddess of the Dark Moon Alliance��Gloria!

 Chapter 154: Absorbing the Water of the Netherworld, Attributes Soar!

    Gloria stood quietly in front of the game pod. Before her, a massive high-precision instrumentposed of dozens of LCD screens was continuously operating.


    As the goddess approached the instrument and sat down, it seemed to react, raising a camera.


    Apanied by a series of beeping scan prompts, points of light gradually lit up on therge screen, coalescing into a figure that looked almost identical to Gloria but dressed in a secretary outfit.


    "Wee back, Sequence Zero Thirteen."


    "Confirming your permissions... Permissions confirmed."


    "Current positions in the Revival Council: President - vacant, Vice President - vacant, Elite Members - vacant, Ordinary Members remaining: Zero Thirteen, Gloria."


    "Your current permissions are the highest: Ms. Gloria."


    "AI Dark Moon, at your service."


    As the notification finished, Gloria looked at the AI, which resembled her in appearance, with aplex expression.


    "Am I the only one left?"


    "Thest time I logged out, two hundred years ago, there was still an old demigod clinging to life."


    The goddess couldn''t help but hold her face, her expression a mix of nostalgia and pain.


    "Only two hundred years away from reality, and all the painstaking ns have failed."


    AI Dark Moon took the initiative tofort her: "Ms. Gloria, based on the initial model calctions, your probability of obtaining the Newborn Sprout of Creation was less than 3%."


    "Moreover, even if you exhaust your divine power, you can only purify the Forbidden Poison in the former Americas region of Earth. Localized cleaning holds little significance. The influence of [Data Deletion] will quickly engulf the purified area once more."


    When mentioning a certain term, the AI''s figure flickered, emitting a burst of meaningless static.


    Gloria was momentarily disheartened but quickly regained her usual demeanor.


    "Help me search for information on these two yers."


    As she spoke, she used her Law Power to transmit and integrate part of her memory into the machine before her.


    The AI responded swiftly.


    "Searching for yers suspected to use the aliases ''David'' and ''Constantine.''"


    The secretary-outfitted "Gloria" smiled, energetically disying a virtual image of herself searching through a bookshelf.


    After about ten seconds, the AI popped up a message.


    "yer Constantine, rted information search failed. The only predicted rted entry is the second query target ''David.''"


    "These two have some connection?"


    Gloria was slightly taken aback.


    However, before she could be pleased about this valuable piece of information, the AI responded again.


    "Rted data for ''David'' search failed, database damaged."


    "The AI system reminds you that rted data for the Earth human yer David may have been destroyed. The scope of this data destruction includes lower-level bases from number seventy thousand to sixty thousand and their affiliated intermediate and advanced bases."


    "Destroyed?" The smile on Gloria''s face froze.


    The Revival Council''s AI had ess to all of Earth''s human race databases. However, due to the council''s current hostile status with the human race on Earth, the AI couldn''t automatically download the databases to prevent frequent ess from alerting the human race that the Revival Council still retained some permissions.


    Gloria hadn''t anticipated that the Revival Council''s inability to store backup data would result in theplete failure of her n to gather information on "David."


    The goddess felt a bit helpless, but in the next second, the AI reported some extremely surprising news.


    "Based on the surveince data from the aforementioned settlement, I discovered arge area where all Forbidden Poison had been cleared. ording to the energy wave frequency predictions and your desired skill, [Purification Ripple], there was a 98.7% match."


    What??


    Gloria''s eyes widened in disbelief. She had never imagined such a scenario.


    Someone had released ''Purification Ripple''??


    Her first reaction was to wonder if the deity that appeared at the end of the Netherworld instance was also from the human race on Earth.


    Did that deity absorb the Newborn Sprout of Creation and log off to try to purify the world??


    But soon, Gloria realized that this was impossible!


    If it were truly a deity-level being, even a mere attempt would have purified an area farrger than what the AI had indicated.


    The most reasonable possibility was that someone had learned this special skill through other means!


    Coupled with the mysterious destruction of information about "David."Gloria, leveraging her divine authority over the moon and its predictive capabilities in mysticism, had an inexplicable premonition.


    The yer who obtained ''Purification Ripple'' must be connected to the destruction of the information!


    "Although I might not have a chance to revive our homnd myself, it seems there''s new hope." Gloria''s expression showed a hint of joy.


    She pondered for a few seconds, then said to the AI, "Bring out that item."


    "Understood!" The secretary-outfitted "Gloria" yfully saluted, and then a steel panel in the rectangr instrument opened.


    A long casket was lifted out.


    Gloria took the casket, and divine power surged through her body. After a long while, a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth, but her eyes inexplicably disyed a map-like image.


    "Found it!"


    "As long as this casket is ced at 112 degrees east longitude and 62.3 degrees northtitude, the yer who obtained ''Purification Ripple'' will definitely encounter it!"


    Gloria initially intended to foresee the yer themselves, but it was as if she had seen something terrifying, causing her to cough up blood.


    Subsequently, the goddess quickly forgot the memory of being injured, as if she had only ever intended to use divination to send out the casket.


    Gloria swiftly shut down the remote instrument and, using her divine power, teleported to an underground room in milliseconds. This location corresponded to the longitude andtitude coordinates she had predicted.


    This ce was also a storage base for game pods, with about a hundred thousand yers logging into Transcendence from here.


    Gloria quickly approached an unremarkable game pod and ced the casket inside...


    Through the reflection of the ss, she could see the steel letters engraved on the casket: "Manufactured on 2024.3.23."


    If Sterl were there, he would probably be dumbfounded because he knew the person lying in that game pod��Linna!


    Moreover, the date on the steel casket matched the calendar from before he transmigrated!


    ...


    Of course, Sterl knew nothing about this at the moment.


    Destroying the data and rescuing Teresa had taken him a day in total. With the extra evolution points he had, he first tried to evolve the "Essence of the Moon" he had exchanged from the Dark Moon Alliance store.


    The final product left Sterl very satisfied.


    [Soul of the Moon]


    [Type: Restoration Item]


    [Effect: Upon use, increases mental power by 30 points and raises energy limit by 200% (and restores it to full).]


    [Note: The energy limit increase effect can stack once at most.]


    "Finally! I''ve resolved a major issue."Sterl said with evident joy in his voice.


    He had always struggled with a severeck of mana. After acquiring Law Power, his mana bar wasn''t even sufficient to cast a single ultimate skill.


    But with the boost from the Soul of the Moon, consuming just one would instantly restore Sterl to full capacity and triple his mana! It would be enough to sustain any major battle.


    Even if Sterl were to be a bit extravagant and evolve two Souls of the Moon, it would result in the energy capacity being fully restored to three times the limit the first time, and then fully restored to five times the limit the second time!!


    Even if he poured out Law Power like crazy, it would... barely be enough.


    Sterl nodded. He decided to evolve a few of these items and keep them on hand as backup energy sources, not to be used lightly.


    After all, each use cost 300 Dark Moon Alliance contribution points plus an opportunity to add points, which he was very reluctant to spend.


    Next, as usual, Sterl went into seclusion.


    He stored the Soul of the Moon in his small world��after his adventures in the real world, he found it much more efficient to manipte items through the small world.


    Now, Sterl took out two portions of the Water of the Netherworld and poured them into a bath. He then undressed and stepped in, sitting cross-legged to meditate and begin digesting the massive amount of experience points within him.


    In just a few seconds, he officially broke through to level 60, enabling him to trigger the ss change quest. However, as he listened to the incessant prompts in his ear��


    [You have reached level 60.]


    [Do you want to start the second ss quest? Yes/No]


    He chose to ignore it, letting the essence of the Water of the Netherworld flow into his body and continuously transform it. Just as Sterl expected��


    A dual-choice menu appeared before his eyes.


    [You are absorbing the mysterious item: Water of the Netherworld.]


    [You may choose any two effects from the following three.]


    [Effect: Omitted]


    As expected, Sterl discovered that he could simultaneously choose to acquire a Law Power and increase his level cap.


    He selected both options.


    Immediately, a prompt appeared before Sterl��


    [Absorbing mysterious item, please remain calm... ]


    He felt his entire body being immersed in the liquid filled with both vitality and coldness. Every fiber of his being was being transformed, and it seemed as if the chains and limitations engraved on him by the Transcendence system were gradually breaking down!


    This gave Sterl an immense feeling of liberation, symbolizing that his level cap was about to break through!


    However, what puzzled him was that this sensation of chains breaking felt oddly familiar...


    It was just like when he absorbed the white mist emanating from monsters'' deaths in reality!

 Chapter 155: The Second Law Power: Flowing Water!

    "Why is this happening??"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, sensing that something was amiss...


    This all rted to the Underlying logic of the game "Transcendence"��specifically, how it limited yers'' level caps before each ss change.


    Sterl felt that there was no point in overthinking it.


    At that moment, he was at a critical juncture in refining the Netherworld Water. He had no time to dwell on theseplex issues and instead focused on channeling the power of the mystical artifact through his body.


    Before long, the invisible shackles he had sensed earlier werepletely shattered!


    A strange energy flowed from his spine, permeating his entire body.


    When he reopened his eyes, the once murky liquid formed from the Netherworld Water had be clear and transparent, like ordinary water.


    Sterl then closed his eyes again and continued to madly refine the experience. As mentioned before, the Netherworld Water provided an additional 20 levels beyond the cap, but the required experience was not high.


    So, Sterl only needed to spend the experience equivalent to three levels to fill those 20 levels, officially reaching level 60(+20).


    He immediately received a substantial boost in all attributes and free attribute points, which he distributed evenly as usual.


    Sterl''s base attributes skyrocketed once more!


    For someone like him, who possessed high-percentage attribute boosts from divine descent and Life Ignite, this represented a significant increase inbat power!


    Simultaneously, Sterl raised his hand slightly, his expression unchanged.


    The water in the bathtub, obeying hismand, effortlessly transformed into various miniature creatures.


    An elephant ran along the edge of the tub, trumpeting to the sky.


    In the air, eagles and falcons soared.


    In the water, fish formed from streams of water swam around.


    All of this was achieved without Sterl using any skills. He couldmand all liquids as if they were extensions of his own body.


    This was the second Law Power he had obtained: Flowing Water!


    And its effects were incredibly powerful!


    Sterl''s Law Power panel now included a new entry:


    [Flowing Water (Iplete)]


    [Effect: You now possess the ability to control the power of flowing water.]


    [Associated tinum Skill: None]


    [Law Power Growth Status: 0/1000]


    Although the specific effects were not detailed on the panel, Sterl could sense the following functions of Flowing Water:


    First, he could manipte liquids to form shields, des, or independently acting summons, with their strength determined by the properties of the liquid.


    This was the basic function of the Flowing Water Law. While it seemed to require some rare and valuable liquids as weapons, it was actually simpler than that��


    Sterl couldpletelypress his mental power and star power into a liquid state and then activate the Flowing Water Law to transform it!


    In addition to the basic functionalities, this second Law Power endowed Sterl with several formidable effects:


    [All potion recovery effects are doubled.]


    [You can manipte the liquids within an opponent''s body, interrupting their attack skills, causing severe internal injuries, and inducing a prolonged silence (unable to use skills) status.]


    [When an opponent has an open wound, you can directly manipte their blood tounch attacks.]


    [You can transform into flowing water, hiding within liquids, and rapidly recover health and stamina in this state.]


    Overall, the Flowing Water Law appears more straightforwardpared to the Moon Law, primarily revolving around the maniption of liquids.


    The abilities it offered excited Sterl greatly. While the strength of transforming liquids into shields, des, and summons still needed testing, the potential for synergy with his other abilities was undeniable.


    The doubled potion recovery effect alone thrilled Sterl immensely. Despite having the Soul of the Moon, he often found himself running low on mana during daily activities.


    Even with the additional 20 levels of base attributes and the imminentpletion of his second ss��bringing another surge in power��this issue persisted.


    After all, Law Powers were abilities that could only be harnessed at a demigod level!


    The passive ability of the Flowing Water Law provided a significant solution to his mana shortage.


    The other abilities of the Flowing Water Law included:


    First, manipting an opponent''s internal liquids to prevent skill casting.


    Second, inflicting additional damage by controlling an opponent''s blood once they were wounded.


    The exact potency of these abilities was uncertain.


    But based on novels and anime he had seen before transmigrating, attacking an opponent internally seemed capable of bypassing massive defenses! What appeared to be a straightforward Law Power could, in reality, be incredibly lethal!


    Additionally, attacks unleashed through Law Power inherently carried high damage.


    These two special effects of the Flowing Water Law instantly became Sterl''s most powerful burst skills!


    Moreover, these effects provided massive single-target burst damage and group damage, as manipting an enemy''s internal liquids and blood would likely affect all enemies within a certain range!


    When faced with a group of enemies, Sterl could unleash "Flowing Water" to obliterate them all!


    As for the life-saving ability to transform into flowing water and hide while recovering, this pleasantly surprised Sterl.


    The protection power and resurrection armor he had could only be used in extreme situations; using them under normal circumstances would be a waste!


    This ability of the Flowing Water Law effectively filled the gap for situations where Sterl couldn''t avoid enemy attacks through teleportation or speed.


    Although he had previously tried to address this issue by learning a skill that generated shields through excessive healing, that skill was not even of gold quality...


    It couldn''tpare to the life-saving effects provided by a Law Power!


    "It''s just a pity that after obtaining the Flowing Water Law, there''s no possibility of further enhancement in the short term."Sterl muttered with some regret.


    After all, it''s not every day you get the chance to enter the Netherworld and freeload the divine power and Law Power from a benevolent goddess...


    Summarizing the powerful attributes of his new Law Power, Sterl felt rather pleased.


    He left his room to have lunch with Linna and Rayna. Afterward, hewas back to seclusion for more training!


    Sterl still had a lot of resources left to digest.


    His remaining vast experience couldn''t be utilized for the second ss yet.


    However, now that Sterl had reached level 60(+20), he could break through his arcane skill.


    Due to being just a bit short on proficiency.


    Sterl closed his eyes for five minutes and easily broke through to the second stage of proficiency. After waiting for more than an hour for his golden finger charges to recover, he added the points.


    Instantly, the Star Soul Rotation arcane skill finally reached level B, cing it on par with the Mountain skill from the Divine Mountain Empire.


    After these consecutive advancements, Sterl immediately felt a transformation in his mental realm!


    Previously, the brilliant starry gxy, though filled with countless stars, had a somewhat uniform and unreal feeling.


    At this moment, with the advancement and enhancements, Sterl noticed that the starry sky within his sea of consciousness began to differentiate into stars ands.


    Additionally, various special celestial bodies started to appear.


    Multiple red dwarfs and white dwarfs scattered around, and at the center of the gxy was a rapidly shining supernova, emitting incredibly intense energy streams.


    Sterl gazed at this massive star, feeling a subtle understanding forming within him. If his arcane skill could break through to S-level, this star might transform into a ck hole, capable of storing vast amounts of mental and physical power for him.


    With the addition of various celestial bodies, the world within his mental realm became increasingly realistic.


    On somes, under natural influences, new human civilizations rapidly evolved, significantly boosting the growth rate of faith power within Sterl''s mental domain!


    He could even sense that as the starry world in his mind became more realistic, the faith power required to activate the "As a Creator''s Act" was gradually decreasing.


    Sterl indulged in this mental realm for a long time, and when he finally woke up, he was utterly shocked!


    Two whole days had passed, which meant he had missed out on one instance of adding points!


    Sterl disyed a deeply frustrated expression. "I want to see if your bonuses are effective."


    "Or else, give me back my point allocation!"


    Naturally, not wanting to waste the cooldown time for his point allocation skill, Sterl quickly allocated today''s points to the talisman he had previously exchanged for, the [Heart of me].


    With a radiant glow, the talisman, originally resembling a crimson stone, rapidly transformed into a semi-transparent, pulsating heart.


    [Heart of the me Demon]


    [Type: Talisman]


    [Description: Legend has it that this talisman was crafted from the heart of a me Demon using special techniques. After being infused with special power, it possesses even greater fire power and vitality than it did in life.]


    [Effect: Increases the power of fire attribute skills by 80%, with an additional ability [Burning Fire: Each time a fire skill is cast, one charge is gained. After umting 10 charges, a me Demon Fire can be unleashed.]]


    "Not bad."Sterl nodded slightly. First, the me damage boost increased from 50% to 80%, and although he wasn''t sure about the new skill''s power.


    It certainly added to his overall output. Not bad at all!


    After returning the talisman to his inventory, Sterl opened the arcane skill panel with a look of anticipation.


    Seeing the specific data, he couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.


    [Arcane Skill: Star Soul Rotation (B-level)]


    [Effect: �� Converts experience to gain an additional 100% benefit.]


    [�� All attributes receive a 60% effect boost.]


    [�� Talent Enhancement, effect increased by 40% (Divine Descent selected, current awakening level: 60%).]


    [�� Talent Enhancement II, effect increased by 40% (Arcane Soul selected by default, current awakening level: 60%).]


    [Proficiency: 0/20,000 (Stage 2) (Maximum at Stage 3).]

 Chapter 156: B-Level Arcane Skill, Second Stage Advancement

    Apart from the aforementioned enhancements, a prompt appeared before Sterl''s eyes��


    [You have sessfully advanced to the second stage of your arcane skill. Since your arcane skill is at B-level, you can choose one of the following four additional bonuses.]


    [Physical Enhancement: Gain an effect��30% additional damage reduction from Constitution.]


    [Mental Enhancement: Gain an effect��30% additional casting speed and magic damage reduction from Mental attributes.]


    [Strength Enhancement: Gain an effect��30% additional resilience and toughness from Strength.]


    [Agility Enhancement: Gain an effect��30% additional movement speed, slow resistance, and evasion from Agility.]


    [It has been detected that you did not choose an enhancement when advancing to the first stage of your arcane skill for unknown reasons. You may now choose two enhancements.]


    "There''s even an additional boost??"


    Sterl''s expression showed a hint of surprise. He then realized that it was no wonder the Mountain arcane skill of the Divine Mountain Empire was frequently contested.


    A B-level arcane skill is a qualitative leap from a C-level one!


    At each stage, you can choose a special additional enhancement. Theoretically, when a B-level arcane skill reaches its third stage, you can select three additional attribute enhancements!


    However, other arcane skills may focus on enhancing attributes that align with their specialization.


    For example, the Mountain skill would likely focus primarily on boosting Constitution.


    But Sterl''s Star Soul Rotation, due to its initially low quality, wasn''t biased towards any particr attribute, resulting in all four types of attribute enhancements being avable upon advancement.


    "In other words, I need to continue adding points to my arcane skill, at least breaking through to the fourth stage, to fully maximize the benefits of all four attributes."


    Still, Sterl nned to stick to his original strategy. First, he would continue leveling up and improving his arcane skill proficiency to a certain degree before adding points to gain the maximum benefit.


    At this moment, he chose Agility and Mental enhancements.


    Since Sterl often faced high-level enemies, having damage reduction from Constitution wouldn''t necessarily prevent him from being one-shot!


    Sterl preferred relying on speed to dodge enemy attacks or activating the invincibility of Protection Power, merging Law Power into water to ensure his survival.


    Simrly, the Strength enhancement would help Sterl resist control effects, which is extremely useful!


    In a confrontation, if Sterl got controlled and couldn''t break free, he might be killed instantly.


    Resilience wouldn''t help in such situations...


    Therefore, the Mental and Agility enhancements were the most useful!


    After selecting the enhancements, Sterl felt twoyers of glowing threads within his body light up, making him feel incredibly sharp and light on his feet.


    Clearly, the attribute enhancements were already evident. However, the benefits of Sterl''s arcane skill upgrade did not stop there. Experience gain increased by another 10%, all attributes received another 10% boost, and the enhancement for Divine Descent increased by 10%.


    Evidently, the primary strength of a B-level arcane skill lies in these newly introduced additional enhancements.


    The main manifestation of reaching the second stage of proficiency was the secondary awakening of [Arcane Soul], which also saw a 40% increase in effect.


    Sterl briefly sensed these changes and discovered that the power amplification of all his skills had increased from 100% to 140%. Additionally, the efficiency of gaining proficiency in various spells also increased by 40%.


    In essence, not only did his offensive capabilities improve, but Sterl''s innate talent for magic also grew significantly!


    In the following days, Sterl decided to take a short break.


    He couldn''t continue refining experience. He needed toplete his second ss quest to level up.


    Sterl had also promised to meet Faye in the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire, and four days had already passed since theirst meeting.


    He was nning to rest for just twodays.


    ...


    Two dayster...


    "Wait! I can''t go on!"


    "Switch! Someone else, please!"


    "Linna, it''s your turn!"


    Rayna was pinned down on the bed.


    Sterl held the girl''s long legs with both hands, feeling Rayna''s supple body with his shoulders while relentlessly thrusting and exerting himself!


    Although Sterl had taken a break these past two days, he hadn''t been idle. He had taken Linna and Rayna to the Death Vige for some intense leveling up.


    Both girls were only C-level professionals, so they required rtively less experience. By now, they were both "high-level yers" in their thirties!


    Sterl felt his efforts were worthwhile. The upgraded Rayna was indeed tighter, and as the girl reacted passionately, he could feel his lower body enveloped by soft, moist, yet resilient flesh, providing immense pleasure.


    Even though Rayna kept pleading for mercy, the sensation remained incredibly delightful.


    Sterl showed no mercy. He pressed both of Rayna''s legs down, putting his entire weight on her like a human pile driver, relentlessly delivering his powerful thrusts.


    "Oh my god"


    Soon, stars danced before Rayna''s eyes, and she appeared almost dazed, eventually letting out intense "screams."


    When Sterl finally released her, the bedsheet beneath Rayna was drenched, and she was in a semi-conscious state.


    As for Linna, who had been watching, her initial look of anticipation had turned into... "fear."


    "Please, be gentle..."


    The girl pleaded as Sterl pinned her down on the bed.


    "Oh please..."


    Soon, the room was filled once again with sweet yet pained screams.


    ...


    After more than an hour, Sterl finally emerged from the room.


    Linna and Rayna were his family. Although Sterl felt he could continue, he didn''t want to overdo it and harm them.


    So, Sterl turned and walked into the adjacent vi.


    As a side note, during his two-day vacation, Sterl had also purchased a temporary vi for Linna and Rayna. Additionally, his subordinate families had alreadypleted the necessary arrangements. When Sterl teleports to the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire via the advanced base, Linna and Rayna could immediately settle in the advanced base.


    This meant that Sterl''s family would only be staying in this vi for two days. But for Sterl, creditpiontswere no longer a concern, and he spentvishly without any hesitation.


    After entering the other vi, he found Teresa and Daphne already dressed in maid outfits, kneeling on one knee��


    Of course, these were the provocative kind.


    "My Lord David."they greeted him with seductive smiles, bowing their heads slightly.


    Sterl can see the huge groove between their chests. Behind them stood a group of young, attractive girls of various appearances.


    Teresa proudly said, "Master, these are girls presented by different families, but rest assured, I''ve trained them well."


    "They won''t pass on your gic material to those families."


    "Please, enjoy to your heart''s content."


    Sterl gently stroked Teresa''s hair. "You''ve done well."


    He casually sat on the vi''s sofa, and soon Teresa and Daphne each took a seat on hisp, kissing him passionately.


    The girls from various families began to remove most of their clothing and approached him.


    In an instant, Sterl''s vision was filled with incredibly alluring bodies.


    Without hesitation, Sterl grabbed one of the girls and pulled her into his embrace, then immediately thrust into her.


    To his surprise, he felt a sensation of tightness and resistance.


    "Mm~ Lord David..." The girl moaned softly, her eyes filled with lust as she tried to amodate him.


    Teresa leaned close to Sterl''s ear and whispered, "Don''t worry, Master."


    "These girls have been meticulously selected and trained. They offer more than just looks and figures."


    "Most of them are professionals, chosen specifically for their ability to modify their body''s flexibility and strength. They have never been touched by anyone else. These were treasures each family intended to use to bribe the human elite or the high ranks of the Divine Mountain Empire."


    "I''ve gathered them all for you."


    With Teresa''s whispers, Sterl felt a warm, fragrant breeze brush against his face. As he looked at the girls before him, he began to realize something.


    These girls were his exclusive ythings!


    "Aargh!"


    The girl being prated by Sterl had a dazed look in her eyes. She felt an incredibly hard spear inside her, expanding even more.


    Sterl continued his relentless thrusts! Despite the specialized training, a girl who had never been with a man couldn''tst long. Soon, she fainted from the intense experience!


    After slowly withdrawing from the girl''s body, Sterl noticed that there were over a dozen beauties around him, looking at him with eager anticipation.


    Without hesitation, Sterl went on to pleasure each one in turn. At one point, he had a girl straddling him, his arms around two others, while several more were on the floor, licking his feet with their tongues.


    More girls waited on the sidelines, looking for an opportunity to get closer to Sterl...


    This hedonistic feast continued for nearly half a day.


    Sterl remained seated on the vi''s sofa, surrounded by the "fallen." After taking on dozens of girls, he was still the clear victor!


    Most of these girls reached their climaxduring their first experience and then fainted...


    Only Teresa and Daphne remained, their legs trembling and barely able to stand. They were still conscious enough to carry the girls away and clean their bodies.


    Sterl leisurely returned home.


    Sure enough, Linna and Rayna had awakened by now and had packed severalrge suitcases. After putting all the luggage into their bags, they looked at Sterl with anticipation.


    "Can we... really move to the advanced base?"

 Chapter 157: Moving to the Advanced Base

    Sterl looked at the two girls, whose faces were filled with immense joy, and took charge of the situation.


    "Of course! Would I lie to you?"


    "I told you, I joined that mission from the Dark Moon Alliance with that senior. Even though I was just a small fry and didn''t contribute much, it still opened up my contribution and reputation with the Dark Moon Alliance."


    "The Dark Moon Alliance is a massive entity that controls over 70 average countries within the Divine Mountain Empire!"


    "Just being able to exchange things within the Alliance is enough to get you special treatment at the advanced base. Right now, I''m considered top talent among the human race on Earth!"


    Sterl was making it up as he went along.


    By the way, the mysterious senior''s initial image came from Teresa, and now it was based on Faye.


    In any case, he just needed to keep up the pretense for now.


    As for hisck of contribution in the Dark Moon Alliance mission, Sterl wasn''t entirely wrong. The Newborn Sprout of Creation that the Dark Moon Alliance wanted was directly snatched by Sterl!


    Sterl''s involvement was purely incidental. By rounding it off, it was as if he had no contribution at all...


    No problem there.


    Linna and Rayna didn''t doubt him. They just marveled, "You''re so lucky."


    "Ever since bing a yer, you''ve always had someone to lean on!"


    "It''s our luck!" Sterl corrected them. After some light-hearted bantering, the three of them packed their luggage. Linna and Rayna felt a bit sorry about abandoning the vi they had only stayed in for two days.


    Sterl had to practically drag them out to leave smoothly!


    When the trio arrived at the teleportation array, there was no need for any identification. Seeing the faces of Sterl, Linna, and Rayna, the guards immediately knew that they were high-ranking members of the human race!


    This was all part of the arrangements made by those families.


    By the way, Sterl had thoroughly erased his personal information both online and offline before informing the families about Linna and Rayna. He wanted them to help the girls level up and develop in the future.


    After all, the intelligenceworks of these families were not to be underestimated. Previously, dealing with some rogue yers was manageable with Teresa''s oversight, and Sterl didn''t think those yers would dare to investigate his information.


    However, dealing with the families was a different matter entirely. There were too many people involved, and even though Sterl had signed loyalty contracts with some, not everyone had agreed. It was highly probable that someone could trace back from Linna and Rayna to uncover some information about Sterl.


    But now, with all the data destroyed, the only people who originally knew about Sterl and his associates were just ordinary people and a few non-professional yers. Over the past two days, Teresa had secretly "handled" these individuals.


    Of course, after they died and returned to reality, Sterl logged out and transferred them to his newly established base. There, without radiation, Sterl provided them with good food and amodations, making their living standards even better than in [Transcendence]. The only downside was the loss of freedom...


    With this operationplete, Sterl no longer had to worry about his information being leaked. Even if those families investigated in the future, the most they could find out would be Sterl''s real name, and even that was unlikely.


    "Teresa and Daphne''s data storage points in the offline gathering spots haven''t been fully identified yet."


    "Once we locate their data storage, I''ll select a core group of yers, destroy all data, and have them move to my base in reality."


    "At that time, I''ll bring Linna and Rayna along too."


    Sterl was nning all this in his mind.


    At this moment, he, Linna, and Rayna finally stepped onto the teleportation array.


    Apanied by a faint glow and the dizzy feeling of traveling through space, the three found themselves in a new location.


    This wasn''t Sterl''s usual Advanced Base No.113, but Advanced Base No. 106.


    This base was reputed to be the safest among the advanced bases, housing several family headquarters. Both Linna and Rayna, being new to the ce, couldn''t help but marvel.


    "So this is the advanced base?"


    "The difference from our little rundown ce is just too much!"


    The girls'' eyes sparkled with excitement.


    The wide streets, flowerbeds, and greenery nted nearby, the towering buildings reflecting sunlight from their ss windows��all looked extremely exquisite and inviting.


    Compared to the lower-level base, the difference was like night and day, or rather, like the difference between the primitive world and modern society.


    At that moment, a group of men and women dressed in ck suits and white gloves lined up neatly.


    Linna''s face changed, worriedly looking at Sterl. "Did we cause any trouble?"


    Rayna felt a bit speechless. What was Linna thinking? These people were clearly not here to cause trouble; they seemed to be weing some important figure. "Should we avoid them for a bit?"


    She turned to Sterl and said.


    However, before the two girls could react, all the people knelt on one knee. "Miss Linna, Miss Rayna, wee to Advanced Base No. 106. We are honored by your presence!"


    Then, someone stepped forward and extended their hand. "Please follow us."said a woman with long hair, who had a gentle and graceful appearance.


    Linna and Rayna could only follow in a daze. The grandiosity of the scene left them bewildered.


    As they walked, the two girls couldn''t help but whisper to Sterl, "This is way over the top! Such a grand reception!"


    "Even themander of our base wouldn''t get this kind of treatment."


    The two beauties casually remarked, but the faces of the people in suits twitched. Theyweren''t the type who could bemanded by just any low-level basemander.


    To be amander of a low-level base, one only needed to be second ss.


    However, the people in suits were yers from prestigious families. Although most of them were also second ss, they were the elites among second ss!


    In terms ofbat power, each of them could easily kill three or four basemanders simultaneously.


    Yet here they were, clearing the way for two girls who were merely professionals. What infuriated them even more was that the girls didn''t even recognize their status!


    Sterl simply smiled and said, "Pretty much."


    "Pretty much."


    After that...


    The three spent some time moving into the most luxurious viplex in the advanced base.


    "All of this is ours!"


    "Grandpa, what exactly did our Sterl do...?"


    Linna and Rayna clung to an elderly man, who seemed to be a butler also dressed in a suit, asking questions. Meanwhile, some yers from the advanced base watching from afar werepletely shocked by the scene.


    "Wait, isn''t that the family headof the ''Stars'' family???"


    "Why is he bowing and scraping in front of those two girls? Their aura is so weak. They''re not even second ss."


    "What on earth is going on? Could they be descendants of a legendary warrior?"


    Sterl watched the scene from a distance with a slight smile before turning to leave.


    The ''Stars'' family hadn''t pledged allegiance to him, but Sterl had already established the fearsome reputation of "David." Everyone wanted to curry favor with him. No one dared provoke him!


    The families knew their only way in was through Linna and Rayna, so even the family headhimself showed up to familiarize himself and make a good impression.


    As for the safety of the two girls, Sterl wasn''t worried. He had hidden a Moon Law and a Flowing WaterLaw within their bodies.


    Law Power was inherently very strong. Additionally, Sterl had recently acquired a teleportation scroll simr to the one he used in the Netherworld, capable of mass teleportation, allowing him to instantly return to Linna and Rayna''s side.


    On a side note, he had used another evolution point on [Gate of Hell (Iplete)] over the past few days, but unfortunately, he found that the skill showed little change after leveling up, only increasing the gate''s defense.


    It seemed to be another one of those skills with a low starting point but a high ceiling, requiring multiple upgrades to reach its true potential...


    Having dealt with everything, Sterl finally felt at ease as he stepped into the teleportation array to head to the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    As he emerged from the teleportation array, something felt off.


    He was surrounded by a group of heavily armored soldiers wielding sharp des. Upon seeing him, their eyes lit up. "Come here! The capital is on lockdown. Everyone must have their identity verified before proceeding."


    Immediately, the teleportation array behind Sterl went dark.


    Clearly, the capital was now a one-way entrance!


    "Is there a show to watch?" Sterl was slightly surprised but remained calm.


    To his knowledge, the topbat power of the Divine Mountain Empire should be at most legendary, with perhaps a hidden demigod.


    Even if he couldn''t win, he could escape, and he had his ascend to godhood ability as a safeguard. So, he looked at the soldiers, hesitated briefly, and then obediently walked forward to have his identity checked.


    "Spike, is it? A merchant from the Principality of Morrow??"


    "Bad luck for you, kid. The city is on lockdown. Find an inn to stay in and don''te out, or don''t me us if our des show no mercy."


    Sterl usedthe Veil of Nothingnessand Star Insight to disguise himself with a random identity.


    The Principality of Morrow, known as a nation ofmerce, turned out to be quite a useful cover. The soldiers, who initially wore fierce expressions, softened considerably, only instructing Sterl to find a ce to stay and forbidding him from leaving.


    ying his part to the end, Sterl, as a merchant, nodded and bowed, repeatedly expressing his thanks before finding an inn and booking a room.


    However, just a few secondster, a soldier-like figure exited through the back door of the inn.


    "What exactly is going on??"


    A faint light screen appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Temporary Objective: Investigate the upheaval in the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [Warning: This objective is significantly rted to your hidden and main storyline quests. Failure may result in the disappearance of these quests.]

 Chapter 158: The Empires Turmoil

    Sterl looked at the newly popped-up objective and immediately frowned.


    Although the rewards for the main storyline and hidden quests in the Divine Mountain Empire were no longer too precious for him, losing out on them would still be a huge waste.


    "Whoever is meddling and affecting my rewards deserves to die!" he muttered angrily.


    Then, Sterl thought for a moment and, maintaining his soldier disguise, started walking towards the barracks.


    Along the way, he quickly tapped a few times on his panel.


    "Initiate the second ss change ceremony."


    After resting for two days, Sterl hade to the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire, ready to start striving again.


    He anticipated that there would be no shortage of battles and explorations in the capital, which might even help him fulfill some of the ceremony''s requirements. So he initiated it on a whim.


    By the way, therge amount of resources Sterl had previously handed over to Teresa had mostly been exchanged, resulting in four pieces of diamond-grade equipment usable for levels 60-70 second ss.


    Since Sterl had broken through to second ss, his remaining experience, with the support of arcane skills, would probably get him to around level 70. However, he couldn''t use the equipment just yet...


    Soon, after some waiting, a light screen appeared before Sterl''s eyes, just like during his first ss change. Detailed andplex information surfaced.


    [You have initiated the second ss change ceremony. You need toplete the following tasks to ss change.]


    [Upon ss change, you will receive the following bonuses: ss rank attribute enhancement, one-tier increase in free attribute points (current rank has reached potential limit SSS, cannot be increased further).]


    [Your Celestial Stars and Stardust skills will be upgraded to gold quality.]


    [You need toplete the following tasks��]


    [�� Obtain Star Crystals (0/500). Each time you kill an enemy, Star Crystals will condense based on the opponent''s level. A level 60 unit condenses one piece, a level 80 unit condenses two pieces, a level 100 unit condenses four pieces...]


    [�� Transcendence Challenge: You need toplete a strong enemy kill. The quality and potential of the first skill you gain after the ss change will be determined by this kill (maximum value is 10,000 points).]


    [�� SSS-ss Exclusive: You need to invest 5 points of legendary reputation toplete the second ss change.]


    [�� You need to spend 100 purple gold coins.]


    [�� Confrontation with the World''s Malice (1/1)]


    ...


    Reading through the ss change ceremony requirements, Sterl fell silent.


    For someone with his abilities,pleting it wasn''t difficult, but objectively evaluating the ss change ceremony, the requirements were a bit too high.


    First, obtaining 500 Star Crystals meant Sterl had to kill 500 units above second ss. Moreover, the number of Star Crystals collected only doubled for every 20-level increase in the enemy''s level.


    Even if Sterl were to massacre level 100 units, he''d still need to kill over a hundred of them! The killing itself wasn''t the hard part. The challenge was finding that many people.


    The strong enemy challenge was another unknown. Sterl wasn''t sure of the specific scoring rules yet, but judging by the difficulty disyed by the ss change ceremony, finding an opponent that would max out the 10,000-point rating seemed incredibly difficult.


    Then there was the requirement for legendary reputation points. Since when did a second ss change ceremony start demanding such high-value items?


    Could othersplete it? It seemed... they could. After all, yers who managed to obtain an SSS-ss profession might indeed have a chance to acquire legendary reputation points for their second ss change.


    As for the 100 purple gold coins, that was probably the easiest condition. Unfortunately, Sterl had spent most of his liquid funds on acquiring equipment, so he didn''t have that much on hand.


    However, he could resolve this by farming monsters and selling materials.


    Thest requirement of the ceremony actually surprised Sterl. It was automaticallypleted. But what exactly did "Confrontation with the World''s Malice" mean? Could it be referring to the abomination he had killed in the Netherworld?


    But what truly frustrated Sterl wasn''t the difficulty of the ss change ceremony��it was the seemingly minimal benefits after the ss change.


    A high-quality skill, the evolution of Celestial Stars and Stardust to gold quality, and that was it?


    Other yers would get to improve their ss rank, gain additional attributes, and receive free attribute points. But not him!


    And the reason given was that his potential had reached its limit??


    This felt like such a rip-off. Didn''t this mean that SSS-ss yers were actually at a disadvantage in the second ss change ceremony?


    Sterl felt that his second ss change enhancements were simr to what others would get in their third ss change.


    The third ss change was more about umting the foundation to ascend to legendary status. The enhancement post-change wasn''t significant. It was mainly about learning new skills, especially the legendary gold skills.


    But the second ss change was supposed to signify that yers had fully developed their profession, leading to a significant power boost for everyone whopleted it.


    For Sterl...


    Getting a few extra skills was hardly an enhancement!


    It felt like the [Transcendence] system was specifically discriminating against SSS-ss yers! As if it didn''t want such yers to exist at all!


    However, just as Sterl was feeling extremely dissatisfied, he sensed something��his golden finger was inexplicably sending him a message...


    Sterl sensed that once he advanced to the second ss, his golden finger would undergo an additional transformation!


    "Moreover, it seems like the point allocation system is hinting that my true benefits from the second ss can be retrieved through a special method."


    "What does this mean? Does it imply that the original benefits have been withheld?"


    He was full of confusion, but at this moment, Sterl felt a sense of relief. Given that the benefits of the second ss change weren''t that significant to begin with, ifpleting the ceremony could enhance his golden finger, that would be a genuinely massive gain.


    His golden finger was already incredibly powerful. Another enhancement would be phenomenal. "Now, let''s see what''s really happening in the Divine Mountain Empire."Sterl thought, his expression tinged with anticipation.


    His logic was simple: this was the capital of an empire, and something major seemed to be unfolding!


    Previously, in the Divine Mountain Empire''s consciousness space, Sterl had encountered elite soldiers from the Antic Empire, all of whom had second ss or above strength. The capital of the Divine Mountain Empire should have a batch of Imperial Guards, who were also likely to be second ss.


    If there truly was internal turmoil within the empire, Sterl could join the weaker side and potentially rack up kills of second ss units, rapidly advancing the progress of his ss change ceremony.


    At this moment, disguised as a soldier, he decisively headed toward the nearest barracks.


    What further corroborated Sterl''s spection was the highly vignt state of the barracks.


    There were sentries every few steps, and guards every few more.


    Everyone was in a state of high alert, and Sterl noticed that many soldiers'' des, glinting coldly, were stained with blood.


    Clearly, they had recently been inbat.


    Sterl took a brief nce into the distance before immediately activating his Shadow Stealth ability, swiftly infiltrating the tallest and most ornate main tent in the military camp, adorned with four-colored gemstones.


    Using the passive ability of Shadow Stealth, he reduced his own presence and hid in a corner filled with supplies.


    Sterl didn''t have to wait long before someone familiar walked in��it was a civil officer he had met in the consciousness space of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    But Sterl couldn''t remember the officer''s name.


    The officer was apanied by a slightly chubby but clearly muscr middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man wore heavy armor and plopped down on the main seat in the tent, causing a minor earthquake with the sheer weight of his armor.


    It was evident that this was an extraordinarily heavy, specialized set of armor.


    Using Star Insight, Sterl discovered that the man himself was at the third ss change level, and the heavy armor was a piece of diamond-grade third ss equipment.


    "Such high-grade items, there probably aren''t many even in the treasury of the Divine Mountain Empire! And look at this general, with his alert, battle-ready expression��something big has definitely happened!" Sterl silently assessed.


    In the tent, the civil officer and the general exchanged some pleasantries before getting to the main topic.


    "So, how goes the search for the remaining princes? The Fourth Prince has already been cornered in the Crown Prince''s pce."


    "Most of the princes and princesses not in the capital have been captured. Only a few got wind of the plot early. Instead of fleeing, they pretended to be unaware of the Emperor''s scheme and came to the capital voluntarily, then hid in the Crown Prince''s residence."


    "They are now resisting along with the Fourth Prince." At this point, a hint of disdain shed in the general''s eyes. "Soon they will understand the true meaning of an absolute power gap. Any maneuver before that is meaningless.!"


    "Thanks to the Fourth Prince, we can round up the remaining princes and princesses in one fell swoop."


    "As expected of General Leopold!" the civil officer ttered enthusiastically.


    The more Sterl listened, the more puzzled he became.


    The civil officer and the general mentioned terms like "His Majesty" and "Fourth Prince." ording to their conversation, it seemed the Emperor was trying to capture all his descendants.


    What was going on? Had all the princes and princessesmitted crimes?


    Moreover, Sterl recalled that this civil officer was originally aligned with the Fourth Prince when they were in the consciousness space. Why had he betrayed them now?


    "Was the prince pretending all along when he interacted with me?" Sterl wondered. "Or are the princes banding together to force the Emperor to abdicate prematurely?"


    Sterl spected based on stories of political intrigue he had read in his previous life.


    The current situation didn''t make much sense. What was the Emperor aiming for? Last time, he heard in the consciousness space that the Emperor was already gravely ill and about to abdicate.


    If the Emperor just went with the flow and abdicated, would his descendants have made things difficult for him?


    With the external pressure from the Antic Empire, the Emperor should understand that internal strife would shake the empire''s foundation and invite enemy invasion. Why go through such trouble?

 Chapter 159: An Enemy of the Empire??

    Sterl felt a bit puzzled, but once he understood what was happening, he couldn''t suppress the smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    "This is a battle for the throne!"


    His heart raced with excitement. Even without thinking too hard, he knew that countless powerful figures from the Divine Mountain Empire would gather here.


    And as long as Sterl helped the rtively weaker faction, the Fourth Prince, who had been forced to defend his position within the Prince''s Mansion, the elite soldiers opposing him would likely be of second-ss level, providing him with a steady stream of Star Crystals!


    ording to his n, Sterl could rapidly advance his second-ss ritual progress!


    Of course, there was another reason to help the Fourth Prince.


    The rewards for hidden and mainline quests were too tempting for Sterl to give up.


    Without hesitation, he decided to get involved in this murky situation!


    At this moment, new prompts appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You havepleted the intelligence reconnaissance.]


    [You can choose from the following options:]


    [�� Restore order and assist the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire in capturing the rebellious princes and princesses. (This route is less dangerous, offers lower rewards, and due to faction reasons, all previously epted tasks rted to the Divine Mountain Empire will be invalid.)]


    [�� Join the rebels, side with the princes. Depending on the oue you achieve��such as the prince being captured, sessfully escaping, or other scenarios��you will receive rewards based on your contribution to the storyline. (This route is extremely dangerous, offers extremely high rewards, and guarantees legendary points.


    Due to faction reasons, all previously epted tasks rted to the Divine Mountain Empire will be merged into this route.)]


    [Hint: The second route requires at least one prince to survive. Rewards will be based on your performance and influence in the mission.]


    Two messages popped up in front of Sterl.


    He didn''t hesitate for a moment and decisively chose the second option. The first option not only offered lower rewards but also diminished the rewards for his hidden and mainline quests. That was uneptable! He resolutely refused it!


    As for the second route, the guaranteed legendary points alone was enough to thrill Sterl!


    He currently had 47 points of legendary points, a result of his previous frenzy of ughtering legendary souls. Although this was enough to max out the legendary pointsfor three golden skills and advance to legendary points, he still needed more.


    Sterl had functional golden skills that required upgrading, especially the golden-quality [Stardust] he would gain after advancing to second ss, as well as some powerful golden skills he might acquire in the future. To fully utilize them, he would need to max out their legendary points.


    Clearly, he needed to stockpile some legendary pointspoints. Furthermore, his second-ss ritual required legendary points, indicating that this special value would be useful in many ces!


    Additionally, by choosing the second route, the rewards for his existing hidden and mainline quests would be distributed uponpleting this path.


    Absolutely a win-win!


    With this thought in mind, Sterl didn''t hesitate to reveal himself. Before the officials and generals present could react, he had already gathered his Star Power, transforming it into a liquid state. Using the Flowing Water Law, he reinforced it, and to his surprise, he discovered that the Star Power shaped by Flowing Water could be coated with ayer of Star de.


    Although the weapon forged by Law Power, the Star de, could no longer enhance its material or sharpness, at least the attribute bonuses from the original skill effects remained.


    After a brief test, Sterl sensed that the weapons forged by the Flowing Water Law, despitecking additional attributes, possessed a sharpness and quality equivalent to epic-level weapons!


    Moreover, the sword formed from the liquid Star Power via the Flowing Water Law had a special ability: [Star Shine: Striking an enemy will cause them to enter a blinded state. This state can stack and be detonated, causing massive damage.]


    Sterl hadn''t tested the exact power of this ability yet, but he could faintly sense that the ''massive damage'' was indeed substantial!


    As for the blinded state, it would reduce the opponent''s vision and sensory capabilities. After multiple stacks, even those with high mental attributes who could perceive the world without relying on their eyes would fall into a chaotic state, significantly diminishing theirbat effectiveness.


    "Law Power truly is formidable!" Sterl marveled as he tested his new abilities, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    However, he also felt a slight tremor in his divinity, mainly due to the substantial energy consumption.


    Forging weapons was one of the more energy-efficient uses of Law Power, yet it still depleted two-thirds of Sterl''s energy reservoir.


    Meanwhile, as he gauged the strength of the Flowing Water Law, he didn''t remain idle.


    The long sword, now coated with the Star de, was already poised against the general''s throat, exuding a terrifying aura imbued with Law Power.


    Instantly, the general halted his retaliatory movement, sensing that any attempt to resist would result in his death!


    As for the official, he was simrly subdued, but by one of Sterl''s avatars. Armed with a standard Star de, the avatar easily overpowered him.


    "Who are you!?"


    "What do you want!?"


    "This is a provocation against the Empire! Are you seeking to be an enemy of our Divine Mountain Empire?"


    The faces of the two Divine Mountain Empire NPCs changed drastically, their hearts filled with terror.


    How could someone breach the heavily guarded military camp so effortlessly?!


    Both the general and the official were extremely uneasy and frightened, suddenly realizing that the person who had appeared and threatened them was very likely a powerful enemy from a rival nation.


    "Clearly, the city has been sealed off."


    "Anyone entering the imperial capital can only get in, not out."


    "Yet somehow, the news got out this quickly??"


    "Fourth Prince�� why can''t you just ept your fate peacefully? You truly are a traitor to the nation!"


    The two NPCs were deep in thought, their minds filled with bitterness.


    The general gave the official a meaningful look.


    The official shook his head and blinked, showing a resolute expression.


    "I''ll do it!" he said briefly.


    This was a moment of national crisis. Whatever the intentions of this enemy nation''s powerhouse, letting him seed would bring great harm to the country. They had to stop him, even at the cost of their own lives!


    However, Sterl''s next words left them both stunned: "Take me to the Prince''s Mansion."


    The official, who had been ready to self-destruct to create a diversion for the general, froze.


    The energy the general had been umting also dissipated instantly.


    What?


    To the Prince''s Mansion?


    They were confused. If he really were a powerhouse from a rival nation, wouldn''t he know the location of the Prince''s Mansion? Why would he need us to take him there?


    Nheless, this request made the two from the Divine Mountain Empire breathe a sigh of relief.


    It seemed they wouldn''t have to die!


    The Prince''s Mansion was currently swarming with the nation''s elite guards, all of whom were second-ss or higher!


    Moreover, the Emperor himself was there!


    In response to this sudden upheaval, two legendary figures had been stationed temporarily in the border town of Oster to prevent other nations from taking advantage of the Divine Mountain Empire''s turmoil andunching an attack.


    The Prince''s Mansion was the strongest bastion of power in the empire!


    The sudden intruder before them, though evidently formidable, seemed to be marching to his death by heading there.


    The two NPCs surreptitiously evaluated "Sterl" and activated their detection skills, only to discover that this "Felix" was merely a third-tier yer!


    Against the might of the Prince''s Mansion, he was nothing more than an ant!


    Instantly, their expressions turned calm andposed. "We''ll take you there, just don''t make any sudden moves."


    Sterl, of course, had deliberately disguised himself as a third-tier yer.


    If he appeared too weak, these two might still harbor thoughts of resistance, wasting his time. On the other hand, if he appeared too strong, like a legendary-tier yer, their patriotic fervor might re up, causing them to choose death over submission, making things moreplicated.


    The third-tier disguise was just right.


    Thus, while the NPCs nned to lead Sterl to the Prince''s Mansion for reinforcements, Sterl intended to go there for a massacre toplete his second-ss quest. Their goals aligned perfectly.


    With great efficiency, they set off from the military camp...


    ...


    At that moment, in the southwestern corner of the Divine Mountain Empire''s capital, a grand pce was surrounded by a dense, ck mass of soldiers.


    Each soldier wore a proud expression, their morale high!


    Around them were not only soldiers but also countless civilians from the capital. Among them were nobles in luxurious attire andmoners in simple clothes, all waving their hands and cheering.


    "For the Emperor!"


    "Long live His Majesty!"


    "Kill those rebellious princes!!"


    Everyone''s eyes were red with excitement, and some civilians were even hurling rotten food at the Prince''s Mansion, filled with contempt and rage!


    In the center of the soldiers stood a middle-aged man in a purple-gold robe, exuding a powerful aura. His face was stern, and every gesture he made was full of authority.


    This was Octavius Stone, the current Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire. If any yers from the Divine Mountain Empire were present, they would be shocked. Wasn''t it said that the Emperor was gravely ill and about to abdicate? Yet here he stood, looking full of energy and vigor, showing no signs of illness.


    The Emperor was loudly urging surrender, "How long do you n to resist?"


    "Why can''t you sacrifice your lives for the Empire?"


    As he spoke, several soldiers in ck armor dragged a richly dressed, delicate-looking girl forward. Her face was fair and soft, clearly someone who had been pampered all her life.


    But now, she was desperately wing at the ground, her nails breaking and leaving ten bloody marks.


    "Father, please, no! Spare me!"


    The girl cried out in terror. She was one of the princesses of the Divine Mountain Empire!

 Chapter 160: The Bloody Sacrifice!

    The Emperor gently caressed the girl''s forehead with a loving touch. "My foolish child, I don''t want to hurt you."


    "Why can''t you understand your father''s intentions?"


    "Our Divine Mountain Empire is surrounded by powerful enemies. Do you know that every year, the Antic Empire raids our borders, leaving countless families destroyed?"


    "And all of this is because our nation isn''t strong enough."


    Two tears streamed down Octavius''s face.


    "I am your father, but I am also the father of all these people!"


    "No! No!"


    "Spare me!"


    The girl desperately struggled, her eyes filled with terror and despair.


    Octavius sighed, "You still don''t see the bigger picture."


    Then, the Emperor flipped his palm and ced it on the girl''s head, forcibly refining her into a blood-red pill. He then swallowed the pill.


    Instantly, Octavius''s aura surged again. Though he had been concealing his true power, now he temporarily broke through, exuding the presence of a legendary-tier figure!


    The countless civilians and soldiers present were ecstatic. "Our Emperor is invincible!"


    "Long live the Emperor!"


    They all shouted sincerely, filled with excitement!


    Then the crowd began to chant, "The princess is righteous, sacrificing herself bravely!"


    "The princess is righteous, sacrificing herself bravely!"


    "The princess is righteous, sacrificing herself bravely!"


    ...


    Though this scene was bloody and horrifying, outside the Prince''s Mansion, it presented a united front.


    The Emperor sacrificed his daughter, yet donned a facade of righteousness, full of moral integrity, an incredibly bizarre sight!


    The soldiers rejoiced, congratting the Emperor.


    The civilians, too, were ted by the sight, showing immense support.


    Then, aside from the Emperor who maintained a facade ofpassion, the soldiers, civilians, nobles, and officials once again shouted toward the Prince''s Mansion, "Surrender! Surrender!"


    "Sacrifice for the Empire!"


    "Sacrifice for the Empire!"


    ...


    The might of the entire Divine Mountain Empire was on full disy as countless people fervently chanted, their devotion and fanaticism undeniable!


    Even Sterl, who had infiltrated the vicinity, was left utterly bbergasted.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    "Are these people all insane?" His worldview was being challenged. How could an emperor who ughtered his own offspring be so revered?


    Sterl was baffled, unsure if he was the one who had lost his mind or if it was the world around him that had gone mad.


    However, the civil and military officials he had taken hostage gazed at the Emperor with devout expressions, even offering unsolicited exnations: "Our Emperor Octavius does not need to manipte anyone."


    As they borated, Sterl grew increasingly bewildered. The situation was unfolding in a way he hadn''t anticipated.


    The people present weren''t brainwashed, nor were they under any magical influence.


    The reason was...


    The current Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire, Octavius, was the most wise and visionary ruler in the past 400 years. Under his leadership, the Empire expanded its territory by a third and reduced the number of impoverished citizens by half.


    The additional tax revenue from the expanded territories enriched the nobles and soldiers, who in turn funneled their wealth back into the economy through trade, benefiting the general popce.


    Under Octavius''s rule, the entire Divine Mountain Empire had taken a significant step forward. However, manymented that this wise ruler was destined to die young...


    No, he wasn''t dead yet.


    But Octavius was naturally poor in cultivation talent,cking in strength and longevity. He had been bedridden, waiting for death.


    Then, at a critical moment...


    He unexpectedly acquired a unique skill called [Blood Rpense], allowing him to extend his life, enhance his strength, and improve his cultivation talent by consuming his direct descendants.


    Moreover, the stronger the talent, strength, and fortune of his descendants, the more effective the consumption.


    As an emperor, Octavius had consumed countless rare treasures over the years. During his many campaigns and territorial expansions, he also umted a significant amount of legend points.


    After experimentally consuming a deathly ill princess, his talent improved. The myriad resources umted within him began to take effect, andbined with the legend points, he directly leaped from a third-tier strength to legendary!


    This newfound power sparked even greater ambition in the Emperor.


    Although Octavius broke through using the unique skill, his strength was only equivalent to the weakest legendary figure, simr to advancing with a gold-tier skill requiring just two to four legend points.


    But he could sense that as long as he continued to devour his descendants, he could fill the gaps in his legendary realm and transform into a perfect legend,plete with three fully legendary golden skills.


    Moreover, his lifespan would increase significantly, and he might even have a chance to reach the demigod level in the future.


    Thus, countless princes and princesses were captured from their territories, controlled, and offered to the Emperor for refinement.


    The fourth prince, who had originally secured the position of crown prince, refused to die without a fight. He resisted and even secretly aided other princes and princesses who sensed the danger, allowing them to take refuge in his mansion.


    As for why the fourth prince and others, who simply wanted to survive, werebeled as rebels.


    Because...


    Sterl assumed that an emperor using such a bloody arcane skill would certainly try to hide it, fearing exposure and the inevitable bacsh.


    However, Octavius openly announced the details of his arcane skill in the Congress, candidly admitting, "I do not act solely out of public duty.I also crave longer life and greater power."


    "But all of this is also for the resurgence of the Divine Mountain Empire!"


    The general mimicked the Emperor''s speech from a few days ago, his face radiating admiration.


    The civil official''s expression was simrly reverent.


    Sterl was speechless...


    He understood now. Novels had indeed deceived him. People were driven by self-interest. There was no such thing as a king being overthrown by everyone simply because his bloody and cruel methods were exposed.


    The old emperor might be ruthless, but he could lead the nobles and soldiers to wealth and guide themon people to prosperity.


    So, from the nobles to the military to themon folk, the entire nation leaned toward him.


    It was true that the princes wanted to live.


    But they were betraying the entire Divine Mountain Empire.


    Refining descendants into nourishment had paradoxically be an act of righteousness.


    Sterl shook his head. He was utterly confounded, at a loss for words.


    At that moment, Sterl saw the Emperor wave his hand, and the iron gates of the Prince''s Mansion were forcibly shattered.


    This was the power of a legendary figure! Unstoppable by any army!


    Following that, the fourth prince''s staunch supporters led their troops to block the advance. The prince himself and the dozen or so siblings he had persuaded were all pale-faced.


    Equally pale were a group of yers nearby, who had previously been recruited by the fourth prince.


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, suddenly noticing among the yers...


    Sure enough, Faye was there.


    "Ancestor, what should we do?" On the surface, Faye appeared calm and noble, but in reality, she was socially anxious and internally panicking.


    In the mental space, Felicia was also on the verge of breaking down. "Seriously, why do we keep running into stuff like this?"


    Faye and Felicia had arrived in the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire long ago, thinking they could just explore and enjoy the scenery.


    Then, a plea for help was received from the Fourth Prince.


    Without hesitation, Faye and Felicia agreed. They had witnessed divine battles in the Netherworld. What danger could the Divine Mountain Empire possibly pose? It seemed like a free mission.


    However, they were relentlessly pursued by soldiers all the way to the Prince''s Mansion. Just when they thought they had reached the final stage of the mission and were about to face the boss, a legendary figure stood before Faye and Felicia.


    And this legendary figure turned out to be the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire, who had surrounded the Prince''s Mansion with a formidable army!


    Felicia was already contemting escape tactics, hoping it wouldn''t consume too much soul power.


    The other recruited yers nearby wore simrly despairing expressions. Most of them were only second-ss, with only a few third-tier warriors who had been recruited after the fourth prince became the crown prince.


    But Octavius''s army included several third-tier powerhouses, and his own legendary aura was overwhelmingly strong!


    "How do we fight this? It''s certain death!"


    "Do we even have a chance to abandon the mission?"


    "We might as well give it a go. The way those civilians outside are looking at us, they probably want to tear us apart alive."


    The yers discussed the current situation. The only reason they hadn''t betrayed yet was that they had no means of escape at the moment.


    To keep the Emperor''s actions secret, the capital was under a disruption array, preventing the use of any teleportation devices.


    They had already lost hope.


    The situation before them was utterly dire!


    They felt there was no chance to surrender. The civilians outside wanted nothing more than to rip them apart for aiding the Emperor and harming the Empire''s interests.


    Otherwise, the yers would have been begging on their knees by now.


    The princes and princesses were even more terrified. At least the yers had the option to log out and return to the real world upon death.


    But these princes and princesses, their strongest fighters were only third-tier.


    How could they possibly face their legendary father? The thought of ultimately being refined into elixirs and consumed filled them with dread!


    The fourth prince,mendably the one with the best mental fortitude, was still trying tofort his siblings.


    "At this point, there''s nothing more to say. We have to fight for our lives."


    "If we don''t want to be calmly eaten, we have to struggle with all our might!"


    Unfortunately, his stirring speech had no effect.

 Chapter 161: Deserted by Allies

    "Resist? How do we resist?"


    "With the handful of people we have?"


    "Forget about Father... even his elite guards alone are enough to ughter us! The only reason we''re still alive is because we might still be useful."


    "This time, we can''t escape!"


    ...


    The princes were all extremely pessimistic, and the most terrifying part was that they were speaking the truth.


    The fourth prince, who had been somewhat spirited earlier, copsed instantly: "Then why don''t we just surrender? Sacrifice ourselves for the country?"


    As soon as he said this, the other princes and princesses, who had been speaking despairingly, immediately fell silent.


    Even ants cling to life, let alone humans, especially those who had been pampered and enjoyed so many of life''s luxuries from a young age.


    Expecting them to sacrifice themselves for the country? Impossible!


    "I don''t want to die, and I don''t want to sacrifice myself."


    "Father, you are already a legend, please spare us!"


    "Do you really want to eradicate your own descendants?"


    The princes and princesses were all terrified, begging their father for mercy.


    The yers nearby listened in increasing shock. These princes and princesses were only pleading for their lives, not condemning their father for refining their bloodline into elixirs, as if that was perfectly natural.


    However, seeing the cowardly demeanor of the princes and princesses, the masses became even more furious.


    "Why are you so afraid of death? As members of the royal family, you must bear your duties and responsibilities!"


    "You can''t possibly win. You''ll only cause more casualties in the country! Why not surrender?"


    "You''ve enjoyed the Empire''s resources for so many years. It''s time to give back!"


    ...


    Some tried to persuade them earnestly, while others hurled angry insults.


    In the end, the voices merged into a single, overwhelming cry.


    "Princes and princesses, please go to your deaths!"


    ...


    The princes and princesses, though increasingly terrified, continued to tremble and retreat. Some even dared not stand at the gate anymore and turned to flee deeper into the mansion.


    At this moment, the Emperor stepped forward, waving his hand. Instantly, the citizens, nobles, and soldiers all fell silent, staring at those inside the Prince''s Mansion.


    The scene became even more eerie, amplifying the psychological pressure.


    Octavius''s face was solemn: "Since you remain so obstinate, don''t me me for being unkind."


    Then, he turned and addressed the inter-world warriors: "Brave warriors from other world, you must see clearly that this is merely an internal effort by the Divine Mountain Empire to achieve prosperity and strength."


    "We only wish for this country to be better."


    "When you first joined my child''s ranks, wasn''t it also for this very purpose?"


    "However, the situation has changed. They, for their own selfish reasons, are unwilling to sacrifice their lives and are dragging you into it."


    "I can give you an opportunity to set things right, to stand once again on the true side of the Divine Mountain Empire!"


    Octavius added, "And for the rest of you..."


    He looked at the civil and military officials and soldiers loyal to the fourth prince, saying, "If you have any thoughts, you are wee to return to my side. You are all talents of our Empire, why throw your lives away in vain?"


    Octavius''s tone was sincere, embodying the demeanor of a grand ruler.


    As soon as he spoke, the morale of those loyal to the fourth prince crumbled instantly!


    Anyone could see that if they fought head-on, it would be certain death. The civil and military officials loyal to the fourth prince hesitated for only a few seconds.


    But the yers, they scattered immediately, running out of the Prince''s Mansion as fast as they could, each fearing they might be too slow.


    Even Faye, showing a nod of apology, followed suit.


    They were all here for the mission rewards, not out of any real loyalty to the fourth prince. Their allegiance was to hidden tasks and main quests.


    Once the yers exited the Prince''s Mansion, the soldiers, following the Emperor''s subtle signal, made way for them.


    The yers felt relieved, though a few looked grim because, like Sterl, they had faced a dual-task choice at the start. Many had chosen the second option, hoping to help the princes for a higher reward, but now they had lost everything.


    And then...


    With the yers leading the way, the soldiers inside the Prince''s Mansion didn''t hesitate to drop their weapons and rush forward, shouting, "We surrender!"


    "We surrender!"


    These soldiers were also smoothly integrated into Octavius''s army.


    Finally, the civil and military officials who had a semnce of dignity, albeit with apologetic faces, said, "Sorry, our loyalty has always been to the Empire."


    This group at least offered a few polite words before walking out of the Prince''s Mansion.


    But for the princes and princesses, what did it matter? Those who had tried to flee into the mansion stopped in their tracks, staring nkly at the scene.


    What was once a tense standoff had now turned into aplete desertion of the so-called "rebels."


    At this moment, even the fourth prince, who had barely maintained someposure earlier, was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what to do next.


    He even felt a pang of regret. Had he known it woulde to this, with no chance of survival, he might as well have sacrificed himself for the Empire and gained a good reputation.


    The other princes and princesses were too exhausted to say a word. They slumped to the ground, drenched in cold sweat, devoid of any will to escape, likembs awaiting ughter.


    Seeing this, the Emperor knew it was over. He casually waved his hand, and immediately a squad of soldiers stepped forward to apprehend the rebellious princes and princesses.


    But at that moment��


    The soldiers halted, looking ahead in confusion.


    In front of the open gates of the Prince''s Mansion, there was someone standing there, apart from the princes and princesses.


    "Nathan? What are you waiting for? Come on, let''s go."the fourth prince eximed in surprise. The man before him was an old loyalist who had joined him years ago, a devoted civil servant.


    However, this man had left the fourth prince''s side some time ago.


    The fourth prince hadn''t expected that in this crucial moment, Nathan would reappear. His heart swelled with mixed emotions.


    But the fourth prince couldn''t bear to see this loyal man sacrifice himself, so he urged him to leave.


    "Nathan" simply shook his head quietly, not saying a word. He slowly stepped forward, blocking the soldiers intending to capture the princes and princesses.


    This person was not Nathan at all but Sterl in disguise. Sterl had already used his Star Insight to survey the area, including the legendary king. No one, under Sterl''s divine descent and Life Ignite states, could outmatch his mental prowess or uncover his identity.


    So, he boldly disguised himself, altering his identity.


    As for those two civil officers and the military general, they actually intended tounch a surprise attack to kill Sterl. Sterl effortlessly killed them with two shots of Star Point Finger and tossed their bodies into a small world. Then, he disguised himself as one of the civil officers to stir up trouble.


    Even after hearing the story of the Divine Mountain Empire, Sterl thought that while the idea of a blood sacrifice was pretty outrageous, the rest of it wasn''t too bad.


    The fourth prince he knew seemed to have some political acumen and was a decent person, but he was probably no match for the old emperor.


    Sterl figured that if he were just an ordinary person, he would support sacrificing the princes and princesses for the greater good.


    But he was only here for the rewards and to take advantage of the second ss ritual''spletion.


    Naturally, he thought, "What does the Divine Mountain Empire have to do with me? Not a single reward from my missions should be lost!"


    "How dare you!"


    "Your Majesty, you gave him a chance to surrender, but he doesn''t cherish it at all. He deserves to die!"


    At this moment, a yer who had already defected to the emperor''s side rushed forward with red eyes, looking all righteous and indignant.


    These yers had already lost the rewards from the fourth prince''s faction. Now, they just wanted to quickly gain the old emperor''s favor. Maybe they could even get some extra tasks to make up for their losses.


    In a sh, several third-ss yers surged with their auras and charged at "Nathan." One, wielding dark purple lightning, lunged at "Nathan" with fingers spread like ws aiming straight for his heart.


    Another drew a long sword, shing down from above.


    Thest one, a mage by demeanor, had originally been preparing to chant a high-power spell. Seeing that the kill was about to be stolen, he quickly switched to casting an instant Ice Sword.


    Three attacks, all in the blink of an eye, targeted "Nathan''s" vital points.


    At that moment, many ordinary people and nobles hadn''t even reacted!


    Only NPCs of second ss and above showed a hint of approval in their eyes, thinking that these yers knew how to earn merit even after surrendering. Well done, they did not waste the emperor''s leniency.


    As for the princes and princesses, only a few who were strong enough realized what was happening. They could only watch in horror as thest loyal minister beside them was about to meet his end! They had no time to help!


    They couldn''t help but feel a wave of despair, simr to the sorrow one feels when witnessing a kindred spirit''s misfortune.


    "Forget it!"


    "There''s no time to save him, so we won''t. If he dies, he dies. We''ll be joining him soon enough anyway."


    The princes thought, resigned.


    However, just at that moment, with a faint sh of light��


    "Nathan" merely raised his hand slightly, and no one knew what he did.


    In an instant��


    The surrounding chaotic energy dissipated.


    The three yers'' attacks stopped abruptly! The glow of their skills vanished like illusions in water.


    Then, each of them widened their eyes, blood slowly trickling from the corners of their mouths!


    Thud!


    Thud!


    Thud!


    With three dull thuds, the three third-ss yers, who were considered high-levelbatants in the Divine Mountain Empire, fell to the ground instantly.

 Chapter 162: The Ridiculous Output of the [Flowing Water] Law

    Afterward, two of the yers who had copsed on the ground vanished into light, leaving behind two loot orbs.


    Thest yer, however, had a different fate. Sterl had previously scanned him with Star Insight and noted that his talents were rted to damage reduction and defense, so he didn''t die instantly.


    This yer struggled miserably for a while, vomitingrge chunks of his internal organs, before sumbing to death.


    His face was twisted in agony, his body convulsing violently, clearly experiencing excruciating pain.


    Sterl felt a twinge of guilt. He wasn''t one to enjoy torturing his enemies. In fact, he always considered himself someone who disliked conflict. But in his quest for power, he could set aside any psychological or moral scruples.


    From his pre-transmigration knowledge, Sterl knew that visceral pain was one of the most intense forms of pain a human could endure.


    He realized that the third yer''s death was particrly gruesome.


    However, Sterl wasn''t about to mourn for his enemy. A flicker of excitement shed in his eyes.


    This was the power of the Law!


    A small-scale test of the Flowing Waterw had already brought him considerable surprise.


    Just now, he had used the [Flowing Water]ability��manipting the liquids within his opponents'' bodies to silence and interrupt their skills while causing damage.


    Clearly, this move, which included a silence effect, was much weaker than directly manipting an enemy''s blood to cause harm.


    But for these third-ss yers, it was still enough to kill them easily.


    The key point was that the Flowing Waterw''s abilities, including this one and the direct blood maniption attack, allowed Sterl to freely allocate his energy.


    Sterl hadn''t invested much energy, about the same as one Star Point Finger.


    Yet the effect was equivalent to three Star Point Fingers, instantly killing the three yers around him with significant damage overflow.


    Law Power was indeed exaggerated!


    As Sterl pondered, a loot orb appeared on the corpse of thest yer.


    At this moment, the atmosphere on the battlefield changed dramatically.


    NPCs killing each other wouldn''t drop items. Only yer-versus-yer kills produced loot orbs!


    Anyone with half a brain would realize that "Nathan" was an imposter!


    This person couldn''t possibly be the civil servant from the Divine Mountain Empire but was a yer in disguise!


    The few who didn''t grasp this were simply ordinary soldiers and yers who didn''t know who "Nathan" was.


    In an instant, everyone was stunned!


    The princes and princesses whispered among themselves, "Who... whose subordinate is this? So powerful?"


    "Did you recruit him?"


    They looked towards the fourth prince. In fact, the other princes and princesses never had a chance to vie for the throne, so they hadn''t recruited any yers.


    This "Nathan" could only havee to help the fourth prince.


    But the fourth prince himself shook his head in confusion.


    The strongest yers he had recruited were the third-ss ones from earlier, perhaps along with David.


    This Nathan, who had just appeared, didn''t ring a bell at all.


    "Who are you, really?"


    The fourth prince looked at the powerful figure who had just taken down three enemies, not with joy but with rm, and he stepped back repeatedly.


    The other princes and princesses, realizing that this mysterious neer might not be an ally, quickly distanced themselves as well.


    Someone of such prowess appearing at this critical moment could not have good intentions!


    There wasn''t much to gain from them.


    Local yers and factions opposing the emperor faced high risks and offered little reward.


    If anything could justify such a powerful intervention, it would be their legal status as heirs to the Divine Mountain Empire, capable of instigating internal conflict.


    In an instant, the fourth prince and others came up with a usible exnation.


    If "Nathan" were a yer sent by an enemy nation like the Antic Empire, aiming to exploit the internal strife within the royal family, everything would make sense.


    Because the internal turmoil within the Divine Mountain Empire could help them ignite a war!


    Moreover, Nathan''s daring act of directly confronting Octavius, known for his legendary prowess, and rescuing the princes suggests that his motives are far from trivial. Only a rebel sent by an enemy nation with the intent to overthrow the Divine Mountain Empire could achieve such feats!


    The princes quickly formed a rough conclusion. Although filled with fear and a desire to survive, they didn''t wish to be tools of an enemy nation to harm the Divine Mountain Empire.


    So, despite being rescued, they looked at "Nathan" with hostility and suspicion.


    At this moment, numerous soldiers, who had been intending to capture the princes and princesses, now looked tense.


    "Protect the princes and princesses!"


    A general shouted, and second-ss soldiers d in ck armor quickly surrounded Sterl, trapping him in a tightly formed circle!


    At this point, after a series of changes, the ordinary people present finally began to react.


    One by one, they couldn''t help but shout:


    "There''s a traitor trying to hinder the emperor''s rise to power!"


    "Unforgivable!"


    "Soldiers! What are you waiting for? Capture him!"


    "Why struggle in vain? Princes and princesses, it''s an honor to sacrifice yourselves for His Majesty!"


    ...


    Initially, they genuinely thought Sterl was a top general from the faction of the princes and princesses.


    However, their voices gradually grew quieter.


    They noticed the change in the scene: the rebels from the princes'' faction were extremely wary of the mysterious figure! Moreover, the most elite soldiers of the Divine Mountain Empire, the ck Armored Army, had surrounded him tightly.


    They slowly began to understand.


    The situation wasn''t that the rebels had gained a new powerful ally. Rather, this newly appeared figure was being suppressed by the most elite soldiers of the Divine Mountain Empire and was encircled. Even the princes looked at him with a cold attitude.


    From the perspective of the situation, this "Nathan" wasn''t here to save anyone. He was challenging the entire Divine Mountain Empire on his own!


    Instantly, everyone was stunned by this concept.


    Even a legend wouldn''t dare y it this way!


    There were numerous second ss and third-ss powerhouses gathered here. An ordinary legend would be dragged down and killed, not to mention Octavius, who had already absorbed the bloodlines of many descendants.


    The Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire now had thebat power of a legend with three golden skills!


    An ordinary legend was no match for him.


    At this moment, it was the yers who reacted first.


    Faye was conversing with Felicia in her consciousness space: "Ancestor, who is this person? He just instantly killed three third-ss yers!"


    "Can you see through him?"


    "All the information I have shows that he''s just Nathan, a civil servant of the Divine Mountain Empire. This powerful figure must have strong hidden attributes or abilities."


    "Let''s keep our distance and not take any risks. If he has some ultimate move that can take others down with him, we don''t want to get caught in it."


    "Although I suspect his hidden trump card is likely an escape skill."Felicia continued their conversation, advising her to stay cautious.


    Felicia had only one n for her prized disciple: avoid all danger and develop slowly.


    Apart from seizing some rare, heaven-sent opportunity like joining the Hall of Valor, it was best to stay out of trouble. With so many legendary items already in her possession, Faye''s ascension to legendary pointswas practically guaranteed, and even reaching demigod status was within reach.


    Why take unnecessary risks?


    However, within Felicia''s wordsy another implication: she believed that although the mysterious yer had instantly killed three third-ss yers, he was undoubtedly doomed in the current situation. He might even be forced to use a suicidal move!


    There were differences in strength even among third-ss yers. A powerful third-ss yer could easily crush an ordinary one. The three yers who were instantly killed earlier were not exceptionally gifted.


    So, Nathan might not even be a legend!


    Even if he were a legend, facing the current situation would almost certainly lead to his death!


    Octavius himself was formidable, backed by the entire royal family. The number of trump cards at his disposal must be vast. What could Nathan possibly use to fight against that?


    Other yers also whispered among themselves:


    "Who is this guy?"


    "Doesn''t seem like he''s from the princes'' faction."


    "Is he here to stir up trouble? Could he have received a quest from another country?"


    "Facing a legend head-on, the quest reward must be insanely high."


    "Nathan must have some powerful life-saving items. It''s just a question of how he ns to escape."


    ...


    The yers spected, sharing Felicia''s view that Nathan couldn''t possibly be here to fight to the death with the Divine Mountain Empire. He was likely carrying a high-reward mainline or hidden quest and would probably flee once he met the task''s conditions.


    The reactions of the onlooking citizens and nobles of the Divine Mountain Empire were much more straightforward.


    "Attack! Kill him!"


    "Anyone who dares to challenge the Empire''s authority must die!"


    ...


    The crowd was incited. Though they couldn''t kill the princes and princesses, the atmosphere was already highly charged��tens of thousands had gathered, and the army had mobilized. It was the perfect moment to use this unknown strongman as a sacrificial pawn for entertainment.


    In fact, there was no need for anyone to shout.


    Around Sterl, nearly a hundred second-ss soldiers and a dozen third-ss generals surrounded him, forming an inner and outeryer of encirclement.


    Additionally, mages within the army were chanting spells to reinforce the surrounding space, severely limiting any teleportation or discement abilities.


    The elite soldiers of the Divine Mountain Empire closed in slowly. As if acting as one unified entity, theypressed their auras and energies together. Countless soldiers slowly ced their hands on their waists, ready to draw their weapons.


    The battle was about to erupt!


    The NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire had bloodthirsty looks in their eyes, eager to see this newly appeared figure killed!


    Meanwhile, the yers'' highest expectation for Sterl was simply that he might have a life-saving item to escape...

 Chapter 163: Astonishment on Both Sides

    As the encirclement of soldiers tightened, Sterl wore a rxed smile on his face, exuding an air of ease.


    The cautious attitudes of the princes and princesses had indeed caught him off guard. Sterl hadn''t expected this group to be so vignt. Once they realized the rescuer''s identity didn''t match, they immediately distanced themselves.


    However, this didn''t bother him much. From the very beginning, Sterl never intended to truly y the role of the civil officer "Nathan." It was merely a disguise to cover his actions this time.


    As long as his true form''s ability to disguise wasn''t exposed, his use of aliases would almost always be sessful.


    As Sterl watched a group of second-ss soldiers from the ck Armor Army approach, he could almost see countless second-ss ritual progress bars beckoning to him.


    "Kill!!"


    Soon, a soldier couldn''t hold back and shouted, drawing his sword and shield from his waist and charging forward.


    Sterl, wanting to appear as a master, stood motionless.


    But this time, unlike the usual trope in novels, no one thought Sterl was paralyzed by fear and unable to move.


    Both yers and NPCs focused intently on this mysterious figure, suspected to be from an enemy nation.


    A person capable of instantly killing three third sswarriors was formidable. Even though the soldiers could enhance theirbat power throughbined tactics, achieving an easy victory would be nearly impossible and would likelye at a great cost.


    However, the minds of all the soldiers and generals were filled with a single thought: "Loyalty to the Emperor." This enemy, daring to provoke in the capital, hadmitted an egregious offense and must be dealt with harshly!


    They were unafraid of death, charging bravely, their standard ck weapons reflecting the sunlight, causing a momentary dazzle.


    Before Sterl could make a move, the scene suddenly changed!


    Golden beams of light transformed into shackles, halting the soldiers in their tracks. It was Emperor Octavius who had intervened, effortlessly pausing the battle with a mere gesture.


    Even though they were restrained by their own emperor, the fervor in the soldiers'' eyes remained undiminished. They trusted Emperor Octavius implicitly and were ready to die for him at any moment.


    With amanding presence, Octavius stepped forward a few paces. "Brave warrior, I don''t know which country has hired you."


    "You must have noticed that all forms of teleportation within the capital are sealed. I have countless elite soldiers at my disposal. No matter your skills, escape is impossible."


    "Why not join me from now on?"


    He spoke with great confidence.


    The three third ssindividuals killed earlier were merely yers, not members of the Divine Mountain Empire. Thus, Emperor Octavius wasn''t overly concerned with "Nathan''s" ughter.


    On the contrary, Octavius was quite intrigued by "Nathan." A person with such formidable strength should be under hismand!


    Upon hearing this recruitment offer, a group of yers nearly cried with envy.


    "What the hell, is this for real?"


    "Weren''t those three third ssguys just cannon fodder for this guy?"


    "With strength like that, you can really do whatever you want."


    Especially in Faye''s mind, Felicia was muttering non-stop: "Is the emperor really this generous??"


    "If we had known, we shouldn''t have surrendered so quickly. You should have shown off some skills to the emperor first!"


    "Maybe we could have snagged some decent rewards."


    "Now, when we get to the Hall of Valor, there will probably be a lot of double-S grade yers, and our advantage won''t be as significant."


    They were all veteran yers, second ss and above. Naturally, they knew that in this situation, the mysterious figure would trigger a quest, and the rewards would be extremely high.


    Octavius, being the most powerful NPC and the most influential emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire, undoubtedly had the most quest lines, including various hidden main quests.


    His recruitment offer guaranteed at least a hidden quest, possibly even a hidden main quest. If "Nathan" epted, he would be making a fortune without having to risk fighting a legendary NPC. It was a win-win situation!


    What could the yers say? They could only drool in secret,menting theirck of strength. If they had been stronger, they could have fought first to show their value before joining the emperor, thus earning a bunch of rewards for free.


    This was particrly true for Faye, who had considerablebat prowess herself. She felt she had really missed out, causing Felicia to sigh repeatedly.


    As for the soldiers and ordinary NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, they were initially stunned. But soon, they all shouted in unison:


    "Surrender!"


    "Surrender!"


    "Submit!"


    "Submit!"


    Moments ago, they had been ring at Sterl with hatred, but now their attitude changed instantly.


    "What incredible control!" Sterl couldn''t help but marvel.


    Unlike typical yers, Sterl had studied history before transmigrating. Throughout the various dynasties on Earth, no emperor had ever wielded such strong control, uniting the entire nation to serve him.


    Faced with the recruitment offer, a notification indeed shed before Sterl''s eyes:


    [Do you wish to abandon the current hidden historical quest: Join the ''Rebel'' route?]


    [If you abandon it, you will receive a random hidden quest (overall rewards will be significantly reduced).]


    He was speechless.


    Offering so little to make him work for them, and asking him to give up his second ss ritual progress? That was a tough sell.


    It''s not that the old emperor was stingy. The main issue was that the route Sterl originally chose was incredibly difficult, essentially defying fate itself, and naturally, the rewards were astronomical.


    The new quest route, in fact, could be seen as a system bnce in [Transcendence], offering stronger yers a chance to abandon an erroneous quest path.


    However, the rewards would undoubtedly be much less.


    But Sterl wasn''t pleased. Having been in the game for so long, he knew that quests involving facing legendary figures would only offer increasingly higher rewards.


    Originally, he was just aiming for the second-ss ritual, but now it seemed that the final quest rewards would also be quite substantial!


    Sterl responded with action. He raised his hand and released a de made ofpressed liquid infused with star power.


    With a swift throw, the de shot forward!


    Instantly, the Flowing Water Law formed the de, shing forward at incredible speed.


    The target was none other than the emperor himself!


    Before transmigrating, Sterl had read many history books. He knew that if he didn''t retaliate with overwhelming force, the emperor might persist in persuading him several more times, trying to appear magnanimous and appreciative of talent.


    Was he nning to build his reputation at Sterl''s expense? Dream on!


    Swish!


    Sterl''s move didn''t have any shy effects, just a blue de cutting through the air at a speed reminiscent of the Heaven Water God''s earlier attacks. It was as if a still photo had been suddenly edited with motion!


    The de seemed to have no travel time. It appeared directly in front of Octavius!


    The emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire hurriedly dodged!


    His reaction speed was incredibly fast! Octavius turned into a blur, barely visible, his form flickering momentarily before standing still with a grim expression.


    The blue de had managed to carve a huge crack into his heavy armor, with blood seeping from the fissure.


    Octavius was clearly injured!


    In that brief moment, both their expressions changed.


    The emperor, who had initially exuded overwhelming confidence, now looked inexplicably terrified!


    He had thought that as a legendary figure, he could crush everything in his path, especially when facing "Nathan." Although Nathan''s disguise remained oddly imprable, Octavius was confident that the leap from third ssto legendary was monumental!


    Upon merging with the legend points, both yers and NPCs transitioned from ordinary life forms to entities connected with the very world of [Transcendence]. This connection was the foundation for their future godhood.


    Thus, Octavius was certain that the mysterious figure who had effortlessly in three third ssyers was not a legend. He didn''t possess that unique connection to the world.


    He believed he could overpower everything!


    But the reality was...


    "I actually got hurt?" Octavius''s face showed significant trepidation.


    Moreover, it seemed like Nathan hadn''t even used a major move, just a casual attack.


    Was this really a third ssyer??


    Instantly, the emperor''s expression became uncertain, and his desire to recruit vanished.


    It wasn''t that he doubted his ability to control a legend under hismand��after all, the Divine Mountain Empire already had two loyal legends.


    However, Octavius was adamant that his power and reputationin the Divine Mountain Empire should remain unimpeachable. Being injured in front of everyone and then having to swallow his pride would undoubtedly diminish his standing.


    "In the eyes of my people and subjects, my reputationwill inevitably decline!" His face darkened.


    Octavius had ascended to legend by refining the blood of his kin, without experiencingbat with equally powerful beings. Now, being injured by Nathan in a mere instant made him feel a deep unease.


    ...


    However, what Octavius didn''t know was that this non-legendary, merely third ssindividual, was also somewhat surprised.


    "So this is a true legend."


    "And not just the watered-down legendary soul avatars?"


    Sterl had already used Star Insight to examine the emperor''s stats.


    It was no exaggeration to say that Octavius was the strongest enemy Sterl had encountered, aside from the gods he had met in the Netherworld!


    Octavius was aplete legendary figure, possessing his own legendary abilities, fully developed attributes, and no need to burn his soul to maintain high-intensity states. He also had golden skills for defense and enhancement.


    Unlike Sterl, who had skyrocketed in power as a yer, Octavius was equipped with many purple and blue-quality skills, covering various situations, including control immunity, purification, detoxification, flight, and short-range teleportation.


    Although his equipment wasn''t entirelyplete, with many pieces only being high-quality third ssgear, the attribute boosts they provided far surpassed the ragtag items Sterl wore.


    At this moment, Sterl could feel a significant amount of pressure.

 Chapter 164: Facing the Legend

    The onlyforting thought for Sterl was that Octavius hadn''t activated the elite or boss temtes exclusive to NPCs. Clearly, the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire was still aiming for even higher realms of power. OItherwise, his strength would have skyrocketed even further.


    What surprised Sterl more was that his Flowing Water Law seemed less effective than expected. He had aimed for the emperor''s heart, but Octavius managed to dodge, only getting a cut on his waist.


    Looking at the emperor''s attributes, Sterl could understand why.


    Octavius''s stats were all around 1200 to 1300 points, with only his mental attribute slightly lower at about 1000 points.


    As an emperor, he had an S-ss job, and his second ss had further boosted his attribute points. However, his talent was rather poor, rated at only C-ss, offering weak enhancement effects.


    Even so, the absurd base attributes of a legendary rank allowed the emperor to slightly surpass Sterl.


    Moreover, Octavius''s arcane skill [Mountain] had reached the third stage, enhancing various attributes, especially constitution and strength, which saw a 100% increase!


    This posed a tricky problem for Sterl. Even though Octavius''s agility only had a 30% enhancement, he had still managed to dodge Sterl''s Flowing Water Law attack with the help of a purple-quality skill!


    In directbat, Octavius''s other attributes would y an even bigger role.


    Sterl wasn''t without his own advantages. Theoretically, Octavius''s defensive attributes, bolstered by his high constitution, would be ridiculously high. The de formed by the Flowing Water Law, while lethal, still relied on basic attributes to maximize its potential. Sterl couldn''t fully exploit this ability''s upper limits yet but could easily injure Octavius.


    It could only be said that the exclusive abilities at the demigod level were just absurd!


    "Interesting..." Sterl took a slight breath. He had thought that helping the princes this time would be a simple matter of clearing some "monsters."


    But before him stood a formidable enemy!


    A true legendary strongman!


    Sterl felt considerable pressure. Although he was strong, he hadn''tpleted the second ss ritual and was merely at level 80 with an SSS-ss job.


    Previously, Sterl had been able to challenge enemies several stages above him.


    However, not all enemies were as poorly developed as those from the human race on Earth, who often had B-ss or C-ss jobs.


    Facing a legendary figure with an S-ss job, his attribute advantage was nullified.


    Likewise, aside from his Law Power, his various skill qualities couldn''tpletely overwhelm his opponent.


    The idea of effortlessly killing Octavius was out of the question!


    But precisely because of this, the blood in Sterl''s veins began to boil!


    Sterl felt as if he had returned to the state he was in when he first entered the game.


    The thrilling sensation of challenging a boss in his very first instancesurged through Sterl once more!


    Anyway, with the fail-safe of ascending to godhood, along with the resurrection armor and the invulnerability effect of Protection Power...


    Why hesitate?


    Just go for it!


    Sterl was eager to see how far he could go against a true legendary figure.


    In fact...


    Sterl nced back at the princes and princesses, a mysterious look shing in his eyes. When he had used Star Insight to scan Octavius, he found that the legendary figure''s rating was almost maxed out. Just a bit more, and Octavius would hit the highest score limit for the strong enemy challenge required for Sterl''s second ss ritual.


    "If I can win, perhaps I can achieve even more..."


    Sterl couldn''t help but strategize further in his mind.


    The emperor, however, didn''t grasp the meaning behind Sterl''s gaze.


    Seeing this enemy yer brimming with fighting spirit, Octavius knew that this battle wouldn''t end peacefully.


    Without hesitation, he gave the order.


    "Form ranks! Charge!"


    He chickened out!


    Unlike Sterl, the emperor didn''t have overpowered life-saving skills. So he chose to let his soldiers deplete "Nathan''s" strength before making his move!


    At this moment...


    The elite ck Armor Army, which had surrounded Sterl, hesitated for half a second.


    As for the others on the battlefield, they were utterly stunned!


    Although many of them were second-ss or higher, with enhanced mental attributes and quick thinking, they were still dumbfounded for a long time, their brains struggling to process what had just happened!!


    This mysterious yer, seemingly on a mission from a rival nation, had injured Octavius with a casual move? And that too through the emperor''s legendary-grade heavy armor, renowned for its damage reduction efficiency??


    Although the armor itself was only silver-tier, it was still legendary equipment! A single light de from this mysterious yer had achieved such an effect. How powerful must he be?


    Could it be that he, too, was a legend? Even a legend with exceptionally strong offensive capabilities?


    No one realized that Sterl had used Law Power.


    Compared to [Moon], [Flowing Water] had a much subtler effect!


    Those without sufficient realm couldn''t recognize it as the legendary Law Power.


    Instead, many simply didn''t sense the legendary ability''s fluctuations or the aura of a golden-quality skill, so they looked at the yer in horror...


    No way??


    Could he injure the emperor without even using a golden-quality skill? How strong was he?? Many noble officials discreetly distanced themselves from the central battlefield. They were genuinely scared, and some even hurriedly left, nning to return to their residences to pack up and flee.


    The nobles'' fervor for the emperor naturally couldn''tpare to that of themon people. They always had an escape route. At worst, they could flee to another country and live as wealthymoners.


    The princes and princesses, however, stood helplessly in ce. They didn''t dare to run, fearing that without the mysterious yer''s protection, they would quickly be captured by their father''s elite troops.


    But the strength of this mysterious powerhouse was terrifying. If he really shed with Octavius, the aftermath of the battle could easily shock them to death...


    The princes and princesses felt utterly paralyzed. It seemed like a no-win situation, a certain death either way!


    If Sterl knew what these people were thinking, he would probablyugh in disbelief. His strength was usually underestimated, and today, it was rare to be overestimated.


    The yers also took several steps back, especially Faye, who slightly hid among the crowd, seemingly ready to flee...


    "Law Power??"


    Others couldn''t recognize it, but Felicia reacted quickly. She was a demigod, after all.


    In her mind space, Felicia shouted frantically, "Retreat! Retreat!"


    "Could this be a demigod?"


    "Doesn''t seem like it... the aura is still weak, but this person has already grasped the existence of Law Power. We can''t handle this. Let''s get out quickly!"


    She felt extremely frustrated. She had painstakingly brought her obedient disciple along, significantly boosting their strength, only to encounter increasingly high-level battles, forcing them to flee every time...


    Meanwhile, many soldiers, nobles, andmoners of the Divine Mountain Empire were in utter despair.


    From their perspective, the previously invincible Emperor had been wounded��and so easily at that??


    When "Nathan" had initially attacked, countless people wanted to curse him for defying the Emperor''s recruitment��such a crime deserved death! But now, they were all rendered speechless.


    After a few seconds of stunned silence, however, Octavius''s fanatical supporters began to shout again: "Kill him! How dare he harm the Emperor!"


    "Soldiers, charge! Tear him apart!"


    "Byw, exterminate his entire n!"


    Most NPCs didn''t understand the nature of yers. In [Transcendence], yers had no family or n. Their curses were purely venomous words...


    However, apanied by their angry shouts, the soldiers quickly snapped out of their initial stupor and returned to normal. Although they were shocked to see the Emperor injured, their loyalty to Octavius remained unwavering. They executed his orders without hesitation!


    The soldiers charged forward at a rapid pace, drawing their weapons as they advanced. The dark energy that flowed through their bodies connected them in a stream of power that bound them together.


    This was one of the critical reasons Octavius had ordered these soldiers into action. By utilizing this dark energy formation, they could transfer the damage they received among themselves. Even if that mysterious figure from another world (the yer) truly possessed legendary strength, he would have to break through the entire formation to kill any single soldier!


    This was the elite unit of the Divine Mountain Empire''s Imperial Guard! It was the highest embodiment of royal power. Without this, how could the royal family, especially the demigod who was always in seclusion, suppress the other powerful figures in the empire?


    Even though the Divine Mountain Empire was rtively impoverished, it still produced a legendary figure or two every few hundred years!


    In the absence of the demigod''s ability to intervene at will, the ck Armor Army, trained from childhood through arcane skills, was one of the royal family''s greatest trump cards.


    However...As the soldiers advanced tounch their attack, the torrent they formed resembled a rapidly contracting magic array, capable of entrapping and crushing everything within it.


    But to the countless onlookers on the periphery, what they saw was a series of muffled groans and the sight of numerous soldiers around "Nathan" copsing one after another!


    The ck energy surrounding them dissipated instantly.


    the ck Armor Army''s most powerfulbined assault technique had no effect whatsoever!


    The soldiers couldn''t even begin to share the damage or defend against the powerful attack; instead, they all fell dead on the spot!


    From a bird''s-eye view, it appeared as if a stone had struck the surface of a pond, and the ripples spread outward continuously.


    The soldiers encircling "Nathan" fell one after another with each spreading wave.


    At the same time, the ck energy was dispersed and carried away by the wind.


    "Nathan."however, remained standing calmly in ce, his expression serene, as if nothing had happened at all.

 Chapter 165: The Formidable Foe with Full Ratings, Officially Appears!

    In an instant, more than half of the soldiers of the ck Armored Army had fallen.


    Yet "Nathan" remained incredibly calm, as if none of this concerned him.


    Of course, Sterl was not as calm.


    He had several shards of ss in his mouth at the moment. Silently, he used his mental energy to transfer the shards into his small world.


    Sterl had just transferred the [Essence of the Moon] from his small world and drank two bottles to fill the terrifying energy gap created by using the Flowing Water Law (while also making use of the energy storage pool).


    This time, he used the effect of silence plus damage.


    Sterl had no idea about the special abilities of the ck Armored Army, but the Flowing Water Law''s direct attack on the internal bodypletely ignored this elite army''sbined attack technique, easily ughtering the soldiers.


    This bizarre method of attack was not only terrifying in its output but also allowed Sterl to put on quite a show.


    Killing countless enemies without a trace��how cool is that!


    The only drawback was the immense energy consumption required to deploy the Flowing Water Law on arge scale.


    To keep up appearances, Sterl developed another use for his small world: he could directly transfer potions into his mouth, allowing him to crush and swallow the ss.


    Though it hurt a bit, it looked incredibly cool!


    Andthe final effect left Sterl immensely satisfied. Visually, it seemed as if he had unleashed a massive attack without any expenditure, instantly boosting his aura of a master.


    He ignored the continuous notifications popping up in front of him��


    [You have sessfully collected one Star Crystal.]


    [You have sessfully collected two Star Crystals.]


    [You have s...]


    ...


    Sterl maintained aposed demeanor.


    A second ago, countless people were yelling to kill "Nathan."but now, no one dared to speak recklessly.


    Even the elite ck Armored Army had been instantly massacred!


    The Emperor had been easily injured. What kind of monster was this guy in front of them?


    Those passionate and angry nobles andmonersall froze in their actions, instantly cooling off!!


    At this moment, countless people were gathered in front of the Crown Prince''s mansion, with an extremely high crowd density.


    If that mysterious powerhouse wanted to go on a killing spree, hundreds of people could be ughtered in an instant!


    The crowd suddenly became chaotic.


    Many people hade close to the battlefield just to catch a glimpse of the excitement, to admire the Emperor''s glory, and were convinced there was absolutely no danger. The princes and princesses had no means of resistance.


    At this moment, those people couldn''t help but retreat, crowding together. The silence in the field was broken without Sterl having to lift a finger! Many nobles andmoners were squeezed together, even causing a stampede...


    Fortunately, those who came here had at least a basic level of around thirty, so they wouldn''t be trampled to death.


    The remaining soldiers of the ck Armored Army were also holding their weapons, their hands trembling slightly.


    "What kind of monster is this?"


    "How did he do that?"


    "So many people died without him even moving??"


    ...


    The soldiers'' morale had almost hit rock bottom.


    Yet, as the most elite warriors, even faced with such high casualties and overwhelming fear, they resolutely continued their assault on "Nathan."


    However, their movements to encircle him were noticeably slower.


    At this moment, the Emperor shouted sternly, "All troops, use the Annihtion Formation!"


    Hemanded.


    All the soldiers'' faces changed color. The so-called Annihtion Formation was an all-out, no-holds-barred assault on the enemy.


    Usually, the ck Armored Army relied on that special dark aura to mutually deflect damage. Even in suicidal charges, they wouldn''t suffer much harm. But now, against "Nathan."the damage-reducing aura was ineffective!


    The Annihtion Formation��this was essentially throwing their lives away!


    Their only hope was to gamble that "Nathan''s" strange ability consumed an enormous amount of energy and couldn''t be sustained for long.


    However, "Nathan" appeared to be in excellent condition at the moment!


    Despite knowing this was a suicide mission, the soldiers, out of loyalty to the Emperor, charged forward without hesitation!


    But they no longer had their previousposure and calm. Many were screaming, yelling madly, "For the Empire!"


    "For the Emperor!"


    They roared to bolster their courage, while the weapons in their hands glowed with a dark light. This time, they abandoned the strategy of sharing damage and deflecting attacks. Instead, they channeled all their energy into their weapons.


    Soon, the soldiers at the front threw their swords like javelins, while those in the rear transferred their dark aura to the already thrown des.


    The ck Armored Army''sbined attack technique was typically used for defense to minimize casualties, given the high cost of training these soldiers. But when unleashed offensively, their output was terrifying.


    Sterl could feel the deadly aura radiating from those des!


    Although his attributes were high, he was still limited by the yer temte. Being targeted by hundreds of second-ss and dozens of third-ss soldiers simultaneously, Sterl felt immense pressure!


    If he were hit, it would result in instant death!


    At first, Sterl tried to use his teleportation skill to dodge. The visual effects of this move were subtle, so there was no risk of exposing his identity.


    However, he quickly realized that those sharp weapons obviously had tracking capabilities. Simply dodging through discement was impossible.


    Meanwhile, the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire, whose morale had already plummeted, couldn''t help but watch this scene intently.


    They wanted to know if this mysterious powerhouse could still easily fend off the attacks.


    At the same time, some had their eyes on Octavius''s position.


    Earlier, the first encounter resulted in the massive ughter of the ck Armored Army, causing numerous nobles and officials to feel heartbroken.


    These soldiers were too hard to train. They thought that although His Majesty ordered a full assault, he wouldn''t stand idly by...


    He would use the soldiers'' cover to capture this otherworldly individual suspected of being sent by an enemy nation!


    But at this moment, the NPCs were horrified to discover that Octavius was nowhere to be seen!


    On Sterl''s side, facing the soldiers'' thrown weapons was truly a headache.


    He couldn''t use silence to block the attacks like before.


    Sterl hesitated for a moment, first activating his legendary ability, Inspire, to immediately boost his attributes.


    Then, he waited slightly.


    Just as countless des were about to hit him, he suddenly disappeared!


    Sterl activated Shadow Stealth, diving directly into the shadow world! By traversing to an alternate dimension, he caused the des, imbued with a massive amount of dark aura, to collide in mid-air and annihte each other.


    In the shadow world, Sterl watched this scene with a smile on his face.


    He now felt that [Shadow Stealth] was incredibly useful. Activating it during battle could help him avoid many critical skills, making it much more reliable than Bloody Rush or teleportation.


    Moreover, although this move itself consumed a fair amount of energy, in the shadow world, Sterl had two seconds to leisurely use various consumables...


    Meanwhile, outside in the Divine Mountain Empire, chaos erupted.


    The Emperor had suddenly vanished, and "Nathan" had also disappeared...


    What was going on?!


    A second passed...


    Two seconds passed...


    Then, the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire simultaneously had a drastic change in expression.


    Sterl had directly appeared in the center of the soldiers'' formation and then once again activated the Flowing Water Law!


    With a slight flick of his finger, countless soldiers clutched their chests, vomiting blood, and fell to their knees.


    With Sterl at the center, arge area was swiftly cleared.


    The remaining soldiers'' expressions grew increasingly terrified, and the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire looked at him as if they had seen a devil.


    "Run!"


    "Run!"


    Someone suddenly shouted, and the previously aggressive NPCs began to flee for their lives. Everyone ran in the direction away from "Nathan."fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be instantly killed in that bizarre manner!


    But as they ran, they kept ncing at the position where their revered Emperor had been...


    Earlier, only a few had noticed Octavius''s disappearance. Now, all the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire were aware of it.


    "Where is His Majesty? Where did he go?"


    "His Majesty is under attack."


    "Soldiers, protect the Emperor!!"


    ...


    For a moment, out of loyalty to the Emperor, many actually stopped their fleeing and shouted in panic.


    However, Sterl''s expression also changed slightly at this moment.


    He and the other NPCs simultaneously spotted Octavius.


    The Emperor was not under attack. He was standing in front of the Crown Prince''s residence, holding a prince in one hand and a princess in the other.


    With a flip of his palm, he refined both of them into two blood-red elixirs and swallowed them.


    In the next second, Octavius moved even faster, pouncing on the remaining princes and princesses like a hungry tiger!


    Previously, the Emperor had a bit of familial affection for his descendants and was reluctant to kill them directly. Instead, he brought his army to force them into submission, hoping they would surrender willingly.


    But now, he couldn''t afford such sentimentality!!


    "Nathan" posed an immense threat to Octavius!


    He took the initiative and went on a killing spree!


    In just a few seconds, seven or eight princes and princesses were devoured by him!


    Sterl didn''t react at first!!


    Moreover, having just used the Flowing Water Law, his mana was depleted, and he was quietly waiting for it to recover.


    Sterl hesitated for a moment but chose not to consume the [Soul of the Moon] to instantly restore his state and intervene.


    After all, following the rebel route he was executing, he only needed one prince or princess to survive!

 Chapter 166: Rapid Progress of the Class Change Ceremony

    Sterl felt a chill in his heart.


    The rewards for this mission primarily depended on what he did and the impact he caused.


    The survival of the princes and princesses was evidently not that important.


    Moreover, based on the information he obtained through Star Insight, the Emperor Octavius had an extremely high evaluation score��


    This score came from Sterl''s second ss ceremony evaluation.


    Octavius''s score was very high, almost perfect.


    And on Sterl''s side, he noticed that after the Emperor devoured several of his blood rtives, the evaluation score rose again! The Emperor''s aura also grew more intense.


    So, Sterl figured that since things had already progressed this far, he might as well let the Emperor devour a few more princes and princesses to max out the score.


    Otherwise, it wouldn''t be easy to encounter a strong enemy with just the right score next time!


    On one hand, high-scoring enemies are hard to find. On the other hand, facing enemies with too high scores poses great risks. When he tested with Flowing Water Law earlier, Sterl realized that the higher the enemy''s level, the higher their various talent and profession levels would be.


    Hisbat advantage would be smaller, and the risk of failure would be greater!


    His main goal was to be stronger, not to challenge his limits, right?


    If Sterl could steadily advance to his second ss and third ss, he wouldn''t need to frequently challenge higher levels.


    "Finding an enemy with just the right score isn''t easy."


    "Let the blood of the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire help me ascend!"


    His eyes shed with a mysterious light.


    Therefore, Sterl intentionally waited an extra second to recover his energy.


    And in that brief second, the princes and princesses met a bloody fate.


    Octaviuspletely abandoned any familial affection and mercilessly ughtered his descendants.


    His actions became increasingly ruthless: a palm through the heart, a foot smashing the skull, a fist ripping out internal organs.


    The princes and princesses died in extremely gruesome ways.


    This bloody scene was enough to make anyone with a weak heart vomit in terror!


    A few princes and princesses managed to run a few dozen meters due to their advantageous positions.


    Octavius extended his hand, releasing a blood-red light, forcibly dragging them back. In the process, the bloody light disyed extremely terrifying corrosive and tearing power.


    Several princes and princesses were cut in half like bamboo poles and torn into strips like rags.


    They didn''t even have time to die before being refined into elixirs, bing the means for Octavius to break through his power.


    Finally, the strongest among them, the Fourth Prince, the former crown prince of the Divine Mountain Empire, with second ssbat power and the best talent among the princes, was also caught by that blood-red gravitational force after trying his best to evade.


    His physical attributes were quite good. He wasn''t torn apart, but he was still suppressed by the gravitational force, kneeling in front of Octavius.


    "Father! You... you..."


    "Haha, don''t worry, you are my most favored child."


    "Why would I hurt you?"


    Huh??


    The Fourth Prince was instantly stunned.


    At this moment, only four princes and princesses remained on the field, all looking bewildered, not knowing what was happening.


    Only Sterl watched coldly, seeing everything clearly. Octavius''s score had maxed out!


    Sterl also had some guesses as to why Octavius stopped absorbing bloodline power exactly when he reached the scoring limit.


    It might be because the scoring limit required for his second ss ceremony is likely the upper limit of the legendary realm.


    Octavius couldn''t continue to improve and therefore didn''t need to refine the remaining few descendants...


    At this moment, some sycophantic officials and nobles quickly reacted. Despite witnessing an extremely bloody scene, they excitedly shouted.


    "His Majesty is merciful, giving the rebellious princes and princesses a way out!"


    "Kneel and thank him!"


    ...


    They shouted, and the few remaining princes and princesses, already in a state of copse, all kneeled to the ground.


    "Haha!"


    "No problem!"


    "Those who can correct their mistakes are all my good children!"


    Octavius, at this moment, no longer had the panic and unease from being wounded by the Flowing Water Law. Instead, he called out boldly.


    The Emperor''s eyes were filled with wild joy: "Ha! Ha! It worked!"


    "It finally worked!"


    The aura around him expanded intensely, eventually turning into a brilliant light!


    He was already in the legendary realm, but now the energy fluctuations around him surged wildly!


    Octavius''s blood sacrifice technique didn''t require sacrificing all his descendants because the power boost and talent optimization he could obtain had an upper limit.


    And now, he had reached that limit!!


    The aura around Octavius turned into waves of energy, shooting straight into the sky, even stirring the previously clear sky into forming clouds!


    He felt that all the shackles and restraints on him hadpletely broken!


    Octavius felt that��even though he was still in the legendary realm, the difference between his current self and his previous self was like night and day!


    Previously, it was as if he was using legendary abilities through a frosted ss, but now he had broken through that barrier!


    Sterl couldn''t help but lick his lips, as the information in Star Insight updated again!


    Octavius''s attributes had increased further, and he directly gained two gold-quality skills! His legendary abilities had also improved.


    Indeed, hisbat power had skyrocketed.


    All of this was because Octavius''s authorityheart had officially advanced to SS rank!


    When Sterl had upgraded to SS rank back in the day, he knew that this stage didn''t boost attributes much but significantly enhanced skills and futurebat potential.


    And now, Octavius''s performance confirmed this!


    Under the terrifying aura of Octavius in the crowd, everyone was in a daze, their minds nk as they watched this scene.


    Only Felicia, in Faye''s consciousness space, reacted first.


    "Again? This never ends, does it?"


    "A perfect legend now?"


    She couldn''t help but gripe.


    "Perfect legend?"


    Faye asked curiously.


    Felicia slowly exined, "A so-called perfect legend is a legend that has advanced through an SS-ranked authority heart and has refined its legendary foundation with three gold-quality skills, all maxed out at 20 legend points."


    "A legend crafted this way can naturally generate divine essence fragments within their body that can contain Law Power, making the transition to demigod almost effortless."


    "Most perfect legends can naturally cultivate Law Power and have the capacity to contain it, making bing a demigod a breeze."


    Feliciamented.


    Three gold-quality skills with 20 legend pointseach were somewhat attainable for her dear disciple, given her recent windfall in the Netherworld.


    But an SS-ranked ss��how does one ascend to that?


    A perfect legend is too difficult to achieve!


    And this Octavius, unbelievably, had somehow forcefully elevated his authority heartto SS rank through some nefarious ritual!


    "However, Octavius''s sacrifice of his descendants can only elevate his authority heart''s rank, not his innate talent."


    "He can''t naturally ascend to a demigod, even as a perfect legend."Felicia said calmly.


    Spells to elevate the authority heartare not umon, but they often involve entities above the divine level, beyond the reach of ordinary yers and NPCs.


    As for enhancing innate talent...


    Sorry, in [Transcendence], although there are rted records, they all involve yers or NPCs obtaining extraordinary fortune and opportunity.


    Such opportunities aren''t gained through luck, power, orpetition.


    In a way, those who can elevate their talent level are chosen by destiny!


    "Amazing!" Faye, unaware of her teacher''s thoughts, simply marveled.


    However, she had another question in her mind.


    Since it''s said to be a perfect legend, why is an SS-ranked authority heartsufficient?


    Shouldn''t the strongest be the legendary SSS rank??


    Before Faye could ask, the battlefield situation changed abruptly, instantly capturing her attention.


    At this moment, Octavius''s imposing aura gradually subsided, and the energy around him became restrained, making him appear like an ordinary middle-aged man. Yet, this only heightened the sense of unease and terror.


    The NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, who had initially intended to flee, now realized what had happened.


    His Majesty had made another breakthrough!


    Moreover...


    NPCs aren''t fools. Seeing the Fourth Prince and others being spared easily, they knew that His Majesty had perfected the technique of refining the descendants'' bloodlines!


    His power must far exceed before!


    Themoners and nobles regained their initial fervor.


    "Divine Mountain Empire will prevail!"


    "His Majesty will prevail!"


    "Divine Mountain Empire will prevail!"


    "His Majesty will prevail!"


    "Divine Mountain..."


    ...


    Their roars were likendslides!


    The whole ground shook with the sound waves, rumbling loudly.


    Even the soldiers, despite heavy casualties, looked at their Emperor''s figure with immense excitement!


    Morale was instantly restored.


    Several generals took out the banners of the ck Armor Army and waved them vigorously. With the howling wind, the ck banners with mountain images surged...


    For a moment, the terrifying damage Nathan had inflicted earlier, which pressured the soldiers and NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire, had entirely dissipated.


    Sterl stood quietly, with soldiers around still intending to surround him.


    But the Emperor spoke up, "Soldiers, step aside."


    "This formidable enemy from the other nation is not for you to handle."


    "His Majesty is merciful."several ck Armor Army generals murmured as they stepped aside, eyes filled with anticipation for what was about to unfold. They could naturally see the change in their Emperor.

 Chapter 167: Battle Against the "Perfect Legend"

    All the generals and soldiers'' eyes lit up. They could naturally see that His Majesty the Emperor''s power had skyrocketed!


    They believed he could easily crush this formidable opponent sent by the enemy nation.


    At this moment, Octavius couldn''t resist showcasing his dominant stature once more. He spoke, "I''ll give you onest chance. Do you surrender..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Sterl, growing impatient, unleashed another de formed by the Flowing Water Law.


    This time, with his enhanced attributes, Octavius moved swiftly. Between his hands, a blood-red wave of energy condensed into a shield, attempting to block the de.


    Originally, the emperor''s expression was filled with confidence. He believed that with his newfound power, the de that had previously wounded him was now nothing to fear!


    He used his maxed-out legendary gold skill, [Blood Aura]. This versatile skill could be used for remote control, as seen when capturing the princes, or for close protection. It was an upgraded version of the ck Armor Army''s dark aura!


    As asecret gold-quality skill of the Divine Mountain Empire, [Blood Aura]could be upgraded to 20 legend points by sacrificing blood rtives.


    As an emperor, Octavius was never short of legend points and had already maxed out this skill.


    With his attributes significantly boosted and the strength of [Blood Aura]increased due to the elevation of his authority heart, Octavius confidently used the shield to block the Flowing Water Law de.


    "Heh..."


    "Such petty tricks, daring to show off here."


    He even had the leisure to utter some trash talk.


    The next second, however��


    A subtle piercing sound!


    With a faint sound of pration, the shield formed by [Blood Aura]was pierced through, leaving a conspicuous hole!


    Octavius reacted swiftly, his body flickering as he tried to dodge.


    But this time, he was unprepared, convinced that he would surely block Nathan''s attack. As a result, he was half a beat too slow and barely avoided a fatal blow.


    The de grazed his shoulder, slicing toward his neck, and a torrent of blood gushed out!


    In an instant, Octavius had already sustained a severe injury!


    The surrounding Divine Mountain Empire NPCs, witnessing this scene, were stunned!


    "His Majesty... invincible... cough, cough..."


    Their nned praises got stuck in their throats!


    The NPCs had already prepared their lines.


    Things like...


    Anyone who dares to challenge the empire must die!


    His Majesty is invincible, and no one can stop him!


    ...


    The emotions had been brewing for so long, just waiting to shout out loud.


    But Octavius had issues. Within a single round, his skill was shattered! He himself was severely injured.


    This script was not right!


    Wasn''t he supposed to crush the enemy nation''s formidable warrior after his power surge?


    Why did it seem like he was still being overpowered, even after his power surged?


    In fact, the damage Octavius sustained this time was even more severe than before his power increase!


    What''s going on??


    Did His Majesty really be stronger?


    The NPCs were bewildered, and the yers watching this scene were equally shocked, as if they had seen a ghost.


    What kind of power does that enemy yer possess? How can he be this fierce??


    Only Faye''s expression remained unchanged. After all, the strength of Law Power is overwhelming for any legend!


    Although it was clear that the mysterious yer from the enemy nation was using Law Power in a very crude and almostughably weak manner.


    ording to Felicia, if two legends are equal, the one wielding Law Power should easily be able to eliminate the other.


    However, the mysterious yer merely injured Octavius!


    But the gold standard of Law Power remains unaffected. Even if Octavius advances to a perfect legend, he still wouldn''t be able to withstand it! It''s simply impossible.


    Naturally, no one would guess that the person wielding Law Power hadn''t evenpleted his second ss, merely managing to draw out some of the Law''s power due to his high attributes.


    "Good!"


    "Very good!"


    Octavius took note of the yers'' and NPCs'' reactions. His face turned ashen with anger and embarrassment.


    Despite being injured once again,


    he now had no intention of retreating, confident in his enhanced power.


    Octavius hadn''t guessed that he was struck by Law Power; he merely thought his opponent was an expert in offensive techniques.


    Now that his overall power had surged, his pure defensive capabilities hadn''t increased by much.


    Thus, being injured didn''t cause Octavius the same panic as before.


    Without hesitation, he advanced aggressively, shouting, "Die!"


    Octavius roared in fury.


    This time, he still used [Blood Aura], but he also added another gold-quality skill!


    Also a secret of the Divine Mountain Empire, this was [Mountain Shatter], a gold skill upgraded to 20 legend points through refining bloodlines!


    As Octavius approached, the power of the arcane skill [Mountain]pulsed within his chest.


    Thump thump!


    Thump thump!


    The strange sound, as if connecting heaven and earth, echoed constantly in everyone''s ears!


    Then, a giant blood-red sword materialized in Octavius''s hand as he charged towards "Nathan."shing out with the sword!


    Sterl easily dodged the attack with a teleportation, but instead of showing any relief, his face grew even more serious, preparing for another teleportation!


    But this time, he was toote!


    The moves unleashed by a legendary-level warrior are terrifyingly fast.


    Octavius''s giant sword smashed into the ground. Although it didn''t hit its target, the sword quickly transformed into a flow of blood energy that seeped into the earth.


    Simultaneously, a shockwave infused with blood-red energy spread out, enveloping Sterl entirely!


    This was something that couldn''t be dodged by speed or teleportation; the area of effect was simply too vast!


    However, Sterl remained unflustered. "So what if I get hit once? Can he kill me in one blow?" he thought. In his sleeve, the Star Radiance Dragon was ready to unleash its Protection Power at any moment.


    Even as he was about to be struck, Sterl found himself distracted by random thoughts��


    "Indeed, this is still a game world!"


    Octavius''s grandiose move wouldn''t harm anyone else because he was the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire. Everyone who joined the Divine Mountain Empire faction was considered his ally...


    Immune to damage!


    So despite the terrifying shockwaves that seemed to shake the earth and sky, resembling an apocalypse, the surrounding members of the Divine Mountain Empire were still able to watch the spectacle.


    They just found it difficult to stand firm.


    The blood-colored shockwave was merely the prelude to the real climax.


    The shockwave tore the ground apart, revealing hideous cracks that surged continuously!


    Then, the blood energy that had previously seeped into the ground surged and erupted!


    Scarlet blood energy rose from the ground, transforming into an extremely terrifying storm.


    Sterl found himself directly engulfed by it, and he noticed his skill bar turn gray, indicating he was in a controlled state, making teleportation impossible.


    In just a few milliseconds, Sterl was severely injured!


    His entire body felt as if it were being sliced by thousands of des, plunging him into a near-ying state! The blood-energy-formed storm made Sterl feel as though he had been thrown into a meat grinder!


    "Damn! That really hurts!"


    Sterl''s face darkened. Relying on his speed advantage, he had rarely been struck by an enemy''s skill, but this time he couldn''t dodge it!


    Fortunately, Sterl remained calm.


    Legendary ability [Inspire]!


    Instantly, a clear chirping sound rang in Sterl''s ears, and he regained his ability to move freely, even within the blood-colored storm.


    But his life force was already like a flickering candle in the wind!


    Yet, Sterl''s expression remained stern, refraining from using the Star Radiance Dragon''s Protection Power.


    He swiftly harnessed the power of the stars to condense several des of Flowing Water Law and hurled them out. At the same time, he used his small world to teleport two bottles of Essence of the Moon into his mouth, biting them open and swallowing the contents.


    As the Flowing Water des were thrown, Sterl activated the silence and interrupt effect of the [Flowing Water Law]!


    A double attack!


    Octavius was indeed heavily hit.


    Seeing the des formed by the Flowing Water Law, he knew he couldn''t take the hit head-on and attempted to dodge. But because his attention was entirely focused on this, he fell victim to a sneak attack.


    The various blood tissues within his body suddenly transformed into des, piercing Octavius''s vital organs.


    Instantly, the emperor''s mental power guiding the blood energy dispersed, and the storm triggered by his grand move began to dissipate.


    Even so, Octavius managed to dodge.


    He got hit by the Flowing Water des but managed to protect his vital points.


    Octavius grunted, spitting blood, and his body was drenched in it.


    However, the blood energy in the air was reabsorbed into his body, rapidly healing his wounds!


    On Sterl''s side, thanks to the cumtive effects of various buffs, hepleted a life force roller coaster ride through lifesteal!


    He survived!


    He even fully restored his life force through the lifesteal effect.


    However, all of Sterl''s clothes had turned to shreds. Since he hadn''t fully equipped himself, many parts of his body were exposed...


    After the exchange, both sides ended up evenly matched!


    Of course, this "evenly matched" was only clear to Sterl and Octavius.


    To the surrounding NPCs and yers, it lookedpletely different.


    Just the terrifying effect of the blood energy storm alone was enough to make people feel that the situation had entirely favored Octavius. Not to mention, Sterl looked ragged and disheveled at the moment.


    In contrast, the emperor, d in heavy armor, stood tall and imposing.


    From a purely visual standpoint, Octavius had already won.


    ...


    This led the nearby yers to smile involuntarily.


    "Indeed, Octavius is showcasing his truebat power this time!"


    "He''spletely suppressing the foreign strongman!"


    "Looks like our decision to surrender wasn''t wrong."


    ...


    The yers felt a lot better.

 Chapter 168: Dual Law Power Explosion!

    The more the yers watched the mysterious powerhouse disy his might, the more some of them began to regret their decisions. Regardless of his motives, he was objectively protecting the princes!


    Had they made a mistake by surrendering earlier? Could they have gained rewards by siding with this mysterious powerhouse?


    Now, seeing "Nathan" on the verge of defeat, the yers felt vindicated in their choice and no longer felt uneasy.


    The NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire finally allowed themselves to feel excitement and began to cheer.


    "Long live His Majesty, yer of enemies!"


    "Long live His Majesty, yer of enemies!"


    "Long live His Majesty, yer of enemies!"


    ...


    First, the soldiers cheered, then themon folk joined in, and finally, the officials and nobles also started shouting!


    Everyone was extremely excited!


    It appeared as if the empire''s crisis had been resolved!


    Moreover, their only sun, the great Emperor Octavius, had advanced in power! He had easily suppressed the mysterious powerhouse who had previously instilled fear in countless soldiers.


    Hearing the cheers of his numerous subjects, Octavius''s aura grew even stronger. He activated his legendary ability��


    [Blood Conversion]


    Sterl had already seen the effects of this ability through Star Insight. After Octavius''s authority hearthad upgraded to SS level, this legendary ability had also received a significant boost.


    But Sterl was surprised to find that the description of this legendary ability had hardly changed!


    It still read��


    Octavius can consume the blood energy of himself, his enemies, or anything nearby to enhance all his skills. The more blood energy consumed, the stronger the enhancement effect.


    At first nce, this ability seemed simple and crude, even simr to the purple-quality skill [Stardust]that Sterl possessed.


    But a simple mechanism also meant that the numerical values of this legendary ability would be terrifyingly high!


    However, Sterl remained calm. The effectiveness of a legendary ability was tied to the yer''s talent. After refining his descendants, Octavius''s only drawback was his still C-level talent.


    Octavius had no knowledge of Sterl''s thoughts.


    At this moment, Octavius struck again with full force, confident that his previous move was merely a probe. Now was his true full-force explosion!


    In an instant, the terrifying blood energy surged, appearing like a crimson current in the eyes of countless NPCs and yers present!


    The blood-red stream immediately engulfed "Nathan"pletely!


    Octavius then activated his third max-legendary-level golden-quality skill, [Blood]. Instantly, the surging waves fully enveloped Sterl''s figure.


    Countless waves condensed into substantial des and axes, crashing inward!


    Ultimately, the waves formed into a spherical construct, trapping Sterl inside.


    At this moment, astonished exmations erupted from both NPCs and yers.


    "This move! How terrifying!"


    "A wide-area attack that can also convert into single-target damage, impressive!"


    Even Felicia couldn''t help but praise.


    Faye then asked seriously, "Ancestor, has the oue been decided?"


    "...I don''t think so. Someone with Law Power wouldn''t be easily defeated by a mere golden-quality skill."


    As the two discussed, there was indeed a change in the blood-red sphere in the sky!


    The seemingly pristine, indestructible construct began to make cracking sounds, with fissures appearing across its surface.


    Finally, it shattered with a resounding crash!


    "Nathan."gasping for breath, emerged.


    Sterl frowned. The earlier move had caused him considerable trouble. As expected, the evolved legendary skill was no joke!


    After being trapped, he discovered that Shadow Stealth couldn''t help him escape as the surrounding space waspletely locked.


    He had no choice but to use the power of Flowing Water Law to forcibly cleave through the blood-red sphere.


    And since his attacks were only against Octavius''s construct, he couldn''t drain any blood, significantly lowering his condition. Luckily, Sterl''s life force reservoir quickly began to restore him.


    His injuries started to heal...


    Sterl looked at his opponent. Octavius,pletely unharmed, stood there confidently, as if he had the situation underplete control.


    "Damn, he likes to show off more than I do."Sterl couldn''t help but curse under his breath.


    This emperor was constantly maintaining his persona and image.


    Octavius had pursued Sterl earlier, knowing he could still escape.


    So, the emperor decisively stood still, portraying a rxed and effortless demeanor.


    Anyone else might have let it go, but as a fellow show-off, Sterl immediately recognized Octavius''s intention.


    So, it was really irritating.


    Especially hearing the countless citizens below passionately shouting,


    "Even a powerful enemy from another nation is no match for our emperor!"


    "Indeed, our great emperor can sweep away all obstacles!"


    ...


    Sterl was frustrated.Octavius had indeed managed to show off sessfully.


    He also felt a bit of a headache. Sterl had already figured out a strategy to defeat Octavius.


    Though Octavius was strong, he still had no real resistance against Law Power. The Flowing Water Law could easily pierce through Octavius''s skills and shred his defenses.


    But Sterl couldn''t take down the emperor in a single burst because of Octavius''s exceptional perception abilities. Even if Sterl attacked Octavius''s insides directly, the emperor could quickly react and escape.


    Previously, Sterl had seeded in his sneak attack only by first throwing out the Flowing Water Law des to draw attention.


    It was clear that Sterl needed a control skill! Butan average control skill could be easily shrugged off by Octavius, given that his current strength made him one of the top-tier legends.


    Fortunately, Sterl had one more trick up his sleeve: his ultimate move��the perfect-level [Moon Law]. This could directly slow Octavius to the point where he couldn''t move at all.


    However, Sterl was reluctant to reveal that he possessed Moon Law, as it would link "Nathan" to "Constantine."


    And both of these identities had performed actions that defiedmon sense.


    If it were just Constantine, it would be manageable. The "Divine me Drive" disguise could confuse people.


    But if Nathan were connected to Constantine, it might lead some to suspect that both identities were fake.


    Moreover, Constantine had already shown his face in front of the Dark Moon Goddess, and Sterl couldn''t risk exposing himself...


    "I''ll just wait for Octavius to give me an opening."


    Sterl pondered. The emperor''s moves were grand and shy, potentially providing cover for Sterl''s actions.


    In closebat, Sterl could use his perfect-level Law Power to create a small moon domain, slowing Octavius down and then using Flowing Water Law to finish him off.


    But this opportunity... he had to wait for it!


    Sterl decided that if the chance didn''te, he would go all out.


    Even if it meant abandoning the Constantine identity and never using Divine me Drive again...


    The following period was quite frustrating for Sterl.


    Initially, the cheers from the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire and the yers weren''t particrly loud��


    After all, they doubted whether Octavius could win. But as the battlefield scenes changed, both yers and NPCs grew confident!


    The blood-red sphere had trapped the foreign powerhouse, causing him to escape in a highly embarrassing manner.


    Octavius then easilyunched several moves to suppress his opponent.


    First, he unleashed a terrifying bloodstorm, leaving Nathan in a miserable state. Nathan''s counterattacks were barely effective, with Octavius dodging most of them.


    Many onlookers noticed that when Nathan''s moves didn''t fully hit, his injuries healed very slowly, indicating that Nathan had a [life-stealing]ability.


    So many people shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, don''t let him hit you!"


    "Attack from a distance and wear him down!"


    ...


    Hearing this made Sterl feel a tightness in his chest.


    Sterl had finally experienced how annoying external factors could be during a battle. Previously, he had always been able to quickly dispatch his opponents.


    Then, he was devoured by a blood-formed dragon and had to struggle for a long time before barely escaping.


    The situation was increasingly favoring the emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    Even Felicia, who was usually quite perceptive, muttered in the alternate dimension, "Where did this kid get his Law Power from? What a waste!"


    "Getting beaten up by a legend like this."


    The other yers were even more direct.


    "This guy''s definitely done for."


    "I wonder where he''s from, which or race. Despite not having much strength, he dared to take on a mission against a legendary figure."


    "Why don''t we wait until the old emperor has nearly finished him off, then go up and show our loyalty?"


    "Show loyalty? You mean you''re eyeing that yer''s loot, right??"


    The yersughed and chatted, their eyes no longer focused on the battlefield. To them, the oue was already decided!


    Meanwhile, the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire continued to watch with great interest as their emperor thrashed the foreign powerhouse. They shouted continuously,


    "Good job!"


    "Yes! Yes! Your Majesty! Kill him!"


    ...


    They were all red-faced with excitement!


    Even the remaining four princes and princesses cheered as they watched, thrilled by their father''s disy of power. The fourth prince clenched his fists, wishing he could join the fight.


    In essence, the princes and princesses were no different from the rest of the empire. They, too, were impressed by the old emperor''s prowess. Their earlier rebelliousness had been merely a means to survive...

 Chapter 169: The Law of Flowing Water, Manipulating Blood Qi

    Just as everyone was cheering for Nathan''s imminent defeat.


    Octavius listened quietly to the cheers below, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth.


    He gathered a gigantic blood sword once more. This time, Octavius did not release [Mountain Shatter], but instead charged straight at Nathan.


    Due to being repeatedly attacked by long-range skills, many of Nathan''s abilities had missed their mark. Only a few had hit Octavius, and his life-stealing abilities hadn''t been able to activate much. Nathan''s body was now covered in scars, mud all over him, looking extremely disheveled.


    With an air of righteousness, Octavius said, "Warrior of the enemy nation, I grant you a death befitting a strong warrior!"


    He then raised his giant sword high and lunged forward!


    At that moment, Sterl''s eyes lit up suddenly.


    "Finally, I''ve been waiting for this, haven''t I?" His expression was somewhat excited. Dragging it out any longer, and his life force reservoir would be nearly depleted.


    Sterl had even hesitated, contemting whether to directly unleash the Moon Law and just end the Emperor in one blow.


    Fortunately, his patience paid off!


    Octavius and Sterl were simr types of fighters, both loving to show off!


    As the Emperor charged forward, Sterl cunningly maintained the appearance of being heavily injured and moving sluggishly.


    Seeing this, Octavius became even more enthusiastic. The blood energy enveloping his sword surged more violently, kicking up chaotic gusts of wind!


    Although the NPCs of the Divine Mountain Empire below were immune to damage, they were still blinded by the swirling sand and blood mist, having to shield their eyes with their hands.


    The stronger ones nced at the Emperor''s giant sword, which was once again shing towards the ground. It was still [Mountain Shatter], a golden-quality skill from the same arcane lineage of Divine Mountain Empire.


    However, after Octavius had repeatedly sacrificed his descendants, the nature of this move had undergone a tremendous change.


    At this moment, the Emperor, using his giant sword, painted a picture of apocalypse. The terrifying blood storm was denser than ever before!


    The entire capital of the Divine Mountain Empire seemed to transform into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.


    This time, although Octavius was engaging in closebat intending to kill his enemy, he knew he couldn''t let Nathan drain his blood. Otherwise, it would only turn the tide in Nathan''s favor.


    Octavius mobilized his strongest wave of blood energy with full force, aiming to achieve a decisive victory in one strike, to utterly annihte the enemy warrior!


    And then...


    "Haah!" With the Emperor''s roar, the terrifying blood energy didn''t spread out wildly but rather copsed inward rapidly, continuously solidifying and condensing!


    The power became increasingly terrifying! Astonishing!


    Nathan, seemingly too injured to dodge in time, was struck directly by Octavius''s attack.


    Seeing this, the Emperor let out a small sigh of relief. Thoughpressing his blood energy to its limit increased its power, it also made it easier to evade. He had even prepared to expend significant mental energy to track his opponent, but hitting Nathan so easily was unexpected.


    "Die!" Octavius roared.


    The blood storm, now only covering an area of about a few dozen square meters, engulfed both Octavius and Nathan.


    If the previous storm was a semi-transparent airflow, this blood storm had now turned into extremely dense liquid, forming des or tentacle-like creations that shed at everything madly!


    The density of the blood energy made it impossible for the outside world to observe or sense what was happening within the storm.


    Sterl could ascertain from the chaotic energy that unless a god-level warrior were present, it would be impossible to detect the situation within [Mountain Shatter]!


    This was a judgment Sterl dared to make after having experienced ascension to godhood!


    And at this moment...


    Octavius, also enveloped in the chaotic blood energy, felt his body continually tearing apart due to the intense force, but the blood energy quickly healed all his injuries.


    The Emperor couldn''t help but show a few hints of joy and the satisfaction of vengeance, knowing that the oue was about to be decided!


    The enemy warrior had previously killed nearly a hundred members of the ck Armor Army with ease, each of whom had been painstakingly trained by the royal family!


    At the same time, Nathan''s instant killing of the ck Armor Army also demonstrated the terrifying extent of his power.


    "After I kill him, my imperial prestige will only grow!" Octavius thought to himself, feeling marginally better.


    However...


    Octavius suddenly noticed that Nathan also wore a joyful expression, causing the Emperor to be momentarily stunned.


    What?


    Why the hell is he smiling?


    Everything happened in an instant, so the Emperor didn''t immediately realize that Nathan waspletely unharmed within the dense, liquidified blood storm!


    In the next moment, Octavius seemed to grasp this fact, a wave of terror washing over him!


    Yet his expression remained arrogant and proud!


    Octavius had no time to change his expression!


    Nor did he have time to do anything else!


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s eyes shed with excitement. On one hand, Octavius had finally ced himself in close proximity, creating a zone difficult for the outside world to detect��


    Sterl''s original intention was merely to obscure external vision and slightly disrupt perception.


    But as it turned out, Octavius''s ultimate move had nearly perfectly shielded everything.


    On the other hand, although Sterl had anticipated this, he now discovered that the Law of Flowing Water could indeed manipte any liquid, even the highly condensed blood energy in Octavius''s ultimate move. Sterl could guide it to transform into a gentle, non-offensive Flowing Water.


    At this moment, he felt extremely safe!


    And just then... Sterl''s mind stirred.


    In an instant, under the blood-red illumination, a nearly indistinguishable silver-white light began to shine.


    The Moon Law had already been activated!


    "Something''s wrong!" Octavius''s reaction was swift. As a perfect legend, he mightck somebat experience, but with various attribute boosts, his reaction speed was incredibly fast!


    He quickly realized the bizarre state of Nathan being unharmed and immediately tried to change tactics!


    But Octavius found that he couldn''t move!


    Even...


    "I... must..." Octavius felt his thoughts slowing down immensely.


    Clearly, he was in a critical life-and-death situation and should be extremely anxious, but he felt... his mind was processing information at a snail''s pace.


    He instinctively sensed danger but couldn''t pinpoint what the danger was or understand its nature.


    He wanted to change tactics, but he couldn''t even grasp the concept of what that entailed in his mind...


    Octavius saw Nathan approaching continuously, but his retinas merely reflected the image of this opponent, and his brain couldn''t process the information fast enough.


    In this state, Octavius couldn''t even realize��


    His control over his own skills hadpletely dissipated, while Sterl, leveraging the Law of Flowing Water, could easily control the power of [Mountain Shatter]!


    Octavius stared nkly as Nathan snapped his fingers, and the countless liquid des formed from blood energy were redirected, stabbing towards their original master!


    Squelch!


    Squelch!


    Squelch!


    Apanied by the relentless sound of des piercing flesh, Octavius, within a mere instant, was riddled with wounds!


    This was only the beginning...


    As wounds formed on Octavius''s body, Sterl''s thoughts moved.


    The blood within Octavius transformed into a terrifying force, merging with the blood energy that had already pierced his body. Like thousands of steel needles, it shredded all the emperor''s internal organs and flesh into fragments!


    Intense pain and the weakness brought by the rapid loss of life surged through him, but with his thoughts frozen, Octavius had no reaction. He stood there, dazed, with even the arrogant expression on his face unchanged.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the NPCs and yers outside had no clue about the gravity of the situation.


    In their view, the heavily injured Nathan was still engulfed by Octavius''s full-force attack.


    "Is it finally over?"


    "That Law Power was wasted on him."


    "It would have been so much better if it was given to you."


    Among the yers, Felicia was furiously ranting in her mind.


    She could tell that the enemy warrior''sw seemed rted to controlling water and liquids.


    This Law Power would be perfect for Faye!


    The girl''s ability was to control various water flows inbat, while Felicia, her ancestor, was more adept at wielding the power of frost.


    Felicia also held a method to enter the [Frost Realm], which could help Faye eventually condense the [Frost Law]. However, [Frost] was definitely less suited for Fayepared to the Flowing Water Law that Nathan wielded!


    Felicia felt pained and regretful just thinking about it!


    "I don''t have a body right now, and the divine essence fragments that depended on a body have all dissipated."


    "Even if that enemy yer dies, his Law Power will just return to the world.I can''t even burn my soul power to try and snatch it."


    She muttered, feeling extremely frustrated!


    As for the other yers, they, like most NPCs, concluded that��


    It was over!


    Facing such a terrifying move, Nathan, who didn''t dodge in time, was undoubtedly dead.


    There wouldn''t even be a whole corpse left; he would be torn to pieces by the blood storm. The yers abandoned any thoughts of stepping in to finish him off and im drops.


    Instead, they prepared to join the Divine Mountain Empire''s NPCs in singing praises and honoring the emperor.


    By now, some quick-reacting NPCs and officers had already begun shouting.


    "Long live the Emperor! The Emperor is invincible!"


    Soon, everyone was caught up in the fervor, ready to shout countless words of praise.


    But just when the atmosphere had reached its peak.


    Suddenly��

 Chapter 170: 0 Seconds, Instant Kill!

    Everyone felt that something was off.


    It seemed like nothing had changed, yet everything had suddenly changed...


    What''s going on??


    Countless NPCs widened their eyes, standing in ce, stunned.


    The blood-red storm unleashed by Octavius suddenly halted! It weakened at an incredibly fast pace.


    It was as if the scene had been edited. One second everything was normal, with the emperor disying his formidable power, and the next second, the storm had ceased, and all was silent.


    The red liquid forming the blood storm dissipated smoothly, as if flushed down a drain.


    At the same time, the core of the storm finally revealed two...


    No, it was half a person plus one person plus another half!


    There were no visual effects from Nathan''s skills.Octavius somehow met his demise within his own [Mountain Shatter]!


    People saw Nathan standing calmly, with his various wounds healing continuously under the influence of his blood-sucking ability.


    In his right hand, he held a corpse like a ragdoll. Who could it be if not the emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire?


    And in Nathan''s left hand, the emperor''s head looked smug, as if it was about to im victory by ying a powerful enemy.


    Visually, it appeared as if Nathan''s figure was nked by two halves of the emperor.


    Then...


    St!


    With a slight exertion, Nathan crushed the head of the great emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire, who had sacrificed countless descendants to reach his perfect state.


    The head exploded into a mass of blood.


    A legendary being''s vitality was already incredibly tenacious. Even if only a head remained, they could survive for a long time.


    But now, the head was gone.


    Octavius was dead!


    ...


    The silence was deafening.


    Firstly, because everything happened so quickly��from Octavius holding the upper hand to Nathan''s sudden reappearance and instant killing of the emperor, it only took one or two seconds. Over 90% of that time was Nathan posing with Octavius''s head.


    Secondly, the countless NPCs, yers, and even the demi-god Felicia present found it hard to ept this reality...


    The blood storm''s winds stirred up, causing pebbles to roll across the ground.


    As time ticked by, countless NPCs and yers watched Nathan throw the other half of Octavius''s body to the ground and pick up a colorful orb.


    He then slowly walked towards the ck Armor Army, snapping his fingers to instantly kill another ten or so soldiers.


    During this time, the soldiers stood likembs awaiting ughter, meekly in ce, offering no resistance. Even the generals with third ss strength witnessed the scene without reacting, or rather, they dared not react.


    Nathan shook his head and muttered, "The mission''s over, so they''re not considered enemies anymore? No loot?"


    He then approached the surviving princes and princesses.


    "What... what are you going to do?"


    No one dared to stop him, no one dared to obstruct him!


    The usually responsible Fourth Prince stood there trembling, unable to speak.


    Only the unfortunate prince, whom Nathan approached, stammered incoherently as he backed away. He fell to the ground, kicking up dust as he desperately tried to distance himself.


    Nathan seemed to do something. He first said, "Just a precaution," and the prince''s figure instantly vanished, as if erased from existence.


    With a swift movement, Nathan disappeared.


    It seemed everything hade to an end.


    But for the people and yers of the Divine Mountain Empire...


    They still didn''t dare to move, not at all!


    They stood there, their bodies stiff, and what they saw was��


    Throughout the capital, buildingsy shattered and disordered from their own emperor''s attacks. The ground was scarred by various energy storms, and many streets had turned intoplete ruins.


    A sense of destion welled up in everyone''s hearts.


    In the sky, several vultures began to descend, pecking at the corpses of fallen soldiers.


    However, the elite ck Armor Army of the Divine Mountain Empire, who should have been collecting the bodies of theirrades, stood frozen, unable to move.


    This scene of despairsted for several minutes.


    People began to realize that Nathan had truly left, and then chaos erupted as they rushed forward to Octavius''s body. "Impossible! This must be fake!"


    "No! How could the emperor lose?"


    "His Majesty couldn''t lose, he''s a legend!"


    ...


    Several officials knelt by Octavius''s body, weeping uncontrobly and babbling incoherently, as if driven mad.


    Then, a third ssgeneral of the ck Armor Army rushed forward with a fierce look in his eyes. "Fake! This is just an illusion!"


    "The emperor might have been teleported elsewhere and is still fighting the enemy!"


    With that, he drew his sword and shed at Octavius''s corpse.


    "Break for me!"


    However, despite the general''s furious strike, the result was merely��


    ng!


    The de struck the legendary armor, bouncing off instantly.


    "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"


    But the general was not ready to give up. He shed several more times until, with a final snap, his standard-issue ck Armor Army longsword shattered!


    In his subconscious, he realized that the corpse was genuine! Even though its owner was dead, the legendary armor still functioned...


    No enemy would leave behind a legendary armor just for a disguise, right??


    Thud!


    The general dropped to his knees, utterly dejected, staring at Octavius''s body,pletely breaking down. "Your Majesty, how could you abandon us?"


    In his despair, a green light de ignited in his palm. The next second, he thrust it into his own heart.


    The generalmitted suicide to follow his emperor!


    Thud~


    As another body hit the already battered ground, countless people of the Divine Mountain Empire and the present yers seemed to awaken from a trance.


    First, the yers swallowed hard.


    "Did Octavius really get killed??"


    "What kind of move was that? It ended before I could even react."


    "And it seemed like the old emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire had no resistance left after his ultimate move!"


    "Damn, he''s a real killer. Lucky we didn''t try to finish him off ourselves!"


    "So, did we just waste our surrender? We lost a mission reward for nothing??"


    "That... divine being seemed to leave right after killing. If we had held out a bit longer, we could''ve gotten a bunch of free rewards andpleted the rebel quest line. What a loss!"


    ...


    The yers first marveled at the mysterious yer''s strength, each of them trembling with fear. Those in the third ss felt that Octavius had saved their lives. If not for the emperor''s final move making it impossible for the yers to intervene and steal the kill, they might have been ughtered by Nathan as well!


    However, the yers couldn''t help but mutter, feeling a bit impatient...


    If only they had held on a bit longer! They could''ve gotten the mission rewards for free.


    Nearby, hearing these discussions, a group of Divine Mountain Empire NPCs red at them with fury.


    Yet, the yers mocked without hesitation, "What are you staring at? Want me to cut you down too?"


    "Your emperor''s dead, and you''re still giving us attitude? Do you want to die?"


    ...


    Instantly, the NPCs retreated in fear, not daring to say another word.


    At this moment, with Octavius, the legendary figure of the Divine Mountain Empire, dead, the remaining two legends were still guarding the borders, and the demigod was in closed-door seclusion.


    The third ssyers had be the strongest force, only kept in check by elite or boss-tier third ssgenerals. Even then, if the yers wanted to escape, they might not be able to stop them.


    The NPCs, fearing retaliation from these otherworldly beings...


    The people of the Divine Mountain Empire could only look to their former leader among the yers��the Fourth Prince.


    But the prince was standing there, staring nkly at his father''s corpse, alternating between crying andughing.


    As the Fourth Prince''s eerie sobs echoed, soon the crowd joined in with their weeping. The old emperor''s prestige was indeed immense.


    Themoners, nobles, officials, and soldiers of the Divine Mountain Empire couldn''t help but shed tears of confusion and sorrow.


    "Your Majesty, how could you leave us first!"


    "The empire still needs you!"


    "What kind of person... why would they do such a thing?"


    They wailed.


    Yet, when it came to Nathan, they were filled with rage but did not dare to speak out. Though their hearts were full of curses, wishing to peel his skin and eat his flesh, they didn''t dare voice a single word.


    Even now, everything seemed too absurd to them.


    In an instant, the emperor, who was about to defeat a powerful enemy, had perished!


    ...


    "I heard the Divine Mountain Empire''s capital is on lockdown. How about we use our invitations to meet on the Rainbow Ship separately?" Sterl messaged Faye while he was near an intermediate base close to the Holy Empire''s capital.


    Faye didn''t reply.


    Sterl wasn''t surprised, thinking she might still be immersed in the shocking events at the Divine Mountain Empire''s capital and hadn''t checked her personal panel yet, which was reasonable.


    Sterl quickly used his authority to open a training room in the base.


    Entering the room, he sat down on a meditation mat and first looked at his personal panel, where notifications were flooding the screen��


    [You have killed a Divine Mountain Empire ck Armor Army elite soldier, obtaining Star Crystal *1.]


    [You have killed a Divine Mountain Empire ck Armor Army...]


    ...


    [You have killed a Divine Mountain Empire ck Armor Army general, obtaining Star Crystal *4.]


    [You have killed...]


    ...


    There were over a hundred notifications just for killing ck Armor Army soldiers and obtaining Star Crystals!

 Chapter 171: Second Class Ceremony, Complete!

    [You have in the Emperor Octavius of the Divine Mountain Empire. His rating is: Maximum. Your ss change quest progress has been updated!]


    [You have in the Emperor Octavius of the Divine Mountain Empire, obtaining 300 Star Crystals.]


    "The old emperor did manage to save quite a few soldiers at thest moment." Sterlmented offhandedly as he nced at the numerous notifications flooding his screen.


    Regarding the collection of Star Crystals, Sterl''s panel disyed around 100 prompts for ordinary ck Armor soldiers, and roughly 30 to 40 prompts for various generals. With Octavius contributing 300 crystals, the total was more than enough.


    Of course, when Sterl killed the emperor, he was still a bit short on crystals. So, he casually ughtered a dozen more ck Armor soldiers to make up the final count of 500 crystals needed for his second ss requirement.


    "Who knew that legendary-level heads were worth so much?" he mused, somewhat puzzled.


    Little did he realize, the value of a perfect legendary figure like Octavius had significantly increased the number of crystals provided!


    At this moment, all the requirements for Sterl''s second ss change were nearlyplete... except for one minor detail.


    Sterl had confidently prepared for his second ss change, only to suddenly realize he was short on Purple Gold Coins...


    After some thought, he decided to open all the loot.


    After dealing with Octavius and finishing off the dozen ck Armor soldiers for the Star Crystals, Sterl hadined about theck of drops.


    This was because, after killing Octavius, the system disyed thepletion of the [Rebel] line quest. Due to Sterl''s high reputation within the Divine Mountain Empire, other ck Armor soldiers were treated as allies and thus dropped no loot.


    Fortunately, the soldiers and generals Sterl had killed earlier still provided some drops.


    He madly opened a batch of loot orbs. Although there wasn''t anything particrly valuable, he amassed a pile of equipment, skill books, and various items and materials, forming a small mountain of resources.


    Even after opening all the loot, he found he was still short of a hundred Purple Gold Coins.


    He left a message for Teresa, asking her toe over and collect the various items and resources, which could then be sold to fund their organization and be avable for Sterl''s use as needed.


    Sterl then eagerly rubbed his hands together and took out Octavius''s drop.


    "Looks like it''s going to be something good." he said excitedly. The loot orb glowed with a mysterious and extraordinary seven-colored light.


    [Would you like to open Octavius''s relics?]


    The transcendent system prompted him directly. It was truly worthy of a legendary figure''s drop, with a ceremonious feel.


    "Yes!"


    Sterl nodded, and the colorful orb burst into a dazzling array of lights, revealing several items that slowly floated before him. The transcendent system''s notifications flooded the screen once again.


    [Congrattions, you have opened the Seven-Colored Loot Orb. You have obtained the following items��]


    [You have gained 15 legend points.]


    [You have gained 30 Purple Gold Coins.]


    [You have obtained [Mountain Heavy Armor (Legendary)].]


    [You have obtained [Blood Sacrifice Technique (Special)].]


    [You have obtained the skill book [Earthshatter (Gold)].]


    [You have obtained [Arcane Skill: Mountain].]


    [You have obtained the [ck Armor Army Banner Blueprint].]


    [You have obtained the [Training Method: ck Armor Army].]


    ...


    "Holy crap!" Sterl couldn''t help but exim, his face lighting up with joy.


    "That''s a ton of loot." he marveled. No wonder Octavius, as the ruler of an entire empire linked to the main storyline of the Divine Mountain region, dropped such valuable items!


    Even though Sterl had anticipated some good loot, he couldn''t help but feel like he''d hit the jackpot!


    All the rewards were incredibly useful!


    First, the 15 legend points were higher than what Sterl had received from any other legendary soul he had in before. The value of legend points was self-exnatory��the more, the better!


    The 30 Purple Gold Coins bumped Sterl''s liquid funds up to 113 coins. After deducting the 100 coins needed for the ss change, he would still have 13 left.


    Perfect!


    In terms of equipment, although he only got one piece, the [Mountain Heavy Armor (Legendary)] was a legendary-tier item.


    Even though its quality wasn''t the highest, legendary equipment was extremely rare.


    Sterl didn''t n on using it himself, as he aimed to acquire diamond-tier gear when he reached the legendary level.


    However, the [Mountain Heavy Armor (Legendary)] would fetch a high price if sold.


    Feeling pleased, Sterl tossed the armor into his small world. Teresa wouldn''t be able to handle such an item, so Sterl decided to see if he could sell it in the Dark Moon Alliance or the Hall of Valor.


    Next, he obtained another [Arcane Skill: Mountain].


    "That''s the second one." he noted. "I should check if I can sell it in the Hall of Valor or the Dark Moon Alliance." Sterl felt a slight sweet frustration��he had so many resources that finding buyers was bing a challenge.


    Teresa, despite his trust in her, was still too low-level to effectively handle such high-tier items.


    Finally, Sterl examined the remaining drops��the ck Armor Army Banner Blueprint and the ck Armor Army Training Method. After reviewing their attributes, he decided not to sell them.


    The function of the former is to craft a banner that enhances all allied units within its range, providing straightforward benefits like damage reduction and damage increase.


    Thetter can be used to train NPCs into soldiers. It can also be used by yers to train themselves into the [ck Armor Army], a C-rank ss.


    Moreover, as long as the training method is avable and the corresponding materials are purchased, the training can be repeated indefinitely.


    Sterl thought about his mental world and immediately realized that these two items might be useful in the future. Without thinking further, he decided to find a way to teach the ck Armor Army training method to the virtual beings in his mental domain, hoping it might lead to some interesting changes.


    The final item he received was a skill book called [Blood Sacrifice Technique]. Sterl knew just from the name that this was likely the special ability Octavius used to sacrifice his descendants.


    "If I can invest some points into it and level it up, it might be useful to me." he mused.


    But he didn''t rush to learn the skill. Instead, he stored the [Blood Sacrifice Technique] in his small world.


    At the same time, Sterl didn''t im the rewards forpleting the Rebel route quest. Because...


    The second ss ceremony was already prepared!


    Naturally, Sterl had no hesitation in prioritizing the ss change.


    Sitting cross-legged, he quickly navigated through his panel.


    [You havepleted all preparations for the second ss ceremony. Do you wish to begin the ss change?]


    [Note: The ss change process involves significant energy fluctuations. You may experience some pain and difort. Please try to endure it.]


    "Yes."


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to begin the ss change. He then closed his eyes, feeling his body gradually heating up.


    At that moment, Sterl felt the Purple Gold Coins, legend points, and 500 Star Crystals all melting into a unique energy that surged into his body!


    It was akin to pouring cold water onto hot oil.


    "Damn..."


    Sterl couldn''t help but curse under his breath. His entire body felt like it was being pricked by needles��delicate yet excruciatingly painful.


    However, having gone through numerous battles, he had built a decent tolerance for pain. He immediately followed the instinctive guidance that arose in his mind, directing the rampant energy.


    Sterl knew that this was just the appetizer; the real pain and challenges were yet toe.


    As the energy flowed into his body, he soon felt a slight breakthrough in some sort of restraint.


    He quickly allocated a point to his [Dimensional Traveler] ability. One of the reasons he was in a hurry toplete the second ss was because this ability''s cooldown had just reset.


    If he didn''t proceed with the ss change and enhance [Dimensional Traveler] now, he would have had to wait at least another day for the cooldown to reset again before he couldplete the second ss.


    After allocating the points, the description for [Dimensional Traveler] now included, "During ss change, you will draw better items, skills, equipment, etc."


    With this assurance, Sterl felt at ease to continue the ss change ceremony.


    The torrent of energy surged into his body, transforming him inside out. The once stable star sea in his mental domain began to shift again, with the massive energy being absorbed by countless stars. Even the small world Sterl had created experienced slight growth due to this influx of energy.


    "So good?" Sterl thought, pleasantly surprised. Considering this was just the beginning of the second ss, the benefits were already substantial. The full ss change would be even more remarkable.


    Simultaneously, countless stars in his mental domain trembled rapidly!


    Sterl expected a terrifying upheaval was imminent, but to his astonishment, after absorbing the energy, it seemed like his mental domain''s star sea was brewing something��and yet, it was as if a transparent membrane enveloped it, preventing any change!


    Simrly, his body''s various meridians and muscles, optimized and evolving in a new direction, were inexplicably suppressed.


    He felt like his attribute values were on the verge of skyrocketing, but they stubbornly remained unchanged!


    Then...


    It was over.


    "Over?"


    Sterl looked at his body in disbelief. There seemed to be no change at all!


    A notification appeared before him.


    [Congrattions onpleting your second ss.]


    [Your level cap has been unlocked.]


    [Your skills [Celestial Stars] and [Stardust] have been upgraded to Gold quality.]


    [You have drawn a new item. Would you like to view it?]


    ...


    The panel then fell silent again.


    Sterl stared at it for a long time, but nothing else happened. He checked his assets: all the Star Crystals were gone, 5 legend points were deducted, and 100 Purple Gold Coins were consumed.


    The second ss ceremony seemed to have concluded sessfully.


    "Are you kidding me?!" Sterl stood up, furious.

 Chapter 172: The Deceptive Second Class

    Sterl was dumbfounded!


    He took a brief nce at his skills. After [Celestial Stars] and [Stardust] were upgraded to Gold quality, they only cost eight legend points each��not particrly impressive.


    Recalling the second ss ceremony, Sterl felt something was off.


    He wasn''t some clueless bumpkin anymore.


    Sterl had asked Teresa, Daphne, and several of his subordinates about the changes that ur during the second ss. They all mentioned that the changes were as significant as the first ss change!


    Moreover, it symbolizes the true awakening of the profession.


    At the final stage, it would be incredibly painful, with energy wreaking havoc inside the body.


    There were even yers with weak wills who had died from the sheer turmoil of energy when their profession''s grade was too high for them to endure the second ss change!


    But in Sterl''s case, he felt the energy surge, but it onlysted for a short while and only at the beginning of the ss change.


    He didn''t mind knowing that his second ss benefits were rtively low, but knowing was different from epting such low returns!


    Sterl saw his mental domain on the verge of transformation, only to be forcibly suppressed and unchanged!


    His physical body was about to evolve, but again, it was forcibly suppressed and didn''t transform!


    Both his mental domain and physical body could benefit and evolve from practicing an arcane skill on a regr day!


    Now, with such a significant event as the second ss, could it really remain unchanged?


    It was extremely unreasonable!


    Sterl even thought it was absurd: "Just because I have an SSS-tier profession, I''ve reached the so-called potential cap."


    "So, the second ss is essentially no different from not ss changing at all??"


    He was dumbfounded!


    Sterl even felt a strong sense of maliceing from beyond the system.


    If he knew that, ording to Felicia, perfect legend advancement only required an SS-tier profession, Sterl would have been sure that the transcendence system was targeting SSS-tier professions!


    As he fumed inside, he suddenly sensed another source of energy within him��his personal cheat. Sterl''s expression changed.


    "It really did improve."


    He immediately went from furious to ecstatic.


    The reason for Sterl''s change in demeanor was that he sensed messagesing from his cheat��


    After advancing to the second ss, his body''s carrying capacity had significantly increased.


    Thus, his cheat had finally been upgraded.


    The points cap had increased! He could now forcibly upgrade items and skills that had potential butcked enough to support another upgrade!


    The entities that Sterl had already pushed to their limits, such as his talents, the Authority Heart, and some skills, now had the potential for new breakthroughs!


    Of course, he also sensed that not everything that had already been allocated points could be upgraded again, as they were still subject to their inherent potential limits.


    But talents and the Authority Heart that had already reached the 3S level could indeed be further upgraded.


    This meant that Sterl''sbat power was set to skyrocket once more!


    During his recent battle with Octavius, Sterl had encountered a rather frustrating issue: he had gotten used to easily overpowering weaker opponents.


    With dual 3S-level talents going up against C-level and B-level talents, and a 3S-level profession against C-level and B-level professions, it was always a one-sided massacre.


    However, facing an opponent like Octavius, who possessed an SS-level Authority Heart, even though the emperor''s talents werecking, Sterl was forced into a back-and-forth struggle...


    Without using Law Power, he even risked losing!


    Of course, if Octavius knew what Sterl was thinking, he would be utterly devastated. "You, a level 60 professional, fought my legendary self to a draw and you''re still not satisfied??


    What do you want? To kill me instantly??"


    Ahem... back to the main point.


    In any case, Sterl felt that his current overpowered status was no longer sufficient. He could already imagine that just from the Divine Mountain Empire alone, formidable enemies with dual S-level professions could emerge.


    The prodigiesing from the 70+ countries of the Dark Moon Alliance would be even fiercer!


    And the problem was, the Hall of Valor he was about to join would be filled with talented yers, probably too numerous to count!


    These were talents meticulously selected by the gods themselves!


    Considering Gloria''s style, where she didn''t even flinch when a dual S-level talent like Spike died, it only proved that the Hall of Valor was teeming with even more gifted yers and NPCs!


    At this moment, Sterl felt that his cheat''s upgrade had addressed his most urgent need.


    After the initial excitement, he quietly sensed the messages from his cheat.


    "Do you want to upgrade?"


    There was a faint sensation of such an option.


    Sterl didn''t hesitate and chose to upgrade.


    Immediately, he felt his body, like a calm water surface, disturbed by a single drop, sending ripples throughout.


    Sterl felt that he had changed somewhat, yet it seemed like nothing had changed at all...


    "Really upgraded??"


    His expression was a mix of confusion and curiosity.


    Sterl decided to open his personal panel for a closer look.


    Sure enough, the previously un-upgradable items were now marked with plus signs.


    There were plus signs next to the skills Celestial Stars and Stardust, which Sterl couldn''t enhance right afterpleting his ss change. But now they were upgradable!


    "Good!" A glimmer of excitement shed in Sterl''s eyes.


    The wide-range damage, stun, and ally shield from Celestial Stars made it an extremely versatile and practical skill. If he couldn''t max it out with 20 legend points as before, its effectiveness would dwindle, and Sterl would use it less frequently.


    Now, that issue was resolved.


    The utility of Stardust was undeniable. The more its support abilities were enhanced, the better and stronger it would be!


    Moreover, what excited Sterl even more was that there were plus signs next to his two talents and Authority Heart as well!


    However...


    "Why are these three plus signs greyed out?"


    Sterl investigated and found that for the two talents, he needed to use arcane skills toplete a secondary awakening before he could continue adding points.


    As for the Authority Heart, Sterl was stunned.


    The message from his cheat indicated that he mustplete the second ss change and truly awaken his SSS-tier profession to continue adding points.


    But the problem was, Sterl had already undergone the second ss change!


    "What''s going on?" Given the choice between the transcendence system''s prompts and his cheat, Sterl didn''t hesitate to trust his cheat!


    Though initially perplexed, Sterl realized within a fraction of a second��


    This meant that afterpleting the second ss change, his profession hadn''t truly awakened!


    The shackle he felt during the ss change was real. His SSS-tier profession had been forcibly sealed!


    "Could it be because of the Forbidden Poison??"


    He frowned for a long time before a term shed through his mind.


    Theoretically, humans from Earth would be affected by the Forbidden Poison from birth. Although Sterl had always lived in a game pod, as a Reincarnator, he knew that Nature science rarely dealt in absolutes.


    Perhaps the game pod could filter out 99.9% of the Forbidden Poison, but there would still be trace amounts sneaking into his body. Or maybe, after coexisting with this toxin for countless years, the Forbidden Poison had already embedded itself in human genes.


    Even when Sterl used Purification Ripple in the real worldst time, he couldn''tpletely expel thest traces of the toxin, because those tiny gic traces could be infinitely diluted but would ultimately persist!


    In that instant, Sterl felt numb: "Does this mean, as an Earth human, I''m inherently at a permanent disadvantagepared to other yers?"


    He felt terrible, as if he had encountered a problem his cheat couldn''t solve.


    Sterl was suffering from ack of information. Had he been able to converse with Felicia at this moment, he would have learned that the reason a perfect legendary state only required dual S-level professions was because a 3S-level profession was no longer useful.


    Although a 3S-level profession provided slightly better profession traits and skills than a dual S-level, that difference in strength was minimal.


    A dual S-level profession, uponpleting the second ss change, would elevate the Authority Heart by one stage, directly catching up to the attribute advantages of a 3S-level profession.


    As for the slight difference in profession traits and skills, to put it bluntly��


    A well-developed dual S-level professional, with an excellent passive skill, could match the profession traits of a 3S-level. Acquiring a few high-quality skills could make their skill pool just as good, if not better, than that of a 3S-level profession.


    This is why 3S-level talents are considered peerless geniuses in the Tanscendence World, at least on the Vastor continent and nearby continents, or even in nearby crystal wall systems. They are highly sought after by countless forces.


    Some factions aim to take these geniuses away for nurturing, while others seek to rob and refine their talents.


    However, the theoretically equally rare 3S-level professions are far lessmon than 3S-level talents. The effort required to obtain such a powerful profession is so great that one could easily use a fraction of that effort to acquire a dual S-level profession with nearly the same strength!


    If Sterl were aware of the above information, he would certainly realize an odd truth.


    It seemed that yers of all races faced the same issue! All of them would suffer if they pursued an SSS-level profession, as if all races were tainted by the "Forbidden Poison"!


    ...


    "No, there must be a way!" Sterl snapped out of his despondency after a few minutes, his eyes suddenly brightening.


    Sterl remembered something that could break the talent shackles.


    That was... the white mist produced by the death of monsters in the real world on Earth!


    Although he had previously realized that absorbing this mist did nothing for him, if he could collect arge amount of it and condense it into a liquid, he could use the Flowing Waterw to forcibly solidify it into an item-like existence.


    If that worked, his point allocation system might be able to add points to it!

 Chapter 173: A Bold Assumption

    Especially since his point allocation system had upgraded after his second ss change, now allowing him to enhance things that were previously unenhanceable!


    Sterl thought that this might be a method to break through the Forbidden Poison.


    Moreover, he recalled that before he upgraded to his second ss, his cheat had somehow hinted that there was a way to reim the original benefits of the second ss.


    Perhaps, reiming those benefits meant truly awakening the SSS-level profession.


    So, even if the white mist didn''t help with the Forbidden Poison, he might have other ways to ovee it.


    This was certified by his cheat! There was no way his Authority Heart would be stuck at the SSS level but remain unawakened.


    After some contemtion, Sterl regained his ambition and no longer worried about the disappointing second-ss rewards.


    At this moment, he quickly organized the remaining benefits he had on hand.


    First, there was the skill book he looted from Octavius, [Blood Sacrifice Technique].


    Sterl opened the skill book to examine its details.


    [Blood Sacrifice Technique (Special)]


    [Description:This is an extremely unusual technique, containing not just the mysteries of blood sacrifice, but also an epic tale of how a once-great race forged their future, using life as fuel to break through worldly barriers...]


    [Effect: After using the Blood Sacrifice Technique, you can sacrifice descendants directly rted to you by blood. The stronger the talents and abilities of your sacrificed descendants, the more talent bonuses, skill grade improvements, authority heart enhancements, and lifespan extensions you will receive...]


    [Note: You can sacrifice up to three generations of blood-rted individuals.]


    [Note: This ability can be used on other target units.]


    Sterl skimmed through it and was left speechless.


    The current Blood Sacrifice Technique was of no use to him.


    Not to mention direct descendants...


    Sterl had no descendants. Even if Earth humans had a racial advantage of being able to produce arge number of offspring, producing thousands wouldn''t be an issue.


    Using them for blood sacrifice would definitely be more convenient than Octavius, maxing out various attributes with ease.


    But Sterl couldn''t use it. The range of enhancement the Blood Sacrifice Technique could provide was too narrow.


    His own talents and skill qualities were already maxed out. Even without learning this skill, he was quite certain in his mind that if the Blood Sacrifice Technique could elevate skill quality, it would merely be a degraded version of his point allocation cheat��


    Forcibly filling the original limits of skills and professions through blood energy.


    Anyone who used this method to enhance their skills would forever bear the mark of the Blood Sacrifice Technique.


    Take Octavius, for instance. His [Mountain Shatter] was originally a secret technique of the Divine Mountain Empire, designed to resonate with Mountainarcane skills, emphasizing explosive power from earth and stone.


    However, the final effect he produced was a terrifying storm of blood energy!


    His legendary abilities had all be rted to manipting blood energy, clearly as a result of the Blood Sacrifice Technique''s influence.


    People who enhanced their abilities with this skill would be centered around blood energy, merely wearing different skins of various skills and professions...


    Such an enhancement was fundamentally uneptable!


    However, Sterl hesitated because, among the myriad of worlds, Earth humans might be the most suitable race for this skill!


    The [Blood Sacrifice Technique] could potentially lead to the rapid rise of Earth humans.


    Octavius, despite being an esteemed emperor with many children��over 30��was left with only four after his sacrifices, yet his talents were already maxed out.


    Earth humans, on the other hand, could extract genes from slightly talented individuals or even those without talent and mass-produce offspring!


    And they could produce thousands in one batch!


    The Blood Sacrifice Technique alone would take years just for the blood sacrifices!


    Even if those descendants had little talent, the umted bonuses would be terrifyingly significant!


    Wouldn''t that mean...


    With enough real-world resources, even a pig could be elevated to at least a third-ss, if not a legendary powerhouse?


    Sterl was horrified by his own terrifying assumption!!


    "Holy crap!"


    "Isn''t this a bit too insane?"


    He could abandon all morality to be stronger, even though he had already confirmed in hisst venture into the real world��


    The likelihood that the NPCs in the [Transcendence] game were AI simtions was low. They were most likely real living beings.


    But this time, for his second ss quest, Sterl had ruthlessly severed the Divine Mountain Empire''s path to ascension. After all, it was clear that the nation would prosper more under the old emperor''s leadership.


    It wasn''t like in typical novels where emperors using blood sacrifices were pure viins. Octavius might harm his descendants, but he would still lead the Divine Mountain Empire to prosperity.


    Sterl could say he destroyed everything for his own selfish reasons, yet he felt no regret...


    However, from the perspective of a Reincarnator, it was still difficult for him to ept such a method of desecrating descendants.


    Could those people... still be considered human?


    It''s practically like producing alchemical pills...


    Sterl''s face showed hesitation. He wasn''t sure if he should bring the Blood Sacrifice Technique to the human race on Earth. It could open Pandora''s box!


    The main issue was that after opening the box, he wouldn''t benefit from it��that was the key point.


    Instead, it would further erode the moral baseline of the Earth humans living in [Transcendence]. Sterl did not like this prospect.


    He was a normal person, inherently repulsed by various anti-humanitarian acts. Especially when such acts brought him no benefit, Sterl detested them even more.


    "I won''t sell this skill book. I''ll keep it in my backpack for now." he pondered.


    Next, Sterl opened his panel and chose to im the rewards for the rebel path quest.


    Swipe!


    Swipe!


    Swipe!


    Instantly, the prompts flooded the screen, triggering a massive burst of rewards.


    Sterl was extremely delighted as he looked at the various items that appeared before him.


    [You havepleted the special quest line: Divine Mountain Empire Rebel Path.]


    [Current task assessment in progress��Divine Mountain Empire princes and princesses are alive, you may im rewards.]


    [Calcting your task score now...]


    [Your score has significantly increased for saving the princes and princesses.]


    [Your score increased for killing ck Armor Army members.]


    [You killed the ck Armor Army General, significantly increasing your score.]


    [You killed the Divine Mountain Empire Emperor Octavius, drastically increasing your score!]


    [Your final task rating is: SSS!]


    [You have received the highest limit rewards and additional rewards.]


    ...


    The above series of messages were just the prelude to the rewards Sterl was about to receive, but each one indicated that the uing task benefits would be extraordinarily high.


    [You have gained 30legend points.]


    [You have acquired 150 purple gold coins.]


    [Your reputation in the Divine Mountain Empire is permanently locked as: [Worshipped One]]


    [You have gained 100,000 contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire.]


    [You have obtained [Mastery: Journey of the Mountain]]


    [You have received [Blood Sacrifice Technique (Special)]]


    [You have acquired the wless Legendary Crystal [Blood Energy Maniption]]


    [You have gained a massive amount of experience.]


    "Damn..."


    "So ruthless??" Sterl was stunned after reading the description of his rewards, unable to react immediately.


    The task rewards this time did indeed live up to the terrifying difficulty, with extremely high returns.


    Firstly, the 30 legend points��forget about average yers, even some legendary powerhouses collect only around thirty or forty legend points in their entire lifetime.


    Then there were the massive amounts of purple gold coins.


    The number was beyond Sterl''s imagination. He had never even heard of a single task rewarding so much money!


    Purple gold coins were the highest tier within the [Transcendence] currency system. Even in the Hall of Valor, they still held value.


    And from the previous second-ss ceremony that required spending purple gold coins, it was clear that these system-issued currencies had some intrinsic esoteric significance.


    One hundred and fifty purple gold coins were undoubtedly a fortune!


    Following that were the massive contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire and a reputation locked at a level Sterl had never seen before: [Worshipped One].


    "What is this situation?"


    "Did I just be the Grand Emperor??"


    "Do Divine Mountain Empire NPCs have to kneel when they see me??"


    Sterl couldn''t help but recall stories from his pre-transmigrate country about their troops stationed abroad...


    With a new reputation level that didn''t originally exist in the system, he figured he could probably exchange for some excellent items.


    By the way, Sterl didn''t need to worry about his high reputation level and contribution points raising suspicion.


    The contribution shops of various countries and factions were controlled by the [Transcendence] system, allowing Sterl to make exchanges and purchases under his real identity. Meanwhile, the NPCs'' attitudes towards him would be directed at his disguised identity, "Nathan."


    Lastly, there was a Mastery skill, whose name likely rted to Mountainarcane skills.


    To Sterl''s surprise, there was another [Blood Sacrifice Technique] book!


    After some hesitation, he stashed the skill book back into his backpack, still not nning to use it.


    Sterl then held the Legendary Crystal named [Blood Energy Maniption] in his hand, feeling reluctant to use it.


    "By advancing to legendary status through blood sacrifices, my legendary ability would definitely be this [Blood Energy Maniption]."


    "It feels like there''s a conspiracy hidden in this..."


    He felt something was off...


    Based on novels he had read before, it seemed possible that some powerful figure needed to mass-produce legends with blood energy maniption, only to refine and absorb them to nourish themselves.


    This could be why the Blood Sacrifice Technique ended up in Octavius''s hands.


    If he added points to or absorbed [Blood Energy Maniption], it might attract the attention of an ''unknown powerhouse,'' unnecessarily bringing trouble to himself.


    Moreover, the most important issue was that this legendary ability did not fit Sterl''s current system...

 Chapter 174: Boarding the Rainbow Ship

    Sterl, after some contemtion, decided to store the newly acquired Legendary Crystal in his backpack. Even without evolving it, the Legendary Crystal could still be used up to 10 times. However, Sterl didn''t have enough blood energy to utilize it effectively, and the legendary ability might not even be as good as a golden-quality skill!


    It was quite a useless item!


    Moreover, based on his previous spections, if the [Blood Sacrifice Technique] was indeed part of some powerful entity''s grand scheme, trying to sell this Legendary Crystal might bring him trouble...


    "Troublesome!" Sterl muttered to himself, reluctantly stashing the annoying item in his backpack.


    He then opened the highest-level Divine Mountain Empire contribution shop.


    Immediately, a vast array of items flooded the screen.


    To Sterl''s surprise, although not entirely unexpected, the items in the shop were possibly the best the Divine Mountain Empire could offer, yet they still couldn''tpare to the Dark Moon Alliance''s shop.


    Fortunately, he noticed two things:


    Firstly, as the [Worshipped One], he could transfer shop privileges and contribution points to any yer. Sterl had already decided that he would let Teresa use the remaining contribution points to continue developing their organization.


    Secondly, although there were few valuable items, the contribution shop did have some limited-edition items that caught Sterl''s interest.


    Starting with the equipment category, Sterl discovered that the reputation equipmentseries he had previously purchased was not the upper limit of simr equipment in the Divine Mountain Empire! A new batch of decent reputation equipment had appeared.


    It''s worth mentioning that Sterl''s current equipment had been fully updated.


    Except for the [Veil of Nothingness], which permanently upied the headequipmentslot (with Star Insight and other equipment being in special slots), all his other equipment had been reced:


    (Here is theProtagonist''s Equipment)


    Weapon:None (primarily using weapons created by Flowing Water Law and Star de).


    Headequipment:The Veil of Nothingness (details omitted).


    Upper Body:Spirit Armor (second ss diamond; +70 to all attributes, includes the skill: Divine Phantom, which boosts all attributes by 10% when activated and creates a phantom that replicates the same actions, dealing 30% of the original damage).


    Lower Body:Dragon Blood ck-Yellow (second ss diamond; +60 to all attributes, includes the skill Reserve Power, a passive ability that increases final damage by 1% for every 10% of health lost by the yer).


    Belt:None.


    Boots:Frost Perception (second ss diamond; +60 to all attributes, includes the skill Frost Path, which leaves a trail of frost that deals damage when walked upon).


    Ne:Heart of Sacrifice (second ss diamond; +50 to all attributes, includes the skill Engulfed in mes, which can be activated to consume 5% of health per second, causing all your attacks to ignite opponents, making them lose 10% of their health per second).


    Ring:None.


    Bracelet:None.


    All these pieces of equipment��the upper body, lower body, ne, and boots��were second ss diamond equipmentobtained by Teresa through resource exchanges.


    The effects were quite powerful. The upper body armor enhanced damage and boosted attributes, which was extremely useful for someone like Sterl, who already had high base attributes.


    The lower body skill was also potent, with the term "final damage" referring to an increase in damage after all other bonuses had been calcted.


    As for the boots, while they were just an ordinary second-ss diamond item, their attached skill was very useful for regr second-ss yers and even somewhat strong. However, for Sterl, who had golden-quality skillspeting for use, the Frost Path skill would never see the light of day due to its energy consumption.


    The ne fell into a gray area between useful and somewhat redundant. During boss fights, the health-burning ability of the skill would be practical.


    However, the issue was that sometimes Sterl could defeat bosses in a single hit, rendering the Heart of Sacrifice skill pointless.


    The remaining empty equipment slots were due to Sterl''s obsessivepulsive tendencies. He didn''t want to pair subpar items with his fourth-tier second-ss diamond equipment.


    The exception was his weapon, as the weapons he created using Law Power and Star de were already top-notch. Unless a legendary or mythical item appeared, Sterl had no intention of switching.


    At this moment, he could use the Divine Mountain Empire''s contribution shop to fill his empty slots.


    Sterl quickly made his selections.


    [Mountain Guardian]


    Slot:Belt


    Description:A peculiar belt engraved with the image of dozens of mountain ranges. Some say it actually seals dozens of mountain ranges within its fabric.


    Effect:+80 to all attributes


    Requirement:Maxed out Divine Mountain Empire reputation


    Price:20,000 contribution points


    [Tear of Water]


    Slot:Ring


    Description:A ring jointly crafted by the Water Blue n and the Divine Mountain Empire, resembling a traitor.


    Effect:+50 to all attributes, includes the ability Water''s Blessing. When your health drops to zero, automatically restores 20% of your health.


    Requirement:Maxed out Divine Mountain Empire reputation


    Price:29,900 contribution points


    [Wisdom]


    Slot:Bracelet


    Description:��


    Effect:+200 to mental attributes, includes the ability Arcane Brilliance, a passive ability that increases the effectiveness of your mental attributes by 10%.


    Price:29,900 contribution points


    Sterl spent 80,000 contribution points in one go, finally filling all his equipment slots!


    With this, his attributes soared once again.


    As for the newly acquired three pieces of equipment, the [Mountain Guardian] was clearly a lower-quality third-ss item, as it didn''t evene with any skills. However, the other two pieces of jewelry were of decent quality.


    The two abilities they provided were very practical. The ring''s Water''s Blessing essentially gave Sterl an additionalyer of resurrection armor. But despite theck of description in the equipment''s effect, facing attacks above the legendary level might not guarantee Sterl''s survival. This was the limitation of the item''s quality.


    The [Wisdom] bracelet, on the other hand, caught Sterl''s eye primarily due to its high mental attribute boost, which would better aid him in using Star Insight for disguises.


    Finally, Sterl attached a silver-white patch to his neck. This was the reward from the [Dimensional Traveler] quest��


    [Dimensional Heart]


    Slot:Special Slot (Tattoo)


    Description:This small patch contains the essence and insights of a dimensional mage. However, following the destruction of the mage''s homnd, the effectiveness of this treasure has been greatly diminished.


    Effect:When worn, it increases your affinity with all spatial spells by 300%.


    At first nce, this item seemed somewhat useless since Sterl didn''t use spatial magic. The only apparent advantage was that special slot items didn''t upy regr equipment slots, so there was no harm in wearing it. However, in reality��


    [As a Creator''s Act] fell within the range of spatial spells.


    Sterl felt that using [As a Creator''s Act] to materialize elements from his mental world now consumed nearly half as much energy!


    "Nice, this is great!" he eximed with surprise.


    Finally, he checked his panel once more.


    Star Point Finger, Celestial Stars, and Stardust all had a glowing upgrade symbol next to them, indicating that they could be forcibly upgraded once through his newly acquired cheat.


    Looking at his equipment, except for the Star Insight and Dimensional Heart provided by the Dimensional Traveler, which couldn''t be upgraded, all other equipment had the normal upgrade symbol, indicating that they could be enhanced at least once.


    Of course, Sterl currently didn''t have any upgrade points.


    At this point, he had fully integrated the benefits of being second ss and the task rewards, resulting in a massive power boost!


    The only things left were unrefined experience points and unenhanced arcane skill proficiency.


    Just then, Sterl noticed a new message popping up on his panel.


    At first, Sterl thought it was some overlooked benefit he hadn''t sorted out yet, but it turned out to be a private message from Faye: "The blockade of the Divine Mountain Empire''s capital has been lifted. Hurry up ande over."


    Sterl was taken aback. Based on his knowledge from before his transmigration, such chaos following a king''s death would typicallyst a long time, possibly even six months to a year...


    Had the capital''s lockdown been lifted so quickly?


    Sterl pondered for a moment.


    "I have nothing to fear if I have done nothing wrong! What Nathan did has nothing to do with me, David. And even less with me, Sterl!"


    Resolutely, he decided to head back to the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire. On his way, he casually tossed the kidnapped prince out near a small roadside vige��


    His task required that at least one prince survive. The easiest way to ensure this was to keep a prince in his little world until he collected his task rewards, guaranteeing absolute safety.


    When Sterl finally arrived in the capital, he put on a "surprised" expression and eximed, "What happened here?"


    He looked around and saw ruins everywhere, with manymon folk crying or hanging their heads in despair because their homes and stored resources had beenpletely destroyed by the recent catastrophe.


    The entire city was steeped in sorrow.


    Feigning concern, Sterl stopped a soldier and asked what had happened. He also mentioned that he was under themand of the Fourth Prince.


    The soldier, however, only responded with a gloomy look, "There is no longer a Fourth Prince."


    "What?" Sterl was stunned. Had the Fourth Prince been killed after he left??


    They knew each other, after all. Sterl felt a slight pang of sadness, but the soldier then said, "He is now our new Emperor."


    Sterl: "..."


    Good heavens, within just one day, he had ascended to the throne?


    Sterl silently griped to himself.


    Not long after, Sterl found Faye. They exchanged a few pleasantries before getting straight to business��


    The chaos in the Divine Mountain Empire had already dyed their ns.


    First, they activated the invitation to the Hall of Valor. A burst of colorful light shot into the sky, and soon, a rainbow-colored ship appeared in their sight.


    Afterward, they began to catch up on recent events.

 Chapter 175: The Hall of Valor New Recruit Token

    "What a magnificent sight!"


    "What in the world is that thing?"


    "You can''t be serious! Is the capital in trouble again?"


    Countless ordinary citizens were crying out in distress, each one as skittish as a startled bird. Given the current state of the Divine Mountain Empire''s capital, there was no formidable warrior to rely on, aside from the demigod who was highly unlikely to intervene.


    Any random troublemaker could easily spell doom for thesemoners, as well as the nobles and officials.


    Fortunately, much to the relief of countless people, the rainbow ship descended.


    Two figures were seen stepping onto the seven-colored rainbow bridge and boarding the ship, which then transformed into light and vanished.


    It seemed the crisis had been averted.


    The mysterious entity was not targeting the people of the Divine Mountain Empire after all.


    A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd. "Thank heavens!" "Thank heavens!"


    They watched the rainbow ship disappear, their hearts brimming with gratitude.


    The Divine Mountain Empire truly could not withstand another disaster.


    "Who would have thought that David actually has a bit ofpassion?" Felicia muttered in Faye''s consciousness space as they stepped onto the rainbow bridge leading to the ship.


    She noticed that David seemed to be staring nkly at the suffering ordinary people of the Divine Mountain Empire, as if he felt sympathy for them.


    However, Felicia was clearly unaware that the root cause of all this misery was the supposedlypassionate "David" himself.


    Sterl was not being hypocritical ormenting the fact that he had caused harm to themon people of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    He was simply reflecting on the harsh reality: without power, everything is futile!


    If he were not strong enough, the aftermath of a future battle between powerful beings might force him to watch helplessly as Linna, Rayna, and their entire family perish.


    ...


    "This is the rainbow ship?" Sterl gazed around the interior of the vessel with astonishment.


    Whaty before him was an almost entirely transparent creation, seemingly forged from the very light of the rainbow.


    When he touched the walls and floor, which appeared to be made of light, he found them to be incredibly sturdy.


    The ship was also exceedingly fast. In just a few blinks of an eye, Sterl noticed via his personal map that the rainbow ship had almost left the borders of the Divine Mountain Empire.


    "The Hall of Valor certainly lives up to its name." Sterl observed. He quickly realized that this ship was upied solely by those yers who had survived the Netherworld.


    Clearly, the Hall of Valor did not recruit solely from the Dark Moon Alliance in one go.


    In other words, there are countless rainbow ships like this one within the Hall of Valor!


    He was still standing there in a daze, while the other yers had already started socializing.


    "Brother Yule, this is the fine wine from my hometown that I told you about. I brought plenty for you."


    "Much appreciated! I found that [Localized Amplification] you were looking for!"


    "Really! Bro, you''re a lifesaver!"


    "That''s what friends are for..."


    The yers had formed small groups, chatting enthusiastically. These groups even interacted with each other, creating a warm, familial atmosphere.


    Even Faye was approached by someone who greeted her warmly.


    "Saintess of the Water Blue n, meeting you again feels like my life has been illuminated." said a rather handsome man who stepped forward, seemingly intending to perform a hand-kiss gesture. However, he quickly retreated under Faye''s indifferent gaze.


    Sterl, standing in ce, was also approached by several enthusiastic individuals.


    "This must be the top-ranked ''David,'' right? You certainly have an extraordinary presence."


    "Would I be fortunate enough to make your acquaintance...?"


    Sterl responded casually. He had no intention of building rtionships with these yers, but he also didn''t want to be rude, so he just went through the motions.


    He observed that the yers now seemed much strongerpared to when they had just escaped death in the Netherworld.


    After all, each yer had earned a significant amount of legend points, along with contributions to the Dark Moon Alliance. Many were already near the third ss level, just a step away when they entered the Netherworld.


    Those who survived were mostly at the max level for their second ss, as the weaker ones had likely perished in that deadly instance.


    Thus, in just a week''s time, almost everyone on the rainbow ship had reached third ss.


    Even Faye''s level had skyrocketed. Through Star Insight, Sterl noticed that she was already at level 99.


    "If Faye had stubbornly stayed with the princes and piggybacked on my quest progress, she might have reached level 100 by now." Sterl pondered.


    At that moment, a particrly strong presence emanated from a third-ss yer who had reached level 110. He stepped into the center of the ship''s cabin and raised his voice.


    "Everyone, I have to say some discouraging words."


    "We''re heading to the Hall of Valor, an unknown force. I estimate that at least half of us will die there!"


    His bold statement immediately captured everyone''s attention.


    However, none of the many yers present dared to refute his words. Instead, each of them wore a solemn expression.


    When they had escaped the Netherworld, most of the yers were dazzled by the Hall of Valor''s reputation and were also lulled into a sense of security by the goddess''s intervention.


    But now that they hade to their senses, they all vaguely realized one thing.


    Could Gloria''s influence really rmend so many people? It just didn''t seem right!


    Their suspicions grew stronger as they looked at the introduction on the Hall of Valor invitation��


    It stated that they still needed to pass an entry test to truly join the Hall of Valor.


    The yers instinctively felt that this entry test would likely be extremely difficult. The leading yer had struck a chord with everyone.


    "The entry test probably has a high mortality rate. Why would Gloria, that witch, let us have an easy time?"


    "Haven''t we been tricked enough already?"


    "But... this is indeed an opportunity. We must stick together to have a better chance of passing the test!"


    They discussed fervently among themselves.


    The leading yer seized the moment and continued, "My name is Yate, from the Thorn Federation, with an S-grade talent and an A-grade ss."


    "I dare to suggest that everyone gather around me so we can face challenges together..."


    However, just as the conversation was getting heated, a sudden silence fell over the group.


    A soft, purplish moonlight illuminated the rainbow ship, and a figure appeared.


    With a perfect figure and an innocent-looking beauty, it was none other than the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria!


    The yers were dumbfounded. Who would have thought that someone of Gloria''s stature would actually descend onto the rainbow ship?


    The yers who had previously cursed "Gloria" immediately turned pale!


    The rest of the yers also became incredibly well-behaved, sitting upright and still.


    Gloria simply smiled, exuding an enchanting charm.


    She seemed to have not heard any of the earlier insults. She merely said, "Warriors, you are soon to enter the Hall of Valor."


    "This is thest bit of assistance I can offer you."


    As she spoke, she waved her hand, and with a soft glow, five tokens appeared.


    The yers could see the specific attributes of the tokens:


    [Hall of Valor New Recruit Token]


    [Description: A rmendation token issued by the Hall of Valor organization to various deities. Extremely rare.]


    [Effect: None.]


    [Note: This item cannot be destroyed.]


    "These tokens can give you some initial advantages in the Hall of Valor. They can be directly exchanged for contributions and can unlock certain permissions." Gloria exined.


    On the surface, she appeared nonchnt, as if these tokens were taken out casually.


    In reality, these five tokens were something she had umted over hundreds of years.


    Each token could unconditionally rmend one person, granting them preferential treatment during their trials in the Hall of Valor. Even if they failed the trial, they would be protected by Divine Power within the Hall of Valor, ensuring a safe escape.


    These tokens didn''t significantly enhance Gloria''s own power, but given her status as a minor deity, acquiring them was no easy feat.


    She could only obtain one during the Hall of Valor''s Divine Assembly, held once every hundred years.


    Now, she was giving them all away, aiming to subtly grant one of the tokens to "David."


    She continued, "Let me give you all a piece of advice."


    "When you enter the Hall of Valor, make sure to showcase your strength as much as possible. There are countless opportunities hidden within. Moreover, the Hall of Valor itself possesses the power equivalent to a mighty deity.


    Everyone''s actions mustply with the rules of the Hall of Valor, so you need not worry about revealing your strength and bing a target."


    Gloria was clearly speaking to "David." She was convinced that this human from Earth was hiding his true power.


    The other yers nodded in agreement, some even groveling on the ground, thanking the goddess for the tokens and her advice.


    Gloria knew that while she wanted to discreetly assist "David," she couldn''t be too tant about it. With a slight nod, she disappeared in a sh of light.


    After the goddess left, the five tokens floated to the top five contributors from the previous Netherworld campaign.


    Sterl casually caught one.


    The other four tokens were imed by yers unfamiliar to him. By the end of the Netherworld campaign, survival had little to do with strength, which meant that aside from Sterl, most of the top contributors had perished.


    Of course, Faye didn''t receive a token. She had spent too much time collecting the first drop of Netherworld Water, missing out on the chance to rank high in contributions.


    Sterl epted the token with a calm demeanor.


    However, Yate, the yer who had been speaking earlier, frowned slightly as he looked at "David."


    Wait a minute... The other four yers who received tokens were all third-ss, but this David, ording to detection skills, seemed to have only recently reached second ss??

 Chapter 176: The Goddesss Fury

    Yate himself didn''t have a token.


    In thest Netherworld Contribution Ranking, apart from "David" who held a distant first ce, the other top contributors hadn''t originally intended to rack up points. They ended up there because the yers ahead of them had all died off.


    So, the four yers with tokens only had slightly more contribution points than Yate.


    But they were all third ss... Nature, not to be trifled with.


    Yate silently signaled to a yer he''d befriended after leaving the Netherworld. The yer suddenly spoke up.


    "Wait a minute, why is the token given to a second ss? What use does he have for it?"


    In an instant, Sterl became the center of a storm.


    The numerous third-ss yers present all directed their gazes towards him, eyes filled with aplex mix of emotions.


    "A second ss, worthy of such a treasure bestowed by the goddess?" someone scoffed from the shadows, stirring up a ho''s nest.


    "Who knows how he even got those contribution points in the first ce?"


    "I think, for the sake of everyone passing the Hall of Valor''s trial, the token should be held by someone stronger."


    ...


    The yers started voicing their opinions, some ying the good cop, some the bad cop, all while various third-ss yers focused their energy on Sterl.None of these yers were fools. They knew that anyone who managed to top the Netherworld contribution ranking had some tricks up their sleeve.


    But the problem was, David had performed terribly against the world boss and in theter stages of the Netherworld, appearing extremely ordinary.


    It led people to suspect he might have found a loophole to quickly rack up contribution points.


    For instance, he might have picked up some goddess-required materials when the Netherworld was on the brink of copse. Or perhaps David had a natural talent for detecting resources.


    But the most crucial point was, most of the yers present had already advanced to third ss, while David seemed to be only a second ss in the sixties or seventies level-wise.


    Just as the yers were saying...


    A second ss really wasn''t worthy of such a precious item!


    Unless... you were that "Faye." double S-level, and had already proven your strength in the battle against the world boss!


    Most yers were aware that even if they advanced to third ss, they would still be easily defeated by that second ss level 99 girl.


    But you, "David." were nothing!


    In fact, thest time you left the Netherworld, when yers wereworking and forming alliances, you chose to leave. Not a single person spoke up for you.


    What right do you have to hold the token??


    Some of the stronger third ss yers present had a glint of coldness in their eyes. A heaven-sent opportunity not taken would be a punishment!


    Sterl, on hearing this, couldn''t help butugh!


    He had been feeling frustrated ever since advancing to second ss yielded minimal benefits. Now, someone hade along to give him a chance to vent his anger.


    "How long do I have to hold back? Until someone attacks me, and then I kill them all, or..."


    Sterl was still hesitating.


    A third-ss yer, unable to contain himself, charged forward.


    "Hand over the token!" he roared.


    This third-ss yer had just recently broken through and was only level 101. His eyes didn''t show much greed, only the desire to snatch the token from David and offer it to stronger yers in exchange for protection during the trials.


    However...


    Swoosh!!


    Before this third-ss yer could react, he suddenly felt...


    "Why am I flying?"


    "No, wait, I''m seeing my own body falling to the ground?"


    His consciousness then plunged into darkness.


    The other yers were stunned.


    It was Faye, the girl who had left a deep impression on them all, who had casually formed a de with Flowing Water. Her eyes emitted a strange mental wave.


    She effortlessly held the third-ss yer in ce and beheaded him with a single strike.


    Faye''s voice was chilling, "Whoever dares to touch him, dies!"


    Immediately, the numerous third-ss yers present felt a sharp killing intent from her words, sending a chill through their hearts.


    Several yers, especially the previously handsome young man who had tried to court Faye but was ignored, looked particrly grim.


    Even though many yers present were quite powerful and had optimized physiques that enhanced their appearance, with several female yers boasting exceptional beauty, they still paled inparison to Faye.


    She was like a brilliantly blooming ice-blue rose, making the others seem merely like decorative green leaves by her side.Moreover, Faye had shown astonishingbat prowess in the Netherworld.


    Many male yers had been eyeing her early on.


    Now, seeing "David" being protected by Faye, their faces turned sour, not just because she was shielding him, but because he seemed indifferent about it, not even bothering to thank her.


    And yet, Faye looked at "David" with concern, "Are you alright?"


    "What could possibly happen to me?" Sterl''s tone was casual.


    This immediately made many male yers gnash their teeth, their eyes burning with fury.


    We struggle to get a few words out of Faye, and here you are being so dismissive??


    At this moment, the previously courteous handsome young man couldn''t suppress his anger any longer and stepped forward, "David, you should hand over the token..."


    Halfway through his sentence, he noticed Faye moving as if to attack again. His expression changed instantly, and he activated his skills, retreating into the crowd...


    The many third ss yers present, especially the strongest among them, had a subtle change in their expressions.


    "What the hell... now we''re in a bind." the "strongest" Yate on the field frowned even more deeply.


    At this point, if they let David hold onto the token without doing anything, it would be impossible to maintain group cohesion. The team would fall apart and be hard to manage.


    Although Yate himself did not participate, the third-ss yers present had all been through many trials and tribtions. No one was foolish enough to overlook that Yate had been the mastermind behind the scenes of this entire situation.But this Faye...


    How should they deal with her??


    Yate and the other stronger third ss yers exchanged nces, seeing the same resolve in each other''s eyes.


    They could not afford to give up the token!


    They had long realized that the trial in the Hall of Valor would be extremely terrifying! The most elite talents under hundreds of deities would gather there.


    Even though these third ss yers were considered top-tier geniuses in their own countries and regions, their chances of passing the trial were still slim.


    David was just the beginning. Aside from the two tokens already within Yate''s small group, they nned to seize the remaining two as well!


    Moreover, Faye dared to oppose them. She had to be eliminated. Otherwise, how could they recruit the slightly weaker third ss yers to act as cannon fodder for them in the trial?


    So...


    Yate decided to drop the pretense and directly joined forces with those third ss yers with average levels above 108,unching an attack!


    "The token should be held by the strong."


    "David, you are not worthy of it."


    "Hand it over to us! We''ll let you live."


    ...


    "Why waste time talking? Just take action."


    "Kid, if you had handed over the token immediately, we might have spared you. Now, it''s toote."


    At this moment, the "extremely strong" third ss yers fully unleashed their auras, drawing their weapons. Meanwhile, the ordinary third ss yers they had previously roped in were also casting their gazes over, as if ready to follow their masters into battle.


    As for the others��


    There really weren''t any "others." Everyone present understood the importance of the token and couldn''t fathom why "David",a mere second ss, deserved to hold it.


    Even Felicia couldn''t help butment, "Maybe you should try to convince David to hand over the token?"


    "Let''s not worry about the heartbreak that mighteter. Let''s just get through this wave first."


    The demigod''s soul was exasperated. She thought the current situation was perfectly normal. If she weren''t already familiar with "David." she might have advised Faye to seize the token as well.


    However, Faye stayed silent...


    She didn''t even know what to say at this point.


    "Anyone whoes forward dies!"


    Faye stood in front of "David." thinking that with "David''s" strength, the two of them could probably counterattack and take out a good number of enemies together. Worst case scenario, they''d have their mentor help them escapeter...


    Faye was aware of "David''s"bat capabilities.


    But the other yers were not.


    From their perspective, although Faye was strong, the sheer number of opponents could easily overwhelm her.


    Not to mention, Faye was a second ss fighting against third sses!One person against hundreds!


    Without hesitation, the yers surged forward, shouting, "Hand over the token! Spare your life!"


    As they roared, Faye''s expression changed slightly.


    At this point, Yate and the other leading yers felt much more at ease.


    They weren''t afraid of Faye''s strength; they were only worried that she might have some hidden trump card.


    Now it seemed that Faye was just strong but not invincible against such overwhelming numbers!


    "Foolish disciple." Felicia sighed in the consciousness space.


    She felt that she might have to burn her soul power to get them out of this mess.


    Felicia also looked at David, her eyes filled with deep resentment.


    She had hoped to leverage this talented individual to expedite her resurrection. Now it seemed like a losing investment!


    She would even have to damage her soul to save "David."


    Gathering her strength, Faye thought, "I should be able to hold out for a little while."


    She was pondering this...


    Just as the yers were about to reach Faye...


    Sterl couldn''t help but smile slightly; this was a perfect moment to show off!


    He had already nned it out: following the ssic novel trope, he would wait until the very instant all the attacks were about to hit, then heroically strike back, showcasing his strength...


    Wait, what?


    His expression froze as he suddenly felt a terrifying presence descend upon them!


    Then, a figure appeared, full of rage.


    No, that wasn''t just a figure!


    It was Gloria!

 Chapter 177: Why Is He Being Protected Like This?

    A peculiar and translucent aura enveloped the entire Rainbow Ship. All the yers found their movements halted, or more urately, they were forcibly immobilized.


    A silvery, moonlit domain rendered everyone motionless!


    Sterl was all too familiar with this��Moon Law.


    "Just halted movements, but their thoughts haven''t been frozen."he mused.


    "Is this the extent of a deity''s control over Law Power?" he pondered further.


    The neer was none other than Gloria!


    The yers had assumed that for such a trivial matter like heading to the Hall of Valor, the appearance of this goddess even once was already surprising.


    Yet here she was, appearing once again!


    Everyone was caught off guard. Seeing the anger in the goddess''s eyes, many yers turned pale with terror.


    They quickly grasped the situation: seizing the token was not inherently wrong, but had they considered who bestowed this token?


    Gloria had dered that the top five would receive the token. Did they dare to contest that?


    Such an act was a direct affront to the goddess!


    The Dark Moon Goddess was no benevolent figure. Just recall the Netherworld ruins.


    For her own benefit, how many people had she led to their deaths?


    Now... many yers present realized they were probably doomed.


    However, Gloria merely narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew these cannon fodder might provide some assistance to "David" in passing the Hall of Valor trial.


    So, she calmly uttered, "Those who do not follow my rules..."


    "Must die!"


    In an instant, dark purple mes ignited on the bodies of the three strongest yers among the leaders. They let out harrowing screams as they were incinerated to ashes!


    They couldn''t even move, still being tightly confined by the Moon Law.


    The entire processsted over 10 minutes.


    The yers were utterly terrified!


    They had seen death before, seen unlucky souls tortured to death, but this was the first time they were forced to witness such a scene while being immobilized!


    Everyone felt a chill down their spines and realized that the gentle whispers of the goddess when she bestowed the token earlier were merely an illusion. To the deity, the yers were nothing more than ants that could be crushed with a flick of her finger.Among the numerous yers present, including Faye, the only emotions were fear and unease.


    Especially Felicia, who was once again hiding in an alternate dimension, trembling with fear, terrified of being discovered, and feeling no joy at being rescued.


    Even Sterl appeared flustered, trying hard to empty his mind, not thinking about his "ascendingto godhood" trump card, hoping to blend into the crowd and avoid drawing attention to his uniqueness.


    Yet, Sterl waspletely unaware that Gloria''s attention was fixated solely on him. She could see through "David" effortlessly, recognizing that his apparent fear was merely a facade; he remained incredibly calm.


    "Impressive, truly a genius of our race!" Gloria''s initially irate mood lifted slightly.


    With a slight raise of her hand, the two tokens from the in third-ss yers were instantly delivered before Sterl.


    "They dared defy the rules. They deserved to die."


    "Consider these tokens aspensation for you."


    After saying this, the goddess''s figure once again dissipated into light.


    Huh??


    Sterl was stunned.


    What just happened??


    So, I now have three tokens??


    He felt a bit dizzy.


    ording to his n, Sterl thought this would be his moment to shine, heroically intervening just as Faye was about to be overwhelmed by the third-ss yers, showing off in grand style.


    Instead, Gloria had entirely stolen the show.


    Sterl even had to y dumb to avoid attracting the goddess''s attention.


    Already in a bad mood and wanting to vent, he now felt even more frantic!


    Yet, in the end, he had unexpectedly gained two tokens for free.


    Sterl knew very well that these tokens were immensely valuable and likely not for sale. Had he just hit the jackpot again???


    He felt a mix of amusement and helplessness inside, but outwardly, he maintained a facade of extreme joy that waspletely in line with normal human reactions.As for the other yers, while they saw "David."a perceived weakling, holding three tokens, none dared to make a move.


    Too risky!


    Too risky!


    Who knew if the goddess might intervene again?


    Thinking practically, after witnessing the initial chaos, might she have arranged for a legend or demigod to keep watch?


    No one dared to attack David anymore.


    In fact, every time Sterl''s gaze fell upon someone, they responded with nervous smiles.


    "Sorry, Bro David, we were just misled earlier."


    "My apologies! My apologies! I have some healing potions here, perhaps you could take a look..."


    "Sometimes conflict leads to friendship. A few purple coins, a small token of goodwill, as apensation."


    ...


    These yers not only refrained from robbing David but even started offering gifts and bribes.


    Some male yers even looked at him with peculiar expressions...


    "David" clearly didn''t have much strength.


    First, there was Faye, a girl of exceptional talent, intellect, and beauty, protecting him.


    When she couldn''t protect him,the goddess of the Dark Moon Alliance personally descended to assist him and even gave him an extra two tokens.


    What...the God of Mooching Off Women?


    David''s talent... Could it be that it significantly boosts the favorability of the opposite sex? And it feels like the strength of this talent is at least SSS-level!


    Why is that?


    He''s not even that handsome!


    How can he be protected like this?


    Really, the jealousy was overwhelming!


    The male yers found it hard to ept!


    ...


    As for Sterl, although bewildered by the situation, he didn''t stop epting the gifts.


    In the end, he summarized his haul: some green-quality skill books, over twenty purple coins, some healing potions, teleportation scrolls, and various small materials.


    He thought for a moment and grabbed Faye: "Let''s split these things fifty-fifty."


    "And also..."


    Sterl generously handed over one of the tokens.


    "Here, you take it."


    He felt that the first token was the most important, and the marginal utility of the subsequent tokens would greatly diminish, so he didn''t hide it and simply gave one to Faye.


    As long as it didn''t affect Sterl''s core interests, he considered himself quite generous.


    Faye, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised, her eyes lighting up: "Thank you!"


    Seeing the girl''s delighted expression,


    Many male yers once again felt a wave of jealousy. What are you thanking him for? If it weren''t for you protecting David earlier, perhaps his token would have been stolen, and he might not even be alive!


    Damn!


    Why don''t I have an incredibly strong, kind-hearted, and pure beautiful girl sticking by my side!?


    ...


    The atmosphere on the Rainbow Ship became quite somber.


    With the death of the few yers who had intended to unite as leaders, the morale of the others took a serious hit. One by one, they opened their panels and formed small groups through private messages.


    Of course, Faye and "David" were isted.


    Sterl was quite content to take it easy, asionally chatting with Faye while meditating and refining his experience...


    Unfortunately, he hadn''t fully absorbed all the experience yet, only managing to level up to 64. He used the refreshed skill points to upgrade [Stardust], transforming it into a golden skill with 20 legend points.


    He then maxed out the legend points for [Stardust], with the final effect being as follows:


    [Stardust (Golden)]


    [Current Status: Activated (20 legend points invested)]


    [Description: An arcane skill of the Star n that enhances their abilities. Under the influence of an unknown force, it has reached new heights andpleted an extreme breakthrough.]


    [Effect: You can invest Stardust to enhance the output, special effects, range, and buff effects of your skills (cap at golden skill level), with each enhancement up to five times. The base enhancement consumes 100 Stardust, and each additional enhancement doubles the consumption.


    You can acquire Stardust by killing units above level 60 (killing level 60 units grants 10 Stardust, with an additional 10 Stardust for every 10 levels higher).]


    [Starshine Bonus: When killing an enemy, gain an extra 15% Stardust.]


    [Legend Points Boost:


    1 legend point: Increases maximum enhancement times by one.


    2 legend points: You can now use Stardust to enhance legendary abilities, but the consumption of Stardust is multiplied by five.


    4 legend points: Increases maximum enhancement times by one.


    8 legend points: Your Starshine Bonus gains an enhancement, changing to: When killing an enemy, gain double Stardust.


    20 legend points: You can now use Stardust to enhance tinum-level skills, but the consumption of Stardust is multiplied by ten, while the consumption for enhancing legendary abilities is reduced to three times.]


    Sterl was quite satisfied with the golden version of [Stardust], and after maximizing the legend points, the skill''s upper limit and practicality significantly increased.


    It could now even enhance tinum-level skills, typically only manageable by demigods, as well as legendary abilities! This dramatically increased the value of Sterl''s Shadow Stealth and Inspire.


    It''s worth mentioning that during this skill upgrade, since [Stardust] was already pushed to its limit, the skill panel showed cracks, and then [Stardust]''s information was covered by a rainbow light, as if forcibly reced.


    After leveling up and allocating skill points, Sterl was forced to open his eyes because the Rainbow Ship had reached its destination.


    ...


    "Are you the ones rmended by the Dark Moon Alliance?"


    "Future warriors, please follow me."


    On the Rainbow Ship, an oddly shaped humanoid creature with dark purple skin suddenly appeared.


    He wore something resembling a ck suit from Sterl''s pre-transmigration memories and spoke quite amiably to the yers present.


    However... his mere appearance left everyone stunned and uneasy.


    Because this was... a demigod!


    Everyone immediately realized the terrifying nature of the Hall of Valor!


    A demigod was a significant figure even within the Dark Moon Alliance!


    And here, in the Hall of Valor, he was merely acting as a guide.

 Chapter 178: The Cruel and Bloody System

    "Everyone, please don''t be too nervous."


    "You are now within the realm of the Hall of Valor." The demigod waved his hand. At that moment, Sterl, who had just exited his training state, saw Faye walk over to him with concern and nodded at her.


    "A minute ago, my map indicated that we had entered a special area."


    "But seeing you were still training, I didn''t want to disturb you."the girl said.


    Sterl appreciated the kind gesture from the pretty girl and the envious nces from the surrounding male yers as he began to observe his surroundings.


    The speed of the Rainbow Ship began to decelerate and gradually came to a stop.


    Finally, through the semi-transparent Rainbow Ship, Sterl could see the outside world clearly.


    In the world where the Hall of Valor existed, nine zing suns hung in the sky, yet the ground was still covered with lush green vegetation.


    Giant towering trees and distant running "animals" could be seen faintly��


    On the surface, they appeared to be herds of cattle and sheep, but with the help of Star Insight, Sterl quickly realized they were all level 80 or 90 wild creatures.


    It was clear that, despite the tranquil appearance, ordinary people or even second-ss powerhouses within the human race on Earth wouldn''t survive here.


    The demigod walked up to the yers, his friendly demeanor putting many at ease, but then suddenly...


    Boom!!


    A horrifying pressure swept through, causing many yers to copse to the ground, forced to kneel under its immense force!


    Sterl hesitated for a moment. He initially intended to follow the crowd and fall down, but Faye was watching him with concern, making his movements freeze.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to embarrass himself in front of the girl he was on good terms with.


    The problem was that Faye knew Sterl''s strength, and pretending to be weak might be unconvincing.


    Moreover, Gloria had previously advised him that the Hall of Valor itself was equivalent to a powerful Divine Power, and it was rare for anyone to covet someone else''s talents here.


    "So... is it better to show a bit of my strength?"


    After thinking it over, Sterl decided to stop pretending. He stood tall and resolute, effortlessly withstanding the pressure.


    Beside him, Faye''s expression changed slightly, but she too withstood the impact.


    At this moment, the demigod spoke mockingly.


    "Not bad, six of you managed to withstand my ''Heart-Shaking Technique.''"


    "You must all have at least an S-ss profession or S-ss talent." he said casually, his gaze icy towards the others, but his attitude warmed towards Sterl and the other five standing yers.


    "Alright, you six,e with me."


    "The rest of you will join them when you officially participate in the trial."the demigod said offhandedly before leading Sterl and the others away.


    As for the other yers...


    The demigod cast a cold nce at them, causing their movements to freeze in ce, momentarily lost in thought.


    Having received many "neers" before, the demigod knew that there were always some who, not knowing their limits, would try to follow. He disliked killing, so he pre-emptively subdued these ordinary yers.


    Neither Sterl nor Faye spared a nce at those left behind. They obediently followed the demigod off the ship, through a long corridor, and into a grand hall.


    Sterl could now see that over a hundred people had gathered, each exuding a remarkable aura.


    Using Star Insight to investigate, his expression shifted slightly.


    Good heavens!


    Nearly everyone had at least one S-ss talent or profession!


    About 20% of them even had dual S-ss statuses!


    Each person here could be considered a top-tier genius.


    In Faye''s consciousness, Felicia wasn''t as surprised: "This is indeed the foundation of the Hall of Valor."


    "But don''t lose heart. Your dual S-sses, formed by absorbing the world origin, are of the highest quality. Unless someone has both an SS-ss profession and an SS-ss talent, theirbat power won''t match yours."


    "But SS-ss talents and professions are extremely rare. The Hall of Valor definitely has them, but among this batch of new recruits... it seems..."


    "There''s actually one?" Felicia''s tone shifted slightly. Among the hundreds of yers and NPCs, one person stood out, carrying a long sword and exuding a powerful aura, like a de''s sharp edge.


    Just seeing him gave others a sense of awe.


    Felicia sensed the presence of an SS-ss talent in him!


    Using her demigod soul detection, she also discovered that this person possessed an S-ss profession matching his talent.


    This individual stood at the pinnacle among the assembled yers!


    "I don''t know David''s exact attributes, butpared to someone with an SS-ss talent and a matching S-ss profession, he might fall short."


    "In my opinion, this person is likely the strongest among those participating in the trial!" Felicia couldn''t help but remark.


    "Didn''t you say Mr. David is very well-hidden?"


    "Even an SS-ss talent might not surpass him, right?"


    Faye, always a modest and good-natured person, didn''t mind being considered inferior. However, the thought that David might also be surpassed didn''t sit well with her.


    The image of "David" decisively striking down Constantine in a single blow had reyed in her mind many times...


    Such a character, with an SS-ss talent, could easily surpass others?Felicia: "..."


    She sighed in the consciousness space, feeling that her foolish apprentice...


    ...


    At this moment, Sterl was unaware of the girl''s thoughts��she had so much confidence in him.


    Instead, he felt a sense of crisis...


    Damn it!


    An SS-ss talent has shown up!


    Although there''s still a considerable gap between that and Sterl''s SSS-ss transformative talent.


    However, Sterl was certain that if he faced that yer, he definitely couldn''t easily bully them like a lower-level opponent.


    He would have to use his legendary abilities to win!


    Moreover, who knows how many such talents the Hall of Valor has.


    Sterl felt immense pressure!


    He was now extremely eager to use his cheat to further enhance his talent and authority heart.


    Without being able to easily crush opponents dozens of levels higher, crossing a major boundary, he felt very insecure!


    "After refining this batch of experience, if my arcane skill can advance to the next stage, I should be able to fully awaken a talent."


    "Then I''ll go to reality and see if I can use the White Mist to awaken the authority heart."


    "At that point, I can add points to a talent and then to the authority heart!"


    His eyes deepened as he pondered.


    Outside, due to the presence of the demigod, many yers remained quite reserved.


    The demigod smiled amiably and then said loudly, "Alright."


    "You neers can chat with each other andmunicate."


    "I''m sure you already know that the ones who can truly pass the trial and join the Hall of Valor are only those present."


    "As for the others..."


    He chuckled coldly, the meaning clear.


    "Next, a Trial Seeker will guide you into the Hall of Valor and give you a tour of this small world."


    "My duty isplete.I''ll take my leave."


    After saying this, the demigod vanished.


    Leaving behind bewildered yers and a few NPCs, the first half of his sentence was easy to understand��this area should just be the entrance to the Hall of Valor.


    But what did he mean by "Trial Seeker"? Aren''t we the trial participants?


    By the way, the reason why there are NPCs mixed in with the yers is that NPCs also have varying levels of innate abilities. However, they don''t call them "talents"; they call them "inherent abilities."


    Unlike yers, NPCs can''t level up by grinding monsters; they need to cultivate their strength through training. Therefore, the NPCs eligible to participate in the Hall of Valor trials not only need high-grade inherent abilities and authority hearts, but they also must have exceptional cultivation aptitude topete on the same stage as the yers.


    After a brief moment of silence, the young man with an SS-ss talent, whose aura was as sharp as a sword, took the initiative to speak.


    Though he appeared intimidating, he was actually quite approachable. He proactively shared his knowledge about the Hall of Valor''s system with everyone��


    After passing the trials, yers were promoted to official members of the Hall of Valor, known as "Trial Seekers."


    As a Trial Seeker, you gain ess to various training facilities, leveling spots, contribution stores, and the mission system within the Hall of Valor.


    These resources can cause a yer''s strength to skyrocket!


    After that, yers need to work hard to advance within the Hall of Valor.


    There are two ways to get promoted.


    One is through a breakthrough in strength. The Hall of Valor has no minimum strength requirement.As long as you have enoughbat power to pass the trial, you can join. However, most of the Trial Seekers have third-ss strength.


    Once you break through to the Legendary level, you can enter the next stage, known as the "Challenger."


    Subsequently, every 50 levels represent a new tier: "Valiant","Glorious"and "Ascendant",which are the three major legendary stages. An Ascendant is a level-300 Legend.


    After that, you need to break through the Legendary level and reach the demigod stage to continue advancing within the Hall of Valor.


    As expected, the higher your "Hall of Valor identity level",the more resources you can ess, the better the items you can exchange for, and you even get discounts on contribution points when exchanging for materials.


    Besides increasing your "Hall of Valor identity level" through strength, you can also advance through time.


    If you stay in the Hall of Valor for 15 years, you automatically advance one level.


    It sounds good on the surface.


    But there''s another rule in the Hall of Valor: you can challenge and kill someone with a higher identity level to rece their status!


    At this point, the young man paused.


    The many yers present were not fools. Their eyes quickly turned cold.


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, realizing the brutal and bloody nature of this system.

 Chapter 179: No Progress, Certain Death! Terrifying Pressure!

    On the surface, the Hall of Valor appears to be quite benevolent.


    As long as you remain within the faction and work for them, even if youck innate talent, after 15 years, you can still receive more resources and rewards.


    But the issue lies in...


    The better your resources and rewards, the more coveted you be!


    A person without strength holding such a high "identity level" is like carrying a treasure through a bustling market.


    Moreover, members of the Hall of Valor with a lower identity level can "legally" murder and seize your identity!


    Those who relied on tenure to gain rank would all be the nourishment for yers who had joined more recently, hadn''t yet risen in rank, but possessed formidablebat prowess.


    Furthermore, upon joining the Hall of Valor, everyone carries a death warrant on their back.


    If you are not strong and cannot level up quickly, but your "identity level" is forcefully increased, you instantly be a juicy target, a prey.


    Survival is impossible.


    You are destined to be targeted and challenged to death by numerous geniuses capable of surpassing their limits!


    This also means one thing: under such a system, the warriors cultivated by the Hall of Valor will undoubtedly be incredibly powerful!


    Sterl, after analyzing this, felt no tension; instead, his eyes lit up.


    "If I expose more of my strength as Gloria suggested, wouldn''t I quickly obtain a higher identity level?"


    However, there was one thing he still didn''t understand: "Those who can be [Trial Seekers] generally possess S-grade professions and S-grade talents. Isn''t it too wasteful to use such talents for this kind of elimination?"


    He pondered.


    At this moment, the young man with the SS-grade talent began discussing some finer details about the Hall of Valor.


    For instance, after joining the Hall of Valor, while the faction only requires you toplete certain tasks periodically, allowing yers to act freely in between, you only have the opportunity to leave the Hall of Valor after you are promoted to a semi-divine identity level.


    This means that even if a yerter realizes theyck talent or strength and wants to leave, they cannot!


    They must obediently wait for their identity level to continuously rise, only to be ughtered and killed by those geniuses!


    Escape? Absolutely impossible!


    Of course, most yers who are promoted to semi-divine rarely choose to leave the Hall of Valor. They often continue to leverage this tform to develop their strength further because the essence of the Hall of Valor was created by an extremely powerful being.


    yers can even step-by-step advance to be gods of weak Divine Power through the resources of this faction!


    However, the gods supporting the Hall of Valor are no fools. They have certain privileges within the Hall of Valor. To gain resources for promotion to a semi-divine or even divine status, one must sign contracts ranging from a few hundred to several thousand years, serving these gods who control the Hall of Valor.


    After hearing this, Sterl remained calm.


    The system of the Hall of Valor is indeed extremely terrifying. It''s a matter of progress or death!


    Even the most talented yers could potentially get stuck at a certain power level. But the Hall of Valor doesn''t give you that chance. It uses this deathly pressure to force yers to improve rapidly.


    But Sterl was naturally not going to be fodder for other geniuses. Instead, after joining the Hall of Valor, he could start attempting to challenge higher levels...


    Moreover, this faction could even provide resources for ascending to godhood. Sterl believed that with the backing of the Hall of Valor, his rate of improvement could increase significantly.


    All good news!


    As he was pondering, a voice suddenly came from high above: "A total of over 150 people?"


    "What?"


    "Isn''t that a bit too much?"


    "Doesn''t matter, most of them will die anyway."


    A young man dressed in a ming red cloak slowly descended.


    Shortly after, several more extremely haughty figures appeared, looking down on the yers with disdain.


    The yers sensed that these neers were all max-level third-ss, around level 150!


    The young man in the red cloak was even at the legendary level!


    The yers quickly realized that these people were clearly their [Trial Seekers].


    "Alright, if you have any questions, keep them to yourselves and just follow us." said the young man in the red cloak.


    Sterl and Faye exchanged a nce and promptly decided to follow the crowd, trailing behind the young man.


    Meanwhile, some people started whispering.


    "Isn''t this the Willis who barely passed the Hall of Valor''s assessmentst year?"


    "He''s already reached the legendary level in just one year? That''s insane!"


    "Is the Hall of Valor really that valuable?"


    "This is ridiculous. I couldn''t even detect his stats with my scanning skills..."


    Among the crowd, some who recognized the young man in the red cloak began to murmur, while the other haughty [Trial Seekers] remained unrecognized.


    Sterl, having joined the Hall of Valor, maintained his divine descent state and overheard the murmurs.


    He felt even better.


    Although he didn''t know the exact talents of Willis, the fact that he had significantly improved after barely joining the Hall of Valor for a year was telling. This ce...


    "I made the right choice." Sterl thought, ted.


    The yers began to chat among themselves, specting on how they would rapidly grow stronger after joining the Hall of Valor.


    They followed Willisforward. Although they were moving forward, Willisseemed to be stepping in a specific, rhythmic pattern, causing the scenery ahead to constantly change.


    They passed through snow-capped mountains,va fields, wends, and rainforests, as if traversing countless worlds.


    After roughly 20 minutes of walking, they arrived at a massive door. The moment they saw the giant door, everyone was stunned.


    It was a door that stood several thousand meters tall, engraved with intricate patterns and emanating a strong energy fluctuation. The door stood as if it connected the heavens and the earth.


    Below the door, in a lush grasnd, countless creatures were frolicking freely, while the top of the door pierced through the clouds.


    Most of the yers dropped to their knees at the sight, overwhelmed by the intense divine aura emanating from the door, causing their legs to weaken involuntarily. Even Sterl''s breath caught for a moment.


    "Don''t stare. This thing is beyond your reach." Willissaid casually. "This is the creation of the great god who once founded the Hall of Valor, a relic."


    He burned a talisman, sending it forth. Then, the colossal door slowly opened, and everyone felt as if they were sucked in within a single breath, entering another world...


    What came next astounded the yers even more! Previously, they had witnessed the spectacle of nine suns chasing the sky and vast wilderness. That was just the tip of the iceberg of the Hall of Valor.


    At this moment, everyone received a notification��


    [You have entered therge world of the Hall of Valor.]


    Then, the yers noticed that their panels disyed a regional map.


    They tried to scroll through the map, but even after several seconds, they couldn''t find its end!


    The area where the yers were located featured a skyline filled with towering buildings, with numerous airships traveling between them, stretching beyond their line of sight.


    Despite this massive city, it was marked as only a small section on the map.


    "Just how big is the Hall of Valor?" Sterl heard Faye beside him exim in awe.


    But size wasn''t the only remarkable feature.


    After their initial shock, the yers soon realized that this world contained an incredibly dense energy! Just by breathing, it felt as if their attribute experience points were skyrocketing!


    In simpler terms, although yers could level up by fighting monsters, they could also meditate like NPCs, absorbing the world''s energy to convert it into experience points.


    The energy in the Hall of Valor was a hundred times more potent than outside.


    Yes, a hundred times!


    Even Sterl felt that without suitable grinding spots and without using experience-boosting potions, meditating in ce would be more efficient for leveling up.


    However...


    As the yers admired the colossal city and marveled at the abundant energy of the Hall of Valor, a sudden, piercing shriek echoed from the front.


    A dragon-like monster appeared from the clouds! Its level was��Legendary!!


    Instantly, the aura from the monster surged explosively.


    The yers trembled in fear, utterly terrified!


    "What''s happening?"


    "A legendary monster??"


    "Is the trial starting already?"


    "Scatter!"


    The yers participating in the trial were at most third ss. They knew they stood no chance against a legendary monster.


    Only a few remained calm, possibly possessing life-saving items like Legendary Crystals.


    But despite their quick reactions, they couldn''t outpace a third-ss monster, let alone this speed-focused dragon!


    "Roar!!"


    With a deafening roar, the monster lunged towards the crowd, closing in within a hundred-meter range. They could even smell the foul stench of its drooling maw...


    Many yers realized they couldn''t escape in time and wore expressions of sheer terror.


    Yet, they didn''t give up. Each yer showcased their best escape techniques, hoping to get out of the dragon''s attack range or at least use others as shields.


    However, just as the dragon was about to wreak havoc among the crowd, Willis''s previouslyzy expression changed.


    With a swift movement, he seemed to activate a legendary ability, conjuring a light sword, and then shed it with all his might!

 Chapter 180: Such Realistic Acting

    Willis''s face was calm. Even when facing a legendary dragon a hundred times his size, he slowly extended his sword.


    Then...


    A sh of the sword!


    "Roar!!"


    The dragon let out a piercing Wail of Anguish as the horn on its forehead was sliced off!


    It was a wild creature, and a "dragon" at that, with extremely high base stats and various powerful skills. Yet, it couldn''t even withstand a single move from a Hall of Valor''s Trial Seeker!


    The oue was decided in one strike!


    The dragon howled in pain and quickly fled...


    It shot up into the clouds in an instant.


    A crisis averted just like that.


    The yers, who had been suffocating under the dragon''s legendary aura, copsed to the ground, drenched in sweat!


    They looked at Willis with expressions of extreme gratitude, even worship!


    "So strong!"


    "Is this the power of a full member of the Hall of Valor?"


    "The leader of this Trial Seeker group is too strong. Could he also have an SS-grade talent or SS-grade profession?"


    "This is what happens when a peerless talent joins the Hall of Valor? Their strength just skyrockets."


    ...


    Everyone was filled with awe.


    They were convinced that this young leader of the Trial Seeker group was definitely a peerless talent!


    After all, through their interactions, they had learned that the young leader''s name was Willis. He had only joined the Hall of Valor a year ago, yet his strength had grown to such an extent. It was terrifying!


    The yers present suddenly felt dwarfed by Willis''s aura.


    Originally, each of them was quite proud, as they were top talents in their respective regions.


    But now, they felt thatpared to the unparalleled Willis, they were far inferior!


    "I don''t have the ability to ascend to legendary status and overpower a legendary dragon in just a year."


    "Even with the Hall of Valor''s help, it''s impossible."


    Simr thoughts filled the yers'' minds, their eyes full of reverence.


    Seeing the expressions of the many yers present, Willis merely smiled calmly, as if it was all just a trivial effort on his part.


    "In the wilds of the Hall of Valor, there are often such little creatures eager to interact with you."


    "If youck the strength, I''d advise you to stay in the towns even if you pass the trial."


    His words were casual.


    In Willis''s words, a legendary dragon was just a little creature.


    The yers'' expressions shifted immediately. Such a powerful and domineering person!


    Only Sterl frowned slightly, sensing a kindred spirit...


    Although Willis appeared calm and collected, his tone and gaze made Sterl feel like this guy was purposely putting on a facade.


    Without using any detection skills, Sterl relied solely on his intuition!


    But when he quietly activated all his attribute boosts and used Star Insight, the information he received,bined with the attributes of the legendary dragon from earlier, made him show a strange expression.


    Before Sterl could do anything.


    Willis stretchedzily and said, "Alright, you guys can explore this world of the Hall of Valor for a bit."


    "The town is just ahead, so I won''t be escorting you further."


    "Here''s a tip."


    "Entering here early is a small advantage for the gifted. You can seize this opportunity to train and enhance your strength. Better to prepare now than never."


    "I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll be off."


    With that, Willis''s figure swiftly disappeared.


    But suddenly, he turned back with a smile and said, "Oh, right."


    "I seem to have a small task on hand."


    "The Hall of Valor encourages us to establish small yer guilds. I have one myself; are any of you interested?"


    "I need more members to level up the guild."


    "Since it seems like fate brought us together, leading you into the Hall of Valor world."


    "If you''re interested in joining my guild, you can sign a contract with me."


    After saying this, Willis disyed a prepared contract.


    The yers immediately focused their attention on it, and to their surprise, it wasn''t a harsh contract. yers who signed it, if they could pass the Hall of Valor''s trial, must join Willis''s guild and could not leave without special circumstances.


    The contract also detailed some obligations, like following Guild Leader Willis on instance runs to kill bosses whenever possible.


    Meanwhile, the yers would enjoy guild shop benefits and guild buffs.


    It was pretty much the same as joining any other guild.


    However...


    The thought of having this peerless genius Willis as the guild leader made all the yers'' expressions change. Following a top yer would definitely be advantageous!


    They even felt a sense of unexpected joy. If they could establish a good rtionship with such a strong member of the Trial Seeker before the new trial, their future in the Hall of Valor would surely be brighter!


    So, they eagerly surged forward.


    "I want to join, I want to join!"


    "It''s an honor to be invited into your guild."


    "Can I really join? I''m willing to sign the contract!"


    ...


    All the yers were very excited.


    Only a few were still hesitant. The yers who had earlier mentioned Willis''s name were not very enthusiastic.


    They were also awed by Willis''s terrifying power when he shed the dragon with one strike, but to their knowledge, Willis wasn''t a peerless genius before entering the Hall of Valor.


    These people felt that if Willis was already this strong, wouldn''t others be even more formidable?


    Maybe they should wait until they formally entered the Hall of Valor to consider joining the guild?


    Faye and Sterl, on the other hand, noticed something off.


    Sterl, using Star Insight, discovered that Willis''s legendary ability wasn''t that strong. It was called Transform Light into de, formed from three eight-legend points skills, along with Willis''s own S-grade talent and A-grade profession.


    The dragon, as a dragon species, had base attributesparable to some legendary elite monsters.


    Without any buffs, Transform Light into de couldn''t have so easily decapitated the dragon with one strike!


    Instead, Sterl noticed that something was wrong with the dragon. His Star Insight revealed that the dragon was already in an injured state, marked with the debuff Broken Horn.


    But when it first appeared, the dragon didn''t have a Broken Horn, did it?


    Sterl came to a strange and absurd conclusion: the dragon''s horn was originally broken and somehow reattached. Then, it was conveniently sliced off by Willis at the exact moment it charged...


    Coincidentally, the dragon, knowing its Broken Horn status, fled in panic after losing an insignificant horn!


    "This... too many coincidences, right?" Sterl muttered.


    He felt like he''d uncovered the truth: "The acting was quite realistic."


    Sterl felt that the dragon''s appearance, getting shed, and fleeing were all orchestrated by Willis.


    "Willis probably staged this whole scene to set the stage for recruiting guild members."


    "Why does he want to recruit people? Could it be that sacrificing guild members boosts his power?"


    Having experienced the blood sacrifices of the Divine Mountain Empire''s old emperor, Sterl was quick to think of such sinister plots...


    Meanwhile, Faye, with Felicia being a demigod, also saw through the facade.


    Thus...


    Sterl and Faye exchanged a knowing nce: "Don''t go!"


    Though their voices were low, the yers present were strong enough to hear them...


    But Willis ignored those uninterested in signing the contract. He looked down on the enthusiastic yers rushing towards him, dismissively waving his hand: "I''m not taking any trash."


    "Let me see..."


    "You''re no good! Get lost!"


    "An A-grade profession and you dare toe? Your talent is mediocre. Get out of my sight!"


    "Even if you show up, I won''t let you join my guild if youck talent and strength!"


    "I''m founding a guild, not a garbage dump!"


    Willis''s face was full of arrogance. Only a few yers were allowed to sign the contract and join his guild, and they looked extremely grateful and excited.


    But Willis himself maintained a look of reluctance, as if he was forced to take them in.


    It wasn''t until the young man with the SS-grade talent, who had previously exined things to Sterl and the others, hesitantly stepped forward.


    Willis gave him a disdainful nce: "SS-grade talent, not bad."


    "At least you''re someone. Sign it."


    "Once you''re in the guild, we''re on the same team."


    He still wouldn''t look people in the eye, as if even SS-grade talent barely met his standards.


    However, Sterl sharply noticed a fleeting hint of joy in the corner of Willis''s eye.


    It was so brief, it almost seemed like a mirage.


    But... the stronger and more talented one is, the more they can catch these fleeting emotions.


    "Osmond, what are you hesitating for?" someone from the Trial Seeker who knew the SS-grade young man called out his name directly.


    Osmond, recalling Willis''s expression and the firm warning from the man and woman earlier��don''t join this guild��felt something was off.


    Seeing Osmond hesitate, some other yers also paused.


    No one here is a fool. All the yers present are talented and capable heroes, top-notch individuals from various regions, who have emerged from a crowd of geniuses.


    If other yers are hesitating, they must have spotted some issues!


    Many yers looked at each other, and except for those who had signed the contract early on and whose faces were now uncertain, everyone else seemed a bit awkward.


    Signing the contract might be a trap, but not signing it could offend this mysterious genius, Willis.


    Caught between a rock and a hard ce, they found themselves in a real dilemma!

 Chapter 181: The Protection Mechanism of the Hall of Valor

    The yers stood there one by one, looking rather helpless.


    A rather amusing scene unfolded as it seemed like everyone had been paused, standing there bewildered.


    Seeing this, Willis''s expression changed slightly, unable to keep his calm any longer.


    A sure thing slipping away? Who could ept that?


    And why??


    My n was so perfect, and now it''s falling apart at thest moment??


    Just as he was about to lose his temper, he noticed many people ncing at a man and a woman, seemingly seeking answers.


    A Trial Seeker beside Willis came over and whispered a few words...


    Suddenly, a sh of anger crossed Willis''s eyes.


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    Earlier, he had only paid attention to Faye, knowing she was a talented yer with an S-grade talent and profession, worth recruiting.


    Willis had nned to secure Yorkwith the SS-grade talent first, and then deal with the girl, who was not only talented but also extremely attractive.


    As for the male yer, he had used a detection skill and saw that "David" was a very mediocre second ss, with both talent and profession at A-grade.


    Previously, Willis hadn''t bothered to look at "David" more than a couple of times, even though the S-grade girl seemed to have a good rtionship with him.


    Because if both of them could pass the trial and enter the Hall of Valor, that girl would soon abandon her worthlesspanion. That''s the cruel design of the Hall of Valor; everyone fights to improve their strength due to the hierarchy, or else they risk death at any moment!


    Feelings and old acquaintances are as fragile as thin paper in front of this harsh reality!


    What infuriated Willis was that such a worthless trash was ruining his ns.


    Fine!


    Let me give you your first lesson in the Hall of Valor: the weak will always live humbly on their knees, and stepping out of line means death.


    Willis, with cold eyes, walked straight ahead. The surrounding yers, seeing this, all turned pale and quickly made way. Finally, he stood right in front of Faye and Sterl.


    "Good! Good! Good!" Willis raised his hand and activated his legendary ability!


    Sterl originally thought Willis would put on a pretense and say a few polite words.


    But Willis''s face was cold: "I don''t know who gave you the guts to provoke..."


    "Someone stronger than you!"


    Then, countless brilliant points of light scattered in all directions.


    The surrounding yers fled in terror, looking at Sterl with pity, knowing he was a goner!


    However, Willis was quite surprised and annoyed. He thought these two yers would beg for mercy.


    It''s a pity, just a mere legendary.


    Faye, with a demigod ancestor in the consciousness space, looked down on him entirely.


    And Sterl was even calmer,pletely ignoring him. An ordinary legendary was far inferior to a perfect legendary like Octavius. He had countless ways to easily kill his opponent.


    Willis was in a dilemma. His move was ready, and since his opponent didn''t beg for mercy, he had no choice but to attack.


    The threads of light transformed into a torrent of energy, seemingly splitting the entire world in two!


    Everyone watched with wide eyes��


    Under Willis''s full power, the surrounding scenery turned into a chaotic energy storm! Killing intent filled the air!


    Even so, "David" remained unfazed!


    Sterl was ready.


    ording to Gloria, in the Hall of Valor, more power could be revealed.


    Willis wanted to use "David''s" head to establish his authority, and Sterl thought the same. He wanted to use "Willis''s" head to make a name for himself!


    And the final result...


    Sterl looked astonished.


    The terrifying energy torrent actually swept past him!


    Sterl discovered that he was protected by a transparent shield, and the legendary ability couldn''t shake it at all.


    The shield was like a reef in a turbulent stream, splitting the energy torrent!


    At the same time, everyone heard a grand and indifferent voice in their ears.


    "In the Hall of Valor, mutual killing is prohibited. The protective shield has been activated."


    "Trial Seeker: Willis, you have vited the rules by attacking a zero-level Novice in the Hall of Valor. You will be punished by being forbidden to absorb the world''s energy for three days."


    Instantly, a thunderbolt descended from the sky.


    "Ahhh!"


    Willis was struck by the lightning, his legendary ability dissipated, and he fell to his knees, spitting blood, his face extremely grim!


    He never expected that a mere second-ss yer could withstand his legendary ability without begging for mercy.


    He lost this psychological battle.


    And as a result...


    "My n is probably ruined." Willis felt like spitting blood from anger. Losing three days of innate energy wasn''t much of a punishment.


    The main issue was that his scheme hadpletely failed!


    He had wasted resources to apply for this task of recruiting neers.


    A huge loss!


    Willis had nned to use his strength and status to pressure, and through creating the image of an unparalleled genius, attract a batch of cannon fodder into the guild.


    Especially that SS-grade talent, he had to get him. Yorkhad excellent talent, and leveraging him could bring Willis immense benefits.


    Now, using strength to oppress was clearly out of the question!


    Everyone knew the rules now. The Hall of Valor doesn''t allow random killing.


    And attracting yers to join the guild was also ruined by that "David"!


    Willis''s eyes turned bloodshot as he red at Sterl, as if he wanted to devour him.


    The yers present also realized...


    Something was off with Willis!


    It was clear he had his own schemes for recruiting people!


    They''re all third ss; what schemes haven''t they seen? Almost no one believed that joining Willis''s guild would be beneficial. Instead, they thought they would be severely exploited!


    Moreover, with the Hall of Valor''s own warning, the yers understood that even if they were merely recruits, official members couldn''t harm them.


    Not joining Willis''s guild meant he couldn''t do anything to them...


    Immediately, except for a few unlucky ones who had already signed contracts, everyone silently stepped back. Although they didn''t speak, it was clear that signing a contract to join the guild was out of the question.


    Even the SS-grade yer nced gratefully at Sterl and Faye, then stood beside them, indicating solidarity.


    Sterl merely smirked coldly, looking at Willis with a mocking expression.


    "You think I can''t deal with you?" Willis''s face was dark and uncertain, but he quickly regained hisposure.


    "A three-day ban from absorbing the world''s energy is a minor punishment. It means the Hall of Valor offers the minimum protection for you Novices."


    Hearing this, the yers'' faces changed slightly. They knew Willis wasn''t lying this time, but they remained calm. Although the protection wasn''t high, it was enough to prevent harm; Willis couldn''t do anything to them.


    The young man in the red cloak just gave a signal.


    Immediately, a slender, ck-haired youth stepped out from the shadows behind him.


    "David? I challenge you!" the youth said coldly.


    "Do you really think the Hall of Valor will coddle you waste?"


    "Indeed, this ce doesn''t allow random killing."


    "But anyone in the same realm can challenge you, and you must ept."


    "By the way, anyone below legendary status is considered in the same realm in the Hall of Valor."


    Willis looked coldly at "David," making a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.


    He was truly filled with murderous intent!


    Don''t be fooled by Willis being a legendary; in the Hall of Valor, this level of strength was nothing. He even had to borrow resources from powerful seniors to reach legendary status, using high-interest loans.


    If he couldn''t repay by the end of the year, he would lose all his rights and be the lender''s ve.


    Before bing a legendary, Willis had grand ambitions to be a significant figure in the Hall of Valor. But after bing legendary, he realized that legendaries were asmon as dirt in the Hall of Valor, and their status was worth nothing.


    Willis wasn''t even a perfect legendary, so he had no chance of repaying the borrowed resources. That senior had known this from the start and aimed to secure a legendary ve!


    And for a ve, killing them on a whim wouldn''t matter and wouldn''t vite the Hall of Valor''s rules.


    This was uneptable to Willis! Fortunately, he came up with an idea. He spent thest of his resources to exchange for the duty of recruiting neers, hoping to get lucky and find some geniuses to join his guild.


    Don''t be fooled by his seemingly fair contract; it simply required that the yers who signed couldn''t leave.


    But those ruthless creditors? If Willis couldn''t repay, everyone in the guild would suffer and be forced into ve contracts.


    So, once you boarded Willis''s pirate ship, you could only fight with all your might to repay his debt.


    When Willis initially saw the SS-grade talent yer, he was overjoyed. Such a highly talented individual could definitely help him settle his debts!


    So, when the contract was about to be signed, Willis was incredibly excited, even showing a w with a glimmer of joy in his eyes...


    But now, it was all ruined by this "David"!


    How could he not be furious? How could he not want to kill?


    At this moment, Faye''s expression changed. She reflexively felt a bit worried for Mr. "David."


    But looking at the yering to challenge, who was merely a maxed-out third ss.


    Faye seemed less worried. Constantine, an elite third ss, was instantly killed.


    Mr. "David''s" strength meant there was nothing to fear as long as the opponent wasn''t legendary!

 Chapter 182: Facing the [Challenger]

    Immediately, Faye stood aside quietly.


    The yers around them looked at Sterl with sympathy. No one dared to speak, only exchanging nces.


    A second ss against a maxed-out third ss? This was a guaranteed death.


    Earlier, Yorkhad mentioned the rules of the Hall of Valor: you can''t refuse a challenge. Poor David...


    It''s a pity. We owe him one, but there''s no way to save him! Maybe we can at least recover his body and give him a proper burial...


    In the tense atmosphere, Yorknext to Sterl frowned slightly.


    He nced at Faye with disgust.


    This woman, so heartless! She was the one who, along with David, told us "don''t join the guild." Now that herpanion is in danger, she doesn''t say a word?


    A femme fatale!


    Cold and ruthless!


    Unable to stand it, Yorkstepped forward.


    "Hey buddy, I used my detection skill and saw your name is ''David,'' right?"


    "Earlier, I owed you a favor. I''ll fight this battle for you."


    He spoke with loyalty.


    But Willis looked irritated. Even an SS-grade talent yer at third ss was just an ant to him. Yorkand David jumping around in front of him was extremely annoying.


    "Do you think I can''t get to you without challenging you?"


    "Once you''re in the Hall of Valor, you''re dead meat."


    Willis said angrily. He didn''t n to have his men challenge Yorkbecause an SS-grade talent at third ss might actually turn the tables!


    Yorkremained calm: "I''ll take whatever you throw at me."


    "If you''re trying to trick me into your guild, you should be worried about yourself."


    "My father won''t let you off."


    "Your father?" Willis''s expression changed.


    Yorktook a step forward: "My father is the [God of Trade, Votist]."


    He brandished a token: "I was rmended by him to join the Hall of Valor. Even if I fail the trials, I''ll be safely teleported out."


    With these words, Willis''s face turned incredibly ugly!


    The dozen or so arrogant figures behind him also looked stunned.


    What a backfire. Who could have thought this SS-grade talent had a god backing him? With a simple trick, they could make Willis''s life in the Hall of Valor a living hell or even kill him.


    But it was toote now. Willis and his group could only re viciously: "So what if a god backs you? The Hall of Valor''s rules mean gods can''t interfere with us!"


    Unfortunately, despite his tough words, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes.


    The God of Trade might only be a minor deity, but even that was too much for an ordinary legendary like Willis to handle.


    He now regretted it! If he''d known, he wouldn''t have taken the neer''s recruitment task! His debt problem wasn''t solved, and now he had a god''s attention!


    But Willis, burdened by debt, spoke harshly: "Stop dreaming. The Hall of Valor''s challenges don''t allow recements!"


    "Otherwise, wouldn''t those who don''t work hard to improve their strength justtch onto someone powerful and survive easily?"


    He sneered.


    Though his demeanor remained intimidating, all the yers present were speechless. Willis was clearly avoiding Yorkand instead targeting "David" again...


    Isn''t this just bullying the weak?


    Upon hearing this, York''s expression changed slightly, and he looked at Sterl with concern.


    Yorkdidn''t have any deep feelings for David, but considering him a benefactor, he couldn''t just watch him die without feeling guilty!


    From his perspective, a maxed-out third ss fighting a second ss was a guaranteed easy kill. David was doomed!


    Willis finally regained someposure. He looked at David with satisfaction, ready to enjoy the panic and desperation in the eyes of this ant, anticipating how he would beg and plead...


    "Watch how I make you suffer."


    Willis wasn''t nning to let David off easily. Killing him in a challenge would be too merciful.


    His eyes gleamed with bloodlust, nning to have his men challenge a few more "lucky" yers and kill them all!


    If Willis was going to die, he might as well take a few more with him!


    He wasn''t worried about his men disobeying because they were all in his guild. If one dies, they all die!


    The surrounding yers remained silent, feeling both grateful and sympathetic toward David but too scared to speak up, fearing they might also be targets of Willis.


    Those who had been in the Hall of Valor for a while and passed its trials were much stronger than them!


    A challenge meant certain death!


    In this oppressive atmosphere, Willis spoke with a sinister look: "How about you kneel and kowtow to me a few times right now, and I might..."


    He dragged it out deliberately, then continued, "Make your death a bit quickerter!"


    With that, Willisughed heartily, and his followers joined in with maliciousughter.


    The psychological pressure on these people was immense, with debts and a god looming over them. They just wanted to vent their rage by torturing David!


    The yers present were terrified by the scene, which delighted Willis and his crew even more!


    Yorkclenched his fists, extremely displeased.


    Faye''s eyes shed with anger, wanting to say something but unsure what. The girl really didn''t know how to curse or use harsh words.


    But just then, Sterl inexplicably smiled.


    "Dude, why are you so worked up??"


    "I''m not a formal member of the Hall of Valor; I can refuse challenges."


    He casually pressed an invisible button in the air.


    [Challenge Declined.]


    The ck-haired youth who had issued the challenge looked stunned: "Really? He actually declined?"


    Willis and his followers were dumbfounded. After all, in the Hall of Valor, it might be decades before a formal member challenged a [Novice].


    They didn''t know that [Novices] who weren''t formal members had the full right to decline challenges from [Trial Seekers].


    Immediately, Willis and his Trial Seeker group found themselves in an extremely awkward situation...


    The harsher the words they had spoken earlier, the more awkward it was now to be humiliated!


    They felt likeplete clowns, talking so tough, but the fact was, David couldpletely ignore their threats!


    Their earlier attacks on David were nothing but a one-man show!


    Willis and the other [Trial Seekers] turned pale and green with embarrassment.


    They were furious and utterly humiliated.


    They also realized that the fear in the eyes of the other yers had instantly turned into a mocking gaze.


    "I..."


    "You!!"


    Willis and his crew''s faces changed several times before he finally barked, "Let''s go!"


    "All of you, let''s go!"


    Staying here any longer would only add to their shame.


    Willis and his followers barely regained someposure and prepared to leave, though their morale was shattered.


    This trip yielded no benefits and left them humiliated in front of a bunch of Novices!


    They trembled with rage, barely containing their anger!


    The surrounding yers couldn''t hold back anymore.


    "Seriously? They put on a show for so long just for this?"


    "They couldn''t do anything to us and yet kept barking? What a bunch of idiots!"


    "They''ve offended a god; they probably won''tst much longer anyway..."


    "How did these morons even survive in the Hall of Valor and reach legendary status? Makes me think I could do it too!"


    ...


    The yers mocked one after another.


    Hearing these words, Willis and his crew couldn''t hold it in any longer. They red back viciously and then��


    They pulled out teleportation scrolls!


    They didn''t want to stay in this miserable ce for even a second longer!


    Yorkfinally breathed a sigh of relief.


    At least his "benefactor" was safe.


    Then his expression turned cold as he pulled out amunication device, ready to report everything to his father...


    But just as things were about to wrap up.


    Sterl suddenly spoke: "Did I say you could leave?"


    "Kid! Don''t get too cocky!"


    "Even within the rules, it''s easy for us to vaporize a second ss. You might not even need us to do it; you could die in the trials."


    Willis''s face was twisted with rage, knowing that continuing to threaten David would only make him look more foolish.


    But leaving in disgrace would be even worse.


    Sterl smiled slightly and said, "I didn''t say I wouldn''t ept your challenges. I just don''t want to fight him."


    "What do you mean?" Willis was stunned.


    He didn''t feel any joy, just a sense of something being very wrong and strange.


    Everyone else was also taken aback, not understanding what David was nning.


    Did he mean he would ept challenges from others?


    Was this a joke?


    As a second ss, epting any challenge was certain death!


    "What exactly do you want?" Willis''s followers grumbled.


    Sterl smiled and said, "I''m not interested in these people. How about you fight me?"


    He looked directly at Willis��the legendary strongman!


    Gloria had instructed Sterl to showcase his abilities, but his nature was to seek benefits in everything he did!


    Showcasing his strength had toe with perks!


    For example, challenging Willis!


    Willis wasn''t a [Trial Seeker]; he was a [Challenger]!


    Having reached legendary status, his title had automatically upgraded.


    ording to the Hall of Valor''s rules, by defeating Willis, Sterl could directly gain the status of a [Challenger]!


    This would allow him to gather more resources in the Hall of Valor and enjoy higher discounts in the contribution shop.


    Additionally, this was a way for Sterl to gradually reveal parts of his strength and trump cards.

 Chapter 183: Is He Crazy??

    But...


    "Tsk..." Sterl felt that taking the initiative to act tough didn''t have the same ir as doing it passively.


    He was still lost in his thoughts.


    Everyone around was dumbfounded.


    What did he mean? What was going on? Taking his words at face value��


    A second ss daring to challenge a legend??


    Was he seeking death?


    This had to be fake, right??


    Was he just talking nonsense to rile up Willis??


    The yers didn''t believe it, and Willis and his henchmen were even more furious, choosing to keep quiet and leave.


    This "David" must be talking trash. If they responded, they''d lose their dignity as strong beings. Yet, if they didn''t, they''d be insulted unterally...


    Fine!


    If we can''t provoke him, we can at least avoid him!


    Sterl was also taken aback. He could onlyment that taking the initiative to act tough wasn''t a good move; if the opponent didn''t cooperate��


    It wouldn''t just be less effective; it would have no effect at all!


    He knew his actions were shocking, so Sterl thought for a moment and decided to fabricate his attributes.


    His aura surged, revealing him as a third ss with over 130 levels.


    His talents and profession also changed to S-rank!


    It looked as if he had just removed a disguise!


    As the intense aura spread, Willis finally turned back. He felt that this "David" was showing hidden strength and seemed serious about fighting him.


    Willis was seething with rage, extremely agitated. Despite his rational mind telling him that the likelihood of his opponent genuinely wanting to fight was less than one in ten thousand, he couldn''t help but say, "Fine, I challenge you!"


    He directly issued a challenge invitation, and instantly, a blue link appeared between Willis and Sterl.


    Even at this point, no one believed "David" truly intended to challenge Willis.


    Instead, the yers were discussing: "Still mocking, still teasing?"


    "This ''David'' is really good at getting under people''s skin."


    "Haha! Willis actually issued the challenge; he bought it! He really bought it!"


    ...


    The yers were amused; the show effect was quite good.


    But Sterl silently epted the challenge invitation.


    As a result, the light connecting Sterl and Willis spread out, forming a ring, pushing all the other yers to the side.


    A sound echoed from the sky.


    [Death Match Challenge Initiated!]


    [This challenge will only end when one party ispletely dead!]


    It was the will of the Hall of Valor announcing...


    Huh??


    Instantly, the whole ce fell silent!


    Even Willis, standing on the ring, looked utterly bewildered.


    At this moment, the death match had begun!


    Only one of Willis or "David" could leave the ring alive.


    But Willis, no matter how unworthy, was still a legend!


    And he wasn''t some second-rate legend from outside; Willis''s strength had been honed and cultivated step by step in the Hall of Valor!! Far surpassing those of the same rank.


    The oue of this death match could only be one!


    David would be easily ughtered by Willis!


    Everyone present felt a sense of disbelief.


    "Mr. David, what... what are you doing?" Faye was the first to react, looking distressed, even wanting to rush towards the ring, but was effortlessly bounced back by the energy barrier.


    "Don''t be hasty." Instead, Felicia''s voice in Faye''s mind was notably calm.


    "If David dared to challenge, he must have some confidence."


    "Don''t you know his style by now?"


    "Yes... Ancestor." Comforted by Felicia, Faye barely managed to calm down.


    However, Felicia sighed inwardly, "Confidence? What confidence could he have?"


    As a demigod, Felicia was well aware of the vast gap between third ss and legend! She also knew that in a ring created by the Hall of Valor, David had no way to escape; he was doomed.


    Only her naive disciple would believe David truly had a n.


    To Felicia, it seemed like "David" had simply be overconfident!


    Although this didn''t match David''s usual behavior, it was the only reasonable exnation.


    The other yers present were equally astonished by the scene.


    "Isn''t this a suicide mission?"


    "What''s happening, is he affected by some kind of mental skill? That shouldn''t be possible; the Hall of Valor should be able to block such abilities."


    "Is he crazy?? Actively seeking death??"


    "Even if David has several gods backing him, it''s useless. Once the challenge starts, Willis has to kill his opponent, or he will die! Offending gods is better than dying immediately."


    ...


    Other yers, who didn''t know David, were even more confused, unable to understand at all!


    It seemed as if David was actively seeking death.


    Even Willis and his crew couldn''tprehend it.


    No matter what scheme David had, it wouldn''t work. The power boost from legendary abilities was terrifying!


    That was beyond what any third ss could imagine!


    The yers and Willis''s group could onlye to one reluctant conclusion.


    This "David" had no idea what being a legend meant!


    He must be some "genius" from a backwater ce, used to challenging opponents above his level!


    David had no idea that those trash with B-level talent and C-level professions he''d beaten were nothingpared to the elites of the Hall of Valor.


    He didn''t understand what being a legend truly symbolized!


    Given that...


    "Haha!"


    "Fine! Since you''ve given me this opportunity, I''ll make sure you die quickly."


    Willis''s eyes turned red as he shouted fiercely.


    Even now, he suspected David might have some scheme, so he attacked with full force right from the start.


    Willis unleashed his legendary ability, forming a dazzling sword of light in his hand, which he then swung straight at Sterl!


    But, this was just a feint!


    Willis''s speed was so incredible that it was almost impossible to see with the naked eye! As his legendary ability manipted the light, Willis himself seemed to be light!


    Attacking with iprehensible speed and efficiency!


    What the other yers saw was��


    In a brief moment, nearly a hundred shadows appeared around David, each either thrusting, drawing swords, shing, or cutting...


    Blocking every possible direction of evasion tightly!


    Simultaneously, hundreds of light de threads formed from shadows seemed to be slicing the entire ring apart.


    No room to dodge!


    No way to escape!


    To the point where other yers present couldn''t help but cover their eyes.


    In the blink of an eye, they didn''t have time to think about anything else, only feeling a bit of pity��


    This guy named "David" was quite decent, helping everyone avoid a pitfall.


    But it''s a pity he was going to die!


    Perhaps only the somewhat naive Faye still firmly believed in her teacher''s words, keeping her eyes wide open, convinced that Mr. David had another trick up his sleeve...


    Swish!!


    Countless lights shattered!


    At the same time, Sterl moved.


    The evolved Stardust skill could still use previously stored Stardust.


    He activated the enhancement��tripling the output effect!


    Enhancement target, legendary ability [Shadow Stealth]!


    Sterl directly leapt into the shadow world. No matter how fast or powerful Willis''s skills were, they could only affect the real world...


    In a certain sense, [Shadow Stealth] countered many high-burst legendary abilities.


    And the next second, with the shattering of light, countless de lights flickered wildly.


    Willis''s full output was unleashed!


    The entire ring seemed to be cut into segments of spatial fragments, appearing extremely distorted and chaotic, with dark purple spatial turbulence surging quickly.


    No living creature could survive in such a region!


    Many third ss present couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts.


    This is the power of a legend!


    An existence that has transcended into sainthood after carving their own path in the [Transcendence] world.


    A third ss facing a legend is like a child challenging a tiger!


    There''s noparison, and no room for discussion!


    A third ss is undoubtedly doomed!


    They felt... that David must have been instantly killed, not even leaving a trace under such terrifying power.


    Because in the shattered space of the ring, there wasn''t a single trace of David or any remains.


    But...


    Some keen observers noticed...


    Something was off!


    David''s figure had disappeared abruptly!


    What skill did he activate?


    Did he jump to another space?


    People were puzzled, and as the battlefield changed rapidly, there was no time to think deeply.


    Willis, too, stood on guard, extremely alert.


    He sensed that he hadn''t annihted his opponent.


    At this moment, Willis activated his legendary ability again, creating light to shield himself.


    He didn''t think David could harm him, but just in case of a sneak attack.


    As a legend, it would be too disgraceful for Willis!


    However...


    Willis''s cautious actions left many puzzled. Wasn''t David dead? What were they waiting for??


    Only those who also realized that David might have escaped by some means continued to keep a close eye on the ring.


    One second passed...


    Two seconds passed...


    Among Willis''s subordinates, someone already started popping champagne: "Boss, you let David off too easy, didn''t you? Letting him die just like that..."


    Before the words were finished.


    The next second, a dark purple de of light suddenly appeared!


    "Good timing!" Willis grinned maliciously.


    He was ready to withstand David''s attack with the armor made of condensed light.


    Simultaneously, Willis burst out with an extremely eerie speed once more, creating dozens of shadows in the space, all swinging their des and dividing the entire ring.


    The number of shadows rapidly expanded, growing from dozens to hundreds...


    And then...


    No more!


    "sh!" David stood slowly in ce, his hand gleaming with a golden light.


    Willis''s true body stood there, stunned.


    All the surrounding light shattered and disappeared.


    The fluctuations of legendary powerpletely dissipated.

 Chapter 184: The Terrifying Boost of 【Stardust】!

    Countless figures, condensed from the light, shattered, revealing strands of golden light. Simultaneously, the arena formed by the will of the Hall of Valor dissipated, and blue fluorescent light slowly drifted away.


    It disyed a rather beautiful scene.


    However...


    Willis merely stood there, clutching his chest.


    A seemingly tiny blood hole had appeared, emitting a faint golden and blue glow.


    This legendary warrior had all his vitality drained by this blood hole.


    His body froze in ce until Sterl casually pushed him, and Willis fell to the ground like a ragdoll.


    Thud.


    Blood slowly flowed out.


    At this moment, the subordinates who had previously ttered Willis found their voices choked...


    Instantly frozen!


    Stuck!


    A hint of excitement flickered in Sterl''s eyes.


    After his second ss, hisbat power had grown tremendously.


    To say nothing else, just the boost from [Stardust] was exceedingly exaggerated.


    By using the evolved cheat to forcefully add a point, plus the addition of 20 legend points, [Stardust] had be an extremely formidable ability!


    Sterl currently didn''t have any tinum-level skills.


    But merely being able to enhance his legendary ability made [Stardust] seem quite overpowered.


    One must know, any legendary ability is the culmination of a legend''s entire effort, and in legendary-level battles, the key to victory often lies in the strength and counteraction of these abilities!


    However, with [Stardust], Sterl could easily enhance his legendary abilities to several times their original strength! At most, he could achieve a sevenfold power boost!


    That''s insane!


    Sterl spected that it wasn''t just the forced point addition through the cheat, but also because [Stardust] had ascended to a golden quality by absorbing the bonus from an SSS-ss profession, making it so unbnced!


    In the recent battle, Sterl tripled the enhancement of Shadow Stealth, effectively quadrupling its output! Then, with just one Star Point Finger, Willis was instantly killed!


    The radiant armor constructed from his legendary ability didn''t evenst 0.1 seconds before shattering.


    Of course, the new [Stardust] skill had a drawback: the difficulty in collecting [Stardust] had increased significantly.


    He had to kill units level 60 and above to collect Stardust, and the amount collected wasn''t substantial, while the consumption during enhancement was considerable. Each additional enhancement required double the amount of Stardust.


    Although Sterl sessfully killed Willis in an instant, he still felt a pang of regret: "I overestimated Willis; boosting my power once would have sufficed."


    "I ended up wasting six extra Stardust..."


    He felt a bit mncholic.


    After all, the Stardust he was using now was all saved up earlier. Until he found a method to farm second-ss or higher wild monsters on arge scale, the number of times Sterl could use Stardust for enhancement would be limited to one or two times.


    Wasting so much today made Sterl quite heartbroken!


    Moreover, there was another minor w with [Stardust]: it could only enhance one skill at a time in a short period. Otherwise, if Shadow Stealth was an output enhancement skill, Sterl could theoretically activate Stardust again while using Celestial Stars Finger.


    But in reality, activating it twice in a short period was impossible.


    While Sterl felt heartbroken, the others were in chaos!


    Utter chaos!


    No one had any doubt about what had just transpired��the arena had ended, the rules of the Hall of Valor were unchangeable, and David was alive and well. Didn''t that mean Willis, the legendary warrior��


    Was dead!


    However, this fact was so unbelievable that no one could trust their eyes. It felt as if the sky had fallen!


    "What the hell just happened?"


    "How did Willis die?"


    "I only saw a sh of light, and then he was gone. Was it some kind of artifact?"


    "That can''t be right. I didn''t sense any powerful artifact aura��"


    The yers present were utterly dumbfounded.


    They couldn''t figure out what method David had used to defeat someone of a higher rank.


    In their view, Willis had activated his legendary ability! Willis''s legendary ability was too strong! Willis attacked again!


    Willis got killed in an instant?!


    The arena ended!


    Everyone was in a daze.


    They simply couldn''tprehend it; even their expressions when looking at David were extremely bizarre.


    Instantly killing a legend, with barely any energy fluctuations��


    The crowd couldn''t even perceive David''s strength; it just seemed absurd.


    Only Felicia in Faye''s mindspace had some inkling, but she was still extremely shocked: "A legendary ability! This kid actually cultivated a legendary ability, and I can guarantee he hasn''t reached legendary status!"


    Felicia was certain. Although she couldn''t see through David''s second ss disguise before, just like Emperor Octavius of the Divine Mountain Empire, Felicia knew that ascending to a legend meant inscribing one''s myth into the world. This was something that couldn''t be faked or hidden.


    So David must be as he appeared: third ss, no stronger.


    What was utterly absurd to Felicia was that David, at third ss, had cultivated a legendary ability!


    And he used this legendary ability to effortlessly kill Willis!


    It made no sense, and it was doubly nonsensical.


    Felicia was almost questioning her own understanding. As a demigod, she knew a lot of information and had never heard of a third ss possessing a legendary ability.


    Moreover, what was even more absurd was that this third ss cultivated legendary ability crushed Willis''s legendary ability with overwhelming force.


    One had to know, Willis''s ability was forged from three eight-legend point golden skills, which was not weak!


    To crush it so easily, and bearing the inherent disadvantages of third ss attributes and effects.


    Theoretically, even a perfect legendary ability couldn''t achieve such output!


    Felicia saw through Sterl''s tactics and the abilities he employed, but she was even more baffled and found it illogicalpared to the other yers!


    Others were clueless; she, knowing the truth, felt that the rules of [Transcendence] seemed to have been broken by David!


    Felicia thought for a moment and did not share her thoughts with Faye because she felt a deep unease, as if she had stumbled upon knowledge she wasn''t supposed to know!


    ...


    At this moment, Willis''s subordinates were inplete despair, looking at their leader''s corpse, yet still unable to understand what had happened.


    "No way, this has to be a joke, right?"


    "How could the boss be dead?"


    "What did you do?"


    They each shouted, sounding almost hysterical.


    Then... taking advantage of the yers'' distraction, they suddenly unfurled teleportation scrolls.


    This group acted crazy for a few seconds before vanishing instantly, clearly escaping.


    Sterl: "..."


    The many yers present: "..."


    Say what you will, Willis''s subordinates had a pretty good survival instinct.


    Sterl merely watched Willis''s subordinates disappear.


    If he wanted to, he could catch up with them.


    However, Sterl had noticed earlier after killing Willis that in the Hall of Valor, there wasn''t much benefit to killing those weaker than oneself.


    He got no loot from defeating Willis, only a notification.


    [You have obtained the identity rank [Challenger].]


    [Since you have not officially passed the Hall of Valor trial, this identity rank is temporarily stored. You can retrieve the [Challenger] identity rank anytime after passing the trial.]


    Sterl roughly understood the situation.


    The Hall of Valor encouraged internal yerbat but did not reward it.


    Since everyone belonged to the same faction, internal kills yielded no loot or rewards, but the benefits of identity ranks were enormous.


    The Hall of Valor encouraged you to challenge the strong!


    ...


    Sterl was deep in thought.


    He slowly walked back to Faye, while around him, including Osmond backed by a deity and other yers, looked at him with extreme reverence.


    At this moment, many yers were whispering: "That was a legend, and he just died like that."


    "And he''s a [Challenger], the second-tier identity rank in the Hall of Valor��"


    "It''s really exaggerated. Who exactly is this David??"


    "Could he have hidden attributes? I feel his strength is definitely more than just third ss��"


    ...


    The yers, initially extremely shocked, were now gradually recovering.


    They spected that David''s strength was not as simple as it appeared to be third ss; his talent and profession might not even be just S-grade!


    Even...


    Led by Osmond, a group looked at Willis''s corpse, firmly believing��


    "Could it be that this David has SS-grade talent and an SS-grade profession??"


    Osmond couldn''t help but specte.


    After all, with his SS-grade talent and S-grade profession, it was absolutely impossible to challenge a legend beyond his rank.


    "By the way, it seems no one has told us how to participate in the trial yet?"


    Sterl''s tone was casual at this moment.


    However, before he could finish, several terrifying auras suddenly descended from the sky, pressing everyone to the ground with immense force.


    Including Sterl!


    This time, he wasn''t disguising but was forced into a half-squat! It was extremely ufortable!


    Simultaneously, figures surrounded by radiant colorful light slowly appeared in the sky.


    Next, many yers eximed in shock...


    "Father!" Osmond''s face was astonished.


    "Gloria!?" several yers who hade from the Dark Moon Alliance with Sterl eximed.


    "Father God!" some rough-looking individuals dressed in fur called out.


    ...


    Then, those figures finally stopped in front of the many yers.


    They swiftly scanned the entirend with their divine senses, finally stopping at Willis''s corpse.


    At the same time, an elderly man, draped in a dark purple cloak and leading the group of deities, waved his hand slightly, and a group of people rolled onto the ground in a sorry state.


    It was Willis''s subordinates who had fled earlier.

 Chapter 185: The Gathering of the Gods!

    At this moment, before the many yers, five deities had appeared!


    First, Osmond''s father, the God of Trade.


    Second, the God of Hunting, worshiped by the yers dressed as savages.


    Third, the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria.


    Fourth��


    "God of Heaven Water??" Sterl was dumbfounded as he looked at the familiar figure. The man who had been fighting Gloria to the death earlier was now reconciled with the Dark Moon Goddess, even forming an alliance with her.


    And finally, the God of Shadows and Conspiracy, whose aura was a notch stronger than the other four deities.


    In Sterl''s vision, though he didn''t recognize the other three deities, just by looking at their presence, he could sense their divine names!


    Gods were the embodiment of certain concepts! Without words or introductions, their presence alone was enough to reveal their identities!


    Meanwhile, Willis''s subordinates were in agony, lying on the ground. Seeing the deities ring at them, they were terrified out of their wits.


    "Lord Gods!"


    "I was wrong!"


    "Spare me!"


    ...


    They didn''t even know what they had done wrong. While they had indeed done some bad things earlier��


    Threatening to kill some Novices in the Hall of Valor wasn''t considered a crime.


    Willis''s subordinates couldn''t understand how they had offended these gods; they were simply terrified by the sight of them.


    At this moment, Gloria descended gracefully: "Faye, David, are you alright?"


    She asked with genuine concern, although Faye was just an afterthought.


    yers who stood out in the Hall of Valor were seen as potentials by the gods, especially since David had just in a legend.


    Now, Gloria could openly show concern for "David."


    Sterl was slightly stunned; it was his first close encounter with this goddess��


    A delicate fragrance emanated from Gloria, a scent that oddly felt familiar and nostalgic, like something he once liked long ago.


    That''s it!


    It smelled a bit like the "Secret" series perfume from the well-known brand "So" before he transmigrated.


    For some reason, Sterl''s mood improved significantly. The world after transmigrating allowed him to grow stronger, even achieving immortality.


    But he still had some fond memories of his previous world.


    "I''m fine." He nodded.


    Gloria''s concerned gaze didn''t waver.


    Sterl felt a surge of caution in his heart. This goddess��


    What is she up to?


    From his previous experience in the Netherworld, Sterl knew Gloria was not to be trusted, full of schemes.


    Her sudden concern for him now certainly had an agenda!


    But he thought, isn''t it just a sugar-coated bullet? Eat the sugar coating and dodge the bullet.


    "Lady Goddess, thank you for your concern."


    Sterl took Gloria''s hand and performed a hand-kissing ceremony.


    No kidding, the touch was exquisite. The body of a deity,posed of the most wonderful substances in this world, felt incredibly smooth against Sterl''s hand and lips, quitefortable.


    However, it was only after he finished that he realized something.


    Wait a minute... Gloria didn''t resist at all... No, that''s not right. If this goddess had resisted, she could have obliterated Sterl in an instant. It''s more like...


    "She didn''t mind my offense at all."


    Sterl was dumbfounded.


    At the same time, countless yers present were also dumbfounded.


    Especially Osmond and a group of people whose attention had originally been on him and the God of Trade, their expressions turned strange.


    No way...


    Even someone with a god as their biological father didn''t get this treatment.


    The God of Trade merely nodded at Osmond from a distance, and that was it, not even a word of concern.


    Of course, that made sense, considering gods likely had more than one descendant, possibly hundreds or even thousands.


    But this Gloria, with this "David," was all about soft-spokenfort and intimate interactions.


    Everyone was dumbfounded!


    Are you secretly the goddess''s son or something...?


    No, no way!


    Even her own children wouldn''t get this treatment!


    Who exactly are you, "David"??


    Everyone had a weird expression, especially many male yers who were almost about to cry with envy...


    Gloria''s beauty, enhanced by Divine Power, had an enchanting effect even with just a nce, and her strength as a goddess made her unattainable.


    Yet David could touch her so easily!


    Jealous!


    ...


    Of course, a few people in the crowd had different thoughts.


    Faye''s face instantly darkened. Usually, Felicia would advise her in her mind to be polite and respectful towards god-level entities, but now Felicia was pretending to be dead.


    So the girl could only maintain her low emotional intelligence and keep a dark face.


    Fortunately, Gloria noticed and shook her head with a bit of amusement.


    She was quite magnanimous towards "David''s" very talented young girlfriend.


    Meanwhile, among the gods, the elderly man in the dark purple robe watched thoughtfully.


    "Gloria''s weakness��"


    "I think I''ve found it."


    His divine authority over conspiracy allowed the old man to vaguely foresee something.


    He could see that Gloria''s concern for "David" was deeper than she let on.


    But at the moment...


    The old man merely squinted slightly, standing there with a seemingly kind and benevolent demeanor.


    After Gloria finished interacting with Sterl, she joined the other gods in looking at Willis''s subordinates.


    They were nowpletely bewildered.


    "Lord Gods, what do you want us to do?"


    "We will do whatever we can."


    "If... if it''s because we offended that person, we can take our own lives right now!"


    ...


    Many of them were yers, somitting suicide was just losing an ount and returning to reality as ordinary people.


    But falling into the hands of gods meant a much worse fate...


    Along with these words, other [Novices] couldn''t help but look at Sterl.


    Right!


    They had been overwhelmed by the gods'' arrival and Gloria''s excessive concern, overlooking one detail.


    Why had several deities suddenly gathered here?


    Why had they recaptured Willis''s subordinates?


    Could it all be because of this David? Does he really have such influence?


    Thinking of this, the yers looked at Sterl with newfound admiration!


    They realized there was a huge opportunity right next to them!


    Especially Osmond, who was the happiest. He felt his earlier disy of loyalty had paid off, and he was now at least half a friend to "David."


    Even though Osmond was the son of the God of Trade, that deity didn''t value him nearly as much as the Dark Moon Goddess valued David.


    "I just made a huge connection!"


    He almost couldn''t contain hisughter.


    Only Sterl himself didn''t think Gloria would value him that much, so he remained cautious, watching the deities'' expressions...


    Theoretically, two of the five gods were his enemies. When Sterl took the Newborn Sprout of Creation, he had gravely offended the God of Heaven Water and the Dark Moon Goddess!


    He was now worried that these five gods might have gathered to cause him trouble.


    Fortunately...


    Everyone''s guesses were wrong.


    After calming "David," Gloria spoke up: "You all may leave for now."


    She then addressed Sterl: "You recently killed a legend. The Hall of Valor holds you in high regard and might open the extreme trial mode for you."


    "I rmend you try it. In extreme mode, if you fail the trial, you can use the token I gave you earlier to save your life. By offering another token, you can gain a new trial opportunity."


    "And if you pass the extreme trial, you''ll gain immense rewards."


    Gloria didn''t avoid speaking in front of others, as only "David" could likely unlock the extreme mode.


    The goddess then went on to educate the other yers.


    "You can stay in the Hall of Valor world for one day before the official trial begins. Use this time to prepare."


    With that, the deities gathered together again, and the yers, understanding the situation, began to disperse.


    Sterl and Faye blended into the crowd, quickly distancing themselves from the deities...


    However, Sterl left one of his avatars behind.


    Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner, a [Novice]''s figure disappeared, as Sterl had absorbed him into his small world.


    His avatar Nature, disguised as this [Novice], remained near the deities.


    Sterl''s n was clear.


    Without using his ascend to godhood ability, it would be difficult for an avatar to gather information because the deities could easily detect its presence.


    However, through the application of reverse thinking, Sterl hypothesized that the discovery of his avatar did not necessarily preclude the acquisition of intelligence. The rationale behind this hypothesis was, in fact, rather straightforward.


    He could disguise the avatar as a [Novice]. The deities would have two choices.


    First, they could eliminate the avatar. But Sterl''s avatar, disguised as another [Novice], would only reveal its properties, showing it was a skill-created entity.


    If the deities, out of arrogance, chose to ignore the avatar, Sterl felt he could gather a lot of information for free...


    It was a low-risk, high-reward gamble.


    And Sterl soon discovered his avatar wasn''t being dealt with, but he also realized why!


    Because he soon overheard an explosive piece of news!

 Chapter 186: Hunting a True God!?

    At this moment, Sterl''s avatar, disguised as a burly man with a full beard,y in the soil, listening to the distant conversation of the deities.


    Sure enough, he sensed that the avatar had been discovered, with an immensely powerful thought sweeping over him.


    But the deities couldn''t care less...


    They weren''t worried about any intelligence leaks; they had just wanted the yers to leave earlier to avoid them being directly killed by the aftermath.


    "Lords, what can we do for you?"


    Willis''s subordinates put on ttering smiles, desperately trying to secure a chance at survival.


    However, the deities present didn''t even bother to look at them.


    Do the thoughts of ants matter?


    The elderly God of Shadows and Conspiracy smiled and said, "Don''t be nervous, I just need to borrow something from you."


    "What a ssic plot development!" Sterl''s avatar transmitted the message, and his true self couldn''t help but mock in his mind.


    Clearly, Willis''s subordinates also knew what wasing.


    Typically, when someone says they want to borrow something in situations like this, it usually means they want your head.


    Facing the deities, they all unleashed their strongest skills, and after casting their abilities, they tried to tear open a teleport scroll to escape...


    However...


    Before the glow of their skills could even flicker at their fingertips, their movements were already frozen!


    Gloria took action, her Moon Law even freezing the thoughts of Willis''s subordinates.


    They were left dazed, suspended in mid-air.


    "Begin."


    "It''s rare to find those marked, and outside the Hall of Valor''s main hall, in this peripheral area, we stumbled upon them."


    "Let''s get this done quickly before anything changes."


    The old man spoke slowly.


    At this moment, the God of Trade and God of Heaven Water stepped forward.


    In their hands, they held strange sigils, and in an instant, Willis''s subordinates were covered in dark red patterns, their skin burning and dissolving...


    Eventually, their flesh eroded all the way to the bone, and they disintegrated into pools of blood, dying in a most gruesome manner.


    Thankfully, under the influence of Moon Law, they likely didn''t even realize they were dying...


    In a way, Willis''s subordinates'' final struggle ended up benefiting them.


    Within the pools of blood, faint dark purple sigils flickered.


    Although extremely tiny, practically unnoticeable to normal people...


    Sterl, having once ascended, could sense it keenly with his avatar. That was a trace of Divine Power.


    If the Divine Power Gloria had previously imnted into the yers during the Netherworldyout was quantified as 0.01 units, the Divine Power in the blood now was perhaps only one-thousandth or even one-ten-thousandth of that!


    As the deities continued their ritual, various spells were cast into the blood, and the blood kept being refined, ultimately emitting a blinding light!


    The light shot straight into the sky! The old man then fully activated his Divine Power, and the figures of the five deities vanished entirely...


    After a long time, a figure was summoned.


    "Who dares to break my contract?" The speaker was a middle-aged man dressed in magnificent robes.


    Sterl''s avatar recognized him as soon as he saw him: the God of Trade and Conspiracy.


    "Is there really a god like this? Both divine authorities are quite abstract, and his divine authority oveps with those of two gods in Gloria''s team..."


    Sterl''s true self pondered silently, sensing the information being transmitted back.


    As he walked with Faye, a group of yers surrounded them, ingratiating themselves.


    "Brother David, what''s your rtionship with the Dark Moon Goddess...?"


    "David...?"


    Sterl ignored thempletely, his mind focused on his avatar.


    "Mr. David, is something wrong?" Faye asked curiously, noticing Sterl''s slight stiffness and twitching face.


    "Nothing," Sterl replied dismissively.


    In reality, his avatar had just witnessed an unbelievable scene!


    The God of Trade and Conspiracy initially looked around casually.


    "Where is my contractor?"


    He was puzzled.


    This god had just received messages from marked "pigs" trying to break their contracts and felt a surge of his own Divine Power.


    He thought it was a cry for help from one of his demigod or legendary-level contractors, but upon arrival, found the areapletely empty.


    "Contractor?" Sterl sensed through his avatar, initially puzzled.


    If Willis were still alive and saw the God of Trade and Conspiracy, he would be terrified!


    This was his biggest creditor!


    The reason is somewhatplicated��


    Gods enhance their power by gathering faith, and the most perfect faith is rted to their divine authority. For example, Sterl''s divine authorities [Human] and [Nature] are quite advantageous.


    Creating humans in the mental realm to worship him aligns with the [Human] divine authority. Creating one after another through star-rted professions and arcane skills falls under the jurisdiction of the [Nature] divine authority. Thus, even though his power is weak, he umtes faith rapidly.


    As for the God of Trade and Conspiracy, his subordinates and followers need to practice both trade and conspiracy to align with his dual divine authorities.


    The end product is what''s widely known in the Hall of Valor and the surrounding continents as "Divine Assistance."


    Named assistance, but in reality, it''s high-interest loans, impossible to repay, forcing borrowers to offer everything as interest.


    Even family and friends of the debtors are implicated.


    Such outrageous high-interest loans require more than just legends and demigods to enforce; this god often has to take action personally.


    He even developed a method to subdivide Divine Power to the extreme.


    Marking debtors with a sigil, which spreads through contracts, guild rtions, marriage, and brotherhood ties.


    Not everyone qualifies for a sigil.


    But someone like Willis, who could survive in the Hall of Valor, certainly did. Consequently, his subordinates, through guild connections, also carried faint traces of the God of Trade and Conspiracy''s Divine Power.


    In theory, the source of Divine Assistance is this god.


    So, Willis''s biggest creditor is indeed the God of Trade and Conspiracy.


    And because Willis''s subordinates have the Divine Power mark of the God of Trade and Conspiracy.


    This led to this group being targeted by thebination of the five deities.


    The reason it was them is simply because Willis and his group happened to encounter the five deities shortly after their n began...


    Sterl didn''t know all this information; he was just shocked to see.


    The five deities reappeared, working together to raise a grand formationposed of multiple Divine Powers,pletely sealing the surrounding space!


    At this moment, the entire world seemed to be covered by ayer of frosted ss...


    "You all..."


    The God of Trade and Conspiracy was horrified, turning into a dark light to try and escape.


    But how could he evade a formation set by several deities working together??


    The dark light darted in all directions but found the space for free movement shrinking under the formation''s control.


    The God of Shadows and Conspiracy sneered, "With your strength, you can''t guard these two divine authorities."


    Gloria said coldly, "ording to the rules, the first kill''s spoils, the two divine authorities will be shared by Vorster and Faustus."


    "All remaining resources will be divided among the three of us, and you two must eachpensate us with 100 years'' worth of condensed Divine Power or condensed faith."


    "Additionally, the next shadow divine authority will go to me first."


    Vorster, the God of Trade, and Faustus, the God of Shadows and Conspiracy.


    The two deities grinned upon hearing this.


    "No problem!"


    "No problem!"


    They were excited.


    For deities, there is no more efficient way to grow stronger than absorbing the same type of divine authority!


    Not only can they obtain simr Divine Power that is easy to refine with minimal loss, but they can also enhance the strength of their own divine authority!


    Theoretically, the strength of a divine authority is fixed at the moment of ascension.


    For instance, Gloria''s [shadow] is slightly weaker than Faustus''s [shadow].


    But if the Dark Moon Goddess could absorb the shadow divine authority left by other fallen deities, she would have a chance to surpass Faustus.


    "You crazy fools. How dare you attack me in the Hall of Valor!"


    "We clearly agreed that after joining the Hall of Valor, all conflicts would cease!"


    The forcibly summoned God of Trade and Conspiracy looked extremely grim.


    At this moment, he had lost all divine dignity andposure, only thinking about fleeing in panic.


    However, Faustus merely snorted, "Rules? The Hall of Valor''s rules only protect the heroic spirits."


    "We gods have no such protection."


    "The so-called agreement... only works in peaceful times."


    "With the great cmity approaching, who isn''t eager to strengthen themselves?"


    "Have you been living toofortably?"


    "Did you really think that joining the Hall of Valor meant you could sit back and rx??"


    In the next second, the five deities attacked together!


    Sterl realized that his avatar was instantly disconnected, seemingly crushed by an immensely powerful force. Although an avatar''s death doesn''t usually affect the true self, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his brain.


    "What''s wrong?" Once again, Faye keenly noticed Mr. "David''s" abnormality.


    Sterl was about to say it was nothing, but suddenly noticed the entire group looking in the direction they were walking towards��


    The very spot where Sterl''s avatar had been hiding.


    The ce where the five deities jointly hunted another deity!


    The novices were dumbfounded.

 Chapter 187: The Fall of a God, All Things Wail!

    The ce where everyone was gazing was initially empty, utterly tranquil, without any ripples.


    Yet, people instinctively felt a sense of unease and sorrow, putting down what they were doing to look in that direction.


    "What''s happening over there?"


    "What''s going on?"


    "What are we doing here?"


    ...


    Many vignt yers looked around, feeling a sense of panic.


    Only Sterl remained rtively calm; he had a rough idea of what was happening.


    Earlier, his avatar was almost crushed by the Divine Power collisions of six gods!


    Even now, his forehead throbbed faintly.


    Moreover, based on the information transmitted by his avatar before its demise, Sterl realized that Gloria and the others... the gods, were hunting other gods!


    They seemed to be targeting the divine authorities of [Trade] and [Conspiracy] from the summoned god.


    At this moment, Sterl had already drawn several conclusions. It''s known that demigods can kill other demigods with the same Law Power to quickly strengthen their own Law Power. Based on Gloria and her group''s actions, it''s evident that gods can also hunt each other and absorb the same divine authority to rapidly increase their strength.


    What made Sterl frown even more was what the elder named Faustus had said.


    The Hall of Valor itself has no protective measures, but the gods who joined the Hall of Valor had a private pact promising not to harm each other.


    This pact must have existed for a long time; otherwise, the god of Trade and Conspiracy wouldn''t have been so unguarded when summoned.


    Now, Gloria and herpanions, in their urgent quest to increase their power to face a future great cmity, chose to break the pact and attack other gods.


    Clearly, this cmity is no small matter!


    The pact of non-aggression protected not just the weaker gods but all gods. Gloria''s small group was obviously not the most powerful within the Hall of Valor. With the pact broken, they too could be hunted by stronger entities.


    "What exactly is this great cmity?" Sterl frowned. If even gods were worried about it, facing such a cmity with his current power might turn him to dust in an instant.


    "I need to elerate my power growth," he pondered.


    Sterl could onlyfort himself, thinking that in the gods'' perception of time, the impending cmity might still be decades or centuries away, giving him a chance to develop...


    As for the drastic changes in the direction where the [Novice]s hade from, Sterl had already made a guess��


    It was likely that the struggle among the gods had already reached a conclusion!!


    Most probably, the fall of the god of Trade and Conspiracy!


    Sure enough, about ten secondster, an extremely mournful wail suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth.


    The wail didn''t sound like it came from any person or creature; it was as if the world itself was crying out.


    Everyone who heard this wail couldn''t help but shed two lines of tears in empathy.


    Only Sterl, who had once ascended to godhood, had some resistance to it, but he also pretended to squeeze out a few tears.


    Then the entire world plunged into darkness, and a rumbling sound came from the ground, as if something had fallen to earth.


    Then, all yers felt a wave of air sweeping over them, causing their various belongings and coins to jingle crisply. Sterl noticed that Osmond, who was also crying along with the other yers, suddenly realized something and frantically pulled out various gold coins and purple gold coins from his inventory.


    Hesitating for a moment, Sterl decided to mimic Osmond''s actions, taking out all his remaining purple gold coins frompleting the second ss ceremony.


    In that strange shockwave, all the purple gold coins generated a new attribute.


    [Essence of Trade (Divine Relic)]


    [Description: Equivalent to a purple gold coin.]


    [Effect: You can use this coin to forcibly purchase anything, including but not limited to enemy or ally skills, life force, stamina, endurance, equipment...]


    At first, Sterl didn''t understand what Essence of Trade meant.


    It took him a moment to react.


    "Forcibly purchase??"


    "So, duringbat, I can use this thing to trade for my opponent''s life force and directly kill them??"


    Sterl sensed the purple gold coins in his hand, his face filled with shock!


    What a terrifying ability!


    He could already imagine the absurd scenarios of using these Essences of Trade in battle, purchasing the opponent''s skill usage rights and rendering their ultimate moves useless.


    Buying the opponent''s equipment, forcing theirbat power to plummet!


    "Indeed, it seems the gods of Trade and Conspiracy have fallen."


    "The concept of Trade is spreading everywhere."


    Sterl half-guessing, half-sensing through Moon Law and his previous ascension to godhood, learned the truth.


    "Then what about the divine authority of Conspiracy after the god''s fall?" But he quickly had a new question.


    And this question was soon answered.


    He suddenly sensed a surge of malice within himself, making him feel an urge to harm everything around him and a desire to scheme against others...


    Sterl could feel that if he sessfully used Conspiracy to harm others, he would receive considerable power in return, gaining attribute points and arge amount of experience.


    At the same time, Sterl noticed that the entire surrounding area, though unchanged in scenery, felt a shade darker, extremely oppressive, like a precursor to something terrifying...


    He heard the sound of grass being trampled and the heavy breathing of living creatures.


    He realized that everyone around had strange expressions, clearly affected by this peculiar power...


    When the god of Trade''s divine authority fell, it brought arge blessing.


    But when the god of Conspiracy''s divine authority fell, it brought a curse, as it was inherently a negative divine authority.


    Sterl keenly observed that it wasn''t just this generation of [Novice]s being affected but countless lives over a vast area.


    This included some wild monsters and bosses. Although he didn''t know what these creatures influenced by [Conspiracy] would do, Sterl instinctively felt his scalp tingle.


    Because in the world of the Hall of Valor, there theoretically existed legendary and demigod-level bosses, monsters of such strength with life force and attributes enhanced by the boss panel, making them very difficult for Sterl to deal with.


    He knew he couldn''t stay nearby any longer and had to escape quickly.


    Sterl looked into the distance.


    He wasn''t sure if the phenomenon of divine authority energy spreading was a natural urrence after a god''s death or if it happened because Gloria''s team didn''tpletely absorb the Divine Power after killing the gods of Trade and Conspiracy, causing it to disperse.


    Sterl leaned towards the former; the earlier wail that seemed toe from the entire [Transcendence] world couldn''t be faked.


    "So, every god''s fall means the heavens change color, and the whole world mourns," Sterl concluded, which wasn''t very useful.


    Then, he nced at Faye, who had a twisted expression beside him...


    Sterl resisted the urge to cast Purification Ripple.


    That move could likely counteract the influence of Conspiracy''s divine authority, but the problem was that Gloria was still nearby, and Sterl didn''t want to risk it.


    He just grabbed Faye and quickly activated teleportation and Bloody Rush, sprinting for several minutes before throwing the girl into a tree hollow in a dense forest.


    "Now it''s up to your own willpower."


    Sterl left without looking back. Theoretically, Conspiracy''s divine authority had both advantages and disadvantages. Those with weak wills would be consumed and lose themselves, but those who could resist its temptation might find an opportunity to use the lingering power to scheme against their enemies for rewards.


    The previous location had too many affected creatures and monsters, so he couldn''t stay there long.


    Sterl left Faye in a secluded spot, knowing she would eventually recover.


    Afterward, Sterl himself hid near a small hut by an unknownke in the Hall of Valor.


    "Never mind all that, time to train!"


    He knew the official [Trial] would begin in less than a day, so Sterl unhesitatingly started a closed-door training session to continue refining his experience.


    Soon, as he meditated, more stars were created within him and cast into the starry sea.


    Sterl''s level soared rapidly!


    At this moment, he realized the benefits of the Hall of Valor. The world''s vital energy here was over a hundred times richer than the outside, allowing Sterl to refine his experience more efficiently through arcane skill boosts.


    Additionally, the abundant vital energy provided an extra experience bonus during training, so Sterl''s leveling speed far outpaced the outside world.


    In just one day, Sterl jumped to level 73!


    And he still had two levels'' worth of experience in his experience bar, which, given the training efficiency in the Hall of Valor, was enough to nearly reach level 77.


    "Not bad, soon I''ll reach third ss," Sterl nodded in satisfaction.


    The third ss stage was a transitional phase to legendary status, offering only an increase in level cap. But after reaching third ss, Sterl could draw rewards from the dimensional visitor and unlock new deputy star positions, providing much higher benefits than most.


    Moreover, he wielded Law Power, but his attributes were still below those of true demigods, so his offensive and defensive capabilities weren''t very strong.


    For Sterl, quickly leveling up was the most cost-effective and convenient way to boost his power.


    After a day''s training, he alsopleted an attribute allocation��

 Chapter 188: Fate Token

    At this moment, Sterl was tossing a radiant golden die in his hand, each of its six faces engraved with intricate runes and emitting a faint golden aura.


    The die''s attributes also appeared.


    [Fate Token (Divine Relic)]


    [Description: A creation left behind after the fall of the god who held dual divine authority over Fate and Trade. It was born due to [Error] [Unknown Error Data]...]


    [Effect: Equivalent to the Essence of Trade. Additionally, you can use this item to activate [Fate Exchange: Initiate a special trade with fate, consuming this token, and then choose one of the following effects to activate��


    Increase the probability of a specific event to 100%.


    After defeating a specific monster or yer, change the drop rate of a particr item to 100%.


    For a period of time, the trigger probability of your probability-based skills bes 100%.


    You can select any target or entity that involves probability or luck and increase a specific probability to 100%.]


    [Note: The greater the fate involved in the probability change, the more Fate Tokens will be consumed. The fourth special effect, due to its high degree of freedom, will consume additional Fate Tokens.]


    "Not bad, the divine relic''s added effect is really strong!"


    Sterl was in a great mood,menting on the [Fate Token].


    This thing was something he got by adding points to the Essence of Trade.


    Sterl initially didn''t expect that creations left behind after a god''s fall could also be enhanced.


    Of course, when he added points, he saw the dazzling rainbow light of reshaping.


    It was clear that he could add points to the [Essence of Trade] thanks to his cheat''s advanced forced enhancement.


    And the [Fate Token]''s effect was incredibly powerful!


    Firstly, being equivalent to the Essence of Trade meant that the Fate Token could still allow Sterl to forcefully buy and sell in battle, ensuring the item''s baseline utility.


    And the new ability [Fate Exchange] was even more practical.


    It could turn probability events into certainties!


    For example, entering a specific map or instance, or triggering a boss spawn...


    Sterl could use the Fate Token to guarantee these events.


    Additionally, the ability to make enemy yers or bosses drop specific items would drive countless yers crazy!


    Sterl had heard that some powerful bosses could drop extremely rare skills, equipment, and items, but these drops were highly random unless it was a first-time kill.


    Simrly, some yers carried incredibly precious treasures, but others dared not attack them because even killing them might not guarantee the treasure would drop; it could be reimed by [Transcendence].


    However, Sterl could use the Fate Token to reliably obtain desired items, and he had a hunch he could get a lot of valuable stuff with it!


    Then, the third special effect amplified probability-based skills, which Sterl didn''t have yet, but he could acquire themter, either by learning them himself or using the primary star and deputy star features.


    As for the fourth special effect, it initially puzzled Sterl, but he quickly understood��it meant that any probability event could be altered by trading enough Fate Tokens to rewrite the probability.


    For example, he immediately thought of a use��


    SterlStar Radiance Dragon''s [Infinite Evolution] only has a 1/3 chance of triggering, and even when it does, there''s only a small chance of drawing those powerful abilities from boss units. More often than not, defeating a strong boss would result in drawing a useless ability.


    After all, the stronger the boss, the more varied its abilities.


    But with the [Fate Token], Sterl could choose the specific boss ability to absorb, making the probability of absorbing a particr ability 100%.


    As Sterl held the Fate Token and sensed its power, he realized that even though the fourth special effect of [Fate Exchange] consumed double the fate power, it would only take one token to select an ability from bosses below god-level for Infinite Evolution.


    "Good!" Sterl''s mood improved further. However, he also regretted counting the remaining [Essence of Trade] he had. Aside from the one that evolved into the Fate Token, he only had fifteen left.


    When the divine authority of Trade was dissipating, Sterl had tried to gather as many purple coins as possible, but the divine authority spread too widely and was severely diluted.


    Sterl only had sixteen purple coins in total, imbued with divine power.


    "I''ll have to use them sparingly," he thought.


    Originally, he intended to use the [Essence of Trade] as a trump card in battles, but now Sterl was reluctant to spend them that way. Using them for point additions and evolutions, obtaining rare items, and elerating his growth was the prudent path!


    Sterl toyed with the Fate Token for a few more seconds before storing it in his small world.


    He already had a n for using this item.


    Following Gloria''s suggestion, Sterl was preparing to participate in the extreme trial of the Hall of Valor.


    Although he didn''t know the exact nature of the trial,


    In [Transcendence], trials or tests usually involved either PvP against other yers or PvE monster and boss fights.


    If it was thetter, given the difficulty of the extreme trial, it was very likely that an extremely powerful boss would appear, perfect for Sterl to use [Fate Exchange], either to select a boss ability to absorb through Infinite Evolution or to choose a boss drop.


    So now, Sterl needed to prepare.


    He nned to wander around the world of the Hall of Valor to put Star Radiance Dragon''s Infinite Evolution in a guaranteed state (the next boss would definitely trigger the ability absorption).


    Otherwise, Sterl would have to use two Fate Tokens��one to trigger Infinite Evolution and one to select the ability, which seemed wasteful.


    Soon, after sensing his surroundings, he sped off towards the northwest, activating Divine me Frenzy.


    ...


    Boom!


    Amidst the zing mes!


    In the sky, a giant dragon with a massive wingspan was roasted by rainbow-colored fire, wailing as it plummeted to the ground.


    By the time it hit the ground, it had already turned into a skeleton!


    Afterward, Sterl, shrouded in seven-colored divine mes, slowly descended.


    He didn''t even bother to look at the few second-ss tinum items the boss had dropped, casually picking them up and tossing them into his small world.


    Sterl turned to look at Star Radiance Dragon, nervously checking the attribute panel.


    "No new skill!"


    Sterl let out a sigh of relief.


    "Not bad, I knew my luck couldn''t be that terrible!"


    He looked somewhat exasperated.


    To get Star Radiance Dragon''s Infinite Evolution into a "guaranteed next trigger" state, Sterl farmed over 10 bosses, all second to third-ss trash.


    And guess what...


    Almost every two bosses gave an ability, forcing Star Radiance Dragon to acquire��


    "Strength +10."


    "Flight speed increased by 15%."


    "Fire magic damage reduction by 10%."


    "Digestion ability increased by 20%."


    "Agility +5."


    A total of 5 abilities. Notpletely useless, but practically negligible in effect, and they kept Star Radiance Dragon''s Infinite Evolution from hitting the "guaranteed" state.


    Luckily, this wyvern and the previous boss didn''t yield any abilities, allowing Sterl to finally smile.


    He was now ready to attempt the trial and use the Fate Token to draw a super-strong ability.


    "Even if there are no bosses in the trial, the Hall of Valor''s wild areas have plenty of legendary boss auras. I can wait until my strength increases a bit more and then trigger Infinite Evolution with a guaranteed boss."


    Sterl muttered to himself.


    Meanwhile, Star Radiance Dragon reverted to its smaller form, yfully biting its owner''s finger.


    At this moment, a notification appeared before Sterl��


    [Strong warrior from a distant world, please ept the trial and be a heroic spirit!]


    The grand voice made Sterl''s heart tremble, leaving him unsettled for a long time.


    Then, another notification popped up��


    [Based on your previous performance: over-level killing of a legendary unit, you have qualified for the extreme trial. In this Hall of Valor trial, you can choose to participate in either the ordinary trial or the extreme trial.]


    Sterl didn''t think much about it and confirmed the details. The extreme trial indeed allowed the use of the Hall of Valor token for protection and provided the option to restart the trial by paying a second token.


    So, he decisively chose the extreme trial.


    A light screen appeared before Sterl again.


    It disyed a grand painting featuring various figures: heavily armored warriors, robe-d mages, agile archers hiding among trees...


    It had an air of a fantasy novel cover.


    Below were the subtitles.


    [Extreme trial initiated. This trial requires matching with a stronger unit; please wait.]


    [Estimated wait time: three years and seventeen days (this is the average matching time for the extreme trial).]


    "???" Sterl was speechless.


    Seriously, I have to wait three years??


    Will the Hall of Valor even let me stay for three years??


    However, Sterl had misunderstood, as another notification swiftly updated.


    [Your potential is sufficient. Before the extreme trial begins, you may directly enter the Hall of Valor as a full member.]


    "Quite generous, huh?"


    Sterl was a bit speechless.


    He realized that it wasn''t Gloria tricking him. For the goddess, a century was just a blink of an eye, let alone a mere three years...


    And for normal yers, three years would only see slight level improvements, making that time rtively insignificant.


    But how could Sterl ept that?


    Three years?


    By then, he might not even need the extreme trial''s rewards...


    Might as well go for the ordinary trial and get the rewards immediately.


    Sterl decisively chose to cancel the matching!


    But before his finger could touch the screen...


    A new message appeared before Sterl��


    [Congrattions, you havepleted the match!]

 Chapter 189: Devourer of All Things (Simulacrum)

    Huh?


    Sterl was taken aback.


    [Teleportation is now starting!]


    The message changed again. Before Sterl could react, a vortex appeared in front of him, quickly sucking him in.


    ...


    Sterl felt himself instantly transported to an ind.


    He could hear the sound of waves crashing and smell the salty sea air.


    The ind''s scenery was quite nice, with many tall coconut trees and a distant coastline that looked like a translucent white line. This ce seemed more like a vacation paradise than a trial ground.


    Sterl opened his mini-map and found himself in the [Hall of Valor Simted World (A2 Zone)].


    The map only showed information about this ind, with the surrounding areas marked in dark purple, suggesting the edges of the simted world.


    Sterl meticulously studied the map, uncovering the overallyout of the ind. ording to the map, the ind was divided into four major zonesbeled A, B, C, and D, with each major zone further subdivided into 1 to 5 smaller sectors.


    If each zone had the same number of people...


    "That''s 1000 people?"


    "No wonder it takes three years to match."


    Sterl pondered. Killing a legendary unit was required to qualify for the extreme trial.


    Legendaries had a massive advantage over third-ss units, and even with the Hall of Valor gathering talents from multiple continents, it was tough to find 1000 people.


    "Maybe I was just lucky, joining the queue right before it was about to bepleted?"


    As Sterl thought this, he suddenly heard murmurs around him.


    "Wasn''t I dead? How am I here?"


    "Where is this ce? I remember being crushed by that boss..."


    "Weren''t we wiped out? Why am I the only one here? Abraham! Amanda! Where are you?"


    "Is this heaven or hell?"


    "Why was I teleported here? And what''s this about some ancient family contract? What''s going on?"


    ...


    Everyone was in a state of bewilderment and chaos. Some individuals nced around, hoping to glean useful information from the mouths of others.


    Listening to them, Sterl realized none of these people had entered the Hall of Valor for a trial in the proper way.


    They were all thrown in here for various reasons: some died and ended up here, others were bound by some weird contract...


    Around 50 "people" (including different races), and Sterl was the only one who entered this map through legitimate means.


    Sterl frowned slightly and used Star Insight to scan.


    Sure enough, everyone had at least an S-ss profession and S-ss talent, with some even having dual S-ss talents or professions, making them top-tier geniuses.


    Moreover, all of them were max-level third-ss, on the verge of breaking into legendary status. Each had golden skills with considerable investment in legend points, making them formidable inbat.


    Judging by their appearances, they were also quite young.


    Sterl felt it was reasonable for these people to have the ability to challenge legendaries and be selected for the extreme trial.


    Everything seemed logical, except for the fact they hadn''t voluntarily signed up for the extreme trial.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel suspicious, "Did I get matched so quickly because of timing, or is the Hall of Valor randomly pulling people in now?"


    He noted that those who said they were summoned by ancient family contracts seemed clueless about the extreme trial.


    This suggested that such teleportations had never happened before.


    Alternatively, those teleported might have been unable to ry information back.


    Both scenarios were possible, but the likelihood of teleportations never happening before seemed higher. If families had people continuously disappearing, it would raise suspicion, and those summoned would likely have been prepared.


    "So, the extreme trial filling up so quickly��is it because the Hall of Valor is randomly pulling people in? Including the dead and family heirs bound by ancient contracts?"


    Sterl pondered. Ever since Gloria and the other deities appeared, he felt he had touched upon some hidden secrets of this world.


    "Cataclysm?"


    The word shed in his mind.


    Could it be that some impending disaster was causing the Hall of Valor''s unusual behavior?


    Sterl had his doubts.


    Unfortunately, at this stage, he couldn''t do anything but focus onpleting the trial and earning some rewards.


    While Sterl was deep in thought, the initially chaotic crowd began to settle down.


    These were all top-tier geniuses, strong and experienced. They quickly calmed down and assessed the situation.


    Many of these geniuses knew of the Hall of Valor and pieced together the truth from the hints.


    "So, we''ve been pulled into this extreme trial by the Hall of Valor?"


    "Complete the trial, and we get great rewards. Fail, and we die here???"


    Someone muttered.


    The other geniuses had varied reactions.


    "Whatever the case, at least it brought me back from death. A trial? I''m in!"


    "I didn''t expect to get another chance at life..."


    "A trial, how interesting..."


    "Maybe this is my chance to be even stronger."


    ...


    Those who had died and were brought here felt grateful. The Hall of Valor had given them another shot at survival, so they had no objections to the trial.


    The ones forcibly summoned were also excited.


    They were "geniuses," used to oveing challenges and doing extraordinary things, growing rapidly.


    Facing a high-difficulty challenge aligned with their instincts, they were far from panicked and instead felt thrilled.


    As the group discussed, Sterl loudly imed that he too had been teleported after dying, blending into the crowd.


    Then, they began to discuss��


    "This ce looks pretty safe. It''s called the extreme trial, so it should be tough, right? But I can''t see what''s so difficult about it yet."


    People chatted, their expressions rxed.


    Some people who already knew about the Hall of Valor began to exin, "Actually, my family had nned for me to enter the Hall of Valor, so I know a bit about it."


    "Generally, the Hall of Valor''s standard trials gather many yers and force them to face a boss in a world they can''t escape from."


    "The boss''s strength is set based on the strongest yers gathered."


    "In theory, even the strongest yersbined with others can''t defeat the boss, forcing them to break their limits and counterattack!"


    "However, the difficulty of breaking through isn''t very high."


    "It could be a breakthrough in individualbat ability or in yers'' cooperative skills."


    "And the boss will prioritize hunting down the weakest yers first."


    "The strongest yers have plenty of time to train themselves."


    "But, if the yers'' talents aren''t enough to break their limits, they all die."


    As the exnation continued, Sterl finally understood why the demigod had told him he''d meet the Dark Moon Alliance yers again when taking him off the rainbow ship.


    The reason was simple. In a standard trial, those yers would act as cannon fodder, sacrificing their lives to buy time for Sterl and the other top-tier yers to develop.


    "I just wonder what the extreme trial''s situation will be like..." As someone voiced this thought.


    Suddenly, the sky changed color!


    A notification popped up in all yers'' retinas.


    [Gifted warriors from another world, struggle!]


    [Enemy: Devourer of All Things (Simcrum) has descended in A2 Zone (the strongest yer zone).]


    [Note: The rules for this trial are the same as the standard trial. Push your limits as much as possible.]


    "Huh??"


    "We''re the strongest?"


    "Great, I''m very satisfied with that evaluation." Many yers were not surprised but rather delighted and even proud.


    Only Sterl''s expression changed, looking grim.


    The Hall of Valor''s trial rules were very targeted at him! Because he relied on his overpoweredbat abilities to steamroll through, and now they were creating an enemy stronger than him??


    Damn!


    Sterl''s heart was racing. Knowing that the Hall of Valor was created by a great Divine Power, his trump cards, except his cheat abilities, were probably all analyzed.


    This meant the Devourer of All Things would likely be created based on Sterl''s maximum strength.


    "Fine, testing my breakthrough ability, huh?"


    "With my cheat abilities, breaking limits is the least of my worries."


    He wasn''tcking in confidence.


    Sterl''s real concern was the Hall of Valor revealing his trump cards.


    But after some thought, he calmed down.


    Sterl perceived that the intrinsic will of the Hall of Valor bore a striking resemnce to the titan within the consciousness space employed by the Divine Mountain Empire, devoid of subjective biases or preferences. Thus, his revtion of his trump cards seemed inconsequential.


    Moreover, being a creation of a great Divine Power, the Hall of Valor should not be entirely susceptible to the dominion of ordinary deities...


    Sterl deemed this exposure to be of little consequence...


    However, he cast a nce of pity towards the nearby yers.


    These individuals, currently basking in a state of tion, remained blissfully ignorant of the impending horror they were about to confront.


    At that very moment, the sky underwent a dramatic transformation. Bolts of lightning began to descend upon the once clear ind, and a pure ck void started to expand rapidly from the size of a mere grain of rice.

 Chapter 190: The Strange and Terrifying BOSS

    Faced with the violent and surging aura, the yers who had been wearing smug expressions a moment ago immediately became vignt.


    None of them were inexperienced.Confidence was one thing, but they also possessed highbat skills.


    "Will the boss emerge from that ck hole?" someone murmured.


    "Everyone, prepare for battle!"


    "Follow mymand!"


    "I''ve led severalrge-scale boss raids before. My main ss is Radiant Hero."


    "My profession is of S-rank, with extremely strong defensive and damage reduction capabilities. Priests, prioritize healing me!"


    Quickly, a handsome young man in blue full-body armor took the lead, charging to the front of the formation. With practiced ease, he downed several potions, preemptively storing life force.


    In short, he was professional!


    Other yers, however, sneered.


    "What''s so great about an S-rank profession?"


    "Command authority? Why should we follow your lead?"


    "Damn it! He beat us to it!"


    These proud and talented individuals were not pleased with this setup.


    But despite their dissatisfaction, they knew the boss was about to appear, and ording to the intel, this extreme trial was highly difficult��the boss was expected to be very strong!


    It was not the time for reckless fighting or vying formand.


    So, they cursed under their breath but moved swiftly and efficiently.


    Other melee professionals moved to the front, and within seconds, the fifty-plus yers formed their lineup.


    The formation was arranged in order of tanks, warriors, assassins, mages, and priests, with those further back being farther from the boss.


    Sterl, after some thought, unhesitatingly joined the mage team.


    At the same time, he looked at this orderly scene with some confusion��


    He knew that fighting a boss required a high level of yer coordination and skill. Many teams that got wiped out by bosses did so not because they couldn''t handle the boss itself, but because of a weak link within the team.


    But here, the genius yers were all highly skilled. In a boss fight, they could definitelypensate for any massive attribute disadvantages, leaving no weak links.


    So, how strong must the uing boss be, for a team like this to struggle against it?


    Sterl didn''t wonder for long.


    Soon, to everyone''s surprise, no boss emerged from the ck hole.


    Instead, the ck hole itself kept expanding, eventually transforming into several seemingly pitch-ck spheres with shimmering, multicolored patterns.


    A medium-sized sphere formed the head, the giant ck hole body became the torso, and several smaller ck hole spheres connected to form the limbs.


    As soon as this monster appeared, the ck holes making up its body began to rapidly devour everything around them.


    The once clear skies, sunny weather, and beautiful ind scenery were now in ruins!


    Trees, vegetation, rocks, animals, and even the clouds on the horizon were sucked into the ck holes, twisted and consumed! Though it looked terrifying, the genius yers remained unfazed, having seen many grand scenes before.


    Meanwhile, Sterl habitually activated his Star Insight.


    He could only see question marks on the boss''s attribute panel, with just one name disyed: [Devourer of All Things (Simcrum)].


    The attribute gap was too vast to detect anything!


    "This BOSS is at least Legendary tier," Sterl thought cautiously, standing within the group.


    The yers present didn''t rush to attack. Instead, they wanted to observe the BOSS''s behavior and moves first, to better prepare for the fight. After all, the BOSS''s damage output was likely to be high, and any careless action could lead to death.


    The situation was a short stalemate for a few seconds. The BOSS itself didn''t show much aggression.Upon noticing the yers, it slowly approached. Everything around it was devoured, leaving behind barren ground and void.


    As a side note, after the ck hole had absorbed most of the ind''s surface, a faint shield effect appeared on the remaining bedrock. This shield was simr to the transparent barrier that had previously protected Sterl from Willis''s attack.


    It seemed the Hall of Valor had limited the passive absorption ability of this ck hole-like BOSS to prevent the entire ind from being devoured, leaving the yers without a foothold.


    The giant ck hole entity moved slowly, emitting a resonant sound as it progressed.


    Meanwhile, the yers were not idle. Various buff effects shimmered, raising theirbat power to a higher level.


    The BOSS drew near, and the front-line warriors and tanks were being pulled towards it due to its immense strength.


    Finally, someone took action. The Radiant Hero who had imedmand stepped forward, and a zing golden light ignited on his sword.


    In an instant, a light de several dozen meters long was shed out.


    Sterl, standing behind, recognized this as a golden skill with 8 legend points invested.


    However, when the light de struck the BOSS, it waspletely devoured instantly! All the yers, though unable to detect the Devourer of All Things'' specific attributes, could feel its life force remained undiminished.


    Clearly, this formidable golden skill had no effect!


    "This hard to beat?"


    "Interesting."


    "Everyone, test it with various elemental skills."


    ...


    Sterl was quite surprised. If it were his usual group of yers, facing such a tough BOSS, their morale would have plummeted.


    But this group of geniuses remained eager for battle, until��


    Boom!


    With a single punch, the Devourer of All Things shattered and absorbed a dozen tank warriors standing at the front.


    Except for a few who used teleportation skills to retreat to the backlines, the rest, whether they unleashed ultimate moves or erected protective barriers, met the same fate��utterly shredded by the "ck hole."


    The difference in strength among these yers only determined how many seconds theysted before being torn apart.


    Immediately, the entire crowd fell silent!


    Crushed!


    Utterly and effortlessly crushed!


    In just a moment, a dozen yers, each a peerless genius in their own right, were obliterated with ease!


    The devastation wasplete!


    At that moment, even the most confident geniuses turned pale and showed signs of panic.


    But at this moment, the formation surprisingly held firm. The mages and priests in the rear cast various elemental and purification spells, attempting to see if they could damage the boss.


    The result, however, was still extremely frustrating!


    The yers discovered a method to harm the boss. As countless skill effects exploded, the multicolored glow covering the ck holes thatposed the boss''s body gradually weakened.


    Everyone, seasoned monster hunters, understood that once the multicolored glow waspletely shattered, they might be able to truly damage the boss.


    Unfortunately, out of the original 50 yers��oh, now only 30-something remained��thebined effort only managed to reduce the multicolored glow by about two-thirds, still far fromplete destruction.


    As a result, all their skills were once again devoured by the Devourer of All Things.


    Some even felt that after consuming so many skills at once, the boss''s aura seemed to grow slightly stronger.


    "Roar!!!"


    The Devourer of All Things let out a roar. The barrage of attacks seemed to have activated it, transforming its movements from slow to extremely agile and sweeping.


    The boss charged madly at the yers! It didn''t use any fancy moves, just its own body to crash into everything!


    The problem was, anything that came into contact with the ck hole was instantly disintegrated!


    They couldn''t fight it at all!


    Formation coordination? Burst skills? Ultimate moves? All were meaningless.


    Thus, no matter how peerlessly talented the yers were, they could only crumble at a touch!


    One by one, they looked horrified: "How is this possible? Who can defeat such a boss?"


    "How can we win? Is there a special mechanic?"


    "The problem is, we get killed as soon as we make contact. Even if there is a mechanic, we can''t figure it out!"


    "It''s over! The more the Devourer of All Things devours skills and life, the stronger it seems to get!"


    "Stay away!!"


    ...


    The yers couldn''t help but scream and wail. Forget about their proud genius personas.Now they just wished they had more legs to run faster.


    However, the horror didn''t end there...


    Initially, the yers thought the Devourer of All Things had no special abilities, but after absorbing a substantial amount of energy, this ck hole-formed boss unleashed an extremely eerie shockwave.


    Many yers who had been preparing to flee had to stop and quickly activate their protective skills.


    However, what struck them as extremely bizarre was that the shockwave did not break anyone''s protective abilities. It merely pushed the yers a short distance away.


    Soon, everyone''s faces turned extremely pale as the same notification appeared before their eyes.


    [You are affected by Preying on Light Waves. All your teleportation skills are now unusable. All your healing skills are now unusable. All your protective skills are now unusable. Your movement speed is reduced by 30%.]


    [Duration: 180 seconds.]


    In that instant, the geniuses'' morale utterly copsed!


    What kind of boss is this? It even strips away the chance to escape.


    Who was the idiot that said the Hall of Valor''s trials force yers to break through inbat to seed? The problem is, it wipes us out right away!


    There''s no chance for any breakthroughs!


    Some frantically checked their panels, hoping for some additional help or hints from the Hall of Valor, as the current situation seemed unyable!


    But ultimately, they found nothing...


    No, not exactly nothing��there was still one sentence��


    [The true test of a hero is not in their strength, but in their perseverance.]


    A cryptic message, barely a constion, hung on their screens. The yers were left with the daunting realization that they were on their own, facing a seemingly invincible foe.

 Chapter 191: Sealing Legendary Abilities?

    System Notification:[Warning: The Devourer of All Things may appear in any unexpected ce and situation. yers, remain vignt.]


    That was the only message from the Hall of Valor.


    And then, nothing more!


    The boss is already in our faces, and you''re telling us it can appear unexpectedly anywhere...


    What''s the use of that information now?


    We need to escape its pursuit first, before worrying about avoiding surprise attacks from this boss!


    Every yer who saw the notification couldn''t help but curse aloud.


    Sterl also frowned slightly.


    Does this notification have any significance now? It''s only useful for those outside of Area A2.


    So, we''re just the unlucky ones who happened to run into it...


    "Wait? Unlucky ones?" Sterl realized something as he looked at the simted three words in the boss''s name. It dawned on him��


    Does this mean that in [Transcendence], yers could also randomly encounter this so-called Devourer of All Things?


    This notification isn''t meaningless.It''s informing yers of one of the boss''s characteristics!


    In a sh of insight, Sterl didn''t have time to think further.


    He could only run along with the other yers, all while mentally noting the boss''s key traits. First, the damage output needed to break the multicolored glow on the boss.Otherwise, all attacks would be absorbed by the Devourer of All Things'' ck hole-like body, strengthening it.


    Also, they must avoid its shockwave.


    If not, it''s not just about failing to escape��their movement skills would be sealed during the fight, greatly increasing the risk.


    As he pondered, the number of yers around him rapidly dwindled.


    The Devourer of All Things surged madly. Its body,posed of various spheres, now ttened against the ground, morphing into a form akin to a hunting leopard, charging forward.


    The boss then rampaged, crashing through everything.


    No fancy skills, just sheer speed and power,unching a furious assault!


    Yet, faced with such a simple attack method, the highly-skilled, resourceful genius yers found themselves utterly powerless.


    Sterl watched as the melee fighters ahead of him unleashed incredibly fierce attacks, only to be easily ughtered by the boss!


    No screams, no cries, no blood spilling��everything was swallowed by the ck holes.


    "It''s as if those yers werepletely erased from existence!"


    Sterl felt a chilling fear, watching the efficiency and cleanliness of the boss''s ughter.


    Sterl couldn''t help but marvel internally at the boss''s "efficient" and "clean" killing methods!


    At this point, with the front-line yers all dead, leaving nothing but the transparent shields of the Hall of Valor protecting the rocky ground,


    The Devourer of All Things grew even more formidable!


    The rear-line mages and priests were also in dire straits.


    "Get away!"


    A yer in a golden robe activated some unknown ability, his body engulfed in blood-red mes, forcibly transforming him from a young man to an emaciated, wrinkled old man.


    He then unleashed a bolt of lightning!


    The lightning was so brilliant that it illuminated the sky, which had turned a dark gray from the Devourer of All Things'' absorption.


    At the same time, the lightning struck the ground, enveloping the boss and producing a deafening explosion.


    All yers couldn''t help but turn their heads to look.


    Yet the lightning only managed to diminish about half of the multicolored glow on the Devourer of All Things. The boss''s movements merely slowed for a fraction of a second before resuming its assault.


    The mage who had unleashed the powerful lightning, now in a weakened state, couldn''t evade and was swiftly swallowed by the ck hole, turning to ashes in an instant��


    Immediately��


    Witnessing this, the mages and priests who had been considering using their trump cards to unleash high damage quickly abandoned such thoughts and fled.


    Not everyone could use a life-burning arcane skill like that mage.


    Others couldn''t produce such high damage outputs.Even if they teamed up, they might not be able to break the boss''s multicolored shield. So, they had no choice but to run!


    Unfortunately, mages and priests were inherently less agile than warriors and assassins. Meanwhile, the Devourer of All Things had grown much stronger by devouring numerous yers and skills.


    This disparity, coupled with theplete sealing of movement skills, made the remaining yers'' escape efforts highly inefficient.


    In fact, the Devourer of All Things could leisurely hunt them all down!


    Although the yers quickly realized this and tried to scatter in different directions,


    The Devourer of All Things, still in its leopard-like form, used its massive body to cover great distances with each charge.


    The yers'' attempts to disperse were quickly thwarted as they were picked off one by one.


    This also meant that Sterl, who initially blended in with the crowd, running while keeping an eye on the situation,


    Soon realized that the mages and priests were falling too quickly!


    Every second, a few unlucky ones were swallowed and shattered by the ck holes! Sterl suddenly stood out because, during the Devourer of All Things'' previous attack, several yers around him were instantly killed, yet he had effortlessly dodged the assault.


    However, he didn''t have to worry about revealing his strength.


    About 10 secondster, the boss targeted Sterl because�� all the other yers had perished.


    Sterl finally stopped running, standing still. The Devourer of All Things, seemingly devoid of consciousness, showed no emotion as it saw its final prey halt. It simply stretched its limbs, crouched low, and charged!


    Whoosh!!


    A terrifying gust and sonic boom followed.


    Sterl sidestepped slightly, narrowly dodging the pounce.


    The Devourer of All Things, having absorbed so much, had significantly enhanced its life force and abilities, no longer moving sluggishly as before.


    Sterl could only dodge the boss''s attacks when there was some distance between them.


    But now, having missed its mark, the Devourer of All Things agilely moved to block Sterl''s escape route, sealing off all exits.


    Its head''s ck hole shed with chaotic multicolored light, and the small ck holes forming its arms transformed into hammers, smashing down.


    Though the giant creature''s movements seemed slow, the moment it struck, the speed was as fast as a lightning bolt!


    Sterl instantly realized he couldn''t dodge!


    Of course... this was because he didn''t dodge immediately, instead choosing to wait until the boss attacked.


    At this moment, Sterl felt a certain deathly threat. He knew very well that if he were hit directly, he would have to use his resurrection armor or Protection Power to survive.


    With no movement skills avable, a sh of light crossed Sterl''s eyes, and he activated [Shadow Stealth].


    He wasn''t foolishly using a spatial skill that had been sealed. From the beginning, Sterl had sensed that legendary abilities were not within the Devourer of All Things'' sealing range. This wasn''t because the boss wasn''t strong enough, but because therge-scale sealing effect was undoubtedly weaker than a single-target seal.


    But to Sterl''s surprise, even Shadow Stealth didn''t work!


    He was a bit stunned and then realized that the boss''s power had likely increased after absorbing the other yers, enhancing the effect of its predatory waves.


    This is just unbeatable, Sterl couldn''t help but frown.


    The difficulty of this extreme trial seemed a bit exaggerated!


    yers initially couldn''t defeat this boss.They had to find ways to break through their own limits before they could have a chance to defeat the Devourer of All Things.


    But as the Devourer of All Things killed yers, it grew stronger. Given this disparity, yers might not even break through before the boss became invincible!


    Sterl now thought he might have to use a Hall of Valor token to ensure he could return to the Hall of Valor alive after failing the trial.


    Unless he ascended to godhood!


    But Sterl didn''t have much Divine Power needed for godhood left and didn''t want to waste his trump card.


    However,pared to other teleportation and Bloody Rush skills, the seal on legendary abilities could be broken! As long as he infused Stardust, he could forcibly use them.


    Sterl rxed slightly. It seemed that the Devourer of All Things'' power growth wasn''t as outrageous as he had thought...


    Without any hesitation, he threw in Stardust and activated the enhanced [Shadow Stealth], instantly entering the shadow world.


    Boom!


    Apanied by a violent tremor, the Devourer of All Things punched the ground protected by the Hall of Valor''s transparent shield.


    The boss then noticed its opponent had suddenly vanished. Without pondering why, it stood dumbly, sensing around. It seemed to confirm the presence of a living being in a certain direction and slowly began to move there.


    Clearly, it was about to leave Area A2.


    One second...


    Two seconds...


    Sterl suddenly reappeared, standing on the ck hole that represented the Devourer of All Things'' brain. Without hesitation, he condensed his star power into a liquid form.


    He invoked thew of [Flowing Water]!


    At this moment, Sterl also discovered [Flowing Water]''s w. While most enemies, even deities, contained liquid within their bodies, the Devourer of All Things was constructed from miracle energy fields simr to ck holes, with no liquid inside!


    The de formed by [Flowing Water] now carried a faint shadow aura, amplifying the power of this move.


    Incidentally, the enhancement from legendary abilities significantly weakened the power ofws.


    This is amon rule in [Transcendence]. Unless specifically stated in the skill description, golden-quality skills have diminished amplification effects on legendary abilities.

 Chapter 192: Even Law Power Cant Hurt It??

    Additionally, the amplification abilities of legendary powers are somewhat diminished when applied to tinum-level abilities and Law Power.


    tinum-level abilities and Law Power, in turn, have a severely reduced amplification effect on Divine Power, almost negligible. This is why the gap between a god and a demigod is like a chasm, even greater than the gap between an ordinary person and a demigod!


    This is because Divine Power, as a higher-tier force, is exponentially more powerful than any power yers had in their previous states!


    Therefore, Sterl''s trump card "ascend to godhood" could potentially help him ovee any obstacle.


    Conversely, when he cannot "ascend to godhood," he is utterly powerless against god-level beings, like an ant.


    Back to the main point.


    At this moment, the Shadow Stealth''s enhancement to [Flowing Water] could only boost its output by around 40%, and Sterl had already plunged his de into the Devourer of All Things'' body!


    Apanied by a bizarre sound, Sterl noticed that Law Power didn''t seem to be getting devoured by the Devourer of All Things.


    Or rather, he could sense that the Flowing Waterw was being devoured, but the boss''s legendary-level power couldn''t manage it, merely absorbing it in vain...


    However, the enhancement effect provided by Shadow Stealth was easily drained by the boss.


    "Devourer of All Things, could it indeed devour everything?"


    "If its level is strong enough, could it even refine Law Power and Divine Power?" Sterl couldn''t help but feel a chill as he looked at this ck-hole-constructed monster.


    Weird and powerful!


    This perfectly described the boss!


    Theoretically, at the same level, this boss was invincible!


    At this point, Sterl became more convinced of his hunch: this boss''s power was modeled after his own!


    Other Trial Seekers, even if they broke through to legendary status, would find their newly acquired legendary abilities effortlessly absorbed by the Devourer of All Things.


    "The essence of this trial is for me to break through!" Although he had mentally prepared for this, confirming it stirred a sense of ambition in Sterl.


    Simple! Isn''t it just a breakthrough? With my skill-point system, thest thing I''m afraid of is a power breakthrough.


    At this moment, stripped of the legendary power from Shadow Stealth, the sword formed by the Flowing Waterw collided with the energy field inside the Devourer of All Things. As Sterl anticipated, the Flowing Waterw sessfully shattered the multi-colored protective energy.


    Sterl immediately noticed that the ck-hole sphere representing the boss''s head became extremely fragile, and the devouring-refinement force vanished!


    It turned into a simple, highly defensive construct. Sterl smiled slightly, twisted his wrist, injected more Law Power, and even bit down on an Essence of the Moon to replenish his mana.


    He twisted with all his might, wildly swinging the Flowing Water de already embedded in the boss.


    Finally...


    Apanied by a series of cracking sounds, Sterl forcibly shattered the small ck-hole representing the boss''s head, with a squelching sound.


    Sterl saw that after the ck hole head was shattered, much of the absorbed and refined energy dispersed into the air. A prompt appeared before his eyes��


    [You are in a high-energy zone. All attributes increased by 20% for three hours.]


    Breathing in the air rich with abundant energy, Sterl felt the void within him, caused by the frantic use of Law Power, begin to replenish significantly.


    Of course, Sterl remained cautious. He had a nagging feeling that the Hall of Valor''s trial wouldn''t be so straightforward.


    Sure enough, he noticed in the air��


    The destruction of the head had no effect on the Devourer of All Things'' actions. The ck holes thatprised the boss''s arms and torso flew towards Sterl at an rming speed!


    The entire boss had split apart and transformed into individual spheres chasing him down!


    Sterl had just expended the Flowing Waterw, leaving him in an awkward state of depleted power.


    With no better option, he quickly infused more Stardust, enhancing Shadow Stealth to escape.


    "Wait a minute!" Sterl paused.


    This time, Shadow Stealth activated without any hindrance. Clearly, with the boss''s head shattered, its sealing power had weakened significantly.


    Sterl felt a bit regretful for wasting some Stardust. Nheless, he easily utilized the shadow world to reach a safe location, observing from a distance.


    Meanwhile, he took a few deep breaths. As time passed, Sterl''s energy slots gradually returned to a healthy state.


    But then, his pupils contracted as he looked into the distance.


    The Devourer of All Things'' body had reassembled, quickly forming a new head.


    It seemed that aside from the dispersed energy in the air, the boss hadn''t suffered much damage. Even its life force hadn''t diminished significantly.


    "Even Law Power can''t hurt this thing?" Sterl muttered helplessly.


    This was his most powerful offensive technique!


    The problem was, the life force he managed to reduce was minimal, a drop in the ocean for the Devourer of All Things. Meanwhile, Sterl''s own expenditure was immense, making it impossible to continuously use the Flowing Waterw.


    Moreover...


    Sterl could sense the Devourer of All Things'' life force rapidly regenerating!


    "How am I supposed to fight this?"


    He was at a loss. Although he could continuously unleash thebination of Flowing Waterw and Shadow Stealth, he could hit the Devourer of All Things without being harmed himself.


    However, that previousbo had consumed an entire bottle of [Essence of the Moon], and he didn''t have many of those left!


    Sterl estimated that with the current rate of output, even if he used up all his Essence of the Moon, he would only reduce about a third of the Devourer of All Things'' life force.


    And the boss''s life force would quickly regenerate if it stayed out ofbat for a while.


    If he couldn''t kill it in one go, it was a futile endeavor!


    It would merely deplete his energy reserves and supplies.


    Nevertheless, Sterl hadn''t lost his fighting spirit.


    After all, this boss was designed based on the strength of the strongest Trial Seeker, which was likely him.


    So, Sterl understood that unless he could achieve a significant breakthrough in hisbat power, victory was impossible.


    The previous attack had merely been a test.


    Sterl quickly activated Shadow Stealth once more. This time, instead of approaching the boss, he chose to flee far away...


    With his speed, traversing the shadow world for two seconds was more than enough to easily escape the pursuit of the Devourer of All Things.


    After returning to the real world, Sterl checked his mini-map and found himself in Zone D5.


    Here, the lush jungle and pristine white sands remained untouched by the boss''s destruction, looking like a perfect vacation spot.


    From a distance, he could see a massive void area in Zone A, where a dark monstrous figure roamed freely.


    New information appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [The Devourer of All Things has exitedbat. Current devoured energy: zero. Life force fully restored.]


    This message lifted Sterl''s spirits. If the rules of the extreme trial were consistent with regr trials��


    Once Sterl escaped, the boss would prioritize chasing weaker Trial Seekers, giving the remaining survivors a chance to develop.


    In reality, there weren''t any "remaining survivors." This trial''s standards were so high, it was practically tailored for "Sterl," meaning other Trial Seekers had no chance of passing and were merely cannon fodder to buy time.


    This message implied that the time other yers bought was meaningful. Otherwise, while Sterl tried to enhance his power, the boss would be devouring other yers and exponentially increasing its strength.


    If Sterl couldn''t outpace the boss''s growth, there was no point in continuing. He might as well use a token to forfeit the trial.


    The next two messages made him ponder further.


    [When the Devourer of All Things exitsbat, its energy resets to zero. This is specific to the trial mode. Its true nature allows it to permanently increase power by devouring energy.]


    [Hint: The Devourer of All Things is currently tracking the weakest yer on the field, now heading to Zone B3.]


    These messages were straightforward. The first exined that in trial mode, the Devourer of All Things'' devouring ability was nerfed to give yers a chance to pass.


    Otherwise, it would permanently grow stronger by absorbing energy.


    Sterl couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow: "This boss is overpowered, isn''t it?"


    At the same time, he realized that if such a boss were to descend upon the world of [Transcendence], it would be terrifyingly powerful if left unchecked for even a short period!


    Unless it could be annihted with overwhelming force, even the gods might not be able to deal with it in the end!


    The Devourer of All Things'' ability allows it to devour anything of the same level. Once it advances to the legendary level, only demigods could hope to defeat it.If it advances to the demigod level, only gods could handle it.


    And if the Devourer of All Things were to advance to a god, wouldn''t it be invincible? Even Divine Power would be its nourishment. Such high-energy substances and supplements would certainly cause its advancement speed to skyrocket once again!


    Sterl had a vague understanding of the so-called minor Divine Power and great Divine Power ssifications of godly realms, but didn''t know if the Devourer of All Things, upon advancing to a god, could devour all levels of Divine Power or only those corresponding to its own "Divine Power level."


    If it were thetter, that would be somewhat manageable. But if it were the former, then a god-level Devourer of All Things could easily destroy the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy, right?!


    By the way, the term "Crystal Barrier Gxy" was something Sterl hade across in the textbooks of the human race from Earth. The Vastor continent where he lived, along with more than ten other continents, belonged to arge world.


    Eachrge world and its affiliated smaller worlds are ssified as part of the same Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    Considering all this, Sterl understood that he had to find a way to defeat the Devourer of All Things within the trial.Otherwise, the future threat would be too great.


    He needed to find a method to rapidly enhance his power andpletely eliminate this boss in a single decisive strike.


    With a series of thoughts shing through his mind, Sterl decided to use this time to thoroughly explore Zone D5, hoping to find resources or secrets that could help boost hisbat strength.

 Chapter 193: Return to Reality

    As for whether there are higher-level regional ssifications beyond the Crystal Barrier Gxy in [Transcendence], Sterl wasn''t sure.


    In fact, the knowledge about the Crystal Barrier Gxy passed down by the human race on Earth might not even be urate.


    After all, from Sterl''s perspective, his race wasn''t particrly powerful. The information they had about the Crystal Barrier Gxy was likely hearsay.


    Sterl pondered continuously, and it seemed as though he could already see numerous Devourers of All Things descending from unknown realms, consuming one world after another.


    Their sizes dwarfed the simted one on the ind, being immensely vast.


    He couldn''t even see their edges!


    The Devourers of All Things seemed capable of turning entire worlds into parts of themselves.


    "What is this situation?" Sterl was stunned. He felt that the vague visions he had were not just random imaginings but were, in fact, the divination power of the Moon Law at work.


    However, the predictions felt so faint that Sterl wasn''t sure if the Devourers of All Things descending and destroying everything would actually happen...


    "If such a boss truly appears, unless they are all killed right from the start, the entire world might face a massive catastrophe."


    "From gods to ordinary people, everyone would be in mortal danger!"


    Sterl couldn''t help but sigh.


    Wait a minute...


    Sterl felt like he had thought of something.


    Previously, Gloria and the others, in order to cope with the impending great cmity, chose to hunt other gods to increase their own strength, even at the cost of breaking the mutual understanding between gods, putting themselves in great danger.


    The Hall of Valor also seemed to have started forcibly capturing people and initiating extreme trials due to some unknown change. In these extreme trials, Trial Seekers were specifically trained to deal with a special boss named the Devourer of All Things.


    If all this could be connected...


    Along with Sterl''s vague premonition through Moon Law, he felt like he had solved the mystery?


    Logically, it all fit together!


    Perhaps the so-called disaster was indeed the descent of the Devourers of All Things? That would certainly be enough to destroy the entire world.


    "However, all of this is just my spection."


    Sterl shook his head. With the limited information he currently had, even though the logic made sense and it was reasonable to think that the Devourers of All Things might invade the world, it was ultimately just his imagination. He felt there was no need to make wild guesses. As his strength increased, various pieces of information would naturally be known.


    Sterl first followed the Hall of Valor''s suppression prompt and sensed the B3 area for a while.


    Sure enough, he discovered that the shadow of the Devourer of All Things was moving toward the B3 area, absorbing and refining all the soil, rocks, clouds, and vegetation along the way.


    However, under the suppression of the Hall of Valor, the absorbed materials did not convert into the Devourer of All Things'' energy.


    This caused the boss''s body to intermittently sh with a rainbow of colors.


    Even though the Devourer of All Things was a simtion created by the Hall of Valor, it seemed to resist the Hall of Valor''s suppression.


    Ridiculous!


    At the same time, Sterl used Star Insight to take a distant look and shook his head. The yer strength in the B3 area was even weaker than in the area he was previously in.


    At this moment, Sterl also figured it out. Since the boss was designed ording to his own power level, naturally, it had to first appear in the area where Sterl was, making him aware of the gap and pressure, pushing him to break through quickly.


    Seeing the yers in the B3 area about to be attacked, although they were all cautious, they didn''t flee immediately. Instead, they wanted to engage the boss to gather some intel.


    Sterl immediately knew that this group was doomed.


    "Guys, try to buy me as much time as you can."


    Without hesitation, he returned to the initial spawn area, which was still only covered by a faint, transparent shield over the foundation and rocks.


    Sterl casually found a spot and called up his panel, choosing to log out.


    [Warning: If you log out in the current instance, your body will remain in ce.]


    [Do you want to log out? Yes/No]


    [Detected that you have an item: the Hall of Valor Token. Upon death, you will automatically resurrect and be teleported out of the trial area.]


    "I''ll have to take the risk."


    Sterl didn''t hesitate and confirmed the log-out option.


    After all, even if he got killed immediately, there would be no loss.


    Moreover, ording to the trial rules, the boss wouldn''te looking for him unless some other yer led it to this area, which was unlikely.


    The Devourer of All Things would have its absorbed energy drained by the Hall of Valor when out ofbat, so it moved to the next area slowly. But this boss could kill yers quickly, and besides Sterl, almost no one could escape, leaving no survivors.


    Also, the yers chosen for the trial were all geniuses with a certain level of pride and would almost never run away without a fight.


    Therefore, the process in this trial would definitely be the boss clearing out yers one area after another.


    Sterl''s physical body remained in [Transcendence], but it was in a safe zone.


    "The only issue is that before the boss kills the other yers, I must break through my limits in reality."


    Sterl''s n was clear. He needed to collect White Mist in the real world, use the Flowing Water Law to condense it, and then forcibly add points to break the shackles within his body, allowing his 3S ss to truly awaken.


    The boost this would bring would be absolutely terrifying!


    Additionally, after awakening the 3S ss, he could add points again, making this not just a breakthrough but a massive surge inbat power!


    By then, defeating the Devourer of All Things would be...


    Not extremely easy, but at least manageable.


    The main issue for Sterl right now was insufficient base attributes, which led to inadequate output strength of the Flowing Water Law, and insufficient mana.


    A boost in these areas would solve both major problems.


    "Breaking through the extreme trial and iming the reward is my goal."


    Sterl thought to himself. Meanwhile, he noticed that everything around him was gradually dimming. This was different from thest time he logged out because this time he was using the [Core] rather than the [Game Pod].


    Sterl soon woke up in his base and found that it had changed in appearance. The original interior of the mountain, which had been purified and hollowed out by the Purification Ripple, was now adorned with many of those glowing stones he had seen in human settlements.


    The bright surroundings made everything look much morefortable. Additionally, various green nts were now growing everywhere, giving the interior of the mountain a more lived-in feel.


    Sterl took a few steps forward, leaving the storage room that housed the game pod. In the hall, he saw the craftsmen holding all sorts of canned goods, happily tasting them. They were eating, drinking, shouting, singing, and even enjoying a few bottles of wine.


    Even the professional Beck was mingling with the craftsmen, chatting merrily.


    They all looked quite at ease.


    "You all seem to be living well," Sterl said as he slowly walked over, feeling quite pleased himself.


    Sterl wasn''t aplete psychopath. As long as it didn''t involve his core interests, he had some moral principles. Seeing these craftsmen, although forcibly taken by him, living well brought a smile to his face.


    However, as soon as Sterl appeared, the rxed and leisurely expressions on everyone''s faces vanished, and they all dropped to their knees with a thud.


    "Thank you, my lord, for granting us new life!"


    "Whatever orders you have for us, we willplete them even if it costs us our lives!"


    ��


    These people were evidently much more loyal than they were the first time Sterl logged out.


    The longer the craftsmen stayed in the cave, the happier they felt!


    There was no threat of "radiation," only a rxed and leisurely life without the need to work much or pay taxes.


    Life was too good!


    They never wanted to return to those human settlements, those garbage ces, ever again!


    As for the professional Beck, although his standard of living hadn''t improved much, who would want to stay in a radiation-filled area? Even professionals couldn''t withstand that!


    At least here, he felt he could live many more years!


    Moreover... the lord he was following was obviously very powerful and had grand ambitions, possibly even aiming to overthrow the entire human regime!


    In the past, just by following Sterl and doing nothing, Beck had already received a green skill, making his future prospects incredibly bright! The more Beck thought about it during Sterl''s time online, the more fervent he became!


    Sterl couldn''t care less about these people''s thoughts. He casually waved his hand, "Carry on with your tasks."


    "I have matters to attend to."


    Without hesitation, he left the base.


    Sterl didn''t have many demands of these craftsmen and subordinates. As long as they remained loyal and looked after the game pod, that was enough.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Beck''s expression changed dramatically as soon as Sterl left. He sternly said, "Look at you all! The Lord has done so much for you and asks for nothing in return!!"


    "You should think hard about how to repay his kindness!"


    The craftsmen continued to kowtow, expressing their loyalty fervently.


    "We understand!"


    "We understand!"


    "The Lord''s kindness is something we can never repay, not even in a lifetime!"


    "Everything we have is given by him!"


    Their words were not out of fear of Beck''s professional status but out of extreme fervor and devotion!


    Beck nodded silently, pleased. His regr reprimands had clearly paid off.These people were loyal and could be counted on.


    When the time came for the Lord to overthrow the human regime, a singlemand would have these people charging forward with zeal.


    I will achieve great merit!


    ...


    SterlNature had no idea that such a scene had unfolded back at his base.


    After leaving the base, he activated the Divine me Drive, speeding through the sky.


    Soon, he arrived at the edge of a once-great city now in ruins.

 Chapter 194: Condensed White Mist, Forced Stat Allocation!

    Sterl''s eyes were met with extreme destion.


    This ce might have once been quite prosperous, but now it waspletely transformed. The remains of skyscrapers, weathered by over a millennium, were almost entirely decayed. Sterl could only see some rusted and damaged steel frames, while the bricks had turned to powder, disintegrating at the slightest touch.


    Unlike the post-apocalyptic films Sterl had seen before his transmigration, there were no tattered signs, abandoned cars, or simr artifacts here.


    After such a long time, any signs would havepletely vanished, and vehicles had left nothing but some skeletal steel frameworks, which were also mostly corroded.


    Everything indicated one thing:


    The former civilization of Earth had been destroyed for countless years.


    Rather than calling this a city''s remnants, it was more like the skeletal remains of a city that had decayed to itsst bones.


    "Perhaps in a few more years, even these steel frames will disappear," Sterl sighed, feeling a bit mncholic, as his hometown before transmigration probably looked much like these cities a thousand years ago.


    However, Sterl soon noticed that because human traces had long vanished, many animals were living here.


    From afar, Sterl saw a small sika deer, nibbling on the grass while curiously looking at him.


    In the distance, a pack of wolves made their home in the ruins of a building, surveying their surroundings.


    "All that talk about radiation is nonsense."


    "These animals are livingpletely normal lives."


    Sterl pondered, but the silence of the post-apocalyptic wastnd was soon broken.


    "Roar!"


    ��


    Terrifying roars, sounding both human and beastly, echoed around Sterl.


    He then noticed that with his arrival, numerous monsters, previously hidden, emerged. Each one had a bloodthirsty and eager look in their eyes.


    Why were these monsters so hostile toward humans?


    Could it be that they were so deeply infected by the Forbidden Poison that they sought to devour human flesh to dilute the toxins within them?


    Sterl pondered.


    However, he knew time was pressing.


    Over at [Transcendence], who knew when the Devourer of All Things would finish hunting other yers ande to his area?


    Seeing the monsters appearing, Sterl wasted no time in unleashing his skills!


    Golden Quality �� Celestial Stars, Stardust Bonus: Double Power, Double Range.


    Sterl snapped his fingers.


    The Celestial Stars, having been upgraded to Golden Quality, already had significantly enhanced power and range. Now, with the Stardust bonus, an enormous warning area of over 400 square meters appeared on the ground!


    Of course, these monsters, having long lost their sanity, showed no caution and continued to charge at Sterl madly!


    At that moment, the colossal Celestial Stars, with a dazzling ming tail, descended from the sky!


    Apanied by a thunderous boom, the Celestial Stars plummeted towards the ground at a terrifying speed, crashing with immense eleration.


    For a moment, the earth shook!


    If the ruins of this city once bore traces of past civilization, with the skeletons of many skyscrapers still visible, thosest remnants were nowpletely obliterated by Sterl''s technique!


    Countless remnants of buildings were smashed by the celestial strike, and the remaining material was dissolved by the intense heat!


    The impact left a massive, radial crater on the ground!


    The destructive force and shockwave spread out, annihting the entire city!


    Even Sterl himself was slightly taken aback.


    In [Transcendence], his Celestial Stars skill was aimed at rtively powerful creatures and primordial environments. But in reality, Sterl could truly see the terrifying nature of this skill!


    The various skyscrapers and the ground reminded him of scenes from before his transmigration, giving him a real sense that he now possessed city-annihting power.


    As the mes from Celestial Stars gradually dissipated, the city''s ruins had transformed into a basin, several meters lower than before.


    Sterl waved his hand, dispelling the [Flowing Water]shield that had protected him.


    He had almost been blown up by his own Celestial Stars. The reason was simple: in reality, there was no such thing as friendly fire reduction.


    He had to endure the aftershocks of his own techniques.


    After such a terrifying finishing move, Sterl nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, most of the monsters were one-shotted."


    Beyond the world-ending mes, heat, and shockwave of Celestial Stars, many monsters triggered Sterl''s Starlight Spray upon taking heavy damage, killing even those that were well-hidden or further from the epicenter.


    However, in reality, these monsters dropped no experience or loot.


    After his ultimate move, all that remained was an apocalyptic scene.


    Then, with a slight wave of his hand, countless mists gathered from all directions, concentrating in Sterl''s palm.


    The massive amount of mist eventually condensed into only one-third of a drop of water.


    "Still not enough?" Sterl sensed that his cheat ability showed no signs of activating.


    "It seems the quantity of mist isn''t sufficient to form aplete item."


    He pondered this while transforming into a rainbow-colored me, flying toward the next abandoned city.


    Two hourster.


    "It''s done."


    With yet another Celestial Stars strike, another city''s ruins were obliterated.


    This was the seventh city he had massacred, refining a massive number of monsters down to��


    A single round, pure white droplet lying in Sterl''s hand.


    Because the number of monsters varied between cities, it took him seven to gather enough.


    But what disappointed Sterl was that the droplet was hollow in the middle, as if missing a crucial element.


    He observed it for a while, using the Flowing Water principle to sense the droplet''s state, and finally understood.


    Sterl''s idea was correct.He could indeed use the Flowing Water principle to forcibly condense mist into an item, but ordinary mist, even when fully condensed, was insufficient.


    Sterl stared at the hollow droplet for over a second, trying to check its attributes, before realizing that there were no such attribute panels in reality.


    However, despite the droplet being in an iplete state, Sterl sensed a faint reaction from his internal cheat ability.


    Clearly, it could be enhanced!


    After pondering for a few seconds, Sterl realized he had no immediate means to fill the hollow inside the droplet. On the contrary, gathering another droplet wasn''t too difficult.Afew more city massacres would suffice.


    So, he silentlymanded, "Allocate points!"


    Immediately, the droplet in his hand began to shine with a myriad of colors, indicating another instance of [Forced Stat Allocation].


    After the light faded, the white liquid seemed unchanged.


    But Sterl''s face lit up with excitement.


    Firstly, the rainbow-colored light, symbolizing the allocation of points,sted longer than ever before��about two full seconds!


    This indicated the droplet''s immense value and power!


    Simultaneously, Sterl felt an overwhelming desire as he gazed at the droplet, an instinctive craving for something beneficial to his body.


    Without hesitation, Sterl swallowed the droplet.


    After all, in reality, his divine descent''s resurrection armor was still effective, so he wasn''t afraid of any adverse effects!


    The moment Sterl ingested the droplet, his expression changed dramatically. He felt an incredibly potent and domineering force surge into his body.


    Soon after, he sensed this force morphing into des, axes, and spears, relentlessly carving through barriers and thin membranes within him that he hadn''t even been aware of before!


    Throughout this process, Sterl felt a soul-wrenching pain, as if his very essence was being torn apart.


    "Shit! What the hell is this stuff?" he cursed out loud.


    He mustered his remaining strength and quickly hid in a crater formed by his Celestial Stars, where uneven heating had left a scorched hollow, offering some additional protection.


    Then, Sterl copsed to the ground.


    The white mist initially only pierced through some unseen shackles within Sterl. But soon, it began coursing through his flesh, bones, blood, meridians, and marrow, as if attempting to crush his entire being!


    The process was excruciating!


    Sterl could only grip the ground tightly with his hands, applying so much force that the soil and rocks beneath his fingers were transformed, nearly as hard as diamonds.


    Meanwhile, cold sweat poured from his body, and his skin split open, as if he were undergoing some sort of severe torture.


    Eventually, Sterl copsed in the rocky hollow, almost as if he had passed out, lying therepletely motionless.


    Everything turned silent, as if death itself had descended.


    Grayish-yellow marks, resembling shed dead skin, continuously appeared on Sterl''s body.


    ...


    It wasn''t until a long time had passed that there was finally movement in the ruins formed by Sterl''s Celestial Stars.


    With the sound of crumbling stones, an exceptionally fair and delicate arm emerged, followed by a youth with equally snow-white skin, as if he had never been exposed to wind, sun, or rain, climbing out from the ground.


    Despite his altered appearance, the youth was still recognizable as Sterl, only now he looked far more handsome, as if he had been reborn and cleansed of all impurities.


    Sterl himself seemed to sense the extraordinary changes in his body, closing his eyes to silently perceive them. Momentster, he opened his eyes with an expression of immense joy.

 Chapter 195: Professional Awakening! Rebirth!

    After a brief moment of sensing his surroundings, Sterl made a decisive choice...


    He raced back to the base at full speed,pletely ignoring the ttering expressions and attempts to speak from the craftsmen and Beck.


    Upon returning to the warehouse, he activated the core once again!


    Everything around him dissolved into chaos before transforming back into the ind setting of the Hall of Valor''s ultimate trial!


    "Thank goodness, I''m not toote." Sterl stood up immediately, realizing that nothing around him had changed.


    The fragile crafts he had strategically ced at the edge were still intact.


    It was clear that the other yers had bought Sterl a considerable amount of time. He had spent extra time absorbing and digesting the unknown item formed by the white mist, making him worry that the boss might have already killed his in-game character. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not ur.


    Sterl looked into the distance and soon spotted the other yers. They seemed to be gathered in one area, collectively resisting the boss''s attacks. It seemed they weren''t foolish enough to be picked off one by one.


    Sterl felt quite relieved, realizing that the yers'' unity had bought them much more time.


    Instead of rushing to join the yers in their battle against the boss, Sterl decided to check his own attributes first.


    He opened his panel and examined it.


    Sure enough, several changes had urred within his body.


    First of all, his race, originally listed as Human, now had a faint glow around the name, appearing more lustrous.


    This change was purely visual. Although Sterl was puzzled, hecked the information to understand its significance and decided to set it aside for now.


    Additionally, he had gained a new passive skill of [Special] quality:


    [Primordial Body (Special)]


    Description: It is said to be an extremely perfect state transformed from countless racial bodies. Some races are rumored to be born with a Primordial Body.


    Effect: Increases your experience efficiency by 50%, elerates the proficiency gain rate of all skills by 100%, and unlocks partial Law Power, divine authority, and skill learning permissions.


    "Not bad, huh?" Sterl nodded slightly as he read the new passive skill. Although it was an unexpected bonus, its effects were quite practical. One effect increased experience efficiency, meaning Sterl could now level up more with the same amount of experience.


    Another effect was the elerated umtion of skill proficiency, which was also quite useful. However, proficiency for legendary abilities andws no longer disyed.


    The use of Divine Power and divine authority didn''t involve proficiency.It entirely depended on the user''s own umtion.


    Initially, Sterl thought the skill''s boost would be limited.


    Fortunately, after sensing it, more detailed information appeared. Under the Primordial Body''s effect, Sterl was akin to a "Heavenly Spirit Body," making everything he did easier. He would master Law Power, Divine Power, and divine authority faster.


    "So powerful?!" His expression shifted from mild surprise to extreme excitement.


    To know that Gloria could develop so many abilities with Moon Law, yet Sterl couldn''t evene close��besides the difference in their umtion of Law Power, it was mainly due to proficiency.


    Sterl felt that with this [Primordial Body], hisbat power would soon increase significantly. He would be able to develop new functions for his trump cards, [Moon] and [Flowing Water].


    As for thest point of this passive skill, the unlocking of certain Law Power, skills, and divine authority permissions, it left Sterl a bit puzzled. Did this mean that without this passive skill, some powerful abilities would be unattainable?


    He had a vague feeling...


    Something seemed off!


    Wouldn''t that mean that truly powerful yers must have unlocked this [Primordial Body]?


    But before he used the white mist to remove the [Forbidden Poison], Sterl had never even heard of this term!


    He was only confused for a few seconds before shifting his attention away.


    After all, the world of [Transcendence] was vast. The Vastor continent he was on was just a part of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, and even the Hall of Valor''s influence couldn''t cover the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    There were too many things he hadn''t heard of.


    He quickly opened another panel.


    At this moment, Sterl''s long-awaited professional awakening was finallyplete.


    His attributes had increased significantly, but he didn''t bother to look closely. Instead, he activated his now-cooled-down skill point allocation ability.


    "Increase my authority heart!" Sterl''s eyes were filled with excitement.


    Then, a multicolored light enveloped his entire body!


    Sterl felt as if countless crisp sounds were exploding in his mind, as if all his meridians and voids were resonating in harmony.


    Simultaneously, he could feel the so-called authority heart taking shape within him, gradually merging into a liquid form and fully integrating with him!


    In his mental realm, his consciousness transformed the gxy, splitting it into four!


    If earlier, the simted universe in his mental realm was akin to a single gxy, it had now expanded into four gxies!


    Starshine illuminated the vast expanse, boundless and majestic!


    The original gxy, which had a mere handful ofs with traces of humans and Nature, now expanded to dozens ofs!


    The powers of Nature and humanityplemented each other, quickly forming human settlements and civilizations on these dozens ofs in an incredibly short time.


    In an instant, dozens of new sources of faith emerged! Although these were merely illusory lives, providing slightly weaker faith power, they still multiplied Sterl''s rate of faith power growth several times over!


    At this moment, Sterl could feel that his path to godhood hadid an extremely solid foundation.


    Once Sterl ascends to godhood and truly harnesses faith power to refine Divine Power, hisbat power will soar at an astonishing rate.


    Although Sterl was unsure how his rate of faith power umtionpared to other gods, he knew one thing:


    A single''s poption was equivalent to at least five or six countries under Gloria''s rule in the Dark Moon Alliance!


    And this was just because those human beings had only recently emerged and hadn''t yet upied the entire.


    As time went on, these human beings would thrive and develop, eventually taking over the entire, with their numbers continuously swelling.


    By then, the amount of faith power they could provide would increase proportionally.


    Especially once Sterl formally ascended to godhood, he would be able to use the Creator''s Act freely, turning the regions where these virtual humans existed into reality, thereby making these humans real as well.


    The faith power provided would then convert into normal values...


    Sterl could hardly imagine how fast he would be able to refine Divine Power at that point! It would be an absolute leap forward!


    "And just the faith power I''ve umted now is enough to use the Creator''s Act one more time." Sterl''s eyes gleamed with excitement, though he was in no rush to use this special skill.


    The first time he opened up a small world, it was a qualitative change, allowing him to freely carry various items between reality and the game. However, creating an additional area wouldn''t provide such a significant boost.


    It would be better to keep the faith power in reserve.


    After sensing the changes in his mental realm, Sterl slowly opened his eyes. His professional advancement was nowplete.


    He casually stretched his muscles, immediately feeling a surge of power throughout his body, almost to the point where he found it challenging to control himself.


    The main reason was that the attribute boost was simply too overwhelming!


    Sterl found his control over his body greatly diminished, but instead of being worried, he was thrilled!


    "This... my power has skyrocketed!"


    He couldn''t wait to open his attribute panel.


    Various notifications began to flood the screen.


    [Congrattions! Your authority heart has been upgraded to a Radiance-level profession!]


    [Your authority heart has fully merged with you! You can now freely integrate various skills into your profession system!]


    [Notice: Your authority heart has fully integrated with you and has undergone a breakthrough based on your physique and attributes, resulting in a brand-new profession!]


    [Please confirm the name of the new profession: [����]]


    "Huh?"


    "Naming?"


    Sterl was taken aback.


    He wasn''t really good at naming things. Otherwise, his 3S-level pet, the Star Radiance Dragon, wouldn''t still be called by its species name.


    Sterl thought for a moment.


    "Let''s call it Harness the Stars."


    He felt this name was quite refined, fitting well with his skills and the starry sea within his mental realm.


    Thus,[Harness the Stars] had a sort of elegance to it!


    At the same time, the simple name Harness the Stars didn''t sound like an overwhelmingly powerful profession. People might even mistake it for a B-level or A-level profession, perfectly aligning with Sterl''s cautious nature.


    Just in case...


    He meant, just in case someone detected his profession name but didn''t get any other information.


    Sterl could still pretend that his profession was trash!


    After confirming the profession name:


    [You have created a new profession: Harness the Stars (Radiance)]


    [The naming rights for the A-level profession[Harness the Stars]have been revoked! Your Harness the Stars (Radiance) will be a unique, exclusive profession.]


    "Huh?" Sterl was stunned again. Wow, just by naming his profession, he had taken over the name of an existing A-level profession.


    But he paid no mind to this little incident, as the attribute boosts started to flood in next��

 Chapter 196: Radiance-Level Profession: Harness the Stars

    At this moment, Sterl was overwhelmed with joy as he looked at the endless stream of notifications before him.


    [When you level up, all attributes increase by 4 points per level, and you receive 4 attribute points per level. The effect of all your attribute points is quadrupled.]


    Seeing this, Sterl understood why he felt his body was somewhat out of control��the sheer number of attribute points gained was too high.


    It was equivalent to a nearly 200-point increase in his base attributes all at once!


    This wasn''t like the burst state he achieved using Divine Descent or Life Ignite.These were his regr attributes in everyday life!


    Next came��


    [Your profession trait, Embodiment of the Stars, has been upgraded to Symbol of the Stars (while under the starlight, your injuries will heal at an extremely fast rate, and your energy and stamina will also partially recover. All attributes increase by 60 points).]


    [Notice: Due to your current state (second ss), your profession trait, Symbol of the Stars, cannot exhibit its full capabilities. This trait will further enhance when you advance to Legendary, Demigod, or God levels.]


    [Your profession skill Ignition me has been upgraded to Gold quality.]


    [Your profession skill Starlight Spray has been upgraded to Gold quality.]


    [The effect of your created realm, Realm of the Stars, has been enhanced. While within this realm, the energy cost of all your abilities is reduced by 20%.]


    [You are expected to gain skills at the following levels: Level 100 (highest tier Gold skill), Level 150 (an additional Legendary ability), Level 250 (highest tier tinum skill).]


    [You have obtained partial information and sensing of the Law Power: Stars. You are expected to acquire this Law Power at Level 250.]


    [You have obtained partial information and sensing of the divine authority: Stars. You are expected to acquire this divine authority at Level 500.]


    After reading all this information, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement.


    First and foremost, his profession trait now provided him with the much-needed energy and stamina recovery, which was a massive win!


    Next, Ignition me and Starlight Spray were both promoted to Gold quality for free, and they were the highest tier 20 legend points Gold skills.


    Moreover, the Realm of the Stars now included a reduction in energy consumption, which, whenbined with his profession trait, significantly alleviated Sterl''s mana consumption issues.


    While this didn''tpletely solve the problem, it was only because the Legendary abilities and Law Power he used consumed too much energy, which was beyond what his current level could handle.


    The new abilities from his profession advancement had already partially alleviated the immediate crisis, and in the future, when he ascended to Legendary and Demigod levels, Sterl''s mana would be a tremendous advantage. Compared to other yers, he would have the ability to fire endlessly!


    Sterl was now invincible!


    All he needed to do was level up.


    The following notifications merely indicated that Sterl''s future was bound to be bright.


    Of course, it made sense. A Radiance-level profession, above the 3S-level professions, couldn''t possibly allow a second-ss yer to fully harness its power.


    Sterl was already set to gain a highest tier Gold skill upon reaching third ss, an additional Legendary ability upon bing Legendary, and a highest tier tinum skill upon advancing to Demigod.


    Meanwhile, at the Demigod level, Sterl would be granted the Law Power: Stars, and upon reaching Godhood, he would obtain the divine authority: Stars. Additionally, his profession traits would further enhance with each level increase!


    Sterl was now driven by a single goal��to push forward, ensuring that his futurebat prowess would render him unbeatable among his peers!


    Upon ascending to Godhood, he would possess three divine authorities, allowing him to rapidly break through from weak Divine Power.


    Of course, Sterl wasn''t certain if Level 500 was the exact threshold for reaching Godhood.He was merely specting based on the notifications.


    At this moment, he slowly closed his panel, a surge of ambition and confidence rising in his eyes.


    The recent attribute boosts, including the enhancements from his profession traits, amounted to an over 200-point increase in his base attributes. With various multipliers applied, this tranted to nearly 600-700 points in all attributes!


    Sterl now channeled the Flowing Water Law into a de, its power significantly amplified while its energy consumption was reduced.


    He ran some calctions and found that he could sustain the smoothbo of Shadow Stealth��Flowing Water Law��Shadow Stealth using regr energy potions...


    This meant that Sterl''s survivability and DPS had already surpassed the baseline needed to tackle the Devourer of All Things.


    In the game [Transcendence], unlike the MMORPGs Sterl yed before his transmigration, attributes truly enhanced the yer''s personal skills!


    Given his high attributes, Sterl was confident he wouldn''t make any errors in taking down the Devourer of All Things.


    And so...


    Sterl took out his Fate Token and ced it in his palm, casually tossing it into the air.


    Confidence radiated from his eyes!


    "I''m back, baby!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the A1 area of the ind.


    A giant green barrier was slowly radiating energy, protecting over a hundred yers within.


    Though the barrier seemed thin, it undted like water, easily neutralizing the onughts from the terrifying, massive ck hole-like entity outside.


    However, despite this...


    The protected yers still wore grim expressions!


    Each time the water-like barrier absorbed an attack, some of its energy was siphoned off and assimted by the monstrous entity.


    Though the amount assimted each time was small, it was a constant ebb and flow, not to mention the considerable energy the yers had to sacrifice to maintain the barrier.


    The result was a continuous drain of energy that ultimately benefited the boss, the Devourer of All Things.


    "What do we do?"


    "What do we do? We wait to die, that''s what."


    "You don''t still think we have a chance, do you? Maybe if we had gathered everyone together from the start, we might''ve had a shot��"


    "Too many people have been devoured now. Even if that monster spat out all the energy it''s consumed, we wouldn''t have enough people left to take it down."


    ...


    Some yers within the shield still harbored fighting spirit, while others were in utter despair, having given up hope.


    But...


    Despite their words of doom, the yers continued to pour their energy into the shield, desperately trying to dy their inevitable demise.


    "Our only hope now is whether Greg Millhauser can break through."


    "Yeah, what other option do we have besides relying on him?"


    People murmured amongst themselves, their eyes fixed on an elderly man with a head full of white hair, protected in the center by everyone else.


    He was the owner of the barrier item.


    Using this water-wave barrier was incredibly demanding.It required at least ten yers to inject their energy into it at a specific frequency. A single error would cause the entire barrier to copse.


    It was only because the yers present were exceptionally talented that they had managed to sustain the shield for so long.


    "Rely on him..."


    "We don''t stand a chance of breaking through."


    "Exactly, so what if he has a higher profession/talent tier? I don''t believe he''s that much stronger than me!"


    "Yeah, I have three 20-legend point Gold skills too. Why shouldn''t I be the one to get the breakthrough opportunity?"


    ...


    Meanwhile, another group of yers, although also doing their best to maintain the barrier, looked visibly disgruntled and unsatisfied.


    In this current scenario, the yers were simultaneously defending through the barrier and waiting for the strongest participant in this trial, the dual SS-tier talent and SS-tier profession holder, Greg Millhauser, to break through his limits!


    The method involved using an item called the Stone of Legacy brought by a few yers, which allowed the transfer of legend points between yers.


    However, legend points were incredibly precious, and no one would typically agree to hand theirs over to someone else.


    And the Stone of Legacy, despite its name suggesting inheritance, was actually a plundering tool. The yers who provided it openly admitted it was previously used to hunt down and steal legend points from other third-ss yers.


    But now, for the sake of survival, all the yers present had pooled together some legend points to give to Greg Millhauser.


    After all, he held an SS-tier profession, and post-second ss, his attribute boosts were equivalent to a 3S-tier profession. His only disadvantagey in his profession traits and skills.


    Combined with his dual SS-tier talents, Greg Millhauser''sbat power was formidable!


    It was he who had previously withstood several attacks from the Devourer of All Things, allowing the stronger survivors from various zones to converge in Area A1 and collectively maintain the shield.


    Without Greg Millhauser, the yers present might have already been annihted.


    For this reason, almost everyone recognized the immense strength of this dual SS-tier yer!


    Moreover, after the yers understood the extreme trial''s rules��


    They confirmed that the boss''s strength in this trial was calibrated based on Greg Millhauser!


    He had to break through to have any chance of defeating the boss!


    Otherwise, they would all perish!!


    Thus, even those who had previously used the Stone of Legacy to kill and steal legend points offered up their items.


    The rest of the yers did their utmost to buy time.


    Even theining genius yers simply believed that their strength was on par and that they too could kill the Devourer of All Things after breaking through.


    There was no real resentment about first providing resources to Greg Millhauser.Everyone agreed that, in terms of raw power, he was undoubtedly the strongest among the yers!


    Therefore, despite the increasingly terrifying aura emanating from the Devourer of All Things, a glimmer of hope remained in the yers'' eyes.


    They believed that passing the trial was not an impossibility!

 Chapter 197: The Perfect Legend, Greg Millhauser

    At this moment, in the central area where numerous yers had gathered...


    The aura around Greg Millhauser grew increasingly powerful. Surrounding him were three golden spheres, symbolic of his skills, continuously melting and refining. The abstract force known as [legend points] manifested as colorful, radiant bands of light, transforming into mes that melted the skill-symbolizing spheres.


    These eventually turned into dazzling golden droplets, which flowed towards the pinnacle above Greg Millhauser.


    Inside him, the authority heart had fully taken shape and was merging with the golden droplets from above.


    The peculiar airflow, representing Greg Millhauser''s innate talent, intertwined and fused the authority heart with the golden liquid skills.


    This was the exact form of the foundational and legendary path of a legend being forged!


    Many yers on the sidelines couldn''t help but feel admiration as they watched this scene unfold.


    "Advancing to legend status in one go?"


    "Even though we knew Greg Millhauser had alreadypleted other parts of the advancement ceremony, gathering enough legendary essence to transform immediately��impressive!"


    "And... all three of those golden skills are worth 20 legend points each. Is a perfect legend about to descend?"


    ...


    People whispered among themselves. Initially, many were uneasy because advancing to legend status was never a guaranteed sess.


    The transformation into a legend involved connecting with the heavens and the earth, and many failed this step due to insufficient Divine Power, often resulting in catastrophic failure or even death.


    No matter how gifted one was, advancing to legend status was fraught with mortal peril!


    After absorbing enough legend points, Greg Millhauser advanced towards legend status effortlessly, encountering no obstacles!


    Even those who were previously skeptical had to admit��this person was truly extraordinary! No wonder he was set as the benchmark for boss-level strength in this extreme trial!


    Moreover, Greg Millhauser was a perfect legend! Hisbat power far exceeded that of ordinary beings at the same level!


    The yers finally rxed a bit, their actions to channel energy into the shield became more resolute.


    Once Greg Millhauser broke through, the probability of killing the boss would be immensely high, and they would be saved!


    Additionally, many had been forcibly dragged into this extreme trial. Those who should have died could be resurrected by passing the trial. Although those dragged in through family contracts might seem at a loss on the surface��


    Uponpleting the trial, everyone would receive exceptionally generous rewards from the Hall of Valor!


    The rewards from ordinary trials were said to be extremely enticing, significantly boosting many yers''bat capabilities.


    Then, wouldn''t the rewards from the extreme trial be even more...


    Thump, thump, thump!


    Thump, thump, thump!


    Just as countless yers were cheerfully contemting their prospects, the environment around them suddenly changed drastically.


    The Devourer of All Things had a body akin to a ck hole.


    Initially, it couldn''t do much against the Flowing Water barrier shield. This particr shield had the advantage of enhancing its defensive capabilities through the flow of water waves, where the generated energy was consumed within the barrier itself.


    As a result, the Devourer of All Things could hardly devour anything.


    Moreover, because it couldn''t devour much, the Devourer of All Things remained in a state of inertia, with its attack frequency not being very high either.


    This created a positive feedback loop.


    The slower the BOSS attacked, the lower its energy absorption efficiency, preventing it from entering a berserk state and further slowing down its attacks.


    However, this peaceful scene onlysted for a short while.


    Quantitative changes eventually led to qualitative changes. Although the Devourer of All Things only absorbed a minuscule amount of energy each time, the cumtive effect caused its hammer strikes to grow increasingly powerful. Eventually, it reached a critical point.


    The boss''s form suddenly surged and transformed, its aura skyrocketing, and it delivered a ferocious hammer blow to the shield.


    Although this strike still couldn''t break through the Flowing Water barrier, it caused the shield to tremble violently and release a massive amount of energy.


    In an instant, all the yers'' expressions changed.


    They knew��


    This was bad!


    Sure enough, the vast energy that spilled out was instantly devoured by the Devourer of All Things. The boss''s body then twisted rapidly, and its berserk state, fueled by the influx of energy, was activated!


    The Devourer of All Things seemed to have tasted some kind of sweetness, raising both hands above its head and hammering down repeatedly!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    ...


    Each of its attacks was stronger than thest!


    The impact force grew increasingly fierce!


    Although the Flowing Water barrier, bolstered by the many highly talented yers, was performing exceptionally well, it was still far from being breached.


    But the speed at which the Devourer of All Things was gaining momentum was overwhelming!


    On one side was the weakening barrier, and on the other, the strengthening boss. With this contrast, it wasn''t long before the yers supporting the barrier turned pale and spat blood, their energy nearly exhausted.


    They watched the Devourer of All Things in utter despair. The energy they had expended was now entirely being refined by this boss!


    "What kind of monster is this?"


    "If it were a normal boss, we would have easily taken it down by now."


    "Does [Transcendence] really have bosses like this? Or did the Hall of Valor create this specifically to torment us??"


    The yers discussed among themselves, their expressions extremely grim.


    These were all individuals with S-level talents and higher professions��each had encountered bosses with particrly annoying mechanics, but a cheat-like entity such as the Devourer of All Things was one of a kind!


    If their output couldn''tpletely break its defense, all their attacks would be absorbed and refined by it!


    However, the yers didn''t realize that even if someone like Sterl seeded in breaking through the multicolored shield, the boss''s life force was extraordinarily formidable.


    Breaking the defense would only be the beginning!


    The yers thought��


    As long as the perfect legend descended, they could turn the tide!


    They couldn''t help but shout out.


    "Hold on, everyone! If you don''t want to die, you have to wait for Mr. Greg Millhauser to break through!"


    "Everyone, get ready to step up!"


    "Assassin sses go first.Tanks and warriors will just get one-shotted by this boss!"


    Despite being in a desperate situation where the shield��once broken��would lead to a swift team wipe, the yers still disyed high discipline, making the most urate decisions.


    Countless eyes turned towards the direction where Greg Millhauser stood.


    At this moment, the dazzling foundational and legendary path around the elderly man had already solidified, continually merging with him.


    He was steadfastly taking one step after another towards the realm of legends.


    Perhaps it would only take a few minutes, or maybe just a few seconds, for him toplete this ultimate breakthrough. However, the yers'' faces were all grim��they didn''t know if they would live to see Greg Millhauser''s breakthrough.


    Boom!!


    Apanied by an earth-shattering crack, dozens of yers spat blood and fell to their knees, suffering severe bacsh.


    The remaining yers were also pale-faced!


    Because the previously unyielding Flowing Water barrier, after enduring the sustained assault from the Devourer of All Things, shattered with a thunderous crash!


    Countless emerald-green water droplets scattered into the air!


    But what terrified the yers even more was that these water droplets, initially a normal effect of the barrier breaking, were also devoured by the Devourer of All Things!


    Subsequently, the boss''s body grew evenrger, and its aura intensified!


    "If such a monster appeared in the main world, it could probably bring about cataclysmic destruction!"


    Someone murmured, staring at the menacing beast.


    If the Devourer of All Things had this much of an advantage against them, it would be nearly unstoppable if it descended upon the main world, leaving few capable of hindering its devouring rampage!


    At this moment, every yer present felt a deep chill.


    Like Sterl, the yers arrived at a chilling conclusion.


    If the Devourer of All Things were to descend upon the main world, it would spell a colossal catastrophe! No one would be spared, no one could escape, and even the gods themselves would not be exempt from the fate of falling. This fear and warning seemed to be precisely the message that the Hall of Valor intended to convey!


    However, as the yers gazed at the shattered barrier, their mental states crumbled.


    The Devourer of All Things did not cease its actions for a moment!


    Seeing the barrier break and the numerous "delicious snacks" revealed, each brimming with a considerable amount of energy, the BOSS eagerly lunged forward!!


    Boom!!


    The Devourer of All Things'' body plummeted from the sky like an arrow released from a bowstring, devouring the remaining soil and rockyers of the inds that had been protected by the barrier.


    In this initial wave of impact, all the yers easily evaded with their movement abilities.


    But in the next moment...


    A strange light wave rippled out.


    It was Preying on Light Waves!


    Seeing their movement abilities about to be sealed, many yers had already preemptively activated skills to either evade or use invincibility and phasing states to dodge the light wave.


    Yet, many were still struck by Preying on Light Waves, their bodies weighed down, and they were afflicted with DEBUFFs.


    The Devourer of All Things slowly stood up, preparing to continue its assault on the yers'' formation.


    Fortunately, their psychological resilience and tactical acumen were exceptional. Even in the dire situation where the barrier was broken and significant casualties were inevitable, the yers remainedposed in handling the scenario.


    Several high-agility assassin-ss yers unhesitatingly dashed forward to divert the Devourer of All Things'' attention, while other yers from the rear unleashed a barrage of skills.


    Although the unpiercing skills were absorbed by the Devourer of All Things, the yers were not randomly throwing out abilities. They were using low-damage but highly impactful moves.


    They forcibly pushed back the Devourer of All Things with sheer impact, driving it several steps back!


    This maneuver bought the assassin-ss yers valuable breathing room. Initially, the Devourer of All Things had been distracted by these agile yers, frantically chasing them.


    But as the BOSS was pushed back, its offensive momentum dissipated.


    However...


    Before the yers could celebrate this initial tactical sess, the Devourer of All Things crouched down without hesitation, transforming into the leopard form it had used before.


    Whoosh~


    It tensed its "limbs" slightly.

 Chapter 198: Hope Through Trial!

    Boom!!


    A massive roar erupted!


    The Devourer of All Things suddenly charged forward like a bolt released from a crossbow, shooting out with insane speed. The sheer velocity created sonic booms and terrifying shockwaves.


    Agility-focused yers managed to dodge this onught. However, the Devourer of All Things targeted everyone along its path. Despite some yers sessfully evading, every other yer in the direct line of attack was instantly ughtered!


    Short, piercing screams filled the air momentarily.


    In just one move, over a dozen yers perished!


    As the Devourer of All Things slowly rose, its aura transformed dramatically. It had only absorbed a bit over ten yers, but each was exceptionally powerful and highly talented, making them prime supplements.


    The BOSS immediately shifted into an even more formidable form! Two wings sprouted from its back, eachposed of oval-shaped ck holes, giving it a somewhatical yet menacing appearance.


    All the yers turned pale at the sight. It didn''t take a genius to realize that with these wings, the BOSS''s mobility would skyrocket!


    And indeed, the Devourer of All Things spread its wings and soared into the sky, repeatedly diving down!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    ...


    The yers could only watch helplessly as the BOSS descended like a meteor, mming into the ground over and over. Each impact crushed at least one yer into pulp, who was then devoured by the ck holes.


    The yers'' reactions were quick. They managed to dodge and use skills to block the attacks, but it was futile. They could react and start to evade, but the BOSS''s attack radius was too vast.Someone was always hit. Using skills was equally pointless. Under the eleration of gravity, even high-impact but low-power skills couldn''t slow the Devourer of All Things for even a fraction of a second.


    As a result, yers continued to fall, reducing their numbers steadily!


    Meanwhile, the Devourer of All Things grew more powerful, and the ck holes on its body churned incessantly, heralding another imminent evolution!


    However...


    At that moment, a sudden notification shed in everyone''s vision.


    **[In this extreme trial, the BOSS''s difficulty has been capped.]**


    This message was from the Hall of Valor. However, the yers could only smile bitterly at it. What was the point of capping the difficulty now? Even before its first evolution, they had no hope of defeating it!


    Of course, not everyone thought the message was meaningless. At least one person, Sterl, who had been observing the battle from afar, immediately changed his mindset.


    Sterl had initially nned to wait until the Devourer of All Things had wiped out all the yers and disengaged before making his move. He figured that the more units the BOSS devoured, the higher the risk��even with his current power boost, there was still a ten percent chance he could fail.


    But now that the BOSS''s strength was capped...


    There was no need to wait any longer!


    A gleam of determination shed in Sterl''s eyes.


    He chose to use Stardust to enhance **[Shadow Stealth]**.


    As a side note, after massacring the monsters in seven cities in the real world, Sterl hadn''t gained much else, but he had collected a significant amount of Stardust. This allowed him tovishly double-enhance his **[Shadow Stealth]**.


    This time, Sterl focused on extending the duration he could stay in the shadow realm, giving him six seconds in this unique domain to find the perfect moment to strike.


    However, Sterl didn''t immediately activate **[Shadow Stealth]**. Since he was still some distance from the main battlefield, he opted to use teleportation to close in on the BOSS...


    While Sterl was making his way, the situation for the other yers had deteriorated to the extreme.


    The Devourer of All Things descended from the sky once more, its body shimmering with a rainbow of lights, clearly suppressed by the power of the Hall of Valor. This suppression granted the remaining yers a brief respite.


    Yet, these few seconds of relief only deepened their despair. They looked around...


    An empty battlefield!


    All the fallen yers had beenpletely devoured. The once-hundred-strong team was now reduced to a mere forty or fifty members��a pitiful sight!


    "It''s over, looks like we''re going to be wiped out!"


    "Screw it, we were living on borrowed time anyway."


    "Damn it, if I had known, I wouldn''t have joined this damn extreme trial!"


    "When exactly did my idiot ancestors sign that contract with the Hall of Valor? It''s killing me now!"


    ...


    In an instant, the surviving yers were on the verge of losing all their fighting spirit.


    Those who had died before and been resurrected consoled themselves, thinking of it as borrowed time. The Hall of Valor novices who had entered the trial properly wore faces full of sorrow, knowing they had wasted a precious token. And those who had been transported here due to family contracts cursed loudly.


    Their morale was shattered!


    Although everyone''s muscle memory still had them gathering skills and preparing to flee, their hearts were filled with despair.


    They all knew... they had no chance!


    But the Devourer of All Things clearly had no intention of letting the yers wallow in their despair. After struggling against the suppressive power of the Hall of Valor for a moment, it abandoned its newly gained strength.


    Then, its wings vibrated...


    Bang!!


    Its entire body shattered!


    Countless ck holes surged chaotically towards all the yers!


    This was a massive area-of-effect (AOE) skill.


    It was a move they had never seen before, and immediately, the faces of the yers turned pale. They stared at the ck holes that covered an incredibly wide area.


    Front, back, left, right, sky, ground!


    There was no cepletely safe from those ck holes. Instantly, everyone froze in ce, bewildered.


    How could they escape?


    There was no way to run!


    They painfully realized the truth: the Devourer of All Things couldn''t grow stronger under the Hall of Valor''s suppression. But the energy it had absorbed was now being released all at once, transforming into this ultimate move to kill the yers even faster!


    It was over.


    Many yers even closed their eyes in resignation. As geniuses, they still had some pride and did not disy any groveling behavior. Instead, they faced death calmly.


    Just then, a towering aura suddenly emerged!


    The previously shattered Flowing Water barrier reassembled and forcibly pushed the countless ck holes away from the yers!


    Bang!


    The barrier shattered again afterpleting this action.


    But without a doubt, the person who made the move had achieved their goal��saving all the yers!


    All the other yers present were highly trained tacticians. Without hesitation or shock from being saved, they wore expressions of delight and continued their actions without pause.


    The yers quickly formed a defensive formation around the person who had cast the barrier.


    Naturally, the one who had cast the barrier was the elderly man with white hair and beard, Greg Millhauser.


    At this moment, Greg Millhauser emitted an immensely powerful aura. He silently watched the front, exuding an air of authority without anger. His white hair and beard had turned ck again, and the wrinkles on his face gradually disappeared, making him look like a middle-aged man.


    "You''ve reached the Legendary rank!"


    Many yers couldn''t help but murmur, looking at Greg Millhauser with a few hints of reverence.


    It wasn''t just because Greg Millhauser had saved them.Standing beside him made them realize what true Legendary power felt like!


    Without any action, Greg Millhauser''s mere presence exerted immense pressure on them.


    And the elderly man, now a middle-aged figure��


    Greg Millhauser nonchntly waved his hand and said, "It''s time to counterattack, everyone!"


    Confidence gleamed in his eyes.


    Although he hadn''t officially confronted the Devourer of All Things yet, he was well aware. The Hall of Valor''s trial wasn''t designed to kill the yers, but to force them to grow stronger and push past their limits. Given that this monster''s power was benchmarked against his own, it was fated that once he broke through to the Legendary rank, especially as a perfect Legendary, the oue was...


    Already decided!


    "Saving those people earlier was indeed the right move. I even managed to gain several legend points.Otherwise, I would''ve only ascended to Legendary in an imperfect form!" Greg Millhauser pondered. He could feel the legendary power surging within him, causing his entire body to tremble with excitement!


    The legendary ability known as **[Mystic Revtion]** was overwhelmingly powerful!


    Stronger than any legendary ability he had ever witnessed, even from other perfect Legendaries!


    But he knew this was not the time forcency.


    Greg Millhauser took the lead, walking forward. The yers around him couldn''t help but make way for him.


    At the same time, the Devourer of All Things, which had dispersed into countless ck holes, reformed into its gigantic body.


    Greg Millhauser and the Devourer of All Things stood opposite each other.


    In an instant, an aura of an imminent storm rose sharply��two mighty beings, king against king, general against general!


    In the eyes of the yers, the battlefield seemed to split into two distinct realms!


    One side exuded an immense pressure, symbolizing apocalypse and destruction��the boss''s presence cast a dark and oppressive aura over everything around it!


    The other side was shrouded in the profoundly mysterious and deep arcane aura surrounding Greg Millhauser, a palpable sense of immense power within!


    Seeing this, the yers finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Master Greg Millhauser already possesses the power to match the boss!"


    "Finally, we''re going to pass the trial!"


    ...


    They spoke with excitement, some even shouting, "Follow Master Greg Millhauser! Charge!"


    "We''re going to win this!"


    "Kill the boss and get the loot!"


    Greg Millhauser''s expression shifted as he activated his legendary ability!


    In an instant, a brilliant aura me ignited around him!


    And in the next moment, countless yers attacked simultaneously!

 Chapter 199: The Perfect Legendary, Instantly Defeated!

    As the yersunched theirbined attack, countless skills were rapidly cast��mes, frost, holy light, shadows.


    A dazzling array of colors almost entirely enveloped the Devourer of All Things.


    Previously, the yers hadn''t attacked simultaneously because, unlike Sterl who used the Flowing Water principle to target a single ck hole on the boss''s body, theirbined attacks were more scattered.


    Though the Devourer of All Thingscked consciousness, it had self-preservation instincts. It would dodge and redirect other ck holes on its body to collectively absorb the damage from the multicolored beams, rendering their attacks ineffective.


    In contrast, in the A2 region where Sterl was, the boss had just been born and was in a dazed, weakened state. The yers''bined "sneak attack" had wiped out two-thirds of the multicolored light on the critical ck holes in its chest and abdomen.


    After that, except for Sterl''s sword strike using the Flowing Water principle, the other yers'' resistance barely scratched the boss, let alone fully shattered the multicolored light.


    Even now, although the remaining yers were the elite among geniuses��hence their survival up to this point��their full-force attacks only caused the multicolored light around the Devourer of All Things to flicker slightly. The light was not significantly weakened, and the boss would soon be able to absorb the energy from the various skills.


    At this moment��something astonishing happened!


    Greg Millhauser, who had somehow produced a colossal staff resembling a tentacle, with a massive crystal clutched in its center, stepped forward. It was unmistakably a diamond-grade legendary item, inscribed with multiple spell-enhancing effects!


    The yers nearby, having just finished casting their skills and catching a glimpse of this equipment out of the corner of their eyes, immediately realized��even without using detection abilities��that this was an exceptional piece of gear!


    Greg Millhauser''s damage output would receive an enormous boost!


    For a moment, the yers'' eyes glistened with renewed excitement.


    The newly ascended perfect Legendary, Greg Millhauser, did not hesitate. Chanting a spell, the other yers'' simultaneous attacks bought him valuable time.


    With a slight wave of his hand, a colossal azure dragon slowly took shape. Twin horns atop its head crackled with lightning. The mere appearance of the creature caused a vast area around them to erupt in thunder and lightning, changing the very color of the sky and earth.


    Furthermore, arcs of static electricity locked onto the bossposed of ck holes.


    Greg Millhauser, after downing several bottles of stamina potions, was finally able to direct the mighty dragon, bolstered by his legendary ability, to charge forward.


    Whoosh!!


    Apanied by lightning, the dragon''s silhouette swiftly collided with the Devourer of All Things'' body!


    The protective multicolored light that once shielded the monster had already been severely weakened by the yers'' relentlessbined attacks, teetering on the brink of copse!


    At that moment, the dragon''s impact unleashed a massive burst of light.


    The multicolored protective aura around the Devourer of All Things flickered wildly before the yersunched another wave of attacks!


    The paralyzing effect caused by the dragon''s assault prevented the Devourer of All Things from channeling all its protective light to fend off the attacks.


    Amidst the cracking explosions, parts of the Devourer of All Things'' chest, head, and limbs shattered!


    The ck holes, which initially had the power to devour and refine, dissipated into pure energy spheres.


    As the boss finally showed signs of vulnerability, all the yers were overjoyed.


    "We''ve finally broken its defense!"


    "Great opportunity! Let''s all go in!"


    "Are we going to win?"


    "As expected of Master Greg Millhauser!"


    ...


    The sessive rounds of skill bursts left many yers drained, but as top-tier geniuses, they had a good stock of consumables.


    One by one, they downed rare recovery potions they would usually hesitate to use...


    In an instant, everyone was back at their peak!


    Their spirits were high!


    Without needing anymands, everyone realized that this rare opportunity had to be seized.


    The yers went all out!


    Many even used arcane skills that burned their life force! Surrounded by various glowing auras, their attacks grew increasingly formidable. Countless skills simultaneously targeted the now-unshielded parts of the Devourer of All Things'' body, while Greg Millhauser himself charged forward!


    In his hand was a miniature dragon silhouette, reminiscent of the colossal dragon he had summoned earlier. The crystal on his staff had dimmedpletely, its energy seemingly exhausted.


    Yet, the pressure emanating from the dragon in his hand was no less intimidating than the previous one.


    Clearly, Greg Millhauser had another equally powerful closebat move ready to be unleashed!


    A glint of determination shed in his eyes: "I''ll deliver the final blow to this boss and im the highest damage output!"


    Even though the name Devourer of All Things included "simcrum," the fact that it required the power of the Hall of Valor to suppress it after absorbing energy indicated that this creature wasn''t a virtual construct created by the Hall of Valor, but a simted entity. This meant it would definitely drop loot upon being defeated!


    As Greg Millhauser charged forward, thebined skills of countless other yers shattered the ck hole in the chest of the Devourer of All Things!


    Greg Millhauser soared towards the sky!


    The miniature dragon in his hand suddenly expanded into a gigantic w. With a swift motion, he unleashed it!


    sh!


    The attack tore the very fabric of the trial world''s space, leaving behind three deep spatial rifts corresponding to the w marks.


    The sight was shocking and awe-inspiring!


    "Die!" Greg Millhauser''s eyes burned with fervor! He seemed to already envision himself receiving the kill rewards, rapidly advancing with his perfect legendary status, and potentially bing a demigod within decades!


    "Damn, the kill''s gone!"


    "Well, we had to rely on this perfect legendary to win."


    "Too bad the final loot will mostly go to him."


    "Whatever, I''m just happy to get the trialpletion rewards!"


    "We''re just here for the scraps, sigh, it''s a bit disheartening!"


    The other yers below watched the scene unfold and immediately reached a conclusion.


    The battle was over!


    The dust had settled!


    ...


    With their excellentbat instincts, the yers could gauge the boss''s remaining defenses by the sight of its shattered chest cavity. They knew that the Devourer of All Things'' head couldn''t withstand Greg Millhauser''s terrifying final strike!


    They were relieved��


    Their anxious hearts finally settled. The trial was truly ending, and they could collect their rewards and resurrect back home.


    Considering the Hall of Valor''s generosity, they had definitely hit the jackpot!


    But they also looked on with envy at the perfect legendary''s massive finishing move...


    Nothing stings more thanparison!


    Greg Millhauser wasn''t just aiming for the trial rewards.He was also after the boss''s loot!


    In this trial, he emerged as the biggest winner!


    In fact, Greg Millhauser had borrowed the legend points needed for his breakthrough from others��


    The yers who had died had been forced to lend their legendary assets to the surviving yers, who in turn lent them to him.


    The yers who were still alive had been the ones holding back the boss, allowing Greg Millhauser to achieve his perfect legendary breakthrough!


    While the yers felt they had gained decent rewards, they couldn''t shake the feeling that they had merely been fodder for Greg Millhauser in this trial.


    This realization was particrly galling for the proud and talented yers!


    Just as the yers had predicted, the w tore the head of the Devourer of All Things into pieces!


    At this point, the powerful boss was left in a pitiful state, with about a third of its body already shredded, teetering on the brink of death.


    But then...


    Gurgle, gurgle.


    Some sort of energy surged rapidly, emitting ominous sounds.


    In an instant, the yers'' expressions changed!


    "This... What is this?"


    "Does this boss have no vital point?"


    "Wait, Master Greg Millhauser, get out of there!"


    The yers, who had been envious just moments before, now shouted in rm!


    Get out? Greg Millhauser had already envisioned his future ascension to demigod status, but he was suddenly jolted back to reality!


    No, the Devourer of All Things wasn''t dead at all!


    Greg Millhauser was momentarily stunned, but his body reacted faster than his mind!


    He knew the yers below wouldn''t shout warnings for no reason, so Greg Millhauser quickly activated a lifesaving skill. Since he hadn''t been affected by the devouring waves earlier, he managed to phase his body, seemingly preparing to teleport away.


    But it was toote!


    Just as the Devourer of All Things'' head and chest werepletely obliterated, it forcibly regenerated its head and chest anew!


    This boss had no vital points! Its head and chest were mere decoys!


    As Greg Millhauser activated his lifesaving skill, he realized this fact in a horrifying instant.


    Then, he felt an immense pain!


    At that moment, the other yers watched in horror as multiple ck holes within the Devourer of All Things'' body converged into a massive, crocodile-like maw!


    The maw snapped open and then mped shut with a fierce bite!


    Crunch!


    Greg Millhauser, the perfect legendary, was severed in half at the waist!


    Blood sttered everywhere.


    Even being bisected wouldn''t necessarily kill Greg Millhauser!


    He screamed in agony.


    But the next moment, after being cut in half, the Devourer of All Things'' giant maw transformed back into ck holes!


    Itpletely devoured Greg Millhauser!


    In the terrified eyes of countless yers��


    Their hope, the perfect legendary, the one who was theoretically their only chance to defeat the boss��Master Greg Millhauser��died instantly!


    And the most terrifying part was...

 Chapter 200: Isnt It Too Late to Act Now?

    The sound of dripping water echoed.


    Some yers standing close to the boss felt a light rain begin to fall, their faces bing damp.


    They absentmindedly touched their faces, only to realize it wasn''t rain��it was bright red blood!


    The Devourer of All Things, facing the perfect legendary warrior and striking hastily while heavily injured, failed to fully consume and refine Greg Millhauser.


    At least, a significant portion of Greg Millhauser''s blood was "wasted," spilling onto the ground when the Devourer bit him in half.


    The yers'' eyes widened in shock.


    "Impossible!"


    "Master Greg Millhauser is dead!"


    "What do we do now??"


    The yers were horrified! Even in such a desperate situation, they quickly tried to force out their skills, aiming to kill the boss in ast-ditch effort.


    Strike while it''s weak! Take its life!


    Yet, another group of yers, equally stunned, scattered and fled at top speed, their courage shattered, thinking only of surviving for even a second longer.


    All the yers saw the same thing.


    After consuming the perfect legendary Greg Millhauser, the Devourer of All Things didn''t grow stronger, but the massive energy it absorbed allowed it to replenish its depleted reserves.


    Its previously diminished life force rapidly recovered, and several new ck holes formed.


    In an instant, the Devourer of All Things was fully restored!


    Simultaneously, the power it absorbed from the perfect legendary caused its body to twist and morph rapidly, as if trying to evolve into a new form, but it was suppressed by the Hall of Valor and couldn''t seed!


    At this moment, the yers trying to forcefully kill the Devourer of All Things unleashed their skills on the boss, but they were effortlessly blocked by a radiant, multicolored light.


    The multicolored light didn''t even ripple much, indicating that its defense was now even stronger than before!


    The yers, who had attacked, felt a numbness take over, theirst glimmer of hope extinguished...


    "Run!" someone shouted in terror!


    They joined the yers who had fled earlier, sprinting away as fast as they could!


    The only sce for these yers was that, thanks to the Hall of Valor''s suppression, the Devourer of All Things failed to evolve and was hard-stunned for several seconds.


    For these top-tier third-ss yers, a few seconds were enough to put a considerable distance between them and the boss!


    In an instant, the trial ground presented a bizarre scene.


    The BOSS howled in ce, presenting a perfect opportunity for an all-out attack. Yet, the yers, knowing that fleeing would only dy the inevitable, ran for their lives...


    "Damn it! It nearly advanced to mid-tier legend status!"


    "How the hell are we supposed to fight this thing?"


    "The Hall of Valor''s suppression on it is getting weaker and weaker!"


    As they ran, the yers shouted in utter despair, their eyes filled with pure hopelessness!


    If there was even a sliver of a chance, these talented yers wouldn''t lose the courage to fight.


    But there was no hope to be seen.


    Even Greg Millhauser, a perfect legendary, was killed in an instant without any chance to resist. What hope did they, as "ordinary" third-ss yers, have?


    No matter how strong their talent!


    Third ss was still not legend! The gap inbat power was insurmountable!


    Their attacks on the Devourer of All Things couldn''t even prate its defenses and only served to feed it. How could they possibly win?


    Some were not even afraid of death.They simply felt that running was the only thing they could do...


    What terrified them even more was��


    What exactly was this Devourer of All Things? It was supposed to be a simtion!


    But the Hall of Valor''s will had intervened multiple times to suppress its growth during the trial!


    Even though the Hall of Valor had already interrupted the Devourer of All Things'' mutations several times before, it struggled to halt the evolution after it devoured the perfect legendary...


    The Hall of Valor took several seconds to suppress the Devourer of All Things'' evolution! What kind of monstrosity was this?


    "Is this trial even passable! The BOSS is about to be a mid-tier legend!!"


    A burly, eyepatch-wearing werewolf shouted in utter despair and helplessness.


    The Hall of Valor, are you kidding us?


    This extreme trial seemed utterly impossible.


    "What is a mid-tier legend?" someone beside the werewolf asked in confusion.


    As mentioned earlier, these talented yers weren''t just afraid of dying.They simply felt there was nothing else they could do but run...


    So when the werewolf heard the question, he instinctively answered, "A mid-tier legend is..."


    As he exined, Sterl nodded slightly, absorbing new information.


    Legendary yers are at level 150.


    Then, level 200 is mid-tier legend, and level 250 is high-tier legend.


    Previously, Sterl knew that legends could directly condense their legendary foundation and path into Law Power, which is the power possessed by high-tier legends.


    The main difference between low-tier and mid-tier legendsy in the fact that legendary abilities undergo a transformation and enhancement when yers reach mid-tier legend.


    Thebat power of this legendary figure skyrocketed!


    Previously, it was evident that Octavius and Willis, whom Sterl had defeated, were merely low-tier legends...


    Sterl nodded slightly at this moment. "Thanks."


    "It seems we can''t let this boss live any longer."


    "If it breaks through, it will be much harder to deal with."


    "Although the Devourer of All Things doesn''t have legendary abilities, itsbat power will definitely see a significant boost after it advances."


    Muttering to himself, he activated Shadow Stealth and disappeared into the shadow world.


    Who is this guy? So arrogant?


    Saying the boss can''t be allowed to live��you think you''re also a perfect legend?


    Wait, even a perfect legend was killed in an instant!


    The yer Sterl had asked earlier showed a disdainful expression and even wanted to mock him.


    But he suddenly realized...


    No one was around him anymore!


    What the hell?


    Or maybe...


    This yer suddenly thought of a possibility��legendary abilities!


    Only legendary abilities could allow someone to leave instantly without him perceiving it!


    At this moment, the werewolf couldn''t help but look back.


    There, the Devourer of All Things had sessfully freed itself from the Hall of Valor''s suppression and was furiously charging at the fleeing "food."


    However, as the yers scattered, it became visibly annoyed. Its face even showed a human-like expression of thought before it chose to charge at a more densely popted area.


    This scene made the werewolf yer even more rmed!


    At first, this boss monster had no emotions,pletely unlike a living being!


    Now, the Devourer of All Things seemed to have its own will!


    Even though it was suppressed by the Hall of Valor, it continued to evolve rapidly!!


    And perhaps due to a herd mentality.


    As the werewolf yer looked back, others also began looking over their shoulders while running.


    Thus, like a domino effect, a wave of yers started turning to look back.


    One by one, they nced at the BOSS.


    Knowing they were doomed, they didn''t care if it wasted a bit of their escape time...


    But...


    After looking back, they were all a bit confused.


    The BOSS was sprinting at an incredible speed, with its ck hole-like structures morphing into ws that it hurled forward, pulling itself closer to the yers.


    Wasn''t this just the BOSS chasing them? What was so special about it?


    The yers couldn''t help but look at the ones who had looked back before them.


    Seriously, guys?


    Why did you look back?


    There''s nothing special here!


    Time continued to pass...


    One second...


    Two seconds...


    ...


    The fifth second...


    The sixth second...


    Boom!!


    Once again, using its ws to rapidly pull itself forward, the Devourer of All Things had closed in on two yers!


    They appeared to be sisters. One wore a form-fitting leather armor, while the other was draped in a velvet-like robe.


    Their once exquisite and beautiful faces were now frozen in expressions of sheer terror...


    And at that moment, due to their perspective, the sisters were the first to see above the Devourer of All Things'' head��


    A sword appeared in mid-air!


    It was a dazzling de, shimmering with a blue light, and it seemed to ripple like flowing water!


    Then, a slender hand grasped the sword!


    A figure d in a pure white robe, with a smiling face, materialized!


    And then, a single sh!


    Was this another legendary figure?


    Why hadn''t he acted sooner??


    Had he just broken through? What a fool! Why didn''t he join forces with Master Greg Millhauser from the start, advancing and attacking together?


    How could he possibly defeat the Devourer of All Things on his own now?


    Although the sisters felt some gratitude toward this mysterious savior, they also analyzed the situation calmly.


    They thought this legendary figure must be out of his mind!


    In the blink of an eye, many third-ss yers also witnessed this scene. With their strong mental attributes, they quickly grasped the situation and were filled with anguish��


    You''re stepping in now...


    Are you crazy!


    It''s toote!


    An assassin, soloing a BOSS??


    Are you dreaming?


    "At most, he''ll be able to destroy a small part of the BOSS''s rainbow shield before getting killed..." the yers couldn''t help but think.


    The newly appeared legendary figure, dressed as an assassin, surely couldn''t match the burst and output capabilities of a mage like Greg Millhauser...


    Huh?


    In the next instant, the yers'' initial thoughts were abruptly shattered as if a massive stone had suddenly interrupted a flowing stream.


    Swish!


    The sound of the de slicing through was crisp and clear.


    Everyone watched, wide-eyed��


    The brilliant de, from top to bottom, cut through the Devourer of All Things'' head like a hot knife through butter. Not only was the rainbow shield shattered, but even the ck hole-like structure filled with life force was effortlessly split apart.


    The entire process was smooth and unhurried, like a master chef expertly carving an ox.

 Chapter 201: The Devourer of All Things, Actually Being Slaughtered!?

    Before the yers could even recover from their initial shock.


    They witnessed the Flowing Water de in the hands of the white-robed assassin continuing its devastation!


    The de kept slicing downward, effortlessly cutting through the chest and abdomen of the Devourer of All Things!


    Only then did the white-robed assassin''s attack cease, but the de showed no signs of wear.


    However...


    As the other ck hole-like parts of the Devourer of All Things surged forward, attempting to engulf the assassin��


    Both the de and the assassin suddenly vanished into thin air.


    At this moment, all the fleeing yers finally grasped the situation.


    "Could that legendary assassin also be a perfect legend?? Such incredible damage output! Even surpassing Master Greg Millhauser!"


    "What terrifying output�� but it seems that after this attack, the legend had no choice but to retreat��"


    "Should we cover him and try again?"


    "But how many strikes can that powerful de support?"


    "This Devourer of All Things has immense life force.It''s really hard to kill."


    ...


    A renewed desire to pass the trial welled up in the yers'' hearts.


    After all, if they could live, who would choose to die?


    The yers weren''t necessarily convinced that the newly appeared white-robed assassin could kill the Devourer of All Things. Some even doubted as they turned back towards the BOSS��


    Was the white-robed legend already spent after that one strike?


    But they decided to take a chance!


    Yet, just as they turned their steps.


    Before they could react, the white-robed assassin reappeared!


    This time, he emerged at the left foot of the Devourer of All Things!


    An upward sh!


    The de, still as crisp and clear as Flowing Water, and the white-robed assassin''s movements were equally fluid.


    The rainbow shield that had blocked other yers'' attacks was now as fragile as thin paper.


    In an instant, the ck hole-like structure of the Devourer of All Things'' left leg was shredded to pieces!


    Then, before the BOSS could react, the white-robed legend vanished once more.


    Huh?


    The yers were stunned.


    Could this big shot still deal damage?


    Stunned or not, each yer was now as fired up as if they had been injected with adrenaline!


    It seemed like there was a real chance here!


    Who needs Master Greg Millhauser! He''s just trash!


    Clearly, the true benchmark of this BOSS''s strength was the white-robed legend!


    If we follow him, we might actually clear the trial!


    After all, the white-robed legend had unleashed two terrifyingly powerful attacks in a row��though visually it seemed like he was merely swinging his de casually, it must have taken a significant toll.


    Now is our chance to assist!


    The yers were fired up, their fighting spirit soaring!


    And then...


    They still couldn''t keep up.


    The white-robed legend struck for the fourth time, this time targeting the right hand of the Devourer of All Things.


    With a sh of the de, the BOSS''s life force visibly weakened, to the point where it could no longer chase the white-robed assassin. Instead, it consolidated its various ck holes, twisting them into a smaller version of the Devourer of All Things.


    But then, in its weakened state, the BOSS faced even more terrifying consecutive attacks!


    The white-robed legend''s figure kept appearing and disappearing. Each time he appeared, he elegantly and effortlessly drained a significant portion of the Devourer of All Things'' life force!


    As for the yers... many had already reached the vicinity of the BOSS, but they couldn''t intervene.


    They weren''t needed! The yers could see with their own eyes that the terrifying monster that had previously treated them like children was now as powerless as a child itself!


    No matter how furiously it roared and howled, it was all in vain!


    Instead, it was being dismembered alive by the white-robed legend.


    This was no longer a battle.It was a brutal beating!


    Even Greg Millhauser, despite advancing to a perfect legend, had been instantly killed by the Devourer of All Things! Thebined efforts of ordinary yers couldn''t even scratch this BOSS.


    But in front of this white-robed legend, the Devourer of All Things seemed almost pitiful.


    The yers felt that the BOSS, despite having evolved intelligence, was facing a nightmare��watching itself being sliced to pieces, bit by bit!


    The yers watched this scene, swallowing hard. "This is terrifying. Could there be an even higher realm beyond perfect legend??"


    "Who is this guy, anyway?? I can''t even sense the aura typical of a legendary figure from him!"


    "What an exaggerated output... Could he be a descendant of the gods?"


    ...


    They could only make wild guesses, as the white-robed legend''s performance had already surpassed their understanding.


    At the same time, the yers were afraid to intervene.


    They could see clearly that this big shot already had the ability to solo the BOSS. What would they do if they jumped in? Steal damage? im credit?


    That would be asking for trouble!


    Then, under the stunned gazes of the yers.


    The white-robed legend made his final move. First, he crushed a mysterious golden item, then he drove the de directly into the Devourer of All Things'' body.


    At this point, the once formidable and arrogant entity was greatly weakened.


    As the de pierced its body, it instantly shattered into countless streams of water!


    The water sshed everywhere!


    At the same time, the water quickly condensed into des, shredding the ck hole-formed monster into countless fragments!


    These endless fragments scattered high into the sky.


    The sky first turned ck...


    A strange, eerie scream echoed.


    Then, a ringing sound filled everyone''s ears.


    And suddenly, the sky was clear and bright!


    [Devourer of All Things has been in!]


    [Devourer of All Things has been in!]


    [Devourer of All Things has been in!]


    The notification echoed in the ears of the yers. But whether it was an illusion or not, the message from the Hall of Valor seemed to carry a hint of joy.


    Next came a new notification.


    [Boss Challenge Data Released �� yer: Hidden Information, Damage Contribution: 100%, Support Contribution: 100%.]


    [This time��]


    ...


    The yers stood there in a daze, hearing the news that the BOSS had been in, unsure of how to react.


    The contrast was too stark!


    At first, they had been chased by the Devourer of All Things like dogs, barely surviving thanks to Greg Millhauser''s water barrier. Even when they thought they had a chance to kill the boss and pass the trial��


    It was under Greg Millhauser, the perfect legend''s leadership, that everyone burned themselves out, giving their all to grasp even a sliver of victory.


    Who would have thought that even with such a concentrated effort, the final result was still defeat.


    And then, just when the yers thought they were awaiting death, the situation changed dramatically.


    The white-robed legend appeared and ughtered the Devourer of All Things as easily as butchering a chicken or a cow.


    To put it bluntly, it didn''t even look like he was fighting a boss.It was more like dealing with a slightly troublesome elite monster!


    It was ridiculous!


    For the same yer status, at best, he should be a low-tier legend. How could he be this powerful?


    It wasn''t until the second notification from the Hall of Valor that clearly stated the white-robed legend had dealt all the damage single-handedly��


    That the yers woke up from their dream...


    It seemed like a fact?


    There really was such a fierce individual!


    "We actually thought he needed our help..."


    "It looks like this extreme trial was designed solely for the white-robed legend.We''re just extras on the stage... No, not even extras."


    "Just what level is that big shot at? Could he possibly have an SSS-tier talent?"


    ...


    Everyone looked ahead with a sense of deep reverence.


    As the announcements echoed, the white-robed legend casually grabbed a glowing orb dropped by the Devourer of All Things and then disappeared from everyone''s sight without a second thought.


    This scene made the yers inwardly marvel.


    Indeed, this was the demeanor of a true powerhouse.


    To someone like him, we are mere ants, not even worth a second nce!


    Our expressions of awe are just annoying noise to him!


    ...


    In reality, on the other side, Sterl, who had once again used Shadow Stealth to make his exit, silently nodded to himself.


    He could faintly hear the other yers discussing him.


    To put it simply��


    Nice to hear! Love to hear it! Keep talking!


    Clearly, the effect of his grandstanding this time was perfect.


    Sterl felt he had harvested a substantial amount of emotional satisfaction.


    Earlier, the white-robed legend Nature was him.This persona was one he had carefully crafted toplement his star power, using the Flowing Waterw to fashion the de!


    The main goal was to be cool!


    "I might have a knack for fashion design," Sterl mused, stroking his chin.


    However, beyond being pleased with his grandstanding, what excited him more was the substantial increase in hisbat effectiveness!


    After gaining a significant boost in attribute points, Sterl''s application of the Flowing Waterw allowed him to break not just one, but twoyers of the Devourer of All Things'' protective aura.


    Additionally, Sterl had calcted his energy consumption beforehand. By using Shadow Stealth to traverse different realms repeatedly, he could maintain a no-damage, one-sided assault as long as he had enough stamina potions and Stardust.


    Ultimately, this led to the scene the yers had witnessed earlier.


    The graceful white-robed assassin, with just a sword.


    ying the BOSS.


    The reason Sterl lingered in the shadow world after each attack was that he had enhanced the duration of his Shadow Stealth with Stardust, allowing his stamina pool to regenerate more efficiently.


    However, to other yers, it appeared as if the white-robed legend was deliberately toying with the boss...


    After reviewing the battle, Sterl''s mood improved even more.


    He then opened his panel to check the biggest gain from the recent fight��


    The ability he had captured using the Fate Token...

 Chapter 202: Devour (Incomplete)

    A new special skill had appeared on Sterl''s panel.


    It was the very skill he had acquired using the Fate Token, which guaranteed an ability from the Devourer of All Things'' drop list during the Star Radiance Dragon Infinite Evolution event. The odds of obtaining this particr ability were 1 in 10,000.


    The name of the skill was��


    [Devour (Iplete)]


    [Description: Originates from a [data deleted] special creation. These entities are tasked with unique missions, and this ability is exclusive to them.]


    [Effect: Each time you kill an enemy or are hit by an enemy''s attack, you can restore a certain amount of health, energy, and stamina.]


    Sterl couldn''t help but express his genuine feelings:


    "What a garbage skill!"


    While Devour wasn''t entirely useless, it was only marginally better than having nothing at all.


    The skill''s primary function was merely to restore health and mana, and even those numbers were disappointingly low. Sterl could sense that the amount of recovery he''d receive after killing an enemy was minimal.


    Compared to the automatic regeneration he received per second from his health, energy, and stamina pools, the recovery from Devour was only about 1/10th.


    Sterl''s thinking at the time was straightforward: once he activated the Fate Token, he was determined to pick the rarest-looking skill avable.


    Even though Devour''s stats were unimpressive, Sterl remained unfazed.


    He was convinced that the skill''s description hinted at something extraordinary.


    What did they mean by special creation? What unique mission? Did creation refer to the Devourer of All Things? It seemed these entities weren''t viins but had specific tasks to fulfill.


    Sterl casually pondered this, feeling confident that Devour was far from an ordinary skill.


    Moreover, the skill had a plus sign next to it, an ordinary one at that.


    This indicated a high probability that Sterl could unlock the skill''s potential through regr upgrades, and maybe even perform a forced upgrade in the future.


    Sterl imagined how Devour could eventually reach heights unattainable even for the Devourer of All Things!


    He enthusiastically contemted this for a while.


    Then he retrieved the loot orb from the Devourer of All Things and pped his hands together without hesitation.


    [You have opened the Legendary Low-tier Loot Orb from Devourer of All Things.]


    [You have received 100 Purple Coins.]


    [You have received 30 Legend Points.]


    [You have received an ipletely digested chaotic legendary crystal [Spiritual Soul].]


    [You have received the title [Resistor].]


    [You have received experience points equivalent to level 15 based on your current level.]


    [You have received a legendary item [Heart of Soul Convergence].]


    The numerous notifications and various items all piled up before Sterl''s eyes.


    After a brief review, he felt quite pleased.


    The basic rewards of money, Legend Points, and experience were abundant, befitting the terrifying difficulty of the Devourer of All Things!


    Sterl found himself in a sweet dilemma; he hadn''t even fully processed his previous experience points, and now he had more!


    His level-up speed was reaching unprecedented heights!


    And then, the remaining three items each brought a sense of delight to Sterl.


    First up was the "Chaotic Legendary Crystal." At first, Sterl didn''t quite understand what this item was until he checked its specific attributes.


    [Spiritual Soul (Doped Material)]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: Under the immense pressure from the Hall of Valor, the Devourer of All Things failed to fully refine the perfect legendary power it had devoured. The remaining suppressed energy within itbined with the Legendary Crystal, resulting in a unique crystal.]


    [Effect: Upon release, you may randomly receive one of the following effects��


    The power of your next spell increases by 200%, but its cost doubles.


    Instantly refresh the cooldown of a specific skill twice.


    The effect of your legendary ability is enhanced by 100%.


    All of your damage output within 5 seconds will be averaged, and 30% of that average will be dealt as damage to the enemy.


    ...]


    [Usage Count: 0/25]


    There were roughly over 20 different random effects, some strong, some weak.


    At the very least, the weakest effect could still be considered a quality enhancement for a high-tier golden skill.


    Sterl frowned slightly after reviewing it. The crystal wasn''t entirely useless, but relying purely on random effects felt somewhat impractical to him.


    Sterl often fought by pushing his limits, taking on stronger opponents, and needed to maximize various buffs and boosts in split seconds.


    Wasting time to use a random-effect Legendary Crystal in the heat of battle seemed reckless.


    Conversely, using this Legendary Crystal in less intense battles would feel like a waste...


    Fortunately, there was a plus sign disyed on this item.


    Sterl put away the Legendary Crystal, hoping that upgrading it might make it more practical.


    Next were the other two pieces of loot. One was a title that Sterl had been wanting to collect but had few channels to obtain.


    Though the title''s name was humble, its actual attributes surprised Sterl��it was quite potent!


    [Resistor]


    [Category: Title]


    [Description: Even if you swing your de at the sky, the heavens will praise your valor.]


    [Effect: While wearing this title, your reputation level with all factions automatically increases by one (cannot be raised to the maximum level). The probability of triggering hidden and mainline quests increases by 100%.]


    "This title is pretty useful!" Sterl''s eyes gleamed with excitement. Increasing his reputation level with all factions by one would allow him to quickly exchange for many valuable items in the Hall of Valor''s contribution shop.


    The restriction of not being able to raise his reputation to the maximum level was reasonable. After all, the highest reputation level typically required extremely difficult tasks, and expecting to achieve that just by wearing a title would be asking too much for the quality of [Resistor].


    Still, even though it couldn''t elevate him to the highest level, it could boost him to the second highest level. Achieving that tier of reputation was already exceedingly difficult.


    Sterl had previously wreaked havoc in the Divine Mountain Empire,pleting several mainline and hidden quests. He even managed to establish connections with the future emperor of the empire, which raised his reputation to the second-highest level.


    To elevate his reputation to the highest level, he had to do something even more extreme: he directly killed the perfect legendary Octavius,pleting a theoretically impossible task.


    This alone showcased the value of the [Resistor] title, not to mention its ability to double the probability of triggering hidden and mainline quests.


    Doubling the probability!


    The potential future benefits for Sterl were enormous!


    Hidden and mainline quests epassed a broad range of opportunities. The Divine Mountain Empire''s quests were just regional mainlines, but [Resistor] increased the probability for all types of hidden mainlines.


    In the Hall of Valor, this meant he could ept extremely high-level hidden mainlines. Even when he moved to more advanced maps in the future, this increased probability would still be effective!


    "Wait... are the rewards for killing the Devourer of All Things this high?" Sterl couldn''t help but be slightly moved.


    He looked again at the title''s description.


    What did it mean to defy the sky, and the sky still rewards you??


    Sterl was puzzled at the moment, but he had too little information to make any judgments.


    He decided not to equip the title immediately.


    After all, the trial was almost over.


    If he were teleported out and someone saw the [Resistor] title, especially someone knowledgeable who knew that it required killing the Devourer of All Things to obtain, it would ruin his n to develop quietly and discreetly.


    To prevent exposing his strength, he only nced at thest legendary item before hurriedly storing it in his small world.


    [Heart of Soul Convergence (Legendary)]


    [Tier: None]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: The core material used to create the Devourer of All Things. Originally merged with the monster, but under special circumstances, the chaotic energy within the Devourer of All Things re-condensed this item.]


    [Effect: This item cannot be equipped normally. Any entity can choose to absorb it into their body. Once absorbed, the item can only be removed upon the entity''s death.


    Upon equipping, life energy slightly increases, and all attributes increase by 1%. Each time the yer kills an entity, they can absorb its residual soul, allowing the attribute boost to be gained again (the killed entity must be within 20 levels of the absorber). The booststs for 24 hours, with a maximum attribute boost of 100%.


    Attached ability: Requiem of the Soul. The absorbed residual souls remain stored in the item even after the attribute boost vanishes and can be released in one burst to deal true damage (this damage cannot be mitigated by any means). The damage is determined by the releaser''s attribute values, and there is no limit to the stored residual souls.]


    "This thing��" Sterl realized, after tossing the first legendary item into his small world, that he could have absorbed the Heart of Soul Convergence on the spot!


    Moreover, the Heart of Soul Convergence had quite impressive effects, truly worthy of its legendary status!


    First of all, there''s no level requirement! Yet the bonuses it provides are incredibly powerful. Within 24 hours, Sterl can be progressively stronger, with all attributes increasing by 1% for each unit he kills. What does that mean?


    If Sterl kills a hundred monsters, his attributes would double, not to mention the added life energy boost!


    At that point, he''d deal massive damage, be nearly invincible due to his increased survivability, and essentially be an unstoppable force!


    Even though the Heart of Soul Convergence has a restriction that prevents the absorption of residual souls from units more than 20 levels below the absorber, this limitation is practically irrelevant to Sterl, as he usually fights higher-level monsters anyway!


    Given Sterl''s speed at clearing monsters, if there were enough of them, he could potentially max out the Heart of Soul Convergence''s effects with a single skill use, doubling all attributes and significantly boosting his life energy!


    This means that in environments with a high density of monsters, Sterl could treat the Heart of Soul Convergence''s bonuses as his default state!


    Moreover, in non-encounter situations, he could pre-farm some wild monsters to stack up high attribute bonuses before heading into battle, ensuring he maintains a substantial advantage!

 Chapter 203: Completing the Trial, Bountiful Rewards!

    Sterl couldn''t help but look around at the now calm surroundings. He decisively retrieved the Heart of Soul Convergence from his small world.


    It was a peculiar heart of a pale green hue, pulsating steadily in his hands and emitting wisps of dark smoke.


    Sterl simply pressed the heart against his chest, and in the next second, the Heart of Soul Convergence liquefied and merged into his body.


    Sterl felt a slight but noticeable enhancement in his life force.


    "However, the effect of Requiem of the Soul still needs to be tested to determine its damage potential," he pondered.


    The mere fact that Requiem of the Soul deals true damage means that, as long as it''s not disappointingly weak, it should have a significant impact in battles.


    For instance, Sterl''s Celestial Stars Finger, as a single-target burst attack, can ignore an opponent''s defense, but only defense. Damage reduction, immunity, invincibility, and a myriad of other effects can still mitigate Celestial Stars Finger''s output, whereas true damage bypasses everything. As long as it hits, it chips away at the opponent''s life force.


    Even if the skill attached to Heart of Soul Convergence doesn''t deal high damage, it might still serve as a crucial finishing blow in critical moments.


    Moreover, for Sterl, Requiem of the Soul is essentially a bonus; whether it''s strong or not, he can ept it!


    ...


    Sterl then sat down and meditated briefly, leveling up as he absorbed some experience.


    Suddenly, he felt his body lighten, and a bright light appeared before his eyes.


    Immediately, Sterl found himself standing in an areaposed entirely of pure light, surrounded by other yers who had passed the trial.


    The group began to chatter excitedly: "Such high-quality rewards!"


    "We can join the Hall of Valor directly? I''m in!"


    "Passing the extreme trial automatically raises our rank by one level? And we can refuse challenges for five years? I''ve hit the jackpot!"


    ...


    Everyone was in a state of euphoria, marveling at the generous rewards.


    Until Sterl appeared. Out of caution, he maintained his previous disguise as a white-d assassin.


    After a brief moment of silence, all the yers excitedly swarmed around him: "Big Boss! We made it through thanks to you!"


    "We''ll never forget the life-saving grace you showed us earlier!"


    "Boss, why not form a guild in the Hall of Valor? We''d all follow you!"


    "From now on, just say the word, and we''ll all pledge our loyalty to you!"


    ...


    The yers were partly looking totch onto his sess but were also genuinely offering Sterl their greatest asset��their loyalty to this legendary figure.


    These yers, now in the Hall of Valor, were considered talented. While most couldn''t single-handedly defeat a legendary figure like Sterl, they were still epted into the extreme trial through standard means.


    However, if they were to band together, they would form a considerable force.


    Not to mention, there were a few others who also had the potential to qualify for the extreme trials in the Hall of Valor.


    Although they passed the potential assessment rather than defeating a legend in a higher-level battle, most of them possessed at least one SS-tier talent or ss, or had an exceptionally highpatibility between their S-tier talents and sses.


    These individuals observed "The Legend of the White Robe" among the crowd of yers, somewhat following the trend.


    They thought that if this legendary figure were to establish a guild, joining it wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    At the same time, as passers of the extreme trial, they could also go solo if they chose.


    On Sterl''s side, two yers stood out��specifically, the pair of sisters he had saved on the spot. These two immediately clung to him, using their previous rescue as an excuse.


    "Sir, we can never repay your kindness!"


    "If you don''t mind, we''re willing to serve you in the Hall of Valor," they offered.


    Sterl turned to look at them, and the sisters disyed a pitiful yet captivating demeanor.


    Earlier, when facing the Devourer of All Things, they had looked panic-stricken and dirty, which had diminished their charm.


    Now, after cleansing themselves and their gear for the trial''s conclusion, they looked much more appealing. The girl in leather armor, who seemed to be the younger sister, had a more youthful appearance.


    Her explosive figure was entuated by the dark leather armor of unknown material, to the point where Sterl could see the armor straining against her chest, as if it might burst open at any moment.


    The older sister, dressed in a mage''s robe, had a sheer, gauzy quality to her clothing, revealing an enticing figure beneath...


    Sterl, not feeling particrly impatient at being interrupted, gently patted them and said, "Wait here for now."


    "Yes, Master!" the sisters quickly responded submissively, clearly nning to rely on Sterl from then on. Each took a side and clung to him.


    Immediately, Sterl felt two distinct sensations: one was the firm yet soft pressure of leather armor, and the other was the delicate, tickling smoothness of the sheer fabric.


    Sterl frowned slightly, wondering if they were trying to see what rewards he had received.


    Fortunately, he noticed that while others hadpleted their trial settlements, no items appeared in front of him. Realizing that the trial''s settlement would not reveal any rewards, he allowed the sisters to cling to him.


    This scene naturally made many male yers'' eyes sh with a hint of envy.


    For them, ordinary beauty had long lost its appeal; only ying with these equally talented female yers gave them a great sense of conquest and satisfaction.


    However, thinking of The Legend of the White Robe''s terrifying strength, the yers'' feelings of envy came and went quickly. Instead, many started considering how to gather some beauties as offerings for him.


    Building a rtionship with such a powerful figure was worth more than anything!


    Sterl, however, didn''t care about what others thought. He knew that the less he spoke and the more he acted like a master, the more people would regard him as one.


    Especially when he had the strength to back it up!


    As he reviewed the rewards forpleting the extreme trial in the Hall of Valor, he nearly trembled with excitement.


    With others around, he held back hisughter.


    Sterl''s screen was filled with notifications:


    [Congrattions onpleting the extreme trial. Your contribution and performance scores are being calcted.]


    [Calctionplete. Your contribution is 100%, and your performance is wless.]


    At this moment, a scene shed before Sterl''s eyes, showing him single-handedly taking down the Devourer of All Things, looking incredibly graceful and heroic.


    Then��


    [Based on your final contribution and performance scores, you have unlocked the top-tier reward pool for the extreme trial. You may choose two rewards.]


    [Additionally, you have received an extra reward of two identity levels. You may upgrade your identity level at any time, and for ten years after the upgrade, you may refuse challenges from anyone.]


    [You have earned 20,000 contribution points in the Hall of Valor.]


    [You have received two Hall of Valor Insight Vouchers (These vouchers allow you to ess over a hundred different insight venues provided by the Hall of Valor.)]


    "Not bad!" Sterl thought, struggling to suppress hisughter.


    Two selectable rewards, though he wasn''t sure what they were yet.


    But the other gains were immense!


    First, the two-level identity upgrade, coupled with the ability to refuse challenges��though thetter wasn''t as important. The key was that raising his identity level by two was highly beneficial for Sterl!


    Based on his previous experience, he could guess that having a higher identity level in the Hall of Valor would smooth his path to development. Moreover, considering he had previously taken Willis''s identity level, he could boost his identity by three levels in one go, which was an enormous advantage.


    Moreover, this aligned with Sterl''s low-profile development style. If he directly challenged those with high identity levels, although he could gain the same benefits, he''d immediately be a well-known prodigy in the Hall of Valor, wouldn''t he?


    Sterl thought it was fine to show his strength appropriately but not to reveal everything.


    In addition, the 20,000 Hall of Valor contribution points would allow Sterl to quickly convert the benefits of his upgraded identity level into tangible advantages.


    "And there are even Law Insight venues??"


    "Truly, a faction operated by countless deities has a strong foundation!" Sterl thought, feeling a bit pleased.


    To ess worlds where one couldprehendws typically required working for the various deity factions.


    Currently, Sterl''s Moon Law was perfected, while his Flowing Water Law was iplete, and there was no way to advance further. However, with the Hall of Valor''s two Law Insight Vouchers,


    even if they didn''t do much, Sterl believed they could at least help him advance his Flowing Water Law a bit.


    The power boost from thisw was considerable, and if perfected, it would be immensely powerful.


    After iming all the other rewards, which were directly sent to his inventory by the Hall of Valor, Sterl began selecting his rewards��


    "The Hall of Valor''s reward pool should be quite valuable."


    "But just two choices? Isn''t that a bit too few?"


    Sterl raised an eyebrow slightly, then quickly browsed through the inventory.


    He soon realized that the exclusive reward pool for extreme trials was indeed highly valuable! And being able to choose two items wasn''t actually too little!


    Firstly, the equipment category offered items of legendary level and above, with diamond-level equipment as the baseline.


    Moreover, if he chose diamond-level equipment, one reward could grant a set, ranging from three to five pieces.


    The skills category also included sets of at least two gold-tier skills, each with twenty legend points, which were top-tier. Selecting these skills would alsoe with an additional eight legend points, allowing yers to immediately partially activate the skills and use them inbat.


    The consumables category was also impressive, offering items simr to the Essence of the Moon, with sixty units per set, and one reward could be exchanged for two sets.

 Chapter 204: A Brand-New System! Side Professions Unlocked!

    Sterl''s eyes lit up as he looked at the contents of the reward pool.


    These items were incredibly tempting.


    After a moment of hesitation, Sterl decided that while equipment, skills, and consumables were things he could im to need or not need, he ultimately didn''t find themcking.


    They were necessary because, objectively, better equipment, skills, and more abundant consumables could enhance hisbat power.


    But Sterl''s rapid development speed meant that his daily point allocation system couldn''t keep up. Theoretically, good equipment, skills, and consumables could be gradually maxed out through point allocation.


    So, he wasn''t trulycking in those areas.


    Decisively, Sterl began to focus on the special items.


    Even if it meant sacrificing some immediatebat strength, he had to consider the future!


    A pile of rare treasures appeared before his eyes��


    [Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: It is said that this flower can be born in the ruins where three or more elemental worlds collide.]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 0.5 points per level after consumption.]


    ...


    [Living Furnace]


    [Category: Special]


    [Effect: You can ce all your equipment into the furnace for a single reforging, adding several attributes and potentially a new skill.]


    ...


    [Imperishable]


    [Category: Talisman]


    [Effect: After death, you can choose to resurrect at any time within 7 days. The talisman will shatter upon use. If you die in the real world, the talisman will activate upon logging in and then shatter.]


    ...


    [Spark Engine]


    [Category: Special]


    [Effect: You can integrate this item into any building or machinery, bringing it to life as a sentient being with a maximum power level of legendary, depending on the materials used.]


    ...


    "Holy crap! This one''s amazing!"


    "Wait, this one''s also great! I want them all!" Sterl browsed through these treasures, and his only conclusion was that he wanted everything!


    Each item''s effects were incredibly powerful.


    Extra enhancements for all equipment, additional attributes per level, resurrection protection, creating a legendary-level servant...


    Unfortunately, Sterl could only choose two.


    After a few minutes of deliberation��during which the atmosphere in the glowing space of the trial''s conclusion was incredibly tense, with everyone quietly watching the legendary figure of The Legend of the White Robe.


    They felt like they were awaiting a divine judgment.


    Yet, they didn''t know that this powerful figure was merely struggling with indecisiveness.


    Sterl finally made hisst selection: two items.


    One was the [Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom]. He realized his corebat strength relied on various percentage-based attribute boosts that allowed him to challenge everything at a higher level.


    In [Transcendence], any enhancement could be illusory, but base attributes were the most real!


    Moreover, after absorbing the Netherworld Water and gaining an additional eighty levels, the [Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom] would provide enormous benefits.


    "Can''t increase points?" Sterl muttered as he opened his inventory to check the specific attributes of the newly acquired item and discovered that the [Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom] couldn''t be further enhanced.


    The other item he had acquired was the [Sub-Profession Activation Slot], a straightforward and powerful tool that allowed the yer to add a sub-profession slot.


    Sterl decided right away to select this item.


    Sub-professions were quitemon in various MMORPGs, but Sterl had never heard of such a feature in [Transcendence]. He had assumed it didn''t exist in the game.


    Unexpectedly, it was only obtainable from the extreme trial reward pool, indicating that sub-professions were extremely rare in [Transcendence].


    Acquiring one through other means would undoubtedly be very difficult.


    Even geniuses with S-level talents and S-level professions might not have the opportunity to unlock a sub-profession.


    As for small factions like the human race on Earth, they probably hadn''t even heard of the term.


    Sterl chose to use the [Sub-Profession Activation Slot] from his inventory, and immediately an additional nk page appeared on his panel.


    "So, I still don''t know how to obtain a sub-profession?"


    He felt a bit frustrated because he really hadn''t heard any information about sub-professions...


    With the rewards sorted out, Sterl finally turned his attention to the other yers present. At this moment, the pair of sisters were still clinging to him with an ingratiating and expectant demeanor.


    "Should I start a guild?" Sterl hesitated for a few seconds but then thought...


    Why not!


    Although being a guild leader would be a bit high-profile, considering that someone like Willis could create a guild, Sterl figured it wouldn''t be an issue for him to do the same, even while maintaining his low-profile principle.


    Moreover, Teresa had previously allowed Sterl to see the benefits of having allies. He realized that going solo could neverpare to having a faction working for him. Simply exchanging his unused resources for useful items was already a significant gain.


    Additionally, a guild provided various beneficial buffs that could enhancebat power.


    As far as Sterl knew, these buffs were generally percentage-based increases, and even small gains were tangible improvements.


    "Alright, let''s create a guild!"


    He made up his mind instantly.


    However, Sterl couldn''t use his current identity as The Legend of the White Robe. He needed to keep a low profile and stay under the radar in the Hall of Valor.


    For instance, he could create a new character, iming to be a close confidant of The Legend of the White Robe, to serve as the guild leader. He would also promote a few trusted individuals within the guild to handle matters for him.


    Sterl looked at the two pairs of sisters and suddenly had a bright idea.


    As he had always thought, the deputy star slots were not very valuable, and he could rece them by eliminating the current deputies and appointing new ones.


    Sterl thought that these two beauties who had proactively approached him were the perfect candidates for loyal deputies.


    Furthermore, by refining the deputy stars, he could safely let these sisters know that The Legend of the White Robe was actually the guild leader. This way, he could have them execute hismands precisely whenever he needed to utilize the guild.


    So, Sterl straightforwardly said, "Thank you all for your interest."


    "However, I am already part of a friends'' guild."


    "If you are interested, I have a close brother who can create a new guild."


    "You can join that guild and adventure together in the Hall of Valor."


    Sterl knew that after saying this, many people might turn away, as having The Legend of the White Robe as the guild leader and having his subordinate as the guild leader were two very different concepts.


    But there would definitely be those who still wanted totch onto this opportunity.


    These geniuses might not understand the specific situation in the Hall of Valor, but they knew the terror of the Devourer of All Things! A guild created by someone who could dominate such a boss would neverck members, no matter how strict the conditions were.


    Responses came pouring in immediately.


    "Thank you for the opportunity, Master!"


    "I''m willing to join, I want to join!"


    "No problem. Whatever the Master needs, just let your brothermand us!"


    ...


    Everyone appeared extremely enthusiastic.


    After all, joining a guild wasn''t a mandatorymitment; they could leave anytime they wanted in the future.


    So, while some were disappointed they couldn''t directly interact with The Legend of the White Robe, they still spoke pleasantries.


    Even a few yers with obvious SS talents or professions, who had lost interest in the guild, made some supportivements from the sidelines.


    At this point, Sterl casually patted the sisters beside him and said, "Go collect these people''s contact information."


    "Share your contact codes with me, and I will send you a private message."


    Contact codes were unique strings of special symbols assigned to each yer. Once you had someone''s contact code, you could send them messages and even use the [Transcendence] feature to remotely transfer items.


    However, the cost of transferring items was exorbitantly high, so almost no one could afford it.


    The sisters'' originally charming faces were now slightly contorted with joy. "Understood! Master, we will make sure everything is handled properly!"


    They knew that while others might be uncertain, they had definitelytched onto a powerful benefactor.


    However, a few yers with SS talents and professions frowned slightly. These were individuals who had joined the "Extreme Trials" through legitimate means. They also knew that the sisters had entered through the same legitimate channels. The sisters'' professions and talentsplemented each other, giving them formidablebat strength, and they usually carried themselves with an air of arrogance.


    In the Hall of Valor, those waiting in line for the Extreme Trials had formed a small circle. Now, watching the sisters fawn and seemingly prepare to offer themselves, they felt a sense of absurdity!


    While they could understand the power of The Legend of the White Robe, which merited such devotion from the sisters, the speed of their change in attitude was shocking. Was their previous aloofness all just an act?


    In a corner unseen by these yers, a trace of sadness and helplessness flickered in the sisters'' eyes, despite their enthusiastic and excited exterior.


    Meanwhile, Sterl noticed the fluctuating emotions among the sisters and some of the yers, but he couldn''t care less. In the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies and tricks were meaningless. Besides, he nned to use the deputy star to control his trusted followers, so any minor scheming was not a concern.


    He waved his hand at the crowd, "Rest assured, as long as you work for me, you will be well rewarded."


    He then chose to leave the settlement space and officially joined the Hall of Valor.


    After a few seconds of flickering vision, he found himself standing in a za. Nearby were several familiar faces, the same novices who had participated in the trials with him. They must have passed the standard trials.


    Upon leaving the trial space, Sterl noticed that some of themunication functions on his panel had been restored. He received numerous private messages.


    Briefly scanning through these messages, he saw that most were from yers who admired, envied, or even resented him. After all, emerging victorious from the Extreme Trials was a testament to one''s strength.


    Sterl didn''t hurry to reply to these messages. Instead, he began to n his next steps. He needed to find a suitable secondary profession and quickly establish the guild. For him, time was a resource that had to be maximized.


    Taking a deep breath, Sterl decided to contact the sisters first, instructing them to start collecting member information and preparing for the formation of the new guild. At the same time, he would secretly search for clues about a secondary profession to enhance his own strength.


    "All efforts are for survival and bing stronger in this brutal world," Sterl silently reminded himself.

 Chapter 205: Rank and Identity · Glorious

    First, there were Linna and Rayna with their yful banter. Sterl responded to each one with a slightly indulgent smile at the corners of his mouth.


    Then there were the reports from Teresa and other family members regarding various duties. Sterl acknowledged them with a simple "Read."


    Finally, there was Faye''s message.


    "Mr. David, I havepleted the trial. My residence is in the Hall of Valor, specifically in the Cold Water Mountain Range, District 74."


    "Remember to visit me when you get the chance."


    Sterl agreed and then closed the private message panel.


    At this moment, he was standing still, and several yers who had already passed the trial couldn''t help but want to approach him. After all, this "David" was a legendary figure capable of single-handedly taking down legendary bosses. However, before they could say anything, they noticed Sterl standing there with a cold expression, causing many to lose the desire to strike up a conversation.


    It wasn''t that Sterl didn''t want to interact with others; he was primarily upied with reviewing the information about forming a guild that Teresa had sent over.


    Creating a guild was actually quite simple. Anyone could propose forming a guild through their yer panel to [Transcendence].


    However, this would result in the most basic type of guild, offering minor buffs like a 2% or 3% increase in strength or constitution.


    For a better guild, yers could apply through local factions. For instance, Earth humans could apply to create a guild through specific NPCs in the Divine Mountain Empire or the Dark Moon Alliance.


    This brings us to a particr mechanism in [Transcendence].


    Once NPC factions and yer factions grow to a certain extent, arge number of NPCs will be present. Some of these NPCs will be selected by the [Transcendence] system to provide additional functionalities.


    This includes the skill tutors in the lower-level bases where Sterl was born, as well as those who offer guild creation services.


    Now, if Sterl wanted to create a guild, he could apply to the relevant NPC in the Hall of Valor.


    The guild''s quality would be determined based on the amount of funds Sterl provided and the materials rted to guild creation.


    The funding aspect was straightforward. For a basic guild, one hundred purple gold coins would suffice. However, each subsequent upgrade would require more purple gold coins, leading to an extremely high long-term consumption!


    But this was no big deal for Sterl. His money-making abilities were already quite formidable. Hundreds of purple gold coins were just the reward for a main quest, a hidden quest, or a few boss fights.


    Not to mention, Sterl had the [Resistor] item, which increased the probability of triggering quests.


    Even if he maxed out the guild funds, he could afford it. The key point was the message from Teresa that mentioned��


    "We also need guild core-exclusive materials of varying rarities??"


    "Where on earth am I supposed to find those?"


    Sterl suddenly felt a bit at a loss. He had no clue where to get these guild materials...


    Next, a legendary [Challenger] descended from the sky, leading Sterl and the yers who hadpleted the trial with him to their residences.


    Other yers, like Faye, were randomly scattered in various ces.


    The legendary figure was surprised when he looked at Sterl. "Kid, you''re pretty lucky. You''ve been assigned to the core area of the Hall of Valor, Valha."


    "Although that area is vast, all the spots were taken long ago. Maybe a few unlucky souls died recently, so the Hall of Valor allocated you there."


    Nearby, some knowledgeable yers whispered among themselves.


    "Valha, isn''t that the area with the densest elemental energy?"


    "I heard the drop rates for wild monsters there are significantly higher than elsewhere."


    "And as the core of the Hall of Valor, it''s said to contain the original crafting methods and Law Power of the Hall of Valor."


    "This guy''s luck is off the charts!"


    ...


    Listening to their chatter, Sterl smiled slightly.


    Of course, he knew it wasn''t luck. It was a privilege granted by the Hall of Valor forpleting the extreme trial.


    Then, Sterl casually imed the identity rank he had from Willis and received the rank two bonus from the Hall of Valor.


    Immediately, his status jumped three levels from Trial Seeker to [Glorious].


    This was equivalent to the identity rank of a level 250 high-tier legend!


    Above this was theprehension of Law Power, reaching level 300, just a step away from demigod status as an [Ascendant].


    At that moment, Sterl''s mind was flooded with various benefits associated with his current rank.


    [Hall of Valor Contribution Shop unlocked for all legendary-tier resources.]


    [You can spend contribution points to exchange for opportunities toprehend in the Law Grounds (exclusive to [Glorious]).]


    [You have gained ess to the Trial of the Brave (special instance) (exclusive to [Valiant]).]


    [You have earned the Honorable Kill qualification, which allows you to kill a unit of lower rank without penalty (exclusive to [Glorious]).]


    The messages were densely packed.


    Sterl was quite pleased. He didn''t have time to check out the shop now, but just being able to exchange for Law Groundsprehension was very exciting.


    As always, Sterl''s control abilities with the perfect-grade Moon Law were strong, but the iplete-grade Flowing Water Law resulted in rtively weaker output.


    If he couldprehend thews to make up for his shorings, hisbat power would soar.


    Although entering those Law Grounds would undoubtedly require a significant amount of contribution points, the 20,000 contribution points he just received were more than enough.


    As for the Trial of the Brave and Honorable Kill, the two exclusive privileges of his rank...


    Sterl didn''t care much about thetter. Honorable Kill? Killing someone of a lower rank without any benefit?


    He wasn''t interested at all. But as for the Trial of the Brave?


    Sterl decided to participate when he had the time to see if he could get some good rewards.


    As he was deep in thought, a number of yers started to gather around him. This time, it wasn''t just the crowd that had witnessed him taking down Willis, but also some other passersby.


    "Hey man, you''re pretty lucky," one yer remarked.


    "Would you be willing to trade your residential area? Name your price if you''re up for it."


    "Valha''s elemental energy might be abundant, but not everyone can leverage that to gain resources. How about we negotiate and swap ces?"


    The chatter was incessant.


    Sterl was just about to lose his temper when he noticed the legendary figure approaching, seemingly to maintain order. This calmed Sterl down a bit.


    The legendary figure casually stood next to Sterl, pulling out a peculiar glowing tablet. "Use this, and I''ll switch you to another residential area."


    "Don''t think I''m screwing you over. If you have any issuester, you cane find me. I''ll cover for you!"


    His expression was one of absolute entitlement, but in reality, he was trying to strong-arm Sterl into giving up his residential rights without offering any realpensation.


    Seeing this, the other yers'' faces turned pale, and they quickly distanced themselves from Sterl. None dared to utter another word to him. They looked at the "lucky kid" with eyes full of pity.


    "At first, we thought this kid was lucky, getting the best residential rights, but it''s all for nothing."


    "No wonder they say that without strength,ing to the Hall of Valor is pure suffering. I thought our lower status would mean others wouldn''t bother with us, but it turns out any resources we have will just be taken away."


    They looked on sympathetically at Sterl.


    The legendary figure was effectively taking Sterl''s residential rights with empty promises. As for the so-called future protection, it was unlikely to happen.


    The Hall of Valor was vast. If the "lucky kid" found himself in trouble, a low-tier legend wouldn''t make it in time to save him.


    A few yers who had previously known about "David''s"bat prowess hesitated and stepped back.


    Though he could defeat Willis, it didn''t necessarily mean he could take down this legendary figure. There was always a gap even among legends.


    They realized that if a fight broke out, the oue would be a toss-up.


    They neither wanted to side with David and get targeted by a legend, nor did they want to support the legend, because what if David won again?


    The legendary guide watched Sterl coldly. "Hand it over. Don''t keep me waiting."


    In the distance, several other legendary figures, each leading a new Trial Seeker team, stopped to watch the unfolding drama.


    While the residential rights to Valha were indeed precious, anyone could buy them with enough contribution points. However, ording to the rules of the Hall of Valor, the weak had no dignity. Any resource that could be taken would be taken.


    The legendary figures sneered.


    "That newbie is out of luck, running into Sarius."


    "He''s always so eager to lead teams just to squeeze some benefits out of them."


    "I bet the newbie will fold in under 5 seconds and obediently hand over the residential rights."


    The new Trial Seekers led by these legendary figures looked at Sterl with a mix of sympathy and resignation. It wasn''t out of kindness but rather a shared sense of helplessness.


    While none of them had their Hall of Valor resources outright taken, many had been extorted for purple coins and items by their legendary guides.


    Watching Sterl being pressured, they could only sigh.


    "Get stronger! Only by getting stronger can you survive in the Hall of Valor."


    Sterl, seemingly oppressed and standing still... was actually just replying to some private messages.


    Looking at the legendary figure blocking his path, Sarius, Sterl sighed.


    "Move!"


    His words were brief and to the point, which instantly angered Sarius. "Looks like you need a lesson."


    Just like Willis, this legendary figure intended to intimidate Sterl with his strength.


    But in the next second, with a soft thud, Sarius was instantly turned into a human torch by Sterl''s newly upgraded golden-quality skill, Ignition me.


    Sterl then maxed out the legend points for Ignition me and activated various attribute-enhancing abilities.


    With a snap of his fingers, it was all over.

 Chapter 206: Exponential Power Surge, Instant Kill of a Legend!

    At this moment, everyone froze.


    For a second, no one realized what had just happened...


    Until...


    "Aargh!!!"


    The low-tier legend copsed to the ground, screaming in agony, and then turned into a pile of ashes.


    A gentle breeze blew, scattering the ashes and leaving behind a charred patch of grass.


    And then... nothing was left!


    Everything had vanished!


    Everyone''s actions and expressions were stiff, struggling toprehend the scene before them.


    Among the onlookers, one legend, seemingly a guildmate of Sarius, numbly opened his guild panel, revealing an expression of utter shock.


    "Dead??!!"


    He swallowed hard.


    He chose to disy the panel.


    In the guild members list, it clearly showed [Sarius (Deceased)].


    "Really dead??"


    "Holy crap! Are you kidding me!?"


    "Are you trying to fool us with a fake image??"


    The other legends initially reacted with yful disbelief, until they noticed the one who disyed the image wasn''tughing. His face was pale and filled with genuine fear, causing the others to gradually stopughing.


    "Is this real?" someone murmured.


    Everyone else shivered, staring at the spot where Sarius had perished. Only charred grass and wood remained.


    Instantly, the legends felt a chill down their spines.


    "Really? He''s dead?"


    "A neer to the Hall of Valor, with a single move... no, not even a move... just a snap of his fingers, killed Sarius??"


    "He didn''t even seem to use his full power, yet he burned Sarius alive... how strong must he be?"


    The legends present were drenched in cold sweat, goosebumps covering their skin.


    They too had a habit of extorting neers.


    If the lucky neer who got the Valha residential rights was in their team instead of Sarius''s, it would be them lying dead.


    As the legends stood there, stiff and silent, the neers they led began to realize something...


    They looked towards Sterl, their expressions growing increasingly nk.


    Initially, none of them thought the bullying legend would be killed by a single me.


    Some even believed the me was a skill Sarius had cast to intimidate the neer he was threatening.


    When Sarius fell, the yers sensed something was off, but they never imagined he would actually die. They were simply bewildered, unsure of what had happened.


    Now, with the legends'' discussions, the neers finally confirmed��


    The legend named Sarius was truly gone!


    Admiration, fear, and shock��these were the emotions reflected in the eyes of those watching Sterl.


    Unlike the legends, the new yers who witnessed Sterl''s decisive action felt a surge of exhration and a deep sense of longing. This was the kind of heroism they aspired to��being able to stand tall and proud!


    Why should these legends, who merely joined the Hall of Valor before them and trained using its resources, have the right to extort and bully them? They should be like that mighty figure...


    Anyone who dares to extort us? Kill them all!


    The neers around Sterl shared simr thoughts.


    Those who had previously witnessed Sterl defeat Willis were even more astounded!


    This "David" was truly formidable!


    He hadn''t even used his full strength before. To him, killing low-tier legends was as easy as killing dogs! Perhaps his strength had increased even further during the trials.


    However, amidst their shock, both the present legends and the neers who joined at the same time as Sterl felt that something was amiss.


    It wasn''t until Sterl himself casually oriented himself using the mini-map and started walking towards his residence in Valha that someone screamed in realization:


    "Wait a minute! How could he attack like that?"


    "He killed someone? Why isn''t the Hall of Valor punishing him?"


    "Who exactly is he��?" One by one, the cries of the legends got caught in their throats, too frightened to continue!


    They had thought of an extremely terrifying possibility!


    The Hall of Valor strictly prohibited private duels, whether it was lower-ranked challenging higher-ranked or higher-ranked bullying lower-ranked individuals.


    Yet this neer had seemingly ignored the rules and struck out?


    That''s impossible!


    Theoretically, only those of Glorious rank or above had such privileges��to kill those of lower status!


    But such privileges couldn''t possibly be granted to a freshly initiated yer!


    He couldn''t possibly be Glorious, could he? That would be absurd!


    A newly initiated yer, no matter how powerful, wouldn''t have had the time to challenge and inherit the Glorious rank. Even 250-level legends were still trying toprehend the Law Power, and it wasn''t something one could just stumble upon!


    Now, there were only two possibilities.


    First, this person could somehow ignore the Hall of Valor''s rules or had found a loophole in them.


    This was nearly impossible.


    Even if this neer could ignore the Hall of Valor''s rules, he would know that once this got out, the will of the Hall of Valor itself wouldn''t spare him!


    That neer would have to kill everyone around to keep it a secret!


    But he didn''t do that.


    So, the answer could only be one thing.


    He truly held a rank above Glorious!


    Theoretically, such a status was only achievable by a level 250 legend. However, if this neer had an incredibly deep background, possibly even being the most favored illegitimate child of some deity, it wasn''t entirely impossible.


    A deity could forcibly order a Glorious rank to challenge him and thenmit suicide, passing on their status.


    The legends were instantly terrified!


    They watched Sterl''s diminishing silhouette, trembling like leaves in the wind!


    Sheer strength alone wasn''t terrifying, as a group of legends working together could certainly overpower the neer.


    What was truly terrifying was the possibility that a deity stood behind him! How could they possibly afford to offend such a being?


    Moreover, it wouldn''t be just any minor deity. In the Hall of Valor, a level 250 Glorious was worth more than a demigod outside!


    The potential of the former was simply too immense!


    A minor deity would never sacrifice a Glorious rank demigod just to pass on their status to a descendant!


    It wasn''t a matter of cost; only a fool would make such a decision.


    In other words...


    The legends were scared out of their wits. They might have offended a deity who held significant influence even within the Hall of Valor!


    Sarius had been quite friendly with them, sharing amon interest in robbing neers!


    At this moment, several legends among the group felt their legs give out, dropping to one knee.


    "We''re doomed."


    "It''s over!"


    ...


    Eventually, someone panicked and shouted, "I need to find out who that neer really is."


    "I have some treasures. Maybe I can buy my life."


    "Don''t waste time. Let''s go gather information now."


    ...


    Within seconds, the legends had all bolted, leaving only a group of bewildered neers staring at each other, unsure of what to do.


    Sterl, on the other hand, was oblivious to the chaos he had caused with his casual attack.


    After all, these legendary yers had no idea that the rewards for the Ultimate Trial included status elevation. Some of them hadn''t even heard of the Ultimate Trial.


    As for Sterl, he was in quite a good mood.


    "With this wave of ss awakening and upgrades, mybat power has truly transformed!"


    He squinted slightly, recalling his previous battles with Octavius and even Willis, where he had to exert some effort.


    After all, those legends had fully developed their legendary arcane skills, enhancing their attributes. Sterl didn''t have much of an advantage in stats and had to rely on some overpowered skills to make up for it.


    Now, with Sterl''s base attributes and various enhancements, he could easily surpass legendary-level yers!


    Additionally, with the spell effects boosted by the Arcane Soul, the legendary yer named Sarius couldn''t even react before being instantly killed by Ignition me!


    "My currentbat strength allows me to kill ordinary legends in a single strike if I have the initiative. Even without it, I can defeat them within a few moves."


    Sterl nodded, feeling that his invincible self had returned!


    Following the values on his mini-map, Sterl soon arrived at an incredibly peculiar area��a towering mountain range. Below, lush green grasnds teemed with life, while the midsection was covered in snow and winds, with various energies faintly surging.


    At the mountain''s peak, Sterl could sense a vast Divine Power surging!


    "Is that the dwelling of a deity?"


    He paused, taking a deep breath.


    Soon after, Sterl felt the rich natural essence of the world pouring into his body, making his meridians stretchfortably.


    "This is indeed a great ce," Sterl marveled, spending about half an hour running to the base of the mountain. There, an NPC greeted him and escorted him to his residence.


    The journey was uneventful.


    Finally, when Sterl saw his amodations, he was stunned.


    ording to Faye''s private message, residences in the Hall of Valor were typically small vis, quitefortable to live in.


    However, Sterl was given an extensive pastoral estate, including a jewel-like smallke, a vast farnd, and aplex of dozens of buildings.


    Using Star Insight, Sterl saw that the fruits and grains growing in the farnd each had special properties.


    For example, consuming them could slightly increase experience, permanently enhance life force, stamina, or endurance limits.


    The Hall of Valor was truly extraordinary!

 Chapter 207: Development in the Real World

    Seeing that Sterl was satisfied with the estate, the NPC beside him gave a slight bow.


    "Sir, you are free to enjoy everything within the estate, but please note that the seeds of the fruits and grains cannot be ced in your inventory, nor can they be taken out of the Hall of Valor. We appreciate your understanding."


    Afterpleting his guidance task, the NPC left.


    At first, Sterl didn''t pay much attention to the NPC''s words. After all, consuming these special fruits and grains would only add attributes equivalent to about five levels for Sterl. Moreover, it required a cooldown period of one to two years before he could consume them again for attribute gains.


    Suddenly, a thought struck him, "Wait a minute, what if I concentrate the juice from these fruits using the Flowing Water Law? Could I refine items that significantly increase attributes?"


    Sterl''s idea wasn''t far-fetched. He had used a simr technique with the white mist before.


    Scanning the estate, Sterl noticed that although it was vast, the fruits and grains seemed to consume a tremendous amount of natural energy, resulting in low yields. He could sense that they weren''t absorbing traditional nutrients like soil fertility.


    Instead, they were drawing upon the unique energy of the entire space...


    "This means that the number of fruits that can be grown in one ce is limited." He pondered for a moment, maintaining a calm exterior as he entered the buildingplex and chose thergest vi as his residence. In reality, he was already formting a n.


    The inventory couldn''t store the fruit seeds, and the NPC''s words implied that the Hall of Valor did not want these resources to be taken out.


    Sterl paused, realizing that while these fruits might not offer significant benefits to him, other yers wouldn''t mind spending decades to break through a level. They could slowly consume the fruits to maximize the enhancement effects and even share them with their recruited followers.


    Thus, this estate, likely one of the rewards for the Ultimate Trial, held considerable value.


    These fruits were probably exclusive resources of the Hall of Valor, prohibited from being taken out.


    However, Sterl could use his personal world to easily transport the fruits outside. He even thought that there might be many other simr resources within the Hall of Valor that he could use in the same manner...


    As for these fruits...


    Sterl had an idea��


    He had been supporting those people in the real world for quite some time. It was time to put them to work. He could have the craftsmen cultivate the fruits, or he could recruit some farmers with the promise of a radiation-free environment at his base.


    These fruits seemed to absorb some special energy from the space, not relying on soil fertility or nutrients. Sterl could potentially cultivate and extract them on arge scale to enhance his attributes.


    What puzzled him was whether the limitations of the Hall of Valor could be so easily circumvented.


    Unbeknownst to him, the ability to create worlds was something only great Divine Power could achieve. The creator of the Hall of Valor was merely at a simr level. Thus, Sterl being able to use his small world to take out items was perfectly normal.


    ...


    After settling into the vi, Sterl first sent a message to the twin girls, indicating that the establishment of the guild would be postponed for a while. Most yers, including those top-tier geniuses, progressed much more slowly than Sterl, so waiting ten days or half a month was no big deal.


    The twin girls obediently agreed and then inquired about Sterl''s residence. After considering for a moment, he truthfully informed them...


    Shortly after he began meditating and leveling up, someone requested to see him outside the estate.


    Not surprised, he granted ess permission.


    Soon, two very familiar figures arrived by his side.


    They were two young girls dressed in pure white gauze. Their actual ages might not match their appearances, but they both wore expressions of pure innocence as they approached Sterl.


    "Sir, we haven''t properly thanked you for saving us earlier," they said almost simultaneously, their breath tickling Sterl''s ears.


    The twin girls wore identical outfits, making it almost impossible to tell them apart. These were the same sisters Sterl intended to recruit as trusted aides. They had already changed into casual clothes upon arriving at Sterl''s estate.


    Sterl marveled at the situation, realizing that without using Star Insight, he genuinely couldn''t distinguish between the elder sister and the younger.


    Due to their talents and professions, the twins seemed to share certain attributes. Sterl couldn''t even differentiate them by feeling their bodies to gauge who had stronger muscles and bones.


    As for how Sterl came to this conclusion...


    Well...


    With aposed smile, he wrapped an arm around each of the girls, beginning to enjoy their delicate and tender bodies.


    After several intense battles, Sterl felt the need to rx and indulge a bit.


    Initially, the twin girls might have intended to discuss serious matters, but seeing the eager expression on the face of the Legend of the White Robe, they hesitated. Despite some initial resistance, they soon yielded, letting themselves melt into Sterl''s embrace.


    "Sir, we''re giving you the most precious thing we have..." The twin sisters spoke in a soft and alluring tone, their faces flushed with a mix of shyness and desire.


    For the first time, Sterl felt the word "professional" emanate from a woman!


    His feelings were mixed��he was both aroused and slightly disinterested. Times had changed, after all.


    He already had Linna and Rayna, and the women he had been with since then, aside from Daphne who was naturally yful, were all virgins��like Teresa and those women offered by various families.


    Before and after his transmigration, Sterl never really had this kind of pursuit. But it''s easy to go from frugal to luxurious, and hard to go back.


    Fortunately, the twin sisters'' status and appearance added to their allure. Moreover, they were extraordinary geniuses, perhaps one in a hundred years for the entire human race on Earth.


    This rekindled Sterl''s interest, albeit slightly.


    "Alright then! Let''s see how sincere you are in repaying me."


    He teased, transitioning from a refined demeanor to a more aggressive one in a heartbeat. He violently pushed one of the girls to the ground, grabbed her tender legs, and plunged in forcefully!


    "Ah!!"


    Immediately, one of the supposedly experienced twin sisters twisted her expression in extreme pain, as if enduring such agony for the first time. Yet, she also wore a seductive look.


    "More... It''s amazing!!"


    Sterl faintly heard something in the background, but he couldn''t be bothered at this moment. He was too engrossed in the sensation��tight and inexperienced, unlike the seasoned Daphne.


    He didn''t dwell on it. In [Transcendence], various techniques were countless; restoring a hymen was a trivial task.


    Sterl continued his frenzied thrusts, while the girl beneath him moaned and whimpered. She even wrapped her legs tightly around him, enhancing the experience.


    With her high attribute bonuses, Sterl felt like a newborn wolf cub suckling in those wildlife documentaries he watched before transmigrating. Her seemingly painful movements were all aimed at pressing his body, trying to extract more "milk."


    Simultaneously, Sterl felt the other twin pressing closely against his back, further intensifying the experience.


    Sterl felt his blood boiling, hisbat power surging��intensely, overwhelmingly!


    However, it seemed he didn''t even need to exert much effort. The twin sisters, one on top and one on the bottom, moved their hips with expert skill. With their shared attributes, Sterl, who was at a disadvantage level-wise, found his basic stats inferior to theirs.


    He felt as though he was being swallowed and engulfed by a giant snake, wrapped in waves of pleasure.


    "Damn it!" Sterl couldn''t help but let out a low growl.


    He realized that,pared to the myriad races in [Transcendence], humanity from Earth was truly insignificant in terms of professionalism.


    Moreover, good technique needed to be supported by strong basic attributes!


    As he continued his thrusts, Sterl thought to himself, "I need to boost Linna and Rayna''s stats soon! They both need to have S-level professions and S-level talents!"


    Meanwhile��


    "Oh my god!!" The girl beneath Sterl trembled all over, her consciousness wavering.


    Although she seemed capable of continuing, Sterl didn''t hesitate to discard her.


    He pressed the other girl, who had been clinging to his back, against the wall.


    "Wait!" The girl pleaded, her voice a mix of weakness and temptation.


    But Sterl wasn''t listening.


    She soon screamed again, feeling herself being filledpletely!


    Sterl continued his frenzied movements, and the angle at which the girl was pressed against the wall caused her well-trained third-ss yer''s body to ripple with waves of flesh.


    Meanwhile, the girl who had seemed to lose consciousness in Sterl''s blind spot now had eyes glowing red. Sweat made her skin look even more translucent and delicate, like a fine, semi-transparent web.


    The girl lunged forward, pressing against the wall beside her sister, and sought a kiss from Sterl. She murmured, "Don''t worry about my sister; she said no earlier..."


    As she spoke, the younger twin pushed herself fully into Sterl''s embrace.


    However, the elder sister, who had seemed immobilized against the wall, suddenly performed an incredibly flexible maneuver. She spread her legs and executed a 180-degree turn to face Sterl.


    "Hiss!" Sterl felt a tremendous impact below; this was a new experience for him.


    Was this the power of the myriad races? It was incredible, more than enough!


    Indeed, humanity had only recently joined [Transcendence]; some races had been around much longer.


    Then the elder sister, with both hands and legs, lunged at Sterl with sudden force.

 Chapter 208: Have I Been Tricked?

    As the elder sister of the duo made her move, she tightly ensnared Sterl. The sensation of the suction and contraction from below intensified dramatically for Sterl.


    "Wait, no~~" The elder sister of the duo continued to plead.


    But Sterl felt as if he were being intricately bound by the tendrils of a seductive flower.


    "This feels amazing..." Sterl couldn''t help but release himself.


    However...


    The battle showed no signs of ending.


    After being thoroughly drained, Sterlunched a wild thrust, tossing the elder sister, now like a ragged doll, to the side of the bed.


    Immediately, the younger sister eagerly pounced on him, moving her hips, and without hesitation, sat down.


    A low yet sharp moan echoed through the room.


    Sterl realized that after the initial "defloration," these sisters had be incredibly passionate.


    At this point, he didn''t need to exert much effort.


    The younger sister twisted her waist, leveraging the high attributes of a third-ss yer, performingplex and highly flexible maneuvers.


    Rhythmic sounds filled the room...


    All Sterl had to do was lie back and enjoy the service, indulging in the exceedingly tight and slippery sensation below.


    Then, the younger sister fell, and the elder sister took over.


    When the elder sister fainted, the younger sister entwined herself again.


    At this point, the three high-attribute yers were desperately releasing their desires.


    Sterl tried every position he could think of.


    The battlefield shifted from the manor''s living room to the bedroom balcony and eventually to the outdoors.


    Fortunately, in the Hall of Valor, every manores with a protective system.


    People outside couldn''t see any of the wild scenes inside the manor.


    However, despite Sterl''s growing prowess, he found his knowledge reserves somewhatcking...


    The sisters quickly stopped fighting individually and started to coordinate.


    Sterl had to unleash his long-sealed divine descent! His basic attributes couldn''t hold up anymore!


    After a chaotic brawl, the trio returned to the vi inside the manor.


    Thanks to the high durability of the furniture in the seemingly ordinary manor of the Hall of Valor, nothing was damaged by their casual actions.


    Finally, as Sterl held the two girls, who were like serpents ready to devour him, and slowly drifted off to sleep, he suddenly realized something.


    Henever figured out which one was the elder sister and which was the younger sister.


    ...


    Sterl''s internal clock woke him up promptly at around four in the afternoon.


    Because he always wanted to add points as soon as the cooldown system reset.


    His cheat''s daily refresh time had moved to just past four in the afternoon.


    This time, Sterl had quite a few things he could add points to. After some thought, he decided to enhance [Devour (Iplete)], a mysterious skill from the Devourer of All Things that intrigued him greatly.


    And as Sterl had anticipated, the evolved skill didn''t show significant improvements��just a slightly increased recovery of life force, energy, and stamina. Moreover, the skill description still had a plus sign, indicating that it would require multiple enhancements to reach its full potential.


    "Well, that''s fine��"


    "Skills that require multiple upgrades are often the ones with the most potential." Sterl felt a slight sense of anticipation.


    He was about to close the panel when he noticed two notifications he had previously overlooked.


    "Huh?"


    Sterl was stunned; the content of the notifications surprised him.


    [You have sessfully consumed yer Sosia''s Red Pill, gaining a 15% permanent increase in the effectiveness of your Spirit and Agility attributes.]


    [You have sessfully consumed yer Sonis''s Red Pill, gaining a 15% permanent increase in the effectiveness of your Constitution and Strength attributes.]


    Sterl was taken aback. Who knew such a feature existed?


    "It seems the myriad races across the universe indeed have much deeper foundations than the small human race on Earth!"


    Sterl had only joined the "battlefield" shortly before and had quickly realized that the two sisters were extremely well-trained, which exined their impressive skills.


    Previously, Sterl had thought of himself as a seasoned veteran.


    Butst night taught him a valuable lesson: a true master should always maintain the humble heart of an apprentice.


    There''s always someone better, always a higher sky!


    Sonis and Sosia, with their superb techniques and the perfect execution of their third-ss bodies, had given Sterl an unprecedented experience.


    But who would have thought that besides pleasure, there were additional benefits!


    A 15% increase in all attribute effectiveness is, in many cases, equivalent to an entire stage of an arcane skill!


    Moreover, the term "Red Pill" clearly indicated that the sisters had never been with anyone else before. The effect of the Red Pill could likely only be applied once.


    In other words, all the effort Sosia and Sonis had put into honing their skills went directly to Sterl''s benefit.


    Sterl felt like he had hit the jackpot!


    "Wait a minute!" He suddenly realized something.


    Given the tremendous value of the Red Pill, why would the sisters give it to him?


    After all, casual sex is one thing; everyone has desires, and it''s mutual and fair.


    But a 15% increase in all attribute effectiveness,bined with the fact that these two beautiful, highly skilled, never-before-touched third-ss yers were offering themselves, was something else entirely.


    Such abination could easily make some legendary figures or demigods, who are highly desirous of women, offer an exorbitant price!


    Giving it to him for free??


    Sterl didn''t believe that his personal charm alone, or merely saving their lives once, would make these two girls fall head over heels for him.


    "So, there''s some sort of scheme, huh?" Sterl cast a Purification Ripple on himself, but it didn''t dispel anything.


    Instantly, he came to a conclusion.


    It seems they n to exchange benefits with me afterward?


    Moreover, since the sisters had already given him the Red Pill, theoretically, they had no means to counteract him.


    In other words, by sleeping with them, he was nowpelled to follow their agenda?


    "Good! Good! Good!" Sterlughed angrily.


    But looking at the two beautiful, charming girls sleeping soundly, he didn''t feel much anger.


    He was mostly mad at himself for being so naive, for not knowing that sleeping with someone could grant permanent buffs, which led to him exposing a weakness.


    "After this matter is settled, I''ll write myself a 5,000-word self-critique."


    "Sterl, you''re not invincible yet!" he muttered a few curses under his breath but remained calm. The reason was simple: he still had the ascend to godhood card up his sleeve.


    Sosia and Sonis must have an agenda, and it was likely rted to the strength he had demonstrated as The Legend of the White Robe.


    But that wasn''t his full power; he still had the ascend to godhood card.


    So whatever they wanted, he could definitely achieve it.


    However, Sterl was very displeased!


    Thinking of this, he moved forward and directly activated the Flowing Water Law, forcibly pinning the two sweetly sleeping girls against the wall.


    Water flowed over��


    "Aargh!!"


    The wounds inflicted by the Law Power intensified the pain several times over!


    Sosia and Sonis screamed in agony!


    Sterl calmly said, "Now, submit to me without resistance, or I will kill you both immediately."


    Huh??


    A trace of disbelief shed in the sisters'' eyes.


    This man was too crazy. Didn''t he realize they had given him their first time along with a buff that enhanced all attributes?


    Even if he suspected they had ulterior motives, did he have to go this far��


    Pull out and not recognize them anymore??


    Moreover, given their skills fromst night, it was evident that they had served this legendary figure with great care and satisfaction...


    And now he was ready to kill them just like that??


    Even a heart of stone couldn''t be colder.


    Little did they know, Sterl sighed internally, thinking he was still too soft-hearted.


    Although these two sisters were indeed very pleasing to the eye, with good skills, and had even given him a great gift, the fact that they dared to plot against him...


    That made them enemies! They should be shown the consequences with thunderous force!


    And yet he was still giving them a chance to be his deputy stars.


    "I still think that, as a man, being too kind can be a weakness," Sterl reflected.


    Little did he know...


    As the initial shock and confusion faded from Sosia and Sonis...


    They became even more terrified!


    They felt the de formed by the Flowing Water Law touching their skin, like the tendrils of a demon, capable of taking their lives with ease!


    Even more threatening than the existence that had previously terrified them!


    The sisters'' eyes sparkled with a mix of fear and perhaps a bit of unexpected excitement.


    As the two girls continued to struggle, Sterl was taken aback. Not only did they not give up resisting, but they even seemed to want to fight back??


    His eyes grew colder, and he was about to strike, only to realize that their mouths werepletely sealed by the energy formed by his Flowing Water Law, rendering them unable to speak.


    Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Sterl dispelled part of the Law Power.


    "We are willing to submit..."


    "Spare us! Spare us!"


    Sonis and Sosia pleaded repeatedly.


    Without hesitation, Sterl activated his star power, channeling it into their bodies. After all, these were two geniuses with S-grade talents and professions.


    Recruiting them as deputy stars would be a gain.


    As expected, although his star power faced considerable resistance, Sosia and Sonis were sensible enough to willingly suppress their internal resistance, allowing the star power to infiltrate...


    Finally, after about half an hour, a notification appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You have sessfully recruited deputy star: Sonis (yer)]


    [You have sessfully recruited deputy star: Sosia (yer)]


    [Choose the deputy star enhancement content? Yes/No]

 Chapter 209: Weakened Combined Talent [Clarity of All Thoughts]

    "Choose an enhancement?"


    Sterl hesitated slightly.


    He had previously used Star Insight to check the attributes of these sisters.


    Their various skills were obviously far inferior to his own, being a cheat-level existence.


    Enhancing attributes would be good, as Sosia and Sonis were both max-level third ss, which would provide a significant boost. However, in the end, Sterl chose to acquire their weakened talents.


    The Moon Law still subtly reminded him that acquiring Sosia and Sonis''s talents, even in a weakened form, would be highly beneficial.


    In Sterl''s vision, Sosia''s talent was��


    [Life Glow (S)]


    Effect: Increases constitution and strength attributes by 10%, effect increases by 30%. You can transfer up to 30% of the attributes of a yer with the talent [Pure Will (S)] to your own constitution and strength.


    Sonis''s talent was��


    [Pure Will (S)]


    Effect: Increases spirit and agility attributes by 10%, effect increases by 30%. You can transfer up to 30% of the attributes of a yer with the talent [Life Glow (S)] to your own spirit and agility.


    These talents, in terms of value alone, were slightly weaker than Sterl''s divine descent at the S level. However, they had the effect of converting each sister''s attributes to their own advantageous attributes.


    Simply put, Sosia, as the younger sister, could transfer Sonis''s constitution and strength to herself. In previous instances, she wore leather armor and acted as a melee unit.


    Sonis, as the elder sister, could transfer Sosia''s spirit and agility to herself, dressing up as a mage in previous instances.


    "No wonder they were able to enter the Extreme Trials through regr channels," Sterl nodded silently. The attribute conversion effect alone made the sisters extremely powerful in jointbat!


    Not to mention their professionsplemented each other. Sosia''s profession, [Frostde Assassin], could transfer Sonis''s injuries to herself, while Sonis''s profession, [Forge Witch], could share all attribute enhancement effects with Sosia.


    "These two sisters actually have some cultivation value," Sterl pondered.


    Compared to Teresa and Daphne, whosebat power couldn''t keep up with Sterl''s pace, these sisters had extremely strong talents. Even if Sterl didn''t invest points in them, Sosia and Sonis could quickly advance to legend...


    Of course, that''s forter. At this moment, Sterl followed his intuition and instinct and chose to ept the sisters'' weakened talents.


    [You have acquired Life Glow (B).]


    [You have acquired Heart of the Spring (B).]


    [Unknown data triggered...]


    [The two talents you acquired are beingbined.]


    [You have acquired the special talent: rity of All Thoughts (A).]


    "Not bad, got an A-level talent," Sterl touched his chin and nodded. Combining two B-level talents into one A-level talent felt like a win to him!


    At the same time, he opened his panel to see if he could allocate points to his newly acquired A-level talent.


    The answer was��of course, no.


    Sterl could faintly sense that to enhance this A-level talent, he would need to allocate points to his two deputy stars, improving their talents, which would then feedback to him.


    However, Sterl had no intention of exposing his cheat information or investing points in these sisters at this time.


    He merely looked at the effects of his new talent and nodded in satisfaction.


    [rity of All Thoughts (A)]


    Effect: You can freely convert your attributes (e.g., reduce one attribute by a fixed value and add it to another attribute). A maximum of 15% can be extracted from all attributes.


    Cooldown Time: 1 minute (Using it again within the minute will double the consumption, with no upper limit on stacking).


    "Interesting!"


    With this talent, Sterl could reduce up to 15% of any of his three other attributes and add it to a single attribute, converting his base attributes.


    This meant that one of his base attributes could directly increase by 45%, and with various bonuses calcted, this 45% could potentially exceed 100%!


    Now, Sterl could instantly boost a specific attribute duringbat!


    When facing a deadly move, he could convert to constitution to withstand it; when releasing an attack, he could convert to spirit for a burst; when maneuvering, he could convert to agility.


    This significantly enhanced hisbat capabilities!


    As for converting to strength...


    He generally wouldn''t need it, but there might be situations where an emergency boost to strength would be necessary.


    Moreover, rity of All Thoughts had a very low cooldown time. In urgent situations, he could forcefully drive it at the cost of double consumption, making this A-level talent effective in almost any of Sterl''s battles!


    Overall, recruiting these two deputy stars was worth it! It gave Sterl a high-quality talent!


    "Perhaps I should reconsider if I ever think about recing these sisters."


    Then, Sterl calmly sat on the sofa, dispersing all the eerie energy formed by the Flowing Water Law.


    He allowed the delicate sisters to lie on the ground, digesting the pain inflicted on their bodies.


    After about ten seconds, they slowly got up, still with an aura of fear and unease. Sterl casually asked.


    "Tell me, what exactly do you want?"


    At this moment, Sosia and Sonis, without any hesitation, proactively spoke, "Master, we did not leave any traces beforeing here."


    "Please sever all ties with us immediately."


    After awakening and advancing their professions, the deputy star and primary star systems did not seem to have been strengthened, but Sterl realized that the influence of the deputy star had increased significantly.


    In just a few seconds, the sisters were already considering his well-being, even at the cost of giving up their original goal of presenting the Red Pill.


    "When I say speak, you speak." Sterl''s indifferent words made the sisters even more terrified. After a few seconds of hesitation, they disyed a loyal demeanor and began to talk about their situation.


    In Simple Terms, Sosia and Sonis, the two sisters, belong to the Red Falcon n, a race created by the Nether Soul n through some unknown means.


    The females of the Red Falcon n are often more flexible and possess a naturally high charm. Even their internal structures are extraordinary��something Sterl had already experienced firsthand the previous day.


    The males of the Red Falcon n, on the other hand, produce a highly valuable gem. Once they reach adulthood, they can be killed to extract this gem.


    As a result, the Nether Soul n has always treated the Red Falcon n as a prizedmodity for sale. Additionally, all yers from the Red Falcon n are forced to sign a ve contract by the Nether Soul n at birth, rendering them unable to resist for life.


    Sosia and Sonis, however, are geniuses born within the Red Falcon n. They possess an exceedingly rare twin talent. From a young age, they were trained by the Nether Soul n, including being taught certain bedroom skills.


    Their purpose had long been undecided, but it was recently determined that the sisters would be presented to a genius of the Nether Soul n in the Hall of Valor��an individual with a double S-level talent and a mid-tier legendary rank.


    The Nether Soul n has a special ability to refine and devour long-term controlled ves, with a small chance of gaining their talents and skills. The longer the ves are tamed, the higher the probability of sess.


    The Red Falcon n, along with other races controlled by the Nether Soul n, follows a simr pattern: ordinary ves are sold, while those with talents are absorbed by the geniuses of the Nether Soul n.


    This time, after Sosia and Sonis were sent into the Hall of Valor andpleted the standard trials, they would be controlled by the ve marks andpelled to seek out their "master" from the Nether Soul n.


    However, due to their bold decision to choose the extreme trial, they had managed to temporarily escape the control of the ve marks, as they were locked within the Hall of Valor before the trial began.


    But now that the extreme trial had ended, once the mid-tier legendary member of the Nether Soul n remembered them and reactivated the ve marks, the sisters would have no ability to resist and would willingly offer everything they had.


    "We''ve always tried to hide our talents."


    "That''s how we got the opportunity to start the extreme trial."


    "Otherwise, the Nether Soul n would never have allowed us to join the Hall of Valor. They would have let someone else from the n absorb us instead."


    "The reason we offered the Red Pill to you is because, before we were refined, the Nether Soul n would have taken the Red Pill from us anyway."


    "So, we thought it better to use it as a bargaining chip to seek your help."


    "And it''s the only bargaining chip we have left..."


    The sisters'' expressions were filled with despair, and Sterl was left speechless after seeing the state of their inventory.


    Despite their excellent talents and formidablebat capabilities, their equipment was utter garbage, only third-ss bronze level. Their inventory contained only basic recovery items.


    It could be said that they had a high probability of failing even the standard trials in the Hall of Valor, let alone the extreme trial.


    If not for Sterl''s intervention, these sisters would have been dead without a doubt.


    "What was your original n? Tell me," Sterl asked, feeling relieved knowing that their immediate enemy was just a mid-tier legendary figure.


    rity of All Thoughts seemed very useful, and he needed more people for his guild. Helping his subordinates with their dangers was part of the responsibility.


    He only asked casually, but Sosia and Sonis became extremely excited: "Master, this matter might put you in danger..."


    Their tone was serious.


    It wasn''t that they genuinely believed Sterl''s strength was inferior to that of the Nether Soul n''s legendary figure, but the fear ingrained in their instincts made them exaggerate the power of the Nether Soul legend.


    Sterl''s expression shifted to one of impatience, forcing the sisters to continue speaking.

 Chapter 210: Nether Soul Clan, Edward

    Sterl quickly grasped the situation.


    The sisters'' n was straightforward: The Hall of Valor, at least on the surface, did not permit mutual ughter.


    The genius of the Nether Soul n, who absorbed various ves under the guise of taking apprentices, was known as "Edward," a mid-tier legend of the n.


    Sosia and Sonis were soon to meet "Edward" to formally be his apprentices. As their master, Edward had the right to make his disciples assist in magical experiments.


    If these experiments failed, it would be reasonable for the sisters to die as a result.


    Sosia and Sonis'' only chance at survival was totch onto someone powerful during the time before Edward summoned them after theypleted the extreme trials.


    Their idea was simple: find a powerful figure to pose as their follower and challenge Edward on their behalf once they met him.


    It was a risky and straightforward n.


    It wasn''t that Sosia and Sonis were unwilling to think things through; they simply had no other choice.


    The Hall of Valor was vast, making it incredibly difficult to encounter a strong and powerful individual, especially one who was male and susceptible to their charm.


    Their only viable candidate was the one they encountered during the extreme trial, known as "The Legend of the White Robe."


    This individual was terrifyingly powerful, capable of easily defeating even the bizarre existence known as the Devourer of All Things, and potentially susceptible to their allure.


    Once they secured this powerful ally, their n required no further action. As long as The Legend of the White Robe could meet Edward, he would challenge him.


    If The Legend of the White Robe was strong enough, he could kill the Nether Soul n''s genius without any additional schemes.


    If not, they would all die together...


    However, they had miscalcted.


    Sterl made it clear: epting their allure did not mean he was seduced by it.


    Initially, he had almost sent Sosia and Sonis to their doom.


    Upon hearing the sisters'' n, Sterl''s reaction was simply...


    "Is that it?"


    A mid-tier legend, no matter how strong his talent, could be easily killed by him.


    Moreover, he had noticed Gloria''s unusual attitude towards him. Even if he was slow to realize it, he knew he had the support of a deity.


    Even if Edward had other powerful backers within the Nether Soul n, Sterl had no worries.


    Thinking this through, Sterl casually remarked, "I''ll need your help with the guild matterster."


    "When Edwardes for you, I''ll go with you."


    "Killing him should be straightforward."


    He spoke calmly, as if discussing swatting a mosquito rather than killing a legendary figure.


    "Really, Master!"


    "We can''t let you risk yourself."


    "For you to go this far for us..."


    Under the influence of the deputy star, the sisters were moved to tears, overwhelmed with gratitude.


    However, Sterl had no interest in watching them get emotional over it.


    His current state of post-rity left himpletely disinterested in their charms.


    "I need to train."


    Immediately, Sosia and Sonis nodded repeatedly and obediently exited the room.


    Finally, Sterl had some time to continue digesting his experiences.


    Incidentally,ter that evening, Sterl indulged in the sisters''pany once more and asked a question that had been bothering him.


    Even if Sosia and Sonis were absorbed and refined by members of the Nether Soul n, they should be able to live again in the real world, right? But if they died in the extreme trial, wouldn''t the Nether Soul members in the real world be even less likely to spare them?


    However, the girls'' response left Sterl stunned.


    The Red Falcon n was directly created by the Nether Soul n within [Transcendence]; they had no real-world counterparts. If they died here, they would be dead for good.


    They became yers through a special artifact.


    What artifact? Sosia and Sonis were unsure.


    This piqued Sterl''s interest; he was very curious about an artifact that could turn in-game beings into yers.


    "With such stakes, seeking out that Nether Soul legend might bring unexpected rewards..."


    The next day, Sterl leveled up to 76 and applied an evolution point to [Devour].


    The newly inducted sisters came to him, looking visibly anxious.


    "Master, we can feel the Nether Soul n''s mark calling to us."


    "However, it seems that your power has tainted us, giving us some resistance to that call."


    As they spoke, a hint of surprise flickered in their eyes.


    They knew the level of power Sterl used to refine them was high, but they didn''t expect it to affect the ve marks imprinted on them before birth.


    Moreover, they discovered that if given enough time, the star power within them, influenced by Sterl, could potentially erase the ve marks entirely.


    This is because star power would not allow any other force to contest its control over the deputy star.


    This revtion deepened their reverence for Sterl, and under the influence of the deputy star, their loyalty skyrocketed.


    ...


    Soon after, Sterl, apanied by the sisters, left the Valha region and found the teleportation array within the Hall of Valor that led to various other areas.


    Their destination this time was the Sea of the Dead.


    Despite its name, Sterl discovered upon arrival that it was a vast expanse of dark mountains withrge cracks in the ground, revealing flowing magma beneath, reminiscent of hellish depictions in various stories.


    As they ventured deeper into the mountains, Sosia and Sonis began to tremble more and more.


    Feeling somewhatpassionate, Sterl took them into his arms, one on each side.


    "It''s okay, I''m here."


    His calm words were like a shot of adrenaline for the two girls.


    "Yes, Master!"


    They regained their resolve and looked at Sterl with admiration.


    However, Sterl''s gaze was fixed on a pitch-ck pce ahead, where various streams of magma converged.


    Through his Star Insight, he saw a semi-transparent me swirling slowly within the magma.


    [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls (Grade C)]


    [Category: Relic]


    [Description: A special me that can only be born in extremely hot ces containing numerous deceased souls. It can transform into a relic after being nourished by the soul of a powerful being.]


    [Effect: ???]


    [Current Status: 84.6% cultivated]


    "A relic?"


    What is that?


    Sterl looked at the location where the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls converged--the pce. This was also the direction indicated by the ve marks on Sosia and Sonis.


    He had a suspicion that perhaps Edward could provide some answers...


    After about a ten-minute walk, the three finally stepped into the pce. Unsurprisingly, Sterl saw the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls merging with ordinary mes, spiraling and eventually channeling into the intricate patterns of a giant disc in the pce''s main hall.


    The patterns, powered by the mes, formed an extraordinarily unique spatial structure, causing the concentration of ambient energy to skyrocket.


    At the center of the disc sat a being entirely pitch-ck, devoid of any human form.


    Surrounding him were individuals from various races, all seated cross-legged in meditation.


    Upon their arrival, the pitch-ck being opened his eyes--or rather, two red lights lit up on his face.


    The pitch-ck entity''s name appeared in Sterl''s Star Insight--Edward.


    This minor action caused one of the third-ss yers meditating on the disc to shudder in fear.


    Edward immediately reprimanded him with a tone of frustration, "Didn''t I tell you to focus on your training? Useless!"


    He flew forward.


    "Wait! Teacher, please spare me!"


    Before the yer could say more, Edward struck his forehead with a palm, forcing him into a peculiar state.


    Then, Edward tossed the yer into the fiery magma beneath the disc.


    Sterl watched as the yer was instantly incinerated, with the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls'' cultivation progress increasing by 2%.


    Satisfied, Edward pped his hands. "Alright, everyone, wee your new junior sisters. Or wait, is there a junior brother too? Hahaha!"


    As Edward''s voice echoed, the other yers slowly opened their eyes, a hint of relief in them as they looked at the spot where the incinerated yer had been.


    Typically, their master only killed one person per day, so they felt safe for now.


    Edward was also delighted--not only because the two Red Falcon n toys reserved for him had arrived, but they also brought along a yer with extraordinarily powerful soul energy!


    Before Sterl made a move, it was easy for others to confirm that he had not advanced to the legendary rank since he hadn''t engraved his legend in [Transcendence]. It was only when he demonstrated his terrifying strength that others would realize he was merely disguising his true power and could not possibly be anything less than legendary.


    To Edward, Sterl appeared to be a divine gift!


    "Ha ha!"


    "My young friend, are you here to be my disciple as well?" Edward looked expectantly at Sterl, even showcasing several skills, promising to teach them all to him if he agreed to be his disciple.


    Oh?


    Such a ssic plot.


    Faced with an "antagonist" he nned to defeat in one move, who now wanted to take him as a disciple, Sterl thought this would be the perfect setup for a face-pping scene.


    Sterl was lost in thought...


    However, once he saw the skills Edward was demonstrating, he was momentarily taken aback. Then, without hesitation--

 Chapter 211: The Method of Soul Refinement

    Sterl spoke loudly.


    "Master Edward, I have long heard of your reputation."


    "If you don''t mind, I would like to be your disciple and serve you."


    He repeated earnestly.


    The main reason for his eagerness was that among the several skills Edward had disyed, while they were all of golden quality, yers who could join the Hall of Valor wouldn''t typically seek to be disciples just for that.


    However, there was one skill that left Sterl quite astonished--


    [Method of Soul Refinement (Special)]


    [Description: A special gateway from the Nether Soul tribe that possesses the unique effect of tempering the soul.]


    [Effect: This skill is an introductory level, allowing you to convert soul experience into soul levels.]


    Sterl was primarily interested in this particr skill.


    "Soul experience and soul levels--these are entirely new concepts..."


    Yet, Sterl felt that these two terms were quite understandable.


    He had been questioning whether yers entered the game world with their physical bodies or something else entirely.


    Those who logged into [Transcendence] through the game pod could easily see their physical bodies in the outside world, which were in a state of slumber.


    A reasonable conclusion was that it was the yers'' souls that were acting within [Transcendence].


    Soul experience and soul levels, as the names imply, were about enhancing the strength of the soul.


    Very easy to grasp!


    And Sterl felt...


    "Once the soul level is raised, there might be special benefits."


    In the world before his transmigration, the power of the "soul" was extremely important in both Eastern and Western cultures.


    Thus, Sterl feared that if he defeated Edward too quickly, this special skill might not drop, so he decisively chose to be a disciple!


    Upon hearing this, the sisters Sosia and Sonis exchanged surprised nces.


    If their master chose to submit to Edward, their fates would surely be quite tragic! However, out of loyalty to Sterl, they said nothing and continued to stand by quietly. It seemed to them that if Sterl truly needed to be a disciple to achieve some goal, they would willingly be nourishment for the Nether Soul tribe.


    As for Edward, he was taken aback.


    Goodness, he hadn''t even said anything yet, and someone was alreadying to him!


    "That''s fine!" Edward''s eyes shed with delight.


    He looked at the immense soul power radiating from Sterl and felt a surge of excitement!


    "In that case, the resources for nurturing the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls just got a significant boost."


    Edward thought joyfully.


    It was important to note that, ording to information gathered by their Nether Soul tribe, no other races within the Crystal Barrier Gxy possessed the ability to refine souls.


    Generally speaking, all living beings start at the initial soul level of one, and their innate soul experience is quite low.


    Even with the Method of Soul Refinement, they could only elevate their soul levels to a rtively low standard.


    This included legendary and demigod-level beings as well.


    As a result, Edward had to constantly take on disciples to teach them the Method of Soul Refinement, only toter sacrifice these apprentices by casting them into the mes.


    However, since these disciples could only reach a maximum of level two soul levels, the rate of nurturing the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls remained painfully slow.


    Edward had been surviving on this volcano for nearly 50 years, and he had only just about managed to nurture the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    But he never anticipated that the two toys from the Red Falcon tribe would bring him such a significant surprise today.


    He discovered that Sterl, this seemingly weak yer, actually possessed an incredibly rich soul power!


    If he were to practice the Method of Soul Refinement, he could potentially elevate his soul level to four or five!


    Was this not a windfall from the heavens?


    It''s worth noting that normally, only beings who had ascended to godhood could reach a soul level of five!


    They became aware of their inexplicable weakness in the realm of the soul and began to spend Divine Power to refine their souls!


    However, Edward and the Nether Soul tribe clearly did not have the ability to turn gods into nourishment.


    So, despite his suspicions that Sterl likely had ulterior motives, what could a third-ss yer possibly achieve?


    Edward was incredibly excited: "Once Iplete the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, I will be able to..."


    His eyes sparkled as the group of apprentices nearby also began to glow with joy.


    They had all practiced the Method of Soul Refinement, and they knew that with a neer filling the ranks, their chances of being sacrificed by being pushed into the mes had significantly decreased.


    "Everyone, wee our new junior brother!"


    "Hello! Hello!"


    "We''re all family from now on!"


    "If you need anything, juste to us!"


    At this moment, scattered apuse erupted, gradually growing louder!


    All the apprentices wore strange smiles, pping enthusiastically, creating a scene of joy and inspiration.


    However, the dark tones of the pcebined with the deep, rumbling sounds of the moltenva below created an eerily uncanny atmosphere.


    Sterl stepped closer and voluntarily stood on the disk filled withva.


    "You haven''t formally be a disciple yet..." Edward frowned, still cautious.


    He knew he could not let this neer discover his secrets before the "formal initiation."


    The expressions of the "apprentices" nearby varied, but suddenly everyone felt as if their thoughts hade to a halt.


    When they came back to their senses, they noticed that nothing seemed to have changed...


    "I''m sorry, Master."


    "I just want to make progress."


    "I wanted to see what our training environment is like," Sterl said casually.


    At that moment, Edward stepped forward two paces, and an eerie soul fire ignited in his palm as he pressed it against Sterl. "Do not resist."


    "Otherwise, I will have to kill you on the spot."


    The strange figure smirked as he extended a purple-ck tongue, licking Sterl''s face.


    He was toozy to dwell on this new disciple''s bizarre behavior; first, he needed to establish control.


    Sterl felt slightly dazed, as this scene seemed oddly familiar; it was simr to when he had coerced the Sosia and Sonis sisters.


    The wheel of fortune turns.


    At this moment, Sosia and Sonis could no longer contain themselves, but just as they were about to act, they felt their master''smand emanate from a distance, forcing the sisters to freeze in ce, unable to move.


    They could only watch with faces filled with panic and unease.


    Fortunately, Edward and his apprentices were entirely focused on Sterl, and they did not find anything unusual in Sosia and Sonis''s expressions.


    "Have the two toys from the Red Falcon tribe realized the danger?"


    "Too bad, it''s utterly useless."


    "Heh, your fate is to serve as fuel for my tribe, isn''t it?" Edward sneered.


    At that moment, he sensed that the control mark had fully taken root in the powerful soul of the third-ss yer.


    He immediately shifted to a pleasant demeanor and said, "I will impart the Method of Soul Refinement to you."


    "You just need to follow the steps, and you can enhance your soul experience and soul level."


    "However, with your current soul experience, you can directly raise your soul level to five, but reaching level six will take a very long time. For now, just focus on leveling up."


    As he spoke, Edward''s gaze had alreadynded on an apprentice who had just reached level two soul level.


    He had already nned that if this new apprentice was disobedient--say, if he wanted to learn a golden-quality skill first--Edward would simply sacrifice another "apprentice" to make his point.


    After all, once this new disciple raised his soul level, he could be directly used to contribute to the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    To Edward''s surprise, however...


    This new disciple showed no intention of asking to learn any golden skills. Instead, he eagerly inquired, "Master, this Method of Soul Refinement is truly remarkable. Is there a continuation? I would like to take a look."


    Edward was momentarily taken aback, then couldn''t help but snicker coldly in his heart. A continuation? That was the fundamental arcane skill of his tribe; did this neer really think he could stake a im on it?


    Well, why not! He had initially wanted to give this new disciple a lesson anyway. Whether it was a golden skill or an arcane skill from the tribe, it made no difference.


    "Of course not," Edward said coldly.


    His tone grew severe: "Impudent!"


    "You''re of no use to me!" Unfortunately, before the powerful Nether Soul tribal leader could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.


    His new disciple wore a cold, indifferent expression, brimming with murderous intent!


    Huh?? Edward was stunned.


    "???" The other apprentices were equally dumbfounded.


    How dare this neer challenge him? He had already inscribed a seal on his body, allowing him to live or die at his whim.


    And yet, he dared to retort?


    No, this was no mere retort; this was a direct personal threat to Edward.


    Was he in a hurry to meet his end??


    Edward''s expression changed dramatically, but as a beingposed of strange hues that formed a shadow, no one else could perceive his fury.


    A peculiar light shed in his eyes as he snapped his fingers.


    "Feel the pain!"


    Then he looked at Sterl.


    "Reflect on your actions."


    With this simple gesture, every one of Edward''s apprentices felt their hair stand on end!


    They remembered thest unfortunate soul who had suffered this way, how he had howled in agony for three days and nights, eventually throwing himself into theva to escape!


    It''s worth noting that this apprentice had been a yer capable of adjusting his pain threshold, yet he couldn''t endure it--what kind of cruel torture could this be?


    However...


    Gurgle...


    The surroundings fell silent, the only sound being the flow of moltenva.


    Sterl remained standing there, wearing a mocking expression.


    "How is this possible? Is the master''s soul curse ineffective??"


    "He must be enduring it!"


    "Even enduring shouldn''t leave himpletely expressionless..."


    All the "apprentices" wore strange looks on their faces.


    And Edward''s heart sank.


    Something was off!


    Extremely off!


    At this moment, he couldn''t care less about refining the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls; he acted decisively.


    "Which faction sent you?!" His tone was filled not only with anger but also urgency.

 Chapter 212: Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, Refined!

    Edward sensed that something was off!


    This powerful soul being might very well have set its sights on the secret techniques of the Nether Soul tribe!


    Although the magic of the Nether Soul tribe--aside from the introductory Method of Soul Refinement that anyone could learn to boost their soul level and umte soul experience at a painfully slow pace--was primarily essible due to the tribe''s unique constitution, making the subsequent arcane skills exclusive to them.


    There was no need forpetition over it.


    Yet, despite this, some stubborn and reckless powerful beings still came to challenge them.


    As a result, the Nether Soul tribe suffered heavy losses in [Transcendence] due to repeated battles, causing them to nearly withdraw entirely from the game, leaving only a small number of their kin to create a new race and conductmercial trades to exchange for resources.


    The others in the tribe would only log in when they needed to absorb resources to grow stronger.


    The tribe''s development primarily relied on expanding and ruling territories in the real world through extraordinary powers.


    Edward was able to live a stable life thanks to the protection of the Hall of Valor, and the gods in the temple knew of the ws in the Nether Soul tribe''s arcane skills, so they would note to contest them.


    He never expected that today, another stubborn individual woulde looking for trouble.


    Moreover...


    At least a strong person from their faction would make an appearance; instead, a mere third-ss individual dared toe and seek their own demise.


    Edward almostughed in anger.


    He quickly activated a golden skill called [Soul me] in his palm and struck down.


    At the same time, he triggered the seal that he had previously embedded within Sterl.


    Sterl also received a prompt that shed before his eyes--


    [You are currently within the residence of another yer and have been designated as an intruder. The other party may proactively initiatebat or defense.]


    "There''s even such a setting?"


    He was taken aback for a moment.


    Meanwhile, on the front lines of battle, the "Sterl" that Edward should have been able to control was now enveloped in mes, Ignition me!


    One force was infused with the power of fire, while the other was a sh of dark purple and azure mes infused with star power, culminating in a tremendous explosion!


    Edward was astonished to find himself at a distinct advantage!


    Sterl found himself wrapped in mes, pushed back to the edge of the circr terrain.


    "You can unleash the power of a low-tier legend?"


    "Too bad... it means nothing in the face of absolute strength."


    Edward sneered.


    He felt he had seen through the truth; this third-ss individual likely believed himself to be incredibly powerful, able to easily challenge others outside, and hade to the Hall of Valor to seek trouble upon hearing about the arcane skills that could refine the soul.


    What he didn''t realize was that the so-called geniuses from the outside world meant nothing in the Hall of Valor.


    At first, he had thought this was a powerful faction testing them, but in reality, those factions weren''t fools; they would have long since known the secrets of the Nether Soul tribe, and having those techniques would be useless to them.


    "Tell me, how did you manage to resist my control?"


    "Maybe I can make your death a bit more pleasant." Edward, with an expression of certainty, slowly closed the distance.


    At this moment, the other apprentices let out a sigh.


    They had initially thought that a true expert hade to kill their "master," thinking they might have a chance to escape. Now it seemed utterly impossible.


    The disparity inbat power was just too great.


    Only Sosia and Sonis looked equally shocked, but as they observed the situation on the battlefield, they wore expressions that suggested they believed victory was assured.


    However, as Edward walked closer to the fire-enshrouded Sterl, his expression suddenly changed dramatically!


    Swish!!


    In an instant, a short de constructed of azure energy sliced toward his chest and abdomen.


    In the blink of an eye, Edward had no time to react further and could only forcibly unleash his soul power.


    "Ugh!" He spat out a mouthful of blood.


    At the same time, the structure of his body, resembling ink dye, trembled violently, as if on the verge of copse.


    Finally--


    A fierce glint shed in Edward''s eyes; his legendary ability had already been activated!


    Dark purple soul mes mixed with the moltenva below the circr terrain surged violently, transforming into a massive volcanic structure that erupted wildly!


    The mes then scorched the ground, forming dark energy spheres.


    The de in "Sterl''s" hand easily severed the mes, splitting them in two. However, he looked at the dark energy spheres with a slightly changed expression.


    "Sterl" felt an instinctive fear, as if touching the dark purple energy spheres would bring about a great disaster, yet he still recklessly charged forward.


    The deposed of the Flowing Water Law had now reached Edward.


    Swish!


    With one sh, it opened a gash in his chest and abdomen!


    The damage inflicted by the Law Power instantly left this mid-tier legend severely injured, and he let out a Wail of Anguish, retreating in a panic.


    The calm expression he had maintained couldn''t hold up any longer, reced by a frantic urgency as he pushed his legendary ability to its limits!


    Edward felt the threat of death!


    In an instant, the mes within the volcanic eruption surged again!


    The range was so vast that it covered most of the circr terrain, forcing Edward''s apprentices to escape in disarray, barely avoiding their master''s lethal assault.


    After "Sterl" unleashed the de, he sprinted forward with all his might, but his speed was still not enough, and he becamepletely enveloped in mes.


    The mes were not strong enough to reduce Sterl to ashes, but the dark purple spheres erupted amidst the waves of fire, attaching themselves to Sterl and emitting a strange sizzling sound.


    Although "Sterl''s" physical body suffered no damage, his forward momentum suddenly halted...


    He copsed to the ground, engulfed by the mes.


    In no time, he transformed into a withered shadow.


    ...


    At the same time, prompts shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Your avatar has suffered a soul attack; current soul power reduced by 10%!]


    [Your avatar has suffered a soul attack; current soul power reduced by 25%!]


    [Your...]


    ...


    [Your avatar''s soul power is exhausted; damage feedback to the main body!]


    "Damn!!" Sterl nearly lost his grip on the effects of Shadow Stealth, which reduced his presence!


    His head throbbed painfully!


    This was an extraordinarily peculiar form of damage; it was previously mentioned that [Transcendence] could lower pain sensitivity.


    However, even if Sterl immediately set his pain sensitivity to the lowest level, he still felt as if his eyes were about to burst!


    Had it not been for his extensivebat experience, he might have immediately exited the passive state of Shadow Stealth!


    At this moment, he growled softly, half-kneeling on the ground with gritted teeth, his whole body twitching!


    ...


    On the other side, on the main battlefield, after the mes burned away, everything turned to nothingness, and Edward walked forward with a particrly grim expression.


    "Did you see that? This is the consequence of opposing me!"


    Though victorious, he felt no joy whatsoever.


    After being severely injured, Edward was forced to activate his legendary ability, [Soul Devourer], his strongest finishing move!


    In his view, the powerful third-ss yer, whose soul strength had been immense, was being gruesomely crushed!


    The Fire of Ten Thousand Souls lost another source of nourishment; in fact, it lost a significant one!


    He might have to spend another decade or more nurturing this me topleteness.


    What frustrated Edward even more was...


    If he couldplete the cultivation of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls and absorb it, he wouldn''t need to fear being killed by others in [Transcendence]. He could spare the life of this soul-powered individual and turn him into nourishment for the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls...


    As for the others nearby, the apprentices were not surprised at all.


    "Sure enough, Edward''s legendary ability is too overpowered; even those who were a bit stronger than him have fallen victim before..."


    "What a pity, if thatst sword strike had been just a little more urate, it would have been great to kill that guy outright."


    They looked as if their souls had been taken from them.


    Edward, infuriated, cast a furious nce at his apprentices.


    Finally, he picked out another unfortunate soul, grabbing them and hurling them into the molten mes.


    "Ugh!"


    Apanied by a short scream, a wisp of green smoke floated up!


    Another third-ss yer, one who could be considered a genius in the outside world, met their end.


    Yet Edward still felt ufortable all over, his anger simmering.


    So he set his sights on the sisters, Sonis and Sosia, and quickly stepped forward.


    The other apprentices breathed a sigh of relief, at least for now, they wouldn''t be in his crosshairs.


    But Edward''s expression grew even more irate as he noticed the sisters showed not a shred of fear or panic.


    "Who do you think you are..."


    His thoughts suddenly paused, and then he felt a sensation of weightlessness, followed by the sight of a headless "corpse."


    "This corpse looks just like the bodies of our Nether Soul tribe!"


    Then Edward saw that the third-ss yer he had just killed, who had possessed immense soul power, was slowly retracting a de that flowed like water.


    "Am I dead?" He was momentarily stunned.


    In the next second, Edward''s final consciousness came to a halt.


    He had no idea what was happening, nor did he understand what was urring to his body.


    Finally, Edward "felt" a warmth wash over him.


    His consciousnesspletely dissolved!


    However, this powerful figure from the Nether Soul tribe didn''tprehend what had transpired, but his apprentices witnessed everything clearly.


    Their master, who was invincible among his peers, had been decapitated in one strike!


    At the same time, he was thrown into the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, bing nourishment!


    The mes surged violently, seemingly having absorbed enough sustenance, bubbling with excitement.


    "How is this possible?"


    "Is the master really dead??"


    "Does that mean we''re saved?"


    "One strike and he was taken out..."


    They looked at Sterl with a mix of awe and respect.


    Anyone capable of killing Edward must possess at least mid-tier legendary strength, if not more, and the apprentices stood obediently, waiting for the instructions and arrangements from this powerful individual.


    Meanwhile, Sosia and Sonis smiled and took the initiative to walk over to Sterl.

 Chapter 213: Soul Level

    "Master, thank you."


    "We... we can feel the ve marks within us fading."


    Sosia and Sonis were extremely excited.


    This revtion finally helped the apprentices understand what had transpired.


    It was indeed these two women from the Red Falcon tribe who had brought a savior!


    Sterl, however, paid no mind to the reactions of the apprentices around him.


    What had just urred was simply him using Moon Law to pause everyone''s thoughts; he then created an avatar to ept Edward''s control, allowing him to obtain The Method of Soul Refinement.


    There was no other way; the Hall of Valor was fraught withplications.


    Everyone was considered a friendly unit, otherwise, Sterl could have killed Edward, selected his drops using the Fate Token, and skipped the extra step of apprenticeship.


    As for coercing Edward into handing over the soul cultivation spell, that would not only take much more effort, but what if he logged off?


    At most, Sterl could only ruin his ount.


    In reality, Sterl was feeling quite pleased at this moment, as he had gained a substantial reward. After acquiring The Method of Soul Refinement, even though he did not obtain the subsequent secret techniques of the soul tribe, the method itself was upgradeable.


    Sterl felt he might still have an opportunity to enhance this ability, and perhaps...


    He sensed that the potential for cultivating special skills rted to the soul was very high, and if he invested enough points, he might even surpass the secret techniques of the soul tribe.


    However, Sterl was also experiencing a delightful frustration: ever since joining the Hall of Valor, he had continuously acquired high-potential skills and items, yet he found himselfcking in opportunities to invest points!


    It could only be said that the Hall of Valor was indeed full of surprises and treasures!


    At the same time, he had just been affected by the bacsh from his avatar, leaving him with a splitting headache. He decided to use The Method of Soul Refinement to upgrade his soul level.


    After learning The Method of Soul Refinement, Sterl discovered a new soul level panel had appeared on his status screen. Uponpleting the upgrade--


    [Soul Level: 5]


    [Soul Experience: 121/1000]


    [Note: Gaining soul experience is extremely difficult; please use with caution.]


    However, Sterl found it strange that after raising his soul level, there were no changes in his attributes, nor did he receive any new bonuses or buffs.


    If he had to say there was any change?


    It was that he felt a significant increase in his control over his body.


    With a soul level of five, the Flowing Water Law des he gathered became smoother and more refined, the time required to charge them decreased by about one-third, the final power increased by roughly one-fifth, and the energy consumed was reduced by about one-sixth.


    All of this had nothing to do with "proficiency"; it was simply as if Sterl''s body were a machine.


    At this moment, as his will controlled the machine, it felt as though he had applied lubricant, significantly reducing the loss from intermediate steps.


    But that wasn''t the greatest improvement.


    The most significant enhancement came from the fact that just before the Flowing Water Law des dissipated, Sterl harnessed Moon Law to freeze Edward''s life, allowing both his life and soul to be consumed by the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    Thest time he used two Laws simultaneously was to instantly kill Octavius.


    At that time, Sterl felt the energy expenditure was terrifying. However, this time, with the efficiency of Moon Law''s consumption reduced and its effectiveness increased, there was a sense that the two Law Powers were subtlypensating for each other, merging into one!


    After all, both Laws had long been engraved in Sterl''s body, and now it felt as if the power of the soul was acting as a binding agent, giving birth to an entirely new existence!


    "This soul level must be important!" Sterl couldn''t help but ponder silently.


    Not to mention that this effect of potentially integrating Law Power is undoubtedly promising for the future, but it requires a higher soul level to truly activate.


    The current "fusion" is merely a feeling that exists in Sterl''s mind.


    Just optimizing skills and reducing consumption already demonstrates the value of this level.


    Moreover, earlier during his battle with Edward, Sterl had intentionally used an avatar to fight, wanting to see how much his avatar, with only a quarter of his strength, could achieve under the enhancement of Law Power.


    The results proved that a normal mid-tier legendary fighter could indeed be killed by his fullymitted avatar!


    At the very least, it could achieve a mutual destruction.


    However, Edward''s final legendary ability had the effect of directly inflicting harm using soul power, which led to the instant destruction of the soul fragment within Sterl''s avatar!


    Clearly, when the power of the soul bes strong enough, it bes an overwhelmingly lethal method of attack.


    What puzzled Sterl was that after acquiring a soul level, he could also use Star Insight to view the souls of others.


    The result? Except for Edward, who had a soul level of thirteen, everyone else was only at level one, with only a few of Edward''s apprentices reaching "level two"!


    "Logically speaking, aside from someone like Edward, who can cultivate their soul level, everyone else should naturally have a soul level of only one, as everyone possesses only one soul."


    "Why is my innate soul power so strong, allowing me to reach a soul experience of level five? As long as I have the right methods to guide me, I can level up?"


    "Could it be that...?"


    Sterl vaguely guessed something; he had transmigrated and grown from a child into a person, which meant that Sterl perhaps possessed a dual soul!


    It was precisely for this reason that Edward had been so eager to take him on as an apprentice.


    Thinking of this, he felt a bit of excitement.


    Sterl recalled most of the powerful figures he had encountered earlier and, based on the aura he had sensed, he judged that the soul levels of most legendaries and demigods were likely only level one, with only a few deities like Gloria giving him a different impression.


    This meant that beneath the gods, if he could master a soul attack technique, it could significantly boost Sterl''s output.


    The only problem was that those demigods and legendaries were not fools; Sterl''s avatar had previously sensed the terrifying nature of soul damage and instinctively wanted to flee.


    After acquiring a soul attack technique, he would also need to ensure that other attributes kept pace to guarantee that this move could hit his opponent.


    Regardless, Sterl''s level five soul was a perfect starting point!


    He didn''t dwell on it for too long.


    He could study soul levelster.


    At this moment, Sterl looked at the state of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls in the bubblingva below the disk-shaped terrain.


    [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls (C Rank)]


    [Category: Unique Item]


    [Description: A special me that can only be born in a ce of extreme heat containing arge number of deceased souls. After being nurtured by a powerful soul, the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls can transform into a unique item.]


    [Effect: ???]


    [Current Status: 99.1% Cultivated]


    At this moment, the cultivation progress of this me was skyrocketing! It was about to be fully realized, and this was precisely the nurturing effect of Edward''s powerful soul!


    Meanwhile, Sosia and Sonis approached.


    "Master, would you like us to search this pce and retrieve some treasures?"


    "That would be good, thank you." Sterl nodded casually, and the apprentices nearby also brightened at the sight.


    "Sir... sir!"


    "We know where Edward''s resources are hidden."


    Sterl looked at this group of people, each wearing extremely ttering smiles, their eyes filled with gratitude. ording to Edward''s n, they were all meant to be sacrifices to the me below.


    Now, they had finally cleared the fog and seen the dawn; they were saved!


    Sterl nced at these individuals, shook his head, and sighed.


    None of these yers had talents that couldpare to Sosia and Sonis, and theirbat abilities were far inferior to those yers he had met during the extreme trials. They were not fit to form a guild at all.


    Then...


    A silvery moonlight seemed to sh through everyone''s eyes.


    Soon, only six of Edward''s remaining apprentices were left.


    In Sterl''s hand, he held a pure white, translucent soul me, having stored it in his small world. Once everything waspleted, everyone finally regained their consciousness.


    [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls (C Rank)]


    [Category: Unique Item]


    [Effect: Absorbing it grants arge amount of soul experience and endows your soul with the properties of me.]


    This soul me had a special plus sign, allowing for a forced stat increase!


    As for how this me was born, it was due to the earlier explosion of Moon Law, where Sterl had halted everyone''s thoughts and then sacrificed those apprentices of Edward with stronger soul powers one by one into the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls until the cultivation progress was filled.


    After all, Sterl''s biggest w was his kindness.


    If he simply threw people into the fire, what if the remaining apprentices held a grudge against him? Sterl would have to silence them.


    He wanted to spare thest six individuals, so he could onlyplete the cultivation of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls under the effects of Moon Law.


    Indeed, at this moment, the apprentices looked at their disappearedrades, each one panicking.


    "Wait, is Edward still not dead?"


    "Teacher, I didn''t betray you! Spare my life!"


    "Please don''t kill me, I won''t dare again."


    ...


    One by one, they knelt on the ground, banging their heads repeatedly.


    As for Sterl, he couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to these people; he merely stood to the side. The group of apprentices dared not approach him any further, fearing that Edward might return for revenge.


    Soon, Sosia and Sonis returned, showcasing their findings. They had barely managed to obtain anything of value--just some scattered low-tier items and equipment.


    It seemed Edward''s inventory had be full.


    Without hesitation, Sterl took the two back to his manor. After arranging amodations for the pair of sisters, he finally had time to properly digest all his previous gains.


    However, a prompt popped up before his eyes--


    [You have officially joined the Hall of Valor for 24 hours. Your identity level has been set to Glorious. Would you like to check your current level benefits?]

 Chapter 214: The Hall of Valor Benefits: Array Instruction

    "Check the benefits."


    Sterl nodded quickly, a glimmer of anticipation shing in his eyes.


    He nearly forgot that the greatest reward from the Hall of Valor wasn''t the killing and plundering, but rather the continuous support that every official member could receive.


    [Based on your current identity level: You can enjoy the following benefits.


    Officially unlock the reputation store [Glorious (detected your title as Resistor, store level increased by one)]


    Receive 2000 (detecting... final amount is 3000) contribution points monthly


    Gain ess to Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum (detecting... you may choose three items or skills rted to the Hundred Arts)


    You can spend contribution points to exchange for opportunities to enter the Law Field for insights, and the contribution cost is reduced by 30% (Resistor bonus)


    You have been granted ess to the Trial of the Brave (special instance)


    You qualify for Honorable Kill, allowing you to ignore penalties when killing a unit of lower rank than yours, with the interval between kills reduced to three days (Resistor bonus)] (Benefits include previous Glorious benefits)


    "Not bad." Sterl nodded slightly; the benefits of the Hall of Valor were quite decent.


    First, all the previous benefits from Glorious received boosts from the Resistor title.


    Secondly, the extra gains included a monthly contribution of 3000 points and the opportunity to participate in Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum.


    The 3000 contribution points were the most significant benefit from the Hall of Valor.


    Receiving 3000 points monthly could exchange for a considerable amount of resources, which was incredibly terrifying for yers who often spent years or even decades to break through to a major stage!


    And for Sterl, while it was unlikely he would remain in the same realm for long enough to umte a significant amount of contribution points, even 3000 points each month would elerate his development.


    Additionally, Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum piqued his interest.


    Previously, Sterl had sessfully unlocked the Sub-Profession tab but was unable to gather information about it. Perhaps this Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum could provide him with some clues.


    After reviewing the benefits, new data appeared before Sterl.


    [After joining the Hall of Valor, you are required to fulfill the following obligations--


    Complete at least one task assigned by the Hall of Valor each month, with a difficulty level not lower than your current identity level. (Completing mandatory tasks still allows you to earn contribution points and other resource rewards.)]


    "Hmm, reasonable."


    Sterl had no objections to the requirement ofpleting a task each month; he nodded in silent eptance.


    The Hall of Valor would not support idlers without reason.


    After a moment of thought, Sterl decided not to immediately enter closed-door cultivation.


    Course of Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum must be a long-termmitment, he thought.


    He decided to find a course that piqued his interest, so he could attend sses while digesting various resources and rapidly gain points.


    Sterl didn''t take long to find a course titled [Array Instruction] in Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum. As he opened the course details, a surprised smile spread across his face.


    Course: Array Instruction


    Description: Teaches yers how to arrange various arrays to enhancebat effectiveness and transform the environment, with priority given to yers possessing spatial talents.


    Note: After learning enough array skills, and if there is an empty Sub-Profession slot avable, there is a chance to trigger the ss change ceremony for Array Master issued by [Transcendence].


    "This is it!" Sterl eximed with mild excitement.


    He didn''t possess any spatial talents, of course.


    However, Sterl had the Dimensional Heart, obtained from his Dimensional Traveler talent, which could enhance his aptitude for spatial spells.


    Furthermore, Sterl believed that his [As a Creator''s Act] was also a spatial technique, and learning about array-rted knowledge should help him develop this unique skill.


    "The benefits from the Hall of Valor are perfect for me," he said without hesitation as he booked the array course.


    On the translucent golden screen in front of him, it disyed that he needed to head to a peculiar small world located in the middle section of the Valha Mountains half a dayter.


    This world had been constructed by an Array Master.


    "Creating a small world requires a divine level or higher. Could it be that this teacher is a god?"


    Sterl blinked, once again marveling at the grandeur of the Hall of Valor.


    He didn''t waste the half-day time; instead, Sterl entered a state of closed-door cultivation to refine his experience.


    With the rich aura of heaven and earth in the Valha Mountains bolstering him, Sterl made rapid progress. Thes in his mental realm elerated, practically building themselves at lightning speed.


    When he opened his eyes again, there was less than an hour left before the course began.


    At that moment, he hadpletely refined all his experience!


    His level had surged dramatically, reaching a remarkable 89!


    "Not far from third ss now."


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled with excitement. While the third ss might not offer significant boosts to others, he was eager to see what new rewards the Dimensional Traveler would grant him, and what enhancements the next stage of arcane skill would bring.


    Additionally, while refining experience, he practiced his arcane skill, concluding that after reaching third ss--


    The arcane skill would break through to the next stage.


    With his two SSS talents, he could undergo a second awakening and forcibly allocate points to these two talents.


    Hisbat power would experience a significant surge!


    After ncing at the time, Sterl noted that he still had a little while before the point allocation refreshed.


    He quickly left his manor and flew towards the middle section of the Valha Mountains. Along the way, he encountered many creatures he had previously seen in fantasy novels--


    white-furred unicorns, petite little elves, and some centaurs who seemed to live a nomadic lifestyle waved at him, looking quite friendly.


    After about ten minutes, Sterl effortlessly crossed various terrains using teleportation and arrived at the entrance to the small world.


    Before him, there appeared to be nothing--just a typical forest.


    Fortunately, after aligning the coordinates on his mini-map with the entrance to the small world, he heard a prompt in his ears.


    [Detected that you have chosen the Array course; teleportation is about to begin.]


    Sterl felt a bright sh before his eyes and found himself stepping into a world that had an ancient charm.


    Ahead of him was a gently flowing stream, and directly in front was a thatched-roof loft.


    Surrounding it were lush green trees, indicating no signs of human habitation.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Sterl decisively walked into the loft.


    As he entered, his vision opened up remarkably.


    He discovered that while the loft appeared small from the outside, it contained an entirely different realm within.


    Inside the loft was almost like a small town, quite spacious.


    Moreover, the floor was covered with a special carpet woven from nts, emitting a fragrant aroma that instilled a sense of peace and tranquility.


    From his vantage point, Sterl could see numerous buildings, including a "dining hall" from which smoke rose, bustling shops with constant foot traffic,


    and the most crowded ce, a "schoolhouse."


    "The scenery here resembles that of the Eastern countries from before my transmigration," Sterl pondered as he quickly made his way to the schoolhouse.


    Although it was crowded with people, it seemed to have created new space through arrays.


    Upon entering, Sterl realized that it was actually quite spacious, and there were signs directing to specific areas--


    [New students should enter North Hall Four.]


    "North Hall Four? That must be the right location," Sterl thought as he was about to proceed when suddenly a somewhat stout figure blocked his path.


    "What''s the matter?" he asked, slightly furrowing his brow.


    However, the figure replied in a friendly manner, "Hey there, bro! This is your first time attending a course, right?"


    "Yes, I''m not sure what to expect," Sterl nodded slightly, sensing that the person before him had no ill intentions.


    The figure patted his chest, "My name is Bill. Like you, I''m also an Array Apprentice, but I''ve been an apprentice for over ten years now."


    "I''m here to guide neers and earn some contribution points, so if you don''t mind..."


    "Then I''ll appreciate your help, Bill," Sterl said with a nod.


    Bill''s expression brightened, "Great, great! I promise that if you listen to me, you''ll definitely learn something valuable."


    "By the way, let me warn you: Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum provided by the Hall of Valor is only free for the first selection. If you finish the first ss and find that your array aptitude isn''t quite up to par during the test..."


    "Make sure to exit quickly!"


    "If you continue studying for a while and then decide to exit, you won''t be able to choose other courses for free."


    "Don''t be like me, who kept thinking that even if Icked talent, I could rely on the power of arrays to be recruited by those gods."


    "In the end, my aptitude wasn''t enough, and I wasted over a decade here."


    "Is it really that difficult to learn arrays?" Sterl inquired as they walked toward the New Student Hall.


    "Difficult... No, I mean... It''s not difficult for those with talent," Bill replied with a resigned smile.


    He then began to borate on the learning of arrays, as well as some knowledge points about the entire Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum.


    As Sterl listened, he nodded, gaining a general understanding of the benefits offered by the Hall of Valor.


    The model of Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum was the same: you could attend the first lesson for free, after which they would provide a special item to activate your aptitude for the corresponding course. At that point, you had to decide whether to use the learning qualification rewarded by the Hall of Valor or pay a certain amount of contribution points to formally join the course.


    Once you joined a course, you would receive some basic materials and resources needed for cultivation. For instance, the Array Instruction would teach you some fundamental array arrangements and provide the materials required for setting up basic arrays.


    Afterward, students must keep up with the course''s pace; otherwise, the content taught by the gods or demigodster on might be iprehensible, wasting precious time.


    Moreover, there would be assessments at regr intervals, and those who failed would be expelled immediately.


    If you wanted to join a rted course again afterward, you would have to spend contribution points to re-enroll.


    "I''m just one of those untalented people who has wasted countless contribution points on array courses," Bill sighed.

 Chapter 215: Inferior Spatial Aptitude?

    Once the conversation started flowing, Bill became quite chatty--


    He went on to discuss another scenario regarding joining a course.


    For those with exceptional talent, joining Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum required little to no investment; the Hall of Valor would provide funding to the mentors to help teach new knowledge and supply fresh training materials for arrays.


    Taking array study as an example, an excellent array master greatly enhances warfare. Often, gifted individuals are backed by certain gods during their apprenticeship, providing resources to aid in their cultivation.


    The same applies to other courses within Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum. Those without talent who force themselves to learn must invest massive amounts of contribution points, and even then, they might not see results, while the talented are courted from all sides, moving up the ranks effortlessly.


    "So, most people''s choice is to try various courses. If they don''t have a particr strength, they choose to give up and bebat yers instead," Bill said.


    "Bro David, I rmend that if you don''t have exceptional talent, you don''t necessarily need to pursue the Course of the Hundred Arts."


    "To put it inly, it''s just a skill system."


    "Unless you have a Sub-Profession option that can form an Array Master Sub-Profession, you won''t be able to delve deeply into array research. The effort you invest might be better spent leveling up through monster hunting."


    "This is especially true for those with average talent. They might barely keep up with the learning pace, only to find after spending a massive amount of contribution points that investing those points into regr cultivation could have potentially elevated their strength to demigod levels."


    "That would be a true loss."


    Bill''s advice was sincere.


    As Sterl listened to Bill, he found his points quite reasonable. If it weren''t for the Sub-Profession, there''d be no need for him to learn arrays.


    Why not just let a primary star learn and benefit from array skills for free?


    The two continued chatting until they finally arrived at the location for the neer course.


    This was yet another area arranged by spatial arrays; the small building appeared unremarkable but was quite spacious inside.


    It seemed Bill had received a prompt from the Hall of Valor, obtained contribution points, and his face lit up. He nodded at Sterl and said, "If you have any questions, just let me know."


    With that, he happily settled into a corner of the room, while Sterl casually found a spot to sit down, closed his eyes, and began to refine his arcane skill proficiency.


    His mental realm was a sea of stars, swirling with energy.


    ...


    About ten minutester.


    Suddenly, a strange wave of energy flickered, and Sterl immediately opened his eyes. He found that everyone was seated in what resembled a ssroom.


    But in the next moment, the ssroom dissipated, transforming into a majestic mountain range interwoven with clouds. The students found themselves floating in mid-air, and above them, a deity with an unusual aura opened their eyes.


    God of Space.


    That phrase echoed in everyone''s mind, and Sterl''s expression shifted slightly.


    He sensed that this God of Space was simr to Gloria and the other deities he had encountered, possessing only faint Divine Power.


    Yet, despite this weak Divine Power, the God of Space set off rm bells in Sterl''s mind, flooding him with an overwhelming sense of danger!


    Sterl even had a faint premonition that if he were to ascend to godhood at this moment, he would not stand a chance against this deity because...


    The divine authority of space and thews of space were far beyond those of the moon, flowing water, or shadow.


    These were powers of a higher dimension, pointing directly to the essence of time and space in the universe!


    It wasn''t just Sterl; all the students present, suspended in the air, instinctively knelt in a half-crouching position, showing their respect for the deity.


    At that moment, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of desire.


    "Right! Arrays are rted to the power of space!"


    "If I learn arrays, could I have the chance to gain Law Power rted to space?"


    His heart raced.


    While other yers might not have such opportunities, Sterl had a Sub-Profession slot!


    His main profession was Star Mage, and his Sub-Profession was Space...


    That opened up vast possibilities!


    Before he could revel in his excitement for more than a few seconds, the deity sitting high above smiled gently.


    "I am called Demon Lord."


    "I will also be your instructor in arrays."


    "Next, I will teach you the basics of array theory."


    ...


    As the deity spoke, strange sybles flowed from his lips, and Sterl and the other students felt inexplicably as if they were momentarily banished to the void.


    Various peculiar pieces of knowledge swam into their bodies like fish.


    [You have acquired Introductory Array Knowledge.]


    [Notification: You have gained a knowledge-based skill, which serves as a prerequisite for certain techniques and abilities. Through this knowledge-based skill, you may potentiallyprehend corresponding golden skills,ying the foundation for legendary achievements.]


    "Is it really possible?!" Sterl''s eyes brightened. The ability toprehend golden skills and establish a foundation for legendary achievements meant he could potentially grasp the corresponding Law!


    The space Law--he truly had a chance to acquire it!


    At the same time, Sterl sensed the knowledge in his mind and couldn''t help but marvel at it.


    Initially, he had wondered why other yers who had studied the Course of the Hundred Arts didn''t privately teach to earn some contribution points. Now he realized that this kind of knowledge couldn''t be shared at all.


    Everything about arrays was something Sterl could only intuitively understand but could not express!


    No wonder the Sub-Professions in [Transcendence] weren''t essible to yers as early as in other MMORPGs.


    The knowledge of Sub-Professions was extremely esoteric and ineffable.


    Thus, it circted only among powers of the level of the Hall of Valor.


    ...


    Soon, the many yers present began to recover from their trance-like state.


    Demon Lord waved his hand, and immediately an irregr shape glowing with an unusual silver light appeared before each person.


    "Hold it and awaken your spatial aptitude."


    "This is the foundation for cultivating arrays."


    Without hesitation, each yer followed suit.


    Then, strands of light began to shine from them, and the timing of each person''s illumination seemed to vary.


    Demon Lord, as their mentor, hovered above,menting on each one.


    "Welter, aptitude is average."


    "Carl, aptitude is inferior."


    "Ethan, aptitude..."


    ...


    Demon Lord maintained a calm tone, and the results of most yers'' aptitude activations were indeed unremarkable, falling into the categories of average or inferior.


    Before long, the aptitude of nearly everyone had been confirmed.


    Until...


    A muscr man covered in tattoos and wearing minimal leather armor suddenly shone brightly, a silvery-gray aura zing like fire around him.


    "Fred, aptitude... excellent!"


    Demon Lord''s tone finally changed. A yer with excellent spatial aptitude had the chance to cultivate arrays to a very high level, potentially influencing battles below the deities!


    Some arrays could even affect gods.


    Such talent would surely entice even the God of Space! Converting him into a believer would yield a far greater power of faith than that of ordinary people--hundreds or thousands of times stronger!


    Just as Demon Lord was about to speak to recruit Fred, perhaps asking if he would be willing to be his divine messenger...


    In the next moment, a dark red shadow suddenly squeezed into the scene atop the mountain shrouded in clouds.


    "Haha! Yes!"


    "Fred, it was worth it for me to pile resources into you to elevate you to legendary status and send you to the Hall of Valor."


    "I knew that a life born from the Ethereal Crystal would definitely possess extraordinary spatial aptitude."


    An overwhelmingly domineering and intense aura surged through the area.


    The overwhelming aura of the neer caused all the yers present to turn their heads involuntarily, and they couldn''t help but recognize the figure, their minds echoing a single phrase:


    God of War and Violence.


    It was yet another deity. The reason for his appearance was simple: he had spotted his follower, who had demonstrated excellent aptitude, and hade forward to im him.


    Upon seeing this, the God of Space, Demon Lord, regained hisposure and extinguished any thoughts of recruitment.


    Fred, upon witnessing the arrival of the God of War and Violence, disyed an expression of fervor, embodying the demeanor of a fanatic--he was utterly devoted and would never consider switching allegiance.


    Demon Lord then shifted the topic, asking,


    "Do you have an Ethereal Crystal? I am willing to pay any price for it."


    But the God of War and Violence merely shook his head. "How could I possibly obtain such a treasure? I''ve only caught a glimpse of it once."


    With that, his figure faded away once more.


    Demon Lord narrowed his eyes, watching the direction in which the God of War and Violence had departed.


    He wasn''t foolish; it was clear to him that the deity was lying.


    However, even if he were to forcibly kill the God of War and Violence, he wouldn''t necessarily gain the Ethereal Crystal that thetter had hidden away...


    Demon Lord could only suppress his desire and prepare to strategize for the long term.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Sterl wore a stiff expression as his test results came in, reflecting the earlier evaluations of the other students'' aptitudes by the God of Space.


    He observed the dim silver light surrounding him and came to a conclusion--


    He had inferior spatial aptitude.


    It could be said that he had some talent, but not much.


    He was barely capable of learning arrays.


    At this moment, Sterl noticed that the surrounding yers were quite friendly.


    "Buddy, you''re a bit unlucky. Why not just drop this course?"


    "Arrays aren''t really suited for you, but it''s okay--everyone has different talents."


    ...


    No one chose to mock or belittle him.


    Anyone who made it into the Hall of Valor was undoubtedly talented, and in their eyes, Sterl''s poor spatial aptitude didn''t mean hecked potential for the future.


    In fact, many thought it was just right for this brother, who seemed downcast, to mingle and make connections.


    Sterl, too,ughed it off, exchanging friend requests with several yers...


    Until the yer with excellent aptitude, Fred, approached him.


    "Hey, want to add me as a friend?" Sterl initially didn''t realize what was happening.


    But Fred sneered, "Ackey of Gloria?"


    His tone was filled with hostility and a hint of malice.

 Chapter 216: Class Change Ceremony: Array Master

    Sterl was momentarily taken aback.


    He didn''t know that Gloria''s Dark Moon Alliance was in a constant state of conflict with the God of War and Violence. The legendary demigods under both sides were sworn enemies.


    Both deities were plotting to kill each other, but because of the contract established among all the gods in the Hall of Valor, they had refrained from taking direct action against one another.


    However... that could change now.


    Since Gloria had chosen to break the contract, a confrontation between her and the God of War and Violence was inevitable in the future!


    Moreover, Sterl''s identity as "David," favored by Gloria, had been inquired about by several interested parties within the Hall of Valor.


    Thus, the fanatic Fred''s provocation came into y.


    Sterl''s first reaction was that this guy must be out of his mind, causing trouble in front of the God of Space?


    Yet, Demon Lord''s expression remained calm, as if he hadn''t noticed anything at all.


    The yers who had appeared friendly to Sterl now awkwardly chose to step back...


    Faced with a yer known to have excellent spatial aptitude, no one was foolish enough to engage with another yer who had not yet shown any potential.


    A moment of silence fell over the crowd.


    Fred stepped forward a few paces and bowed before the God of Space.


    "I request to participate in this trial together with David."


    Damn it!


    Sterl''s expression changed instantly. It wasn''t that he was afraid of the trial; it was mainly that Fred was drawing the attention of the God of Space. If he cast a detection skill on me, he could easily see through my disguise!


    Fortunately, Sterl''s worries didn''t materialize.


    A yer with inferior aptitude hardly caught Demon Lord''s attention.


    After considering for a moment, the God of Space had already devised a n. He wanted to foster a good rtionship with the God of War and Violence to obtain the Ethereal Crystal, so he slowly spoke, "Since you have allpleted the aptitude test, those who wish to withdraw may leave now."


    "Next, you must enter the realm of ughter and use the array knowledge I just taught you to escape."


    "Failure to escape will result in being consumed by the illusion."


    "This trial will be a group-based challenge. There are multiple methods to solve the array, and sacrificing others'' lives can weaken the operation speed of the array."


    "I will give you five breaths of time; after that, the array will activate immediately."


    ...


    As Demon Lord''s words sank in, many yers in the vicinity immediately looked panicked.


    Bill, who had previously exined things to Sterl, was the first to react. "I''m out! I''m withdrawing!"


    At the same time, several others who seemed to have participated in simr trials before quickly expressed their intention to forfeit this test.


    Those who sought to study arrays often had slightly weaker directbat abilities.


    In a group ughter array, merely understanding the array wasn''t enough;cking strength could lead to bing someone else''s sacrifice!


    Of course, there were also beneficiaries.


    At least Fred, the fanatic of the God of War and Violence, was grinning wickedly.


    Just looking at his muscr body covered in tattoos made it clear that he was a dedicatedbat yer.


    After casually using Star Insight, Sterl discovered that this guy, who had just entered the legendary realm, indeed possessed formidablebat skills, legendary abilities, and a talent ss all focused onbat.


    It seemed that his experiences born from the Ethereal Crystal had endowed Fred with exceptionally high spatial aptitude.


    However, what made Sterl''s breath catch was that Star Insight revealed an anomaly within Fred''s body.


    [Ethereal Crystal Fragment]


    [Effect: An exceptionally high-quality array material that can also forcibly enhance spatial aptitude by consuming life force.]


    Fred appeared to have burned his life force to enhance his aptitude!


    But that wasn''t the main point.


    Upon seeing the Ethereal Crystal Fragment and receiving the trial issued by the deity, new content appeared before Sterl.


    [You have triggered the Sub-Profession Job Change Ceremony: Array Master.]


    Simultaneously, a massive amount of information flooded into Sterl''s mind.


    First was information about the Sub-Profession.


    The Sub-Profession shared levels with the main profession but would additionally grant some special attributes.


    For example--critical hit probability, critical hit damage, various attribute aptitudes (including spatial aptitude, fire aptitude, etc.), extra damage reduction, and extra pration (ignoring the opponent''s defenses).


    Different Sub-Professions granted different additional attributes.


    This meant that having a Sub-Profession allowed yers to gain a plethora of extra attributes to enhance theirbat power at the same level.


    However, the Sub-Profession also had level restrictions. For instance, reaching the second ss, third ss, or legendary level required yers to train certain skills within the Sub-Profession to a specific level before they could continue to advance.


    To reach legendary status as a third-ss yer, one would need to merge and refine certain Sub-Profession skills to create a supportive legendary ability.


    Simrly, upon reaching the demigod level, one would need to integrate a Law ability to continue leveling up the Sub-Profession.


    At first nce, this seemed like an additional requirement; training another Sub-Profession required considerable effort, but it effectively allowed legendary yers to gain an extra legendary ability, significantly enhancing theirbat power!


    The same principle applied to realms beyond demigod; having an additional legendary ability increased the chances of evolving a Law Power.


    In other words, possessing a Sub-Profession allowed yers to expend extra effort to gain additionalbat power!


    This clearly demonstrates the value of the Sub-Profession, as so many people wish to gain additional power butck the means to do so.


    The only issue is that the requirements for a Sub-Profession are quite high; yers mustprehend Law from their legendary abilities and derive divine authority from that Law.


    Unlike otherbat yers who can opportunistically explore worlds rich in various Law Powers, they must rely solely on their innate talent to break through!


    For Sterl, the greatest significance of the Sub-Profession is...


    The Array Master ss will provide a legendary ability rted to spatial power.


    Other Law Powers can beprehended by visiting corresponding worlds, but spatial power is elusive!


    Space exists in all worlds, and because of this, yers find it challenging to grasp its essence, making it extremely difficult toprehend the corresponding Law abilities.


    Learning about arrays, on the other hand, presents a shortcut.


    After absorbing knowledge rted to the Sub-Profession, even more detailed information appeared before Sterl.


    [You can take up the profession of Array Master afterpleting the following rituals. (Sub-Professions do not generate profession stars and have no rank ssification.)]


    [1 Collect Resources: A special item, Ethereal Crystal Fragment, has appeared around you. You may choose to collect it as the foundation for bing an Array Master.]


    [2 Comprehend Arrays: An opportunity for trial has appeared nearby. You can gain further insights into arrays through the ughter array provided by the God of Space. (The oue of this trial will determine whether theprehension of the array project ispleted or not. If notpleted, please wait for new prompts to refresh in the itemw project.)]


    [3 Practice: You need toplete at least 5 different array constructions.]


    [4 Own an item/equipment that enhances arrays: You have equipped [Dimensional Heart] - Completed.]


    [5 Sacrifice Wealth: You need to pay 50 purple coins.]


    ...


    "Seems like it''s not too difficult?" Sterl was pleasantly surprised.


    He had initially thought that taking up a Sub-Profession would require considerable effort, but now it appeared the difficulty level wasn''t high at all.


    Especially whenpared to his frustrating second-ss ceremony.


    Sterl would follow the steps, utilizing the ughter array from the God of Space to gain insights while constructing arrays in practice.


    He could directlyplete the fourth and fifth items of the job change ritual.


    The only thing he needed...


    Was to obtain the Ethereal Crystal Fragment.


    At this moment, Sterl snapped out of his deep thoughts and looked ahead.


    The fanatic of the God of War and Violence, Fred, still wore an aggressive expression.


    "We''ll see each other in the trial," he said, making a throat-cutting gesture.


    Sterl couldn''t help but think that this guy might not be very bright. Did he really think that if he simply chose not to participate in the trial, there would be nothing Fred could do about it?


    Of course, Sterl had overlooked one thing.


    Fred''s thought process, as a fanatic, was notparable to that of a normal person. In his mind, David must be trying to learn about arrays for the sake of Gloria.


    David would never back down for the goddess!


    He could simply crush him in the ughter array!


    This way, the "believer" that Gloria held in high regard would fall prematurely!


    After delivering his threat, Fred confidently sat down, surrounded by several yers who approached him, eager to please.


    "Sir, do you need us to help you track down the traces of Gloria''s chosen one?"


    "After that, all you need to do is guide us a little in the ways of arrays."


    ...


    In contrast, Sterl waspletely alone, a solitary figure.


    To his surprise, Bill, who was already packing up to leave, couldn''t resist offering some advice.


    "Little brother, you really don''t need to force yourself to stay for the trial with your aptitude."


    "It''s not that I don''t believe in yourbat ability; who knows, maybe even Fred can''t defeat you."


    "But staying here will waste a lot of resources, and you probably won''t achieve much in the field of arrays. You''d also waste many contribution points--why bother?"


    Though he said he wasn''t doubting Sterl''sbat power, Bill still nced over at Fred, a flicker of fear in his eyes. The God of War and Violence''s chosen one had extremely strong directbat abilities, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say he was invincible among his peers.


    It was even possible for someone of lower legendary rank to y a mid-tier legendary opponent.


    And this "David"...


    If he stubbornly insisted on participating in the trial, the odds were he''d end up dead.


    Sterl, however, maintained a good attitude toward the well-meaning advice: "Don''t worry, I have my own ns."


    Withdraw from the trial?


    How could that be possible?


    Moreover, after withdrawing, who knew when he would find treasures like the Ethereal Crystal Fragment?


    So, when would Sterl be able to officially take up the profession of Array Master?

 Chapter 217: The Slaughter Array

    For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.


    The Demon Lord slightly closed his eyes. If David had really intended to withdraw from the trial just now, he was prepared to forcibly initiate the trial, epassing everyone within it.


    After all, having decided to form a good rtionship with the God of War and Violence, it had to be done thoroughly. Hesitation and ambiguity would yield nothing.


    "If this yer named David dies, find a few followers to mourn him," the Demon Lord thought silently. After all, David had helped him significantly--


    With such poor spatial aptitude, knowing that the new trial rules were set to assist Fred, he still chose to stay and participate. This way, the Demon Lord didn''t have to forcibly retain everyone, allowing other yers to leave the trial.


    For him, as a mentor, this could preserve a lot of his reputation. Otherwise, deliberately getting arge number of students killed just to obtain an item would surely reduce the number of future yers participating in the Array Instruction. Consequently, the Demon Lord would receive fewer resources from the Hall of Valor.


    Not getting the Ethereal Crystal would be a significant loss!


    Thus, the Demon Lord patiently waited for a few seconds. Those who wanted to leave had nearly all gone. He then couldn''t wait any longer and activated his Divine Power.


    "The trial begins!"


    In an instant, the mist-shrouded mountain scenery before all the yers abruptly changed! They were first enveloped byyers of fog. When it dissipated, they found themselves at the base of a mountain, surrounded by a forest.


    Around them, they could hear the rustling of leaves in the wind and smell the stench left by various wild beasts. Despite knowing it was likely an illusion, people still felt as though they were truly there.


    Sterl was originally standing not far from Fred. Fred sneered, mouthing the words "You''re dead." Then, under the effect of the array, he was teleported away. Although all yers were initially close to each other, in the newly generated ughter array, due to the expanded space and random teleportation, they were now distanced from each other.


    yers did not know where they were, nor could they ally to face the array together.


    Outside the array, the Demon Lord saw that the array had formed and breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was restricted by the rules and couldn''t offer Fred too much help. On the surface, this ughter array was fair.


    But for someone with excellent spatial aptitude, they could naturally break through the nodes of the array quickly. Once unaffected by the array, finding others would be a piece of cake.


    Fred''s superior aptitude was enough to let him quickly understand the principles of the array and find David to kill him!


    However...


    The Demon Lord''s expression turned dark. Tricking an ant was one thing, but the feeling of being coerced by the God of War and Violence made him deeply resentful.


    At that moment, a semi-transparent, silver-white mirror appeared beside him. Although the mirror seemed small, it contained the Law Power of Space, capable of disying the images of nearly a hundred yers currently participating in the trial.


    Suddenly, the Demon Lord''s face changed slightly. He noticed that the space he upied was abruptly invaded by various forces.


    "Gloria, why are you here??" The God of Space''s expression suddenly became unpleasant, a mixture of anxiety akin to being caught in the act.


    "Why can''t I be here?" Gloria responded, somewhat speechless. "I''m just here to see if any new, promising Array Masters have appeared."


    It was then that the Demon Lord realized there were three other figures besides Gloria.


    Two female gods:


    - The God of Jungle and Hunting, Cora, who had long, silver-white hair, and a face as pure and beautiful as a maiden.


    - The God of Healing and Protection, Candice, who wore a green gauze dress with a strikingly curvaceous figure and apassionate expression.


    One male god:


    - The God of Forging and mes, n, a burly man d in pitch-ck heavy armor, his form hidden beneath it.


    The newly arrived gods seemed quite familiar with each other, forming a small group. Their joint appearance was in line with the rules of the Hall of Valor--


    During any skill instruction, all gods had the right to observe.


    The Demon Lord had nothing to say.


    The God of Space hesitated for a moment, then seeing Gloria''s expression was unperturbed, he realized that the Goddess of the Dark Moon was likely not here to use him.


    "That''s good..." The Demon Lord felt slightly relieved but still feigned a cold snort. "Next time, notify me before you arrive. Must you always break through my spatial barrier to make your presence known?"


    The other four gods chuckled. "Alright! Alright! We''ll notify you next time."


    Then they all turned their attention with great interest to the spatial screen created by the Demon Lord.


    On the screen, most yers, upon entering the ughter array, reacted simrly. They ran around like headless chickens, only to encounter one monster after another.


    However, those who could join the Hall of Valor, even if not particrly skilled inbat, still had some tricks up their sleeves and could easily y the monsters.


    Yet, the corpses of these monsters quickly transformed into clusters of glowing energy, re-strengthening the array.


    Subsequently, facing the monsters became increasingly challenging for the yers, extending the duration of their battles.


    Even within the Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum, the Hall of Valor maintained its consistent style: progress or die!


    If they dragged on for too long, not only would they fail the trial, but they might also be directly obliterated by the array.


    Thus...


    Before long, yers began encountering each other and erupting into violence!


    They sacrificed others'' blood to reveal the weak points of the array...


    These scenes, though somewhat brutal, were amon sight for the observing gods, who remained expressionless and indifferent.


    Those without sufficient talent were destined to die sooner orter in the Hall of Valor. Dying within the array and bing nourishment for others was as it should be.


    Until the gods noticed Fred''s figure.


    Fred had only been in the array for a short time and, after ughtering a few monsters, seemed to sense the weak points in the array near him and began to destroy them.


    Moreover, Fred''s actions were bing increasingly swift. Clearly, as the array''s nodes were broken, he could perceive his own location more clearly.


    "Such strong aptitude. This yer probably only has basic knowledge of the Principles of Governance," the God of Healing and Protection, Candice, couldn''t help but remark. Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an inexplicable sense ofpassion.


    The other gods also turned their attention towards Fred, looking at him with great interest.


    "Candice, I remember you recently took on an alchemy apprentice with considerable talent, named Faye? Her constitution is extremely unique, with the potential to achieve an SS aptitude and SS profession. You''ve already gained a lot," Gloria said, her tone carrying a hint of envy.


    "How about you let us have this array genius instead?"


    She didn''t expect that her "old friend" from back then would hold such a grudge. She had already seen through Felicia''s little maneuvers several times, only for Felicia to throw herself into the arms of another god. The fact that Felicia ultimately chose Candice, that "little bitch," only made it worse...


    Gloria narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression darkening.


    The other two gods, the God of Jungle and Hunting, Cora, and the God of Forging and mes, n, wore simrly sarcastic expressions.


    "Yeah, you can''t hog all the good stuff for yourself."


    "We need to share the wealth."


    Candice nodded in agreement. "That''s true. However, the heroes who enter the Hall of Valor have the potential to be gods themselves. They''re not ants we can just crush at will; it depends on their own choices."


    Her words were clear: while the others might be right, attracting this genius would ultimately depend on each god''s own efforts.


    "Alright! Alright!"


    "No problem!"


    "Fine then!"


    The other three gods sneered.


    Meanwhile, the Demon Lord watched the drama unfold from the sidelines, feeling a bit better. The gods within the Hall of Valor often banded together for mutual benefit, but each had their own hidden agendas.


    These four gods had a private alliance: if one was attacked, the others woulde to their aid, which is why they often acted together. However, whenever they encountered a potential benefit, they would start bickering like this...


    Watching this was amusing to the Demon Lord.


    "Don''t even think about it. This Fred is a devout follower of the God of War and Violence; you won''t be able to win him over," the God of Space helpfully pointed out.


    As expected, the four gods'' expressions soured, showing their disappointment. Then--


    "What a pity. Gloria, you alreadyck an Array Master on the front lines."


    "The God of War and Violence gains another strong ally; you''re going to have a tough time. Do you want me to send a few demigods to help?"


    "We''re all on the same side. Just say the word if you need anything."


    Seeing no advantage to be gained, they immediately reverted to a more amicable demeanor, though their smiles were clearly insincere.


    At that moment, Gloria noticed David''s figure. Her expression changed subtly.


    The other gods, all extremely perceptive, immediately sensed something was amiss and also turned their attention to David. God of Space furrowed his brow slightly and then spoke up, "This yer''s test results indicate only inferior aptitude. Is he one of your followers?"


    The Demon Lord looked at Gloria, who appeared slightly surprised.


    David, in this trial?


    Gloria was not overly concerned about David''s safety in the trial, given that this talentedpatriot had many hidden cards to y. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "He can''t be considered my follower, just a yer I have high hopes for. He hails from my dominion."


    "Oh, I see..."


    Among the gods present, unless they consciously chose to hide it, it was easy to discern whether someone was lying.

 Chapter 218: Isnt He Supposed to Have the Lowest Aptitude?

    Gloria couldn''t reveal too much about the talented individual from her own race. The beings above the Hall of Valor had their eyes covetously set on humanity from Earth.


    She herself was already crippled, her path forward cut off. At most, Gloria could only improve within the realm of weak Divine Power. But "David" still had a chance to reach higher levels.


    ---


    David had nothing to do with Gloria?


    The other gods remained calm upon hearing this. However, the Demon Lord couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief. Though Gloria wasn''t as powerful as he was, the Dark Moon Goddess was highly skilled in social maneuvering and had excellent rtionships. Offending her would be troublesome.


    Now it seemed like getting rid of David... shouldn''t be an issue!


    However, Gloria''s unusual reaction had drawn the attention of the other gods to David''s situation. After all, anyone memorable to the Dark Moon Goddess must have something special about them, right?


    So, under the casual scrutiny of many gods��


    Sterl began his operation.


    ---


    Sterl, at this moment, was unaware that he was being watched. He knew very well that, since he was acting within the array of Morro, the City of Space, he should assume that all his actions were under surveince.


    A faint blue smoke in his hand slowly extinguished.


    A few beast-shaped monsters nearby fell to the ground, consumed by mes, and gradually transformed into clusters of sparkling energy.


    Sterl looked around and could sense the silver nodes of spatial power shining brightly like mes in the night.


    He didn''t even need the knowledge from Introductory Array Knowledge. With the bonus from his [Dimensional Heart], navigating the grand array was like a naked maiden revealing all her mysteries to him.


    He quickly arrived near the roots of a giant tree in the forest. Casually, he pped his hand to the right.


    Crackling sounds echoed as a silver-white node shattered, transforming into energy that surged into Sterl''s body.


    This was the reward of the trial.


    For ordinary yers, the infusion of spatial power was a significant reward. The residual spatial energy in their bodies could be usedter to construct arrays, increasing the sess rate of such constructions.


    For Sterl, however, this energy could be utilized in his Array Master initiation ceremony. It also allowed him to better grasp his location within the array, making it easier for him to cause chaos.


    "That Fred, it seems, is still quite far away from me; I can''t even sense him," Sterl muttered to himself, feeling a bit disappointed.


    He then nced around, quickly choosing the area with the most abundant silver spatial energy and headed there once more.


    And then...


    Once again, hended a precise punch, shattering another array node.


    Due to his high efficiency, he hadn''t encountered any wild creatures along the way.


    Sterl felt the spatial energy umting in his body and his mood improved slightly. He was getting closer to his Sub-Profession initiation.


    "In the array space, every time a node is shattered, the positions of other nodes regenerate. What a hassle," Sterl grumbled, unsatisfied.


    However, while Sterl had the leisure toin, the five gods observing from the outside began to sense that something was amiss!


    "Wait a minute? This is what you call inferior aptitude?"


    "How is he finding one node after another without even stopping?" n questioned. If Gloria hadn''t pointed him out, no one would have noticed that David''s efficiency far surpassed Fred''s.


    Fred had to spend quite some time sensing and observing to find a single node and had to deal with various wild creatures along the way. He was still some time away from finding his second node.


    Compared to other yers, who were like headless chickens, Fred naturally disyed his strong aptitude. But inparison to David, there was only one word that came to mind��


    Trash!


    At this moment, the God of Space, the Demon Lord, let out an awkwardugh, "It''s still too early to talk about talent, isn''t it? It''s just two nodes, and luck ys a significant role here."


    He felt a bit guilty...


    Initially, he thought abandoning a yer with inferior aptitude to curry favor with the God of War and Violence was well worth it.


    But now, the Demon Lord realized that if David had indeed found the two spatial nodes quickly due to his aptitude, he might have an extraordinarily strong talent for arrays!


    David''s initialck of innate spatial power was misleading.


    Generally, people in this situation were not talented in array construction, but there were always exceptions!


    If David was indeed an exception, the Demon Lord felt like he had made a huge mistake!


    Even forming an alliance with the God of War and Violence might not guarantee obtaining the Ethereal Crystal, whereas securing David as a follower would yield significant benefits.


    At this point, he could only stick to his guns.


    Once you draw the bow, there''s no turning back. The Demon Lord knew that his biased trial rules favoring Fred were obvious to anyone.


    After being set up, David would never be his follower again!


    The other gods, hearing the Demon Lord''s reasoning, nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed, that makes sense."


    "I also think luck yed a big part."


    "Someone with weak innate spatial power but strong talent is only theoretically possible."


    The gods'' rational analysis led them to conclude that the stunning performance they had just witnessed was most likely just a coincidence.


    Hmm?


    But just as the gods were feeling confident in their conclusions, the scenes unfolding on the spatial screen left them stunned once again.


    At that moment, while Fred was still searching for his second array node, David had already shattered his third node.


    Moreover, he purposefully and confidently charged towards the direction of the fourth array node with unerring uracy, without the slightest hesitation!


    Instantly, the gods, who had been politely agreeing with the Demon Lord, fell silent.


    Awkward!


    "Uh, I still trust your judgment," Candice and Cora said understandingly. Unfortunately, before they could finish their sentences, David had already shattered the fourth array node.


    Coincidentally, the fifth array node had just refreshed nearby.


    The so-called ''lucky boy'' in the Demon Lord''s words turned and kicked without hesitation.


    The silver-white energy shattered and surged into David''s body.


    After a brief moment of silence, the gods began to talk again.


    "Gloria, your prot��g��... is pretty impressive."


    "Can you give me a chance?"


    "Since you''re familiar with him and haven''t taken him as your follower, can I give it a try?" Cora asked with an innocent expression.


    Instantly, Gloria''s mood, which had been quite good while marveling at David''s potential, darkened.


    "What do you mean by that?" The Dark Moon Goddess''s tone turned cold.


    "I mean, I''m willing to take him as my exclusive chosen one and support David with all the resources needed until he reaches the demigod level," Cora said,pletely ignoring Gloria''s displeased expression.


    "Cora, you''re going too far." The God of Healing and Protection, with a gentle tone, frowned slightly.


    Gloria was stunned for a second, looking at Candice with a touched expression...


    Good sister!


    Standing up for me!


    Everyone knows David is under my wing!


    How can you just poach him?


    At this point, Candice seriously said, "Such talent deserves a greater investment."


    "I can provide David with opportunities to gain insights perfectly suited to his legendary path. I will cover all contribution points needed."


    "Additionally, I can offer him at least three tinum-level skills."


    "And, if he requires it, I can fully impart all the Law Power I possess."


    What??


    The other gods were dumbfounded.


    Isn''t that offer a bit too high?


    Even if David possessed an extraordinary talent for spatial maniption and might be a formidable Array Master, that was only his potential for the future. The price Candice was offering could hire some well-established Array Masters!


    Gloria was dumbfounded. Wait, sister? I thought you were helping me, but you''re stabbing me in the back even harder!


    The God of Healing and Protection, smiling at the confused expressions of the others, said, "I have my reasons, rted to Nature."


    In the next second, one of the two male gods present, n, seemed to realize something and quickly spoke up, "I''m willing to offer tinum-level skills as well!"


    "Also, whatever David wants, just say the word, and I''ll do my best to provide it!"


    These gods were all extremely sharp.


    Yes, David''s talent was exceptional, but that didn''t necessarily mean he could fully realize it. However, someone with minimal innate spatial energy but highly proficient in array construction was exceedingly rare.


    David demonstrated such potential despite his initial disadvantage. If hisck of spatial energy was rectified, wouldn''t he be... invincible?


    The gods all reached the same conclusion: he was worth the gamble!


    Gloria was at a loss for words...


    She didn''t know whether to be happy for David or not.


    For, the conditions offered by the other gods were indeed excellent, enough to help this junior from the human race on Earth rise to prominence.


    "I didn''t know about his talent before. Whatever conditions you offer, I''ll match them," Gloria said, her eyes shing with determination.


    After David disyed his Array Master potential, Gloria no longer had to worry about being too good to David, causing suspicion about her nurturing a yer from the human race on Earth...


    Well, I, the Dark Moon Goddess, have umted plenty over the years; I''m not inferior to any of you!


    Is it aboutpeting for followers? Who can''t do that?


    "Wait, Gloria, that''s not fair. You didn''t seize the opportunity, so now it''s our turn!"


    "Exactly! If you had taken David as your follower earlier, we wouldn''t bepeting with you now."


    "You had your chance, and you blew it."


    ...


    For a moment, the gods'' words wereced with sarcasm.

 Chapter 219: The Gods Frenzy

    The many gods observed David''s figure on the screen with intense eagerness!


    A great catastrophe was approaching, and an Array Master could unify the power of all units below the divine realm. Every god would desperatelypete to recruit them.


    Moreover, David might be an unparalleled genius!


    If this scene were witnessed by the followers of other gods, their minds would copse, and their faith would shatter!


    The highly esteemed gods, behaving likemon folk in a street brawl, quarreling with one another!


    All for the sake of securing David.


    The prior aloofness and divine indifference they disyed upon first discovering David werepletely gone!


    Seeing the gods around him enthusiastically outbidding each other for David, the Demon Lord felt a pang of heartache.


    I really lost big this time!


    "Wait!"


    "He''s encountered other yers!"


    "No way!"


    "And they''re some guys who just sacrificed others."


    "Demon Lord, you set up this array. Hurry and notify David to take a detour!"


    ...


    The gods were still busy outbidding each other.


    At the same time, their keen senses easily picked up the content on the spatial screen.


    Instantly, they grew anxious. David was exceptional in every way but was a bit weak in personal strength, not yet at the legendary level.


    In the simplistic views of these gods, a third-ss fighting a legendary was a death sentence!


    However...


    The gods soon noticed that Gloria stood calmly to the side, silent.


    Suddenly, they had a sinking feeling.


    Wait a minute, could it be that David''sbat abilities are also formidable?


    The gods refocused on the spatial screen and saw that after David encountered a group of two legendary and one third-ss yers, the yers showed a hint of hostility.


    David instantly disappeared and reappeared behind one of the legendaries, pointing a finger.


    Then he vanished and pointed again.


    After repeating this three times, the three yers, who had previously ughtered many others and made sacrifices while searching for spatial nodes, fell to the ground with blood holes in their bodies, without even a chance to show surprise!


    The gods could only watch as David, his expression unchanged, continued to search for the next spatial node, as if the killing was as routine as eating or drinking water.


    "What incrediblebat prowess!"


    "And... he learned legendary abilities before reaching the legendary realm??"


    "How strong must David''s talent be?"


    "Gloria, let me have David! I''m the God of Hunting; I can bring out the maximumbat potential in yers!"


    "How about this: I''ll give you the Moonshadow Stone mine you asked forst time."


    "But you also have to tell me about David''s usual conduct and preferences," the God of Jungle and Hunting, Cora, said with a serious and earnest expression.


    The goddess, with an iparably pure and alluring face, stared at David''s figure on the spatial screen, even with a hint of fanaticism. Although the gods of the Hall of Valor often imed that joining the Hall of Valor offered a chance to ascend to godhood, it was usually just a polite expression.


    However, David genuinely gave Cora a sense of someone who could potentially reach the divine throne. If she could recruit him as a follower or even as a divine emissary, she might have a closepanion at the godly level in the future!


    At this point, no price was too high.


    Meanwhile, the other gods were awestruck by Cora''s generosity. The Moonshadow Stone mine was a unique resource of the Hall of Valor, impossible to find elsewhere, capable of refining thews of moon and shadow.


    Its value was immense, beyond estimation.


    Countless demi-gods would go to any lengths for such a resource.


    But now, Cora was willing to offer it without hesitation for a chance to recruit David.


    Before the other gods could react, David on the spatial screen had already proactively confronted several teams of yers multiple times. Thebat oues were all straightforward and brutal��instant kills!


    Whether it was piercing with a single finger, conjuring a strange me, or summoning Celestial Stars from the sky, no one could withstand him!


    Despite David''sbat performance not being the most visually impressive��


    On another spatial screen, Fred, also under the gods'' scrutiny, encountered other yers. His wide and powerful movements, casually swinging a massive axe behind his back, left corpses strewn everywhere.


    Fred''s visual impact was evidently more dramatic!


    Yet the gods were still incredibly excited about David!


    Fred was on the verge of breaking through to mid-tier legendary, and he was a fanatic of the God of War and Violence, a purelybat-oriented deity!


    Fred''s techniques might even be enhanced by the Divine Power of the God of War and Violence!


    Such is the privilege of a fanatic.


    Even a faint trace of Divine Power could significantly boost Fred''s output!


    David, however, had not joined any faction and was a lone wolf.


    A disparity in strength between them was normal.


    At this moment, the other gods, aside from Cora, exchanged nces and finally made up their minds.


    "I''m willing to provide crafting for 200 legendary-tier or higher items in the future."


    "David, let me have him!"


    n did not hesitate.


    "Didn''t you always want my All-Spirit Holy Water? I''ll give you ten vials! And like Cora, tell me all of David''s preferences and habits," Candice decided promptly, bringing out her treasured items.


    The All-Spirit Holy Water was a special item refined by the God of Healing and Protection using her dual divine authorities. It could even revive someone who had been dead for less than an hour, making it extremely precious.


    Candice never sold the All-Spirit Holy Water; she used it to trade for critical resources with other gods. Now, offering ten vials at once was the most extravagant gesture she had made in nearly a century.


    At this point, Gloria had yet to express her stance.


    Gloria, smiling brightly, looked at the gathered gods and said, "Get lost!"


    "Go die somewhere else!" she added "kindly."


    "Fine, then we''ll see who can use their means better."


    "Gloria, you were just the first to know David; don''t me us for not showing you respect."


    ...


    The fervent objections of the Dark Moon Goddess had no effect.


    The gods continued to act as they pleased.


    The Demon Lord felt that human emotions were not shared and only found their noise bothersome...


    He increasingly felt that he had lost big time!


    Especially since David''s spatial talent was exceedingly high; in theory, Fred should have no chance of finding him!


    When Fred sensed the positions of other yers, David might have alreadypleted the trial.


    Wait!


    A sudden bright idea shed in his mind, bringing a surge of joy to his heart.


    Because within the array, the distance between Fred and David was rapidly closing.


    Fred was still searching aimlessly for new array nodes, clearly unable to control his own position within the array.


    David, however, seemed to have a clear goal, heading straight towards Fred.


    "Could it be that the next spatial node he chose is near Fred?"


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    The Demon Lord''s heart was filled with joy.


    He couldn''t recruit David, so he had to pin his hopes on the original n��


    To sessfully gain favor with the God of War and Violence.


    Furthermore, after some consideration, the Demon Lord thought that David''s rtionship with Gloria was likely moreplex than it appeared, making it highly probable he would be recruited by the Dark Moon Goddess.


    If he could help Fred kill David, the God of War and Violence would surely owe him a huge favor.


    Thus, the Demon Lord, noticing the yers'' proximity, remained calm andposed.


    Until...


    Swish!


    With a sh of silvery-white light, David stepped into an array node resembling a teleportation point.


    Then, on the spatial screen.


    Fred, who had just finished ying two yers attacking him, wore a bloodthirsty smile and was preparing to sacrifice those fools to enhance his spatial power perception.


    Suddenly, Fred''s expression turned vignt.


    He sharply sensed a teleportation fluctuation behind him and shouted, "Who''s there?"


    This burly man, far from being as rash as he looked, was actually quite cautious.


    But when he saw who it was...


    Fred couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    "You actually delivered yourself to me."


    "I''ll make your death quick."


    The fanatic of the God of War and Violence, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    Meanwhile, the scene left the gods outside in a state of shock.


    "Wait, what''s going on?"


    "How did David end up running into Fred?"


    "Was he just unlucky, running into Fred while searching for spatial nodes?"


    "Demon Lord, hurry up and use the array to get him out of there!"


    ...


    The gods were too stunned to keep arguing among themselves.


    Even Gloria, who knew David could challenge opponents above his level, felt a twinge of concern in her eyes.


    Unlike the other gods who thought David stood no chance against Fred, she believed David had a fair chance, but facing a fanatic of a deity was no small matter.


    It would be best if the Demon Lord intervened!


    At this moment, the Demon Lord realized it was his time to shine. He deliberately put on a troubled expression and said, "Well�� ording to the Hall of Valor''s rules, once the trial starts, we gods aren''t supposed to interfere."


    "You''re putting me in a difficult position," he said, pretending to be righteous andw-abiding.


    The other gods didn''t suspect a thing; they assumed the Demon Lord was simply trying to avoid the hassle ofpeting for David and was using their anxiety to raise his asking price.


    "What Hall of Valor''s rules? The worst that could happen is you have topensate some resources. We''ll replenish them for you if need be," Gloria said, frowning.


    A glint shed in the Demon Lord''s eyes.


    His deception had worked!


    "What can you offer?" The Demon Lord feigned negotiation, all the while stalling for time.


    "We''re willing to offer��"


    "That won''t do, it''s too little."


    What drove the gods even crazier was that the Demon Lord, in an attempt to hike up the price, insisted on dragging out the conversation. Instead of using mentalmunication, which would be instantaneous among gods, he chose to speak slowly.


    What a trickster!.

 Chapter 220: Rescue... Failed!

    The gods were haggling.


    As time ticked away, Fred and Demon Lord couldn''t help but let faint smiles flicker across their faces...


    Though these two couldn''tmunicate directly, they shared a mutual understanding��they needed to act quickly and kill David!


    Of course, there was another person involved.


    Though his face remained expressionless, his excitement surpassed that of the other two.


    It was Sterl!


    Seeing Fred''s overjoyed expression, Sterl felt a kind of shared pleasure.


    At this moment, a notification shed before Sterl''s eyes����


    [Congrattions! You havepleted the objective of the Array Master initiation ceremony: Understanding Array.]


    With this notification, Sterl was just two steps away from his Sub-Profession.


    First, he needed toplete the practice of five different formations, which was quite achievable.


    After joining the Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum, Sterl could simply ess the Hall of Valor''s contribution shop through his personal panel. Besides the usual items and tools avable for purchase, there was also a sub-store dedicated to formations.


    Sterl could easily buy various basic formations from it, learn five of them, and sessfully build them.


    The second requirement for the job advancement ceremony was to obtain the Ethereal Crystal shard from Fred''s body.


    Sterl sprang into action!


    Normally, he would let Fred make the first move, achieving a counter-attack for maximum dramatic effect.


    But Sterl knew that Fred had a god backing him. Before transmigrating, he had read countless novels����


    ording to typical plots, if you beat the minion, the boss woulde next.


    Sometimes, just to drag the storyline, these well-connected enemies wouldn''t be killed off so easily!


    So, to avoid unnecessaryplications, Sterl went all out immediately.


    Stardust Enhancement��Shadow Stealth! Output Boost!


    In an instant, Sterl vanished into the shadow realm, his body emanating a dense and indelible shadow energy that sent shivers down anyone who saw it!


    Simultaneously����


    Stardust Enhancement��Inspire!


    Although the control-removal ability was unusable, it could still grant Sterl enhanced attributes.


    Then came divine descent activation! Life Ignite activation!


    And... At this moment, Sterl''s body was shimmering with starlight, a result of him collecting power-ups through Heart of Soul Convergence by killing various yers along the way, boosting his life force and all attributes by 37%!


    Next...


    Realm of the Stars activation����


    In an instant, just as Fred''s face lit up with joy, he realized that David''s figure had vanished.


    He warily grabbed the giant axe from his back, the purple-red energy surging around him. It was the faint but potent Divine Power of War churning within him, significantly boosting his next skill and providing Fred with high damage resistance!


    "Come on!"


    "Coward! Hiding in the shadows!" he shouted loudly, though one hand was already reaching into his inventory, ready to pull out a life-saving item at any moment.


    One second passed...


    The wind rustled softly.


    Two seconds passed...


    Utter silence!


    Swoosh!


    A blood-red crystal suddenly appeared, transforming into a crimson sword that thrust towards Fred.


    "A feint?" he calmly assessed, sneering as he tossed out a shield, effortlessly blocking the attack.


    But in the next moment, Fred felt a brilliant blue light shine down from the sky, and within that pure radiance, a dark figure appeared!


    "Bring it on!"


    Even while using an item just now, Fred didn''t lose focus for a second.


    He swung his axe with all his might!


    A blood-red figure wearing an Asura mask appeared behind him, looking terrifyingly fierce.


    However, this fanatical devotee''s all-out strike was met with nothing more than a casual finger point from the shadow-empowered figure. Fred saw a faint sh of gold and blue light before him, like a candle suddenly lit in the dark.


    In an instant, the devotee''s consciousness faded away.


    Plop.


    A soft sound.


    It was like a water-filled balloon being punctured.


    The immense energy around Fred, initially orderly, turned into a chaotic surge!


    The driver of this energy had perished!


    The chosen one''s face still held an expression of arrogance and pride, but a small bloody hole had appeared on his forehead.


    It was Sterl''s Star Point Finger that had pierced through Fred''s skull, exiting from the back of his head.


    Wisps of smoke rose from the holes on either side, and Fred''s brain matter inside his skull had been thoroughly cooked!


    The devotee''s body wobbled and then copsed to the ground with a thud.


    However... he hadn''t fully fallen.


    Sterl stepped forward and thrust his hand into Fred''s chest.


    The Ethereal Crystal shard wasn''t in Fred''s inventory, nor had he absorbed it. Instead, it was somehow sewn into Fred''s flesh, continuously draining his life force to enhance his spatial abilities.


    Thus, the crystal shard could be forcibly extracted from Fred''s corpse.


    With a swift pull of Sterl''s hand��


    St!


    Blood gushed out!


    A shimmering silver shard appeared in his hand. The shard looked extraordinary, almost as if ity in Sterl''s palm and was also integrated into the surrounding space, making his palm appear empty.


    Sterl was about to leave but suddenly noticed silver lights appearing around Fred''s corpse.


    Swoosh!


    With a soft sound, Fred''s body vanished without a trace.


    "Hmm, what''s going on?" Sterl paused, puzzled. The corpses of other yers were directly sacrificed and turned into spatial energy, merging into the formation.


    Suddenly, he thought of the God of Space.


    Only this deity could intervene so casually in a fully-formed killing formation.


    "Could it be that he intends to save him?"


    "Too bad he''s a step toote."


    Sterl snickered inwardly but maintained a look of innocence on his face. He wasn''t nning to openly confront the God of Space, so he decided to y dumb.


    However...


    "The trial rules announced by Demon Lord were clearly aimed at helping Fred take me out."


    "Now that something has happened to Fred, it''s only natural for him to intervene and try to save him."


    "Fine..."


    "Demon Lord, your divine authority... I want it," Sterl felt a chill in his heart.


    Earlier, when the God of War and Violence appeared, all the yers saw the light effects, but themunication between gods was obviously beyond mortal hearing.


    Now, Sterl was almost certain that Demon Lord and the God of War and Violence had made some sort of deal to take him down.


    Now that their n had failed, they wouldn''t just let it go!


    Although Sterl''s guess might not be entirely urate, he quickly made a n...


    After passing this trial, he wouldn''t attend the formation sses anymore!


    He needed toy low for a while ande backter to settle ounts with these two divine schemers!


    While Sterl was swiftly nning, outside the formation, the numerous gods looked at the corpse that Demon Lord had teleported back using spatial powers, their expressions changing one by one.


    "You... what deal did you make with the God of War and Violence?" Gloria was the first to stand up, her tone filled with extreme anger.


    Just as Sterl had instant-killed Fred, the God of Space, Demon Lord, had been stalling for time despite others'' pleas to save "David."


    He dragged it out until Fred was about to strike David down before reluctantly agreeing to intervene, but even then, he moved sluggishly.


    It was only after Fred was killed in an instant that Demon Lord''s face changed drastically, and he attempted to save Fred.


    The result...


    Fred, a powerful fanatic capable of easily ughtering even mid-tier legends, had his life snuffed out in an instant.


    All Demon Lord could bring back was a corpse!


    At this moment, the God of Space''s face was as dark as it could get.


    His first reaction had been that if David couldn''t be killed, he should at least save Fred, a yer with an extremely strong talent for formations, who was surely favored by the God of War and Violence.


    Faced with the dire situation, Demon Lord decided to drop the act. But the final oue was disastrous��not only did he fail to save Fred, but his true intentions were also tantly exposed.


    "Demon Lord, you''ve gone too far."


    "No wonder you were stalling for time earlier."


    "Are you nning to make enemies of us all?"


    The assembled gods, having regained theirposure, spoke out angrily.


    However, facing their usations, the God of Space remained cold and indifferent, "I don''t need to exin my actions to you."


    With that, he floated up into the air, surrounded by a protective silver glow.


    Demon Lord felt a slight panic. After all, rumors had been circting in the Hall of Valor that many gods had already started to kill each other. This move had made him a lot of enemies.


    David''s talent was something any god would covet!


    In an instant, several gods, led by Gloria, activated their Divine Powers. Demon Lord, feeling increasingly uneasy, raised his protective power of space to its maximum.


    "Wait... he''s gone??"


    "Forget about Demon Lord for now..."


    However, the tense atmosphere didn''tst long. Candice suddenly noticed that after breaking through several spatial nodes, the yer named David tore open a teleportation scroll and disappeared without a trace.


    What''s even more bizarre was that none of the gods present could pinpoint the exact location to which the teleportation scroll had sent him. The only one with keen spatial awareness, Demon Lord, was too preupied with the other gods to focus on David.


    This highly talented future Array Master had vanished right under the noses of the deities!


    "We''ll settle this next time."


    "This isn''t over!"


    "Demon Lord, you will pay for today''s actions!"


    Seeing this, the gathered gods didn''t bother to waste more words. One by one, they shed away, preparing to track down David.


    Although there was a chance they could take down Demon Lord if they acted together, the God of Space''s escape abilities were formidable, and fighting in the Hall of Valor''s teaching grounds could potentially anger the Hall of Valor''s consciousness.


    So the gods held back.


    But judging by Demon Lord''s pained expression, he understood...


    He really needed to be more cautious when going out in the future.


    "Damn it!" His face was as dark as could be. Not only did he fail to save Fred, thus straining his rtionship with the God of War and Violence��one of whose most valued devotees had died on Demon Lord''s turf��but he also made an enemy of the exceptionally talented David and the numerous gods who had high hopes for him.


    It was a total loss!

 Chapter 221: Platinum-Level Skills Available for Exchange?

    Sterl had no idea that by casually attending an array study session, he would end up turning several deities into mortal enemies of the Demon Lord!


    After quickly teleporting back to his manor and seeing that everything around him was calm, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Immediately, Sterl used up his allocation points, which had just cooled down.


    He thought about it. Since his n involved studying formations in preparation for a ss change, which would likely require a period of seclusion, he decided to organize the various resources he had obtained.


    Therefore, Sterl did not prioritize using the recently acquired resources.


    The first thing he upgraded was [Wisdom] (a bracelet). After allocating points to it, the equipment''s effect evolved to increase the efficacy of his mental attributes by 15%.


    Enhancing his mental attributes not only boosted Sterl''s output but also made his disguise harder to see through. In short, it allowed him to better hide himself.


    As for the rest of his equipment, apart from the life-saving piece [Tear of Water], he didn''t n to allocate any points to them.


    This was because Sterl realized that the experience rewards from various quests and trials were quite substantial, and he would soon reach his third ss, at which point he would need to rece all his gear.


    After upgrading [Wisdom], the bracelet, which initially emitted a faint glow, becamepletely subdued, looking like an ordinary wooden essory hanging on Sterl''s arm.


    At this moment��


    "Master, you''re back?" The vi''s front door opened, revealing Sosia and Sonis, both covered in blood and appearing as if they had just been through a fierce battle.


    Seeing Sterl, they quickly came to greet him.


    Halfway towards him, they stopped, saying, "We''ll go take a shower first and thene to serve you."


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, "Wait? No need to wait!"


    "I need a bath too. Let''s do it together."


    With that, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the two girls and leading them into the bathroom.


    The bathroom in the vi was quite spacious, with a dedicated bath pool. The three of them casually removed their clothes and stepped into the water.


    Sterl immediately felt that the water had been infused with various herbs and flowers, making the bathing experience incredibly refreshing.


    At the same time, Sosia and Sonis quickly washed themselves and then began their actions.


    The two sisters slowly entered the water, their flowing hair drifting on the surface, making Sterl feel as if he was looking at two floating jellyfish.


    The next moment.


    Sterl felt a rough tongue suddenly licking his lower body, which was then enveloped by a warm, moist area.


    Shortly after, he was momentarily pulled away from thatfortable area and brought to another ce with a slightly different but simr sensation.


    "Uh..." Sterl closed his eyes slightly, quietly enjoying the moment. After a while, he suddenly exerted force, pressing his hands underwater, his waist trembling as he thrust wildly...


    "Ahem, ahem..."


    Sosia and Sonis slowly emerged from the water. Sosia was coughing incessantly as if she had choked on something.


    Sonis swam over to her sister, initiating a kiss, using her tongue to pry open Sosia''s mouth and swallow the thick liquid inside.


    Watching this scene, Sterl felt another surge of excitement in his lower body, still submerged in the warm water.


    He stepped forward again, "No need to take it from Sosia." Sterl grabbed Sonis and thrust into her mouth, then pinned her against the bathroom wall, unleashing his fury.


    Amid the muffled sounds of a drowning girl, Sterl showed no mercy, his hips thrusting.


    St! St! The sound of pale bodies colliding with the smooth tiles echoed through the bath...


    Despite the situation, Sonis adjusted her posture to make it easier for Sterl to release himself, her tongue swirling continuously.


    Sosia didn''t hesitate toe from behind, embracing Sterl''s body with a dreamy look in her eyes.


    After a long while...


    Sterl walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. This bath was so intense that he almost felt like he had used up his next allocation points...


    He thought to himself that he now had yet another reason to get stronger��there must be even more skilled individuals across the myriad races of the Crystal Barrier Gxy and beyond!


    Lost in his thoughts, Sterl realized that despite another sleepless night, his current attributes meant thatck of sleep wouldn''t affect him physically.


    On the contrary, a brief session of arcane skill training would fully restore his state.


    He meditated for a while, improving his arcane skill proficiency before his allocation points cooled down. Sterl then decided to enhance [Tear of Water].


    The evolution effect this time pleasantly surprised him. While the equipment''s attributes remained unchanged, the special effect of [Tear of Water]��


    "When life force drops to zero, automatically restore 20% of life force"��had evolved into a storable version, allowing for a maximum of two charges.


    In other words, Sterl now had two temporary resurrection opportunities.


    However, it was worth noting that the second-ss equipment could only withstand a limited amount of damage.


    Sterl estimated that this piece of gear would be most effective in legendary-level battles. The damage output from demigod-level enemies could potentially exceed [Tear of Water]''s protective limit.


    After allocating his points, Sterl didn''t rush to continue his arcane skill training.


    First, he opened the contribution shop belonging to the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl had three Hall of Valor tokens earlier. He gave one to Faye, leaving him with two.


    These tokens allowed a [Novice] to unlock certain [Trial Seeker]-level privileges in advance.


    Since Sterl''s current Glorious status rendered the tokens useless, he exchanged the two tokens for 1,000 contribution points, adding to his monthly 3,000 points and the 20,000 points frompleting the extreme trial.


    At this moment, Sterl had a total of 24,000 contribution points!


    Moreover, due to the resistor''s bonus, the shop level also increased by one!


    As soon as Sterl opened the shop, he was dazzled by the variety of high-level items, equipment, and skills avable.


    Due to his elevated status, Sterl discovered something incredible��


    The skill shop now featured tinum-level skills!


    "Holy crap! Is this for real??"


    Sterl was stunned.


    He had always been curious about what exactly constituted a tinum-level skill, and now he could finally see it in its entirety!


    He randomly clicked on an icon etched with frost patterns, and detailed information immediately appeared on his panel.


    [Frost Dominion (tinum)]


    [Description: A special technique symbolizing the power of Flowing Water and Frost. ording to legend, this skill is the legacy of a demigod who mastered both Flowing Water and Frost Law Powers but failed to ascend to godhood, resulting in their life force crystallizing in [Transcendence].]


    [Effects: You can create piercing frost, resulting in several effects��


    Frost de (Basic)


    Frost Killing Formation (Requires mastery in Flowing Water Law at an advanced level or iplete mastery in Frost Law. When mastered through advanced Flowing Water Law, the formation gains fluid characteristics, reduced consumption, and only releases frost power upon hitting an enemy, dealing additional damage.)


    Frost Dragon Emperor (Requires mastery of both Laws at an advanced level.)


    ???? (Requires perfection in both Laws.)]


    [Activation Requirement: Mastery of either Flowing Water Law or Frost Law]


    [Purchase Price: 100,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    Sterl stared at the detailed attributes of the tinum-level skill, still somewhat bewildered.


    The Hall of Valor thoughtfully gave him a sense of what it would be like to wield Frost Dominion.


    First was the simplest Frost de. The name was in, but Sterl could see countless frost des swirling in the air, almost connecting the entire sky and earth. They resonated and spun like a flock of birds!


    Upon shooting forward, they shattered the ground into pieces!


    The ground, once invaded by the frost des, remained in a frozen state for a long time.


    Sterl noticed that this demonstration was calibrated to his currentbat power, simting the impact of him using this skill.


    "If I were to use the Flowing Water Law, even with all the possible bonuses, I couldn''t achieve such a formidable disy!" Sterl marveled.


    In an instant, he understood.


    The rtionship between tinum-level skills and Law Power is akin to the rtionship between ordinary skills and basic skills.


    Just like how [Basic Meditation], when trained to an advanced level, significantly enhances your mental strength and can be used to form mental needles to attack others, even the most refined mental needle attack won''t match the effectiveness of a C- or D-level mental impact skill.


    While the gap between Law Power and tinum-level skills isn''t as vast, it''s simr to the gap between basic and advanced skills. No matter how powerful your Law Power bes, it can''t surpass the strength of a tinum-level skill enhanced by Law Power!


    Moreover, tinum-level skills can unlock new forms and powers as your Law Power itself improves!


    If the basic version is already so formidable, wouldn''t the new forms be even more astonishing?


    Sterl was immediately tempted; this was exactly what he wanted most from the contribution shop!


    However, when he saw the final price, he was dumbfounded.


    "100,000 contribution points? Are you kidding me?"


    "Uh... actually, that might not be too bad."


    Sterl thought about it. Outside of the Hall of Valor, he had never heard of any other way to acquire tinum-level skills.


    The rarity of the item justified the high contribution point cost, making it quite normal for such an item to require a significant amount of points.


    But upon closer inspection, Sterl realized something.


    "Wait, you can''t buy a tinum-level skill with just contribution points!"


    "It requires Valor Contribution Points, not ordinary contribution points."


    Sterl quickly discovered this new twist. As for how to earn Valor Contribution Points...


    He checked and found that he surprisingly had 20,000 points already, which he had earned from the extreme trial rewards.


    The remaining 4,000 points were regr contribution points.


    Sterl immediately essed the Hall of Valor''s query function within the contribution shop: "What''s the difference between the two types of contribution points? How do you earn each type?"


    The response from the Hall of Valor was prompt and clear:


    [Ordinary Contribution Points: Earned throughpleting general tasks, missions, or monthly allocations based on your rank.]


    [Valor Contribution Points: Earned through high-difficulty trials, extreme challenges, and significant achievements within the Hall of Valor. These points represent the highest form of recognition and can be used to purchase exclusive items and skills, such as tinum-level skills.]


    Sterl processed the information, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation.


    "So, that''s how it is," he murmured to himself. "I need to focus on high-difficulty trials and extreme challenges to umte more Valor Contribution Points."


    With this newfound understanding, Sterl felt a renewed sense of purpose.

 Chapter 222: Valor Contribution Points and Ordinary Contribution Points

    After inquiring, Sterl quickly received a response. As he looked at the new text appearing on his panel, he began to understand.


    In simple terms, any product in the Hall of Valor rted to a demigod or higher level could only be exchanged using Valor Contribution Points. Only a few consumables could be purchased with ordinary contribution points.


    Sterl pondered this restriction and found it quite reasonable. After all, with his status, he received 3,000 contribution points each month, amounting to 36,000 points a year. If he waited for three years, he could get a tinum-level skill for free?


    Not everyone advanced as quickly as Sterl. For many legendary or demigod-level warriors, staying at one level for decades or even centuries was not umon.


    The Hall of Valor wasn''t a charity, after all.


    Therefore, ordinary contribution points could only be used to exchange for resources below the demigod level. During those times, yers'' status levels were not high, and the monthly contributions they received weren''t excessive.


    For resources above the demigod level, Valor Contribution Points were required. As for earning these points, one had toplete difficult challenges to prove themselves as the brave warriors the Hall of Valor needed. For instance, Sterl had earned 20,000 Valor Contribution Points by passing an extreme trial.


    Normally, members of the Hall of Valor had toplete high-difficulty missions to earn Valor Contribution Points.


    Ordinary contribution points could be directly exchanged for Valor Contribution Points, but each yer could only exchange 500 points per year, requiring 50,000 ordinary contribution points.


    Taking the tinum-level skill Sterl had his eyes on as an example, relying solely on his monthly contribution points from his status wouldn''t be enough to get it for free. Even if he wanted to exchange ordinary contribution points for Valor Contribution Points, it would take 200 years.


    For someone with a status like Glorious, the monthly contribution points wouldn''t be enough to cover the 500 Valor Contribution Points exchange quota each year. Additional tasks would be required to meet the quota.


    Sterl realized that the huge difference in the exchange rate forced yers to strive and fight, a consistent theme in the Hall of Valor''s style.


    Of course, if you really worked for the Hall of Valor for 200 years, they wouldn''t mind you getting a tinum-level skill for free.


    However, Sterl soon found himself in a dilemma.


    The problem now was that he couldn''t use his 20,000 Valor Contribution Points frivolously; he had to save them for something like a tinum-level skill.


    With only 4,000 ordinary contribution points left, it seemed he couldn''t afford any significant items or equipment.


    But soon, an idea struck Sterl. Generally speaking, as long as a skill has potential, it can often be enhanced with points, and even multiple enhancements are possible.


    So, if he wanted a tinum-level skill, he didn''t necessarily have to go for the expensive 100,000 contribution point version. Could he find a cheaper one and then enhance it gradually?


    With this thought, Sterl''s eyes lit up. He quickly began searching, with one piece of information after another shing across his panel.


    [Sea of the Dead (tinum)]


    [Description: A special technique symbolizing the powers of shadow and death. It is said that this skill is the legacy of a demigod who mastered both forms of Law Power but failed to ascend to godhood, leaving their life''s essence condensed in [Transcendence].]


    [Effect: You can use corpses to resurrect the dead, resulting in the following effects��


    Sea of Bones (Basic)


    Underworld Beasts (Perfected Death Law)]


    [Activation Requirement: Mastery of either Death Law or Shadow Law]


    [Purchase Price: 50,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    ...


    [Amaterasu''s Life Command (tinum)]


    [Description: Symbolizing...]


    [Effect:...]


    [Purchase Price: 70,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    ...


    [Cmity (tinum)]


    [Description: Symbolizing...]


    [Effect:...]


    [Purchase Price: 40,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    ...


    As Sterl reviewed the detailed attributes and descriptions of the various tinum-level skills, he was quite surprised to discover that all of them were formed from the legacy of demigods who had failed in their attempt to ascend to godhood, condensing their life''s essence into these skills.


    Curious, Sterl inquired with the artificial intelligence within the Hall of Valor shop and received the following exnation:


    tinum-level skills are essentially the intermediate state of Law Power transforming into Divine Power. Therefore, only demigods who failed and fell during their ascension could nurture such abilities with their life''s essence.


    Moreover, demigod-level warriors must learn tinum skills because mastering these skills gradually helps them understand the operation of Divine Power.


    In other words, the more tinum-level skills a demigod masters, the smoother their path to godhood will be.


    Additionally, mastering different tinum-level skills can even allow ascended gods to sense and acquire other divine authorities and Divine Powers.


    Therefore...


    Without spending Valor Contribution Points, a demigod would truly need to spend nearly a century to obtain a single tinum-level skill book from the Hall of Valor.


    Yet, these harsh conditions attracted countless demigods who were eager to obtain such skills. In the outside world, even spending a lifetime might not guarantee ess to a tinum-level skill, let alone a century!


    Sterl realized that he couldn''t use his 20,000 Valor Contribution Points frivolously; he had to save them for something significant like a tinum-level skill. However, with only 4,000 ordinary contribution points left, he couldn''t afford any significant items or equipment.


    Reflecting on this, Sterl''s thoughts began to race. He needed to find a strategy to maximize his contribution points and achieve his goals efficiently.


    Sterl nodded thoughtfully. "So, I need to figure out how to acquire more tinum-level skills."


    Just then, his eyes lit up.


    [Rain Curtain Sword (tinum)]


    [Description: A special technique symbolizing Flowing Water...]


    [Effect: You can create swords out of rain curtains, resulting in the following effects��Sword Curtain (Basic)]


    [Activation Requirement: Mastery of Flowing Water Law]


    [Purchase Price: 25,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    Seeing the price of the Rain Curtain Sword skill, Sterl couldn''t help but smile. This tinum skill was considered one of the least valuable in the Hall of Valor''s skill shop, but it resonated perfectly with Sterl''s Flowing Water Law.


    When Sterl examined the details, he found that the Sword Curtain created multiple des using Flowing Water, which would surround the user. The des floated in mid-air, attacking automatically and providing a protective effect as they moved.


    Although this skill significantly enhanced the offensive and defensive capabilities of the Flowing Water Law, it was still weaker than other tinum skills. Additionally, this tinum skill only had a basic form and could not be enhanced further with the improvement of Law Power.


    Hence, the price of the Rain Curtain Sword was just 25,000 Valor Contribution Points, making it the cheapest tinum skill avable.


    Sterl was only 5,000 Valor Contribution Points away from acquiring this skill...


    "In a few days, I''ll find a way to take on some tasks, and that should do it..." he mused. "Wait, I still have a Trial of the Brave. Completing it should also yield some Valor Contribution Points." With a n forming in his mind, Sterl quickly had a strategy.


    Reluctantly, Sterl closed the Hall of Valor''s contribution shop.


    Next, he focused on his secluded training, improving his arcane skills and studying formations.


    Sterl''s proficiency in arcane skills increased rapidly, thanks to the supportive environment of Valha Mountain in the Hall of Valor. In just two days, he maxed out his proficiency. Unfortunately, he was still far from reaching the next stage of his arcane skill.


    During these two days, Sterl finally took the Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom. He had previously refrained from consuming it, fearing the unknown effects of its potent properties might temporarily incapacitate him.


    As he had anticipated, the Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom''s effects were intense. He felt as though countless des were piercing his body. However, Sterl was ustomed to enduring pain during significant power-ups, and he epted it calmly.


    Afterward, he used two enhancement points on the [Gate of Hell (Iplete)], a skill he had been trying to perfect for some time.


    Eventually, the skill Sterl acquired evolved into��


    [Gate of Hell]+


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: Many races believe that the gateways they construct in imitation of the Gate of Hell possess incredible magic, capable of creating a real Gate of Hell at specific times. Due to unknown influences, what was originally a mere trick has undergone a strange transformation.]


    [Effect: On the thirteenth day of each month, activating this skill will open an unstable Gate of Hell.]


    [Warning: Entering the unstable Gate of Hell will randomly teleport you to an unknown region, with no possibility of return.]


    "As expected, this skill has great potential," Sterl nodded. However, the evolved Gate of Hell was still quite problematic. Limited activation times were one thing, but the inability to return after entering? That was just too much!


    Fortunately, there was still a symbol indicating that the skill could be further enhanced. Sterl could only hope that the next enhancement would fix the ws of the Gate of Hell, at least ensuring a way to return.


    He knew a bit about Hell. It was a bizarre world divided into differentyers, and it was said that Hell''syers were infinite, connecting to all major worlds and the Crystal Barrier Gxy within [Transcendence]. Someyers of Hell were extremely dangerous, making survival difficult even for gods.


    Opening a one-way portal to Hell? No way Sterl was going to risk that!


    After finishing his arcane skill training, Sterl got busy once again. He opened the Hall of Valor''s shop, choosing to purchase a [Spirit Gathering Array (Basic)] and four sets of materials for the array.


    The effect of this array was to gather ambient energy within a small area, elerating cultivation. However, it was useless for Sterl since his estate, a reward frompleting an extreme trial, already had the highest-level Spirit Gathering Array inscribed.


    This array was said toe from an Array Master known by the great Divine Power who created the Hall of Valor and had been effective for countless years without diminishing.


    At Sterl''s current level, he couldn''t even detect where the array inscriptions were. He was simply practicing the basics of array formation to meet his ss change requirements.


    About an hourter, an NPC with golden hair, fair skin, and wings on their back arrived, delivering the items Sterl had ordered. The NPC was remarkably beautiful.

 Chapter 223: Crafting Arrays, Sub-Profession Class Change

    Sterl took the materials from the NPC known as "Valkyrie" and stored them all in his inventory.


    Then, Sterl left his estate and began his first round of array crafting. He sat cross-legged on the ground, sensing the fluctuations in the surrounding space.


    An Array Master is someone who senses the operation of space, refines various materials, and finally uses mental power toy out arrays, thereby transforming the world.


    For a Spirit Gathering Array, different locations, varying amounts of ambient energy, and different times all cause different spatial fluctuations, which means the material cement nodes also vary.


    Therefore, being an Array Master requires a high spatial aptitude. Fortunately, with the blessing of the Dimensional Heart, Sterl easily captured the spatial nodes suitable for setting up the Spirit Gathering Array.


    He quickly formed a few hand seals and used Ignition me to refine the materials into thick, viscous liquids with precise control.


    He then flicked his fingers, sending the liquids flying into the air. As the liquids settled into their designated spots, the surroundings subtly changed, as if an invisible framework was being constructed.


    This framework was like a house of cards,yer uponyer, where even the slightest mistake could cause it to copsepletely.


    Sterl operated with extreme caution.


    The "house of cards" was built bit by bit.


    The foundation wasid, the steel beams were poured, the earth and stones were piled on...


    Just as the Spirit Gathering Array was about to take shape, Sterl felt a slight tremor. A surge of joy rose in his heart, causing a minor fluctuation in his mental power.


    This led to��


    Crack! Crack!


    A series of explosive sounds echoed in the air. The refined liquids fell to the ground, emitting a burnt smell, and the spatial changes gradually subsided.


    Sterl exhaled a deep breath, slightly covering his forehead as his mental power felt somewhat damaged. It was clear he had failed in constructing the array on his first attempt.


    Fortunately, Sterl had anticipated this oue and knew it was unlikely to seed on the first try. He had specifically bought four sets of materials.


    After resting for a short while, Sterl began his second attempt.


    For other yers, the difficulty in constructing arraysy in theirck of spatial aptitude, making it hard to pinpoint the critical material cement nodes.


    For Sterl, however, the challenge was in hisck of proficiency and his control over mental power.


    But these two issues were rtively easy to ovee!


    Sterl was simply inexperienced at the start.


    As expected, the second time he attempted to construct the Spirit Gathering Array, Sterl almostpleted it in one go!


    It took him less than 30 seconds.


    Sterl quickly refined the materials, ced them into the spatial nodes, and skillfullyyered the mental power structures. The properties of the various materials were fully activated!


    Finally...


    The array was fully constructed!


    The Spirit Gathering Array wasplete!


    Sterl felt the flow of energy in the air... No, it wasn''t air; it was the ambient energy of the world, rapidly gathering with a strange power!


    "It''s a sess," Sterl''s heart remained calm as still water until the array waspletely formed. Only then did he rx his vignce and allow himself a moment of joy.


    A notification appeared before him��


    [Congrattions, you have mastered the Spirit Gathering Array.]


    [Your ss change ceremony progress has been updated. Remaining arrays needed: Four.]


    Sterl smiled, clearly in a good mood. Previously, in the "Myriad Arts of Heaven Curriculum," the basic knowledge of arrays he had learned indicated that even the simplest array would require considerable effort and time to construct. Unexpectedly, Sterl hadpleted the Spirit Gathering Array in less than half an hour.


    "Besides the spatial aptitude boost from the Dimensional Heart, the Arcane Soul talent must have also yed a role," he thought, feeling quite encouraged. He then proceeded with another round of purchases.


    Sterl selected five new arrays, ordering two sets of materials for each. The reason for this choice was that, despite his sess with the Spirit Gathering Array, he was concerned that two sets of materials might not be enough for the subsequent arrays. However, ordering an extra set for each array seemed wasteful.


    So, he opted to add one more type of array to increase the margin for error in his ss change ceremony and potentially gain mastery over an additional array.


    Soon, the materials were delivered again, this time by a ck-haired, ck-eyed NPC girl. Sterl received the materials in the wild and began crafting on the spot.


    Using the same method of melting materials and cing them in spatial nodes with mental power constructs:


    - Iron Armor Array �� Provides a protective shield. Sessfully crafted on the first attempt.


    - Sharp Gold Array �� Launches piercing attacks on intruding enemies. Sessfully crafted on the second attempt.


    - Listening Array �� Slightly enhances the perception of genuine yers. Sessfully crafted on the first attempt.


    - Concealment Array �� Hides all units within the array. Failed to craft.


    - Improved Spirit Gathering Array �� Compared to the original, it has a stronger effect over a greater distance. Sessfully crafted on the second attempt.


    Snap!


    Sterl pped his hands sharply.


    In an instant, the ambient energy of the world rapidly surged and gathered around him. Even some wild monsters in the forest were drawn by the dense energy and slowly approached, hoping to bask in its richness.


    However, upon noticing Sterl, these creatures became extremely cautious, letting out low growls and showing signs of unease.


    Seeing this, Sterl, in a good mood, swiftly flickered out of the forest, leaving the Spirit Gathering Array for the beasts. He hurried back to his estate and entered his dedicated retreat chamber.


    "Excellent!"


    Before Sterl, the system prompts shed.


    [You havepleted all the rituals for bing an Array Master. Do you wish to proceed with the ss change?]


    [Uponpleting the ss change, your ss talent will be generated based on your performance during the rituals.]


    [Warning: This ss change will upy one of your Sub-Profession slots, and you will need a specific item to switch Sub-Professions. Please choose carefully.]


    "Yes!" Sterl replied without hesitation. The potential of spatialws and divine authority that an Array Master could bring was what he valued most. None of the other rted arts couldpare to "space"!


    [ss Change Ceremony Initiated!]


    As the [Transcendence] system prompt appeared, Sterl felt a beam of golden light pour into the top of his head. Immediately, a vast amount of knowledge surged into his mind.


    In an instant, he realized that his previous operations when crafting the five arrays were full of ws! They were almost painful to recall!


    Now, Sterl had an instinctive ability to optimize and learn various arrays.


    Additionally, under the influence of the Dimensional Heart, he vaguely sensed a flow of the power of space entering his body.


    Sterl understood clearly that as he continuously honed his professional skills as an Array Master, he would eventuallyprehend thews of space!


    "It''s done!" He didn''t know how much time had passed. When he reopened his eyes, a new Sub-Profession panel appeared before him.


    [Profession: Array Master]


    [Authority Heart: None] +


    [ss Talent: Quick Learner (A): You will master various arrays at a faster pace, increasing your array construction speed by 100%.] +


    [ss Skills: [Array: Improved Spirit Gathering Array (Proficiency: 3/500 [Beginner])]


    [Array: Iron Armor Array (Proficiency: 11/500 [Beginner])]


    [Array...]


    ...]


    [Insight Level: 0/5000]


    "All the arrays now have proficiency levels??"


    "No wonder the corresponding Sub-Profession provides such a significant boost to skills!"


    Sterl looked at the Sub-Profession panel with delight.


    First, all the arrays he had learned could now be disyed with a proficiency panel, meaning that practicing them would definitely improve their effectiveness.


    Additionally, after the ss change, Sterl had acquired considerable information about his profession. He could confirm that even god-level arrays would still have proficiency levels.


    This meant that with the added proficiency, Sterl''s learning speed for those extremely difficult top-tier arrays would be far faster than an ordinary Array Master trying to figure it out on their own.


    Moreover, what excited Sterl even more was that the proficiency system meant he could finally put his vast reserves of blood force to good use!


    He could quickly elevate certain arrays to mastery or even grandmaster levels...


    He was practically winning big time!


    Additionally, the insight level on the profession panel indicated that Sterl needed toplete specific events using arrays, such as killing or defending on the battlefield, or simply using arrays to win battles. These actions would grant him insight points.


    umting enough insight experience would allow him to level up his insight level. Each level-up would grant Sterl a free opportunity to experience the Law corresponding to his profession!


    This was something he couldn''t achieve even in the Hall of Valor using contribution points��experiencing the spatial Law!


    After bing an Array Master, Sterl felt like he had received several pleasant surprises in a row!


    Of course, the biggest surprise was the unranked authority heart, which he could forcibly enhance once!


    Moreover, the profession talent disyed a standard upgrade marker.


    Sterl suspected that, like his other talents, he could possibly upgrade it to a triple-S level!


    Thus, the following days were quite leisurely for Sterl.


    He strolled around his estate, enjoying the pastoral scenery. asionally, he would leave the Hall of Valor to visit Teresa, Linna, and Rayna.


    After much deliberation, Sterl decided to hand over two books of the [Blood Sacrifice Technique] to Teresa. This technique was incredibly suitable for the mass-production mode of the human race on Earth.


    Sterl felt that giving these two skill books was a way to repay the human race on Earth for raising him to the age of 18.


    Afterward, he returned to the Hall of Valor to reunite with Faye and have a small gathering with other yers from the Dark Moon Alliance.


    When Sterl met the sisters Sonis and Sosia again, they couldn''t help but remark,


    "Master, it seems like you''ve changed a lotpared to before..."


    Indeed, as the sisters noted, Sterl had undergone a transformation. He finally took the time to upgrade everything on his body that could be enhanced in one satisfying session.

 Chapter 224: Comprehensive Enhancement, Surging Combat Power

    At this moment, Sterl let out a heartyugh and embraced Sonis and Sosia.


    "Master�� you''re too eager," Sosia said with a yful pout.


    "Ouch, you''re a bit rough��" Sonis added, though her eyes glinted with mischief.


    Without needing further encouragement, the two women leaned in closer. Despite their feigned resistance, their actions were fervent, their gazes seductively melting into his.


    Sosia lowered her head and took Sterl''s member into her mouth, while Sonis entwined herself around him, kissing him passionately.


    Sterl, on the other hand, remained calm andposed, enjoying the moment. He opened his attribute panel and inventory, admiring the results of his recent upgrades.


    Thanks to ample time for upgrades, all of his equipment had been enhanced.


    The overall attribute boost of his Spirit Armor had increased from 10% to 15%.


    The "Reserve Power" passive ability of Dragon Blood ck-Yellow, which originally increased final damage by 1% for every 10% of health lost, was now enhanced to 1.5% final damage increase.


    The skill damage associated with Frost Perception had also received a boost.


    The enhanced Heart of Sacrifice now reduced the health cost for activating its skill to 3%.


    Mountain Guardian provided an additional 10 points to all attributes.


    The ultimate skill, [Gate of Hell], had finally been maxed out. Its final effect allowed Sterl to open a portal to Hell on the 13th of each month. This time, it wasn''t a random teleportation; the portal''s destination would correspond to the Crystal Barrier Gxy and its specific connection with Hell''syers.


    Of course, how this connection was calcted remained a mystery to Sterl, so it essentially still meant entering a random location in Hell.


    The only advantage was that before entering the Gate of Hell, Sterl could see whichyer he would enter, and he would have a month to return to the main world through the gate.


    Additionally, the time flow in Hell didn''t necessarily match that of the main world. A month in Hell could trante to just a few weeks or days, or conversely, to several months or years in the main world.


    "I''d better gather some intel on Hell before rushing in blindly," Sterl thought. It seemed wise not to use the Gate of Hell recklessly.


    ording to human records, some of the more powerfulyers of Hell were teeming with legendary demons and demigods, with divine-level demons waging continuous wars. Sterl''s chances of survival in such a ce were slim.


    "I''ll check theyer each month and look for relevant information in the Hall of Valor. If the danger isn''t too high, I can explore a bit."


    The reason Sterl was so keen on venturing into Hell was clear��


    As a realm starkly different from the main world, it thrived on chaos and ughter. It also harbored countless rare materials, unique skills, and excellent equipment that could never be found in the main world.


    In the main world, skills that theoretically could only be improved through arduous practice could be instantly catalyzed by a god-level demon in Hell, using something like blood force. This shows that, despite its dangers, Hell is a treasure trove of opportunities.


    Simrly, many resources found in the main world are unattainable for the denizens of Hell, which is why legends of demonic invasions are prevalent. These aren''t just legends, though; the Blood Cult serves as a beachhead for demons attempting to enter the main world.


    After pondering for a moment, Sterl reviewed the other skills he had evolved through added points.


    The skill[Devour]had been enhanced seven times for his Star Radiance Dragon, and with an additional forced enhancement, it had transformed into[Consume].


    Although the skill name was just a single character, it evoked a profound sense of excitement in Sterl, akin to the primal fear one feels when encountering an enraged lion. It was the human instinct of fearing a top predator.


    However, his initial anxiety was quickly overshadowed by the skill''s effects.


    [Consume]


    [Category: Special Skill]


    [Description: A special skill acquired by yer [Sterl] due to unknown reasons�� [Data Error]]


    [Effect: The bodyposed of special energy that devours everything has extraordinary effects. When attacked, you will automatically expend energy and stamina to form��


    [Divine Protection (generates universal-type armor, all attack damage must first deplete Divine Protection before affecting the user, including but not limited to continuous poison damage, environmental damage, etc.)]


    If an opponent''s attack cannot break through Divine Protection, the damage will convert into your maximum health, energy, and stamina, permanently increasing these values.


    However, due to the influence of the devouring energy, if Divine Protection is broken, all damage received will reduce your maximum health, energy, and stamina.


    In meleebat, every second, any yer or unit you touch will lose health, energy, and stamina, which will convert into increases in your own maximum health, energy, and stamina.


    Upon killing any unit, you can gain 40% of their maximum health, energy, and stamina, 25% of their overall attributes, and randomly acquire 1-2 of their abilities (including but not limited to skills, Law Power, Legendary Abilities, Divine Power, divine authority).


    Due to insufficient physical conditions (currently being a yer of the Earth Human race), the skill''s effects are diminished. When attacked, you will still generate Divine Protection, but its defensive efficiency is reduced by 50%.


    When you kill an enemy target, you restore health, energy, and stamina.


    You can only increase your maximum health, energy, and stamina by killing strong enemies (level 100 and above), and the increase rate is extremely low.


    There is a small chance to plunder the legendary abilities Law Power, Divine Power, or divine authority from dead enemies.]


    "Good! Good! Good!" Sterl couldn''t help but smile as he looked at this skill. He felt like he had hit the jackpot.


    Though the skill noted that due to his insufficient physical conditions, its effects were significantly weakened��


    Sterl felt a bit disappointed but not entirely. After all, the skill Infinite Evolution had already mentioned that some skills limited by body form would not be able to disy their full power even if acquired.


    In fact, the skill [Devour] could not be absorbed initially and was forcibly obtained through the Fate Token.


    Therefore, Sterl was mentally prepared for not fully utilizing the evolved skill [Consume].


    Moreover, it wasn''t entirely unusable!


    Regarding Divine Protection, even with a 50% reduction, it still proved to be a decent life-saving skill.


    Sterl tested his own Ignition me, and it took a full 1.5 seconds to burn through the Divine Protection.


    Keep in mind that this was a golden skill with all of Sterl''s attribute boosts maxed out and an SSS talent boost!


    This meant that the ultimate moves of ordinary second-ss and third-ss yers could be blocked by Divine Protection for at least half their output!


    Absolutely ridiculous!


    Then, there was the aspect of killing enemies to restore health and mana. Sterl tested it and found that during group battles or monster farming, this skill allowed him to go without any consumables.


    Against stronger enemies, as long as it wasn''t a one-on-one situation, it could save Sterl a significant amount of mana recovery items.


    As for killing strong enemies and permanently increasing his maximum health, energy, and stamina��


    Since Sterl had left the Hall of Valor to "visit home," the enemies he encountered on the way were rtively weak.


    So he hadn''t had the chance to test this yet.


    However, he estimated that the efficiency of this increase was likely not very high. For other yers, it might take decades to slowly improve their level, with the umted value being substantial.


    For Sterl, though, it seemed rather trivial.


    Fortunately, for Sterl, the greatest boon of the skill [Consume] was its final special effect:


    "You have a small chance to plunder the legendary abilities, Law Power, Divine Power, or divine authority from dead enemies."


    This ability was absolutely outrageous!


    When it first appeared through point allocation and evolution, Sterl''s heart nearly stopped for a few seconds.


    Plundering legendary abilities! It was crucial to understand that Sterl currently had only two extra legendary abilities. Even with point allocation, without Legendary Crystals dropping, there was nothing he could do.


    Plundering Law Power! This was even more significant. Sterl had painstakingly sought to acquire just one Law Power.


    After leaving the Netherworld, he had no new opportunities to obtain it.


    Plundering Divine Power and divine authority???


    That was simply beyond belief!


    It was known that even Gloria and her group of gods could only enhance their power by hunting beings with the same divine authority.


    Randomly plundering Divine Power and divine authority was considered impossible!


    If such a being were to emerge, countless gods would band together to annihte it! Because if such an entity existed, the whole of creation would be its fodder, propelling it to unparalleled heights!


    And now, Sterl had be such an entity!


    The vast universe was his sustenance. The only downside was the "small chance"; how small this probability was, he didn''t know.


    But did it matter? Sterl had the Fate Token in his possession!


    As long as the probability wasn''t zero, he could instantly turn that small chance into a certainty!


    However, amidst his excitement, Sterl felt even more certain that the great catastrophe terrifying Gloria and the other gods likely originated from the Devourer of All Things!


    The skill Sterl had acquired was just a weakened version. The full-strength Devourer of All Things would definitely extract Law Power and Divine Power upon killing gods or demigods!


    This was why even an entity like the Hall of Valor, during extreme trials, hoped yers would be prepared to anticipate and counter such a fearsome being.


    Bad news: The Devourer of All Things descends, causing gods to fall en masse.


    Good news: Sterl dered, "I''m one of them!"


    "Of course, to obtain more Fate Tokens, I must keep a close eye on gods with Trade divine authority..." he calcted in his mind.

 Chapter 225: Trial of the Brave

    Sterl closed the skill menu, still unable to contain his excitement.


    Aside from [Consume], there were only a few things left that he had enhanced through point allocation.


    First, he had evolved six Fate Tokens. With the boost from [Consume], that equated to six legendary abilities or Law Powers!


    As for why it wasn''t Divine Power or divine authority, Sterl knew he was still far from being able to hunt down gods.


    The realm of the divine can only be breached by another god!


    In addition to this, there was the random Legendary Crystal Sterl had obtained earlier. After two point allocations and one forced point allocation, it had transformed into a special item.


    [Chaos Cube]


    [Type: Special]


    [Description: A bizarre crystal formed by the fusion of countless legendary powers, undergoing a strange qualitative change under special energy, giving birth to something that originally did not exist in the world.]


    [Effect: You can use any two skills, equipment, legendary abilities, or Law Powers and fuse them within the Chaos Cube.


    There is a high probability of fusing resources of equal quality to the fused items, a low probability of obtaining resources of higher quality, and an extremely low probability of creating superior resources thatbine the advantages of both fused items and undergo qualitative transformation.]


    In simple terms, it''s a gambling tool.


    Its effect is a two-into-one fusion.


    But there''s a high probability of losing out, turning two items of the same quality into one item of the same quality, resulting in a loss.


    Only a small chance will yield higher-quality resources, and it might not even be profitable.


    Sterl did have a lot of mediocre skills and equipment, but if the quality only slightly improved, he might still not find them useful. In fact, the value of a slightly improved new skill or equipment might be less than thebined value of the two original items.


    The Chaos Cube is only profitable if it triggers an extremely low probability qualitative transformation.


    "So does that mean I have to use Fate Tokens again?"


    "To ensure the fusion result?"


    Sterl felt a bit frustrated. Before he ascended to godhood, he had no way to hunt down beings with Trade divine authority!


    "Maybe I should try to infiltrate the Dark Moon Goddess''s small group as a logistics officer?"


    He entertained the idea, considering that this group had a good chance of hunting down gods with Trade divine authority. If Sterl could be nearby when those gods fell, he could catalyze the purple gold coins and convert them into Fate Tokens...


    After thinking for a while, Sterl still couldn''te up with a viable n to infiltrate Gloria''s group. Those gods didn''t bring any logistics or followers when they acted.


    In the end, Sterl could only sigh and dismiss his unrealistic thoughts. He opened the Sub-Profession panel and admired it for a while.


    His Array Master Sub-Profession had also been enhanced through point allocation.


    After forcibly evolving the authority heart, Sterl sensed an upgrade to his Array Master level��an amplification and perception of spatial power, roughly increasing by 30% per level.


    With the nourishment of this additional spatial power, a new skill called [Spatial Severance (Gold)] appeared in his skill menu.


    Sterl was delighted to discover that even if he did nothing, the enhancement in the authority heart''s rank allowed him to automaticallyprehend spatial-rted legendaries upon reaching legendary status and spatial Laws upon bing a demigod.


    He had practically won the jackpot!


    His profession talent had been boosted to SSS level as well:


    [Array Mastery]


    [Effect: You can forcibly master all arrays, ignoring learning conditions. When setting up arrays, you can ignore up to one major level requirement (e.g., a legendary can set up a demigod-level array, a demigod can set up a god-level array, etc.). Your proficiency gain speed for all arrays is increased by 100%, and the effects of all your arrays are increased by 50%.]


    It''s no exaggeration to say that this effect was game-changing.


    Sterl didn''t know how valuable the "can learn all arrays" bonus was due to his limited experience, but he could guess that if an SSS-level talent provided such a bonus, it meant that some arrays had extremely stringent learning requirements, impossible for ordinary people to meet!


    The talent''s "ignoring up to one major level requirement when setting up arrays" was self-exnatory in its value.


    Sterl knew that the differences between legendary and third ss, demigod and legendary, and god and demigod were enormous!


    The gap between these levels represented a massive leap in power.


    Gods suppressed demigods far more than demigods suppressed legendaries, and demigods suppressed legendaries far more than legendaries suppressed third ss.


    But with this talent, Sterl could set up arrays one level above his own!


    What did this mean?


    Arrays had diverse functions, including offense, protection, and gathering the world''s energy...


    Sterl could fully enjoy the output, defense, and resource-gathering capabilities of a level higher than his own in advance. The only limitation was that he had to set up the arrays beforehand.


    This would consume a lot of rare materials and time, but it was still a huge profit!


    By the time he reached the demigod level, with the aid of arrays, he might even confront gods directly! Though killing a god would be difficult due to the immobility of arrays, it meant that Sterl could protect himself without worry!


    In the Vastor continent and even in the Hall of Valor, gods with weak Divine Power stood at the top of the food chain.


    Sterl had nothing to fear from these people, so what else was there to be afraid of?


    "After bing a demigod, I can start allocating points for Linna and Rayna!" he silently decided.


    As for thest part of his talent, "increased array proficiency and enhanced array effects," it was a straightforward and powerful numerical boost.


    Sterl would have a significant advantage over other Array Masters.


    However, after boosting his Sub-Profession talent to SSS level, it seemed he couldn''t enhance it further. There was no option for forced point allocation, which left Sterl somewhat disappointed.


    Additionally, Sterl discovered that aside from his secondary authority heart and Sub-Profession talent, the arrays he had learned could also be enhanced through point allocation. But since he only knew some basic arrays at the moment, it didn''t make sense to waste his points on them.


    Previously, on his way back to the Hall of Valor, he had used all his extra point allocations on Fate Tokens.


    With this, Sterl had wrapped up his gains from this period.


    Almost simultaneously, he let out a satisfied sigh, his lower body slightly moving.


    Beneath him, Sosia slowly raised her head, sharing a kiss with Sonis as they both savored Sterl''s essence.


    The scene was extremely alluring.


    Seeing the two sisters about to pounce on him again, Sterl patted their heads.


    "Alright, let''s get down to business."


    Immediately, the sisters toned down their seductive demeanor and became extremely serious. "Yes, Master!" they said obediently.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a wave of satisfaction andfort. The Nether Soul n, trained specifically for servitude, truly lived up to their reputation!


    "How did the tasks I assigned you go?" Sterl asked, lounging on the sofa.


    Before leaving the Hall of Valor, he had given the sisters some assignments.


    The primary task was to find ways to acquire guild materials and to maintain contact with the yers Sterl had met during the Extreme Trials, keeping those rtionships strong.


    Lastly, they were to confirm the most convenient methods for resource exchange in the Hall of Valor.


    The answers the sisters provided left Sterl quite pleased.


    "Master, you asked us to contact those yers and confirm if they were still willing to join our guild."


    "Our inquiries went smoothly. They are still very willing to join your guild, even more enthusiastically than when we were in the settlement hall."


    "Because thebat power you disyed against the Devourer of All Things was simply unbelievable. It was far beyond what a legendary should possess."


    "Additionally, we''ve found the resource exchange locations you wanted us to look for."


    "In the Hall of Valor, there''s a building called the ''Assembly Hall.'' It''s where all members take on contribution tasks, and many people set up stalls in the hall to sell their task rewards. Over time, it has be thergest trading hub in the Hall of Valor."


    "Regarding the guild materials you requested, we gathered some information. For basic materials, you can purchase them at the Assembly Hall. For high-level materials, you need toplete difficult tasks and exchange something called Valor Contribution Points."


    "As for top-tier guild materials, our investigation revealed that three SSS-level guild materials have appeared in the Hall of Valor."


    "One was acquired 500 years ago by a yer who broke the Trial of the Brave scoring limit. Another was obtained by a deity in the Hall of Valor, though the conditions for this are unknown. Thest one was a reward in the previous Valor Combatants tournament, which is said to be holding its second edition this year."


    "Well done," Sterl nodded slightly, feeling quite pleased with the sisters'' reliability.


    Sterl analyzed the information he had gathered. The guild formation was still on track, with the only missing piece being the materials.


    Regarding the materials he needed, Sterl naturally wanted the best since it directly impacted the buffs he could receive. He couldn''t afford to be careless.


    As for the Valor Combatants tournament, although it was said to be held this year, Sterl couldn''t wait that long. He decided to challenge the Trial of the Brave to see if he could also break the scoring limit.


    Regarding the Assembly Hall, he decided to check it out himself afterpleting the Trial of the Brave when taking on his monthly tasks.


    With that, Sterl waved his hand.


    Sosia and Sonis obediently left the room, leaving behind two enticing silhouettes.


    Sterl then opened his panel.


    [Participate in the Trial of the Brave? Yes/No]


    [Note: This trial will provide enemies and difficulty corresponding to your current strength: second ss. You need to kill as many enemies as possible to umte points.]

 Chapter 226: A Path of Slaughter, Scores Soaring!

    [Warning: Each member of the Hall of Valor can only challenge the Trial of the Brave once. Choose wisely.]


    "No." Sterl''s eyes lit up. He hadn''t expected the Trial of the Brave to be so considerate, tailoring the difficulty based on one''s current level.


    Sterl felt that this was his chance to shine!


    His truebat power was far beyond what a second ss could epass. He would have a significant advantage when it came to racking up points.


    However, he didn''t immediately choose to enter the Trial of the Brave.


    First, Sterl opened the contribution store in the Hall of Valor and spent his remaining 2100 ordinary contributions to buy 7 bottles of [Glory Potion].


    The potion''s mana regeneration effect was 30% stronger than the Essence of the Moon from the Dark Moon Alliance, and Sterl didn''t need to evolve or allocate points to use it. He could use it right away.


    It''s worth mentioning that he had previously spent 1900 contributions on array knowledge and materials, so now his ordinary contributions werepletely used up.


    After preparing his supplies, Sterl reopened the Trial of the Brave panel.


    "Start the challenge!"


    Once Sterl confirmed, he felt a sudden blur in his vision.


    [Wee to the Trial of the Brave!]


    [Another Challenger, and his strength is at the second ss level??]


    [Oh my god, has the Hall of Valor really fallen so low?]


    As Sterl regained his senses, he found himself in a new world.


    At the same time, the prompt in his ears carried an unexpected emotional tone, which surprised Sterl.


    As he pondered, the scene before him gradually became clear. He was in a massive circr arena.


    The area where Sterl stood was covered in short green grass, and the surroundings were entirely visible.


    The arena was surrounded by towering light-blue stone blocks that reached into the clouds, making it impossible for any yer inside to escape over the walls.


    Near the green grassy countless bones of various creatures, along with scattered, broken weapons and equipment.


    Some of the corpses and gear were fresh, with blood still flowing.


    Others had been there for an unknown amount of time.


    Sterl took a slight step forward, and the vibration caused the ancient corpses to turn to dust.


    Swish! Swish!


    Sterl didn''t have to wait long.


    Apanied by a strange sound, a gigantic creature flew overhead, screaming, resembling a massively erged mosquito.


    [Coughing Blood]


    [Type: BOSS]


    [Level: 88]


    ...


    Using Star Insight, Sterl confirmed that this was indeed a second ss-level boss.


    The Trial of the Brave''s prestige was instantly elevated.


    After all, how could a yer of the same level normally solo a boss?


    And this creature named "Coughing Blood" was just the first enemy at the beginning of the trial!


    Sterl knew very well that even if he defeated it, the trial points he would gain wouldn''t be too high.


    "Ahhhhh!!!"


    The giant mosquito let out a Wail of Anguish, a soundwave imbued with a fear-inducing effect.


    For a standard second ss party, this control effect could lead to aplete wipeout by the boss.


    But Sterl merely looked on with disdain.


    He gazed at the struggling boss with a look of pity.


    "Bad luck for you to run into me!"


    For once, Sterl refrained from using his divine descent and other attribute-enhancing skills in battle. He simply used a Star Point Finger.


    The trial''s first boss didn''t even realize what had happened.


    A brilliant golden dot appeared on the giant mosquito''s torso, and it plummeted from the sky, shattering upon impact.


    Sterl didn''t even get a moment of respite. Barely five secondster��


    Rumble!


    The ground shook.


    Earth and stones were thrown aside as a subterranean entity seemed ready to burst forth!


    With no line of sight, Sterl couldn''t use Star Insight to scout the enemy. Instead, he mmed his palm onto the ground, unleashing Ignition me!


    Boom!


    The ground trembled,va seeping out before calming down.


    Seeing the newly acquired "Stardust," Sterl knew the second boss was dead!


    Opening his panel, he saw two new notifications.


    [Trial Score: Kill +1000, Instant Kill +500, Quick Clear +300]


    [Trial Score: Kill +1200, Instant Kill +540, Quick Clear +360]


    ...


    Then��


    Ding!


    A crisp sound apanied by a faint glow.


    Two heavily armored guards appeared, one wielding a massive guandao and the other a menacing silver longbow.


    Level 90 BOSS [Royal Guards].


    These two bosses could clearly support each other, with one for ranged attacks and one for melee, presenting a significant challenge.


    However, once Sterl casually activated divine descent,


    A snap of his fingers.


    A Celestial Stars spell.


    The bosses turned to ash!


    Even��


    The fourth wave...


    The fifth wave...


    The bosses for these waves barely appeared before being incinerated by the lingering damage of Celestial Stars.


    At this point, aside from the score notifications, new content shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Would you like to activate the next difficulty level?]


    [Note: Unlocking higher difficulty will grant additional score bonuses.]


    [Note: In higher difficulty challenges, death will result in no penalties and you will be teleported back to the Hall of Valor to settle your Trial of the Brave score.]


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to proceed. The next difficulty was merely third ss level, which he could clear effortlessly.


    Moreover, the higher difficulty challenges waived death penalties, meaning Sterl could push his limits without fear of loss.


    "This makes breaking the Trial of the Brave''s score limit highly feasible!"


    Sterl thought, delighted.


    Thus, the sixth wave boss appeared!


    A high-flying wyvern that Sterl easily pierced with a flying sword infused with Flowing Water Law.


    Seventh wave...


    Eighth wave...


    ...


    The tenth wave boss was a level 150 hummingbird-winged humanoid, extremely fast and equipped with multiple powerful skills. After being immobilized by Sterl''s Moon Law, it was instantly killed with a Star Point Finger.


    Then, another prompt appeared: Do you wish to continue challenging legendary-level enemies?


    Sterl eagerly chose "Yes."


    The legendary-level boss waves were notably more numerous.


    By the twentieth wave, Sterl''s previously rxed expression finally tightened.


    He felt a bit of pressure.


    [Deathbringer: me]


    [Type: BOSS]


    [Level: 211]


    [Deathbringer: Shadow]


    [Type: BOSS]


    [Level: 209]


    [Deathbringer: Frost]


    [Type: BOSS]


    [Level: 213]


    Sterl found himself surrounded in a triangr formation by three bosses.


    These were three bosses, each d in ck hooded robes, humanoid in size and appearance.


    Except for their names, they looked nearly identical.


    They seemed to have a passive ability that drained life force from any nearby units. This effect stacked among the three bosses.


    As Sterl observed, he felt his life force significantly draining.


    It''s important to note that life force is rted to physical attributes like constitution, strength, and agility, but only to the base values, benefiting from some of the attribute effects.


    So, Sterl''s life force, like his agility and stamina, was only at a third ss level due to his high technical attributes.


    Under passive life drain, he could perish within seconds.


    The three bosses appeared intelligent, not rushing to attack. Instead, they maintained their triangr formation to limit Sterl''s movement space and support each other.


    Simultaneously, eerie marks began to glow on each Deathbringer, suggesting they were charging a powerful skill.


    mes, frost, and shadow energies coiled towards Sterl like a swarm of serpents.


    You have to understand, these were three legendary-level bosses!


    Ordinary yers would have no chance of defeating them quickly; they would be forced to watch as the ominous marks fully formed! In such a dire situation, they could only await their doom!


    "Tsk..." Sterl''s mouth twitched.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    In an instant.


    All three bosses were beheaded simultaneously.


    Sterl had no choice but to swallow an [Essence of the Moon] to restore his mana.


    Sensing the dire situation earlier, he had immediately activated Moon Law to pause everything, then used Flowing Water Law to decapitate the three bosses.


    Luckily, Sterl possessed several passive abilities that reduced his consumption, and he had the skill [Consume]. Killing each Deathbringer allowed him to regain a significant amount of energy.


    Thus, he managed to instant-kill the three bosses at the cost of just one potion.


    It''s worth mentioning that the Trial of the Brave bosses were virtual entities, so Sterl couldn''t use [Consume] to gain new abilities.


    The reason he could still use [Consume] to restore mana and health was because of a special setting in the Hall of Valor, designed to ensure that yers who thrived onbat could adequately utilize their abilities to pass the trial.


    It seemed that the 20th wave was a major hurdle.


    Following that, Sterl easily defeated several consecutive waves of enemies.


    Sterl''s panel was flooded with score notifications.


    [Trial Score: Kill +4000, Instant Kill +700, Quick Clear +800, Bonus Multiplier for Higher Difficulty 300%]


    [Trial Score...]


    ...


    Afterpletely annihting the monsters of the 29th wave, Sterl was surprised to find that no new bosses appeared immediately.


    He promptly put back the [Essence of the Moon] he had been about to consume into his small world.


    Despite the high intensity of the Trial of the Brave, the recovery effect from [Consume] duringbat against strong enemies was better than Sterl had anticipated.


    He hadn''t used any [Glory Potion] yet, and the [Essence of the Moon] in his mouth was hisst one.


    Sterl sat cross-legged, allowing his stored energy, life force, and stamina to fully recover, restoring him to peak condition.


    At that moment, apanied by a thunderous roar.


    A brilliant golden light pierced through the entire arena!


    As the light gradually dimmed,


    The 30th wave boss made its grand entrance!

 Chapter 227: Demigod-Level Trial, Difficult Breakthrough!

    In front of Sterl stood a handsome young man d in pure white knight armor.


    When he used Star Insight to examine him, the following details appeared:


    [Kant Weir]


    [Level: 300]


    [ss: Divine Guardian (SSS)]


    [Talent: Heroic Summon (SSS)]


    [Skills: Holy Light Judgment (Golden)]


    ...


    Sterl was stunned. The enemy appearing in the 30th wave of the trial was actually a "yer"?? Moreover, Star Insight couldn''t reveal all his data.


    In the next moment, a bolt of lightning surged into the young man''s body. Kant Weir''s panel began to change wildly, and he directly obtained a boss temte! Legendary abilities, various skill effects greatly enhanced, life force, stamina, endurance��all attributes skyrocketed! His aura was incredibly intimidating.


    Sterl noticed that when the young man slowly opened his eyes, he didn''t have the typical chaotic and berserk demeanor of a boss. Instead, he was extremely calm.


    "A new genius has appeared in the Hall of Valor," he said. "But... at just a second-ss level?? My goodness... If I could, I would honestly prefer to surrender and let you pass this trial. But I''m sorry, even in death, I must adhere to the virtue of honesty."


    Kant Weir even had the leisure to chat with Sterl. Sterl''s face turned quite grim... This yer with a boss temte was going to be hard to defeat. An SSS-level ss meant a massive increase in attributes with each level. And what did a level 300 entail? Even if Sterl maximized all his attribute bonuses, he would still be at a disadvantage.


    Besides, level 300 was already approaching a demigod level.


    Sterl suspected that his opponent might have even begun to grasp some Law Power.


    "Please teach me," Kant Weir said with a smile. With his pure white armor, it seemed as if he was radiating light.


    "Wait, can you tell me more about the Hall of Valor and the Trial of the Brave?" Sterl wanted to gather some information.


    Kant Weir replied sincerely, "I''m restricted by the rules and cannot disclose anything."


    "I can only offer you a guess..."


    "A guess?" Sterl frowned.


    "As a special boss in the Trial of the Brave, once I''m refreshed, the yer who defeats me will receive an additional reward item. Since I''m considered a hidden boss, there will be extra rewards."


    "The Hall of Valor might be using me to provide you with a certain item..."


    The young man seemed to sense something. "What is the current era...?" he pondered. "If it''s this point in time, then it truly is a disaster looming. Hall of Valor, are you trying to save yourself?"


    Swish!


    Before Kant Weir could finish his sentence, a fierce bolt of lightning descended, as if some will had been angered. But before the electricity could strike, the pure white knight revealed a brilliant smile.


    "Let''s decide the oue before this thunder strikes!"


    He wielded a gigantic knight''snce from who-knows-where, and his legendary abilities were activated! Sterl immediately felt as if he was thoroughly locked in ce. The entire world seemed to transform into countless sharp auras, ready to tear him apart.


    Sterl could hear his own heartbeat. "Is this the threshold between legendary abilities and Law Power?" he thought. "Is this knight intentionally letting me experience the difference between legendary abilities and Law Power?"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, then felt a slight sense of gratitude. He realized that the white knight was deliberately slowing down his movements, allowing him to better understand how legendary abilities should evolve.


    But in the next second...


    Sterl snapped out of the strange sensation of advancing from legendary to demigod. Because the knight had moved!


    Thunder chased Kant Weir''s shadow, and the knight, radiating light, charged toward Sterl. "So strong!" Sterl felt a sensation of helplessness, as if he couldn''t resist at all. Kant Weir, with his perfect blend of ss talent and mastery of legendary abilities, was the undisputed strongest below the demigod level.


    Sterl''s second-ss level brought a significant disadvantage that was now impossible to bridge.


    Swish!


    With masterful precision, Moon Law! Sterl bit down on a bottle of Glory Potion and hisst Essence of the Moon! Even for the formidable Kant Weir, this forced him to halt under the surge of Law Power.


    The de of hisnce advanced with the slow grace of an infant''s movement. Sterl could see the entire arena filled with countless golden streams, like beautiful threads of starlight. But in reality, these were all lethal effects of Kant Weir''s legendary ability. This attack, Sterl felt, could not be evaded even by a demigod.


    But the masterful Law Power was also not something an ordinary demigod could grasp. Kant Weir was frozen in ce!


    Yet, from his opponent''s eyes, Sterl sensed a hint of a smile. Beneath the immense Divine Power, the knight''s eyes seemed to be urging him��


    "Aren''t you going to make a move?"


    Sterl was panting slightly. The two potionsbined had barely restored some of his energy.


    Flowing Water transformed into a de, piercing through the white knight''s armor. Countless liquid des from Flowing Water began slicing.


    ng! ng!


    The power of Moon Law finally reached its limit. Blood tears flowed from Sterl''s eyes as he copsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.


    The countless wind des from Kant Weir''s legendary ability finally ceased, falling sporadically and shattering the arena.


    Ironically, the area around Sterl became the only safe zone. The knight''s corpse had shielded him from numerous impacts before dissipating into light.


    "Damn it..." Sterl muttered. "I really shouldn''t underestimate the strong in [Transcendence]."


    Sterl had always thought himself invincible among his peers. But without his ss awakening and evolving, without the [Human] divine authority, and without obtaining Law Power or extra legendary abilities in advance, he doubted he could have defeated Kant Weir even as a legend.


    Unless his level was above 200, only then could he rely on his dual SSS talents to secure victory!


    Kant Weir had nearly reached the pinnacle of [Transcendence]. Hisbat experience likely far surpassed that of mere mortals...


    Now, after his victory, Sterl''s mind began to churn with thoughts again.


    He was curious about what item the Hall of Valor intended to give him through this trial, as Kant Weir had mentioned.


    "A disaster... might not be so bad," he mused. "After all, how can heroes be made without chaos?"


    Sterl smiled. He knew that without joining the Hall of Valor, even demi-gods outside had no chance of obtaining Law Power and were merely pawns for the gods.


    In [Transcendence], the resources needed for yers to climb higher were tightly controlled by the stronger beings.


    Only in special circumstances��when an all-epassing disaster struck��could someone seize the opportunity to rise dramatically.


    As Sterl pondered, a new prompt appeared before him.


    [Yes/No, Continue the Trial, Activate Demigod-Level Difficulty?]


    [Warning: The difficulty level is significantly higher than your current strength. Chances of sess are extremely low.]


    [Hint: Demigod-Level Difficulty will grant you massive point bonuses.]


    He waited a few seconds. Having just used two Law Powers, Sterl''s energy was nearly depleted, and he had a splitting headache, desperately needing time to recover.


    Thus, Sterl waited until the prompt for continuing the trial was about to disappear before selecting "Yes."


    Ding!


    A crisp sound and a sh of light appeared.


    Sterl found himself in a new arena, one that had expanded several times in size. The previously chaotic grasnd had transformed into a pristine area, with the ground filled with tiles that looked like transparent porcin. Surrounding the arena were azure energy barriers, giving the ce a much more advanced appearance.


    Sterl''s eyes showed a hint of anticipation.


    In a sense, this was his first battle against a demigod-level opponent. Facing a being capable of wielding Law Power, Sterl knew that any slight mistake could lead to his death, and even his resurrection armor might not save him from being camped.


    In the Trial of the Brave, however, he could gain extremely valuablebat experience.


    Ding!


    With a crisp sound, the 31st wave of enemies descended.


    Hovering in the air was a giant moth, its body wrapped in fluttering ribbons, and it wielded two shields and swords that flew continuously around it.


    Sterl''s Star Insight could no longer discern any attributes.


    Brilliant light erupted, and Sterl instantly realized that this must be some kind of Light Law. Just being illuminated by this light made him feel like he was being disintegrated!


    There was no room for resistance; he was on the verge of being obliterated without even a process of struggle.


    Sterl had no choice but to activate his perfected Moon Law once more, draining his energy to halt the light.


    Then, he drew his sword and charged forward madly, unleashing the full power of Flowing Water Law!


    The de of Flowing Water danced, graceful like a swimming dragon!


    Unfortunately...


    Against a demigod-level boss, Sterl''s sword only managed to cut down less than a quarter of its life force!


    The next second.


    Crack! Crack!


    The silver-white domain created by Moon Law was on the verge of copse, seemingly about to shatter at any moment!


    Sterl was in even worse shape than when he faced Kant Weir previously, bleeding from all seven orifices.


    But he was determined!


    He recklessly drained his energy, causing his life force to plummet, and managed to conjure two more swords with Flowing Water Law!


    Sterl''s muscles bulged violently as he thrust the des into the boss''s body.


    Of course, this reckless maneuver resulted in Sterl''s immediate demise!


    His flesh turned to ash, merging with the Flowing Water des.


    But at the same time, the effect of the [Tear of Water] activated. A faint, angelic light enveloped Sterl, protecting him.


    It helped him recover his life force, preventing his death on the spot.

 Chapter 228: Defeated Just Like That??

    Sterl knelt on one knee. Even after being resurrected, his mind felt like it was being churned,pletely nk.


    He felt disoriented, the world spinning around him, like he was sinking into a deep pond. Everything around him faded from a vibrant world to pitch ckness.


    Thest thing Sterl managed to do was pull out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls from his backpack and take a deep drag.


    He had discovered earlier that the energy attribute was somewhat rted to the soul. Therefore, using the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls not only provided arge amount of soul experience but also restored energy and alleviated the headache from overexertion.


    Sterl could only hope that the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls would still be effective in his current state.


    ...


    "I''m recovered?"


    "The Fire of Ten Thousand Souls worked."


    When Sterl regained consciousness, he found himself lying t in the arena. The nourishment of his soul had alleviated his splitting headache.


    He looked up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by, everything extremely tranquil.


    After getting up, Sterl noticed that the giant moth-like demigod boss had turned into a corpse, most of its blood drained.


    The two shield-swords had also fallen to the ground.


    The Fire of Ten Thousand Soulsy discarded nearby.


    Fortunately, the mystical me had some protective qualities, and aside from the portion Sterl had used, it remained intact.


    Clearly, a considerable amount of time had passed.


    Sterl couldn''t help but remark, "This seems to be the first time I''ve died, huh?"


    He had to admit, the feeling of being on the brink of death made him feel both slightly fearful and somewhat exhrated.


    Having faced the greatest primal fear of humanity head-on, Sterl felt his mental strength bing even more solidified.


    "A demigod-level opponent is just too overwhelming. Just the Law Power boosted by their attributes was too much for me to withstand."


    "I can only say that the recent battle gave me a glimpse of what it''s like for a demigod to wield Law Power."


    "My current base attributes make it impossible to contend with a demigod. I can only rely on the special nature of Moon Law to freeze the opponent and maybe force a kill."


    "But that''s only against bosses. Any yer or NPC demigod with a brain wouldn''t let me freely use Moon Law."


    Sterl reflected on his gains and losses.


    He understood that to continue clearing the trial, he had only one strategy��relying on Moon Law to "cheat"!


    However, Sterl also realized something else: despite losing consciousness for so long, the trial hadn''t ended. Could it be that demigod-level challenges included rest periods?


    Sterl opened his panel.


    [Yes/No, Start the Next Wave of Challenges?]


    Alright, it was actually better than he imagined; he could rest and recover after each wave.


    Without hesitation, Sterl sat down in the trial arena and began practicing his arcane skills, simultaneously mending the damage in his mental realm.


    As for the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, he stored it back in his small world to be used at critical moments. After all, even if he drained it all at once, it would only boost his soul level to about eleven or twelve, which might not lead to a qualitative change.


    On the contrary, using it to save his life in crucial moments could be very handy.


    After the extreme exertion, the starry sea in Sterl''s mental realm was in a chaotic state, with many stars on the verge of copsing.


    He needed to slowly nourish them back to health.


    It took him a full three days, during which he also created three additional Fate Tokens, before he felt he was back in peak condition.


    "Come on! Let''s fight!"


    Sterl was brimming with passion and confidence in his peak state!


    He had even made up his mind that, if need be, he would burn his life force again to forcefully kill the boss!


    "Start the next wave of challenges," Sterl confirmed on the panel.


    Ding!


    With a crisp sound, a vertical pupil suddenly appeared in mid-air.


    "Huh?"


    Sterl was stunned. Moon Law! Activate!


    "Ah?"


    Sterl looked around and found himself in a manor-like setting. His Moon Law seemed to have only frozen the sisters Sosia and Sonis outside his room.


    "What is going on?"


    "Am I already dead??"


    Sterl quickly opened the panel to check the battle log.


    [You have suffered from "???" using "??? Law," causing you to fall into a state of confusion, remaining time 2399 seconds.]


    [You are in a state of confusion, remaining time 2398 seconds.]


    [You suffered from "???" using "???," receiving massive damage. You have died.]


    "???"


    "Is it really that absurd?"


    "I got controlled and killed instantly." Sterl was bbergasted!


    It wasn''t the strength of the 32nd wave boss that baffled him, but the sheer ridiculousness of it.


    He had spent three whole days in the trial arena repairing his mental realm!


    He had mentally rehearsed how to use Moon Law to control and kill the boss.


    And yet... just like that??


    What a waste of effort and emotions.


    Had he known this would happen, he might have just opted out of the trial voluntarily.


    Despite his innerints, Sterl also took this as a wake-up call. He had no idea what Law that vertical pupil used, and it had killed him instantly.


    Now... it was best not to provoke those demigods!


    Otherwise, some bizarre Laws might kill him without him even knowing how! As for Divine Protection? It''s useless in battles of this level!


    However, Sterl''s mood quickly improved.


    The content disyed on his panel brought him immense joy.


    [Congrattions, you havepleted the 31st wave of the Trial of the Brave!]


    [You have earned 64,500 points!]


    [You have sessfully broken the Trial of the Brave points record (27,800 points)!]


    [Based on your points, the top-tier Heroic Spirit Reward Shop has been unlocked for you! You may choose any two items from it!]


    [Note: The resources in this shop can only be obtained through the Heroic Spirit Reward Shop, so choose wisely.]


    [For defeating "Kant Weir," you have earned an extra reward draw.]


    [For defeating "Radiant Shield Sword" across three major realms, you have earned an exclusive reward: [Radiant ss Body].]


    "Sixty-four thousand points!?"


    The frustration of being instantly killed by a demigod vanished from Sterl''s mind. In the Hall of Valor''s Trial of the Brave, the highest recorded score in history was just under 30,000 points.


    He had more than doubled that score! It wasn''t that he was incapable; it was just impossible to win against an opponent two hundred levels higher!


    Looking at the series of rewards, Sterl became even more excited.


    First was the exclusive reward shop, which explicitly stated that all resources were exclusive to the shop, indicating their high value.


    Then there were the items hinted at by Kant Weir, which the Hall of Valor intended to give Sterl, and an "exclusive reward." These were bound to be extremely valuable.


    Sterl decided to start with the lowest value item, the [Radiant ss Body], to lift his spirits even more.


    [Radiant ss Body]


    [Category: Blessing]


    [Description: One of the many blessings left by the great being who created the Hall of Valor, obtainable by defeating "Radiant Shield Sword" in the Trial of the Brave across realms.]


    [Effect: When your life force is at full value, the first attack you receive will have its damage reduced by 99%, and you can resist one control effect (cooldown: one day).


    Passive ability: Your life force, energy, and stamina recovery rates are increased by 100%.]


    [Note: This skill cannot be upgraded, but it will always be effective against units below great Divine Power.]


    "Seems pretty good?" Sterl thought as he looked at the blessing ability, feeling quite satisfied.


    It essentially made the first attack from an opponent nearly ineffective and could perfectly block one control effect��a very handy ability.


    As for the increased regeneration of health and mana, for a mana-drained yer like Sterl, it was definitely a godsend.


    Moreover, the note about the skill made Sterl''s expression change instantly!


    He was almost too pleasantly surprised.


    The fact that it was guaranteed to be effective against entities below great Divine Power essentially added a life-saving divine skill for Sterl!


    In the Hall of Valor, no matter how strong a god was, it would take at least two strikes to defeat Sterl! Also, any god using Divine Power to cast a control skill would first have to contend with [Radiant ss Body]''s immunity.


    This blessing was extremely useful!


    Sterl felt that if he had this blessing during the Trial of the Brave, he might have cleared an additional wave.


    Especially when he read how to obtain the [Radiant ss Body], he seriously suspected that defeating the next boss might yield another blessing!


    After all, such a blessing required a legendary figure to defeat a demigod, something that was usually impossible!


    Only someone as absurd as Sterl could achieve it.


    "But, was the god who created the Hall of Valor really that... foolish?"


    "Setting conditions for obtaining blessings that are basically unattainable?"


    Sterl found it a bit puzzling and illogical.


    However, he was more than happy to see such a situation because it meant that many blessings still existed in the Hall of Valor.


    And Sterl had a chance to get them!


    He then turned his attention to the "random reward draw."


    After selecting to receive the reward, arge wheel appeared before him, and the pointer spun rapidly before slowly stopping in a small section.


    [Congrattions, you have obtained [Silent Domain (tinum)]]


    "Holy crap! A tinum skill!"


    One second Sterl was thinking about the fixed rewards and being skeptical about the random wheel, and the next second he was ecstatic.


    [Silent Domain (tinum)]


    [Description: A special technique symbolizing the Law of Curses and the Law of Arcane. It seems that some mysterious entity gathered countless demigods and gods to collectively deduce this technique. While the technique itself does not require a demigod to ascend or a god to fall to be condensed, many demigods perished from exhaustion during its research.


    What was its creator thinking to warrant such a high cost?]


    [Effect: You can create a Silent Domain, producing the following effects.]


    Sterl could hardly contain his excitement as he continued reading the description of his newfound tinum skill.

 Chapter 229: Top-Tier Guild Material Set: Divine Relic

    Sterl eagerly looked at the content disyed on his panel. The abilities of Silent Domain were revealed to be��


    Silent Night (Basic)


    The End of All Things (Requires both Laws to be at the Mastery level)


    ?????? (Requires both Laws to be at the Perfect level)


    [Activation Requirements: Master either the Curse Law or the Arcane Law. If neither is mastered, only the gold-tier Silent Domain can be activated.]


    As the wheel came to a stop, a golden light surged directly into Sterl''s mind.


    He felt the power of the tinum skill��within the illusion, Sterl used The End of All Things by harnessing the Mastery level of both Laws to create an extremely dark domain.


    This domain had no offensive capabilities, but except for Sterl, all units within it could not use any skills, activate any talents, traits, or blessings...


    All items and equipment ced in this domain would rapidly decay and turn to dust.


    Additionally, elemental and energy beings would quickly wither and dissipate within this domain.


    Upon exiting the illusion, Sterl noticed a new skill on his panel��


    [Silent Domain (Gold)]


    [Effect: Passive: After you attack, you randomly nullify one of the opponent''s skills/traits/talents/equipment effects.


    Active: Upon activating this ability, you create a silent domain based on your energy expenditure. In this domain, the opponent has a chance to fail when using skills/traits/talents/equipment effects. After using the active ability, there is a three-day cooldown.


    You will lose the passive effect for three days.]


    [To activate the tinum version, you must master both the Curse Law and the Arcane Law.]


    "Guess I got excited too soon."


    Sterl sighed helplessly. He had been so focused on obtaining a tinum skill that he overlooked the fact that without the support of Law Power, he couldn''t use it effectively.


    Fortunately, even the gold version of Silent Domain had a pretty decent effect, which was a control skill Sterlcked.


    The control effect was also excellent, rendering the opponent unable to use skills/traits/talents/equipment effects, which could drastically reduce theirbat effectiveness.


    The only issue was its randomness.


    It might not necessarily seal the opponent''s core skills, but Sterl didn''t see that as a major problem. He just needed to figure out a high-frequency attack strategy to make it work.


    That''s right, what he focused on was the passive effect of Silent Domain.


    As for the active effect, which silences enemies on arge scale but only randomly seals some of their abilities, Sterl thought he''d have to be out of his mind to use it.


    If he was just bullying weaker opponents, he wouldn''t need to use it at all. And if he was facing a strong enemy and was surrounded by foes that he could only beat with such a random effect, he''d be better off considering how to escape.


    "But evolving it to a tinum skill means it can nullify traits and talents?" He immediately thought of the Devourer of All Things he encountered in the extreme trials.


    Silent Domain would be extremely effective against it, nullifying the Devourer of All Things'' Divine Protection and its trait to Consume Everything, allowing any yer of the same level to easily ughter it.


    "So, the Hall of Valor is designed to counter the Devourer of All Things?"


    "The catastrophe was caused by such special monsters."


    The more Sterl learned, the more he felt his initial guesses were correct.


    He couldn''t help but smile.


    Indeed!


    It was such a disaster that brought this opportunity; otherwise, why would the Hall of Valor give him a tinum skill through a random draw?


    A skill as powerful as Silent Domain would cost at least 100,000 Valor Contribution Points!


    "However, it''s best to keep this skill deactivated most of the time." After some thought, Sterl decided to pause the passive effect of Silent Domain, choosing to activate it himself when necessary.


    "The Hall of Valor would never ce the resolution of a catastrophe solely on my shoulders."


    "That means quite a few people, perhaps even gods, have obtained abilities simr to Silent Domain."


    "If I reveal that I have this ability, those in the know will be certain that my potential level is at least among the best performers in the extreme trials."


    Even after acquiring such a high-level skill, Sterl remained cautious.


    After sorting out the issues with Silent Domain,


    Sterl chose to open the special store and began shopping for supplies. It didn''t take him long to select his first reward.


    [Guild Material Set: Divine Relic]


    [Effect: Using this item will grant you six sets of SSS-grade guild materials, enough to upgrade to a Tier 3 guild.]


    This had been Sterl''s goal from the start.


    He just didn''t expect the rewards to be so terrifying after breaking the record and earning 60,000 points!


    Directly granting all the materials needed for a Tier 3 guild.


    Sterl had previously asked Teresa about the costs of building a guild and knew that a guild couldn''t be fully established just by investing materials and funds.


    Investing top-tier resources would only get you a top-tier Tier 1 guild.


    Upgrading the guild would require even more resources. For example, a Tier 2 guild would need double the materials, and a Tier 3 guild would require materials equivalent to four times that of a Tier 1 guild.


    If the invested resources are not of high enough quality, the benefits provided by a Tier 2 guild will decrease in quality. Only by continuously investing top-tier guild materials and a massive amount of purple gold coins can the guild maintain the highest benefits!


    Additionally, Tier 3 is a significant transformation point for a guild. Each time a guild ascends to Tier 3, it gains an extra buff. If all enhancements remain at the same quality upon reaching every 10 tiers, a special ability will be born.


    Sterl''s initial n was to establish a Tier 1 guild first and gradually gather the resources needed for future upgrades. For instance, he could participate in the Valor Combatants Tournament. But now, with just one Trial of the Brave, he could build an incredibly powerful guild!


    Sterl still didn''t know if SSS-grade guild materials could be further enhanced, but even if they couldn''t, a Tier 3 guild that consistently maintains SSS-quality enhancements will birth an immensely powerful buff!


    Sterl had initially nned to use the guild to help him consume various resources. However, the current situation was that the guild itself could provide him with a massivebat boost. Moreover, the guild would be extremely attractive to other yers!


    Sterl instantly changed his mind. What about the yers he befriended during the extreme trials who wanted to join his guild? How could he let them join for free? They''d all have to pay up, or they could just leave!


    Not only would they have to pay, but they also wouldn''t get the full benefits. Otherwise, it would be too obvious that Sterl''s guild maintained an SSS-quality enhancement all the time.


    In high spirits, Sterl opened the material set. Immediately, his screen was filled with notifications:


    [You have obtained Zeus''s Thunder (SSS)] +


    [You have obtained Jade Emperor''s Robe (SSS)] +


    [You have obtained Anubis''s Obsidian (SSS)] +


    [You have obtained Tsukuyomi''s Mirror (SSS)] +


    [You have obtained Hermes''s Wing (SSS)] +


    [You have obtained Odin''s Lance (SSS)] +


    "Indeed, these are divine relics."


    "The names of the items are all rted to gods." Sterl felt quite pleased because each of these items had a plus sign next to them. Although it was a forced enhancement symbol, meaning these materials could only be upgraded once, he was still satisfied.


    The original n was to build an SSS-quality Tier 3 guild. Now, it would be a Radiant-tier guild!


    How powerful would those enhancements be?


    He was already getting excited...


    Yet amidst his excitement, Sterl couldn''t shake the feeling that he was overlooking something.


    At this moment, if humanity from Earth��no, to be precise, if the Dark Moon Goddess Gloria herself were here��she would undoubtedly realize something significant. The names associated with these relics were all from Earth''s ancient mythology, truly worthy of being called "gods."


    These were beings that could genuinely be considered "gods," unlike the so-called "gods" in [Transcendence], where hundreds or even thousands could possess the same divine authority. These were not clowns who, despite wielding immense power, would lose all their Divine Power if killed in the game!


    Meanwhile, Sterl was blissfully unaware of these deeper implications. He cheerfully stashed all the materials into his small world, nning to enhance themter. He then turned his attention back to the exchange store to pick his final reward.


    And this time, Sterl was genuinely torn. There were so many good options that he had no idea which one to choose.


    Among the skills, he could directly select a Law Power Insight Package or a tinum-grade skill. What the...


    [Arcane Law Insight Voucher]


    [Description: A rare item issued by the Hall of Valor, obtainable only through special means.]


    [Effect: You can enter a specific world without restrictions toprehend the Arcane Law until you fully understand it. If you already possess this Law, you are allowed to elevate its level by one major stage.]


    [Flowing Water Law Insight Voucher]


    [Curse Law Insight Voucher]


    ...


    [Night of Neverwinter (tinum)]


    [Promation (tinum)]


    [Harvest of the Long Night (tinum)]


    ...


    As for equipment, although Sterl didn''t have to worry too much, the top-tier items avable in the store were suited for third-ss legends or even demigods:


    [Wrath of Heaven (Legendary)]


    [Category: Armor]


    [Grade: Demigod]


    [Description: ...]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 150 and adds an additional 20%. Enhances all attribute effects by 20% and Law Power effects by 30%.]


    [Attached Skill: Heavenly Meteor (tinum)]


    ...


    [Phantom God''s Flute (Legendary)]


    [Grade: Demigod]


    ...


    Any item Sterl casually picked would be incredibly overpowered. There were also items that second-ss characters could directly use, but choosing those felt like a waste due to their rtively lower attributespared to the higher-grade ones.


    The item category was filled with countless rare treasures. Sterl felt that each one was useful, each one worth picking. He even found another Flower of All-Seeing Wisdom, which he had already consumed once before, and the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls that he currently possessed.


    After much deliberation, Sterl made his decision. He swiftly tapped a few options in the void, then silently pressed the confirm button in the store.

 Chapter 230: 【Bionic Tear】

    At this moment, a crystalline drop of water appeared in Sterl''s hand.


    The drop only needed to lightly touch his palm before it began to twist rapidly, as if it harbored some mysterious power.


    Before Sterl, the properties of this item were disyed:


    [Bionic Tear]+


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: There was once a divine authority who simted gods. He could transform himself into anything in the world. His simtions were unparalleled; even he himself and the object being simted could not distinguish between the real and the fake. Eventually, this divine authority disappeared amidst countless simtions.


    Only a few fanatics found these special tears at thest ce the divine authority appeared.]


    [Effect: You can use the Bionic Tear to create your double, possessing either all or part of your powers. This unit will appear as you in all detection effects.]


    [Note: This item can be upgraded. The current maximum mimicry power limit is at the divine level.]


    This was an exceptionally unique item.


    Sterl valued not only its immediatebat utility, allowing him to create a double of himself instantly, but also its potential for continuous upgrades.


    ording to the Hall of Valor''s store description, as long as this item was continually upgraded, it could even replicate him if he ascended to the level of great Divine Power.


    In terms of potential, this item''s value surpassed any in the special store. Sterl was well aware that enhancing the Bionic Tear to the level of great Divine Power would likely require a tremendous amount of resources.


    However, he could start by using more essible materials to upgrade the item. When it eventually became too costly to find rarer materials, he could simply stop upgrading!


    In other words, during the most resource-intensive phase, Sterl could essentially get a free ride!


    For Sterl, the most crucial aspect was that the Bionic Tear, once disguised, would appear as him in others'' detection effects.


    This meant he wouldn''t have to worry about sudden reconnaissance from other gods. He could perfectly disguise himself by sending out the Bionic Tear!


    Having selected his final reward, Sterl contentedly stored the Bionic Tear in his personal dimension for easy ess.


    It''s worth mentioning that he didn''t choose the [Arcane Law Comprehension Voucher] because he already had a Law Comprehension Voucher. Although it only allowed temporaryprehension, there was always a chance he might seed in that period.


    Besides, Law Comprehension Vouchers could be purchased with ordinary contribution points in limited quantities!


    Despite his eagerness to activate the Silent Domain, Sterl decided to first select the non-purchasable [Bionic Tear] and postpone his Lawprehension for the time being.


    At this moment, Sterl, feeling quite exhausted, copsed onto the sofa. The Trial of the Brave had indeed drained a lot of his energy.


    About half an hourter, he stood up, feeling revitalized.


    After operating on his mini-map for a bit, he swiftly left the manor and headed towards the Assembly Hall of the Hall of Valor.


    ...


    It took Sterl a little over an hour on foot to reach his destination. The so-called Assembly Hall was a grand hall located at the very center of the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl was rendered speechless at first sight. He had never seen such an extravagant structure. The hall stretched endlessly, disappearing into the horizon.


    Walls made of zed diamond were imbued with the aura of Divine Power, and the entire hall floated in mid-air, connected by rainbow bridges.


    Sterl took a moment to admire the view before decisively walking into the Assembly Hall.


    The interior was equally magnificent. The diamond floors, adorned with numerous rare and precious ss trimmings, served as lighting fixtures.


    What surprised Sterl even more was the sight of countless legends and demigods walking around the hall. These individuals, who were considered highly noble in the outside world, seemed rather ordinary here.


    Without wasting time observing others, Sterl quickly found an NPC.


    "Hello, I''d like to apply for an opportunity toprehend the Law."


    "Alright, please select the corresponding Law."


    ...


    Five minutester, Sterl walked out of the exchange room, holding a crystal in his hand. The item he held was��


    [Connected Crystal: Allows your consciousness to be transmitted into the Arcane Energy World. Transmission time is 24 hours. The time flow ratio between the Arcane World and the main world is 10:1.]


    [Note: Transmitting into the Arcane World via the crystal is extremely safe. You may at most lose a portion of your consciousness.]


    Indeed, this was used toprehend the Arcane Law.


    Sterl had initially thought that Lawprehension would involve physically transporting his body to another world. To his surprise, the Hall of Valor was so considerate. With the effect of the Connected Crystal, Sterl could freely explore the Arcane World!


    While pondering over this, he arrived at a special room.


    "I''d like to create a guild."


    Earlier, on his way here, Sterl had added a portion of divine heritage materials, evolving it to a radiant level.


    However, after evolution, the appearance and name of the guild materials hadn''t changed much.


    Sterl just felt that what once seemed like a dead object now appeared to be brimming with life and vitality.


    The NPC, a Valkyrie with a gentle face, sweetly said, "Alright, please submit the required money and materials for establishing the guild."


    "This is it," Sterl said slowly, taking out [Zeus''s Thunder].


    These functional NPCs were all under the jurisdiction of [Transcendence], ensuring that Sterl''s secrets would never be leaked.


    Upon seeing the radiant-level material, the Valkyrie''s eyes suddenly gleamed with light, and her expression turned nk. It was as if she had lost her senses. She said, "Alright, your application has been submitted."


    Sterl waited for about two minutes before the NPC spoke up again, "Your guild has been sessfully established. Please choose its name and icon."


    At that moment, a notification panel appeared before Sterl.


    [Congrattions on sessfully establishing a radiant-level guild!]


    [Please name your guild and choose its icon.]


    "Naming..." Sterl felt his indecisiveness creeping in again.


    He hesitated for a long time and finally settled on a name��"Twilight."


    The name was inspired by the Twilight of the Gods, especially since his materials came from the heritage of deities, essentially the remnants after the gods'' demise. The most famous legend about the fall of gods before he transmigrated was the Ragnar?k in Norse mythology.


    Moreover, "Twilight" sounded low-key and matched Sterl''s aesthetic perfectly.


    As for the icon, once he had the guild name, it was easy to decide. Sterl hand-drew an image of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, half-devoured by a ck dragon. This was a ssic symbol of Ragnar?k.


    After finalizing the guild name, a message finally popped up in front of Sterl.


    [Congrattions! "Twilight" has been officially established!]


    [You can now ess the guild store, guild contributions, and other data.]


    As a flood of information surged into his mind, Sterl quickly opened the guild panel and immediately sent invitations to Sosia and Sonis. The sister duo promptly epted and joined the guild without hesitation.


    Sterl then briefly reviewed the various functions of the guild.


    A level one radiant guild already had significant advantages.


    First and foremost was the guild buff that Sterl was most interested in��[Zeus''s Thunder: All guild members'' damage is increased by 15%. All guild members receive +30 to all attributes and +5% to all attributes.]


    "Is it really this impressive?"


    "Three special effects?" Sterl couldn''t help but marvel.


    As far as he knew, typical guild buffs usually offered just one enhancement effect. For instance, there was a famous A-level guild in the human race on Earth, and its level one buff provided a +10 to all attributes for all members, which was already considered quite good.


    Almost all of the top human warriors from Earth had to spend significant resources and leverage connections and rtionships to secure a spot in that guild.


    Yet, Sterl''s [Zeus''s Thunder] provided three powerful special effects! Increased damage output, fixed attribute bonuses, and percentage-based attribute boosts��these were all substantial enhancements!


    Sure,pared to Sterl''s other skill enhancements, the guild buff might seem minor and perhaps not worthy of the "radiant" title. But the primary function of a guild wasn''t just the buffs; it was about gathering yers to tackle instance bosses together.


    "The guild benefits are like the incremental gear enhancements in the online games I used to y in my past life."


    "Though the buffs aren''t massive, when maxed out, they''re still decent."


    "But achieving these minor gainses at a significant cost," Sterl mused.


    As for the other features, Sterl took a quick look.


    The guild contribution system essentially allowed yers to earn contributions through all their daily activities, including monster hunting, leveling up, andpleting quests.


    Once the contributions reached a certain level, the guild could be upgraded.


    Sterl even noticed rmended spots for farming contribution points��these spots highlighted special wild monsters and bosses in the Hall of Valor, which granted substantial contribution points when defeated.


    Then there was the guild shop system. [Transcendence] would bestow special items to the guild, but this feature would only unlock once the guild reached level three.


    Given the radiant status of his guild, Sterl suspected he might be able to purchase some extremely rare items from the guild shop.


    "So..."


    He pondered for a moment and quickly edited a private message.


    He needed Sosia and Sonis to spread the name of "Twilight" and recruit some members to farm contribution points for the guild.


    "Oh my gosh! Master! You really did it��a SSS-level guild!"


    "We''ll certainly live up to your expectations!"


    Before long, Sosia and Sonis responded with extremely excited private messages!


    Though they only enjoyed 40% of the benefits from [Zeus''s Thunder], the Twilight guild was still stronger than a typical SSS-level guild, but not by arge margin.


    Ignoring the two, Sterl decided to head to the other side of the Assembly Hall.

 Chapter 231: Mission 【Save the House of Radiance】

    Sterl soon stood in front of a giant light screen, where countless pieces of information were shing frantically, revealing various missions.


    [Mission: Eradicate the gue]


    [Difficulty: Third ss]


    [Description: Please travel to the Principality of Beloc on the continent of Vastor andmunicate with Duke Fernando.]


    [Requirement: Possess skills rted to detoxifying and curing gues.]


    [Reward: 1,000 standard contribution points provided by Duke Fernando.]


    ...


    [Mission: Clear the Instance [Fire Dragon''s Nest]]


    [Difficulty: Legendary]


    [Reward: 3,000 standard contribution points]


    ...


    [Mission: Spread the Gospel]


    [Difficulty: Third ss]


    [Reward: 500 standard contribution points provided by a specific deity.]


    ...


    As a Glorious, Sterl had to ept at least legendary-level missions to meet his monthly quota. However, he wasn''t just aiming to scrape by each month; he needed to challenge high-difficulty missions to earn at least 5,000 Valor Contribution Points, required to exchange for the cheapest tinum-level skill!


    After searching for a while, Sterl finally found a suitable mission.


    [The House of Radiance''s Call for Help]


    [Difficulty: Legendary]


    [Description: The family of Radiant Knight Kant Weir, who once signed a contract with the Hall of Valor to fight for them eternally after death, has been struck by an inexplicable curse. All core members of the family are unable to leave the capital of the Principality of Florence.


    Please investigate and attempt to lift the curse.


    Warning: This mission has faced multiple failures. Reports from those who failed indicate that the House of Radiance might have been attacked by demons.]


    [Reward: Minimum of 2,000 Valor Contribution Points provided by the House of Radiance (increases based on the actual danger and difficulty encountered).]


    Sterl felt a slight twinge of excitement as he read the mission details.


    Firstly, missions that awarded Valor Contribution Points and had a legendary difficulty level were extremely rare. This was the only one Sterl could find; obtaining more Valor Contribution Points would require a higher status.


    Of course, even if he could challenge those higher-level missions, he wouldn''t dare to.


    For example, demigod-level missions were out of the question for Sterl.


    In the Trial of the Brave, Sterl had already experienced��


    A bizarre Law Power that could kill him without him even knowing how he died.


    Even with [Radiant ss Body], caution was still necessary.


    Secondly, the mission description mentioned suspected demon attacks. If Sterl''s guess was correct, it was likely that a spatial rift had formed between ayer of Hell and the Principality of Florence, where the House of Radiance resided.


    If the demons'' strength wasn''t too overwhelming, Sterl saw a real opportunity to reverse-open the Gate of Hell from the Florentine capital and explore Hell himself.


    And the third point was the descendants of Kant Weir, which piqued Sterl''s interest.


    That knight had left a deep impression on him, and Sterl knew that Kant Weir was likely privy to many secrets about the Hall of Valor and future cmities. Perhaps, through the knight''s descendants, he could obtain some valuable information.


    Given all these factors, Sterl quickly chose to ept the mission.


    A notification popped up on his panel:


    [You have sessfully epted the mission. This mission now has neen participants.]


    [Based on your performance and status in the Trial of the Brave, you have been designated as the leader for this mission.]


    [Note: As the leader, you will receive an additional 1,000 Valor Contribution Points as a reward. Other yers are expected to follow yourmand by default.]


    [Warning: The leader status is tied to your current level and can be taken away.]


    [Warning: Poor performance as a leader resulting in mission failure will disqualify you from being assigned as a leader for the next five missions and prevent you from usurping another''s leadership.]


    "So many people epted this mission?"


    "No, wait, I get an additional 1,000 Valor Contribution Points," Sterl first felt puzzled, then delighted.


    As for the two warnings, he outright ignored them.


    No matter how challenging a legendary-level mission was, wasn''t he more than capable of handling it?


    ...


    Sterl only stayed in the Hall of Valor for half a day.


    He didn''t even appear as his previous persona, The Legend of the White Robe. Instead, using a clone created by the Bionic Tear named "David," he sessfully recruited all the yers he had promised to join the guild during the Trial of the Brave.


    Among these yers, some were originally from the Hall of Valor, while others had been specially recruited into the Hall of Valor after passing the extreme trial.


    In total, he gathered forty-six people. Including Sterl, Sosia, and Sonis, that made forty-nine, leaving fifty-one spots still avable in the guild.


    After experiencing the guild''s buffs, the yers were as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline.


    Sterl didn''t even need to hype them up.


    "An SSS-level guild, for real!"


    "There are only three such guilds in the entire Hall of Valor, and they''re all for those demigod-level figures. We didn''t even have a chance to get a spot!"


    "As expected, that legend is a big shot!"


    "Wait a minute, he didn''t join an SSS-level guild, so his own guild must be of the same quality?"


    ...


    Their eyes were filled with fanaticism, feeling that they had truly made the right choice by joining this guild!


    Meanwhile, just as Sterl was about to say something, the yers started discussing proactively.


    "How about we team up to farm those contribution point-boosting monsters?"


    "Yeah! Let''s go!"


    "Let''s quickly farm until we reach a level three guild and open the shop!"


    ...


    The yers spontaneously started forming groups and had already begun nning how to farm contribution points more efficiently.


    However, their goal wasn''t the qualitative changes that woulde with a Level 3 guild upgrade, but simply to open the guild shop.


    Because, seriously, an SSS-quality Level 3 guild?


    Such a guild had never existed in the entire Hall of Valor!


    The materials for an SSS-level guild were avable in the Hall of Valor''s inventory, but even deities couldn''t acquire them consecutively!


    ...


    Sterl silently watched the yers before turning and leaving.


    He no longer had to worry about the guild.


    He decided to head to the mission waiting room in the Assembly Hall to start earning "Valor Contribution Points"!


    To Sterl''s surprise, despite only being dyed for half a day, the other 18 yers had already gathered.


    "Sorry, I''mte," Sterl expressed apologetically.


    However, the other yers looked at him coldly, and soon various detection skills were cast upon him.


    Sterl frowned slightly, but at that moment, three individuals stepped forward.


    "No worries, no worries. The Hall of Valor''s internal travel is notoriously slow. It''s normal to be dyed by some situations on the way."


    "Let''s start the mission quickly!"


    "The House of Radiance is still suffering from the curse."


    ...


    After speaking, the three took the lead, guiding the other yers forward.


    They didn''tpletely ignore Sterl but treated him as an ordinary member, signaling him to follow the group.


    Sterl frowned slightly at first but then remained calm. As he followed the group, he discreetly activated Star Insight.


    He thought to himself that these people were so brazen, ignoring his position as the leader. It was likely because of the Hall of Valor''s mention of the "leader status being transferable" and the additional "1,000 Valor Contribution Points" that tempted someone to make a move.


    After being instantly killed by the demigod''s vertical pupil, Sterl had be even more cautious. He decided to scout first and see how his opponents would act.


    Star Insight''s data quickly fed back.


    Most of the people participating in this mission were a mix of low and mid-tier legends, as high-tier legends had higher status levels and could take on more rewarding missions.


    Sterl felt a bit speechless. He had thought these people were stronger, vying for the leader position with him.


    If they were high-tier legends, Sterl recalled encountering Kant Weir in the Trial of the Brave and felt they might pose a slight threat.


    But he also knew that even the Hall of Valor''s unparalleled geniuses couldn''tpare to a top-tier existence with a 3S-ss profession talent.


    But now, even if they all teamed up, they wouldn''t stand a chance against Sterl.


    Soon, the group was transported via the Hall of Valor''s teleportation array to an area near several rainbow ships.


    Just as they were about to board the rainbow ship and head to the Principality of Florence, the group suddenly halted.


    The three mid-tier legends leading the group sneered and looked back.


    Wait, where was he?


    Where was the leader with the disyed third-ss strength?


    Naturally, they were looking for Sterl. As for why his strength was marked as third-ss, it was because that''s how he registered his strength in the Hall of Valor.


    The Hall of Valor only verified that Sterl had third-ss output capabilities, which was enough for him to pass.


    At that moment, the three mid-tier legends suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. They then noticed Sterl standing at the very front of the group, not knowing when he had gotten there!


    It was incredibly eerie!


    All the legends who had nned to make a move suddenly felt at a loss for words. If the leader had chosen to ambush them just now, no one could guarantee they would''ve reacted in time.


    Sterl maintained an enigmatic expression.


    He had used Moon Law to achieve a teleport-like effect.


    It was quite draining.


    But the dramatic effect was perfect!


    "Just you three want the leader''s position?"


    "Let me tell you, in the Hall of Valor, strength reigns supreme!"


    "The leader is not someone you three weaklings can covet!"


    Sterl''s voice boomed with authority, leaving the three troublemaking legends dumbfounded.


    Wait, what?


    Those were our lines!


    What are we supposed to say now?


    "But do you even know..." one of the mid-tier legends tried to salvage the situation.


    However, Sterl interrupted again, "You should know, this mission was marked as extremely difficult by the Hall of Valor. If the leadercks strength, it will only put everyone else in danger!"


    The three mid-tier legends: "..."


    For a moment, they were at a loss for words.


    Meanwhile...


    All the legendary yers present suddenly had a change in expression, as they all received the same notification.

 Chapter 232: Too Funny, Brother!

    All the yers saw a notification sh before their eyes.


    [You have received an invitation to the Free-for-All (Harmony) mode. The stake is the "Leader Position for this mission". Thest yer standing will automatically be the leader. yers who are defeated will retain a sliver of life force.]


    "Gulp!" Many legendary yers swallowed hard.


    The three mid-tier legends were also in a state of confusion, feeling that things were slipping out of their control.


    Originally, the three of them had nned to say some grandiose words.


    Then, they would reasonably challenge Sterl and take over the leader position. They had even agreed that the final leader would take 400 Valor Contribution Points, while the other two would each get 300.


    After all, there must be a reason someone could be the leader; they might be weak, but they could have some background or hidden cards. Starting a direct fight wasn''t a good idea.


    But now...


    Sterl had said everything they wanted to say, making them look like the weaklings unworthy of the leader position.


    What... what was going on?


    The three mid-tier legends then looked at the notification in front of them.


    Free-for-All mode??


    At first, the three didn''t understand, but seeing the expressions of the surrounding yers, they suddenly got it.


    Understood!


    This yer named "David" was deliberately messing with them!


    He felt his strength was insufficient to retain the leader position, so he stirred the pot, forcing all the yers into a Free-for-All. After all, who wouldn''t be tempted by those 1,000 Valor Contribution Points?


    Previously, the three mid-tier legends could join forces to ensure other yers wouldn''tpete. But in Free-for-All mode, the original leader "David" would likely be ignored, and their small group would be the first target!


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    The three mid-tier legends, like the other yers present, didn''t hesitate to ept the challenge.


    At this moment, a pale blue energy field surrounded all the yers, enclosing them together.


    Those boarding other rainbow ships for different missions saw this and were not surprised.


    Very normal!


    In the Hall of Valor, even the smallest issues often led to duels to settle the score...


    Sterl stood as steady as a mountain.


    The other legendary yers, who had previously looked down on him for this mission, now showed two different faces.


    The three mid-tier legends formed a small group, their expressions darkening: "Is it fun to drag everyone down with you?"


    "If that''s the case... watch your back on the mission."


    "It doesn''t matter who you have backing you!"


    ...


    They were angry and made threats, but didn''t go too far.


    Mainly, they were still worried that David had a significant background. However, in the Hall of Valor, yers prided themselves on their genius and arrogance, fearing no one''s background. This emboldened them to curse and shout freely.


    Other yers, on the other hand, showed expressions of gratitude.


    "Thanks, brother!"


    "You gave us a chance, we owe you one."


    "Don''t worry, we''re all in this mission together; we won''t backstab you."


    ...


    Their thoughts were simple: David had helped them get a shot at the leader position, and they felt indebted to him. Of course, the main reason was that they also believed David had some powerful backing...


    No, it should be said��


    He had a god behind him!


    Although the yers were arrogant, they felt that David extending an olive branch was a friendly gesture. Naturally, they responded warmly.


    Not only were these two factions focused on the situation, but Sterl, who was at the center of the controversy, wasn''t even given a proper nce.


    A mere third-ss? What waves could he possibly make? No matter who emerged victorious, they could easily deal with him!


    As the saying goes, a legend against a third-ss is like an adult crushing a child!


    Ignoring him was the highest form of contempt!


    Seeing this, Sterl immediately understood that he might as well let the dogs fight it out.


    But he had no intention of doing that.


    Having been bizarrely one-shotted by that vertical pupil earlier, he was fuming!


    Since his debut, Sterl had never been defeated, let alone killed.


    Now, doing a simple mission, and a bunch of mid-tier and low-tier legends were trying to push him around.


    How could he tolerate that?


    At that moment, in the makeshift arena, various legendary abilities were being unleashed.


    Until a certain moment.


    With a surge of overwhelmingly dominant power, everyone''s expressions changed!


    "My abilities aren''t working!"


    "Wait, my talent... how is this possible??"


    "Damn! My ss traits have stopped??"


    ...


    The yers were thrown into chaos; some even coughed up blood from the bacsh of energy consumption, clutching their chests and kneeling in pain.


    Only a few remained standing, looking slightly bewildered.


    It was Sterl who had just activated his golden-quality Silent Domain.


    Who would have thought...


    The effect was too good, even Sterl hadn''t anticipated it!


    The golden version of Silent Domain randomly nullified skills, traits, talents, and equipment. Many, like Sterl, relied onbining various buffs to maximize their output during a fight.


    This also caused the Silent Domain to interrupt one of theponents, leading to errors in the energy gathering process!


    Some unlucky souls even found their critical skills interrupted, causing chaotic energy surges within their bodies.


    They were directly injured!


    "Looks like the Silent Domain works wonders in a pinch," Sterl mused.


    And in that split second...


    The few yers who weren''t affected hesitated no longer. It seemed that only some insignificant gear skills were silenced for them, leaving their legendary abilities intact!


    Initially, they were cautious because the situation was so bizarre and unfamiliar. Their first instinct was self-preservation.


    Now, seeing that the dominant and strange energy seemed to have no follow-up, those unaffected yers decisively made their moves!


    However...


    Buzz!


    Another strange wave surged through.


    Immediately, the few remaining survivors also went down.


    Silent Domain periodically sealed skills. Surviving two waves without having critical skills silenced required a bit of luck, and evidently, none of the gathered legends had that kind of luck.


    At this point, the only one left standingfortably was Sterl.


    He was in an excellent mood.


    No wonder a tinum-tier skill downgraded to gold was still much stronger than most legendary abilities.


    Its crowd control capability was explosive!


    Sterl took a few slow steps forward. He wasn''t in a hurry to defeat these opponents; instead, he wanted to bask in the moment.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t even get a chance to speak��


    "It''s... you??"


    Someone eximed.


    Sterl''s heart leaped with joy. Nice! They''re catching on!


    But then the legendary yer shook his head, "No! Impossible!"


    "How could a third-ss affect us?"


    "Who is it really??"


    "Damn, hiding so well."


    For a moment, the yers looked at each other. They weren''t in a hurry anymore because everyone was injured by the bacsh, which meant they were all equally impaired.


    As for David, a mere third-ss...


    To put it bluntly, even in a severely injured state, a legend could easily deal with a third-ss.


    Immediately, Sterl''s prepared speech got stuck in his throat.


    He had nned to say something cool and indifferent.


    "Indeed."


    Followed by, "Could it be you?"


    Exuding an air of absolute power.


    But these legends would rather lie on the ground, suspecting each other of being the culprit, than give him a single nce.


    Sterl was furious!


    The Silent Domain was undoubtedly very useful, reinforcing his determination to quickly obtain the Arcane Law and activate it to its tinum version.


    But now...


    "These guys are really underestimating me!"


    "No need to look any further, the one who cast that spell just now was me."


    Sterl said coldly, deciding to exin himself. After all, he still had to lead these legendary yers on a mission. Showing some strength would make it easier tomand them.


    He didn''t mention the name of Silent Domain.


    The golden version of this skill had weaker effects andcked the ability to seal traits. It didn''t appear to be targeting the Devourer of All Things specifically. As long as he didn''t reveal the skill''s name, no one would notice Sterl''s uniqueness.


    As Sterl finished speaking, he was about to continue when the atmosphere turned eerie.


    Eventually, someone couldn''t hold back and clutched their chest, coughing.


    "Cough~ Cough~"


    "Cough~ Hahaha!"


    They burst outughing.


    "Are you kidding me?"


    "A third-ss saying he controlled all of us."


    "And you still have the nerve to joke? If I were you, I''d jump off the stage and admit defeat to avoid a beating."


    "Come on, friend, we''re discussing serious matters here. Don''t worry, we''ll make sure you get through the mission."


    Some couldn''t resist mocking, their expressions genuinely amused.


    What infuriated Sterl the most was someone "kindly" advising him to shut up...


    At that moment, Sterl realized another advantage of Silent Domain: its activation was so subtle that no one could identify the caster!


    Not only did the yers doubt a third-ss could control so many legendary abilities, but the wave created by Silent Domain seemed to emerge from thin air.


    No one could trace its origin.


    This left Sterl in an awkward position...


    Snap!


    With a darkened face, he snapped his fingers.


    Instantly, he vanished!


    The legends burst intoughter again.


    "Seriously? Did we scare him off?"


    "This is too funny... brother!"


    "Wait, something''s not right. If it were an invisibility skill, we should be able to detect it. What''s going on?"


    ...


    Most were amused, but a few sensed something was off.


    One second...


    Two seconds...


    Time flew by.


    And the legends remained suppressed by Silent Domain, unable to move freely!


    It wasn''t that they were severely injured, but they feared casting another skill and triggering a bacsh. The next batch of unlucky ones would be doomed!

 Chapter 233: Blood Force Appears?

    After all, in this situation, if someone got bacshed by Consume, anyone else could just use a minor skill to finish them off.


    At this moment, Sterl reappeared.


    In the Shadow Realm, he had already maxed out all his buffs.


    Stardust enhanced Shadow Stealth, Inspire, and Celestial Stars.


    While all the legends were suppressed by Silent Domain, Sterl unleashed his fully charged ultimate, exploding in an instant!


    Moreover...


    The legends didn''t even have time to react before the high temperature of Celestial Stars began scorching their skin.


    The azure energy storm masked the silvery, bright moonlight.


    Sterl activated Moon Law, halting the thoughts of all legends for half a second.


    Thus, thest thing these yers saw was Sterl, wrapped in strands of shadow energy, looking stern.


    Then everything was incinerated!


    The zing pain from me eradicated all the legends!


    It wasn''t until a few secondster that they realized the arena''s energy field had been deactivated. At this point, the legends were all sprawled on the ground, their life force reduced to a faint flicker.


    Sterl''s face was anything but kind: "So, any objections to me leading the team?"


    All the legends present wore bewildered expressions...


    What just happened? Who am I? Where am I?


    These people weren''t stupid; they quickly understood the situation...


    They soon realized that it was indeed that third-ss who had wiped them all out in one move. No, it wasn''t just one move.


    If the damage this third-ss could unleash was so absurd, then what he said earlier��


    That strange power preventing everyone from using their skills was also his doing.


    So in total, with just two moves, a third-ss had annihted eighteen legends!


    Isn''t this a bit too ridiculous?


    The legends, after pondering, found their backs drenched in cold sweat!


    This is a third-ss??


    Considering the Hall of Valor, such a level of genius had appeared in history, or they would never have believed it.


    At this moment, the way the legendary yers looked at Sterl had changed...


    From seeing him as a weakling, they now saw him as a powerhouse whose future was destined to far surpass theirs.


    Although the legendary yers weren''tpletely convinced, they thought that if they had known this third-ss was so strong beforehand, perhaps they could have been more cautious and might have had a chance to counterattack.


    But, so what??


    Once his strength breaks through to the legendary level, killing them would be as easy as ughtering chickens!


    Moreover...


    With Sterl showcasing such formidable power, it was more than enough for him to lead this mission.


    Almost immediately, despite some lingering resentment, the legendary yers changed their tune.


    "This... esteemed leader, what are you talking about? We''ve always followed your lead."


    "Exactly, exactly. Our feelings towards you can be summed up in two words: absolute loyalty!"


    "We were just worried about the mission''s sess earlier. Now that you''re here, it''s a sure thing! We''re all in with you."


    ...


    Some made light-hearted jokes while others ttered him with genuine enthusiasm. Even the three mid-tier legends who had initially led the charge against Sterl now stood aside, wearing forced smiles.


    Sterl, naturally magnanimous, waved his hand dismissively, "It''s alright. It''s alright."


    "Previously, we didn''t know each other, so it''s normal to have doubts about my strength."


    He appeared amicable, but in his heart, he had already made up his mind.


    Offend me and think you can get away with it?


    Sterl believed his greatest virtues were his kindness, softness, andck of grudges. But these people wanted to take his leader position and snatch his 1000 Valor Contribution Points.


    If he didn''t make an example out of someone, how could hemand respect?


    As for the target, Sterl cast a subtle nce at the three mid-tier legends.


    Since they initiated the trouble, they could be the sacrifices.


    With this thought, Sterl walked over and patted the shoulders of the three mid-tier legends, "In this mission, we need to cooperate sincerely."


    "Otherwise, I alone cannot aplish much and may not be able to resolve the cmities faced by the descendants of the Hall of Valor''s loyal knights."


    He spoke with utmost sincerity.


    This made the three mid-tier legends pause, their expressions tinged with a hint of guilt.


    Could it be that this third-ss genuinely took the mission to help others? No wonder he became the leader.


    "Alright! Alright! We''ll definitely cooperate with you."


    However, as Sterl got closer to the three legends, his pupils slightly contracted.


    In two of them, he sensed a very familiar energy��blood force!


    No, it was an energy more advanced than blood force, an upgraded version.


    Sterl wouldn''t have been able to detect it earlier. Only by touching their skin, with his far superior soul level and familiarity with blood force, did he faintly perceive it.


    Immediately, his smile widened.


    "This mission is far from simple," Sterl thought.


    But...


    The base reward for this mission was only 2000 Valor Contribution Points. If it were too simple, wouldn''t Sterl have to take another mission to exchange for a tinum-grade skill?


    Hardcore gamers loveplex missions!


    ...


    Next, under Sterl''s guidance, the legendary yers introduced themselves, allowing everyone to get a sense of each other''s strength.


    Soon, Sterl and his party boarded the Rainbow Ship.


    Just likest time, this ship would navigate through the chaotic spatial currents, crossing vast distances to reach the Principality of Florence.


    Sitting in his assigned room, Sterl was curious.


    Although the human race from Earth had a general map of the Vastor continent, there were no records of distant countries.


    "Maybe I''ll see something interesting," he thought.


    Sterl disyed a rxed demeanor, as if he were on a sightseeing trip.


    He then closed his eyes, entered a meditative state, and rested for a while.


    The Rainbow Ship took about an hour toplete its final adjustments.


    With a gentle tremor, the Rainbow Ship officially set off, soon plunging into the extradimensional space.


    Passengers inside could now see the chaotic and deadly spatial currents outside, enveloped by shimmering rainbow energy.


    At this moment, Sterl''s eyes snapped open.


    "Time to make a move!" he thought to himself.


    Sterl instantly split into four.


    His main body, a clone, Bionic Tear, and a Star Radiance Dragon trailing behind.


    He then walked straight to the cabin where the three mid-tier legends were staying. They could have each had their own room, but they chose to stay together to maintain their small group''s camaraderie.


    "Makes it easier for me," Sterl remarked.


    "Leader, what brings you to us?" The three legends initially smiled, but their expressions changed when they saw three identical "leaders" walking in, apanied by a small dragon radiating a blue glow.


    They immediately sensed something was off.


    The three of them prepared for battle, subtly gathering their strength, but they were puzzled when the three Sterls didn''t make any aggressive moves.


    Instead, all three headed to the edge of the cabin, leaving the mid-tier legends bewildered.


    "Leader, what exactly are you up to?"


    "If you have something to say, just say it."


    They maintained their smiles but grew increasingly wary.


    Sterl merely smiled faintly, "To kill you." Then he ced his palm on the edge of the cabin.


    Swish!!


    A terrifying aura erupted, but it wasn''t from Sterl; it was from the three legends, who had fully activated their internal energy in preparation to resist. However, to their shock, nothing happened...


    The "three" leaders appeared to do nothing...


    However, the three mid-tier legends didn''t dare make the first move. Though battles between members were allowed outside the Hall of Valor, the one who initiated the fight would be marked.


    Unless they never returned to the Hall of Valor, they would face a penalty of 200,000 contribution points. If they killed another member, the Hall would send enforcers to hunt them down!


    Unless...


    Your rank was significantly higher than the person you killed, granting you the right to an Honorable Kill.


    Or, if your power reached the godly level, the Hall of Valor would rarely impose punishment.


    Otherwise...


    All members were expected to maintain peace.


    Thus, the three legends didn''t dare to strike first, believing their leader wouldn''t dare either.


    Until...


    Their pupils suddenly contracted.


    The three leaders and their pet vanished.


    What the mid-tier legends witnessed next was utterly despairing!


    A gigantic hole had appeared in the wall of the Rainbow Ship!


    The terrifying suction from the chaotic spatial currents outside yanked them out of the cabin with such speed that they had no time or chance to react.


    Despite the immense energy within them, the three legends were shredded by the spatial turbulence, turning into three dazzling bursts of fireworks!


    Under the influence of spatial forces, these fireworks werepressed into three crystalline forms.


    Two of the legends'' corpses emitted faint blood-red glows, which transformed into red threads and flowed into a corner of the Rainbow Ship.


    The three crystals were also drawn in by the same force, being pulled into the ship.


    This scene went almost unnoticed, as the entire crew of the Rainbow Ship was thrown into disarray by the suction of the spatial currents!


    Fortunately, the Rainbow Ship had self-repair capabilities. The rainbow-colored energy quickly surged to fill the mysterious hole.


    Only then did the chaotic legendary yers manage to stabilize themselves within the turbulent spatial storm.


    Many of them had sustained minor injuries from the violent energy outburst.


    "How is everyone? Is everyone okay?" Sterl walked out with a calm expression, even looking somewhat rxed and at ease.

 Chapter 234: Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array

    Sterl was hardly affected and was in an excellent mood.


    The scene just now was, of course, his doing.


    He couldn''t directly take action to kill those three mid-tier legends.


    The Hall of Valor''s restrictions applied equally to everyone.


    But that didn''t mean Sterl couldn''t use the environment to cause trouble.


    Normally, the cabin of the Rainbow Ship couldn''t be damaged.


    Unless it was through Consume.


    This skill, from the Devourer of All Things, could convert all energy for use.


    Although Sterl couldn''t easily devour everything, he could, with thebined efforts of his three clones and the Star Radiance Dragon, dissolve a part of the cabin in a short time.


    Moreover, during the process, he discovered that the rainbow energy of the Rainbow Ship seemed to bear a certain resemnce to the Divine Protection of Consume.


    This made the absorption much easier than he had anticipated.


    He and the Star Radiance Dragon acted together to expedite the creation of a fatal hole in the cabin.


    Once a sufficiently lethal hole was made,


    Sterl activated his Moon Law, slightly controlling the three mid-tier legends, leaving them no time to react before they were shredded by the spatial turbulence.


    They turned into a burst of fireworks.


    However, Sterl had only intended to make an example out of them, but he found himself with an unexpected windfall!


    Firstly, in the chaotic spatial currents, while others were thrown about, he reaped substantial benefits.


    As an Array Master, he had a strong ability to control spatial energy. Even in the violent currents, Sterl faintly sensed fluctuations of spatial Law.


    The sensation was simr to the feeling he had when he used Shadow Stealth to transmigrate to the shadow world.


    Could Sterl be any happier?


    He was convinced that with a few more experiences in violent spatial currents, he could directlyprehend a fragmented level of spatial Law.


    Based on Shadow Stealth!


    This legendary ability, while corresponding to shadow Law, also involved the application of spatial Law.


    Of course, his smooth progress was also due to the prior assistance he received from Kant Weir in the Trial of the Brave, where he meticulously perceived the conversion from legendary ability to Law Power.


    Such an opportunity was rare, not only because those demigods might not be willing to help but also because individuals capable of such teaching were rarer than demigods.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel more enthusiastic about this mission.


    He might really owe Kant Weir a favor.


    Additionally, Sterl had a sudden realization.


    "So, it would be best to first acquire a legendary ability rted to Arcane. This would makeprehending the Law much more efficient."


    Besides gaining insight into spatial Law, Sterl also had some items from the three mid-tier legends who died. However, he didn''t have the time to check them now.


    Nevertheless, Sterl was in a good mood, and others, seeing their leader so pleased, couldn''t help but feel uneasy. Many had witnessed Sterl entering the room where the three mid-tier legends were.


    No one believed that the leader had nothing to do with it.


    The Hall of Valor''s Rainbow Ship had been problem-free for thousands of years.


    And now, it broke down?


    And people died? Even in the face of spatial turbulence, legendary yers usually had a chance to escape.


    yers who initially thought the leader was amiable and easy-going now trembled with fear.


    "We''re fine, really!"


    "All thanks to your excellent leadership!"


    "Leader, if there''s anything you need, just say the word. We wouldn''t dare disobey!"


    ...


    The yers, pale-faced, swore oaths��they were genuinely terrified!


    They had thought they had seen the extent of Sterl''s power before, only to realize it was but a drop in the ocean.


    The three mid-tier legends had known the leader''s strength and were still killed without any resistance.


    What about them?


    Would they also be led to their deaths?


    Fortunately, Sterl chose this moment to offer reassurance.


    "There''s no need to worry."


    "Those three initiated the conflict. Their deaths mean that we''ve rid ourselves of some bad apples."


    "This will make our future cooperation smoother."


    With that, the legendary yers dared not argue and could only nod in agreement.


    "Understood! Understood!"


    Having boarded the Rainbow Ship, there was no turning back. Abandoning the mission now was impossible.


    Moreover, even if they wanted to abandon it, the leader might not let them leave alive.


    The legendary yers could only hope that the leader, as he imed, would stop after dealing with the three troublemakers.


    Sterl, seeing their reactions, left gracefully and returned to his room, nodding secretly. The hearts and minds of these yers could now be put to use.


    These legendary yers would now carry out their duties diligently, without daring to ck off.


    "This is all thanks to the sacrifice of those three," Sterl thought as he returned to his room, unable to help but appreciate the "favor" from the three mid-tier legends.


    At this moment, he had the Bionic Tear take his ce in the cabin.


    Sterl activated Shadow Stealth to slip into the shadow world, quickly examining his recent spoils.


    After all, his gains were not something that could be publicly disyed.


    The first was three Legendary Crystals.


    These items only form under special circumstances, such as when the energies within the bodies of the three legendary yers were forciblypressed by the spatial turbulence.


    They had ultimately transformed into the three items now in Sterl''s possession.


    Upon ncing at the three crystals, his eyes immediately lit up.


    [Legendary Crystal: Ancient Prayer], [Legendary Crystal: Radiant Glow], and [Legendary Crystal: Malevolent nce].


    The first two crystals were rted to magic!


    However, Sterl did not intend to use them for Arcane Law.


    Arcane represents the aggregation of all spell categories, symbolizing the process by which schrs rationally analyze various elemental forces for their own use.


    In Sterl''s Lawprehension vouchers, the Arcane world he could visit was a peculiar ce where countless schrs had forcibly transformed the material ne into an elemental one.


    [Legendary Crystal: Ancient Prayer] and [Legendary Crystal: Radiant Glow] symbolized ritualistic prayer and natural spell phenomena, respectively��barely touching the edges of Arcane.


    Sterl had previously noticed during his Shadow Stealth insights that if his legendary ability were a true spatial one, his efficiency inprehending spatial Law would increase by at least tenfold.


    Therefore, directly using these two crystals toprehend Arcane Law was unreliable.


    Sterl''s approach was straightforward: activate the Chaos Cube, fuse the two crystals, and extract the portions rted to Arcane to form a new Legendary Crystal. Of course, such a gamble required a Fate Token.


    As for [Legendary Crystal: Malevolent nce], it was a curse-type legendary ability with a simple and brutal effect��it allowed the user to choose the curse''s oue.


    The most direct application was to curse an opponent to death, and it could be cast with nothing more than a nce.


    Alternatively, the curse could bepleted using the opponent''s personal items or hair.


    Sterl didn''t particrly need this ability; he chose to absorb it solely to carry the Curse Law.


    But at this moment...


    He first stored all the Legendary Crystals in his personal dimensional space.


    Next, he pulled out an item��


    [Holy Stone of Blood].


    Yes, the item Sterl used to harness blood force had evolved without any additional points!


    At this moment, the Holy Stone of Blood showed:


    blood force: 12,100 units, Essence of Blood: 2 strands.


    When he held the Holy Stone of Blood, a mysterious fragment of memory flowed into his mind.


    "Is this an array formation?"


    "It seems to be a sacrificial refining formation that extracts the most precious and pure energy from all living beings, offering it to the beneficiary."


    "The way this energy operates is quite simr to extracting blood force from life..."


    Sterl realized he had inexplicably acquired a fragment of an ancient array formation recently.


    And this formation...


    Was at least of divine level!


    He opened his panel and, sure enough, the Sub-Profession page for array formations now disyed a new skill.


    [Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array (Fragmented)] +


    Description: The proud creation of the demon known as the Archduke of Blood. To bring this formation into the main world, he chose to divide its memory into ten parts, each carried by ten fanatical followers. Every fragmented formation possesses standalone effects. When set up, they can activate the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    Effect: The current fragmented formation has two effects��


    - gue: Activating the formation causes all life in the main world to fall into a weakened state, which can then spread to other units.


    - Hemorrhage: After activation, any injury inflicted on life in the main world will result in wounds that cannot heal, continuously draining life force.


    "It can be upgraded?" Sterl was taken aback. As he sensed the memory fragment of the formation in his mind, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    "What a genius concept!"


    "A divine-level array, when divided into ten parts, can be set up by entities of legendary rank."


    "However, ording to the formation''s operational mechanism, unifying the ten parts would still require Divine Power to initiate."


    As Sterlprehended this, he became increasingly aware that this mission was far from simple.


    The description of the formation he had obtained explicitly indicated that the Archduke of Blood was up to something.


    And, in such a critical moment, could his two followers carrying parts of the formation really have time to help out the Hall of Valor?


    Impossible. The only usible exnation was that their work for the Hall of Valor didn''t interfere with setting up the formation.


    Coupled with the intelligence about demons infiltrating Florence...


    Sterl felt at least 90% sure that the descendants of Kant Weir were targeted by the Archduke of Blood! The remaining eight formation carriers were likely already in ce.


    They were just waiting for thest two members of the Hall of Valor to take their positions.

 Chapter 235: Comprehending Arcane Law!

    Sterl made a swift decision.


    Given that a god-level demon was interfering in this mission, it would be better to send Bionic Tear into battle first.


    As for himself? He would observe the situation for a while.


    Why not abandon the mission altogether? For one, he was still eager to earn Valor Contribution Points. Additionally, the fragment of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array he had intercepted seemed to have the potential for improvement.


    "Could adding points eventually repair or even optimize this array?" Sterl''s eyes gleamed with a sinister light.


    It was well-known that Array Masters were incredibly rare! In Sterl''s understanding, the Blood Cult had always been a struggling group, particrly in the Divine Mountain Empire, where they were perpetually hunted and never managed to gain any foothold.


    Although he wasn''t sure about the Blood Cult''s strength in the Principality of Florence, it was likely not much better.


    Given his skill, Gate of Hell, Sterl knew that the connection between ayer of Hell and the main world was purely coincidental.


    Therefore, if the Archduke of Blood wanted to develop his cult in the main world, he would spare no effort in nurturing every group, without favoritism.


    This was because, after one connection to the main world, this god-level demon might never have another chance to extend his influence here.


    Every cult branch had to be meticulously maintained.


    So, based on the Blood Cult''s situation in the Divine Mountain Empire, the cult''s power across the entire Vastor continent wouldn''t be very strong.


    Sterl estimated that even if the Blood Cult in the Principality of Florence devoted all their elite forces to serve this god-level demon, they might stillck a professional Array Master.


    With Sterl''s skill and the potential to add points, he could possibly fully grasp the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    He even had some confidence in turning the Blood Cult''s array against them, making it his own.


    Swallowing the resources nned by an entire cult single-handedly��wouldn''t that make him soar?


    Of course, all this was predicated on the Blood Cult in the Principality of Florence actually plotting something...


    Though excited, Sterl quickly dispelled any distracting thoughts and refocused. He had important matters to attend to.


    At this moment, Sterl took out the Chaos Cube, a small box radiating with a peculiar, seven-colored light.


    Without hesitation, he retrieved three items: a Legendary Crystal: Ancient Prayer, a Legendary Crystal: Radiant Glow, and a Fate Token.


    Sterl swiftly tossed the two crystals into the Chaos Cube and activated its transformation function. Instantly, the cube began to glow and hum like an unstable furnace.


    Sterl couldn''t possibly wait for the Chaos Cube toplete its random transformation, so he quickly tossed in the Fate Token.


    Apanied by a strange brilliance, a long list of possible oues appeared before him, showcasing the various potential fusions of the two Legendary Crystals.


    Some results indicated a failure, reducing the crystals to mere powder, while others showed great sess, merging the two crystals into one, effectively creating a 2-in-1 Legendary Crystal.


    This new crystal would grant the user both abilities, with reduced consumption and the capacity to activate both abilities simultaneously.


    Sterl was momentarily tempted by the idea, but he made a decisive choice��Fusion Result: [Legendary Crystal: Ancient Memory].


    The Chaos Cube shook violently before graduallying to a halt, finally producing a blue crystal.


    "Perfect, you''re the one," Sterl said, without hesitation, choosing to allocate points into and absorb the new Legendary Crystal. Instantly, his panel disyed a new legendary ability��


    Ancient Memory!


    The Ancient Memory ability would grant the user the arcane knowledge and spellcasting techniques of ancient sages from various races.


    This would enhance the power of all spells, reduce their consumption, and provide at least one qualitative change to most spells during the duration of Ancient Memory.


    For example, Sterl''s Ignition me would gain the "Omen of Death" effect after transformation, causing any unit hit to suffer an additional 30% damage��an effect that was rare in Sterl''s skill set.


    His Celestial Stars would gain dual traits: "Rebuild the World" and "Destruction." "Rebuild the World" would grant allies significant shield and health regeneration when Celestial Stars struck, while "Destruction" would instantly kill any unit hit if the damage exceeded 70% of their life force (limited to non-demigod entities).


    Sterl sensed that most of his skills would significantly improve during Ancient Memory''s active period. However, a few skills, like Stardust and Life Ignite, would not undergo qualitative changes.


    Nevertheless, the utility of Ancient Memory was undeniable!


    But most importantly��


    "This legendary ability enhances other skills by imparting special arcane principles and techniques to me, which aligns perfectly with the essence of Arcane. With it,prehending Arcane Law is a sure thing!"


    Filled with joy, Sterl felt that his first tinum-tier skill was about to be unlocked. He then meditated for over ten minutes, regting his breathing, and swiftly retrieved a crystal from his small world, crushing it.


    This was the device he had previously exchanged for, allowing his consciousness to be transmitted to the "Arcane World."


    Sterl felt a burst of vibrant, multicolored light before finding himself in a semi-transparent, spectral form, floating above an extraordinarily magnificent and resplendent world!


    Everywhere, he could see the harmonious and orderly flow of seven-colored magical energies. Even the inherently corrosive dark attribute forces were stable and gentle, forming structures that resemblednd.


    Just by lightly "breathing" with his consciousness, Sterl could sense that every elemental force contained fragments of Arcane knowledge.


    The Arcane World was an incredibly extraordinary ne. Countless Arcane Masters had dedicated their entire lives to constructing a worldposed of Arcane power and Arcane knowledge!


    At this moment, Sterl felt that as heprehended his surroundings, he was gaining new insights into the spells he had already mastered. His skill proficiency skyrocketed!


    Skills like Ignition me and Celestial Stars broke through to master-level proficiency at an astonishing speed! And the proficiency continued to soar!


    Sterl could also feel the rules of Arcane resonating in his mind. Unable to resist, he activated his legendary ability, Ancient Memory.


    The ancient sages'' research on spells and the vast knowledge of countless schrs within this ne began to merge and transform. Sterl once again grasped that elusive feeling of transforming a legendary ability into Law Power��


    But suddenly, everything came to an abrupt halt!


    Sterl''sprehension progress had barely reached about 10% when he was abruptly expelled from the Arcane World.


    Opening his eyes, he found himself back in the ship''s cabin, discovering that his point-allocation ability had already cooled down.


    Indeed, what seemed like mere moments had actually been an entire day.


    "Damn!"


    "Even though Ancient Memory elerated myprehension efficiency by countless times,"


    "it seems I''ll need at least nine more Arcane World entry tickets..."


    "Hmm?"


    Sterl was somewhat disappointed but not too disheartened. However, another unexpected situation arose.


    He hadn''t noticed it immediately upon returning to his body, but now he felt a strange sense of fullness and pain.


    It originated from Sterl''s soul!


    As his consciousness gradually and perfectly merged with his physical body, he finally realized what had happened!


    In the Arcane World, Arcane Masters used elemental forces to carry their Arcane knowledge, ultimately creating the rule power known as "Arcane."


    Yes, Arcane Law Power itself existed, just like any other rule power.


    And a demigodprehends these natural rules, transforming them into a power they can wield��Law Power!


    Returning to Sterl.


    While the efficiency of elemental forces in carrying Arcane knowledge and rules wasmendable, there was nothing in the world that couldpare to Sterl''s innate talent��the efficiency of his Arcane Soul in carrying Arcane knowledge and rules!


    Consequently, Sterl''s soul had already inscribed an immense amount of Arcane knowledge and rules. He only needed to close his eyes for a moment to continueprehending the Law!


    Sterl even estimated that the knowledge and rules stored in his soul were sufficient to push the Arcane Law to its consummate level!


    In other words, with just an ordinary Law Comprehension Ticket, it would be equivalent to purchasing a guaranteed Law Comprehension Ticket from the special shop after the Trial of the Brave!


    He had hit the jackpot.


    "By this calction, if I exchange about ten to twenty Comprehension Tickets, I might even push the Arcane Law to its consummate level!?"


    Sterl''s voice was tinged with excitement.


    He quickly assumed a cross-legged position, closed his eyes, and beganprehending various Arcane rules. Utilizing Ancient Memory, he gradually pushed this legendary ability towards Law.


    Sterl felt that the world within his mental domain was bing increasingly harmonious and consistent with the rules of Arcane.


    Time flew by...


    The Rainbow Ship took a little over a day to reach the Principality of Florence.


    When Sterl opened his eyes again, his point-allocation ability had cooled down once more. He casually summoned a Fate Token.


    Only then did he notice that the legendary figures apanying him on the mission were waiting respectfully outside his cabin.


    "Leader, you''ve finally finished your cultivation. Can we officially start the mission now?"


    These legendary yers wore expressions of having narrowly escaped death. They had privately discussed how the cabin had somehow developed a hole, killing three mid-level legends.


    They had reached a conclusion: not even a demigod could have caused such a breach in the cabin!


    This leader was extremely extraordinary!


    Unfathomable!


    To stay alive, they had to obediently follow his orders!


    Even though they had sessfully arrived in the Principality of Florence, the legends were still terrified, knowing they would have to take the Rainbow Ship back to the Hall of Valorter on!


    This leader still had the potential to stir up trouble andmit ughter!

 Chapter 236: The Principality of Florence

    Sterl was oblivious to the thoughts of these legendary figures.


    Otherwise, he would have felt deeply wronged.


    "I''ve always been friendly, why would I set you up?"


    He nodded coldly and then followed his "subordinates" off the airship.


    Sterl found himself standing in front of a pce hall.


    "A bit shabby..."


    He couldn''t help but mutter.


    Compared to the grandiose architecture of the Hall of Valor, this pce seemed rather in and unadorned, covering only a few thousand square meters and mostly constructed from rough bricks and stones.


    The only decorations were knight shield reliefs carved here and there, resembling the shield designs of Kant Weir that Sterl had seen earlier.


    Additionally, there were some red and green flowers and fruit trees, but they were of very ordinary varieties,cking any special attributes.


    However...


    Sterl soon chuckled to himself.


    At least they had the luxury of building a pce openly, while back on Earth, humanity had to construct clunky, unattractive bases to fend off potential monster sieges.


    The Principality of Florence''s strength was at least greater than his homnd''s.


    "Thank you, envoys of the Hall of Valor, foring to our aid."


    As soon as the Rainbow Ship had disembarked its passengers, a well-dressed man adorned with multiple medals��presumably the duke or king of the principality��approached with his queen and several ministers.


    Their demeanor was extremely humble.


    "We haven''t prepared much for your arrival, just some local specialties. Please ept them."


    With that, attendants carrying treasure boxes approached. The other legends received boxes encrusted with diamonds, while Sterl''s box was iid with golden threads.


    "This must be the leader of this mission. Truly, a hero in his youth."


    The king was shrewd enough to notice that Sterl was subtly regarded as the backbone by the other legends.


    Without speaking, Sterl opened the treasure box.


    [Heavenly Fragrant Jade Essence (Rare)] +


    [Description: A specialty from the Principality of Florence, produced in very limited quantities each year for royal use.]


    [Effect: Consuming it cleanses the body of impurities and randomly increases all attributes.]


    Sterl casually threw out a Star Insight, scanning the surroundings. He noticed that the other legends had received the same item, but in a standard form.


    Immediately, a smile crept onto Sterl''s face��a rare attribute-boosting item that he could enhance with his abilities made him quite pleased!


    "Not bad, I see the sincerity of the Principality of Florence," he said.


    Sterl felt that the people of the House of Radiance, whether ancestors or descendants, indeed knew how to interact with others. He decided that if there were no significant conflicts of interest, he would go out of his way to protect the Principality of Florence during this mission.


    "I appreciate your sincerity," he continued. "Let''s not waste any time; we can start the mission now."


    The king hesitated for a moment, "No need, no need. You have just arrived; how can we trouble you so soon? I''ve arranged a banquet to wee you. Please, rest and refresh yourselves first."


    Seeing this, one of the more daring legendary yers stepped forward, "Leader, you might not know, but these Hall of Valor missions are also our opportunities for a break."


    "In the Hall of Valor, we''re lower than dogs. There are high-level, mid-level legends, demigods, and gods above us."


    "Anyone can order us around."


    "But outside, a legend has the power to destroy nations."


    "So we can take the time to enjoy ourselves first."


    Sterl frowned slightly but then nodded, "Very well, let''s do that."


    He thought to himself that if this mission involved the Blood Cult and he wanted to covertly steal the power of their grand formation, he''d need to avoid hispanions.


    Thus, Sterl soon followed the king and the other legends into the pce for the banquet. However, after passing through a blind spot in their view, two shadows slipped away from his side, activating Shadow Stealth and disappearing in broad daylight.


    One was Bionic Tear, tasked with investigating the mission.


    The other was Sterl''s true form, leaving the Principality of Florence''s royal city to observe from a distance.


    Incidentally, Sterl still possessed a teleportation scroll evolved from his time in the Netherworld. He could teleport to Bionic Tear if needed or use it to escape.


    ...


    Sterl''s three-man team had clear divisions ofbor.


    First, the clone was seated at the banquet''s main table, enjoying the Principality of Florence''s specialty dishes while listening to the king and some noblesin and exin the mission.


    "This time, the Hall of Valor has finally sent some strong individuals. We had no choice but to ask for help," the king said, his voice filled with relief.


    As the king rambled on, Sterl understood the situation.


    Initially, there were just some sudden disappearances of citizens in the Principality of Florence. But then, the number of missing persons increased, including some second-ss and third-ss yer NPCs who mysteriously vanished.


    The Principality of Florence initially tried to handle the situation themselves but lost a third-ss individual in the process. Consequently, they decisively sought aid from the Hall of Valor.


    As Sterl continued the conversation, he discovered that the Principality of Florence was indeed quite weak, having only one legendary guardian. Generally, when trouble arose, they would turn to the Hall of Valor, as their ancestors had made significant contributions to it.


    Initially, the Hall of Valor had ssified this as a standard mission. Several legends had gone missing as if they had vanished into thin air. This led to the mission being upgraded to a group task with Valor Contribution Points as rewards.


    "To be honest," the king began, "it''s no longer just about people disappearing."


    The king lifted his shirt, and the queen raised her skirt. Some nearby nobles quickly averted their eyes, while the legendary yers continued to watch calmly. They noticed that the king and queen were both wearing fine, high-quality soft armor underneath.


    "As the disappearances increased, demons from hell began to appear," the king continued. "Initially, they were at least second ss in strength. We organized a group of strong fighters to exterminate them, but upon their deaths, the demons'' energy merged together, creating several third-ss demons."


    "These demons can absorb nutrients by devouring the corpses of strong fighters. After our guards fought them, the demons in the city grew even stronger. We no longer dare to attempt an extermination, as we have no idea how powerful the demons in the Principality of Florence have be."


    "My beloved and I have to wear this armor at all times to avoid demon attacks."


    ...


    After hearing this, Sterl and the other legendary yers were left speechless. They understood that the principality was weak, but topletely give up on fighting the demons out of fear that it would only make them stronger?


    "So, what is the current situation in the city?" Sterl couldn''t help but ask.


    "For some reason, although the city should be swarming with demons now, the number of disappearances has stabilized at a few dozen people per day. Moreover, there haven''t been any reports of residents being harmed."


    "However, we''ve received word that all the nobles who attempted to flee the city have met tragic ends. Now, everyone lives in a state of constant fear."


    The king was practically in tears as he spoke, clearly emotional about the dire situation.


    Meanwhile, the legendary yers from the Hall of Valor exchanged nces, sensing that this situation could be quite troublesome.


    The appearance of demons in the main world implied that there must be a spatial rift to hell somewhere in the Principality of Florence. While the city''s demons might not have reached legendary strength, their behavior��capturing people without harming them and preventing escape��suggested arger, sinister n.


    Moreover, ording to the well-known terrifying stories about demons in [Transcendence], such events typically followed a pattern. Initially, a small spatial rift appears, followed by demons conducting mass ughter and blood sacrifices to expand the rift. Eventually, legendary and demigod demons would emerge as bosses.


    "So, what should we do?" one of the yers asked.


    "The demons aren''t harming the city''s inhabitants likely because they need them for something, like a sacrifice. The people who have already disappeared might have been used for preliminary preparations, consuming their life force."


    "This means the demons could be rapidly umting power. The longer we dy, the harder this mission will be."


    "Should we...?" The legendary yers turned to Sterl, seeking their leader''s opinion.


    Those who could enter the Hall of Valor were all proud geniuses. Their reaction wasn''t to suggest a swift resolution but rather to consider dying the task further to increase its difficulty and earn more Valor Contribution Points.


    At the same time, a prompt appeared before Sterl. The legendary yers had sent him a private message: "The House of Radiance within the Principality of Florence has always enjoyed special protection from the Hall of Valor. We shouldn''t push things too far."


    Sterl smiled and decisively said, "This is already an urgent matter. Your Majesty, we will now leave to begin a thorough investigation of the city."


    He also replied to the private message, "Then let''s not rush. Take your time. If you encounter demons or forces responsible for the disappearances, notify me first, and I will handle it."


    Sterl was quite pleased with his subordinates'' thinking. He was still in the spective phase, suspecting that the Blood Cult might be behind this. If his hypothesis was correct, it was likely that parts of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had already been set up in the city.


    Everyone knew that setting up such an array required many rare materials. The intricate, god-level array was beyond Sterl''s means to dismantle or replicate. If his legendary subordinates were to discover and destroy the array, the Blood Cult might not have the resources to rebuild it.


    His subordinates seemed to understand his intentions well: "Leader, I have an idea," one of them said. "If those demons are setting something up, we can refrain from destroying it immediately. Let''s summon stronger enemies first before taking action!"

 Chapter 237: Is Everyone a Traitor?

    "Seems like you all understand quite well," Sterl couldn''t help but remark.


    Had he been the one to suggest not destroying the demons'' setup, it would have been suspicious. But with his subordinates proposing it, agreeing seemed much more natural.


    "You''ve done well," he told his yers.


    Immediately, the legendary yers breathed a sigh of relief, feeling they had pleased their leader.


    On the way back, they no longer had to worry about being set up to fail. It wasn''t easy, after all!


    ...


    Feeling rather pleased, Sterl adopted a more enthusiastic tone and shared drinks with the present nobles and the king.


    Soon, despite his years of training to hide his true strength and maintain a calm demeanor, his expression couldn''t help but twitch slightly.


    Sterl had learned two things.


    First, Bionic Tear had searched the city but initially found nothing. However, it realized that several areas in the city werepletely imprable to the Star Insight. This equipment had a strong perception ability; with enough mental power, it could see through even gods.


    The undetectable areas in the city were definitely suspicious.


    So, Bionic Tear used Shadow Stealth to slip into one of these special areas, specifically the cer of a small tavern on the southwestern side of the capital.


    As soon as it entered, it witnessed a hellish sceneposed of blood and corpses. A group of people wearing blood-red priestly robes were categorizing the civilians by gender and age, then ughtering and dismembering them for blood.


    In its Shadow Stealth disguise, Bionic Tear went unnoticed.


    At the banquet, sensing the transmitted images, Sterl felt slightly nauseous.


    He realized that the missing citizens were being used as materials to create the sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array. The raw materials for such god-level arrays were often bizarre and specific. For example, the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array required extreme pain and the hearts of babies born on specific dates.


    Of course, it also required some god-level materials.


    At that moment, Bionic Tear was witnessing the Blood Cult''s cold and efficient process of creating these materials.


    Their method of extracting pain involved keeping the citizens alive with various potions and then ying them alive. Additionally, various torture devices were operating at high speed nearby.


    The basement was filled with screams and wails of agony.


    Meanwhile, Bionic Tear discovered that there were no fewer than sixteen undetectable areas in the city. This meant that countless missing citizens were enduring hellish torment in sixteen different locations, where even the luxury of a swift death was denied to them.


    "These people are beyond saving," Sterl judged through Bionic Tear''s perspective.


    Using his knowledge of arrays, he confirmed that the sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had already been set up. The Blood Cult no longer needed to capture more people for torture.


    Sterl breathed a sigh of relief. Although he often believed in disregarding all morals for his own benefit, the scene before him was too extreme.


    He suspected that if he watched the Blood Cult continue their atrocities, he might not sleep well for many years toe.


    "These citizens are already dead. The only thing I can do now is avenge them," Sterl muttered to himself. "I will seize all the painstaking arrangements made by the Blood Cult."


    He felt a surge of anger. Any person of sound mind would naturally be revolted by such inhumane acts.


    Moreover, there was another matter that deeply unsettled Sterl. After embracing and shaking hands with many nobles, he discovered a strong presence of blood force within them. This included the queen and her two princes!


    No wonder they couldn''t trace the countless disappearances initially; the Principality of Florence''s royal court was riddled with traitors!


    Feigning drunkenness, Sterl wandered around the pce. His casual exploration confirmed his suspicions: there was an area deep within the pce that Star Insight couldn''t prate.


    "Good! Good! Good!" Sterl finally confirmed his inner suspicions.


    The Blood Cult was orchestrating a scheme in the Principality of Florence, aiming to set up a grand array as a tribute to the Archduke of Blood. One of the array''s nodes was even located within the pce!


    Sterl sensed the urge to open the Gate of Hell. Immediately, a stream of information flowed into his mind.


    "Opening the Gate of Hell currently will connect to the 16,374thyer of hell."


    Sterl was unsure of the significance of this particryer, but he instantly felt a frenzied surge of energy that was of the same origin as the blood force within him.


    There was no need for further exnation. Everything wasing together!


    The god-level demon, the Archduke of Blood, had orchestrated a grand sacrificial n using the spatial rift connecting to the Principality of Florence. The ultimate target of this sacrificial ritual was none other than the god-level demon himself!


    And Sterl... his n was to im for himself everything that the god-level demon had meticulously plotted!


    "Your Highness, your beauty is like that of a celestial goddess," Sterl said, his tone warm and friendly.


    The noblewoman adorned with numerous emerald jewels merely covered her mouth andughed. "You''re too kind."


    She had no idea that Sterl''s expression, rather than admiring her beauty, resembled someone looking at a bringer of fortune.


    The banquet continued, and Sterl''s main body took a risky trip back to the city.


    Although Bionic Tear could perfectly mimic all of Sterl''s abilities, it had a critical w: it couldn''t use potions or share Sterl''s energy reserves. With no fewer than seventeen undetectable areas needing investigation, Bionic Tear''s mana for Shadow Stealth was insufficient.


    Sterl had no choice but to personally conduct a swift reconnaissance before departing again.


    He confirmed that ten sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had been fully set up in the seventeen areas. These arrays were ready to be activated at any moment.


    Based on his knowledge as an Array Master and his understanding of the iplete version of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, he estimated that these sub-arrays would need about five days to spread a peculiar blood energy throughout the city. Once that happened, the ten arrays would merge to refine everyone in the city.


    It''s worth noting that the seventeen areas meant that seven arrays had been redundantly set up. Clearly, the Blood Cult understood risk management and had prepared surplus arrays.


    This realization instantly dispelled one of Sterl''s concerns. He had feared that killing the two traitors in the Hall of Valor might have caused the Blood Cult tock two sub-array setups.


    However, it was evident that the Archduke of Blood hadn''t put all his eggs in one basket.


    Having gathered all the necessary information, Sterl sighed as he looked at his colleagues, who were eagerly anticipating earning significant Valor Contribution Points from the mission.


    Under normal circumstances, if he hadn''t participated, these legendary yers would likely be doomed.


    The banquet soon ended.


    Sterl regretted having his main body leave so quickly because, after the banquet, the royal family provided each legendary yer with a luxurious room.


    In his room, several dancers dressed in light, revealing clothing that showed their midriffs and thighs gracefully entered, their movements alluring.


    At the same time, a smiling female attendant stood by. "Sir, our dancers in the Principality of Florence undergo special training from a young age. Their skills and figures are exceptional. Although they only have the strength of ordinary practitioners, they can undoubtedly provide you with an extraordinary experience."


    Unfortunately, while Sterl felt a slight temptation, the one in the room was merely his avatar...


    He was powerless to act on his desires!


    He could only wave them off helplessly. "With the current issues in the royal city unresolved, how can I think of enjoying myself?"


    ...


    After the female attendant and the dancers had all left, Sterl, outside the city, grew more and more irritated.


    He had his avatar m the table in frustration.


    "If I can''t enjoy myself, neither should you!"


    He immediately went around kicking open the doors of the other legendary yers.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Some were fortunate and had not epted the services of the Principality of Florence. Others were in the midst of flirting and could only stare in shock as Sterl kicked open their doors.


    Some unlucky ones, just about to get intimate, were startled by the loud noise.


    Even a legendary yer''s heart would skip a beat at such a moment.


    Annoyed, they looked towards the door, ready to curse whoever had interrupted them.


    But upon seeing who it was, they instantly backed down.


    Who else could it be but their fearsome squad leader?


    "How can you think of ying around at a time like this? Start investigating immediately!" Sterlmanded, looking deeply pained.


    ...


    Reluctantly, the legendary yers were forced into action.


    One by one, they pulled up their pants and started investigating the royal city.


    Sterl also directed his avatar to join the search party.


    He knew that finding the Blood Cult''s base wouldn''t be easy for the yers, as the information waspletely shielded there.


    However, the legendary members of the Hall of Valor were all geniuses.


    Sooner orter, the Blood Cult would be exposed.


    Sterl''s task was to manage the yers'' search efficiency, ensuring that when the array was activated, he could eitherplete the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array or, if he found he couldn''t turn the god-level array to his advantage, quickly lead the yers to destroy several sub-arrays, leaving the Archduke of Blood with nothing.


    As he was pondering this, his avatar''s vision suddenly went ck.


    "Hmm?"


    Sterl frowned slightly. Behind him, a four-armed demon, its skin ck and marked withva-like patterns, was eyeing him menacingly.


    When he turned around, he saw several dog-like demons covered in mes blocking his escape route.


    Among the yers, he was the first to be targeted.


    Because the energy intensity of his avatar was extremely low.


    "Looks like they''ve picked the weakest target," Sterl quipped with a smile.

 Chapter 238: Demons Are Full of Treasures!

    Sterl, sensing his avatar being blocked, remainedpletely unflustered.


    Since the avatar inherited 25% of the power of his equipment, it casually used Star Insight to discover that the two waves of demons ahead and behind were merely of third-ss strength. Although close to legendary, they were ultimately still a level below.


    Thus, with his avatar''s severelycking output, he swiftly harnessed the power of starlight, transforming it into liquid and condensing it into a longsword, shing out effortlessly!


    Although it seemed like the two types of demons wanted to release skills to counterattack, the suppressive effect of the Law Power was too strong.


    With a few casual swings from the avatar, the demons were left lifeless on the ground.


    Meanwhile, Sterl noticed that streams of blood-colored energy were drifting from the demons'' corpses toward a certain direction in the city.


    He sensed that he could activate the Holy Stone of Blood to absorb this blood-colored energy, but Sterl decided against it after some thought.


    Firstly, the Holy Stone of Blood wasn''t part of the equipment, so the avatar didn''t inherit it.


    Secondly, even if Sterl''s main body were here, he wouldn''t absorb the blood-colored energy.


    ording to the intelligence from the King of the Principality of Florence, after demons die, their power converges.


    Sterl estimated that these third-ss peak demons, upon death, would have the chance to be forged into a legendary demon.


    This would conveniently provide some trouble for those legendary yers. While Sterl wanted to dy their investigation progress to ensure the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array could be activated, he definitely wouldn''t take action personally.


    Having some strong enemies around would make things much easier.


    Sterl still adhered to his old strategy.


    He intended to reap the benefits of the grand array, but no one else should find out.


    After contemting for a few seconds, Sterl noticed spots of starlight flickering on the corpses of the demons in front of his avatar.


    It took him a moment to react��


    Wait! I''m fighting monsters, so they dropped loot!


    Sterl casually picked up the resources, acquiring two pieces of third-ss tinum-level equipment, though the equipment levels were 130 and 140. He suspected that by that time, he would have already prepared corresponding diamond-level gear for himself.


    He tossed the equipment into his inventory and then discovered something rather peculiar.


    [Anti-Element��me]+


    [Description: In the world of hell, all rules, powers, and essences are in absolute opposition and contrast to those in various other worlds. Perhaps the heroes from otherworlds are the only ones capable of utilizing both positive and negative forces.]


    [Effect: By integrating Anti-Element into me-rted skills, you can add a total damage increase attribute against main world units.]


    Simultaneously, a prompt appeared before Sterl�� [You have essed information rted to faction conflicts.]


    [View? Yes/No]


    "Yes," Sterl muttered, choosing to view "Faction Conflict" first.


    Instantly, a flood of information surged into his mind.


    [yer Sterl, you have unlocked Faction Conflict.]


    [Currently discovered factions: Main World Faction, Hell Faction.]


    [Current conflict mode: Opposites sh.]


    [Opposites sh: yers born in the Main World or Hell World are naturally in a red-name state with each other. Killing an opposing yer will drop their rarest equipment, with a small chance of dropping their highest-quality skill (including tinum, Iridescent, Pure skills), and yield a significant amount of faction tokens.]


    [The faction shop you have currently unlocked is: Main World Faction Shop.]


    "No way, there are yers in Hell too?" Sterl was momentarily stunned but quickly epted this setup.


    After all, in the variousrge-scale online games he had yed before transmigrating, such faction conflicts were quitemon.


    It would be stranger if [Transcendence] didn''t have this feature.


    However...


    "Sub-Professions and Faction Wars both require such high levels to unlock. Isn''t that a bit too demanding?"


    "Only those at the peak of third ss, nearing legendary status, can ess this content."


    Sterl grumbled to himself.


    A thought suddenly sprang to his mind, a hypothesis: if this game followed the patterns of MMOs from his previous life��


    Unlocking various systems at such high levels implied that the real game content of [Transcendence] was just beginning at this point.


    In many MMOs, reaching the top level and unlocking all systems marked the start of the core gamey...


    "If various systems still aren''t fully unlocked, could it be that in [Transcendence], being a legend, demigod, or even a god is just the starting point of the game?" Sterl couldn''t help but wonder...


    He quickly dismissed these far-off thoughts and turned his attention back to the material dropped by the demon.


    "Anti-Element..."


    "This thing should be quite valuable," Sterl analyzed, unable to resist the urge to hunt more demons.


    Adding unconditional damage boosts to skills, and enhancing total damage after all other modifiers, was an incredibly powerful effect!


    While it seemed to only target enemies from the main world, that scope was broad enough.


    Even for Sterl, maxing out his various damage-dealing skills would be a significant upgrade.


    "These aren''t just demons! They''re walking treasures."


    Sterl''s eyes lit up.


    Immediately, his Bionic Tear began to move swiftly, aiming to ensure that the demons in the city wouldn''t be imed by other yers.


    ...


    Soon, with the help of Star Insight, Bionic Tear quickly locked onto a legendary demon.


    This terrifying behemoth, apanied by eerie mes, gradually took shape. It had the head of a goat, hooves of a horse, and a body wrapped in bulging muscles.


    Strapped to its back was a massive axe, with the midsection of the axe head resembling the grotesque brain matter of various creatures.


    Surrounding it were three legendary yers, who eyed the demon warily.


    "I''ve scouted it out, all these demons follow a mini-boss temte."


    "Their health and attributes are slightly weaker than actual bosses, but they are still much stronger than elite monsters. Do the three of us take it on?"


    They waited for the demon to fully materialize, nervously discussing their strategy.


    Even though yers from the Hall of Valor were geniuses, they weren''t reckless enough to challenge a boss-level creature of the same tier with just three people.


    However, they were well aware of the value of these demons from the start. The fact that these demons were slightly weaker than full bosses made the trio eager to give it a try.


    At that moment, as the Goat-Headed Demon was in the midst of its resurrection, it hadn''t managed to make any moves yet.


    One yer swiftly threw out six radiant golden chains, binding the demon tightly. The glowing white runes on the chains caused the demon to scream in agony.


    The other two yers also went all out!


    One yer charged forward, swinging a longsword with his entire body enveloped in a ghostly green aura. The terrifying momentum even knocked down several surrounding streets, with many NPC civilians caught in the chaos, wailing as they fell.


    Evidently, this was a legendary ability!


    The other yer stood still, with a highly restrained aura, holding a longbow. Arrows made purely of energy slowly formed in his grasp.


    Through Bionic Tear''s vision, Sterl could easily sense that all the elemental forces in the surrounding area were being forcibly drawn in, converging at a single point.


    The sharp air currents from this energy even ground the surrounding rubble and soil to dust.


    This was the destructive power of a legendary level. The battle had only erupted for a few seconds, and despite the rtively restrained fighting style of the three yers, they had already devastated arge portion of the district!


    Then, the yer wielding the longsword made a fierce sh, producing six extremely sharp sword auras.


    The Goat-Headed Demon first tried to break free from the chains but failed, and then was continuously hit by the sword auras, resulting in horrific gashes all over its body!


    Simultaneously, the ghostly green energy surged into its body, swiftly weakening it.


    After the sword auras subsided, the legendary yer who had charged forward found himself in a momentary period of weakness, needing to recover his strength.


    Seizing the opportunity, a vicious gleam shed in the Goat-Headed Demon''s eyes.


    It had spotted a chance to counterattack.


    Blood-red power rapidly gathered on the Goat-Headed Demon''s body, but before it could make a move, the yer with the longbowpleted his charge in an instant.


    An arrow, like a point of light, condensed into a beam.


    It pierced straight through!


    The night sky of the Principality of Florence was lit up like daylight, akin to a lightning bolt tearing through the twilight.


    The Goat-Headed Demon''s chest and abdomen, seemingly its heart, were directly prated!


    The arrow''s trajectory carved a long tunnel through the air!


    "So powerful?" Sterl muttered. In his previous battles against legendary-level enemies, he had relied on the brute force of Law Power or sheer output.


    Watching the seamless coordination of the three yers, he realized it wouldn''t be easy for him to handle such a situation himself.


    However...


    Just as the three yers began to show signs of joy, thinking they were about to defeat the demon, a shrill roar erupted!


    The Goat-Headed Demon somehow triggered a surge of blood-red power from within!


    The others might not have understood, but through the Bionic Tear, Sterl sensed it using the [Holy Stone of Blood] that it carried. This power was resonating with a strange region beneath the Principality of Florence!


    Although the Bionic Tear didn''t inherit equipment effects, Sterl had equipped it with the Holy Stone of Blood for convenience in investigating the city.


    In that brief instant, Sterl used Star Insight (released by Bionic Tear; not described further) to discover a "Divine Guardian" buff appearing on the Goat-Headed Demon.


    "This is..." Sterl didn''t have time to think further.


    The situation reversed in an instant.


    Bang!


    With a crisp sound, the Goat-Headed Demon broke free from the golden chains with a blood-curdling roar.


    Blood-red shockwaves surrounded it, causing all three legendary yers to be simultaneously stunned!


    The Goat-Headed Demon grabbed the massive axe from its back and slightly charged its power.


    Beep!


    After a sharp, piercing sound, blood-red light gathered, forming a terrifying ghostly face that apanied the descending axe de with an eerie noise!


    Boom!


    The next second, the axe de struck!


    The Goat-Headed Demon''s attack hit the nearest melee yer, instantly shattering the ghostly green glow from his legendary ability!


    The yer was bisected at the waist in a gruesome instant!

 Chapter 239: Armor of the Great Demon

    In just an instant, the three yers who had seemed on the verge of defeating the demon were now on the brink of losing one of their own.


    Fortunately, the melee yer triggered some sort of emergency life-saving item. Instead of lying dead on the ground, his body disassembled and reassembled a short distance away.


    However, he still ended up tumbling to the side in a rather sorry state.


    What was even more terrifying was that after the demon''s axe struck the ground, it unleashed a shockwave along with dozens of skeletal ghost heads, which began to tear and bite in all directions!


    The shockwave, apanied by lingering blood-red light, briefly stunned the three yers once again.


    As the skeletal heads flew through the air, they emitted dark purple smoke, rapidly decaying anything they touched.


    The flying skulls moved incredibly fast, making it impossible for the stunned trio to dodge!


    It looked like the three legendary yers were about to be gravely injured, if not killed.


    Especially the yer who had already used his life-saving item; he gazed in despair at the skulls rushing towards him.


    "It''s over..."


    "We should never have been greedy enough to tackle a monster of this caliber! We need at least an eight or nine-person team to take it down."


    He felt he was about to meet a tragic end.


    The other two yers also realized that this expedition was a huge loss.


    They had gained nothing and were paying a heavy price...


    One of them turned into a semi-transparent shadow, quickly retreating and easily avoiding the attack.


    The other formed a radiant golden shield around himself. The skulls that hit the shield turned into smoke and dissipated.


    Despite escaping the immediate danger, both yers knew that their situation was still dire. They had avoided one attack, but escaping the next was uncertain.


    Moreover, they had already used several precious life-saving items!


    "We can only hope for reinforcements..." they thought, praying that other legendary yers would notice the battle ande to their aid. But even in the best-case scenario, if reinforcements arrived and they managed to kill the Goat-Headed Demon together, the loot split among many would hardlypensate for the cost of their life-saving items.


    They were at a huge loss!


    But without help, they were likely to die here.


    They could only pray for reinforcements!


    As if their prayers were answered, a figure appeared.


    The three yers focused their eyes and saw that it was none other than their terrifying team leader. At this moment, the sight of him, however terrifying, felt incrediblyforting.


    In a situation where only one person came to their aid, having this leader show up was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.


    "David" was considered the strongest among them.


    With him around, they all had a better chance of making it out alive!


    The demon posed no threat to their leader; however, given its boss-like temte, even "David" might struggle if he attempted to solo it.


    At this moment, the three yers on the field saw "David" arrive. Even before he reached them, the ground began to glow with a brilliant blue light.


    Then, a Celestial Star descended from the sky.


    Members of the Hall of Valor were considered allies by default, so as long as friendly fire was disabled, Sterl could freely unleash his abilities.


    Under the effect of Celestial Stars...


    The three yers immediately received massive shields, and their health began to regenerate at lightning speed!


    "Leader, watch out for the red��"


    The three yers quickly tried to warn him, repaying his arrival with their advice.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t even finish their sentence. They barely noticed the shadows enveloping their leader before the terrifying heat from the descending Celestial Star turned everything around it into ruins! The intense heat liquefied the surroundings, then vaporized them!


    The Goat-Headed Demon barelysted a fraction of a second before disintegrating into ashes!


    At that moment, Sterl''s Bionic Tear activated abination of three legendary abilities: Shadow Stealth, Inspire, and Ancient Memory, enhancing the power of Celestial Stars!


    Despite the Goat-Headed Demon''s boss-like attributes, its life force was reduced by about 80% in a single strike and was killed instantly!


    "Watch out for the red mist..."


    By the time the three legendary yers snapped out of their daze, they could only mutter thest few words.


    They were dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.


    It was important to note that the Goat-Headed Demon was even more terrifying in its enhanced state with that blood-red mist, which had been giving them a hard time.


    Moreover, even when it first appeared, the demon withstood three different legendary abilities without falling!


    But now...


    After the red mist, the yers'' scouting skills revealed the Goat-Headed Demon''s life force had been fully restored and had even exceeded its original limit.


    Yet, their leader had barely arrived, tossed out a single skill, and ended the battle!


    What about the demon''s special abilities and unique attacks?


    Who cares!


    It was a one-shot kill!


    The three legendary yers, looking at their fully restored health and thick shields, fell into an awkward silence.


    Sterl quickly collected the demon''s loot and then left them with a parting remark: "Why are you just standing there? Keep investigating."


    Then he floated away.


    The yers could only watch his retreating figure.


    Though still filled with fear, they gradually felt admiration and respect.


    During the chaotic battle before boarding the Rainbow Ship, their leader probably hadn''t even used a tenth of his strength.


    "This is third ss? I don''t believe it!"


    "I vaguely sensed the leader using several abilities just now, all of them legendary. He was ying dumb from the start!"


    "So, those three mid-tier legendary yers werepletely yed by him?"


    ...


    As the three yers continued their conversation, their respect and awe for Sterl grew even stronger.


    They silently vowed never to underestimate weaker individuals again. Who knows, they might encounter another person like their leader, who enjoys pretending to be weak.


    After their discussion, a sense of relief began to settle in their hearts.


    "It seems like we have a pretty good leader."


    "As long as we drag out this mission, its difficulty will definitely increase. But with a leader this strong, we could earn a lot of Valor Contribution Points."


    "Could it be that this time, we''re actually going toe out on top?"


    ...


    Sterl, meanwhile, was unaware of the yers'' discussions. He looked at the loot dropped by the legendary demon, and his face instantly fell.


    The loot was surprisingly good��it included a piece of legendary diamond armor.


    It was a rather bizarre-looking full-body armor.


    The material of the armor was some kind of flesh, sticky and slimy to the touch, making it feel extremely slippery, cold, and quite unpleasant.


    Sterl''s interface disyed the attributes of the armor:


    [Armor of the Great Demon (Special)]+


    [Tier: Legendary]


    [Category: Chest Armor]


    [Description: This is a unique piece of equipment forged in hell, fundamentally different from various creations in the main world. The so-called Great Demon stands on the shoulders of other demons. The Armor of the Great Demon follows this principle.]


    [Attributes: None]


    [Effect: Parasitic Devour: This armor can devour another piece of chest armor and gain 1.5 times the attributes of the devoured armor, as well as all its skills, with skill effects enhanced by 10% to 50%.]


    [Remaining Parasitic Uses: 2/2]


    [Note: When this armor detaches from the devoured armor, the devoured armor is destroyed. When all parasitic uses are exhausted, if the armor detaches, both pieces of armor are destroyed.]


    [Note: While wearing this armor or its parasitic version, your health will continuously be drained. If you die from this effect, none of your resurrection skills will trigger, and your corpse will transform into a [Great Demon], corresponding to your strength, with full attributes, skills, and talents.]


    [Note: This armor can only inherit legendary or lower-tier equipment.]


    In addition to the legendary armor, there was also a golden skill book:


    [Cursed Vision]+


    [Quality: Golden]


    [Description: A special skill from hell. Thisnd is a paradise of curses, poisons, andva. Possessing eyes that adapt to curses is a necessity for all creatures.]


    [Effect: Upon activation, for the next ten hours, all units you damage will be exposed to your vision. However, you will randomly suffer from one of the following curses: blindness, poisoning, vulnerability, sluggishness, or reduced skill casting speed. The unit exposed to your vision will also suffer from the same curse.]


    [Note: Each additional use of Cursed Vision enhances the curse''s effect by 10%.]


    Besides these, there were two third-ss pieces of equipment, one purple skill book, and that was it...


    That was it!


    Sterl felt extremely frustrated!


    The Armor of the Great Demon and Cursed Vision, both an equipment and a skill, were quite a pleasant surprise.


    The former essentially allowed an unconditional 1.5x enhancement of a legendary piece of equipment''s quality! With no upper limit!


    If Sterl obtained an epic or mythic piece of equipment, he could forcibly boost its strength even further. It could be said that the Armor of the Great Demon was probably one of the most valuable items among legendary equipment!


    The Cursed Vision was incredibly useful as well. The value of reconnaissance vision needs no exnation. When Sterl is pursuing enemies, this ability would shine brightly. It could even be used to check the enemy''s position when he is fleeing.


    Extremely practical!


    Not to mention, Cursed Vision could also curse enemies, making it useful in directbat!


    The only issue with these items is their origin from hell, which meant they came with significant side effects...


    The Armor of the Great Demon might end up consuming its wearer, and the curses from Cursed Vision would also affect the user, with the curse effects intensifying with each use. Eventually, the skill''s owner might not dare to use it at all.


    But in a game like [Transcendence], the worst thing to fear isn''t side effects; it''s ack ofbat power leading to immediate death.


    Sterl made a decision simr to other yers.


    He decided to save the armor for when he reached the legendary tier, but he learned the skill immediately!


    Furthermore...


    Both the equipment and the skill had a plus sign, indicating that Sterl''s point-allocation system would definitely optimize the skills in a way that benefited him.


    He had a feeling...


    After maxing out the points, the side effects might not be as severe.


    At worst, the equipment and skill effects would be enhanced without changing the side effects.


    As to why he still felt a bit uneasy despite the two excellent finds, it was because��

 Chapter 240: Extremely Precious [Anti] Materials

    Sterl had originally hoped to obtain some [Anti-Element] materials, but he ended up with nothing at all.


    It seemed these resources were extremely rare and not easy to acquire.


    Previously, he had managed to get one [Anti-Element��me] from killing a third-ss demon, which was already considered lucky.


    Feeling helpless, Sterl decided that if he couldn''t farm enough, he would focus on upgrading the [Anti-Element��me] he already had, hoping that quality could make up for quantity.


    The following long night...


    Turned into a nightmare for countless demons.


    However, the yers tasked with tracking down these demons were also incredibly frustrated.


    The main reason was...


    Their leader was too insane!


    He attacked everywhere and killed any demon he encountered.


    Every time the leader appeared, if the battlefield was already mostly cleared by the yers, he would just use one shot of Celestial Stars to take all the remaining kills.


    If the battlefield was still intact, he would unleash a bizarre me, simrly snatching all the kills.


    Then the leader would gather all the loot and disappear immediately, and the only way to see him again was if you encountered a few more demons...


    Only the unlucky few who encountered unbeatable demons were grateful to their leader.


    They even thought the leader was actively saving people, but soon reality proved them wrong.


    Because the yers who survived these encounters would have their kills stolen by the leader when they faced other demons...


    Fortunately, Sterl wasn''tpletely heartless. After stealing the kills, he would leave behind all the loot except for the Anti-Element resources. Of course, this was mainly because the other equipment and skills weren''t up to his standards, and even if he took them, he would just sell them in bulk for resources.


    ...


    Boom!!


    With a resounding crash, the Celestial Stars, enhanced by the Ancient Memory, fell once more, instantly vaporizing and killing two small, oddly-shaped demons that were lunging towards a severely injured legendary yer.


    Their bodies disintegrated into fragments!


    About ten secondster, the light of the Celestial Stars slowly faded, and the battle was over.


    The legendary yer looked at Sterl with aplicated expression. He had had his kills stolen several times before, and this time he was saved by the leader.


    At this moment, Sterl looked into the distance, where the sun was gradually rising.


    The long night was over.


    However, this long night was not the Principality of Florence''s long night, but the long night of the demons from the Blood Cult.


    Although they could reform through the power of blood after death, it clearly required some time.


    The reason why Sterl was able to instantly elevate to legendary status after killing a third-ss demon was simply because the Principality of Florence had neglected these monsters for far too long.


    The demons had already umted their power to its peak, preparing to merge upon death.


    Now, they needed some time to recover.


    Of course, Sterl didn''t aim topletely annihte the demons. The reason he frantically appeared near other yers to steal kills was to control the speed at which the yers were clearing out the demons.


    When legendary demons appeared, Sterl would intentionally wait until they had battled the yers for a while before stepping in to kill them.


    This was to ensure that the demons could maintain a stalemate with the yers in theing days.


    As Sterl walked over to the yer he had just saved, he picked up the loot dropped by the legendary demon and shook his head wearily.


    Killing monsters wasn''t tiring; after all, it was Bionic Tear doing the work. But controlling the efficiency and progress of the kills was a bit troublesome. It required precise remote control by Sterl himself, which consumed a significant amount of his mental energy.


    Soon, Bionic Tear had a simple conversation with the yers.


    "Tonight, we''ve nearly cleared out the demons. We can ensure that no new citizens will go missing."


    "From now on, let''s work hard."


    "Let''s protect the beautiful mornings of the Principality of Florence."


    His implication was that while they could continue to hunt demons, they should halt any new investigation progress.


    The yers understood this well. This way, they could farm monsters to gain equipment and resources while allowing the forces behind the demons to continue their covert operations, thereby continuously increasing the difficulty of the quest. This was certainly the most beneficial route.


    So they all nodded in agreement.


    "Understood!"


    "We will definitely work hard to hunt the demons!"


    "Yes, sir, leader!"


    ...


    Although Sterl had stolen a lot of killsst night, most yers had been saved by him at least once. At this moment, even though they might grumble internally about their leader, they still respected and appreciated him more than they resented him.


    Therefore, what Sterl saw was a scene of unity and collective determination.


    He nodded in satisfaction and controlled Bionic Tear to return to the mansion specially prepared for him by the King of the Principality of Florence.


    He then began to tally the gains from a whole night of hunting.


    Sterl estimated that he had ughtered nearly a hundred third-ss demons and four legendary demons.


    Some of the third-ss demons were from stolen kills, so he didn''t get the full loot from all of them.


    As for the legendary demons, since the yers were scattered all over the city, at most forming small teams of two or three, it was naturally impossible for them to handle a boss-like unit. Therefore, Sterl mostly swooped in to save the day and, as a matter of course, took all the loot.


    "Holy crap, that''s a lot of experience!" Sterl was stunned for a few seconds as he checked his gains.


    He opened up thebat notifications.


    [You have killed a hellish creature, earning Main World experience rewards!]


    [You have killed a hell...]


    ��


    [You have killed a legendary hellish creature, earning Main World experience rewards!]


    [You have killed a legendary...]


    He then discovered that the so-called Main World rewards were randomly selected from experience points, purple coins, and legend points.


    Among them, purple coins and experience points were moremon, while legend points had only a very small chance of being obtained.


    Killing legendary hellish creatures, however, provided a fixed reward of five legend points plus a currency called [Divine Token], amounting to 500 tokens.


    Sterl opened his inventory, revealing a total of 2000 coins shimmering with a silver-jade luster.


    [Divine Token]


    [Description: A special token that cannot be obtained through normal means, only awarded by the Main World. It can be used as contribution points to purchase items in any Main World faction.]


    [Effect: Select to see the exchange rate of this token and the various contribution stores you currently have ess to.]


    "Nice, good stuff!" Sterl was a bit excited.


    He checked it out and found that 2000 Divine Tokens could actually be exchanged for 1000 Valor Contribution Points.


    "These demons are practically cash cows!"


    Sterl beamed with joy as he did the math.


    Just from the Main World rewards, he received 2000 Divine Tokens, 136 purple coins, and 16 legend points.


    And his experience bar,bined with the kills of hundreds of third-ss and four legendary demons, had directly filled up to level 90!


    He then inspected his inventory further and found 73 pieces of third-ss equipment and 25 purple skill books.


    Additionally, there were��


    Four pieces of top-tier gear.


    [Crown of the Dispassionate (Diamond)]


    [Grade: Third ss]


    ...


    [Death Caller (Diamond)]


    [Grade: Legendary]


    ...


    [Demonic Armor (Diamond)]


    [Grade: Legendary]


    ...


    [Possession by Evil Spirits (Diamond)]


    [Grade: Third ss]


    [Type: Special Slot��Spirit Attachment]


    [Description: Perhaps you''ll enjoy having a monster perched on your shoulder.]


    [Effect: After killing any monster, you can choose to imprint it as a tattoo on your body. In battle, you can summon this monster''s spirit, which can either possess you or act independently. In the possession state, you gain attribute boosts and extra skills based on the monster''s abilities. In the independent state, the spirit fights in its original form but with significantly reduced defense.


    The spirit will consume you when your health is low, you are in poor condition, or you are controlled.]


    [Note: This item''s effect conflicts with skills/equipment like guardian spirits or protective angels.]


    All four pieces of equipment had powerful effects but came with significant drawbacks. Sterl wasn''t particrly impressed with three of them, as they didn''t offer much of a boost for him. However, he found the special effect of Possession by Evil Spirits quite intriguing.


    "This drawback is pretty severe. A minor mistake in battle could lead to a backfire, but it might be worth checking out after adding some points," Sterl mused. However, he was still some ways away from reaching third ss.


    For now, he decided to stash it away.


    Besides equipment and skills, the most anticipated loot for Sterl was��various [Anti] series materials.


    As expected, the drop rate was quite low, and only three types of materials were obtained.


    Anti-Element��me, which he now had three of, including previous drops.


    Anti-Element��Shadow, two in total.


    Anti-Element��Blood, four in total.


    Sterl deduced that there was no quality distinction among these Anti-Elements; their drop rate was extremely low, and only powerful demons produced them.


    Moreover, Anti-Elements were rted to the demons'' attributes. The demons in the Principality of Florence appeared to originate from the Hellyer ruled by the Archduke of Blood.


    Besides the nearly universal shadow and me traits among demons, the most abundant Anti-Element was Blood.


    "I can still use shadow for Shadow Stealth."


    "But blood element, that''s useless," Sterl couldn''t help but grumble.


    After organizing his loot, Sterl found he couldn''t immediately incorporate the Anti-Elements into his skills. Firstly, he didn''t have enough of them, and secondly, he needed to experiment with adding points to see how much these materials could evolve.


    But right now, he simply didn''t have enough points to spare!


    He still had to perfect the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array and figure out a way to thwart the Blood Cult''s ns...


    As dawn broke, countless residents of the Principality of Florence stepped out of their homes, only to be shocked by the demon corpses littering the streets.


    These hellish monsters didn''t seem to have their bodies disappear upon death.


    Consequently, amotion began to spread throughout the city.

 Chapter 241: Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, Fully Mastered!

    "The demon is really dead."


    "Great! We are saved!"


    "Thanks to the king for bringing in reinforcements!"


    ...


    The townsfolk, soldiers, and nobles all poured out of their homes.


    After the initial shock, their expressions shifted to joy as they looked at the corpses, some even kicking and spitting on them in anger.


    The people were unaware that there were still forces at y behind the demons; they only felt relieved to have survived the previous night.


    Moreover, judging by the situation, the capital of Florence should be safe for the time being!


    As for the ruins left behind in the city, most people didn''t care, since it wasn''t their own misfortune.


    Thus, the morning in the Principality of Florence quickly descended into a sea of joy.


    However, in a certain sense, they were not entirely mistaken; Sterl had no intention of allowing the Blood Cult to continue abducting people.


    As a professional Array Master, he determined that the materials for the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had been gathered.


    As time passed, an hour or twoter, the yers received summons from the king and nobles, but Sterl and the others naturally chose to decline without hesitation.


    After all, we are legends; we cannot be summoned and dismissed at your whim!


    Next, Florence enjoyed a full four days of tranquility.


    Aside from the first night when the yers went on a rampage, ughtering demons, the number of demons appearing each subsequent day was minimal.


    However, since the materials from the demons held considerable value, the yers diligently continued their cleanup efforts.


    During these four days, Sterl''s luck wasn''t great; he did not acquire any new Anti-Element skills but did manage to find six pieces of third-ss equipment, two purple skill books, and a pile of misceneous items.


    The rewards from the world did not yield any legend points either; he only gained some experience, which raised his level to 92, along with 23 purple gold coins.


    Due to Sterl''s nighttime demon hunting, his days were rtively free, allowing him to focus on training, and he sessfully absorbed quite a bit of experience, bringing him to level 88.


    For the stat points he earned over these four days, he used them for four regr upgrades, sessfully learning all ten sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, enabling him to form aplete divine array.


    To Sterl''s surprise, there was even a special symbol behind this divine array that allowed for forced stat allocation.


    "I just have to wait until tomorrow, and I can [Transcendence] the body in the hands of the Archduke of Blood," he said, his voice tinged with excitement.


    If mastering the array perfectly only gave Sterl a certain advantage in intercepting the benefits of the Blood Cult, then evolving a version stronger than the original array allowed him to gain aprehensive understanding of the ws in the original array, making it easier for him to seize control over it!


    "Phew..."


    Sterl stood up from the cave, rubbing his head. Theplexity of the divine array gave him a headache.


    Had it not been for his stat allocation ability, which allowed him to enhance the iplete array he had already learned, he would have struggled. He hadpletely drained his stored blood force to push his proficiency up to the master level.


    Had Sterl obtained the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array directly, he felt he would need at least four to five months just to barely grasp the basics!


    Not to mention now...


    The divine array presented itself as a proficiency nearing mastery.


    Although his proficiency had decreased due to stat allocation, Sterl was confident that he understood this divine array far better than any of the members of the Blood Cult!


    After evolving the [Holy Stone of Blood], Sterl grasped the power within the blood force system. Unless it was the Archduke of Blood''s own strength, it could only influence up to demigod level power at most.


    So for the members of the Blood Cult, being able to even grasp the basics of this grand array was quite impressive.


    "Now, let''s see how my ck ves are progressing."


    "And I should check how they n to operate the array."


    It was now nearly five in the afternoon. Sterl had just finished his stat allocation and absorbed all the knowledge of the array.


    After a day of training, feeling restless, he decided to take a stroll.


    By the way, it seemed there was no concept of time zones in [Transcendence].


    Theoretically, Florence was far removed from the area where humanity resided on Earth, yet Sterl found that the cooldown time for his cheat was still aligned with the local time of just after four o''clock.


    Moreover, he sensed that the cooldown at his home took a full twenty-four hours.


    Thus, Sterl concluded that time zones were consistent.


    ...


    When Sterl mentioned "taking a stroll," he meant that his main body would sneak back into the city of Florence.


    He quickly found the seventeen areas that had been shielded and used Shadow Stealth to slip into them.


    As the saying goes, "An outsider watches the excitement, while an insider sees the details."


    Sterl now had apletely different understanding of the hidden sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    He found himself in the underground water chamber of thergest public bathhouse in Florence, a hidden location for the Blood Cult.


    Sterl frowned slightly; the array set up here was the sub-array called [Frenzy]. Its effect was that all units within the array would attack everything in sight, regardless of friend or foe.


    However...


    This array is set up so poorly!


    Sterl couldn''t help but want to voice his criticism.


    At that moment, in the underground water chamber, there were about several dozen Blood Cult followers dressed in crimson robes.


    Among them, the two leaders, who were merely third-ss Patriarchs, wore worried expressions and muttered to each other.


    "The situation is getting worse and worse."


    "Florence really has sought help from the Hall of Valor, and this time they sent over a dozen legends in one go."


    "Yes, didn''t the Pope say that even if the Hall of Valor sent strong reinforcements, we would have ways to deal with it?"


    "But what we see is demons being ughtered mercilessly, and we ourselves are hiding in every corner."


    "Although the array hasn''t been exposed yet, we have so many strongholds; it''s impossible to remain undetected forever."


    As these twoined,


    Sterl, hidden in the shadows, realized something. He understood the reason the Pope of the Blood Cult imed not to worry about reinforcements from the Hall of Valor.


    In Sterl''s team, there were indeed traitors.


    Those two traitors had even deceived another mid-level legend into vying for the team leader position.


    If it weren''t for Sterl''s presence, their n would have seeded, and the reinforcements from the Hall of Valor would have had no impact on the Blood Cult''s ns.


    In fact, three mid-level legends, coupled with legendary demons, could have easily caused significant losses to many yers.


    Thinking of this, Sterl''s mind sparked...


    Why do I feel like I have some room to maneuver here?


    "You''ve set this array up way too poorly."


    "The blood force used at the sixth node should spread to this point; that way, we can ensure the square energy is fully charged."


    "Causing Frenzy doesn''t necessarily require mindless pressure; having appropriate channels for rxation can better disrupt mental focus."


    "If you understood these principles, you wouldn''t haveid out the entire array so terribly."


    As Sterl spoke casually, he suddenly deactivated Shadow Stealth.


    "Who?"


    "Who goes there?"


    At first, all the members of the Blood Cult were on edge and extremely flustered.


    But as they listened to the neer''s words, they became somewhat puzzled. Although they didn''t quite understand what he was saying, it sounded reasonable and professional!


    He didn''t seem like someone looking for trouble.


    Instantly, they looked at Sterl with suspicion, unsure of his origins.


    "I am Philip Waldo."


    "I am also a member of the Blood Cult. After sessfully infiltrating the Hall of Valor, I havee to assist you under the calling of my lord."


    "I have some not-so-good news. The reinforcements originally arranged by the Pope have encountered a problem, which is why I came here specifically."


    Sterl spoke off the cuff.


    He wasn''t nning to disguise himself as the two deceased traitors; after all, what if the Pope and those two were already acquainted? That would make it easy for them to see through his ruse.


    So instead, Sterl used his words to pretend he was another member of the Blood Cult lurking in the Hall of Valor.


    Even though his manner of speaking might not align perfectly with themunication style within the Blood Cult, Sterl didn''t care.


    "Throwing a shot in the dark, I suppose."


    Even if he were exposed, they were just a bunch of third-ss members; he could wipe them all out in an instant.


    Upon hearing his words, the members of the Blood Cult rxed slightly.


    After all, what Sterl had just said showed that this Philip Waldo had an extensive understanding of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array. If he weren''t one of their own, how could he know it so well? This array had only recently been granted by their lord.


    Moreover��


    As Sterl took out the [Holy Stone of Blood], the members of the cult widened their eyes in astonishment.


    This was the item that Sterl had evolved to its peak by absorbing various bloody powers...


    Theoretically��


    "The blessing power on this is even stronger than that of the Pope!"


    "And I sense that the power within this Holy Stone is more vibrant and free."


    "Who... who exactly are you?"


    At that moment, the members of the Blood Cult knelt to the ground, no longer harboring any doubts.


    Instead, they fervently surrounded Sterl with admiration.


    However, Sterl remained vignt. He had seen many movies and novels before his transmigration��


    In those stories, the protagonist''s group would infiltrate a cult, thinking they could escape, only to be shot in the back by their own. The cultists would show that they had long seen through their disguises��


    So he immediately stated his demands: "I have two main purposes foring here. One is to help you dy those people in the Hall of Valor, letting them kill a few demons."


    "To prevent them from investigating these undetectable areas."


    "The other matter is to help you optimize the array, assisting our lord''s ns to advance more effectively!"


    Sterl spoke in a deep, earnest tone, putting on a fa?ade of loyalty.

 Chapter 242: The Goals of the Blood Cult

    Sterl discreetly observed the expressions of the surrounding Blood Cult members.


    If they didn''t allow him to manipte the array, it would mean they still didn''t trust him and were merely putting on a show��


    But in reality, he was overthinking it.


    Only the two Patriarchs hesitated for a moment before respectfully stating, "No problem, please feel free to proceed."


    "We just need to know if you require any additional materials."


    Sterl shook his head. "No need, just a few modifications will suffice. The materials you''ve prepared are abundant, even exceeding what is normally required for an array."


    What he said was an objective observation; the zealots were highly efficient, and the variety of materials stored in this one base was enough topletely rebuild the array.


    Moreover, after deactivating Shadow Stealth for a detailed inspection, Sterl discovered quite a few items called [Demon Soul Crystals]within the base.


    After examining them, he gained new knowledge��


    Demons, besides traversing dimensional rifts to arrive in the main world, also had another method: they could abandon their physical bodies and transform their souls into soul crystals, transferring them to the main world.


    As long as their followers in the main world helped inject flesh and blood energy, they could be reborn.


    However, the drawback of this method was that if the followers in the main world betrayed them, the demon would effectively be dead for real.


    At this moment, the soul crystals and various flesh materials in the base were sufficient to construct over a dozen legendary demons!


    Sterl couldn''t help but estimate that if every base was somewhat simr, they could instantly produce nearly 200 legendary demons??


    Although the demons created in this way would be different from those legendary demons that reformed after death, possessing a boss-like temte, they might at best be elites; nheless, they were still legendary!


    With such arge quantity, to be honest, a small ce like Florence simply couldn''t withstand it��


    However, for Sterl, this was great news!


    The more legendary demons there were, the more resources he could farm��


    At this point, Sterl directly began to take action, using his spatial sensing abilities and understanding of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array to help the Blood Cult members optimize the array.


    Clearly, as Sterl had suspected, the profession of Array Master was extremely rare. In fact, within this stronghold, the Blood Cult members didn''t have even one person who was proficient in arrays; only a few had a bit of spatial talent and could recite the construction of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array from memory.


    Therefore, when Sterl first started working, the two Patriarchs remained somewhat cautious, having those few who understood arrays pay close attention to Philip Waldo''s actions.


    As Sterl worked quickly, he manipted the already refined crimson materials, causing them to detach from their original spatial nodes and infuse into nearby, more rational nodes.


    The other Blood Cult members present watched this scene with dumbfounded expressions.


    "Philip Waldo" moved his hands gracefully, like a pair of dancing butterflies.


    The surrounding energy surged and shimmered in vibrant colors.


    "How is it? Is he up to something?"


    "Is he really repairing the array, or is he doing something else?" The two Patriarchs quietly approached the few cult members with spatial aptitude to inquire.


    Those members wore serious and solemn expressions.


    "Report, leaders, wepletely don''t understand."


    The cult members said honestly, feeling helpless.


    The gap in their understanding was just too vast.


    A professional Array Master maniptes the array based on the spatial conditions of different locations to arrive at the optimal solution. In contrast, when they constructed the array, they were relying on the Archduke of Blood''s distant perception from Hell to barely sense the conditions in Florence, crafting a step-by-step manual to set it up.


    They themselves didn''t even know what they were operating; they just hoped the grand array would eventually activate.


    At this moment, under Sterl''s maniption, the operational efficiency of the entire array increased by over thirty percent.


    Though many of the Blood Cult members did not understand arrays, they were observant enough to sense the changes immediately.


    In the base, the array exuding the power of a strange, bewildering star had previously felt somewhat clumsy; now it surged with energy, moving smoothly.


    Instantly, the cult members no longer harbored doubts about this mysterious Philip Waldo; he was undoubtedly a pir of strength and a trusted aide within the cult!


    Yet Sterl maintained a calm demeanor, finding the expressions of those around him amusing��


    Indeed, they really ought to thank me!


    In this instance, Sterl wasn''t engaging in any underhanded tactics; he was simply streamlining the array''s operation. After all, just because the Blood Cult members in this base didn''t understand arrays didn''t mean there wasn''t someone in the Blood Cult of Florence who did.


    Sterl was simply seeking to better understand the style of array arrangements within the Blood Cult, which would be useful for his future operations.


    Now he had a rough idea: the cult''s arrays were all based on a fixed temte, leading to numerous errors and oversights.


    Sterl observed the expressions of the cult members around him and realized they had begun to trust him. He casually asked, "What is the specific n for this operation?"


    "Our Lord only summoned me and instructed me to utilize my array capabilities for support."


    He didn''t consider these cult members to be fools; he simply wanted to take a chance. If their reactions were intense, it would mean his identity could be exposed, but if he could glean any intelligence, it would be a significant gain.


    However, as expected, even though these people had tentatively begun to trust Sterl, they still didn''t know the purpose behind the array arrangements��


    After asking for a long time, he received no information. Instead, he himself gained insights based on the operational patterns of the array and some of the special "materials" around him.


    But for now, Sterl was still only guessing; he needed to visit more bases to gather additional intelligence to corroborate his theories.


    Before long, hepletely adjusted the array and then voluntarily bid farewell to the Blood Cult members: "Next, I will go to support other bases."


    "You all need to pay attention to hiding; I will do my best to cover for you."


    The cult members responded with fervor.


    "Understood! My lord!"


    "We will not let your efforts go to waste!"


    ��


    For a while, Sterl mingled among various Blood Cult bases, using the identity of Philip Waldo to propose repairing the arrays.


    Naturally, not all members of the cult were willing to ept his help.


    Even with the Holy Stone of Blood proving his identity, these individuals responded somewhat coldly, stating that the arrays were gifts personally bestowed by the Archduke of Blood, and how could mere followers alter them?


    Sterl didn''t push the issue; he quietly noted the locations of the bases that refused his good intentions, nning toter bring people to directly destroy them as a feat for the yers.


    After helping the Blood Cult "optimize the arrays," Sterl also made some rough inferences about the goals of the Blood Cult based on the operational conditions of the various arrays.


    He discovered that the previously missing individuals were mostly outsiders with no blood ties to the local residents of Florence.


    A few of the surviving individuals in the Blood Cult bases were local Florentines, seemingly caught by chance; although their situation was dire, they were still alive.


    Furthermore, there were vague but discernible traces within the different sub-arrays of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array��this array was designed to extract something.


    Combined with the information that local Florentines were captured by the Blood Cult yet still remained alive, Sterl began to piece together a grim picture.


    Sterl deduced that the target of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array likely involved all the local residents of Florence��he discovered that some of those hidden within the Blood Cult bases even included powerless beggars.


    It seemed that the Blood Cult aimed to utilize the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array to extract something from the bloodlines of these individuals.


    At first, Sterl hadn''t realized that whether someone was considered an outsider depended on their bloodline; he had primarily inferred the Blood Cult''s general objectives through his research on the arrays and worked backward to identify the patterns.


    "The only question left is, what special properties lie within the bloodlines of Florence''s residents?"


    Sterl mused, curious about the array''s operation. The Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array was designed to refine all living beings within the royal city.


    For Sterl, unless the benefits were extremelypelling, he would never ept bing stronger in such a manner.


    He had a new approach in mind; inspired by the Anti-Element, Sterl nned to shift the array''s refinement mode from targeting the main world to focusing on the anti-world��specifically, various demonic entities in Hell.


    As for the specific methods of operation, he wouldn''t have to run to each Blood Cult base to execute them one by one. Once the array wasbined into one, he could directly overturn the situation.


    Although Sterl couldn''t operate a divine-level array himself, he could still make minor modifications. If worse came to worst, he could always ascend to godhood and force it to work.


    At this moment, Sterl reflected as he exited one of the Blood Cult''s bases.


    He faced the sunlight, looking ahead.


    Now, he only had onest Blood Cult base to visit, which was the one near the royal pce��


    However, Sterl had no intention of proceeding there.


    The array at the pce was the core of the ten different arrays; he suspected that the mysterious Blood Cult pontiff and some core members were located there.


    Philip Waldo had already blended in well at the various bases, and there was no need to take such a significant risk by contacting the pontiff.


    Moreover, because the pce''s array was the core, there were two backup versions located in the other bases.


    Sterl didn''t need to investigate further to understand how the Blood Cult arranged its core arrays.


    From here on out, all of his decisions would simply need to��

 Chapter 243: Divine-Level Arrays, Evolving Once Again!

    Sterl only needed to wait...


    He would see what he could achieve with the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array this afternoon after adding some cooldown time.


    Time passed swiftly.


    However, instead of receiving the cooldown he was waiting for, he received a piece of intelligence support.


    Earlier, when he was investigating the various Blood Cult bases, he had been puzzled about what exactly the Archduke of Blood wanted to extract from the bloodlines of the residents of Florence.


    He had sent this inquiry to the Sosia and Sonis sisters, asking them to consult various texts in the Hall of Valor to see if they could find any answers.


    To Sterl''s pleasant surprise, the sisters indeed provided him with an answer.


    "Master, based on our research, all residents of Florence should have a trace of the House of Radiance bloodline within them."


    "The NPCs in [Transcendence] generally follow the logic of real life. With the level of productivity in Florence, mostmoners are unable to leave descendants. In the royal city of Florence, the bloodline of everyone can be traced back to the royal family��the House of Radiance."


    "This means thatmoners possess a faint trace of the House of Radiance bloodline. Although there is no specific record of its effects, the Hall of Valor contains documentation indicating that the Radiance bloodline originates from a knight named Kant Weir."


    "Legend has it that he was born frail and bullied, but he adhered to the knightly virtues. Eventually, heaven granted him a strange bloodline that allowed even those with the worst aptitude to cultivate and gain a power known as radiance."


    "Before Kant Weir even reached demigod status, he had already established countless achievements, founded the House of Radiance, and built a nation called Florence."


    "I suspect that the demon you mentioned, the Archduke of Blood, is likely seeking to obtain this bloodline to gain Radiance Law."


    As if anticipating Sterl''s confusion about why a legendary demon would be so concerned with a Law Power, the sisters thoughtfully included additional information they had found.


    "ording to our investigation, the rules in the Hell world and the main world are entirely different. Equipment and abilities below the legendary tier can still barely interact, but once you reach the demigod level, creatures from Hell and the main world theoretically cannot learn abilities from each other."


    "Moreover, the reason demons in various myths can tempt humans is primarily due to the effects of their hellish powers above the demigod level, which can have unique effects in the main world. For example, regarding the Archduke of Blood, the blood force hemands is merely a normal corrosive energy in Hell."


    "In the main world, this corrosive power can forcibly break through the skill proficiency limits."


    "We suspect that Radiance Law may have extremely unique uses in Hell."


    After reading the private message from Sosia and Sonis, along with the additional information from the Hall of Valor, Sterl fell into deep thought. In other words, the core purpose of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array...


    was to exploit a loophole!


    The Radiance bloodline could ignore aptitude conditions, allowing individuals to learn Radiance Law, which would naturally enable the Archduke of Blood to master the power system of the main world.


    And this power could potentially have extraordinarily unique applications in Hell.


    Well...


    Sterl felt he had initially misunderstood. He thought this demon was nning a grand scheme��an invasion of the main world!


    In reality, the demon had no such intentions; he simply wanted to leverage a bit of Law Power to continue his struggles in Hell.


    However, now that Sterl had received this intelligence from Sosia and Sonis, another idea began to form in his mind��


    Since that''s the case, is it possible for me to use this array to acquire skills that were originally only essible to creatures from Hell?


    For example, the blood force he possessed was a version granted by the Archduke of Blood, a demigod-level Law Power, which had already reached a point where it couldn''t be further influenced or enhanced.


    If he could obtain the genuine version of the blood force that only hellish beings could possess, would its effects be explosive?


    Thus, for nearly an entire afternoon, Sterl immersed himself in the texts sent by Sosia and Sonis, bing increasingly excited as he read.


    The recorded abilities of those demons were simply overpowered in the main world!


    Take Dark Thunder Power, for instance. In Hell, it was merely amon lightning ability, but in the main world, it could refine equipment and grant any item an enhancement forging effect. As long as the necessary resources were avable for strengthening, it could be stacked infinitely.


    Theoretically, a piece of useless gear at level one could be enhanced to rival legendary equipment!


    And once legendary equipment was enhanced to its maximum potential, it could even surpass some artifacts. The only issue was that the more times it was enhanced, the higher the failure rate. If it failed, the entire piece of equipment would be destroyed.


    However, for someone like Sterl, who possessed a Fate Token, that meant enhancement was guaranteed to seed.


    Then there was the [Death gue]. yers possessing this ability in the main world could enhance their skills by killing enemies, potentially raising the skill''s quality to the iridescent tier!


    This corresponded to god-level skills!


    Moreover, after entering the Hall of Valor, Sterl had also learned some additional information about iridescent-tier skills. Taking Gloria as an example, the Dark Moon Goddess had umted for many years and might not even possess a single iridescent skill.


    This was the norm for countless gods with weak Divine Power; they might never obtain a single iridescent skill in their entire lives.


    However, with the Death gue, it was only a matter of time before one could evolve multiple iridescent skills!


    Then there were abilities like [Nameless Curse] and [Extreme Heartfire]...


    Each one came with excellent effects! Sterl''s envy grew stronger as he read on!


    Fortunately, after a long wait...


    His cheat had finally cooled down.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to forcibly allocate points to evolve the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    Ding!


    He felt an ethereal sensation wash over him, as if something had ruptured in his mind, releasing a silvery liquid. A torrent of knowledge surged into Sterl''s brain.


    If the previous Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had taught him how to build a small wooden house by hand, this new version of knowledge enabled him to shape an entire town from scratch!


    In front of Sterl, a panel disyed the following:


    [Blood Sacrifice Array]


    [Rank: God]


    [Category: Array]


    [Description: Originally a special array developed over a millennium by a god-level demon, it has reached a new tier under the influence of unknown powers, allowing the caster to refine all flesh-and-blood beings in the world as fuel.]


    [Effect: Setting up this array requires the following materials: Essence Blood of a god-level demon, Lava Gemstone x10... Upon sessful deployment, you can choose one trait, skill, [characteristic, or talent from any flesh-and-blood life that the array consumes.]


    Hint: This array can be divided into 10 lower-tier arrays forbined use; operators of the dispersed arrays only need to possess legendary strength.]


    [Hint: If the amount of a certain trait, skill, characteristic, or talent absorbed is too low, there may be a failure in the refinement process.]


    A flood of information echoed in Sterl''s mind.


    As he gazed at the content on the panel, his breath quickened.


    As an Array Master, he understood all too well the value of this newly upgraded array. First of all, the material requirements for setting up the array were identical to the original!


    But the effects had increased significantly.


    The array could consume any flesh-and-blood creature and allow him to select from its traits, skills, characteristics, and talents. This meant that once Sterl used the Blood Sacrifice Array to refine a demon, he could choose an ability exclusive to Hell!


    Of course, the prerequisite was that at least one demigod-level demon had to be refined!


    As for the potential failure due to insufficient absorption, that was no concern; Sterl had the Fate Token to cover any shorings!


    And would a demigod-level demon appear?


    Sterl felt there was no need to worry about that. Previously, when the first legendary being appeared and battled with other yers, he had sensed a unique location beyond 17 information barriers through his Bionic Tear.


    That was the very spatial rift connecting theyer of Hell where Florence and the Archduke of Blood resided!


    The rift itself could not withstand a god-level demon, but if the Archduke of Blood wanted to enjoy the benefits of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, he would surely have to send a clone over...


    At that point, it would be like a mantis stalking a cicada, while a finchy in wait!


    Sterl couldn''t help but swallow hard!


    Hellish powers...


    Here Ie!


    ...


    In the following two days,


    Sterl continued to y demons alongside other yers while also taking time to rx.


    Meanwhile, the Blood Cult''s array began to operate steadily, to the extent that...


    On the evening of the sixth day after the yers'' arrival, King Florence couldn''t help but call for another banquet.


    "Brave warriors, while you have in many demons, it seems that the real problem has not yet been resolved."


    "Now, many citizens are showing symptoms of poisoning, and there are even reports of inexplicable brawls between family members at home."


    "Prison inmates are continuously rioting as well."


    "Though there have been no casualties so far, if this continues, the entire capital will be destroyed!"


    The king''s expression was one of deep anguish!


    The surrounding yers felt a bit embarrassed; they hadn''t intended to ck off so much.


    On one hand, their leader had given such orders, and they didn''t dare to resist. On the other hand, the leader was mighty and had guaranteed that they would excel in the challenging tasks ahead, so they had no reason to refuse.


    However, before the yers could say anything, several nobles had already started to voice their opinions.


    "Your Majesty, isn''t this putting too much pressure on our brave warriors? They have been tirelessly fighting evil every day; isn''t it enough?"


    "Exactly, we should call upon the professional guards to investigate this matter."


    ...


    They chimed in one after another, effectively relieving the pressure on the yers. Finally, the queen added, "Your Majesty, I think we don''t need to rush this."


    "We can wait and see if the chaos in the city eases as the number of demons continues to decrease."

 Chapter 244: Task Ratings Soaring Rapidly!

    The yers were bewildered.


    Wait, we''ve been cking off like this, and after just a few scoldings, we decided to endure it.


    But over here in Florence... is this a bit too considerate?


    Is it really okay to just lounge around like this?


    "Since everyone is saying this, we will try to speed things up from now on." At that moment, a yer in the group actually spoke up, bypassing Sterl.


    The reason this yer was so bold was that during the demon hunts over the past few days, another yer had unfortunately died. Sterl had rushed to save him but arrived just a second toote.


    So, Sterl simply let Bionic Tear continue to lead the team while he himself disguised as this fallen yer, conveniently filling the role of Philip Waldo, the traitor in the Blood Cult.


    Indeed, Sterl was now willing to use his real identity because he had already scanned the area and confirmed that the rift beneath Florence could not support the Archduke of Blood making a direct appearance.


    The risk was mitigated!


    In the meeting, Sterl remained calm and nodded, "Actually, over the past couple of days, besides ying demons, I''ve also discovered some clues that will soon yield results."


    With this statement, the king naturally smiled broadly, while the queen and several nobles exchanged worried nces, their smiles appearing forced: "Please prioritize safety during your investigations."


    "If anything dangerous happens, we would feel terribly guilty."


    The atmosphere became slightly awkward.


    Fortunately, aside from Sterl, who understood the situation and was aware of the traitors'' concerns regarding the safety of the Blood Cult''s base, the others didn''t think too much of it...


    After the meeting, Sterl gathered the yers. They were a bit hesitant in front of this leader, exchanging nervous nces before finally speaking up.


    "Leader, are we going to take action during the day today?"


    "Have you made any discoveries? Has the power behind the demons finally shown itself?"


    "What should we do now? Has the task difficulty been maxed out?"


    ...


    The yers were chattering away.


    Sterl simply observed in silence, and soon the noise diminished, with everyone obediently closing their mouths.


    He then spoke half-seriously, "A few days ago, I noticed that there are areas in the city that are impossible to scan; those ces definitely have issues."


    "If we strike there, we''re sure to gain something."


    "As for the task difficulty, we''ve allowed the forces behind the demons to act for a while now; it''s time to control their progress. Otherwise, if the difficulty spikes too high at the end, it won''t be good."


    After exining, many yers nodded in agreement.


    Then, under Sterl''s leadership, the group quickly made their way to a Blood Cult base.


    The first location was a warehouse in a flower shop located in the city center.


    "Is this it?" sneered a legendary yer, as his right arm became entangled with numerous grayish stones, and he smashed down with all his might.


    Boom!!


    With a thunderous crash, the seemingly ordinary warehouse was suddenly breached by a blood-red barrier.


    "Damn! There are enemies!"


    "Guard the formation!"


    "It''s the Hall of Valor people..."


    Immediately, panic-stricken shouts echoed from within the warehouse.


    The yers apanying Sterl, however, showed expressions of delight; their leader had been right!


    Sterl himself casually cast an Ignition me, turning a fanatic who had rushed out first into ashes, and then he was taken aback by what he saw.


    [You have killed a member of the Blood Cult; your task rating has increased.]


    [Notice: Based on your task rating, you will receive additional Valor Contribution Points and other rewards.]


    "Well, well!" Sterl raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a bonus.


    At that moment, he noticed that the other yers around him were also disying surprise, with many even having red eyes as they looked at the cultists emerging from the warehouse like they were seeing a delicious cake!


    "Kill!"


    The yers almost instantly unleashed their most powerful attacks, even though most of these Blood Cult members were only at third-ss strength.


    But to prevent any kills from being snatched away, the yers quickly unleashed their most terrifying skills!


    Sterl couldn''t even see what was happening around him; the various skill effects drowned everything.


    The fanatics who had rushed out first were obliterated in an instant, and it was impossible to tell whose kill it was...


    Even the entire block surrounding the warehouse turned to ashes under the bombardment of such high-energy reactions...


    This terrifying scene also left the remaining Blood Cult members feeling utterly demoralized!


    The gap in strength was too great!


    For them, escaping from the yers'' pursuit was simply impossible.


    Soon, someone shouted in anger, "We can''t let them get the array information!"


    Then came a faint explosion, apanied by a dim blood-red glow.


    Sterl knew that the internal formation must have been destroyed by those cultists themselves.


    As Sterl was about to maneuver Bionic Tear to snatch a few kills, he suddenly noticed a group of Blood Cult members emerging from a hidden passage near the warehouse, falling behind in the team��Philip Waldo, who was actually Sterl''s real body.


    They shouted in unison, "For our Lord, charge!"


    And they rushed toward "Philip Waldo"!


    However, the leading cultists exchanged silent nces.


    Sterl understood!


    His real body was wearing the Holy Stone of Blood, which meant that even though the Blood Cult members knew they couldn''t escape, they were willingly offering their heads to this "traitor of the Hall of Valor"!


    Naturally, Sterl epted this with open arms.


    He raised his hand and unleashed the long-unused Divine me Drive; the colorful mes ughtered dozens of cult members in an instant!


    Before they died, these cultists wore expressions of calm resignation...


    No regrets!


    Even though they died, they were still serving the Archduke of Blood by burning their lives!


    On the other side, the yers rushed into the warehouse, only to find it already deserted.


    They turned back and happened to catch a glimpse of Sterl''s real body iming dozens of heads in a single move.


    What?


    The yers nced at their own situation.


    Instantly, they felt numb!


    There were over a dozen of them, frantically throwing their strongest skills, yet they had only managed to kill the few fanatics who had rushed out earlier.


    On average, each of them only got one kill.


    You throw a skill casually and get over thirty?!


    The yers could only look at their leader with resentful expressions, hoping he would say a few words of "fairness."


    After all, this leader had previously been utterly ruthless in snatching demon kills.


    How could you possibly take thirty cultist heads without being skinned alive?


    Yet the leader simply replied calmly, "These cultists aren''t very strong; we''re all just relying on luck."


    "Whether you get kills or not shouldn''t affect the unity of our team."


    What?


    Instantly, the many yers present were dumbfounded. Did he really just say that?


    Meanwhile, Sterl was looking at the panel''s content��


    [You have umted 30 kills of Blood Cult members; your extra rewards have been upgraded.]


    He nodded in satisfaction.


    Although Sterl''s n had now shifted to exploiting the Blood Sacrifice Array glitch to gain hell-specific abilities, earning more Valor Contribution Points was still a good thing!


    "Alright, stop lingering around here; let''s move to the next location."


    Fortunately, with Sterl''s words, the yers, although feeling a bit imbnced, quickly became excited and followed their leader.


    After all, having good luck once is normal!


    Who knows, maybe next time it would be my turn to strike lucky?


    A bunch of cult members appeared right in front of me; that was bound to be a disaster.


    The yers, filled with hope and desire, arrived near Florence''s carriage shop, and this time they didn''t need Sterl''s hints.


    Using various scouting skills, the yers quickly discovered an area that was undetectable. Almost ten yers immediately unleashed their legendary abilities!


    They all wanted to smash the shield in the base in one go, hoping to harvest more Blood Cult members along the way.


    However...


    They were unaware that there was a traitor in their midst.


    Sterl had already alerted the cult members inside the base.


    After the yers unleashed a barrage of skills, they found that they had only destroyed an empty, abandoned area.


    "Damn! Where are they??"


    "Wait... why hasn''t our kill count gone up at all?"


    Before the panting yers could react, they saw their leader standing next to a house, suddenly frowning. He sternly said, "You think you can escape!"


    He then mmed his hand down onto the ground!


    Boom!!


    mes were driven underground and then erupted like a volcano!


    At that moment, all the legendary yers could clearly sense that over thirty cult members below were instantly turned to ashes.


    From the Blood Cult''s side, it was Sterl using Philip Waldo''s name to warn them of the impending attack, which allowed them to evacuate early.


    Sterl''s Bionic Tear was already prepared, tracking the potential escape routes of the cult members and catching them off guard.


    That was right; Sterl''s sole reason for alerting the cult members was to im their heads!


    Although the other yers wore grim expressions after this wave, they didn''t dare say much since it was their leader who had imed those kills...


    They could only suppress their frustration.


    Sterl waved his hand, "Let''s go to the next base."


    Immediately, the group surged forward like a pack of wolves, seemingly wanting to vent all their suppressed anger.


    This time, they had learned their lesson; someone deliberately stayed at the back of the team, ready to chase down any cult members who tried to escape.


    The yers at the front were also vignt, eyes and ears alert.


    Then...


    What the yers witnessed was "Philip Waldo" at the front of the line tentatively casting a golden skill...

 Chapter 245: Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, Activate!

    Boom!!


    The colorful mes burned fiercely.


    This base had no defenses at all and was engulfed by the mes, followed by a smell of charred flesh wafting through the air��


    It seemed like there were heavy casualties inside.


    "Wait? What''s going on here?"


    "This doesn''t feel right!"


    ...


    The yers rushed into the base, only to find that all the members of the Blood Cult had been wiped out by that lucky guy who had previously taken over 30 heads in one go!


    From the looks of it, it seemed they were preparing to relocate; just as they had shut down the protective array, they were hit by a skill. Caught off guard, not a single one managed to escape.


    ???


    Everyone wore expressions of disbelief.


    Wait a minute, how is this fair? Why is all the luck concentrated on one person?


    Sterl''s main body could easily sense the envy radiating from those around him.


    At that moment, someone couldn''t hold back any longer and eximed, "Dude, isn''t this a bit excessive?"


    "You took all the kills! We didn''t get any rewards! The team leader didn''t get any rewards either!"


    "Why can''t we all share the rewards? Is it really fair for you to hoard everything?"


    ...


    The yers were increasingly hostile in their tone.


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s main body merely smiled and nodded, "Alright, I won''t take any more kills from now on."


    So agreeable?


    The other yers were still trying to process what was happening.


    Just then, Bionic Tear walked over directly, "Alright, today''s mission ends here."


    "Huh?"


    "Wait, what?"


    "We''re not continuing?"


    The group looked utterly confused. Didn''t we just finish threatening each other? And now we''re not going on??


    What was the point of offending someone?


    However, Bionic Tear shot an annoyed look at his own body.


    Sterl was multitasking and acting!


    "Not fighting? What''s the point of that��"


    He put on an expression of extreme displeasure from not getting any kills.


    Then, Bionic Tear turned to leave alone, leaving the yers with just his back. From his bodynguage, it was clear that the team leader seemed to be nning to solo the Blood Cult''s base.


    And indeed, that was Sterl''s n all along. Initially, he had no idea that farming these monsters yielded such high rewards, which was why he brought the other yers along. Now, he had a valid reason to go solo after taking too many heads himself.


    ...


    With theplete departure of the team leader, Sterl''s main body also put on an awkward expression and chose to leave.


    "So�� what do we do now?"


    "Are we really going to search for areas that can''t be detected?"


    "Won''t that anger the team leader?"


    ...


    The yers were in a state of panic.


    They definitely didn''t dare topete with Sterl for resources; otherwise, they might find themselves with a hole in their rainbow ship on the way back, sending them all to their doom.


    In contrast, Sterl was feeling quite rxed.


    He thought to himself, "I just need to leave 10 bases intact; I''ll farm the rest myself!"


    However��


    Before Sterl could take action, and while the yers were still adjusting their mindset, the situation changed dramatically!


    Just as Sterl was heading to the next Blood Cult base, a total of sixteen blood-colored energy beams shot up into the sky from the royal city of Florence!


    "Finally�� can''t hold back any longer?" Sterl paused in his tracks and smiled.


    He led the yers to destroy the bases not only to give the king of Florence a report but also to pressure the Blood Cult, signaling that it was time to take action.


    Otherwise, given the Blood Cult''s nature, they would likely find a way to capture some citizens of Florence to use as materials for their backup arrays.


    While Sterl didn''t have a saintly heart, he was still willing to do a good deed as long as it didn''t affect his interests.


    "Everyone, gather at the pce gates," he quickly messaged the other yers.


    As for Sterl himself, he got busy. Among the arrays he had previously destroyed, one was the core of the sub-array.


    Currently, there were two sub-arrays left that could serve as cores: one was guarded by the Blood Cult''s pope within the pce, and the other was located in the warehouse in the south of the city as a backup.


    Activating Shadow Stealth, Sterl infused himself with Stardust to extend his movement time.


    He shot through the shadow world, racing to the southern part of the city, consuming only about 10 seconds in total.


    Then��


    He swallowed three [Glory Potions], recklessly exhausting his energy to activate Moon Law.


    In an instant, countless Blood Cult followers around him fell into a dazed state, losing all awareness.


    In a silvery domain, Sterl quickly approached the array, ready to begin his operations.


    He distorted each spatial node, extracting crimson materials and refining them with even more intricate patterns.


    Before long, although the appearance of the entire sub-array didn''t change, it operated with an inexplicable smoothness.


    Once hepleted all of this, Sterl activated Shadow Stealth to leave once more.


    Meanwhile, the adherents of the Blood Cult werepletely unaware that anything had happened.


    They were indeed quite vignt, with someone watching the array every moment. At that time, someone remarked, "Does it feel like the array is operating more smoothly? Truly, our lord''s Divine Power is unparalleled!"


    ...


    "Wow!"


    Sterl had just burst into an empty room in an inn, coughing up a mouthful of blood and feeling quite miserable.


    His previous operation had severely depleted his Divine Power.


    He quickly took out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to absorb some energy, barely managing to return to a normal state.


    Moreover, after this absorption, Sterl''s soul experience was maxed out, and he directly leveled up to six.


    Once he caught his breath, Sterly on the ground, blood oozing from his seven orifices��


    "Ha ha ha!"


    Yet he couldn''t help but smile, blood staining his gums, making him look quite terrifying.


    Sterl''s n had seeded!


    At this moment, the sub-array in the southern warehouse, once used to form the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, would upgrade to the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    Its refining effect would be superior to the original!


    The only problem was that even the Archduke of Blood himself would likely struggle to control this grand array!


    Moreover, within this great formation, Sterl had the highest authority!


    With just a thought, he could change the array''s target from refining all the citizens of Florence to refining all demons instead.


    "What I need to do next is ensure that the Blood Cult can fully activate the array��"


    "But actually, I just need to do nothing."


    "They can at least summon over 200 legendary demons, and even if we add in the yers from the Hall of Valor, Florence wouldn''t be able to handle it."


    Sterl thought rapidly.


    That left only one thing to do.


    How to ensure that the core of the sub-array in the south would definitely be activated? It was simple: just dismantle all the other sub-array cores!


    Sterl quickly returned to the pce.


    At that moment, a group of yers was already waiting in the square in front of the pce.


    "Team leader, you''re here?"


    "What are your ns next? We''ll follow your orders!"


    "Team leader, it seems Virrus has gone missing. Should we go look for him?"


    ...


    Seeing Sterl felt like seeing their backbone.


    Just a few minutes ago, when the entire city was engulfed in a surge of bloodlight, the yers weren''t panicking; instead, they thought that the bigger the event, the more rewards they would receive!


    What a good thing!


    However, as the bloodlight gradually expanded, encasing the entire city in a translucent blood-red shield, the yers finally began to feel that something was off.


    They felt weak all over and were in extreme pain. When they opened their status, they were met with a flurry of effects: poison, frenzy, weakness, gue��


    Each effect was marked with an "indisposable" and "uncleanable"bel.


    Some stubborn yers, not wanting to believe it, used their precious healing items.


    As a result, their debuffs disappeared for less than 10 seconds��


    Although legendary yers had immense power, under the effects of ten different debuffs, they felt utterly powerless, transforming from the genius yers of the Hall of Valor into ordinary legendaries.


    On top of that, with the blood-red shield rising, allmunication was cut off, and all teleportation skills and scrolls were disabled.


    The city echoed with the roars of demons.


    How could these yers not panic?


    They quickly stopped caring about how few kills they had gotten prior.


    These yers, with their exceptional talents, were able to urately assess how dire the situation was. A moment''s hesitation could lead to death; this incident in Florence was far too serious!


    At the same time, a few of them keenly noticed that Sterl, who had impersonated that yer, had vanished, and they rushed to report it.


    Bionic Tear hesitated for half a second before immediatelyunching into his exnation: "That missing yer is likely a member of the Blood Cult."


    "That''s why he managed to get so many kills earlier; the cult didn''t want us to earn the Hall of Valor''s rewards."


    As soon as these words were spoken, the yers present looked enlightened.


    Then Sterl quickened his speech.


    "Based on my investigations, the blood-red shield in the city isposed of ten arrays."


    As he spoke, he disyed his consumption record: [Myriad Arts of Heaven exchange: Arrays].


    "However, the core energy gathering points of all the arrays aren''t located within the city. ording to my analysis, the energy exchange points for all the arrays are actually within the pce!"


    "If we can destroy the arrays in the pce, we might be able to break the blood-red shield!"


    As soon as Sterl finished speaking, the yers present were slightly surprised, but it didn''t seem entirely unexpected.


    After all, such plot developments were quite typical; in some rted demon novels within [Transcendence], it wasmon to find that the ultimate viin turned out to be the king or a noble.


    "Everyone, follow me!" Sterl shouted.


    Though he could handle the arrays in the pce alone, Sterl preferred to keep a low profile. He could only act as a leader slightly stronger than an ordinary legendary yer.

 Chapter 246: You’ve Caught the King, Yet You Dare to Threaten Me?

    The reason Sterl was being so cautious was primarily to avoid any suspicions after the n seeded, particrly regarding his potential rise in power after sacrificing numerous demons. After all, if the word got out that Sterl had the ability to "stably exploit bugs to obtain hell," he would likely find himself targeted by many deities! Even the Hall of Valor wouldn''t be able to protect him.


    He would never find peace again.


    Sterl charged ahead toward the area in the pce that blocked detection. The yers beside him understood the urgency of the situation and hurried to keep up.


    ...


    As they made their way, an eerie silence enveloped the pce. No one spoke, no one walked, and even the usual attendants and servants had vanished. The yers felt a chill run down their spines. However, given the critical nature of the situation, they had no choice but to press on.


    The legendary yers moved with lightning speed, and within just a few seconds, they found themselves standing at the edge of the pce cer.


    In the distance, they spotted a graceful figure d in a blood-red gown. It was the queen. "Esteemed members of the Hall of Valor," she called out, "there are some royal secrets in this cer that are not convenient for you to inspect."


    "I wonder if you could grant us a favor."


    Yet at that moment, how could the yers possibly listen? Seeing someone attempting to obstruct them, even if she was a beautiful woman, they were all ready to unleash their skills and take her down. Unfortunately��


    "Uh uh~"


    With the queen''s movement, they suddenly realized she had the king by the throat, holding him in front of her.


    "Sorry, everyone, but if you step any closer��"


    "I may have to resort to some extreme measures."


    Immediately, the yers fell silent in shock.


    Before they could react further, a Celestial Stars attack came crashing down from the sky!


    Their leader hadunched an attack, disdain dripping from his words.


    "You''ve caught that king, yet you dare to threaten me?"


    "Have you lost your mind?"


    In an instant, the queen''s expression changed drastically. Hesitating for a moment, she flung the king toward the yers and activated a blood-red talisman to burrow underground.


    Boom!!


    In the next second, a terrifying wave of heat and force was unleashed, mming against the blood-red shield surrounding the cer, causing it to sway dangerously.


    This was, after all, the stronghold of the Blood Cult''s leaders, and its protective measures far exceeded those of the other sub-array locations.


    Of course, this was not because Sterl had miscalcted the power of his attack; rather, he needed to hold back and control the yers'' advance into the Blood Cult''s base. At that moment, seeing their leader''s strike fail to achieve its intended effect, the other yers began to unleash their skills in a bombardment.


    zing streams of skill effects lit up the area, and soon the blood-red shield was shattered. At this point, the king of Florence was tossed aside, his chest rising and falling slightly as if he were still alive, but no one had the heart to pay him any attention.


    Sterl continued to lead the charge, diving into the base. As he jumped down into the cer, he discovered that the underground space was surprisingly vast, surrounded by walls made of some kind of marble, with various gemstones illuminating the area.


    Piles of ice cubes were stacked at the edges of the cer, clearly remnants of the cer''s original storage; the Blood Cult seemed to have upied this ce not long ago and hadn''t managed to clear out all the ice.


    At that moment, under the yers'' relentless bombardment, the ceiling of the cer had beenpletely blown off. Once Sterlnded on the ground, he only needed to look up to see the sky��


    and above him, a gigantic array crafted by the Blood Cult pulsed slowly.


    In the center of the cer stood a group of about fifty to sixty individuals d in blood-red priestly robes. The former queen, now dressed in a different outfit, stood in the middle, her aura no longer concealed��she was clearly a mid-tier legendary!


    It was apparent that she was the Pope of the Blood Cult. Sterl couldn''t help but think to himself how poorly the followers under the Archduke of Blood were doing. The strongest among them was only a mid-tier legendary?


    Upon witnessing this scene, the yers'' fighting spirit surged even higher. In such a critical situation, there was no better news than discovering that their opponents were not particrly strong.


    In an instant, without needing any words, the yers began to coordinate their efforts. A young man with a muscr build activated his legendary ability, a faint golden shield appearing in front of him as he charged forward furiously.


    The members of the Blood Cult, clearlycking discipline and without the Pope''smands, began to throw their blood-reds and bomb-like creations haphazardly. However, these seemingly powerful devices all crashed against the shield, turning into nothingness! The muscr man led the charge into the crowd.


    While his damage may not have seemed particrly strong, the front line and casters of the Blood Cult were thrown into a state of chaos.


    At that moment, the other yers sprang into action. First, a brilliant sh of lightning descended from the sky, striking with the force of thunder!


    Boom!!


    A buzzing sound filled everyone''s ears.


    Then, countless light swords rained down rapidly, slicing through the Blood Cult''s healers and front-line warriors, creating chaos. In an instant, many figures d in crimson robes fell to the ground, clearly meeting a tragic end!


    Next came��


    A yer summoned numerous mechanical fortresses resembling cannon emcements, which began to unleash a furious barrage. Others transformed the ground into a strange quagmire, dragging many of the Blood Cult members down into it with dark, ghostly hands��


    Various legendary abilities erupted in a frenzy!


    It looked chaotic, but it still adhered to the basic principle of having the front liners hold the line while the rear dealt damage. Many members of the Blood Cult, some of whom had reached legendary status, fell victim to the surprise attack!


    Although Bionic Tear was merely pretending to throw a few fireballs, the tide of battle remained overwhelmingly one-sided. The talents of the Hall of Valor were far superior to those of the Blood Cult''s ragtag army.


    Even among legendaries, there was a significant difference!


    "How dare you!!"


    "Ughhhh!!!"


    The Pope of the Blood Cult, nearly stunned by the onught, hurriedly organized a counterattack. The legendary members of the Blood Cult seemed to have awakened a simr type of legendary ability, channeling the blood around them to form strange patterns that created spherical shields in front of them.


    Only the Pope had a unique legendary ability that allowed her to control all the spheres, forming barriers. It seemed she did not desire victory; her goal was simply to withstand the yers'' assault.


    Meanwhile, some protected members of the Blood Cult began to pull out daggers, cutting their own throats to bleed into the formation, willingly sacrificing themselves. Their flesh and blood were rapidly absorbed and refined, causing the formation to be increasingly active.


    A towering pir of blood-red light shot up!


    Unlike the glow of other formations, this one shimmered with rainbow-like patterns, shooting straight into the clouds, dyeing the entire sky over Florence a vibrant red.


    Upon seeing this, the yers'' expressions changed dramatically.


    "Rainbow patterns, divine power!"


    "It''s over! We have to stop them!"


    "Use any secret weapons you have! If you don''t use them now, you''ll just take them to your graves!"


    ...


    They were thrown into a panic!


    Although the divine power summoned by a group of mid-tier legendaries was mostly underwhelming, it was still far beyond what these yers could contend with!


    God!


    Was a new level of existence!


    Below the divine, everyone else was but an ant.


    Even if the Hall of Valor sent demigods to undertake this task, facing divine power was a certain death sentence!


    In an instant, the yers frantically hurled various rare items without concern for the cost, simply wanting to break through the Blood Cult''s defenses.


    Sterl casually scanned the area with Star Insight and discovered a potion that instantly restored energy: Death Moss, which permanently decreased their life limit with each use. There were also Legendary Energy Crystalsthat doubled the next skill''s power. Many yers took two or three at once, leading to a sharp decline in their life force but a significant increase in the power of their attacks.


    It was aplete expenditure of money! A gamble with their lives!


    One by one, their expressions turned frenzied!


    Soon, the cer hadpletely vanished, and an area of nearly a hundred square meters was directly dissolved by various high-energy attacks! It made the area where Sterl and the others stood appearpletely t!


    If it weren''t for the friendly fire immunity among the yers, this environment alone could have killed them.


    The cult members were even more desperate; some legendary-level members, after exhausting their energy,mitted suicide to further elerate the operation of the formation!


    Yet the scales of victory slowly began to tip in favor of the yers.


    It was evident that the Blood Cult couldn''t hold on for much longer.


    Sterl then secretly activated Moon Law, freezing the thoughts of everyone around him for a few seconds.


    As a result, the progress of the formation advanced once again! It had reached the limit where it could officially activate!


    At that moment, the sound of cracking and shattering filled the air��


    The energy shields created by the Pope of the Blood Cult and other members exploded violently!


    The yers didn''t even have time to pay attention to these enemies, who were left immobilized by the bacsh, as they charged straight for the core of the formation, intent on causing chaos!


    However��


    Sterl activated Moon Lawonce more, pushing time back a few seconds.


    So, just as the yers'' attacks were about to hit the formation, countless Blood Cult members revealed expressions of ecstatic joy, for they saw the rainbow patterns had fully formed�� the grand array was about to activate!


    Yet��


    Pfft!


    Like a balloon being popped, the energy of the formation rapidly dissipated, and the rainbow light in the sky began to fracture and fade away.


    In thatst moment, the yers thwarted the Blood Cult''s "Conspiracy"!


    The cultists'' faces changed drastically, revealing disbelief.


    Such a poignant and dramatic moment, reminiscent of tales from storybooks, made Sterl unable to help but silently nod in approval��

 Chapter 247: Over Two Hundred Legendary Demons??

    Everything was, of course, orchestrated by Sterl.


    He had pushed time to its limits��


    The current situation was that the Blood Cult''s formation was just one step away from being fully activated!


    The arrow was nocked, and there was no way to withdraw it.


    The core sub-array at the pce had been destroyed, and their only option was to activate the core sub-array in the southern part of the city. Otherwise, due to the chain reaction��


    The effectiveness of the other sub-arrays would be diminished.


    The Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array would no longer be possible to construct, which also meant that the Blood Cult''s n would be aplete failure!


    Even if they could ughter everyst person in Florence and kill all the yers, it wouldn''t matter, because the Archduke of Blood''s goal would remain unachieved, and he would be stuck in a bug.


    Thus��


    With two consecutive uses of Moon Law, Sterl had left the Blood Cult with no options.


    In the dictionary of the fanatics, there was no term for failing a n and retreating sessfully.


    Instead, they would gamble on even the slightest chance; if they didn''t seed, they would die trying!


    ...


    Setting Sterl''s thoughts aside, at that moment, all the yers were half-kneeling on the ground, clearly weakened from using too many powerful abilities, yet their faces still bore expressions of joy.


    "We finally broke through!"


    "The formation has been shattered! How many Valor Contribution Points do you think we''ll earn for a task of this level?"


    "We won!"


    Despite their poor condition, this group remained unfazed because the legendary abilities of the nearby Blood Cult members had been thoroughly disrupted, leaving them with even harsher bacsh. It would take longer for them to recover!


    And while the blood-red barrier in the city was still intact, after breaking the core formation, they could dismantle the remaining sub-arrays one by one.


    Moreover, the yers could clearly see that one of the ten debuffs on their panels had been reduced, and the effects of the remaining nine had also weakened.


    The most dangerous moment had passed.


    The mission was in hand!


    Victory was within reach!


    "Ha ha ha!"


    "Ha ha ha!" However, to the yers'' surprise, while they were joyfully chatting among themselves, the already heavily injured Blood Cult members were alsoughing maniacally. They seemed extremely excited and gleeful.


    "Don''t you understand? Our master''s n has already seeded!"


    "All of you are going to die!!"


    These individuals shouted, but the atmosphere fellpletely t. The yers couldn''t be bothered to respond. Instead, some of them slowly rose, gathering their strength, ready to harvest the remaining heads.


    However, those preparing to strike nced uneasily in Sterl''s direction; they only wanted to use their anger to im a few trophies��


    As the yers engaged in their scheming,


    whoosh!!


    In an instant, all the yers'' expressions changed.


    Out of nowhere, a rainbow-colored beam of light shot up from the southern part of the city.


    "We did it!"


    The Pope of the Blood Cult and the other zealots knelt on the ground, utterly ecstatic.


    Sterl frowned slightly; he had a nagging feeling that these cult members, upon realizing the core of the sub-array in the pce had been destroyed, wasted no time at all and immediately activated the backup formation.


    Sterl had just been ying mind games, forcing the cult members into a corner, while all along, it felt like he was just throwing a wink at blind people��


    At that moment��


    The numerous yers present stared dumbfounded at the scene. They noticed that a debuff they had previously lost suddenly returned, and the effects of all ten debuffs had nearly doubled.


    They were already in a semi-weak state from using their powerful abilities, and now they looked even more pained, with many struggling to stay on their feet.


    The yers'' faces were filled with horror: "This is impossible!"


    "This was just a low to mid-tier legendary task!"


    "Is it divine power again??"


    "It''s over��"


    In the blink of an eye, everyone fell into a state of sheer panic.


    But being the talented yers from the Hall of Valor, it didn''t take long for someone to shout angrily, "We need to rush to destroy the core of the formation in the south!"


    "As long as we can break it, the divine power will dissipate!"


    "Move! This is ourst chance!"


    At the same time, several yers dashed toward the remaining members of the Blood Cult, intending to eliminate them first to prevent any further disruptions.


    As for considering the thoughts of their leader, who cared about that at a time like this?


    Moreover, the yers weren''t blind; they could see that Bionic Tear had been cking off. Fortunately, he hadn''t stopped anyone from destroying the formation, which relieved the yers. If this leader were a traitor, they''d be waiting for death!


    It seems that the team leader still wants to raise the difficulty of the task even further; greed can lead to overreach!


    Now look where that got them; they had messed up!


    Some yers even nced toward Bionic Tear, their voices dripping with sarcasm.


    "Now we''re in trouble; everyone''s going to die here because of divine power."


    "Hey, brother, why are you just standing there? You''re not really a traitor, are you?"


    "If you don''t want to die, hurry up and follow us! What are you waiting for?"


    At that moment, Bionic Tear calmly spoke up, "There''s no need to go to the south because the foundation of the tenbined formations is still in the pce."


    "Look!"


    As the yers followed Bionic Tear''s finger, they quickly saw the rainbow light descending from the sky above the southern part of the city.


    Itnded back in the pce, forming a rather mysterious formation.


    The core of this formation was a rainbow-colored, strange disk, mechanically rotating. Surrounding the disk were nine spherical slots, filled with nine blood-colored energy orbs.


    Moreover, the outer edge of the formation shimmered with a peculiar aura that inspired an overwhelming urge to offer everything to it.


    At that moment, some anxious yers unleashed their legendary abilities and charged forward. In an instant, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky toward the formation.


    However��


    Boom!!


    The lightning sessfully hit, but it struck a massive, grotesque creature that seemed to be stitched together from various corpses.


    This was a legendary-level demon.


    Though it didn''t follow a boss temte, it was still ssified as an elite!


    The Pope of the Blood Cult and the other cultists were remotely controlling the resurrection of all the legendary demons in the city using soul gems.


    They hadn''t operated this way before, primarily due to their overwhelming eagerness tobine the formations.


    They figured they could sacrifice a few more lives here.


    Once the Archduke of Blood''s task waspleted, they would unleash themselves, pursuing their own ambitions by summoning numerous demons to control the entire city.


    Although the yers were currently inside the pce, their legendary powers allowed them to sense countless residents in the city trembling in fear, hiding in their homes, only to have one demon after another coldly break down their doors, striking them down, leaving them injured and gasping for breath amidst the ruins of their buildings.


    Such scenes were unfolding continuously in Florence, but the eeriest part was that while the residents were severely injured, no one was dying.


    Even more frightening for the yers was that there were at least over 200 demons in the city, all of legendary rank, wreaking havoc!


    However, they didn''t have the luxury of worrying about the other inhabitants of Florence.


    In front of them, aside from that one stitched-up legendary demon, over thirty demons were resurrecting in the eerie glow!


    "Let''s go for it!"


    "I''ll trade my life for one of them!"


    One hot-headed yer bellowed, activating his legendary ability. His entire form gathered radiant energy, transforming him from a rtively short stature into a towering giant of two meters!


    He was d in heavy armor, and all his attributes surged dramatically, causing the ground to quake with each of his movements.


    mes of blood burned around him, clearly indicating he had used some top-tier life-risking item.


    Boom!!


    Not to mention, the momentum of this yer was indeed considerable, as he charged forward and knocked several legendary demons to the ground!


    Seeing this, the others were invigorated and quickly unleashed their ultimate abilities!


    However, just a few seconds prior, many had already exhausted themselves while destroying the formation, so even their final desperate attemptscked the power they had earlier.


    The yers roared madly,


    "Die for me!"


    "Get out of the way!!"


    ��


    zing mes blossomed around them like lotus flowers, igniting everything in sight!


    Translucent, steel-like giants were summoned forth.


    Energy orbs glowing with intense light crashed down from above.


    ��


    However, those dozens of legendary demons stood firm and blocked the iing assault!


    These beings from hell didn''t wield legendary abilities; instead, they possessed an entirely different kind of power.


    At this moment, they were all enveloped in a blood-red glow, emanating waves of energy!


    "Don''t let the blood-red waves hit you!"


    Some yers who had previously faced legendary demons knew the strength of this attack and quickly warned those around them to dodge.


    But in reality, it didn''t need to be soplicated.


    A yer d in a pure white priest''s robe flew into the air and began chanting loudly.


    A vibrant green halo enveloped the area around him,


    Infusing abundant life energy that dispelled control effects, entering every yer''s body and allowing them to temporarily shake off the ten debuffs guing the city, while also granting immunity to the blood-red waves.


    However, everyone knew this state wouldn''tst long.


    This was a temporary immunity gained through a legendary ability, and it would soon fade.


    As soon as the priest yer took action, everyone erupted with renewed vigor!


    In an instant, various skill effects illuminated the surroundings, blindingly bright and intensely dazzling!


    In such a situation, even Sterl had to admit that if he were on the receiving end of such an assault, he would likely have to rely on resurrection armor to survive.


    Moreover, under the influence of the high energy, the yers had long since transformed the cer they were in; it was unrecognizable, and even the pce, with this ce as its core, had suffered devastating destruction!


    A good portion of Florence had turned to ruins!


    However��


    After the numerous yers joined forces and unleashed a terrifying energy storm.

 Chapter 248: Refinement of All Things!

    Amid the terrifying energy, dozens of legendary demons managed to use the blood-red energy as a shield, intertwining with one another inyers, effectively weathering this attack��or rather, this series of attacks.


    Although the blood-red energy was nearly depleted, the yers were now in a weakened state, and theirbat power could no longer reach the terrifying heights of their previous onught.


    It could be said that the demons had won!


    Upon witnessing this scene, the Pope of the Blood Cult and the other members couldn''t help but smile. They had achieved legendary strength themselves, and naturally, they could see the power dynamics of the battlefield clearly.


    The yers'' strongest wave had been halted!


    Thus, they directlymanded the numerous legendary demons to roar and charge forward.


    At this moment, Sterl''s Bionic Tear finally made its move; he felt the n had beenpleted!


    There was no need to hold back any longer!


    Bionic Tear snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the Silent Domain activated.


    An invisible wave of energy surged forth!


    The demons, who had been enveloped in blood energy and seemed poised to unleash powerful abilities, suddenly found themselvesically frozen in ce.


    They exposed themselves to the yers.


    A few demons interrupted their non-essential abilities, but now they found themselves out of formation, charging recklessly ahead. Sterl casually unleashed a triple-enhancement Star Point Finger, featuring Stardust, Ancient Memory, and Inspire.


    He struck the vital points of these demons, just slightly off-target.


    They were instantly gravely injured but not in danger of death��


    At this moment, the yers looked to their previously unremarkable leader, who now wore a look of delight.


    It turned out to be him!


    The leader could easily annihte even mid-tier legendary foes; as soon as he made his move, he kept the demons from lifting their heads!


    The yers were about to deal the finishing blow to the demons.


    But Sterl proactively spoke up, "What are you waiting for?"


    "Destroy the formation!"


    The others were momentarily stunned but quickly realized that now was not the time to y demons for rewards. If they didn''t destroy the formation, everyone would die��no amount of rewards would matter.


    However, Sterl''s thought process was entirely the opposite of what he said.


    Destroy the formation?


    The Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array had been established, and it was even an upgraded version of the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    How could a group of legendary yers break it?


    Sterl primarily didn''t want these demons to die.


    After all, his refinement targets were precisely these demons; each one would be a source of nourishment for him, and he wouldn''t want to kill them��


    Injuring them was more than enough.


    Even Sterl had thought ahead; if a demon was about to be killed by the yers, he would activate Moon Law to help it escape.


    "No!"


    "Stop them!"


    The members of the Blood Cult looked panicked.


    The Pope let out a piercing scream.


    "Ahhhhhh!!!"


    Countless demons in the city had been searching for residents to throw into the streets.


    At this moment, they all raised their heads as if summoned by something, their bodies igniting with blood-red mes, rushing frantically toward the pce.


    But distant water cannot quench a nearby fire.


    The many members of the Blood Cult stood at a distance from the array, unable to reach it in time.


    The yers, without hesitation, unleashed their strongest skills in another wave of legendary abilities!


    At this point, it was impossible to distinguish which skills the yers were using with the naked eye; all that could be seen was a fusion of various energies crashing into the array!


    Due to the high-energy reactions, the Blood Cult members attempting toe to the rescue were sted away and gravely injured.


    The w of fanatics is that, in moments of crisis, they find it difficult to think rationally; their reckless charge toward danger was utterly meaningless.


    The cult members could only watch in despair as the high-energy white light seemed poised to devour everything.


    "How can such a person appear?!"


    "How can a mid-tier legendary within the Hall of Valor possess such strength??"


    They looked at Sterl''s Bionic Tear with expressions of rage!


    Who would have thought that a single yer could turn the tide of battle?


    How infuriating!


    Seeing the Blood Cult members act this way, the yers couldn''t help but widen their eyes.


    "Did we seed??"


    Someone couldn''t help but ask.


    Huh??


    But the Blood Cult members quicklypleted a maneuver.


    As the dazzling energy light dissipated, the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array remained unscathed!


    Instantly, the expressions of both sides on the battlefield changed!


    "Very good, very good! This is the overwhelming Divine Power of our Lord; no one can resist it! You are but mayflies shaking a tree!"


    The Pope spoke with arrogance,pletely shedding the panic he had shown earlier, as if everything was under control.


    At this moment��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Apanied by a series of earth-shaking sounds from above and below, as well as along the streets, hundreds of legendary demons rapidly gathered.


    They surrounded the yers and let out howls toward the sky, the blood-red energy enveloping the area, so dense that it was blinding.


    The priest yer who had previously unleashed purifying power had no choice but to activate his legendary ability once more.


    All the yers could only gather around him to barely maintain their mobility; otherwise, they would be immediately controlled by the blood-red energy.


    ��


    As the saying goes, "One strong push leads to sess; a second push weakens, and a third leads to failure."


    At this moment, although the yers had not yet suffered any casualties, their fighting spirit had nearly evaporated.


    They felt hopeless, thinking, "We can''t win!"


    In terms of directbat power, they struggled to break through the blockade of these legendary demons.


    Even after their leader had made a move to create an opportunity, they still couldn''t break the array!


    If they could at least leave a crack, the yers might have wanted to attempt it, but now? Throwing their heads against it?? There was no way to win; they would definitely lose!


    "Roar!!"


    The demons howled, charging forward with great speed!


    They had no time forplicated emotions; they only knew��fight, and enjoy!


    Even in such a dire situation, the members of the Hall of Valor still managed to maintain a formation where the front lines absorbed damage while the back lines provided support.


    However, this time the yers could hardly mount any effective counterattacks.


    The front-line yers could only rely on their legendary abilities to endure the damage while the back-line yers did their best to heal and boost them, allowing them to hold out a little longer.


    In one moment, the front-line yers were seen either raising shields to block in front of them, donning heavy armor, or transforming into a semi-transparent state, their bodies glowing with energy as it flowed within them��clearly entering a special state.


    The massive axes and heavy fists swung by the demons were met by shields, deflected by armor, or struck the illusions as if they were hitting empty air��


    Then, from the back line came the thunderous me and Frost, crashing forward in a frenzy, catching the demons off guard and sending them flying with direct hits.


    Afterward, a faint healing glow surged into the bodies of the yers on the field.


    Additionally, Sterl''s Bionic Tear had inadvertently hindered the yers, feeling guilty about letting them face real danger while continuously maintaining the Silent Domain state.


    From time to time, a demon would suddenly freeze mid-attack and suffer heavy damage.


    If not for the demons having elite temtes and considerable health, casualties would have already appeared.


    ��


    The situation had indeed reached a stalemate.


    However, the mentalities of the two sides werepletely different.


    On the Blood Cult side, the members had grown tired of dealing with the yers and instead knelt before the array to pray.


    "Thank you for all that our Lord has bestowed upon us."


    "We will refine the city of Florence Radiance to provide you with the key to mastering the power of light."


    "May our Lord''s name resonate throughout hell."


    "Thanks��"


    ��


    They chanted one after another, as if entering a realm devoid of any presence.


    The surrounding yers finally reacted upon hearing this.


    Since they knew that they were facing opponents who were suspected to have demons among them, many had researched the relevant texts beforeing, easily piecing together the truth.


    "I understand! This array is meant to help a demon seize the bloodline of the House of Radiance, enabling it to master the Radiance Law!"


    "No wonder this cult is so insane; if sessful, a demon with Law Power will be incredibly powerful!"


    ��


    Some shouted in terror, but it was meaningless; in a life-and-death situation, who cared if a demon would be strong in the future?


    Meanwhile, Sterl among the crowd showed a knowing expression��


    From the very beginning, he understood the purpose of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array. It was easy to deduce, and the array''s influence was too vast��it had swallowed an entire city.


    Therefore, the Archduke of Blood''s plot would inevitably be exposed. If Sterl wanted to benefit as a bystander, he had to keep himself well-hidden.


    However��


    That was a matter forter.


    At this moment, Sterl was constantly unleashing Celestial Stars, dealing damage, healing teammates, and providing controlling shields.


    The azure Celestial Stars descended from the sky, emitting terrifying shockwaves and intense heat.


    For a time, he single-handedly pushed back numerous legendary demons.


    However, he had to pause asionally to regain his energy, resulting in the demons looking battered yet not a single one had died.


    The yers present naturally caught sight of this.


    They had no doubts that Sterl was holding back; rather, they felt even more despairing��if even the strongest leader could only maintain a stalemate, wasn''t that a death sentence?


    They had already begun to sense the blood-red light points in the sky siphoning away the life force of everything around them, feeling increasingly weakened. With the current stalemate, things would only get worse��


    "Go! Follow the leader''s movements!"


    ��


    Soon, someone shouted in anger, unwilling to ept the situation and wanting to make a final push.


    But Sterl was also very alert; as the yers intensified their attacks, he immediately slowed down the frequency of the Celestial Stars.


    As a result, a warrior and an assassin yer broke from the formation��one wielding dual des, spinning wildly to create a terrifying whirlwind, while the other transformed into a ghostly shadow, directly tearing apart the space around a nearby demon!

 Chapter 249: The Semi-Divine Reinforcements of the Hall of Valor?

    The two yers unleashed an extraordinarily high amount of damage.


    Unfortunately, they had originally thought they could take down two demons, but their leader''s Celestial Stars had just missed its timing, resulting in the damage falling slightly short. The severely injured demons were instantly shielded by their "teammates."


    When the two yers turned around, they nearly spat blood; their leader was currently drinking a potion to restore energy and hadn''t cast any skills.


    In the next second, they found themselves surrounded by more than ten demons.


    Their expressions turned to despair��this was the end!


    But just then, the Celestial Stars returned!


    The terrifying impact and me controlled all the surrounding demons and provided the two yers with massive shields, allowing them to easily withstand the nearest demon''s attack as they retreated back into the crowd.


    Afterward, a few reckless yers attempted to kill the demons, but they were outyed by Sterl. In such an urgent battle situation, the yers didn''t question anything; they merelymented their fate.


    Even in their final desperate attempt, they couldn''t kill the enemy.


    Since that was the case��


    The yers'' spirits gradually waned. They mechanically repeated their skills and drank potions to fend off the demons'' assaults, but they all knew they were merely waiting for death.


    The rate at which the blood-red energy was being siphoned was elerating.


    The yers had begun to feel increasingly weak, even their skill-casting speed had slowed down a bit.


    Meanwhile, Sterl pretended to drink potions frantically, maintaining the frequency of Celestial Stars, even increasing it to stabilize the stalemate.


    Once the yers realized that it didn''t matter whether they tried hard or not, they decided to give up.


    For a moment, the surroundings appeared to be filled with fierce energy collisions, yet the battle itself had lost all meaning.


    Time passed second by second, and the extraction speed of the blood-red light points had gone from a fine drizzle at the start to now resembling falling snow.


    Many yers could barely stand, and the legendary demons, seeing this, actually halted their assaults, sneering as they stood by, seemingly waiting for the yers to bepletely refined.


    Sterl''s Bionic Tear could finally stop its movements.


    Earlier, he had feigned drinking potions, but now that all the yers had exhausted themselves, if he had to hold up against the onught alone, he would truly need to drink potions. The problem was, he had no potions on him��


    At that moment, the blood-red energy had thickened into a mist, making everyone feel a sense of suffocation and limited visibility, as if they were trapped in an infernal prison.


    The prayers from the Blood Cult seemed to have received a response. Beneath Florence, a blood-colored light shed, sting open a massive opening in the ground!


    It seemed as though something was about to be born.


    But in the next instant!


    A towering beam of light pierced through the crimson barrier!


    Everyone couldn''t help but turn to look, only to discover that it was the king, who had previously been captured by the princess, making his way to the edge of the battlefield. He held in his hand something resembling a signal re.


    It was he who had released that beam of light.


    "Ancestors, grant us your protection!" the king shouted loudly.


    "May the glory of the Hall of Valor be with us!"


    At that moment, some yers recognized what the king held in his hands��


    It was a rescue item granted by the Hall of Valor, capable of summoning a semi-divine being!


    Instantly, the expressions of the yers shifted from despair to exhration, as if they hade back to life.


    Indeed, the Hall of Valor''s most loyal family had deep roots!


    Naturally, the members of the Blood Cult looked somewhat grim. However, they had reached the most critical juncture and chose to ignore the beam of light, continuing their prayers.


    Within the hollow space sted open beneath Florence, a mysterious power was gathering. The sky rumbled with thunder, as if the entire world was fiercely resisting whatever was about to descend.


    The yers felt a terrifying presence on the verge of arrival, trembling uncontrobly.


    Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!


    They felt their hearts racing faster than ever, with such high blood pressure that they nearly burst their veins. Meanwhile, the members of the Blood Cult, as if basking in sunlight, opened their arms and cried out joyfully to the sky, "Our Lord! We can feel your Divine Power!"


    "Thank you for your blessing!"


    At that moment, neither the members of the Blood Cult nor the yers could see what was truly being nurtured beneath Florence.


    Only Sterl, in his true form, stood coldly in a corner of the sted underground world''s rock wall.


    He saw countless streams of blood overflowing from the rifts in space, forming a small undergroundke.


    Then, chunks of flesh began to wildly squeeze out from within. With each piece that emerged, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky!


    The protective shield formed by the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array was beyond the yers'' ability to shake, yet this remarkably powerful divine formation began to show signs of damage under the thunderous strikes!


    At the same time, the rifts in space continued to tremble, tearing away chunks of flesh from the masses.


    Sterl could even sense the Divine Power contained within those pieces of flesh. If he were to step forward and seize them now, he could potentially replenish a significant amount of Divine Power to store in his divine authority.


    But he remained motionless.


    Exposing a bit of Divine Power at this moment would be nothing short of madness.


    "So this is the price of going against the heavens," Sterl thought, unable to suppress a sigh as he observed the scene before him.


    Initially, he had considered the Archduke of Blood, who devised such a bug-exploiting operation, to be a genius. Now, however, he realized that he was not a genius but a reckless fool.


    Because once this bug-exploiting formation was born, it would face the relentless squeezing from both worlds.


    The main world of [Transcendence] unleashed its thunder for punishment, while the stable rifts in the underworld grew unstable, forcing the Archduke of Blood to endure immense suffering just to transfer his bodily organization over.


    "Fortunately, I didn''t hastily change my target for refining; otherwise, I might have be the target myself," Sterl thought, feeling a twinge of fear.


    He was relieved he hadn''t rushed, nning to wait until thest moment. If he had been targeted by the thunder from [Transcendence], he would have been reduced to ashes!


    What a disaster!


    But now��


    Sterl sensed that the targeting of the two worlds, even if it was aimed at him, was a test. If the Archduke of Blood could endure it sessfully, he would gain the qualification to exploit the bug.


    And this qualification would belong not only to the Archduke of Blood but also to the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, and to the Blood Sacrifice Array under Sterl''s control!


    Therefore, Sterl couldn''t help but shout in his heart at this moment.


    "Come on, demon who wants to exploit the bug! You are the best! Do not be defeated by hell, do not be obliterated by the thunder!"


    As Sterl was lost in thought, his pupils suddenly constricted. It seemed that after paying an extremely heavy price, countless pieces of flesh erupted, and from within them, a single��


    At the same time, at the location of the royal pce, numerous legendary demons stood on high alert.


    But in the next second,


    Boom!!


    A terrifying chill descended from the sky, apanied by the rift torn open by the soaring beam of light, revealing a figure d in dazzling ice armor.


    "Supreme Ice Lord, Frederic??"


    A yer called out the name of the semi-divine being.


    He was the strongest among those beneath the supreme deities!


    The arrival of such a figure filled the yers with excitement!


    They felt a surge of hope��no, they should say that with this semi-divine''s strength, he could easily suppress all the legendary demons, and even if he couldn''t destroy the array, he should be able to lead the yers to safety with ease.


    "Supreme Lord, this is a god-level formation. Can you break it? If not, you must take us away!"


    "Supreme Lord��"


    The yers shouted one after another.


    The Supreme Ice Lord surveyed the situation around him and felt it was quite tricky.


    A god-level formation��


    It was precisely because he was called the foremost being beneath the gods that he recognized just how vast the gap was between himself and the divine.


    Frederic had initially nned to showcase his prowess as a semi-divine being by crushing everything in his path, but now he couldn''t afford to think about that any longer. He raised his hand, ready to take the yers of the Hall of Valor and the king of House of Radiance to safety.


    Meanwhile, members of the Blood Cult, crazed with fervor,unched themselves at the semi-divine being without hesitation. The demons dared not engage with Frederic, but the fanatical cultists, undeterred, unleashed streams of blood-colored light shooting into the sky.


    In that moment, the yers looked on with disdain; these zealots were truly seeking death.


    The Pope of the Blood Cult wore a helpless expression. She had never imagined that House of Radiance had such a trump card!


    If the formation lost the king, its most crucial bloodline, it could very well fail.


    The sess of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array wasn''t guaranteed; it required a massive amount to offset the probabilities.


    "My Lord��"


    The Pope knelt on the ground, her eyes clouded with despair.


    If she weren''t required to oversee the array''s continued refinement, hoping that the Archduke of Blood might get lucky and obtain the Radiance bloodline, she would have wished to end her own life in atonement.


    Thud!


    Thud!


    Thud!


    However, in just half a second, or rather, in the blink of an eye, before anyone realized what was happening��


    Boom!!


    The so-called strongest being beneath the gods, the Supreme Ice Lord, exploded into a cloud of blood mist.


    He was left without aplete corpse.


    Though he may have had some life-saving items, none were used before he was simply gone!


    Instantly, the expressions of the yers and the king turned from relief to shock, freezing in ce.


    At the same time, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, utilizing the gap in the crimson barrier that had been previously breached.


    Boom!!


    The thunder roared!


    It struck fear into everyone''s hearts!


    The shing light of the lightning mirrored the yers'' expressions, each one bewildered, stunned, and��


    Desperate!


    Previously, they had felt numb but still fought and resisted the onught of the demons. But now, they hadpletely given up!


    Their fighting spirit vanished!


    One by one, they copsed to the ground, powerless.


    Meanwhile, many of the Blood Cult''s followers hadn''t even reacted yet. Before they could shift their expressions to joy, they noticed something slowly drifting towards them from a distance��

 Chapter 250: The Archduke of Blood · Source of Energy

    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Everyone''s heart raced as they couldn''t help but focus their gaze on the object floating toward them.


    To their immense surprise, it was not a demon, but a heart.


    It looked extremely weak and withered. The surface was covered withva-like patterns and chunks of ck stone, with bright red veins crisscrossing it.


    Just by looking at that heart, a single phrase involuntarily surfaced in everyone''s minds��


    The Archduke of Blood �� Source of Energy.


    Instantly, many yers present understood.


    A divine-level demon!


    Only a being of such divine caliber could evoke its name just by being gazed upon.


    They finally realized how that Supreme Ice Lord had met his demise; he must have been directly crushed by the heart of this divine demon.


    In the face of a god, demigods stood no chance at all.


    At that moment, several yers activated their detection skills and were able to see the attributes of the heart.


    [The Archduke of Blood �� Source of Energy]


    [Level: 500]


    [Status: Partial Life Tissue]


    [Attributes:


    Constitution: 100


    Spirit: 100


    Strength: 0


    Agility: 0]


    [Abilities:


    Bloody Divine Power: Can manipte the blood of all living things to create extremely bizarre attacks.


    Attack Method 1: Bloodquake - Explodes all the blood within the opponent''s body, dealing massive damage that ignores defenses against units below divine level. Depending on the amount of Divine Power invested, it can potentially y up to 500% of the target''s life force.


    Attack Method 2: Bloodstorm - Draws all liquids in the world to transform them into blood...]


    ...


    The panel was very detailed, but it shattered the yers'' mental statepletely.


    All theirst glimmers of hope vanished.


    The attributes of this demonic heart were low enough for yers to detect, but even with those low stats, it was still a part of a divine demon. It wielded godly power, and anyone daring to resist would be instantly turned to blood mist.


    The Blood Cult''s n had already seeded!


    "Master! We offer everything to you!"


    "Let the bloodline of the House of Radiance be bestowed upon you!"


    "You shall ascend to the pinnacle of Hell, bing the lord of all demons!"


    At that moment, all members of the Blood Cult knelt on the ground, not even bothering to nce at the other yers.


    As for the yers...


    They slowly huddled together, trembling in fear.


    They knew that nothing they did now would matter because the final stage of the grand ritual had already been triggered.


    "We..."


    "Sigh..."


    Some wanted to say more, but ultimately, they could only let out a resigned sigh.


    Who would have thought that a task they initially thought would earn them plenty of Valor Contribution Points would end up bing a death knell for everyone?


    "We can say we''ve witnessed history; at least there''s no record in the Hall of Valor of any existence from Hell or the [Transcendence] main world sessfully exploiting a bug to gain another power system."


    "Perhaps the annals will have to note us as the unfortunate souls who almost prevented this divine demon from emerging."


    At first, the yers spoke with some strength, but their voices grew weaker and weaker. They soon realized that the visibility around them had dropped to the point where they couldn''t see their own hands in front of them; a sea of blood enveloped everything.


    It felt as if...


    They were drowning in a flood of blood!


    The only thing they could see amidst the crimson haze was the resounding heartbeat of the divine demon''s heart, which was dazzling. This dazzle wasn''t a visual sensation; it was simply its existence that was so potent that even if they blinded themselves, they could still "see" it clearly.


    Thud!


    Thud!


    Thud!


    The formation hadpleted its final activation, and gradually, all sounds in the Principality of Florence faded away, leaving only the echoing heartbeat.


    This scene resembled the birth of some terrifying entity!


    At this moment, the heart of the divine demon, nourished by countless streams of blood energy, transformed from its initial shriveled state to a plump one, with iridescent power swirling around it.


    Thud!


    One heartbeat.


    The world shifted in color!


    The light within the formation fused into one.


    Thud!


    A second heartbeat!


    yers fell to their knees, their bodies utterly weakened, while the countless residents of the city were in a simr state, incredibly frail, likembs awaiting ughter.


    The refining progress of this formation treated everyone equally; no matter how strong they were, if they were below divine level, it was all meaningless.


    Thud!


    A third heartbeat!


    Countless blood-red threads slowly rose into the air.


    Thud!


    A fourth heartbeat.


    The yers no longer had the strength to even open their eyes, but from the corners of their vision, they caught sight of a strange scene. The members of the Blood Cult, who had been in a state of ecstatic joy, now disyed expressions of shock, fear, and confusion.


    While exhibiting such emotions, they remained fixated on the air above them.


    Despite the poor visibility in the blood mist, legendary yers still retained some sensory ability. Upon witnessing such a bizarre scene, even in their weakened state, they instinctively looked upwards, and they realized that something was changing.


    The heart of the divine demon was preparing to channel the power of the formation, but behind it arose an incredibly terrifying aura!


    It was also the shadow of a divine-level power! This shadow was equally dazzling, allowing one to "see" it clearly even in the poor visibility of the blood mist.


    However...


    This shadow was extremely vague, making it hard to sense urately, and one couldn''t immediately recognize its true name.


    Without further boration, this was naturally Sterl''s true form.


    At the moment the heart of the Archduke of Blood descended, he quickly hid himself in the Shadow Realm.


    Fortunately, the divine demon was too indifferent to care about such an insignificant creature like him, allowing Sterl to avoid being forced to ascend to godhood prematurely.


    While other yers were being drained by the formation, Sterl, as the true master of the array, remained unaffected.


    He had been waiting until the heart of the Archduke of Blood was about to channel the countless threads of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array''s refining process, at its weakest and most defenseless moment, when the refining nourishment had officially begun and could not be retracted��


    Sterl would then boldly ascend to godhood!


    Simultaneously, Sterl unleashed As a Creator''s Act, creating a small space that severed others'' detection of him.


    After all, the divine authority of humanity had already manifested once; a second appearance could lead to someone making a connection between the entity seizing the bug from the Archduke of Blood and the previous Constantine.


    Sterl could never ept that. What if someone traced it back to him?


    Thus, As a Creator''s Act directly solved this problem for him. This special skill came from a level of Divine Power greater than the ordinary, allowing Sterl to shield himself from other deities!


    The yers and followers present certainly couldn''t see through this, and the Archduke of Blood, let alone just being a heart, wouldn''t be able to gather information even if its true form were present.


    At that moment, this led to an incredibly terrifying scene for the members of the Blood Cult!


    But the more devastating event was yet to unfold.


    With a slight thought, Sterl made countless blood-colored refining threads dissipate instantly. The Archduke of Blood was too greedy; he aimed to refine all living beings in the entire city. In addition to the Blood Cult members, he wanted to keep those demons brought into the main world for himself, intending to devour them all.


    This led to Sterl being able to control the array simply by releasing the yers and residents from the refining process.


    But that was not all!


    "Move!"


    Sterl harnessed his Divine Power and suddenly manipted the countless refining threads that had just dissipated, driving them all into the heart of the Archduke of Blood!


    He crazily began to melt it down!!


    Although Sterl''s ascent to godhood could only be maintained for a very short time, he was in his prime state. In the face of a divine demon''s heart that had endured the heavenly punishments of two worlds, he found himself in a position of overwhelming strength!


    With the amplified power of the god-level formation, the Source of Energy of the Archduke of Blood had no means of resistance. It was being wildly dissolved into an extraordinarily brilliant crimson energy that dazzled the eyes of all who beheld it!


    At that moment, Sterl''s ascent to godhood wasing to an end; his Divine Power was fully expended, and he began to plummet from the heights above toward the ground...


    His face remained expressionless; although he felt a surge of excitement, he could not afford to smile.


    He had no intention of refining the legendary yers present, as the Blood Sacrifice Array could only extract one type of ability at a time. Any additional refining energy, if it were from the Archduke of Blood, could be transformed into bloody Divine Power.


    However, until Sterl truly became a god, this energy could only be temporarily sealed. It could only be stored in the main world of [Transcendence], as the area of the small world Sterl possessed was insufficient.


    Moreover...


    The ratio of ordinary energy converted into Divine Power was far too low. Even with an extra batch of legendary yers or the life force of all the residents of the Principality of Florence, there wouldn''t be much to gain.


    Sterl, not inclined to harm others for minimal personal gain, was not willing to undertake such a task.


    Because he didn''t n to eliminate witnesses, he refrained from saying a word or evenughing, so as not to expose his identity.


    With that, Sterl slowly closed his eyes as countless blood-colored threads surged toward him, wrapping around him like a cocoon, one thread at a time.


    Meanwhile, the members of the Blood Cult and the many yers below reacted in various ways.


    From their perspective, they saw the heart representing the Archduke of Blood suddenly transform into blood-red energy, while the shadow that had previously appeared behind the heart fell from the sky, and countless threads surged into that figure.


    The yers were utterly bewildered, unable toprehend what had just urred.


    "Is the Archduke of Blood really this cautious? Is that shadow behind him his true form???"


    "It''s over; let it be destroyed."


    "In the end, there was no turning point, and we still have to die..."


    "If only I hadn''t taken this quest in the first ce."


    ...


    They werepletely unaware that the Archduke of Blood had been outmaneuvered; the nature of god-level power was beyond the understanding of this group of legends.


    Only a few individuals cast suspicious nces at the members of the Blood Cult.

 Chapter 251: Reversal of the Formation, Refining Everything!

    The yers were unsure if it was an illusion or something else, but they noticed that their strength seemed to be gradually recovering. While it was only a slight increase, it was a genuine restoration.


    Was there a problem with the formation, or what?


    At this moment, the yers reluctantly nced at the members of the Blood Cult.


    Thump!


    Everyone''s heartbeat slowed by half a beat.


    Because the members of the Blood Cult were revealing expressions of utter despair.


    The remaining yers who hadn''t yet reacted didn''t need to turn their heads to look.


    "No! No!"


    "My lord! How could you have been ambushed like this??"


    "sphemer! You will pay for this!"


    ...


    The fanatics of the Blood Cult, who had previously been unaffected by the formation, now charged wildly toward the cocoon made of countless blood-colored threads in the sky.


    They were consumed by rage, some even shedding tears!


    The yers could tell from their expressions that the Archduke of Blood''s scheme had undoubtedly failed!


    Legendary yers at the scene gradually stood up, and within just a few seconds, they discovered that they were rapidly recovering, the energy extracted by the formation returning to their bodies.


    "Is it really all okay now?"


    "That shadow really dide to intercept?"


    "Why did he save us?"


    ...


    Despite having survived a cmity, the rapid turn of events left the yers unable to fullyprehend their situation.


    They felt as though they should be celebrating, but it felt somewhat unreal, like the fleeting images one sees before death...


    Until��


    "Ahhh!"


    The fanatics of the Blood Cult let out horrific screams. They charged into the sky but were unable tounch any attacks before being torn apart and dissolved into blood-colored threads.


    At this moment, the formation had reached its peak operation. Unlike before when it gradually extracted energy, it was now frantically siphoning everything within its range.


    This caused some powerful beings, such as those above demigod level, to have a degree of resistance to the formation.


    But it also meant that those below demigod level would suffer a gruesome fate!


    In an instant, the remaining dozens of Blood Cult members were all dead!


    Only the Pope remained, dazed and kneeling on the ground, a flicker of resentment and despair shing in her eyes.


    "I curse you!"


    "You shall suffer the most terrifying punishments in the world, with no ce to rest your bones, and your soul shall be scattered!"


    She howled at the Crimson Cocoon in the sky, her once delicate features now twisted with rage.


    In the end, the Pope reluctantly revealed a bitter smile: "My lord, I failed toplete your task, and instead caused you to lose your Source of Energy. You will likely be severely wounded, and your power will drop."


    "Now there''s no choice but to atone in this way!"


    The Pope was not without intelligence; she understood that preserving her own life was the best way to serve her lord.


    However, in the face of the formation, she would be refined alive.


    It would be better to...


    Take her own life!


    At least that would prevent her life energy from being used by the enemy.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t even manage tomit suicide...


    With a loud ng!


    The dagger the Pope held fell to the ground as her arm was dissolved into threads. Despite the intense pain, she maintained her dignity.


    She calmly closed her eyes.


    Boom!


    She wanted to self-detonate!


    But before the energy within her fully exploded, the Pope waspletely transformed into threads, merging into the blood-red cocoon in the sky.


    Thus, the Blood Cult organization was entirely obliterated.


    At most, a few remnants of the cult would linger in various ces, but the core waspletely dead, and it was impossible for them to regain any power.


    With the performance of the Blood Cult concluded, the yers finally realized the truth: "Is the crisis really over?"


    "We survived???"


    "Holy crap!! We''re alive!!"


    "Damn! I knew that resisting earlier was useful; if those demons had ughtered us first, would we have survived?"


    "Thank you, great deity who passed by! No matter your intentions, I will definitely worship you from now on!"


    ...


    Suddenly, everyone wasughing and crying, looking utterly frenzied.


    In such a dramatic turn of events, not everyone could maintain theirposure. Some yers nced at Sterl''s Bionic Tear.


    "Captain! We owe you our lives this time; if it weren''t for your intervention, we would have all been dead!"


    "Yeah, if it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t havested until that great deity appeared."


    ...


    A group of yers expressed their gratitude.


    Unfortunately, the captain remained silent and aloof, not saying a word.


    In reality, Sterl''s main consciousness was in a state of retreat.


    He had only given Bionic Tear amand to prepare for battle and would not pay any attention to the yers''ments.


    Seeing the captain''s silence, the yers looked up at the figurepletely covered by the Crimson Cocoon in the sky, unable to help but click their tongues. "Who exactly is that big shot? They seem so terrifying."


    "I feel like their strength is already at the god level, and they''ve seized the Archduke of Blood, exploiting a bug to gain abilities from another system. Sooner orter, we''ll know their name��"


    "Because their potential might be enough to make our entire Hall of Valor unable topete."


    "When disaster strikes, we might have to submit to them and serve as mere soldiers."


    A few legendary yers exchanged words, clearly showing profound respect and admiration for that mysterious powerhouse!


    Even...


    With so many gods, the Hall of Valor''s future could only be as apdog to that big shot!


    No wonder they thought this way...


    To exploit a bug and gain powers from another world system was incredibly difficult! At least ording to the records of the Hall of Valor, which spanned multiple continents, no one had ever seeded!


    This meant that, theoretically, no one from those continents had seeded, and perhaps even more worlds had no beings capable of doing so.


    What Sterl did not know was that...


    The Archduke of Blood possessed power in the underworld that was at leastparable to that of a formidable Divine Power!


    There were almost no gods in the Hall of Valor who couldpare to it. Even a single heart was beyond what he could handle to ascend to godhood, even if he temporarily gained immense strength through the formation.


    However, the Archduke of Blood could still kill him in an instant!


    Unfortunately, this demon had already borne the massive punishment for exploiting the bug, and was on the verge of transforming and being reborn.


    But all the rewards were snatched away, and even the Source of Energy was devoured...


    It was a total loss!


    At this moment, the yers, having recovered from their post-crisis euphoria, realized that they were about to witness history!


    A star was rising slowly.


    As the yers mored, the king of the Principality of Florence slowly stood up, supporting himself against a broken stone on the ground.


    "I... I''m still alive?"


    He was somewhat bewildered.


    And it wasn''t just him; countless residents of the Principality of Florence gradually regained their senses, terrified as they retreated and rolled away, trying to escape from the demon''s grasp...


    However, they discovered that although the surroundings were filled with ruins, the blood-red sky was gradually bing clear.


    The towering blood-red barrier was slowly dissipating.


    As for the demons that had attacked them earlier, they had long since vanished.


    "Mom! Look over there! So bright!" Suddenly, a small boy wearing a coarse cloth shirt pointed at the sky. The adults around him turned to look, only to find that all the blood and all the symbols of the demons'' terrifying power had been absorbed by a scarlet cocoon.


    Though the Principality of Florence was in ruins, it had finally weed peace.


    In the end, thest remnants of the blood-red lightpletely vanished.


    The sky darkened, leaving only a bright moon to shine down, allowing people to barely see one another.


    "Is this the end?"


    "Did the legendary messengers of the Hall of Valor save us???"


    "It must be! Were they not summoned by the king to protect us? To protect this country?"


    "Long live the Hall of Valor!"


    "That cocoon earlier must have been created by the great ones of the Hall of Valor; they are truly remarkable!"


    ...


    The crowd cheered.


    To them, this matter seemed quite simple. After all, it was just the defeat of the evil that summoned the demon, right?


    Normally, such things would be thwarted!


    Moreover, the Principality of Florence had been saved from danger by the Hall of Valor countless times; the people had grown ustomed to it.


    Having survived a cmity, they felt it was only natural, nothing unreasonable about it.


    As the citizens cheered, the Crimson Cocoon in the sky seemed to absorb energy to its limit before suddenly vanishing, leaving behind a resounding and eerie sound.


    "I am Solomon, the master of the seventy-two pirs of demon gods!"


    This voice was inspired by the spy novels from Sterl''s past life; he used a recording device to capture the demon''s roar and then adjusted it syble by syble to produce this sentence.


    After all, it would be impossible to trace this phrase back to Sterl himself. Instead, everyone would have a reasonable assumption��


    A powerful being who had exploited a bug to gain hellish abilities would certainly disdain to tell lies, so they should investigate this Solomon.


    Sterl, however, simply thought of the name Solomon because he absorbed the demon''s power.


    If you really want to investigate, go ahead; I guarantee you''ll be left scratching your head.


    At this moment, the Crimson Cocoon was tossed into a location that Sterl himself was not even aware of, using an upgraded teleportation scroll.


    Then, Sterl struggled to maintain a semnce of rity, continuously absorbing the immense power while trying to resist the feeling of drowsiness, all while controlling Bionic Tear.


    What relieved Sterl was that, from Bionic Tear''s perspective, the yers were chatting and no one suspected anything was off with "David."


    After all, their minds were in a state of half-copse...


    "Finally, it''s over. Honestly, I was really afraid that big shot would suddenlye out and cause trouble."


    "After going through this ordeal, to be honest, I won''t want to leave the Hall of Valor for at least half a year��"

 Chapter 252: Origin of Chaos · Skills

    "Wait a minute, if this mission was that difficult and we all managed toe back alive... the rewards must be substantial!"


    "Yeah, we just hit the jackpot!"


    Everyone was all smiles, the atmosphere quite lively.


    Then��


    Thud.


    Thud��


    The yers rxed, plopping down onto the ground,pletelycking the demeanor of strong warriors.


    They sat among the ruins, with little desire to do anything, and many even sprawled on the ground.


    "We''re going back!"


    "We can return to the Hall of Valor now. We earned a massive amount of Valor Contribution Points; we''re all going to take off!"


    "Oh! Long live the Hall of Valor!!"


    This group of yers, devoid of any legendary aura, stretched out their arms and shouted like children.


    Nearby, the king of the Principality of Florence was also catching his breath while seated on a chunk of rubble.


    "Um... Your Majesty, it seems the Principality of Florence ispletely destroyed," one yer casually remarked, clearly not holding back.


    However, to their surprise, the king simply shook his head. "It doesn''t matter."


    "The Hall of Valor will help me rebuild my kingdom soon."


    "But rebuilding the kingdom is a task that should be taken on by some third-ss yers."


    "Though the rewards may be a bit lower, there''s no real threat, so there should be plenty of people looking to grind out their monthly tasks willing to help."


    The king seemed to have an extensive understanding of the Hall of Valor''s mission system.


    What he said left the yers in shock��


    So, we, the yers of the Hall of Valor, are just theborers for the Principality of Florence? You just summon us when you need help?


    "Impressive! I''m in awe!"


    "No wonder the Principality of Florence has remained standing!"


    "I''m even considering signing a contract with the Hall of Valor after I die; wouldn''t that mean my family would be taken care of forever??"


    "Heh, protection?"


    "It''s not that easy, not that easy," the king shook his head, as if there was more to the story.


    But the yers merely chatted casually, toozy to inquire further.


    Meanwhile, Sterl controlled Bionic Tear in silence, his attention primarily focused on slowly refining the hellish energy within his own body.


    Others merely assumed that their leader was tired and didn''t pay him any mind.


    The yers didn''t chat for long before they couldn''t help but express their feelings.


    "Being able to see such a beautiful night sky really makes it all worth it!"


    At that moment, the moonlight bathed the ground, as if it had spread ayer of white frost.


    Everything hade to an end.


    ��


    The yersy among the ruins until the following morning.


    A rainbow ship arrived to pick them up.


    Originally, the Hall of Valor wasn''t supposed to be this efficient. However, after the disappearance of the Supreme Ice Lord, the Hall of Valor dispatched new support.


    "So, in the end, it was a being from the main world named Solomon who saved you?"


    "That entity seems to have exploited a bug and gained abilities from hell, is that correct?" A demigod, whose hair and eyebrows were all white, asked, while the legendary yers around him responded cautiously.


    "That''s right, my lord."


    "Very well, this is a significant matter. You''ve provided such important information; I will inform the Hall of Valor to enhance your rewards a bit."


    The demigod was surprisingly agreeable. He waved his hand, allowing the yers to leave, and the legendary yers swiftly ran into the ship''s cabin, either lying down or resting.


    This task had drained their mental energy significantly.


    At that moment, the demigod stood on one side of the rainbow ship, a glint of peculiar excitement shing in his eyes.


    "Solomon, isn''t that a character from their racial mythology?"


    "And he ims to master the seventy-two pirs of demon gods."


    "This surely can''t be a mere coincidence, can it?"


    He pondered, feeling a mix of delight and tion.


    "If I remember correctly, that race has always been purging everything rted to their kind."


    "Bug-exploiting Solomon?"


    "You may think you are invincible with the powers of hell, but should that race intervene, you will undoubtedly face death..."


    The demigodpletely abandoned his earlier amiable demeanor, appearing somewhat agitated. Although matters regarding that race were beyond his participation, providing information could yield substantial rewards.


    This would increase his chances of ascending to godhood!


    ��


    At this moment, Sterl was unaware that a name he casually threw out could lead to trouble. In reality, if his previous guild "Twilight" had been named "the Twilight of the Gods" without subtler nuances, certain individuals could have quickly recognized the meaning behind his guild''s emblem, thus inviting disaster.


    Yet even if he knew he shouldn''t recklessly mention "Solomon," he didn''t care much.


    After all, with a sentence constructed from synthesized voices of various demons, who could possibly trace it back to him???


    He leaned against the wall of the rainbow ship''s cabin, having retracted Bionic Tear.


    Sterl''s consciousness was still flickering intermittently...


    He felt utterly dizzy.


    In the ocean of stars within his spiritual realm, a crimson supernova was frantically asserting its presence.


    If it weren''t for the two chains of white and green, forged from his dual divine authority of humanity and nature, suppressing it, the chaos might have spiraled out of control.


    His spiritual realm was on the verge of copsing and obliteration!


    Fortunately, he held on!


    At that moment, his only thought was that the Archduke of Blood was indeed a "god among men!" Not only was he enduring the impacts of two worlds, but he also had to bear the force from yet another realm, all of which took a toll on his body!


    Every link in these two processes had the potential to lead to the demon''s death! A sudden demise!


    However...


    At this moment, as Sterl reflected on it, the Archduke of Blood was not "divine" at all...


    This colossal demon wasposed of a strange, scarlet liquid, but now his massive demonic form had been punctured by several holes, rendering him unable to recover.


    In front of him stood two figures: one was a giant beast wielding a massive sword, d in what appeared to be biological armor, slowly advancing. The other was a woman with bat-like wings, looking strikingly graceful.


    The auras of these two demons were on par with that of the Archduke of Blood.


    "I see, there''s a bacsh from Fortune."


    "Haha! I defied fate, and yet I suffer such numerous cmities..."


    "Good! Very good!"


    "But as for the one who stole my opportunity, I eagerly anticipate the kind of bacsh you will face from Fortune."


    The Archduke of Blood lounged casually on his throne.


    He hadn''t expected that these two god-level demons, who usually had a contentious rtionship, would put aside their differences this time to unite against him because of the blood gemstone from hisyer of hell.


    Initially, the two demons only intended to grab a quick fortune and flee, but upon realizing that the Archduke of Blood seemed to have lost his Source of Energy and was extremely weakened, they shifted their strategy to attempt to y this god-level demon.


    In fact, they were on the verge of sess...


    Ahhh!!!


    Theyer of hell where the Archduke of Blood resided descended into a frenzy, apanied by a torrential blood rain. Countless demons, including the newly birthed Abyssal Worms, bathed in the blood rain and evolved at an astonishing pace!


    This was the rule of hell.


    When the strong die, the masses rejoice!


    The death of a god-level demon meant that thisyer of hell would undergo yet another brutal massacre until a new deity was born!


    ��


    And just at that moment��


    "Whoa!" Sterl suddenly opened his eyes. He didn''t know why, but the immense demonic power he had been absorbing, specifically that from the Archduke of Blood, contained a powerful will that was thrashing about, even trying to consume Sterl''s spirit in return.


    But just moments ago, that consciousness had let out a sudden scream and dissipated, allowing Sterl''s refinement process to surge forward significantly.


    "Could it be that after being away from hell for too long, it finally couldn''t hold on anymore?" Sterl could only specte wildly.


    At this moment, the crimson supernova in his spiritual realm finally began to fade, extinguishing as it was bound by the white and green chains, settling down into stillness.


    Sterl just needed to continue the refinement process to begin harnessing the power within.


    The most challenging hurdle had been passed!


    Now, he only needed to endure the passage of time.


    Sterl closed his eyes again and continued refining, repeatedly channeling his mental will into that crimson sphere. Finally, the sphere suddenly copsed, spilling forth a wealth of nutrients!


    "Ah!"


    Sterl felt a rush of rity wash over him, a wave of nourishing pleasure coursing through his body. This was the mostfortable breakthrough he had ever experienced.


    This strange sensationsted for over half an hour before gradually dissipating.


    At this point, Sterl exhaled a breath of turbid air.


    He stood up, feeling as though the entire world had be much more transparent.


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s enhancement panel was going wild with notifications.


    [You have been nourished by blood energy; your power attribute has increased by one.]


    [You have been nourished by blood energy; your constitution attribute has increased by one.]


    [You have been nourished by blood energy...]


    ��


    The first benefit from the Blood Sacrifice Array was a total increase of 100 points in all attributes!


    This was a foundational attribute that could be enhanced by various skills.


    Although Sterl had not specifically chosen to "gain foundational attributes" when activating the array, the sheer number of over 200 legendary demons had allowed him to "consume" an abundant amount all at once.


    The second reward was that Sterl opened his palm, and a strand of crimson power coiled around it. This was the overflow of blood energy, which he would need to wait until achieving god-level to convert into blood-based Divine Power.


    Previously, he had hidden the majority of his power at a random teleportation location, leaving only some remnants on hand.


    As for the third reward, Sterl initially wanted to keep some sense of surprise for thest hell-exclusive ability he would check.


    However, the [Transcendence] system had already notified him with bright golden letters:


    [Congrattions, yer Sterl, you have acquired the hell ability �� Blood of Evil Thoughts. This ability will be converted based on your constitution.]


    [You have gained the ability Origin of Chaos �� skills.]

 Chapter 253: All Skills, Unlimited Enhancement?

    At the same time, the specific attributes of [Origin of Chaos��skills] appeared before Sterl.


    A new page for [Origin of Chaos] opened on his panel.


    [Origin of Chaos��skills]


    [Description: This bloody Divine Poweres from the Archduke of Blood in hell. It undergoes a strange transformation once it is grasped by the life forms of the main world. To possess this power is a stroke of luck, but it is also a misfortune, as immense power oftenes with terrifying risks. Are you favored by the world, or are you despised by it?]


    [Effects:


    Ability One: You possess a legendary ability: Blood Control. When you ascend to demigod status, this ability automatically evolves into Blood Law, and upon advancing to god-level, it automatically upgrades to Blood Divine Authority.


    Ability Two: You can now collect blood force by killing enemies and gathering corpses on the battlefield. You can consume blood force to unleash abilities rted to Ability One, or you can spend blood force to enhance the proficiency of all your abilities (currently limited to those within the Great Divine Power tier, inclusive).]


    [Hint: The Origin of Chaos can be enhanced by the number of hellyers you conquer.]


    In just two simple paragraphs, the effects of this ability were clearly exined.


    One of the effects granted Sterl a legendary ability that could directly evolve into divine authority in the future. He took a look at the specifics of the effect.


    Unlike Inspire or Shadow Stealth, Sterl had finally mastered a pure attack-oriented legendary ability. The effect was to consume blood force to create blood weapons and energy, inflicting damage, and after harming an enemy, he could manipte the blood within their body to attack.


    Due to the fluid nature of blood, this legendary ability had a strong synergy with Flowing Water Law. It significantly enhanced Sterl''s overallbat power.


    The only problem was...


    The second ability of [Origin of Chaos��skills]also required blood force, which raised a dilemma��Sterl was reluctant to expend blood force to activate the previous ability!


    He checked his blood force and found that there was nothing it couldn''t enhance, including the progress of arcane skills and mastery.


    Sterl''s understanding of Law Power, as well as the Laws he had already cultivated, could all be directly improved with blood force, bringing them to perfection.


    Even...


    The noblest thing he possessed, divine authority, could also be enhanced with blood force!


    However, at present, this enhancement was not operational, as it seemed that Sterl''s physical and mental realms were unable to bear the increase in divine authority.


    Previously, he had relied on methods akin to exploiting bugs to incorporate [Humans] and [Nature] into himself.


    Indeed, this ability called [Origin of Chaos��skills]was like a "bug," practically providing yers with a new cheat code!


    Many deities spent centuries to barely enhance their divine authority, while Sterl could casually allocate enhancements.


    What was even more outrageous was that if Sterl conquered enough hellyers, it seemed this ability''s upper limit could also rise.


    "However, the efficiency of acquiring blood force still needs to be tested."


    Sterl looked at the enhancement effects of blood force. To elevate Flowing Water Law from its iplete state to perfection, only one hundred and ten points were needed. Ten points would bring it to fullness, while one hundred points would achieve perfection.


    For lower-tier formations, enhancing them to the next proficiency stage uniformly required one point of blood force. This was because their quality was too low, and the consumption was far less than one point, so it was fixed at one point.


    For the tinum-level skill Silent Domain, thirty points were needed for proficiency and eighty for mastery. The consumption for Golden-level skills was merely one-tenth of that for tinum skills.


    ��


    It was indeed possible to enhance anything!


    At that moment, Sterl was in the cabin of the Rainbow Ship, struggling to maintain his smile. He was in a great mood, satisfied with the rewards he had meticulously nned for and finally obtained!


    Additionally, the Blood Sacrifice Array provided some extra enhancements.


    First, Sterl''s life force had nearly doubled! He had absorbed so much energy that he passively increased it significantly.


    Second, his Divine Power received a substantial boost��an impressive one hundred points! He could now ascend to godhood again and maintain it for much longer than before his trip to Verenthia.


    He felt like he had hit the jackpot.


    The only cost he had incurred this time��Divine Power��had been doubled back in returns.


    However, his expression soon changed. Due to the absorption of the sacrificial rewards, he had missed an entire day''s worth of enhancement opportunities, and today''s enhancement limit had reached five points, which he hadn''t even thought to use!


    In a flurry, Sterl catalyzed a Fate Token.


    ��


    Afterward, during the brief period before returning to the Hall of Valor, Sterl sat quietly, continuing toprehend Arcane Law. As for the overflowing experience points in his experience pool, he nned to elerate their refinement once back in the Hall of Valor, thanks to its conducive environment.


    However��


    To Sterl''s dismay, he hadn''t meditated for long before the Rainbow Ship unexpectedly came to a halt. Due to the demise of the Supreme Ice Lord, the demigods aboard the ship decided to pay a visit to his family, prompting the ship to make a temporary stop at a ce called Golden City.


    Sterl, however, didn''t feel like engaging in constant meditation. He figured he might as well take this opportunity to experience the culturalndscape of another realm and disembarked the ship.


    Instead of heading to the giant city where the Supreme Ice Lord''s family resided, he opted for a smaller town located a thousand miles away from Golden City. His choice wasn''t too unusual; after all, many yers preferred to avoid being around demigods due to the immense pressure.


    Anyway, the Rainbow Ship would set sail again in a day.


    ��


    "I''d like an order of rosemary roasted venison, and a ss of your local fruit wine, please," Sterl casually ordered at a small tavern.


    He observed the attire of the people around him, noting that it was vastly different from what he usually saw among his own race. The locals often adorned silver jewelry that jingled as they walked. Their clothing was vibrant, embellished with patterns resembling various poisonous insects.


    However, Sterl hadn''t had the chance to fully appreciate the exotic atmosphere when suddenly, a loud crash erupted.


    Boom!!


    Then, a figure plummeted from the sky, crashing onto the table in front of him.


    Sterl reacted quickly and managed to dodge, but the dish that had just been served was obliterated.


    The shopkeeper and other customers nearby stared at the fallen figure with expressions of dread and terror.


    "Is it that bully again?"


    "What does he want?"


    "It seems he was knocked down from the sky..."


    "Stay away! This guy bites at any moment!"


    ��


    People were buzzing with conversation, as if they had encountered a gue.


    Only Sterl looked utterly confused, as he sensed the aura of the person in front of him, estimating that they were at the pinnacle of second ss��


    To be honest, he hadn''t encountered someone so weak in a long time.


    You dare to ruin my meal?


    However, Sterl was fairly reasonable; he simply wore an annoyed expression and prepared to leave. After all, it seemed this person was also thrown here by someone else, so causing trouble for him shouldn''t be on their agenda.


    Yet, as Sterl attempted to walk away, someone was unwilling to let him go.


    "Hey, kid! You dirty my clothes and think you can just leave?"


    The bully wore a fierce expression!


    At the same time, a figure in white, wielding a sword, floated down from the sky.


    His strength sent the countless ordinary yers present fleeing in panic!


    "A third ss powerhouse!"


    "Run! Otherwise, we''ll all die!"


    "That young man is so unlucky; that bully will definitely use him as a meat shield."


    ��


    The crowd looked at Sterl with a hint of sympathy.


    However, the bully didn''t need to use Sterl as a meat shield.


    The figure wielding the sword didn''t hesitate and swung his de, unleashing a terrifying sword energy, resembling a golden skill!


    The sharp sword energy instantly turned the entire tavern into fragments.


    Swish!!


    "Ah��"


    "My tavern��"


    "That young guy was quite generous, and he''s gone as well."


    "What a disaster!"


    The tavern owner and several waitstaff sighed, feeling that Sterl was a decent person andmenting his unfortunate demise.


    Meanwhile, many people shut their doors and windows from afar, fearing they would attract trouble. A few bold souls, intrigued by the rare appearance of a third ss yer, couldn''t help but peek outside.


    However��


    Once the sword energy dissipated, everyone was taken aback because the scene that emerged was quite different from what they had imagined.


    The unfortunate young man waspletely unharmed.


    The second ss bully, who had crashed into the table earlier, was now under Sterl''s foot, leaving the sword-wielding figure in the sky momentarily stunned.


    Instantly, he sensed something was amiss.


    But then��


    Swish!


    Both the bully and the figure in white were engulfed and consumed by mes, reducing everything to nothingness.


    In their final moments of consciousness, there was no pain��only confusion��


    It was as if they were experiencing a shback; both felt that their actions today were somewhat strange.


    The bully wondered why he had fled toward the tavern when escaping.


    He usually drank here too; what benefit did it serve him for the tavern to be destroyed in the aftermath of their fight?


    The figure in white also found it peculiar, reflecting that he wasn''t normally this aggressive. At least, he wouldn''t have aimed to kill a civilian with a single sword strike��


    Unfortunately, their thoughts were irrelevant now, as they were both reduced to ashes.


    If the Archduke of Blood''s lingering soul had the fortune to witness this scene, he would surely be furious to the point of smokeing out of his ears!


    He could discern that this was what they referred to as Fortune Bacsh.


    The bacsh faced by a god-level demon manifests when two other god-level demonse to hunt him down, resulting in the Archduke of Blood being obliterated.


    And Sterl, as the ultimate beneficiary of an exploited bug, experienced an even more severe form of Fortune Bacsh!


    A peak second ss existence was significantly "stronger" than his own power.


    And the white-d swordsman with a golden skill, being a third ss powerhouse, could have effortlessly crushed and killed Sterl.


    However, as luck would have it, a skill that Sterl casually unleashed ended up instantly eliminating them��


    And at that moment, Sterl wore apletely bewildered expression, thinking there would be more to follow.


    He had only released Ignition me as a test, and yet, his two enemies just�� disappeared?


    Huh??

 Chapter 254: Fortune Enhancement?

    What surprised Sterl even more was that he felt a sudden change within his body��


    But nothing had truly changed��


    Sterl cautiously sensed his mental domain, life force, and physical strength��


    In the end, his conclusion was that nothing had happened.


    Until��


    The cheat within him suddenly surged, delivering a wealth of detailed information.


    "I have gained the power of Fortune??"


    "The effect of this ability is that it can make everything go smoothly for me."


    "And�� it''s also the key to the next evolution of the cheat."


    Sterl''s heart began to race!


    However, based on his sensing results, he felt a bit helpless.


    If the units of Fortune he just absorbed were one, he would need to gather at least 100 to enhance the cheat again.


    Yet, he had no idea where the Fortune he just obtained came from��


    Wait.


    He looked at the two piles of ashes where the people once stood and then nced at the surrounding crowd, who were cowering in fear.


    Sterl smiled and then spoke, "Can I ask you all something?"


    The nearby citizens were extremely panicked, slowly backing away, afraid of being targeted by Sterl.


    Seeing this, Sterl wasn''t angry; he understood that the survival situation for these ordinary people was such that even a slight provocation of a powerful individual could lead to disaster.


    So, Sterl took out a purple gold coin and tossed it into the air.


    "Whoever answers well will keep the money."


    If he hadn''t had the cheat, his situation wouldn''t have been much different from those struggling at the bottom.


    With the promise of a reward, someone hesitantly stepped forward.


    "My lord, what�� what do you wish to know?"


    The speaker was a middle-aged man with a limp, sweating profusely. He held tightly to a bundle of milk, his eyes reflecting a desperate determination to earn money.


    Sterl nodded, relieved that someone was willing to speak.


    "I just want to ask about the two people who attacked me earlier�� what are they usually like?"


    ��


    "I know! I know!"


    "That white-d man is from the nearby Sword Gate; they coborate with the nobles to help maintain order."


    "He seemed quite friendly when he came here to buy things before��"


    ��


    The atmosphere around Sterl became lively, as many people crowded around, eager to answer his questions.


    With the purple gold coin disyed and the promise of a silver coin reward for each answer, the citizens rushed to participate, especially when they realized that this mysterious powerhouse seemed quite approachable.


    After collecting the information, Sterl casually scattered a handful of silver coins on the ground and finally tossed the purple gold coin to the man who had answered first.


    After thinking for a moment, Sterl decided to go all in as a good person. He shed forward, entered the game, and unleashed a green light sphere that entered the man''s body, directly granting him a green skill. This was to ensure that the man wouldn''t lose the purple gold coin and end up dead instead.


    Then, as Sterl made his way back to Golden City, he nodded to himself.


    Based on the information he had gathered, he was certain of one thing: the behavior of the two attackers this time was significantly different from their usual actions, as if they were possessed and had specifically targeted Sterl.


    "Could it be a punishment from the world?"


    "After all, I was thest one to acquire the bug skill." Sterl wasn''t iming to be particrly analytical; he was simply piecing together the only logical exnation he could find.


    "The reason the ones who attacked me were so weak is that my level is only second ss."


    "So, did I inadvertently trigger another bug?" Sterl felt a bit speechless��


    As for where the Fortune hade from, he came up with another theory.


    Perhaps it was because he had survived the bacsh??


    Thus, Sterl couldn''t help but think��


    Bring on more bacsh, my good brothers! I like this!


    ��


    For a while, everything was calm and quiet.


    Sterl reluctantly returned to the Hall of Valor, where the legendary yers gathered around him, seemingly eager to build a good rapport with this mysterious and powerful leader.


    Unfortunately��


    These legends were nothing but yers who hadn''t even qualified for the extreme trials, so Sterl didn''t think much of them. They didn''t even have the right to join the guild asborers.


    Sterl chuckled awkwardly and bid farewell to them.


    Of course, he did ept their gifts of gratitude: a bunch of purple-quality skills, some special recovery items, and a few rare materials.


    These yers were quite astute; they knew that without their leader, they would have been dead long ago. After sessfullypleting a challenging task, their rewards were significant, so they decided to show their appreciation. Otherwise, given the leader''s nature, they would surely regret it next time!


    As for Sterl, he also turned in the mission.


    "You��"


    "Congrattions onpleting a great achievement, and thank you for your contribution to the Hall of Valor."


    This time, the silver-haired Valkyrie in shining silver armor bowed deeply. Sterl couldn''t help but notice her two ivory-white peaks slightly trembled.


    At that moment, a notification appeared before Sterl:


    [Congrattions onpleting a highly difficult special mission.]


    [You have gained 12,000 Valor Contribution Points (including bonuses for defeating Blood Cult members.)]


    [Based on the Blood Cult members you defeated, you have received a special reward.]


    A special reward?


    Sterl waited for a moment but didn''t see what the reward was.


    At that moment, the Valkyrie reached behind the counter and pulled out a small box, handing it over to him.


    Sterl opened the box to find a radiant golden ticket inside.


    [Law Insight Exchange Voucher]


    Very good, he nodded. This item was undoubtedly better in greater quantities, even though blood force could unconditionally enhance his Law Power.


    But first, he needed to learn it.


    Moreover, if blood force turned out to be quite precious, he would still need to contemte the insights��


    At that moment, Sterl rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit excited.


    He didn''t even take the time to return to his estate; he directly imed a training room for free in the Assembly Hall.


    Then, Sterl quickly opened the contribution store��


    [Rain Curtain Sword (tinum)]


    [Description: A special technique symbolizing Flowing Water��]


    [Effect: You can create the Rain Curtain Sword, producing the following effects��Rain Curtain Sword (Basic)]


    [Activation Requirement: Mastery of Flowing Water Law]


    [Purchase Price: 25,000 Valor Contribution Points]


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to redeem it.


    Immediately, his ount bnce dropped to 7,000 contribution points, but a surge of knowledge flooded into his mind.


    At the same time, Sterl felt as if countless streams of Flowing Water converged into a long sword, shooting toward him in a meditative state, directly piercing into the side of the star he had constructed in his little world.


    Whoosh!


    A crisp sound of the sword echoed, almost as if it were cheering joyfully.


    Sterl realized that his previous understanding of Flowing Water Law had been quite superficial.


    At that moment, he snapped his fingers.


    Streaks of star power condensed into a thick liquid and then further transformed into silver-blue sword des that circled around Sterl.


    "What is this��"


    Swish!


    Sterl tentatively used his Moon Law.


    Originally, this type of control Law and the Flowing Water Law operated independently.


    However, Sterl sensed that if he slightly manipted the Rain Curtain Sword formed by the Flowing Water Law, he could forcibly slice through the Moon Law!


    Although it wasn''t enough topletely negate the effects of the Moon Law, it could already weaken its impact!


    It''s important to note that Sterl''s Moon Law was perfected, far superior to the iplete Flowing Water Law!


    "Is this the enhancement of a tinum skill? Indeed, it''s powerful!" Sterl eximed in astonishment.


    With a wave of his hand, he dissipated the Rain Curtain Sword. In just a few seconds, he had already consumed a massive amount of energy.


    If it weren''t for the previous opportunities that had increased his energy limits and reduced his energy consumption, Sterl feared he wouldn''t even be able to unleash this tinum-level technique��


    After a moment of thought, he decided to open the Hall of Valor''s contribution store again.


    He still had 7,000 Valor Contribution Points, so he spent 1,000 points to exchange for two top-tier recovery potions.


    [Fountain of Wisdom]+


    [Description: Legend has it that drinking from it grants boundless wisdom; of course, the one you have is a fake.]


    [Effect: Instantly restores 200% of your energy, stamina, and life force. Any excess will be stored for 24 hours.


    Additionally, it provides a reservoir of 200,000 points of energy, stamina, and life force.]


    After redeeming the items, Sterl held two crystal vials containing a mysterious liquid in his hands. With just a slight shake, the fluid inside shifted into various formations: flying birds, humans, snakes, insects, angels��


    It was incredibly wondrous.


    Sterl was very pleased with the effects of this potion.


    Restoring 200% of his energy, life force, and stamina meant that his attribute limits would be significantly raised for a short period.


    He could simultaneously use multiple powerful skills and Laws.


    And the 200,000-point reservoir was even more outrageous; theoretically, even a level 500 god from a 3-second profession would only have attribute limits in the tens of thousands��


    Two hundred thousand points were more than enough for a divine unit to recover several rounds.


    For Sterl, it was more than sufficient��


    The only drawback was that the various resource reservoirs required some time to activate for recovery.


    But this potion was the best thing the Hall of Valor had to offer��


    "This Fountain of Wisdom can still be used once more, and the final recovery effect should be much better than it is now," Sterl thought with satisfaction as he stored the two vials back in his little world.


    Without wasting a moment, Sterl immediately beganposing private messages for Sosia and Sonis.


    His experience bar was already close to breaking through to third ss.


    With the additional experience boost from the arcane skill, even before officially reaching third ss, thanks to the effects of the Netherworld Water, he needed to gain enough experience equivalent to leveling up 20 levels after entering second ss.


    Sterl was not far from reaching third ss��

 Chapter 255: The Guild Dispute? Stealing a Boss?

    At this moment, Sterl wasmunicating with Sosia and Sonis to check on the progress of the guild.


    By the way, it was time to mobilize the power of the guild members to help him digest the various equipment, skills, and items he had obtained��


    Sterl''s goal was simple: to exchange for a set of third-ss equipment of diamond grade or higher.


    After all, he still had quite a few legendary-grade items on hand; even if their quality was a bit lower, achieving this goal was more than feasible.


    [I have returned to the Hall of Valor. Please gather the yers with business acumen or extensive connections that I mentioned earlier to help me exchange for some resources.]


    After sending the message, Sterl opened the panel and confirmed that the newly learned tinum-level skill indeed had a plus sign behind it, and it wasn''t just a forced point allocation symbol. A satisfied smile spread across his face.


    His strategy had worked; he could redeem a low-tier usable tinum-level skill and gradually max it out step by step.


    This way, he could essentially earn nearly 100,000 Valor Contribution Points for free.


    What a win!


    However, Sterl quickly frowned because he realized that several minutes had passed, and neither Sosia nor Sonis had replied to him.


    Then, when Sterl chose to check their friend details, he discovered that both of them were showing as being in abat state��


    "They''re still located within the Hall of Valor? Something must have happened!"


    He waited for 10 minutes, then quickly located a teleportation array in the Assembly Hall corresponding to their positions and rushed over.


    The reason Sterl took this action was that he had analyzed the situation.


    If they were facing an enemy capable of crushing the sisters, the battle wouldn''tst this long. This meant that their opponents might be strong but not excessively so.


    As Sterl arrived, the world ahead dimmed and brightened, and he was teleported to the so-calledbat zone of the Hall of Valor.


    Just as Sterl took his first step, a prompt shed before him��


    [Please confirm whether to enter the Nightmarish Green Fields (PvP map). Upon entering this map, the treaty prohibiting mutual harm among Hall of Valor members will be lifted.]


    Hmm?


    Sterl paused for a moment.


    "I understand this!"


    "It''s just amon battle map in online games, right?"


    He wasn''t worried at all and quickly selected ''Yes,'' stepping into the map.


    Sterl had confirmed that the enemies facing the sisters weren''t likely to be excessively strong, and with the ''ascend to godhood'' card up his sleeve, he certainly wouldn''t back down.


    "Next, I will be invincible!"


    With great confidence, Sterl immediately activated Stardust, enhancing the effects of Shadow Stealth��


    Boosting his camouge ability.


    Then, he proceeded with Shadow Stealth, exploring the area��


    Cough, cough.


    Confidence aside, he couldn''t afford to lose the necessary caution.


    Sterl spent about ten minutes finding the coordinates where Sosia and Sonis were located.


    From a distance, he could already hear the sounds of shouting, fighting, and various bursts of energy.


    Activating his Shadow Stealth ability, Sterl swiftly slipped into the shadow realm, bypassing the perimeter defenses set up by an unknown force.


    Then, he took refuge in a tall tree and focused his gaze��


    At this moment, on the battlefield, members of Sterl''s guild were desperately resisting a double assault.


    On one side stood a gigantic boss resembling a white tiger, covered in strange, glowing patterns. With every movement, it created fierce gusts of wind, and its ws could easily shred a yer''s defensive skills.


    On the other side was a group of yers, watching with a predatory gleam in their eyes. They didn''t seem in a hurry to attack; instead, they taunted the guild members by constantly casting skills, forcing Sterl''s yers to face the boss''s onught.


    Seeing this, Sterl''s brow furrowed even deeper.


    The member limit for a level-one guild was one hundred. Aside from those who had passed the extreme trials earlier, Sterl had also authorized Sosia and the others to recruit high-potential talents.


    Near the boss, there were already over eighty members of "Twilight."


    This likely represented the entirety of the guild.


    The reason they had gathered here became clear to Sterl through Star Insight, as he understood the white tiger boss''s attributes; defeating it would yield significant guild contributions.


    After all, who wouldn''t want their SSS-level guild to rapidly increase in level? Everyone would benefit.


    However, because of this��


    "Twilight" was now in dire straits!


    If they were wiped out, even with Sterl''s abilities, it would be quite challenging to rebuild. Where would he find a group of highly talented yers who hadn''t joined any guilds?


    Thinking of this, Sterl felt a flicker of irritation. Didn''t this just slow down my development? Dammit!


    On the battlefield ahead, most of the yers attacking were of legendary level, all wearing cold smirks.


    "Miss Sosia, Miss Sonis, we''ve shown our sincerity. Hand over control of the guild."


    "Afterwards, the guild will still have seats reserved for both of you."


    "Why struggle so hard?"


    As they spoke, a glimmer of desire shed in their eyes.


    An SSS-level guild was rare in the entire Hall of Valor, with only a handful in existence. As for seizing control, it was nearly impossible; every 3-second-level guild had the backing of a deity. Yet here was a guild of this caliberposed entirely of neers?


    Although thements from yers in this guild were rather understated, they couldn''t avoid a chance encounter that led a high-level legendary yer specializing in detection to uncover the buffs they had.


    And just like that, a scheme began to unfold.


    This neer guild did not want to sh with other guilds, yet they aimed to farm contributions from high-value bosses.


    The high-level legendary yer, who led an S-level guild, had cleverly arranged for his subordinates to deceive the entire Twilight guild into revealing themselves!


    At this moment��


    Unlike the other legendary yers trying to persuade them to surrender, the high-level legendary yer, as the guild leader, looked at Sosia and Sonis with a glimmer of greed in his eyes.


    Besides the guild itself, the two sisters were also incredibly enticing. Not only were they beautiful and simr in appearance, but they were also powerful and highly talented.


    In the game [Transcendence], mere beauty held little value; however, once a beauty possessed talent, countless men would flock to her. If one could tame such a beauty, they would gain not only pleasures in bed but also two extremely reliable allies!


    Although this high-level legendary yer had heard rumors that the guild was not actually led by the sisters but rather by someone behind the scenes, he had the ability to think independently and dered, "I don''t believe it!"


    Such a top-tier guild.


    The guild leader could afford to neglect its management, disappearing for days while Sosia and Sonis called the shots.


    Wasn''t that absurd?


    Even deities take their SSS-level guilds seriously; who were they to disregard it?


    The only exnation was that the sisters had somehow obtained the materials to build an SSS guild but were too afraid to im it as their own, fabricating the story that someone else was in charge.


    "You seem to enjoy ying with tigers; let''s see how much longer you can y," the high-level legendary yer sneered.


    After one failed attempt at persuasion, he was in no hurry to speak again.


    His subordinates casually unleashed a few legendary abilities, plunging Sterl''s guild into a dire situation.


    A widespread psychic shock caused many to fall into a momentary state of control.


    A bizarre me Ring forced members of Sterl''s guild right in front of the boss.


    Helplessly, among the many guild members, a few with innate talent had already broken through to legendary status and unleashed their legendary abilities, sending various dazzling lights towards the white tiger, forcing it to retreat momentarily.


    In the end, Sterl''s guild barely managed to hold their formation.


    However, their morale remained extremely low.


    "What do we do now? Can we ask the guild leader for help?"


    "He''s supposed to be mysterious and quite strong, right? Plus, he knows The Legend of the White Robe."


    "Sosia, Sonis, say something!"


    ��


    The yers hade together due to vested interests, so loyalty was not a strong point; they incessantly questioned the sisters who were acting as the guild leaders.


    Sosia and Sonis simply replied with cold faces, "The high-level legendary yer might not be able to handle it; notifying the guild leader is useless."


    Clearly, the two were determined to hold their ground until the end.


    They had even calcted the gains and losses in a sh; even if everyone were to perish now, their master, Sterl, could still rebuild his forces under the banner of an SSS guild!


    There was no need for their master to take risks!


    "Damn! If you say that, then I might as well just surrender."


    "Then what''s the point of fighting?"


    "Just give up, just give up."


    ��


    At this moment, as morale crumbled, the original members of Sterl''s guild began to push towards Sosia and Sonis, attempting to capture them and force a surrender��


    However, their movements were not particrly swift.


    One by one, they slowly approached with their stored powers.


    The impression left by The Legend of the White Robe was too strong; at this moment, people faintly sensed that perhaps a turning point could ur.


    Seeing this, the legendary yers on the outside also leisurely withdrew their actions, ready to watch the show.


    Only Sosia and Sonis remained as steady as a mountain.


    In their eyes, nothing had changed; a total copse was the best oue.


    In reality, Sterl had no intention of intervening, just as they thought.


    "This is about not losing sight of the bigger picture; there may be hidden dangers��"


    He squinted his eyes.


    The high-level legendary yer in front of him was hardly worth worrying about, as he had yet to reach the stage where legendary abilities could be transformed into Law Power.


    Sterl could easily eliminate him.


    But the problem was that among the strong yers nearby, many had already reached the level of Kant Weir!

 Chapter 256: There Are Many Others Watching from Behind

    As soon as Sterl made a move, he could easily eliminate those besieging his guild in an instant.


    His initial thought was to wait��wait until the situation became dire before stepping in. This way, he could leave asting impression and boost his subordinates'' loyalty. Besides, the yers attacking Twilight were mostly neers.


    They were being ughtered under the onught of the boss and other legendary yers, while the promising candidates who had passed the extreme trials had yet to encounter any trouble.


    Naturally, Sterl was in no hurry. He also maxed out various attribute bonuses and used Star Insight to scan the surroundings, ensuring there were no unexpected factors.


    However, what he discovered left him dumbfounded.


    "One... two... three..."


    "Damn it! There are four factions targeting my guild??"


    Sterl was at a loss for words. The high-ranking legendary yer who had been screaming outside as if everything was under control turned out to be the weakest among all the factions.


    At that moment, it was even less likely for Sterl to intervene!


    Soon, just as the yers from Sterl''s guild were closing in on Sosia and Sonis under immense pressure, it happened suddenly...


    Boom!


    With a deafening roar, lightning struck down!


    The brilliant thunder light seemed to be unleashed by multiple yers, containing an incredibly terrifying level of energy!


    In the wake of that high-energy reaction, a small hill waspletely ttened.


    And at the very center of Thunder was none other than that high-ranking legendary yer and his subordinates.


    In the dazzling light, nearly all the yers were vaporized, turning to ash before they even had a chance to resist!


    Though at first nce it appeared that these yers had been wiped out, less than half a secondter, more than half of them resurrected��they had simply used their life-saving items...


    The high-ranking legendary yer, however, was left in a pitiful state, reeking of burnt flesh. He knelt on the ground, severely injured, his eyes filled with resentment: "Who the hell is it?"


    "How dare you ruin my ns!"


    At this moment, many members of the Twilight guild showed a glimmer of hope.


    "Could it be that the president has returned?"


    "Or perhaps it''s reinforcements summoned by The Legend of the White Robe."


    "I said our guild is a 3S-rated one; of course, we have a deep foundation."


    They quickly concluded that help had arrived!


    Some were even infuriated at the high-ranking legendary yer and his subordinates.


    "Weren''t you all so impressive earlier?"


    "Can''t even block a single attack? What trash??"


    "Now you can think about how to survive."


    yers even felt an impulse to rush in for a finishing blow, but given their own strength was only third-ss, they opted for mere trash talk instead.


    However, while Sosia and Sonis initially smiled, they quickly realized something was off and became cautious again.


    Because the one appearing on the scene was neither The Legend of the White Robe nor "David."


    But instead, it was another group of yers. The strongest among them was merely a high-ranking legendary yer, yet they had already joined forces tounch a surprise attack, resulting in the previous batch of yers threatening the Twilight guild being either dead or severely injured.


    Now, the newly emerged high-ranking legendary yer and his team had a significantbat advantage.


    The earlier group simply red menacingly at the neers. "Gregory, you ruthless bastard, I''ll remember this!"


    The first high-ranking legendary yer activated a teleportation array and led the remaining members to retreat.


    Gregory, however, showed no intention of stopping them; instead, he fixed his gaze on the members of the Twilight guild with a predatory re.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I won''t say much."


    "Hand over the position of guild leader, and I can guarantee you safe passage."


    "You should know that a guild of this level isn''t something a bunch of third-ss yers like you can enjoy."


    He spoke in a tone that was both tempting and maniptive.


    Gregory suspected that there might be a powerful presence behind the 3S guild, but it seemed that his old rival had kept them suppressed for so long that the people behind the Twilight guild had remained indifferent, allowing the other members to be in a precarious situation��


    Several of them had even fallen in battle.


    It didn''t feel like they had any trump cards.


    Gregory could no longer hold back; if he didn''t act soon, the opportunity would slip away.


    Yet he chose to leave a line for them, wanting only to take the guild for himself.


    However, as soon as Gregory finished speaking, the pressure he exerted became even more intense!


    After all, this high-ranking legendary yer had somehow managed to harness the power of others, unleashing that terrifying lightning...


    The previous strike had not only crushed hispetitors but had also left the members of the Twilight guild in a state of mental turmoil...


    "Maybe we should just surrender."


    "It''s not worth dying here."


    "Sosia, Sonis, what do you think?"


    After a series of events, the resolve of many members of the Twilight guild to surrender grew stronger.


    The gap in strength was too vast; struggling was meaningless!


    Yet the pair of sisters remained calm, silent, and the atmosphere turned strange...


    Gregory was not in a hurry, unaware that the psychological defenses of these yers had already been breached; surrender was just a matter of time.


    But just then...


    From the crowd, a yer suddenly shouted.


    "I''d rather stand and die than kneel and live. I''ll fight them to the end."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, beams of light shed and transformed into blood-red arrows, shooting directly at Gregory!


    Gregory reacted swiftly, twisting his body to dodge the iing attack.


    But there were several blood arrows flying alongside!


    They brutally pierced the throats of a few lower-ranking legendary yers!


    In an instant, they were killed, not even able to use their life-saving items.


    In just one encounter, several of Gregory''s subordinates, whom he valued highly, were dead. Although they weren''t particrly strong, their talent was excellent, and they were destined to be the backbone of the guild.


    This high-ranking legendary yer had invested a lot of effort in recruiting and nurturing them.


    His eyes turned red with rage.


    At the same time, the faces of many yers from the Twilight guild also flushed with anger.


    "Who the hell was that?"


    "Who said we should resist? We were ready to surrender!"


    "Are you just here to cause trouble? Wait a minute��"


    "You''re attacking so ruthlessly�� killing people?


    You''ve just yed with our lives!"


    Damn it!


    Before the other yers from the Twilight guild could fully react, Gregory had already closed his eyes. His voice turned icy.


    "Kill!"


    He raised both hands, acting as a bridge for energymunication. The people around him immediatelybined their strength to summon bolts of lightning.


    "It doesn''t matter; just leave the two guild leaders to me."


    Gregory spoke each word slowly and deliberately.


    At that moment, the yers from the Twilight guild werepletely stunned.


    This was��


    Was he nning to use the same devastating move that had previously annihted many legendary yers against them?


    It was over!


    Weren''t they doomed?


    In the blink of an eye, despite the yers'' high skill levels, some raised shields while others attempted to flee, but it was toote!


    The terrifying lightning descended with a roar. All attempts to evade were meaningless��


    There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!


    "Finally, it''s over."


    Some yers closed their eyes in resignation.


    But the next second��


    Swish!!


    With a crisp sound, a shield resembling an ancient bronze bell enveloped all the members of the Twilight guild.


    Then came��


    Swish!!


    Swish!!


    Swish!!


    ��


    The bolts of lightning struck that bronze-bell-like shield, merely sparking and causing no damage at all.


    The devastating move that had terrified countless Twilight guild members was easily neutralized.


    "President�� the president has made a move?"


    "It''s that big shot again."


    The yers from the Twilight guild changed their expressions as quickly as turning a page in a book.


    They were immediately filled with surprise.


    However��


    The figure that appeared on the scene was neither The Legend of the White Robe nor their guild leader, David.


    Instead, it was an extraordinarily powerful figure d in a silver-white cloak, wearing a bird-like mask.


    His aura was unlike anything they had encountered before, neither fully legendary nor semi-divine��


    He was a peak legendary power who had already reached level 250, currently researching how to harness the power of rules or transform legendary abilities into rule-based abilities!


    The moment he appeared, the expressions of everyone on the battlefield changed dramatically.


    If semi-divine beings battling legendary yers is akin to an adult fighting a child, then a peak legendary yer facing ordinary legendary yers is like a teenager taking on a toddler.


    While there may seem to be some difference between a teenager and an adult, in reality, when confronting opponents of such a low caliber, they can both easily dominate.


    Gregory''s expression changed dramatically in an instant.


    "I apologize, my lord, I''ll leave right now."


    "Leave? It''s toote!"


    "Do you think our young talents from the Hall of Valor will allow you to kill at will?"


    The peak legendary yer''s expression turned icy.


    He then threw two des that glinted with a cold light. As they spun through the air, they sliced through the atmosphere, creating rippling shockwaves, resembling two circr discs.


    And as they flew, those discs expanded continuously until theypletely enveloped Gregory''s team.


    "Run!"


    The high-ranking legendary yer shouted in despair.


    But who could escape? The circr des were not only infused with legendary power but also possessed an ominous chill that hinted at a transformation toward Law Power��


    The people near Gregory found themselves in a state of half-freeze before they could react.


    A few managed to hand over some life-saving items to barely escape.


    But many others were sliced into pieces by the discs, their bodies freezing into shards of ice that fell to the ground.


    Including Gregory himself!


    He met the same tragic fate!


    Those who narrowly escaped didn''t have time to feel relieved before the discs performed a spinning return,ing back around once more.


    "Don''t! Please don''t!"


    "Spare us! We won''t dare provoke the Twilight guild again!"


    "Don''t kill me! I was just following orders!"


    ��


    These people screamed in terror, but ultimately, they couldn''t change their fate, meeting the same end as theirrades, transforming into piles of crimson ice shards.


    At this point, the enemies surrounding the Twilight guild werepletely annihted.


    Meanwhile, the peak legendary yer walked over to the yers of the Twilight guild, smiling as he spoke��

 Chapter 257: Sterl: When Will I Make My Entrance?

    "Everyone, I apologize for the rm."


    "To think that for a level 3 guild, we would resort to such infighting is truly a disgrace for us at the Hall of Valor."


    "Honestly, I feel a bit ashamed. I was nearby just now, but I feared you might be in the wrong, so I observed for a while before stepping in. Fortunately, I managed to prevent you from taking any damage."


    The peak legendary yer spoke with an air of warmth and charm, presenting himself as a kind-hearted gentleman.


    However��


    The members of the Twilight guild found his words quite strange.


    What did he mean by observing from the sidelines and worrying that they were in the wrong?


    "Aren''t you the reinforcements our guild leader called for?"


    "Or did youe at the behest of The Legend of the White Robe?"


    "What do you mean by that?"


    ��


    Upon hearing this, the peak legendary yer was taken aback.


    Wait a minute, under normal circumstances, I saved your lives and annihted the enemies. At this point, you should be deeply grateful and bow down in appreciation, right?


    Why do you think I''m just someone sent by someone else?


    What a joke! I had been lurking for half a day, deliberately hiding among the crowd, releasing blood arrows to provoke Gregory into action, and then wiped them out in one fell swoop, doing you a favor.


    With such a perfect n, how could you not appreciate it?


    "Ahem."


    The peak legendary yer cleared his throat, shaking his head.


    "I don''t know who that guild leader or The Legend of the White Robe you mentioned is."


    "I merely happened to be present and acted out of a sense of justice."


    He said with a smile.


    Instantly, he noticed that the members of the Twilight guild stiffened, showing signs of wariness.


    He wasn''t surprised.


    These people had just been attacked, so it waspletely normal for them to be on guard.


    "Now you understand just how attractive a level 3 guild is, don''t you?"


    The peak legendary yer merely smiled faintly,ying his cards on the table.


    "Your guild is bound to attract countlesspetitors, and with your current strength, you absolutely won''t be able to defend it."


    "I have a proposal. It''s not about seizing your guild; I''m willing to join Twilight. Moreover, my group of brothers is also willing toe along."


    "But we old-timers obviously understand the Hall of Valor much better. Afterward, how about we re-select the guild leader based on contributions to the guild?"


    This peak legendary yer was advocating for a peaceful transition.


    His earlier maneuvers and efforts to build rapport were precisely for this purpose.


    Given the great favor I''ve done for you, joining the guild should be a no-brainer, right?


    Besides, with a group of your members gone, there should be plenty of space avable in the guild now.


    Once he joined the guild, how could a group of third-ss yers, at most low-tier legendary yers,pete with a peak legendary yer like him?


    Before long, Twilight would essentially be the peak legendary yer''s possession.


    He would win twice over without breaking a sweat.


    This peak legendary yer was also aware that many of the members in the Twilight guild had passed the extreme trials��


    After all, not everyone was as low-key as Sterl.


    Some members of his guild had openly discussed their achievements in passing the extreme trials.


    Thus, the peak legendary yer had already deduced that the earliest members of the Twilight guild were likely geniuses who had passed the extreme trials!


    If he could take control of this level 3 guild, not only would he gain significant benefits, unlocking a premium contribution store, but he would also acquire a group of exceptionally talented subordinates. Furthermore, these individuals might even grow to surpass him in the future. The peak legendary yer believed he still had a chance to ride on their coattails.


    In summary��


    Winning now meant winning in the future!


    He was set for victory!


    Upon hearing this proposal, many members of the Twilight guild were momentarily stunned.


    After thinking it over, they found themselves somewhat tempted.


    The guild wascking in powerfulbatants, and having a peak legendary yer willing to join was certainly a good thing.


    As for the peak legendary yer''s intentions, they could easily guess that he wanted to seize control of Twilight.


    But for these ordinary members, it didn''t matter; they weren''t part of the management, after all��


    Moreover, refusing him could very well lead to another disaster.


    "Why don''t we agree?"


    "After all, Sosia, Sonis, didn''t you two say that the former guild leader also mentioned the importance of incorporating strong yers?"


    "Exactly! You both should know the capabilities of our guild leader; he wouldn''t fail in apetition."


    ��


    These members spoke deliberately.


    In reality, they did not think that way at all; even if the former guild leader was The Legend of the White Robe himself��


    He simply couldn''tpare with a peak legendary yer!


    No matter how much one calcted the future contributions to the guild, that old guild leader would have to concede. Even with The Legend of the White Robe backing him, it wouldn''t matter.


    While The Legend of the White Robe might have terrifyingbat power at the same level, it didn''t change the fact that even mid-tier or high-tier legendary yers seeking to recruit would not sway the members of the Twilight guild.


    But the peak legendary yer was different. To reach the pinnacle, it wasn''t enough to rely solely on level; it was essential to have genuinely begun to master Law Power!


    In the Hall of Valor, as long as the geniuses began to master Law Power, it meant they were almost destined to be demigods in the future. The only question was how much time it would take��


    And even though The Legend of the White Robe was a prodigy, he might not necessarily be able to master Law Power��


    Seeing that many yers from the Twilight guild were ready to surrender��


    Sosia and Sonis wore extremely grim expressions. They knew that after facing consecutive life-and-death crises, the yers in the guild only wanted to survive.


    With the peak legendary yer present, their words would carry no weight.


    So, the two of them shot a resentful nce at the surrounding Twilight guild members, preparing to voice their firm refusal.


    They knew this would anger the peak legendary yer, but so what?


    It would be best if they were ughtered alongside the other Twilight yers.


    Sosia and Sonis felt that the only thing they could do before dying was to make these traitors pay a price.


    However, before they could speak up, a sudden voice echoed like thunderps in the air.


    "Wait."


    Just onewordmade everyone''s heart race.


    For a moment, the yers were momentarily stunned until they saw the figure that had appeared��a man cloaked in dark gray, resembling a bear skin.


    His strength needed no boration; even the words he had just uttered contained a hint of Law Power known as Thunder. He was another peak legendary yer!


    "These talents have all passed the ultimate trials. Do you really think you can take them all for yourself? You should consider whether you have the capability to do so."


    The burly man in the bear skin sneered.


    "Why don''t you all let me join your guild instead��"


    With the arrival of this new peak legendary yer, the members of the Twilight guild were once again filled with terror.


    Only Sterl, who was watching from the sidelines, yawned in boredom.


    "When will it be my turn to make an entrance?"


    With his current strength, dealing with a peak legendary yer was a piece of cake, not to mention��


    The peak legendary yer he was targeting was Kant Weir, whom he encountered during the trials.


    He didn''t even need to regard the two yers who had just appeared as threats.


    Sterl simply felt that he wanted to wait for a better moment to make his grand entrance, ideally after all the other forces had shown up.


    "Here we go!"


    Sterl suddenly perked up!


    The burly man cloaked in bear skin didn''t even have time to repeat his request.


    He felt the air around him suddenly be dense, almost suffocating him, and the words that spread through the vibrations in the air dissipated into nothingness.


    At that moment��


    Whoosh!


    Another figure appeared.


    This time, it was a young man adorned with patterns resembling a white tiger, and just by speaking, the air currents around him seemed to be drawn in his direction.


    Yet another peak legendary yer!


    Even without taking the initiative to attack, he could manipte the air currents, effectively silencing everyone present.


    In an instant, everyone was forced to focus on the young man.


    "Sorry, but I''ve decided to take this level 3 guild for myself. I mean, you two are on the verge of breaking through to demigod status, yet you''re acting so cowardly, unable to even muster the courage to im a guild?"


    "Well, I have that courage!"


    The young man stepped forward, casting a lecherous nce at the sisters, Sosia and Sonis.


    "And these two sisters are quite nice as well; they are all mine now!"


    "You dare!"


    However, before the young man could make a move, the other two peak legendary yers had already positioned themselves in front of him. Their immense power broke through the barrier of air, allowing them to speak!


    It wasn''t that these two cared much about Sosia and Sonis.


    Rather, they understood that the three peak legendary yers were destined to sh to determine the ownership of this level 3 guild and a batch of talents who had passed the extreme trials.


    Thus, it was the perfect opportunity to strike when the young man was trying to make his move! This would also help to bolster the goodwill of the yers who had passed the extreme trials.


    Even if, in reality, it was the peak legendary yers who were forcibly taking over the guild, at least it would appear more respectable on the surface.


    Suddenly��


    Boom!!


    The ground trembled.


    In an instant, the powers of Frost, Thunder, and Hurricane��three of the fundamental elemental Laws��shone brilliantly.


    The members of the Twilight guild were fortunately regarded as non-hostile units.


    But the unfortunate boss was not so lucky; it was swiftly torn to pieces under the onught of the three types of Law Power!


    This was the power of peak legendary yers; even the residual force of their momentum was beyond what ordinary beings could withstand.


    At that moment, the Twilight guild members were utterly stunned.


    "So this is what it feels like to be powerless, to let others fight over you like you''re just merchandise."


    "Can we think of it positively? At least we have the qualification to be fought over; otherwise, even high-tier legendary yers would kill us in an instant."


    "We thought that The Legend of the White Robe we encountered during the trials was strong enough, but it turns out there are always greater mountains to climb."


    ��


    Their current mindset was quite simple��


    First, they felt weak, realizing that they had to be stronger to avoid being bullied!


    Second, they thought, "Whatever, let it all be destroyed!"


    After all, nothing they did mattered; they might as well resign themselves to being ughtered!


    And then��


    Boom!!


    The powers unleashed by the three peak legendary yers officially collided!

 Chapter 258: Platinum-Level Skills, Unstoppable!

    Boom!!


    Amidst the violent roar, the energies of Frost, Thunder, and Hurricane howled through the air.


    Even though the three peak legendary yers were doing their best not to harm the members of the Twilight guild, the mere leakage of stray energy currents caused immense suffering to many of the third-ss yers. Their skin was shredded by the wind des while being simultaneously frozen.


    Their bodies crackled with electric voltage, making them tremble uncontrobly��


    They were in agony, yet they dared not utter a word.


    They feared angering the three powerful figures, which would mean not just suffering but outright death.


    This experience finally made the members of the Twilight guild recognize the harsh reality��


    Forget about the peak legendary yers wanting to join their guild.


    To them, joining the guild was merely a different way to seize control; in their eyes, these yers were nothing but pure ants!


    Even without malicious intent, a casual movement could crush the "ants" to death.


    "Damn��"


    Despite their deep sorrow and anger, the yers could only manage to curse under their breath.


    They suppressed their emotions, knowing they couldn''t let any hatred escape.


    After all, regardless of which of the three peak legendary yers emerged victorious, they would ultimately have to serve them as dogs or subordinates.


    "I must keep my thoughts hidden and train diligently until I can transcend them!"


    "Then I will take revenge for today''s humiliation!"


    "From now on, I will never let others control my life and death again."


    This was the shared consensus among the members of the Twilight guild.


    ��


    Meanwhile, the powers of the three peak legendary yers had reached their peak.


    Under the influence of their legendary abilities, Frost, Thunder, and Hurricane began to grasp the edges of Law Power��


    Then came��


    A massive dragon, sculpted from Frost, charged forward; Thunder descended from the sky, transforming into a scaled mythical beast that soared majestically.


    Hurricane gathered from all directions, forming visibly sharp threads that could slice through anything!


    Just at that moment��


    "Sigh��"


    An inexplicable sigh echoed through the air.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Three curtains made of flowing water appeared, which then transformed into des of water.


    Everyone present watched in awe as the water-formed des cut through the air.


    With one swing, the de shattered the Frost dragon!!


    In an instant, countless shards of icy power fell from the sky like hail.


    But these hailstones had lost all their power.


    They simply brought a refreshing sensation.


    At the same time��


    With one thrust, it was as if a balloon was being deted, tearing apart the Thunder beast; countless bolts of lightning dispersed into the sky, turning the entire expanse into a pure purple hue.


    Finally, the des swung, forcefully stirring the countless threads of storm, forming a swirling vortex.


    Ultimately, the water shattered, and a single sword split into seven sword shadows, instantly piercing through the Hurricane vortex.


    In just a few moments, the deadly moves of the three peak legendary yers had been countered!


    As a result, the three of them dared not act recklessly with their next move, instead watching the front with extreme vignce.


    At that moment, a figure covered in a dark energy aura appeared, making it nearly impossible to see his features.


    However, there was no powerful aura emanating from this figure; he seemed rather unremarkable.


    Yet no one dared to underestimate him.


    Around this person, several streams of brilliant, radiant liquid slowly coiled.


    Another one??


    Before the three peak legendary yers could even think about who this newly appeared individual was, the members of the Twilight guild began to grumble among themselves.


    "We really are a hotmodity; people just keeping after us."


    "What kind of existence is this? The three peak legendary yers can be easily suppressed; could he be a demigod?"


    "A demigod shouldn''t be the case�� Every being of such stature has a name in the Hall of Valor, but we don''t recognize this new guy at all."


    "Alright, we can only say that our guild leader and that The Legend of the White Robe are quite unfortunate; after all their hard work to secure a level 3 guild, they probably won''t be able to keep it��"


    ��


    Meanwhile, they failed to notice that Sosia and Sonis, who were temporarily serving as guild leaders, had been changing their expressions repeatedly, looking quite ufortable.


    The moment they saw the figure, their first reaction was worry and fear, wanting to shout at him to leave.


    But soon the two sisters realized��


    Wait a minute.


    There was no need to drive away the newly appeared figure; hadn''t he just single-handedly suppressed the three peak legendary yers?


    So, the sisters obediently fell silent, watching the situation unfold, unable to suppress a hint of a smile at the corners of their mouths.


    The newly appeared figure was none other than Sterl, disguised, though he was currently in a rather bad mood.


    The entrance effect wasn''t very impressive.


    He had initially nned to step in and take action when the members of his guild were on the verge of being defeated, hoping to boost his loyalty rating, but the result was��


    The peak legendary yers were all well aware that yers who could pass the extreme trials had significant talent, so they treated the members of the Twilight guild like treasures instead.


    Sterl realized that if he waited any longer, the three would settle their battle and take over his guild.


    Thus, he had to choose a suboptimal moment to appear!


    As the three peak legendary yers unleashed their ultimate moves, Sterl boldly made his move! One against three.


    Indeed��


    The visual effect was stunning!


    Everyone was left in awe.


    "Sir�� who are you?"


    "Do you also wish to contend for this guild?"


    "If so, I have a proposal: why don''t we all take a step back?"


    "Each of us can bring a few people to join this Twilight guild, and as for the position of guild leader, we canpete based on our abilitiester," the first peak legendary yer suggested again.


    The other two weren''t foolish either; they quickly realized that the newly appeared figure likely possessed immense strength. If the three of them didn''t join forces, that figure would be able to seize everything for himself.


    So they echoed in agreement.


    "Exactly, there''s no need for us to fight to the death."


    "After all, our core demand is just to enjoy the benefits of a level 3 guild and its contribution store."


    ��


    The two spoke back and forth, aligning themselves with the first peak legendary yer, exuding a sense of threat.


    As for the members of the Twilight guild, they had little opinion on the matter.


    It was all the same!


    Anyway, a bunch of big shots were about to join the guild, and they just needed to listen obediently��


    However, they did not notice that Sosia and Sonis had been silent for quite a while.


    The only thing these guild members were happy about was that it seemed like things were finallying to an end.


    This newly appeared powerhouse was strong, but he had just resisted the attacks of three peak legendary yers, and that must have consumed a fair amount of energy. He would have topromise��


    After all, it couldn''t really be the case that a demigod hade to snatch it away.


    The three peak legendary yers also held simr thoughts.


    Which demigod from the Hall of Valor didn''t they recognize? The strength of the person before them was at most that of a peak legendary yer, but perhaps his gifted ss and arcane skills were stronger than theirs, allowing him to briefly hold his own against three.


    Now, respecting his strength, the four of them could share the Twilight guild. If he were stubborn��


    Then the three of them would join forces to deal with him.


    "Haha��" The figure that Sterl was disguised as chuckled softly.


    "You can''t be serious; the materials for this guild were originally obtained by me. I''m merely passing them on to the next generation."


    "You want to take them? I''d still have to share with you?"


    ��


    As soon as those words were spoken, the three peak legendary yers'' expressions changed drastically.


    They exchanged nces, and given their previous acquaintance, they silently reached the same decision.


    Kill!


    Since they had already torn the facade and wished to seize the guild from him, the only option now was to eliminate the opponent with overwhelming force!


    Otherwise, they would have to worry about retaliation in the future.


    From the earlier performance of that figure, in a one-on-one situation, they were no match; now they had to capitalize on the opportunity of three against one to take him down!


    The speed of the peak legendary yers was astonishing.


    Though the members of the Twilight guild heard Sterl''s words, they hadn''t yet processed their meaning.


    Boom!!


    They felt a deafening thunderp ringing in their ears, their minds buzzing, rendering them unable to think of anything.


    At that moment, Sterl once again found himself witnessing a scene reminiscent of Kant Weir''s powerful move.


    A violent Frost rose up from beneath his feet, attempting to encircle Sterl directly.


    At the same time, the effects of Frost Law were somewhat akin to Moon Law, rapidly freezing his thoughts and energy flow��


    Sterl could only see a terrifying thunderbolt descending from the sky, far stronger than the previous Thunder Beast. The paralysis effect and breach effects created by Thunder Law were all imposed upon him.


    And then finally, there came��


    The howling Hurricane, with countless des of wind rushing toward him!!


    Pure white refining threads,pressed to the extreme.


    The storm was omnipresent, and it could amplify its power by harnessing the previous offensive momentum, growing fiercer with each strike��


    However, after activating all his attributes, Sterl waved his hands.


    He swallowed a [Glory Potion], instantly entering a state of energy frenzy.


    With the genuine Flowing Water Law enhancing his Rain Curtain Sword, it activated once more.


    At that moment��


    The many members of the Twilight guild, just recovering from the faintness caused by the thunderous sound, were about to witness a scene they would never forget.


    It was almost a re-enactment of the previous wave.


    But this time, it wasn''t the blue water-flowing Rain Curtain Sword; instead, it was another type of extremely refined, deep blue de that effortlessly cut through the air.


    Thus��


    Countless chilling Frosts, seemingly capable of freezing souls, were easily sliced apart. Simultaneously, the de exploded into a dazzling light resembling stars, directly inflicting severe injuries on the peak legendary yer who had unleashed the Frost.


    Thunder was also blocked by several other sword des.


    Then, the des danced through the air, redirecting the Thunder back toward its master.


    Boom!!


    A sky full of white light erupted again!


    And finally��

 Chapter 259: Understanding the Way of Law, Playing the Role of Law?

    The countless, menacing Hurricanes suddenly changed their course of attack. Instead of surging toward Sterl, they instead clustered closely around their master for protection.


    That''s right, the peak legend who had shown such arrogance upon his arrival...


    He was backing down now!


    Moreover, he was directly riding the Hurricane, fleeing at top speed, intent only on getting as far away as possible.


    The other two peak legends were also ghostly pale; they had just felt an incrediblyplete Law Power emanating from the de!


    And...


    This Law Power was purely the Flowing Water Law, devoid of any rules regarding des or weapons.


    So why would that strange figure choose to attack in such a manner?


    The only possibility was...


    A tinum-grade skill!


    The more they thought about it, the more convinced they became that this guess was correct. The de had definitely not simply conjured energy; it had activated the power of the Flowing Water method in a far more effective manner!


    The three peak legends were left dumbfounded. They knew that under normal circumstances, they could not contend with ordinary Law Power...


    Let alone a version enhanced by a tinum-grade skill!


    Clearly, they had run into a brick wall this time. Behind the Twilight Guild, there was not just someone, but a demigod standing tall!


    From the mastery of the tinum-grade skill, it was highly likely that this was a veteran demigod!


    After all, a newly ascended demigod could never umte the vast amount of Valor Contribution Points needed to exchange for a tinum-grade skill.


    Of course, it''s not that the Rain Curtain Sword costing 25,000 points was overly expensive; rather, it was just too underwhelming. With that many Valor Contribution Points, they might as well save up for something better.


    At that moment, the three peak legends felt regret so intense that their insides twisted. Had they known it woulde to this, they would never have dared to provoke "Twilight"!


    Not only was that fleeing peak legend retreating, but the other two, despite having their moves countered and spitting blood, were also making a hasty escape!


    One was trying to pull out an item, while the other was preparing to tear open a teleportation scroll.


    At this moment, Sterl saw that the enemies wanted to escape and did not hesitate to invoke the abilities of Moon Law!


    How ridiculous! Every time I encounter a strong enemy trying to flee, I always think about ascending to godhood before using a teleportation scroll.


    Do they really not take me seriously?


    Sterl thought maliciously, and in that instant, the figures of the three peak legends faltered. Then...


    Each of them felt a de thrust into their chest!


    The de transformed into countless streams of Flowing Water, piercing into their bodies and erupting into myriad fine needles, draining the life from the three peak legendspletely!


    When it was all over, the many members of the Twilight Guild were still left in a daze.


    Things Happened Too Quickly!


    From the moment this mysterious demigod, who likely provided the guild with construction materials, appeared, to the instant when the three previously indispensable peak legends met their demise, not much time had passed.


    Especially during thest wave, after the three peak legends unleashed their ultimate moves, it took only about a second for them to fall one after another. Everything was over...


    However, the image of this demigod manifesting a de and taking on three powerful adversaries was simply shocking.


    So much so that members of the Twilight Guild quickly knelt partially on the ground, saying, "Thank you for your help."


    "If it weren''t for you, my lord, our guild would truly have been overrun."


    "My lord, thank you! Your life-saving grace is unforgettable."


    ...


    The yers who had previously been somewhat proud of their genius status through extreme trials now had their self-importance shattered after experiencing this guild battle.


    They finally recognized their ant-like status. Even though the three peak legends hadn''t intended to take their lives, facing the figure that Sterl had assumed, they all adopted a lowly attitude, expressing their gratitude for the life-saving grace.


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to engage with the guild members.


    He felt rather pleased because the effects of the tinum-grade skill were indeed impressive. Earlier, he had struggled a bit using Law Power against Kant Weir.


    While these three peak legends couldn''tpare to that Radiance knight, they had managed to unleash their ultimate moves.


    And yet, the effect of the Rain Curtain Sword was extraordinarily domineering, allowing Sterl to easily withstand all three of them.


    "This is just the most basic tinum-grade skill; imagine how much more powerful it would be if I fully evolved it!"


    Sterl mused as he walked over to the body of one peak legend. In the free PVP map, killing yers had a chance to yield drops.


    Clearly, Sterl had gotten lucky this time.


    Among the three peak legend yers, one had dropped a light orb.


    Sterl picked it up and opened it casually, and immediately, a bear skin cloak appeared before him. If he draped this cloak over himself, he would look like a giant bear from a distance, just like the burly man he encountered earlier.


    [Thunder Hide (Special)]


    [Type: Cloak]


    [Description: Many are curious about how various races began to mimic powerful creatures in nature for their cultivation. Perhaps this item can provide some answers. It is said to be made from the fur of a bear beast that controlled Thunder, which was skinned and worn by humans. Over time, those who donned the bear skin came to understand the principles of utilizing lightning.]


    [Effect: Equipping this item elerates your understanding and proficiency in lightning-based skills, including legendary abilities, Law Power, and divine authority.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have unlocked the entry��y the Role of Law]


    [Yes/No to view?]


    "Yes."


    Sterl nodded casually, and in the next moment, a message popped up before him.


    [y the Role of Law: A special technique derived from the realm of legends, granted by a demigod. By embodying ancient ancestors, one can acquire the power of unique methods, effectively elerating the efficiency of a legend''s ascension to demigod status, and assisting those who originallyck talent to achieve breakthroughs.]


    [Tip: You can rent y the Role of Law items through the Hall of Valor store.]


    [Tip: The current ownership of the Thunder Hide belongs to the Hall of Valor. You can surrender this item for 5,000 Valor Contribution Points.]


    "Not bad... 5,000 contribution points is equivalent to needing to take on an additional quest," Sterl thought to himself.


    As for this y the Role of Law, he had no interest in it; he had already learned Law Power and had no need for it.


    He finally understood why those three peak legends had worn such bizarre outfits.


    Then Sterl walked over to the many members of the guild. Sosia and Sonis, the sister duo, naturally knew his true identity.


    They looked at him with excitement in their eyes. "My lord, we are powerless and have burdened you once again."


    "What you have to say... can wait forter," Sterl replied meaningfully, causing the sisters'' faces to flush slightly.


    The other members of the Twilight Guild looked awkward, unsure of what to say.


    After all, they had previously all expressed a desire to surrender...


    They had even considered abducting Sosia and Sonis, although that had been a desperate act in a life-or-death situation.


    However, facing such a powerful demigod, killing them was merely a fleeting thought.


    Sterl, in a surprisingly amiable mood, simply smiled. "You all have certainly been scared quite a bit this time."


    "But from now on, I hope you can show more loyalty to the guild."


    A wave of relief washed over the yers.


    "Yes! Yes!"


    "Understood! Understood!"


    "We will never let this happen again! We would even sacrifice our lives to protect the guild."


    ��


    The yers swore oaths one after another.


    Yet Sterl merely winked at Sosia and Sonis.


    "Don''t worry; how could I not take revenge for your coercion?"


    "In the future, if you see any yers you dislike, just take them out directly. I''ll have your backs."


    "Also, we had discussed previously about charging a bounty for new yers joining the guild. This is a great opportunity to bring it up again, given their betrayal."


    He sent a private message, and the sisters nodded excitedly.


    The way they looked at Sterl was as if they were about to weep with joy; they hadn''t expected that, after just a short period, their master''s strength would surge so dramatically once again!


    At that moment, Sterl simply smiled faintly before his figure vanished from sight. The members of the Twilight Guild remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to make a sound. Sosia and Sonis stood nearby, beaming with smiles.


    "Alright, you can all return to the peaceful area of the Hall of Valor now."


    "We''ll settle the matter of this incidentter."


    As the sisters finished speaking, they hurried off toward the vi area where Sterl was, knowing that their master had justpleted a challenging task and needed some time to unwind.


    ��


    On Sterl''s side, shortly after returning to the vi area, he took a moment to organize himself. He indeed had a lot of things that needed upgrading, including equipment and skills from hell, various Anti-Element spells, and tinum-grade skills...


    Additionally, he had umted enough experience and would soon reach third ss...


    In summary, Sterl decided to avoid adventures for the time being. He wanted to level up to third ss first and take advantage of a significant boost in strength before venturing out again.


    Moreover, he had a serious issue to address: his level 3S guild could potentially attract stronger individuals.


    Initially, Sterl thought that a mere level 1 3S guild wouldn''t be very appealing. He nned to upgrade the guild levelter, which would only open up B and A grade buffs for other yers.


    Furthermore, since the Hall of Valor opposed yer infighting, Sterl felt bold enough to use the 3S title to recruit yers. However, he hadn''t anticipated that even a level 1 3S guild would attract so much attention from various factions!


    This time, it had only been peak legends...


    But what would happen if he had to face a demigod?


    Sterl even wondered what he would do if a god decided to intervene and seize his guild!


    Although the odds were low, that possibility couldn''t be entirely ruled out.

 Chapter 260: Point Allocation Evolution, Illuminated King’s Protection

    If a demigod-level enemy were to appear...


    Sterl recalled the strange vertical pupil he had encountered in the Trial of the Brave. He might not necessarily lose against a demigod, but it was also very possible that he could be killed in an instant. He needed to grow stronger; otherwise, he would be consumed by anxiety.


    As for if a god really came to seize the guild...


    Sterl would have to abandon all the guild members, including Sosia and Sonis, and focus on surviving for the time being, seeking revengeter. After all, as the guild leader, he had never revealed himself. Even if a god tried to take over the guild, they wouldn''t be able to. Without the guild leader''s consent, the guild authority couldn''t be transferred.


    While Sterl was deep in thought, he suddenly sensed two sweet fragrances wafting toward him...


    It was Sosia and Sonis, the sisters, who hade closer.


    "My lord, you''ve worked hard."


    Their eyes were filled with tenderness.


    At that moment, Sterl remembered the dancer he had missed out on in the Principality of Florence, and a rush of blood surged through him. Without a second thought, he pushed both of them down beneath him.


    "Wow!"


    "Wait!"


    "Don''t!"


    The two sisters understood very well what it meant to "show reluctance while still being weing." Their words were filled with pleas, yet they only ignited Sterl''s desires even more.


    He threw Sosia against the wall, then stepped forward, wrapping one arm around the girl''s waist and gripping her neck with the other, entering her in the most forceful manner.


    Even in such a semi-asphyxiated state, Sosia managed to tighten her lower body, providing Sterl with a wave of pleasure. Meanwhile, Sonis clung to Sterl from behind, forming a sandwich with the three of them.


    Although it seemed like Sterl was wildly dominating the situation, Sosia was quickly twisting her waist, allowing him to enjoy himself immensely.


    "Uuu~~~"


    About half an hourter, Sosia copsed weakly.


    On the side, Sonis couldn''t wait any longer. She pushed Sterl down onto the ground and straddled him. From Sterl''s perspective, all he could see was the graceful undtion of Sonis''s waist as she moved, her alluring curves shaking, captivating himpletely.


    Meanwhile, the seemingly utterly exhausted Sosia was feeling her way back to Sterl, actively kissing him.


    As Sterl reveled in the service of the two beautiful girls, he soon trembled all over, blissfully closing his eyes.


    Then, he continued to engage passionately with Sonis. Once Sosia regained some strength, she left the room.


    Before long, as Sonis was crying out in desperation, "I really can''t take it anymore!"


    "Spare me! Spare me!"


    At that moment, Sosia returned atst. She brought several tes of prepared meals, using various rare ingredients that required contribution points to exchange. The tes were filled with vibrant, exotic vegetables, along with the silvery, jade-like flesh of creatures that Sterl could not recognize at all.


    The cooking was quite impressive, with an incredibly rich aroma wafting through the air. Sosia smiled shyly and said, "I added some supplements to it."


    "Sounds good, let me try," Sterl replied as he vigorously thrust his hips. He


    had pinned Sonis down to the ground, rapidly thrusting in and out.


    Even though the girl was saying that she couldn''t take it anymore, she was eagerly arching her back to meet his movements, enhancing Sterl''s pleasure even more.


    At that moment, Sosia sat gracefully beside them, elegantly taking out a spoon. "Master, please enjoy." Her demeanor was so poised and refined that anyone could see she was extraordinary. The only problem was that Sosia waspletely naked at that moment...


    Sosia slowly fed Sterl, and during this time, Sonis had already trembled several times, losing herself in the moment.


    When it was finally Sosia''s turn to feed her, Sonis had almostpletely lost consciousness. Meanwhile, after consuming some supplements, Sterl felt an undeniable urge to release again and pinned Sosia down once more.


    "Master... please... wait..." The girl pretended to struggle, but this time, Sosia yed a clever trick. As Sterl exerted himself, she hooked her thigh around his waist and pushed upward with all her strength. The two instantly became one...


    "Ah~" Sterl couldn''t help but let out a soft moan. They really knew how to y... these sisters...


    ...


    After another round of blissful chaos, Sterl carried the now unconscious sisters back to the bedroom. The next few days turned into a delightful vacation for him.


    He first engaged in some training; Sterl effortlessly consumed all of his experience points, finally reaching level 99!


    He only needed the experience required to advance 20 levels after entering the second ss and the massive amount of experience needed to go from level 99 to 100 to reach third ss.


    Sterl discovered that the experience required for this final level before advancing to third ss was enormous, almost more than the total of the first ten levelsbined.


    He casually inquired about it with Sosia and Sonis, learning that the experience needed to break through to the first level of third ss wasn''t quite as outrageous.


    However, the requirements for advancing through the ranks afterward��from legend to demigod, and from demigod to god��would require vast amounts of experience.


    In addition to leveling up, Sterl continued to grasp Arcane Law, advancing his proficiency in arcane skills.


    He had almost mastered Arcane Law and was close to sessfully practicing it.


    As for arcane skills, he would be able to enter the next phase and allocate points immediately after breaking through to third ss.


    During this vacation period, Sterl''s most significant improvement came from utilizing his cheat. He finally had time to enhance all the resources he had umted earlier.


    After the first day, which consisted of a fierce battle with Sosia and Sonis, an hour passed, and his ability to allocate points was cooling down.


    Sterl enhanced the Heavenly Fragrant Jade Essence(rare item) gifted by the royal family of the Principality of Florence. Its original effect was to cleanse the marrow and strengthen all attributes by a certain amount.


    After one point allocation, this peculiar jade transformed into a lump of translucent soft jade, reminiscent of jelly in texture.


    [Heavenly Fragrant Jade Essence]


    [Description:A specialty from the Principality of Florence, avable only in extremely limited quantities each year for royal use. The Heavenly Fragrant Jade Essence is the most valuable among all jade essences, typically produced once every ten thousand years. In reality, there has never been a recorded instance of the Principality of Florence excavating Heavenly Fragrant Jade Essence.]


    [Effect:Upon consumption, it achieves the effect of cleansing the marrow and purging impurities from the body. Depending on the race, it can enhance various fixed attribute values.]


    After allocation, the effect was significantly enhanced, changing from a certain number of bonus attributes to fixed bonuses, indicating that the cleansing effect had been maximized in one go.


    With the attribute values raised to their limits, wasn''t that a fixed value?


    Without hesitation, Sterl consumed the lump of soft jade. Soon, he felt a cool sensation spreading from within his body, ultimately transforming into strands of energy that surged throughout him.


    He did not experience the typical pain associated with a power boost; instead, it felt as if all his pores had opened, allowing him to breathe in the natural spiritual energy around him. If he had to describe it in one word, it would be "transparent," extremely transparent.


    However, when he opened his eyes, he discovered something unsettling.


    Crack, crack, crack.


    Every time he moved, a fragile shell formed around his body shattered continuously. Eventually, what fell away was a hard shell made of ck, sludge-like filth. Sterl could smell an overwhelmingly foul odor even from where he stood.


    He frowned and immediately spent 100 ordinary contribution points to select a cleaning service for a room. To be honest, the price was a bit steep, but Sterl didn''t want Sosia and Sonis to deal with such disgusting things on his behalf.


    He took a shower and then opened his panel, and as expected, he received a notification.


    Based on your racial bloodline enhancement, you havepleted the marrow cleansing. All attributes increased by 80 points.


    "Not bad..."


    Sterl nodded, feeling even more rxed andfortable in the bathtub. The increase in basic attributes meant that each point could trante into significantbat power in actual battles!


    Victory!


    Themotion he caused also roused Sosia and Sonis from their slumber. The two sisters looked at their master with a hint of grievance, then mentioned that they needed to attend to guild matters. After all, they still had to handle the betrayal from earlier and ensure those responsible paid dearly.


    At this moment, Sterl called out to them and directly poured out all the spoils he had collected from the previous demon hunts and a series of other chaotic events.


    Looking at the ground covered in various dazzling lights, including numerous legendary equipment and purple and gold skill books, the two sisters were momentarily stunned.


    However, they were not particrly surprised; after all, their master had already demonstratedbat power at the demigod level. Collecting such resources was a piece of cake for him!


    "We will certainly not let you down and will take care of these materials properly," they promised.


    Sterl nodded in response. "You can go ahead with your tasks. Just help me find equipment of diamond quality or higher that is suitable for the third ss. Also, if youe across any good recovery potions, please bring those back too. Valuable consumables are always wee."


    "Additionally, it would be good to acquire some talismans."


    After giving these instructions, Sosia and Sonis stored the various materials in their inventory and hurried off to get things done.


    ...


    The next day, Sterl allocated points to the Armor of the Great Demon. After the allocation, the attribute boost was not significant; it only increased from a 1.5 times effect for the parasitic equipment to a 1.6 times effect, and the skill bonus remained unchanged.


    However, the side effects were greatly reduced. When wearing this equipment, it would no longer continuously drain his health, and the revival effect upon death could activate normally. Only if Sterl had no means of resurrection��meaning if he died for real��would a Great Demon be born from his corpse.


    But that didn''t matter to him. Sterl thought that if he was dead, it didn''t matter if a demon appeared; he could even destroy the world if he wanted to!

 Chapter 261: Core Materials for the Blood Sacrifice Array

    On the third day, Sterl allocated points to Cursed Vision. After the allocation, he sessfully removed the curse effect he would have suffered from, and this skill could be allocated an additional time.


    On the fourth day, Cursed Visiongained a special effect: Sterl now had the ability to perform a teleportation attack on any units he had cursed. However, this teleportation had a limited range. Sterl tested it out, finding that it was approximately 2000 kilometers.


    Though this seemed like a vast range, in terms of legendary or demigod speed, it was a distance that could be traversed in just a few seconds. In chaotic battles, where legendary and demigod beings were fighting against each other, they typically wouldn''t be able to escape the 2000 kilometers, meaning that this teleportation attack could still be reliably activated duringbat.


    On the fifth day, Sterl continued to enhance the demon equipment [Possession by Evil Spirits]. He would soon be able to use this in the third ss, but the point allocation increase was minimal. Sterl spent two days allocating points twice, and the final results were:


    The side effects were eliminated; spirits controlled after a kill could be freelymanded in battle without bacsh.The conflict between this skill and abilities like Guardian Spirits and Protective Angels was resolved.


    By the seventh day, after thest forced allocation, he fully upgraded this piece of equipment. With the dazzling rainbow light following the allocation, the Possession by Evil Spirits, which was originally a special needle that would create a tattoo upon insertion into the body, transformed into a sticker.


    This sticker depicted a formidable deity with fierce eyes, wielding a thunder hammer and a longsword! It exuded an extraordinary majesty that left viewers feeling a sense of awe.


    Sterl examined this "tattoo sticker," and its attributes emerged:


    [Illuminated King''s Protection (Special)]


    [Rank:Third ss]


    [Category:Special Body Part �� Spirit Affinity]


    [Description:With fierce eyes, cutting down evil, this creation from hell, after being baptized by unknown energy, has transformed into an entirely new form.]


    [Effect:After you kill any monster, you can choose to turn its soul into a tattoo etched onto your body. Duringbat, you can summon this monster in its Illuminated King form. The Illuminated King has two states: possession and independent action. In possession state, you will receive certain attribute bonuses and additional skills based on the Illuminated King''s abilities in life.


    In independent action state, the Illuminated King will fight in its former guise, possessing extremely high defensive and offensive capabilities.


    Whether in possession or independent action state, the Illuminated King deals extra damage to all non-light attribute units and inflicts a finishing blow effect on units with less than 12% health.


    Illuminated Kingwill actively shatter and convert into your life force when yours is low, providing you with a shield equivalent to ayer of your maximum life force.]


    [Tip:If the unit transformed into the Illuminated King does not voluntarily agree to be one, this skill can be used a maximum of ten times before you must change the soul.]


    "Very good!" Sterl was quite pleased with the final version of [Illuminated King''s Protection].


    First, he sensed that the monsters transformed into the Illuminated King were likely stronger than they were in life, and the effects of both possession and independent action states had also been enhanced. The original Possession by Evil Spiritsskill''s side effect of lowering defense had transformed into an increase in both defense and attack power.


    Moreover, this skill now included additional effects: extra damage to non-light attribute units, a finishing blow effect, and a healing shield for survival. It could be said that each individual effect was already powerful, andbined, they made this piece of equipment extraordinarily valuable!


    Sterl felt that trading this single item for a legendary or even epic-level third-ss piece of equipment would be more than enough. However, he certainly intended to keep it for himself. He was quite close to reaching the third ss. Furthermore, special body part equipment was inherently rare; having one more piece equated to an increase inbat power.


    The only downside of Illuminated King''s Protectionwas that if the soul collected had not willingly agreed to be an Illuminated King, the skill could only be used twenty times before the soul had to be reced.


    Sterl found this quite reasonable; after all, with the enhancements, it no longer resembled skills from the hellish system, and there was no longer any logic in forcibly enving a soul.


    After a week of point allocation, the only remaining gain from the Principality of Florence was various Anti-Elements. The first point allocation was for Blood Anti-Element.


    [Anti-Element: Blood]


    [Description:In the hellish world...]


    [Effect:By investing the Blood Anti-Element into skills rted to blood, you can add a damage increase entry against units from the main world. This item is equivalent to ten ordinary Anti-Elements.]


    The result of the allocation did not surprise Sterl too much; the item''s effectiveness had not enhanced, and the name remained unchanged. It simply changed from white to purple.


    In essence, after the allocation, one Anti-Element could now count as ten, which, given the low drop rate of this resource, could elerate Sterl''s efficiency in enchanting his skills with Anti-Element. Beyond that, it had little other use...


    Wait!


    As Sterl toyed with a swirling mass of bloody mist floating in the air, his SSS-level Array Master ability allowed him to instantly deduce��


    The evolved [Anti-Element: Blood]was now sufficient to serve as core material for the formation of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Arrayand the Blood Sacrifice Array!


    "Wow!"


    Sterl was immediately overjoyed. Earlier, he had discovered at the Blood Cult''s base in the Principality of Florence that the cultists had stored a lot of surplus materials for the Archduke of Blood''s ns. Sterl had also conveniently taken quite a bit when he wiped out those bases.


    If [Anti-Element: Blood]could serve as core material for the grand formation, then he could set up the Blood Sacrifice Arrayagain! The characteristics of this formation allowed weaker individuals to forcibly trigger the array. Sterl didn''t need a one-to-ten ratio; with his improved Blood Sacrifice Array, a one-to-four ratio would suffice.


    By using all four portions of [Anti-Element: Blood]he had on hand, Sterl could initiate the Blood Sacrifice Arrayonce more!


    "Wouldn''t that be a huge boost??"


    Although Sterl had the skill [Consume], he had tested it with Fate Tokens. For instance, in the Assembly Hall, he had seen legendary beings, demigods, and deities, and even when he encountered the Archduke of Blood earlier, he used Fate Tokens to calcte various probability lists.


    Sterl found that even if he triggered Consumewith a low probability, he could fully devour legendary abilities, but the Law Power would only allow him to seize the most basic version��which was the version he first controlled when he grasped Moon Law, one that wasn''t even considered aplete level.


    As for divine authority, it wasparatively more cost-effective to absorb; he could indeed devour a divine authority equivalent to a weak deity just emerging. However, even this weakest divine authority was worth the effort of countless deities who sought to y newly ascended gods.


    But��


    There was one point��


    [Consume]couldn''t exploit bugs.


    It was already weakened significantly due to Sterl''s insufficient physique. When Sterl used the Fate Token to examine the Archduke of Blood''s heart, he noticed that many exclusive abilities from hell were simply not on the probability list! Using a Fate Token wouldn''t help in this case.


    If he could gather the materials for the Blood Sacrifice Arrayagain, Sterl could activate Gate of Hell, actively entering hell to hunt for demons and exploit the bug once more. He felt a surge of excitement��


    Afterward, he took stock of the materials in his inventory.


    "I still need obsidian, undamaged souls, and breath of transformation��"


    Sterl thought for a moment and first sent a private message to the pair of sisters handling guild affairs, asking them to collect these materials.


    Before long, Sterl received a reply.


    "Sure, we''ll do as you say. We''ll collect the materials we can."


    He responded.


    Sosia and Sonis indicated that most of the materials could be purchased, but a portion would require Valor Contribution Points. After thinking it over, he added, "Send me the prices for the more expensive materials. Is there any other way to obtain them?"


    After a few minutes, Sosia and Sonis quickly sent back a message. Sterl reviewed the information.


    "Let''s go to Heavenly Curtain Canyon."


    "It''s located at the edge of the Hall of Valor."


    "ording to the records�� this area was originally meant for the expansion of the Hall of Valor, but after the disappearance of that great Divine Power, it became awless zone."


    "It''s filled with legendary-level monsters and even bosses at the peak of legendary strength. The monsters here can drop quite a few rare materials, including breath of transformation and solidified soul orbs."


    "Heavenly Curtain Canyon is also the only ce where you can collect both types of materials."


    "By the way, I can also hunt some legendary-level monsters here. I''ll quickly fill up my experience and prepare for third ss."


    Sterl nodded, feeling that his n was quite sound.


    As for what came next��


    He certainly wasn''t going to set off immediately. Sterl decisively waited another day, during which he naturally spent time chatting and joking around with the Sosia and Sonis sisters.


    Afterward, he prepared to allocate points to [Rain Curtain Sword].


    The good news was��


    The point allocation was sessful. He added a form to the skill that could only be triggered with a perfected-level Law: Ten Thousand Swords Decision. Furthermore, he could continue to allocate points afterward.


    However, after trying it out, Sterl was bewildered to realize that he didn''t have a perfected-level Flowing Water Lawat all. Adding points wouldn''t do him any good��


    Damn!


    He was so frustrated that his stomach hurt. Now, even if Sterl used his Valor Contribution Points to purchase a Law Comprehension Ticket, it would still take quite a while to forcefully advance his progress in Flowing Water Law.


    He would first need to head to Heavenly Curtain Canyon for two reasons: to level up and to gather blood force. Comprehending and collecting blood force had to go hand in hand to maximize his progress in Law.


    However, Sterl didn''t rush to set out for Heavenly Curtain Canyon immediately. Instead, he spent another day in seclusion at the manor. After evolving a Fate Token, he finally set off!


    At this moment, as Sterl stepped out of the manor, it was twilight. A faint purple glimmer shed in his eyes, while various elemental energies surged like a frenzy, yet within that frenzy was an inexplicable rhythm.

 Chapter 262: Arcane Law

    On Sterl''s panel, an additional attribute had appeared.


    [Arcane (Iplete)]


    [Effect: You have gained the ability to control various spells and a deeper understanding of the essence of magic.]


    [Rted tinum Skills: None]


    [Law Power Growth Status: 0/1000]


    ...


    At the same time, the effects of Arcane Law began to manifest.


    [All spell-based skills receive a 30% power boost.]


    [When an opponent uses a skill, you can activate the ability of Arcane Law to steal that skill.]


    [You can actively unleash the power of Arcane Law; if the opponent uses the skill you have stolen, you can forcibly interrupt it and inflict bacsh damage.]


    [You can actively activate the power of Law to enhance a particr skill, with a maximum power increase of 200%.]


    [The stamina and energy consumption of all your skills is reduced by 30%.]


    [The speed at which your skills'' proficiency increases is boosted by 60% due to the legendary ability of Law.]


    "Yes!" Sterl''s eyes lit up. Although he had a rough idea of Law''s effects afterprehending it, the information disyed on the panel was much clearer and moreprehensive. Naturally, he was very satisfied with the effects of Arcane Law.


    Law itself is more auxiliary andcks the strong control effects of Moon Law, and it certainly doesn''t have the offensive capabilities of Flowing Water Law. But that doesn''t mean Arcane Law is weak; it provides a significant enhancement that adds considerable value.


    The first benefit is a 30% increase in the power of all skills, and on top of that, you can further enhance a skill''s power, making it double. Just from the boosts provided by Arcane Law alone, the output increase is 2.6 times.


    Isn''t that impressive?


    This benefit alone was enough to satisfy Sterl, especially since Arcane Law also reduced his energy and stamina consumption, which delighted him even more.


    As for the ability to quickly improve proficiency, it could be considered optional; it''s not that the effect isn''t strong, but with the blood force enhancement, Sterl would likely find leveling up by defeating monsters more efficient than merely grinding for proficiency.


    Finally, the ability to steal opponents'' skills and interrupt their skills didn''t seem particrly significant. This is mainly because Sterl had been challenging opponents beyond his level, relying on the superior quality of his skills to crush them. Stealing others'' skills was of little use, and the interruption effect somewhat ovepped with the Flowing Water Law.


    However��


    Even disregarding the skill-stealing and interrupting functions, the strength of Arcane Law was still considerable. If other demigods knew that Sterl had managed to acquire this, they would likely be infuriated and curse him out loud.


    For them, obtaining a Law was a grueling process��they had to serve various deities and toil away in the Hall of Valor.


    And here was Sterl with an Arcane Law, having only used a single Lawprehension exchange voucher. What more could he possibly want?


    Of course, for Sterl, the most important thing was that, with theprehension of Arcane Law, his tinum-level skill [Silent Domain]was finally unlocked!


    He nced at the panel; as a special skill granted by the Hall of Valor, this skill couldn''t be leveled up, but it was inherently one of the stronger skills among tinum-level abilities.


    It far surpassed [Rain Curtain Sword]!


    Moreover, it possessed an incredibly terrifying suppression capability, rendering all abilities within its vicinitypletely silent.


    At this initial stage, Sterl could achieve [Silent Night]. The effect was that all opponents within the area could not activate any talents, traits, blessings, or skill from their equipment��


    Additionally, he could suppress one type of elemental power. After suppressing an elemental power, any legendary abilities or Law Powers associated with that attribute would also be unusable.


    In summary, it was incredibly powerful! With [Silent Domain], Sterl could easily eliminate some demigods. Many demigods, even in a ce like the Hall of Valor, where geniuses were abundant, only mastered one Law.


    If luck was on his side and it happened to be rted to a certain element, Sterl could turn his opponent into a nk te devoid of attributes with just one move.


    Then, with the power of Law, he could easily take down that unfortunate demigod!


    So��


    Snap!


    Sterl snapped his fingers, deciding to test [Silent Domain].


    Without any warning, the sky suddenly darkened. Everything appeared somewhat dim under the ck radiance, but somehow, in this darkness, it felt as if all vitality had vanished.


    The next moment, [Silent Domain]dissipated.


    "What the hell, what kind of consumption is this?!"


    Sterl gasped for breath, speechless. If it weren''t for just having obtained Arcane Law, which provided a 30% reduction in energy consumption, he wouldn''t have been able to maintain [Silent Domain]for even a second.


    "This feeling�� On normal days, just using the golden quality version of [Silent Domain]would be enough; it''s sufficient for crowd control."


    "There''s no need to use the tinum version unless facing a strong enemy."


    Sterl shook his head helplessly, but he knew that once he advanced to third ss, he should see another wave of improvement, which would likely alleviate the mana consumption issue a bit. However, as long as he continued to use his abilities against opponents beyond his level, energy would always be in short supply.


    ...


    As Sterl quietly contemted the various methods and techniques for utilizing the tinum-level [Silent Domain], he swiftly made his way to the conference room hall. Before reaching Heavenly Curtain Canyon, he decided to casually check if there were any tasks he could take on.


    However, just at that moment��


    Multiple private messages suddenly popped up in front of him.


    [Master, something big has happened!]


    [All our guild members are trapped in the safety zone; as soon as they step out, they''ll be captured immediately.]


    Sterl was taken aback, and then he saw a barrage of messages, images, and video recordings sent by Sosia and Sonis. His anger red immediately��


    Sterl opened one of the videos, which showed several yers from the Twilight Guild who had passed the extreme trials, preparing to venture out into the wilds near the Hall of Valor to grind monsters. However, a few legendary figures were closely tailing them.


    "What do you want?"


    "What do we want? Nothing much, just thought we''d have a chat with your guild leader and the forces behind them about selling this 3S guild."


    "Don''t rush off now; isn''t it all about negotiation? Let''s talk about the price first."


    These legendary figures didn''t make a move; they simply followed along. The Twilight Guild members were alright while within the safety zone, but as soon as they stepped outside into the free PK grinding spots, several legendary yers would strike simultaneously, quickly subduing any third-ss yer they targeted.


    The other Twilight Guild members standing at the edge of the safety zone were left dumbfounded. Shortly after, those who had been knocked down were taken away��


    As Sterl opened more videos and images, he discovered that this scene was urring repeatedly.


    "This is absolutely not something a single guild should be capable of!"


    He spat out each word in fury. Then, he saw the detailed information sent by the sister duo, revealing that at least a dozen demigod guilds were acting at the same time. They were skirting the edges of the Hall of Valor''s rules.


    They hadpletely blocked every route for the Twilight Guild yers to venture out for leveling and questing, effectively cutting off the guild''s avenues for umting contribution points and leveling up.


    They boasted that if the Twilight Guild refused to hand over their guild, such harassment would continue for years, even decades!


    They aimed to drag Twilight down to its knees. And this was just the appetizer; if the Twilight Guild remained obstinate, those demigods would directly invoke their Honorable Kill authority and wipe out the guild members even within the safety zone.


    [What should the master do? The situation is still rtively stable, but if this continues for a while, I''m afraid the guild members'' morale will start to deteriorate.]


    [Moreover, all the defeated third-ss yers have been forcibly signed into ve contracts. We can keep this under wraps for now, but not for much longer.]


    [Out of self-preservation, the guild members will eventually choose to withdraw. You don''t have to hand over "Twilight," but in that case, the guild itself will be ruined.]


    Sosia and Sonis dutifully reported, but they didn''t even suggest that Sterl take action. After all, what would happen if their master faced trouble against demigods?


    If it weren''t for the fact that this situation had blown up so much that it couldn''t be hidden, they wouldn''t have wanted to report it at all.


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    Sterlughed in anger.


    At this moment, he truly felt that his approach of maintaining a low profile had beenpletely correct. After finally going high profile and showcasing a top-tier guild with demigods backing it, he found himself in a situation akin to a piece of meat thrown into a pack of hungry wolves, continuously attractingpetition! Those peak legendaries were merely the appetizer!


    Now, he quickly began to contemte...


    Was he afraid of demigods? Not really. The beings within the Trial of the Brave were already exceptionally powerful. Thebat strength of regr demigods couldn''t evenpare to that of the vertical pupil.


    Moreover, due to the existence of the Law of Roles, most people acquired Law Powers that were elementally rted. Once Sterl activated [Silent Domain], there was a significant chance he could y a demigod.


    "But the problem is, these guilds have banded together against me. Won''t their demigods unite as well?"


    Sterl felt a bit of a headache. If he were to consider the guild leaders of those factions, it was clear they would undoubtedly ally. The Twilight Guild had a demigod backing them too; what if he couldn''t win in a one-on-one fight?


    In a worst-case scenario, it would be two against one, or even three against one��much safer, right?


    With that thought, Sterl gradually calmed down. He realized that going back to trouble those demigods would be pointless. With over a dozen guilds involved, not to mention facing off against demigods, Sterl himself would be at risk of falling.


    Those demigods wouldn''t give him the chance to take them down one by one; at most, they would manage to assassinate or ambush him, killing one or two at the very best.


    "I have to find a way to heavily injure or kill these dozen demigods all at once."


    A glint of cold light flickered in Sterl''s eyes.


    However, he wasn''t in a rush. Drawing from his experiences with the vertical pupil, he realized that if he wanted to confront those demigods head-on, he would need two things��

 Chapter 263: Heavenly Curtain Canyon

    One was a powerful control ability, and the other was a lethal strike capable of ying demigods.


    Of course, there was one more thing: the energy capacity to unleash both the control and the killing move simultaneously.


    Sterl''s n was to��


    Wait a few days to continue leveling up and enhance the Rain Curtain Sword. Based on its second form, the Ten Thousand Swords Techniqueshowed that this skill would be even better suited for group attacks after being upgraded.


    At the same time, to progress with the Flowing Water Law, he needed to grind a wave of blood force.


    Lastly, he would focus on fully elevating his third-ss status, boosting his arcane skills, and trying his luck with Dimensional Traveler...


    After these multiple power upgrades, it would be the moment for Sterl to strike back.


    Huh? You say he should be doing something right now?


    Just keep leveling up��that''s all he needed to do.


    The demigods were threatening the members of the Twilight Guild, but what did that have to do with someone like him, who merely wanted to enjoy a buff? Would it affect his ability to grab that buff?


    So, he actively edited a private message: "You two stay in my estate; it''s protected by the Hall of Valor, and no demigods can breach it."


    "And the others, if they have their own ces, should try not to go out."


    "I have other matters to attend to right now; I''ll deal with those demigod guildster."


    Sterl remained calm because those demigods probably wouldn''t expect that in just a little over half a month, or at least in a month or two, his power would swell to a terrifying degree. By that time, the situation would bepletely reversed.


    And in such a short time, he believed that his guild members shouldn''t be so quick to run away...


    ��


    After finishing his thoughts, Sterl quickly flew to the task hall, searching rapidly by a massive silver screen.


    [Explore Heavenly Curtain Canyon and map it out.]


    [Description: This special area of the Hall of Valor undergoes significant geographical changes due to the instability of spatialws. We regrly hire yers to explore and map Heavenly Curtain Canyon.]


    [Reward: 5000 regr contribution points.]


    ��


    [Collect Sunset Sword Grass]


    [Reward: 1000 regr contribution points for each de of grass collected, based on quantity.]


    ��


    [Kill the Hurricane Disaster]


    ��


    [Eliminate the rebellious fairy group.]


    ��


    There were quite a few tasks rted to Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    After deliberating for a long time, Sterl finally found one that rewarded Valor Contribution Points.


    [Collect Heavenly Curtain Cores]


    [Description: In Heavenly Curtain Canyon, remnants of materials used to forge the Hall of Valor still exist. Some energy substancese into contact with these remnants, sessfully transforming into life forms. Defeat them to recover Heavenly Curtain Cores.]


    [Reward: 1000 Valor Contribution Points for each Heavenly Curtain Core collected.]


    Without hesitation, Sterl selected this task, epting it under the name "David," with his third-ss strength and Glorious identity level.


    However, just as he finished selecting the task in the void, someone unexpectedly bumped into him from the side.


    Although Sterl reacted quickly and dodged out of the way, he ended up colliding with two individuals who appeared behind him.


    Sterl was irked, but as long as it didn''t affect his interests, he was quite reasonable and even prepared to turn around and apologize.


    But he noticed that the two were giving him some strange looks.


    The person who had nearly bumped into him just now spoke in a menacing tone, "Hey kid, are you blind when you walk?"


    Huh? Sterl was momentarily taken aback.


    "Pay up! You almost damaged my gear. That''s 3000 contribution points, or else don''t even think about doing your tasks."


    "We''ll stick to you like glue."


    "Although the Hall of Valor forbids internal fighting, if you identally attract a bunch of monsters or a boss in the wild and get yourself killed, we''ll just have to mourn for you."


    It took Sterl a moment to realize��


    "You guys are extorting me?"


    "Yes, we are. What about it?"


    "Either fork over the contribution points, or you''re done!"


    "If you don''t believe us, go ask around about our Divas Brotherhood''s reputation."


    "Which neer in the Hall of Valor would dare ignore us?"


    As they spoke, the group menacingly advanced, wearing smiles that didn''t reach their eyes.


    "But rest assured, once you pay the protection fee, you''ll be under our Brotherhood''s protection. If anythinges up in the future, we''ve got your back."


    "What Brotherhood?"


    "I''ve never heard of it."


    Sterl scoffed. Using Star Insight, he took a look and realized that these guys were all just third-ss yers. Although as members of the Hall of Valor, they should be stronger than average third-ss yers outside, they were still��


    To put it bluntly, they were nothing but ants!


    Any regr member from the Twilight Guild could easily crush them.


    Suddenly, Sterl frowned slightly, considering a few possibilities.


    Could it be a bacsh from Fortune?


    Sterl then spoke up, "How about a duel?"


    "Are you game?"


    "To the death!"


    "Sure."


    "Since you recognize our goodwill, we''re going to teach you a lesson."


    "Your head will make a great trophy to establish our authority!"


    The three yers, who called themselves part of the Brotherhood, grinned wickedly and readily epted the challenge.


    Nearby, a group of other third-ss yers frowned, clearly also having been extorted before.


    But these people only frowned and watched, "When did the Divas Brotherhood get so bold?"


    "They''re willing to ept a death match?"


    "I''ve never seen that yer who initiated the challenge before. The Divas Brotherhood should have done their homework; how dare they?"


    "Don''t they fear that this third-ss yer might have some hidden tricks and kill them?"


    ��


    Confusion and disbelief filled the minds of the onlooking yers.


    Not just any third-ss yer could enter the Hall of Valor; they shouldn''t assume that a 3-on-1 matchup would give them an advantage.


    In fact, when the tform symbolizing the duel rose, the three members of the Brotherhood still exuded confidence, their eyes glinting with brutality.


    As a result, the onlookers began to feel uncertain.


    "Do the members of the Divas Brotherhood really have some hidden tricks?"


    "That kid must have been caught by them; they want to make an example out of him."


    "These bastards must have had some lucky break to be stronger; it''s just ridiculous!"


    ��


    However, before the spectators could shift from confusion to pity for Sterl, it was already over!


    Sterl calmly walked off the tform and headed straight toward the teleportation array leading to Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    Meanwhile, the three members of the Divas Brotherhoody sprawled on the ground, dead.


    The cause of death? Countless des had pierced them from the inside!


    The onlooking yers were struck with horror as they watched the departing figure, their expressions transforming into sheer fear and astonishment!


    Because��


    It wasn''t just that the des had pierced from within; more importantly, there was no trace of the skills hitting the three Brotherhood members, nor any energy fluctuations.


    There were no reactions typical of des piercing flesh.


    It was as if their own blood had transformed into des, stabbing them through!


    So��


    What kind of power did the person who just fought possess? The skills he unleashed were beyond legendary abilities; could he possibly be a demigod who enjoyed ying the fool?


    "Whoa! That''s terrifying."


    "If there are demigods like that in the Hall of Valor, anyone who offends him is done for."


    "In the future, we definitely need to be careful when taking on tasks; we can''t afford to offend anyone, or we won''t even know how we died!"


    ��


    The yers murmured to themselves.


    Unbeknownst to Sterl, he had left behind a legendary status in the Hall of Valor, almost like an urban myth.


    Never provoke others recklessly in the meeting room!


    Because there was one or even several demigods with extremely twisted minds who deliberately acted weak, if you offended him, he would invite you to a death match...


    And then, you''d be done for!


    ...


    When Sterl arrived at a grassy area through the teleportation array, he indeed felt the Fortune being ced upon him again. However, if thest time was just one portion of Fortune, this time it felt like two.


    "So, that means..."


    "Because my strength is only second-ss, the world has to expend more Fortune to summon stronger enemies to deal with me?"


    Sterl paused for a moment, letting his mind wander.


    However, he was quite excited about this because he couldpletely handle stronger foes!


    For instance, if legendary beings or demigods came to trouble him, how much Fortune would he earn then?


    The thought of a cheat-like boost was almost within reach!


    Sterl couldn''t help but anticipate when the next Fortune bacsh woulde. "Don''t spare me; I can take it!"


    After indulging in his thoughts for a while, he decided to focus on doing tasks and leveling up. After all, a bunch of demigods were eyeing his guild like hawks.


    At that moment��


    A warm,fortable breeze blew in from the front. Sterl looked ahead and saw many small yellow flowers on thewn being scattered by the wind, their petals gently floating in the air.


    It was like a dazzling, golden rain.


    Ahead was a canyon shrouded in dark tones, with steep terrain and clouds swirling around, instantly giving off a sense of uncanny danger.


    That was the remnants of the Hall of Valor��Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    One side was a warm and bright world, while the other seemed like a descent into hell.


    This formed a striking visual contrast.


    ...


    Sterl slowly stepped forward, each footfall on the grass making a rustling sound.


    Soon, he passed through the eerie clouds outside the Tianmu Canyon and felt a sudden spinning sensation.


    "What is this... the entire spatial coordinates are chaotic, yet there''s an order within the chaos, transporting everyone to the same entrance?"


    Even in this confusing state, Sterl managed to maintain a calm analysis.


    This was the Array Master''s grasp of space, and at the same time, his understanding of spatial Law had increased slightly.


    Before long, he felt the soft touch underfoot again, which turned out to be a patch of damp earth.

 Chapter 264: BOSS Strategy Team

    Aheady an entrance nked by towering gray-ck cliffs.


    Above the entrance hung a high sun, emitting an eerie green light that, when illuminated by it, gave one a dizzying sensation.


    Sterl''s vision was filled with a series of alerts.


    [You have entered a chaotic area.]


    [Warning: In this area, restrictions on attacks between members of the Hall of Valor cannot be enforced!!]


    [Warning: In this area, all information cannot be transmitted normally. If killed by other members of the Hall of Valor, the Hall of Valor will be unable to determine if it was a mutual kill among members.]


    [Warning: In this area, death will cause certain skills that transport souls to specific areas for resurrection to be ineffective.]


    A series of blood-red alerts sent a chill through Sterl. Indeed, this Heavenly Curtain Canyon was anything but simple.


    Before he could take any formal action, Sterl noticed a ripple in space behind him.


    Using his spatial awareness, he quickly analyzed the neers��


    It was a very standard mid-sized team,plete with front-line fighters, priests, mages, and controlling assassins, each position staffed with about 3 to 4 members.


    As expected, a group of yers d in fine gear, all bearing the same insignia, stepped forward.


    It seemed they all belonged to a high-ranking guild.


    About twenty people in total filled the entrance to the canyon.


    Sterl had initially nned to keep his distance from this group, even thinking he would wait for them to enter the canyon before making his move.


    However, after some hushed discussions among the guild yers, a young girl with a delicate appearance approached him with a smile.


    "Um...


    This young man," she began,


    "Your strength seems to be only third-ss. What brings you here? If you''re here to do a task, why not join our team?"


    "We''ve brought plenty of supplies, and our inventory is running low. You could contribute your inventory to us for materials."


    "Of course, we''d need to sign a contract to prevent you from absconding with our goods."


    Sterl was momentarily stunned, quickly grasping the meaning behind their words.


    Earlier, Sonis and Sosia had mentioned that many materials could be purchased within the Hall of Valor. These resources couldn''t possibly be supplied by the Hall of Valor itself; with so many yers continuously buying materials, they would eventually run out.


    Instead, they were being sold by other yers, with the Hall of Valor merely taking a cut and providing the tform.


    In fact, many yers within the Hall of Valor spent their days epting tasks, heading to task locations toplete their objectives while gathering materials, filling their inventories to the brim before returning to town to sell their goods.


    In high-risk maps like the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, there were even legendary peak bosses.


    Even with a legendary peak yer leading a team of well-coordinated legendary yers, taking them down would still be incredibly challenging. They needed to bring various buffs, supplies, and escape items along.


    In such situations, yers'' inventories often became quite limited.


    Their invitation for Sterl was simply for an extra inventory slot to store items.


    Not everyone could have a small world like Sterl, where they could store as many items as they wished.


    Naturally, Sterl smiled and shook his head. "I''m just here to broaden my horizons and haven''t taken on any tasks, so I won''t be intruding further."


    After refusing, he didn''t wait for the group to react and stepped into the canyon solo, disappearing after a wave of spatial fluctuations.


    At that moment, the guild members frowned slightly. "Can you believe he actually turned us down?"


    "The dangers of Heavenly Curtain Canyon are not something a third-ss yer canprehend."


    "Once he goes in, getting out will be tough."


    ...


    They were somewhat astonished, considering this third-ss yer to be quite foolish.


    He''d ended up ruining their ns!


    "Damn it, I was hoping to use a cannon fodder to navigate the BOSS mechanics; now we''ll have to face it head-on."


    One member of the team muttered, and the legendary peak captain immediately turned around to re at him. "Watch your mouth."


    Instantly, theining member fell silent.


    After a brief regroup, the guild members also stepped into the canyon one by one.


    ��


    Meanwhile, Sterl quickly realized he had been teleported again.


    He found that the space within Heavenly Curtain Canyon was extremely fragmented and chaotic. He seemed to have arrived in thergest valley, but if luck wasn''t on his side, he could easily get swept into some tiny world fragments during the teleportation and end up trapped there.


    "What a treacherous ce��" he muttered.


    Then��


    A rustling noise reached his ears.


    Suddenly, a small creature with orange-yellow skin, resembling a lizard, crawled out.


    The rustling intensified, and more of these little creatures poured out, surging towards Sterl like a wave.


    Sterl used Star Insight to scout the area��these were all monsters with strengths ranging from second ss to third ss, but their numbers were quite terrifying. He estimated there were at least several thousand of them.


    Furthermore, these monsters possessed high damage resistance and a mandatory health deduction ability.


    The former allowed them to effectively resist area-of-effect attacks, while thetter meant that any time they were attacked, they would forcibly lose a portion of their health, regardless of how strong their defense was.


    Therefore��


    Sterl immediately activated Arcane Law, which provided a 2.6 times boost to his output. Coupled with the enhancements from his Arcane Soul and various other abilities, as well as the augmentation from Stardust, this would be quite a significant increase.


    A Celestial Star fell from the sky. It crashed down like a blue meteor into the orange-yellow sea below, instantly creating a tremendous wave.


    In an instant, a terrifying flood of notifications shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You have killed a [Desert Fire Lizard], gaining experience...]


    [You have killed a [Desert Fire Lizard], gaining blood force...]


    ��


    The prompt panel refreshed so quickly that countless lines of text appeared as mere threads.


    Once the power of the Celestial Stars dissipated, Sterl found the ground littered with various equipment, skill books, and materials. He couldn''t be bothered to count them and simply waved his hand to collect everything into his small world.


    Afterward, Sterl concluded that despite the massive number of monsters, they had only provided him with 0.03 units of blood force, and his experience bar hadn''t even filled up��


    "No worries, this is just the beginning. I''ll just keep grinding."


    He felt no panic at all; it had only taken him about ten seconds to gather this much resource.


    He was confident that he could easily gather enough blood force to elevate his Flowing Water Law by 10 points.


    With that, Sterl continued down the path, killing monsters along the way.


    He understood why the boss strategy team had invited him; their inventories must not have been sufficient.


    Before he even encountered the boss, he was already overwhelmed by the various special monsters that the Heavenly Curtain Canyon produced.


    The Desert Fire Lizard was the easiest to deal with.


    However, for Sterl, it was rtively easy to handle. His various buffs stacked together, resulting in an extremely high output.


    For that boss strategy team, clearing thousands, even tens of thousands, of Desert Fire Lizards wouldn''t be so straightforward. They would need to maintain their formation and spend 1 to 2 minutes clearing them out.


    It seemed manageable, but the Desert Fire Lizard dealt consistent damage, meaning that spending a minute or two under the relentless assault of thousands of these small monsters would lead to significant health losses.


    Just managing this wave would require a considerable amount of potions.


    Of course, the boss strategy team might have prepared specific items for this situation, but again, it would take up inventory space.


    Next, he encountered a type ofrge mantis monster. These creatures had extraordinarily powerful hidden abilities, striking with high damage after remaining undetected, and they were legendary-level monsters.


    Sterl had grown ustomed to being cautious, so he always used Star Insight to scan the area first. It was then that he discovered these monsters, but theyunched a surprise attack from stealth, and six of them appeared at once.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s Rain Curtain Sword had an automatic protection feature, slicing the mantises into pieces.


    His blood force increased by 0.04.


    Then there were butterfly-like monsters that self-destructed upon defeat, and fast-attacking creatures that hid in their shells��Sterl could only counterattack when they made their move.


    For the former, he used Moon Law to immobilize them and avoided the self-detonation. For thetter, Sterl''s output was so high that he simply broke through their shells.


    His blood force increased by another 0.08.


    After finishing off the monsters, Sterl couldn''t help but reflect on how much trouble that legendary peak team must have faced while dealing with these wild creatures!


    Of course, while these monsters were tough to beat, they dropped some excellent loot.


    Sterl had already collected several pieces of legendary-level equipment and multiple golden skill books. However, he didn''t intend to use any of these resources; he tossed everything into his small world.


    After grinding monsters for a while, Sterl''s blood force finally reached 0.4 points.


    At this point, as the surrounding monsters had been mostly cleared out, his rate of gaining blood force and experience had noticeably slowed.


    Fortunately, he had a n��


    Sterl seized a severely wounded Desert Fire Lizard.


    With a flick of his finger, he cast Star Point Finger.


    Immediately, the creature copsed.


    The effect of Starlight Spray triggered.


    Sterl held the corpse of the Desert Fire Lizard and began spinning it rapidly in midair, unleashing countless blue threads that shot outwards.


    This was a result of his improvements to the skill through Arcane Law.


    The potency of Starlight Spray was minimized, but the number of threads generated from overflow damage surged dramatically.


    They spread across the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, reaching countless locations.


    Many wild monsters that were hit simply rolledzily, hardly aware they had been injured.


    But for Sterl, this was more than sufficient.


    Cursed Vision activated!


    Instantly, an array of monsters fell within his line of sight, and the most exciting discovery for Sterl was��


    He had finally located the core target for this venture.

 Chapter 265: Infinite Evolution Triggered, Acquired [the Continuous Flow of Life]

    The reason for Sterl''s excitement was that��BOSS had appeared!


    Moreover, he discovered several BOSSes of various forms.


    The Breath of Transformation and Soul Solidification Gem that Sterl needed, along with the Sky Curtain Core for his quest, were all produced by the various BOSSes in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    These BOSSes had vastly different skills and attributes, but they were all special life forms that umted energy through the Sky Curtain Core.


    Therefore, while the loot varied, there weremon drops��specifically, the Breath of Transformation and the Soul Solidification Gem.


    To activate the Blood Sacrifice Array and establish four sub-arrays, Sterl needed four Breath of Transformation and the domain of Soul Solidification. Now, he had already discovered three BOSSes.


    "I''m not asking for much; just one material from each of the three BOSSes will do," he mumbled, then quickly dashed forward. After about three seconds, he activated the teleportation effect of Cursed Vision.


    Swish!!


    With a crisp sound, Sterl was enveloped in a blood-red energy orb and transformed into a sharp arrow!


    This was the first time he had tried this teleportation attack effect, and at that moment, he keenly sensed that he had entered a special zone��


    Hell!


    The principle behind this move was quite simr to how Shadow Stealth allowed entry into the shadow world. It involved utilizing the corresponding coordinates between Hell and the main world for a traversing attack.


    The reason for the 2000-kilometer limit became clear to Sterl, thanks to his spatial affinity; Hell was too chaotic, and if the distance was too great, he might not be able to return to the main world at all.


    ��


    Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, by a stream.


    A giant moose, with massive antlers adorned with flowers and fruit trees, was leisurely drinking from the stream. It appeared to be an incredibly gentle creature, yet surrounding it were the bodies of dozens of powerful monsters.


    All of them had fallen because this moose couldn''t tolerate the presence of any living creature when it wanted to drink water...


    Just as the giant beast was enjoying its moment of peace, its expression suddenly changed, revealing a look of terror.


    Whoosh!


    A blood-red light shot toward its left eye, and before it could react, the giant moose was struck! One of its eyeballs was gruesomely shattered.


    The blood-red light quickly morphed back into a human form.


    "A legendary peak BOSS?" Sterl chuckled; he had indeed struck the jackpot right from the start.


    Such beings were at the top tier of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    Taking the recent BOSS raid team as an example, despite having a legendary peak yer leading them, they would absolutely not dare to challenge a legendary peak BOSS.


    In theory, any BOSS required a team of yers of the same realm to have a chance at defeating it. The yers in the Hall of Valor generally possessed higherbat capabilities.


    However, the legendary peak realm was considered a qualitative shift. Mid-tier and high-tier yers were merely serving as fodder for this BOSS.


    But for Sterl, the stronger the BOSS, the higher the drop rate of materials!


    Moreover, he couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement.


    A legendary peak BOSS would be difficult even for demigods to handle; the BOSS had an enormous health pool, and its attributes were significantly amplified.


    If a demigod''s Law Power could not kill it quickly, they might very well be counterattacked and killed instead.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The light of Star Insight ignited in Sterl''s eyes. The detailed attributes of the BOSS appeared before him!


    Sterl couldn''t help butugh.


    This BOSS had a straightforward yet formidable ability: [the Continuous Flow of Life]. The effect was simple��standing on the ground allowed it to regenerate its maximum health every second, and any excess life force could be converted into damage to attack its opponents.


    Moreover, possessing this trait provided the BOSS with a massive amount of life force, making it extraordinarily resilient.


    It also had a plethora of powerful skills and could manipte nt life as a special form of energy, already having converted half of its abilities into nt Law.


    It was safe to say that any ordinary legendary peak yer would likely feel despair upon seeing these attributes!


    But for Sterl, this was not a difficult fight.


    At this moment...


    The giant moose was suffused with a vibrant green glow. Its shattered eyeball instantly healed, and its antlers gathered a massive, viscous energy that resembled liquid.


    Then��boom!


    The BOSS unleashed a skill, enveloped in ayer of pale yellow shockwave, and charged rapidly toward Sterl.


    This attack had a breath-drawing lock-on effect; no matter how Sterl dodged or teleported, the BOSS could brake and turn with astonishing speed,unching another charge!


    Simultaneously, Sterl noticed that countless branches and vines around the stream were growing wildly, entwining themselves toward him.


    Abinationbo.


    Sterl found himself in a desperate situation, barely having time to activate any skills.


    He finally understood��"In higher-level battles, it''s all about who has more supermodel skills."


    Boom!!


    Sterl stood still, while the BOSS crashed into a cliff in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, its entire body sinking into the rock. Countless fragments of stone flew up, creating a dust cloud that nearly obscured the eerie green sun in the sky.


    The ground shook violently.


    Earlier, Sterl had used Moon Law to pause the BOSS''s thoughts, causing the giant moose to crash forcefully into the wall.


    "Roar~~"


    The giant beast quickly sprinted back out from the wall. Despite the powerful wall m, it remained unscathed and in peak condition!


    Meanwhile, Sterl rapidly conjured the Rain Curtain Sword, unleashing a barrage of sword shadows. Such small, agile strikes were certainly not something the giant moose could evade.


    It was soon riddled with countless wounds, and more Flowing Water des pierced into it, transforming into a thousand stinging needles.


    "Roar~"


    However, the giant beast only roared in pain, trampling everything around it and reducing entire mountain ranges to rubble.


    At the same time, the emerald green glow radiating from him was shining as the damage from the Flowing Water Law''s tinum skill was unleashed, not even matching the BOSS''s recovery speed!


    Even after a few seconds, the giant beast endured the pain in its body and charged at him again.


    Sterl felt a slight pang of frustration. He hadn''t expected that one day his damage output would be insufficient.


    Unless he used Arcane Law to amplify the tinum skill''s effect, but that would be too much of a drain on Sterl��


    So��


    Boom!


    The giant moose seemed to sense its opponent''s weakness and proudly raised its head like a triumphant general.


    With extreme confidence, itunched its charging attack once more, seemingly intent on burying Sterl along with the surrounding rocks.


    Sterl, however, sneered, "You''ve got a big mouth."


    He directly consumed an [Energy Surge Capsule], apensation item given to him by a member of the Twilight Guild.


    The effect allowed him to unleash a skill without consuming energy, but doing so would inflict severe mental damage based on the energy overdrawn.


    Typically, it was only used in desperate situations.


    For Sterl, a radiant blue light surged from within him, as his Divine Power bubbled forth like boiling water.


    His gaze shifted, and an unusual wave of energy descended.


    The sky darkened.


    Boom!!


    This time it wasn''t the giant moose that initiated the attack; rather, its ability, [the Continuous Flow of Life], had directly failed, causing the skill to be ineffective!


    Although the power of nts didn''t belong to any specific element, which Sterl couldn''t suppress, the nt Law was inherently supportive, much like the Arcane Law.


    This BOSS typically converted the nt Law into its most violent output through charging attacks.


    Now, with the skill''s effect nullified, the giant beast staggered and copsed to the ground.


    At that moment��


    Arcane Law activated!


    With a 2.6 times boost and other enhancements stacking together~


    The giant moose, suppressed by the Silent Domain, had no time to react before it was struck down by a massive Flowing Water de, severing its head in one blow!


    Immediately afterward, Sterl soared upward, directly pulverizing the beast''s brain into fragments.


    The BOSS''s utilization of nt Law was primarily based on the effect of [the Continuous Flow of Life], allowing for infinite healing and a robust life force.


    However, in the instant the Silent Domain existed, not only were the giant moose''s attacking methods sealed, but its healing ability was also nullified, reducing its health to that of an ordinary BOSS, and even slightly below that.


    After all, BOSSes in this game, [Transcendence], were bnced��


    If one aspect became too strong, it would be limited.


    Thus��


    This created a bizarre situation.


    In one second, the giant beast had the upper hand, and in the next second, it was instantaneously ughtered!


    Even in the split second before its head was shattered, the giant moose wore a smug, almost human-like expression of arrogance and pride!


    "You''re strong, but I still have the upper hand."


    Sterl slowly stood his ground, not even waiting for the bacsh from the Energy Surge Capsule to manifest. He took out the [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls]and began to absorb its energy.


    Instantly, he felt a tingling sensation in his mind.


    The bacsh came, but it felt almost negligible.


    The pain was entirely offset, and it didn''t affect his status in any way.


    After standing there for several seconds, Sterl finally had time to examine the loot dropped by the dead BOSS.


    As expected, it was a big haul!


    Three colorful orbs of light materialized before him.


    Moreover��


    [Your pet, Star Radiance Dragon, has sessfully triggered Infinite Evolution and gained the ability [the Continuous Flow of Life].]


    [Due to the effect of your primary star, you have shared the ability [the Continuous Flow of Life].]


    [You have gained insights into a portion of nt Law Power.]


    "Ah, I hit the jackpot all of a sudden."


    "When did I be so lucky?"


    In this round, Sterl''s luck was exceptional; he had obtained the best ability of the giant moose BOSS without using any Fate Tokens in the process of Infinite Evolution.


    His life force surged dramatically, and he sensed that, under the same physical condition, his life force was now approaching that of a BOSS temte!


    "If this keeps up, I''ll have to turn into a humanoid BOSS sooner orter," he quipped.


    Sterl felt��


    At this moment, he sensed that as long as he stood on the ground, an endless stream of energy surged forth from within him. Clearly, [the Continuous Flow of Life]not only replenished his life force but also enhanced his endurance in battle.

 Chapter 266: A Single Sword Strike!

    The [Continuous Flow of Life]did not enhance the recovery speed of stamina and energy, but when Sterl had an abundance of life energy, he could substitute part of it in ce of missing energy and stamina.


    Of course, the biggest highlight of this Infinite Evolution was the insights he gained into nt Law Power!


    Sterl felt that with just a bit of study, he couldprehend a legendary peak version of nt Law, which he could then enhance with blood force!


    Wow!


    It was important to note that his natural divine authority clearly needed the power of nt Law to fill and convert into Divine Power!


    After contemting the effects of his new ability, Sterl moved forward to collect all the BOSS''s dropped orbs of light.


    He opened them one by one; the three colorful orbs contained plenty of good items.


    First, there were the [Breath of Transformation], [Soul Solidification Gem], and [Heavenly Curtain Core]��three materials in total.


    The first two were materials used for crafting formations, and there was no need to borate on them.


    As for the properties of the Heavenly Curtain Core, it was disyed on Sterl''s panel.


    [Heavenly Curtain Core]


    [Description: A mysterious material used by a great being to construct the Hall of Valor. After being submerged for countless years, it has undergone a transformation; perhaps only the Hall of Valor can repurpose it.]


    [Effect: This item cannot be used, but destroying it will emit a gue effect, causing all nearby units to lose 10% of their maximum life force per second, regardless of ally or enemy.]


    "Seems pretty useless for now."


    "But I can checkter to see if there are any new effects after enhancing it."


    Sterl first stored the three materials in his small world before examining the other drops.


    First, there were some minor items that didn''t catch Sterl''s interest��four pieces of legendary equipment, all of tinum quality.


    Three golden skill books.


    Several materials.


    And finally, there was a diamond-grade legendary equipment piece.


    [Tooth of Crushing (Diamond)]


    [Rank: Legendary]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: ��]


    Sterl nced at it briefly; this equipment was suitable for melee fighters specializing in strength.


    It was mainly focused on charging into battle and cutting down enemies with unmatched prowess.


    For someone like him who often engaged in higher-level challenges, it wasn''t very useful.


    "I''ll sell it."


    "My main weapon is still the energy condensation; that suits me better." Sterl thought for a few seconds and made his decision happily.


    Then��


    He quickly prepared to head to the location of the next BOSS.


    "It''s a bit far��"


    "But that''s okay."


    Sterl swiftly activated the teleportation effect of Cursed Vision, entering hell once again, transforming into a blood-red arrow!


    At this moment, he was heading southeast of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    In a dense forest, a ferocious-looking wild monkey suddenly lunged forward, snatching a fruit from the hands of a weaker member of its species.


    "Gah gah!"


    It cackled triumphantly.


    But in the next moment, the monkey''sughter was silenced as a blood-red sword arrow pierced through its chest, exploding it into a shower of blood and viscera!


    The weak monkey, which had lost its fruit, watched helplessly as the fruit rolled back to its feet.


    "Gah?"


    It expressed a look of confusion, then, ncing at the gruesome sight of its fallen kin, it quickly grabbed the fruit and bolted deep into the jungle.


    The blood-red arrow soon transformed back into Sterl''s body.


    "While I can''t teleport directly to the BOSS, using a wild monster as a transit point works just fine."


    He felt a sense of satisfaction; his thinking was indeed on point.


    Just as Sterl was about to initiate another teleportation attack, he suddenly heard a strange sound near his ear.


    What is that?


    He looked ahead��


    "Help! Save me!"


    "Pull me up! I am a member of the Shelter Association! We are an S-rank guild with several demigods!"


    "There will be rewards in the future!"


    A woman dressed in thin, flowing garments, with snow-white skin and a slightly mixed-race appearance, was running directly toward Sterl.


    Delicate patterns adorned her face, indicating she belonged to a different race.


    Hot on her heels was Sterl''s original target: a legendary high-tier giant skeletal beast, its body engulfed in raging mes, making it blinding to behold. The surrounding jungle was being trampled and set aze, turning into a sea of fire.


    Sterl keenly noticed that the beast bore numerous wounds, clearly having survived a fierce battle.


    However�� when faced with the woman''s plea for help, Sterl felt no inclination to intervene.


    Under normal circumstances, he would be willing to lend a hand, but he had recently been targeted by a group of demigod guilds.


    The mere mention of a demigod guild made him bristle with annoyance!


    It was better to let that woman fend for herself��


    Unexpectedly, just as Sterl was thinking this, the woman took a few steps forward and seemingly cast a detection skill, her expression changing dramatically.


    "Run!"


    "What are you standing there for? Do you want to die?"


    "What is a third-ss doing in a ce like this?"


    "Quickly leave the Heavenly Curtain Canyon!"


    As she spoke, she threw out an item that created a blinding sh and a shockwave effect, momentarily flooding the entire forest and even the skies above with brilliant white light!


    The woman seemed to have activated a PvE mode, where all attacks and skill effects were only effective against monsters.


    As a result, Sterl only saw a sh of white light before everything returned to normal, while the giant skeletal beast behind her was temporarily immobilized for over a second.


    The woman quickly changed her direction and fled.


    Seeing that Sterl was of no help and not wanting to get this third-ss junior killed, she reluctantly surrendered a life-saving item.


    "Such bad luck!"


    The woman was exasperated, but her usualposure prevented her from resorting to any foulnguage; she could only mutter helplessly.


    "What is a third-ss doing in such a dangerous map? If you want to seek death, that''s one thing, but why waste my life-saving item?"


    "If I manage to survive, I''ll definitely demandpensation from him."


    She tried to find some humor in her predicament, but the reality was grim: she, a legendary high-tier, was being chased by a BOSS of the same rank, especially one with a high intensity like those found in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    It was basically a death sentence.


    Her only hope was to find some legendary powerhouses within the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, preferably peak legends who could lend her a hand, or at least a specialized BOSS raiding team.


    But the only figure nearby was that of a third-ss��


    How frustrating!


    Especially when the woman couldn''t help but nce back and saw that the third-ss was standing there,pletely motionless, nearly causing her to spit blood from anger.


    "Have you lost your mind?"


    "Run!"


    Her eyes were red with fury. After using such a precious item, how could he just stand there like an idiot?


    "Do you think this is eptable?"


    After a moment of thought, the woman decided it was pointless to worry about that third-ss any longer and focused solely on escaping, while silently cursing��


    Someone this foolish wouldn''t survive long in the Hall of Valor��


    Meanwhile, Sterl watched as the woman ran to his left, while the BOSS continued to ignore him, pursuing her from a kilometer away.


    Sterl activated Star Insight: "Beast of Iniquitous me?"


    "A legendary high-tier�� and it''s just ignoring me."


    "It doesn''t even regard me as a threat."


    Although he was disguised as a third-ss, his appearance and identity werepletely mismatched with his usual look as David.


    Sterl analyzed the situation for a few seconds.


    The Beast of Iniquitous me was indeed stronger than the usual BOSSes found in the outside world.


    However��


    The rtionship between water and fire wasparable to a system of mutual restraint.


    With that in mind, Sterl swiftly moved to position himself between the woman and the BOSS.


    "He''s seeking death!"


    "Wait, how can he move so fast??"


    The woman was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.


    Then, twopletely opposite thoughts shed through her mind.


    On one hand, she wondered if this third-ss yer was seeking death. On the other hand, she thought that if this third-ss yer dared to teleport in front of the BOSS, he must have some hidden cards up his sleeve.


    No, wait��


    Even if he had some hidden card, what good would it do?


    This was a legendary high-tier BOSS, a reinforced version found in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon. Throwing himself in front of it wouldn''t help, even if he had a trick or two.


    No, no��


    If this yer wasn''t an idiot, he might actually be a favored one of some deity, possessing special items that could dy the BOSS but wouldn''t be able to kill it outright.


    With her thoughts racing, the woman finally rified her reasoning and concluded that she needed to prepare to elerate her escape.


    Then she saw��


    The third-ss yer had summoned Flowing Water, forming a massive de that was swirling with a light purple glow.


    That makes sense!


    To block such a powerful BOSS, he would need to buff himself before using an item.


    As for the water coalescing into a sword, it appeared incredibly solid; this must be the life-saving item granted to him by whatever entity was backing him.


    The woman, having seen much in her time, knew that many deities loved to gift their followers with such powerful one-time attacks.


    But the next second, she felt puzzled.


    There was no divine presence in the air, only the aura of that third-ss yer.


    Wait, could it be that he really was seeking death��?


    Swish!


    With one swing��


    The massive de shattered upon striking the BOSS, but it wasn''t broken by the impact; it actively disintegrated.


    In that moment, the de cleaved the Beast of Iniquitous me in half, sending forth a torrent of water that extinguished the mes engulfing it.


    In the blink of an eye, the BOSSy dead!


    All that remained was that third-ss yer casually shaking off his hands. The power of the sword formed from Flowing Water had not yet been exhausted; it merely evaporated from the intense heat, creating arge amount of steam that condensed in the air, resulting in a gentle drizzle.


    Amidst the rain, only a slim figure could be seen, his expression rxed as he walked slowly, while behind him, the fearsome beasty lifeless.


    All that remained were its remains, being softly pelted by the falling rain.

 Chapter 267: Why Force Me to Act?

    The only thing that disrupted the serene atmosphere was the colorful orb of light that burst forth from the BOSS''s corpse, apanied by two golden orbs.


    At that moment, the alien woman was still in disbelief, lost in thought��


    Was this third-ss yer seeking death? Wait��


    The BOSS was dead, taken down in one blow.


    What did I just witness?


    The third-ss yer hadn''t shown any signs of otherworldly presence, yet he had instantaneously killed the legendary high-tier Beast of Iniquitous me?


    Standing there, the woman realized that even in the Hall of Valor, a ce known for producing talents far surpassing their peers, there had never been anyone as ruthless as this.


    A more reasonable exnation would be that this third-ss yer was actually concealing his strength.


    Could it be��


    The woman suddenly recalled an urban legend about the Assembly Hall.


    There was a demigod who enjoyed disguising himself as a third-ss.


    Could it be that I have encountered this demigod??


    ��


    Meanwhile, Sterl was oblivious to the thoughts of the woman beside him.


    He stepped forward quickly, and within a few seconds, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes as he opened the BOSS''s loot. His luck was surprisingly good this time.


    [Breath of Transformation], [Soul Solidification Gem], and [Heavenly Canopy Core]��he had obtained all three items again. However, the colorful treasure orb had been consumed, and the remaining two golden orbs yielded some unused equipment skill materials.


    Sterl collected everything into his pocket dimension.


    Just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice from behind.


    "Wait�� you�� aren''t��?"


    "Thank you for saving my life."


    "It wasn''t me who saved you; you saved yourself. You were the one who wanted to draw the monster away, right?" Sterl replied casually, intending to continue farming the remaining BOSSes and not wanting to engage in small talk with another yer.


    "Well�� can I trade for a material?"


    "The material dropped from that BOSS should include some Eternal Burning Bones."


    "I want to develop towards me Law and need this material to craft the y the Role of Law item."


    Sterl paused for a moment, then checked his pocket dimension. Sure enough, he had three pieces of that material. It was likely because he had nearly soloed the entire BOSS, which increased the drop rate significantly.


    "What price can you offer��?"


    Since he intended to sell these materials anyway, Sterl wouldn''t mind selling them to this alien woman.


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit amazed that someone would go to such lengths for just one material, especially a legendary high-tier who dared to confront this BOSS solo.


    The woman''s expression brightened at his words.


    She hadn''t expected that there might be a silver lining after all.


    Originally, the life-saving items granted by the deity had all been used up, and yet they hadn''t managed to kill the Beast of Iniquitous me��


    Because this woman had been betrayed, her items had been taken by a group of guild yers.


    Now, on the run, she unexpectedly encountered a big shot.


    Sessfully acquiring the materials was a stroke of luck.


    However, being able to exchange contribution points or other resources for Eternal Burning Bones seemed almost too easy.


    But just then��


    Swish.


    Sterl tilted his head, and an arrow whizzed past, bursting forth with terrifying lightning that shattered countless trees and rocks along its path.


    The alien woman hadn''t reacted in time; she only managed to dodge at thest second due to herbat experience, narrowly avoiding being hit by the arrow. Otherwise, she would have at least sustained serious injuries.


    "It''s you again, kid. You''re pretty quick at dodging, huh?"


    "And you''ve messed up our original target."


    Azy voice came from the distance, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.


    Figures began to appear from all directions��front, back, left, right, and even above��quickly surrounding Sterl and the alien woman. It was the BOSS raid team Sterl had seen earlier at the canyon entrance.


    "You guys��"


    Sterl felt a bit annoyed. He was usually the one ambushing others, and now the tables had turned��someone dared to ambush him.


    He had already noticed the figures gathering in the distance, preparing their skills.


    Sterl just thought it was cooler to dodge the attack at thest moment.


    Before he could express his anger, the members of the BOSS raid team sneered, casting their gaze toward the alien woman.


    "I didn''t expect you to have a second life-saving item granted by a deity."


    "How interesting."


    "We were only counting on you to drag the Beast of Iniquitous me into its explosive mode, and yet you managed to turn the tables."


    "How did you get so lucky?"


    The same young man continued to taunt, while the leader of the BOSS raid team didn''t bother to stop him, instead stepping forward.


    "Hand over the BOSS''s loot."


    "We fought the BOSS through its earlier phases."


    "Even if you took down its final form, the drops should still belong to us."


    The alien woman''s expression darkened severely as she retorted angrily, "You''re just talking nonsense."


    "After the BOSS unleashed its Iniquitous me mode, all its attributes skyrocketed, and your earlier damage output was meaningless."


    "Do you really think you can im the drops? Dream on."


    She wasn''t trying to steal credit for killing the BOSS; she instinctively withheld information in the face of her enemies.


    Sterl found this situation quite enjoyable.


    That''s right, keep me hidden.


    I''m just a weak and helpless third-ss yer; how could I possibly solo a BOSS?


    In fact, he wore an expression that suggested this had nothing to do with him and was ready to leave.


    Sterl had already saved the alien woman once; there was no reason to save her a second time, especially since his Twilight Guild was being chased and cornered by a group of demigods. His time was quite limited.


    Huh? You''re really leaving?


    A hint of surprise shed in the alien woman''s eyes, but she didn''t say anything further.


    She began to doubt whether the move that had in the BOSS had actuallye from this third-ss yer.


    It was very likely that this third-ss yer had used up some trump card and was now trying to leave, which was only natural.


    At that moment, the members of the BOSS raid team merely watched the scene unfold with cold expressions.


    "Kid, if outsiders start asking questions, remember to tell them that our Blood Battle Guild took the drops from the Beast of Iniquitous me."


    The leader of the raid team snorted.


    From the name, this guild seemed to belong to a group of demigods with a focus on war andbat. They were more concerned with making a name for themselves than with killing a third-ss yer.


    "Hand over the drops, and we''ll spare your life." The members of the BOSS raid team began to close in on the alien woman.


    The woman couldn''t produce any so-called drops. She couldn''t help but want to betray Sterl, but after thinking about it, she realized that the third-ss yer''s desire to retreat at this moment indicated that he also couldn''t fight against this raid team.


    Even if she revealed that the drops weren''t in her possession, the raid team wouldn''t believe her. They would just capture both her and that third-ss yer.


    There was no point in harming others without any benefit to herself.


    At that moment, a glint of cold light shed in the woman''s eyes.


    She waved her hand and sent flying des hurtling through the air, each de shining with a me-like brilliance.


    They looked simple and unassuming, but clearly, the members of the BOSS raid team had suffered from such attacks before.


    Their expressions changed slightly as they began to evade. A few frontline yers rushed forward to activate their shield skills, while the priests in the back preemptively cast healing spells.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After three violent explosions, the des erupted into a dazzling disy of me, but they were easily deflected by the BOSS raid team.


    "Damn it." The alien woman had somewhat expected this oue but still felt a wave of despair rising within her.


    Even against BOSSes that far surpassed yers, the well-coordinated team could take them down��


    Let alone the fact that she had no advantage in strength.


    "Attack!" The leader of the BOSS raid team said coldly.


    Immediately, several yers specializing in crowd controlunched their skills��


    Golden ropes, shimmering in the light, flew toward the alien woman as if they had a tracking effect.


    The woman reacted quickly, her form flickering as she forced herself to dodge. However, her expression changed dramatically when the branch beneath her feet revealed its true nature, transforming into a massive mouth lined with sharp fangs that suddenly mped down on her.


    "Ugh!" The alien woman let out a scream.


    She had clearly lost her ability to escape and was now caught. Apanying the bizarre red glow emanating from the giant mouth was a curse-like power that surged into her body, causing her immense pain and twisting her features in agony.


    "I advise you to hand over the drops quickly," the raid team leader said, slowly advancing and applying pressure with his aura. "Otherwise, even if you wish for a swift death, it won''t be possible."


    At that moment, the previously empty control ropes suddenly sprang back to life, darting towards a corner of the jungle. They aimed directly at Sterl, who had been preparing to retreat.


    Swish!


    Once again, the control attempt fell short.


    Sterl''s face darkened as he looked at the members of the BOSS raid team. He was just about to go after the next BOSS; he didn''t have time to waste here!


    But then, thezy young man, who had been eyeing him with disdain, sneered and said, "I''ve changed my mind. He''s just a third-ss yer; I''ll just kill him since he annoys me."


    His expression was somewhat peculiar as he spoke.


    The members of the raid team looked at him with puzzled expressions; it wasn''t that this third-ss yer was so important to spare or eliminate.


    The issue was that the leader had already given orders��was he trying to go against that?


    Was he not afraid of the repercussions after this operation?


    However, since the young man had already made his move, the others didn''t bother to publicly reprimand him.


    Immediately, several yers casuallyunched their skills, attempting to take Sterl down.


    But as the skills were about to hit the third-ss yer, their effects suddenly extinguished.


    The members of the BOSS raid team were taken aback, only to see that third-ss yer''s expression had turned cold.


    "Why are you forcing me to act? Why are you wasting my time?"


    Those were just two seemingly ordinary sentences, yet they sent chills down the spines of the raid team members, leaving them feeling unnerved.

 Chapter 268: The Despairing Suppression

    Sterl''s anger came swiftly and faded just as fast.


    He realized that the trouble the young man was causing him likely wasn''t out of "malice."


    Instead, it was...


    The bacsh of Fortune had returned!


    Just at that moment, the young man harbored some ill will towards Sterl. With a subtle nudge from some unseen will, he chose to take action.


    When the young man acted, it meant the entire strategy team would spring into action as well.


    In the outside world, they always moved together, advancing and retreating in unison.


    The leader of the strategy team hadn''t even noticed the young man''s attack, but with a nce, he instructed the others to quickly eliminate this third-ss yer.


    Regardless of the reason, the leader of the strategy team only saw one of his teammates attacking a third-ss yer, so it must be the enemy''s fault!


    Meanwhile, the alien woman remained trapped, and amidst her pain, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes as she looked towards Sterl.


    Could this third-ss yer still have a trump card?


    Would he be able to...


    Make a move?


    At this moment, she was in a situation where "desperate times call for desperate measures." Although she thought that this third-ss yer might be able to defeat the boss-hunting team, her rational mind told her that there was simply no chance.


    However, the alien woman and the many members of the strategy team who couldn''t help but nce at Sterl were all left dumbfounded.


    First, the bizarre giant mouth that had restrained the alien woman suddenly and inexplicably vanished.


    Next, the buffs on many members of the strategy team abruptly dissipated into nothingness.


    Finally, those who had already taken action and were preparing to eliminate the third-ss yer stumbled back, spitting blood, seemingly suffering from a bacsh.


    "What''s going on? Where are my skills?"


    "Why is my skill barpletely ck?"


    "It seems like only legendary abilities can be used; my talents have been sealed��what''s happening?"


    ...


    Instantly, many members of the strategy team were shouting in panic and confusion.


    At the same time, they noticed��


    "It''s dark!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Are we being targeted by some powerful boss?"


    ...


    The leader of the strategy team had a serious expression: "Everyone! Form a defensive formation!"


    The members of the BOSS strategy team, who had been in a state of chaos just a second ago, upon hearing themand, maintained their nk expressions, still looking quite lost, but their movements became extraordinarily efficient and precise.


    Those in the back stood in the middle, while the front-line warriors shielded all the back-row units behind them.


    Once this formation was established, even a formidable enemy would struggle to breach the strategy team''s defenses quickly.


    Yet, at this moment, these yers wore confused expressions.


    "My skills are restored?"


    "Me too??"


    "What just happened?"


    "Wait, why are my equipment skills dark?"


    "It seems like my talent isn''t usable anymore?"


    ...


    After forming the defensive formation, many were puzzled but felt a bit more rxed. However, the leader of the strategy team''s expression had changed dramatically.


    Because...


    Only the front-line warriors were speaking; not a single person in the back row uttered a word.


    The leader of the strategy team turned in horror, and indeed, all the priests and mages in the back row had been decapitated by a single sword strike, with no one left alive!


    "How is this possible!"


    The leader''s pupils contracted slightly.


    He instinctively resisted the reality before him. He had built this strategy team from the ground up, personally assessing each member, and they had formed deep bonds. Now, more than half of them had been wiped out in an instant?


    "What on earth..."


    The leader''s awareness suddenly froze. His eyes caught sight of a headless corpse slowly copsing to the ground.


    That was... my corpse??


    He was momentarily stunned, the immense vitality granted by his legendary peak allowing him to witness the following scene.


    A figure.


    It seemed to be that third-ss yer they had encountered twice before; he was the one who had acted!


    The leader of the strategy team felt a twinge of confusion.


    Hadn''t I already let him go? Why is he doing this?


    With the perceptive ability of a legendary peak, he hadn''t noticed the actions of his subordinates earlier, which could only mean one thing...


    To ignore is the highest form of contempt.


    The leader had regarded a third-ss yer as mere dust, as if he didn''t exist at all.


    At this moment, all he felt was boundless confusion and resentment.


    We didn''t offend you; what do you want?


    He realized what the "third-ss" yer intended to do.


    The "third-ss yer" moved like a tiger among sheep, drawing forth a sword made from flowing water and casually slicing through the air.


    It was as if...


    A real person had entered a wax museum, wielding a sharp de and casually hacking the wax figures to pieces.


    Indeed, what the strategy team leader saw was his subordinates being cut to pieces without any resistance.


    It was a sense of despairing oppression.


    Many members of the squad wanted to flee, some wanted to fight back, but the result was the same: death.


    Some released offensive skills, others defensive skills, but it made no difference; under the Flowing Water de, their attacks were severed, and their defenses were sliced through like tofu.


    The leader of the strategy team had no time to feel sorrow or anger; his consciousness was plunged into darkness.


    "Damn!"


    "Why?!"


    At that moment, in an apartment in a city on some, a middle-aged man angrily smashed his game helmet onto the floor.


    "Damn it, I ran into a madman."


    "After years of hard work building this strategy team, it''s been wiped out in an instant."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon within the game,


    Sterl still held the Flowing Water de, the earlier scene igniting fury in his heart, prompting him to immediately test the effect of Silent Domain on people.


    Sterl maintained control for only a brief moment, approximately 0.3 seconds.


    However, the actual effect of the controlsted much longer.


    The reason was simple: the yers would find that no matter how they tried, they couldn''t activate their skills.


    In such a situation, they would prioritize figuring out how to break the control over frantically attempting to use their skills until they worked.


    After all, they were unaware of the specifics of the Silent Domain skill, so they could only respond instinctively.


    As a result, during the 0.3 seconds of silence, all the enemies were in a state of confusion, and Sterl used that brief window to eliminate the back row with his Rain Curtain Sword.


    Since he had already offended them, Sterl decided to go all the way; his first strike was aimed at wiping out the opponentpletely.


    After the entire back row of the strategy team had fallen, the front-line yers were still trying to see if their skills would work again.


    Then, using the energy saved from maintaining such a short Silent Domain, Sterl activated the enhancement of Arcane Law and swiftly killed the leader of the strategy team.


    The remaining members, even after the enhancement, found themselves easily dismembered by the sustained Flowing Water de.


    Sterl felt...


    Not long ago, he had struggled a bit against the legendary peak in the Trial of the Brave, and he had also needed some effort when assisting the members of the Twilight Guild, facing down the legendary peak''s techniques.


    Now, killing a legendary peak felt as easy as casually dispatching a wild monster.


    Meanwhile...


    Sterl sensed another portion of Fortune merging into his body, as this time, it came directly from defeating a high-tier legendary enemy.


    The intensity of the Fortune bacsh was unprecedented.


    Thus, he gained twelve points of Fortune from this encounter, andbined with what he had already acquired, he quickly umted a total of fifteen points.


    This made Sterl feel quite pleased.


    At the same time, he received an uncertain piece of news: the Fortune bacsh had one final urrence before it would end. This was a deep intuition that left him utterly convinced.


    Therefore, there was no way Sterl could rely on a single bug exploit to umte enough Fortune for an upgrade cheat.


    However, if the intensity of the Fortune bacsh continued to rise at this rapid pace, it wouldn''t be long before he faced enemies he couldn''t handle.


    "But exploiting bugs is indeed absurd," Sterl nodded. Why did he say this?


    After consecutively killing bosses and this group of boss hunters, the high-quality enemies provided another boost of blood force, in addition to what he had previously umted.


    Sterl had a total of 1.31 points of blood force.


    It sounded like a small amount, but it was enough to evolve the Grass and Wood Law into a fragmented level.


    And he had only spent less than a day to umte that one point of blood force.


    "This is still the main world. If it were a ce with higherbat intensity and more strong opponents, I could keep grinding as long as I wanted in hell."


    "The efficiency of farming blood force would be even higher!"


    A glint of fervor shed in his eyes.


    It was truly one of those things you didn''t know until you experienced it; once you did, you couldn''t stop.


    The Origin of Chaos was indeed powerful!


    "I must go to hell soon and grind hard!"


    At this moment, Sterl did not use the blood force directly because he wanted to first enhance the power of the Flowing Water Law and unlock the second form of the Rain Curtain Sword.


    Simply increasing the Grass and Wood Law wouldn''t yield significant results.


    After contemting, Sterl slowly approached the only surviving person on the field.


    The alien woman was already so frightened that she was in a daze. As an observer this time, she had acquired the most information, and she confirmed once again that this third-ss yer had not used any hidden cards given to him by others.


    "Spare me!"


    "I absolutely won''t tell anyone what I saw today!"


    The woman was quick to read the situation and could see what the third-ss yer cared about the most.


    "Heh."


    "Why are you being illogical? Killing you wouldn''t stop the news from leaking either."


    Sterl corrected her with a cheerful smile.


    The woman was so terrified that she slumped to the ground.


    "I... I..."


    "You..."


    She struggled to find words.


    Sterl could only kindly remind her: "You should say what you''re willing to offer in exchange for your life."


    "Oh!"


    "Right! Right!"


    "I''m willing to pay a ransom for my life; I''m willing to pay."


    The alien woman clung to this lifeline like it was a straw to grasp. She shouted repeatedly, and then her expression changed painfully as she reluctantly handed over an item.


    "My lord, this is my most precious possession..."


    "Could you please be merciful?"


    Sterl had initially just taken the item she handed over casually, but in the next moment, his expression changed.

 Chapter 269: Iridescent-Level Skill?

    Sterl was dumbfounded.


    He never expected that this alien woman would produce something that... he had never even considered.


    [Rebirth of All Thoughts (Iridescent)]+


    [Status: Fragmented 1/3]


    [Description: This is a skill only deities can master. Possessing it allows you to experience the powers of the gods, originating from an attempt to create a skill by some great Divine Power in the Hall of Valor. Having it will grant you a significant advantage in battle.]


    [Effect: Based on the damage you dealt and the damage you received in previous battles, you will transform into a Net Divine Body. In this state, you will be immune to the type of damage that you received the most from before.


    The damage you previously inflicted will be converted into special skills of the Net Divine Body, transforming into God''s Wheel of Heaven, God''s Rain of Light, or Eye of Annihtion based on the damage''s effect.]


    [Learning Restrictions: Natural-type divine authority, Arcane-type divine authority, Life-type divine authority, Elemental-type divine authority (any one is sufficient)]


    [Hint: This skill is in a fragmented state. After learning it, you can only transform into a Net Divine (immunity) in battle, allowing you to reduce the damage of the type you previously received the most by seventy percent.]


    "What the hell!"


    "Iridescent-level skill!?"


    On the surface, Sterl appeared calm and collected, merely nodding slightly, while internally, his mind was in turmoil.


    Isn''t this impossible?


    How could an ordinary legendary yer possess something like this?


    Looking again, he realized it was a fragmented version...


    But wait, even a fragmented version shouldn''t be something you can just pull out!


    Moreover, Sterl checked the skill''s effects, and even in its fragmented state, it was incredibly powerful, providing seventy percent immunity to the type of damage most previously endured.


    In battle, deities often used some form of Law Power as their primary means of attack, and with this skill activated, it could render opponents nearly incapacitated!


    Additionally, if Sterl explored some elemental worlds, he could utilize the fragmented version of Rebirth of All Thoughts against elemental beings, greatly enhancing his survivability. Inbat,bined with Sterl''s already outrageous life force, he could easily swap damage for damage.


    "Why don''t you learn it yourself?"


    After asking, Sterl realized that beings below the divine level couldn''t learn iridescent skills at all!


    You had to have the corresponding divine authority to learn it!


    Moreover, Sterl spected that perhaps all iridescent skills required specific divine authorities to be mastered.


    The alien woman, even with such a powerful skill in her possession, could only look on in despair.


    Sterl quickly stowed away the iridescent item that radiated with seven colors��


    Just pulling it out had drawn resonant chants from all around the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, and a beam of light illuminated the horizon, as if it were a scroll being drawn into a miniature world.


    Although he could learn it, there was no way he could do so at that moment.


    Sterl pressed further, "How did you get this?"


    "This is... after Ipleted the Trial of the Brave, the Hall of Valor asked me if I would be willing to sign apulsory contract to serve it for life," the alien woman exined. "After death, my soul would also be taken away and controlled by it."


    "So that''s how you obtained this fragmented skill," she continued, her voice trembling.


    At that moment, the foreign woman dared not hide anything and could onlyy everything bare.


    "You''re afraid of your soul being taken away after death? Why?" Sterl questioned, puzzled.


    She responded with a resigned expression, "Because serving the Hall of Valor after death will be endless; there might not even be an opportunity to go out and stretch my legs."


    "While in life, I only need to ept some missions that the Hall of Valor imposes, and I still have my freedom most of the time."


    "And after signing the contract, the Hall of Valor will also intensify its training on me. If I can be a deity, I might live for thousands of years before I die."


    There was some logic to her reasoning. Sterl nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Aren''t you a yer? How can the Hall of Valor take your soul?"


    She continued, "It seems they said that if my character dies early in the game, it wouldn''t affect my reality. However, if I die naturally or identally in reality, my soul will be taken."


    The alien woman went on, rambling.


    Sterl frowned slightly...


    This woman revealed a significant piece of information: that when a yer dies, their character is deleted, and they lose all special abilities in reality, which should theoretically have nothing to do with [Transcendence].


    Yet, [Transcendence] could still pull a person''s soul based on contracts made in the game.


    Indeed, Sterl analyzed that the Hall of Valor could not possibly reach that far to take a soul; it couldn''t even control the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, let alone a soul from another world.


    At that moment, upon receiving this information, Sterl felt that [Transcendence] was even moreplicated than he had imagined.


    With a nonchnt expression, he changed the topic and asked again, "Do you know if anyone else has signed a contract to obtain fragmented skills?"


    Sterl inquired.


    After obtaining 1/3 of the iridescent skill, he immediately wanted the remaining 2/3.


    Just a moment ago, Sterl noticed that Rebirth of All Thoughts had a plus sign next to it, so he immersed his consciousness in it and received a response��


    Skill notplete, Origin Power missing.


    Yes/No to allocate points?


    If allocated, the quality of the skill will permanently decrease, but the tier will remain unchanged, still ssified as iridescent.


    Sterl was speechless, then silently thought, "Yes."


    Then...


    Point allocation failed, ability not cooled down.


    Sterl shook his head; he naturally knew the ability wasn''t cooled down, which is why he casually selected "Yes."


    He felt that the iridescent skill seemed somewhat special.


    It actually had the concept of Origin Power, and once split apart, it would lead to a decrease in quality.


    As for Sterl, if the point allocation was only directed at this 1/3 of the iridescent skill, it might simply evolve the Net Divine Body''s immunity to damage.


    But would Sterl dare to allocate points? He wasn''t sure whether this 1/3 of the iridescent skill would be stronger when maxed outpared to the original version.


    He felt it was possible, but if he gambled and lost, it would be a waste...


    Of course, Sterl wouldn''t make the foolish decision of holding onto a usable skill without employing it. If he urgently needed the damage immunity effect before finding the remaining 2/3 of the iridescent skill, he would prioritize allocating points to this 1/3 version.


    At that moment, facing Sterl''s questions, the alien woman looked utterly helpless: "How could I possibly know that?"


    "Well... Sir, have you finished asking what you needed? Can I leave now?" she asked cautiously.


    Sterl casually nodded, watching as the woman fled at breakneck speed.


    Since he had already disguised his identity, letting her go was no issue.


    At this moment...


    Whoosh!


    In the distance, a fierce bird of prey swooped down from the sky.


    It targeted Sterl, seemingly considering him as prey; after all, such a weak life form (referring to third ss) was rare in the canyon.


    Today would be a feast.


    "Chirp! Chirp!" Soon, the bird emitted a sound resembling a cute pet.


    It was firmly captured by a pair of arms and then lifted into the air.


    Swish!


    In an instant, a dazzling golden blood hole appeared on its body, and then a shower of blue threads sttered in all directions.


    Sterl nodded, "Not bad."


    With experience from the first time, he spread the Starlight Spray wider during the second casting.


    Combined with the first, a total of six bosses were marked by Sterl.


    At this moment, without hesitation, he took a moment to adjust himself.


    He immediately activated the teleportation attack that came with Cursed Vision, shooting towards the distance.


    Apanied by the transfer of a formidable beast.


    A fully ck dragon, flying in mid-air, was suddenly struck in its left wing by a blood-red arrow, suffering a catastrophic fall.


    Boom!!


    Along with the thunderous sound of the giant beast crashing to the ground, the ck dragon roared in fury. It unleashed a breath of fire towards the Heavenly Curtain, painting the entire sky a rose-colored jewel hue.


    However, high above in the sky, a shimmering Flowing Water de cleaved through the dragon''s breath with a single, forceful strike!


    Swish!


    The ck dragon''s neck was cut open with a massive gash, but thanks to its resilient scales and immense life force, the ck dragon miraculously wasn''t decapitated by the strike.


    "Well, it seems a quick kill is impossible now," Sterl shook his head. In [Transcendence], there were two methods to defeat a boss: one was to exhaust its life force, and the other was to directly strike its vital points.


    Thetter was actually much harder to achieve.


    Because bosses weren''t just sitting ducks; they wouldn''t foolishly let you hit them. And with their enormous life force, vital points weren''t so easily broken in a single blow.


    Typically, you had to weaken the boss''s life force first, and only after reaching a certain threshold could you choose to attack their vital points.


    "Roar!!" The ck dragon bellowed in fury, gathering its dragon mes once more.


    Sterl''s Flowing Water de shimmered with a brilliant light and unleashed another beam of sword energy.


    This time�� the ck dragon''s life force was insufficient.


    It was brutally killed!


    Sterl quickly sorted through the drops and rewards.


    Blood force: 0.12.


    The experience gain was considerable.


    He obtained several dropped materials, some legendary equipment, and multiple skill books.


    However, none of the three materials he needed showed up, and he didn''t get anything particrly valuable��


    The next boss was a gigantic armor that existed in conjunction with the Heavenly Curtain core.


    With a grim expression, Sterl pulled out the Flowing Water de and hacked away.


    It took him several minutes to finally y this boss.


    It dropped a single Heavenly Curtain core, along with a bunch of useless items.


    ��


    The third boss��


    The fourth boss��


    ��


    The sixth boss��


    ��


    With each sessive kill, Sterl''s experience points skyrocketed, far exceeding the requirement to level up to third ss.


    His blood force also reached over four points due to the frenzied killings! Since he wasn''t constantly fighting bosses, there were times when he couldn''t find one, and he would farm normal monsters instead.


    Sterl focused on those that hadrger numbers, allowing him to harvest more blood force.


    At this moment, a hint of frustration shed in Sterl''s eyes: "I''ve farmed just about everything I could."


    "I''m still missing thest piece for the formation materials."


    However, just then��


    He suddenly sensed something��


    Thud! Thud!


    Thud! Thud!


    A bizarre change suddenly swept through the entire Heavenly Curtain Canyon!

 Chapter 270: Huh? Is it already over?

    A prompt shed before Sterl''s eyes��


    [Heavenly Curtain Canyon has detected a significant number of Heavenly Curtain cores disappearing, triggering a special mechanism!]


    [Space fragments are merging!]


    "Huh?"


    Sterl was taken aback. After all, he had a guild backing him, and beforeing here, Sosia and Sonis had already scoured all avable information about the Heavenly Curtain Canyon. There hadn''t been any mention of a special mechanism.


    Although Sterl had indeed acquired quite a few Heavenly Curtain cores this time, a total of eight bosses had dropped cores��every single one of them.


    However...


    There should have been other dedicated boss-hunting teams that had farmed bosses, right? They must have dropped eight or even more Heavenly Curtain cores.


    "Then there must be other teams farming alongside me."


    "The triggering of the special mechanism should have nothing to do with me�� right?"


    Sterl murmured to himself.


    He said this, but deep down, he still felt something was off.


    This still didn''t exin why a special mechanism was being triggered at this moment!


    Could it be that the quantity of Heavenly Curtain cores dropped this time exceeded the entire historical record of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon??


    Sterl waspletely confused.


    However, if he activated Ascend to Godhood at this moment, he would sense��


    The Heavenly Curtain fragments stored in his small world were emitting strange waves, yet they were met with no response.


    On his end, he slightly closed his eyes and indeed felt that the space fragment he upied was rapidly merging with other fragments of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    In an instant, this world, which wasn''t particrly spacious, began to expand rapidly.


    It seemed that the merging of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon''s space fragments started from the point where Sterl was located.


    Sterl watched as, high in the sky, alongside the emerald-green sun, six other suns of varying colors suddenly appeared, as well as stars and moons that seemed extremely unclear under the sunlight, manifesting inexplicably.


    Then, the suns merged into one, and those stars and numerous moons returned to their rightful ces, forming aplete sky.


    At this moment, Sterl felt...


    The sense of detachment that had surrounded the Heavenly Curtain Canyon vanished, and he found himself back on the soil of the Hall of Valor.


    However, he didn''t understand what this meant.


    The only thing that thrilled Sterl was��


    Apanied by the merging of space, countless bosses were forcibly thrown into this location.


    Then��


    Those monsters, one by one, began to roar furiously and charged in the same direction, targeting��


    "Huh?"


    "Me??"


    Sterl was stunned.


    Why were they all charging towards me??


    Could it be that this special mechanism has something to do with me?


    However...


    After a moment of confusion, a smile appeared on Sterl''s face.


    It didn''t matter; this was great!


    Having so many bosses charge at him all at once meant he wouldn''t have to hunt them down one by one. He could wipe out a whole bunch of materials in one go!


    ��


    While Sterl was overjoyed, the other yer teams were filled with sheer terror.


    "Fall back!"


    "Everyone, forget about forming ranks! Use any means you have to survive; it''s every person for themselves!"


    A peak legendary yer shouted.


    Surrounding him were yers in matching uniforms, clearly part of a specialized boss-hunting team. Yet at this moment, they were too scared to even think about taking down a boss.


    After the space merged, these yers hadn''t yet realized what was happening when they saw at least seven or eight bosses charging toward them.


    Each one of them radiated immense power; half were at the legendary high-tier level that the team could barely handle.


    The other half were even worse��legendary peak bosses.


    Just one of those could wipe out their entire team.


    So, the team leader gave up on issuingmands and just wanted to escape!


    "Why is this happening?"


    "The Heavenly Curtain Canyon has existed for so many years without ever triggering a special mechanism??"


    "What on earth is going on?"


    ��


    yers shouted in panic. However, the bosses paid no attention to their distress and coldly trampled through the trees of the forest as they charged forward.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Apanied by the sound of items being used, many yers scattered in all directions.


    But the bosses were far toorge; as they charged, they unleashed various skills. A few managed to retreat to safety, but most yers felt they had no chance to escape.


    "It''s over!"


    "Damn it! My ount!"


    "What the hell? Which idiot triggered this special mechanism?"


    ��


    yers brave enough to venture into the Heavenly Curtain Canyon were mentally prepared for death and ount cancetion, but they never imagined they would exit in such an absurd manner.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    One second passed��


    Two seconds passed��


    Some yers closed their eyes, but they soon realized the roars of the bosses gradually faded away.


    Could it be that after death, ounts wouldn''t be immediately canceled, and they would instead be able to experience a bit more of the outside world?


    Some began to wonder.


    But they waited��


    Another second��


    Another two seconds��


    Until someone next to them shouted, "What are you all doing standing around?"


    "Waiting to die!"


    "Huh?"


    "I''m not dead; I''m fine!"


    These yers were overjoyed and began looking around gratefully: "Who cast a protective skill for me?"


    "Who saved my life?"


    "I owe you a great debt, and there will be a reward in the future��"


    However, the people around them merely pointed silently behind, and when the yers turned to look, they realized that there hadn''t been any rescue at all.


    The bosses passed by them without a nce, as if they were in a hurry to get to a market.


    "What''s going on here?"


    "Aren''t the bosses in [Transcendence] supposed to attack anyone they see?"


    "There''s no way that so many bosses all have different mechanisms."


    ��


    The yers were collectively baffled.


    Then, in a safe spot, some assassin and scout yers unleashed their reconnaissance skills, and they became even more confused.


    "I see that all the nearby bosses seem to be running in the same direction."


    "It''s not just us; it looks like all the bosses have entered the special mechanism of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon."


    ��


    Huh? What''s happening?


    The yers were even more puzzled.


    "I''ve contacted the leaders of other teams; we''re in the same space now, so we canmunicate with each other," the leader of the boss-hunting team spoke up.


    He then dropped an even more shocking piece of news.


    "All the bosses appearing in the space fragments are all rushing in one direction, ignoring everything in their path."


    "And if the coordinate calctions are correct��"


    "They are likely heading toward the same target location."


    "Currently, it''s roughly estimated that there should be over 30 bosses."


    Once the team leader finished speaking, the first reaction from all the yers was:


    "Does that mean a major main storyline quest is about to appear?"


    "Or maybe a high-difficulty hidden quest?"


    "Shouldn''t we go check it out?"


    "Yeah! Wealth and risk go hand in hand!"


    ��


    Many yers had just narrowly escaped death, yet their desire for adventure red back up.


    It was obvious that with so many bosses gathering together, there had to be an important mission or an extremely valuable treasure about to surface.


    Whether triggering a quest or obtaining a treasure, it would be a chance to rise to greatness in one fell swoop!


    "Let''s raise our hands to vote."


    "Let''s see if we should go or not." The leader of the boss-hunting team hesitated a bit.


    The yers present all showed serious expressions, knowing this could be one of the most significant decisions of their lives.


    Go big or go home


    As hands went up, only a few chose to abstain, while the overwhelming majority of yers firmly decided to...


    Move forward!


    At that moment...


    This scene was happening continuously among various exploration teams and boss-hunting groups. Even some lone wolves looked toward the direction where the bosses were gathering, gritting their teeth and feelingpelled to follow.


    yers weren''t afraid of risks; they were afraid of not having sufficient rewards!


    Then...


    After a vote, the exploration team moved toward the bosses.


    Everyone advanced in silence.


    They knew that this journey might lead them to never return.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle.


    The sound of dried twigs and leaves crunching underfoot echoed as they slowly progressed, fearful of being detected by the gathering bosses...


    Until they noticed the footprints of the bosses bing increasingly dense, indicating they were nearing the target location.


    This also meant that the yers would soon face a challenge!


    Moreover...


    The yers in the exploration team could vaguely sense, thanks to their legendary-level perception, that other yers were also approaching the bosses'' gathering point from different directions.


    At that moment, the scenery around them suddenly changed��


    "Is it getting dark?"


    Someone in the team questioned.


    "Did someone cast a skill? Wow, it''s bing bright so quickly?"


    Another yer quickly added.


    "There''s a kind of damp aura?"


    A third yer expressed his confusion.


    "It feels like something just grazed my face," he continued.


    Finally, the leader of the exploration team, with a serious expression, said, "Just now, I think I sensed the aura of Law!"


    "Fighting has already broken out. We can speed up a bit and see what''s happening at the bosses'' concentration point."


    Simrly...


    Most of the exploration teams that hade to the Heavenly Curtain Canyon were led by peak legendary yers.


    At this moment, these yer groups had all made a simr decision.


    They needed to hurry and see what was happening!


    Rustle! Rustle!


    The sounds of footsteps grew more frequent.


    yers from various exploration teams hurried ahead, afraid that others would get to the rewards first.


    When the first audacious yer dashed toward the location of the gathering bosses, his first reaction was to rub his eyes, confirming whether he was seeing things correctly.

 Chapter 271: All the Bosses Are Gone??

    "How is this possible?"


    "Am I going crazy??"


    "Is this an illusion??"


    ...


    Soon, one yer after another appeared at the outskirts of the boss gathering point. They shouted in disbelief, some unable to ept the scene before them.


    The yers behind them, hearing themotion, became increasingly curious. What did the forerunners see? They quickened their pace to move forward��


    Although the forerunners were surprised, at least they hadn''te under attack; the boss gathering point should be temporarily safe. The yers boldly charged ahead!


    However, the newly joined yers quickly fell silent. Among them were several leaders of various strategy groups at the peak legendary level.


    "Could it be that a powerful hunting team has emerged in Heavenly Curtain Canyon?"


    "No, even the strongest hunting team couldn''t achieve this level of destruction! Demigods? No way! Demigods aren''t this strong!"


    ...


    Gulp.


    Gulp.


    Countless yers swallowed hard. They gazed at the scene ahead, their worldview shaken to its core.


    What they saw were corpses�� all of them were the bosses'' corpses!


    Each one, legendary high-tier or even legendary peak beings, had beenpletely annihted!


    Massive creatures resembling mountains, mechanical beings that looked like technologically advanced goris, and Phoenix engulfed in an unquenchable, strange me��


    The mountain-like monsters had been brutally torn to pieces. The mechanical goris were reduced to a pile of broken circuits. The birds had their innards ripped out, their life force extinguished��


    The many yers present stared in horror as they took in the sight! Many of these bosses were ones they had meticulously nned against, spending months or even years preparing their strategies to defeat them.


    There were others they had also researched but had only intended to avoid in Heavenly Curtain Canyon, hoping to prevent being wiped out by these bosses.


    Yet now, whether it was a boss they thought they could defeat or one they felt they should steer clear of, they were all dead! Wiped out! Each one had suffered a gruesome end, their remains unidentifiable!


    It was as if they had encountered an unbeatable enemy who effortlessly ughtered them!


    Moreover, it wasn''t just that the individual strength of the bosses was extraordinarily high; their numbers were also staggering. After the spatial fragments of Heavenly Curtain Canyon hadbined, dozens of bosses were captured all at once at this gathering point!


    Due to the nature of the spatial fragments, the bosses were certainly scattered across different areas of theplete Heavenly Curtain Canyon, so they must have arrived in sequence. However, at the same time, there were at least a dozen bosses present.


    This meant that��


    That unknown entity not only decimated legendary peak bosses but was also capable of taking on a dozen or more at once??


    In the Hall of Valor, yers who have been around for a long time generally have some familiarity with the titles held by each demigod. But no one could be this powerful! After all, these are bosses! yers can easily solo them without breaking a sweat, right? This is precisely why all the yers wore expressions of disbelief; the scene before them was entirely unreasonable.


    "Wait a minute."


    "Are we trapped in a cognitive bias?"


    "Maybe these bosses weren''t killed by yers at all."


    "Are we just witnessing a scripted event?"


    Someone spoke up.


    As soon as this was said, a chorus of agreement followed.


    "Yeah! We were mistaken."


    "Indeed, such scripted events are quitemon; it''s just that they seem rarely triggered in the Hall of Valor, which led us to overlook it."


    "So, does that mean we might still receive a quest?"


    ...


    People were discussing this, feeling as if they had cracked the case!


    "Exactly."


    "With so many bosses, how could they possibly have been killed by yers..."


    At that moment, one of the strategy group leaders spoke up.


    However, soon after, he noticed that everyone around him was looking at him strangely.


    "What do you mean?"


    The group leader was a bit confused. Weren''t you all just saying in unison that this was a scripted event? I merely added ament; what''s with those looks?


    In the next second, thestrategy group leader suddenly understood.


    At that moment, a violent spatial fluctuation erupted from the center of all the boss corpses.


    Countless reconnaissance skills had been cast in that instant. Through ayer of spatial obstruction, people began to faintly read the data of a yer.


    Demigod level! All attributes read as "???".


    As the spatial fluctuations became clearer,


    Swish!


    A boss that appeared to be a massive dark purple skeleton, reminiscent of a giant bat, was forcefully thrown out.


    "Wow!"


    The beast emitted a Wail of Anguish. Its gigantic body crashed to the ground, creating a deep pit and sending the remains of the surrounding bosses flying in all directions.


    Meanwhile, numerous yers maintained their reconnaissance skills. They immediately discovered that the life force of this legendary peak boss was already extremely weak.


    In the next instant, the spatial fluctuations flickered.


    The yer who had been detected suddenly appeared, wrapped in a dark-colored cloak. As he moved, faint purple energy swirled around him, forming shimmering specks of light that scattered in the air.


    In his hand, he wielded a massive sword, also covered in dark energy.


    Swish!


    In that instant, all the yers present understood why those earlier bosses had met such a gruesome end!


    The giant sword swung down, then shattered into countless smaller des, slicing through the inside of the boss. Soon, the energy core within the massive bat skeleton boss, which was glowing, waspletely shredded. As a result...


    This legendary peak boss instantly perished!


    Two colorful orbs of light exploded out and were effortlessly collected by the demigod yer.


    At that moment, everyone present waspletely stunned. Just a second ago, they had confidently asserted that it was impossible for any single yer to wipe out these bosses. Yet in the next moment, this mysterious demigod showcased what truly overwhelming power looked like!


    A solo kill�� no, it was more like an absolute thrashing of a legendary peak boss, easily overpowering an entire bossstrategygroup. In the hands of this demigod, that formidable existence was as fragile as tissue paper!


    Moreover, the way the massive bat skeleton boss died was almost identical to that of the other bosses present.


    Any yer with a bit ofmon sense could deduce the truth: all the bosses had likely been annihted by this one demigod alone.


    In an instant, the yers'' expressions turned to shock. They looked at the figure shrouded in ck energy, their eyes filled with fear and respect!


    This level of strength was something that, even with the Hall of Valor''s ability to gather talent, yers had never encountered before. They felt��


    This demigod was destined to join the ranks of the many deities in the Hall of Valor, and even thebat power of ordinary deities could notpare to him.


    The yers felt as if they were witnessing the rise of an extraordinarily remarkable being, like the sun slowly ascending in the sky.


    "Is something the matter?"


    The demigod looked at the crowd of yers, seemingly raising an eyebrow, his tone casual.


    As for the yers, they instinctively took a step back. In an instant, many legendary peak and high-tier legendary yers, who held considerable status both in the outside world and in the Hall of Valor, found themselves bowing subserviently.


    "Nothing''s wrong."


    "Nothing at all."


    "You do what you need to do��"


    ...


    Who dared to say anything?


    Even though the demigod had ughtered so many bosses, surely acquiring terrifying drops, no one had the courage to utter another word. After all, he could just as easily dispose of them!


    They could only stand there like humble subjects, extremely tense, silently waiting until the figure of the demigod vanished.


    Once he was gone, the yers collectively sighed in relief, each gasping for breath.


    "The pressure was too much!"


    "That was terrifying! I feel like I''ve never felt this uneasy even in the presence of a deity."


    "Could it be that this is what they mean when they say cmities are approaching, and there will certainly be those who bear the brunt? This level of demigod power is a bit outrageous��"


    ...


    The yers continued to discuss among themselves.


    The scenes of today would likely be etched in their minds forever. A single yer had single-handedly ughtered dozens of bosses!


    ...


    Meanwhile, on one side of Heavenly Curtain Canyon, within a concealed formation, the demigod was absorbing the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, exhaling several heavy breaths of foul air.


    "Finally back to life!" The demigod, known as Sterl, felt a significant relief from the throbbing headache that had gued him.


    Indeed, he had killed those bosses. However, while it appeared effortless on the surface, the reality was that the cost was not small.


    Faced with thebined assault of up to twenty bosses, Sterl had felt a hint of panic at that moment. Thus, he decisively activated Silent Domain, sealing the abilities of all the bosses, and then used Arcane Law to amplify his power to the fullest,unching Rain Curtain Sword.


    With the dual boost of tinum-level skills, Sterl easily swept through his enemies. The only issue was that he had nearly exhausted all the potions he carried, including Energy Surge Capsules and Glory Potions; he only had the ones he exchanged with Valor Contribution Points left.


    Moreover, he had fallen into a state of extreme exhaustion.


    As for the actual process of fighting the bosses, it was rather unremarkable; Sterl''s damage output was so high that the bosses were quickly in!


    The scene that the yers had witnessed earlier was due to one boss possessing the ability to merge into the shadow world. Sterl happened to have Shadow Stealth as well, allowing him to chase it into that realm and dispatch it with a single sword strike.


    Upon discovering the yers'' presence in the shadow world, Sterl quickly disguised himself as a demigod. Coupled with his earlier performance, he indeed managed to intimidate the group.


    Otherwise, if the yers had greedily attempted to fight for the bosses'' drops, Sterl would have had to waste more consumables.


    The key issue was that killing other yers wouldn''t yield any drops either, even in Heavenly Curtain Canyon!


    This area merely lifted the monitoring of the Hall of Valor, but yers of the same faction were still considered allies! There was no benefit in killing them.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s disyedbat power was so astonishing that, even if the yers might have thought that this demigod seemed somewhat weakened, no one dared to make a move.

 Chapter 272: Massive Gains, Legendary Equipment!

    At that momt, Sterl had absorbed a substantial amount of Fire of T Thousand Souls and upgraded his umted soul experice to level 7. He finally returned to normal.


    The hint of panic on Sterl''s face dissipatedpletely. How could he not feel panicked? Just momts ago, if those yers had forced an attack, Sterl would have suffered a loss of 500 Valor Contribution Points!


    Now, he took out the over sevty colorful orbs and more than eighty gold orbs that he had stored in his small world. The smile on his face was impossible to contain.


    "Let''s op these! Let''s op them!"


    "Whether I hit the jackpot today depds on this!"


    Sterl was incredibly excited.


    Other yers strategize and tackle bosses, dividing the loot among their team, ying an MMORPG.


    On Sterl''s side, they farm bosses in batches, with a massive amount of drops that are mostly handled by the guild. They only keep a few of the top-tier equipmt and items, making it purely a "Diablo-like" experice.


    Ding! Ding! Ding!


    The crisp sounds of the orbs oping filled the air, bringing an overwhelming sse of joy. The scre in front of him was flooded with messages.


    [You have obtained material: Heavly Curtain core.]


    [You have obtained material: Heavly Curtain core.]


    [You have obtained equipmt: [Feather of the Phoix].]


    [You have obtained skill book: [Eternal me (Gold)].]


    [You have obtained��]


    ...


    [You have obtained material: Soul Solidification Gem.]


    In an instant, Sterl''s backpack was overflowing, causing a pile of items to spill out in front of him. Many of the items oped wt directly into his backpack.


    Sterl''s backpack simply couldn''t hold everything!


    The g was aglow with a dazzling array of gold skills, blindingly bright. There were the emerald hues represting tinum-level equipmt, the deep blue luminee symbolizing diamond-level gear, and the ancit gold represting legdary items��


    Yes!


    Legdary!


    Sterl stared in disbelief and quickly pulled out a piece of equipmt.


    [Rebirth me Armor (Legdary)]+


    [Tier: Unlimited]


    [Description: An incarnation of the essce of the Phoix, this legdary item can only be obtained with an extremely low probability by ying the Phoix during its peak.]


    [Effects: Increases all attributes by 50 points, Spirit increased by an additional 0 points, Fire damage reduction increased by 0%, Fire damage output increased by 0%.


    Additional abilities:


    Rebirth Protection (This equipmt provides a shield equal to 50% of the wearer''s maximum health. This shield cannot be canceled. After being brok, the equipmt ters a rebirth state, permantly increasing the shield value by % and the various attribute bonuses by %, with a maximum stacking limit of  times.)


    Reborn (Wh wearing this equipmt, the yer permantly increases all attributes by 0 points each time a resurrection skill is triggered, with a limit of 5 times. The attribute bonuses are retained ev wh the equipmt is removed.)


    Rebirth eleration (The cooldown time for all resurrection skills is halved, with negative effects reduced to zero.)


    Phoix Fire (Automatically revives the yer upon death and grants a 0% increase in me skill power for one minute, with a cooldown of one month.)]


    This equipmt is extremely specialized, primarily geared towards resurrection abilities. Sterl thought to himself that he absolutely had to keep this piece and not sell it; just the Phoix Fire ability alone was worth a fortune!


    Once a month resurrection! And the effects of this armor could pottially reduce that to once every half month. Not to mtion, Sterl himself had Divine Desct, which also included a resurrection effect.


    In essce, having this equipmt meant he had an edge over other yers in terms of value.


    The only pity was that while the other additional abilities were quite powerful��such as providing a shield equal to 0% of his health, which was extremely useful for someone with Sterl''s substantial health pool, and the pottial to increase all attributes by up to 0 points��these bonuses required triggering several resurrection skills to fully realize their pottial.


    The lifeforce restoration wh his health hit zero didn''t count as a resurrection. Therefore, to maximize these bonuses, he truly had to put in some effort. He''d only be able to use the resurrection from this armor and the one from Divine Desct.


    However, Sterl''s style was to avoid situations that risked having to use resurrection skills. After all, he understood clearly that if his n wt awry and he countered unexpected emies, having to use his resurrection could lead to disaster.


    Thus, maximizing the effects of the Rebirth me Armor might take quite a while.


    "What a pity." Sterl shook his head.


    Nevertheless, just the resurrection effect alone justified its legdary status. Next, he would check what hancemts he could make��


    Wait? I can use this right away??


    Sterl noticed one of the attributes of the equipmt.


    No way!


    It''s ready to go!


    Sterl was immsely excited; a legdary item with no level restrictions had just dropped for him!


    His thoughts turned to, "To get good equipmt, you really need to farm on arge scale."


    "Just grinding one or two bosses, without using Fate Toks, and I can get something this good??"


    In addition to that, the colorful orbs from various bosses had yielded quite a few exceptional items. Among them, there were a total of nine diamond-level legdary pieces, over twty gold-quality skill books, and various rare materials. Ev though Sterl couldn''t use them, he estimated they could be exchanged for a significant amount of Valor Contribution Points.


    "These legdary pieces of equipmt... maybe I should sell some of them first and just keep a few."


    Sterl felt that, after this sessful experice, he could look for more opportunities to grind bosses. Who knows, he might be able to farm a batch of legdary gear before reaching the legdary realm, or at least some top-tier diamond equipmt.


    Right now, selling these legdary diamond items could allow him to acquire some third-ss legdary equipmt, maximizing his strgth.


    As for the skill books and materials, he would follow the same approach as before: handing everything over to the guild and letting Sosia, Sonis, and the other yers find buyers to handle the sales.


    What excited Sterl ev more was that after this intse farming session, he had gathered exactly  Heavly Curtain core materials, meaning he could set up the Blood Sacrifice Array three times.


    However, the ordinary materials he had collected from the Blood Cult''s various bases were only ough to construct one and a half arrays.


    "Many of these materials can only be obtained by tormting others."


    "There ar''t many in the main world and must be specially crafted, but there should be plty in Hell; after all, it''s incredibly chaotic there, and some demons are said to feed off various forms of suffering to hance their power."


    He pondered that it seemed his journey to Hell had gained another reason.


    Lastly, Sterl took stock and found that he had a total of 8 Heavly Curtain core materials. He decided to keep them for now, waiting until he returned to allocate points and see the effects before deciding whether to turn them in to the Hall of Valor.


    ��


    Next, Sterl ssed that the disturbances in Heavly Curtain Canyon seemed far from over. The suring space had be extremely strange; previously, this ce couldn''t transmit any information.


    Now, information could be st out normally, but yers were unable to leave, and ev Sterl was unable to use teleportation items.


    He didn''t originally care about this��his mood was quite good because he had just finished farming a boss and received a nice haul��but the constant stream of direct messages was causing him to frown.


    Sosia and Sonis had kept quiet to avoid bothering Sterl, but other members of the Twilight Guild were reaching their breaking point.


    One by one, they sought help from "David."


    [Presidt, we''re done for! We can''t ev dare to go out to fight monsters or do quests.]


    [Presidt, what should I do if my frid was killed in in sight during a meeting in the conferce room by someone using the Honorable Kill privilege?]


    [Presidt��]


    ...


    Members of the Twilight Guild were inplete disarray.


    In fact, it had be less than a day since Sterl took on the task. The pressure from the demigod guilds had be increasingly terrifying��not because they were particrly anxious, but simply because they realized that the Twilight Guild seemed to have no means of retaliating, making the legdary yers executing the pressure below grow ev more reckless.


    Sterl''s earlier good mood dissipated in an instant.


    He felt that if this continued, the morale would disintegrate faster than he had anticipated.


    As the guild leader, he could only offer a fewforting words, assuring everyone that the problem would be resolved within a month. He exined that the initial demigod and some of his frids were currtly gaged in another instance and couldn''t break free just yet.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s firm promise and the time frame he provided calmed the Twilight yers down significantly.


    Next, Sterl ignored the second wave of private messages from the yers, all of which expressed loyalty.


    Things like��


    "I swear to live and die with the guild!"


    "No matter what happs, we''ll face it together."


    "Presidt, just give us the word, and we''ll make those guilds pay, ev if it costs us our lives."


    Sterl chose to overlook them; his mood was already sour.


    He first nced at the blood force. After the frzied boss kills and the previous  of ughtering wild monsters, the blood force had reached six points, ev nearing sev.


    He also discovered a hidd mechanism of this special ergy: the stronger the unit''s lifeforce, the more blood force it provided.


    For instance, the Phoix boss he had defeated three times before finally killing itpletely provided a substantial 0.8 units of blood force.


    "It won''t be long before I can hance the Flowing Water Law."


    "Now�� time to break through my level!"


    Sterl sat down cross-legged and rapidly refined experice. Heavly Curtain Canyon was part of the Hall of Valor, so the ergy contt was quite high, providing a significant boost to his cultivation.


    Moreover, Sterl set up a powerful Giant Spirit Formation on the spot, allowing vast amounts of natural ergy to surge into his body.


    With his eyes closed, he quickly refined the experice while also hancing his arcane skill proficicy. His level surged upward, soon reaching the milestone of level 0, and he ev broke through an additional 0 levels.


    Half a dayter, Sterl oped his eyes. He continued to allocate points into the Rain Curtain Sword, and this time, a new realm appeared: the perfect-level Flowing Water Law could unlock its third form, "All Swords Return to One."


    At the same time��


    A flood of information began to refresh rapidly before his eyes!

 Chapter 273: Third Class Ceremony

    First, regarding the pet Star Radiance Dragon, Infinite Evolution had triggered 8 times, resulting in some quite impressive abilities.


    [Elemtal-type damage increased by 8%]


    [Elemtal-type ability consumption reduced by 0%]


    [The lower the health, the higher the defse, which can increase by up to 0%]


    [Vermilion Bird (Gold): Creates a zing firebird that charges forward; this skill can devour other me-type skills (of gold quality or higher), hancing its own quality to a maximum of iridesct level.]


    [While tering the shadow world, lifeforce, stamina, and ergy will continually restore.]


    [Wh attacking emies, a portion of the defse will be converted into attack power.]


    [Permant increase of 0% to lifeforce.]


    [Dragon''s Blood (Passive): You have unlocked the learning permission for Draconic Magic.]


    ...


    Sterl looked at these prompts and felt extremely pleased.


    Indeed, the rewards from grinding bosses were incredibly high��he gained both equipmt and resources, and Infinite Evolution was also progressing remarkably.


    The stats drawn from these guaranteed legdary high-tier bosses provided significant befits ev if his luck was average.


    The eight abilitiesbined tranted into bonuses equivalt to several passive gold skills for Sterl.


    Not to mtion, there was the ability to unlock the learning of Draconic Magic; although he was unsure of its power, the fact that it required a special unlock undoubtedly indicated it was quite formidable.


    Additionally, he received a special skill from the Phoix boss, the Vermilion Bird, which could theoretically evolve to the iridesct level and could ev be allocated points into!


    After seeing all of this, Sterl felt he was a bit too lucky; he had just acquired a fragmted iridesct skill and now he had another skill that could pottially evolve to the iridesct level.


    He felt like he had hit the jackpot!


    Aside from that, other messages appeared on his panel.


    [You have reached the level cap.]


    [You are now eligible for the third ss job ceremony.]


    [Do you ept? Yes/No]


    Sterl casually nodded, "ept."


    Th, new contt appeared on the system panel.


    [The third ss job ceremony has be initiated for you.]


    [You need toplete the following tasks to finish the third ss.]


    [�� Kill one hundred level 0 units.]


    [�� After the ceremony begins, there will be star radiance randomly scattered on powerful units in the yer''s currt map; kill them to collect all the star radiance.]


    [�� Obtain any gold skill.]


    [�� Provide 0 purple coins.]


    [Uponpleting the ss change, you will receive the following rewards:


    �� Level cap increased to 50.


    �� You can randomly draw one skill from your profession.]


    Indeed, after reading about the ss change ceremony and the rewards, Sterl''s expression didn''t change much. The hancemts from the third ss were minimal. Esstially, the only befit was the increased level cap.


    His profession, the Blood Force, and the additional legdary abilities and Law Power gained would only be effective once they broke through to the legdary or demigod level.


    Sterl would only have the advantages of changing equipmt, breaking through arcane skills, and the extra befits from the Dimsional Traveler lottery.


    However, these still contributed significantly to hisbat power.


    Of course, the difficulty of the third ss was very low, consisting of just four simple tasks. The contt was almostical, asking him to kill level 0 monsters and obtain a gold skill�� For Sterl, this was easier than eating or drinking.


    Level 0 monsters�� He usually couldn''t be bothered to grind them.


    Gold skills?? If one were to appear right in front of him, he''d have to assess its pottial first; if it didn''t have particrly strong pottial, he wouldn''t learn it!


    The only challging part of the ss change ceremony was the requiremt of 0 purple coins. Sterl felt that was a bit excessive.


    Nevertheless, there was an advantage to this ceremony.


    Sterl knew that if he initiated the ss change ceremony in Heavly Curtain Canyon, the star radiance would automatically attach to those bosses, saving him the trouble of hunting for monsters.


    "The only problem is, I hope I didn''t just kill all the bosses in thatst wave?"


    After thinking for a momt, Sterl decisively chose to initiate the third ss ceremony. There was no need to wait��


    The Twilight Guild was still being pressured by numerous demigod guilds, and Sterl needed to quickly increase his strgth. Not to mtion, he currtly had a surplus of experice points in his experice bar, and once he broke through to the third ss, he could pottially level up sev or eight times.


    Thus, with Sterl''s confirmation, a towering beam of light erupted from him, and blue star radiance surged straight into the sky.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    After a series of crisp, faint sounds, countless star radiances floated like mist, swiftly finding their targets and rushing forth. Sterl noticed that his mini-map was instantly marked with six bright points glowing with blue light.


    Moreover, information flooded into his mind.


    "Are they all peak legdary bosses?"


    Sterl was pleasantly surprised as system prompts appeared before him.


    [Detected that the emies countered during your currt ss change ceremony are too difficult. You may choose to change the map and restart the ceremony.]


    [Warning: The maximum number of times to restart the ceremony is three.]


    Naturally, Sterl ignored this prompt tirely.


    However, as he reflected on the rect ssations, a hint of confusion crossed Sterl''s face because the newly appeared bosses were somewhat unusual. They were all�� created by individual orange-yellow, glossy Heavly Curtain cores!


    Various ergies surged rapidly toward the Heavly Curtain cores, forcibly shaping one terrifying boss after another. Their auras were rising swiftly, and each Heavly Curtain core seemed to have some inexplicable connection, forming an ergy grid.


    The positions of the six bosses perfectly upied six special points in Heavly Curtain Canyon, resembling a peculiar formation.


    Ordinary people might not recognize the significance, but Sterl immediately realized that this was a kind of linkage mechanism. If one of the bosses was defeated, its Heavly Curtain core would likely transfer residual ergy into the other bosses. This meant that the six bosses would be stronger as they fought.


    After analyzing this, a look of delight spread across Sterl''s face. That was fantastic! The stronger the bosses became, the greater the rewards they would provide, right?


    He couldn''t wait any longer. He grabbed a lucky wild monster, swiftly killed it, and unleashed countless threads of Starlight Spray.


    Randomly��


    He activated the Cursed Vision teleportation attack, shooting forth like an arrow released from a bow. Along the way, Sterl also ughtered all the wild monsters he passed.


    At the same time, the number of tasks for his third ss ceremony was rapidly increasing.


    [You have killed a unit above level 0, /0.]


    [You have��]


    ...


    [You have killed a unit above level 0, 3/0.]


    ...


    Soon��


    Near the first boss, there was a strategy team of about a doz yers who were cursing among themselves.


    What they saw was a giant robot made tirely of iron tes. It appeared that this boss moved quite sluggishly, taking several seconds toplete each action. The tire body emitted various creaking sounds, as if its parts were rusted; it was clear that it looked "very weak."


    However, the yers'' expressions were filled with despair.


    "What''s up with this boss? I''ve fought peak legdary bosses before��"


    "Don''t mess with me!"


    ...


    The yers were losing their minds because this seemingly weak boss was utterly unassable to them.


    All their attacks were effortlessly blocked by a body made of some unknown alloy, while the boss''s slow p on the g created terrifying shockwaves!


    This wasn''t just about dodging; the area of effect was simply toorge, extding hundreds or ev thousands of miles in an instant!


    The tire earth trembled beath this boss''s palm.


    It felt as though they were trapped in an apocalypse. The yers simply couldn''t evade the attacks, unless they used skills that temporarily granted invincibility, but those skills had cooldowns, and each of the boss''s basic attacks was terrifyingly powerful!


    How on earth could they fight this?


    "Are we done for??"


    "What kind of mechanism has be triggered in Heavly Curtain Canyon? Why is it getting tougher and tougher? It''s like we''re being wiped out here!"


    ...


    The faces of the yers were filled with despair. They never imagined that after the terrifying sce of the bosses gathering at one point had ded, the map would still be filled with lethal threats.


    Boom!


    At that momt, a red light suddly shed from the boss.


    [Warning: Death Law��Mechanical Giant has activated annihtion mode.]


    All the yers were met with bloody prompts, but it was utterly useless because��


    The boss was still raising its hand, preparing to unleash a shockwave. yers with life-saving items and invincibility skills were somewhat relieved, knowing they would just have to use their skills again, while those without such resources understood that they could only wait to die��


    However, suddly, the yers noticed a sce that had previously urred reappearing.


    The sky darked and th brighted.


    Next, a demigod, shrouded in shadowy ergy, appeared out of nowhere and shed with a sword!


    With raw force, he tore op the chest of the giant mechanical giant. Countless electronicponts shattered and fell. The peak legdary boss suffered severe damage!


    In the second that followed, the figure of that powerful being moved as if by teleportation directly to the exposed chest of the boss, delivering another piercing attack.


    Swish!


    Pfft!


    The de exploded through the boss once more.


    The mighty mechanical giant, which had just be driving the yers to panic and had already reduced their numbers, was now lifeless!


    The boss split into two colorful orbs of light, which were scooped up by the demigod.


    Th, an orange-yellow core flew out from the boss''s corpse, drifting into the distance.


    The demigod seemed to be a bit slow to react, pausing for a momt before rushing forward to grab it, but that momt of hesitation allowed the core to float away and disappear.


    Th, the demigod seemed extremely "frustrated" as he dashed after it.


    Meanwhile, the group of yers stood there, stunned.


    "Did we�� did we just get saved?"


    "This demigod seems pretty nice; he actually helped us!"


    The yers couldn''t help but express their gratitude. With such a powerful and kind-hearted being among them, they felt truly fortunate to be part of the Hall of Valor!

 Chapter 274: The Legacy of Great Divine Power?

    [Ding! You have sessfully collected a Star Radiance. Currt collection progress (/6).]


    Just now, the one who defeated the BOSS was, of course, Sterl.


    As the Array Master, he had the ability to capture spatial trajectories and forcibly intercept the Heavly Curtain core.


    However, he deliberately allowed the Heavly Curtain core to escape, wanting to see what would happ wh these six cores werebined. Would it yield ev greater befits?


    As for why he pretded to feel regret and frustration, that was mainly for show.


    In case Sterl gained significant befits from the fusion of the Heavly Curtain core, no one should be able to guess that this befit might be rted to his demigoddisguise.


    Hmm? You''re wondering how Sterl would escape if thebined tity turned out to be an emy he couldn''t handle? He had already tested it; the teleportation scroll was unusable, but he could op the Gate of Hell, slip into Hell for a while, and th use the teleportation scroll there.


    The coordinates in Hell correspond to those in the main world, but they are constantly shifting. This change requires time. As long as he spt a short ough time in Hell, Sterl could sure that the teleportation scroll would bring him back to the main world.


    ...


    After that, Sterl quickly followed the marker for the Star Radiance to find the next boss.


    After another  of teleportation attacks, Sterl soon arrived at the location��


    It was a giant stone statue, slightly grown in size, formed from orange-yellow ergy. The statue was pure , holding a long spear. It looked incredibly powerful.


    As Sterl arrived, he found the boss still standing in ce, motionless. It wasn''t until he casually tossed out a ball of Ignition me as a test attack that the statue was instantly activated. The me struck the statue and immediately dissipated into a cloud of gre smoke, as if it had hit the surface of water.


    The next second.


    Creak. Creak.


    Apanied by a violt rumbling, the suring stones shook, and the giant statue began to move slowly. Gripping the long spear, a tremdous amount of light quickly gathered within its body. Clearly, this was the cutsce before a fierce battle with a powerful boss.


    But Sterl wasn''t going to wait a. Faced with a formidable foe, he activated Arcane Law, and rich purple light shone brilliantly a him.


    Legdary Ability: Inspire! A roar erupted from Sterl''s side.


    Th various attribute boosts activated all at once.


    A purple-gold me zed fiercely a Sterl.


    He executed a Shadow Stealth, slipping into the shadow world, and wh he reappeared, he shed down from above!


    Sterl wielded a de summoned by the Rain Curtain Sword!


    ng!


    Apanied by a deafing sound, shockwaves burst outward, shaking the g, cracking stones, and shattering trees.


    The head of the giant guardian was severed by more than half, revealing its rough stone ure.


    However, the "cutsce" of this boss was still not over!


    Sterl swiftly struck again with his sword!


    This time, he effortlessly severed the head cleanly in two!


    He th aimed directly at the head that had fall to the g, thrusting his sword forward. A massive surge of star power transformed into Flowing Water, rushing into the boss''s head.


    It shattered the protective barrier suring one of the Heavly Curtain cores inside!


    With a crisp sound, a Heavly Curtain core shot out from the boss''s head, still racing toward the distance.


    At the same time, in mid-air, this core began to disintegrate, splitting into four distinct ergies.


    The giant stone statue boss immediately dered its loss of all vitality and slowly copsed, bursting forth two colorful orbs of light.


    Just before the bosspletely vanished, Sterl casually activated Star Insight to scan it.


    He th discovered that this was also a powerful boss at the peak of legd, but in front of Sterl, it hadn''t ev had a chance to strike back.


    It was gone!


    "Because the Heavly Curtain core is the main material used to construct these bosses; once this primary material is removed, the boss, ev if it still has plty of vitality left, will directly perish."


    "Not bad, my efficicy just wt up."


    "As long as I locate the Heavly Curtain core''s position, a single attack can take it out instantly."


    Sterl mused, but at this momt, his expression turned somewhat wary.


    Before the giant guardian boss dissipated, Sterl took a nce at its attributes. This monster was at the peak of legd, having undergone a boost that significantly increased itsbat power, gradually nearing demigod status.


    Moreover, the boss had a special buff.


    [Power of Heavly Curtain: (/6)]


    [Description: Contains a trace of the strange power from a certain Great Divine Power that was involved in creating the Heavly Curtain Canyon. This strange power is dispersed among the various Heavly Curtain cores. It maintains the existce of the Heavly Curtain Canyon, but six of these Heavly Curtain cores harbor a portion of the Divine Power of that Great Divine Power.


    Once their powers are gathered, they will unleash an extremely terrifying might.]


    Sterl immediately felt a wave of intse unease!


    A trace of the Great Divine Power''s strgth, ev though it was divided among countless Heavly Curtain cores.


    But the mtion of six Heavly Curtain cores containing Divine Power clearly referred to the six bosses that Sterl was about to face!


    Just a casual guess made Sterl think it should develop like this��


    For every boss that died, the remaining bosses would gain an additionalyer of the Power of Heavly Curtain buff.


    Once all six bosses were defeated, the buff would umte to fill the sevth hidd boss.


    Hmm��


    This was amon pattern inrge instances of various MMORPGs.


    What kind of existce could a trace of the Great Divine Power transform into?


    Sterl''s heart rang with rm.


    It was very likely to be extremely difficult to handle!


    However, after hesitating for a few seconds and analyzing the situation��


    A single special Heavly Curtain core could only spawn a boss at the peak of legd. Ev if six of them merged, the power increase would be significant, but it shouldn''t be too outrageous, right?


    Moreover, he currtly had two "True Resurrection Armors," the Protection Power from the Star Radiance Dragon, and scouting abilities like Bionic Tear and clones.


    He could also op the Gate of Hell to escape if needed.


    Sterl felt he had no reason not to take a gamble.


    Of course, he also prepared a backup n.


    Sterl paused all his activities. Instead of provoking any bosses, he first dashed through thepleted Heavly Curtain Canyon, utilizing the teleportation attacks from Cursed Vision.


    His goal was to��map the area.


    During this process, Sterl casually defeated numerous wild monsters.


    He had alreadypleted the requiremt for his third-ss ritual of defeating 0 level 0 monsters long ago.


    Grinding monsters mainly served to collect blood force.


    The monsters in Heavly Curtain Canyon had dect strgth, and after each wave he defeated, Sterl could typically gain at least 0. units of blood force.


    As time passed into the afternoon of the second day,


    Sterl had run through the tire Heavly Curtain Canyon with his eyes closed, ssing everything a him.


    He casually added points to his Rain Curtain Sword again. This time, the changes in this tinum-level skill were not substantial.


    The power increase and consumption reduction corresponding to various Law realms were slightly improved.


    Furthermore, a mandatory point-adding plus sign appeared on this tinum-level skill, indicating that the next upgrade would be the final hancemt.


    At that momt, Sterl also vaguely ssed something��


    The Rain Curtain Sword, as a skill, was indeed rtively weak, because Sterl, possessing the tinum-level skill Silt Domain, knew��


    Combining two Laws with a tinum-level skill could produce effects greater than the sum of their parts (+>).


    Silt Domain, having Arcane Law, could invoke its most basic form, but if it had dual Law Power, the might of that domain would significantly increase.


    On the other hand, the single Law Power of the Rain Curtain Sword was inhertlycking. Ev with added points, it could not achieve the highest quality as a tinum skill.


    However, Sterl quickly stopped dwelling on the shorings of his skills.


    He had more important matters at hand.


    At that momt, Sterl found himself on the surface of a smoothke, sured by a group of ice-blue humanoid beings��monsters known as Ice Spirits. This group of monsters was not weak, but their unique life forms produced almost no blood force.


    Sterl swore in frustration.


    The smooth surface of theke was froz from the chilling aura of these Ice Spirits, marking it as one of the most peculiar areas in Heavly Curtain Canyon, where the natural space had effects of concealmt and obscurity.


    Without hesitation, Sterl sat cross-legged, directly using the surings to gather materials from the air.


    Just momts ago, he had forcibly captured the souls of several Ice Spirits he had defeated.


    Th, Sterl quickly retrieved the horrific materials produced by the Blood Cult followers from his small world��


    The tortured souls, the bodies of infants in by their own parts, the crystallized essce of pain and screams��


    A pile of ominous materials glimmering with unsettling light was swiftly cast out by him.


    Apanied by unique ergy fluctuations, these materials were fed into a spatial node.


    The atmosphere a him shifted from an initial calm serity to an eerie, chilling vibe.


    Everything seemed to be shrouded in ayer of gray mist.


    But that was not the d of it.


    Crimson lights gradually illuminated the area, and beath theke''s surface, there were still some fish swimming about.


    Now, under the blood-red glow, they quickly flipped onto their backs, their flesh being refined into threads��


    Evtually, a blood-red patterned formation was about to take shape.


    Sterl swiftly tossed in core materials like the Soul Solidification Gem, suring that all the ergy nodes were connected just before the formation waspleted.


    In fact, wh the Blood Cult followers drew up the formation, they were far less casual than Sterl.


    Sterl ev dared to initiate the formation without extracting any core materials first, only adding them wh the ergy was on the verge of linking.


    While this method increased efficicy, it also significantly raised the risk of failure.


    Sterl''s high skill allowed him to perform such actions.


    The advantage of this approach was��


    With a faint wave of ergy, the blood-red formation instantly vanished.


    Sterl had tak less than a few seconds from starting the formation to making it hidd.


    Without anyone noticing��


    The first sub-formation wasplete!


    Although Sterl knew there was no one nearby watching him, he emphasized caution above all else.


    "No matter how strong the emy is,


    under the hanced divine-level formation, it will be meaningless!"

 Chapter 275: Setting Up the Blood Sacrifice Array

    Sterl exuded confidce.


    Previously, in the Principality of Florce, he had only managed to modify the original Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, yet it had already rdered a divine-level demon''s Source of Energy powerless to resist.


    And now��


    What he was constructing was theplete version of the Blood Sacrifice Array, and its effects would be ev stronger.


    Once the array waspleted, there would be a chance to y a god!


    However, normal deities were unlikely to be foolish ough to let Sterl leisurely set up a formation to kill them.


    They could easily escape before the array was fully formed.


    Moreover, before reaching divine status himself, it was quite difficult for Sterl to perfectly conceal the sub-formation of the Blood Sacrifice Array, to the point where ev divine beings could not detect it.


    Gods could also take action in advance to disrupt Sterl''s setup.


    In summary��


    Sterl possessed the ability to y gods, but he was not reckless ough to actually attempt such a thing; that would be akin to seeking death!


    The only ce that prested a perfect opportunity was the Heavly Curtain Canyon.


    This was because Sterl could control the progress of merging the six Heavly Curtain cores.


    He could sure that before the appearance of the sevth boss, the array would be fully charged and ready to go.


    Additionally, the Heavly Curtain Canyon itself had natural spatial sealing effects, meaning teleportation abilities wouldn''t work, which also facilitated the operation of the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    Therefore, after some consideration, Sterl felt that aside from exploiting bugs, this was the best ce to unleash the Blood Sacrifice Array.


    Ev better��


    The stronger the existce produced from merging the Heavly Curtain cores, the better; otherwise, Sterl would lose out on a portion of the array materials!


    "If the array really can''t hold them, I should still be able to escape using the two resurrection armors," Sterl thought, reminding himself that he only needed a momt to op the Gate of Hell and flee.


    After setting up the first formation, Sterl was initially quite satisfied with his operations and was in a good mood, but his expression darked again as he saw various private messagesing in.


    Once again, members of the Twilight Guild were seeking his help, and some ev st videos.


    "Bro, please give me a break! Today is the deadline for my mission, and if I can''t submit it, the Hall of Valor will expel me!"


    "Please, we''re just ordinary guild members. Why do you have to be like this?"


    In the footage, a yer from the Twilight Guild looked desperate.


    He was stuck outside the Assembly Hall, unable to submit his quest.


    Instead, he was blocked by several legdary yers, standing there in a state of panic as if being publicly humiliated.


    A them, a number of yers were discussing among themselves.


    "That''s the unfortunate guy from the Twilight Guild."


    "Yeah, I heard it''s an SSS-level guild, but it''s useless; they can''t ev protect their own members."


    "Thank goodness we joined a guild that''s not like this garbage guild."


    ��


    These passing yers were simply expressing their guine dismay; having a guild buff reduced to this was indeed not worth it.


    The video soon came to an d, leaving Sterl uncertain whether the member of the Twilight Guild had managed to submit his task. Fortunately, the guild member who st the video had added a note indicating that Sosia and Sonis used their own Valor Contribution Points to exempt the blocked yer from this month''s task.


    Otherwise, a member of the Twilight Guild would have truly faced expulsion from the Hall of Valor.


    At this momt, Sterl''s smile gradually faded, reced by a scowl.


    It wasn''t just the arrogant demeanor of the legdary yers in the video that angered him; it was the fact that this tactic was indeed a death knell for the Twilight Guild.


    The guild''s greatest vulnerabilityy not in the forces behind it��at least they had a demigod backing them��but in the weakness of the yers within the guild itself. A mere few legdary yers could easily suppress them, leaving the members of Twilight powerless to do anything.


    They could effectively use this method of blocking task submissions to force yers to either leave the Twilight Guild or be expelled by the Hall of Valor.


    If this continued��


    In a month''s time, the morale would surely dissipate, and the guild would inevitably copse.


    At that momt, another private message popped into Sterl''s inbox, forcibly st through an item.


    "David, you should have se it. As long as we''re a, your guild will never be able to operate normally. Sell it to us."


    "SSS guild, we''ll offer you a fair price."


    Apanying the message was a quote��60,000 Valor Contribution Points.


    This was a rather low offer.


    These demigod guilds did not follow the typical narrative trope of offering an insulting price, as se in various novels.


    A material from an SSS-level guild, regardless of its rarity, was valued at a 0,000 Valor Contribution Points.


    However, it was a case of supply not meeting demand, as these materials were produced in very limited quantities.


    Due to this scarcity, the so-called SSS-level guilds in the outside world were oft only ranked as SSS at the first level, while their subsequt guild levels were merely double S or ev single S.


    The demigod guilds aimed to seize Twilight primarily to promote their own guilds as SSS-level in the future.


    They had no inttion of continuously establishing several SSS-level guilds that could provide powerful buffs or pottially yield extremely rare items in the contribution shop.


    Moreover, the SSS-level guilds were se as somewhat useless; their valuey only in their promotional capacity, which ultimately did not trante into actual market value for SSS-level materials.


    However��


    Sterl could only sneer coldly, realizing that this trade request ev suggested he, as the guild leader, meet them face-to-face.


    It was clear that these guilds had no inttion of actually paying up.


    After all, David''s status was merely that of a third-ss yer. If they met face-to-face, those demigod guilds could easily use their Honorable Kill privileges to control him. At that point��


    It would be more than ough if they didn''t have to expd any Valor Contribution Points to keep "David" from suffering losses.


    "However�� your biggest mistake is executing an unsolvable n."


    "This n still needs a month to take effect."


    Sterl let out a coldugh and shut down the private message.


    He th hurriedly made his way toward the next boss.


    ��


    At this momt, the Heavly Curtain Canyon had reshaped itself after absorbing all the fragmts of space.


    In a decaying buildingplex to the southwest, a figure shrouded in a strange aura walked casually forward. Each of his steps seemed light, yet he could cover a significant distance with ease.


    Behind him was a boss strategy team.


    If Sterl were prest, he would undoubtedly recognize that among the many yers he had countered after defeating the boss were members of this strategy team.


    Once they were able to sd out information from the Heavly Curtain Canyon, they had already called in reinforcemts.


    Or rather, they had summoned powerful demigods seeking to profit significantly from the canyon''s unique mechanisms.


    The demigod in front of them was a wed demigod.


    wed demigods refer to those whose corresponding Law Power has reached a deficit level.


    The power of a demigod is not categorized by levels.


    Ev if you reach level 500, if your Law Power is only at the wed level, you are still a wed demigod. There are also perfect demigods andplete demigods, and th��


    There is the Supreme!


    The so-called Supreme is a being that possesses at least two types of perfect Law Power.


    Demigods of this level are nearly the strongest beings beath the gods.


    This is because with two types of Law Power that canplemt each other, the power they can unleash is incredibly terrifying.


    Of course, demigods also have a special realm where twoplemtary Laws begin to merge, forming the initial divine authority.


    While divine authority can also be derived from a single Law, having another Law Power to aid in the fusion makes forming divine authority much easier.


    Taking Sterl''s Moon Law as an example, to create the moon divine authority, one could study this Law to its extreme, but it could also bebined with Laws like Radiance or Mercury to assist in forming the divine authority.


    A demigod that has partially fused divine authority��


    Has reached the pseudo-god realm. The unfused divine authority has no actual effect, but thebat power of a pseudo-god is on par with that of a Supreme. However, pseudo-gods can esstially advance to god level with ough time, cing them in a highly esteemed position.


    Because of their guaranteed advancemt, pseudo-gods rarely expose themselves to avoid being hunted down by the vious Supremes.


    At this momt, the demigodin the abandoned buildingplex frowned slightly.


    "I''ve ssed the presce of several demigods arriving."


    "Our side''s strgth is still rtively weak."


    His tone was filled with helplessness.


    "What about the guild leader?"


    "Did we make a mistake��?"


    The members of the boss strategy team asked timidly.


    The demigodreferred to as the guild leader merely shook his head. "It''s fine; it was my own choice toe here and take a chance, so I can''t me anyone else."


    "Look over there��"


    Th, this demigodactivated a power simr to the Law of Space, veloping the members of the boss strategy team and himself before teleporting them into a distant hollow of a massive tree.


    Peering through the tree hollow at the outside world, their expressions turned pale with horror.


    "Is that the perfect-level Curse Law demigod, Rosalie?"


    Although the yers did not voice their concerns to avoid exposure, they felt a sse of unease in their hearts.


    Below them stood a demigodd in purple sheer fabric, revealing her alluring figure, yet her body was marked with strange patterns and gruesome scars.


    Possessing a perfect-level Curse Law, she was clearly much stronger than their guild leader, who had only a wed Space Law.


    Behind Rosalie, there was also a group of yers, clearly having signaled for the arrival of this perfect-level demigod.


    "Guild leader, what should we do?"


    Someone st a private message to the demigodwho mastered Space Law, but he remained calm. "Don''t rush; let''s wait and see."


    "Rosalie is currtly dealing with this boss. Her Curse Law is rtively inefficit against this type of boss; she''ll need to stack a lot of buffs to take it down."


    "If there are other perfect-level demigods that havee to the Heavly Curtain Canyon, they will surely be unable to resistpeting for the kill. We''re not the only observers here."


    "Although we''ve figured out the mechanics now, it should take defeating six special bosses to trigger the final boss of the Heavly Curtain Canyon."


    "But no one knows if the ones who kill these six bosses will receive any additional befits."


    "As for our weak strgth, let''s just observe for now."

 Chapter 276: Who Is This Person?!

    "Our opportunity for a strike is only once, and that''s when the final boss appears. Let''s see if we can snatch some benefits."


    "With the mobility of the Space Law, we might have a chance to grab the resources and escape."


    The demigodcalmly analyzed the situation, just as he had stated��


    Below, Rosalie was busy dealing with a colossal elemental life formposed purely of me, Frost, and Thunder.


    Boom!!


    mes erupted into the sky, but as they reached a certain height, they suddenly transformed into a barrage of icy crystals shooting downwards.


    Next came a vastwork of lightning radiating throughout the area.


    All of these terrifying attacks were directed at a young girl d in purple sheer fabric.


    Rosalie maintained a calm expression as she pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into her own abdomen. Instantly, a new scar appeared on her smooth skin. However, because of this self-inflicted wound, her body fell into a phantasmal state, vanishing from sight.


    The desperate strike from the elemental life form passed through her illusory form without causing any effect.


    Instead, as it passed through Rosalie''s phantom, the elemental life was afflicted with several bizarre curses.


    It was precisely because elemental beings have an unusually high resistance to curses that this boss had not been weakened to a fraction of its original power.


    Rosalie was still unhurried. At this moment, she was capable of defeating the boss, but considering the possibility of other demigods lurking nearby, she decided to stack a few moreyers of curses and resolve the battle in a more energy-efficient manner��


    Huh?


    Rosalie felt as if she had momentarily nked out, and her expression changed dramatically!


    A demigod-level powerhouse was already able to sense that their perception had been affected by Law Power.


    At the same time, it wasn''t just the demigodwho mastered the Curse Law.


    Nearby, at least three or four other perfect-level demigods also appeared puzzled, seemingly realizing they had just momentarily lost focus.


    "What the hell!"


    "There are experts! We''ve been ambushed!"


    "Who is it?!"


    ��


    These demigods erupted into curses, their emotions running high.


    They witnessed the elemental life form gradually disintegrating, with its dropped items already taken away.


    The only trace left behind was a sword de slowly dissolving in the vast expanse of steam.


    These demigods could only see a figure wrapped in a pitch-ck energy form, appearing graceful and elegant, rushing off into the distance.


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    "Do you know who I am?"


    "You dare to steal my prey."


    Rosalie''s expression turned icy. She was not just an ordinary perfect-level demigod; behind her stood an established deity who had ascended to godhood with the divine authority of curses.


    She was the only daughter of that deity and a well-known second-generation figure in the Hall of Valor. As long as her talent didn''t falter, her ascension to godhood was practically guaranteed.


    Thus, ordinary demigods didn''t dare to offend Rosalie.


    As soon as Rosalie issued her threat, the figure that had been fleeing paused for a moment before uttering a strange string of sybles.


    "Then do you know who I am?"


    "Who are you?" Rosalie tilted her head slightly, exposing her snow-white neck, her demeanor exuding pride.


    "You don''t even know who I am, yet you dare to threaten me? Are you out of your mind?"


    With that, the demigodleapt and vanished into another dimension, disappearing from sight.


    In an instant��


    The remaining demigods disyed subtle expressions, mainly because this scene was quite amusing.


    It was the first time Rosalie, who usually dominated in the Hall of Valor, had faced such a setback.


    As for the other demigods present, they all used detection skills to ascertain the attributes of the demigodwrapped in shadows��


    No one cared about that; they all knew it must be false information!


    ��


    Suddenly, Rosalie''s expression darkened. She stood there for a long time, with none of her subordinates daring to speak. Eventually, a glint of cold light flickered in her eyes as she looked toward one of her subordinates in the corner.


    "What do you mean by standing so far away from me?"


    "Uh?"


    "Ah!!!"


    The subordinate let out a series of screams as a strange grayish-white liquid enveloped him, transforming him from a human form into a mere skeleton, which was thenpletely dissolved.


    The rest of Rosalie''s subordinates felt a chill run down their spines.


    If a character died, they could always revert to being an ordinary person.


    But angering this daughter of curses could lead to a fate worse than death!


    The other demigods, exercising wisdom, remained silent. Soon, they vanished from sight, heading off to search for the next boss.


    ��


    At this moment, Sterl was beaming with joy, not only because he had sessfully snatched the kill��


    It was he who had suddenly appeared, using Moon Law to control the battlefield. The Rain Curtain Sword''s power had been enhanced after leveling up, so he didn''t even need to use Arcane Law; he simply swung his sword to im the low-health boss and its drops.


    As for the words he spoke, he had crafted them using the tone and sybles of a random monster he found in Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    By the way, Sterl realized that this idea was not his original creation. In [Transcendence], there were often individuals who used audio maniption to conceal their identities while speaking.


    He operated this way to ensure that his identity wouldn''t be linked to the previous Solomon.


    At the same time, Sterl was excited for another reason: the cannon fodder had arrived!


    A batch of demigods hade!


    To put it simply, the previous Supreme Ice Lord, despite being instantly killed by the Archduke of Blood, had still managed to force that divine demon to use a move.


    With each additional demigod, there was a chance to hold on longer when the Divine Power in the Heavenly Curtain core fully converged.


    This would give Sterl''s grand formation more time to operate and buy him some precious moments.


    Victory!


    However��


    At this moment, Sterl was rapidly setting up a magic array in a cave underground.


    He was simultaneously analyzing the gains and losses from the previous wave: "demigod-level beings can already detect the workings of Moon Law. If I want to snatch another kill next time, it won''t be so easy."


    "They will likely be on guard."


    p! p!


    Sterl stood up and pped his hands twice.


    "Okay, all the formations have been set up."


    "When needed, just activate them directly."


    He nodded to himself.


    By the way, the boss that had been heavily injured by the demigodwho mastered the Curse Law was already the fifth boss.


    The mobility provided by Sterl''s Cursed Vision was incredibly strong; he was able to clear them quickly and knew how to fight the bosses catalyzed by the Heavenly Curtain core, usually defeating them in just a few moves.


    Thus, he had soloed the third and fourth bosses long ago.


    Because of this, he had chosen to set up the formations after iming the kill on the fifth boss before going to look for the sixth.


    "From the rxed demeanor of those demigods, they likely don''t possess special detection skills like Star Insight. They probably haven''t seen the details of the buffs on the boss and don''t realize there are six pieces of Divine Power stored within the Heavenly Curtain core."


    "Otherwise, they wouldn''t be so bold, and even some iplete demigods wouldn''t dare toe."


    Sterl analyzed the situation, well aware of the distinctions in demigodranks.


    The Hall of Valor housed plenty of books, and although Sterl didn''t read much, Sosia and Sonis frequently flipped through them,piling reports of information for him.


    After finishing his preparations, Sterl activated his teleportation attack��


    As the blood-red light flickered, he swiftly appeared next to the sixth boss. As he expected, this boss had once again sparked a conflict.


    The boss itself had reached demigodlevel in terms ofbat strength; it appeared as an elderly figure with a full head of white hair radiating light.


    However, it was heavily injured and lying on the ground in a state of peril.


    When Sterl used Star Insight, he was struck by the sight before him.


    This boss was covered in various negative bug curses and control effects, rendering itpletely immobile!


    On the side, several demigods were exchanging nces with one another.


    The previously robbed Rosalie remained haughty. "I said it; the drops from thisst boss belong to me."


    "No one dares to make me run for nothing."


    "I''ve finished speaking. Who''s in favor, and who''s against?"


    The group of equally powerful demigods didn''t indulge her.


    "Rosalie, we already let you have the fifth boss. You can''t me anyone but yourself for getting robbed."


    "We all know that the sixth boss might drop something special. Even if you bring up your mother, we won''t back down."


    "Don''t act like you''re the only one with a divine being backing you."


    "As long as we don''t harm your life, in a dispute of this level, your mother would just turn a blind eye."


    At this moment, several of the perfected demigods stood together, clearly forming an alliance. They had the upper hand in terms of power, but their tone wasn''t overly aggressive.


    They still didn''t dare to offend Rosalie too much.


    However, the statements from these demigods only fueled the fury of this daughter of curses: "How can you say that? So many of you are just hiding on the sidelines to steal! You just got robbed yourself!"


    With that, her eyes turned cold, and the power of the Curse Law surged forth, intending to directly detonate the various curses on the boss to im the kill.


    At that moment��


    A sudden silver-white light illuminated the entire area.


    "Perfect timing!" Rosalie sneered.


    A faint purple glow emanated from her, allowing her to break free from the control of Moon Law.


    At the same time, the nine perfected demigods from the four factions present disyed their abilities. Some transformed into elemental forms, enveloped by Law Power, while others shattered items to trigger purification effects.


    There were those who seemed to shift into another form, their bodies continuously radiating dazzling light, refreshing their own status with each moment, unaffected by any control effects��


    In short, after the eruption of Moon Law, it had almost no effect.


    At this point, all the demigods unified their gazes toward the distance.

 Chapter 277: The Trap Within a Trap

    The ambush from Moon Law had no effect whatsoever. All the demigods, having received advance intelligence, responded perfectly. Not a single one fell for the trap!


    "Moreing?"


    "Do you think we''re fools?"


    "You''re asking for death!"


    ��


    The demigods smiled, feeling that their intelligence hadpletely outssed the ambusher. Moreover... in the line of sight of many demigods, there appeared that same demigod shrouded in shadow energy once again.


    "Let''s take him down!" One demigod shouted angrily. The others were equally incensed.


    "Get him! That guy must have a ton of boss loot on him!"


    "Kill him first! He was the one who snatched the boss kill!"


    "This guy has been in Heavenly Curtain Canyon since early on; he probably triggered that special mechanism. He''s killed dozens of bosses and amassed a fortune; we have to take him out!"


    "Some of the earlier special bosses were probably killed by him too. There''s no need for us to argue. Taking him down means a huge profit!"


    In an instant, all the demigods were united in their hatred. On one hand, as they imed, this mysterious demigod was hiding incredibly lucrative rewards that were hard to resist. Killing him would yield far more than taking down a boss��perhaps even dozens of times more.


    On the other hand, they didn''t want to offend the cursed girl, Rosalie, and thus needed a scapegoat. As for why they wouldn''t seek peace with her directly, well, having reached the status of demigods, they were prominent figures and felt ufortable groveling.


    Rosalie, too, felt a chill in her heart. She was not one for idle chatter and had no desire to say much. With a slight motion of her hands, two strange energy orbs shot out, aimed directly at the distant demigod.


    At the same time, someone threw out a scroll.


    [Ding! yer [Vidox] has used the item [ughter Order]. Upon your current death, all items and equipped gear in your bag will drop.]


    At that moment, a notification shed before Sterl''s eyes, leaving him momentarily stunned. Was it really this ruthless? From the moment he unleashed Moon Law to test the waters, to the collective pursuit of all the demigods against him, it had taken less than a second��


    Yet Sterl secretly admired these demigods. Not bad, I didn''t underestimate your intelligence after all.


    In that instant, the curse power struck Sterl''s disguise��the mysterious demigod��binding him firmly in ce, rendering him immobile. Subsequently, several demigods unleashed their perfected Law Powers simultaneously, with some even using tinum-level skills. Countless nts, as if driven mad, twisted together to form a massive wooden dragon that charged forward at high speed��


    The orange-yellow energy rapidly gathered, forming crystallines that tightly encircled Sterl''s demigod disguise. Then, beams of light shot out at high speed, too quick for anyone to dodge.


    Moreover, a peculiar gel-like me spread across the ground, even melting the surrounding space, creating chaos where any spatial evasion or teleportation skills were rendered useless. Bone-like cages appeared rapidly...


    In short, being targeted by a group of demigods unleashing their full power, even Sterl found himself in a deadly predicament. At this point, if he didn''t activate ascension to godhood, he would surely perish.


    The attacking demigods had expressions of delight, as if they could already envision the treasure that would rain down once the mysterious demigod was in.


    Thanks to the ughter Order, upon the death of this mysterious demigod, all the rewards from the dozens of bosses he had killed would be released in one wave.


    Although the loot would be divided among the demigods, resulting in only a mediocre gain for each, the more crucial point was that this mysterious demigod seemed to know secrets about Heavenly Curtain Canyon, and he likely triggered its special mechanisms.


    Killing him might even uncover hidden rewards within this special map. Who wouldn''t be tempted? Who wouldn''t be excited?


    Even if, for argument''s sake, they couldn''t learn the secrets of Heavenly Curtain Canyon by ying the mysterious demigod, at least they would eliminate an absurdpetitor. If no one knew the secrets, it was as though those secrets didn''t exist.


    However... after countless attacks, the mysterious demigod let out a terrible scream and fell, reduced to nothing. But what left everyone dumbfounded was that this demigod didn''t drop anything; he simply transformed into a spinning tear that then dissolved into light��


    Swish!


    Once again, the surge of Moon Law erupted. Although the many demigods present were on guard, they still managed to counter the attack with their unique abilities. However, the dy allowed that tear to return to its owner''s hand.


    At that moment�� the eyes of the demigods widened in disbelief as they watched the mysterious demigod effortlessly y the sixth boss with a simple swing of his sword, collect the loot, and then vanish into thin air.


    The entire sequence of actions unfolded as if no one else was present. The other demigods had already unleashed their full power to create a diversion for the mysterious demigod. It was no wonder they were a beat slow to react; after all, who had ever seen a replica item capable of perfectly mimicking its original? It was unheard of!


    In the face of such a sudden betrayal, no one could respond quickly enough!


    Moreover�� the expressions of the demigods turned ashen.


    "We''ve been yed!"


    "That kid manipted our psychology."


    "He intentionally used Moon Law again to lure us into breaking the disguise."


    ��


    These demigods were not foolish; they quickly realized the crux of the situation. This was a simple psychological scam. They would only firmly believe in conclusions they themselves had drawn. They had deduced that the mysterious demigod would once again use Moon Law tounch an ambush��


    Thus, after breaking Moon Law, the demigods focused solely on pursuing the attack, never considering that there might be anotheryer to the trap.


    "Damn it�� don''t let me find you!"


    "Otherwise�� I will make sure to��" The cursed girl, Rosalie, had a cold expression, causing the nearby demigods to instinctively take half a step back from her.


    "So, what do we do now?"


    "Should we just wait for the final boss of Heavenly Curtain Canyon to show up?"


    "But that mysterious demigod seems to be well-prepared; we won''t end up being the ones who get taken advantage of again, will we?"


    For a moment, the atmosphere turned strange. The numerous demigods were truly frightened by that mysterious demigod.


    They felt�� that facing the final boss of Heavenly Curtain Canyon would be bad whether they engaged or not. If they fought and ended up getting robbed again, it would be a massive loss��just as the mysterious demigod had taunted them. They didn''t even know each other''s true identities, leaving them to suffer in silence.


    But if they didn''t fight, wouldn''t it be a wasted trip? Moreover, they could no longer teleport out of Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    These demigods weren''tpletely without means; several of them could leave like Sterl by using a transfer method, but that woulde at a cost.


    After rushing to Heavenly Curtain Canyon with excitement, to leave without any rewards or even a single boss drop? They couldn''t swallow that frustration!


    "Fight? Why not fight?"


    "That bastard better show up." At this moment, Rosalie let out a cold smirk.


    Then she directly pulled out a strange bracelet made of skulls from her inventory. This excessively proud demigod rarely showed even a hint of pain, but she crushed the skull bracelet without hesitation.


    Instantly, a dark purple field rapidly expanded.


    Before the so-called mysterious demigod even appeared, the other demigods could no longer sit still.


    "Rosalie, what are you trying to do?"


    "Are you insane? Do you want to turn against all the deities behind us?"


    "If you attack us here, even your mother won''t be able to save you."


    ��


    All the demigods looked terrified, and their subordinates fared even worse, each one letting out a Wail of Anguish.


    "Ahhh!!"


    "Help me! Save me!"


    "Master, please help me!!"


    "Ughh~"


    ��


    Many legendary and even peak legendary yers fell to their knees, with faint purple energy threads connecting them to Rosalie, as their life force was rapidly drained away.


    The demigods could temporarily resist, but they were glued by the threads, forced to siphon off a portion of their power to counteract the draining effect. Meanwhile, the legendary yers had no means of resistance whatsoever.


    Before long, they were all kneeling on the ground. This was one of Rosalie''s greatest trump cards.


    The item crafted from fragments of the cursed divine authority��[Endless Purgatory]. Once this purgatory was activated, all units within arge area would have their life force drained by Rosalie, and there was absolutely no way to evade this skill; any unit that entered the range would surely be affected.


    Once afflicted, the use of teleportation skills would be restricted, and various curse effects would be continuously applied. If you got stuck, it would be a certain death!


    Cloning skills were useless as well, because the mysterious demigod would ultimately have toe in person to im the boss''s rewards. However, Rosalie''s actions were somewhat excessive. Although she was not targeting the other yers, the passive effects of [Endless Purgatory] were beyond what any legendary unit could withstand.


    Faced with the demands of the many demigods and the suffering of ordinary yers, Rosalie remained deaf to their pleas.


    "Fine! Fine! Fine!"


    "Later, wewill definitely seek an exnation."


    "Rosalie, don''t think this matter will end so easily!"


    ...


    The demigods shouted in anger. Then, there was silence��


    The kinder ones among the demigods split their power to protect their subordinates, escorting them to safety. Fortunately for them, Rosalie showed no intention of stopping this; she simply ignored the other yers and had no interest in ughtering the legendary ones.


    The more ruthless demigods, however, didn''t care at all. They merely gestured for their subordinates to flee quickly, indifferent to whether their life forces could withstand the departure from [Endless Purgatory].


    However�� before the legendary yers could make any moves, the skies over Heavenly Curtain Canyon suddenly darkened.

 Chapter 278: 【Heavenly Curtain Mechanism (Divine)】

    Boom! Boom!


    Apanied by a series of rumbling sounds, all the demigods felt a sense of earth-shaking tremors. Of course, the legendary yers had no time to notice the shaking ground.


    They just wanted to quickly escape the range of Endless Purgatory.


    The legendary yers soon resorted to their own abilities, frantically using various speed-enhancing skills to flee. However, even though these yers managed to escape the confines of Endless Purgatory, they were being coldly observed by a gaze that seemed to look upon the dead.


    The owner of that gaze was none other than Sterl. Shortly after the legendary yers left Rosalie''s domain, the demigods escorting them also departed.


    The legendary yers found themselves ensnared by a strange blood-red power, plunging them into a weakened state as the energy within their bodies was swiftly drained away!


    Having already been siphoned by Endless Purgatory, they simply could not withstand another draining. Almost everyone copsed to their knees.


    "What''s going on?!"


    "The mechanism of Heavenly Curtain Canyon also drains life force."


    "It''s over; we''re going to die here."


    ...


    The legendary yers were in a daze, not even knowing who their true enemy was, as they slipped away into the afterlife.


    The four sub-arrays of Sterl''s improved Blood Sacrifice Array didn''t have any shy effects; they were merely small energy extractors, equipped with a weak refining effect, essentially a weakened version of theplete array.


    This weakened version was more than sufficient to deal with some legendary yers.


    Before long, these individuals werepletely drained, bing mere nutrients for the operation of the array��


    Sterl wasn''t holding a grudge against those legendary yers for cheering him on when he had saved their lives earlier, nor did he feel it necessary to take revenge. They were loyal to their leader, and that was both reasonable and understandable.


    However, once he chose to set up the Blood Sacrifice Array, Sterl decided not to leave any survivors.


    Unlike before in the Principality of Florence, where he could easily disguise himself and escape, this time, if the second array were to be exposed, everyone would realize that Solomon was most likely connected to the Hall of Valor!


    Individual pieces of information are isted, difficult to trace. But two pieces of information could revealmonalities, and if three or four more were added, Sterl would be at risk of exposure.


    He would never allow such a w to ur.


    At this moment, having easily silenced the legendary yers, he let out a slight sigh of relief.


    On the other side, the demigods were stationed in their location, with their avatars monitoring the area to prevent anyone from escaping.


    Bionic Tear had just died once and needed some time to recover before being resurrected. Sterl monitored with his avatar, but due to its lower attribute values, the risk of exposure was still rtively high. Fortunately, everything was going smoothly.


    The avatar had been drained by Endless Purgatory, but it had gathered information that the demigods were reluctant to leave. At this moment, Sterl could only utilize one identity. He took a deep breath, quickly shed several times, and headed toward the location of the demigods, stopping just outside the range of Endless Purgatory to observe the situation.


    Sterl opened his panel��


    [Congrattions! You have met all the requirements for the third ss.]


    [�� Kill one hundred level 100 units pleted).]


    [�� Collect Star Radiance pleted).]


    [�� Obtain any golden skill (acquired).]


    [�� Provide 100 purple coins (submitted).]


    [Do you wish to start the third ss? Yes/No]


    "No."


    Sterl shook his head. The upgrade of his radiant-level profession would attract too much attention and would take quite a bit of time. The third ss could only be postponed.


    ...


    On the other side, at the location of the sixth boss, only the demigods remained. The countless dark purple threads of Endless Purgatory filled the area like a deadly spiderweb, giving off an unsettling feeling. The core, Rosalie, sat like a ck widow, waiting for her prey to approach. The other demigods waited in silence for the change.


    "Is iting?"


    "It''sing!"


    Excitement rose in everyone''s eyes, barely contained. Just as expected, in the next moment, four towering blood-red pirs rose from the distant corners.


    "Blood-red pirs?"


    "And the aura of Blood Law�� even Divine Power??"


    "Could this be the hidden secret of Heavenly Curtain Canyon?"


    The demigods analyzed, their excitement growing. Although they sensed Divine Power, it was only a trace and not enough to support the appearance of a divine-level unit. However, the mere existence of Divine Power indicated the creation of an exceptionally powerful entity.


    In other words��


    This time, the final boss of Heavenly Curtain Canyon was strong enough to yield substantial rewards while not being so powerful that the demigods would be entirely unable to resist. This was the best possible oue.


    Thus, faced with the gradually forming pirs of light, none of them harbored the idea of rushing to the source to destroy it. This allowed Sterl, who was observing from the periphery and feeling quite anxious, to gradually rx.


    Inside his small world, the sixth special Heavenly Curtain core was rampaging but could not break free.


    Indeed, this was another one of his ns. It wasn''tplicated, but the likelihood of it being effective was quite high.


    Sterl swiftly killed the sixth boss with a single strike, naturally employing the method of severing the connection between the Heavenly Curtain core and the boss. He then intercepted the Heavenly Curtain core, storing it in his small world, making it impossible for it to break free and escape.


    Meanwhile, the other demigods believed that the Heavenly Curtain Canyon was undergoing the mechanism to spawn the seventh boss. In reality, it was Sterl''s Blood Sacrifice Array that was in operation. This ensured that the demigods would obediently wait in ce, allowing the array to fully form.


    Once the array wasplete, Sterl would release the Heavenly Curtain core and initiate the true map mechanism.


    Of course, this rough n had its pain points. For instance, what if a demigod suddenly decided to try to interfere with the mechanism of Heavenly Curtain Canyon? Or what if there was a powerful Array Master among the demigods present who could discern some clues?


    However, historically speaking, the more intricate andplex a n is, the easier it is to fail. Conversely, a simple and straightforward n that involves taking a gamble is often more likely to seed.


    In fact, Sterl''s gamble paid off! The demigods remained obediently patient. They hade specifically for the final boss of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon and would not dare to interrupt the process of its appearance.


    As time ticked away, the four towering light pirs sessfully converged, gradually forming a semi-circr bowl-shaped barrier that covered the entire sky and nearly enveloped the entire Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    At that moment... Sterl, hidden from view, released the sixth Heavenly Curtain core.


    The demigods initially wore puzzled expressions. "Why does it feel like the blood force is growing stronger, yet the boss hasn''t appeared?"


    "I have a bad feeling about this��"


    "Wait! The BOSS ising!"


    Their confusion coincided perfectly with the reappearance of the six orange-yellow Heavenly Curtain cores in the sky, which then slowly shattered and disassembled into fragments.


    These fragments were reassembled, and during this process, a faint yet powerful energy from the six cores rapidly intertwined with the final threads of energy, forming a shape reminiscent of a ball of yarn.


    It was this ball of yarn that, amidst its constant surging, gradually emanated an aura that instilled deep terror.


    From legendary peak to demigod, then to supreme being, and finally to pseudo-deity, the result was...


    [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism (Divine)]


    A term inexplicably surfaced in everyone''s minds.


    In an incredibly short amount of time, a divine-level unit was born.


    "This�� how is this possible!"


    "A divine level!"


    While the slower-reacting demigods were still in disbelief, the clever ones had already fled. Even the previously arrogant Rosalie didn''t hesitate��she simply bolted!


    The demigods were not oblivious to the fact that the aura of the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism (Divine)] was powerful yet incredibly fragile.


    They were quite certain that this divine-level unit wouldn''tst long, but the problem was that before the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] copsed, it would pose a threat to the demigods��like a child facing an adult. If they didn''t leave now, wouldn''t they just be paving the way for others?


    At this moment, the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] hadpleted its assembly. Its core consisted of the six reassembled Heavenly Curtain cores, but there was no longer any Divine Power enhancement; they purely served asponents.


    The [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] manifested as a massive mechanical giant seemingly connected by maic forces, with each part��head, torso, and limbs��controlled by one of the Heavenly Curtain cores.


    "ROAR!!!"


    This divine-level unit appeared tock intelligence, but its mere roar caused countless demigods to vomit blood and copse to the ground. Only Rosalie, in a slightly better state, was able to draw on the life force of others through Endless Purgatory to maintain her condition.


    However, she was also severely shaken, suffering from a myriad of debuffs including dizziness, slow movement, and silence.


    This was the essence of a god!


    Below the divine level, whether they were supreme beings or pseudo-deities, or even ordinary people who weren''t even professionals, they were all mere ants!


    Despite the severe injuries from just one roar, not a single demigod opted to forcibly escape at the cost of their life. They keenly sensed that the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] had already weakened significantly after its initial roar.


    No one dared to flee at that moment.


    Except for one person, who frowned.


    "Why is everyone running toward me?"


    Sterl felt a bit speechless. As he watched the halo of Endless Purgatory about to envelop him, he also felt a headacheing on. He calcted the time: "It''s fine, I can move now."


    He casually gestured a few incantations, and instantly, the Blood Sacrifice Array of the blood-red Heavenly Curtain began to operate wildly.


    Sterl couldn''t activate the array in advance because he was unsure of the "type" of the fused six cores. Previously, Sterl had altered the sacrifice of the God-Eating Blood Sacrifice Array from the life of the main world to demons, allowing him to absorb the Archduke of Blood.


    This was because there were already a significant number of demons in the city, and the array had been prepared in advance for this type of absorption.


    In Heavenly Curtain Canyon, he could only wait for the final boss to appear before taking action.

 Chapter 279: Divine Might Unleashed! Crushing All Before It

    What surprised Sterl was that, although the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] had reached a divine level, itcked any true intelligence. It seemed that operating it would be considerably easier.


    Moreover, it appeared to be a mechanical life form. The Blood Sacrifice Array couldn''t refine it, but for some reason, the array had sessfully selected it. It seemed that the mechanical exterior of the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] was mostly just a shell; inside, it still housed flesh and blood.


    At that moment, Rosalie and the other demigods, who were desperately fleeing, suddenly looked up��


    They saw a figure that was both familiar and hated.


    It was the bastard who had snatched the heads of two bosses consecutively!


    The mysterious demigod who seemed to know the secrets of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon!


    "You..."


    Rosalie and the others narrowed their eyes in intense anger, and then��


    They did nothing at all��


    They simply ran toward the position behind Sterl.


    Faced with a divine-level unit, their priority was to ensure their own survival first.


    However, that figure, who incited so much rage among the demigods, was continuously forming incantations. Suddenly, the blood-red light in the sky surged with countless crimson points of light, emerging from all things.


    Sterl chose to refine everything; what if some animal or nt was actually a pet of a demigod and could ry messages?


    The demigods almost immediately realized that the blood-red dome in the sky was not part of the mechanism of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, but rather the work of this mysterious demigod.


    "Attack! Kill him first!"


    Rosalie shouted decisively. They had just sensed the divine aura within this array, which wouldn''t be as weak as the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism]. It could likely sustain itself long enough to eliminate all of them.


    At that moment, the expressions of the demigods grew resolute.


    They finally understood the mysterious demigod''s trump card. Relying on a divine-level array could indeed defy the odds; no wonder he had dared to activate the special mechanism of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    However��


    At this point, Sterl merely sneered. Since it hade to this, he would no longer hold back and unleashed his full power.


    He activated��


    Silent Domain!


    Instantly, the sky went dark.


    Then, it brightened once more!


    In the span of a second, all the demigods present discovered that their various skills had nearly all gone dark. This made it impossible for them to pursue Sterl, and instead, the malfunctioning of their skills caused bacsh, inflicting minor injuries on each of them and forcing them to halt their movements.


    And this brief dy filled them with despair�� the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] had already closed in, while that mysterious demigod had slipped into another dimension and vanished from sight.


    "Damn! What do we do now?"


    "What cards do we have left? Let''sbine our powers and block this boss''s attack together."


    "Anyone who wants to die can escape, but think about it��if this divine-level boss goes after the person who tries to flee first, do you really think you''ll be able to get away?"


    ��


    Soon, some of the faster-thinking demigods shouted through their Divine Power.


    Everyone present understood the urgency of the situation; no one made a wrong decision. They collectively took out various protective items and defensive skills.


    Immediately, shields sprang up all around them.


    It looked almostical, like a bunch of mushrooms sprouting up in an open field. At the same time, energy-based protective barriers wereyered upon one another, creating a vibrant disy akin to the neon lights of a nightclub.


    Though each demigod was rtively small in stature, the ovepping energy shields made them upy a vast area, making them incredibly conspicuous even from high above.


    At this moment, the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] arrived. It spun around once on the spot, seemingly gathering speed, while raising its right hand high.


    Under the influence of some electromaic force, the massive hammer came crashing down at high speed.


    This swing seemed ordinary at first, but it was imbued with a certain violent and destructive Divine Power��


    In an instant, the power of the hammer surged, and the demigods watched helplessly as the mechanical hammer descended like a cataclysmic force from the primal era, ready to smash the very earth!


    No one could even think of dodging; they could only close their eyes and await their fate.


    At the same time, the destructive Divine Power made the hammer strike the various protective barriers as easily as a heavy fist smashing into tofu, effortlessly shattering countless life-saving items of the demigods!


    This wasn''t merely a contest of energy strength; it was a concept of annihtion and destruction!


    How are we supposed to fight this?


    In an instant, despair filled the hearts of the demigods.


    Boom!


    With a thunderous roar, the ground trembled violently!


    The entire surface of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon was depressed by three inches.


    With just a single strike!


    Due to theck of Divine Power, the attack range of the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] was quite small.


    Though the aftermath was terrifying, itcked the conceptual destruction and violence associated with Divine Power.


    As a result, only four demigods were tragically crushed to death. The rest were unharmed, but their faces were pale.


    Since bing demigods, they hadn''t felt the shadow of death and threat like this in a long time.


    Whether the demigods could survive depended purely on whether they were within the boss''s attack range; their own efforts were utterly meaningless.


    After the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] struck, it seemed to have expended a significant amount of energy. Its mechanical gaze scanned around, searching for the lost Heavenly Curtain cores, but unfortunately, it found nothing.


    The momentary halt in the boss''s actions gave the demigods a chance to catch their breath. They hurriedly scattered in all directions, each wearing an extremely grim expression.


    If it were just the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism], they wouldn''t care.


    Those who had be demigods all possessed some luck and fortune; they firmly believed they would be thest ones standing, reaping the rewards from the boss.


    But the problem was that there was also a divine-level array set up by a mysterious demigod. The final victor could not possibly be themselves. Even if they weren''t killed by the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism], they couldn''t withstand the divine-level array!


    Instantly, the demigods fell into utter despair!


    At that moment, they also noticed that the blood-red light around them had grown quite intense.


    The Blood Sacrifice Array, modified by Sterl, although still prone to destruction and extremely fragile before activation, had improved significantlypared to the original array. Its efficiency had increased by more than a few degrees.


    Now, they saw a blood-red array slowly coalescing high in the sky, its colorful light already shining brightly.


    "It must be destroyed."


    "Otherwise, we''ll all die."


    Some of them continued tomunicate with other yers through their Divine Power, while they eagerly watched the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism], hoping that this divine-level boss might take the initiative to destroy the array.


    However, the array in the sky only captured the attention of the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] for a brief second. Its orange-yellow mechanical eye scanned the area but found no Heavenly Curtain core, leading it to shift its focus elsewhere, even as it itself was gradually being disassembled by the blood-red light.


    At that moment, the demigods felt a wave of panic wash over them!


    They clearly sensed that, alongside the surge of the blood-red light, their attributes were starting to weaken.


    For now, theirbat power had only decreased a bit, but it was easy to infer that, over time, they would continue to be weakened until they were powerless to resist.


    However��


    There was always a glimmer of hope.


    Soon, the demigods were pleasantly surprised to see the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] suddenly change direction and rush toward a certain location, simultaneously releasing a maic cage that rapidly constricted in some part of space.


    Amid the pale blue rays of light, the mysterious demigod who had slipped into another space appeared, looking pale and troubled.


    It was as if he had been forcibly dragged out.


    ��


    "I knew it wouldn''t go so smoothly."


    Sterl sighed helplessly.


    He had originally enhanced the lingering effect of Shadow Stealth with Stardust, intending to stay in the shadow realm for as long as possible.


    But instead, he was caught by a locking force that pulled him out.


    It directly severed him from the shadow world and yanked him back into the main world.


    That seemed to be a form of divine authority, a power that Sterl could not resist at all.


    At this moment��


    The orange-yellow eye of the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] continued to scan rapidly, but it couldn''t see through the Heavenly Curtain core hidden in the small world.


    After hesitating for a moment, it charged toward Sterl.


    Sterl had the strongest lingering scent of the Heavenly Curtain core on him, so he was undoubtedly its primary target.


    The other demigods were overjoyed at this development.


    Naturally, they didn''t dare to interfere with the battle of a divine-level entity, so they all rushed toward the sky, intending to destroy the array first.


    With that massive array in y, they feared that even if the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] exhausted its energy, they would still be killed by the divine-level array.


    As for that mysterious demigod��


    Wasn''t he as good as dead?


    Taking on a divine-level entity one-on-one?


    If he couldst two more seconds, that would be impressive!


    In the blink of an eye, the demigods reached the edge of the array. They didn''t hesitate and immediately unleashed all their most powerful skills.


    Several tinum-level skills erupted simultaneously!


    Rosalie even threw out a purple crystal pendant, releasing an extremely potent corrosive energy solution that had already transcended demigod-level output!


    The skills unleashed by the other demigods gathered together to form a stunning energy storm, a chaotic mix of abilities creating a tumultuous scene.


    In this realm, no creation could withstand such abination. The energy fused from various Law Powers in a frenzy would even injure a deity if hit!


    This move��


    An unformed divine-level array could never withstand it.


    "It worked!"


    "Finally, we''ve bought ourselves some breathing room."


    "If we can deal with this array, we might still have a chance!"


    The expressions of the demigods improved significantly, and they felt a surge of pride. They were truly incredible!


    Faced with a divine-level entity, they had still managed to snatch a glimmer of hope from a divine-level array��


    Huh??


    The psychological turmoil of the demigods had not yet settled when they were instantly stunned into silence by the scene that appeared before them.

 Chapter 280: Is He Seeking Death??

    The mysterious demigod ensnared by the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] actually managed to break free!


    No, it wasn''t exactly a break free.


    The mysterious demigod forcefully braced against the pale white Thunder chains released by the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] and charged right in front of the other demigods.


    Such a move could only lead to the mysterious demigod wasting thest opportunity to evade before the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] unleashed its skills��


    Facing skills powered by Divine Power, covering such a short distance was utterly useless.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    "Wait, is he trying to get himself killed??"


    All the demigods were momentarily stunned by this realization.


    In the next second, their expressions changed drastically as the mysterious demigod charged directly into the storm of skills unleashed by the other demigods, triggering an explosion ahead of time!


    Apanied by the surge of dazzling energy orbs, the residual waves of various elemental Law Powers and tinum-level skills transformed into rays of energy that scattered in all directions.


    At the same time, the pale blue Thunder from the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] crashed into the fray,pletely igniting all the skills!


    And at that moment��


    Although the dazzling energy chaos appeared more magnificent than thebined force of the various skills, its power had undoubtedly been reduced to its limits.


    Threads of energy collided with the Blood Sacrifice Array''s array te, only causing a slight ripple; it was nowhere near enough to shake the array.


    After all, this was a divine-level array. Given its inherent fragility beforepletion, it was reasonable that the demigods could shatter it with theirbined efforts. However, if the residual waves of their attacks could destroy it, that would be absurd.


    Seeing this, the demigods felt a sharp pang of frustration; the precious opportunity they had just earned was fleeting. Moreover, after simultaneously unleashing their powerful skills, they would need some time to recover beforeunching a second round of attacks, and now this excellent chance was lost.


    The divine-level array was still intact!


    All their faces turned grim to the extreme!


    However��


    The demigods remained highly alert, scanning their surroundings while umting their skills.


    They clearly understood what had just transpired: the mysterious demigod had thrown himself into the fray, using his body to block the desperate strike from the demigods, thereby preserving the divine-level array.


    At the same time, he had also mitigated a round of attacks from the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism], causing this divine-level entity to fall back into a scanning state, searching for enemies.


    But the demigods weren''t foolish enough to believe that the mysterious demigod was sacrificing himself to protect the array; he must have some means of self-preservation, or perhaps even if he died just now, he had a resurrection item!


    However��


    They were partially right, but not entirely!


    Sterl now understood that the divine descent truly lived up to its status as an SSS-grade talent. The resurrection armor he possessed was far stronger than the revival ability attached to the [Rebirth me Armor].


    He didn''t have to rush to resurrect himself; instead, he could wander around the battlefield in his soul state. This meant he could calmly wait until the battle concluded. However, if he activated the [Rebirth me Armor]''s equipment effect, he would have to resurrect immediately.


    At this moment, Sterl was waiting with a rxed expression: "Looks like this is my first time dying."


    "There''s no way around it..."


    "To enter the fray and maximize the benefit, one must take risks."


    As Sterl observed the battlefield with intense focus, he had to be wary of the demigods organizing another wave of attacks against the array. It wasn''t that the Blood Sacrifice Array was set up too slowly; rather, the reaction speed of the demigod-level warriors was incredibly fast��one second was enough for them to perform multiple actions.


    Fortunately, after a wave of attacks, the demigods paused for a moment.


    One second passed��


    The colorful glow on the array te became even more radiant.


    Two seconds passed��


    The various nodes of the array had alreadypleted their connections.


    Three seconds passed��


    A strange pattern rapidly condensed on the array te; this was the final step.


    At that moment, the demigods had finished recovering and were once again frantically squeezing out the energy within them to unleash their skills��


    Wait, it seemed they hadn''t been able tounch their attacks.


    After hesitating for a moment, the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] once again chose to target the only remaining living beings on the battlefield��the demigods.


    This time, it unleashed the pale white Thunder chains once more, and every demigod was fortunate enough to receive one.


    Instantly, these individuals had no choice but to abandon their attacks on the array and prioritize self-preservation. Destroying the array was meant to ensure their survival afterward, but charging in to destroy it now would lead to immediate death.


    In an instant, the demigods cast their skills against the pale white chains, not because they didn''t want to use defensive skills, but mainly because they had already expended most of their life-saving items in the previous wave. Now, they could only go on the offensive, attempting to cancel out the chains with their skills.


    However��


    The white tinum-level skills and Law Powers were easily pierced by the seemingly weak pale white chains.


    Fortunately, the demigods were mentally prepared for this, and each one desperately tried to dodge.


    Surprisingly, there were no new casualties in this wave, mainly because the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] had exerted very little effort against each of them.


    This divine-level entity was strong, even capable of wielding various types of Divine Power. But the problem was that it had very little energy within it; the power it possessed was merely a fragment of the great Divine Power, unable to sustain high-intensitybat.


    Yet, despite seeing the terrifying boss at itsst gasp, the demigods felt no sense of relief.


    The time wasted during this wave had allowed the array to fully form; all the nodes werepletely connected, and the colorful array shimmered as it directly merged into the void, bing one with the entire grand array.


    Clearly, once the array was fully formed, it would be impossible to destroy it.


    Countless blood-red light points surged wildly, transforming in the blink of an eye from a light drizzle into a heavy snowfall, and then into a dense fog that reduced visibility significantly.


    But just at this critical moment��


    Beep�� Beep��


    The [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] suddenly seemed to sense danger and charged toward the array!


    It appeared tock consciousness, yet it possessed a certain instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm.


    The expressions on the faces of the demigods changed so rapidly that they barely had time to process it��


    from panic and despair to surprise.


    They couldn''t affect a divine-level array, but a true god could!


    A jolt of realization struck their hearts!


    However��


    ��%??&��!��-���$--


    It was useless!


    At that very moment, a beam of golden light suddenly illuminated the area, and a figure appeared at a great distance from where the array was about to vanish, holding at least dozens of orange-yellow mechanical creations.


    This was Sterl, activating the resurrection effect of his divine descent.


    In an instant��


    The [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] abandoned the array and frantically charged toward that figure!


    Sterl didn''t even bother to resist; he knew he couldn''t escape. He stood in ce, rapidly channeling his incantations.


    The expressions of the many demigods were strange; they couldn''t quite grasp what was happening. The situation had flipped several times,


    first hinting that the divine unit would destroy the array, then that it would be drawn away again, leaving them utterly dizzy!


    But perhaps��


    The demigods still held a glimmer of hope that if they could kill that mysterious demigod, there might still be a chance?


    I refuse to believe he can have two resurrection opportunities!


    Absolutely impossible!


    In reality��


    Sterl did not disappoint these demigods; he didn''t reveal his second resurrection.


    As the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism] flew, its speed gradually slowed, eventually transforming to a pace akin to an ordinary person''s run, unable to reach Sterl. All the countless blood-red light points within its body were extracted and surged into the sky.


    Ultimately, this divine-level entity crumbled into a heap of broken metal, ttering and falling to the ground, shattered to pieces.


    It was�� over!


    Huh?


    What?


    This�� this can''t be right??


    The divine-level boss was just taken down by the array in an instant!


    All the demigods present were left dumbfounded.


    They had anticipated many oues but never expected that the purpose of the divine-level array was not to deal with them, but to y gods!


    And to do so so effortlessly!


    Not long after the array had formed, it had directly refined the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism]!


    "What is this��"


    "It''s over!"


    The demigods soon disyed even greater terror in their eyes; they could feel that after the divine unit had been refined, the aura of the grand array surged even more fiercely!


    Clearly, the refining process could feed back into the array itself!


    In an instant, the group was numb, frozen in ce.


    The demigods didn''t know what to do.


    Initially, their hope was to destroy the divine-level array and stall until the boss''s Divine Power was exhausted.


    Now the boss was gone, but the divine-level array was even stronger, and there was no escape! The blood-red barrier also prevented the yers from using any teleportation skills to flee.


    What should they do?


    Against a divine-level array, this was impossible.


    The power of the array was limitless; once it was formed, it was akin to a divine unit. The demigods were nothing more than ants in the face of such existence!


    Flee?


    Try to deceive the blood-red barrier?


    The logic was sound, but it would require time.


    That mysterious demigod wasn''t a fool; he wouldn''t let the other demigods manipte the situation to teleport away��


    And the most terrifying part was��


    Standing still wouldn''t work either!


    As the demigods contemted their next move, they felt the surge of blood-red light points causing their attributes to drop by over 30%.


    In just a few more seconds, they would likely meet the same fate as that divine-level boss and be refined as well!


    The demigods were still fine at the moment because the array''s primary target was not them.


    At this moment, despair engulfed thempletely!


    Every escape route was blocked!


    What was there to y for??


    They might as well wait for death!


    However��


    While the demigods were panicking, Sterl approached them with a rxed and content expression.


    A faint smile adorned Sterl''s face, as if everything was under his control.


    Within the blood-red array, everything was silent; the array itself made no sound, merely refining in silence. nts and animals were being refined, and the air no longer flowed under the array''s influence. Everything was terrifyingly quiet.


    The only sounds that could be heard were the thuds of boots on the sandy ground.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Each step felt like a weight upon their hearts, creating immense pressure.


    This was precisely the atmosphere Sterl intended to create.


    "I give myself a perfect score for this show-off."


    "It feels just like the moment the main viin appears at the climax of a movie before transmigrating!"


    On the surface, he appeared cool andposed, but inside, he was still lost in his own chaotic thoughts.

 Chapter 281: The Curse of the Law Seed, Acquired!

    But those demigods didn''t know!


    They looked at the mysterious demigod, whose expression seemed to convey that "everything is unfolding ording to my n."


    The demigods were truly frightened!


    Rationality told them that fighting against the mysterious demigod would surely be a death sentence.


    Emotion told them that they were too scared; they truly didn''t dare to take action.


    Under such immense pressure��


    Thud!


    One demigod knelt on the ground, eximing, "Wait! Spare me!"


    "Isn''t your goal to refine the divine-level boss? You''ve already achieved that!"


    "Killing us would be pointless!"


    "I am backed by the Sun God; if you let me go, I can persuade my deity to grant you a substantial amount of resources."


    ��


    One by one, the demigods begged for mercy.


    Some even offered generous deals.


    "Spare me, and I will prepare a special space for understanding Law Power. It was a chance I stumbled upon."


    "I have a tinum-level skill book! Trade it for my life!"


    "My lord, I have an Iridescent-level skill quest line; I beg you, give me a chance!"


    ��


    To be fair, the offers made by these demigods under the threat of death were quite tempting.


    It can only be said that everyone who became a demigod had their own opportunities, each possessing some fortune.


    But Sterl was unmoved; keeping the information confidential was far more important.


    He allowed these individuals to be refined by the great array.


    And amusingly��


    These demigods, who had previously appeared so noble and extraordinary in front of those peak legendary yers, now allowed themselves to be refined without even the courage to resist.


    Soon��


    Crash!


    The blood-red light points surged more violently, even forming waves of energy.


    "No! Don''t!"


    "I refuse to ept this!"


    "How can I die here?"


    ��


    Some of the weaker, iplete demigods had already copsed to the ground, transformed into countless blood-red threads that surged into the sky.


    Theplete demigods, although their eyes were red with despair and they felt they would be next, were too terrified to make any move to resist.


    They could only continue to plead.


    At this moment, Sterl found himself in a bit of a dilemma.


    Mainly, he was already right next to the demigods; what should he do now?


    Standing still felt a bit foolish,cking any ir or bravado.


    Saying a few harsh words in a situation where victory was assured felt a bit low.


    Not cool at all!


    Fortunately, someone came to his rescue.


    The previously arrogant Curse Girl, Rosalie, upon seeing Sterl''s figure, seemed to have made a certain decision, and her expression changed dramatically.


    She suddenly lunged forward, taking a few steps before kneeling on the ground.


    "Please! Don''t kill me!"


    "Spare me! My mother is the Goddess of Curses; if you kill me, she won''t let you go! She will definitely seek revenge!"


    "Just let me go, and I''ll pay any price."


    "When I go back, I can offer you several tinum-level skill books!"


    "Yes! Valor Contribution Points! I still have over 20,000 Valor Contribution Points that I can give you!"


    "As long as you sign a contract with me to ensure I don''t die!"


    But Sterl remained cold and indifferent, secretly grateful��


    The process of showing off needed some interaction!


    At the same time, Sterl found it amusing��


    These demigods were quite shrewd; all their offers were essentially IOUs, contingent on their return to the Hall of Valor or ensuring their safety before they delivered on their promises.


    Who would dare to believe that?


    Of course, for the demigods, directly offering life-saving money would be tantamount to seeking death, for that would render thempletely useless to the mysterious demigod.


    As Rosalie begged for mercy, time dragged on for a few more seconds, and there was not a single demigod left standing.


    Now even theplete demigods could no longer hold on; only a few with hidden cards remained barely able to endure��


    Seeing that Sterl was unmoved, thest few demigods showed desperate, fierce expressions. They gathered their energy once more, preparing to unleash their final skills.


    The demigods were not short of courage; they intended to bite back before dying.


    However��


    A shield suddenly appeared.


    Sterl was enveloped in a faint Star Radiance; it was the Protection Power of the Star Radiance Dragon that had activated!


    Sterl wasn''t foolish; even dealing with a few exhausted demigodsbining their attacks would be difficult, and it could easily disrupt the perfect atmosphere he was trying to maintain.


    So he decided to activate his invulnerability skill.


    Sure enough, several tinum-level skills, appearing impressive with shes of lightning, roaring thunder, and zing mes, surged forth but left no trace on the shield in front of Sterl, dissipating into the air.


    On the contrary, the resisting demigods, having activated their skills early, weakened their bodies and could not withstand the array, being refined into blood-red threads.


    Seeing this, the other demigods who were itching to take action fell into despair and knelt on the ground.


    Meanwhile, the Star Radiance Dragon on Sterl''s side fell into a slumber, awaiting revival.


    At that moment��


    Rosalie suddenly went mad, throwing herself at Sterl''s feet: "My lord, spare me! I can do anything."


    The demigod who usually acted so domineeringly and disregarded the lives of others was now exceptionally eager to cling to her own life. ��%?@��#?-#��+��??-��#?-


    "I really can''t die; I truly need to live."


    Rosalie tore away the veil from her body, revealing her perfectly sculpted form. Her physique was so wless it resembled a divine sculpture chiseled by the gods themselves.


    Even though Rosalie''s body bore strange scars, those marks formed an aesthetically pleasing pattern that resembled tattoos, adding a touch of allure.


    "I can give you anything you want, including myself."


    She pleaded desperately.


    Rosalie appeared pitiable, even exuding a hint of seduction that captivated some of the demigods in their weakened state, causing them to disy expressions of obsession.


    They couldn''t help but reflect��


    Who would have thought that Rosalie, a name that inspired immense fear, could have such a side, revealing herself in this way?


    Unfortunately, even though Sterl leaned down, he merely wiped away Rosalie''s tears gently: "Rx; it will be over soon, and you won''t feel any pain."


    "Don''t rush; take a deep breath and release your mental pressure. That''s right, follow my lead."


    Such words sent a wave of terror across Rosalie and the other demigods.


    This person is a creep!


    They instantly regretted��


    Not for challenging a divine-level boss, but for having crossed paths with someone like him.


    Someone like this��


    Is a monster in their own right!!


    Seeing this, Sterl felt quite satisfied.


    He was merely mimicking the ssic viin archetypes from various literary works before his transmigration, never expecting such a good effect.


    This trip to Heavenly Curtain Canyon was a tremendous sess!


    The great array refining divine-level beings yielded high rewards.


    Intimidating a group of demigods and maximizing emotional value dissipated all the gloom Sterl felt due to his guild being hunted down.


    Crash!


    Just as Sterl finished his performance, thest few demigods being refined let out short, anguished cries before vanishing into thin air.


    Rosalie, her gaze filled with despair, suddenly noticed that as the blood-red energy was about to refine her to the brink of copse, it abruptly stopped, seemingly sparing her.


    She watched helplessly as the others transformed into blood-red threads��


    And she, after waiting several seconds, remained safe and sound.


    "I did it!"


    Rosalie''s eyes sparkled with surprise.


    Could it be that in the end, it was my beauty that saved me? Or was it that she feared my "mother"?


    "Alright, alright!" A trace of malice flickered in Rosalie''s heart.


    Once she left the array, her "mother" would soon capture this demigod.


    Her curse power would make sure to treat him well.


    "A hundred years, no! A thousand years!"


    "I want this demigod to live until the end of his lifespan, enduring my torment the entire time!"


    A glimmer of joy and madness shed in her eyes.


    Of course, Rosalie still maintained a demure appearance at that moment.


    She suddenly noticed the mysterious demigod approaching, and Rosalie intentionally exposed her bare curves, adopting a somewhat shy pose.


    Rosalie wanted to say something��


    But the next second.


    Thud!


    A de pierced through her body.


    It was the Rain Curtain Sword, enhanced by Arcane Law.


    The intense pain caused Rosalie''s eyes to widen.


    "W-why?"


    All hope was crushed, and confusion flickered in her eyes.


    What did this mysterious demigod mean?


    Toying with her?


    Was it all a ruse to give her hope, only to kill her anyway?


    "You�� are you out of your mind?!"


    Rosalie spat out herst words.


    Why not just refine me directly in the array?


    Killing me wouldn''t yield anything useful, would it?


    Why torment me?


    Fine��


    If I retain even a shred of consciousness afterward, I will definitely seek revenge on you!


    Finally, with a flick of Sterl''s hands, a flurry of sword flowers erupted, and Rosalie was sliced into countless fragments.


    Though the fragments were devoid of life force, they were still refined into points of light by the array''s waste utilization��


    Sterl casually tossed out a Fate Token, and a brilliant golden light revealed a list before his eyes.


    He quickly made the choice he had already decided upon.


    [You have activated the Fate Token and triggered the effect of the skill [Consume]. You have gained [Law Power: Curse].]


    Instantly, a faint purple light flowed into Sterl''s body.


    "Not bad."


    Sterl nodded with a smile, knowing he could not let Rosalie go.


    He spared her from immediate refinement because he wanted to kill her and use the Fate Token to obtain the seed of the Curse Law.


    Sterl opened his panel, nodding in satisfaction.


    Sure enough, a seed of Curse Law appeared, identical to the Moon Law he had encountered before.


    With just a bit of blood force, he could evolve the seed into a wed version of the Curse Law.


    This way, he would have both Laws for his Silent Domain.


    With the blessing of dual Law Powers and the harmony of tinum-level skills, one plus one would undoubtedly be greater than two!

 Chapter 282: Final Refinement, Partial Authority of the Hall of Valor

    The power of the Silent Domain is about to truly unfold.


    It''s important to understand that Sterl wants to learn the Curse Law himself, which is quite troublesome. A curse is a rather unique form of Law that requires Sterl to endure various powers of curses, to suffer greatly, and to spend a long time gaining insight amidst the endless curses.


    Alternatively, Sterl could first seek a legendary ability rted to curses and then try toprehend the Law, but that would also take a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, to ensure the defeat of a legendary powerhouse and extract their legendary ability, he would need to expend a Fate Token.


    At this moment, Sterl finds it most cost-effective to devour from Rosalie.


    ��


    Meanwhile, Rosalie is in a state of indescribable fear.


    She knew this day woulde, but she didn''t expect it to arrive so soon.


    After her death, she had just logged off for less than a second.


    "I''m offline!"


    "Could it be that my mother''s arrangements didn''t take effect?"


    "No! No!"


    ��


    But suddenly, a scream escapes Rosalie as her in-game body is engulfed by a swirling ck hole-like creation that appears out of nowhere. Rosalie attempts to resist; at this moment, her character''s attributes seem to remain intact, and she unleashes a tinum-level skill.


    However, that skill cannot manifest any power and is directly blocked by the multicolored glow emanating from the ck hole-like creation. Subsequently, the skill is consumed by the ck hole entity.


    Rosalie''s physical body is also devoured, leaving only her soul behind.


    Next, the ck hole creation opens its massive mouth.


    In an instant, Rosalie''s soul is sucked into it.


    When Rosalie regains consciousness, she suddenly feels that she has been forcibly pulled back to [Transcendence].


    She finds herself trapped in the position before her body was shattered, unable to move.


    "Mother! No!"


    "Please! Let me be reborn once!"


    "ording to your words, I am still not mature! I don''t want to be [Divine Attachment]!"


    "Please don''t��"


    This time, Rosalie is genuinely terrified!


    She pleads helplessly, but after a long while, she realizes that everything is eerily calm.


    "Right, the mechanism of Heavenly Curtain Canyon causes this ce to be in a secluded space, and there''s a formation blocking it. With the same divine-level power, my mother can''t find me for now."


    "But�� what am I supposed to do?"


    "I seem to�� still be able to open the character panel, and all my attributes haven''t changed. Since my soul has been pulled back, does that mean [Transcendence] didn''t erase my character??"


    Rosalieughs and cries at the same time.


    She doesn''t even know��


    "What good is it to retain my attributes in a soul state? Without a physical body, they can''t be utilized at all."


    As Rosalieins, a voice suddenly speaks from beside her: "No, it''s still useful."


    Instantly, Rosalie''s soul reveals a look of extreme terror.


    "Mother? No! Spare me!"


    "I didn''t intend to escape; I''lle back with you right away��"


    She quickly realizes that the voice beside her belongs to a male, not her "mother" at all.


    But when Rosalie turned to look back, her heart sank even further.


    For standing there was another terrifying entity, this extremely perverse and mysterious demigod! He held a translucent me in his hand, gazing at her soul with a strange expression.


    "Master! Spare me!"


    "No, wait�� save me!" Rosalie''s soul screamed in desperation.


    She was also in a desperate situation, and when the divine-level formation dissipated, her "mother" would surelye to collect her soul. Her only hope was to seek help from this mysterious demigod.


    Even if he was a bit twisted, at least being made into a [Divine Attachment] would be better than nothing!


    However, Sterl hesitated for a few seconds before responding, "Save you?"


    "Do not resist!"


    He then activated the effect of Illuminated King''s protection, choosing to refine Rosalie''s soul.


    For some reason, he discovered that this demigod''s soul was quite peculiar, resembling something that had undergone a certain modification. It couldn''t be ssified as a yer, or perhaps it could be considered half a yer and half a monster.


    Thus, Sterl easily refined Rosalie''s soul��


    Throughout this process, the demigod offered no resistance; instead, feeling the tangible essence of the Illuminated King''s protection, he eagerly agreed.


    "As long as I can retain my will, it''s eptable."


    "Losing my freedom and serving this demigod as my master is no issue." After sensing the situation, Rosalie immediately realized��


    Her entire soul felt as if it had been cleansed. Subsequently, some dark tether left by her mother within her soul was also refined. Ultimately, her entire spirit transformed into a brilliant golden ethereal shadow, simultaneously taking on the form of a gigantic spider that crawled beside Sterl.


    Sterl was momentarily taken aback. He had merely intended to test the waters; if Rosalie did not wish to be his Illuminated King, he would simply shatter her soul.


    But he never expected her to be so proactive.


    Sterl found himself wondering�� could it be that I actually ended up at a disadvantage this time?


    Out of caution, he chose not to turn Rosalie''s soul into a tattoo but instead sent it directly to a small world.


    "If you dare to move anything, you''ll be dead."


    Sterl issued a warning.


    Rosalie, now in the form of the gigantic spider, quickly adapted to her new body and soon transformed back into her previous youthful appearance before being sent into the small world.


    At that moment, all the scars on Rosalie''s body hadpletely vanished, leaving only her graceful figure. With the scars removed, her face appeared incredibly pure, resembling a girl who waspletely naive to the world.


    However, Sterl was well aware of the cruelty thaty within this cursed girl.


    "I''ll keep her as long as she''s useful. If she bes a liability or harbors ulterior motives, I''ll simply shatter Rosalie''s soul and absorb it."


    Sterl shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it any further.


    However, he also guessed that Rosalie might be somewhat special. After her death, her soul was pulled back to [Transcendence]. Could it be that she too had made a pact with the Hall of Valor? This would exin why she didn''t want to die; after signing a contract with the Hall of Valor, death would mean eternal servitude.


    Yet, Sterl found it strange because,pared to the previous alien woman, Rosalie''s fear seemed excessive, as though there was some hidden reason behind it. He didn''t dwell on it much; he would inquire more carefullyter. Right now, the most important thing was��


    Sterl was about to im the final rewards from this Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    He slowly floated in the office, and instantly, countless blood-red threads surged into Sterl''s body.


    Familiarity breeds ease.


    In this wave, Sterl transformed into a Crimson Cocoon right where he stood, beginning the process of refining and cultivating.


    He spent only a few hours before he opened his eyes again.


    Then, he opened his panel to look at the refreshed notifications, revealing an extremely odd expression. The rewards he received were substantial, but not what Sterl had anticipated.


    First, the core function of the Blood Sacrifice Array was to establish the acquisition of an ability, and naturally, Sterl chose the most valuable one.


    The divine authority from the [Heavenly Curtain Mechanism]!


    Sterl''s panel disyed the following:


    [You have received the sacrificial benefits from the Blood Sacrifice Array. You have gained the following enhancements.]


    [All attributes have increased by fifty points.]


    [You have a higher affinity for me, Frost�� and other Law Powers, making it easier for you toprehend these Law Powers and improve their levels.]


    [You have gained life force; your life force limit has increased by 20%.]


    [You have acquired a measure of blood force. Detecting your possession of [Origin of Chaos], you have received a total of twenty points of blood force.]


    [You have acquired the divine authority [Creation (Concept Level)].]


    The notifications were densely packed, and each one was extremely explosive.


    The overall attribute increase speaks for itself��this was always a significant enhancement for Sterl.


    Increasing affinity for Laws was also good.


    After all, gaining a new Law always brought a slight passive bonus; additional Law Power was always beneficial.


    The enhancement in life force, while not a qualitative change, brought Sterl another significant step towards developing into a humanoid boss.


    What surprised him the most was that this time, using the Blood Sacrifice Array was different from thest time when he intercepted the Archduke of Blood''s array and amassed arge amount of blood force that he couldn''t utilize.


    Because he possessed the Origin of Chaos, Sterl could directly convert the blood force into usable blood force.


    A full twenty points!


    This total included not just the demigod and divine-level boss forces, but the entirety of all life within the Heavenly Curtain Canyon!


    Adding in the blood force that Sterl had previously collected, his blood force now reached 29.65 points!


    That''s right��he had worked tirelessly before and barely umted 10 points of blood force, but now, after this wave of the array, he was close to 30 points.


    Sterl felt that it was time to rethink his ns.


    In addition to the Flowing Water Law, he could now unlock twoplete-level Laws and find apatible tinum-level skill to enhance those new Laws!


    This would significantly elevate hisbat power.


    content-source-MVLeMpYr


    As for the ultimate prize��


    Sterl excitedly opened the divine authority panel and, sure enough, there was a new entry: [Creation (Concept Level)].


    There wasn''t much information on the panel, just a brief line: [Superior conceptual divine authority, even the faintest trace contains incredible power.]


    [Yes/No to assimte?]


    "Of course."


    Why even hesitate?


    Sterl decisively chose to assimte it.


    Superior divine authority?


    Conceptual divine authority?


    Though he didn''t fully understand what it meant, he had a rough idea.


    As far as he knew, all known divine authorities of the gods were objectively existing concepts, such as those rted to humanity, nature, me, the moon, and so on��


    However, creation wasn''t an objectively existing thing; it was an action, a concept��hence, it was referred to as conceptual divine authority.


    Moreover, ordinary deities could only possess divine authority over objectively existing entities.


    Didn''t that imply that this conceptual divine authority was of a higher caliber?


    Havingpleted his analysis, Sterl increasingly felt that he had hit the jackpot!


    However, after assimting this creation divine authority, he only sensed a tremor in his mental world, unlike the immense changes when the divine authorities of nature and humanity settled into ce.


    It felt as if nothing had happened.


    No, that wasn''t quite right��


    It couldn''t be said that nothing happened.


    [As a Creator''s Act]��this special skill had changed!

 Chapter 283: 【Creation】 Divine Authority

    Previously, when Sterl used As a Creator''s Act, he was opening up worlds in his own little universe or creating realms in reality, forming special spaces. Since he was reluctant to use Divine Power, he had to forcefully activate it by expending arge amount of power of faith.


    After assimting the creation divine authority, Sterl was thrilled to discover that this skill truly allowed him to be a Creator.


    He could create anything.


    Including life, races, animals, humans��


    As well as various equipment and skill books from [Transcendence].


    Of course, creating skills and equipment came at a high cost and consumed a significant amount of resources. Additionally, Sterl couldn''t create out of thin air; he at least needed to know these skills or have a temte to reference during the creation process.


    Nevertheless, it was still a quite powerful effect.


    For example, he could replicate an extremely rare piece of equipment like the [Rebirth me Armor] by consuming umted power of faith, allowing him to resurrect for a third time during battle.


    Once the passive effect of one Rebirth me Armor went on cooldown, he could simply switch to another.


    Sterl was equally astonished by the other capabilities of the Creator.


    Constructing a new ss required a substantial expenditure of Divine Power, along with aprehensive understanding of the entire ss system.


    Creating a new Law Power could involve seeking out certain special forces in worlds outside of [Transcendence] and transforming them into a form of Law.


    Even��


    Constructing new divine authority simrly required searching for some kind of imagery in worlds outside of [Transcendence] that had yet to be transformed into divine authority. -read-now


    "Are these things even within my reach at my current level?"


    Sterl simply couldn''t afford the costs associated with these special abilities!


    Although his power of faith output was considerable, Sterl was developing too quickly, and the time for producing power of faith was too short. Even if he wanted to construct a new ss, he estimated it would take him a year or two of power of faith umtion, and the ss he created wouldn''t be that strong��


    However, even though he couldn''t utilize the creation divine authority for the time being, Sterl still felt that this ability was incredibly powerful!


    For instance, in the future, he could return to reality and develop a nuclear Law Power��how about creating a nuclear divine authority? That sounded impressive!


    "I haven''t even resolved the gap in my energy limit, and now it seems like the gap in Divine Power and power of faith is bing unmanageable."


    Just as Sterl was casuallymenting, he noticed a slight change in his expression.


    He opened his palm, and suddenly, strands of orange-yellow light coalesced, ultimately forming a translucent illusion of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    [You have absorbed the Heavenly Curtain Mechanism; you have gained a fragmentary authority of the Hall of Valor (Heavenly Curtain Canyon).]


    "Ah?"


    "There''s more to gain."


    Sterl was stunned. Had he perhaps won too much this time?


    Then it dawned on him��


    He had absorbed a trace of that great Divine Power, which granted him the superior divine authority of [Creation]. At the same time, the Divine Power contained the control over the entire Hall of Valor, which belonged to the master of that great Divine Power.


    After all, the Hall of Valor was created by him.


    Originally, this control should have been integrated, but since the Heavenly Curtain Canyon had not yet beenpleted, this controlling power remained disconnected from the main body of the Hall of Valor, allowing Sterl to take advantage of the situation.


    He sensed it for a moment and realized that he could manipte the illusion in his hand, transforming the Heavenly Curtain Canyon from its fragmented state into a cohesive form, either dispersing or consolidating it.


    Sterl hesitated for a second, then slightly manipted the illusion to disperse the Heavenly Curtain Canyon back into its fragmented state, restoring it to the conditions before he arrived.


    Next, he opened the Gate of Hell. Although he could leave directly now, he decided to take a detour for safety''s sake.


    Entering the underworld, he found the scenery here was not particrly surprising.


    Everywhere he looked, there were dark red beds of stone and soil, rivers flowed withva, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur��a ssic depiction of hell.


    Sterl had no desire to linger, so he casually pulled out a teleportation scroll that he had evolved with added points. As a faint rainbow light illuminated the surroundings, the next second, he found himself back in his own estate.


    ...


    Sterl sighed as he threw his entire body onto the couch, looking utterly exhausted and not wanting to move at all.


    He felt drained!


    Whether it was facing a group of demigods or the divine level Heavenly Curtain Mechanism, both had been difficult challenges for him. Once again, he had danced on the edge of a knife.


    Fortunately, Sterl was the one whoughed in the end.


    "Handling matters for the guild should be straightforward now. With this surge of blood force, I have enough to elevate mybat frenzy."


    "However, the guild members still have more than half a month before theirrge-scale monthly tasks expire."


    "Let''s make these members suffer a bit first; I''ll take the me."


    "Finish adding points and wait for the resurrection armor cooldown before tackling the guild matters."


    Sterl happily made his decision.


    At this moment, he rxed for a moment, then summoned a bit of power again. Instantly, the illusion of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon appeared before him.


    Now, Sterl began to formally test just how high his authority had risen.


    Soon, a brand new panel appeared before his eyes.


    [Detectionplete: You have fully mastered a region, unlocking the Lord gamey.]


    [Your current territory: Heavenly Curtain Canyon (affiliated with the Hall of Valor).]


    [Territory Level: Demigod level (capable of producing demigod level resources and units).]


    [Territory Energy Storage: 46,720,000 points.]


    [Territory Buildings: This territory cannot construct buildings.]


    [Territory Functions: Spawn monster bosses, generate resource production.]


    Sterl explored a bit and found that while the Heavenly Curtain Canyon had granted him the territory system, it was not a true territory, and he could not recruit members or build structures.


    The only functions avable were to consume the stored energy to create monsters and bosses, as well as generate some resources.


    The monsters and bosses he could create were capped at the demigod level, and creating a demigod level boss required 3 million energy points and 10 days of time.


    The drops from these bosses were no different from those he had previously farmed.


    As for resource generation, he could create some local specialties from the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, also on a 10-day cycle.


    The resources spawned could be sold, and a full-scale generation of resources from the canyon would require about 5 million energy points, ultimately yielding around 10,000 Valor Contribution Points. Other resources that couldn''t be exchanged for Valor Contribution Points could still be traded for various materials.


    Of course, if Sterl kept selling, the market would inevitably be affected, leading to a decline in the value of the produced resources.


    However, just these two abilities already brought Sterl great joy.


    Even on the conservative side, producing about 20,000 Valor Contribution Points per month should be no problem. He could then challenge bosses three times a month, gaining a lot of experience and dropping a wealth of equipment.


    If he needed third-ss equipment, he could spawn a batch of third-ss peak bosses for farming, and if he wanted legendary equipment, he could spawn legendary peak bosses.


    Since the Heavenly Curtain Canyon could spawn bosses with iplete demigodbat strength at most, Sterl estimated he could resolve all his equipment issues up until he entered the demigod tier.


    Additionally, with Sosia and Sonis from the guild helping with acquisitions, Sterl figured he would quickly assemble a top-notch set of gear.


    With these thoughts in mind, Sterl wasted no time and filled the Heavenly Curtain Canyon to capacity, first spawning fifty-four third-ss bosses (the maximum limit), while also beginning to generate resources that could be exchanged for Valor Contribution Points.


    He also promptly disabled the entry function for this map, making it officially Sterl''s private garden from that point onward.


    Havingpleted all this, Sterl closed the illusion of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon with satisfaction.


    Then��


    He had more work to do.


    At that moment, Sosia and Sonis were not at home because the Twilight Guild was facing immense pressure, and they were simply too busy to spare any time.


    Sterl thought for a moment and summoned his refined Illuminated King��Rosalie.


    The quality of this skill made it somewhat challenging to refine a demigod-level being, but Rosalie was overly eager to cooperate.


    As a result, Sterl directly obtained a top-tier quality Illuminated King!


    Withplete demigod-level power, Rosalie could also possess and enhance Sterl.


    As soon as Rosalie appeared, she was still in the form of a naked girl.


    "Master, what would you like me to do��?"


    Since she had voluntarily epted the refinement, Rosalie''s life was entirely in Sterl''s hands; she could live or die at hismand.


    Thus, this cursed girl presented herself humbly and sought to please him. She twisted her waist, showcasing her charms, trying to entice Sterl in hopes of securing better treatment for herself.


    However, all Rosalie saw was the cold expression on her master''s face.


    Sterl snapped his fingers, transforming Rosalie into a golden thread that merged into his body.


    Instantly, he felt a surge of surprise.


    In the possession form granted by the Illuminated King, Rosalie''s soul was contained in a corner of Sterl''s vast spiritual domain. Since Sterl''s spiritual realm was extremely expansive, Rosalie could do nothing; she would not be able to extract any information and could only obediently "stand in punishment."


    Meanwhile, Sterl received a significant boost to his attributes.


    This boost was a fixed value, increasing all attributes by 300 points, and this 300-point increase did not count as part of his base stats and could not be enhanced by various skills.


    The limitation was primarily due to the quality of the [Illuminated King''s Protection], which only allowed for such a degree of enhancement.


    Subsequently, in the possession state, Sterl also gained several attack effects and dealt additional damage to non-light attribute units.


    What excited him was that after acquiring the Illuminated King''s Protection, he gained an energy bar equivalent to 300 base spirit points, allowing him to cast an additional tinum-level skill or extend the duration of Silent Domain by one second.


    Not bad! Very useful! Love it!


    After testing it out, Sterl released Rosalie, allowing her to return to her free-moving form.


    The girl-like demigod still wanted to try to please her master.


    However, Sterl simply coldly said, "What are you still dawdling for? Transform now!"

 Chapter 284: Curse and Spider Goddess

    "Change? Change what??" Rosalie was taken aback.


    Sterl, feeling irritated, said, "Change into that spider form you had before."


    Sterl had already used Star Insight to investigate Rosalie''s attributes. They were consistent with her previous life butcked several passive skills from the Curse Goddess, resulting in a slight decrease in her overall power.


    Now, Sterl wanted to know thebat power of Rosalie''s spider form.


    "Transform into your spider form," Sterlmanded.


    "But..." Rosalie wanted to say something.


    Sterl knew that she wasn''t trying to defy him; there was something she wasn''t revealing. However, he couldn''t afford to be lenient with Rosalie. He focused his thoughts.


    "Ahhh!!" The control from her equipment caused Rosalie to tremble all over, engulfed in immense pain, her soul fracturing under the strain!


    Then she began to roll on the ground.


    "Spare me!"


    "I won''t do it again!"


    "Master, save me!!"


    ...


    She screamed in agony while Sterl remained unfazed, stepping out of the room to calmly retrieve some pastries prepared by Sosia and Sonis. He munched on them while observing Rosalie''s struggles.


    Eventually, Rosalie even lost the strength to groan, copsing on the ground, her spiritual power extremely weak as if she might shatter at any moment.


    Seeing this, Sterl''s heart softened; he couldn''t bear to watch someone suffer. He raised a hand and crushed Rosalie''s soul.


    "Ahhh!" After a violent scream, approximately five minutester, Rosalie''s soul reformed.


    The Illuminated King protected captured souls, allowing them to be revived once every ten days.


    Now, upon her rebirth, Rosalie looked at Sterl, trembling. She voluntarily transformed into her spider form and coiled up in ce.


    This was a giant spider, about half a human''s height, adorned with patterns symbolizing curses and toxins, making it appear quite menacing.


    After using Star Insight, Sterl discovered that this spider form hadbat abilities that were not as strong as Rosalie''s normal form, but it had some unique functions. It could blend into the shadow world like his Shadow Stealth and could spit out webs imbued with curse Law Power that had strong control effects.


    "Not bad, but change back," Sterl said casually, and Rosalie obediently reverted to her girl form, this time not daring to cause any trouble, donning regr clothing once again.


    However, Sterl coldly nced at her and said, "Who told you to put clothes back on??"


    Huh? Rosalie was slightly taken aback.


    Sterl stepped forward and pushed Rosalie down to the ground.


    The "girl" disyed a pained expression, paired with her extremely innocent and pure appearance, which indeed made her incredibly tempting, causing a twinge of guilt in Sterl''s heart.


    Smack!


    He pped her down again.


    Sterl grabbed the girl''s neck, forcing her mouth open, and then thrust himself in!


    "Ugh ugh ugh~~"


    At that moment, Rosalie wasn''t just acting; she truly had never experienced anything like this. She didn''t dare to hurt Sterl and could only awkwardly move her tongue around, attempting to lick.


    Combined with her bewildered and pained expression, Sterl couldn''t help but exim, "Not bad."


    He felt that, indeed, it was interesting to interact with various types of women. Sosia and Sonis had great skills, but after a while, it became somewhat monotonous.


    Rosalie provided Sterl with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and conquest.


    How fun!


    He was eager to y!


    Sterl thought and pressed her head down, making it impossible for her to move, while he quickly thrust his hips.


    "Ugh~~ ugh"


    Sobs and wet sounds filled the air. Rosalie''s small frame made Sterl feel as if he had prated her oral cavity and reached her throat, experiencing the resilience and pressure of a demigod-level body.


    This excited Sterl even more, causing him to climax slightly earlier than usual.


    "Cough~ cough~"


    Liquid surged directly into her abdomen. Despite Rosalie''s best efforts to endure, she eventually sumbed to a fit of dry coughs, copsing to the ground.


    Her face was filled with agony, as if she was experiencing this for the first time.


    But Sterl was not prepared to give the "girl" a moment''s rest. He stepped forward.


    While Rosalie was still coughing, she suddenly felt her lower body being lifted. Before she could realize what was happening, a ripping pain shot through her.


    She felt utterly stuffed!


    "How could this happen??"


    Rosalie felt�� this was different from what she had known before. There was no pleasure, only pain.


    Her expression resembled that of a weeping willow, as if she were about to cry.


    Although Sterl felt a slight resistance when breaking through Rosalie, he remained unfazed. To put it bluntly, it was easy for Rosalie to fake a virgin identity to please her master.


    Thus, seeing the "girl''s" pained expression only fueled Sterl''s interest further.


    He did not treat Rosalie as a person at all, furiously pounding away.


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    The sounds echoed, shaking the entire sofa.


    Rosalie couldn''t help but stifle a scream, but she was afraid of angering Sterl and could only endure.


    She covered her mouth with one hand, her face flushed, trembling all over.


    Sterl felt that with the girl''s emotional turmoil, Rosalie''s bodywasconstricting rhythmically, bringing an incredible sensation.


    Thus...


    Rosalie let out a series of anguished cries, her body quivering as she rolled her eyes back.


    Fortunately, the demigod physique was resilient; after her trembling, she still had quite a bit of strength left.


    Sterl didn''t stop at all, continuing to thrust.


    "Ah!!"


    "Ugh~"


    "Ugh ah!"


    Three times...


    Maybe five times, or perhaps six or seven.


    Rosalie''s body could withstand it, but her mind was drifting away under the continuous shock, almost like a rag doll,pletely at Sterl''s mercy.


    Sterl had indeed umted a fair amount of pressure during his previous adventures, and this was a perfect release. However, uniquely��


    Rosalie was yed with in just one position for several hours, with an extremely frenzied output. your-chapter-source


    If it weren''t for Rosalie''s demigod physique, even a third-ss yer would have likely had their body torn apart...


    When Sterl finally stood up slowly, Rosalie looked as if she had been thoroughly used, but then she surprisingly spoke with unusual ripples in her eyes, "Master, can we continue...?"


    "I... I want more..."


    The physique of a demigod was truly extraordinary. After enduring the output of frenzy, Rosalie instead found herself experiencing waves of pleasure, bing somewhat addicted to it. At least in her previous experiences throughout life, she had been tormented by cultivating the Law of Curses, leaving her with almost no enjoyment in life.


    Now...


    All she wanted was a good release.


    Of course, she meant being released herself.


    Sterl merely chuckled coldly.


    With a swift motion, he pped the girl down onto the ground again.


    "Can you stillmand me?"


    However, Rosalie''s expression was fervent: "Master, I was wrong!"


    "I was wrong!"


    "Punish me once more! I beg you!"


    Her face flushed, and although she had an extremely pure face, she spoke incredibly lewd words.


    This made Sterl feel a rush of heat and blood down below.


    But Sterl collected himself, first casually finishing thest forced enhancement on his Rain Curtain Sword��his cheat was just off cooldown.


    Then he leaped onto her.


    This time, Sterl directly embraced Rosalie, then positioned her against his waist and began to thrust vigorously!


    "Ugh ugh!"


    "Ah ah!"


    ...


    The girl let out extremely satisfied and frenzied sighs. She was not just enjoying pleasure; she was reveling in the pain as well.


    ...


    "Clean the room up." Once he finished venting, Sterl tossed Rosalie to the foot of the bed.


    At that moment, the girl was covered in various milky fluids.


    To those who knew, it was a one-on-one; to those who didn''t, it would look as if she had been ravagedpletely.


    Sterl couldn''t help but marvel.


    Those who cultivate curse Law are truly perverse!


    Rosalie seemed to be able to ept any type of y, finding joy in everything.


    In the end, it was Sterl''s own kinks that appeared too normal.


    "Wait, wait."


    Sterl shook his head, insisting, "My kinks are perfectly normal; why am I overthinking this?"


    He returned to his room, initially preparing tomence the third-ss ritual and examine his various gains.


    However, Rosalie directly used a tool to clean both the room and herself, changing into a trench coat��


    Her outfit was still quite daring;pletely bare beneath the trench coat, yet the clothing perfectly obscured her body, revealing just a hint of tantalizing allure.


    Although Rosalie knew that this might lead to punishment from her master, she found herself looking forward to such developments...


    At the moment, however, she indeed had something serious to discuss.


    "Master, I have something I need to report to you."


    "It''s about my mother, the Curse and Spider Goddess."


    "In theory, she shouldn''t know that I have been refined by you, but if the information leaks, it could be quite detrimental to you."


    "Moreover, she summons me and the other ''daughters'' periodically; I am the most important ''daughter'' of the Curse and Spider Goddess. After I go missing, she will definitely mobilize resources to search for me."


    "If I get exposed, it could pose a threat to you."


    "I didn''t want to transform into my spider form earlier because the Curse and Spider Goddess has a rare divine authority rted to spiders that she has never revealed to the outside world. If I change into that form, she might sense it."


    "However, after my formal transformation, I discovered that this spider form is merely a mimicry. As long as I don''t change forms within a certain distance from my mother, she will never be able to detect me."


    Rosalie slowly spoke.

 Chapter 285: Advancing to Third Class, Strength Update!

    It seemed like things were getting a bitplicated.


    Sterl frowned slightly. So, after refining Rosalie, he might have attracted the attention of a goddess?


    "Can you tell me what the situation is between you and your mother?" he asked.


    Rosalie shook her head, her expression bitter as she began to speak.


    As the girl talked, her emotions often red up, and she even shed tears.


    In the end, Sterl pieced together the situation from her fragmented words.


    The Curse and Spider Goddess, Rosalyn, was a rather unique deity. Her strength was not particrly impressive in the Hall of Valor; she was a weak divine power, but she was an established weak divine power with considerable depth andbat capability.


    Her rtionship with her daughter was one of devourer and devoured. On the surface, Rosalie was Rosalyn''s only daughter, but in reality, Rosalyn had many daughters scattered across the Hall of Valor and several nearby continents, undergoing various trials.


    These daughters were produced inrge quantities through a process akin to the goddessying spider eggs. As a result, while the daughters could be considered yers, they also possessed monster-like traits.


    Once these daughters grew to their potential limits, Rosalyn would refine them into sub-gods��infusing their soul bodies with divine power, granting them a portion of divine-levelbat strength. Moreover, due to their close blood rtionship, the divine power would not provoke a significant rejection reaction within the daughters'' bodies.


    However, as a price, these daughters had to endure the erosion and torment of divine power every moment until their deaths.


    If a daughter fell prematurely, the contract with Rosalyn would forcefully pull her back to the goddess''s side.


    This was why Rosalie feared death so greatly.


    After she died, the real suffering would begin.


    "Even my mother allows us to go to others in reality to escape her influence," Rosalie trembled as she spoke. "It''s because once we die, our souls can never find liberation."


    If it weren''t for the special nature of the divine-level formation, which provided her the opportunity to sign a contract and be the Illuminated King, she would have already been nearly refined.


    She would likely have be a sub-god, possessing self-will but being unable to do anything, merely sensing her soul being constantly eroded and torn apart.


    Eternally tormented.


    "Sounds quite terrifying," Sterl remarked ndly.


    The Illuminated King could not be deceived.


    So, ording to Rosalie, the Curse and Spider Goddess should not be able to learn that he had intercepted her most favored "daughter."


    However, Sterl didn''t believe that Rosalie knew all of her mother''s ns.


    Perhaps the Curse and Spider Goddess had other ways to monitor her daughters'' circumstances.


    However, Sterl was not at all flustered at this moment.


    A weak divine power might put some pressure on him, but if the goddess truly came knocking, he would not be unable to counter her.


    Moreover, having just refined a divine-level entity, Sterl felt a bit inted with confidence...


    Not to mention, based on Rosalie''s previous behavior, it was clear that her mother was not someone with a good temper. They had likely already developed a rivalry.


    Yielding or backing down would be useless; he silently reminded himself that this time he had been careless.


    In that moment, when Sterl had used the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls for recovery, he had seen Rosalie''s soul.


    Rosalie could be considered half a monster; there were obviously peculiarities about her, and he hadn''t been cautious enough!


    Reflection!


    "But precisely for this reason, I essentially hold a card that could draw the Curse and Spider Goddess into the fray."


    "Perhaps I can even refine another god."


    Sterl couldn''t help but ponder.


    Of course, refining a goddess was not something he intended to attempt lightly. Gods could easily detect when a divine-level array was being set up and could take action to destroy it.


    However, Sterl secretly noted that he had an opportunity, something to wait for and seize in the future...


    Meanwhile, Rosalie was watching her master, who seemedpletely unbothered and even confident, and her heart swelled with admiration.


    This is my master...


    Perhaps following him is actually a good thing.


    With just his demigod realm, he could y gods andmand divine-level arrays. The prospect of him bing a god in the future and surpassing her mother was practically a certainty.


    Could it be that I have turned misfortune into blessing?


    A glimmer of joy shed in Rosalie''s eyes. Just as she was about to step forward to say something, she noticed Sterl casually wave his hand.


    "I''m busy right now. Until your mother''s situation is resolved, you should stay home and not disturb me."


    "Of course, if you don''t like it, I can always transform you into equipment and keep you in my backpack."


    "I like it! I like it!"


    "Master, I''ll disappear right away." Rosalie hurriedly dashed out the door.


    Sterl pressed his fingers against his temples, then sat cross-legged to meditate.


    First, he opened all the boss drops he had umted, but he didn''t organize them; he merely set aside some third-ss equipment, then checked his mailbox to collect various gear purchased by Sosia and Sonis.


    "Not bad. I can save some energy points for Heavenly Curtain Canyon; no need to generate a third-ss boss."


    "I can directly farm legendary bosses to prepare for my legendary realm." Sterl nced at the equipment in his hands, very satisfied, and made his decision.


    After that, he rxed for a day, closed his eyes, and adjusted his state to its peak before calling up the system panel.


    [Start Third ss? Yes/No]


    "Yes." He nodded without hesitation.


    Immediately, brilliant Star Radiance descended from the sky! It all fell into the manor!


    It seemed like a significant event, but in the Hall of Valor, there were always people breaking through to legendary and demigod levels. So no one paid much attention to this change.


    Amid the endless Star Radiance, he felt some barriers within his body gradually being unlocked.


    A certain shackle was shattered, and he felt a sense of lightness wash over him.


    Then...


    Sterl slowly rose, tilting his head as if he had broken through a thin membrane.


    Suddenly, the entire manor was filled with a brilliant blue Star Radiance that continued to shimmer. In that instant, Sterlpleted the upgrades for his Dimensional Traveler.


    Next, he pulled something from a swirling vortex.


    At this moment...


    He had officially reached third ss.


    Sterl slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if he were gazing around and that the entire world had be increasingly transparent.


    A vague understanding rose within him. If second ss was about truly awakening the power of one''s profession, then third ss was more of a process of introspection, umting strength in anticipation of the legendary level at 150, preparing for a transformation.


    Afterward, Sterl looked at the various notifications crowding his panel and began to organize them one by one.


    First was the notification regarding his third ss��


    [Your level cap has been raised to 150.]


    [You can randomly select one skill from your profession. Yes/No to begin selection?]


    There was nothing to say about the level cap increase. As for selecting a skill, Sterl casually chose "Yes."


    A spinning wheel appeared before his eyes, rapidly spinning before finally stopping on an icon that seemed to take up a smaller portion of the wheel.


    It looked like he had drawn something good.


    However...


    [Congrattions! You have obtained the golden skill: Star Guide.]


    [Star Guide (Golden)]


    [Description: When the Star n was shattered, they left behind guiding lights. Those who master this skill can observe specific guiding lights and seek the heritage of the Star n.]


    [Effect: You cany down a guiding light that increases your movement speed and energy recovery within its glow.]


    [Starlight Enhancement: Within the guiding light, your life force endurance will also be restored.]


    "Kind of underwhelming."


    "While it can restore energy, the values are just those of a golden skill, and I really have no need for it."


    Sterl shook his head helplessly. His energy shortfall was a terrifying gap that required tinum-level skills; this recovery skill was practically useless.


    Fortunately, Star Guide was not entirely worthless.


    Based on the skill''s description, he guessed that it might trigger some plot rted to the Star n.


    After all, his profession originated from the Stardust n. Perhaps in the future, he could gain some significant benefits from this skill?


    Sterl evaluated Star Guide��there was potential for the future.


    Next came Sterl''s Dimensional Traveler lottery��


    In this wave, he sensed a glowing sphere in his mental realm and chose to refine it.


    A new ability appeared on Sterl''s panel.


    [Shattered Void (tinum Level)]


    [Description: A special technique that embodies the Laws of Space, de, and Arcane. This tinum-level skill represents the pinnacle of these skills, and finding such a perfect tinum-level skill across countless main worlds is exceedingly rare.]


    [Effect: Depending on your mastery of various Law Powers, the following effects can be formed��


    - Space Rending (Understanding of de Law and Space Law)


    - Edge Cutting (Achieving perfection with all three Laws)


    - ??? (Achieving perfection with all three Laws)


    ]


    [Activation Requirement: Must master at least de Law and Space Law.]


    Sterl sensed that within a void, he casually wielded a weapon he had condensed, immediately causing the surrounding space to tear apart, forming wisps of faint purple shattered realms.


    Nearby, some demigod-level individuals unleashed their own tinum-level skills, but they werepletely obliterated by the ruptured space, their bodies and skills alike destroyed.


    And this was just the most basic version of Shattered Void, utilizing iplete Laws.


    In Sterl''s perception, many demigods employed tinum-level skills enhanced by perfect Laws, yet they were still annihted, unable to withstand even a single sh, directly obliterated!


    "What a powerful skill!"


    "And it seems... it can be further enhanced."


    "The reward from the Dimensional Traveler is yet another exceptional one." Sterl felt that his third talent was indeed impressive; every time he leveled up, the things he drew were fantastic, with none being subpar.


    However, the only issue was that for Sterl, mastering Space Law was straightforward and could be achieved quickly, while Arcane Law had long been learned.

 Chapter 286: Full Set of Legendary Equipment!

    But what about de Law?


    Sterl remembered that there was no corresponding enlightenment space in the Hall of Valor!


    Moreover, it seemed that not many people knew de Law. Sterl had never seen anyone use it. Even if he wanted to use a Fate Token and forcefully [Consume] one, it would be very difficult.


    Although this tinum-level skill was very powerful, it was unusable.


    "Never mind, let''s not get hung up on it. I''ll have Sosia and the others gather some information first."


    Sterl had other matters to attend to at the moment.


    He first took off all his equipment, then opened his backpack and small world to equip the pre-selected third ss set piece by piece.


    Finally, Sterl checked the full set on his character panel and nodded in satisfaction.


    Weapon: Empty


    Head: the Veil of Nothingness (details omitted)


    Chest: Fearless (Third ss legendary, +150 to all attributes, skills: Heroic Charge [Removes all control effects and charges forward, dealing damage.], Unyielding [Each time you remove a control effect, increase all attributes by 10% and damage by 10%.], Vengeance Aura [50% of all damage taken by allied units is stored and can be converted into a single de attack.])


    Legs: Hymn of Light (Third ss legendary, +145 to all attributes, skills: Blesser [When dealing light attribute damage, the damage is converted to true damage, ignoring all resistances.], Divine Rescue [Revives a yer below legendary rank once upon death, max 2/2 uses.])


    Belt: Chasing Clouds and Moon (Third ss legendary, +150 to all attributes, skills: Wind Step [Grants the ability to fly, and increases flight efficiency by 100%.], Unbound [Doubles the speed and effect of all your teleportation and blink abilities and items.], Ride the Wind [Allows you to return to any position you upied within thest 30 seconds.])


    Boots: Realm of Sovereignty (Third ss legendary, +150 to all attributes, skills: Suppression [When you attack and your damage exceeds the opponent''s skill damage, this damage is increased by 100%.], Domain Enhancement [Increases the effect of all your domain-rted skills by 50%.])


    Ne: Molten Fire (Third ss legendary, +150 to all attributes, skills: Wrathful me [Upon activation, you can consume life force to forcefully interrupt a skill being cast and instead use the next skill, with a me shadow releasing the interrupted skill with unchanged power and effect.], Fiery Shield [Upon activation, you ignore all damage for one second, capped at demigod level, and after one second,unch a counterattack based on the damage taken.])


    Ring: Tear of Water


    Bracer: The Forgotten (Third ss legendary, +150 to all attributes, skills: Shadow Veil [Doubles the effect of all your stealth skills.], Formless [While in stealth, you enter a phasing state, allowing you to be passed through by any unit and skill.], Sky Cover [While in stealth, opponents must pass an additional mental check to detect you, and even if they seed, there is a chance they still cannot perceive your existence.])


    That''s right, Sterl''s current setup, except for the ring which still uses the previous [Tear of Water] for its precious effect of [Restoring life force when it drops to zero], consists entirely of third-ss legendary equipment!


    Top-tier configuration!


    Max attribute bonuses, maxbat power boosts, and max powerful skills.


    With this setup, Sterl''sbat power skyrocketed.


    Legendary equipment generally has three abilities, with few exceptions where two abilities are excessively powerful.


    Sterl even managed to acquire pieces like the Hymn of Light, which allows yers below legendary rank to revive twice.


    This equipment is extremely valuable on its own, but somewhat less useful in the Hall of Valor, where most are above the legendary rank.


    Otherwise, equipment with resurrection abilities would never be avable on the market. MVLeMpYr-hosted


    Additionally, there are functional pieces like the Chasing Clouds and Moon belt, which provides flight capabilities and efficiency, enhances teleportation and blink skills, and grants a unique teleportation ability��Ride the Wind, allowing a return to any position upied within thest 30 seconds.


    This ability can bebined with Sterl''s Cursed Vision to continuously execute teleportation attacks, covering thousands of miles in 30 seconds, and then return to the original location after killing the enemy.


    Quite extraordinary!


    The Forgotten bracers also enhance Sterl''s stealth abilities.


    Moreover, each piece of equipment boosts all attributes by 150 points, providing Sterl with a massive enhancement just from the attributes alone.


    He didn''t equip the [Rebirth me Armor] for now; in terms ofbat power, it''s no match for [Fearless], which primarily excels at resurrection. But since Sterl''s resurrection capabilities are already sufficient, he ns to equip the Rebirth me Armor when a resurrection is imminent to get the attribute boost for free.


    "Who said third-ss changes are insignificant? I''m soaring with this setup."


    He marveled.


    Sterl even felt slightly ufortable due to the sheer increase in attribute bonuses...


    Then, he closed the attribute panel.


    He also noticed his private messages were overflowing. Sterl casually clicked on them and, as expected, they were pleas for help from various members of the Twilight Guild...


    "Guild Master, what do we do? Those guilds have threatened to use the Honorable Kill privilege on us the moment they see us."


    "We can only hide in the residences assigned by the Hall of Valor."


    "Guild Master, could you maybe negotiate with those guilds? The pressure is too much right now."


    ...


    Sterl''s mood soured instantly.


    He knew the current situation well enough. In the minds of those demigod guilds��


    The Twilight Guild doesn''t exist. They believe that within half a month to a month, they can suddenly spike inbat power and wipe out all opposition.


    But the legendary rank executors, looking for fun, would only get more and more frenzied.


    Sterl reassured his guild members, sticking to the original timeline to resolve the issue.


    Then, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, preparing to allocate his points.


    Sterl had drawn the Shattered Void from the Dimensional Traveler, but since he couldn''t obtain de Law for now, he had to put it on hold.


    So...


    On the first day, he added points to the Heavenly Curtain core to see what this special item was all about.


    If it wasn''t very useful, he could exchange it for Valor Contribution Points instead.


    Afterpleting the allocation, Sterl looked at the orange mechanical creation in his palm, which gradually began to glow with an Iridescent-Level hue.


    Eventually, it transformed into a multicolored crystal.


    [Creation Stone (the Hall of Valor)]


    [Description: Originally, the primordial material used to create the Hall of Valor was irreversibly altered through catalysis, but for unknown reasons, it has reverted to its original state.]


    [Effect: Unknown]


    "Holy crap!"


    Sterl was shocked.


    Even though the item description stated that the effect was unknown, he could sense the function of the Creation Stone due to his control over the Heavenly Curtain Canyon. Simply put, Sterl could absorb it.


    And upon absorption, he could gain additional permissions within the Hall of Valor.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to refine the multicolored crystal in his hand. As a strange light enveloped him, new information appeared before his eyes after a brief moment of gibberish.


    [You have gained level 0 permissions in the Hall of Valor.]


    [You have unlocked the following permissions:


    �� You can now ignore the rule prohibiting mutual attacks within the Hall of Valor.]


    [Shares needed to advance to the next permission level: 0/10]


    "It works like this??"


    Sterl was pleasantly surprised by the new information. Ignoring the prohibition on mutual attacks was definitely useful.


    When dealing with those demigod guilds in the future, he might not be able to eliminate all enemies in free-attack zones.


    Having this permission would make things much more convenient for Sterl.


    "This is just level 0 permission. So, ording to the upgrade requirements, refining 10 more Heavenly Curtain cores would grant me the next level of permissions??"


    However, Sterl didn''t rush to further increase his permissions. Each upgrade would take another 10 days, and he simply didn''t have the time for that right now.


    The Twilight Guild was currently in disarray and urgently needed his intervention.


    So, over the next few days, Sterl focused on continuously allocating points to improve his abilities��


    First, he enhanced his arcane skill after advancing to third ss!


    This round of arcane skill improvement was exceptional. After reaching S-rank, the overall attribute effect increased by 20%, significantly boosting Sterl''sbat power!


    Additionally, the awakening progress of his two talents greatly advanced, though he still needed to reach the legendary realm toplete the second awakening!


    At that point, he could also directly upgrade his arcane skill to 3S-rank, maxing it outpletely.


    Reaching the legendary realm would be a qualitative leap for Sterl!


    On the second day, Sterl chose toplete the final point allocation for his Rain Curtain Sword. As the forced point allocation radiated light, this tinum-level skill, which focused on a single Law Power, finally broke through its original quality limit.


    [Flowing Water de of a Thousand Cuts (tinum-Level)+]


    [Description: This is the ultimate tinum-level skill formed by mastering a single Law to its peak. In theory, a creator of such a skill with the right talent wouldn''t be confined to just one Law. No one knows how this technique was born.]


    [Effect: Based on your mastery of Flowing Water Law Power, the following effects are formed��


    Flowing de (Perfected Flowing Water Law)


    A Thousand Sharp des (Perfect Flowing Water Law)


    ??? (Semi-transcendent Flowing Water Law)]


    [Activation Requirement: Perfected Flowing Water Law.]


    "This is��"


    Sterl sensed the new version of the skill.


    After the qualitative change from the point allocation, the power of the Rain Curtain Sword had skyrocketed.


    The weapon it created was no longer confined to just a de but could be shaped into any form he desired.


    Based on his sense of the skill after mastering it,


    Sterl could vaguely envision himself facing numerous formidable enemies in a deste wilderness, surrounded by streams of Flowing Water that either transformed into liquid and flowed freely or instantly morphed into des, filling the air with murderous intent.

 Chapter 287: Semi-Transcendent Form

    Sterl discovered, unsurprisingly, that the basic form of the Flowing Water de of a Thousand Cuts was far more powerful than the original Rain Curtain Sword.


    In the illusion where Sterl had initiallyprehended the original Rain Curtain Sword, formidable enemies had appeared. Now, those same enemies appeared again within the illusion. Enemies that took a hard-fought battle to defeat with the Rain Curtain Sword were now easily in with the new tinum skill, as effortlessly as ughtering chickens!


    Moreover, not only was the power of the Flowing Water de of a Thousand Cuts enhanced, but the skill''s upper limit was also elevated, possessing the form corresponding to a "Semi-Transcendent Law."


    Semi-Transcendent refers to the Flowing Water Law beginning to advance into the state of Flowing Water divine authority, essentially a quasi-divine realm!


    "Sosia and the others gathered intel stating that the quasi-divine realm didn''te with a corresponding increase inbat power."


    "Either someone deliberately sealed off information about tinum-level skills corresponding to Semi-Transcendent Laws, or such skills are so rare that most demigods and even some gods in the Hall of Valor are unaware."


    A flicker of excitement crossed Sterl''s eyes. Regardless of the reason, it meant that the skill he had just added points to was incredibly powerful!


    The former would imply that the skill''s value and significance were too high, causing powerful individuals to collectively erase its existence. Thetter would suggest that tinum-level skills of this strength were so rare they could serve as Sterl''s trump card.


    Of course, there was now an annoying problem: after the qualitative change, the skill required Flowing Water Law proficiency to reach the perfected level...


    And Sterl made a decisive choice...


    "I will exhaust all my efforts, my lifelong wisdom, tenacity, and perseverance to break through the Flowing Water Law!"


    discover-stories-on-MVLeMpYr


    Blood Force!


    Add points!


    Swoosh!


    With the infusion of ten points of Blood Force, Sterl experienced the effect of the Origin of Chaos for the first time. It was a strange, corrosive light that etched itself into Sterl''s body, twisting and expanding the power of the Flowing Water Law!


    Finally, the Flowing Water Law stopped expanding in a bizarre manner and returned to a stable state. Simultaneously, this Law Power was now disyed on Sterl''s panel as��Perfected Level!


    Sterl felt an overwhelming surge of knowledge flooding into his mind, elevating his understanding and proficiency in using the Flowing Water Law by a significant margin. Additionally, the various passive augmentation effects of the Flowing Water Law roughly doubled.


    Sterl had now fully mastered the key to the Flowing Water de of a Thousand Cuts.


    "sh!"


    He uttered softly. Instantly, the tiny water vapor in the room transformed into des, swiftly cutting through the air.


    On the surface, everything seemed unchanged, but when Sterl slightly stood up��


    The airflow he generated turned the surrounding tables and chairs into flying ash, shredded by the des formed from water vapor!


    Not only had the power increased, but using the perfected Flowing Water Law was evidently much more flexible.


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction.


    Next...


    He continued his seclusion!


    Sterl refined all his umted experience, reaching level 108, and learned the previously acquired iplete Iridescent-Level skill along the way.


    At this moment, Sterl noticed something peculiar. After his cheat absorbed some Fortune and he broke through to the third ss, there was a subtle change.


    Sterl''s cheat now granted him a special vision through his novice finger, allowing him to forcibly view attributes of items not belonging to him, such as other yers'' equipment and skills, or special items hidden within various entities (simr to Ethereal Crystal fragments).


    Moreover, after viewing these attributes, Sterl could now allocate points to items and skills that weren''t his.


    "It seems useful, but also kind of pointless," Sterl mused, as it didn''t seem to align with his style to allocate points to things that didn''t belong to him.


    But soon he realized...


    Wait, this ability could be quite useful!


    Sterl could use his cheat''s new ability during battles with other yers to identify whether their equipment was highly valuable, and then consider using a Fate Token to forcibly obtain it.


    Yes, this new ability is indeed quite nice!


    Because of the cheat''s new function, Sterl deliberately went out for a few rounds. He noticed many legendary demigods had one or two valuable items stashed away, making Sterl almost drool.


    However, aside from equipment, he discovered that every yer seemed to have a golden document-like thing within their bodies.


    Sterl even chose to observe himself and found the same thing inside his own body.


    Even with the cheat''s mystical abilities, Sterl could see the document but couldn''t interact with it in any way. The cheat couldn''t even disy the document''s attributes.


    "What on earth is this thing?"


    "It looks like some sort of contract document," Sterl spected, feeling instinctively uneasy about the golden document.


    But for now, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    He even took a short break, leaving the Hall of Valor for a day, using a teleportation scroll to randomly search for yers in nearby countries. He found that the golden document was present in everyone, without exception.


    Eventually, Sterl concluded, "This thing won''t affect me for now. Perhaps when the cheat upgrades, I''ll be able to truly view and manipte it."


    He wasn''t worried.


    Compared to other yers, at least he was aware of the document''s existence, and once the cheat could interact with it, even if the document was harmful, it wouldn''t matter.


    He would just allocate points to it, reinforcing it into something beneficial for himself...


    Sterl quickly stopped worrying about the document.


    Over the next few days, he still had several Law Insight Exchange Vouchers and insight opportunities from his status level.


    Sterl decisively invested his efforts into understanding the Arcane Law, because he only needed one insight opportunity to store arge amount of Arcane energy knowledge in his Arcane Soul.


    Thus, afterpleting level training and honing his arcane skill, Sterl focused onprehending the Arcane Law.


    Although he could use Blood Force to add points, Sterl thought it wouldn''t hurt to train a bit more while waiting for his cheat to cool down. Saving some Blood Force in the process wouldn''t be a bad idea either.


    In the following days, Sterl wasn''t in too much of a hurry. He wanted to be fully prepared before causing trouble for those demigod guilds.


    First, he added points to his equipment. Unfortunately, most of the gear could only be slightly enhanced and couldn''t undergo a qualitative change. After spending about a week, he managed to gather nearly 200 points of overall attribute bonuses.


    Then, in thest ten days...


    There was still some time left before the one-month deadline Sterl had set.


    The members of the Twilight Guild were holding on, driven by the hope of that one-month deadline.


    Although Sterl estimated that he could easily crush those demigods, he decided to y it safe. He continued to add points ten times to the Heavenly Curtain core to increase his Hall of Valor privileges.


    [You have gained Level 1 Hall of Valor privileges.]


    [You have unlocked the following privileges:


    �� You can currently...


    �� You have acquired partial enforcement rights, allowing you to temporarily nullify other yers'' identity levels.]


    [Shares needed to advance to the next privilege level: 0/100]


    "Not bad," Sterl nodded. He immediately thought of several creative ways to use the ability to nullify other yers'' identity levels...


    At this moment, he was enveloped in an extremely peculiar aura.


    It made him appear extremely mysterious and inexplicably ominous.


    During these ten days, Sterl wasn''t idle. He spent 0.865 Blood Force on Arcane Law (intentionally pacing his training) and eleven points on Curse Law.


    Both reached the perfected level! Additionally, he became proficient in the basic use of both Law Powers.


    The Cursed Law granted Sterl several benefits:


    - A 200% resistance to various curses, poisons, and negative status effects.


    - Enhanced curse effects, amplifying the negative status effects inflicted on opponents.


    - Randomly inflicting a negative status effect on the enemy with any damage-dealing skill.


    - The ability to detonate negative statuses on opponents, causing massive damage.


    - If Sterl obtained an opponent''s body parts like blood or hair, he could perform a remote curse kill, whose effectiveness depended on the rtive strength of both parties. This could potentially kill an enemy one tier above him but required extensive energy and rare items.


    Sterl wasn''t particrly interested in stacking curses to finish off enemies; he saw it as just another damage method. The remote curse kill, in particr, was something he found too cumbersome to use.


    However, the passive benefits of Law Power were undeniable and very practical!


    Moreover...


    With both Arcane and Cursed Laws reaching the perfected level, Silent Domain''s power surged dramatically! He also mastered its second form, The End of All Things!


    Sterl closed his eyes slightly to sense the change. When he reopened them a few secondster, even he was astonished by the power he felt!


    With the inclusion of Cursed Law, Silent Domain no longer merely silenced enemies but also inflicted numerous debuff effects. These debuffs could be directly detonated through Silent Domain, causing much higher damage than detonating them through Cursed Law.


    The End of All Things further amplified Silent Domain''s effects. In simple terms, it could now seal legendary abilities and Law Power!


    The ability to seal Law Power could be toggled on or off. If activated, the energy consumption would skyrocket, but it meant that Sterl would be able to instantly kill any demigod he encountered. Once enveloped by The End of All Things, the opponent would lose their Law Power, turning them into defenseless prey!


    "And this is just with two perfected-level Law Powers."


    "If I had two perfect-level Laws, wouldn''t I be able to seal even divine-level beings?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    Even though Silent Domain couldn''t have points allocated to it, its power was nowparable to Flowing Water, Ten Thousand des!


    "No wonder it''s designed to face cmities, the Hall of Valor''s pinnacle of wisdom."


    He marveled.


    "It''s just... the energy consumption is a bit high."


    However, Sterl also felt a bit helpless. Having just advanced to the third ss, his energy cap had increased significantly, but so had the gap in his energy requirements.

 Chapter 288: Invitation to Negotiate, Catch Them All

    "Fortunately, with the upgrade of Arcane Law and the benefits from refining the grand array earlier, my energy cap has increased and my energy consumption has decreased considerably."


    "Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to sustain the second form of Silent Domain."


    After organizing his current strength, Sterl opened his private message page.


    The yers of the Twilight Guild were still desperately seeking help, while Sosia and Sonis were struggling to hold on, sending no messages at all.


    Sterl chuckled lightly, showing no signs of anger toward the demigod guilds'' relentless pursuit.


    He replied to the private messages sent by more than a dozen demigod guilds earlier.


    "Aren''t you interested in purchasing? Let''s discuss the acquisition tomorrow. How about picking a ce?"


    "I, the guild master with the transfer rights, wille personally."


    "You can all bid, and the highest offer wins."


    Sterl''s n was straightforward. The SSS guild''s transfer rights were something those demigods would definitely want to acquire in person. If the rights were transferred to a subordinate, there was a risk they might sell or embezzle them.


    Moreover, if other demigods were present, they could potentially seize the guild rights by force.


    As long as one demigod decided toe personally, the others would have toe as well.


    With this invitation, it was highly likely that the demigods behind the siege of Twilight woulde in person!


    In fact, just as Sterl expected, it didn''t take long for him to receive a reply after sending out his private messages.


    [President David, you truly understand the situation.]


    [We''ll stick to the previous price; we won''t shortchange you.]


    [As for the location, how about the Secret Council Chamber in the Hall of Valor? We''ll cover the contribution points for renting the room.]


    MVLeMpYr-content


    "Just as I thought."


    Sterl sneered.


    The so-called Secret Council Chamber was a special space rented within the Hall of Valor. With the support of formations and spatial Law, each chamber had an area of about tens of thousands of square meters. It was indeed a good ce for private discussions.


    However, once you entered the Secret Council Chamber, you couldn''t leave unless the chamber master allowed it.


    In other words...


    These demigod guilds clearly had bad intentions. As a weakling like David, if he entered the Secret Council Chamber, many demigods could use the Honorable Kill privileges to control him.


    Afterward, they wouldn''t need to spend any Valor Contribution Points. They could simply torture and interrogate "David" to force him to hand over the rights.


    Due to the special nature of the Secret Council Chamber, even using teleportation abilities would be useless to escape.


    Originally, Sterl wanted to agree with a cold sneer, but after some thought, he found it unwise.


    Although he believed those demigods would think a third-ss guild master was a mere ant they could easily crush, there was always a chance they might be as cautious as he was.


    Would it be suspicious for David to agree to such an unreasonable request so easily?


    Thus, he replied again��


    [No need, I''ll open the Secret Council Chamber myself.]


    As expected, Sterl quickly received a positive response. Those demigod guilds decisively agreed to his terms. Moreover, as a gesture of goodwill, they withdrew their pursuit of the Twilight Guild.


    Afterward, Sterl continued to sit quietly in his room, contemting the use of his tinum-level skills, Silent Domain and Flowing Water, Ten Thousand des.


    Until suddenly, Sosia and Sonis barged into the room.


    "Master, didn''t you see our messages?"


    "Why did you suddenly decide to negotiate?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Who are you??"


    Their voices suddenly turned panicked.


    "And who are you??"


    "What do you mean, ''Master''??"


    Rosalie''s voice echoed from within the room.


    "Wait, are you the Curse and Spider Goddess??"


    When Sterl walked out of the room, he found Sosia and Sonis inplete shock. After all, demigods in the Hall of Valor were well-known figures, and Rosalie''s notoriety was particrly high. The chances of Sosia and Sonis recognizing her were quite high.


    Rosalie, however, wore a vignt expression: "Master, they''ve recognized my identity. Should we...?"


    The demigod girl, looking like a young maiden, exuded a palpable killing intent.


    Sterl stepped forward, embracing Rosalie with one arm and pulling the Sosia sisters close with the other.


    "No need! We''re all family here."


    "Ah?"


    "Ah!"


    Both Rosalie and the Sosia sisters were momentarily surprised but quickly epted the situation.


    In [Transcendence], strength was paramount, and it was not umon for powerful individuals to have multiple "beauties."


    Rosalie knew that her mother had numerous male consorts. She quickly epted the reality.


    The Sosia sisters, too, regained theirposure. They knew their valuey more in managing the guild for Sterl than in mere physical attraction.


    However, the calm eptance from both sides actually annoyed Sterl...


    What did they mean by taking it so lightly??


    Fine!


    Don''t me me for teaching you a lesson!


    With a casual toss, Sterl threw the three beauties onto the floor.


    Before he could say anything...


    Both groups, whether Sosia and Sonis or Rosalie, lunged at him like hungry tigers.


    They eagerly removed Sterl''s clothes, and soon they were all half-kneeling on the floor, jostling for position.


    Sterl felt...


    A different rhythm and sensation than usual.


    Both sides were eager to push the other away and monopolize him.


    Rosalie, without any guidance, mimicked what Sterl had forced her to dost time. She opened her mouth and swallowed him whole, making Sterl feel himself prating her throat, experiencing her urgent swallowing and grinding.


    It was incredibly satisfying!


    Yet, in a nonbat situation, the numerical advantage of Sosia and Sonis sisters proved too much.


    They quickly pushed Rosalie aside. Sosia took her ce, never letting Sterl feel neglected, using her superior skills to make Sterl lean back in his seat, eyes half-closed in pleasure.


    Meanwhile, Sonis didn''t stay idle. She pinned Rosalie to the ground, kissing her skillfully until Rosalie was flushed and disoriented.


    Rosalie was resilient and quickly rejoined the fray.


    Without using anybat abilities, a demigod''s attributes still held a slight edge.


    Thepetition between the three "maidens" heated up even more.


    Even without looking, Sterl could feel his lower half being licked by different mouths.


    This strange sensation was incredibly satisfying.


    Finally, unable to hold back, he stood up and pinned the three girls, who were still fighting, beneath him.


    This was Sterl''s first time ying with three at once...


    He was exceptionally excited.


    Sterl firstforted the demigod girl who had been bullied by the sisters.


    He embraced Rosalie, entering her roughly, one hand choking her throat, the other squeezing her pale skin.


    At the same time, he increased his force, driving into her with explosive power.


    "Ugh ugh ugh~~"


    Rosalie''s eyes rolled back instantly, almost screaming.


    Sterl''s hand stopped its squeezing motion and stuffed itself into Rosalie''s mouth.


    "Ugh ugh..."


    Rosalie''s cries were cut off, reduced to meaningless whimpers.


    Sosia and Sonis were initially shocked.


    Since when had their master be so wild?


    But seeing Rosalie''s body trembling with excitement and her eyes filled with pleasure, they realized this new sister had a bit of a masochistic streak...


    One of them approached, hands roaming Rosalie''s body, making her even more excited and disoriented.


    The other passionately kissed Sterl, engaging in forey.


    But Sterl didn''t n to focus on just one person.


    Soon, as Rosalie trembled and rolled her eyes, he grabbed Sosia and Sonis, stacking them on top of the demigod girl.


    Looking at the pale, voluptuous sandwich in front of him, Sterl began to enjoy it without hesitation.


    He thrust rapidly.


    The girls'' moans blended together, making it impossible to distinguish who was who.


    Sterl held them down firmly, making it impossible for the three girls to move, allowing himself to indulge freely.


    Pinned at the bottom, Rosalie felt a hint of breathless pleasure, growing even more excited.


    Despite their restricted movements, Sosia and Sonis still tried to wriggle their hips, bringing Sterl a different kind of pleasure.


    For a long time, Sterl looked at the three girls beside him, who had long since passed out.


    Only then did he nod in satisfaction and prepare to get up and leave.


    Unexpectedly, Sosia and Sonis, at some point, reached out their hands and grabbed Sterl''s calf.


    "Master..."


    Before they could finish their sentence, Sterl casually nodded and said, "I know what you mean."


    "Actually, I could have dealt with those demigod guilds earlier, but I was just missing that final bit of certainty."


    "Now, it''s time to harvest them."


    He spoke calmly, as if he was talking about having bread for breakfast the next day rather than wiping out a bunch of demigod guilds.


    Then, Sterl slowly walked out of the room.


    In their dazed state, Sosia and Sonis felt that his figure was incredibly towering, like a god!


    The next day, just as Sterl arrived near the Assembly Hall, he noticed that Sosia and Sonis had already gathered the members of the Twilight Guild.


    They were just waiting for their guild master to make his appearance.


    Sterl smiled slightly.


    He knew that at times like this, he needed to say a few words to reassure the guild members.


    "Everyone, thank you for your hard work."


    "You''ve all endured a lot during this time."


    The expressions of the Twilight Guild members changed slightly, some bing emotional.


    But just then, a noisy discussion suddenly broke out around them, shattering the beautiful moment.

 Chapter 289: Im So Angry!

    "You finally came out?"


    "I thought you enjoyed being cornered and hunted down all over the Hall of Valor."


    "Finally figured it out? An SSS-level guild isn''t something trash like you can possess."


    ...


    In the Assembly Hall, at some unknown point, groups of legendary yers began emerging from various corners. Every one of them wore a sneer, looking at Sterl and the other members of the Twilight Guild with extreme disdain and mockery on their faces.


    Don''t be fooled by their arrogant demeanor; they had been observing from the periphery for quite a while.


    They only appeared after confirming that the demigod behind the Twilight Guild hadn''t shown up.


    "Did your demigod lord abandon you too?"


    "So, have youe to your senses and decided to transfer the guild to us?"


    "Seems like you have a bit of brains after all."


    The legendary yers spoke coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl initially thought his guild members would be united in their anger and hostility. However, what he saw were averted gazes, and some even looked at Guild Leader "David" with a hint of relief.


    The Twilight Guild members thought that these legendary yers had a point, after all!


    Originally, Guild Leader "David" had said that in a month, the demigod lord would bring reinforcements to save them. Now, before the month was up, the guild leader had already invited other demigod guilds for negotiations. What did this imply?


    It implied...


    The n involving the demigod and reinforcements had fallen through!


    It''s not like the demigod would risk everything for one guild against numerous other demigods.


    Not a chance!


    David initiating negotiations early meant there was no hope of finding reinforcements, so he didn''t want to drag it out any longer.


    If there was even a glimmer of hope, the guild leader would have stalled for the full month.


    The Twilight Guild members had already figured it out...


    Today, they were going to hand over the guild.


    As for the legendary yers humiliating them, let them. For the past month, the Twilight Guild members had been cornered like dogs, often dragged out to be "paraded" in the council hall. What face did they have left to lose?


    Moreover, the legendary yers weren''t wrong. They had been hiding, their guild leader had been avoiding confrontation, and they only appeared now out of desperation.


    Then��


    "Is that the Twilight Guild?"


    "Weren''t they hiding all this time? Why did they alle out today?"


    "Damn! My scouting report is back. That guild leader is really just third ss!"


    "Shit, no wonder those guilds were hunting them down. If I were them, I''d do the same. How could such a trashy group hold such a good guild?"


    "No wonder the guild leader didn''t dare show his face; he''s so weak."


    ...


    For a moment, countless people around were discussing the situation.


    It''s clear that saying they looked down on and despised them was putting it lightly. In the Hall of Valor, it was a brutal world of survival of the fittest, where strength was paramount. To the surrounding spectators, Twilight indeed didn''t deserve to possess an SSS-level guild!


    Moreover, even though they knew that Twilight supposedly had a demigod backing them, the onlookers continued their mockery unabated because they had been doing so for almost a month.


    And nothing had happened.


    Instantly...


    Sterl''s face remained calm andposed, exuding steadiness. But internally, he was fuming: "Damn it! I worked so hard to organize our formation, thinking it would be imposing."


    "Instead, we''re getting trashed by everyone!"


    "Are we at a point where even bystanders spit when they see the Twilight Guild??"


    "Ridiculous!"


    Sterl''s thoughts were clear. ording to the n, he was to enter the Secret Council Chamber to deal with those demigods. This meant that the mockery from these onlookers couldn''t be immediately countered.


    They had no idea what was going to happen inside the Secret Council Chamber.


    Even if Sterl managed to kill all the demigods and left the chamber, was he supposed to announce��


    "I''ve dealt with all the demigods. All of you who mocked me, apologize now!"


    What kind of a show-off would that be?


    As he was pondering this, Sosia and Sonis, standing beside him, showed a trace of anger in their eyes. Clearly, they couldn''t hold back any longer and were about to step forward to argue.


    To them, if their master was insulted, it was their duty to defend him! It didn''t matter if it was just a group of legendary yers or even demigod beings; no one had the right to mock their master.


    At this moment, Sterl gently raised his hand, stopping the sisters in their tracks, disying an aura of a true strongman.


    However, to the onlookers and those legendary yers, this scene was just another reason to mock: "He doesn''t even dare to fight back when insulted?"


    "No wonder he''s a third-ss loser!"


    "It''s hrious. Getting humiliated like this and not even daring to say a word!"


    "The Twilight Guild really is a bunch of cowards from top to bottom!"


    "How did this garbage even pass our Hall of Valor trials? They should be kicked out."


    ...


    The sneers and jeers continued, as if the yers were watching a group of clowns.


    "..."


    Sterl fell silent.


    His anger red up instantly.


    Fine! Fine! Fine! So this is how you want to y it?


    Damn it...


    He nced at the surrounding yers, and although most of them had nothing to do with the demigod guilds and were just bystanders, Sterl made a mental note of them.


    Later, he would make them cry!


    At this moment, the members of the Twilight Guild were looking at Guild Leader "David" with a mix of embarrassment and resentment.


    Come on, our Vice Guild Leaders Sosia and Sonis could have yelled back; it wouldn''t have hurt. Why stop them, making us even more ashamed now��


    However, at that very instant, faint sounds of air currents suddenly arose from various directions. No one''s expressions changed because not a single one of them realized what was happening.


    Sterl allowed a small smile to appear on his face, silently praising the timing��


    Perfect!


    Finally, something to break this awkward situation.


    In the next instant, from the front, back, left, right, sides, and even underground, a dozen or so auras locked tightly onto Sterl. read-on-MVLeMpYr


    Then, over a dozen demigods made their appearance. Each of them had only projected a mere thought, which transformed into an immensely powerful force of Suppression.


    All the third-ss and legendary yers present felt an overwhelming pressure, forcing them to their knees!


    The surrounding spectators, who were mostly of legendary or third-ss strength, also crouched down in terror, gazing at the newly appeared demigods with eyes full of reverence and unease.


    Only one person��Sterl��stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a true master.


    He looked around with a cheerful smile: "One... two... three..."


    "Why are there only 17 of you?"


    "Where''s the other one? Or has he given up on contesting for our Twilight Guild?"


    While Sterl was initially shocked by the shamelessness of these demigods��


    They had imed they would meet in the Secret Council Chamber, yet they acted much sooner, apparently even against someone like David, a third-ss, aiming to catch him off guard.


    Ruthless!


    Cautious!


    But for Sterl, this was a good thing!


    His previous worry about not being able to intimidate the surrounding spectators was now resolved.


    At this moment, Sterl''s stance caused a slight change in the expressions of everyone present.


    "Does this Twilight Guild leader have some item to resist the aura suppression?" thought some of the legendary yers.


    "Now he vaguely looks like a proper guild leader, but being locked onto by over a dozen demigods, no item will help. Is it really worth it just to keep up appearances?" wondered the spectators.


    "Heh, even at this point, trying to maintain dignity?"


    "Fine, hand over the guild''s authority, and we''ll let you retain some dignity and spare your life," one of the demigods finally spoke up.


    As for the other members of the Twilight Guild, they were beyond caring. They just wanted to quickly transfer the guild and settle this matter.


    They truly couldn''t hold on any longer!


    Sterl frowned slightly. Such a standout moment, and yet there was no impressive effect��


    He immediately shot a very unfriendly look at the group of demigods.


    Sterl''s expression was naturally noticed, and in an instant, one of the demigods frowned slightly.


    "What, are you dissatisfied?"


    "Deserves to die!"


    Immediately, that demigod waved his hand, releasing a dark purple glow, which was the power of the Curse Law.


    This special Law, once it hits, can cause extreme corrosion and bring various negative states, torturing a person to the point of unbearable pain.


    The other demigods just watched this scene coldly, as if looking at a dead man.


    They had already analyzed the situation. The demigod backing Twilight probably didn''t dare toe, leaving only this third-ss guild leader to stand up.


    A third-ss offending a demigod, even if he handed over the guild authority, he would still have to die.


    As for the others present, they were too shocked to react.


    Meanwhile...


    High above the Assembly Hall, the Hall of Valor''s building was not only vast in area but also towering in height. At this moment, a person was sitting on a pnquin carried by several iplete-level demigods, coldly watching the scene below.


    One of the demigods couldn''t help but ask, "My lord, aren''t you going to take action?"


    On the pnquin, a young man merely shook his head slightly. "No rush."


    "No rush."


    A slight aura leaked from him, indicating that he had just broken through and was not yet stable. The surrounding demigods immediately showed expressions of extreme reverence because this person was��


    A Supreme!


    Even a newly promoted Supreme held a very high status in the Hall of Valor! The strongest below the gods.


    And next to this Supreme, there was a servant-like figure, who turned out to be the missing guild leader from the 18 demigod guilds besieging Sterl''s Twilight Guild.


    He didn''t refuse to fight for the Twilight Guild; rather, he had been forcibly captured by this Supreme and made to sign a ve contract, preventing him from participating in the siege against David.


    However, this iplete-level demigod''s eyes shed with a hint of longing and hope.


    The newly promoted Supreme happened to need a 3S-level guild to embellish his status. By providing this information, he might even receive some rewards. Not a bad deal.

 Chapter 290: Annihilation in One Move!

    The Supreme slightly raised his hand.


    He didn''t bother to speak much with the other demigods. Even as a Supreme, he needed to maintain his dignity. To negotiate with over a dozen allied demigods, he would have to strike a deal to acquire the guild.


    But on the contrary, while all their attention was on that third-ss, he would strike decisively.


    Killing all the demigods...


    The third-ss would be immensely grateful. Coupled with a few words of persuasion given his Supreme status and position, he could make the guild leader willingly hand over the guild, thus creating a fine narrative. How perfect!


    Streams of energy surged around the Supreme, clearly indicating a tinum-level skill ready to be unleashed.


    ...


    Below, Sterl also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Finally...


    You made your move.


    His eyes glinted, and the bright purple enhancement of Arcane Law shone, with golden mes roaring around him. At the same time, a faint roar echoed beside him.


    Various enhancements were maximized instantly.


    Then, waves of water flowed, transforming into sickle-like flying des that hovered in the air. These easily disintegrated the Curse Law Power and then scattered in all directions.


    The flying des surged with incredible speed. Though they seemed to move slowly, they easily tore through space, with all forms of energy around them rapidly dissolving, akin to sunlight melting snow.


    The demigods present instantly shifted from their previously rxed demeanor to one of alertness.


    They all felt a tremendous threat from those flying des. If they didn''t take it seriously...


    They would die! MVLeMpYr-the-story-tform


    They were terrified!


    How could it be possible... for a third-ss to unleash such an attack? Or was there another master pulling strings from the shadows?


    In a sh of thought, fragmented ideas raced through the demigods'' minds.


    Each of them exerted their utmost effort, releasing their Law Powers or tinum-level skills...


    Desperately fighting for survival!


    It was only at this moment that those below the level of demigods realized what was happening.


    The third-ss guild leader had been locked onto by a Law Power, then his body emitted a strange glow, and countless water-formed des appeared around him, directly slicing through the Law Power.


    Then those Flowing Water des counterattacked, forcing the other demigods to gather their moves.


    ???


    Wasn''t it said that the demigod backing Twilight had long fled? Or had he not fled but had been waiting in the shadows for the right moment to strike?


    None of the people present, including members of the Twilight Guild, the demigod guild, or the spectators, believed that the Flowing Water des were Sterl''s doing.


    Only a Law of the same level could counteract another Law!


    No matter how formidable a third-ss''s aura was, it merely indicated that��


    He had activated a protective skill with a dazzling special effect to ensure his survival.


    As for the situation on the battlefield...


    "Heh, overestimating themselves!"


    The yers from the demigod guilds and the onlookers couldn''t help but think of this phrase.


    Because those Flowing Water formations were clearly triggered by a demigod, facing a dozen demigods was nothing but looking for...


    Huh??


    "Trash from the Twilight Guild..." A legendary yer was about to mock when he suddenly felt something wet on his face.


    "Aaah!" he screamed! The liquid on his face was the blood of the demigod who had unleashed the Curse Law, and it was highly corrosive!


    Other legendary yers nearby weren''t necessarily that unlucky.


    But they also felt a chill down their spines as they realized that they had stters of blood on them as well.


    Then, they looked forward and were shocked to discover��


    The sky darkened for a brief second.


    Then, like harvesting wheat, the Flowing Water des easily sliced through the various skills released by the demigods. Whether it was space-distorting ripples or tinum-level skills harnessing some extremely rare elemental energies...


    All were utterly obliterated under the slicing of the Flowing Water des!


    Not to mention the terrifying output of Sterl''s top-level tinum skill, augmented by his massive enhancements.


    Sterl even used his increased stamina limit to cast the first form of Silent Domain, which, while it couldn''t prohibit Law Powers, could seal many of the demigods'' enhancement effects, greatly reducing the power of their moves!


    In such a scenario of rising and falling power.


    The consummate Flowing Water Law-driven skills annihted everything with ease.


    It was like a splendid firework disy suddenly extinguished by cold water gushing in from all directions.


    Subsequently, countless Flowing Water des ughtered the demigods in their post-skill-release rigid states!


    Everyone was pierced through by the frenzied stabbing of the des, followed by explosions; the desposed of water and blood shredded all flesh and solid matter within the area into fragments.


    From afar, it looked like points of light suddenly pierced into the demigods'' bodies, and in the next second, they exploded like over-inted balloons, bursting into a mist of blood.


    In an instant, the demigods were wiped out.


    In the next second, several beams of divine light appeared. About three or four demigods resurrected on the spot, clearly having triggered resurrection-type skills. However, some demigods, whose survival abilities didn''t include "resurrection," had no chance to trigger such skills and perished on the spot.


    And Sterl simply tossed a purple-gold token into the air, revealing a smile.


    Just now, after a long search...


    A rare de Law had actually been cultivated by a demigod.


    Sterl decisively activated the Fate Token, seizing it. If his blood force hadn''t already beenpletely depleted, he would have immediately spent points to evolve it into a Fragmented de Law.


    However, ording to the intelligence reports from Sosia and Sonis, Sterl knew that this particr demigod seemed to have never used any de techniques after advancing to demigod.


    Through the probability list obtained from the Fate Token, Sterl discovered that the demigod''s legendary ability was [Ultimate Chaos de], a power strongly associated with de Law.


    Sterl felt he had figured out the truth: this demigod initially aimed to advance using de Law, but the ability was too difficult to cultivate without any formal method. He had to continuously ponder sword and de techniques on his own.


    Eventually, this demigod had no choice but to abandon the de Law Power he had already cultivated and switch to an elemental Law, easily advancing due to his exceptional talent...


    In summary, the de Law was not particrly powerful but was extremely challenging to cultivate.


    Sterl couldn''t help but smile slightly, feeling that his own fortune was indeed quite good...


    Wait, fortune?


    He paused for a moment, silently realizing that the Fortune within his body had entirely dissipated. However, this dissipation was cyclical.


    Sterl would endure a period of bad luck before Fortune would restore itself.


    In contrast, if a cheat ability devoured Fortune, it would be a permanent loss, never to be recovered.


    Although Sterl seemed deep in thought, it was actually just a brief moment.


    Those few demigods who had resurrected were utterly terrified. They couldn''tprehend what had just happened but had one thought in their minds��escape!


    They needed to flee immediately.


    Meanwhile, the other onlookers, whether from the Twilight Guild or elsewhere, were in a state of confusion.


    Who am I? Where am I? Am I under an illusion? How did all those demigods die?


    Right! It must be an illusion; it must be my imagination.


    In a very short time...


    People couldn''t understand what was happening...


    Instead...


    High above, a severely injured demigod froze, then loudly praised.


    "Master, your skills are indeed unparalleled. We didn''t even sense your presence, yet you resolved all the enemies."


    "As expected of a Supreme, you make us feel like mere mortals!"


    "Such power! We were like frogs in a well before, but seeing you, we now know what true strength is."


    ...


    The fragmented demigods spoke from the heart. Earlier, they had merely sensed the Supreme''s intention to act, and in an instant, they understood his strategy: kill the demigods and bestow this favor upon the third-ss guild.


    However...


    At this moment, these fragmented demigods were filled with profound reverence.


    Is this the power of a Supreme? How terrifying!


    They couldn''t fathom how the Supreme had acted, how he had summoned those absurd Flowing Water des to ughter the other demigods!


    Each of the fragmented demigods trembled all over. If the Supreme had wanted to kill them, they would have had no power to resist.


    Only the Supreme himself was somewhat bewildered...


    I haven''t even made a move yet; what are you all talking about?


    Wait, how did all those demigods die? Who did this? What the hell!


    The "Supreme" instantly felt a chill run down his spine.


    First, he ruled out an incorrect assumption: those Flowing Water des couldn''t possibly have been unleashed by the third-ss guild leader, who was brimming with energy fluctuations.


    That meant there was another hidden powerhouse capable of easily decimating perfected-level demigods!


    Damn it!


    Luckily, I didn''t step in earlier. If he had ambushed me too, I might have been severely injured or even killed. How terrifying!!


    However...


    The Supreme couldn''t help but smile.


    The hidden powerhouse''s biggest mistake was not realizing my presence.


    Now that I''m prepared, you won''t catch me off guard!


    ...


    Below, Sterl was unaware that everyone had ruled out the wrong answer, convinced it couldn''t have been him who acted.


    Sterl merely watched the shadows of the fleeing demigods with a cold smile.


    Do they really think they can escape?


    Moon Law, activate!


    Swoosh!


    Although in battles above the demigod level, almost everyone guards against such powerful control Laws, rendering Sterl''s Moon Law ineffective.


    The fleeing demigods quickly pulled out tools to break free of control, but in that brief, dyed moment when they took out the tools...


    A terrifying figure suddenly appeared in front of them.


    It was the Supreme who had been sitting high above.


    The aura of the Supreme instantly suppressed the demigods. Before they could react further, the Flowing Water des pierced their bodies, turning them into a mist of blood just like the earlier demigods.


    Boom!


    They exploded!

 Chapter 291: So It Was the Supreme Who Acted

    Thus, the entire group that besieged the Twilight Guild waspletely annihted!


    Except for one lucky fellow who hadn''t arrived yet��he was captured by the Supreme and taken as a ve, still flying in the sky watching the battle.


    Sterl slowly dissolved the Flowing Water des, turning them into wisps of steam in mid-air.


    At this moment...


    The many yers present exchanged nces, looking at each other. Finally, they seemed to have figured things out!


    Just now...


    A demigod attempted to attack the third-ss guild leader, only to have his skill shattered by the water-like des. Simultaneously, the Flowing Water des began attacking all the demigods on the field, ughtering them all.


    The few demigods with resurrection abilities fled desperately.


    At this point, the Supreme appeared! The yers of the Hall of Valor generally had keen discernment and could recognize the aura of a Supreme.


    After blocking the demigods, the Supreme allowed the Flowing Water des to finish them off. Thus, there was only one possible conclusion��


    Everything that happened was the work of the Supreme. He acted to protect the guild leader of the Twilight Guild and ughtered the others; the Flowing Water des were his doing.


    As for the reason...


    A quick analysis by those present made it clear: even a Supreme, no matter how powerful, could be harmed by a joint attack from over a dozen demigods. So, he preemptively killed the demigods'' ambush, saving the life of the third-ss guild leader.


    This would ensure the guild leader would obediently offer up the guild.


    For a moment, the atmosphere was a bit strange.


    But then the yers, including the legendary yers from the demigod guilds, began to cheer loudly.


    "As expected of the Supreme! Such powerful strength!"


    "Those demigods were bullying the weak, and the Supreme decisively acted, bringing justice to the Hall of Valor."


    "Could this be a perfect-level Flowing Water Law? Truly awe-inspiring!"


    ...


    The yers'' acting skills were impable; each one seemed to genuinely admire the Supreme.


    It appeared they had long been dissatisfied with the demigods'' actions but were too weak to do anything about it. Now, seeing someone act righteously, they were immensely grateful!


    Even the members of the Twilight Guild, regardless of whether this newly appeared Supreme intended to take over the guild, quickly offered their thanks.


    "Thank you, my lord, for your assistance!"


    "Our guild was nearly forcibly taken."


    ...


    Each one expressed their gratitude, their expressions quite sincere.


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the field turned harmonious.


    Everyone was extremely thankful to the Supreme.


    Everyone was deeply appalled by the actions of the previous demigods. Now, after enduring through the hardships, they have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, as the Supreme Lord hase to deliver justice!


    However, amidst this atmosphere, there were two individuals who felt extremely out of ce.


    It wasn''t Sosia and Sonis; for the safety of their guild and their master, they also praised the Supreme a bit.


    Of the two ufortable individuals, the first was the Supreme himself, feeling both uneasy and panicked.


    He was uneasy because he had twice tried to make a move but had to hold back��he simply couldn''t act!


    At the same time, he stared at the "Eye of the Raven" on his status panel, feeling that something was amiss.


    "Eye of the Raven" was an extremely rare tinum-tier scouting skill that required Insight Law to learn.


    The Supreme had spent a considerable amount of Valor Contribution Points specifically for this skill, training his Insight Law to a fragmented state.


    Previously, "Eye of the Raven" had helped the Supreme discover numerous hidden missions, plots, and enemies without fail.


    But today, despite maintaining "Eye of the Raven" for a long time, he still couldn''t find out which hidden powerhouse had unleashed the Flowing Water des, making him very uneasy!


    The other ufortable person, needless to say, was Sterl!


    He had initially heard the surrounding exmations of astonishment, thinking he had once again perfectly executed his act of pretense��


    A dramatic reversal, where the once arrogant demigods were all ughtered by the weak third-ss "David"!


    Sterl was ready to reveal that David was actually a guise for a powerful entity behind the Twilight Guild.


    That way, it wouldn''t seem too absurd.


    But the result was...


    It had nothing to do with him!


    Everyone thought it was the newly appeared so-called Supreme who had resolved everything.


    Sterl was dumbfounded!


    The surrounding yers all looked at the Supreme with extreme reverence, but when they looked at the Twilight Guild and its guild leader, they were still full of disdain and contempt.


    Damn it.


    Do I have to keep being looked down upon today!!


    Sterl was furious!


    So, the scene fell into a strange atmosphere. Sterl, caught off guard, was forced to think about how to act in a more impressive manner.


    The Supreme was even more panicked, feeling immense psychological pressure without discovering the hidden enemy.


    The Hall of Valor was filled with countless powerful beings. If he, as a Supreme, thought he could crush everything, he might meet a very tragic end...


    He tightened his aura, fearing an ambush.


    And seeing the Supreme not moving, who else dared to move?


    They could only stand there with awkward smiles, frozen in ce.


    Luckily, the stalemate was broken after a second or two.


    In an attempt to curry favor, the legendary yers from the demigod guilds stepped forward and approached Sterl: "Why are you still standing there?"


    "The Supreme saved you."


    "Hurry up and offer the guild. You should know, a third-ss guild isn''t something you can keep!"


    Finally, it hit the right note!


    Sterl''s eyes shed with a hint of delight.


    In this situation, the Supreme would start demanding the guild. If I outright refused, he would get furious, and I could counterattack and shock everyone...


    Hmm?


    To Sterl''s surprise, the Supreme hesitated to make a move, instead looking into the void for some reason.


    "There should be another friend present, right? I wonder if you are the protector of the Twilight Guild."


    "Would you care to show yourself, friend?"


    "Why don''t youe out, friend?"


    The Supreme stood there like a fool, inviting several times but getting no response.


    As a result, the expressions of the crowd gradually turned odd...


    What? The Supreme is being so polite��is there really another powerful figure?


    They all looked around nervously, afraid that the hidden powerhouse might be a threat to them, while also showing respectful expressions.


    The yers didn''t think the newly appeared figure was a backup for the Twilight Guild.


    After all, if that were the case, wouldn''t it be better to reveal themselves directly? Why hide?


    This time, the yers present didn''t target the Twilight Guild or Sterl; they simply ignored thempletely!


    "I..." Sterl couldn''t take it anymore and finally took the initiative to walk toward the Supreme.


    However, the Supreme didn''t even nce at him; he was busy looking for the hidden enemy!


    At this moment, Sterl waved his hand, activating various buffs, and his body began to glow.


    In that short moment, he had replenished his energy to its peak using his energy storage pool. Now, almost face-to-face, the Supreme''s expression changed because he could clearly feel that the Flowing Water des, which had ughtered those demigods, were indeed activated by this third-ss guild leader.


    "How despicable!"


    "You actuallyunched a sneak attack!?" The Supreme''s face was full of righteous indignation. He couldn''t believe this third-ss had hidden so deeply to set him up.


    Sterl: "???"


    Didn''t I act right in front of you?


    The first wave of the Flowing Water des'' attack did not seed.


    The Supreme didn''t rush to retaliate; he used some skill to dodge to the side, avoiding the cutting des.


    At the same time, he shouted, "I never expected, never expected that it was you, the guild leader, who hid the deepest."


    "You single-handedly killed those demigods earlier."


    "But... do you know the difference between a Supreme and a demigod?"


    The Supreme, trying to disy the demeanor of a powerful figure, was also extremely vignt, watching Sterl carefully.


    Forget demigods��even legendary figures have a certain aura that marks their presence in the world. But this guild leader had hidden so thoroughly.


    There must be a secret behind this person!


    The Supreme started imagining scenarios in his mind.


    story-source-NovelFire


    But his words left everyone presentpletely dumbfounded.


    Wait, what did you say?


    You mean to tell us that the previously ughtered demigods were killed by this weakling guild leader of the Twilight Guild, and not by you, the Supreme?


    "Is that for real? No way, right?"


    "Did we hear wrong, or did the Supreme just misspeak?"


    "It kinda looks like it, though. That guild leader''s aura is really strong!"


    ...


    The crowd was abuzz with skepticism, not quite believing what they were hearing.


    Even the members of the Twilight Guild were looking around suspiciously, thinking they must have misheard.


    At this moment, Sterl no longer had to worry about being looked down upon by others because he was preupied. He was facing off against the so-called number one below the gods: the Supreme-levelbatant.


    The pressure was immense, and he felt as if his life could be taken at any moment.


    In fact, that was precisely the case. The Supreme let out a coldugh, a strange tinum light glowing from his body. This was the manifestation of his perfected Law, gradually transforming into Divine Power.


    Even before the move fully formed, Sterl felt as if he were being suppressed by countless chains in an abyssal prison, his strengthpletely drained.


    Simultaneously, a vast power from above pressed down, clearly the "strongest" form of a tinum-tier skill��the perfect form.


    Sterl had no desire to dodge; he could only submit to what seemed like certain death.


    This power was only slightly weaker than the Heavenly Curtain Mechanism of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, but still something that no non-Divine Power being could withstand!


    Sterl could barely muster the energy to activate his skills.


    But without a doubt, in this situation, even if he unleashed his skills, they couldn''t possibly contend with the iing tinum-tier skill.


    It seemed he was doomed unless he used Divine Power.


    However, Sterl remained exceptionally calm. He merely slightly invoked the power of the Arcane curse Law within him��


    Silent Domain.


    The End of All Things.

 Chapter 292: The Fall of the Supreme! The Birth of a Pseudo-Platinum Skill

    Sterl instantly felt his energy being almostpletely drained.


    Fortunately, he had already taken an [Energy Surge Capsule].


    Everyone present saw the Supreme being emanating a tinum-colored light, summoning a massive blue-green hammer. The hammer was so enormous it seemed to cover the sky, putting everyone within its attack range, yet it was firmly locked onto the Twilight Guild''s leader alone.


    At the same time...


    There was something strange about the hammer''s attack...


    It felt as though the strike had alreadynded before the skill was fully condensed and unleashed again.


    This reverse causality effect was something that couldn''t be achieved merely by the Power of Law.


    This was the difference between a Supreme and a demigod!


    Their techniques could inherently crush all beings below the divine!


    NovelFire-your-story-source


    A Supreme was the king of the mortal world!


    However...


    Suddenly, the sky darkened abruptly.


    All the yers felt as if they were in a purgatory, surrounded by endless wailing and dying lives. Everything seemed to be wrapped in a bizarre curse, gnawing and clinging to them.


    Every form of energy began to dissipate and turn into bubbles within this eerie realm, including the massive hammer summoned by the Supreme!


    Wait, what??


    Including the Supreme''s technique??


    Everyone who witnessed this scene immediately showed expressions of disbelief.


    Even though they themselves were severely weakened, copsed on the ground with multiple curse buffs and their skillspletely sealed, barely able to stand.


    The emotional shock they felt couldn''tpare to the fact that the Supreme''s skill had been nullified!


    Even another Supreme couldn''t easily erase the skill of an equal!


    The Supreme himself couldn''t help but be deeply shaken.


    No way, what kind of monster is this? I just advanced and I run into something like this?


    Regret bubbled up in his heart; he shouldn''t havee to seize this 3S-ranked guild.


    Without hesitation, the Supreme decisively fled.


    His speed was astonishing, and in the blink of an eye, he had already flown high into the sky.


    However...


    Though the people present couldn''t understand, Sterl had already unleashed abination attack thanks to the Energy Surge Capsule.


    Under The End of All Things, nearly all of the Supreme''s skills werepletely sealed, forcing him to escape using only his agility.


    Sterl unleashed countless Flowing Water des, which surged forward like a school of fish!


    Then, like homing birds, they all pierced into the Supreme''s body!


    The Supreme, who was majestic just a moment��or even a split second��ago, could only widen his eyes slightly before��


    Boom!


    A rain of blood mist fell gently,nding on everyone''s side, reflecting their stunned faces.


    At this moment, Sterl endured the intense pain. He used his small world to ce the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls directly into his mouth, igniting it. The high temperature seared his mouth, causing considerable difort.


    Fortunately, the soul power from the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls was rapidly absorbed by him,pensating for the side effects caused by the Energy Surge Capsule.


    About a secondter, Sterl returned to normal. The burns in his mouth were healed by the life force reservoir. The Fire of Ten Thousand Souls remained hidden, and Sterl appeared as if he had casually unleashed his skills throughout, seemingly ignoring the consumption, his demeanor impable.


    He maintained his usualposure.


    By now, the effects of The End of All Things had ended. The protection system of the Hall of Valor quickly restored the yers'' life force and cleared various debuffs.


    This protection system had a slight dy in activation. When faced with instantaneous,rge-area skills like Silent Domain, it couldn''t rescue the yers before they were affected.


    However, Sterl wouldn''t be penalized for this, as the Hall of Valor didn''t strictly prohibit the use ofrge-area skills that might incidentally affect other yers.


    Though their physical injuries were fully healed, the yers remained bewildered.


    They felt as if they had just witnessed...


    What?


    A Supreme being in just like that??


    It''s known that a demigod could leave their name in the Hall of Valor, and most legends would note these individuals to avoid offending them.


    But Supremes held an even higher status in the Hall of Valor, each with the potential to ascend to godhood.


    And now, a newly minted Supreme who hadn''t even registered his name was gone just like that??


    Moreover...


    This Supreme had mentioned that the Twilight Guild''s third-ss leader was extremely powerful and had previously killed many demigods.


    All these absurdities stacked together.


    But the yers present could only draw one conclusion.


    I don''t believe it!


    "This must be an illusion!"


    "We must be under the control of some demigod trying to seize the Twilight Guild."


    "Fake! It''s definitely fake!"


    ...


    The members of the Twilight Guild and some onlookers were still utterly bewildered and confused, but the demigod guild members from earlier were losing their minds, shouting loudly.


    To these people, the most uneptable oue was the Twilight Guild being so powerful that it killed all invaders!


    That would mean certain death for them, having already deeply offended the Twilight Guild.


    As these legendary yers shouted loudly, others were swayed by their fervor, thinking their reasoning made sense.


    Yeah.


    A third-ss guild leader ying a bunch of demigods and then a Supreme?


    If this illusion is fake, at least make it believable.


    Just then...


    Boom!!


    A tinum-colored meteor shot down from the sky, causing shock waves upon impact.


    All the yers had to step back, shielding their faces with their hands. Before they could react to what had happened, a notification from the [Transcendence] system appeared.


    [World mourns, for a being with the potential to ascend to godhood has fallen here!]


    [His remains will form a new Pseudo-tinum (iplete) skill, which will be the only trace he leaves in this world.]


    [World mourns...]


    ...


    The [Transcendence] broadcast repeated continuously.


    At the same time, a tinum-colored light shone brilliantly, like a star splitting the heavens.


    The expressions of the yers present grew increasingly dazed and bewildered.


    Illusions can fake anything, but the [Transcendence] game system cannot be faked. The simplest way to test this was for someone to log out and log back in based on the notification.


    The fact was, a Supreme had fallen, and his legacy was an iplete tinum skill.


    At this moment...


    While everyone was still in a state of confusion, the aura around the guild leader surged, as if he had lifted his disguise. His appearance reverted to that of the demigod who had previously fought for the Twilight Guild.


    Instantly...


    As all the yers hesitated, the members of the Twilight Guild were the first to kneel one by one.


    "Master! We knew you would act!"


    "We have endured in silence for an entire month."


    "We knew you wouldn''t abandon us."


    ...


    They fervently proimed their loyalty, their eyes filled with fanaticism.


    Sterl smiled slightly, knowing that their hearts could be relied upon. Having saved the Twilight Guild from the brink multiple times, even the most desperate situations would now leave the remaining members with a glimmer of hope...


    That another miracle would ur.


    After this battle, there was no need to worry about the guild members'' loyalty.


    Meanwhile, the sisters Sosia and Sonis remained silent, letting Sterl take the spotlight and allowing their master to shine.


    As for the onlookers, although their pupils shrank in shock, their first reaction was clear.


    Shouldn''t we run now??


    Earlier, I was one of those mocking the members of the Twilight Guild.


    Now that they were in a position of power, wouldn''t they seek revenge?


    However, Sterl simply frowned, waved his hand, and countless des of Flowing Water filled the area.


    "Did I say you could leave?"


    Swish!


    It wasn''t just a threat; Sterl controlled the des of Flowing Water to wreak havoc around the area, instantly slicing the fastest fleeing yers to pieces.


    In the process...


    Sterl also took care of four demigods lurking high above, who seemed to be from the same faction as the fallen Supreme, swiftly killing them.


    Simultaneously, he secretly used his Hall of Valor permissions to revoke the status and ranks of these yers, turning them into non-members of the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl wasn''t worried that his bold actions would cause any controversy.


    With the power of a Supreme, he had the authority to kill ordinary yers at will.


    Immediately, the yers froze in terror, their movements halted.


    The demigod guild members who had hoped to escape in the chaos turned pale with fear!


    Quickly, some of them decisively knelt down, kowtowing desperately.


    "Spare me! I was coerced by my guild leader to target you. I''m willing to sign a ve contract, just spare my life!"


    "Please, spare me! I''ll sign a ve contract too!"


    "I''m willing to give up all my equipment and items."


    ...


    These legendary yers pleaded loudly, even outbidding each other in desperation.


    Eventually, they were willing to give up everything just for a chance to live.


    Seeing this, the members of the Twilight Guild felt a sense of satisfaction. Though they had been persecuted earlier, subjected to public humiliation,


    It was better than the current plight of these legendary yers!


    "We only lost some face; they''re about to lose everything!"


    "Good! These bastards deserve it!"


    ...


    The Twilight Guild members watched the scene with great interest, their pent-up frustration dissipating.


    However, Sterl merely sneered and said,


    "A ve contract? Interesting, I''m quite interested."


    Immediately, a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the legendary yers.


    But in the next second, Sterl casually remarked,


    "Our guild doesn''t need so many ves. How about you select among yourselves? Leave twenty or thirty, that should be enough."

 Chapter 293: Guild Advancement, Level 3 Radiant Guild!

    The moment these words were spoken, the faces of the demigod guild yers changed drastically once more!


    Then...


    They exchanged nces, their eyes suddenly turning extremely sinister.


    Better them than me.


    A phrase shed through the minds of the legendary yers. It was unclear who started it, but suddenly, a scream erupted from the crowd: "Otto, are you crazy? After all these years of friendship..."


    "You actually...??" A middle-aged man with a gloomy expression looked at his former close friend in disbelief.


    The middle-aged man had considered killing other legendary yers to earn a chance at survival.


    When faced with a Supreme, no matter how cruel or vicious their words, you had toply.


    Resistance was a dead end.


    But he never expected his friend to choose to target him first.


    Why? Was it because he thought I wouldn''t be on guard?


    At that moment, simr scenes unfolded repeatedly.


    The legendary yers from the demigod guild, many of whom knew each other previously, didn''t hesitate to reveal their fangs to former friends and colleagues!


    Sterl watched with a smile, pleased by what he saw.


    He wasn''t a psychopath who enjoyed the dark side of human nature or anything like that.


    Having more ves in the guild wasn''t a bad thing; it could help him quickly earn the contribution points needed for guild upgrades and assist in selling various equipment and items for Sterl.


    And with the current method of selection, these legendary yers, willing to kill even close friends and rtives to survive, who would dare trust them in the future?


    They would be forever relegated to being vassals and puppets of the Twilight Guild!


    With the myriad skill effects and the oppressive atmosphere, the members of the Twilight Guild, though feeling a sense of sweet revenge, also felt chills in their hearts watching the scene.


    If they had chosen to betray once again, their fate would be no different from these legendary yers.


    At the same time, they felt extremely uneasy. Even if they hadn''t betrayed, their previous attitudes weren''t great. Would they be held ountable for that? That would be disastrous!


    As for...


    The surrounding onlookers, the more they watched, the more horrifying it seemed.


    They felt that the demigod behind the Twilight Guild, no, the Supreme behind it...


    Had to be somewhat of a psychopath!


    The members of the demigod guilds that had offended the Twilight Guild were truly in hell now. And those who had mocked and ridiculed them wouldn''t fare much better!


    Could they even survive?


    Amidst the low, agonizing screams and the shing of various skill effects.


    In the end, only 23 legendary yers were left standing in the arena.


    Each of them was covered in blood, having killed countless friends and partners with whom they had shared countless adventures.


    The legendary yers'' faces turned ashen, realizing they had no way out.


    They could only obediently walk up to Sterl, half-kneeling before him.


    But Sterl merely smiled faintly and turned to the members of the Twilight Guild. "What are you waiting for?"


    "Pick your ves if you fancy any."


    Sosia and Sonis wore mocking expressions as they looked at the legendary yers.


    Did you really think you could be the master''s ves after offending him?


    No way!


    Soon enough, the members of the Twilight Guild sessfully signed a bunch of ve contracts, taking in the legendary yers. Though these yers had lost their freedom, their expressions brightened somewhat, as their lives had been spared.


    Sterl then casually said, "All their belongings belong to me. You guys handle it, convert them into Valor Contribution Points and regr contribution points, and stockpile them for now."


    "Understood! Understood!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    The members of the Twilight Guild nodded repeatedly.


    Sterl then turned his gaze to the yers who had earlier mocked them, with a kind smile on his face.


    "Sir, we didn''t mean it."


    "We were just misled and spoke out of turn..."


    "We had no idea the Twilight Guild had someone as powerful as you. Please spare us; if there''s anything you need, just say the word..."


    The yers wailed one after another.


    Earlier, they were so full of themselves with their sharp criticisms, and now they were full of regret.


    Sterl had no intention of ughtering them all.


    Although he had revealed the power of the Silent Domain, his identity remained that of the demigod hidden behind the Twilight Guild.


    Moreover, it wasn''t strange for someone with Supreme-level strength to have obtained special skills from the Hall of Valor rewards.


    There was no need for a massacre.


    Sterl nodded casually, "Alright, pay a ransom for your lives."


    Upon hearing this, the yers copsed in relief.


    They knew their lives were spared.


    "Thank you, Supreme Lord!"


    "We will give everything we have!"


    "Thank you! Thank you so much."


    ...


    Sterl ignored these onlookers and turned to the surviving legendary yers.


    "Who holds the permissions for those guilds now?"


    As soon as Sterl asked, amotion erupted.


    "Me!"


    "I have it over here."


    "What do you need, sir?"


    ...


    The numerous legendary yers spoke timidly.


    In the guild system, if the guild leader died, the permissions would automatically transfer to the next highest-ranking member, such as the vice-leader.


    If the vice-leader also died, it would continue down the hierarchy.


    Until finally, the highest-ranking ordinary member would be selected as the guild leader.


    Sterl spoke up, "Now, choose to dismantle all the guilds."


    "And then channel the contribution power into my guild."


    "What??"


    The legendary yers trembled slightly. Some wanted to argue that this was a huge loss. Many of the demigod guilds had already reached levels three or four and had guild shops.


    Dismantling and converting them into contribution power would at most allow Twilight to reach level four ahead of time.


    It was a massive loss.


    But they didn''t dare to voice their concerns.


    On the other hand, Sosia and Sonis looked slightly puzzled. However, seeing the confident expression on their master''s face, they voiced no objections.


    Lord Sterl must have his reasons for his actions.


    In reality...


    As the crisp sounds rang out, the legendary yers, acting as guild leaders, took out the emerald green stones symbolizing their guild cores and crushed them one by one.


    Finally, beams of light converged towards Sterl.


    However, there were only thirteen beams of light in the end.


    Four guilds either had all their present members killed or had their inheritance rights fall to absent members.


    Additionally, there was one guild leader��


    The one previously captured by the Supreme. When he saw the Supreme trying to escape, he hid in the high skies, not daring to move. Earlier, Sterl had swiftly finished him off along with three other demigods using the Flowing Water de.


    None of this guild leader''s members were present.


    But thirteen beams were already sufficient.


    Sterl casually activated Shadow Stealth, slipping into the shadow world.


    Then, he quickly used up all the stored divine series radiant-level guild core materials.


    Instantly, Twilight''s level skyrocketed to a level three guild.


    First, two new buff enhancements appeared, followed by an additional boost from advancing three levels of the same quality!


    A series of notifications shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Congrattions, you have upgraded the guild Twilight to level two.]


    [Congrattions, you have upgraded the guild Twilight to level three.]


    [You have acquired a level two guild buff (radiant-level): Hades'' Blessing. (With this buff, all guild members have one chance each month to resurrect at the guild''s base or near other guild members upon death.)]


    [You have acquired a level three guild buff (radiant-level): Fire Thief. (With this buff, all skills and Law Power gain a 20% reduction in consumption.)]


    [You have acquired a radiant enhancement: Twilight of the Gods. (30% of the damage you deal to units with Divine Power or divine authority will ignore all resistances and damage reductions. Each time you kill a unit with these traits, the effect of ignoring resistance and damage reduction increases by an additional 1%.)]


    "Let me see what''s going on here," Sterl began with a calm expression, but soon, a look of slight astonishment crossed his face.


    Since he was in the shadow world, Sterl didn''t need to put on a facade. A sh of joy lit up his eyes.


    "As expected of a radiant-level level three guild, these buffs are quite powerful!"


    First, every guild member could enjoy a once-a-month resurrection. It was well-known that resurrection items were among the most precious in [Transcendence].


    Not to mention, this was a reusable buff! And it wasn''t limited by the member''s strength level!


    With this buff alone, Sterl could even recruit gods into the guild! After all, even gods feared death!


    The second buff initially seemed less impressive to Sterl. It was useful but not particrly impactful, given his rapid power growth, leaving little time to focus on skill proficiency.


    But he soon realized that with this buff, his blood force consumption was also reduced by 20%!


    His expression shifted instantly.


    "Great! You haven''t let me down! Strong! Invincible!" Sterl eximed.


    "The ''all consumption'' reduction is the true value of this radiant-level buff!"


    As for the final enhancement from advancing three levels��the Twilight of the Gods��Sterl was surprisingly calm.


    It wasn''t that the effect was weak; nearly 30% of his damage converted into true damage, and it could be triggered against any divine-level units, significantly boosting hisbat power against gods.


    Moreover, each time he killed a divine entity, the true damage conversion rate increased by 1%, with no upper limit. This meant that this buff could potentially reach 200%, 300%, or even higher in the future!


    At that point, facing divine units would be like dealing with children for Sterl.


    However, for now, he needed the blood force consumption reduction more urgently than increased damage output.


    Finally, Sterl nced at the guild shop, which disyed, [Refreshing, remaining time: 47:59:44].


    Evidently, the guild shop would need two more days.


    Sterl quickly made some adjustments. enjoy-on-NovelFire


    The Twilight of the Gods enhancement was naturally not something he would share with other guild members.


    He also made some careful modifications to the other buffs.

 Chapter 294: Valor Combatants Tournament

    After Sterl''s series of adjustments:


    In the guild''s buff section��


    The resurrection ability was modified to be a one-time permanent use. To obtain another chance, members needed to donate a significant amount of contribution points. As for the "Fire Thief" buff, Sterl reduced its effect to a 5% enhancement.


    After these changes, the buffs gave off the impression that Twilight might be a 3-star guild at level two because it had a resurrection ability. However, at level three, it seemed like just an ordinary S-rank guild...


    Thus, the issue with Twilight was resolved. No one would dare to challenge a Supreme to seize a 3-star guild.


    As for Twilight being SSS-rank at levels one and two?


    That was irrelevant.


    Without achieving continuous three-level advancements, they couldn''t gain additional buffs or transform the guild shop''s quality. The attraction of two SSS-level guild ranks was minimal for Twilight!


    Havingpleted all the adjustments, Sterl exited the shadow world.


    He saw that the guild contribution bar was already maxed out!


    However, after seeing the radiant-level buffs and the triple radiance enhancements, he felt a bit envious.


    If he continued using radiant-level materials for upgrades, he could achieve six radiance enhancements, which would be much stronger than the Twilight of the Gods.


    Upgrading from three to four, four to five, and five to six would respectively require four, six, and seven materials.


    Although the material requirements didn''t double like in the earlier levels, collecting a total of 17 materials still seemed quite challenging to Sterl.


    SSS-level guild materials were already scarce in supply.


    For now, guild level upgrades would have to wait.


    As Sterl contemted this, the members of the Twilight guild erupted into a frenzy of excitement.


    "Oh my god, am I seeing this right?"


    "Our level two guild buff is actually resurrection! No wonder we had to dismantle other guilds!"


    "Lord Supreme is wise!"


    ...


    Everyone was ecstatic!


    This meant that joining Twilight guild granted them an extra life. It was a massive win!!


    "The level three guild enhancement is pretty strong too. Reducing skill upgrade costs by 5% will save us a lot of time. It''s at least an S-rank buff."


    "Wow! We''re taking off!!!"


    "I knew it, leaving Twilight guild would have been a huge mistake!"


    ...


    chapter-source-NovelFire


    It was a sea of celebration.


    Except for the legendary yers from the demigod guilds. They watched the scene with deep regret.


    It wasn''t the hardships they had endured that pained them.


    It was the pain of missing out!


    These Twilight guild members had received a free resurrection armor and could repeatedly activate it by donating significant contribution points.


    Even if they weren''t prisoners of war, the legendary yers were envious.


    Sosia and Sonis, in particr, had a strange gleam in their eyes. Sterl didn''t give them the resurrection buff too frequently, to avoid exposing the true radiant-level nature of the guild, so they could only resurrect once every six months.


    However, if Sosia and Sonis were ever in real danger, Sterl could always reassign the once-a-month resurrection privilege to them.


    Having settled everything regarding the demigod guild, Sterl was about to leave when he noticed a group of legendary yers looking despondent. This gave him an idea.


    "Do any of you know how to obtain 3-star guild materials?" Sterl asked.


    His reasoning was straightforward: these demigod guilds had been aiming to acquire 3-star guilds even before "Twilight" emerged, so they must have some idea of where to find such materials.


    Upon hearing Sterl''s question, the legendary yers racked their brains, and surprisingly, they managed toe up with some useful information.


    "Sir, ording to our guild''s exploration, the Hall of Valor contains something called a blessing. There''s a particr blessing rted to guilds that supposedly grants several 3-star materials," a legendary yer said, nodding and bowing.


    "Good, continue," Sterl nodded.


    Others quickly chimed in.


    "I know that in the southern region of the Hall of Valor, there''s a map called Lorik Harbor, which supposedly has a hidden instance that can drop 3-star guild materials."


    "Right! If your guild is already SSS-level, upon reaching level five, a feature called the guild instance will be unlocked. The bosses in there can drop materials equal to the highest quality of the guild."


    "You might be able to farm 3-star materials then."


    ...


    They continued to chatter, revealing several potential locations for 3-star materials. However, the conditions for these hidden tasks and instances were uncertain.


    The two most reliable methods were:


    One was unlocking the guild instance feature after reaching level five. Given that Twilight was a radiant-level guild, the chances of obtaining 3-star materials were theoretically high. At that point, Sterl would have material abundance!


    Even if the guild instance had limited activations, ording to these legendary yers, leveling up the guild would refresh the instance at least 1-2 times.


    In other words...


    "After reaching a level five radiant guild, I won''t need to worry about finding materials anymore," Sterl mused.


    However, to reach a level five guild, he first needed to gather 10 pieces of 3-star materials and then evolve the guild.


    Could he collect all 10 materials based on those uncertain pieces of information?


    Fortunately...


    There was another rtively reliable method: someone mentioned that the rewards for the Valor Combatants Tournament included 3-star guild materials.


    "Tell me more about the Valor Combatants Tournament," Sterl said, looking not only at the legendary yers but also at the members of the Twilight guild.


    Then, a quick-thinking yer took out a crystal and crushed it. A prompt appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You have obtained event information��Valor Combatants Tournament]


    [Note: This event is hosted by the Hall of Valor, guaranteed by the [Transcendence] system.]


    [Event Description: This event is open to all yers above legendary level but below divine status in the Hall of Valor. Valor Combatants is a grand event that has existed since the founding of the Hall of Valor, aimed at selecting the strongest warriors. Bravebatants, show your strength!]


    [Event Rewards: yers will enter one-on-one arena battles after registering. Thest one standing will receive substantial rewards. Mentally recite to view the reward list in detail.]


    Sterl decisively chose to view the rewards, and to his astonishment, he found that the reward list was almost identical to the one he had seen before in the Trial of the Brave.


    Wait!


    The reward list was even more extravagant.


    Sterl even saw��


    [Arcane Box (Iridescent-Level)]


    [Description: This is a miraculous item capable of transforming individualspletely. Even if the path ahead seems blocked, countless people will still pursue it fervently. It is said to be a tool used by a certain entity to create expendable warriors in bulk, capable of producing divine-level units for war.]


    [Effect: Fuses any two Law Powers into a single divine authority. After obtaining this divine authority, one will be unable to advance from weak Divine Power to higher realms.]


    This item, simply put, could elevate a demigod with two types of Law Powers directly to divine status!


    The Arcane Box didn''t even require the two Law Powers to be at a high level.


    So what if one was stuck at weak Divine Power? How many demigods, despite their immense talent, spent their entire lives trapped at the perfect level?


    Moreover...


    Sterl discovered that if one continued to win in the Valor Combatants Tournament, they could earn multiple opportunities to select rewards.


    While the [Arcane Box (Iridescent-Level)]and other Iridescent-Level items could only be chosen once, slightly lower-tier rewards like 3-star guild materials could be selected multiple times, making it possible to collect the 10 pieces of material he needed.


    "Lord Supreme, the previous Valor Combatants Tournaments were solely hosted by the Hall of Valor and did not involve the [Transcendence] system."


    "This time, for some reason, it''s connected with [Transcendence] and has been turned into an ''event.''"


    "And the rewards have suddenly increased several times over."


    A member of the Twilight guild exined, clearly indicating that this time the Valor Combatants Tournament was extraordinarily different from the previous ones.


    Sterl felt quite intrigued, but he found it odd that when the Twilight guild member mentioned the word "event," his expression was so peculiar. It was as if he had encountered an unfamiliar term and had to look it up in a dictionary just to pronounce it correctly.


    In arge MMORPG, events are quitemon, so why did it seem like he had never yed a game before?


    However, Sterl had a suspicion about why the Valor Combatants Tournament was being so highly publicized this time��an impending catastrophe.


    "Thanks, I get it," Sterl said, quickly navigating the event page to register. As a faint golden light enveloped him, a prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [You have sessfully registered for the Valor Combatants Tournament. Current status: Awaiting match.]


    [Note: The tournament will begin three days after the registration is full.]


    Havingpleted the registration, Sterl noticed a new [Event]tab on his system panel. Clicking it revealed the details of the Valor Combatants Tournament, though it was still in the pre-event preparation phase.


    Sterl was about to leave when other members of the Twilight guild, spurred by the previous conversation, hurried over and started bombarding him with information.


    Many of them came from families that had been part of the Hall of Valor for generations, so they naturally had more information than Sosia and Sonis.


    "Sir, don''t underestimate this tournament."


    "The strongest beings in the Hall of Valor aren''t the ones out and about; it''s those demigod supremes who have paid their dues and are secluded in training."


    "Theirbat power is terrifying. Many of them have mastered extremely rare Law Powers and highly potent tinum-level skills."


    ...


    As these members chattered on, Sterl''s initially indifferent expression grew increasingly serious.


    The Twilight guild members even provided specific examples��

 Chapter 295: The Supreme Being of the Hall of Valor

    For example, there was a Supreme named Alva who made a move sixty years ago, apanied by a strange swirling yellow sand, forcefully refining a fellow Supreme of the same level.


    After that, it is said that this Supreme has been in seclusion ever since, never to show himself.


    Now, the event organized by the Hall of Valor in coboration with [Transcendence] offers incrediblyvish rewards, including items that could grant direct ess to divinity. Moreover, the released list of rewards is only a partial glimpse; who can guarantee that such hidden Supremes won''t be tempted?


    Not to mention...


    "We also found records in our family''s history books that there was an unnamed Supreme in the Hall of Valor who could withstand a confrontation with a deity for several seconds. ording to the records from that time, this Supreme should still be alive."


    "It has been several hundred years. If this Supreme had been rtively young when they ascended to demigod or had used longevity-enhancing items, they should still be alive today."


    "If he hadn''t broken through to the divine level to participate in this conference, his strength would likely have been able to crush Alva!"


    Another yer from the Twilight Guild spoke in a serious tone.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl became extremely vignt. Based on the description of this unnamed Supreme, it seemed that if he didn''t resort to his power of ascend to godhood or the Silent Domain, he wouldn''t be able to handle them easily. There was even a possibility of defeat!?


    Next...


    The members of the Twilight Guild noticed that their Supreme seemed to enjoy this topic, so they racked their brains toe up with several examples.


    For instance, there was a mysterious Supreme suspected to possess the ability to negate all skills. Another could withstand four contemporaries, who had already confirmed their participation in this tournament. Then there was a former "God of Destruction" who hadpleted his ascend to godhood but, for unknown reasons, saw his divine authority shattered.


    His strength could never break through the constraints of the Arcane Box, making his goal nearly certain.


    This former deity''s only glimmer of hope to return to divine statusy here!


    In summary, this Valor Combatants tournament would be a sh of all the powerful beings and deep-seated legacies within the Hall of Valor, and every participant would give their all. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the elite among these Supremes could collectively y a god!


    ...


    Sterl''s expression changed slightly!


    He didn''t believe he could simply walk through the presence of such formidable beings relying solely on one Silent Domain.


    Oh, right!


    He almost forgot one crucial point: the Silent Domain was not a power granted to him alone. This meant that Sterl might not be the only one who felt invincible among the demigods...


    There could be several opponents with simr capabilities!


    This also meant that the intelligence about the Silent Domain, a highly unique ability, would likely leak, and some strong individuals would be prepared in advance!


    This was troublesome!


    Sterl felt a sense of helplessness.


    In this arena, he couldn''t use his formations, and the ascend to godhood was utterly off the table. This Valor Combatants tournament could not be considered a sure win by any means.


    "But..." Sterl nced at his subordinates, who had just revealed another piece of information: the Valor Combatants tournament had only just begun its preparations, and there was still some time before the officialpetition started.


    Although the spots for the tournament would soon fill up, even when thepetition began, it would be divided into several phases��initial qualifiers, followed by a secondary selection, and finally, elimination rounds and a championship match.


    The timeline stretched out considerably.


    Sterl had only been with the Hall of Valor for less than six months, and he had already multiplied his strength several times. He still had time to prepare before the official matches started...


    ...


    After gathering the intel, Sterl quickly bid farewell to the guild members. He didn''t n to return to the manor; instead, he decided to check out the locations mentioned by the legendary yers that were rumored to yield SSS-level guild materials, hoping to strike lucky.


    Sterl first took on a series of tasks.


    These tasks revolved around the various maps provided by the legendary yers that might yield materials. Locations included Lorik Harbor,Spirit Resonance Wastnd, the Temple of Yanolster, and the Road of Bones...


    He found relevant tasks linked to these maps and casually epted a batch of them.


    [Investigate the Fishman Sacrificial Altar]


    [Description:The fishmen near Lorik Harbor have recently been holding strange gatherings. Several residents have been abducted and transformed into fishmen. Investigate and destroy the altar to uncover the source of their transformation power.]


    [Reward:500 miles of contribution for destroying the altar, plus Valor Contribution Points based on the value of the intelligence gathered about the source of transformation power.]


    ...


    [Eliminate the Immortal]


    [Task Description:Kill the Immortal Treant in the Ruins of Lingyun that is about to transform into a demigod.]


    [Reward:...]


    ...


    [Suppress the Rebellion in the Kingdom of Tinos]


    ...


    [Search for the Sealed Tomb]


    ...


    He epted around sixty tasks in total, guided by one simple principle: any task that could earn him Valor Contribution Points was worth taking. Some tasks were rtively easy, involving killing a boss or farming some monsters, while others required him to investigate events. However, there were no penalties for failing tasks; simply epting them was enough.


    As for the moreplicated tasks, Sterl had no intention ofpleting them; he merely wanted to try his luck. If he happened to stumble upon an opportunity toplete a task, he would take care of it on the side.


    Secondly, he checked and prepared to ept more tasks rted to the Principality of Florence.


    Sterl was nning to venture into Hell to gather materials, looking to exploit a bug again by heading to the territory of the divine-level demon known as the Archduke of Blood, who had already been confirmed to be severely injured.


    Although the Archduke of Blood would certainly view Sterl as an enemy, he might not recognize him.


    However, without intel on other levels of Hell, there was a greater risk of encountering multiple divine-level demons, increasing the chance of failure. The predominant theme of Hell was chaos; anything could happen.


    Sterl didn''t dare to gamble.


    However, when he searched for tasks rted to the Principality of Florence, Sterl was left dumbfounded.


    [Hunt the Demon]


    [Description:Theyer of Hell connected to the Principality of Florence has been temporarily named the [Blood Layer]. The divine-level demon known as the Archduke of Blood is suspected to have fallen. Demigod and above teammates are invited to enter Hell to hunt demons and obtain rare materials.]


    [Reward:This task is a recruitment mission. Those who ept the invitation and pass the strength assessment can receive 500 Valor Contribution Points transferred from the task issuer.]


    ...


    [Stabilize the Spatial Tunnel]


    [Description:The Hall of Valor has discovered ayer of Hell that currently has no divine-level demons. They are recruiting yers with array or spatial abilities to stabilize thisyer of Hell, ensuring stable connectivity with the main world.]


    [Reward:1,000 Valor Contribution Points per month, with additional rewards based on array and spatial abilities.]


    ...


    [Collect the Remnants of the Blood Demon]


    ...


    [Hunt the Demon Legion]


    ...


    Most of the tasks rted to the Principality of Florence are almost entirely about demons! The Hall of Valor has also gotten involved, coveting the various resources of Hell and seeking to stabilize thisyer without divine-level demons near the Principality of Florence.


    "The Archduke of Blood is dead??" Sterl was a bit bewildered, yet it also seemed to make sense. The Source of Energy of that divine-level demon had been sacrificed, and it was likely that his strength would be significantly diminished.


    Moreover, Hell was chaotic beyond measure, with enemies potentially attacking at any moment. Additionally, the Archduke of Blood might also have to bear the bacsh from Fortune, making the possibility of an untimely death quite high.


    However, out of caution, Sterl had always imagined that this divine-level demon would go to great lengths to hunt him down, the one who had stolen the fruits of his array. In reality, the Archduke of Blood was no longer around!


    After thinking for a moment, Sterl decided against epting the team task. Instead, he took on a batch of demon-hunting tasks issued by the Hall of Valor, ensuring that various Array Masters could focus on stabilizing the spatial tunnels.


    Afterward, Sterl returned home and brought Rosalie along.


    He thought for a moment and executed a clever maneuver. He used his small world to bring Rosalie into the real world.


    "This is the master''s hometown," the demigod girl remarked, looking around and smacking her lips.


    "It feels so deste. Did it go through an apocalypse?"


    Sterl merely rubbed the soft part of the girl''s chest, enjoying the sensation, and said, "I put you in my small world because I was worried you''d feel cramped."


    "If anything happens, I''ll call for you. When I''m offline, I''ll bring you back to [Transcendence], understand?"


    Sterl was quite humane towards his subordinate, and being hidden in the real world ensured that Rosalie''s mother would never be able to find her.


    "Understood! Understood!" Rosalie quickly nodded, looking quite obedient.


    Then, Sterl logged back in. He had a lot to do. First, he swiftly made his way to Heavenly Curtain Canyon, gathering resources that could be exchanged for Valor Contribution Points, and then he cleared out all the legendary bosses that spawned.


    However, his luck during this round wasn''t great; he didn''t obtain the legendary equipment he desired. He handed over all the resources to the Sosia sisters for sale, nning to use the proceeds to buy equipment in the future. After that, he left the Hall of Valor.


    His first stop was the Temple of Yanolster.


    After killing that Supreme, Sterl had already obtained the identity level of the fallen enemy.


    The demigod ssifications are divided into [Ender], [Ascend to Godhood], and [Mortal Supreme], corresponding to wed,plete demigods, perfect-level demigods, Supremes, and pseudo-divine-level demigods.


    At this moment, Sterl''s identity level had skyrocketed to [Mortal Supreme]. He could now collect 3,000 Valor Contribution Points each month, which meant that theoretically, by doing nothing, he could umte enough points in a year or two to exchange for excellent tinum Skill abilities. Although normal Supremes no longer needed such things.


    Additionally, he received arge sum of Valor Contribution Points all at once. Sterl''s bnce now reached a total of 104,000 Valor Contribution Points.


    mvle|mp-yr chapter


    Moreover, Sterl had lifted all restrictions, allowing him to freely attack any members of the Hall of Valor below the divine level without facing any consequences. The various realms of understanding rted to Law within the Hall of Valor were alsopletely open and free for Sterl.


    It could be said that after killing the Supreme, Sterl had be one of the top figures in the Hall of Valor, aside from the divine beings.


    As a side note, his previous kills of demigods did not automatically grant him their identity levels. Generally speaking, identity levels needed to be specifically challenged to be reced. However, [Mortal Supreme] was different; as long as you proved your strength, the Hall of Valor would grant you the title without any prerequisites!

 Chapter 296: Dream of Lalaye

    At this moment, Sterl, leveraging his high rank, summoned a Rainbow Ship exclusively for his service. He sat upright inside the ship, and with his status, he could practice any Law he desired.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to refine his Space Law. He was very close to forming a seed for this Law Power, and soon, he would be able to use blood force to enhance it, transforming it into a wed-level Space Law.


    Time flew by...


    Once Sterl finished his training on the Rainbow Ship, he decided to allocate points to the Shattered Void skill he had drawn as a Dimensional Traveler. A faint glow shed, and Sterl felt that this skill seemed to be enhanced, although the various descriptions remained unchanged.


    "I need to farm some monsters first to use blood force to enhance de Law," he thought. "Otherwise, I won''t be able to see any effects."


    He contemted this and sat cross-legged for about an hour or two.


    He arrived at the Temple of Yanolster.


    Sterl quickly descended from the Rainbow Ship, finding the area quite deste and cold. The so-called temple was built in a special underground space. Sterl followed a pre-existing tunnel deep into it.


    Soon, the surroundings opened up, and he found himself in a vast underground chamber. Surrounding him were giant bone spires resembling white skeletons, curving and surrounding the buildings below. These structures were pure white temples, and he could see several bell tower-like structures.


    They looked quite solemn and grand.


    "There is a hidden quest here that requires finding a white-haired old man," Sterl noted as he stepped forward. However, a group of humanoid monsters blocked his path��figures resembling priests wielding chain hammers and staves.


    He casually used Star Insight to nce at them; they were just a group of third-ss monsters.


    "Get lost," Sterlmanded.


    Relying on the overwhelming power of his Divine Power, he crushed all the monsters into a pulp!


    To his surprise, several purple coins dropped from these monsters.


    Sterl couldn''t help but whistle, feeling pleased��it seemed like a good start.


    Until...


    "Damn!" Sterl''s expression turned slightly grim.


    He wanted to find that NPC but came up empty-handed.


    Sterl was incredibly fast and could use a smoothbination of Starlight Spray and Cursed Vision to detect all monsters that had taken damage, effectively giving him a view of the entire temple.


    Yet, he couldn''t find that NPC!


    After estimating, Sterl concluded that either the information was false or the NPC had already been imed by someone else.


    Helpless, after searching the map thoroughly with no results, he had no choice but to leave.


    Next, he moved on to the Road of Bones, where Sterl nearly wiped out all the local skeleton soldiers, only to gain a small amount of experience. These special undead creatures didn''t even drop any blood force! There was no sign of the 3-star guild materials either.


    As Sterl approached Spirit Resonance Wastnd, the building triggered a special mechanism, hidden within a space where he couldn''t enter beforeprehending Space Law...


    Next, he spent three days running through six or seven different maps, but came up empty-handed! At most, he managed to gain a bit of experience, and although some equipment skill books dropped, they were all junk��nothing of value.


    However, after three upgrades to Shattered Void, the descriptions remained unchanged. It seemed to be umting power, undergoing a qualitative change, which brought Sterl somefort; he was close to acquiring a truly powerful ability.


    Cursing under his breath, Sterl arrived at his final destination: Lorik Harbor.


    At this moment, he stepped off the Rainbow Ship, inhaling the salty sea breeze. Before himy a port shrouded in dark clouds, where he could see ragged fishermen drifting nearby in their dpidated boats. At the same time, severalrge vessels were sailing towards the harbor. The stark contrast between the worn fishermen and the imposing ships was striking.


    Sterl had little hope at this point. "I probably won''t run into any hidden instances..." he shook his head.


    His mood had calmed down. He could guess why his search for guild materials had been so fruitless; he had already depleted his Fortune. He was bound to go through a streak of bad luck.


    So, he spent a few hours searching around the town and then tried his luck at the harbor. However, after finding no signs of an instance triggering, he decided it was time to leave.


    Sterl nced at the private message he received from legendary yers in the demigod guild after he had inquired about any leads:


    "Lord Supreme, there is definitely an instance at Lorik Harbor. Previously, a guild member imed he was inexplicably pulled into a strange area. After sending out a message and even taking a screenshot, hepletely vanished."


    "We then attempted to send stronger yers to investigate, but none of them could trigger the instance."


    "Based on our analysis, that strange area is likely the instance where guild materials drop."


    Reading this, Sterl felt even more helpless. The issue was that he was currently at a low point in his Fortune; if others could stumble into the instance by chance, there was no way he could!


    At this moment, Sterl sat on a fishing boat. Although Lorik Harbor was perpetually cloaked in clouds and had harsh weather, wandering around asionally provided a unique scenery.


    He gazed into the distance with a sigh.


    Get hooked on mvl _emp _yr novels.


    Next to him, an old fisherman tried to console him. "My lord, if you have any troubles, feel free to share them. I''m just an old man with plenty of life experience, so perhaps��"


    Before the old fisherman could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed that the mysterious figure in front of him��a person whose strength was unclear��had a sudden change in expression and pushed him away.


    "My lord, you�� what are you doing?"


    The old man was filled with terror as he realized that this generous guest could effortlessly put him in danger. But in the next moment, he finally understood what was happening.


    From seemingly nowhere, a gigantic monstrous fish surged forth, swallowing the nobleman whole.


    Ssh!


    The giant fish crashed back into the water, creating a massive wave that shattered the old fisherman and his boat into pieces. Fortunately, the old man was skilled in swimming and managed to reach the shore in a few strokes.


    "That nobleman�� he was trying to save me."


    He clutched a gold coin in his hand and knelt on the ground. "My old life isn''t worth much; it shouldn''t havee to this!!"


    ��


    Sterl, of course, had no idea that his casual action had caused such distress to the NPC. He simply felt himself being swallowed by the monstrous fish, and then he was immediately transported into some sort of spatial tunnel.


    [You have entered the hidden instance: Dream of Lye]


    Apanied by words that resembled bubbles, Sterl vaguely sensed something.


    He had intentionally allowed himself to be consumed by the monstrous fish. Just as he was admiring the scenery moments ago, he suddenly felt the final wave of Fortune bacsh��here it came!


    So, facing the monstrous fish, Sterl gave up resistance and allowed it to swallow him. He did indeed perceive a faint spatial fluctuation within the belly of the fish.


    In the end, Sterl knew he had made the right gamble!


    Initially, he was in a state of low Fortune and could not find any hidden instances. But due to the influence of the Fortune bacsh, the instance had actively pulled him inside, as Sterl''s apparent strength was only third ss!


    An instance that could produce SSS-level guild materials would definitely have bosses with at least demigod-level strength. Under the perception of some heavenly will, would Sterl really not die for being a third-ss yer entering such a ce??


    Thump...


    Thump...


    A faint sound of flowing air passed by Sterl''s ears.


    Once he realized he had been pulled into the instance, he acted like an ordinary third-ss yer, remainingpletely still as if he were unconscious.


    But in reality, he was burning a wave of power of faith, using his [Creation] divine authority to create an entrance to a small world for Bionic Tear.


    Theoretically, Sterl knew that anything he understood the principles of could be easily forged with divine authority, though it consumed a lot of resources,pletely depleting the power of faith he had umted for a long time.


    But it was worth it, because in the future, all enemies would essentially have to defeat Sterl''s Bionic Tear once before they could confront his true self.


    That''s right; I have a boss''s health bar, so having a second phase for another boss isn''t unreasonable at all.


    At this moment, Bionic Tear, who possessed all of Sterl''s powers, was disguised as him and acting outside. Sterl himself was hiding in the small world, waiting for the right moment to act.


    Before long, the drifting came to an end.


    Bionic Tear (we will omit this descriptionter), sensed that it was vaguely resting on a piece of coral, and gradually, voices began to emerge around it.


    "Everyone,e quick, another unfortunate soul has arrived."


    "Alright, alright, what''s there to get excited about?"


    "Soon, this person will also be a living dead like us."


    "Another person is wee; they can tell us stories from the outside, otherwise, we''re going to die of boredom."


    "We are already in a state of dying from boredom."


    The voices belonged to men, women, and children, but the most lively among them was the voice of a young girl near Sterl.


    At that moment, Sterl feigned a confused expression and got up to observe his surroundings.


    "Where is this? Could this be the hidden instance of Lorik Harbor?" He first expressed confusion, then surprise, his acting was wless.


    However, after casually using Star Insight to scan the area, Sterl discovered that the various individuals present belonged to different races, and the highest strength among them was only the peak of third ss��there were no legends to be found.


    It seemed he was just showing off to the blind.


    "Hidden instance, you''ve indeede to the right ce."


    "But it''s easy toe in, hard to get out."


    "The challenge level of this instance is at the demigod level."


    "However, the instance seems to only capture those of third ss or at most legendary status."


    "All of us are merely fodder for this instance to grow stronger."


    "Everyone whoes here will be doomed to eternal torment."


    The speaker was an old man d in bright silver armor. Sterl looked at him, and his expression slightly changed, revealing some shock.

 Chapter 297: An Extremely Eerie Instance

    The reason for Sterl''s astonishment was that he recognized the old man. He was the scout yer from the Demigod Guild. He should have been a young man, so why did he look so aged now? The appearance of yers could change, and the rate of change depended on their lifespan limits.


    For instance, the average lifespan limit for third-ss yers varied among different races, typically ranging from three to four hundred years. A yer who lived beyond 300 years would start to show signs of aging.


    However, the scout from the Demigod Guild was definitely a young man, and yet he now appeared as if he were three or four hundred years old. What was going on??


    Sterl thought for a moment and directly asked, "Lovic? Is that you?"


    "I''m a new member of the [Sky Thunder] Guild, here in Lorik Harbor on a mission. The members of my guild asked me to look for you while I was at it."


    "How did you end up like this?"


    Sterl had confirmed that once inside the instance, allmunication with the outside world was cut off. Lovic couldn''t possibly know that the guild was gone.


    Sterl was just making things up.


    However, after hearing this, Lovic disyed a very strange expression.


    "Lovic, who is that?"


    "That name sounds familiar. I think I did join some guild, but that was back in my youth."


    "No, wait. It should have been before I entered this instance. I''ve been wanting to go back all this time."


    "Where was I trying to go back to?"


    "Where did you hear all this?"


    "No, no��"


    At first, the old man remained rtively calm, but soon veins began to bulge on his forehead. He clutched his head, looking in pain.


    "I''m still young��"


    "How could I have fallen to this state?"


    "No! I won''t ept this. I won''t ept it."


    In the end��


    Bang!


    With a clear sound, Lovic exploded into a mist of blood, which then transformed into several tadpole-likervae that slowly gathered.


    Ultimately, they were forcibly reformed into Lovic.


    And at that very moment, Sterl''s Star Insight activated.


    [Larvae]


    [Description: The most basic element that constitutes dreams; the power of all living beings serves as food for thervae, and thervae are everything within this dream.]


    Sterl "��"


    At this moment, he looked at the revived Lovic��


    Lovic was no different from before, except he seemed a bit older and had calmed down, as if he had forgotten the earlier conversation.


    Sterl frowned slightly.


    He felt that this instance was a bit sinister. Initially, he thought the people in front of him were yers, but now it seemed uncertain whether they were real humans or monsters.


    However, Sterl kept his mouth shut for the time being, while the young girl who had been by his side approached with a bright smile.


    "Don''t be nervous," the girl said. "Although this instance has trapped us for who knows how many years, there''s a silver lining: if you don''t really want to die, you can''t die here. You can respawn infinitely, which isn''t much different from struggling outside the instance."


    The girl had a youthful face, radiating a hint of innocent beauty, and her voice was as melodious as a silver bell. However, Sterl, now on guard, felt an inexplicable sense of unease as he looked at her.


    "Unlimited respawns here?" Sterl inquired, keenly observing that the seemingly delicate girl spoke while the others in the vicinity were desperately trying to mask their anxiety and fear.


    "Exactly! Let me tell you, this ce isn''t so bad��" Her voice echoed from all directions, like pesky flies trying to burrow into Sterl''s very being.


    But at the same time, Sterl seized the opportunity to learn about the peculiarities of this instance. Dream of Lye, as the name suggested, was a realm where everything felt dreamlike.


    Once inside, time flowed differently than in the outside world; while one or two years might pass here, only one or two days would pse outside. Moreover, yers wouldn''t truly die upon death; they would simply age continuously.


    This detail had been confirmed by yers already in the instance who had inquired about the timeline from newly arrived yers.


    As yers aged, they naturally began to show signs of memory loss, slowed reactions, and blurred consciousness.


    However, they would only die when their consciousnesspletely faded or they willingly epted death after repeated cycles of dying.


    "What do you think? Doesn''t it sound pretty good?" the girl continued. "Out in the real world, we might be casually killed by a wild monster at any moment!"


    Sterl remained silent for a second before nodding slightly.


    However��


    In the small world, as Sterl observed the outside, he felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly sensed prompts continuously popping up before him.


    [Your Bionic Tear has been infected byrvae.]


    [Your Bionic Tear has been infected byrvae.]


    [Your Bionic Tear��]


    [Your Bionic Tear has died.]


    The girl''s brief remarks had directly led to the demise of the Bionic Tear!


    Of course, it wasn''t just the girl.


    With a clear perspective, Sterl witnessed the bizarre nature of this instance through the visuals of the small world. The infection by thervae had begun the moment the Bionic Tear arrived; each interaction with other yers elerated the infection.


    It didn''t matter if it was the girl he spoke to or not;munication with any other yers would lead to the same oue.


    In other words, this was a trap��any yer who felt a sense of vignce upon noticing that the girl seemed to be feared by others would undoubtedly grow wary. But such caution was utterly useless; even if they avoided the girl andmunicated with other yers, they would still be infected.


    And now, the situation was clear: the Bionic Tear was dead!


    However, this item did not realize its own death and continued to carry out Sterl''smands. But things took a more outrageous turn. Sterl discovered that those so-calledrvae were trying to invade his own body through the connection with the Bionic Tear! Fortunately, they were easily blocked and crushed by the divine authority he had created.


    The power of the higher divine authority was terrifying; even if Sterl was passively resisting, it was enough to prevent divine beings from intruding, let alone theservae.


    "Damn! This is absurd!" Sterl couldn''t help but shiver. On the surface, it seemed like his Bionic Tear had entered the instance and was preparing to start an assault on it, currently in the phase of collecting intelligence. In reality, the instance had already concluded, and the Bionic Tear was dead. It simply didn''t know that it had perished.


    Fortunately, because the Bionic Tear was unaware of its own death, Sterl was still able to control it.


    At this moment, Sterl asked with a serious demeanor, "So how do we clear this instance?"


    "This?" The girl bit her lip in a cute manner. "ording to our guesses, a swarm of insects will attack us at regr intervals, and each time we end up beingpletely wiped out. If one day we can fend off the swarms, perhaps a boss will appear."


    "Defeating the boss should allow us to leave the instance, right?"


    "Don''t let my current appearance fool you; I look calm here, but it''s because I''ve failed many times and have be desperate." The girl exined, raising her small fist as if to emphasize her innocence, looking nothing like a monster.


    The Bionic Tear seemed to ponder this, while Sterl frowned slightly.


    At the rate this instance was progressing, even those warriors with resistance to thervae would inevitably be infected during the prolonged encounters with the so-called boss monsters. Who knew when the swarms would attack? Who knew how many insect bosses needed to be killed before the real boss would show up??


    However��


    As if to prove the girl''s words, a sudden surge of movement urred ahead.


    Lovic suddenly called out in panic, "It''s the swarm! The swarm ising again!"


    "It''sing again! I don''t want to die; I don''t want to be torn apart."


    "Help! I don''t want to be eaten!"


    ��


    In an instant, everyone was wailing.


    Although death could be avoided, the pain was very real. Many people rushed to Sterl''s side, pleading, "Warrior, aren''t you here to conquer the instance?"


    "Protect us; it''s a simple task! We beg you!"


    Sterl hesitated for just a few seconds before nodding in agreement, "No problem, just stay behind me."


    Even though he had already sensed that something was off with the instance, he figured that the only one suffering was the Bionic Tear. Once they cleared the instance, it would reset, and any infection would be gone. Besides, Sterl had heard that time inside the instance flowed at a ratio of one year to one day in the outside world, so there was no need to rush.


    "Wait! One year to one day??"


    Suddenly, something clicked in his mind, and he sat cross-legged to begin cultivating.


    However��


    After cultivating, Sterl found himself seemingly stuck, unable to make any progress in his insights.


    But soon��


    A spark of incredible realization ignited in his eyes.


    "This feeling is�� the power of time!"


    Sterl realized that he had caught hold of a vague and indescribable force��a Law Power categorized in the Hall of Valor as a mere conjecture��Time Law!


    Wait a minute��


    Sterl sensed that he was dimly grasping a transitional state from demigod to deity. It was more like an iplete form of time divine authority!


    A wave of enlightenment washed over him.


    Time��


    This incredibly high-level power did not exist as a typical Law Power. Even its most superficial aspects would involve divine realms. Furthermore, the time power in Dream of Lye was severely fragmented, seemingly stretched to a ratio of one year to one day.


    But within that time, it could only be wasted; any effects of cultivation or training could not be retained.


    Read today at mvl _emp _y,r.


    "So the first manifestation of the power of time is sensory deception��an illusion of time flow."


    Sterl''s vision grew increasingly bright.


    Despite often talking about "points" and "points," he actually possessed exceptional talent, bolstered by the Arcane soul.


    Time power.


    It was something that couldn''t be grasped or seen in ordinary circumstances.


    But now, Sterl was on the brink of touching a boundary, and that boundary was enough to expand to the entirety of��


    The power of time!

 Chapter 298: What the Hell! So Much Blood Force?

    Sterl''s true body quickly immersed itself in understanding.


    Even though this deceptive sense of time had slowed down his efficiency by a hundredfold, that tiny seed was extremely important!


    He didn''t expect to obtain the seed of time power within this instance, but what about in several instances? As long as he could eventually manifest a trace of the divine authority of time on the panel, this legendary power, renowned in the Hall of Valor and among the surrounding continents, could be directly converted into points for cultivation!


    Meanwhile, outside, Sterl''s Bionic Tear slowly made its way to the center of the gathering ce.


    At this moment, he had the time to observe his surroundings. Whaty before him was not merely a sandy area but rather a scene resembling the bottom of the deep sea.


    Various corals grew around him, and in the distance, there appeared to be what looked like a sunken ship. The sky above was a deep hue of ocean water, and far away, it seemed he could see the light of the sun shining through.


    Due to the extremely weak illumination, the atmosphere was quite oppressive.


    At this moment, apanied by the muffled sounds of the real ground, a series of crisp and fragmented noises began to echo.


    That was the distinctive sound of arthropod limbs making contact with the sand.


    Then��


    The swarm arrived!


    Leading the charge were enormous beasts, adorned with structures resembling cannon tubes. On top of these massive creatures were smaller insect beasts, whose bodies resembled scorpions and serpents, with their whips thrashing rapidly, releasing plumes of smoke that clearly indicated their toxicity.


    Behind the colossal beasts was a ck-brown swarm that surged like a tide, roughly the size of calves and covered in a shell-like armor.


    Among the ordinary swarm were various other types of insect troops, seemingly equipped to handle a wide range of scenarios. In fact, there was even aically absurd insect beast encased inva, which appeared to be capable of spewing mes. However, at the bottom of the sea, it could hardly maintain its stance and merely evaporatedrge amounts of steam.


    From a distance, the swarm looked magnificent, but as they drew closer, the bizarre howls of the insect beasts and their grotesque mandibles were enough to send shivers down one''s spine.


    In fact, the "yers" near the Bionic Tear retreated in fear.


    Even though they merely distanced themselves a bit from the swarm, it was a desperate gamble to dy their demise for just a little longer.


    Unfortunately, it seemed there was a translucent membrane in the gathering ce; once they retreated a certain distance, they found themselves unable to escape any further.


    Meanwhile, the Bionic Tear casually used Star Insight to conduct a probe.


    At once, it was left speechless.


    The mechanics of this instance were a bit outrageous��not only because of the bizarrervae but also because it seemed this instance was a bit too bullies the weak and fears the strong.


    The yers drawn in were at most of legendary level, while even the most ordinary insect beasts in the swarm had peak third-ssbat power. Many of them were legendary, and the slightly special insect beasts were certainly high-tier legendary or peak legendary in strength.


    The colossal beasts were akin to mountains, reaching the strength of a wed demigod.


    Even without those strange insect beasts, this instance itself was not something legendary yers could clear.


    At this moment, none of the yers dared to resist; they could only wait for death. Some were even whispering to each other.


    "Just in time for a neer to take our ce and die a few more times."


    "No matter how badly he losester, we have to say something nice. My memory can''t handle any more torture."


    "I can''t grow older any longer; otherwise, my lifespan will really run out."


    "How long do you think this neer canst? One minute or thirty seconds?"


    ��


    These yers seemed to be engaged in ordinaryints, but Sterl''s true body easily noticed that their sinister voices coiled around the Bionic Tear like a dark chain,yer uponyer.


    It was exceedingly strange!


    However, Bionic Tear remained calm, invoking Arcane Law!


    Then��


    Flowing Water Thousand Cuts!


    Sterl had no intention of testing the waters with slow attacks; the instance was too bizarre, and he needed to inflict violent damage quickly to elerate the clearing process.


    In an instant, the colossal beasts at the front were pierced by countless streams of water des, and then torn apart.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Apanied by a series of crisp sounds, those demigod-level monsters were entirely obliterated in a single encounter!


    Meanwhile, the yers in the instance still had their heads down, discussing among themselves,pletely unaware of the changes urring around them.


    On the contrary, Sterl''s true body first frowned, then his eyes lit up.


    The reason for his frown was that the sheer size and life force of these colossal beasts somewhat countered Flowing Water Thousand Cuts��


    This move relied on the Flowing Water des to shred the opponent from the inside out!


    However, therger and more powerful the creature, the more energy was required to deal with them. This was no issue for true demigods, but for Sterl, who was low on mana, it was quite a headache. Yet the next second, he looked at the prompt in front of him with unexpected delight.


    In Dream of Lye, Sterl discovered that these monsters, when defeated, did not truly die; instead, they dissipated into air currents, seemingly capable of respawning without any experience or loot.


    However, apanied by a strange vortex surrounding the Bionic Tear, those air currents were sucked into its body.


    This was the effect of Origin of Chaos!


    The streams of air were forcibly transformed into blood force!


    Sterl watched in astonishment as messages flooded his screen:


    [You have defeated the monster: Leviathan, gaining 0.03 points of blood force!]


    [You have defeated... ]


    ...


    A total of eight colossal beasts directly provided Sterl with 0.24 points of blood force, which seemed like a small amount.


    However, after the air currents were absorbed by Sterl, they surged back toward the group behind, reviving those eight beasts.


    In other words, these colossal beasts could be farmed repeatedly!


    But the surprises were just beginning.


    If those colossal beasts were simplyrge and obviously full of life force, the ordinary insect swarm that Flowing Water Thousand Cutseffortlessly harvested also brought Sterl delight.


    [You have defeated the monster: Savage Insect Beast 20, gaining 0.01 points of blood force!]


    [You have defeated the monster: Scorpion-Tailed Insect 7, gaining 0.01 points of blood force!]


    [You have defeated... ]


    ...


    The life force of the creatures in the swarm was significantly more vigorous than that of ordinary monsters!


    The weakest third-ss Savage Insect Beasts yielded 0.01 points of blood force for every 20 defeated!


    And the slightly stronger insect beasts could produce 0.01 points of blood force for an average of 5 to 8 defeated!


    However, it appeared that these insect beasts below the demigod level could not be farmed repeatedly; once the air currents were absorbed by Sterl, they dried uppletely. Only a very small number of air currents could regenerate new monsters.


    But that was more than enough to get Sterl excited!


    He now had a plethora of skills and Law Power waiting to be fed!


    Especially since he needed 100 blood force to upgrade his Law Power to perfection!


    Sterl''s eyes turned red with excitement.


    "What kind of instance is this? It''s practically tailor-made for me!"


    At that moment...


    Outside, as they witnessed Sterl single-handedly holding back the tide of the insect swarm, the surrounding yers wore expressions of disbelief.


    "It''s impossible! How is he so strong?"


    "Is this a joke? This isn''t reasonable."


    "Why, why, why?"


    ...


    These yers were not filled with joy at their salvation; instead, they became even more eerily terrified. But soon, as if waking from a dream, they seemed to realize the inappropriateness of their behavior, shouting as if to redeem themselves:


    "Bro, I''m here to help you!"


    "Great! With a powerhouse like you, maybe we can push back the swarm this time."


    "Let''s go! Together!"


    ...


    It looked like they wereing to help.


    At the same time, the skills gathered by these yers appeared to be genuine output abilities, yet for some reason, there was an odd feeling about them.


    However...


    Those caught up in the heat of battle likely wouldn''t notice this subtle difference.


    Sterl frowned, raising his hand to activate the golden version of Silent Domain, effectively interrupting all the yers'' skills.


    Instantly, the "yers" looked utterly baffled. What was going on? They were trying to help, and yet he wasn''t pleased!


    "I''m fine on my own," Sterl said coldly, primarily to prevent these people from stealing kills. With so many insect swarms, the potential for blood force was immense. Sterl felt that even if he alone could im all the kills, it still wouldn''t be enough!


    Next��


    The group of yers stood there, bewildered.


    Meanwhile, Sterl began a frenzied ughter; opportunities to farm blood force were rare. This time, he didn''t hesitate to pour all kinds of consumables into his body as if they were free.


    First, he downed the Glory Potion, which could be exchanged for ordinary contribution points, along with the Energy Surge Capsules contributed by guild members who were eager to please the powerful figures behind the Twilight Guild.


    Sterl quickly gulped them down.


    For this wave, he used his most efficient move.


    Not Flowing Water Thousand Cuts, but rather Silent Domain �C The End of All Things!


    This skill not only had a silencing effect but also possessed a formidable curse damage power!


    Instantly, dark purple ripples spread outwards.


    Against demigod-level foes, this curse could inflict significant damage, let alone against third-ss legendary monsters.


    In an instant, countless insect beasts fell as if they were being harvested like wheat, and from high above, it looked like a line of dominoes copsing in a cascading manner from the center outwards.


    At the same time, Sterl''s blood force rapidly increased!


    In the first second, his blood force reached 0.4.


    In the second second, Sterl consumed the Energy Surge Capsules and continued with Silent Domain, pushing his blood force to 0.6.


    In the third second, he drank the Glory Potion and executed the teleport attack of Cursed Vision, shifting to another position; thus, The End of All Thingsbegan again from a different origin point, causing his blood force to hit one point!


    Without hesitation, Sterl instantly allocated his points to de Law!


    wed-level de Law.


    Sess!


    In that moment��


    Countless methods of weapon usage and exquisite memories surged into his mind!


    hosted on m-v_l-e _m-p_y-r


    It was an incredibly strange sensation.

 Chapter 299: Flawed-Level Blade Law

    Sterl transformed into an old man d in a conical hat and a raincoat, day after day, year after year, immersed in the study of sword techniques and de arts.


    He had no secret techniques or powerful skills, just the most basic moves:


    Chop.


    sh.


    Pierce.


    Stab.


    Sculpt.


    Sometimes he would practice for years without any progress.


    Other times, he would gain enlightenment in the morning and master a skill by sunset��


    Until these final techniques became creations akin to rules.


    The old man, one day, ascended from being a mortal to a demigod!


    Sterl''s true self suddenly opened his eyes! In his vision was that of an old man wielding various weapons.


    The old man, who had practiced swordsmanship for an unknown length of time, had his raincoat shatter dramatically.


    His face was none other than that of Sterl, the owner of the store.


    de Law had been aplished!


    This skill had no shortcuts; it could only be attained through relentless practice.


    Yet, it was force-fed into existence by blood force.


    In that brief moment, Sterl felt as though he had lived through a century!


    The grasp and cultivation of de Law were incredibly difficult!


    Because of this, the boosts it provided were far superior to those of ordinary Laws.


    wed-Level de Law granted Sterl the following abilities:


    First, all basic skills rted to cold weapons, such as fundamental sword techniques and de arts, had their proficiency defaulted to maximum!


    While this ability didn''t offer a high numerical boost, it was extremely practical, allowing Sterl to wield any weapon with great finesse.


    Previously, he had deliberately practiced [Mastery: Proficiency in Multiple Martial Arts]topensate for hisck of practical experience, but now, the enhancement from de Law was so exaggerated that Sterl had effectively transformed into abat master.


    Invincible! How could one describe it??


    The subsequent benefits of de Law were equally impressive.


    Duringbat, all output increased by 15% (this effect applies only to skills below divine level until the yer reaches divine level).


    This output boost was added after all damage calctions werepleted, solidly increasing Sterl''s overall damage output.


    The third effect was an active enhancement skill that added damage effects, apanied by the sharpness of the de.


    The fourth effect, known as "One Sword to Split the Heavens," allowed those who possessed de Law to forcibly shatter control skills, other attack skills, as well as buff and debuff skills with offensive techniques.


    Thest two effects left Sterl momentarily stunned. The third effect was straightforward, merely increasing damage like Flowing Water Law.


    But the fourth effect made Sterl truly realize�� what the profound worth of a Law meant?


    Attack techniques could break through anything!


    de Law indeed required its practitioners to dedicate their entire lives to its study.


    And the oue of that dedication meant that no matter how manyyers of Law an opponent had cultivated, Sterl could shatter it with a single sword strike!


    For instance, he could cut through the stagnation of Moon Lawor the suppression of Silent Domain.


    All could be severed!


    And then...


    Sterl faintly sensed thervae within the Bionic Tear, along with the strange shackles attached to him, and his eyes lit up!


    He had previously found it strange that even a demigod would have a hard time surviving this instance because thervae were everywhere, andmunicating with other "yers" would subject one to various bizarre effects.


    This instance was practically designed to prevent anyone from clearing it.


    But now Sterl understood; a demigod who had only grasped the ordinary elemental Laws would be seeking death bying here.


    In contrast, a demigod who mastered a powerful Law like de Law was different.


    If they approached with vignce from the start, they could slice down all thervae.


    Of course, these demigods would also need corresponding intelligence to know beforehand that they couldn''tmunicate with the yers trapped here.


    Once infected and possessed by thervae, entering a state of living death left no hope for recovery.


    Because of this, Sterl began to realize something.


    "Perhaps the Valor Combatants tournament will be filled with such beings, demigods who possess all sorts of strange, rare, yet powerful Laws."


    "Theirbat power is worlds apart from ordinary demigods."


    He was still able to ponder this.


    After all, this instance posed no pressure for Sterl anymore; what did the Bionic Tear''s corruption have to do with him?


    With de Law protecting him, he could stride confidently!


    But just then, an unexpected change urred.


    After the relentless ughter of the insect swarm...


    A figure suddenly emerged from among the insects, a colossal beast bearing a massive creation that resembled a flower on its back. As the flower bloomed, the demigod-level beast withered and transformed into nutrients.


    In the center of the flower stood a humanoid figure, adorned with dark purple scales and patterns, exuding a clear aura of life.


    Its power was that of a perfected-level demigod!


    But Sterl immediately noticed an unfamiliar Law emanating from this figure.


    [Law: Swarm]


    [Effect: ???]


    Star Insight was not invincible; at least not for Laws or divine authorities, which were not clearly detailed on the panel, making it impossible to glean specific information.


    "Ah!"


    The bizarre figure let out an excited howl, and then light purple ripples rapidly expanded across the swarm.


    Sterl felt an intense surge of anxiety; a certain unsettling emotion rushed through him.


    One word could describe it: like a thorn in his back.


    From behind, Sterl sharply sensed that the yers, though silent, appeared to be quite ted.


    They...


    Seemed to be anticipating the death of the newly joined yer in the instance!


    "Here ites! The power of the swarm!"


    "He can''t withstand it! There''s no way he can block it; he''s doomed!"


    "Oh! Good! Hahaha! He''s dead! The power of the swarm is here!"


    ...


    These individuals were openly whispering among themselves, unconcerned about exposing their own issues.


    They werepletely confident.


    It was confirmed that the newly entered yer, who could be eliminated in a single blow, was doomed without a doubt.


    But Sterl could confirm that the previous fear these people had towards the swarm was genuine...


    Sterl''s true self began to piece together something ��


    Death was likely a special mechanism within this instance.


    Once someone died, they probably became a puppet, truly losing control over their life and death.


    Thus, it seemed that other yers were usually pretending, or they mistakenly thought they were still normal; only when they saw others on the brink of death did their true colors emerge.


    Unfortunately, it was destined that these "people''s" hopes would be dashed.


    At this moment, despite Bionic Tear being affected by the side effects of the Energy Surge Capsules, as an item, it felt no pain or suffering.


    Sterlmanded Bionic Tear to consume a Glory Potion once again ��


    The End of All Things!


    Immediately, an incredibly eerie dark realm descended, targeting the figure that had unleashed the pure Law.


    Then��


    There was nothing more!


    The light purple ripples extinguished, and the bizarre figure seemed to suffer a bacsh, half-kneeling within the recently bloomed flower.


    The Swarm Law was evidently of high power, but it did not possess the ability to break through allws like de Law; otherwise, even the essence of all things could be forcibly severed.


    Seizing the opportunity while the creature was immobilized, Sterl activated Flowing Water Thousand Cuts!


    Havingprehended de Law, Sterl felt a significant boost in hisbat abilities. He no longer formed countless tiny flying des; instead, like when using the Rain Curtain Sword, he transformed myriad swords into one!


    The sword in his hand glimmered with a cold light, exuding boundless power!


    Sterl lunged forward with a fierce thrust!


    However��


    The bizarre figure easily dodged, slipping aside to evade the de''s edge.


    But Sterl''s left hand summoned another Flowing Water sword de, shing upwards from below!


    Rip!


    After the sound, the strange figure was cleaved in two.


    Then, the Flowing Water de transformed once more into needles that pierced through, shredding the body into pieces.


    Ultimately, the figure turned into a stream of air, which was forcefully absorbed by Sterl.


    After suffering significant damage, the stream finally broke free from Sterl and drifted into the distance.


    A prompt appeared before Sterl.


    [You have killed the monster: King Worm, gaining 0.4 points of blood force!]


    "Not bad, getting this much blood force for a single kill. Hey, can I have a few more of those?"


    Sterl smiled.


    He simply smiled.


    However, the yers behind him wore strange expressions.


    "Why are you still alive? How could you win?"


    "It must be fake!"


    "Die! You monster!"


    ...


    The yers who had previously appeared rather friendly finally revealed their true selves; they could not ept the fact that the neer was still alive, and they rushed at him in a frenzy.


    As they charged, their bodies began to crack open, revealing the partially formed insect beasts within, flying wildly and looking exceedingly disgusting and terrifying.


    But Sterl showed them no mercy.


    With a swift motion of his sword, beams of light shed as he effortlessly cut down these yers, who were at best third-ss.


    In the end, while it appeared that all the yers were annihted, their deaths causedyers uponyers of transparent ripples to swiftly entwine around Bionic Tear,pletely wrapping it up.


    Unfortunately, it was all for naught.


    Though Sterl''s true self vaguely guessed that this transparent ripple effect was likely quite strange, Bionic Tear was just an item.


    Meanwhile��


    After the yers were nearly ughtered, they transformed into streams of air drifting towards the sky, though these streams were extremely weak.


    They were easily absorbed by Bionic Tear.


    In total, Sterl gained only 0.1 points of blood force.


    Moreover, the streams werepletely drained, and they could no longer trigger any resurrection effects. Find more at m _v _l _e _mpyr.


    "It''s a pity these yers haven''t fully realized they''ve be puppets of the instance; they could have gathered more intelligence," Sterl''s true self shook his head.


    At the same time, the swarm seemed to havemunicated with the yers.


    They believed Bionic Tear was under the control of the transparent ripples, and once again, they frantically urged the masses, charging forward like a tidal wave!


    Unfortunately��


    What awaited the swarm was yet another pitch-ck darkness.


    The End of All Things!

 Chapter 300: Clearing the Instance? Not Enough!

    The ck Heavenly Curtain enveloped everything.


    No matter the type of insect beast, they all shared the same fate. They were unable to unleash any skills and were mercilessly burned, incinerated, and cursed under various afflictions! The countless swirling currents generated from the deaths of these insect beasts even whipped up gusts of hurricane winds.


    Instantly, Sterl''s screen was flooded with notifications.


    [You have killed the monster: Lava Worm*2, gaining 0.01 Blood Force!]


    [You have killed the monster: Burrowing Phantom*6, gaining 0.01 Blood Force!]


    [You have killed��]


    ��


    This time, the swarm seemed to have learned from experience, birthing several monsters hidden underground. However, the range of the Silent Domain was vast; those hiding underground were destined to die as well.


    Yet��


    After a batch of the swarm was eliminated, out of nowhere, a giant beast appeared, and a flower bloomed upon it.


    The King Worm descended once more, but this time, it did not dare to enter Sterl''s attack range. Consequently, its unknown effects on the insect race could not reach Sterl either.


    Standing atop the corpse of the withered giant beast, the King Worm appeared to be delivering a passionate speech.


    "Chirp chirp��"


    "Ura~~"


    In an instant, countless swarms fell into a frenzied state!


    Despite having been repelled by Sterl''s The End of All Things and suffering heavy casualties earlier, they showed no signs of concern and continued to charge recklessly.


    Sterl naturally weed this.


    His Silent Domain didn''t consume resources based on the number of enemies defeated, but merely on the duration of its maintenance.


    At this moment, under the swarm''s frenzy, the Blood Force rewards surged dramatically.


    He was winning big!


    However, it wasn''t long before Sterl''s smile faded.


    In just a few seconds, he found that his Energy Surge Capsules and Glory Potions had dwindled to only 1/10 of their capacity.


    But��


    The number of swarms showed no signs of diminishing.


    In fact, their charges became even more ferocious. It seemed as if all the swarms in the underwater world had converged on the battlefield, determined to tear Sterl apart.


    And more terrifyingly��


    Suddenly, the various shackles and ripples on Sterl began to realize they could no longer affect this yer and collectively retaliated.


    These energies transformed into tangible, rotting muck, wrapping around the Bionic Tear to restrict its movements, while variousrvae revealed themselves, biting furiously.


    A chilling, creaking sound echoed through the air.


    Sterl''s very being felt a wave of ustrophobia wash over him, as the strangervae crawled all over him, making him shudder in fear. Thankfully, it was not his true body fighting, but the Bionic Tear!


    Otherwise, he would have been utterly disgusted!


    At this moment, the effect of The End of All Things was also forcibly interrupted!


    "Creak!!" The King Worm roared with all its might.


    In an instant, countless insect beasts surged forward as if empowered by some bloodthirsty spell, charging wildly! It seemed that the battle was about to reach its climax!


    All the distant schools of fish in the deep sea cheered in unison!


    Until��


    Swish!


    Another Sterl appeared beside him.


    His true body had entered the fray.


    Without hesitation, Sterl unleashed the Arcane Law-enhanced Flowing Water Thousand Cuts, simultaneously activating the effects of the Sword Law!


    One Sword Opens the Sky!


    Countlessrvae and bizarre energies were instantly shredded by the unleashed shockwave from the unsheathed sword, granting the Bionic Tear its freedom in an instant.


    Thervae trying to invade Sterl''s true body were also reduced to dust.


    Simultaneously, countless tiny Flowing Water entities began to slice through the swarm. Not only were all the infected insect beasts annihted in an instant, but the buff that the King Worm had bestowed upon them was also shattered into nothingness.


    It spread like a delicate blue light, coursing through the dark tides!


    At this moment, the Bionic Tear settledfortably and consumed various potions. These potions provided gradual recovery, though not instant, they restored a significant amount of health.


    As long as the Bionic Tear could not connect to the energy storage pool, there was no need to drink the potions at all.


    Three seconds!


    Sterl''s true body fought hard for three seconds before his mana was depleted, causing him to retreat into the small world once more.


    Meanwhile, the Bionic Tear had restored its state to peak condition.


    Sterl''s true body nodded at the scenery outside, "It worked."


    He could have utilized this method earlier, where his true self would attack while the Bionic Tear regained mana, alternating between the two in battle. However, due to his cautious nature, Sterl preferred not to let his true form enter the instance.


    He was not an omniscient deity; he too could hesitate and miss opportunities, resulting in a significant loss of potions just moments ago.


    However, this strategy of alternating between the clone and the true body was particrly effective against weaker foes.


    When facing enemies of equal strength, Sterl could only sneak attack with his true body for a surprise, and repeatedly jumping back into the small world wasn''t as easy.


    But��


    Now, against the swarm, this tactic was effective! The sheer number of enemies would be meaningless.


    Next came Sterl''s harvest time.


    The swarm was met with a Bionic Tear, fully stocked and fueled, that rained down chaos. When the Bionic Tear''s mana was exhausted, Sterl''s true body would step in for a few seconds before switching again.


    Each time they exchanged roles, they could rack up considerable Blood Force. After grinding through nearly ten minutes of this, the swarm began to falter under the pressure.


    With a final roar, the King Worm issued amand to retreat.


    Sterl furrowed his brow instantly. "I haven''t even had my fill yet, and you''re already trying to run away?"


    However, it seemed that fate was on his side. In the depths of the sea, countless forms of life, including corals, fish schools, shrimp, and even giant whales��


    Some of themcked any vocal organs, yet they managed to sing in unison.


    "For the Lord of Lye!"


    "The brave warriors sacrifice their lives."


    "Praise Lye��"


    ��


    At first, Sterl''s Bionic Tear could understand the meaning behind the words, but soon, a wave of confusion swept over him, and everything began to spin.


    If it weren''t for Sterl''s true body in the small world manually maintaining the skill, The End of All Things would have been interrupted in an instant.


    The waves of magical sound attempted to invade Sterl''s true body again, only to dissipate into wisps of smoke after colliding with the divine authority he had created.


    "Damn! It''s a good thing I wasn''t ambushed." Sterl''s true body felt a shiver run down his spine. Although the Sword Law could counter these magical sounds, what if he was caught off guard and hit directly? That would be disastrous!


    For now, Sterl''s true body was temporarily exempt from the effects of the magical sound, and it seemed that using this magic consumed quite a bit of energy, as it soon ceased.


    But the situation on the swarm''s side was entirely different.


    The King Worm was etched with dark green markings, its eyes pale, as if it had lost its original will.


    It roared,


    Countless swarms, empowered by the magical sound, surged forward with reckless abandon, charging toward the Bionic Tear! They were determined to fight to the death!


    Sterl''s true body froze for a moment before realizing��


    Something was amiss!


    These swarms didn''t seem to share a unified purpose with the so-called "Lye." They had their own will, and when faced with heavy casualties, they would abandon the attack.


    Stay tuned to m,vlemp _yr.


    But Lye refused to ept this reality and forcibly drove the swarms to attack?!


    Based on the information he had gathered earlier, Sterl could only conclude that��


    This instance wasn''t anything special; yers who died would simply die, but after death, they might be puppets of Lye.


    Sterl couldn''t analyze much further at the moment. Just watching the frenzied swarms, he opened his arms wide as if weing them!


    Then, darkness fell!


    The End of All Things descended like a reaper, harvesting life.


    Sterl continued to alternate between his true body and the Bionic Tear, enduring the onught of the swarm.


    The Blood Force value steadily climbed step by step.


    Four points.


    Five points.


    Six points.


    ��


    Ten points!


    Eleven points!


    It was only when Sterl reached an eleven-point Blood Force that the swarm seemed to shrink in scale.


    On Sterl''s side, he executed a clever maneuver. He brought the protection of the Illuminated King into reality through the small world, allowing Rosalie to possess a female yer (Sterl had opened yer ounts for all his followers). This yer was tasked withmunicating with Teresa, urging her to gather healing potions at any cost.


    Then, Sterl had the small world''s exit extracted from the Bionic Tear and attached it to the female yer, allowing her to transport batches of healing potions into the small world.


    These operations seemedplex, but Sterl directly used his mental power to imprint the specific operational n into the hands of that female yer. He also instructed the Bionic Tear to hang on for a few more seconds by consuming thest of its Glory Potions and Energy Surge Capsules.


    With this wave of effort, Sterl managed to transport a massive amount of ordinary healing potions.


    The reason for contacting Teresawas mainly that the yers in Sterl''s actual base were still scattered among various human factions on Earth, making it nearly impossible to find Sosia or Sonis from the Hall of Valor.


    Moreover, while the potions Teresacould procure might not be of the highest quality, Sterl himself was only third-ss. The strategy of alternating between his true body and the Bionic Tear was sufficient to handle the swarm!


    "I need to stockpile more potions in the small world next time."


    "This extreme operation was truly nerve-wracking," Sterl''s true body reflected.


    Then��


    The Blood Force continued to rise.


    Twelve points.


    Thirteen points.


    ��


    Twenty-three points!


    The gains from this wave had already surpassed what he had achieved with the divine-level formation earlier! Sterl felt like he was on a winning streak!


    Meanwhile, the overwhelming power of the deep sea had enveloped everything for an unknown duration. The swarm had shrunk by one-third! Even though their assault remained fervent, the previous tidal wave of intensity had transformed into mere gentle waves.


    At that moment��


    Suddenly, countless fish and creatures stopped chanting the name "Lye," and the swarm''s aggressive assault came to an immediate halt.


    Then, a beam of golden light descended from the heavens, illuminating the ocean floor as if it were broad daylight, sweeping away all the sinister atmosphere.


    Afterward, a prompt appeared before Sterl.


    [Congrattions! You have cleared the instance!]


    [You can choose one item from the following rewards��]

 Chapter 301: Eighty Points of Blood Force!

    Sterl looked at the prompt that appeared before him, flipping through it with great interest.


    [You can choose one reward from the following options��


    SSS-grade Guild Materials2, Dream Tooth (tinum Item), Larvae Transformation Spell (tinum Skill), Malicious Intent Rain Boots (Legendary Equipment), Gaze of the Ancient One (Talisman)]


    "You know, these are some pretty good items," he said with a grin.


    The guild materials were obviously what Sterl originally aimed for. As for the Dream Tooth, he wasn''t quite sure what it was, but a tinum Skill item wouldn''t be garbage. There was also the Legendary Equipment, which was a guaranteed gain, and the talisman.


    Not to mention the tinum Skill rted to the mysterious Larvae from the instance��this skill should be of considerable strength, probably worth around forty to fifty thousand contribution points in the Hall of Valor.


    Unfortunately, Sterl had no intention of epting the reward.


    "Clearing the instance now? I haven''t wiped out the swarm or gathered enough Blood Force, and you expect me to just leave?"


    "You didn''t ask for my opinion when you pulled me in, did you?" Sterl scoffed.


    He had a rough idea that this was probably the mastermind behind the instance trying to back down and asking him, the mighty yer, to leave. But Sterl thought��


    How foolish!


    Wouldn''t killing you, the mastermind, yield these items anyway? While it might not drop everything, there''s a chance I could get more than one item! If I were willing to use a Fate Token, I could get them all!


    Plus, if I leave now, who''s going to make up for the Blood Force I''m missing?


    Sterl began to understand.


    To the mastermind of the instance, the deaths of yers and swarms didn''t matter; as long as that eerie airflow remained, they could revive infinitely. But Sterl could absorb this airflow, thanks to the Origin of Chaos he acquired through a bug exploit��it was simply overpowering!


    At this moment, Sterl''s wanton ughter was akin to carving up the flesh of the instance''s mastermind. If he were to drain the airflowpletely, the mastermind would undoubtedly suffer significant losses.


    Thus, the mastermind only wanted Sterl to leave.


    But Sterl, without hesitation, charged toward the swarm once again.


    ��


    At the same time, along with the words announcing the clearing of the instance, the King Worm within the swarm suddenly regained consciousness. It stared in shock at the scene before it!


    "No��


    Where''s my swarm? Where did my massive swarm go? There''s only two-thirds of them left now."


    The King Worm gazed at Sterl''s Bionic Tear, and memories of everything that had urred during its controlled state began to resurface in its mind. Hatred filled the King Worm''s eyes.


    "Creeeak!!"


    It howled, as if a tidal wave of rage surged within it, stirring the remaining swarm into a frenzy.


    Then the swarm began to move, charging forward wildly.


    Gradually��


    They were running in the opposite direction of Sterl. Clearly��


    They were trying to escape.


    At this moment, Sterl remained calm and unhurried. He wasn''t worried at all because the flow of time in this instance was different from that of the outside world. Even though he couldn''t use this time for training, spending extra time defeating monsters didn''t matter at all.


    Thus, the Bionic Tear pursued relentlessly, bolstered by the de Law, enhancing the output of Flowing Water Thousand Cuts significantly. This included an increase in overall damage output, the efficiency of Sterl''s variousbat techniques, and the overwhelming effects of his sword''s might.


    Sterl could only feel one thing.


    The thrill of battle!


    Suddenly, a peculiar half-human, half-insect beast sprang out from the shadows before him. It swung a scythe, attempting to assassinate Sterl. This insect beast seemed to be imbued with the King Worm''s insectoid Law, likely possessing dual effects of damage resistance and damage amplification.


    However, the massive sword resulting from the convergence of Flowing Water Thousand Cuts met it head-on!


    sh!!


    Heavenly Opening!


    As for the effects added by the race''s Law Power, Sterl had no idea what they were. Regardless, the insect beast was cleaved in half by the de Law. This highly anticipated assassin demigod-level insect beast was instantly defeated! It transformed into 0.1 Blood Force, which fell into Sterl''s hands.


    He continued his relentless pursuit of the swarm!


    Any insect beast that controlled Thunder? ughter!


    Any insect beast with healing abilities? ughter!


    Any insect beast that could split its body and create buildings? ughter!


    Finally��


    Sterl made use of Starlight Spray to wildly distribute his damage throughout the deep sea. Soon enough, a look of surprise appeared on his face.


    These insect beasts actually had a nest!


    Without hesitation, he activated Cursed Vision for a teleportation attack. His figure shed as heunched two or three consecutive strikes, already surpassing the retreating swarm army.


    Initially, the King Worm remained rtively calm. During the retreat, Sterl couldn''t harvest the swarm in bulk like harvesting wheat. A temporary loss was entirely eptable. But now��


    "Waaah! (That devil is going to raid our home!)" The King Worm eximed in terror, letting out another roar. Instantly, countless swarms sped up; they had initially nned to circle around and not head straight back to their nest, but now they were rushing toward their home.


    But Sterl was faster.


    He found himself in a rather strange area, where the ground was sticky and formed a "swamp" made of various life corpses and the decayed remains of the insect race. Surrounding him were giant nests, constantly expelling and inhaling that strange airflow, which gathered here and was transformed by various structures into different forms of sustenance.


    However, Sterl could tell that the airflow was transforming into various materials, which were then used to create the insect beasts.


    Clearly, the true process of swarm reproduction required specific materials rather than relying on so-called illusory airflow. The current production of the insect race might just be an illusion controlled by Lye after their deaths...


    Sterl observed this while not remaining idle. He gathered a bit of power...


    The End of All Things!!


    Immediately, a pitch-ck sun shone within the insect race''s nest, radiating waves of equally dark energy outward. The various structures of the insect race were also a kind of special living organism.


    Thus...


    As Sterl''s power spread, countless buildings first copsed and decayed into a heap of rotting flesh, while some insect beasts that were being reborn, empowered by the airflow, also rotted away.


    A massive surge of energy flowed toward Sterl.


    [You have killed the monster: Pool of Blood (Building), gaining 0.8 Blood Force!]


    [You have killed the monster: Hatching Well (Building), gaining 0.9 Blood Force!]


    [You have killed...]


    ...


    He stared nkly at the prompts before him; this wave was immensely satisfying, totaling seven Blood Force gained. These buildings seemed to be the source of life for the swarm, and after their destruction, Sterl noticed that even though he hadn''t absorbed all the airflow generated from the demolished buildings, the remaining airflow could no longer form new structures.


    It could only transform into some Swarm units on the spot.


    At that moment...


    The entire insect race''s nest was in a state of apocalyptic chaos. The swamp made of energy material withered away, turning into a dead and silent mire, with only a few small buildings still standing.


    Sterl switched to another character and charged forward again, ready for another round. Just then��


    The army led by the King Worm finally sensed the cmity. It looked at the wreckage within the nest and let out a heart-wrenching wail.


    Then��


    Boom!


    This insect beast actually self-destructed!


    Green blood surged through the swarm, causing the essence of all insect beasts to spike. Their bodies ignited with green mes, seemingly entering a state of burning life, willing to do whatever it took to exact revenge on Sterl!


    Sterl switched back to the Bionic Tear, only coldly smiling as he watched the swarm.


    "Come on!"


    ...


    The ck sun descended once more!


    The waves of green mes gradually extinguished before this terrifying power, turning to nothing.


    However, this time...


    Swish!


    Surprisingly, quite a few swarms, relying on the me''s reduction, managed to force their way to Sterl''s front, opening their grotesque mandibles in an attempt tounch an attack.


    Reluctantly, Sterl''s main body resurfaced, rapidly activating the de Law-enhanced Flowing Water Thousand Cuts to shatter the remnants of the insect race''s Law enhancement, ensuring his safety.


    After all, Sterl was a third-ss entity, andpared to his formidable offensive power, his defensive capabilities were considerablycking.


    Among his conventional defensive techniques, only the iplete Iridescent-Level skill, Rebirth of All Thoughts, was somewhat reliable. However, this skill required him to endure a wave of damage before it could be activated.


    Sterl had a strong vitality, but being attacked simultaneously by arge number of swarms posed a risk of sudden death.


    "Interesting?"


    Sterl realized at this moment that the King Worm''s self-destruction wasn''t without effect; now, the enhanced swarm could no longer be taken down by Silent Domain.


    With no other options, Sterl had to change his approach. The de Law-enhanced Flowing Water Thousand Cuts could still kill, albeit at a slower efficiency. The swarm quickly engulfed his figure, a dark mass of yellowish-brown bodies and dark green mes seemingly blotting out the heavens.


    However, if one were to look closely, they would find at the center of the swarm''s assault a young man wielding a flowing water sword with an air of elegance and grace. It was as if he had undergone countless battles; despite the overwhelming pressure from the swarm, he moved as if strolling through a garden, effortlessly ughtering the surrounding enemies.


    The swarm around him constantly transformed into airflow to be reborn, then merged back into the army, returning to trouble the young man, only to be ughtered once more.


    Time passed slowly, second by second.


    Due to the decreased efficiency, after one hour, Sterl''s Blood Force surpassed 30 points.


    After three hours, Sterl''s Blood Force exceeded 40 points.


    ...


    After ten hours, Sterl''s Blood Force had reached a staggering 80 points!!


    He felt a sense of bewilderment. The reserves of recovery potions were sufficient, but the mental toll was immense. Fighting without rest was taking its toll on him.


    So...


    He took out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls and took a deep breath. Dive into stories on NovelFire,mpyr.


    The next second, Sterl opened his eyes, fully revitalized.


    However, the emerald green mes on the insect beasts within the swarm had slowly begun to extinguish. This tug-of-war battle wasing to an end, and the oue was clear.

 Chapter 302: Shattered Void

    However, just as Sterl was about to continue unleashing The End of All Things to pursue the swarm, he noticed that something was off with these insects.


    Although it was strange to describe insect beasts with expressions, their eyes now appeared considerably more vacant than before, almost like those of yers who had lost their focus.


    Wait? What''s going on?


    Sterl was taken aback. He then realized that the swarm hadpletely abandoned their hatred for the destroyed nest and were fleeing in all directions, only thinking about getting as far away from him as possible. Even more absurdly, they had forsaken their typical behavior of fighting in groups and were now escaping individually.


    The ck sun of The End of All Things had descended, but this time, the number of insect beasts being ughtered was unprecedentedly low.


    Sterl looked at the already destroyed insect race nest and thought of the deceased King Worm: "Could it be that the insect race was never fully under the control of the consciousness in this instance?"


    "Previously, that Lye had to make some fish call out their true names to control the insect race."


    "But now the swarm haspletely copsed."


    "Perhaps it was because the previous insect race nest had allowed those swarms to be reproduced again, preventing the insects from being mentally contaminated, or maybe it was the King Worm''s abilities controlling these swarms."


    He thought about it and grew increasingly irritated.


    Good grief, does that mean I''ve inadvertently helped the puppet master of this instance gain control over the insect race''s power... and someone else gets to benefit from it?


    Sterl was instantly furious! He watched as the insect beasts scattered in panic, many of them burrowing into the sand, seemingly disappearing without a trace, muttering to himself,


    "Alright, let''s y this slowly!"


    ...


    In the depths of the ocean.


    Ssh!


    A giant insect beast suddenly crawled out from the rocks and soil. It hadn''t even had time to act when a distant Flowing Water de struck it, pinning it to the spot.


    Then, the insect beast transformed into a stream of airflow.


    Sterl maintained his expression: "That''s 130 points of Blood Force."


    "Over two months have passed already."


    "It''s a pity that in this area of abnormal time flow, I can''t allocate points; otherwise, I would have soared through the ranks."


    He was extremely patient. After the puppet master had fully taken control of the swarm, these insects had been running amok across the entire map, while Sterl had relentlessly pursued them for over two months. As for supplies, he could simply log off to retrieve them.


    By the way, because [Dream of Lye]was under the firstyer of Time Law��resulting in an abnormal time flow caused by sensory deception��when Sterl logged off, the time he experienced wasn''t nearly as exaggerated as a day feeling like a year in the instance.


    It was exceedingly strange.


    For these two months, Sterl had also been trying to understand the underlying principles behind this phenomenon, believing that such insights would elevate hisprehension of the power of time.


    But...


    He had yet to make any progress.


    At this moment, however, Sterl''s mind was not focused on the power of time; instead, he sensed that the seawater in the depths of the ocean was boiling as if it were being heated.


    With his Blood Force umted to 130 points, it meant that the strange currents throughout the instance were nearly drained by him.


    Furthermore, over these past two months, beams of light indicating thepletion of the instance had appeared multiple times. Yet, the rewards had not increased, suggesting that even the puppet master could not provide anything more.


    And now, finally��


    The puppet master couldn''t hold back any longer.


    In an instant��


    A gigantic face suddenly emerged from the ocean, entirely colored in shades of blue, adorned with patterns reminiscent of thick paint.


    Sterl''s main body was hidden in a small world, and just one nce made him feel the strange, corrupting force rushing into the small world at an rming speed, chasing after him!


    Of course, that bizarre power shattered upon contact with the divine authority of creation.


    Sterl attempted to use his Star Insight, but he received no response. All the power was distorted and altered near the puppet master!


    Sterl noticed that his Bionic Tear was gradually bing strange. Originally, the Bionic Tear manifested Sterl''s appearance, but now, it was sprouting grass, corals, flowers, trees, and even a few human faces.


    Suddenly, warnings shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [Warning: Your item Bionic Tear is being contaminated!]


    [Warning: Your item Bionic Tear is being...]


    ...


    Sterl couldn''t sit still any longer. The Bionic Tear was extremely valuable and could not be lost! Without hesitation, he rapidly allocated points!


    It consumed one point of Blood Force.


    Although he couldn''t cultivate in the instance, Sterl''s mastery of Space Law was merely one step away frompletion. He forcefully used hisbat experience from repeatedly employing abilities like Shadow Stealth to bridge the final gap! Enjoy reading at m-vle-mp,yr.


    At this moment, Space Law!


    It wasplete!


    But Sterl didn''t stop there, consuming another 20 points of Blood Force.


    Remaining Blood Force: 109 points.


    Simultaneously, the de Law reached perfection, and all enhancements increased significantly.


    Moreover, Space Law immediately began to provide various buffs right from the perfected level!


    The first effect doubled the speed and power of all abilities released within space while halving the consumption. A simple and effective boost!


    The second effect doubled the effectiveness of formations while reducing material consumption by 30%.


    The third effect allowed the user to choose any spatial point to arrive in the main world when using teleportation items.


    The fourth effect, Space Refraction, enabled Sterl to teleport any part of his body to another space to evade attacks.


    Thest three effects were more functional, enhancing formations, teleportation items, and providing an exceptional defensive skill forbat.


    With this, the trifecta of Arcane, Space, and de Laws had reached perfection!


    Sterl had previously drawn the strongest tinum Skill, Shattered Void, which unlocked two forms in quick session:


    Space Rending.


    Edge Cutting!


    Then, Sterl''s main body appeared instantly. He had no thoughts or unnecessary actions, wanting to avoid being contaminated himself.


    Shattered Void!


    sh!


    sh!


    A storm of fragments erupted!


    ...


    "Allocate points!"


    "Well, would you look at that, the cheat hasn''t cooled down yet."


    Sterl stood above the water surface outside Lorik Harbor, looking rxed but somewhat regretful.


    "If I had known the boss instance would copse right after defeating the boss, should I have held off a bit longer and drained more Blood Force before forcing the boss to act?"


    "Though it seems I couldn''t have dyed it. If I hadn''t been diligently pursuing, by the time I absorbed enough of the currents, the boss would likely have beenpelled to strike."


    Sterl muttered to himself, and his panel disyed:


    Congrattions! You havepleted the hidden instance [Dream of Lye].


    Indeed, just moments ago, with one use of Shattered Void, Sterl had dealt the final blow to the puppet master. Amid the various chaotic and corrupting phenomena, Sterl hadn''t noticed exactly what had transpired. He only felt that under the effect of [One Sword Opens the Sky], the bizarre, corrupted flesh of the boss had beenpletely severed. Finally, the instance was cleared.


    It was only then that Sterl returned to normal, and he had no idea whether that puppet master was the so-called Lye. He was utterly bewildered.


    "I can''t shake the feeling that I might have gone a bit overboard."


    Sterl had begun to realize something. This instance theoretically couldn''t bepleted through straightforward brute force.


    yers needed to navigate [Dream of Lye], gathering a wealth of information at every step.


    At the outset, it was essential to understand that they couldn''tmunicate with other yers directly or had to do so in a special way to avoid contamination.


    Then there was the swarm, which was clearly a force that could be utilized; they weren''t under the puppet master''s control. And the final boss, constantly generating pollution, likely had some item that could counter it.


    When the instance copsed, Sterl had caught a glimpse of a strange glimmer disappearing along with the instance. Yet he had charged through recklessly.


    What yer interference? Kill!


    What about rallying the swarm? Kill!


    What about the final boss needing to adhere to mechanics and acquire items?


    Just kill!


    But the oue was favorable...


    Sterl looked at his panel, then at his backpack, organizing the spoils from this [Dream of Lye], unable to hide his joy.


    "What a great harvest! A tremendous harvest!"


    He sighed in satisfaction.


    Just then, Sterl suddenly heard someone calling from afar:


    "Master, are you alright?"


    "Master, you finally appeared!"


    "I knew someone as powerful as you couldn''t be killed by a mere monster fish."


    Huh? Who are you?


    Sterl was a bit dazed, momentarily stunned before realizing it was the old fisherman he had recruited during his sightseeing tour earlier.


    More than two months had passed in the instance, but only a few hours had gone by in reality. The old fisherman had gathered quite a few people, searching for this mysterious, powerful figure who had gone missing.


    Sterl smiled casually and patted the old man''s shoulder. "I''m fine, just go about your business."


    He tossed the fisherman a gold coin.


    However, the fisherman stopped Sterl. "Master, you saved my life; how can I take your money?"


    Sterl was toozy to argue, simply saying, "Take it; just ept it."


    The old fisherman hesitated, then pulled out a worn object from his robe and handed it over.


    "Master, this is something passed down from my grandfather. He said it was very precious, and I probably won''t have any use for it in my lifetime, especially since I have no descendants."


    "This thing�� can you see if it''s of any use to you?"


    Sterl paused for a moment and took the heirloom.


    He discreetly used Star Insight to scan it.


    Then��


    Sterl was taken aback and quickly closed his eyes to sense it.


    Indeed, the Fortune he had just gathered was instantly drained.


    It was important to note that his current Fortune wasn''t just what he had previously collected; it also included the Fortune gained from sessfully clearing the [Dream of Lye], an instance where entering was certain death for demigods!


    In total, it amounted to thirty-five units!


    And now, it was all gone in one fell swoop!


    However, seeing the Fortune dissipate, Sterl felt relieved.


    This meant that the item he had just received was usable! There was no Conspiracy involved.


    Sterl smiled and quickly logged off, then logged back in.


    He shot a golden skill orb into the old fisherman.


    The old man seemed to sense something, his expression filled with astonishment, but before he could speak��

 Chapter 303: Iridescent-Level Item, Time Dust!

    "Alright, thank you very much."


    With that, Sterl made a quick move, activating Shadow Stealth to disappear from Lorik Harbor.


    ...


    More than ten minutester, Sterl found a cave in the wilderness. After kindly inviting a ck bear that had been living there to leave, he settled down cross-legged to sort through his recent gains, his eyes shining with surprise.


    "Wow, even though I didn''t get any guild materials from the previous maps, this haul has been amazing!"


    First, he had gained 110 points of Blood Force (with one point provided by the BOSS).


    Sterl could directly allocate points to achieve a perfect-level Law. However, since he only had one opportunity to choose, he wasn''t in a hurry. Instead, he wanted to wait for a crucial moment to decide which Law to enhance based on the situation at hand.


    Next, there was the mysterious boss drop. At the time, Sterl had been twisted and affected, all his focus caught in the de Law of [One Sword Opens the Sky].


    Yet he still managed to throw out a Fate Token. Sterl had no idea what he could choose, so he picked the option with the lowest probability, which should yield decent rewards.


    He was primarily focused on getting money, regardless of the risks involved.


    In the end, he gained quite a bit of experience, but since it was only a single boss, the experience bar only indicated that he could level up twice.


    This clearly showed how frustrating leveling up was within the Transcendence system��


    Moreover, he had only received a modest amount of purple coins��just 23 in total.


    The main highlight was the equipment and items dropped.


    Sterl held three Iridescent-Level orbs in his hands and opened them one by one.


    First, he received four SSS-level guild materials.


    "Not bad; if I wait four days, I can upgrade the guild to level 4."


    Next was��


    [Dream Tooth (tinum)]


    [Description: A tooth that controls strange dreams; perhaps it can be set as a gem in equipment?]


    [Effect: This material can be fused into any piece of equipment, granting the yer an attack effect��Soul Extraction [The soul power of the struck enemy will be extracted, converting into the yer''s energy. Each unit can only be extracted once.]]


    "Looks decent." Sterl tossed the tooth, which resembled a pure white de, in his hand. This item couldn''t be used for point allocation; right now, Sterl just wanted to see how the Soul Extraction effect worked.


    If the values were high enough, this item would undoubtedly be incredibly valuable!


    Even if each unit could only be extracted once, it would significantly alleviate Sterl''s mana issues, and the Soul Extraction itself would certainly deal substantial damage.


    Moreover, the pain of damaging a soul should be more unbearable than the side effects of consuming energy potions.


    Sterl felt that Soul Extraction could also effectively control opponents for a while��


    Next��


    [Malicious Intent Rain Boots (Legendary)]


    [Tier: Legendary]


    The third drop was a pair of light purple boots with live fish swimming around them, giving off a rather eerie vibe.


    Sterl couldn''t be bothered to check the specific attributes and simply tossed them into his small world.


    This equipment was reserved as one of the potential items for future upgrades to the legendary tier.


    When the time came, Sterl would sift through to find the strongest set of equipment to equip himself.


    The fourth item was a talisman adorned with strange shadowy figures.


    Sterl had previously been keen on collecting talismans, but the Hall of Valor rarely sold such items. While he could use Valor Contribution Points to buy some talismans, his points were too tight as he needed to exchange them for tinum Skills, so he hadn''t considered them before.


    [Gaze of the Ancient One]


    [Category: Talisman]


    [Description: The one who possesses this talisman faces either great fortune or great misfortune. Under the watch of the Ancient One, you are destined to grow into a powerful figure, but the gifts that fate bestows are often marked with a hidden price.]


    [Effect: You gain abnormal knowledge, allowing you to learn certain special skills (not rted to the main world or the underworld [Hell]). Your energy limit receives a 50% bonus.]


    "Good stuff!"


    Sterl was pleasantly surprised and tossed the talisman into his item inventory.


    Its buff was straightforward and powerful, effectively adding 50% to his base energy attribute.


    Not to mention, it also allowed for an additional point allocation.


    However, the talisman''s description was rather ominous.


    But Sterl was unafraid!


    Why was he unafraid?


    Read first on m|v|l|e|m|p|y|r.


    Because after point allocation, all negative effects would instead convert to advantageous effects for him.


    So, items with adverse effects would only grant Sterl double the benefit.


    On the contrary, this talisman seemed to reveal a secret.


    "Is there a third faction beyond the main world and Hell?"


    "Is it rted to the so-called Ancient Ones and that Lye?" Sterl mumbled, finding himselfcking sufficient information to make any effective deductions.


    He quickly set aside the questions regarding the third faction and pulled out thest dropped item. The previous items were likely prices set by the hidden puppet master to entice Sterl to leave.


    Except for the Larvae Transformation Method, which hadn''t dropped.


    The final item was a small hourss, within which shimmering fine dust glimmered with a rainbow of colors.


    [Time Dust (Iridescent-Level)]


    [Description: In such a lowly region, items rted to time should not exist, but the blessings of the Ancient Ones spread through spirit and will, transcending the limitations of all regions.]


    [Effect: Gently turning the hourss releases dust, causing all units present to revert to their state from 10 seconds ago, while only you retain the relevant memories.


    Igniting the dust creates a chaotic time zone around you, where all users will randomly experience time reversal, time eleration, or temporal distortion states.]


    [Remaining Uses: 3/3]


    [Warning: Continuous use of Time Dust may lead you to be trapped in a temporal maelstrom, resulting in various unpredictable consequences.]


    "Now, this is really something!"


    Sterl looked at the hourss with great excitement. Reversing time by 10 seconds could turn the tide in battle because, in fights at the divine level or above, the time between unleashing a powerful move and potentially defeating an opponent could be less than a second.


    Ten seconds provided too many possibilities!


    At the very least, it could allow Sterl to save his life three times or defeat three formidable foes.


    But more importantly, this item truly contained the power of time, even allowing for time reversal.


    Every time he used it, Sterl would have a chance to deeply experience the power of time.


    As long as he could cultivate a seed of time, he could allocate points to gain the corresponding divine authority!


    Holding the exquisite hourss, Sterl felt as if he could already see a broad path ahead.


    As for the second effect of Time Dust, Sterl hadn''t yet figured out how to apply it. He could only say that when facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, he could gamble with the second effect for a stroke of luck.


    If he elerated time while his opponent experienced time reversal, wouldn''t that allow him to turn the tables?


    With that, he finished sorting through all the gains from the instance.


    Sterl flew to a nearby city, spent a day in cultivation, and awaited the summoned rainbow ship, which was officially setting sail toward the Principality of Florence.


    Although he still had a bnce of 110 points in Blood Force, Sterl couldn''t resist the temptation; he had to go to Hell! Just by obtaining one Origin of Chaos, he could easily master the power of time.


    What if he got another Origin of Chaos? Wouldn''t he be soaring then?


    Moreover, Sterl still needed seventy-five more Fortune points to evolve his cheat. He had to actively trigger the Fortune bacsh to stabilize and gain Fortune.


    Exploiting bugs was an absolute must!


    As for��


    There was one more thing.


    The item that old fisherman had given Sterl.


    He didn''t even have the inclination to open it.


    Because��


    [Damaged Terminal (???)]


    [Effect: Using this item creates a [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven game ount for you.]


    This item did not disy any effects in the [Transcendence] system; it was Sterl''s cheat that recognized its effect.


    It was extremely bizarre!


    [Transcendence] game items allow you to create a [Transcendence] ount?


    And what''s the situation with that Swallowing Heaven game ount? Is it perhaps referring to creating an ount for Hell yers?


    Sterl received this item after exhausting his Fortune.


    From his earlier conversations with Sosia and Sonis, he knew that the Red Falcon n was directly converted into yers rather than using some item to create an ount in the game.


    What exactly was this Damaged Terminal?


    Moreover, if Sterl was already a [Transcendence] yer, would creating another ount lead to a bug?


    Instinctively, Sterl felt a sense of unease. He hid the Damaged Terminal in his small world, nning not to touch it for a while.


    As for the plus sign on the Damaged Terminal��


    It was gray.


    Sterl sensed that points could only be added after his cheat underwent a second evolution.


    At that moment, he felt a strange mixture of fear and anticipation.


    It seemed like he was gradually approaching the core secret of the game [Transcendence].


    Everything was awaiting the next evolution of the cheat to be unveiled.


    ��


    A day passed quietly.


    Shattered Void received its fourth point allocation, but there was still no qualitative change, only a slight increase in power.


    Once again, Sterl arrived at the Principality of Florence, and he stood frozen in ce.


    It had changed!


    Everything had changed. The original Principality of Florence, a grand city bustling with NPCs and rich in culture, had transformed into arge ce resembling an adventure guild.


    He could see yers moving about in the rugged buildings, with most of them having power levels above legendary.


    Demigod-level yers were also quitemon.


    Sterl had previously looked through the data on powerful figures from the Hall of Valor provided by Sosia and Sonis.


    He hadn''t intended to memorize it, but with their power levels disyed, he could hardly forget a single detail.


    Sterl noticed a significant number of named demigod warriors from the Hall of Valor were now present in the Principality of Florence.


    Moreover, the central area of the city was not a pce but a massive space rift glowing with a blood-red light. Many yers were seen exerting their efforts to stabilize the rift with spatial power.


    Surrounding the rift were numerous fully-equipped adventure squads showcasing their abilities, opening pathways near the spatial rift.


    They were likely preparing to venture into Hell.

 Chapter 304: Expansion Activity: Mourning of Blood

    At this moment, Sterl paused for thought but did not want to stand out. He disguised himself with a panel that resembled a wed demigod and casually shed to the edge of a spatial rift.


    As soon as he materialized, he was met with numerous gazes directed his way. After a brief moment of hesitation, several individuals approached him, until a burly man d in purple and gold armor rudely shoved others aside to stand next to Sterl.


    "Hey there, friend?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, you must possess spatial abilities or have a grasp of the Law of Space," the muscr man observed, his keen perception easily discerning Sterl''s control over spatial forces during his teleportation.


    "Our team wishes to hire you for a while to assist us in traversing between the main world and hell."


    The surrounding yers echoed enthusiastically, "Join our team, friend! We are willing to offer you a piece of demigod tinum equipment!"


    "I''ll match that offer! A tinum piece along with some purple gold!"


    "Bro! Come with us! We were among the first to tackle demons! Joining us will maximize your rewards!"


    The yers were clearly excited. It was evident that individuals with the Law of Space Power were in high demand.


    Sterl was slightly taken aback; it seemed that hunting demons indeed yielded significant profits. The enthusiasm of these yer teams was understandable, as possessing someone who could manipte space could help them achieve enormous gains!


    However, he simply shook his head. "Sorry, but I prefer to go solo."


    With that, Sterl waved his hand��Gate of Hell!


    Boom!


    With a thunderous roar and the shattering of countless stones, a massive door adorned with various devilish figures rose from the ground. Without hesitation, Sterl stepped through.


    Behind him, several groups of yers used detection skills, and upon seeing the opportunity, their eyes lit up. Without a moment''s pause, they rushed toward the Gate of Hell, shouting, "Bro! Just borrowing this! I''ll reward you once we''re in hell!"


    Although the other teamscked simr detection skills, the rapid response of theirpetitors left them stunned for less than a second before they activated various speed-boosting abilities and charged toward the Gate of Hell.


    When Sterl opened the Gate of Hell, he hadn''t intended to bring anyone along. However, he also did not hasten to close the door. With the speed enhancement from the demigod-level yers, a total of around forty to fifty people surged through the Gate of Hell into the abyss��


    Whoosh!


    Sterl felt a sh of crimson light before him.


    The surrounding area was markedly different from hisst transit through hell. A nauseating, strange blood aura permeated everywhere, and the soil and rockyers appeared somewhat damp.


    Alongside what couldn''t exactly be called a "path," but ratherrge, biotic furrows carved by enormous creatures, bizarre nts grew��


    Brilliant red flowers bloomed, their petals curling and snapping like ws. Some were extremely active, with dark red vines crazily attempting to ensnare nearby yers, while trees that looked like jewels pulsed with flowing energy.


    Sterl was soon met with prompts shing before him��


    [You have entered theyer of hell.]


    [Notice: The currentyer of hell is in an expansion state (clearing all hellish life will integrate thisyer into the main world, and all participating yers will receive rewards based on their contribution).]


    [Your current expansion contribution: 0%, Overall expansion progress: 7.8%]


    [Event: Mourning of Blood (Expansion Activity) has been added to your activity bar.]


    "Ah?"


    "This is an event officiallyunched by [Transcendence]??"


    Sterl began to understand why the yers were so fervently excited. They were willing to pay such a high price to have a space Law wielder, whose background was unknown, open a teleportation portal. They didn''t even hesitate to rush in as soon as he activated his skill.


    The potential benefits from hell were simply too great. Sterl could easily deduce that events initiated by [Transcendence] would yield far greater rewardspared to the cooperative events held with the Hall of Valor.


    However��


    After checking the details of the expansion activity, a glimmer of understanding appeared in his eyes. To fully expand a hellyer and eliminate all the monsters wasn''t something that could be achieved overnight; it might take decades or even centuries to aplish.


    The Valor Combatants event was a short-term boon, while the expansion activity represented a long-term revenue stream. He opened the event details, which roughly exined that the Archduke of Blood had died, and a new divine-level demon was about to emerge in thisyer of hell. yers could engage in rampant ughter, seizing the hope of transformation from those demons.


    Killing demons wouldn''t grant extra rewards from [Transcendence]; instead, it would contribute to their overall contribution. The contribution shop would open once the expansion progress reached fifty percent.


    "Fifty percent progress to open the shop," Sterl muttered with a sigh.


    Meanwhile, a group of demigod-level yers eagerly gathered around him. "Bro, reaching fifty percent isn''t actually that difficult."


    "Because as the expansion progresses, it bes harder; there are always some demons hiding in corners that haven''t been eliminated, which stalls the progress."


    "But fifty percent is easy. You can kill the offspring left behind by the Archduke of Blood and those powerful demons causing trouble in other hellyers. Each kill can yield about 5% to 10% progress."


    "The expansion activity has only just begun, and many notable monsters are still alive. It won''t be long before the shop opens."


    The one exining this was the previously imposing, burly man.


    He couldn''t help but exim, "Bro, we really underestimated you."


    "Previously, when we entered hell through the chaotic spatial tunnels created by items, we were always severely injured,ing out covered in debuffs. If we were lucky, we''d only sustain light injuries."


    "But you? You arrived here without a scratch, using your teleportation abilities."


    "Impressive!"


    "Bro, I feel lucky to be in yourpany. Here, take this."


    The burly man pulled out a small helmet.


    [Antlered Halo (tinum)]


    [Rank: Demigod]


    [Description��]


    [Effect��]


    ��


    Sterl epted the helmet. While he personally didn''t care much for it��tinum rank? Garbage!��he knew that demigod tinum gear still held considerable value. After acquiring it, his mood improved a bit.


    The other yer teams nearby were equally enthusiastic.


    "We''ve never encountered anyone with such mastery over spatial abilities before. Incredible!"


    "This time, thanks to you, we can enter hell in the best possible condition. We''re already way ahead of the other teams."


    "Hey, friend, why don''t you join us? We''ll do everything we can to keep you safe!"


    ��


    ttery surged around him. At that moment, the yers'' eyes also reflected a hint of astonishment. They had traversed spatial tunnels themselves and had seen the powers of other Spatial Array Masters, but none had managed to arrive in hell as effortlessly as this "mysterious demigod."


    They absolutely had to maintain a good rtionship with this "mysterious demigod"!


    With his help, their team''s efficiency in killing demons would surely surpass that of others by several levels.


    Meanwhile, Sterl had also acquired several resources.


    Three pieces of tinum-ranked demigod gear, along with a potion.


    In total, four pieces of demigod equipment were worth quite a bit. Sterl would have to defeat 1 to 2 bosses in Heavenly Curtain Canyon to gather such resources.


    As for that potion��


    [Essence of Blood]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 15 points upon consumption.]


    [Usage limit: 0/1]


    Sterl toyed with a test tube containing a mermaid-like creature that swam restlessly inside, radiating overwhelming life force. Without hesitation, he downed it in one gulp. With his natural divine authority, Sterl had significant resistance to various toxins, and the results from Star Insight had never been wrong.


    Sterl had Purification Ripple, so he wasn''t worried about any issues with the potion. Soon, he felt a warm sensation enveloping him as the blood energy surged rapidly within his body, boosting his various attributes and additionally refining ten points of blood force. At that moment, his blood force bnce reached one hundred twenty points.


    As Sterl was refining the potion, the other yers present watched with smiles, seemingly pleased to see their fellow from the Hall of Valor grow stronger.


    "Congrattions! Your strength has improved!"


    "This potion isn''t too rare, but it''s a hassle to obtain."


    Sterl felt a bit bewildered. In the past, whether he was adventuring or doing anything else, he would often find himself targeted and looked down upon. If he showcased his abilities, it would only lead to others vying for them. In the end, he had to retaliate tearfully.


    But now, after revealing his demigod-level disguise, the demeanor of hispatriots from the Hall of Valor seemed excessively high-minded��


    The Hall of Valor felt like a warm family��


    At this moment, Sterl still bid farewell to the other yers, saying, "I''d like to explore on my own for a while."


    "No problem! No problem at all!"


    "This is ourmunication talisman. If you run into any trouble, just crush it, and we''lle to your aid immediately. Of course, the area in thisyer of hell is quite vast, so we might not make it in time. You take care."


    "This is ourmunication talisman; let''s watch out for each other."


    ��


    After a while, Sterl finally parted ways with the yer team. He casually tossed aside a fewmunication talismans, feeling��


    Though hell was dark, the light within people illuminated everything.


    ��


    However, what Sterl didn''t know was that several yer teams were gradually separating as well.


    The burly man, walking along the path with his boots crunching against the soil and rock of hell, suddenly changed his expression.


    "Do you think that demigod might be rted to Solomon?"


    "Based on my earlier sensing, that skill connecting to hell doesn''t seem to be achieved through mastery of spatialw."


    "It''s likely a skill specifically designed to enter hell."


    "But such a skill isn''t circted among the nearby continents." your m,vle mpyr source


    After the burly man spoke, the other yers in the team also showed thoughtful expressions.

 Chapter 305: Swallowing Heaven Players Are Actually Hell Players!?

    After a brief silence, one of the yers spoke up.


    "Solomon ims tomand 72 demon lords. He previously chose to refine the Archduke of Blood, which means he''s likely trying to gather all 72 divine-level demons!"


    "And since he''s collecting divine-level demons, he must frequently enter and exit hell, which means he must have an efficient skill to connect to hell!"


    "The Archduke of Blood died because other divine-level demons intervened. Solomon probably didn''t know, and he sent his subordinates to investigate. It''s reasonable that his subordinates possess skills to connect to hell!"


    The yers chimed in with their spections.


    It was true that their reasoning process was entirely wed, but the conclusion they reached was surprisingly urate. Sterl did have a connection to Solomon. In fact, he was Solomon himself!


    ��


    "Let''s report this."


    "Our deity has said that any information rted to Solomon can be exchanged for a chance to summon him."


    "Alright!"


    The yer team was ecstatic. They didn''t care much about Solomon''s subordinates; what if those subordinates were incredibly powerful and could easily wipe them out? They felt it was safer to report back and grab the rewards.


    ��


    Meanwhile, on the other side��


    sh!


    The de sliced through flesh and bone, creating a sound akin to fabric tearing.


    Then, a decaying mammoth-like demon was brutally cut in half by Sterl''s sword.


    The surrounding toxins and various strange mists were all shredded under the effect of "One Sword Opens the Sky"!


    "The blood is so thick!"


    "And�� the demons we encounteredst time in the Principality of Florence didn''t have this many additional passive skills."


    "Does this mean that demons are weakened when they enter the main world?"


    Sterl murmured. Nearby, the corpse of the mammoth demon rapidly transformed into countless threads, dispersing in all directions.


    Sterl wasn''t surprised; it was just the mechanism of hell.


    When demons died, all their power and souls were dposed into basic energy that replenished hell. That''s why hell experiences far more chaos than the main world, yet it continues to give birth to powerful demons.


    Sterl casually picked up the mammoth demon''s remains and found a few golden orbs within, discovering several pieces of equipment. They were only third-ss level with silver and gold quality, but the attributes and bonuses had reached tinum level, albeit with some side effects.


    Additionally, there were some rare materials unique to demons. The experience gained was greater than that from monsters of the same level in the main world, and the blood force obtained was quite substantial.


    "Even without events, farming demons is quite profitable," Sterl couldn''t help but exim.


    Following that, he wandered aimlessly through hell.


    Sterl nned to activate the Blood Sacrifice Array once more to exploit a bug while also restoring his Fortune bacsh status.


    Now, in theyer of hell ruled by the Archduke of Blood, Sterl set out to collect some array materials and familiarize himself with the various situations in hell, preparing for future ns.


    So, Sterl began his path of ughter.


    In hell, chaos reigned; it was entirely possible to encounter a third-ss monster one moment, then face a legendary demigod-level boss the next.


    ��


    An hourter, in a valley flowing with rivers ofva, Sterl unleashed an incredibly terrifying ck sun. In an instant, the worm-like monsters surging toward him like a tide all dropped dead.


    Hell''s specialty equipment increased��


    Specialty skills increased��


    Blood force increased��


    ��


    After another 15 minutes, at the edge of a ruggedly constructed temple, a demon, its entire body a fiery red with two horns sprouting from its back and wielding a massive axe, suddenly swung down from above!


    Sterl casually condensed a de and spotted the opponent''s w. He sidestepped the axe''s edge as the gale blew across his face, cutting him and drawing blood.


    With a swift strike, he pierced the demon''s heart, and with the Flowing Water technique, he shattered the legendary boss into countless needle-like fragments, killing it instantly.


    Hell''s specialty increased��


    Blood force increased��


    ��


    Sterl continued his harvest, leaving no demon standing in his wake.


    As he opened up a plethora of loot orbs, he indeed gathered a significant amount of array materials.


    Many vicious and intelligent demons roamed hell; they also tormented their foes, and some even descended into the main world to collect souls through torture.


    Although the drop rate for array materials was low, Sterl''s meticulous harvesting ensured that every demon he encountered was in, and he quickly assembled the materials for a Blood Sacrifice Array.


    And just then��


    "What is this��?"


    Sterl suddenly noticed over ten crimson dots appearing on his mini-map, constantly shing.


    Previously, even when he activated the faction mode, the mini-map only disyed red dart icons, indicating enemies.


    Now, the shing points seemed to be urging Sterl to go forth and kill, as if the [Transcendence] system was pushing him.


    Without hesitation, he immediately enhanced his shadow shield with Stardust to extend its duration in the shadow world, and then he moved toward the glimmering points.


    ��


    A few secondster, in the shadow world, Sterl felt as if he were submerged underwater, surrounded by tiny bubbles.


    His vision showcased the scenes of hell.


    "Familiar faces?"


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged.


    Before him was a yer team being besieged; it was the very same team that had given Sterl that potion to enhance attributes earlier.


    At the same time, they were being attacked by another group of individuals who were clearly also "yers."


    These "yers" appeared as various hellish demons, but the majority were in humanoid form, adorned with some rather grotesque "essories."


    For example, tusks, tails, and coarse fur.


    As Sterl observed further, he noticed that the demon-like yers, while besieging the team, suddenly began to speak.


    "Gree-glee��"


    The golden documents inside all the yers present, including Sterl himself, began to shine brightly.


    At the same time, a prompt appeared before Sterl:


    [Hostile target detected��Swallowing Heaven yer]


    [Trantion system loading��]


    A progress bar rapidly filled from zero topletion.


    However, Sterl had no interest in it.


    "Swallowing Heaven yer?"


    He suddenly recalled the [Damaged Terminal] he had obtained earlier. The function of this item was not to be mentioned, but it clearly stated that there existed at least two types of yers��


    [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven.


    Sterl had previously spected about Swallowing Heaven yers, and now his guess had been confirmed: these yers were indeed the ones in hell.


    He furrowed his brow slightly.


    If [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven were two different games, why could their game worlds connect?


    It could either mean that [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven were two factions of a single game from his previous life before transmigrating, or��


    Sterl thought of a more outrageous theory: [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven were merely ways for yers to enter two worlds; they did not represent the worlds themselves��


    Moreover, Sterl noticed that the activation of the trantion function was apanied by the golden document representing [Transcendence] continually shining.


    "This means that this golden document likely symbolizes some sort of contract between [Transcendence] and the yers��"


    Sterl spected in his mind. He suddenly recalled the scene from when he first logged into the game shortly after his transmigration.


    While others logged in as infants and could hardly remember how they joined the game, Sterl entered as an adult soul.


    reading here on NovelFire _l _e _mpy _r


    Upon entering [Transcendence], he had to create a character and agree to a game agreement. He hadn''t thought much of it at the time; after all, various online games in his previous life also required agreeing to agreements.


    Now that he thought about it��


    Could it be that back then, I had already signed a contract with [Transcendence] that held extraordinary significance, which resulted in the golden document being embedded within me?


    Sterl suddenly felt a sense of wariness.


    However, he also understood that his conjectures were merely guesses, and he had no way of knowing the true situation��


    Sterl''s mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.


    At that moment, the hellish yers were grinning wickedly.


    "Thanks foring to deliver your heads."


    "Just arrived to participate in the event and got a great start."


    ��


    Meanwhile, the hellish yers were discussing among themselves: "This round of kills is mainly for me; the next batch can go to you guys, sound good?"


    "Why should it be you first?"


    "Then let''s do it the old way: we''ll weaken these guys first, then hold a tournament?"


    Despite having formed a team, the hellish yers seemed extremely disunited. Even the distribution of loot was a contentious issue, and they were on the verge ofing to blows.


    In the face of the hellish yers'' infighting, the [Transcendence] yers were still being overwhelmed, unable to fight back at all.


    The strength and numbers of both sides were actually quite simr.


    After using Star Insight to assess the situation, Sterl found that the strongest on the [Transcendence] side were threeplete-level demigods, while the hellish yers had twoplete-level demigods, with the rest being iplete-level demigods on both sides.


    However, the disparity inbat power was immense!


    At this moment, on the battlefield, one of the [Transcendence] yers, aplete-level demigod, wielded a scythe radiating a soft blue glow. As he swung it, the gusts of wind created by his movements caused the environment within hundreds of meters to change color.


    Streams of auspicious energy rapidly converged toward his attack point.


    The momentum was terrifying!


    However, on the other side, the equivalent hellish yer, wielding a crimson gauntlet, was crouching low, slowly gathering power.


    His aura was extremely condensed. As he charged his power, the robust figure of the hellish yer quickly became lean and emaciated, as if his life force was being drained.


    Finally, over a hundred sharp energies gathered, and the hellish yer suddenlyunched a punch.


    No frills, just a simple and brutal uppercut.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three muffled sounds echoed. At the first sound, countless sword energies were shattered!


    The hellish yer''s me Fist shot forth and forcefully disrupted the [Transcendence] yer''s tinum Skill.


    At the second sound, the very fabric of space seemed on the verge of being shattered by the rapid impact.


    The hellish yer surged forward a thousand miles in an instant!


    At the third sound, the hellish yer''s punch directly struck the [Transcendence] demigod in the chest, pulverizing his internal organs, and half of the body was scorched to ash.


    Then, the [Transcendence] demigod activated a life-saving item, slowly reassembling his form.


    But his face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground.

 Chapter 306: The Sacred Loot Sphere

    The [Transcendence] demigod was clearly gravely injured!


    Hisbat power was not even in the same league as the hellish demigod!


    As they witnessed the scene before them, the expressions of the numerous [Transcendence] yers gradually turned grim. They had already been besieged, indicating a significant disadvantage in terms of low-endbat power.


    Now, with the high-endbat power also facing a crushing defeat, wasn''t this a disaster?


    At that moment, however, Sterl, who was hiding in the shadow space, maintained a calm demeanor.


    This was a reasonable oue.


    The equipment and skills used by the hellish yers came at a considerable cost; there was no way they could win in a direct confrontation against the [Transcendence] yers.


    Moreover��


    Sterl keenly observed that even though the hellish yers had formed a team, they were still scheming against each other, indicating a high level of internalpetition!


    If the yers in [Transcendence] engaged in conspiracies to manipte things for various resources, there were still some decent yers who would fairly and openly share the loot.


    But in hell, the main theme was mutual struggle, where it was kill or be killed; this environment would certainly foster yers with strongerbat power!


    Even the yers nurtured in the rtively harsh environment of the Hall of Valor were like greenhouse flowerspared to the hellish yers.


    Then, Sterl noticed that the golden document inside him began to shine again, followed by a mission being issued to him by [Transcendence].


    [Hostile yers from your faction detected in danger.]


    [ept mission to rescue? Yes/No]


    [Mission Description: Please assess your own strength against the hellish yers and decide whether to rescue yourpanions.]


    [Mission Requirement: Attempt to rescue yers from your faction if possible.]


    [Reward: Sacred Loot Sphere (guaranteed to provide you with usable resources; the morepanions you rescue, the better the reward.)] 1


    "Is [Transcendence] actively sending me a mission?"


    Sterl was somewhat surprised. If it weren''t for his earlier spections, he wouldn''t think much of it.


    But after suspecting that there might be issues with [Transcendence], he wondered if opening ayer of hell could provide significant benefits to [Transcendence] itself. Otherwise, why would [Transcendence] be so proactive?


    Moreover��


    Sterl suddenly realized something: the fact that this was the second time this happened couldn''t be a coincidence. Every time the golden document shone, the [Transcendence] system reacted.


    The two were definitely rted.


    However, in the main world, this document had not shone at all.


    Perhaps it was only in hell, a ce that [Transcendence] could not control, that the document would activate��


    As for the mission itself, Sterl unhesitatingly chose to ept it.


    The reward would undoubtedly enhance his abilities, and that was a very precious bonus.


    Just then��


    The infighting among the hellish yers had intensified.


    "Alright, alright, you can have the first kill this time."


    A creature with a scorpion tail and a body of deep red casually agreed, but the next moment, he changed his tune. "Forget it, I''m not doing it!"


    Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he lit up with a tinum glow.


    He transformed into a streak of light and charged into the crowd of [Transcendence] yers. This hellish yer was aplete-level demigod.


    The skill he unleashed was extremely subtle, and Sterl instantly assessed that if it sessfully hit a [Transcendence] yer, it would certainly result in severe casualties.


    Without hesitation, he burst out of the shadow space!


    Swish!


    Sterl positioned himself in front of the hellish yer.


    However��


    Facing the hellish yer head-on, Sterl felt a significant pressure.


    The demigod released a tinum Skill that came with a locking effect, and Sterl already sensed that vital points all over his body were about to be hit, a prickling sensation coursing through him.


    But��


    Sterl did not hesitate; a flicker of determination shed in his eyes.


    ck Sun Descends!


    The End of All Things!


    In an instant��


    The hellish yer rushing towards Sterl was the first to suffer heavily; he abruptly exited his flying state and stumbled awkwardly to the ground.


    Though the hellish yer had fought through blood and mes, he didn''t possess resources that were significantly stronger than those of the [Transcendence] yers.


    High-end skills like Silent Domain were something they had never encountered before.


    Caught off guard, thisplete-level demigod found himself in a very precarious position, exposing his vulnerabilities right in front of Sterl, who greeted him with a strike enhanced by Flowing Water and the effect of One Sword Opens the Sky.


    Crack, crack!


    Sterl felt as though the effect of One Sword Opens the Sky had sliced through some sort of life-saving item.


    The hellish demigod was split in two, his body shredded into countless fine needles by the Flowing Water de, all of which were swiftly absorbed by the void.


    He died in shock, caught off guard��


    His entire power hadn''t even been fully utilized before he was simply�� gone!


    Sterl noticed that after the hellish yer died, a loot sphere burst forth from his body, which was rapidly dissolved along with his soul, devoured by hell.


    No wonder these yers were in such fiercepetition; they too were bound by the rules of hell, turning into nutrients upon death��


    This allowed for a continuous cycle of nurturing new yers.


    In the blink of an eye, Sterl thought of this.


    Meanwhile, the battle situation shifted dramatically.


    Although The End of All Thingssted less than a second, the terrifying ck sun sent chills down the spines of the [Transcendence] yers.


    Under the faction attack mode, nearly all the hellish yers fell into a state of paralysis and bacsh, with only a few managing to escape the cmity because they were too busy bickering with others, failing to activate any abilities.


    On the other hand, while the [Transcendence] yers were slightly weaker in hard power, theirbat proficiency was undoubtedly high, and they immediately seized the opportunity to counterattack!


    Immediately, beams of tinum light erupted, and Sterl calmly stood with his hands over each other, exuding the demeanor of a master.


    Behind him, a terrifying surge of energy roiled, multiple skills intertwining to create a dazzling storm of iridescent colors, forcing the surface of the battlefield to dip several feet.


    For hundreds of miles around, it resembled a scene from the apocalypse.


    Within this horrific energy storm, gusts of hurricane winds whipped at Sterl''s clothing, yet he stood firm and unyielding!


    The primary reason for his fortitude was the faction''s damage immunity.


    When the storm finally subsided, the hellish yers had suffered a reduction of about one-fifth of their numbers!


    The reason they lost only this many yers, despite being under control, was that demigod-level fighters often had some sort of life-saving items.


    Not everyone could wield One Sword Opens the Sky like Sterl and eliminate everything in their path.


    After this wave of explosive power, both sides entered a standoff.


    The [Transcendence] yers needed some time to catch their breath after unleashing their ultimate skills, while the hellish yers, having activated their life-saving items, were mostly in a state of reconstituting their bodies and unable to counterattack.


    Once both sides had recovered and stood on equal footing, they hesitated, wary of engaging!


    The [Transcendence] yers were not foolish; they understood that the earlier victory wasrgely due to the arrival of a new powerhouse. They knew they couldn''t win in a direct confrontation, so they could only choose to fight alongside this newly joined strongman.


    The hellish yers were equally aware��


    The ck sun had been terrifying, and they hadn''t immediately thought of a solution.


    In a one-on-one fight, a purification item could solve the problem, but in a team battle��


    The threat of such crowd control skills was significant.


    Who could guarantee that everyone could break free from control?


    If there was no assurance, the uing battle would fall into a disadvantageous position, and even those who could break free might face being overwhelmed.


    Moreover, the hellish yers were deeply entrenched in their own internal conflicts; they were reluctant to sacrifice for theirpanions. Consequently, none of them dared to act, fearing that being the first to expose themselves would lead to their own demise.


    For a moment, both sides were locked in a stalemate.


    Then, the [Transcendence] yers turned to look back, each one filled with surprise.


    "It''s you�� it''s you!"


    They recognized Sterl as the mysterious demigod who had previously wielded spatialw!


    Immediately, they switched to a more respectful address.


    Their faces were filled with joy!


    This esteemed individual must be here to help; thankfully, we had taken the initiative to befriend him earlier and forged a good rtionship!


    The yer team gathered around Sterl, looking grateful.


    "Sir, we owe this victory to your intervention!"


    "A great favor is not to be repaid in words. If we gain anything from this in hell, feel free to choose whatever you desire."


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, surprised that these people were quite reasonable.


    However, the expressions of the hellish yers turned grim.


    If the demigod who had unleashed the ck sun had maintained a good rtionship with these [Transcendence] yers, their coboration would undoubtedly have be even closer. This was troublesome!


    But to Sterl''s surprise, the hellish yers did not choose to retreat; instead, their faces lit up with a more fervent excitement.


    "Very well��"


    "That person will surely bring greater rewards!"


    "Kill him! Kill him!"


    The hellish yers'' eyes were filled with madness!


    They had no intention of temporarily retreating to avoid confrontation.


    Since they were all demigods, there was a chance to eliminate this newly emerged mysterious entity and im the higher rewards issued by Swallowing Heaven!


    Indeed, the hellish yers had their own missions toplete: indiscriminately kill all unitsing from [Transcendence]. The stronger the enemy, the better the rewards.


    However, despite their fervor, these yers did not lose their rationality.


    They would not recklessly charge at an unknown strong enemy. The remainingplete-level demigod among the hellish yers surprisingly pulled out a dagger and brutally gouged out one of his own eyes.


    He crushed the eyeball with his hand, and with a pop, the crystalline structure, blood, and various tissues ignited simultaneously, transforming into a strange eye that began to scan the surroundings.


    Sterl suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation of being seen through, and a notification shed before his eyes��


    [You are being watched by the Eye of Delusion. Your information has been exposed.]


    Sterl was taken aback; his double concealment had never been pierced before.


    Fortunately, the notification only indicated��


    [Your attribute panel has been exposed.]


    He let out a slight sigh of relief; at least this skill didn''t target disguises based on appearance.


    Had his true form been revealed, even though he bore no ill will toward the [Transcendence] yers nearby, he would have had no choice but to eliminate them all to silence any witnesses��

 Chapter 307: The Hand of the Archduke of Blood

    With the exposure of Sterl''s attributes, a stir erupted among the hell yers. They were in a team state, allowing them to share information, so everyone saw the attributes of the yer from [Tanscendence] who had just unleashed the terrifying ck Sun.


    "Third ss."


    "Only over level 100."


    "Are you kidding me??"


    ...


    The hell yers'' first reaction was disbelief.


    They then turned to look at the fully leveled demigod, who had just consumed a very rare potion that regrew his eyeball.


    Other hell yers looked at him as if he were aplete fool.


    "Great! His ability to shield information is even stronger; you didn''t detect anything at all."


    "How does it feel to have your eyes gouged out? Is it sour or refreshing?"


    "Ha! If that guy is a third ss, I might as well just kill myself!"


    ...


    The hell yers stared at Sterl; he was third ss��impossible!


    What absolute nonsense!


    If a third ss could unleash such power, then when he reached the demigod level, wouldn''t ying gods be as easy as eating and drinking?


    At this critical moment, they couldn''t help but look at the fully leveled demigod with glee, showing the solidarity among the hell yers.


    At the same time, the hell yers became even more vignt toward Sterl.


    Such immense strength, and he was disguised so well��


    This person was a significant threat!


    The fully leveled demigod looked at Sterl, hesitant to speak, his expression shifting as if he had made a certain decision.


    On Sterl''s side, he was initially taken aback but then found it amusing. Although his specific attributes had been uncovered, no one believed it, so was there really a difference from being undetected?


    However, when he sensed that the demigod among the hell yers had an unusual expression, he immediately gathered his strength, preparing to unleash an attack to counter any potential retaliation.


    At that moment, the emotions among the [Tanscendence] yers were quite high.


    "What a useless detection spell, and after so much cost, they couldn''t find anything?"


    "Boss, let''s strike together and take them down!"


    ...


    They were genuinely excited!


    This mysterious demigod was truly bringing nothing but surprises!


    Not only did he possess terrifying strength, but the hell yers'' expensive policies and spells had also failed.


    Just how strong was he?


    Could he be a perfect-level demigod or even a Supreme?


    However, while the yers from [Tanscendence] were still reveling in their good fortune, the hell yers suddenly summoned a severed arm.


    Swish~


    In an instant, as the arm appeared, the surrounding air became thick and suffocating, filled with a nauseating scent of blood. Then, all the hell yers cut open their own arms, letting their blood pour into the dried limb.


    In the blink of an eye, the massive arm revived, transforming into a demon''s left hand, entirely crimson, adorned with pure white markings!


    At the same time��


    An overwhelmingly domineering and fierce aura enveloped the entire area.


    Everyone present instantly sensed the weight of this aura��it was divine level.


    A single term emerged in their minds��The Hand of the Archduke of Blood.


    Despite the impending attack not yet arriving, and despite it being just a severed arm, the expression on every [Tanscendence] yer''s face changed drastically!


    A divine-level entity, whether in [Tanscendence] or Swallowing Heaven, represented a force capable of crushing everything in its path. Even a mere severed arm was beyond the capability of a demigod to handle!


    Instantly, a faint red mist of blood filled the area, causing everyone to turn pale, their eyes rolling back, and they could barely stand, nearly copsing to the ground. The pressure was so intense that beads of blood began to form on many foreheads, as their life energy rapidly weakened!


    "What the hell is this?!"


    "God�� the power of divine level!"


    The [Tanscendence] yers gasped in disbelief.


    In the next moment, they quickly positioned themselves in front of Sterl.


    "Boss, you must have another teleportation ability, right? Or open that strange door again to take us away!"


    "We''ll buy you some time!"


    ...


    The yers didn''t even wait for the divine-level arm to initiate its attack; they had already formted their strategy. Without hesitation, they unleashed their mastered tinum Skills.


    The various skill effects burst forth in a dazzling disy, merging together into an indistinguishable energy storm that erupted violently.


    Meanwhile, the hell yers sat back, unfazed. They smirked, making no move, looking at the [Tanscendence] yers as if they were watching the dead!


    But don''t be fooled by their smug expressions; their situation wasn''t much better. Each of these demigod hell yers appeared extremely weakened. Clearly, the bloodletting they had just performed had cost them not just blood, but also significant resources; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to summon the remains of a divine-level demon.


    In the blink of an eye, the full force unleashed by the [Tanscendence] yers was about to strike the severed arm of the Archduke of Blood. Yet, that arm suddenly lunged forward, fingers syed wide, casually blocking the iing attack.


    Apanied by a wave of faint red energy, the numerous tinum Skills collided with it like brittle autumn leaves hitting iron, instantly shattering into fragments!


    Then, the crimson energy wave surged forward, and the [Tanscendence] yers, witnessing this scene, found themselves unable to react in time. Or perhaps the divine-level aura was so overwhelming that it paralyzed them, leaving them to close their eyes and wait for death!


    Only Sterl managed to react. Having faced divine-level entities several times before, he could roughly guess that the Archduke of Blood had controlled powers akin to oppression and intimidation in life. Now, through his arm, that power was unleashed, leaving the demigod yers with no choice but to close their eyes and await their doom!


    The only reaction the many yers from [Tanscendence] could muster at that moment was to retreat toward Sterl.


    They felt powerless against the Divine Power and could only hope for an escape through teleportation.


    However, Sterl stood firm against the aura of the Archduke of Blood, slowly cing his right hand on his waist.


    No, it wasn''t slow at all��


    Sterl''s speed was incredibly fast; under the watchful eyes of countless demigods, this move, which clearly had a charging nature, seemed slow byparison.


    Then��


    Brilliant blue starlight gathered and condensed into a sword de.


    In an instant��


    Both the [Tanscendence] yers and the hell yers turned their attention to this mysterious demigod.


    Was he trying to confront a god?


    How could that be possible?


    In that brief moment, everyone present had no time to think further; they simply found it utterly absurd!


    And the next moment.


    Sterl drew his sword and shed!


    The power of space surged!


    This was the only thing the yers in the area could perceive.


    Then, the arm of the Archduke of Blood was suddenly frozen in ce.


    One second passed��


    Two seconds passed��


    The space was being solidified, and a strange halo symbolizing "freezing" not only engulfed the divine-level demon''s arm but also spread outward.


    Huh??


    Everyone was taken aback.


    The [Tanscendence] yers looked at Sterl with suspicion��


    What kind of technique could actually stop a divine-level entity??


    That''s right, stop!


    This was the highest estimation they could make about the strength of this mysterious demigod.


    After all, even a Supreme couldn''t resist the power of a god!


    The hell yers, however, seemed a bit more knowledgeable.


    "Quasi-divine?"


    Someone murmured in confusion.


    They understood that this special realm, lying between demigods and gods, could produce effects simr to Divine Power.


    The arm of the Archduke of Blood could theoretically be considered a form of "quasi-divine" power; it had lost its main body and could only barely be activated through the sacrifices of the hell yers.


    Although "quasi-divine" seemed to imply a sense of "false," it still required an entity of the same level to counter it!


    Sterl''s performance made one hell yer begin to doubt.


    However, no other hell yers echoed the statement about "quasi-divine."


    The power of divine level cannot be hidden!


    Anyone who witnessed it would instinctively bow in reverence and fear.


    Before them, the mysterious demigod from the main world had clearly unleashed a skill thatcked the fluctuations of Divine Power.


    Hence, the fully leveled demigod among the hell yers remained unfazed.


    "Even if you give it your all, you can onlyst a few more seconds."


    He scoffed.


    The remaining hell yers paused their attacking movements. Those yers, cultivated through a brutal survival of the fittest, were somewhat psychologically twisted.


    They looked at the [Tanscendence] yers and felt even more excited!


    Being instantly killed by a divine-level entity was too boring; allowing these [Tanscendence] yers to struggle and feel a glimmer of hope before they met their end would be the perfect tragedy!


    At this moment, the many yers from [Tanscendence] were truly on the brink of mental copse.


    They hadn''t expected the mysterious demigod to help them escape; they believed that the power of a divine-level demon was something they couldn''t withstand for even half a second. How could the mysterious demigod possibly open a teleportation portal in that short amount of time?


    But now, the mysterious demigod had somehow managed to firmly control the hand of the Archduke of Blood. However��


    What was this big shot doing?


    He actually seemed to want to continue attacking, with no sign of shifting his power toward releasing a teleportation ability.


    "We need to leave!"


    "Divine level cannot be countered by demigods��"


    "Quick, retreat!"


    ��


    The [Tanscendence] demigods were desperately trying to reason with theirrades, emphasizing that with the divine-level demon''s hand present, they had no chance of escaping without arge-scale teleportation. Otherwise, they would have abandoned Sterl and run long ago.


    However��


    Sterl''s expression was vacant, reflecting the crazedughter of the hell yers and the panicked chaos of the [Tanscendence] yers.


    Then��


    The de shattered!


    ng!


    A crisp sound rang out!


    With Sterl''s attributes fully enhanced by his skills, using the foundational properties of Arcane Law to amplify the Flowing Water Thousand Cuts as his weapon, he unleashed a threefold Law tinum Skill��Shattered Void!


    Second form.


    Edge Cutting!


    Swish, swish, swish!


    From a point in front of Sterl to the position of one of the hell yers, all the solidified space exploded into countless razor-sharp de-like shadows.


    Every inch of material within that space was sliced into fine fragments.


    At first��


    The yers present didn''t realize the severity of the situation��

 Chapter 308: The Chaotic Zone

    Countless des of light whirled and sliced through the air.


    Space shattered!


    The floating shards of energy also fractured.


    The hell yers maintained their grins, while the [Tanscendence] yers remained in a state of panic.


    How could this mysterious demigod''s charged attack, which took several seconds to prepare, yield such minimal results?


    Despite being able to solidify the surrounding space and control all opposing forces, the fact that this technique required a significant amount of time to execute should not be underestimated!


    But��


    How could a mere mortal''s rebellious de possibly harm a god high in the heavens?


    Wait��


    No!


    The expressions of both the hell yers and the [Tanscendence] yers barely had time to change, yet their pupils reflected a scene before them.


    The faint red aura near the Archduke of Blood''s arm��shattered!


    Huh? Both sides of yers paused for a moment.


    Then, the Archduke of Blood''s arm��


    With a structure resembling scales,


    shattered!


    Revealing blood-soaked flesh.


    What a powerful technique! No, wait! What just broke? Was the divine body''s defense shattered??


    The expressions of both groups began to shift from surprise to disbelief.


    Then��


    Flesh shattered!


    Exposing radiant golden divine bones!


    Finally��


    The bones exploded!


    The brilliant golden bones of the god shattered apart.


    At this point��


    The Archduke of Blood''s arm had been directly cleaved into fragments!


    The hell yers wore expressions of utter disbelief; some even let out short, sharp screams from their throats��


    They couldn''tprehend what was happening before their eyes��


    The arm of a divine-level demon!


    How could it be destroyed by a demigod??


    Was it even reasonable for such a feat to be aplished purely through the output of a tinum Skill?


    But Sterl answered their confusion.


    In the next moment, the spatial des swept through the area where the hell yers stood like a hurricane.


    This wave was different from the earlier sh with the divine-level demon''s arm, where there had been a slight standoff.


    It was like a gust of wind sweeping through tall grass.


    Swish, swish, swish.


    The hell yers'' forms froze in ce, unable to move.


    Once dead, there was no longer any confusion.


    Their final expressions were a mix of delighted surprise, believing their enemies were undoubtedly doomed, and the shock of witnessing the divine-level demon''s limbs being effortlessly pulverized.


    Those two expressions intertwined created a hriously absurd sight.


    Ultimately, Sterl''s skill continued to extend hundreds of miles before graduallying to rest.


    Everything around began to show signs of cracking��


    The hell yers and the space behind them shattered!


    Turning into remnants of their former selves.


    All that remained where they once stood were intricate, fine cracks in the space, slowly healing and forming patterns resembling rippling water, quite beautiful in their own right.


    With that, everything hade to an end.


    Sterl''s sword also dissipated, and he calmly slipped one hand into his pocket, gazing into the distance with an air of nonchnce.


    After this wave��


    "I give myself full marks!"


    Sterl felt a slight thrill inside, relishing the perfect disy of bravado!


    Breaking the norm, ying his enemies!


    A ssic narrative within a narrative!


    I love it!


    At the same time, he was overjoyed; indeed, the value of Shattered Void was that high!


    With the enhancement of the Flowing Water Thousand Cuts pushed to its potential limit, Shattered Void was enough for Sterl to annihte pseudo-divine level enemies!


    Under the extreme output granted by the threefold Law, facing a quasi-divine being that possessed Divine Power butcked divine authority, Sterl could break through with sheer ferocity!


    With such a move, Sterl had a trump card for the Valor Combatants tournament.


    "However, I''m still a bit far from being able to crush those hidden strong yers in the Hall of Valor."


    "Some of them probably had the ability to defeat quasi-divine opponents even before their seclusion."


    "And it''s very likely that some have already reached the quasi-divine realm."


    "The Hall of Valor doesn''t circte the knowledge of tinum Skills that can utilize semi-transformed Divine Power, but that doesn''t mean those reclusive experts haven''t mastered such abilities."


    Sterl pondered, gradually calming his emotions.


    Meanwhile, the demigods from the Hall of Valor approached him with profound respect.


    "Could it be that you have reached the Supreme realm?"


    "May I ask who you are��"


    Before Sterl could respond, the questioning yer began to p himself.


    "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I shouldn''t have asked that!"


    "You must have a deeper purpose for disguising yourself!"


    Then, other yers gathered around: "This time, we will never forget your life-saving grace. If the Hall of Valor needs our assistance, please feel free tomand us."


    The yers adopted a very humble posture, their expressions slightly uncontrolled, filled with deep reverence in their eyes.


    They had seen other Supremes from the Hall of Valor before, but those individuals could never have any power to resist the arms of a divine-level demon.


    The only exnation was that this Supreme before them must be some ancient being brought forth by the Valor Combatants tournament.


    Perhaps he had already lingered at the demigod realm for hundreds of years, his foundations unfathomable.


    Only someone of such caliber could unleash such powerful techniques!


    They felt fortunate to have connected with this Supreme, and they were determined to cling to him without hesitation.


    If this Supreme truly tasked them with some dangerous mission, the demigods would instead feel delighted and excited, knowing that even a small resource dropped by such a powerful being would be enough for them to feast.


    However, Sterl was not particrly interested in these individuals.


    Using the Shattered Void as a disguise, his strength was too overwhelming; associating it with the Twilight Guild would not be advantageous.


    He had no desire to recruit these demigods for his own use, so he casually waved his hand.


    "No need for that. I naturally had to step in to help when I encountered you this time."


    "[Tanscendence] even specifically assigned me a mission, so I was already going to gain something from this."


    As he spoke, a seven-colored orb appeared in Sterl''s hand, radiating a soft glow that felt warm and brought a wonderful sense of reassurance.


    "Is this the Sacred Loot Sphere?"


    Someone beside him remarked.


    Sterl had originally nned to ignore it, but the person suddenly continued, "My lord, you need not rush to open this."


    "Oh? What do you mean?"


    Sterl turned to look, immediately revealing an interest in his expression.


    A short, gray-d young man, resembling a dwarf, quickly stepped forward and said, "In thisyer of hell, I''ve heard that the people from [Golden Kingdom] and [Ashen] discovered a chaotic zone!"


    "There, the items produced by the [Tanscendence] system can appear in a state of chaos."


    "Someone used a Sacred Loot Sphere and obtained two loot items!"


    ��


    So, it means the rewards can be doubled?


    Sterl''s eyes lit up. He had originally intended to use a Fate Token to open the Sphere in front of him, and since he had acted so efficiently, Sterl had saved all the [Tanscendence] yers.


    The Sphere''s quality had reached [Perfect]. If he could exploit this so-called chaotic zone to exploit a bug, a double portion of perfect Spheres would undoubtedly yield significant profits!


    "Exin in detail." Sterl said sinctly.


    Then, the group of demigods quickly began to share what they knew.


    Amidst their chatter, Sterl gathered a wealth of information.


    The [Golden Kingdom] and [Ashen] were two factions simr to the Hall of Valor, alsoprising multiple divine entities that trained their subordinates and incubated new gods.


    Expanding into theyer of hell was a lucrative endeavor, one that the Hall of Valor alone clearly could not handle.


    The other organizations within the Crystal Barrier Gxy sought to get a share of the pie.


    Additionally, these demigods informed Sterl that the Crystal Barrier Gxy they were in was called Alpha-6, and that the Hall of Valor was a top-tier organization, nearly the strongest faction around.


    In total, there were sixteen Hall of Valor-level factions dividing the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    These organizations often coborated andpeted, but generally, only divine-level or higher beings could participate in joint operations among multiple factions.


    However, this current endeavor to expand into hell was prompted by the fall of divine-level demons. Theoretically, it only attracted some demigod demons, who were deemed beneath the notice of the divine-level powerhouses, which was why demigods from various organizations were coborating with each other.


    Such circumstances were extremely rare.


    Moreover, it was said that above the sixteen organizations, there existed a governing body overseeing them.


    That entity was immensely powerful, with even the weakest members possessing divine strength. Their purpose in Alpha-6 was simply to screen for individuals with sufficient potential to ascend to the upper realms of the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    As for what the upper realm is...


    That''s something not even demigods canprehend.


    They had only heard that...


    Only by entering the upper realm can one be a truly transcendent "yer"��


    Navigating through various worlds with a game-like mentality.


    As for the chaotic zone, it was simply exined as an area filled with a strange energy.


    The Hall of Valor had no records of such a peculiar situation, but it was found that many items there would gain additional effects, both negative and positive.


    The Sacred Loot Sphere, in particr, had a considerable chance of yielding multiple loot items.


    "I see��"


    Sterl nodded thoughtfully.


    He was quite interested in the various organizations at the same level as the Hall of Valor, as well as the so-called "upper realm" and "yers," but he couldn''t extract much information from these demigods.


    In the end, he only inquired about the coordinates of the chaotic zone before choosing to bid farewell to them.


    Before parting, Sterl casually checked the bodies of the hellish yers to see what they had dropped. Since they were from apletely hostile faction, killing these yers not only granted him additional loot rewards but also directly provided experience points.


    He felt his experience bar rise significantly.


    "If I can keep farming hostile faction yers, leveling up to legendary status shouldn''t take long!"


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement.


    He sensed that he was not far from bing legendary!


    He had already gathered enough legend points for the golden skill; he just needed one more level and improved proficiency in his arcane skills...


    Just then, as he was about to open the Loot Spheres dropped by the hellish yers, he suddenly noticed something in his cheat vision��

 Chapter 309: The Plan for a Side Account

    In Sterl''s vision��


    Some crimson documents were slowly withering away.


    At the same time, Sterl sensed that a disc-shaped, strange artifact within his small world was resonating.


    It was the Damaged Terminal!


    Sterl hesitated for a few seconds, noticing that the demigods were quite cautious. They saw Supreme Lord organizing the loot and didn''t dare to look over.


    He then took out the Damaged Terminal, and immediately, those crimson documents were rapidly absorbed into it. The disc seemed to be repaired, disying a new set of attributes, and demonic patterns gradually appeared along its right side.


    Once again, Sterl was able to read the terminal''s attributes through his cheat.


    [Login Terminal]


    [Effect: Can create a Swallowing Heaven ount for you, inheriting your attributes (21/100).]


    [Can create a [Tanscendence]/Swallowing Heaven ount.]


    [Warning: If you hold dual ounts, you may only log into one ount at a time.]


    Hmm?


    Sterl examined the attributes of this item, and his mind began to race.


    What does this mean?


    In other words, I can use this terminal to create a Swallowing Heaven ount and transform myself into a hell yer?


    And I can switch back to a [Tanscendence] yer at any time?


    That seems rather interesting!


    However, creating a Swallowing Heaven ount that inherits attributes requires collecting a special item. He had already gathered 21 pieces but still needed 79 more.


    As for what kind of items he needed to collect? Sterl didn''t even have to guess; it was clearly the crimson documents that were currently dissipating.


    His vision clearly showed that he had just absorbed twenty-one documents into the terminal.


    These crimson documents seemed to correspond to the golden documents rted to [Tanscendence].


    "Why does it feel like Swallowing Heaven and [Tanscendence] were developed by the same group if this really is a game?" Sterl internallyined.


    Still, the information he had was too limited; he could only specte. What he was more concerned about was��


    If he became a Swallowing Heaven yer, wouldn''t he be able to take on tasks from another system? He could work on expanding [Tanscendence] while simultaneously embodying a Swallowing Heaven yer to defend hell?


    Sterl could easily progress for both sides. This dual agent role should yield significant benefits in the end��


    Not to mention,


    He had a feeling that once he became a Swallowing Heaven yer, he would gain ess to a new power system, and perhaps��


    He could discover a more convenient way to exploit bugs than the Blood Sacrifice Array!


    The divine-level formation was indeed powerful.


    But it had its limitations; it consumed vast amounts of resources and could only plunder one type of power at a time.


    If he became a Swallowing Heaven yer��


    Sterl couldn''t help but let his imagination run wild.


    However, he still needed to collect the documents from the hell yers.


    After some thought, Sterl called out to the demigod team that was about to leave.


    "Do you know where there are more hell yers? I''ve had some encounters with them."


    "There is actually a ce that might fit your description��"


    The demigods paused for a moment, racking their brains before giving an answer.


    "You can check out the Blood Red Fortress."


    "That ce is a stronghold jointly established by the Hall of Valor, [Golden Kingdom], and [Gray White]."


    "All creatures in hell evolve from demon worms."


    "Depending on the different energies they absorb and the experiences they undergo, they evolve into various kinds of demons, even those that resemble angels, which symbolize light in the main world."


    "It''s precisely because of this that the incubation pools producing demon worms are the most important ces in everyyer of hell."


    "The Blood Red Fortress directly suppresses thergest incubation pool in thisyer of hell, so various demons are summoned by hell and attack frantically."


    "Many hell yers have also taken on missions to assault the Blood Red Fortress."


    "Your strength should allow you to go take a look."


    "There, the three major organizations have jointly established a merit board; if you kill enough demons and hell yers, you can select resources provided by the three organizations."


    "It should also be quite beneficial for a Supreme powerhouse like you."


    ��


    Afterward, the demigods pointed out the location to Sterl.


    After bidding them farewell, Sterl swiftly made his way toward the Blood Red Fortress.


    Hell was incredibly vast.


    The entire hell corresponded to an endless Crystal Barrier Gxy, and a singleyer of hell was about the size of three to four continents in the main world, equivalent to the sphere of influence of the Hall of Valor.


    However,pared to the main world, it was much more deste.


    Otherwise, a singleyer wouldn''t only give birth to one divine-level demon.


    Sterl relied mainly on the smoothbination of Cursed Vision and Starlight Spray, continuously making his way while also clearing out valuable demons for materials and equipment drops.


    It took him two full days to reach the Blood Red Fortress.


    His Shattered Void had leveled up twice, and it now showed a forced point allocation mark.


    Clearly, this skill was about to undergo a transformation.


    Along the way, Sterl had in many demons and reaped quite a bit.


    Most of the equipment and skills were only useful for selling for him.


    However, among the drops, there were a few small but exceptional items��


    [Profane]+


    [Category: Talisman]


    [Description: All brutal pleasures will ultimately conclude in brutality.]


    [Effect: While holding this talisman, each time you kill an enemy, you restore 10% of your energy and life force. However, you must kill at least one unit per day; otherwise, you will suffer a debuff that halves all your attributes.]


    For Sterl, engaging in group battles was quitemon, so this talisman would help him replenish several points of mana, making it very useful. The side effect was not severe; he hardly ever went a day without hunting monsters.


    Additionally, he could store living beings in his small world, so even if he were on vacation, he could easily summon a unit to kill, ensuring he wouldn''t be affected by the debuff.


    The talisman could also be leveled up, potentially enhancing its effects while reducing its side effects.


    Besides that, there was another item��


    [Chaos Skill: Annihtion]+


    [Currently unable to use.]


    This was not a drop item but a special material that Sterl extracted from a demigod-level demon he had in.


    Sterl''s cheat read the properties of this item.


    He knew that the so-called Chaos Skills corresponded to the Law Power in the main world.


    He was preparing that if he truly intended to be a Swallowing Heaven yer, he would need to utilize powers befitting hellish demons.


    This [Chaos Skill: Annihtion]might be something Sterl could learn once he opened his side ount.


    ��


    After organizing his thoughts, Sterl looked up.


    What came into view was a massive wall made from countless demon corpses stacked together.


    Sterl could see that the outer shell of the wall, made from special materials, featured numerous grotesque demon faces, permanently transformed into sculptures.


    "It hasn''t been long since the fall of the Archduke of Blood and the news was revealed."


    "A fortress like this has already been constructed." Sterl couldn''t help but express a few sentiments.


    The ce he had juste from had been thoroughly cleared out; it was the logistics settlement of the Blood Red Fortress, and the nearby demons had already been wiped out.


    Sterl leisurely approached the city gate, and he didn''t need any special procedures.


    He ced his hand on a crystal sphere that emitted a golden light. After confirming that he was a visitor from the main world and a [Tanscendence] yer, the guards outside respectfully said,


    "Please, sir, lend your strength to defend the fortress."


    These guards were all at the legendary level,manding respect in the main world, but here in hell, they could only serve as sentinels during the expansion.


    Sterl nodded casually and entered the fortress.


    As he moved deeper, he noticed glowing golden symbols instructing him to gather near the north of the Hall of Valor.


    After some thought, he passed by a building resembling an inn. When he exited through the back door, he had already changed his attire, transforming into a handsome young man.


    With the increase in power, a yer''s appearance would also receive a certain level of enhancement, so Sterl''s disguised form was quitemon among demigods.


    He had already nned that if he needed to cause some trouble with a side ountter, his main ount shouldn''t draw too much attention.


    This was to avoid drawing unwanted attention when his side ount was up to no good.


    Sterl disguised himself as a new demigod mastering Arcane Law,cking even a single tinum Skill.


    He hade to hell to participate in the expansion activities to earn some resources for himself.


    As he silently contemted, he prepared various lines to deal with different situations.


    At that moment, Sterl arrived at the gathering point of the Hall of Valor.


    In a vast za, he could see many people floating in the air, and at the forefront stood a figure he recognized.


    It was a Supreme from the Hall of Valor.


    At this moment, everyone wore expressions of fervor.


    The Supreme spoke loudly, "I won''t say much.


    Everyone here should understand just how many resources lie within hell, enough for us to fill our coffers!"


    "And this fortress is the perfect ce for us to gather resources."


    "I have no other requests for you, just one: without hindering others, do your utmost to grow stronger!"


    "Now, all of you who already have teams,e to register with me. For those without a team or with fewer than 15 members, I will reassign you into squads."


    In just a few seconds,munication waspleted, and not a single yer hesitated.


    Those with teams quickly grouped together to register. After registration, they donned devices on their right arms to record their achievements.


    Meanwhile, those without teams, including Sterl, hurriedly made their way to the Supreme.


    The Supreme didn''t waste time, quickly organizing teams based on the information everyone submitted.


    "Number 111, number 237, number 86, number 94��"


    "Number 512, number 433, number 377, number 106��"


    yers were assigned by their numbers, quickly forming one assault team after another.


    Soon, it was Sterl''s turn.

 Chapter 310: The Crusade Against the Supreme-level Demon

    "Being skilled in Arcane Law, you should be quite sensitive to various energy fluctuations, right?"


    "You�� will fill the position for Team 61 as a scout and spellcaster."


    The Supreme cast a quick nce at Sterl and rapidlypleted the assignments.


    Sterl feigned an excited expression and nodded vigorously. He then received a merit handband.


    Once the handband was worn, it disyed a series of notifications:


    [You have activated the merit recording function.]


    [You have now joined the merit leaderboard; your current position: Top 100%.]


    [Notice: You can choose to remain anonymous or create a nickname.]


    [Notice: In this merit leaderboard, yers can only view their own ranking and cannot search for specific yers corresponding to other rankings.]


    Sterl examined the notifications, and the handband also indicated a bright dot��


    It marked the location of Team 61.


    "So even if I earn a lot of merit, I can keep itpletely confidential?"


    Sterl felt a slight thrill of excitement.


    Originally, his n was toy low, finish creating a side ount, and see what kind of benefits he could gain from it. If the rewards weren''t sufficient��


    Then he wouldn''t need to be discreet with his main ount!


    He could farm merit and exchange it for rewards!


    But since the merit leaderboard kept everything confidential, Sterl could freely engage in ying demons and hell yers to umte merit with his main ount.


    As long as he kept quiet, Sterl would still remain just a weak demigod who only mastered Arcane Law.


    In a good mood, Sterl navigated through a series of military-like buildings and arrived at a giant white tent, precisely the location indicated on his merit handband.


    Upon entering, he found that the interior had indeed been enhanced by spatial magic; it was quite spacious, with over ten private rooms for lodging. Themon area was covered in thick felt, adorned with intricate indigo patterns.


    The felt emitted a wave-like glow, helping to calm the mind and alleviate the difort and agitation brought by hell.


    "A neer has arrived."


    As soon as Sterl stepped inside, a burly man with purple skin, stroking his beard, nced over casually.


    "I''m the captain of Team 61. Why don''t you introduce yourself and tell us what abilities you possess?"


    The burly man''s tone was cold. He had already used a detection skill and found that Sterl was just a wed demigod, yet he was filling a scout position.


    With lowbat effectiveness, he was taking on a role with a high mortality rate.


    The burly man didn''t want to get too familiar with this neer, as the odds of survival for him were quite low.


    On the other side, Sterl subtly surveyed the room.


    He noticed that the team consisted of twelve members in total.


    Aside from himself and the purple-skinned man, the other ten were also in the hall, most of them sitting cross-legged in meditation, silently cultivating, while a few others weremunicating and exchanging information.


    Sterl looked at the burly man and casually recited the lines he had prepared earlier. He imed to be a newly promoted demigod, just hoping to try his luck in hell to earn some Valor Contribution Points to exchange for a tinum Skill.


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the room turned cold.


    Good grief...


    Aplete novice who just leveled up and doesn''t know anything��if hests three days, it''ll be a miracle.


    Under the leadership of the purple-skinned man, everyone just pped half-heartedly, offering a perfunctory wee. Sterl also yed his part, remaining "awkwardly" silent. Fortunately, the burly man broke the ice, saying, "Let''s have a meeting, everyone. We''re about to undertake our next mission."


    "Ah?"


    "Okay! Sure!"


    Sterl appeared taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded in agreement.


    The burly man and the other members didn''t say much more; they began to exin the mission.


    "There''s a suspected Supreme-level demon gestating in the northwest section of the frontline battlefield."


    "It seems that the consciousness of thisyer of hell has realized it is being invaded and is fighting back fiercely."


    "Our task is to y the demon before it reaches Supreme level."


    "There''s not much to say; it''s just a standard boss battle. However, if we fail this fight, it''s likely that the Supreme-level demon will have methods to pursue us."


    As they talked, a holographic disy appeared in the center of the meeting hall, showcasing a demon draped in ghostly green mes, taking on a semi-humanoid form, and wielding a crescent moon de. It was quietly crouched, absorbing the surrounding strands of bloody energy.


    Nearbyy a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.


    "Mountain of corpses and sea of blood" wasn''t just a description; it was the grim reality.


    Countless bodies of demons and powerful beings from the main world piled up here.


    These corpses had been pushed to this gathering point by rivers of blood flowing from all directions in hell.


    Coincidentally, this very spot was where a demon was on the verge of advancing to Supreme level.


    Clearly, the consciousness of thisyer of hell had intervened!


    The members of the demigod team watched the holographic image of the boss with a mix of caution and enthusiasm.


    "A demon favored by the world''s consciousness is likely to drop some rare items."


    "Captain, how did youe upon this mission?"


    "If we manage to take it down, won''t we hit the jackpot??"


    ��


    Suddenly, the atmosphere among the team lightened up.


    Sterl joined in the discussions, feigning excitement.


    However, his true thoughts were��


    Since this demon dropped such good loot, wouldn''t it be better to let it level up to Supreme and then take it down?


    The purple-skinned man, noticing the noise from the crowd, feigned seriousness and banged the table twice.


    "Alright, we might encounter Swallowing Heaven yers this time."


    "They will most likelye to guard that demon."


    "The demon itself is not much to worry about; it''s just a perfected-level boss."


    "However, those Swallowing Heaven yers won''t be any weaker than us."


    "Let''s start assigning tasks."


    "Frankie, you''ll take the high ground and prepare for artillery bombardment."


    "Fischer, use your abilities to temporarily hide in the elemental world and disguise our team as still not fully staffed��"


    ��


    The captain organized everything in an orderly manner and finally called on Sterl.


    "Leo, I don''t need to say much to you; the scout''s responsibility is to investigate the situation of those Swallowing Heaven yers. No problems, right?"


    Leo was Sterl''s alias.


    Among all the tasks assigned, the weakest demigod neer, Sterl, was faced with the most challenging task.


    In a normal war, this would be extremely unreasonable; not only would it likely send a rookie to their death, but assigning such a crucial task to an untrained person was irresponsible for the squad.


    However, the demigods of the Hall of Valor were basically forged from blood and fire, thus requiring no training; they could jump straight into the team and begin executing missions.


    To fit his persona, Sterl hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    In reality, scouting the Swallowing Heaven yers was exactly what he wanted.


    ��


    About half an hourter, Sterl''s squad officially set out from the fortress. They donned a special fur��silver-white in color, with a texture reminiscent of flowing water. This was a crafting item from the Hall of Valor, designed to shield against detection.


    When used, the fur would quickly change from silver to transparent, eventually dissolving into a puddle of water.


    Because of this, the fur had excellent shielding effects until it waspletely worn out.


    Utilizing the speed of the demigods, the group took only a few seconds to reach their destination, perfectly avoiding the detection range of numerous demons.


    At this moment, Sterl looked around and noticed they were in a rtively low-lying basin, where rivers of blood converged from various parts of theyer of hell.


    This was a natural setting ideal forying out a Blood Sacrifice Array.


    A thought flickered in Sterl''s mind; perhaps he could use the power of nature to invoke the array while remaining even more concealed!


    "Could it be that the Archduke of Bloodprehended the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array based on some natural conditions in thisyer of hell?"


    "It''s a pity�� if only there were divine-level units in thisyer of hell, I could have enjoyed a nice feast."


    Seeing such a unique terrain, he immediately began to plot.


    The area where the blood force was gathering was right in the battlefield, and Sterl thought it wouldn''t be difficult to lure some powerful beings here��


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s teammates were spreading out ording to the initial tactical arrangements. The purple-skinned man shot him a look and said, "Newbie, what are you waiting for?"


    "Go scout the area and see if there are any signs of hell yers, thenpile the information for us."


    "I''m on it!"


    "I''ll go right now!"


    Sterl feigned a bit of apprehension, then gritted his teeth and activated Arcane Law, wrapping himself in a faint purple glow. He used Shadow Stealth to disappear before the others.


    The moment he entered the shadow realm, his expression turned emotionless.


    Sterl enhanced his Shadow Stealth with Stardust to prolong its duration, then swiftly observed the hellscape through the lens of the shadow world, searching for the demon on the verge of leveling up.


    His thought process was clear: if the hell yers needed to protect this demon, they should be nearby as well.


    Before long, Sterl''s eyes lit up; through the shadow world, he spotted a dark me.


    "I''ve found it."


    A slight smile curled at the corners of his mouth as he instantly shifted back to the main world.


    Sterl stood quietly in ce, his gear enhanced with camouge effects. Stardust further amplified the disguise of Shadow Stealth,bined with the perfected-level Space Law, allowing Sterl to perfectly hide within a spatial inteyer��


    He suddenly appeared among a squad of hell yers, yet no one noticed him.


    This was the convergence point of countless rivers of blood.


    Sterl could smell the nauseating scent of sma wafting through the air, and as he looked ahead, he saw, at the center of countless tributaries, the demon wrapped in emerald green mes, its power steadily rising.


    "Calcting, it should take about a day for it to level up to Supreme."


    "The mission timeline is rather tight?"

 Chapter 311: Crazy Head-Killing!

    Due to the method of energy infusion being simr to that of the array, Sterl slightly closed his eyes to calcte and deduce the time it would take for the demon to level up.


    This meant that the [Transcendence] side needed to break through the hell yers'' defenses and kill the demon within a day.


    At this moment, Sterl looked at the group of hell yers��these bizarre-looking yers were now idly chatting with one another.


    The [Transcendence] trantion system faithfully fulfilled its duty.


    "Damn it, why do we have to guard this demon for such a garbage task?"


    "When are those cowards from the main world going to show up?"


    "If I run into them, I''ll make sure to tear them apart��"


    ��


    The hell yers were continuously spewing foulnguage, yet Sterl remained as steady as a mountain, not preparing to take action.


    If he caused trouble now, killing these hell yers would earn him quite a bit of merit, but it would also expose ws in his disguise.


    Why did the entire hell yer squad mysteriously get wiped out, and who was involved?


    If someone were to investigate, even if Sterl didn''t get exposed, the attention on his disguise would increase.


    Sterl wasn''t adept at plotting; he simply knew that rather than relying on superb concealment techniques, it was better not to show any signs from the start.


    Sterl waited patiently until the hell squad''s noisy bickering faded as they left the underground area to patrol elsewhere.


    Only then did he slowly reveal himself.


    Sterl''s fingers trembled slightly as he tossed several items into the river of blood, also inserting some materials into his space.


    A minuteter, Sterl''s form flickered, and he activated Shadow Stealth again, returning to the surface.


    The items he had just thrown in served as catalysts, enabling the demon in the river of blood to forcibly break through to the Supreme level at a critical moment.


    The cost was that this demon would quickly die afterward.


    But that was of no concern to Sterl; his goal was to obtain the Supreme-level loot, and he only needed toplete the kill before the demon perished.


    As for why he was doing this��


    Earlier, Sterl had used Star Insight to check; the attributes of those hell yers were not much different from those of his team, perhaps slightly weaker at most.


    If Sterl wanted to ensure that the demon favored by the hell consciousness leveled up to Supreme, he had to make some moves.


    ��


    Soon, Sterl returned to his team, and the other yers were not surprised to see hime back safely.


    After all, he was also a demigod from the Hall of Valor, which carried some weight.


    Hell yers came in various tiers; some, trained from powersparable to the Hall of Valor, were stronger due to the harsher environment they fought in.


    However, ordinary hell yers were at most evenly matched with the yers from the Hall of Valor.


    Even as a neer, Leo had a decent probability ofpleting the scouting mission.


    The purple-skinned man rarely showed a hint of a smile and approached with concern.


    "How did the scouting go, Leo Bro?"


    Sterl reported truthfully.


    "There are four perfect-level demigods, and the others are iplete demigods."


    "Additionally, a few of them seem to carry me-type elemental powers. One hell yer, who specializes in defense, may have a weak point three inches to the left of his chest��"


    Using Star Insight, he had nearly uncovered all the trump cards of those hell yers, but Sterl naturally couldn''t reveal everything. Otherwise, it would make "Leo" seem less straightforward and quite exceptional��


    However, just the information he shared was enough to delight his teammates. With this intel, their chances against the hell yers increased by at least twenty percent.


    Instantly, they became enthusiastic: "Leo, you''ve worked hard."


    "Now it''s our turn to put in the effort; you just follow behind and collect some heads."


    "Alright, with this skill, it looks like you''ll soon earn enough contribution points for the tinum Skill."


    ��


    The yers were quite cheerful.


    Meanwhile, Sterl continued to y his role, shyly smiling.


    After obtaining the information, the yer squad rested for a few minutes before setting off immediately.


    The purple-skinned man stood at the front. With Sterl''s scouting results, he headed straight for the demon that was leveling up and threw a punch down!


    Boom!!


    With a series of loud crashes and tremors, a gaping hole was smashed into the rockyers.


    Below, a group of hell yers revealed looks of confusion.


    "Didn''t they say there''s a natural shielding formation here?"


    "Who cares? There''s free meat on the table; aren''t you gonna eat it??"


    "Finally, you''re here! I''ve been waiting for you all for so long!"


    ��


    The hell yers disyed their usual madness, but after less than half a second of restraint, they all revealed a bloodthirsty expression.


    However��


    Even Sterl underestimated the capabilities of the Hall of Valor demigod squad. With the corresponding intel, the battle was simply overwhelming.


    The hell yers in front had just unleashed their chaotic skills, gathering various elemental powers.


    One thin elderly man from the Hall of Valor squad took out a dark wooden staff and ominously chanted several sybles.


    As tinum light illuminated, specific elemental forces in the air became extraordinarily frenzied and chaotic.


    Naturally, those hell yers failed to release their abilities and suffered bacsh!


    "Ahhh!"


    "Pfft!"


    Even though the hell yers had strong attributes, they were half-kneeling on the ground, spitting blood.


    Sterl quietly observed from the back of the team��


    As expected, the Silent Domain skill was exceptionally unique.


    He marveled at it.


    After using Star Insight to scout, Sterl discovered that the skill the old man was using was called [Silence], which also required both Arcane and Cursews to activate.


    However, the sealing ability was far inferior to Sterl''s Silent Domain, as it could at most restrict Elemental-type abilities. The consumption was not even lower than that of Silent Domain.


    "Silent Domain, created to counter the Great Cmity, is likely the strongest tinum Skill aside from skills like Shattered Void that can correspond to pseudo-divine levels," Sterl concluded, feeling a slight pain in his forehead.


    The higher the quality of the skills provided by the Hall of Valor, the more he sensed that the uing Great Cmity was bound to be extraordinarily terrifying!


    Sterl''s mind wandered far and wide, yet he did not forget to attend to one crucial task��Head-Killing!


    He attacked using Divine me Drive enhanced by Arcane Law, a capability he had hardly utilized in the Hall of Valor, which served perfectly to disguise his identity.


    Amid the colorful mes, there was also the Flowing Water de, which could instantly shatter within a hell yer''s body into thousands of needle-like stabs, dealing massive killing damage.


    When it came to iming kills, he was certain he could do so with precision.


    However, it seemed that Leo''s attacks were all wide-area damage, making it very difficult to secure kills.


    What disappointed Sterl was that not every hell yer would drop a blood-colored document upon death.


    It appeared that a squad of about three or four needed to be taken down before a document would appear.


    Sterl had already arranged for Bionic Tear to activate the passive ability of Shadow Stealth and the spacew, hiding near the hell yer squad to allow the Login Terminal to absorb the documents.


    Unfortunately, the progress was slow��


    The hell squad had already lost more than half of its members, and he had only absorbed four documents.


    Sterl frowned slightly; did this mean he would have to mingle among various yer squads for a long time just to collect all the documents?


    Helpless, he used Star Insight again to assess the situation, ultimately concluding that the appearance of the documents seemed to be rted to the yers'' potential.


    It appeared that the higher the talent and rank of a profession, the more legendary abilities and rules they possessed, the greater the chance of producing documents.


    The first batch of hell yers Sterl encountered was capable of suppressing the elites of the Hall of Valor; their potential was extremely high, hence the probability of dropping documents was quite significant.


    "But why is it like this?" Sterl muttered to himself.


    "Could it be that yers with higher potential attract more attention from Swallowing Heaven, and the power contained in the document contracts within them is stronger?"


    He was deep in thought when...


    The atmosphere on the battlefield shifted ominously.


    Sterl felt as though he had only casually imed a few heads, but nearby, some yers were already cursing loudly.


    "Damn it! After fighting for so long, I haven''t gotten a single kill!"


    "Which bastard is secretly stealing my kills?"


    "Don''t let me catch you; you''ll regret it!"


    ��


    The members of the Hall of Valor looked grim, while Sterl continued to y the role of Leo, joining hispanions in condemning the kill-stealers.


    "How shameless! How can people behave like this?"


    He spoke with righteous indignation.


    At the same time, notifications were constantly ringing in Sterl''s merit ring.


    [You have killed a Swallowing Heaven yer (iplete demigod), earning 50 merit points.]


    [You have killed��]


    [You have killed a Swallowing Heaven yer (perfect-level demigod), earning 100 merit points.]


    His ranking rapidly climbed from the bottom 100% to the top 60%.


    ��


    As for the hell yers, they had initially been caught off guard, and many of their frontline demigods had already fallen.


    At this moment, they were utterly defenseless, shouting frantically.


    "Scum! Are you brave enough for a fair 1v1?"


    "How can I die here?! Impossible!"


    ��


    However��


    Seemingly in response to the hell yers'' unwilling cries, Sterl suddenly changed his expression and instinctively took several steps back.


    A tear opened in the sky, and as it rapidly healed, multiple sealing formations spread around.


    "Is this a formation to conceal presence?"


    "What''s happening?"


    Sterl nced from a distance and felt a chill run down his spine as he saw that the ce where the spatial rift opened was filled with a strange pink aura, apanied by echoes of wails and bizarre filth.


    It was unmistakably anotheryer of hell!


    Then��


    As the spatial rift dissipated, a long spear, engulfed in zing mes and intense heat, plunged straight into the ground.


    Boom!!


    In an instant, both sides of yers were blown back!


    Sterl was no exception; he was pushed away by the mes, stumbling backward in a disheveled manner��


    Soon, the long spear began to emit thick crimson smoke, gradually transforming.

 Chapter 312: Is a Divine Level Demon Entering the Arena?

    In the end, the spear transformed into a massive demon, approximately three to four meters tall, its body constructed from a metallic structure.


    With a slight wave of its hand, the spear reformed in this demon''s grasp.


    Then��


    Boom!!


    A silver-gray shockwave rapidly swept across the battlefield.


    This was undeniably a��


    "Supreme-level demon??"


    "Master Supreme!!" Two distinct voices echoed out.


    One was from a burly purple-skinned man on the Hall of Valor''s side, his tone filled with shock and a hint of panic.


    The other came from the hell yers, who were incredibly excited.


    Lastly��


    There was Sterl, who was momentarily stunned��


    "Although I see that the hell yers are already at a significant disadvantage and are ready to catalyze the formation, I haven''t even made a move, and a Supreme demon just pops out on its own?"


    Sterl mentallyined as he quietly retreated alongside hispanions, a hint of panic perfectly disyed on his face.


    Thebat prowess of a Supreme-level being was far beyond that of an ordinary demigod.


    The members of the Hall of Valor team instantly lost their fighting spirit.


    Those hell yers, who usually acted so arrogantly, now disyed a respectful demeanor.


    "Master Supreme, if you kill them, you will receive the blessings of thisyer of the ne''s consciousness!"


    "Make sure to torment these trash from the main ne!"


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    ��


    The hell yers were in a frenzy!


    Meanwhile, the Hall of Valor team had expressions of sheer horror��


    They remained silent, filled with anxiety.


    "Don''t let them escape, Master!"


    The hell yers shouted triumphantly.


    However, the demon, with its silver-gray de-like structure, was initially closing its eyes to sense something. After quite a while, it finally opened its eyes again.


    With a cold tone, it uttered a single word.


    "Noisy!"


    The silver-gray demon pointed, and des erupted from the ground!


    Several hell yers who had spoken were impaled, skewered like meat on a stick!


    Their demigod-level vitality meant they did not die immediately, writhing in agony!


    The hell yers were quick to grasp the situation; once they were pierced by the des, they immediately fell silent, though their expressions revealed the extreme torment they were enduring.


    The Hall of Valor team felt even more unsettled��if it was so ruthless to its own, how savage would it be toward us��


    Even more brutal!


    "Hmm?" Sterl''s gaze shifted slightly; this scene seemed familiar to him. It reminded him of how members of the Blood Cult tortured mortals to create materials for the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    Though the techniques employed were entirely different, as a professional Array Master, Sterl could sense the life force of those hell yers gradually withering, ultimately giving rise to a crystallization filled with fear and wails!


    With this thought, Sterl further concealed himself.


    He stood at the back, wanting to see what this Supreme demon was up to.


    For a moment, the atmosphere was extremely eerie; the hell yers were silent as mice, not daring to speak, while the Hall of Valor team also hesitated to make any sudden moves. A casual strike from the Supreme demon was beyond what they could bear.


    As a result, everyone''s faces turned red with pressure, the tension palpable.


    "Form the formation!"


    Suddenly, the burly purple-skinned man shouted.


    He had sensed��


    The energy within the Supreme demon was surging.


    It was about to strike!


    The only way now was to rely on the team to barely withstand the impending attack.


    Even though they rationally understood that struggling would be futile, the instinct to survive outweighed everything else. Who wanted their character to die, leading to ount deletion and bing an ordinary person?


    Aside from Sterl, the neer, the rest of the Hall of Valor team quickly coordinated, rapidlypleting their formation change.


    The purple-skinned man produced a sphere glowing with earthy yellow mist.


    The sphere spun for a moment before suddenly disintegrating, forming a shield. Based on the positions upied by each member of the Hall of Valor team, they channeled their energies together to maintain the shield.


    This was undoubtedly a portable demigod-level formation, capable of linking the entire team''s power together, serving as a powerful lifesaving tool.


    The purple-skinned man led the front line, while various mages took positions behind, all radiating a tinum light simultaneously.


    At that moment, the Supreme demon suddenly moved.


    Just a second before, it had been advancing leisurely, but then it erupted with terrifying speed, like a top predator revealing its ferocious visage!


    Then, its de-like arm shed violently!


    With a sh of tinum light, the earthy yellow shield was torn apart. The purple-skinned man in the front seemed to have a defensive skill activated, but it was utterly useless.


    He was cleaved in two!


    The Supreme demon then began to ughter as casually as a wolf diving into a flock of sheep.


    Sterl recognized that it must have mastered rare chaotic skills simr to the de Law, capable of shattering everything with pure brute force.


    This included the lifesaving items of the Hall of Valor team''s demigods.


    In the first instant, the Hall of Valor team''s defense copsed, with two frontline warriors dead and one injured.


    In the second instant, the entire frontline of the Hall of Valor team was wiped out, and the rear was bisected by the Supreme demon''s sword!


    In the third instant, the power akin to the de Law shredded all remaining units in the backline to pieces!


    At this point, aside from Sterl, who had somehow made his way to the back of the team, only two members remained of the Hall of Valor''s demigod squad.


    One was a sweet-looking priestess, reminiscent of the girl-next-door.


    The other was an assassin d in leather armor, her face obscured by a ck veil, but her figure was strikingly alluring.


    A glimmer shed in Sterl''s eyes��


    All his attribute bonuses were maxed out.


    Swish!!


    In the fourth instant, Sterl easily dodged a sh from the Supreme demon.


    Unfortunately��


    Thest two members of the squad were hit; the sharp energy from the demon surged into their bodies, instantly reducing them to a mist of blood.


    Sterl naturally did not intervene.


    He had previously investigated the chaotic nature of hell; even a demigod squad often faced total annihtion, with only a few surviving.


    With his teammates gone, he could return and reorganize the team.


    Rescuing Leo would only result in him losing his disguise.


    After all, Sterl had a w that wasn''t quite a w: the range of skills he had mastered was not particrly extensive.


    He only had Divine me Drive and a few fragmented skills that he hadn''t really used in the Hall of Valor.


    If Leo lost his disguise, creating a new identity and acquiring skills with a certain level of proficiency within a short time would be impossible, making his disguise imperfect.


    He certainly couldn''t use blood force to enhance his skills; that would be a huge loss!


    In theory, no one would suspect an ordinary demigod on the battlefield, but Sterl''s approach was all about caution.


    "Hmm?"


    After swinging its de, the Supreme demon paused.


    It was curious to find that there were still survivors among the main world''s beings��


    Meanwhile, the hell yers in the back were exchanging knowing nces.


    Somehow, Sterl could perceive a mix of mockery, disdain, and schadenfreude from their simple expressions��


    "Come?"


    Sterl merely waved his hand slightly, gathering the Flowing Water de.


    A sharp aura surrounded him, like a flower blooming fiercely in a vast grasnd, incredibly eye-catching!


    The Supreme-level demon stared in surprise, a flicker of something beyond indifference shing in its eyes.


    "Good!"


    It also adopted a stance, preparing to strike, slightly gathering its strength.


    The hell yers in the back were stunned.


    It was as if they suddenly realized something and turned to flee, their previous mixed emotions now crystallized into one��fear.


    What kind of opponent could make a Supreme-level demon take them seriously?


    It appeared to be a wed demigod, but its truebat power was uncertain.


    Run! They had to run!


    If they didn''t leave now, they might not get the chance again.


    However��


    Before the hell yers could escape very far, they suddenly found themselves seemingly frozen in ce.


    Whatever skills or items they had all appeared gray.


    What event have we been dragged into?


    That thought marked theirst moment.


    Swish, swish, swish!


    Two beams of sword light intersected!


    The hell yers didn''t even see the magnificent scene; they had already been reduced to ashes by the shockwave from the first sh between Sterl and the Supreme demon.


    Countless sword energies shredded all matter, even the blood-scented air in hell!


    Then, arge area of space suddenly shattered, revealing a pitch-ck void.


    Within this void, the Supreme demon, apparently harboring some n, had already dissipated!


    It shattered into fragments!


    Sterl waved his hand, dispersing the Flowing Water de, and took a slight breath.


    Behind him, the ck void slowly filled with spatial power, but for quite some time, this area would remain in an unstable state.


    Anyone attempting to use teleportation abilities here might encounter chaos.


    The consequences could range from errant teleportation to falling into the void and dying.


    Yet, Sterl showed no signs of surprise.


    He silently activated his improved natural formation.


    From the pit beneath his feet, another trace of the Supreme demon''s aura gradually rose.


    But what upied his mind were the words spoken by that demon before its death.


    "Very well, consider this an early offering of all my powers to the master."


    Sterl''s eyes narrowed in curiosity: "This demon imed it could still offer its power after death."


    "Could it be that a divine-level demon has its sights set on the Archduke of Blood''s Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array?"


    Just moments ago, that demon had dissolved into a stream of blood, merging into the blood river underground, coupled with its remarks.


    It was hard for Sterl not to suspect��


    "Interesting. Three Hall of Valor-level forces are venturing forth, and there''s still a divine-level demon lurking in the shadows."


    A multitude of thoughts stirred within Sterl��

 Chapter 313: Who is the BOSS After All?

    Sterl wasn''t afraid of the divine-level demons entering the fray. Instead, he suddenly felt a thrill of excitement as he realized that if any foolish demons really wanted to use the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, who could possibly outsmart him?


    "Could it be that I can intercept them once more?"


    The more he thought about it, the more exhrated he became.


    "Thank you!"


    He sincerely expressed his gratitude to the Supreme demon that had just perished. To anyone else, the seemingly disconnected words would have been indecipherable, but for Sterl, this demon had hit a stroke of bad luck.


    With the knowledge that a divine-level demon was about to enter, Sterl''s options had clearly widened. At the very least, there was hope for a bug exploit.


    As he pondered, a surge of dark green mes behind him began to swell, eventually morphing into a massive hand that lunged toward him with ferocity.


    At that moment, Sterl didn''t want to waste any more time. He quickly conjured the Flowing Water de once more.


    Shattered Void!


    With a whoosh, the already severely damaged space took another hit, copsing and fracturing further!


    Behind Sterl, the dark green me hand shattered instantly, while a fearsome demon surged forward, wielding a circr de, frozen mid-air.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a sound of shattering, the Supreme demon that had just advanced was now riddled with spatial cracks all over its body. Those cracks morphed into deep gashes that exposed bone��almost dismembering itpletely!


    To Sterl''s astonishment, this Supreme demon somehow managed to withstand the full force of Shattered Void. It was noteworthy that the previous Supreme demon, clearly acting on behalf of the divine-level demon, had been dispatched in a single blow.


    "It must be the enhancement from Hell''s consciousness that made it so much tougher," Sterl mused, slightly clicking his tongue.


    Indeed, he found that while he had no problem overpowering ordinary Supreme and quasi-divine beings, he couldn''t deliver a one-hit kill against slightly stronger opponents. The top-tier entities in the Valor Combatants tournament would likely put him in a tough spot��


    However, the recently upgraded Supreme demon was also in a dire state, half-kneeling on the ground, its mes unable to be used for offense, instead desperately surging into its body to heal its various wounds.


    Sterl casually unleashed thousands of Flowing Water des in a torrential barrage.


    Whoosh!


    The surrounding mes werepletely engulfed by the downpour of des.


    The Supreme demon was rapidly reduced, as if undergoing a brutal dismemberment, with more than half of its body stripped away, leaving behind a charred skeleton.


    After being momentarily suppressed, its body suddenly swelled, and fierce mes erupted around it like a fiery halo.


    Sterl effortlessly sidestepped, utilizing the power of spatial Law to evade the mes.


    At the same time, he heard a thunderous roar.


    "Ahhhhhh!!"


    The newly emerged Supreme demon had already entered its second phase. This was clearly a boss-level creature. With its life force and attributes amplified, it was no easy opponent to handle!


    The demon swung its circr de, slicing through the air. In an instant, the rivers of blood flowing beneath surged forth, transforming into multiple afterimages that charged at Sterl.


    From the front, back, sides, above, and below, nearly every angle was locked down. A faint aura of blood hung in the air, rendering all teleportation abilities utterly ineffective.


    After exhausting energy with two major skills, Sterl found himself too drained to unleash more powerful moves. He could only summon a clone to utilize Protection Power, shielding himself from the iing attacks.


    The blue Star Radiance shield surrounded him, while the blood-red demon afterimages struck it. Ultimately, they merely caused the shield to tremble slightly. By the time the afterimages dissipated, they had inflicted no significant damage.


    When the shield faded, Sterl casually shook his head. "Come on then?"


    After some contemtion, he decided to activate [Rebirth of All Thoughts]. A brilliant, multi-colored glow enveloped him, forming a semi-transparent membrane that covered his entire body.


    As Protection Power ended, a sliver of demonic energy leaked through. Though it didn''t pose any harm to Sterl, it was enough for [Rebirth of All Thoughts]to select a damage type and initiate protection.


    Sterl operated this way primarily because he had caught a glimpse of the Supreme demon boss''s attributes. Its life force was terrifyingly thick, and it had a particr buff:


    [Blood River Lord: Your life energy will enter a rapid recovery state as long as you are within theyer of hell [Blood].]


    Earlier, Sterl had struggled to eliminate this demon in one blow; it seemed he was destined for a drawn-out battle.


    The effects of [Rebirth of All Thoughts]were equally tyrannical. Sensing the defensive effect, Sterl wasted no time standing his ground and began consuming energy potions. The iplete Iridescent-Level skill was also quite a drain on his resources.


    At this moment, Sterl still had blue mana left, but he couldn''t summon any Law Power.


    Seeing him recklessly using potions, the BOSS triggered a fixed skill.


    The demon raised its circr de high above its head, and dark green mes coalesced like a thick liquid.


    Sterl remained unfazed. He understood that in the [Transcendence]system, the boss mechanics were quite simr to those in games from his previous life, such as reading yermands.


    When the boss was drinking potions, it was sure to retaliate fiercely.


    But Sterl didn''t care. He had maximized his damage reduction bonuses and, with the immunity effect from [Rebirth of All Thoughts], he felt confident.


    A smile crept onto his face as he cast a mocking nce at the demon, downing two more bottles of recovery potions.


    At that very moment, the boss let out a furious roar.


    "Whoa!!"


    Then, the circr de in its hand transformed into a massive long sword, empowered by an overwhelming amount of dark green mes. The Supreme demon raised its hand slightly, as if preparing to swing�� but then suddenly froze in ce.


    In the next second, a streak of dark green light shed in front of Sterl.


    Only after the sh did the boss make its swing.


    Sterl was unable to evade either the de''s light or the boss''s strike. Fortunately, the dark green mes that impacted him felt neither painful nor harmful!


    Sterl already possessed life force on par with a boss-level entity, and with the boost from [Rebirth of All Thoughts], this Supreme demon was incapable of inflicting damage on him. Additionally, [Radiant ss Body]provided a first-hit damage reduction.


    The only effect of the Supreme demon''s assault was to leave it with considerable recovery time and stiffness.


    Sterl swiftly conjured the Flowing Water de once more, executing a series of dazzling sword strikes that left multiple gashes on the boss.


    The Supreme demon, enraged by the attack and undeterred by its injuries, retaliated by swinging its long sword at Sterl.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Apanied by the glint of the de, countless rivers of blood swirled violently around them. Under the enhancement of the blood aura, the more weakened the Supreme demon became, the more terrifying itsbat power grew.


    And Sterl stood firm!


    Previously, hisbat style had been quite cautious, trying to avoid any direct hits from his opponent. But this time, he was testing the effects of his Iridescent-Level skill��and indeed, it proved to be devastating!


    The life energy he had umted through multiple encounters,bined with the damage reduction effects, transformed him into a humanoid BOSS!


    Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, the surroundings were filled with the chaotic sh of the demon and Sterl''s figures.


    Back and forth they went.


    You swung your de, and I thrust my sword.


    Not a single attack went unanswered.


    The countless rivers of blood beneath them had already destroyed their riverbeds.


    It was fortunate that this area was heavily reinforced by the consciousness of theyer of hell; otherwise, it would have copsed and crumbled long ago!


    "Ha ha! Bring it on!"


    Sterl was getting hyped up!


    This strategy of trading blows was not only effective but also saved a lot on potions. Sterl could easily replenish his energy using some of the low-level potions he had procured during thest shopping trip with Linna.


    It wasn''t that he was stingy; it was just that the best recovery potions required either additional charges or Valor Contribution Points to purchase, and he was reluctant to part with them.


    After about ten minutes of intensebat, the Supreme demon began to realize something was amiss.


    A look of human-like confusion and disbelief appeared in its eyes. As a boss, the demon was fine with trading injuries with Sterl; it thought this human was merely seeking death. But as the battle wore on, the demon started to notice a troubling trend: it was bing increasingly weakened, with its life force dwindling to only 20%.


    Meanwhile, the opponent before it appeared to be full of vitality, growing stronger with each passing moment.


    However��


    As a boss, unless it was a special setting, there was no concept of retreat.


    With no other option, the Supreme demon let out a long, desperate howl, attempting to gather its strength once again.


    But Sterl wasn''t going to give it that chance.


    After several exchanges, he still had about half of his life force remaining, and his energy waspletely replenished, ready for another Shattered Void!


    Swish!


    In an instant, Sterl slowly conjured the Flowing Water de. At the same time, the demon''s circr de struck him, creating a wound deep enough to see bone, while the dark green mes seared through Sterl''s flesh.


    This attack contained at least several types of chaotic memories, including life-draining, weakness, and curses��any one of which could easily spell death for a demigod-level yer.


    Yet, Sterl remained unfazed.


    He slowly and resolutely pulled out his sword��


    Tiny shards of space shattered around him like a storm. The demon, with only one-fifth of its life remaining, desperately tried to dodge but found itself frozen in ce.


    It couldn''t move!


    Then, the demon was shattered along with the surrounding space!


    Sterl exhaled a breath of stale air, a hint of regret in his expression.


    The surrounding space had be extremely chaotic, making it significantly more challenging to set up formations here.


    Without the assistance of Shattered Void, his conventional methods for defeating the Supreme demon��especially a Supreme-level boss��would be nearly impossible.


    "But if there really is a divine-level demon scheming a blood sacrifice to devour gods, perhaps there will be some unfortunate soul to help me repair the space," Sterl thought to himself.


    Next, after some hesitation, he quickly organized the battlefield, collecting all the dropped spheres.


    Then��


    He set off on his journey back.


    At the same time, Sterl pondered over how he would fabricate a storyter on.

 Chapter 314: The Total Annihilation Engine

    "At that time�� I waspletely stunned��"


    "It was just my luck that when the formation was being set up, my teammates were all standing in front of me, which allowed me to hold out until that mysterious Supreme arrived."


    "I don''t know if he managed to defeat that demon, but I seized the opportunity to slip away while they were at a stalemate."


    "Aren''t I the scout? My Arcane Law can enhance stealth capabilities��"


    At this moment, Sterl was floating in a vast expanse formed by clouds, gazing into the distance, where he could see no end.


    This was the core of the military formation of the Hall of Valor within The Blood Red Fortress.


    Sterl suddenly noticed that the Hall of Valor had dispatched more than one Supreme for this operation. The Supreme sitting atop the clouds now was clearly different from the one who had assigned personnel earlier.


    "I see."


    "Well, it seems your scouting and secrecy skills are quite impressive. Someone will be along shortly to assign you to a new team."


    With that, the Supreme lightly waved its sleeve, and Sterl was sent out of that realm.


    ��


    "Done."


    Sterl found himself standing within the fortress, three gigantic airships hovering above him, one of which was the military base of the Hall of Valor.


    The other two airships belonged to the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    However, the fortress was primarily filled with yers from the Hall of Valor, while the numbers from the other two factions were significantly lower. After all, the exploration of theyer of hell was taking ce within the Hall of Valor''s territory.


    The experts from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen had received the newster, so they needed more time to get into position.


    This was also why Sterl''s previous team had only been tasked with weakening the enemy''s forces rather than engaging on the front lines.


    With the three major factions not gathered together, the Hall of Valor wasn''t willing to bear the brunt of the entireyer of hell alone.


    Sterl had been somewhat curious about whether the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen would exhibit any special traits, but he hadn''t seen anything noteworthy, so he let it go.


    His mood was quite good. Just as he had suspected from the beginning, theplete annihtion of a small team on the battlefield wasn''t a big deal at all. It was just that the Supreme had taken a sudden interest and asked a few questions. Otherwise, Sterl wouldn''t have needed to concoct any stories; he would have automatically been assigned to the next team.


    After waiting for a short while, Sterl closed his eyes to process his experiences. Just as he was about to level up, the orders came down.


    Sterl was assigned to a new team, still serving as the scout, but this team was newly formed.


    More than ten minutester, in a luxurious hall within The Blood Red Fortress, many yers had gathered in the team Sterl had joined. After enjoying some exquisite dishes that could only be purchased with contribution points from the Hall of Valor, the yer who had bled the most, a mage, was appointed as the team leader.


    Sterl, having already gained battlefield experience, was assigned as the vice captain and scout.


    The first task for this newly formed team was to eliminate a group of hell yers on the battlefield.


    Sterl continued to hide his true intentions, collecting five blood-colored documents during the mission without putting in too much effort, as the team members had been quite friendly to him from the start. He didn''t want to draw too much attention by taking down too many enemies.


    As a result��


    Afterpleting their first mission, the newly formed team was in high spirits, celebrating in the tavern while sharing drinks and engaging in lively conversation.


    However��


    On the third day of the team''s formation, in the northeastern battlefield of The Blood Red Fortress��


    "Great job, Leo!"


    "Your me just now was spot on! You took out their spellcaster!"


    "Awesome, bro!"


    The yers were buzzing with excitement as the surrounding hell yers were retreating in disarray. One of their fully leveled core damage dealers had been in by Sterl, and the situation was rapidly turning in their favor.


    Various skill effects converged, swiftly decimating the front-line warriors and tanks of the hell yers.


    On Sterl''s side��


    "Blood-colored document plus one, blood-colored document plus one."


    Bionic Tear concealed himself, diligently gathering resources.


    However, before Sterl could respond to his teammates'' praises, his expression suddenly changed.


    "Be careful!"


    "Everyone, scatter!"


    With that, Sterl activated the marking feature in their team function, highlighting two blood-colored dots on the shared mini-map.


    "Huh?"


    "Got it!"


    The others didn''t know what Sterl had discovered, but after several missions together, they had developed an initial trust in theirpanion and swiftly moved away from the dots on the map.


    Unfortunately��


    It was toote!


    A frenzy of Hurricane, mixed with blood-colored sand and stones, swept up a team member who hadn''t retreated in time!


    "Ah~!"


    He reacted quickly, immediately attempting to use a certain item. He was enveloped in a faint blue ripple, but s, the sandstorm shattered the item in an instant.


    Then, he suffered damage.


    In a heartbeat, his flesh waspletely ground away by the Hurricane!


    His internal organs were also pulverized, leaving nothing but a dry skeleton behind.


    Nearby, another unlucky yer was bitten by a swarm of dark purple snakes that had appeared from nowhere.


    Fortunately, his life-saving item activated sessfully, allowing him to disperse into several afterimages and retreat back to the safety of the team.


    However, this yer also had a dark expression, having been afflicted by some strange toxin.


    "I can''t cleanse it."


    The priest in the team tried to help but could only bitterly utter a few words.


    In just a brief moment, the team that had sessfullypleted several missions was now down to one dead and one injured.


    At that moment, the sand and stones gathered, and the swarm of snakes dispersed.


    A figure, seemingly sculpted from solid stone, and a woman with a cold demeanor stood there, looking somewhat surprised at the Hall of Valor team.


    "You actually managed to detect us ahead of time��how interesting."


    "We thought you were just a few little mice, but it turns out you''re quite amusing."


    "Let''s see how long you can struggle."


    These were two perfect-level demigods.


    The expressions of Sterl''s team changed drastically!


    The two perfect-level demigods immediately unleashed their chaos skills and charged into the crowd.


    The hell yers, who had originally been scattered and disorganized, began to scream and charge forward as well.


    In this wave��


    Sterl found it easy to maneuver; he left Bionic Tear behind and, along with his surrounding teammates, began to flee in panic.


    Everyone exerted themselves to use various teleportation abilities or activate life-saving skills in a desperate attempt to buy time to open their teleportation scrolls.


    But in the end, only a few lucky ones managed to escape.


    Ny percent of the entire team was killed by the two perfect-level demigods.


    ��


    Ultimately, Sterl, along with twopanions, managed to escape.


    They stood on a hillside, with the magnificent walls of The Blood Red Fortress looming behind them.


    Sterl maintained his fa?ade of panic and anxiety, while the twopanions seemed to struggle to ept the reality of the situation.


    "W-what�� did we just�� get wiped out??"


    "Why did this happen??"


    "We were just fine a moment ago."


    ��


    The two knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with confusion and fear. If it hadn''t been for their good fortune, they too would have met their end.


    Sterl, having experienced a total wipe once before, stepped forward tofort the two yers, saying, "It''s unavoidable; this is the battlefield."


    "Anyone can die at any moment due to bad luck."


    "Thank you�� Leo."


    The two yers wept as if they had found their anchor in the storm.


    Sterl maintained a calm demeanor. He felt no guilt; as a scout, he had perfectly fulfilled his responsibilities, helping the team avoid dangers multiple times.


    However, if he had discovered the perfect-level demigods too early, his fa?ade would have fallen apart. Discovering them a bit earlier than he did was already a remarkable performance for Leo.


    The team''s ultimate demise was simply a result of their insufficient strength.


    Meanwhile��


    In the original battlefield, Sterl''s Bionic Tear quietlypleted the collection of thest blood-colored document, bringing the total in his terminal to 47.


    Indeed, Bionic Tear had wiped out all the yers celebrating their recent victory.


    ��


    On the other side, Sterl and the two surviving yers were quickly assigned to a new team.


    The three of them were not ced together.


    Sterl joined a third team.


    This teamsted only a day before being wiped out due to a sudden influx of demons breaching The Blood Red Fortress'' defenses. They had been hiding from the demons through a creature known as the Devourer Demon.


    The Devourer Demon itself was not very strong, but it contained a strange space in its belly that was undetectable by normal probing skills, allowing arge number of demons to hide within.


    Consequently, the hellish consciousness blocked the Hall of Valor''s detection and deployed a massive number of Devourer Demons, resulting in a wave of overwhelming forces.


    This nearly breached a portion of The Blood Red Fortress'' walls.


    To defend the fortress, Sterl''s third team participated in this meat grinder and waspletely annihted!


    Even the two survivors from the previous second team perished in this battle.


    ��


    Then Sterl''s fourth teamsted two days, and the fifth teamsted only a day.


    In less than a week, Sterl felt as if death followed him wherever he went, until he suddenly realized that his Fortune had inexplicably increased significantly.


    He then understood that the continuous wipes were not solely due to the high intensity of battles near The Blood Red Fortress, but also because he had unknowingly entered a state of Fortune bacsh.


    This time, the Fortune bacsh was different from the close scrutiny of the main world. It was an inappropriate analogy, but it felt like the hellish consciousness had developed a hatred for Sterl. However, during its expansion, the hellish consciousness was too preupied to focus on him, merely targeting him as a side effect.


    As a result, the teams Sterl was in faced continuous misfortune, but it was precisely because of this bad luck that they attracted opponents at least at the demigod level, significantly increasing Sterl''s Fortune.


    The annihtion of five teams had brought his Fortune directly to 69!


    Sterl was somewhat astonished; he had originally thought the second evolution of his cheat was still far off, yet it was now unexpectedly within reach.

 Chapter 315: Iridescent-Level Skill: Shadow Magic

    Of course, during these past few days, Sterl had not been idle.


    The experience gained from farming hell yers and demons was incredibly rich, and he spent most of his free time in seclusion, refining his skills.


    At this point, Sterl had reached level 124!


    He had just advanced to third ss not long ago and was already nearly halfway to the legendary stage. It''s worth noting that due to Sterl''s deep foundation, he could immediately advance as soon as he reached the required level!


    In the legendary stage, the multiple bonuses provided would cause Sterl''s strength to soar dramatically!


    Moreover, he had casually opened all the loot dropped by hell yers and various demons.


    First, there were some ordinary drops, which included an abundance of equipment, skill books, and materials.


    However, this time, Sterl had really "hit the jackpot," obtaining a total of seven pieces of legendary equipment and 23 pieces of legendary demigod equipment!


    That''s right��there was even more demigod-level equipment.


    The drop rate from hell yers was quite impressive, and those who participated in the [Counter-Exploration] activities included not just yers from thisyer of hell, but also demigods from otheryers of hell.


    These individuals often had some high-quality gear and resources saved up.


    With the bacsh from his Fortune, Sterl found himself in a fortunate state; even without using a Fate Token, he had acquired plenty of good items.


    Especially the legendary demigod equipment��there were reportedly more than enough of those.


    However, after a moment of excitement, Sterl gradually calmed down. "To advance to demigod, I need to reach level 250."


    "At my current speed, it will take at least a few months, if not a year or two. By then, I might have even obtained epic-level equipment."


    "These items are somewhatckluster."


    "Maybe I should sell off some of them first��"


    He pondered.


    Aside from the equipment, he had over 80 gold-quality skill books, many of which had already reached [Transcendence] quality beyond the gold skills Sterl currently possessed.


    Unfortunately, he was gradually reaching a point where he no longer needed these skills, so he nned to sell them as well.


    Ultimately, the various materials dropped allowed Sterl''s Blood Sacrifice Array to be almost fully stocked; he only needed to farm some core resources in Heavenly Curtain Canyon and supplement them through purchasing. This way, he would be able to freely use the array in the future.


    In addition to these ordinary drops, Sterl also had some special drops in his possession.


    One of them was The Sacred Loot Sphere.


    Sterl hesitated for a moment and decided not to use the Fate Token, as this was essentially a reward for rescuing a group of demigod yers. How much higher could the rewards possibly be?


    Yet, he still felt lucky, as he opened the sphere in The Blood Red Fortress and received double rewards.


    He obtained two [Iridescent-Level Crystals], which provided a permanent enhancement to the strength of one Law Power, directing its development toward divine authority.


    This was an enhancement independent of the Law Power realm, improving the quality of the Law itself.


    Sterl hesitated for a moment. The de Law, being a rare Law, would definitely not be a loss if he invested the Iridescent-Level Crystal into it.


    However, he also wanted to hold onto this item for a while longer. Who knew if he might acquire an even more powerful Law in the future, perhaps one that synergized with his profession, like the Ster Law? The benefits from enhancing such a Law would be even greater.


    Meanwhile, the Supreme Demon, favored by the will of the world, exploded with rewards when Sterl used a Fate Token!


    He obtained a special skill:


    [Shadow Magic (Iplete Iridescent-Level)]


    [Description: Originally meant to be fully categorized under hellish powers, this skill was catalyzed into existence prematurely due to some presence in the main world. This skill may never achieve itsplete form.]


    [Effect: When attacking, you can consume additional energy to create a shadow, which can unleash any skill you possess and enhance it (shifting to hell/main world attack mode, dealing an additional 20% damage to hostile factions). The shadow can fight alongside you, sharing the same beneficial effects. When stacking debuffs, both you and the shadow can umte them repeatedly.]


    [Learning Requirement: Mastery of Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array / ???]


    Upon seeing this skill, Sterl felt that using the Fate Token was definitely worth it.


    This move essentially granted Sterl unlimited double attacks. The shadow could execute different techniques alongside him, allowing Sterl to defend while the "other person" attacked.


    Furthermore, with the shadow, Sterl could even unleash certain skills that normally required two people to perform alone.


    Compared to Bionic Tear, the shadow had no restrictions on realms. Sterl didn''t need to invest anything extra and could ensure that this shadow would maintain all his strength.


    Not to mention, this skill seemed to have the potential for enhancement��


    Just obtaining this skill made all of Sterl''s recent efforts worthwhile.


    As for the learning requirements of [Shadow Magic], Sterl couldn''t help but chuckle. He hadn''t expected that this special skill was seemingly something he had created himself.


    After a moment of reflection, he felt fortunate.


    A Supreme-level demon was not terrifying; what was frightening was that it also possessed an Iridescent-Level skill. If Sterl hadn''t catalyzed it early on, causing the demon favored by the will of the world to be unable to meet the learning requirements for Shadow Magic, he might have had to ascend to godhood to deal with a Supreme demon wielding Iridescent-Level power.


    Now, however, he had acquired a powerful skill without shedding any blood.


    Additionally, he had gathered various misceneous materials and equipment that were worth a significant amount of money.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement, wishing he could take on another mission to hunt such demons favored by the will of the world. Unfortunately, the purple-skinned brute from earlier likely had connections with some high-ranking members of the Hall of Valor, which was how he managed to secure that mission.


    In reality, if it hadn''t been for the sudden appearance of a divine-level demon, the first team that Sterl joined would have been capable ofpleting the mission and making a significant profit.


    However, after a series of unexpected events, Sterl emerged as the big winner.


    The Supreme Demon, which was suspected to be a pioneer of divine-level demons, had rtively disappointing drops.


    Its voluntary sacrifice into the River of Blood resulted in only a few pieces of ordinary demigod-level equipment��


    Such equipment couldn''t even be sold, as very few people who had advanced to demigod status would stoop to using subpar gear. However, these items often contained some Law Power, and disassembling them for materials could still yield a good profit.


    Aside from iming the loot, Sterl had also been continuously allocating points during this time.


    Over the course of a week, Sterl had allocated points seven times.


    First up was��Shattered Void. After its final sublimation, the original icon, which was tinum in color, now shimmered with a clear tinum hue interwoven with a hint of rainbow.


    The information for the other skills remained unchanged, but when Sterl used Bionic Tear to stealthily eliminate enemies, he found that the power of Shattered Void had increased by approximately 40%!


    It''s important to note that this skill already stood at the pinnacle of tinum Skills, and after multiple allocations, this final 40% output had nearly tripled its effectiveness!


    Sterl felt that the strength of Shattered Void could no longer be measured by the standards of a tinum Skill.


    Next, he allocated points to the new talisman, [Profane], but the final result was not very good��it only removed negative effects.


    Following that, he allocated points to the iplete Iridescent-Level skill.


    What disappointed Sterl was that this wave of enhancements didn''t yield strong results. He spent three days allocating points: two days on regr allocations and one forced allocation.


    It seemed that he had only managed to reduce the ipleteness of [Shadow Magic] to some extent, adding a new effect.


    [Dual Resonance: Hitting an enemy with the shadow umtes special energy. Once the energy is fully charged, you can unleash a Dual Resonance, allowing the shadow and the main body to simultaneously release the same skill for a resonance enhancement.]


    Sterl secretly tested the effect on the battlefield and found that it could enhance the skill by about double, including the influence range of the skill''s damage and additional effects.


    However, after three rounds of point allocation, [Shadow Magic] still indicated that it could continue to receive points, but Sterl would need to wait for his cheat to evolve once more. At that time, he could leap forward and restore it to aplete Iridescent-Level skill.


    In the final two rounds of point allocation, Sterl once again converted some Fate Tokens to replenish his stock.


    ��


    At this moment, as Sterl was preparing to report to the sixth team, he noticed that his blood-colored document was only seven copies short of unlocking the Swallowing Heaven ount.


    But the Supreme responsible for assigning teams suddenly raised an eyebrow.


    "Leo?"


    "I remember you''ve had quite the luck; you''re already in the sixth team, and you''ve survived every time."


    Sterl maintained a calm expression. Among the lucky ones in the Blood Red Fortress, there were at least a dozen like him, so it was nothing special.


    "It''s just good luck. I just want to quickly gather enough contribution points and leave; it''s too dangerous here."


    "Would you be willing to help me with something?" The Supreme said kindly.


    A sense of caution immediately rose in Sterl''s heart, but he still shyly nodded, "Please, my lord, go ahead."


    He was overthinking it.


    What the Supreme needed help with was quite simple. He took out an exquisitely crafted box, engraved with mysterious symbols all around. Inside the box, three transparent orbs were glowing and shifting.


    "All you need to do is pull this ring," the Supreme pointed to a button on the left side of the box.


    "What is this��?" Sterl asked, somewhat puzzled.


    The Supreme casually exined, "The people from the Golden Kingdom and the Ashen factions are basically all gathered. Our three forces need to divide the battlefield we control."


    "I''m borrowing your luck, hoping that the battlefield we draw has plenty of enemies."


    "This way, our overall merit will have a chance to surpass these two factions."


    "Oh, I see."


    Sterl cautiously used Star Insight to investigate the box, confirming that there were no issues before epting it and pulling the ring.


    Recently, Sterl had indeed seen yers from the Ashen and Golden Kingdom factions. These yers were quite strong, but for some reason, their rtions with the Hall of Valor were not very good. He often witnessed yers from the Hall of Valor arguing and even publicly dueling with yers from those two factions.


    Ding, ding, ding��


    As Sterl performed the action, the three glowing orbs inside the box began to spin rapidly. Eventually, they came to a stop on a semi-transparent map��

 Chapter 316: The Eve of the Final Battle

    Sterl''s eyes lit up as he observed the result of the glowing orbsing to a stop. The battlefield allocated to the Hall of Valor included the Blood River Valley he had previously discovered. This would make his future tactical arrangements much more convenient.


    The Supreme''s mood was also quite good. "Great! Great!"


    "Leo, you truly have Fortune on your side."


    "This battlefield used to be the throne of the Archduke of Blood, and the strength and number of demons spawned here exceed those in other regions."


    "With this, the Hall of Valor will have a significant advantage."


    Seeing that Sterl looked confused, the cheerful Supreme took the time to exin further.


    The exploration event was one of the most important activities in [Tanscendence]. It wasn''t just the Hall of Valor and other factions of simr rank that participated; an overseeing organization from the upper realms would also send representatives.


    This mysterious organization would provide different rewards based on the merit rankings achieved by the three factions.


    These rewards could bring considerable benefits to the entire Hall of Valor, and for individual members, the higher their rank on the merit leaderboard, the greater their rewards.


    Moreover�� it was even rted to the Hall of Valor''s quota for entering the upper realms.


    However, when the Supreme mentioned the quota for the upper realms, he seemed to realize he had misspoken and quickly turned stern, sending Sterl away.


    Sterl pondered to himself, "The upper realms?"


    Indeed, it was clear that the world he currently inhabited was just a fragment of [Tanscendence].


    ��


    Following this, Sterl was not assigned to the sixth team.


    With the three major factions gathered at The Blood Red Fortress, the exploration event had entered the stage of full-scale assault, aiming to dismantle the resistance of thisyer of hell.


    Next, it would take decades, perhaps even centuries, for scattered yers to gradually eliminate all demons and formally incorporate thisyer of hell into the main world.


    All demigod yers were assigned to elite teams, and each faction dispatched thousands of legendary yers to form small armies, conducting military drills.


    In contrast, the outer perimeter of The Blood Red Fortress revealed a vast, endless army of demons, slowly taking shape.


    [Tanscendence] attracted yers with its high rewards for exploration activities, while the consciousness of hell was making a desperate stand, gathering all the forces it could muster.


    Sterl had once stood on the city walls, gazing out, unable to see the edges of the demon army. Strange creatures swarmed like an ocean.


    Even for someone with Sterl''s temperament, it was the first time he had witnessed such a spectacr scene.


    This was a desperate counterattack from an entire world!


    However, with preparations for the decisive battle underway on both the main world and hell, all tasks were temporarily halted.


    Sterl found himself without anything to do. Considering that his blood-colored document was nearlyplete, he left a clone in the fortress, disguised as Leo. He wasn''t worried about being exposed; with 25% of hisbat power, he could easily pass for a regr demigod.


    Sterl decided to log out for a while. He would soon have to confront divine-level demons, and given that the enemy was knowledgeable about the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, the only real power he could rely on might be his ability to ascend to godhood.


    Previously, Sterl had requested the craftsmen in the base to improve the living conditions, ensuring that they were at least not worse than those in the [Tanscendence] game (referring to the human base on Earth). Now, it seemed the time hade for those improvements.


    With a few days left until the final battle, Sterl could ess the game pod''s core and log in at any time, so he decided to wrap up his affairs in the real world first.


    As Sterl felt his vision gradually returning to the real world, he noticed that the surroundings had changed dramatically. The walls were adorned with jade-like tiles, and the room was equipped with various modern amenities.


    For a moment, Sterl thought he had returned to his previous life before transmigrating.


    A soft voice broke his thoughts. "Master, you''re here."


    At that moment, Rosalie, dressed in a pure white dress with her hair elegantly styled, appeared. She looked incredibly innocent and cute, reminiscent of a little girl from Sterl''s past school days, blissfully unaware of worldly matters.


    "I''ve been helping you expand the base and brought in many game pods," she said with a tone of excitement. "You can reward me now��"


    However, the wordsing from Rosalie''s mouth were anything but innocent.


    Sterl felt that the idea of reading messages from her eyes was pure nonsense. Her gaze still held an innocent yet deeply passionate yearning for physical intimacy.


    Without hesitation, Sterl replied, "This is what you wanted."


    He pushed Rosalie down to the ground. While she gasped for breath, her eyes signaled, "Go to that room over there."


    Though Sterl was puzzled, heplied. Gripping Rosalie''s neck, he tore at the fabric of the "girl''s" dress, quickly reducing her once pristine gown to mere ragged strips.


    Hints of Rosalie''s pale skin and smooth, supple body became increasingly tempting.


    As Sterl moved through the base, it seemed that Rosalie had already arranged everything; there was no one else around.


    "She''s quite meticulous," Sterl thought, and then��


    Thud!


    He pushed open the door, and his expression changed instantly.


    He had no idea where Rosalie had gotten the idea, but she had actually created a pleasure room.


    Sterl was taken aback.


    In the center of the room was arge heart-shaped bed covered in purple satin and tulle, bathed in dim, sultry lighting.


    The air was filled with an unusual fragrance that was not some cheap perfume; it seemed to have been made using some rare materials. Just breathing it in made Sterl feel his energy recovering at an elerated rate.


    He also noticed several cabs in the corners of the room, cluttered with items like whips, candles, cors��


    And various little toys, everything one could imagine.


    Just looking at it made Sterl feel a surge of excitement.


    "Where did you learn all this from?"


    "I wandered around on Earth for a while and stumbled upon some abandoned libraries. Although the books have turned to dust, I managed to piece together some information."


    "I found these materials in a ce called the Adult Zone."


    "But why is it called the Adult Zone?"


    Rosalie asked, her voice tinged with confusion, her eyes wide. She spoke without a hint of vulgarity, as if discussing her recent purchases of cosmetics and perfumes��


    It was precisely this demeanor of the girl,bined with the suggestive atmosphere of the room, that caused Sterl to feel a stirring within him��


    A wave of heat gradually surged toward his lower body!


    Though he had been sailing smoothly through Hell, the oppressive environment, filled with the nauseating stench of blood, had left him with pent-up frustration!


    At that moment��


    "That''s simply because children can''t handle these things!"


    Sterl growled softly, pressing Rosalie down onto the bed.


    Due to the immense force, the girl''s body was evenunched off the springy mattress, and in the next moment, Sterl pounced on Rosalie like a hungry tiger, pinning her down.


    Sterl forcefully lifted the girl''s legs and stepped forward to enter.


    It had been a few days since theyst met...


    Rosalie gave Sterl a new sensation.


    It was clear that she had learned knowledge from those adult sections, and it was more than just how to arrange a room. The girl gathered her legs together,pressing her pelvis.


    Instantly, Sterl felt a wave of distortion and an almost maic pull.


    At the same time, although Rosalie''s face was tear-streaked, as if in pain, she was simultaneously moaning softly and calling out.


    "Yes! Master"


    "That''s it! That''s great"


    "Fuck me"


    "Fuck me"


    ...


    "Ahhh~~"


    "That''s amazing!"


    "Master! So good!"


    Sterl felt that Rosalie waspletely obsessed with it, and every once in a while she would convulse all over her body, bringing a surge of suction and heat flow inside her body, making Sterl unable to resist the refreshing spray in the end!


    The girl trembled all over, like a fish out of water.


    She was someone who craved a lot but couldn''t handle much at all.


    However, while Sterl wanted to show a bit of tenderness towards Rosalie, she herself lunged forward without hesitation.


    "Don''t stop, Master!"


    "Let me experience it again, let me feel that near-death sensation once more."


    The girl''s expression remained innocent.


    The girl''s face remained innocent, but thesciviousness in her words would likely leave anyone who heard them at a loss for words.


    Sterl''s eyes revealed a hint of astonishment. Wasn''t this getting a bit out of hand?


    He even felt a strange sensation: was he the one ying with Rosalie, or was Rosalie the one ying with him?


    Clearly, he was supposed to be the master, but because Rosalie had a goddess backing her, he didn''t dare use the girl in battle and could only keep her at home for nothing.


    "And then I have to serve her?"


    "Fulfill Rosalie''s desires."


    "How absurd!" Sterl silentlyined, but his actions were anything but hesitant.


    This time, he directly held the girl in his arms, leaving Rosalie with no points of support.Then, he twisted his waist and thrust forward, prating Rosalie directly!


    "Ah!!"


    The girl let out a sharp cry, and at the same time, Sterl felt the area he had prated tightening more and more, the sensation bing increasingly intense. Eventually, spider-like shadows and patterns appeared on Rosalie''s body, making her look extremely alluring, while the friction inside her became even stronger.


    Sterl''s eyes slightly changed; this kind of pleasure was something he was experiencing for the first time.


    This is a bit... intense!

 Chapter 317: The Appearance of Gloria?

    Sterl reflected on the Sosia and Sonis sisters, pure technocrats cultivated from a young age, making him understand what true professionalism was.


    On the other hand, Rosalie was undeniably gifted! Her physique was exceptionally beautiful!


    At that moment, with intense stimtion, Sterl could only desperately arch his back.


    p!


    p!


    As he exerted himself, Rosalie felt herself soaring from the ground into the clouds, and alongside the girl''s excitement, the sensations within her became increasingly enchanting��


    In the end, Rosalie even rolled her eyes back, her whole body trembling as if she were about to lose consciousness. Yet, in that state, she still stretched her long arms wide, tightly wrapping them around Sterl''s neck, unwilling to stop.


    "Master! This is amazing!"


    "So wonderful!"


    "I want to stay like this forever!"


    "No, actually, I really want to be yed with by you along with my mother and other sisters!"


    The more Rosalie shouted, the more chaotic and nonsensical her words became, yet they were filled with sincerity!


    It wasn''t just flirting; she genuinely felt this way.


    However, Sterl''s "passion" was ignited once again, unable to be contained.


    Fucking Rosalie''s mother and sisters.


    Mother and daughter together?


    The whole family together??


    Sterl felt an increasing heat and frenzy in his lower body! He was familiar with the appearance of the Curse and Spider Goddess; it was somewhat simr to Rosalie''s but had a more mature allure that was even more enticing!


    As for Rosalie''s sisters��


    Though Sterl didn''t know their exact appearances, he believed that their power could enhance their looks, so Rosalie''s sisters must be stunning characters.


    Thus, he intensified his movements.


    It was as if he was not only rushing toward Rosalie but also toward that goddess�� and a group of charming girls, each with their unique allure!


    In the end��


    "Ugh�� ah��"


    With the girl''s long moan, Rosaliepletely lost consciousness, copsing into a state of faintness, her body trembling and beads of sweat pouring out, apanied by an overwhelming sense of suction and constriction.


    Yet, Sterl felt the fire within him still burning; he stubbornly continued to push forward until Rosalie, dazed and confused, was stimted back to awareness, and he didn''t stop.


    After the girl was awakened in such a manner...


    She became even more excited, as if her brief unconsciousness had restored some of her stamina.


    At the same time, Rosalie seemed to have opened the door to a new world.


    She felt that there was another interesting way to y!


    Having be familiar with this position, Rosalie even took the initiative to wrap her arms around Sterl, twisting her waist as the lines of muscle on her fair skin undted like waves.


    "Hiss~~"


    Sterl once again felt what it meant to have talent; she was learning far too quickly!


    A demigod, and a woman who specialized in curses��a type of knowledge-oriented Law Power��could learn new things with incredible efficiency!


    "Ha~ ha."


    Sterl panted, holding Rosalie in his arms as they ascended toward the "sky"!


    At the same time, his lower body erupted wildly,


    "Ugh~"


    Rosalie was extremely excited by this, gripping Sterl tightly. When everything finally came to an end, she slumped onto the bed...


    This time, she waspletely unconscious.


    However, given her demigod constitution, it would likely only take a few seconds for Rosalyn to recover.


    As for Sterl, he didn''t intend to keep ying with her; he had serious matters to attend to.


    As he walked out of the base, perhaps Rosalie had already known they would be having a friendly match, as all the craftsmen and overseers had been dispersed, and Sterl didn''t bother looking for them.


    This time, he nned to move Linna, Rayna, and Teresa all to his base. As for the others who wished to follow him, they could alsoe to the base.


    With the power of spatial Law, Sterl easily pinpointed thergest human gathering point.


    Things had changed dramatically!


    Previously, the strongestbat power among the Earth human race was probably a legend, but it was said that there were hidden demigods.


    Based on what Sterl had read in novels, during the peak of the human race, there were only a few demigods, and none had seeded in breaking into the realm of deities.


    Now, he was facing a race like this,pletely capable of crushing them!


    Moreover, if one bes wealthy and does not return home, isn''t that akin to dressing in finery yet walking in the dark?


    Standing above the gathering point, Sterl couldn''t help but reminisce a few times, for thergest gathering point below was not built underground but rather above ground as a superrge city.


    It was shielded by a gigantic barrier to block external "radiation."


    Inside the city, he could see many tall buildings and neon lights��though it couldn''tpare to the magnificent cities of his previous life, it wasn''t far off either.


    Using Star Insight, Sterl scanned the area and confirmed that indeed several legends were stationed there, but they were only legends; the so-called hidden demigods were nowhere to be found.


    Without hesitation, Sterl slightly gathered his power, and an overwhelming aura erupted.


    His n was simple: to force the Earth human race to surrender a batch of game pods and craftsmen. In exchange, he could offer some golden-quality skill books and other items.


    In short, he wouldn''t let the mother race that had raised him for over ten years suffer any losses...


    As for why he didn''t directly propose a trade...


    Well, of course, it was to put on a show!


    However, just as Sterl was gathering his aura, his expression suddenly changed drastically.


    He immediately intended to activate his spatial Law Power to teleport away, but he heard a gentle female voice.


    "Wait, Constantine."


    "I mean you no harm."


    However...


    Sterl had to run!


    Just as he was about topletely vanish into the void, that feminine voice helplessly had to exert her power, and a dark purple moon rose, freezing everything around them. This was the Moon Power that had already transformed into divine authority!


    Sterl couldn''t hold back; fortunately, the other party did not freeze his thoughts but merely immobilized his action of opening a spatial tunnel. Otherwise, he would have immediately ascended to godhood to save himself.


    Now that escape was impossible, he could only force out a smile and look in the direction of the voice.


    The neer was a girl with long hair, dressed in a tight, strange outfit.


    Sterl recognized this outfit; it was mentioned in textbooks as part of the earliest game pods, which had many defects. For instance, after leaving a game pod, the skin would struggle to adapt to the external environment, necessitating the wearing of special clothing.


    The girl before him was indeed wearing such an outfit, yet theoretically, those early game pods had been out of production for hundreds of years...


    This girl��no, one should say goddess...


    Whether it was due to using the game pod that led her to wear such an odd outfit, or she simply chose to wear it, it was undeniably peculiar.


    At that moment, Sterl vaguely guessed her identity...


    Dressed in this unusual outfit, she looked like a girl, but in [Transcendence], with the same face and figure, draped in a light purple veil, she exuded a mature femininity.


    Could this be the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria?


    However, Sterl felt extremely wary at that moment because she referred to him by the name Constantine, a pseudonym he hadn''t used in a long time��one that had caused Gloria so much trouble...


    That alias had been most active during the time he had stolen the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    Of course, the act of seizing the Newborn Sprout of Creation had no direct connection to the Constantine alias, but it was still tied to it.


    After the initial shock had passed, Sterl gradually calmed down. He had a higher divine authority in hand, and once he ascended to godhood, based on his previous experience in battling Gloria, he might even have a chance to win and turn the tables.


    So what was there to fear?


    Meanwhile, Gloria was unaware of the turmoil in Sterl''s heart; she simply gazed at the person before her with great admiration��


    Yes, this was indeed Constantine.


    Gloria''s method of confirmation was quite simple. By using the divination effect of Moon Law for a brief scan, she felt an immense terror lingering in her heart.


    At this moment, only Constantine could exert such pressure on her!


    However, Gloria never expected that Constantine had grown so quickly; the flicker of aura he had just released already possessed demigod-level power!


    This person...


    Perhaps he truly was a beacon of hope.


    The goddess thought to herself, though she maintained herposure.


    "Constantine, I mean you no harm; I just want to remind you."


    "No matter how strong your abilities are, do not easily expose yourself to the Earth human race."


    "I cannot exin what lies behind this warning, but because you are also a member of the Earth human race, once your information is known to those entities..."


    "You might pay with your life, or you may be forced into very."


    Gloria spoke earnestly; she had anticipated that one day she would run into Constantine, so she had prepared a lengthy speech for this encounter.


    What she had just said was only the beginning, and now she cleared her throat, ready to speak formally.


    However...


    Sterl simply paused for a moment and immediately nodded.


    "No problem; from now on, I won''t provoke the Earth human race."


    His reasoning was straightforward: there was currently nothing about the Earth human race that he coveted. It was better to err on the side of caution.


    Not only would he avoid provoking them in the future, but he also wouldn''t leave the base once he returned to reality...


    "I know you may not understand, but..."


    "Huh?"


    "You agreed?"


    Seeing Constantine respond so readily took Gloria by surprise.


    The words that had been on the tip of her tongue suddenly got stuck.


    Wait, what should I say now? The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.


    Fortunately, Sterl kindly broke the ice: "Could you exin why?"


    At this moment, many things that had puzzled him finally made sense. He understood why this goddess had treated him so favorably when he had identified himself as "David." The main reason was that she was a goddess of the Earth human race!


    She was one of their own!


    Instantly, Sterl felt much more rxed.


    From Gloria''s past actions, it was clear that she meant him no harm.


    And at this moment...


    With Sterl''s inquiry, the goddess hesitated for quite a while before slowly speaking up.


    "I can only tell you two pieces of information..."

 Chapter 318: Two Pieces of Information

    "Two pieces of information?"


    Sterl showed a look of interest.


    Gloria slowly began to speak: "First, I suggest you avoid merging with other bloodlines. You are using a bloodline artifact, and fortunately, this artifact also carries the human race''s bloodline, so it shouldn''t have too much impact."


    "Second, based on my investigations, while there may be rituals simr to games across the myriad worlds, there has never been a game simr to [Transcendence] referred to as an mmorp."


    The two statements left listeners bewildered.


    However, after Gloria finished speaking, she smiled broadly.


    "This is for you; perhaps I can finally be free."


    As she spoke, she tossed a golden key.


    Sterl did not catch it...


    He allowed the golden key to fall into the city below, transforming into a strand of golden light.


    He initially analyzed that the goddess before him was likely a friend rather than a foe, but that did not mean he fully trusted Gloria. After all, facing a deity, what if she had tampered with the key? Wouldn''t that lead him to an irreversible fate?


    Gloria "..."


    She came to understand that this genius emerging from the Earth human race had many admirable qualities, yet his personality was somewhat peculiar.


    The atmosphere had been set; I''m giving you something, so you should ept it!


    With no other option, the goddess had to activate her Divine Power to retrieve the key.


    She felt something was off; originally, she had finally encountered a talent from her race to whom she could entrust the future!


    Yet, the scene before her felt increasingly strange.


    After a moment''s thought, Gloria said, "How about this? You give me an email, and I''ll send the artifact to you. You can open it in a safe ce."


    "Moreover, through the [Transcendence] system, you can directly check the properties of the key to ensure its safety."


    She spoke earnestly.


    At this, Sterl''s expression rxed slightly, and he chose to recite a string of data.


    It was Sosia''s email.


    His own email, of course, remained confidential.


    Then, Gloria gently closed her eyes, gathered her emotions, and said, "I entrust all the secrets to you."


    "I feel relieved; from now on, I will be just the goddess Gloria in [Transcendence], not Victoria of the Earth human race."


    As she said these words, it felt as if her entire being was unburdening itself.


    At this moment, Sterl noticed that the goddess had previously worn an expression tinged with an inescapable fatigue. Now, as she pressed her palm to her forehead, a soft purple glow enveloped her.


    Gloria''s expression gradually rxed.


    Finally...


    As the light dissipated, Sterl and Gloria remained suspended in midair, standing opposite each other.


    With a yful tone, the goddess asked, "What did I just say to you? Do we Earth humans have secrets? Can you share them with me? Oh, never mind, I''ve already reminded myself not to inquire about such matters, so perhaps you shouldn''t tell me."


    Gloria spoke in a rapid-fire manner, no longer embodying the calm demeanor she had earlier.


    "Well... based on myst memory, I should take my leave."


    "I can''t interfere with your development trajectory."


    With that, the goddess transformed back into a soft purple light and vanished from sight.


    However, before Sterl could catch his breath, Gloria suddenly reappeared. "Hey there, young man! I see you have quite a talent. How about joining me?"


    "Our Dark Moon Alliance may be a small force, but I''m confident we can grow stronger! We''ll surpass the Hall of Valor!"


    Sterl "..."


    He looked at the Dark Moon Goddess, who seemed like apletely different person, and felt a headacheing on.


    "Forget it; based on my previous memories, it''s better for me to stay as far away from you as possible."


    "I''ll take my leave now!"


    "By the way, be sure to get a new game pod. That old piece of junk isn''t worth anything!"


    This time, the goddess truly left.


    Sterl found himself at a loss for words and didn''t even have a chance to respond...


    At that moment, he wasn''t in the mood to stir up trouble in the human settlement.


    He watched the direction in which the goddess had vanished, his mind churning with thoughts.


    Sterl could now basically confirm that the Earth human race harbored a great secret; otherwise, the goddess wouldn''t have chosen to delete her memories after entrusting the key to him.


    This meant that even knowing rted information posed a danger.


    The two so-called pieces of information the goddess had mentioned led Sterl to draw two conclusions.


    The first was that there should be some hidden power within the bloodline of the Earth human race.


    However, using a bloodline artifact from a non-human race could taint that power.


    Yet, Sterl was uncertain if he had even tapped into the power of his bloodline, especially since he had already removed the Forbidden Poison.


    "I probably haven''t been able to awaken the bloodline power yet."


    He pondered this for a while and found it unlikely.


    Sterl knew that the issue of SSS-ss second-ss professions not yielding benefits wasmon across all races.


    He suspected that the Forbidden Poison affected more than just the Earth human race.


    In fact,bining it with the golden document within yers, Sterl had even questioned whether [Transcendence] could be up to something.


    "So this counts as good news; I still have a backup energy source waiting to be unlocked."


    Sterl casually mused in his mind, but the second piece of information left him even more shaken.


    It was known that [Transcendence], including even the temte for spring, originated from MMORPGs, yet none of the myriad races possessed such a game format.


    It was akin to humans being unable to imagine something they had never encountered.


    Both [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven must have had their creators.


    But why did those creators design the two games in this manner? It wasn''t impossible for them to intuitively grasp the MMORPG format, but Sterl was more inclined to believe that the creators had known about this game format from the very beginning.


    The myriad races might be oblivious, but the creators certainly were not.


    But not all of the myriad races were unaware; at least Sterl was aware that the Earth he had transmigrated to was quite simr to the one from his previous life before the war, in terms of its development trajectory.


    The Earth human race must certainly have knowledge of the MMORPG format and its operational ns.


    It wasn''t that the Earth humans were particrly creative; rather, various game formats were influenced by the cultural environments shaped by the geographical conditions of differents.


    Just as no two snowkes in the world are identical, the game formats on each vary significantly.


    The creators of [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven had produced two "games" that were remarkably simr to MMORPGs.


    Thus, the most reasonable assumption would be that they initially took inspiration from the games of the Earth human race.


    This meant...


    "[Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven��are these two games connected to our Earth human race?"


    After reaching this conclusion, Sterl found it hard to believe.


    Was it not agreed that our Earth race was just an ordinary race that had lost its homnd due to war, forced to hide within [Transcendence]?


    Was it not clear that the various races had joined the game long before the Earth humans had, making us mere sessors?


    What was going on?


    Of course, Sterl did not rule out the possibility that Gloria was simply deceiving him.


    But what could this goddess possibly gain from such a trick?


    He couldn''t make sense of it; it was truly baffling.


    "Perhaps the answer lies within that key."


    Sterl felt that he could only wait until he was back online to study it further for more information.


    Wait...


    There was one more thing!


    Assuming all these spections were true, if the Earth humans had such a significant standing, then why were they faring so poorly in [Transcendence]?


    Why had Gloria warned him never to provoke the Earth human race...?


    Hold on!


    This implies a third piece of information!


    It meant that the Earth human race was being monitored by some powerful entity, and these watchers were likely trying to find the geniuses emerging from the Earth human race.


    As for how these geniuses would be treated...


    Gloria had already made it quite clear��they would be killed or enved!


    Wait a minute, there''s a force searching for the geniuses of the Earth human race.


    Damn!


    Sterl suddenly realized that he seemed to have overlooked two major blunders. One was naming his guild "Twilight," especially with a symbol of the World Tree��wasn''t that inviting disaster?


    Fortunately, his drawing skills weren''t great!


    The other...


    It seemed that during hisst encounter with the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, he had boastfully imed to be Solomon, explicitly stating that he was the Solomon who ruled over the 72 pirs of demons��this was a myth exclusive to the Earth human race!


    Oh no!


    Had he already exposed himself!?


    No, no!


    It took Sterl a few minutes to calm down again. His earlier line of thinking wasn''t wrong, but he had approached it from the worst-case scenario.


    In reality, even if there was a genius among the Earth humans, it wouldn''t necessarily connect back to Sterl.


    His habit of frequently using aliases and discarding them after use had helped him avoid significant risks.


    But right now...


    He still felt quite uneasy.


    He put himself in the shoes of those trying to capture any emerging geniuses from the Earth human race; they would surely prefer to err on the side of caution and eliminate anyone who could pose a threat!


    Everything that had transpired in the Principality of Florence would surely be investigated!


    No, wait...


    That didn''t quite add up...


    Sterl found his thoughts getting a bit tangled.


    If they were going to investigate, they should have done so earlier. Yet the oue had been that Sterl''s disguise had sessfully deceived that powerful race.


    His "David" identity in the Principality of Florence had not been scrutinized by anyone.


    So...


    While there was still a risk associated with Solomon, Sterl had not yet exposed himself.


    Having analyzed the situation up to that point, he finally felt a sigh of relief.


    "From now on, when I create an alias, I won''t use anyone else''s name or any mythological stories; it must be entirely original."


    Sterl vowed to himself.


    Not only would he refrain from using names from Earth human mythology, but he would also go a step further and avoid anyone else''s names altogether. Every alias would be freshly created with a unique background story to ensure absolute safety!


    After contemting all of this, Sterl remained in ce, deep in thought for a long time, confirming that he had left no notable impression on that unknown powerful entity, and only then did he finally feel at ease.

 Chapter 319: The Strange Box

    After that, Sterl lost interest in recruiting any more subordinates from the Earthlings and focused solely on bringing Linna, Rayna, and Teresa back.


    In a sh, Sterl vanished from sight. His memory was exceptionally sharp; during hisst data wipe, he had memorized the locations of Linna and Rayna''s game pods.


    Activating Shadow Stealth, he leaped through the shadow world multiple times and quickly arrived at his destination.


    Knock, knock, knock��


    With a series of knocks, the game pod in front of Sterl slowly opened. Before him appeared the delicate and alluring face of Teresa. It seemed she hadn''t left the game pod for quite some time and stood up a bit weakly.


    "Master, you''re here."


    The girl''s voice trembled with excitement, as this was the first time she had seen Sterl in reality.


    Standing outside the game pod, Sterl was full of vigor, dark energy swirling around him, perfectly embodying the grand image Teresa had of her master.


    "Let''s go. I''ll take you to my ce."


    Sterl''s eyes flickered slightly as he raised a hand to release a Purification Ripple. The water-like patterns shed, instantly making Teresa feel a wave of relief, as if some sort of impurities had been expelled from her body.


    The surrounding warehouse, filled with countless operational game pods, also appeared clearer and more ethereal.


    Sterl didn''t need to look to sense that many yers lying in game pods had rxed their brows a little.


    Afterward, he waited for Teresa to catch her breath.


    Teresa recovered quickly, and with Sterl''s resources supporting her, she was now approaching third-ss strength, easily adapting to her real-world environment.


    As they were leaving, Teresa nced at a distant game pod. She hesitated but chose not to speak.


    That was her good friend Daphne''s game pod.


    Sterl had provided Teresa with an abundance of resources, far more than she could use, and she had been doing her best to help Daphne improve her strength.


    But��


    "I can''t share the opportunity to be close to my master with you in reality."


    For once, Teresa was unusually selfish and left with Sterl without any regrets.


    She ced her hand on Sterl''s palm, and the two jumped through the shadow world several more times, arriving at another, more secluded warehouse.


    "Master, is this where the two mistresses are located?"


    Teresa asked respectfully.


    "Yeah." Sterl nodded casually, releasing another Purification Ripple to cleanse the surrounding "radiation."


    This warehouse looked quite simple. Various high-tech game pods emitted dazzling lights, but there were also numerous spider webs, and rats and cockroaches scurried by.


    The walls were cracked in many ces, suggesting it had been a long time since anyone had maintained the area.


    Sterl had kept his rtionship with Linna and Rayna well hidden, so they wouldn''t get any preferential treatment in reality. Correspondingly, they had reached second-ss strength in the game due to the relentless output of resources.


    Linna and Rayna''s daily routine involved waiting for a group of people to weaken monsters before being fed, along with specialized yers training them to gain practicalbat experience.


    In reality, they appeared to be leveling up by fighting monsters and facing life-and-death crises, but behind the scenes, a group of second and third-ss yers protected them throughout.


    Sterl''s requirements for Linna and Rayna were simple: grow strong enough to protect themselves.


    Their professional ranks were rtively low, so they required less experience and leveled up quickly, with the ritual to advance to second ss being quite easy.


    After all, Sterl couldter allocate points to their professional and talent ranks.


    Sterl approached and quickly woke the two girls.


    At that moment, a strange box appeared in his hand.


    However��


    The text disyed on it made him pause slightly.


    He dared to hold this mysterious item because it emanated the aura of the Dark Moon Goddess, Misra.


    Sterl was certain that the owner was a friend, not a foe, which made him a bit bolder.


    But the information on the boxpelled him to think deeply.


    "The writing on this��."


    Before he could ponder further,


    "Sterl!"


    "You''ve been gone for so long!"


    Linna and Rayna had just emerged from their game pods and immediately rushed over, each wrapping themselves around Sterl like two kos.


    As Sterl felt the softness of the girls'' bodies, a faint yet rich fragrance wafted into his nostrils.


    He also noticed that with their increased strength, Linna and Rayna''s physical sensations had improved!


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of warmth stir within him.


    Though he had been with many women, it was still Linna and Rayna who evoked feelings of first love and family.


    "Should we just go for it now?" Linna, feeling the heated gaze, took the initiative to wrap her waist around him tighter.


    "Wait, there are others, there are others." It was Rayna, who, after her initial excitement, noticed Teresa''s presence and felt a bit shy.


    In bed, the girls had experienced everything with Sterl.


    But in daily life, Rayna remained quite serious.


    Sterl, however, wasn''t in a rush. He had his mind on that peculiar box and couldn''t help but want to examine it further.


    He casually gave Linna''s bottom a light pat, enjoying the sensation of her body''s springiness.


    "I''ll deal with you both properly once we return to the base."


    Then, with one girl in each arm, he moved closer to Teresa. Sterl noticed that Teresa, usually veryposed, had a somewhat peculiar expression, as if she felt a bit envious?


    Sterl chuckled inwardly but didn''t offer any words offort.


    Having read some psychology books, he knew he would eventually establish a harem.


    Linna and Rayna would be the queens of this harem, and he needed to show a clear distinction in treatment from the beginning to quell any unwanted thoughts among the others, thus minimizing trouble for himself.


    Sterl sought pleasure, not to deal with a bunch of women and their intrigues.


    ��


    With the four of them together, Sterl decided to waste a bit of time and took out a teleportation scroll he had upgraded. They were instantly transported to his base. The three girls were curious as to how Sterl could use game items in reality, but they tacitly kept quiet, asking no questions.


    Upon returning to the base, the previously missing craftsmen and other personnel had returned.


    Now, the base had more middle-management members, ranging from second to third-ss strength. Upon seeing Sterl, they fervently shouted, "We greet our master!"


    Then they turned to Linna and Rayna, eximing, "Mistresses!"


    The grandeur of the scene caused Linna and Rayna to involuntarily take a few steps back.


    "You�� you all are well."


    Finally, it was Teresa, with the yers and craftsmen echoing, "Lady Teresa."


    Sterl was quite pleased with this group; they had all been handpicked from nearby human settlements by Rosalie, ensuring their loyalty and character were reliable.


    These yers, under Rosalie''s influence, held Sterl in extremely high regard!


    After all, he was a being with the ability to purify radiation! Following him was considered their fortune, not to mention that just one of his subordinates possessed demigod-levelbat strength; the entire Earthling race didn''t have any demigods!


    Sterl encouraged them with a few words before sending his subordinates away, keeping only Rosalie with him as he showed Linna, Rayna, and Teresa around the base.


    He also took the opportunity to explore a bit himself.


    As aplete hands-off manager, he truly had no idea how much the base had developed.


    During the tour��


    "Wow! What a beautiful flower garden!"


    "Wow! Are the buildings really thisplete? There''s even a retro gaming room!"


    "I''ve only seen things like this in textbooks!"


    "Is this really the kitchen mentioned in textbooks? It''spletely different from what we have in the game!"


    ��


    Linna and Rayna were continuously amazed, and even Teresa''s expressions changed frequently.


    Outwardly, Sterl maintained a calm demeanor, as if to say, "This is the kingdom I''ve built," but inwardly, he was overwhelmed with emotions.


    Many things in the base reminded him of his life before transmigrating.


    After his transmigration, he had never seen them again.


    At that moment, Sterl felt a bit touched.


    He could vaguely guess that Rosalie had restored many traces of Earth''s past civilization.


    After the tour, Sterl patted Rosalie''s head. The petite "demigod" was easy for him to do this with.


    "Good job, leaving the base in your hands was the right choice."


    As soon as he said this, Rosalie, who had been leaning against him affectionately, became ecstatic, "Really? Master, then I want a reward!"


    Sterl paused, "I just brought the others back��"


    He had intended to say that next time he would apany Rosalie.


    But the girl''s eyes suddenly lit up: "Really! All five of us together!"


    "Sure! Sure!"


    She looked forward to exploring new worlds together.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl initially wanted to scold Rosalie for being too reckless!


    But feeling a bit tempted himself, he chose to chuckle and lifted Rosalie onto his shoulder.


    "Wow! Master!"


    "You''re so wise!"


    Her soft breath tickled Sterl''s ear, causing a wave of heat to rise within him.


    At this moment, Rayna, standing nearby,mented, "This is how you should use this thing."


    She had performed well in the human base, so she was teaching Teresa how to use a set of cooking machines.


    Suddenly, the girl felt herself spinning and found herself in Sterl''s embrace.


    "What are you doing��?"


    Raynained softly, her voice light and sweet, like soft cotton candy brushing against Sterl''s face.


    "What am I doing?"


    "Fucking you�� no, fucking both of you."


    On the other side, Teresa, having understood what was happening, moved closer to Sterl, "Master, let me help you change."


    She smiled, her expression alluring.

 Chapter 320: Five-Man Free-for-All

    Linna reacted quickly: "Sterl! Let''s go!" "I saw a really beautiful room over there, filled with many interesting items." Her words were somewhat vague, but the vivid description of the room made it clear that it was a bit much for a girl to portray��


    Seeing even the usually bold Linna blushing, Sterl immediately realized what the beautiful room referred to.


    Good heavens! Rosalie, you''re something else. Building a pleasure room before wasn''t enough; you even built arger version for more people to use??


    No wonder Rosalie had sneakily taken Linna to see something earlier; it turned out she was ying a trick.


    "Let me show you how I punish you," Sterl said, shifting her gaze to Rosalie.


    "Really?" Rosalie answered excitedly, her tone still pure and innocent, like a little girl asking for candy, as if her wishes had been fulfilled.


    However, her body suddenly slumped down, and her lower garments visibly became transparent, as if they had already be wet��


    Meanwhile, Sterl led four girls into a luxurious hall filled with various suggestive decorations. He couldn''t help but nce at Rosalie again; she really knew how to y!


    The entire room glowed with a pink hue,plete with water beds, fragrances, whips, and candles��everything was present. The most outrageous part was that Sterl even saw Rosalie had recreated nearly every suggestive toy he had only seen in movies and magazines in his past life.


    Some of the items made Sterl exim in disbelief; they were downright perverse. He�� wasn''t nning to engage in such activities��


    Sterl felt that his preferences were quite normal and certainly didn''t require such borate arrangements. However��


    Linna had already crept up behind him, whispering in his ear, "Sterl, I didn''t expect you to be getting even bolder these days." Her tone was ambiguous, making it hard to tell if she wasplimenting him or teasing him.


    At this moment, Sterl didn''t think it was fair to put all the me on Rosalie. She was more interested in pleasing him as the master.


    Suddenly, Sterl''s expression changed, and he directly pushed Linna down onto the carpet. "You''ll soon find out just how impressive it is."


    "You''ll be able to enjoy it very soon."


    After exerting his power, he suddenly discovered that there were many extremely tempting images knitted on the carpet, all of men and women mixed together naked, making people''s blood boil.


    At the same time, there was a faint aroma emanating, as if it were some kind of medication that could enhance male potency and stimte sexual desire.


    The effectiveness was remarkable. Sterl could naturally ignore it, but Linna, after being pinned to the ground, quickly began to look dazed.


    "Sterl, hurry! Hurry!"


    "I haven''t touched you in ages,e on!"


    "Ah~ I can''t hold back anymore."


    The girl bit her lip, her eyes sparkling and looking incredibly tempting. Sterl found himself unable to resist and swiftly tore away Linna''s clothes before suddenly thrusting himself inside her.


    Sterl lifted Linna''s legs and hoisted them onto his shoulders. The girl waspletely at his mercy, like a fish on a chopping board, as Sterl wildly thrust his hips, each movement punctuated by the crisp sounds of "pop, pop."


    Due to the unusual position, Linna''s backside resembled a water balloon filled with air, continuously deforming and rebounding with each impact, providing Sterl with immense pleasure.


    At this moment, Rayna and Teresa, aware of the presence of outsiders, were still somewhat reserved.


    Rosalie, however, wasted no time. She dashed over, leaping onto Sterl.


    "Master, don''t forget about me!"


    "Your great contributor!"


    Rosalie''s voice was sweet and soft, like a piece of candy.


    "Ugh, ahh!"


    At this moment, Sterl charged forward with incredible speed and force. Linna, despite her significant power increase, found the gap in strength between herself and Sterl widening. After a long time without intimate contact with Sterl, she became overly excited and soon rolled her eyes back, her body twitching.


    Although she still had desires, she wasn''t one to hog everything, allowing Sterl to leave without clinging on.


    Sterl pulled away, cradling Rosalie in his arms, and lunged forward again!


    Rosalie was already prepared; although she hadn''tpletely shed her garments, she was partially covered, enhancing her allure. As for what was beneath��


    She wasn''t wearing anything at all!


    "Ugh!"


    Rosalie felt as if her insides were being pierced by a steelnce, igniting her passion even further. She locked her legs together tightly, clinging fiercely to Sterl.


    Sterl found himself unable to break free. The only part he could move was his waist, as Rosalie coiled around him like a constricting python, tightening her grip with each passing moment.


    In her eyes burned an intense passion and fervor!


    The young demigod girl, after reaching climax several times, remainedpletely unsatisfied, embodying the very essence of a snake��sacrificing everything to consume her prey.


    At that moment, Teresa and Rayna could no longer sit idly by.


    Linna, Rayna, and Teresa had known each other for quite some time, initially feeling like ordinary yers who received tremendous support from a second-ss adult. Their bond was strong.


    However, Rosalie, a neer, was monopolizing Sterl, which was too much for them to bear!


    Without hesitation, the two rushed forward. Rayna felt a bit shy, but Teresa, who had always maintained a cold and proud demeanor towards outsiders, wasted no time in tearing away most of her clothing.


    She was left in a set of ice-blue lingerie adorned with intricate patterns and torn stockings, looking incredibly enticing.


    At the same time, Teresa encouraged Rayna with a nce. The dark-haired girl, now fully exposed, revealed a petite and exquisite figure, shining like a piece of carved jade.


    "Teresa��"


    Rayna felt a bit embarrassed.


    "Come on! You''re at your most captivating right now!" Teresa said, gazing enviously at the girl before her.


    When Teresa first met Rayna, they wereparable in beauty, but as Rayna''s strength increased, all her scars and imperfections faded away. Her appearance continually improved, and at this moment, in terms of looks alone, she had surpassed everyone present!


    Teresa, on the other hand, had lost that chance. Her once unparalleled beauty was built on the foundation of approaching second ss, unlike Rayna, who had immense space for improvement. Unless, of course, Teresa could one day ascend to the status of a deity��


    On this note, Teresa surprisingly felt there might be a chance!


    She would never ask Sterl for anything directly. But the girl firmly believed her master would be extraordinarily powerful, perhaps even surpassing the deities. Teresa herself would thus rise alongside him, enjoying a life of glory.


    At this moment,


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The two beauties walked barefoot on the carpet, a scene reminiscent of a painting, though slightly marred by��


    "Ahhhh!!!"


    Rosalie let out a piercing scream, her eyes wide, as if about to faint,pletely shattering the picturesque atmosphere.


    At the same time, being a demigod did not protect Rosalie from the muscle memory of her body, which allowed Sterl to overpower herpletely.


    "Still want more?" Sterl sneered, preparing to continue punishing Rosalie.


    But Teresa and Rayna gently pried Rosalie apart. Although Rosalie was a demigod, at that moment she was not using her physical prowess to resist; she was unwillingly pulled away.


    She dared not offend Rayna, the "mistress," or the more trusted "Teresa." Instead, she could only look on pitifully, watching as Sterl''s "giant" moved further away from her.


    Meanwhile, Teresa held Rayna''s waist, the girl blushing fiercely as she suddenly sat down.


    Sterl was somewhat surprised as he watched Rayna twisting her waist, feeling a series of delightful sensations wash over him.


    At the same time, the girl was adorned with the glow of magic. Clearly, she had utilized some special skill��no, it should be said that Rayna learned a special skill for this intimate asion��


    And the results, of course, were outstanding!


    Sterl couldn''t help but disy a look of enjoyment. Seeing this, Rayna''s eyes sparkled with joy, and she put even more effort into her movements. Sterl observed as the girl''s abdomen resembled pure white clouds, continuously swirling.


    Simultaneously, waves of pleasure intensified.


    Eventually, as Rayna continued her movements, Sterl lifted her into his arms and stood up, making his way to a corner of the room, where heid Rayna on a small bed that was half his height.


    Then, he began his advances!


    Sterl''s actions were powerful, swift, and relentless.


    However, even in this situation, Rayna was able to urately respond and counterattack. Their intertwined moments brought immense pleasure to Sterl.


    Unfortunately, Rayna''s own strength wascking, and soon under Sterl''s overwhelming force, her body trembled two or three times before she ultimately fainted.


    Meanwhile, the three girls on the battlefield basked in the afterglow of their previous joy. Only Teresa stood gracefully in ce, smiling as she slightly bowed in respect.


    "Master, I wonder if it''s my turn?" she spoke warmly.


    Sterl nodded. "You''ve worked hard for me all this time; it''s only right that I reward you."


    "Yes." Teresa respectfully approached, kneeling slightly as she adjusted Sterl''s lower body and slowly opened her mouth to take it in.


    "Hmm~"


    Sterl quickly realized that Teresa had certainly practiced; although her technique couldn''t match that of Sosia and Sonis, who had been cultivated from a young age, Teresa''s skills had improved significantly since her previous experience with Daphne.


    Sterl felt her tongue gliding over her lower body, while Teresa''s tongue twisted and coiled like a serpent, wrapping around Sterlpletely. The rough sensation enveloped nearly all of Sterl''s being.

 Chapter 321: System: The Power to Slay Gods

    "Truly, one day apart and it''s like I''m seeing you with new eyes," Sterl thought to himself.


    Then, he casually ced his hands behind his head andy back on the sofa, quietly enjoying the sensations as Teresa''s tongue danced, bringing both smoothness and roughness in a delightfulbination.


    Under the wonderful sensations, Sterl felt the pleasure in his lower body intensifying until it finally reached a peak, exploding forth!


    He pressed Teresa''s head down, thrusting rhythmically as he released.


    To his surprise, Teresa appeared exceedingly obedient, her clever movements and the swallowing motions of her throat making Sterl feel as if he were in paradise.


    ...


    "Hah! Hah!"


    As Sterl reveled in ecstasy, Teresa knelt partially on the ground, her small hand covering her mouth, struggling to swallow as if she were drowning.


    Seeing this, Sterl''s primal instincts surged, and he quickly pressed Teresa down onto hisp, then began to thrust even harder!


    "Ugh~ Ugh~ Ugh~"


    If earlier Teresa could maintain an elegant demeanor while "swallowing," now she trembled all over, seemingly in "pain," shaking uncontrobly in ce!


    The graceful and intelligent image of Teresa was instantly torn apart, leaving just a porcin doll being violently held by Sterl, her exquisite skin roughly kneaded, leaving red marks behind.


    "Ah~~"


    Sterl firmly gripped Teresa''s legs, pinning her upper body to the carpet as she desperately wriggled and twisted, her eyes zed over.


    Eventually, she slumped down, lying on the ground in a state of surrender, letting Sterl do as he pleased.


    Teresa''s eyes were filled with affection...


    The first time she was toyed with by Sterl, it was this same rough treatment, and from that moment on, she had fallen forever in love with this feeling...


    "Ah~~"


    Teresa, after several body spasms, appeared to be gradually fading into unconsciousness.


    At this moment, Sterl finally stood back up.


    He had sessfully defeated four opponents at once, but now he noticed that the earlier participants, Linna and Rosalie who was a demigod, were gradually recovering.


    The two looked at Sterl, inexplicably swallowing hard.


    Then, they approached him, their gazes incredibly flirtatious.


    "Sterl/Master, I want to continue..."


    Linna, who usually didn''t show such fervor, seemed motivated by Rosalie''s attitude and wrapped herself around him.


    Moreover...


    Seeing her good friend Rosalie stepping up to challenge, Rayna also stood up, wrapping her arms around Sterl from behind.


    "Sterl..."


    Only Teresa remained sensible. She stepped beside Sterl, saying, "Master, I see we still have a long way to go. I''ll head to the base to prepare some food for you all."


    "I''ll be back soon, don''t forget to save me a portion."


    Teresa discreetly nced at Sterl''s lower body.


    "Go ahead, go ahead."


    Sterl gave Teresa a kiss.


    He sensed that tonight''s activities would likely be very lengthy.


    The second round of indulgence was about to begin.


    This time, it was not a one-on-one situation; instead, all four girls were joining in.


    He was thrusting into Rayna, while Linna pushed his back from behind, and Sterl''s hands wandered over Rosalie and Teresa...


    The entire room was filled with sensual sounds...


    ...


    Sterl felt he truly was a man capable of maintainingposure and resisting temptation, as he had thought aboutpleting a level-up and catalyzing a Fate Token just yesterday.


    Indeed, the battle among the fivested a full day and night, ultimately leading to Rosalie, who seemed the most desire-driven, choosing to leave to handle administrative matters at the base.


    Teresa, wanting to prove her worth, followed suit.


    Rayna, like Teresa, wanted to help Sterl more, so she went off to learn about various aspects of the base.


    Lastly, Linna...


    Linna chose to take a nap.


    At that moment, in Sterl''s embrace, a girl kept blinking her eyes and murmured in her sleep.


    "Ugh~"


    "Sterl, I really can''t eat anymore."


    Sterl "..."


    He was speechless and arranged for Linna to sleep in a room.


    After that, Sterl prepared to log in. He originally intended to take care of some serious business, but it seemed most of his time had been spent indulging.


    Now, the war in hell was about to unfold.


    Despite theyer of hell gathering all its avable power, it was ultimately doomed to destruction under the onught of the three major factions.


    What Sterl aimed to do was to tear off a piece of flesh from this giant beast destined to die.


    However, before logging in, he had onest thing to do.


    Sterl took out a peculiar box engraved with strange characters.


    [Produced on 2024.3.23].


    "This... is the writing from Earth before I transmigrated."


    "The date is from after my transmigration; I should have transmigrated around 2023��"


    "The textbooks never mentioned what writing was used on Earth before the disaster; was it different across countries like in my previous life?"


    "But now..."


    Sterl felt a strange sensation. Why was there such a box in Linna''s game pod? And it appeared to have been ced there by Gloria.


    It even bore characters identical to those from his previous life��what could this possibly mean?


    ording to the theories from [Transcendence]��


    In a parallel world, it is possible to transmigrate with powerful abilities. However, Sterl never thought about returning to his homnd because, without knowing the coordinates, how could he transmigrate back?


    And now, with this box from Gloria, containing such writing...


    It implied that the Earth''s human race, or a powerful entity monitoring them, or some unknown force had grasped the coordinates of Sterl''s homnd??


    Sterl also wondered, could it be that he hadn''t actually transmigrated but had arrived many years after his homnd''s destruction?


    However...


    If we consider the history of humanity in this world, ording to the calendar, a war should have broken out around 2020, leading to the world''s destruction and humanity entering [Transcendence].


    Everything was normal before Sterl''s transmigration, right??


    The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Moreover, the most frustrating part was that asking Gloria now would yield no results because she might have erased her memories.


    All hope could only rest on...


    "That key, perhaps?"


    Sterl stroked the iron box.


    There were no visible mechanisms or buttons to open it.


    But he used his cheat to sense it.


    In a vague manner, he sensed its specific attributes.


    [Sealed Box]


    [Description: Can be opened with one''s own blood, and the bloodline must belong to the Earth''s human race. It contains the highest crystallization of wisdom from the Earth''s human civilization before it was destroyed.]


    [Effect: Please open this box.]


    "The conditions for opening are quite simple." Sterl remainedposed, and after understanding Gloria''s race, many of his doubts were resolved.


    She seemed to have a deep affection for the Earth''s human race.


    The opening condition of this [Sealed Box] was symbolic, merely ensuring that the opener belonged to the Earth''s human race.


    "Perhaps in terms of age, when Gloria became a deity, humans on Earth had just recently encountered drastic changes and entered [Transcendence] not long after?"


    Sterl spected and didn''t hesitate to drop his blood.


    Soon, apanied by a faint glow, his blood transformed into strands that etched multiple grid-like patterns across the entire steel box, which finally brightened up and opened automatically.


    Crack, crack.


    With mechanical sounds, the box began to crack from the outside, iron rods were ejected, and then the box spread out in all directions, ultimately revealing an orb.


    Sterl was quick to react, realizing the orb was attempting to escape!


    He grabbed it with one hand while rapidly choosing to refine it.


    He recognized this orb.


    Previously, when Sterl shattered a skill book and brought it into reality, it transformed into this kind of orb, which could be directly integrated into his body to learn a new ability.


    However, what puzzled him was that this orb did not resemble any known skill color; instead, it was colorless��though calling it colorless was not quite urate; it appeared to be abination of colors that ultimately condensed into a strange, colorless state.


    After using his cheat to examine it, he was unable to gather any information. Instead, he received feedback that his cheat needed to evolve again to read this orb.


    Sterl promptly chose to absorb the orb himself.


    Something that even the cheat couldn''t read must have exceptionally high quality.


    Ding~


    Sterl suddenly heard a crisp sound in his mind.


    Then, a massive influx of information surged into his brain.


    Even the Iridescent-Level information was not asplex and intricate as this.


    "Holy crap!"


    Sterl felt an intense headache; although he was still within tolerable limits, he wasn''t going to suffer needlessly, so he took out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to help absorb it.


    After cooling down with the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, he felt countless intricate pieces of knowledge swirling in his mind.


    If what he had previously learned in [Transcendence] felt like piecing together various elemental powers or other special energies like building blocks, akin to ying with Legos, thoughplex, once mastered, he could gradually build a seemingly borate Lego sculpture quickly with basicponents.


    Now, it was equivalent to...


    No, it wasn''t even equivalent; it was the extremelyplicated scientific engineering from Sterl''s previous life.


    In a matter of moments, he had learned at least a few hundred doctorate-level concepts across dozens of disciplines...


    Ultimately, he held his forehead; even with the help of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, digesting such a tremendous amount of knowledge all at once was a bit challenging for him.


    At this moment, a new secondary page appeared on his panel��


    [System: The Power to y Gods]

 Chapter 322: Fission

    "The Power to y Gods??"


    Sterl was momentarily taken aback. What kind of name is that, so ostentatious?


    But then it struck him, in [Transcendence], there were plenty of gods around; killing a god didn''t seem too outrageous after all.


    However, what was this System?


    Sterl quickly consulted the [Tanscendence] system, but��


    He discovered that the [Tanscendence] system had no response because he was currently offline.


    Moreover, he couldn''t even ess the detail page for The Power to y Gods��


    As for the prompt that had just appeared, Sterl sensed that the golden document had flickered again, which was why a panel had temporarilye up.


    He thought for a moment and left a message for the four girls, indicating that he was logging in for an event and would take some time before going offline again.


    Then he made his way to his gaming room.


    This ce had also been renovated by Rosalie. When Sterlst woke up, he hadn''t paid much attention, but now he noticed that the environment was quite elegant. Flowers, which were extremely rarepared to this post-apocalyptic Earth, were everywhere, and several oil paintings adorned the walls. In the center of the room stood a game pod that had been extensively modified forfort.


    Sterly down in the pod, feeling that the tactile sensation was indeed pleasant, much morefortable than entering the game directly through the core.


    Next, Sterl chose to log in.


    As his vision gradually cleared, he found himself back in a "inn" within The Blood Red Fortress.


    He didn''t rush to leave the room but quickly opened the panel. Sure enough, the secondary page for The Power to y Gods appeared.


    Sterl first inquired about what the so-called System was.


    After a long pause, as if it were stuck, the [Tanscendence] system finally responded.


    [The System is a substitute that appeared when the in-game ss system encountered a bug during internal testing, allowing yers to learn corresponding skills and rectify internal system files. This system has been abandoned in version 0.67.]


    [yer Sterl, the System you have acquired is a product of a system error. Upon investigation, it was found that yer Sterl did not engage in any malicious bug exploitation, so this bug will not be addressed to avoid affecting yer interests.]


    Sterl waspletely bewildered by [Tanscendence]''s words.


    A bug?


    And a real bug??


    This was different from acquiring skills from a different faction; after obtaining a hellish ability, it directly transformed into a powerful skill, clearly indicating that such a mechanism existed within the [Tanscendence] game.


    Gaining this kind of ability required enduring the bacsh of Fortune.


    However, what Sterl had obtained, The Power to y Gods, had genuinely appeared due to erroneous data.


    And��


    [Tanscendence]''s words also revealed an interesting point: if someone maliciously exploited a bug, they would be punished?


    "I wonder how strong it is; it shouldn''t be weak."


    Sterl understood that the [System] which had been eliminated during testing was likely inferior to a [ss].


    But The Power to y Gods, which had flooded Sterl''s mind with a massive amount of knowledge, was likely to be extraordinarily powerful.


    He opened the System page with great excitement.


    Before Sterl appeared three nodes, behind which was a roaring me.


    Only the first node was lit; the other two were greyed out.


    Sterl first nced at the two dim nodes and noticed that the second node indicated a requirement to go to the upper realms to unlock it. The third node showed no response at all, suggesting that at least the second node needed to be unlocked before any relevant information would be disyed.


    "The upper realms?" Sterl once again encountered this term.


    Putting together what he had learned previously��after bing a god, one must enter the upper realms to be a true "yer"��and recalling that many systemsmon in MMORPGs, which ordinary yers could not ess, were gradually unlocked with increased strength, Sterl spected that perhaps all functions would unlock only after bing a god, marking the true beginning of the game.


    It was simr to therge-scale MMORPG he yed before transmigrating, where yers would first reach the max level, then farm gear,plete quests, and tackle instances��


    Now, the term "the upper realms" had resurfaced.


    Moreover, it appeared on the [Tanscendence] certified panel��


    "Perhaps that is where the true stage for the strong in [Tanscendence] lies��" Sterl mused aloud.


    He then turned his attention to the first lit node��


    Given the massive influx of memories in his mind, he had already guessed what this was.


    [Fission (Iplete)]+


    [Category: Phenomenon]


    [Effect: ???]


    The exnation for the new skill remained highly abstract.


    But Sterl understood��


    The term "fission" referred to the fundamental principle of nuclear weapons, which were humanity''s most destructive weapon before his transmigration.


    The category "phenomenon" referred to "nuclear fission," a reaction that exists within the realm of physics.


    Now, Sterl had grasped the ability of this fission.


    The simplest application was that he could induce a fission reaction in certain offensive skills, such as Celestial Stars or Ignition me.


    While in reality, achieving the effect of Celestial Stars at full output would require a significant amount of nuclear weaponry, the fission skill could catalyze the energy within skills to initiate a fission reaction, dramatically increasing their potency.


    As for how much it would increase, that remained to be tested by Sterl.


    However��


    Currently, fission could only be applied to ordinary skills; legendary abilities, rule powers, and tinum Skills could not be utilized.


    Still, Sterl was confident that even in this version, fission was indeed capable of ying gods. The reason was that fission also included a chance for a high-energy explosion, with the energy source being the System panel itself, strong enough to extinguish gods with weak Divine Power.


    But first, using such a power would cause Sterl to lose this System.


    At the same time, this undoubtedly belonged to a true bug, and a malicious one at that. Sterl wasn''t sure how the [Tanscendence] system would respond��


    He felt a bit puzzled; he didn''t know how The Power to y Gods came about. It was developed by humans on Earth, and why on earth were they trying to use the fission reaction of nuclear weapons to y gods?


    Historically, after humans entered [Tanscendence], they had little opportunity to encounter gods��


    For some reason, perhaps due to having absorbed too many memories just now, a scene shed before his eyes.


    It was a catastrophic disaster of apocalyptic proportions; the entire sky was aze with fire, and raindrops flowed upwards from the ground to the heavens.


    Countless people were disced, corpses littered thendscape, and amidst all this chaos, a weapon known as The Power to y Gods was developed.


    This weapon surged towards the celestial beings sitting high in the sky with a tragic grandeur, followed by a violent explosion that roared forth!


    A terrifying light illuminated the sky, as if dozens of suns had inexplicably risen on the horizon.


    The scene abruptly cut off.


    Sterl felt a wave of sadness wash over him, but quickly regained hisposure. The earlier scene was indeed quite tragic, stirring emotions, but there was one thing��


    Perhaps this was part of the conspiracy behind the creation of The Power to y Gods. They intentionally left behind such a scene to manipte anyone who obtained this System into feeling a certain way, thus enabling them to be controlled!


    As Sterl pondered this, the carefree expression he had initially wore gradually faded, reced by a serious demeanor.


    The newly acquired ability was powerful, but every gift that fate offered might already have a price tag attached��


    However, Sterl was still in a good mood at the moment. On the surface, fission could only enhance ordinary skills, which didn''t matter much for his current maximum output. After all, Sterl was challenging levels above his own; enhancing his usual output capability was practically meaningless.


    But fission could be used to create divine authorities, transforming them into legendary abilities, Law Powers, and even divine authorities!


    Each time he created one, he could conquer the corresponding realm''s abilities.


    Furthermore, Sterl''s ability to create divine authority became easier the more he understood a certain concept.


    At this moment, he sensed the power of faith umting in his spiritual realm, which was more than enough to create the legendary ability of fission, but he was still quite far from creating the divine authority of [Fission].


    Creating a fission Law, however, seemed very promising.


    He was close enough with the power of faith; he estimated it would take about one or two months to gather enough.


    "Still, one or two months is a bit excessive��"


    Sterl felt a bit helpless. Even if he poured all the remaining Divine Power he had into it, it wouldn''t be enough.


    His only hope was��


    To forcefully add points!


    If fission was currently in an iplete state, Sterl couldn''t gather the remaining fragments like in Rebirth of All Thoughts. However, directly adding points could potentially repair part of the ipleteness.


    When that time came, thepleteness of fission would increase, and the corresponding knowledge of the System would be moreprehensive, which should reduce the consumption when creating divine authority��


    At this moment, Sterl''s ability to add points had not yet cooled down, so he naturally couldn''t repair fission. He chose to step out of his room and opened the activity page along the way.


    In the exploration activities, Sterl didn''t need to gather additional intel; the game system would notify him when the decisive battle was about to start. Right now, the activity showed��there were 04:51:29 left until the phase task of defeating the hell''s main army began.


    "Is it about to start?"


    "It seems I timed my login quite well."


    Sterl mused to himself as he descended the stairs of the inn, which was also enhanced by a spatial array, making it quite spacious. He could see several legendary demigod transmigrators moving about.


    However��


    This time, besides the yers from the Hall of Valor, there were also some who appeared to be from the other two top forces, all casting strange nces at Sterl.


    Some sipped their drinks while casting cold, scrutinizing looks, while others halted their actions and began to rub their weapons upon spotting Sterl''s arrival��


    It wasn''t until a half-body squad from the Hall of Valor suddenly appeared at the inn''s entrance that the strange atmosphere began to ease slightly.


    The yers from the other two major forces resumed their activities.


    Yet Sterl felt��


    Something was off! A storm was brewing!

 Chapter 323: The Predicament of the Hall of Valor

    Sterl walked out of the inn, but the demigod squad suddenly spoke up.


    "Bro, be careful; right now, it''s not just the demons you need to watch out for."


    "Oh?"


    "Alright."


    Sterl nodded.


    He had already formed a suspicion in his mind.


    The Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions seemed to have significant friction with the Hall of Valor��


    However, it wasn''t necessarily these two factions that would take the first action. After all, thisyer of hell was discovered on the Hall of Valor''s territory, and the other two factions likely came to stake their im.


    The members of the Hall of Valor would definitely be displeased, so it was also possible that some "allies" from Sterl''s side would initiate trouble first.


    In any case, the atmosphere inside The Blood Red Fortress was extremely tense.


    As Sterl walked along the path, the exploration activity page prompted him to head to the temporary assembly point of the Hall of Valor.


    Meanwhile, the area around him was bustling with activity.


    The Blood Red Fortress was no longer the deste ce it had been before; it was now packed with people. Besides the demigod yers acting as pioneers, legendary yers were also sent over as the main force for the battlefield.


    Adding to this were some third-ss personnel handling logistics, resulting in a massive influx of people.


    At the same time, the noise was quite overwhelming.


    The Hall of Valor was surprisingly united under the threat of external enemies. Just like the demigod squad that had previously warned Sterl, most people gathered together in solidarity.


    yers from the other two factions were doing the same.


    However, with such arge crowd, collisions were inevitable.


    "You dare bump into me? Fine! Fine! Fine! Let''s set up a ring; do you dare to ept?"


    "Are you blind? You ran into your daddy!"


    "Coming to our Hall of Valor territory to beg for scraps and still acting so arrogant?"


    "What? You think your faction can monopolize the event released by [Tanscendence]? How presumptuous!"


    ��


    yers from various factions red at each other, escting into a heated argument, and some even set up a ring right on the spot.


    Onlookers quickly began cing bets on the matches that were forming.


    "Come,e,e! ce your bets and see whether the experts from the Hall of Valor are stronger, or if our little factions can hold their ground!"


    "Of course, the Hall of Valor is stronger, but I enjoy the thrill of an upset; I''m betting on this demigod from the Golden Kingdom to win."


    "Are you looking down on the great ones from the Hall of Valor? I''m betting on the Golden Kingdom too��"


    ��


    In The Blood Red Fortress, with the protection of the [Tanscendence] event, it was a safe zone where yers couldn''t directly attack each other, but the tension was palpable.


    Members of the Hall of Valor were being picked on in turns��


    Sterl couldn''t help but scoff.


    Calling themselves demigods and legends? They hardly looked the part.


    It was just like the crowded zas before taking on bosses in an online game from his past��everyone was supposed to be a world-saving hero in the story, but here they were, mingling together like it was a bustling marketce.


    He couldn''t help but think back to the description of "the upper realms." After logging into the upper realms and bing a true "yer" of the myriad worlds, perhaps things would be different?


    While Sterl was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly picked up on a conversation nearby.


    "What''s all the noise about? Even if you win the ring, there''s no real benefit."


    "Yeah, let''s see who ends up higher on the merit leaderboard after this."


    It was a group of yers who appeared to be from the Golden Kingdom, identifiable by the corresponding faction g they carried, which featured a giant pce made of gold.


    Nearby, another voice chimed in.


    "The Hall of Valor may seem loud, but it''s useless; their mid-tier strength has always been hit-or-miss."


    "This faction primarily focuses on nurturing stronger deities as warriors to deal with cmities."


    "The elimination of mid-tier members is quite brutal. Although it pales inparison to the hellish side, it''s still far bloodier than ours. This time, their demigod and legendary teams are both short on numbers."


    "They''re going to suffer a huge loss on this merit leaderboard."


    "Indeed�� the Hall of Valor is quite unfortunate. They''ll lose a chunk of meat, and we''ll end up with most of it. Plus, since they''re likely to perform poorly in this activity, their score for the next hundred years will take a hit. Their chances for an upper realms spot will probably drop, too."


    "Haha, there''s nothing they can do; after all, their territory is destined to be ground zero for the cmities."


    Sterl couldn''t pinpoint which faction this group belonged to, but their discourse was quite rational.


    ��


    Sterl''s expression shifted slightly.


    Now he understood why the yers from the Hall of Valor were so agitated.


    The uing activity was not particrly favorable for them.


    In terms of high-end strength, which should be above the divine level, the Hall of Valor held an advantage. However, their reserves of demigod and legendary yers were not as plentiful as those of other factions.


    In the past, thepetitions in [Tanscendence] revolved around the power of high-end strength. A single deity could suppress hundreds or even thousands of demigods.


    But this time, it seemed that [Tanscendence] did not permit yers above the Supreme level to participate, not only due to ack of interest in the rewards but also because the activity page specifically stated that participating yers should range from third ss to demigod.


    Thus, the Hall of Valor found itself at a considerable disadvantage.


    For those deities, other matters might not concern them, but that "upper realms" spot was likely quite important.


    However��


    The information mentioned by the yers who seemed to be from the Golden Kingdom made Sterl''s heart flutter.


    The territory of the Hall of Valor was indeed the starting point of the cmities?


    As he walked, Sterl pondered this revtion and realized that his ability to add points had cooled down.


    He immediately chose to enhance fission but was suddenly met with feedback��


    The cheat requires a second evolution to repair this ability? A third evolution to restore the enhanced fission?


    And my physical condition can''t handle this move; I need to be at least legendary to do so??


    Sterl sensed the situation and found himself not feeling too disappointed. After all, the more restrictions there were, the more powerful the fission would be once repaired and unleashed��


    Now, considering he needed to head to the battlefield, Sterl exchanged some Valor Contribution Points for a special item andpleted an enhancement.


    [Emergency Escape Device]


    [Description: Legendary top-level craftsman gnomes often had their memories coerced to create various tools and equipment for others. Thus, they invented this device. However, true to the gnome style, this device is somewhat unstable, but an unknown kind-hearted personpleted its final optimization.]


    [Effect: Sends you into spatial turbulence, entering an invincible state. You can use the mini-map indicators in the turbulence to ess several nearby worlds.]


    [Warning: The spatial turbulence you enter may have coordinates significantly different from your original world. Please remember your original world coordinates to prevent being unable to return.]


    [Warning: This item has a 0% chance of killing you instantly.]


    [Hint: The effect of sending you into spatial turbulence is considered a side effect.]


    In his hand, Sterl held a silver-white capsule. Before enhancement, this item had a 5% chance of killing him outright.


    However, the advantage of the escape device was that the effect of sending him into spatial turbulence was considered a "negative effect," meaning it couldn''t be blocked by any locking abilities and could be activated no matter what.


    The trade-off was that there was a chance the yer could die on the spot, but after enhancement, this w was wiped out.


    Sterl pocketed the capsule and soon arrived at the assembly point.


    At that moment, a look of astonishment flickered in his eyes; the scene before him was quite spectacr.


    Several Supremes stood high above, while below them, a dual formation shimmering with gathering spirit effects and enhancement buffs was in full disy.


    On top of the formation, there were over a hundred demigods and thousands of legendary yers standing tall.


    In the Assembly Hall of the Hall of Valor, although there were many strong individuals, it was impossible to have so many gathered in such a short time.


    However, thinking about the Golden Kingdom and Ashen likely having an even grander presence, Sterl''s earlier excitement quickly faded.


    Above, the Supremes began to speak.


    "Dear colleagues!"


    "This time, we from the Hall of Valor have discovered thisyer of hell."


    "All the resources here should rightfully belong to us, but [Tanscendence] has coincidentallyunched an event, drawing the attention of the other two great factions."


    "Can we allow resources that should belong to us to be taken away?"


    At this point in the Supreme''s speech, voices began to erupt from below.


    "Absolutely not!"


    Soon, a chorus of responses gathered.


    "Absolutely not!"


    "Absolutely not!"


    ��


    Sterl observed the scene clearly.


    It was clear that the ones who started shouting were nted supporters; they had all reached the levels of demigods and legends, and everyone had some experience under their belts��most were steady in temperament. Of course, the subsequent followers who joined in weren''t necessarily brainwashed either; at least Sterl shouted along, just to indulge in the moment.


    The Supremes above, seeing that they could rally the crowd, offered a few brief words of encouragement.


    "Exactly! Thisyer of hell is our trophy from the Hall of Valor, and we won''t allow anyone else to take it."


    "And with [Tanscendence] turning this grand event into an activity, any participant stands to gain tremendous rewards! We must reim what rightfully belongs to us!"


    Then they got down to business.


    First, all yers would be assigned to different defense zones to battle the demons, with guaranteed merit rewards for their efforts. Sterl''s alternate identity, Leo, was included in this. These defense zones were rtively safe.


    As long as the legendary yers could hold their ground, a few demigods could step in to handle any emergencies.


    Second, they encouraged yers to head to the core battlefield area, where the demon strength was the highest. At this point, the Supremes in the air had already mapped out the entire vicinity of The Blood Red Fortress.


    Sterl could see that Leo''s stationed area was very close to the natural Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, and he nodded in satisfaction.


    He had already devised a n: he would send a clone to leisurely hang out in the housing area while his main self would venture into the core area to stir things up, racking up merit and blood-colored documents.


    The reason Sterl could pull this off, while painstakingly maintaining a low-profile identity as Leo, was primarily because��


    If he logged into his Swallowing Heaven ount, it was likely that his [Tanscendence] ount would temporarily be unusable.


    After all, he couldn''t log into two ounts simultaneously��


    At that point, he might not even be able to create a clone.


    He needed to make sure that his alternate identity could go missing for a while without anyone caring.

 Chapter 324: Rebirth of All Thoughts Fragment

    As the speech drew to a close, the Supreme finally revealed the tangible rewards.


    "Even though we have sacrificed much for a greater goal, leading to fewer legendary and demigod yers umting merit��"


    "The Hall of Valor will never concede defeat!"


    "This time, those who rank high on the merit leaderboard will receive des from the Hall of Valor, directly awarded by the [Tanscendence] system!"


    ��


    The moment these words were spoken, a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd below.


    Previously, those demigod and legendary yers had merely echoed the sentiments of the three Supremes, their hearts showing little reaction.


    Now, they were eagerly opening the event panel to check the details. Sterl was among them; he quickly clicked into the event page, and indeed, the rewards had been enhanced.


    The top one hundred in the merit rankings could ess a special store, and the quality of this contribution store would increase for the top fifty, top thirty, top ten, and the top three.


    When Sterl opened the highest-quality contribution store, he was astonished to find an Iridescent-Level item, specifically��


    A third of the [Rebirth of All Thoughts], with the option to choose which one-third he wanted.


    This item could be exchanged for those who reached the top three in the merit rankings.


    However, each person could only make one exchange in the contribution store; selecting [Rebirth of All Thoughts] meant they could not choose any other item.


    This meant that if Sterl secured a top-three position, he could piece together two-thirds of [Rebirth of All Thoughts]��


    "Wait!"


    "What if the other two yers with high merit rankings also choose [Rebirth of All Thoughts]?"


    "I can utilize the [Consume] effect of the Fate Token to significantly enhance this Iridescent-Level skill!"


    A n began to form in Sterl''s mind�� He could find a way to manipte others�� to set a trap!


    Of course, aside from the rewards from this contribution store, the top ten in merit rankings would also receive Valor Contribution Points and purple coins as rewards.


    Achieving a top-three ranking would even allow the yer to make a wish to the Hall of Valor, which, as long as it wasn''t too outrageous, would usually be fulfilled.


    If he managed to take first ce in the merit rankings��


    The Hall of Valor wouldn''t offer any additional rewards, primarily because it was clearly stated that a mysterious organization from the upper realms would summon the first-ce leaderboard winner to personally present grand prizes.


    Sterl quietly closed the event page, feeling a sense of anticipation about what that mysterious grand prize could be.


    Though he often reminded himself to keep a low profile, his smooth journey so far had led him to subconsciously believe that first ce on the leaderboard was a certainty!


    ��


    The Supreme''s speech came to an end, or perhaps it hadn''t quite ended yet.


    Boom! Boom!


    Outside the city, several massive and intensely radiant energy balls struck the walls of The Blood Red Fortress, creating deafening explosions and shockwaves.


    The demigod yers fared rtively well, but many of the legendary yers were thrown off bnce and even sustained minor injuries.


    Clearly, the demons were not nning to give the inhabitants of the main world a moment to breathe. After gathering their forces, they immediatelyunched a fierce attack. They understood their window of opportunity was limited; if they could strike while the main world yers were still unsteady, they might stand a chance.


    Meanwhile, several Supremes from the Hall of Valor and other factions took action simultaneously, quickly erecting protective formations to shield the walls. The subsequent attacks from the demonic army were all blocked by the shields, preventing any further assault.


    High above, these Supremes roared together, "All troops, advance!"


    Sterl divided his forces into two paths.


    His clone joined the military team and surged toward the battlefield. The sight was quite spectacr.


    A thousand-strong team flew high in the sky, resembling a stream of meteors rushing towards the distant, ravenous demonic army. There was no time to head to designated defense zones; they needed to repel this first wave of enemies first.


    Meanwhile, Sterl''s main body was in a secluded corner of the city, opening his mailbox.


    The [Tanscendence] mailbox function allowed yers to send resources to others instantly for a cost of purple coins. However, in hell, even the golden documents were slow to react, and the mailbox function seemed sluggish as well.


    The email had been sent three hours ago, but Sterl had just received it.


    There was no content in the email, just a single line:


    "Confirmation that there is no danger, but it may be that we cannot trigger it."


    Indeed, this was the key that Gloria had sent to Sterl, delivered through Sosia and Sonis to reach him.


    Sterl chose to take out the item.


    At that moment, the golden keyy quietly in his hand, emanating strange waves of energy.


    [Key of the Realms]+


    [Description: A key originally crafted from special materials, capable of opening the door to a peculiar space. After being damaged, it was repurposed by the Earth''s human race to store information.]


    [Effect: Helps you open a secret space.]


    Sterl was left speechless.


    "Do you take me for a fool?"


    He was exasperated.


    This key was supposed to open a special space, but who knew whether it contained secrets or a group of strongmen ready to ambush Sterl?


    It was impossible for him to use it safely.


    No matter how curious he was about the secrets of the Earth''s human race, this was not a risk he was willing to take��


    However, noticing a point symbol on the key, Sterl tentatively added a point.


    This time, it triggered a burst of radiant evolution.


    Apanied by a spectrum of colorful light, the key''s appearance didn''t change, but it gained an additional function.


    [Effect: ��...


    ��You can use this item to open a gate to "the upper realms," with this effect usable a maximum of two times, after which the item will be permanently destroyed.]


    "Ah?"


    Sterl was taken aback; he felt as though he had unlocked something extraordinary��


    The upper realms; he didn''t understand much about it.


    Yet, the gods of the Hall of Valor all yearned for a chance to venture into the upper realms.


    The value of this key was likely beyond imagination.


    "This wave of power isn''t just from my cheat; it''s that this key itself has such capabilities. It''s just damaged and unusable; my point allocation merely repaired it."


    Sterl murmured to himself.


    At this moment, he decisively��


    Stored the key away in his small world as if he had never obtained it.


    In the upper realms, there were probably divine-level beings in abundance; there was no need for Sterl to go there and court disaster.


    Having dyed for a moment, outside the city had already turned into a brutal meat grinder.


    Sterl sensed through his clone''s perspective, and at this moment��


    The demonic army shed violently with the legendary and demigod yers, engaging in a frenzied battle. The monsters summoned by the hellish consciousness, whilecking in raw power, had been forged in the brutal environment of hell, resulting in gruesome skills and spells.


    Many demons were burning their own life force as the price, transforming into terrifying attacks.


    Where Sterl''s clone was located, a demigod was entangled by several legendary demons, and those demons had actually killed one of their own, converting that fallenrade into a chain that trapped the demigod for a moment.


    This was no big deal on its own.


    But then, the other legendary demons suddenly self-destructed!


    They converted all their life force and strength into a one-time lethal assault.


    Even with overwhelming power, the demigod next to Sterl''s clone was heavily injured.


    Then, out of nowhere, a half-body demon charged in, wielding a steel de that sliced through the air like a blood-red scythe, piercing directly through!


    The already wounded demigod was forced to use his life-saving item.


    Then he was targeted by several legendary demons��


    Boom!


    After another round of self-destruction, this unfortunate demigod perished!


    Sterl could only watch in shock��


    Mainly because such a smooth series ofbos would be tricky even for him to handle.


    "This is�� war��"


    He suddenly recalled a famous admonition from his past life.


    "In war, everyone will die like dogs��"


    Even demigods could fall victim to chaos in an instant.


    And around his clone, it wasn''t just the demigod from the main world facing disaster; some demigod demons were also caught up in skirmishes with many legendary yers from the main world, unable to escape in time.


    As a result, they were easily in by the main world''s demigods with a tinum skill, an unjust death indeed.


    Then came��


    A group of legendary yers from the main world, who had originally been engaging the legendary demons, were caught in the aftermath of a sh between two demigods above, resulting in all of them being violently killed.


    The Supremes from various major factions were also taking action.


    Sterl was puzzled��


    With all the Supremes mobilizing, leaving no one behind to guard the home front was fine; The Blood Red Fortress wasn''t worth defending. The main goal was to crush the forces of hell entirely.


    But surely there had to be someone to keep an eye on the members from the upper realms, right?


    After the Supremes took action, the battlefield became even more chaotic; it was clear that the demons also had Supreme-levelbatants.


    The shockwaves created by their shes were world-shattering!


    Sterl''s clone was forced to flee in a panic to avoid being killed by the aftermath.


    Yet nearby, the allies he had just met a few minutes ago had already been wiped out��


    At this moment, Sterl wasn''t just reflecting on the unpredictability of war; he was searching for those formidable enemies.


    After the initial chaos, he finally spotted his target.


    To the west side of the main world coalition''s forces, yers from the three major factions were mingling together, facing arge group of demigod-level demons and hellish yers.


    Without hesitation, Sterl disguised himself as the mysterious demigod who had previously appeared and used Shattered Void, swiftly teleporting closer to the battlefield.


    However��


    As soon as he arrived, he felt a bit exasperated.


    Earlier, he had observed this area from a distance with his clone and noticed the high intensity of the battle.


    But in reality, they weren''t just having a wild time fighting the demons.


    Instead, after stepping out of the safety zone, the yers from the three factions were not only defending against the onught of demons and hellish yers but were also letting old grievances resurface, leading to infighting.


    Hiding in the shadow world, Sterl saw that the yers from the Hall of Valor were the most unfortunate. As the main force of the nominal coalition of the three factions, the Hall of Valor yers were at the forefront��


    Of course, this was also a lucrative position; they could take down any monsters first.


    However, the problem was that many of the Hall of Valor''s demigods had just engaged with the demons when chaos erupted behind them��

 Chapter 325: The Mystery of Calamity

    The yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen did not directly attack, but they often unleashed skills that indiscriminately affected both allies and enemies.


    There were skills that, once attached, would burn for an extended period,rge-scale visual obfuscation that left everyone in a state of blindness, transparent and bizarre barriers, and some yers didn''t even bother to pretend. They simply wielded their weapons and cast their tinum skills, targeting both demons and yers from the Hall of Valor simultaneously.


    Amidst the various mes and colorful effects, high-energy reactions surged��


    Meanwhile, the yers from the Hall of Valor were furiously questioning each other.


    "Are you all crazy?"


    "What do you think you''re doing?"


    "Are you seriously still fighting among yourselves in this situation??"


    As they shouted, they frantically dodged the attacksing from behind them.


    The yers from the other two factions merely smiled.


    "Sorry, we forgot to change our faction mode."


    "Oh dear, my hand slipped, and I cast my skill again!"


    "Please bear with us."


    "We can''t help it; aren''t we usually enemies when we meet? It''s a bit ufortable being on the same side for the first time today."


    They casually remarked, with the more polite ones switching to faction mode after casting a few interference skills, ensuring their abilities no longer affected the Hall of Valor yers.


    The less courteous ones simply continued to attack furiously, while apologizing as if it were a mere formality.


    Originally, with the three factions working together, the vanguard of the demon coalition should have been at least evenly matched, if not at a disadvantage. But now��


    The yers from the Hall of Valor were, instead, retreating step by step.


    Caught between a rock and a hard ce, they were being suppressed and dared not unleash their full power, fearing that demons or yers from the other two factions would take advantage of them.


    They could only use low-cost skills, while the demons, empowered by the hellish consciousness, charged forward recklessly, showing no fear.


    The yers from the Hall of Valor were in a miserable predicament.


    At that moment��


    In the distance, yers could see several Supremes hovering above the battlefield, casting spells while changing colors. The Supreme from the Hall of Valor was particrly furious, shouting at the other Supremes, "What are you all trying to do? Control your subordinates!"


    But the Supremes from the other two factions merely sneered. "Our organization is even looser than yours in the Hall of Valor; we can''t control these people."


    "Besides, it''s just a few minor mishaps, right? None of your people are truly dead."


    Hearing this, the Supreme''s expression changed repeatedly with anger.


    "Fine! Fine! Fine!"


    He unleashed a strange beam of light. Instantly, streams of energy rained down, rapidly striking down several demigod-level demons below and suppressing them.


    Unfortunately, this Supreme, having finally found some time to act, still hadn''t managed to speak.


    Immediately, a flurry of skills was hurled down below.


    There were debuffs, increased damage effects, area freezes, and paralysis from Thunder. Although the Supreme''s power far surpassed that of ordinary demigods, being bombarded by so many skills still caused him to stagger for a moment.


    As a result, several previously suppressed demigod-level demons roared and charged up from below, enveloped in a blood-red aura as they rushed towards the Supreme.


    Their tactics were simple and brutal.


    Self-detonation!


    Perhaps these demons didn''t want to die so easily, but under the control of the will of Hell, their preferences no longer mattered.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Intense mes zed, and even from his hiding ce in the Shadow World, Sterl felt the space destabilize, with cracks forming in the connection to the main world.


    He had no choice but to leap onto the battlefield, continuing to utilize Shadow Stealth, his equipment, and the Laws of Space to conceal himself.


    Fortunately, the battlefield was in utter chaos; countless energy orbs whizzed past him, and for the moment, he remained undetected.


    At that moment, crimson clouds rolled in from the horizon, swirling for three or four seconds before a figure staggeringly burst forth.


    It was the Supreme from the Hall of Valor, who had previously appearedposed in his light blue garments, but now he was singed ck and looked ill.


    He had even used a life-saving item and was cursing under his breath, "What gall!"


    It had been a group of ordinary demigods from the other two factions who had pulled a fast one, causing the Hall of Valor Supreme to be caught in the demons'' self-detonation tactic.


    Gathering his energy, he disregarded the demons and prepared to retaliate.


    However, members of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen remained unfazed.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Like prophets, the other two Supremes joined forces to stand in front of the Hall of Valor Supreme. "Don''t be angry, don''t be angry, Bro." "Those kids don''t know better; they''ve already switched to faction mode."


    "Just take a look��"


    As they spoke soothingly, the eyes of the two Supremes were filled with a threatening glint.


    If the Hall of Valor Supreme forced an attack on the ordinary demigods below, he would expose himself to thebined strikes of the two other Supremes, which could easily lead to his demise ten times over.


    "You��"


    The expression of the Hall of Valor Supreme changed slightly, but he looked down below.


    At that moment, the battlefield suddenly returned to normal, and the yers from the Hall of Valor were no longer caught between the assaults of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    They could finally engage with the demons properly.


    However, that recent round of attacks had already caused extremely severe consequences.


    For the Hall of Valor, not only had the Supreme lost a life-saving item, but many of the demigod and legendary members were also forced to reveal numerous trump cards, barely managing to create a situation without casualties for the time being.


    The Supreme from the Hall of Valor, hovering in the sky, could no longer contain his anger. But seeing that the battlefield had indeed returned to normal and he had a way out, he gritted his teeth and said,


    "Well then, I hope you two will keep your subordinates in check from now on."


    "Let''s avoid any more blunders!"


    He spoke each word with emphasis.


    The other two Supremes merely smiled in response, "Those individuals can only be considered our colleagues; we can make suggestions, but we can''t impose any restrictions."


    The implication was clear: whether or not to cause trouble next was entirely up to them.


    Though the expression of the Hall of Valor Supreme darkened further, he thought for a moment.


    He chose to�� endure!


    However, he gazed deeply at the other two Supremes, "Are you really going to do this?"


    "Why?"


    "There aren''t many slots avable in the upper realms, but there should be enough for everyone."


    "Why go to such lengths?"


    This statement was conveyed through a secret transmission, audible only to the three Supremes present.


    The other two Supremes paused for a moment, thenmunicated quietly among themselves.


    "Apologies, we each have our own loyalties."


    "We have our own pressures."


    "Getting as much merit as possible is secondary; the main focus is on ranking��"


    The Hall of Valor Supreme instantly understood the meaning behind the other two''s words.


    Although the Hall of Valor was already at a disadvantage in the merit rankingpetition, the Golden Kingdom and Ashen aimed to seize higher merit rankings and secure slots in the upper realms.


    The most stable tactic was not fairpetition.


    Instead, it was to directly undermine the Hall of Valor''s path to merit acquisition to ensure that no one from the Hall of Valor appeared on the leaderboard, maximizing the benefits for these two top factions.


    "Ha, those gods keep saying that this cmity is unprecedented, that everyone is destined to die, and all they think about is fleeing. Meanwhile, we who can''t escape still have to serve them."


    During the secret conversation, one of the Supremes from Ashen grumbled, pointing out a serious w in the strategy to suppress the Hall of Valor for higher merit rankings.


    That w was that the yers from Ashen and the Golden Kingdom, including this Supreme, would also suffer losses.


    Instantly, another Supreme warned, "Watch your words! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    The Supreme who had spoken out of turn realized he had misspoken, shaking his head slightly, "Whatever happens, those of us at this level know some truths."


    "Who isn''t aware of the terror of this cmity?"


    "The Hall of Valor has already been making moves, both big and small, right?"


    However, the Hall of Valor Supreme fell into an inexplicable silence at that moment��


    He couldn''t speak recklessly because the Hall of Valor was different from the other two factions; the artifact spirits were the true controllers of the Hall of Valor.


    Every action of the artifact spirits was predetermined by that creator from years ago.


    In the past decade, the actions of the artifact spirits had revealed a sense of anxiety and unease. Clearly, the Hall of Valor was not ignorant of the horrors of this cmity; they were all too aware of it!


    The situation was far more outrageous than what the Golden Kingdom and Ashen could imagine!


    The gods of the Hall of Valor had long ceased to concern themselves with their subordinates'' affairs, having be embroiled in a frenzied internal conflict among themselves, all in a desperate bid to gain more means of self-preservation in the face of the cmity.


    These gods had enjoyed many benefits since joining the Hall of Valor, but as a price, they would not allow members to seek more slots in the upper realms in the face of disaster.


    ��


    The secret negotiations high above were, of course, unknown to the other yers below.


    What they witnessed was the Hall of Valor in utter humiliation, while the other two factions unted their dominance!


    The members of the Hall of Valor were instantly filled with anger.


    "Damn! So this is how you want to y it?"


    "If you''ve got the guts, never step onto the front lines again; otherwise, you''ll soon find out whose methods are more ruthless!"


    "Is this premeditated?? What does this mean?"


    "I will not rest until I settle the score with you!"


    Their fury was palpable, and if it weren''t for the demons from Hell not letting any yers nearby escape, the members of the Hall of Valor would have already turned against their "allies" in the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    No, even now��


    Some yers from the Hall of Valor had already braced themselves against the demons'' attacks and were ready to strike back!


    Until��


    The figures of the three Supremes reappeared in the sky.


    The Supreme from the Hall of Valor coldly stated, "Everyone, please calm down for now; we have renegotiated the treaty."


    "From now on, all three factions are prohibited from attacking each other. Any grievances can be settled after this event is over."


    "We are here to gather resources; let''s secure those resources first."


    With this statement, the members of the Hall of Valor reluctantly began to calm down.

 Chapter 326: Those from the Upper Realms?

    As the countless members of the Hall of Valor below gradually regained theirposure and resumed their normal fight against the demons, the Supreme from the Hall of Valor raised his hand vigorously.


    "The people from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen merely want to obstruct us to secure their ranks on the merit leaderboard."


    "Counterattacking them now would be pointless."


    "There''s only one way to truly hurt them: we must fight for our interests and rack up more merit!"


    "Let''s im the highest positions on the leaderboard!"


    He shouted, his tone mixed with a peculiar wave of energy, apanied by a strange, heart-stirring effect.


    Immediately, many yers from the Hall of Valor, looking at the members of the two other factions who had previously dealt them harsh blows, felt a spark ignite in their eyes, spurred on by the Supreme''s words.


    They were not merely exchanging words; they were filled with fighting spirit,unching their skills at the multitude of demons!


    In an instant, at the front lines, the previously unstoppable advance of the demon army was abruptly halted!


    Countless skills illuminated the battlefield, creating a dazzling disy that, from afar, resembled a beautiful rainbow pathway; yet in reality, it was a gruesome meat grinder.


    The vanguard of the demon army suffered rapid casualties��


    In just a second or two, hundreds, if not thousands, of lives were extinguished, while the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen seemed to forget their earlier actions, rushing to the front lines.


    Among them, many strong yers brought forth a storm of bloodshed as they unleashed their attacks.


    Interestingly enough, these powerhouses had "coincidentally" not targeted the Hall of Valor earlier.


    Though the yers from the Hall of Valor were eager for revenge, they felt the pressure from the two Supremes watching them closely,bined with their own "disadvantaged" position, and thus had to hold back their aggression.


    However, within the ranks of the Hall of Valor, there was one individual who remained calm.


    It was Sterl��


    He observed everything that unfolded with a detached demeanor. While he was a part of the Hall of Valor, his mindset remained unshaken.


    In fact, he began to wonder if this was a scheme orchestrated by the other two factions together.


    With this maneuver, the yers from the Hall of Valor naturally became extremely excited, ready to give their all in the fight against these demons.


    The yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen would also be motivated by thepetition��


    After all, the more total merit they earned, the higher the overall benefits would be for their Supremes and for the Hall of Valorpared to the other two factions.


    In the current situation, some yers who would normally hesitate to use items against particrly challenging demons might be willing to spend whatever it took, driven by a surge of determination.


    However��


    Even if everything were true and the yers of the Hall of Valor were indeed being suppressed, Sterl would simply think�� "What does it have to do with me?"


    At this moment, he only had one thought in mind: to unleash a massacre and rack up merit.


    Sterl nced around for a moment and quickly identified his target.


    A little further back in the ranks of the demon army, a total of five demigod-level hell yers were secretly gathering their strength, seemingly preparing tounch a fierce attack.


    Without hesitation, Sterl activated his Space Law and jumped out.


    He was not foolish enough to charge into the demon lines; instead, he first prepared himself slightly��


    [Shadow Stealth]activated!


    [Arcane Law]activated!


    All attribute bonuses were in full effect!


    [Stardust]activated!


    Layers of enhancements piled up!


    In the shadow realm, Sterl appeared to be enveloped in a purplish-golden me.


    ...


    At that very moment��


    Inside the Blood Red Fortress.


    In this precious territory, there stood a luxurious pce.


    Various ice crystals and expensive purification springs had been used to create a vast expanse resembling a sky, with an expansive swimming pool upying a significant area.


    Despite being in hell, the pce felt like a paradise.


    And within this majestic pce, three gods were respectfully gazing at the figures of two individuals seated above them.


    These three gods represented the Hall of Valor, the Golden Kingdom, and the Ashen faction. They originally had no intention of participating in this expansion event, and the rewards were beneath their notice.


    Yet at this moment, they had speciallye to this ce.


    Even more strangely, the three gods exuded a vast and profound aura, while the two individuals seated on the main throne had no discernible aura at all, appearing almost like mere mortals who weren''t even yers.


    However, it was clear that mere mortals would not earn such respect from gods.


    "My lord," one of the gods respectfully bowed; he was the deity in charge of violence and punishment within the Golden Kingdom, a figure that struck fear into countless demigod Supremes.


    This god was responsible for overseeing all the rules within the faction, and any infraction led to death!


    Yet at this moment, if any members of the Golden Kingdomwere to witness this scene, they would be utterly stunned.


    The normally brutal god was now remarkably docile, resembling a gentle schr.


    Then, this god raised his hand and summoned a semi-transparent light screen, disying the scenes of the frontline battle.


    Not only did it show the current situation, but it also reyed the earlier conflict between the Hall of Valor and the other two factions.


    The god from the Hall of Valor remained expressionless, as if the events unfolding were of no concern to him.


    Yet the turmoil stirring deep within this god''s heart remained unknown to others.


    "Hmm." The two figures seated on the throne merely nodded casually.


    Even though they were sitting right in front of the three gods, their faces were somehow obscured, making it impossible to see them clearly.


    "However, you must remember that this kind of y ultimately undermines the interests of [Transcendence]."


    "Even if our faction��"


    "You are ultimately exploiting loopholes, and it would be better to refrain from such actions."


    The two figures spoke nonchntly, clearly indicating that they were members of the mysterious organization that governed the entire Alpha 8 Crystal Barrier Gxy. It seemed they hade this time to assist the Golden Kingdom and Ashen in some underhanded dealings!


    Their aim was to secure more merit rankings in the ongoing activities and gain slots in the upper realms.


    On the side of the Hall of Valor, while there was some dissatisfaction, they appeared to tacitly ept this conduct.


    However, as the two figures spoke, a highly peculiar point was evident��they mentioned a certain key piece of information with calm expressions, yet no one else could catch the sound of their words.


    Not even the gods could hear them.


    After a few exchanges, one of the figures remarked,


    "Of course! Of course! We understand the stakes." The two gods from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen forced smiles, appearing extremely subservient.


    On one hand, they sought slots in the upper realms; on the other, they knew that these two seemingly mortal figures possessed the ability to easily y them.


    "It seems the n is going smoothly." The three gods dared not speak too much, while the two figures casually nced at the disy of the scene presented by the god from the Golden Kingdom.


    "Your people have impressive strength; they are quite talented."


    At that moment, the scene disyed was��


    The aftermath of the conflict on the battlefield.


    The Hall of Valor had already been ambushed, and while their efficiency in defeating demons was not low, it paled inparison to that of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions.


    Simultaneously, the disadvantages of the Hall of Valor were bing increasingly evident; all their objectives were focused on cultivating warriors above the god level.


    With insufficient resources allocated to mid-tierbat power, their overall fighting capability could not keep pace.


    Thus��


    On the side of the Golden Kingdom, there were three exceptionally outstanding yers��


    One was harnessing Thunder, soaring high above, and with every passing moment, a storm of lightning rained down around him, swiftly decimating demons.


    On the merit leaderboard, his name was rising rapidly.


    The second yer was of Supreme level, and his attack method was quite peculiar. He threw down seeds that then burst forth with a vibrant green light. When the first demon fell victim to that green light��


    The gue began!


    The emerald energy spread rapidly like a carpet of spores, soon covering a vast area of the battlefield in a lush green hue.


    Then, the demons fell like harvested wheat, copsing swiftly to the ground!


    Many hell yers who got caught could only use their life-saving items to escape or choose to perish right where they stood.


    The third yer��


    On the Ashen side, there were four yers with remarkably high monster-killing efficiency, including one with Supreme-level power.


    The first yer wielded a massive umbre; when he opened it, a dark curtain enveloped arge portion of the battlefield. When the darkness dissipated, all the monsters had mysteriously vanished.


    Only a pile of loot spheres remained on the ground, revealing the fate of those monsters��they had all been in.


    The second yer was surrounded by two giant beasts formed from psychic energy, constantly roaring��


    ��


    The two figures from the mysterious organization casually opened the merit leaderboard.


    As expected��


    The merit count on this leaderboard was rapidly increasing, but all the yers at the top were from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen!


    The Hall of Valor had only a few Supremes on the board.


    In the grand scheme of the leaderboard, they were like a drop in the ocean��insignificant.


    The two figures nodded in satisfaction: "We''ll make some arrangements; no one wille to investigate whether there''s any foul y in this event."


    "However, don''t forget that there''s another task at hand."


    The three gods immediately became serious, even showing a hint of anticipation.


    "Understood!"


    "We''ve brought a batch of demigods specifically to search for Solomon''s subordinates, and even Solomon himself, in hell."


    "Additionally�� this treasure not only helps us monitor the merit rankings on the battlefield but can also sense the presence of anyone using that spatial power."


    "Once he makes a move again, we''ll be able to capture him immediately!"


    ��


    At this moment, the three gods shifted their conversation to another matter, and even the god from the Hall of Valor changed his tone, sounding eager.


    They knew�� if they could really find a powerful being rted to that race��


    The rewards would far exceed just one slot in the upper realms.


    They could directly secure slots in the upper realms for themselves and gain extra rewards, enough to allow them to develop for quite some time in the upper realms.


    It would be equivalent to their millennium of hard training in Alpha 8.

 Chapter 327: The Power of Fission, Terrifying Enhancement!

    After discussing serious matters, the two figures from the mysterious organization seemed to rx, casually reclining and, at some point, producing wine sses in their hands.


    "Come on, let''s enjoy how the champions from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen showcase their strength."


    They appeared to be spectators, while the remaining three gods could only apany them.


    The expression of the god from the Hall of Valor finally cracked; he showed a hint of difort, which only made the two figures more pleased. They certainly weren''t there to watch a group of weaklings y equally weak demons��what fun would that be?


    Only the various embarrassing disys from these gods provided any amusement.


    The gods from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen pointed with pride, saying, "My lord, look here."


    "This is ourtest talent from the Golden Kingdom, named Keh. He has mastered a very rare Law Power known as Mirror."


    In the scene, a young man with a hint of arrogance in his eyes casually summoned semi-transparent, peculiar crystals. As the demons attempted to charge forward, they were engulfed and shattered by the crystals.


    What was originally a powerful demigod demon fell without any resistance!


    Although creating the crystals consumed a significant amount of energy for the young man, he maintained an exceptionally high killing speed thanks to his rapid consumption of various potions.


    At this moment, Keh was dominating the merit leaderboard with his Supreme-level strength!


    It''s worth mentioning that the merit leaderboard at this time did not count the previous merits from the "Hunt the Demon" event, as it was designed to put all yers on an equal footing.


    The Ashen god also spoke up: "This is the kind of individual destined to be a god in our next generation."


    What he referred to was a shadow swiftly moving across the battlefield.


    With every attack, dozens of afterimages were left behind, and ordinary legendary-level demons were instantly cleared out, while demigod-level foes were easily harvested by the lingering afterimages.


    He resembled a killing machine!


    "Impressive," one of the figuresmented, while the Ashen god added proudly, "Look over here."


    This time, he directed his attention toward the god from the Hall of Valor.


    The powerful figure he had just pointed out was actually harvesting merits near many yers from the Hall of Valor, which meant he was frantically stealing kills!


    Despite the efforts of the Hall of Valor yers to interfere, the speed of the afterimages was too fast for them to handle!


    "Good! You truly have a remarkable talent pool."


    The god from the Hall of Valor could no longer maintain hisposure.


    Usually, a strong being who had ascended to godhood maintained a stable mindset, but the dignity of a god was not to be trifled with��


    For hundreds, even thousands of years, no one had dared to mock or ridicule this god from the Hall of Valor. Now, with such a tant p in the face, how could he endure it?


    The two figures from the mysterious organization only found it amusing.


    "By the way! Marlon, shouldn''t you introduce the talents from the Hall of Valor?"


    The figures were neutral, simply seeking entertainment.


    Marlon was the name of the god from the Hall of Valor.


    At that moment, the Hall of Valor god had already adjusted his mindset, but hearing such ament struck him hard again.


    The three gods present, along with the two figures, all looked towards the screen disying the battlefield, and everything was unspoken.


    The Hall of Valor was not without strong yers, but inparison to the Golden Kingdom and Ashen, they were indeedcking��


    They had nothing impressive to show!


    Seeing this, the two figures and the gods couldn''t help but disy subtle smiles, barely containing their amusement.


    The figures pressed on, "Why don''t you introduce them? Why keep them hidden?"


    Marlon felt cornered by the teasing and, not daring to offend the two figures from the mysterious organization, could only reluctantly speak up, gesturing in a direction, "Actually, we from the Hall of Valor��"


    Just then��


    The space rippled.


    A figure wrapped in brilliant golden mes, shining like the morning star, suddenly appeared!


    It was Sterl.


    Though he had disguised himself in a ck cloak, obscuring his features,


    under the strong light, all the yers and demons present turned their attention to him, as did the three gods and the two figures from the mysterious organization in the Blood Red Fortress pce.


    It''s worth mentioning that Sterl now bore an entirely new appearance.


    Out of caution, he had established a principle: not to reuse his disguises unless absolutely necessary.


    At this moment��


    The atmosphere in the pce became suddenly eerie��


    Marlon was stunned. It wasn''t as if he had just pointed casually��why such a huge reaction? Were they joking?


    He turned around and was taken aback!


    What the��


    Just a moment ago, everything was calm, and now a figure had suddenly appeared?


    Who is he??


    Wait a minute, this person just happened to be in the direction I pointed??


    Marlon suddenly realized that the two figures and the gods��


    Could it be they thought this was one of my Hall of Valor members?


    No wonder they had such expressions��


    Marlon wasn''t foolish; a person who could emit such terrifying light must possess skills specifically for that purpose�� otherwise, they had to be overflowing with various powerful buffs, capable of making an explosive entrance that would rival the Supremes of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    To be honest, even if this glowing individual didn''t perform exceptionally well, he could still save a lot of face for the Hall of Valor.


    However, there was no one like that among the people the Hall of Valor had sent this time!


    The memory of a god was formidable.


    If Marlon said there wasn''t such a person, then the Hall of Valor absolutely didn''t have him.


    He felt a bit frustrated��


    This situation was going to be difficult to exin.


    In the pce, the expressions of the other two groups varied.


    The figures from the mysterious organization smiled subtly, seemingly eager for a show, but their abilities were above those of ordinary gods. They easily sensed the aura of the figure that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield��


    Hmm?


    Extremely weak?


    Forget about being a Supreme; he wasn''t even a demigod??


    Wow, he was hiding so deeply; it seemed there would be some entertainment after all.


    The gods from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen maintained their calm demeanor. After their initial surprise, they looked at Marlon with disdain.


    Don''t say we''re bullying you; we may not be targeting this expansion event, but we''ve long been training talents topete for the upper realms.


    Even if you from the Hall of Valor stumble upon someone with great potential, how powerful can they be without resources?


    The speed of thought among the gods was incredibly quick. In the moment they were contemting, Sterl''s actions on the screen changed once more.


    Sterl snapped his fingers.


    Snap!


    The sound of the snap was exceptionally crisp, and for some reason, it resonated clearly to everyone on the battlefield and the gods in the pce.


    In the next instant,


    Celestial Stars!


    Buzz!


    A warning sign appeared, covering an area of several hundred square meters.


    To be honest, in a normal battle, many demigod-level demons and yers could easily dodge it.


    But at this moment, the battlefield was in chaos, and the frontline yers from the Hall of Valor actively lent their support to help Sterl hold off the demons.


    Celestial Stars arrived as promised!


    Originally, this was just a golden-quality skill; even with Sterl fully buffed, it could only deal significant damage, but it couldn''t instantly kill demigod-level enemies. Killing legendary-level units relied on Sterl''s high attributes and output rather than the strength of the skill itself.


    However��


    The Power of Fission!


    Sterl suddenly felt a significant drop in his energy, yet an extremely terrifying destructive power was infused into Celestial Stars.


    Moreover, he felt a wave of dizziness, and it wasn''t solely due to the depletion of his blue energy.


    Moreover, infusing the skill with the Power of Fission required extremelyplex calction abilities. If it weren''t for Sterl''s high mental attributes boosted by various enhancements, he probably wouldn''t have been able to apply the Fission effect to Celestial Stars at all!


    However��


    It was precisely because this technique was calcted by him that Sterl wore a smile, fully aware of its power.


    For example��


    "There''s a faction mode in the game."


    Sterl thought to himself: "In reality, using this move would definitely require allies to evacuate first; otherwise�� the casualties would be catastrophic."


    His expression remained calm as he executed the move, surprisingly allowing himself to free-fall from midair without any follow-up action.


    Numerous demons and hell yers around him were stunned, instinctively wanting to attack this unguarded enemy.


    They gathered their energy, but just as they were about to execute their moves, they sensed a meteor hurtling down from the sky, bringing with it an immense pressure and a sense of impending doom!


    Before the meteor even struck the ground, it automatically disintegrated��or rather��exploded!


    Boom!!


    The explosion of Celestial Stars came without any special effects��no ally shields, no enemy stuns, nothing but raw, terrifying power.


    Boom!!


    In this hellishndscape, it was as if a great sun had risen!


    The zing light pierced everyone''s eyes, forcing them to retreat from its re!


    The yers of the Hall of Valor, just a moment ago, were skillfully assisting this suddenly appeared ally in controlling the demons, but now they had to stop their actions and shield their eyes.


    The forces from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen were in the same predicament; just a second ago, they were excitedly preparing to seize the opportunity, but now they also found themselves backing away.


    Even the three Supremes hovering above instinctively closed their eyes for a moment.


    For the allies, it felt like they were merely experiencing a bright light.


    However, for the demons, they were subjected to the terrifying heat, intense temperature, scorching mes, and nuclear explosions of Celestial Stars enhanced by the Power of Fission.


    The closest legendary demons didn''t even have time to react; they instantly turned to ash!


    The demigod-level demons could barely endure a bit longer, but under such pure and violent output, their bodies disintegrated bit by bit in the blinding light, until even thest strands of their existence were dissolved!.

 Chapter 328: The Arrival of the Great Sun, Dissolving Everything

    The hell yer team that Sterl first locked onto was met with the same fate.


    In the blinding white light, they didn''t have time to express any other emotions; they instinctively squinted their eyes��too bright!


    And that became theirst action.


    Caught in the nuclear explosion, they were brutally torn apart!


    What was most outrageous was that Sterl was astonished to see several demons and hell yers activating their life-saving items. Their bodies attempted to reassemble in the intense light, but unfortunately, before they could fully reform, they disintegrated once more!


    The power of the nuclear explosion seemed to consume everything.


    Unlike how One Sword Opens the Sky countered various items, under the influence of Fission, Celestial Stars was simply a brutally straightforward umtion of power. If the life-saving items could not quickly escape the range of the output, then it was equivalent to��useless!


    However��


    This was just the beginning��


    Just like Sterl''s previous life where he witnessed a nuclear explosion, beyond the core area with the greatest power, an even more terrifying energy radiation wave would scatter in all directions!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    That orb of energy forming the Great Sun showed no signs of dissipating; it unleashed waves of pure white high-thermal energy in all directions!


    As for the extent of the spread��


    Even Sterl couldn''t keep track.


    He simply stood still; the consumption of this move was not less than unleashing Shattered Void with all his strength.


    Moreover, it was too "mentally exhausting." Sterl felt a splitting headache. If it weren''t for being on the battlefield, he would have already pulled out Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to absorb and recover.


    But��


    It was indeed the immense consumption that kept him standing still. To others, however, it appeared as if this mysterious figure in a ck robe stood confidently in ce after executing his move, unwavering and imposing.


    This was all part of Sterl''s calctions!


    When it came to showmanship, he was indeed quite the professional.


    At this moment��


    The entire scene was silent!


    The white light gradually dissipated.


    The energy released after Fission was in its most brutal state, leaving behind an incredibly clean "ss-like" ground.


    Under the scorching heat, even the special soil and rocks of hell were melted down into a liquid ss state.


    As for the monsters? The hell yers?


    All hostile units within a radius of several hundred miles werepletely wiped out, leaving only the dazzling loot spheres behind. Besides the creations of the [Transcendence] system, everything else had dissipated. Even the air had be considerably fresher, with the pervasive stench of blood and sulfur evaporated from the entire region.


    Inside the pce of The Blood Red Fortress, the witnesses, or rather the gods, were left somewhat bewildered by the scene before them.


    "That yer shouldn''t be a Supreme, but their output is already on par with a Supreme? What is going on here?"


    "I didn''t even sense any fluctuations from their skills just now. What''s happening?"


    The one who was most astonished was Marlon, the god from the Hall of Valor. Immediately, the gods from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions spoke with a hint of acidity in their tones.


    "Wow, so you''re still pretending at this point?"


    "So this is your Hall of Valor''s secret weapon? Good! Good! Good!"


    "Alright, we admit defeat."


    "You guys from the Hall of Valor have really kept this under wraps."


    While they spoke, a flicker of apprehension shed in their eyes.


    What they had just witnessed was not any kind of Law Power, yet it managed to unleash such overwhelming might.


    If it were just that one demigod who happened to stumble upon this ability, that would be one thing.


    But if the Hall of Valor developed this secret weapon for the purpose of studying cmity, then they would be in trouble. Their two factions might not be able to withstand it even if they teamed up.


    The slots for the upper realms were ultimately limited. Only the leaders of major factions could escape the disaster, while most members had to remain in Alpha 8.


    If the Hall of Valor were to dominate the future��


    The other top factions would certainly not have an easy time.


    The two figures from the upper realms were also slightly astonished. "This level of energy and fluctuation should be characteristic of golden skills."


    "But how is that possible?"


    "The underlying code of [Transcendence] was designed to prevent golden skills from achieving such power��"


    "Or could it be that the yer is using a tinum Skill to enhance the golden skill??"


    Even these two well-informed individuals were somewhat taken aback; the scene before them defied logic.


    Members of the upper realms organization differed from the gods.


    While the gods might misinterpret their senses, these upper realms individuals had a special tool that allowed them to view the "code" of [Transcendence]��


    "Even though [Transcendence] is repairing its vulnerabilities at an increasing speed and our range of exploration is bing more restricted, it''s impossible to misinterpret what we find."


    "It''s definitely a golden skill."


    "No matter what, this demigod must be a top-tier talent."


    The two figuresmunicated through their minds, and they were not coveting the "power" in the hands of the demigod for a simple reason: many elements in [Transcendence] require the cumtive effects of various talent sses to form.


    The upper realms had the means to steal others'' talents, their sses, and even their skills, but executing such operations was incredibly troublesome��


    Each of these items required extremely valuable resources.


    It would be better to recruit that powerful demigod from the battlefield into their organization directly.


    Before long, they changed their tone.


    "Marlon, you from the Hall of Valor have really kept this under wraps!"


    "To have such talent and not even rmend them to us."


    The upper realms organization also needed to scout talents from the lower realms to fill their ranks. Most members typically entered through a rigorous selection process.


    But the ability of this mysterious demigod on the battlefield was just too strong!


    It was worth absorbing directly!


    The two individuals thought that by acting as rmenders, they might even earn a reward, which made their attitudes suddenly be enthusiastic.


    Just moments ago, they had been mocking the Hall of Valor for amusement.


    Now, their tone was filled with concern.


    Suddenly, Marlon felt that his emotional value skyrocketed; the two previously high-and-mighty individuals were now showing great concern, while the other two gods were visibly ufortable, forcing smiles. The only problem was��


    "This person is definitely not from our Hall of Valor; I have no recollection of him at all."


    "Huh?"


    "Huh!?"


    Meanwhile, the yers on the battlefield were unaware of the ongoing changes.


    The yers from the Hall of Valor stared nkly ahead.


    Where are the monsters? Where are the hell yers? There had been so many just moments ago, and now they were all gone?


    Simrly, members of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions were equally bewildered.


    In fact��


    Several top demigod Supremes, who had earlier been praised by their respective gods, stared around in confusion.


    The power of Fission affected the Celestial Stars, which did not only clear the monsters within a hundred miles.


    That was merely the core energy zone!


    The dissipated energy had annihted nearly all the low-health monsters over a range of thousands of miles. As for other non-low-health monsters��


    Sorry, a little bit of health was left at first, but soon they all fell to the ground, leaving everyone wondering why they had vanished!


    In other words��


    Originally, these powerful beings had been unting their prowess, snatching monsters and farming merit from other yers. Now, they had effectively sent back all the monsters they had stolen, and not just that, they had returned with several times the amount!


    They were left in a state of despair, wanting to cry but having no tears!


    At this moment��


    All the yers present snapped back to their senses.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    "Are you crazy? Stealing monsters like that!"


    "Bro! Aren''t you a bit out of line?"


    "If you want to mess around, do itter; we can''t let you keep doing this."


    ��


    Many yers, in their anger, yelled at Sterl, but soon their tone softened as they tried to persuade him.


    They looked at the mysterious demigod standing before them, and no matter how displeased they were, they dared not speak out; what if he dropped thatst "Celestial Star" attack on their heads?


    The yers felt��


    They wouldn''t survive; they simply wouldn''t survive.


    Among those questioning yers were not only members of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions but also quite a few from the Hall of Valor, all of whom were in despair.


    When Sterl made his move, he had simply chosen a spot dense with enemy units where he could maximize his gain of blood-colored documents,pletely disregarding which yers were farming monsters nearby.


    The interests of the Hall of Valor? What did it matter to him?


    However, faced with the many yers'' "persuasion," Sterl''s response was simple. Although he had expended quite a bit of energy and felt a bit of a headache, it was nothingpared to the merits he was about to earn!


    He raised his hand and unleashed another empowered Celestial Star!


    The power of Fission erupted once more.


    This time, Sterl was determined; the power of his attack could no longer just graze the edges of the battlefield.


    Instead, he aimed directly at the center of a massive cluster of demons!


    In an instant, the same blue warning indicator appeared. This time, even the demons manipted by the hell yers learned their lesson and quickly scattered in all directions.


    Other yers also wised up, realizing they couldn''t help this mysterious figure control the monsters; otherwise, they would be the ones losing out. Thus��


    Stardust enhancement �� release speed!


    Sterl was well-prepared!


    At the moment the warning indicator appeared, another round of the great sun rose on the battlefield.


    Then an incredibly terrifying burning force began to engulf a Supreme-level presence among the demonic horde, and he couldn''t withstand the power of this attack!


    In less than half a second, he was reduced to ashes.


    In a direct confrontation, Supremes could easily evade the Celestial Stars enhanced by the power of Fission.


    The battlefield was too chaotic, with various skill fluctuations blending together.


    The fluctuation of a golden skill was nearly undetectable!


    The Supreme among the hell yers was unable to dodge the initial attack and had no choice but to use his survival item!


    Fortunately, he had seen the horror of the first wave of Celestial Stars when it erupted.


    After activating his survival item, he swiftly teleported thousands of miles away, barely escaping the second wave of radiation and heat that would have dissolved him!


    But while the Supreme managed to escape, the ordinary demigod-level and legendary demons, as well as the hell yers nearby, were not so fortunate.


    It wouldn''t be fair to say they were doomed��


    After all, they hadn''t even realized what was happening before they felt a sudden heat enveloping them, leading to their swift demise!

 Chapter 329 Summoning the Gods!

    329 Summoning the Gods!


    Amidst the dazzling light, a massive gap opened up on the battlefield. In the first wave, the overwhelming power unleashed at the front lines caused Sterl''s Fission-enhanced Celestial Stars to waste a significant amount of output. Now, as the Celestial Stars bloomed at the heart of the demon army, every ounce of energy was dedicated to inflicting damage. Sterl had no idea how many monsters he had wiped out in that one strike! Combined with the experience gained from the hell yers and demons, he felt as if his experience bar was about to overflow, skyrocketing upward! As for the heaps of loot spheres scattered across the ground�� Sterl didn''t have the time to collect them. Fortunately, during the exploration event, the [Transcendence] system provided some convenient services, such as the option to spend gold to automatically pick up items�� Sterl hadn''t chosen that option yet, nning to collect everything in one goter to save some money. He gritted his teeth against the headache and swallowed an Energy Surge Capsule, knowing that once the battle ended, he would be able to fully enjoy the aftermath�� Thebined side effects would definitely be an exhrating experience. As Sterl consumed the potion�� The yers from the three major factions were still in shock, but the demon coalition reacted quickly, or rather, the will of hell responded�� This inexplicable enemy�� They couldn''t engage him; the damage he inflicted was too devastating. Each skill cast drained the hell army''s strength! If he unleashed a few more, there would be no need for a war; they would simply copse. However�� The hell army was vast and organized; retreating was not that simple. Under the influence of the will of hell, they had a unified approach, but executing it led to chaos as they collided and shoved one another! Thus�� The third wave of Celestial Stars descended! This wave of bombardment was slightly less effective than the second, as the hell yers and demons were frantically fleeing, causing their formation to be a bit more scattered. Yet still�� Across a thousand miles, the radiant light illuminated everything! In the end, no units survived, leaving behind a vast expanse of "cleanliness." After three consecutive bombardments�� Sterl remained in the same stance, standing calmly and proudly in ce, emanating an aura of strength that made the surrounding yers dare not look him in the eye. They were all filled with�� anger. "Are you insane?!" "Damn it! Why are we still being polite? He''s already finished off all the monsters." "This is your final warning; know when to stop!" �� At this moment�� The yers from the three major factions, facing a formidable enemy and immense pressure, finally united. However, their true enemy and source of pressure was none other than Sterl himself! In response, Sterl casually tossed out the fourth Celestial Stars.


    He felt no anger from the yers'' fury; instead, it only served to enhance his own image. "Great! Shout more! I love it." Sterl chuckled to himself; even the headache caused by the massive energy consumption andputational strain was alleviated somewhat. Once again, amidst the dazzling light, devastation reigned! After the fourth round of Celestial Stars�� He was already preparing for the fifth wave! In fact, the yers from the three major factions hadn''t even finished their curses and pleas from the previous round when Sterl was ready to unleash two attacks in session. The main reason was that if he missed this opportunity, it might note again. Only in this kind of chaotic warfare could Sterl maximize the damage output of his Fission-enhanced skills, clearing out the most monsters in one go and reaping the highest rewards! Forget about other yers trying to argue with him; even if they charged at him together, he would simply turn off the Faction mode and wipe out these allies without a second thought. Sterl''s principle was simple: he wouldn''t stir up trouble unless necessary, but anyone who interfered with his profit-making had to pay the price. After all, Sterl was still unaware that a divine being and representatives from the upper realms were already present in the Blood Red Fortress. Right now, he felt invincible! Strong individuals could act with impunity. "Since that''s the case, don''t me us!" "Good! Good! Good! So this is how you want to y?" "Fine!" At this moment, the yers from the three major factions were united in their animosity. If their resentment could take physical form, it would be countless sharp des aimed at Sterl. Finally, the atmosphere reached a boiling point. The yers suddenly made their move. And they all moved together! One by one, they roared to the sky: "Supreme Lord, please intervene and stop him; otherwise, we can''t continue ying!" "Expel this guy from the battlefield!" "This person is too selfish; as long as he''s here, none of us canplete our event tasks." �� To the yers'' surprise, the Supremes didn''t even need to be prompted; they seemed ready for action. The Supremes began taking out their items�� And initiatedmunication. Ordinary yers didn''t know, but these Supremes were aware that their faction had sent a divine being to the Blood Red Fortress for garrison duty. Although having a divine being in an exploration event without divine-level powers was a waste, now there was a need for action. They aimed to rein in the one who had been continuously unleashing the Celestial Stars�� and remind him not to go too far. After theirmunications, the Supremes spoke sternly: "The one releasing the Celestial Stars should know when to stop; we''ve already notified the divine being." "Your disruption of the event''s order will surely provoke them to intervene." "Think carefully; no matter how much you gain, can itpare to the wrath of a divine being?" Their imposing presence and thunderous words resonated like a storm, causing unease to swell in the hearts of those who heard them.


    The only problem was that the Supremes were not making a move�� One by one, they spoke while keeping their distance from Sterl, afraid of being hit by the Celestial Stars. They had all witnessed how badly the Supreme among the hell yers had suffered. If it hadn''t been for their special survival items allowing them to escape miles away in an instant, they would have been done for. Although they weren''t in the same chaotic situation as the hell yers, as long as they retreated to their allies'' camp, they could easily dodge any attacks from that mysterious demigod by recognizing the energy fluctuations in advance. But who was to say that the demigod didn''t have some kind of auxiliary targeting ability? What if it did��? Wouldn''t that spell disaster for them? So�� Sterl was fully prepared to take action, but he found that amid the charged atmosphere, the yers from the three major factions were only doing one thing:ining. And then, they did a second thing�� They stood still�� waiting! Who would make the first move? Certainly not him. That mysterious demigod had such high damage output; if they charged in, they would just end up being farmed as monsters! Even the Supremes were in a panic! At this moment, Sterl�� Was genuinely "scared." If an ordinary person had his level of power, they would act recklessly, but Sterl was always exceptionally cautious. Hearing that a divine being was present, his expression changed instantly. He quickly prepared to activate his Ascend to Godhood ability, and while remaining vignt�� he charged up once more, unleashing another Fission-enhanced Celestial Stars to rain down! Previously, he had nned to escape at the first sign of a divine being, but now that the deity hadn''t shown up yet, Sterl wasn''t in a hurry to leave; instead, he wanted to seize the opportunity to spawn a few more waves! Once again, the Celestial Stars blossomed into a radiant sphere, scorching the very fabric of the battlefield.


    Sterl waited, the yers from the three major factions waited, and the Supremes flying high above waited. They were all waiting for the divine intervention! One second passed. The radiant sphere zed bright. Countless demons turned to ash. Two seconds passed, and the radiant sphere gradually dimmed, its aftershock harvesting the lives of countless monsters across the miles. Three seconds passed. Sterl spent purple coins to purchase the [Transcendence] service, gathering countless loot spheres into his inventory, where the number of loot spheres from this wave had already exceeded the collection limit. After the [Transcendence] service ended, arge number of light spheres refreshed and disappeared, directly filling Sterl''s inventory, which now disyed a full status. A prompt shed before his eyes: [Inventory Full: Remaining items have been transferred to your mailbox.] Yet there were still a few light spheres lingering in ce. Four seconds passed, and Sterl drank another potion, starting to umte [Fission]. But where was the divine being? Where had it gone? The yers from the three major factions, including those Supremes, were all dumbfounded! Sterl was also confused; he released [Fission], relying entirely on instinctive calctions, with his mind fully focused on guarding against the divine being''s attack. He didn''t think the Supremes were bluffing�� But the shadow of the divine being�� Waspletely absent! What was going on? Even the demons controlled by hellish wills and the hell yers were starting to lose it. Through the Swallowing Heaven system, they had trantion capabilities and were aware that something had changed in the main world war group; that terrifying enemy releasing the Celestial Stars was supposed to be targeted! They awaited eagerly. Once that mysterious demigod was targeted, it surely wouldn''t be able to keep unleashing the Celestial Stars. At the very least, they would have a chance to breathe on the battlefield. But where was the targeting? What happened to the promised targeting? Were they being deceived?! Their mentality began to break down. Meanwhile, Sterl didn''t care about any of that; he continued unleashing his skills. Yet another Celestial Star descended, harvesting everything in its path! For the other yers, nothing they did had any meaning left. In the intervals between two Celestial Stars, they could only manage to kill a few legendary demons, yielding minimal rewards. Facing a demigod-level demon was even more frustrating. If they didn''t act, they would be injured by the demons, and then the Celestial Stars would fall, taking all the enemies away. If they did act, and somehow managed to injure the enemy, their kills would be snatched away. At this point, the yers finally broke downpletely. yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions had red eyes, filled with fury. "Good! Good! Good! So you want to be our enemy, huh?" "Damn it! Forget about him! Let''s farm the monsters!" "What are you waiting for? Grab whatever you can!" "Shit! This time we''re just unlucky! Let''s go!" Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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 Chapter 330 The Attention of the Upper Realms Organization

    330 The Attention of the Upper Realms Organization


    Amidst the roars of anger, the yers from the two factions were ready to dere war on Sterl. Then�� Some of them had made up their minds, determined to grab whatever scraps they could; anything was better than nothing. Others simply took to the skies, preparing to leave this area, which had originally been filled with enemies and abundant resources�� As for attacking Sterl�� That was out of the question. Once you reached the level of a legendary demigod, who would risk their life? As for the yers from the Hall of Valor, Sterl''s colleagues, witnessing this scene�� Their morale was shattered! Alreadycking mid-tierbat power, they had put all their strength into the most intense area of the battlefield. Now, a yer had swooped in and snatched away everything they could have imed. As a result, the Hall of Valor had, so far, gained almost nothing in terms of merit! Other factions still had some demigods active in different parts of the battlefield. But the Hall of Valor had suffered tremendously! "Why are we being targeted like this?" "Where the hell did that guye from?" "First it was Ashen and Golden Kingdom, and now this mysterious demigod. Are we not allowed to survive?" "What''s the point of even participating in this event?" �� With their mental states crumbling, even the demigods from Golden Kingdom and Ashen were slow to react, taking a few extra moments before flying to other battlefields to earn merit. In their frustration, their thoughts had be disordered�� The yers from Hall of Valor faced even worse misfortune. Their initial chaos had led to poor positioning when they finally made it to other parts of the battlefield�� And their gains continued to diminish! This wave of losses for the Hall of Valor was even worse than before the mysterious demigod had appeared! Of course�� It wasn''t just them. At this moment�� On both sides of the battlefield, be they demons or yers, there was a shared sense of resentment�� What was the divine being doing? The damned deity of the main world��was it cking off? Why wasn''t it intervening? When the three divine beings received the Supreme''s plea for help, their first reaction was to nce at the two shadowy figures from the mysterious organization. They didn''t even mention their subordinate''s call for aid. After all, if these two mysterious figures favored the mysterious demigod�� They wouldn''t want to risk offending them by taking action. Sure enough, the two figures eximed excitedly, "No matter which faction this mysterious demigod belongs to, he has already proven his potential." "Identifying such talent is also a stroke of luck for us in the Alpha 8 Crystal Barrier Gxy." Their grandiose statements made the three divine beings'' eyes twitch in response. Sure enough! It was a good thing they hadn''t mentioned temporarily leaving to go reprimand that mysterious demigod; otherwise, they would have walked right into a trap. The three divine beings maintained calm expressions. Although they wanted to benefit their subordinate factions, they would not prioritize this over pleasing the two shadowy figures from the mysterious organization. Instead, they kept nodding in agreement. "Thanks to the blessings of the two esteemed figures." "Indeed! The emergence of such talent is truly a stroke of luck." "This uing expansion event will surely help him soar to new heights." However�� The two divine beings from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen nced at the merit leaderboard and couldn''t help but voice their concerns: "Esteemed ones, this means we''ve suffered substantial losses." "Originally, even though our merit was modest, we still managed to hold a ce on the leaderboard. Now, that mysterious yer has monopolized all the monsters." "Even if our people rank high, will their merit values be too low?" "Will we be able to pass through to the organization?" They felt a bit anxious; it didn''t matter how badly their yers were faring��the quota from the upper realms was essential�� Otherwise, the other divine beings within Golden Kingdom and Ashen would surely join forces to punish these two! The shadowy figures from the mysterious organization frowned slightly. "No problem." "Not an issue." "If you can introduce that demigod to me, I will also help you smooth things over." After somemunication, the midnight figure from the Hall of Valor denied that the mysterious demigod came from their ranks. This meant that this being did not belong to any top faction. Perfect! It was just right for recruitment into the organization, allowing for better cultivation of loyalty. However, the two figures from the mysterious organization weren''t nning to personally recruit him. It wasn''t that they couldn''t lower themselves; internal restrictions within their organization prevented them from acting freely in the lower realms. They could only operate through these divine beings. 13:45 n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, the two figures from the mysterious organization weren''t nning to personally recruit him. It wasn''t that they couldn''t lower themselves; internal restrictions within their organization prevented them from acting freely in the lower realms. They could only operate through these divine beings. At this moment, the three divine beings naturally agreed wholeheartedly. "No problem, we will certainly do our best." "We will definitely bring him over." Yet, the figure from the Hall of Valor remained unfazed. He was due for a reward for his assistance! Thus, looking at the dire situation of the Hall of Valor members below, Marlon maintained a calm demeanor. In contrast, the expressions of the two from Ashen and Golden Kingdom were much more strained. It seemed their reward for introducing the mysterious demigod would likely just be a way to smooth over the merit leaderboard situation. But wasn''t this mess caused by that mysterious demigod himself? He not only put them in such a terrible position but also expected them to curry favor and recruit him? Unbelievable! However�� Originally, the two divine beings were prepared to endure, but suddenly their expressions changed dramatically. They looked at Marlon�� At that moment, the divine being from the Hall of Valor wore a faint smile on his lips.


    Marlon simply felt pleased that the other two divine beings were struggling and that he still had a chance to receive a reward from the organization. His mood was lifted. However, this soon became his greatest downfall! "Marlon!" "You�� are something else!" The divine beings from the two factions were furious. Marlon was momentarily stunned,pletely unaware of what was happening. "What are you talking about?" "Still pretending??" "You im not to know that demigod." "Isn''t he one of yours from the Hall of Valor?" The divine beings from the two factions shouted. "What nonsense are you spouting?" "Are you out of your mind?" Marlon retorted, his toneced with a strange quality. If such a powerful figure had been nurtured by the Hall of Valor, he would be thrilled rather than hiding�� Wait? Suddenly, he noticed that the other two divine beings and the two shadowy figures from the mysterious organization were all fixated on the emerging merit leaderboard. Originally, the leaderboard was dominated by the Golden Kingdom and Ashen, with only a few Supremes from the Hall of Valor holding top ranks. [Anonymous yer ? Power Details: Unknown ? Affiliation: Hall of Valor ? Current Merit Rank: First ? Current Cumtive Merit: 76,422 points.] Scrolling down the leaderboard, he saw [Isaac ? Power Details: Supreme ? Affiliation: Golden Kingdom ? Current Merit Rank: Second ? Current Merit: 9,872 points.] In an instant, Marlon fell silent. He even doubted whether the merit leaderboard had malfunctioned; it looked like a one-rank difference, but in reality, they were two entirely different realms of existence! And he quickly realized that this anonymous yer was undoubtedly that demigod dominating the battlefield. Who else could amass such a massive amount of merit in such a short time, aside from the one causing widespread devastation? This mysterious demigod had, single-handedly, absorbed all the rewards from the battlefield! "So that means�� he really is from the Hall of Valor." Marlon spoke in a confused tone, overwhelmed by the shocking revtion. The divine beings from Golden Kingdom and Ashen, however, looked extremely grim! Divine beings typically remained emotionally stable over ordinary matters, but this was a significant issue concerning their future destinies! If that mysterious demigod had belonged to the Golden Kingdom or Ashen, they could have leveraged his power to secure a slot in the upper realms. But now, that mysterious demigod was affiliated with the Hall of Valor! Not only had he caused substantial losses to the Golden Kingdom and Ashen, but he also enabled the Hall of Valor, which had been struggling, to potentially gain massive rewards by rmending him. Although the ordinary demigod Supremes from the Hall of Valor would suffer losses, who would even care about them?


    Marlon chuckled and addressed the shadowy figures from the mysterious organization, "Esteemed ones, I have no knowledge of this demigod''s existence. He might be one of our talents secretly nurtured by the Hall of Valor, which is not under my purview." "If you need me to introduce him, I can arrange it immediately!" He made a solemn promise, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. This divine being also wanted to avoid trouble in the upper realms; he just hadn''t had the chance until now. The divine beings from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen turned pale at his words. It was over! The mysterious demigod had disrupted their ns, and they couldn''t take any action. The Hall of Valor had a head start in courting this demigod, leaving the Golden Kingdom and Ashen unable to offer anything to the shadowy figures to smooth over the leaderboard situation. This was a disaster! Were their chances of securing a slot in the upper realms about to vanish? Divine beings were not without their fears; within the ranks of the top factions, there existed entities that could easily trample and punish them. The two shadowy figures from the mysterious organization, however, were rather loyal and waved their hands dismissively. "This individual and the Hall of Valor may not be on the same side. Did you not see how he was still taking down monsters from the Hall of Valor?" Though they mentioned the stealing of monsters, their tone was almost admiring, as if they were saying that the strong should ruthlessly humiliate the weak. Upon hearing this, the expressions of the divine beings from the two factions suddenly shifted as they grasped the key point. That''s right! They had forgotten something crucial��the Hall of Valor''s style was to withhold resources from mid-tier talents. This mysterious demigod could very well be someone who had trained himself. Then�� His rtionship with the Hall of Valor might not be that close after all. They still had a chance to win him over! What were they waiting for? They needed to act immediately. But? As the two divine beings contemted, they realized that Marlon had already vanished. They were slow to react; he had already consulted with the shadowy figures from the organization and could now proceed with his ns. Before they could even speak, the figures maintained their smiles and said, "Alright, you may go." They looked as if they were enjoying the situation, eagerly anticipating the moment when the three factions'' divine beings would begin topete and turn against one another. "We will obey! We will definitely bring him to you!" The two divine beings shed away, disappearing within the pce.


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 Chapter 331 The Divine Ascension

    331 The Divine Ascension


    At this moment, on the battlefield, another dazzling burst of white light descended. Sterl shook his head. "That''s enough." In front of him, although there still were many demons on the battlefield, they appeared somewhat scattered. Some of the enemies had fled, while others had been directly ughtered by Sterl. Observing the core war zone, which he had thoroughly harvested, Sterl didn''t hesitate to drink another potion and soared toward the areas where the enemies were less concentrated. While he was puzzled as to why the divine beings had not yet made their move, he was intent on maximizing his kills before they did. As he left, the surviving demons and hell yers felt as if they had received a reprieve. When facing other enemies, the will of Hell would control them, forcing them to lose their fear. However, when confronted with the demigod who created the radiant sphere, the will of Hell no longer suppressed the emotions of the demons and hell yers, allowing them to flee. This was simply absurd! Yet�� The demons and hell yers were celebrating too soon. At this moment, a figure slowly emerged�� He wore a peculiar patterned mask and a bright red robe draped over his back. His aura was that of a demigod, and his hand was in a strange posture, as if he were concealing something. Seeing this, the hell yers and demons felt a flicker of joy. "Hey, most of the forces have retreated, and you''re still here. Isn''t this just an opportunity for us to vent?" "Are you aware that we''ve been ughtered by that terrifyingpanion God and havee here to be a punching bag? Thanks!" Immediately, many demons, realizing this demigod was left behind, surged forward with great momentum, surrounded by strange glimmers, activating their chaos skills. Energy streams locked onto the demigod, leaving him with seemingly no way to evade or hide. However�� This new demigod was none other than Sterl''s Bionic Tear, which he used to absorb the blood-colored document. He was unable to use the Fission power��or rather, he couldn''t independently wield it. This maneuver required substantialputational prowess, and only Sterl could control Bionic Tear to execute it. But it didn''t have to be thatplicated. Bionic Tear revealed itself because it felt sorry for these demons and hell yers being left alive without being killed. So, it gradually umted a Flowing Water de. Then�� The de was drawn, and it charged forward! Swish! Swish! Swish! After the sh of the de, Following that, the full might of Flowing Water Thousand Cuts was unleashed. Since there were no powerful units left in this area when Sterl departed, Bionic Tear didn''t need to unleash any ultimate moves to swiftly harvest merit! One by one, the hell yers and demons horrifiedly realized they were being effortlessly sliced into pieces by this seemingly weak demigod.


    If the previous guy who unleashed the radiant spherewas terrifying, the remaining demigod wasn''t far behind. Although itcked the outrageous area damage, its single-target damage was exceedingly frightening. Under the enhancement of One Sword Opens the Sky, the hell yers couldn''t even use their life-saving items before being brutally in!


    Immediately, the demons and hell yers, who had been filled with bravado moments earlier, began to run for their lives. The excitement they had felt was now reced by sheer agony. What terrified them even more was that this demigod seemed like an unyielding machine, relentlessly pursuing them. This was a defining characteristic of Bionic Tear; in the absence of Sterl''smand, it would execute prior instructions tirelessly and without end. On the other side, Sterl swiftly arrived at the next densely packed area of demons, ignoring the yers from the three major factions, and reduced the health of numerous monsters by half. Without hesitation, he unleashed a Fission-enhanced Celestial Stars. The yers from the three factions initially didn''t react; they only felt�� "Hey? Why is it getting bright in Hell??"


    The next second, their eyes widened, and their minds exploded with disbelief! In the brilliant light, the radiant spheredescended once more! It devoured everything! It consumed not only the lives of the demons and hell yers but also the furious curses of countless yers from the three factions, along with the merits they had anticipated pocketing. "Damn it, when will you stop?!" "I will kill you, this is too much!" "Do you think that after stealing so many monsters, the divine being will spare you when they arrive? You must die!" Unfortunately, no matter how much anger they felt, it all turned to nothing under the might of Fission. Then came the second wave, followed by the third wave of the radiant sphere! Last time in the Dream of Lye, Sterl had been forced to restock potions due to insufficient supplies. He had reflected on that moment; in the previous instance space, he had time to buy potions, but could he expect such opportunities every time? What if he encountered a situation where escape was impossible and needed to engage in long-term, high-intensity battles? That would be disastrous. Sterl thought to himself, considering the abundant rewards from monster farming, and since he wasn''t in a hurry to upgrade his gear, he had exchanged for numerous potions to keep on hand. From slowly recovering ordinary potions to those that squeezed extra limits out of his energy, to instant recovery potions�� He had it all. he could sustain full firepower for half a year!


    In theory, in this situation, Sterl had not finished the potion, and he was exhausted to the point of being drained dry.


    At this moment, after a continuous release of Fission, he was frantically consuming the potion, and there was no sign of slowing down in his calctions. A debuff appeared on him: [Drug Overdose: You will lose additional life force when using potions].


    But Sterl didn''t care; the small amount of health he lost was instantly replenished through his life force reservoir.


    As a result, the battlefield quickly transformed into a one-man show. After a few rounds of bombardment, the second battlefield was nearly cleared as well.


    With a perfect level of spatial Law, Sterl moved with great efficiency through Shadow Stealth, not to mention that the damage he emitted after the radiant sphereblossomed could be converted into Starlight Spray.


    Amid the dazzling white light, nearly imperceptible azure threads shimmered. For those demigod-level legendary units, this mediocre passive ability didn''t inflict much damage, but it left Sterl with countless Cursed Vision marks.


    Sterl couldunch rapid teleportation attacks, to the point that many yers from the three major factions hadn''t even reacted yet��


    In the middle of fighting monsters, suddenly, a sun rose before them.


    Then, it was gone! All gone!


    Their spawned monsters transformed into merit, flowing into the hands of that mysterious demigod as loot spells.


    Those luckier ones could see beams of red light shining continuously from afar like rays; they knew it was time for them to stop.


    Because, in the next second, the radiant spherewould rise��


    And everything would be over.


    The entire battlefield had gone from hellish chaos at the beginning to a one-man performance! Other yers, at first wanting to salvage the situation, gradually became numb, stopping their actions upon seeing the radiant spheredescend.


    Forget it; they wouldn''t get any kills anyway.


    After all, Sterl''s output had far surpassed the Supreme level. His role was akin to those secluded Supremes about to participate in the Valor Combatants conference.


    However, those Supremes looked down on the rewards from this expansion event.


    Yet, strangely, Sterl''s output, boosted by Fission, was even more terrifying than those secluded Supremes, and he was still stirring up trouble on the battlefield!


    Meanwhile, hecked for nothing in terms of rewards and wanted to grab everything!


    Thus, the yers present could onlyment their fate.


    In less than ten minutes, Sterl had cleared eight battlefields.


    His experience bar was overflowing.


    He was definitely at level 150!


    The additional twenty levels of experience were more than enough.


    Sterl felt that even if the experience requirements after bing legendary increased dramatically, finishing this expansion event might allow him to reach level 160 or higher!


    And his blood force surged, reaching a whopping 190 points!


    Previously, Sterl had been grinding the insect race in Dream of Lye for months in the chaotic time Law, barely earning a hundred points. Now, in just a short while, his gains were astronomical!


    It could be said that everything aligned perfectly for him��timing, location, and opportunity. The expansion event, the bacsh of Hell''s Will, and the acquisition of Fission power; without any one of these elements, he wouldn''t have achieved such sess!


    Sterl himself felt that once he finished this wave of bloodshed on the battlefield, hisbat power would increase significantly. But who knew when he would have the chance to grind like this again?


    Just as he was about to unleash a Celestial Stars spell, he suddenly halted. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a rare flicker of vignce crossed his usually calm demeanor. A strange energy surged within him, and he was ready to ascend to godhood at any moment.


    Then, a tremendous pressure descended from the sky!


    He knew��


    The gods, who had only existed in the words of various Supremes, were now descending!


    Around him, a group of yers from the Hall of Valor began to show expressions of wild joy.


    In the sky, a figure was bing increasingly clear. It was a deep, shadowy Divine Power that darkened a corner of the blood-red Heavenly Curtain.


    The god of darkness and night��Marlon!


    Countless yers from the Hall of Valor had witnessed this deity in action, effortlessly trapping enemies in a sphere that symbolized endless night and shattering them. He was the hallmark of the Hall of Valor, the god of war.


    Crushing that madman who was creating radiant spheres would be as easy as squashing an ant.


    Following this, yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen looked up at the two luminous points in the sky, their expressions filled with astonishment. As warriors with strong wills, legends, and demigods, they could hardly hold back their tears!


    Simultaneously, yers from the three major factions began shouting in unison.


    "Great God, you have finally arrived!"


    "Do you know how badly we''ve been scammed?"


    "We must punish this guy severely!"


    "He doesn''t belong to any of our three factions and shouldn''t have the right toe in and grind monsters! Execute him!"


    "Kill him!"


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 Chapter 332: The Most United Moment of the Three Major Factions

    In an instant, everyone was roaring with indignation, as if they were trying to release all the grievances they had just suffered.


    Finally, the deity had arrived!


    Wasn''t there now light?


    Wasn''t there now justice?


    That detestable mysterious demigod was finally going to face punishment!


    How would he die??


    It definitely couldn''t be an easy one-hit kill; they needed to unleash all the pent-up anger first.


    The major factions all had perfected interrogation techniques for dealing with enemies.


    The mysterious demigod, who had sought to take all their merits, would have to spit out everything he had earned, and he would need to contribute his entire life''s fortune just to have a chance at death.


    Many people even threw out items, sending strange chains flying rapidly toward the mysterious demigod, wrapping around him.


    The yers were incredibly excited!


    Sterl looked at the three deities slowly descending with great vignce.


    Moreover, he suddenly received a prompt: [You are currently affected by the item Binding Chains; you cannot use teleportation skills or log out.]


    There was such a thing, and Sterl was somewhat surprised.


    However�� it was quite normal to be unable to use teleportation skills; even deities could seal them. These yers were just wasting their items.


    As for being unable to log out duringbat, it wouldn''t help to force a logout; his character would simply remain in ce, turning into a wooden stake, and his ount would still be gged for deletion.


    Sterl knew that the next moments would determine whether he could earn merits and whether he would survive to spend them��


    He was always prepared to use the [Emergency Escape Device] he had previously upgraded to make a run for it; that thing could not be intercepted even by gods, and it would allow Sterl to save up some Divine Power for ascension to godhood.


    Tick-tock��


    Sterl heard a drop of sweat fall from his forehead onto the ground, making a crisp sound.


    The first two deities to arrive, from Ashen and the Golden Kingdom, locked onto Sterl''s position one after the other.


    Sterl didn''t rush to escape because the third deity still had a chance to act.


    He chose to stall for a bit.


    With three gods in position, using items was obviously the most profitable move.


    However, Sterl also found it strange��


    These two gods, who clearly had arrivedter than the deity from the Hall of Valor, seemed to have used some secret technique to forcibly elerate and reach his vicinity.


    Was there this much hatred? If there was hatred, it should be directed more toward the Hall of Valor; the losses for these two factions weren''t that significant.


    Facing the pressure of the two gods, Sterl remained calm and made sarcastic remarks.


    Instantly, the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen were ecstatic!


    They hadn''t expected their gods to show such favoritism, hurrying to deliver justice for them.


    Plus, that drop of sweat from the mysterious demigod��


    They felt��


    Incredibly excited!


    "Wee, Great Deity! We implore you to deliver justice!"


    "We have never suffered such great humiliation as we have today."


    Each yer''s eyes sparkled with anticipation and joy, and they didn''t speak further; it was a sign of respect for the gods. At the same time, they cast cold sneers in Sterl''s direction, with some even making gestures of cutting their throats.


    Now you''re sweating, now you''re feeling pressure; where was your fear when you were snatching monsters just a moment ago?


    In their eyes��


    This man was doomed!


    They had seen powerful Supremes before, but the ironw of this world was that gods were not to be offended; no matter how strong you were, facing a deity made you nothing more than an ant!


    At this moment, the fear and anxiety radiating from the mysterious demigod were the finest wine for the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen��a sensation that was intoxicating.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    The two deities walked at a measured pace, each step exuding an inexplicable aura that left all the yers present in awe.


    Meanwhile, in the distance, more yers from the three major factions were flying over. Seeing that the mysterious demigod was about to meet his fate, they had given up on grinding monsters and hurried over to watch the spectacle!


    The loss of a little merit by not grinding monsters was a small price to pay to witness the mysterious demigod, who had been so arrogant moments ago, struggling like a dying dog under the hands of true gods, only to ultimately meet his demise. That was simply delightful!


    The yers showed their respect for the deities by remaining quiet, but their eyes were filled with eager anticipation!


    Some even linked arms and hovered in mid-air, pulling out delicacies and wine, preparing to enjoy a meal while taking in the scene. Everyone was overjoyed!


    They fixated on the scene near the mysterious demigod��


    Each step the god took forward meant that the mysterious demigod was inching closer to death.


    Ha ha!


    Delightful!


    At this moment, Sterl was far too focused to care about the malicious gazes surrounding him.


    His body was tense to the extreme, always ready to pull out the escape device from his small world.


    Then, in the next second, the ground shook!


    The two deities smiled and spoke, "This��"


    As the first word left their lips��


    All the yers from the three factions were entranced.


    It felt as if they could already see the mysterious demigod being swiftly captured and meeting a gruesome end.


    Some yers were so excited they pounded their chests and stamped their feet, gritting their teeth.


    "Let''s see how you like it for stealing our merits!"


    However��


    One second passed��


    Two seconds passed��


    The yers could only see the mouths of the two deities moving, yet no actions were taken. What were they doing??


    After pondering for a moment, some yers reached a conclusion.


    Got it!


    To kill someone, you must first break their spirit!


    At this moment, the mysterious demigod waspletely at their mercy; a few taunts were absolutely warranted.


    One could only say that the deities knew how to enjoy themselves...


    However, after the group of yers from the three factions listened carefully to the deities'' words, their expressions immediately changed.


    "This young friend, your strength and talent are truly the best I have ever seen."


    "To have suchbat power at the demigod level, your future is limitless."


    "It is our fortune, and the fortune of Alpha 8, to discover a talent like you during this expansion event."


    "We wonder if we could take a moment to step aside and have a chat."


    "Rest assured, we will not bring you any harm. We can first sign a contract in the [Transcendence] system; should there be any breach, your soul will perish."


    The two deities approached Sterl, not even flying, and spoke to him with kind expressions.


    One of them appeared as an elderly man, while the other took on the form of a proud young man.


    Yet now, the elder spoke in a gentle tone, akin to that of a mentor.


    The young man''s voice was sincere and warm, like that of a peer.


    Huh?


    What was going on? The originally smug smiles on the faces of the yers from the three factions instantly froze, leaving them stunned.


    They felt a sense of absurdity.


    Could it be that everything that had just happened was a lie? Had they actually fallen into a trap set by the hellish yers and those demons, trapped in an illusion?


    Otherwise, how could such a ridiculous scene ur?


    Although many demigods and Supremes believed this was unlikely��after all, given their resistance to various abnormal states, they would never fall into an illusion for so long without realizing it unless a divine-level demon intervened��


    But if it was a divine-level demon, wouldn''t it be easier just to eliminate them in an instant? What was the point of going through all the effort to create such an illusion? Moreover, the content of this illusion was��


    Way too absurd!


    On the battlefield, they could say they were achieving victory after victory, yet their merits were stolen, and the deity who was supposed to deliver justice was siding with the merit thief.


    An illusion shouldn''t be shifting in this direction.


    It made no sense.


    Typically, wouldn''t the illusion be something that made them believe they were killed, only to truly die?


    What was happening before them served no purpose other than to infuriate.


    So��


    It seemed��


    That everything was indeed real??


    In an instant, the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen wore strange expressions, a sense of betrayal rising within them!


    However, the two deities paid no mind to the feelings of their subordinates; their thoughts were of little importance!


    What mattered was winning over this talented demigod and pleasing the figures from the two mysterious organizations!


    Sterl was also confused; he couldn''t quite grasp what these two were up to.


    The fact that these deities dared to use the contract provided by the [Transcendence] system meant they probably had no malicious intent.


    But why?


    Meanwhile, Sterl maintained a calm demeanor as he pondered.


    The yers from the other factions, especially those from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen, couldn''t hold back any longer.


    The vast majority of demigods had quickly recognized the situation and chose to remain silent; if their lives were at stake, they could only ept their misfortune.


    But there were always some who spoke their minds.


    "Great Deity! This person just stole many of our resources; he must return them!"


    "Though he has talent, he has also offended us in the Golden Kingdom. If we let him go easily, won''t any faction be able to bully us in the future?"


    "Great Deity, this person cannot be spared!"


    In their excitement, they shouted loudly.


    Of course, they were careful not to directly me the deities; they merely assumed the two were unaware of what had transpired earlier and were now urging them with heartfelt advice.


    That way, even if the deities were displeased, they likely wouldn''t retaliate against them.


    Immediately, the other yers in attendance cast grateful nces at these brave souls.


    Thank you for voicing our thoughts and taking the heat for us!


    These yers stood tall, embodying the role of opinion leaders.


    Unfortunately��


    The situation once again took an unexpected turn for the yers of the three factions.


    The two deities coldly shot a nce at the speakers, then raised their hands and used their divine authority to pull the vocal yers over.


    Initially, they intended to crush them, but after a moment''s thought, they tossed them in front of Sterl instead.


    "Young friend, these individuals aim to disrupt our rtionship. How do you propose we handle them?"


    Huh?


    Huh??


    In an instant, all yers from the three factions fell silent.


    Wasn''t this a bit harsh? Did this mysterious demigod deserve such fawning?


    It was important to note that the yers who had been captured weren''t maliciously ndering; they were speaking the truth. In fact, their expressed views were advantageous to the Golden Kingdom and Ashen. Why should they be treated this way?

 Chapter 333: Are the Gods Groveling?

    The yers in the venue were once again left dumbfounded.


    At this moment, Sterl was also struggling to process the situation. If there had been any room for pretense before, now tossing this loyal group of yers right in front of him felt a bit excessive.


    This was a severe blow to the morale of the other yers in their faction. Even in a world where a divine being''s power could crush everything, the enthusiasm of the people executing tasks or their deliberate sluggishness made a significant difference in efficiency.


    These two gods were practically undermining the foundations of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen factions!


    Sterl''s heart was filled with caution, as this situation could only indicate one thing: he must possess something that could offer them even greater benefits. The benefits gained from other yers in [Transcendence] likely revolved around killing and looting equipment�� Just like his own [Consume] ability, which could only be triggered by defeating other yers.


    Looking at the yers who had copsed on the ground, Sterl merely said coldly, "It''s fine to let them go."


    "Aren''t they also loyal members of your faction?" he added casually.


    Sterl reasoned that his current identity was a disguise anyway, and the yers from the three major factions bore him no grudges. Or perhaps it was that the targets of their hatred were too broad and scattered.


    Just like earlier, when everyone was shouting in anger but no one dared to act, individual yers were extremely frustrated with the enigmatic demigod, but it wasn''t to the extent of a life-and-death feud.


    There was no need for Sterl to kill them. His principle was to avoid harming others unless absolutely necessary; if there was even a slight necessity, then he would act decisively.


    The two gods were taken aback by his words, then chuckled as they said, "No problem, young friend. You are indeed kind-hearted."


    With that, they waved their hands slightly, sending the yers back into the crowd and lifting the bindings ced on them.


    Those yers, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death, took a moment to crouch on the ground before finally managing to stand up, trembling all over. They knew that the earlier scene was no mere act. The gods had genuinely intended to y them, but had dyed their strike to appease the mysterious demigod, ultimately leading to their reprieve. They had brushed against death.


    The other yers from the three factions watched in silence as these few yers exhibited such a demeanor, their eyes glinting with an indescribable light.


    Meanwhile, the yers themselves were confused; the hatred in the eyes of the Ashen and Golden Kingdom members towards the mysterious demigod had somewhat dissipated. Mostly, it was due to the fact that even the gods were treating him so gently, willing to let people go, which left them feeling strangely ttered and bewildered.


    The hatred had lessened a bit��until a furious roar echoed from the sky.


    "Damn it, have you two lost your minds?"


    "Hmm? How dare you!"


    Marlon descended from the heights, roaring with rage, his figure enveloped in a dark purple aura reminiscent of the night.


    He had just been trapped by the two gods using theirbined powers. It was only through a full burst of divine authority that he managed to escape, and now he was extremely agitated.


    As the yers from the three major factions looked on, their expressions changed once again!


    Especially the members of the Hall of Valor, who had suffered heavy losses, eagerly watched the unfolding scene.


    Yes!


    The other two factions'' gods could potentially win over the mysterious demigod, but what about the Hall of Valor? They couldn''t possibly sway him, could they?


    Their entire faction had been put in such a dire situation; if they were let off lightly, how could they establish themselves in the future? The reputation of the Hall of Valor would be in tatters. Would anyone still want to join them? Powerful beings above the demigod level could easily traverse mountains and rivers to align with other top factions!


    Moreover, Marlon''s furious demeanor only added to the tension.


    A glimmer of hope surfaced in the eyes of the yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    The yers from the Hall of Valor looked at him with excitement as if they were witnessing the arrival of a savior.


    At that moment, however, Marlon ignored the many yers under hismand and made a beeline for Sterl.


    The yers from the Hall of Valor watched as this god, flying through the air, seemed to be dissipating, losing all his energy, and they felt something was off.


    Combining this with the previous events, an ominous premonition settled in their hearts.


    "It can''t be."


    "Our organization and unity in the Hall of Valor are far stronger than Ashen and the Golden Kingdom."


    "Lord Marlon is definitely here to uphold justice for us."


    One by one, they spoke with conviction, though it was unclear whom they were trying to convince.


    ��


    Yet, Marlon only approached the mysterious demigod with a smile.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting."


    "Don''t worry; even with two gods here, they can''t threaten you as long as I''m around."


    "The Hall of Valor will always be your strongest support."


    "As long as you are a part of the Hall of Valor, we will never abandon you."


    As Marlon spoke, he radiated a golden light.


    The surrounding yers from the Hall of Valor were deeply moved; his words were so profound, indeed this was our god! Could the gods of the other two factionspare? They didn''t care about the lives of their followers at all!


    Lord Marlon would only say that the Hall of Valor would always be our support!


    Instantly, the yers from the Hall of Valor felt their backs straighten; withoutparison, how could the gods of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen be anything? They didn''t care about the lives of those below them at all!


    Following such a faction was truly unfortunate, while the Hall of Valor was different.


    Lord Marlon''s earlier fury was all about seeking justice for them! Even if that mysterious demigod was favored by the two gods, it didn''t matter because they wouldn''t dare offend a powerful being of equal rank just to protect a demigod.


    We''ve won!


    We can finally take a breather.


    The yers from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen indeed disyed expressions of difort and resentment in the eyes of the Hall of Valor yers.


    However...


    Why were their feelings of difort and resentment directed at us instead of the demigod?


    Why did Lord Marlon say that even with two gods present, those two gods wouldn''t act against us?


    Wait a minute!


    Why did Lord Marlon speak while never looking at us, but only at that mysterious demigod? Hold on...


    Could it be?


    Someone, filled with dread, recalled a certain fact and quickly opened the merit leaderboard.


    "Holy crap! That mysterious demigod is one of us in the Hall of Valor; he''s ranked first in merit!"


    "What?? This guy is one of our own? You''ve got to be kidding!"


    "I don''t believe it! I can''t ept this!"


    "Wait! So Lord Marlon wasn''t even talking to us!"


    In an instant...


    The mindset of the Hall of Valor yers shifted from extreme joy to utter despair.


    They looked at the mysterious demigod in disbelief...


    That guy...


    That guy...


    Was actually chatting with three gods, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


    Including Marlon!


    The only difference between Marlon and the previous two gods was that he was more enthusiastic.


    "My young friend, the fact that you can unleash such a terrifying attack with your current strength��truth be told, it''s not the Hall of Valor that has nurtured you, but you have brought glory to us!"


    "Really, seeing you makes me understand what it means that heroes emerge from youth."


    "If you ever need anything in the Hall of Valor, juste to me. Talents like you should receive more support."


    From Sterl''s perspective, Marlon''s ttering words were more extravagant than Gloria''s praise for him!


    And the more excited Sterl became while chatting with the three gods, the more the surrounding yers'' mental states began to crumble.


    The yers from Ashen and the Golden Kingdom suddenly felt refreshed, as if their difort had lessened.


    It was vital to note that the Hall of Valor had suffered the most losses, yet their so-called losses were all caused by an internal ally?


    Moreover... who didn''t know that the Hall of Valor was a loosely organized faction? The mysterious demigod imed to be one of their own, but in reality, he had very little connection to the Hall of Valor.


    Instead, he could leverage this identity to gain Marlon''s favor, while the ordinary yers of the Hall of Valor suffered losses for nothing!


    "Haha! This is hrious."


    "Let''s just say the people of the Hall of Valor have a good sense of humor."


    "Thank you all! I was feeling terrible, but now I feel much better."


    The members of Ashen and the Golden Kingdom mocked them, primarily because they were now too afraid to insult that mysterious demigod.


    They dreaded ending up like that unfortunate fellow who had been captured and left to his fate.


    The mysterious demigod had expressed that they would let it go this time, but the next time? That was uncertain...


    As for the yers from the Golden Kingdom��


    "What nonsense are you all talking?"


    "I''m feeling great, thanks!"


    "That mysterious demigod is one of us! Just wait until we dominate you on the battlefield!"


    They gritted their teeth, yet all they received in return were pitying looks from the yers of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    Goodness, now not only had their mentality crumbled, but they had alsopletely lost it!


    Do you even believe what you''re saying?


    ...


    Then, the few gods finally revealed their true intentions.


    "Additionally, you should be able to secure first ce on this merit leaderboard."


    "The two big shots from that ce you should know want to meet you."


    "We wonder if we have the honor of taking you to see them."


    Sterl was taken aback, finally feeling as if the truth was revealed.


    He had cracked the case!


    From analyzing their words, it seemed that his performance had caught the attention of someone mysterious from the upper realms.


    That made sense.


    Sterl thought about it; wasn''t his own Twilight guild also focused on recruiting talented yers?


    The reason the three gods remained silent in the face of their yers'' significant losses was that the individuals from the upper realms were tied to their interests, and they couldn''t afford to offend them.


    Otherwise...


    Why would Sterl want to hide?


    After all, there were plenty of legends in the Hall of Valor about geniuses whose talents were snatched away by powerful beings.


    However...


    At the same time, it wasn''t necessarily a good thing that the people from the upper realms sought him out; their abilities and resources could easily strip away talents, skills, and professions.


    At this moment, seeing the three gods speak with such earnest expressions, especially the two gods from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen, it was clear they were genuinely anxious.


    Sterl didn''t hesitate much; he slowly opened his mouth��

 Chapter 334: Fourth Talent??

    "Since that''s the case, I''ll go take a trip," Sterl said.


    His reasoning was simple: with [Transcendence] backing him, being ranked first on the merit leaderboard would grant him a mysterious reward from the upper realms. It was a must to go and im that reward.


    Why not go?


    Sterl''s only concern was the potential odd tactics from the upper realms that might render his Emergency Escape Device useless, but it didn''t matter; he nned to send Bionic Tear while keeping his main self at a safe distance.


    Sterl''s style was clear: rewards could be set aside, but safety muste first.


    Upon hearing this, the three gods looked delighted, but then they quickly realized the critical issue.


    "When this young friend is asked by the gods, who will you say referred you?"


    "��" Sterl was taken aback; that sounded like a death sentence. No matter who he named, it would likely earn him resentment from others. Thankfully, he was skilled at dodging tricky questions.


    He immediately put on a grand and passionate expression, dering, "I''m willing to let the three esteemed gods decide!"


    The air tensed for a few seconds.


    Then, the peaceful facade of the three gods shattered, and they red at each other in anger.


    "Marlon, you know this opportunity is very important to us. If you give it to us, we will��"


    "Give it to you? On what grounds? Can you instigate Ashen and the Golden Kingdom to go to war with the Hall of Valor? War doesn''t matter; I''ll take the reward and go y in the upper realms."


    Sterl only caught the first few sentences of their argument before they seemed to feel a bit embarrassed and switched to anothermunication channel.


    Marlon, however, remained enthusiastic and reminded him, "Young friend, feel free to farm merit on the battlefield; the rewards you receive afterward won''t be lessened."


    "We still have some matters to discuss. We''lle find you shortly; how does that sound?"


    "Sounds good."


    Sterl nodded. Since the war was still ongoing, it was better to farm some monsters instead of just exchanging banter. He naturally went along with the suggestion.


    ...


    After that, Sterl''s monster-farming journey went exceptionally smoothly.


    No one dared to stop him anymore.


    Many yers from the Hall of Valor initially hoped that after Marlon had pulled in this mysterious demigod, he might show some mercy towards his own faction.


    yers from Ashen and the Golden Kingdom thought that this mysterious demigod had shown a hint of humanity and kindness earlier; perhaps once he had farmed enough, he would stop...


    As it turned out, they were overthinking it. Sterl became increasingly ruthless, clearly aiming to monopolize the entire battlefield!


    Radiant spheres rose again and again!


    The yers from Hell and the demons were wailing, but when the three gods made their appearance, the more sensible demons and yers had already made their escape!


    Now, those who remained were either too slow to react orcked powerful escape items��


    They could only curse the gods of the main world for not taking care of such monstrous beings!


    "You don''t deserve to be called gods!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, yers from the three major factions found themselves in a mix ofughter and tears as they discovered a particr trait of the mysterious demigod: he was incredibly diligent. After emptying the richest resource areas, he didn''t hesitate to unleash skills in the less abundant ones.


    Ultimately, the yers from the three factions hadpletely given up.


    The earlier conversation with the gods had not been discreet, so the yers were aware that this demigod would be summoned by the big shots from the upper realms.


    The existence of the upper realms meant that crushing the demigod Supreme would be easier than squashing an ant.


    "We can''t provoke them or hide from them, so what can we do? We''ll just farm merit when you''re summoned!"


    At this moment, after their initial anger, the yers'' mindset gradually cooled. At worst, they would treat this event as if it hadn''t happened; after all, farming demons in the Layer of Hell was already yielding much higher returns than usual!


    ...


    On Sterl''s side, the gains were skyrocketing.


    He felt�� amidst the massive drops, he was nearing thepletion of his legendary-level gear. He wouldn''t need Sosia or Sonis to procure items for him anymore; he was even closing in on demigod-level gear.


    It seemed he could start preparing divine-level equipment directly.


    However��


    Divine-level gear had a baseline quality of �� Iridescent-Level.


    Unlike other levels, any equipment possessing divine power, no matter how poor, would meet this standard. Sterl wasn''t sure about the quality divisions above Iridescent-Level��


    However, he felt that with his insane monster-farming speed, the resources he umted prior to reaching divine-level should be enough to exchange for a full set of Iridescent-Level gear.


    At the same time, his blood force had finally reached 270 points.


    Afterward, due to the scattered demons, he could no longer farm efficiently; he was progressing too quickly.


    Of course, another gain left Sterl pleasantly surprised: he had collected 300 blood-colored documents.


    In the Login Terminal, it finally showed that the collection had reached its limit.


    Now, this item had a new effect. When Sterl used a cheat to observe, he discovered a new entry in the Login Terminal:


    [When creating a new character, you will definitely receive a new talent (Swallowing Heaven type): 99% chance for F-grade, 1% chance for E-grade.]


    [Warning: Adding a Swallowing Heaven-type talent involves triggering the deleted codes of [Transcendence]. Please do not use any [Transcendence]-type items to influence the generated talent.]


    [Warning: Current version of [Transcendence], the yer talent limit is three; exceeding three will trigger Fortune bacsh.]


    Sterl looked at the entry with a mix of joy and surprise. Was he really about to receive a fourth talent? (Sub-Profession talents didn''t count.)


    Although, for others, an F-grade talent was practically useless and could even trigger Fortune bacsh! That was a force capable of taking down even divine-level demons.


    And it required 300 blood-colored documents to unlock, which seemed utterly worthless. But for Sterl, he could invest points into it!


    For him, an F-grade talent was equivalent to a radiant-level talent!


    As for the second evolution of his cheat, Sterl felt it wouldn''t be enough to evolve beyond radiant-level, as there hadn''t been any new plus signs indicating that he could add points after the secondary evolution.


    What about the third evolution?


    Every new talent was a permanent and tremendous boost to Sterl''sbat power!


    He couldn''t contain his excitement!


    Moreover, the so-called Fortune bacsh meant nothing to him, a person with only third-ss visible strength. He could still gain Fortune and evolve his cheat!


    He felt like he had won big!


    The only downside was that collecting 300 blood-colored documents was indeed a hassle. If it weren''t for the ongoing war in this expansion event, he wouldn''t have known he could gather so many and trigger the hidden conditions.


    He might have gathered just 100 documents and opened a new character right away.


    With that thought, Sterl became even more exhrated.


    Fortune was on his side!


    Additionally, he had made up his mind.


    Though Sterl already had enough experience points to level up to legendary, he decisively decided against it. He wouldn''t even bother leveling up; he would wait for the Fortune bacsh to finish and then level up all at once.


    This way, he could better navigate through the bacsh��


    However, the warning in the Login Terminal left Sterl momentarily stunned.


    "Code"?


    He was familiar with this term; in his past life, various game developments revolved around the umtion of code. How could a "game" like [Transcendence], which clearly rooted itself in the real world, also require code?


    Of course, Sterl quickly realized that this code was not the same as the types of numbers and symbols inputted into aputer. It was something entirely more mysterious.


    He had a premonition that this "code" would be rted to the very essence of [Transcendence].


    Then��


    He stopped thinking further.


    There was too little information to deduce anything meaningful.


    Sterl decided it was better to focus on practical matters.


    At this moment, he wasn''t in a hurry to open a new character. He knew too little about the people from the upper realms; if he opened a new character, they might be able to detect something unusual, and that would be a major loss.


    Instead, Sterl quickly activated Shadow Stealth, pretending to weave through the battlefield.


    In reality, he was hiding in the Shadow World. He was farming monsters so aggressively that he had already exceeded the limit for Stardust, which meant he could stay in the Shadow World for as long as he wanted. If necessary, he could continuously activate Shadow Stealth.


    Bionic Tear took over for Sterl as he descended into Hell.


    Sterl manipted Bionic Tear to initiate Fission, creating a radiant sphere to verify its identity.


    Then, he nced at the battlefield.


    At this moment, the area hadpletely transformed into a ce utterly unrted to Hell.


    There were countless voids scattered everywhere, filled with sand and gravel that had been turned into a ssy state.


    Thendscape was ravaged!


    The ground had sunk several meters, and all the energy in the air had been purified away by Fission.


    The blood-red sun hung in the sky above Hell, casting light onto the ground. In the past, it would have revealed a bizarre and eerie scene, but now, under Sterl''s bombardment, it appeared exceptionally clear and transparent.


    It felt as if this ce was no different from the main world��


    In fact, if Sterl were to observe closely, he would notice that his contribution to the expansion event had increased significantly. This area had be unsuitable for Hell''s inhabitants after being bombarded by his Fission.


    Of course, it was also not suitable for creatures from the main world.


    However, the main world''s intention to consume Hell was merely to gain arger territorial footprint; they weren''t in a rush to relocate their poptions here.


    Sterl took a brief rest.


    Nearby, other yers rushed onto the battlefield to scavenge some leftover scraps.


    They were feeling a bit numb, watching Sterl not take action, and instead, waves of gratitude began to rise within them.


    It seemed this mysterious demigod hadn''tpletely shut them out; he had left them a glimmer of hope. Even if their merit was reduced, the rewards from the merit leaderboard wouldn''t diminish.


    That was something!


    Sterl found the expressions of the yers somewhat strange, but he didn''t have time to ponder it. Suddenly, three beams of golden light illuminated the sky once more. The three gods still wore pleasant expressions, but aside from Marlon''s genuinely warm smile, the other two wore slightly twitching faces.


    They had lost a significant amount of resources to persuade this god from the Hall of Valor to agree to introduce them to the "mysterious demigod."


    This round of the expansion event had cost the Golden Kingdom and Ashen two of their deities dearly!


    "By the way, we still don''t know how to address you, young friend," one of the demigods seemed to remember something and hurriedly inquired.

 Chapter 335: The Strange Investigative Ability, A Shocking Change!

    "Cirilo." Sterl pulled a name from his story database and spoke it aloud,plete with a fully developed background story.


    After all, [Transcendence] was not like his past life, where there were surveince and big data.


    No one could check how he fabricated his identity, so he was free to create whatever he wanted! When outside, his identity relied solely on his own concoction!


    "Good! Cirilo, we shouldn''t keep the two esteemed ones waiting too long. Let''s set off now."


    "However, please mention that it was the two of us who rmended you, and say some good words on our behalf."


    The gods spoke kindly, and they didn''t pry into Cirilo''s story or inquire about the source of the Fission power.


    The two from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen quickly added their agreement.


    Sterl nodded, "No problem, everything will be done as instructed by the esteemed gods."


    "Please."


    He extended his hand toward the direction of the fortress.


    "Please!"


    The three gods were in good spirits as they led Bionic Tear toward the pce of The Blood Red Fortress.


    As the mysterious demigod departed, there was a brief silence on the battlefield, followed by cheers erupting from all directions.


    "Finally! They''re finally gone!"


    It wasn''t just the yers from the three major factions shouting this.


    The demons and Hell yers echoed the sentiment as well!


    The will of Hell had a headache just looking at Sterl, as his destructive power was overwhelming; a single divine-level entity like him could match dozens of Supremes!


    In fact, Sterl''s bombardment had already caused significant damage to the regional suppression, which was gradually falling into a state of dormancy due to the severe losses inflicted on his controlled army!


    The will of Hell had been heavily wounded!


    ...


    Sterl observed closely and soon discovered that The Blood Red Fortress concealed a spatial node that he hadn''t noticed before.


    However, it wasn''t that Sterl''s sensing ability wascking; rather, this node seemed to be shrouded in some kind of special power,pletely suppressing its aura.


    Upon stepping into the node, Sterl found himself in an extravagant pce, floating in mid-air.


    As he entered the pce, he immediately noticed that the previously rxed demeanor of the three gods had suddenly turned serious, even somewhat anxious.


    He quickly realized that the beings from the upper realms possessedbat power stronger than mere weak Divine Power.


    Soon, the group arrived inside the pce.


    Without needing introduction, Sterl knew who the two figures seated in the main positions of the pce were��strangely enigmatic beings from the upper realms.


    If Sterl were to describe their appearance, he could say they were handsome and charming, exuding elegance.


    But he couldn''t pinpoint exactly what they looked like.


    It felt as though these two existed, yet also seemed to be absent in some way��


    The two figures approached Sterl with a friendly demeanor.


    "Not bad... You are indeed the top of this merit leaderboard."


    "To think Alpha 8 could give rise to such talent, impressive."


    "Esteemed ones," Sterl responded without any psychological burden, using their honorifics.


    The two figures casually tossed a glowing sphere that shimmered with extraordinarily strange colors.


    "The original reward wasn''t this good, but you certainly have potential."


    "You even have a chance to join our organization. Consider this a weing gift for neers."


    "What do you think? I''m sure you''ve never seen anything of this caliber before."


    "Radiant-level beings cannot possibly emerge from the lower realm."


    "Even in the upper realms, such items are quite precious."


    As the figures spoke, Sterl felt a slight shock in his heart.


    This meant that there were many radiant-level beings in the upper realms?


    Though they referred to it as precious, the radiant-level loot sphere they tossed casually certainly wasn''t of great importance to them��


    "Thank you, esteemed ones." Sterl remained respectful, effortlessly tossing the sphere into his pocket dimension. Bionic Tear didn''t have a backpack, so this was the only way to store items.


    "By the way, earlier I was��" Sterl was about to fulfill his promise to the deities of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    But the two figures interrupted him directly.


    "I know all about your matters."


    "I will handle the leaderboard situation."


    One of the figures reassured him before turning to the two gods.


    Meanwhile, the two once-magnificent deities were now merely wearing forced smiles.


    Finally, the figure said with a bright smile, "Good, good!"


    However, suddenly a strange wave of energy shed across them, and Sterl felt a slight unease.


    The figures also froze in surprise.


    Just moments ago, they had used the foundational code detection of [Transcendence].


    In an instant, they discovered��


    On the panel of the person before them, there were remarkably strong spatial abilities: Gate of Hell and Shattered Void!


    These two skills��


    The former was the ability reported to belong to a suspected subordinate of Solomon, while thetter was another odd yer with equally strong spatial powers who had already been marked as a key suspect.


    With these dual identitiesbined,


    It was almost certain that this Cirilo had some connection to Solomon.


    However...


    The figures only slightly changed color, and just as they were about to act to apprehend Cirilo,


    Sterl sensed it!


    When they used code detection, [Transcendence] showed no reaction, but his cheat sent out an rm, faintly transmitting a message.


    [Your information has been exposed.]


    Sterl immediately felt a sense of foreboding!


    He had previously analyzed that Solomon''s false identity could bring him trouble.


    And the trouble would most likely stem from the upper realms, the creators of [Transcendence].


    What would these figures do now that they had obtained his information? Sterl was uncertain.


    But that didn''t stop him; he decided to make a run for it!


    With some enhanced abilities, he didn''t need any strong individuals to recognize or cultivate him.


    After all, he had already received the reward for being first on the merit leaderboard in advance.


    In an instant, Bionic Tear swiftly activated a peculiar capsule in his hand.


    Emergency Escape Device!


    The three gods present reacted swiftly, immediately attempting to seal the space.


    However, the two figures within the pce seemed to move freely.


    With a casual gesture, they instantly froze everything around them in a pale golden space. At this moment, the two figures revealed expressions of delight, saying, "I wondered how such a genius suddenly emerged; could it really be rted to the Earth human race?"


    "Excellent, excellent, we are destined to prosper this time!"


    "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"


    "Ha! The resources from my Soul Heart have finally materialized!!"


    They were extremely excited!


    No longer just spectators, their main focus was on the fact that they had hit the jackpot. They were merely low-ranking members of the upper realms organization assigned to the lower realm; if they had stronger abilities, they wouldn''t be stuck in the lower realms.


    But capturing a genius from the Earth human race would yield rewards that even the mid-to-high levels of the upper realms organization would go crazy over!


    An incredible opportunity hadnded right in their hands.


    Previously, although the two figures had set up a task, they honestly didn''t expect to actually find Solomon.


    This was because the Earth human race had a secret legacy that ensured the talents of their kin would always be pursued, and those individuals wouldn''t get involved with matters rted to the upper realms!


    Yet now��


    Surprise and excitement hade simultaneously!


    The two figures smiled as they looked around.


    The surrounding air had coalesced into imprable walls.


    Even the three gods, who wanted to release their skills to help the figures capture Cirilo, found themselvespletely trapped, unable to move!


    In theory, Bionic Tear should have been controlled as well, and indeed it was.


    "Did you think you could escape?"


    "Unfortunately, we are using the spatial solidification technique of divine authority from [Transcendence]."


    "Even gods cannot resist it."


    The figures walked forward with cheerful expressions, their excitement growing. However, when they nced at the silver-white capsule that Bionic Tear had already opened, a wave of unease unexpectedly rose in their hearts.


    Swish!!


    The silver-white capsule shatteredpletely.


    A burst of blue-purple light erupted.The Emergency Escape Device had the unfortunate side effect of sending Bionic Tear into a spatial turbulence!


    "What! How dare you!"


    The two figures instantly changed color, their furious roars echoing as they attempted to unleash their skills.


    But they found themselves ensnared by brilliant golden chains.


    "[Transcendence], you bastard!"


    "You''re causing chaos at a time like this."


    "Sooner orter, the organization will uncover your source code."


    They shouted in anger, painfully extracting a crystal stone and crushing it to shatter the chains.


    Then, with a single hand, they opened a spatial rift and pursued.


    No matter what teleportation skill was used, there would always be a trace; the two figures were seething with rage, cursing, "You think you can run? Once I catch you, you''ll know what regret feels like!"


    They confidently charged into the spatial passage��


    Only to be stunned��there was no trace at all. The guy named Cirilo had flowed into the space like water merging into the ocean, disappearing without a trace.


    However�� this was theoretically impossible; it vited the fundamental rules of [Transcendence]!


    The people from the upper realms utilized the rules of [Transcendence] far beyond the imagination of those in the lower realm. They knew many "irond rules," such as teleportation skills always leaving traces.


    Unless��


    "He must have used one of those forced chaotic teleportation items."


    "But the mortality rate for such items isn''t low."


    "This person was able to decisively use it and dared toe before us?"


    "Are all geniuses from the Earth human race this reckless?"


    The two figures looked pained; not only had they given away a radiant-level loot sphere, but they had also wasted a precious opportunity to act freely in the lower realm.


    What was even more disheartening was that the genius from the Earth human race, or the one rted to Solomon, had likely died directly.


    A forced chaotic teleportation item had a surface mortality rate of only 5% to 20%, but in reality, very few could survive in spatial turbulence.


    If it had been a normal escape method, the figures could haveforted themselves.


    At least they would have known the existence of this Earth human race-rted individual and could continue the pursuit. But now, there was nofort to be had��


    The likelihood was that he had simply died in the spatial turbulence!

 Chapter 336: Swallowing Heaven, Activate!

    The two figures, looking displeased, withdrew from the spatial turbulence.


    At the same time, the golden light of confinement in the pce was dispelled.


    In an instant, the three gods regained their senses. "I''ll stop him!"


    "Let''s move!"


    The peculiar orb of darkness and the two beams of sealing spiritual light represented the power of divine authority, easily capable of triggering celestial phenomena, causing the entire pce to tremble.


    Unfortunately, the gods'' full-force attacks hit nothing but empty space; they couldn''t find their target at all.


    They stared nkly, looking around at the emptiness��


    Cirilo had long since vanished without a trace.


    The two figures were even more somber than before.


    "My lord��"


    "We��"


    The gods were instantly thrown into a state of chaos and panic; they could not afford to offend these two beings.


    From the situation, they could analyze that Cirilo had actually managed to escape from the hands of the two lords from the upper realms.


    This demigod��


    Was indeed extraordinary.


    No, no, no, now was not the time to marvel at how strong Cirilo was.


    The real question was��what do we do now?


    If the two beings from the upper realms took out their frustrations on us��


    The three gods exchanged nces, surprisingly united in their concern and no longer at odds with one another.


    Fortunately, the figures still had the sense to recognize that this situation was not the fault of the three gods.


    In fact, if it hadn''t been for their use of the confinement light to solidify everything, the three gods might have been able to help. With more divine authority powers, there was a chance they could have captured Cirilo.


    But it was toote to say anything now.


    "That Cirilo is likely connected to Solomon."


    "He entered the spatial turbulence, which is why we couldn''t capture him, and the probability of him dying in that turbulence is extremely high."


    "However, we still need to investigate."


    "You all go set up this formation."


    "This is the [Heavenly Locking Formation]."


    "It can confine all space within the range of the Blood Red Fortress."


    "When the timees, we will first check all the yers inside the fortress; perhaps we can find someone rted to Solomon, and there''s even a slim chance we might capture Cirilo if he emerges from the spatial turbulence."


    The two figures casually tossed out a divine-level formation, but they didn''t hold out much hope.


    Althoughmunication among the gods waspleted in the blink of an eye, if Cirilo was escaping, he likely had aplices who had also gotten away.


    There was little hope of relying on a single formation to track him down.


    But taking a gamble wouldn''t hurt.


    A divine-level formation was practically worthless to the figures.


    Moreover, the two figures had just forcibly broken through the restrictions of [Transcendence]. They hadn''t only released the confinement light near the pce; they had also activated the confinement des near the battlefield.


    As a result, all teleportation skills in the surrounding area were rendered unusable.


    Still, there remained a slight chance to intercept yers connected to Solomon.


    The three gods felt as if they had been granted a reprieve and quickly took the formation into the sky to begin their setup.


    However, Ashen and the two gods from the Golden Kingdom exchanged pleading nces with the two figures. "About the merit leaderboard earlier��"


    "Get lost."


    The figures spoke in a calm tone.


    Immediately, the two gods dashed away without looking back.


    They didn''t dare to ask another question, but they did hear a voice transmission: "If I agree to settle the matter, I will settle it."


    The two gods'' expressions brightened at once, but the next moment they heard, "However, the offerings for the next hundred years will double topensate for our losses."


    "Alright! Fine! No problem!"


    Although the price was quite painful, they had ultimately resolved the matter, lifting a heavy weight from their hearts.


    They felt a bit grateful, looking at the figures. The personalities of the lords from the upper realms varied, but most were quite entric. Yet these two seemed reasonable and loyal.


    Their character was exceptional.


    Marlon seized the opportunity to add, "Of course, I truly didn''t know that Cirilo before."


    "It''s not your concern," the figure replied coldly, their tone harsh but still somewhat reasonable.


    Instantly, the heavy burden in the hearts of the three gods was lifted, leaving them all in a state of mixed emotions.


    What a situation! Originally, hosting this expansion event and weing the two lords from the upper realms was a coveted task that everyone fought over, but it had turned into a disaster for them.


    Only Marlon felt the oue was somewhat eptable, as the losses fell primarily on the ordinary yers of the Hall of Valor, not on him.


    As they pondered, the three gods reached the high point of the Blood Red Fortress. They quickly infused their Divine Power into a formation disk that resembled a miniature city.


    With the three gods'' enhancement,


    the formation expanded rapidly, ultimately splitting apart into countless golden phantoms, which then transformed into threads that surged out in all directions.


    The golden energy, slightly lighter in color than the previous confinement light, rapidly spread out from the Blood Red Fortress as the core.


    All the yers hadn''t even realized what was happening before they felt themselves bound, their bodies stiffening in ce.


    Although the sensation of confinement dissipated in the next instant, a prompt appeared before their eyes��


    [You are affected by the formation and cannot use any teleportation skills; your ability to instantaneously move is restricted to within 1 kilometer. You cannot log out at this time, and you cannot leave the vicinity of the Blood Red Fortress.]


    [You are affected by��]


    "What''s going on?"


    "What just happened? Why did the great formation suddenly activate?"


    "What are they trying to do?"


    Most people were confused but not overly rmed.


    After all, this was an event opened by [Transcendence].


    Even gods could only punish a couple of disrespectful yers; they wouldn''t engage in mass ughter.


    So, the formation was likely not aimed at them.


    Only some veteran demigods��those who had simply lived longer��began to connect the dots.


    "There were rumors earlier about pursuing someone named Solomon and his aplices. Could they have found a lead?"


    This group began to specte amongst themselves.


    On the battlefield, many yers reached the same conclusion.


    They maliciously thought, "I hope that mysterious demigod is Solomon or one of hisckeys!"


    "In that case, can the three gods really protect him?"


    "The beings from the upper realms will directly take him down!"


    "If that''s the case, he''s doomed!"


    ...


    The yers dared not take revenge against the mysterious demigod directly, but they were emboldened to curse and vent their frustrations verbally!


    However...


    It turned out that their curses had indeed hit the mark!


    Solomon himself��Sterl��was having a headache.


    After Bionic Tear slipped into the spatial turbulence, he had been fleeing at full speed.


    However, halfway through his teleportation, he was suddenly bounced back.


    He could see the golden giant swords suppressing the surrounding space, making it impossible for him to escape.


    Sterl felt helpless as the golden threads brought by the formation swept past his body at high speed, leaving him no room to dodge.


    All he could do was watch the prompt appear before his eyes��


    [You are affected by��]


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed.


    The figures and the gods hadmunicated and begun to set up the formation, which seemed to take a moment, but in reality, they hadn''t even consumed a second.


    And Sterl had been so close to escaping.


    The main reason was that he had used the small world to pull Bionic Tear back from the spatial turbulence, which had slightly drained his energy and effort.


    That was why he was bounced back.


    However...


    Sterl wasn''t panicking.


    Even though his teleportation had failed, with so many yers in the Blood Red Fortress, many were attempting to use their teleportation abilities.


    His situation wasn''t unique.


    On another note, he had already nned to use his ascension to godhood as a trump card to force his escape. Although the formation that had now appeared was of divine level and was vaguely on par with the Blood Sacrifice Array, ordinary gods wouldn''t be able to move through it.


    However, once Sterl ascended to godhood, he would be able to leverage his understanding of formations to leave.


    But at this moment, he didn''t want to waste any Divine Power. Instead, he chose to think along a different line...


    For instance, he quickly took out his Login Terminal.


    This disk, having absorbed 300 documents, had undergone significant changes on its back, which represented the Swallowing Heaven system.


    Sterl could clearly see that it was now etched with vivid depictions of demons, as if they were alive, ready to leap out and consume him entirely.


    Calmly, Sterl ced his hand on the disk and pressed his palm down.


    "Swallowing Heaven, activate!"


    He silently chanted, "Create a Swallowing Heaven ount."


    Instantly, he felt a jolt of electricity coursing through him.


    Then, his avatar Leo began to fade away.


    Leo had been in a remote battlefield, surrounded byrades who had died left and right. He himself was under attack by a demigod-level demon, bleeding profusely and on the verge of death.


    At that moment, a massive demon suddenly sprang forth and swallowed Leo whole.


    As a result, Sterl''s alias vanished without a trace.


    No one noticed...


    ...


    As for Sterl himself, he felt darkness envelop him and suddenly found himself bounced back into the game pod.


    "I thought I would create an ount directly in [Transcendence]. So I have to return to reality first?"


    "Then the yers of Swallowing Heaven must also log into the game in reality, right?"


    Leaning back against the cushion of the game pod, Sterl breathed heavily, his mindset rxing instantly.


    What he had witnessed was quite clear: he had been forcibly ejected from the game, and his game character had also dissolved.


    This meant he had effectively logged out normally.


    He had even managed to escape the effects of the formation for free��what a stroke of luck!


    Now, Sterl had nothing left to do but enjoy his escape from cmity.


    As he satfortably in the game pod, he felt incredibly rxed and at ease.


    At this point, Sterl had essentially imed all the rewards from the expansion event, including the top merit ranking reward.


    From here on out, he wouldn''t need to log into his [Transcendence] ount; he could simply go to the main world to collect his contribution rewards and exchange them in the contribution store.


    In a good mood, he suddenly noticed a flurry ofplex code appearing in the game pod.


    Some crimson characters rapidly surged in, forcefully installing themselves like rogue software.


    Not only was the LCD disy on the game pod flickering, but the entire pod was bing inundated with various codes.


    Sterl even felt as if he were surrounded by blood-red characters, creating an atmosphere that was both eerie and terrifying.


    "Could it be that Swallowing Heaven is installing?"


    Sterl was taken aback and could only arrive at this conclusion.

 Chapter 337: Evolve The Game Pod??

    Sterl hadn''t fully grasped the situation when another change urred.


    During the instation of Swallowing Heaven, some golden code couldn''t help but burst forth, intertwining with the crimson code, as if they were engaged in a chaotic battle.


    As a result, the instation progress, which was nearlyplete, began to plummet at an rming rate.


    Sterl quickly stepped away from the game pod. Earlier, the two figures had warned him about "code," and while the two types of code currently appearing seemed harmless, they might be of the same category.


    Sterl instinctively guessed that this was a force surpassing divine level.


    He made sure to keep his distance to avoid any coteral damage.


    As he watched the game pod intently, observing the two types of code swirling around, he suddenly felt a strange sensation from his cheat.


    A plus sign flickered in the game pod, mostly dim but glowing brightly during the most intense moments of the code sh.


    Hmm? What?


    Quick-witted, Sterl pressed the plus sign before his mind could fully process what was happening. He was confident that adding points would steer things in his favor, so there was no hesitation.


    In fact, the plus sign only appeared for those fleeting moments, and he managed to catch it at thest possible instant.


    A faint, multicolored glow shed from the game pod.


    The cheat for adding points was undergoing its first, incredibly difficult transformation, and the light continued to shine for over a minute. During this time, Sterl stood vigil outside his room, not moving an inch.


    Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened...


    Eventually, the glow subsided, and the game pod returned to its original appearance, looking unchanged.


    He let out a sigh of relief.


    If anyone hade by just now, besides Linna or Rayna, Rosalie, Teresa... they couldn''t be allowed in!


    Because although Sterl didn''t know what secrets were hidden in the code inside the game pod, he was certain they were extremely important and must not be leaked.


    After that, Sterl decided to set up a formation in his room so that anyone trying to enter would have to force their way through.


    Only then did he approach the game pod to inspect it.


    Sterl examined it closely, feeling around and knocking gently, and while it seemed unchanged, his cheat sent him new information:


    Upgrade Progress (1/3); Requires cheat for second and third evolutions toplete all upgrade progress.


    "Ah?"


    "Strengthening can only happen after the third evolution??"


    "This second evolution isn''t even resolved yet! Now there''s a third one?"


    Sterlined out loud, but his mood was actually quite good. The higher the requirements for adding points, the greater the final benefits��a hard and fast rule.


    He wouldn''t lose out!


    However...


    In the past, each upgrade had one phase, and the next phase required the cheat to evolve. But now, he hadn''t evenpleted one phase, only adding 1/3. Would there still be improvements?


    Sterl curiously looked around, but there was no response from the game pod, as if it were just an ordinary building in reality.


    Ordinary creations wouldn''t disy panels, and cheats wouldn''t provide relevant information.


    However, something did happen: two lines of code seemed to dissolve and transform back into transparent characters.


    After a long stream of messages, Sterl realized that the game appeared to be officially starting its instation, while the [Transcendence] system began to reload.


    The progress bar moved slowly, indicating that he would have to wait a while longer.


    After thinking for a moment, Sterl didn''t just stand there foolishly.


    Instead, he chose to step outside and walk into the living room.


    Then��


    Rosalie and Teresa approached together, chatting andughing.


    "I didn''t expect you to have some tricks up your sleeve as a manager!"


    "Thanks to you for discovering this kind of y from ancient texts."


    "Let''s work hard together in the future to make our master even happier!"


    It seemed their rtionship had be quite friendly.


    Sterl noticed that Teresa''s aura had suddenly surged, likely due to Rosalie helping her with an enhancement.


    "What''s going to make me happy?"


    As he casually walked out, he had just been in a formation he set up, remaining concealed, so the two girls hadn''t noticed him.


    "Ah! Master!"


    "You came at the perfect time; we just finished setting things up and were waiting for your inspection!"


    Inspection?


    Sterl was momentarily taken aback but chose to follow Teresa and Rosalie.


    He entered a fairly spacious room.


    What greeted him was a group of young girls dressed in various alluring maid outfits from his past life''s artistic works, all kneeling on one knee.


    "Wee back, Master!"


    Huh?


    Sterl was stunned.


    The scene before him was visually striking; although they were all in enticing maid outfits, each had their own charm and uniqueness.


    Some wore simple, low-cut white stockings that looked extremely tempting, while others donned sky-blue bases paired with bows, exuding a pure allure. Some wore ck stockings and ck-and-white outfits that perfectly entuated their fair skin.


    Moreover��


    The maids around him represented a diverse array of beauty, embodying the most exquisite features from a vast majority of human ethnicities.


    This spectacle only heightened Sterl''s desires.


    "Good! Good! You all did well."


    He couldn''t help but smile and even gave Rosalie and Teresa a thumbs-up.


    He understood why the emperors he learned about in history sses were often deceived by treacherous ministers.


    Rosalie was definitely not a good person...


    At first, Sterl had kept her alive out of a sense of experimentation.


    But Rosalie was genuinely clever, and serving him brought him unexpected pleasure!


    Sterl felt that only Rosalie could maintain her loyalty to him; if she didn''t cause any trouble, she could keep her life.


    "Come! Help the master change and take a bath."


    Rosalie gently pped her hands, and immediately a group of maids surrounded Sterl, guiding him toward the bathroom.


    Sterl thought for a moment; the game instation would probably take about half a day toplete, so there was no rush. He decided to enjoy himself first and allowed them to proceed.


    Soon, he found himself in the bathroom, surrounded by a throng of young girls. Countless delicate, fair hands came from all directions to help Sterl remove his clothes.


    Their movements were incredibly gentle, and before long, they had guided him into the bath. The girls also shed most of their clothing, leaving only a few pieces of intimate attire that made them appear even more enticing.


    At the same time, the girls directly covered their bodies with various foams and oils, rubbing themselves against Sterl likerge towels.


    This time, Rosalie was quite considerate, pulling Teresa aside.


    "Master, we won''t interfere with the maidens'' first night; let them have a wonderful memory."


    Rosalie''s words ignited the mes of desire within Sterl, and he couldn''t help but pull in the girl who was rubbing his chest with her own.


    He lifted her slightly and abruptly thrust into her.


    "Mm~ Mm."


    The maids seemed to have undergone professional training; even though it was their first time experiencing such roughness, they still responded with a mix of resistance and eagerness. Their expressions showed a blend of pain and longing, along with a hint of reverence, as they struggled to wrap their waists around Sterl, providing an immensely pleasurable sensation.


    This made Sterl very satisfied!


    He didn''t know how Rosalie had trained this group of girls in such a short time; the only exnation was that she had been nning this for a long time.


    Sterl''s mind wandered as he embraced the slender-waisted girl in his arms.


    Her tender, juicy body brought him waves of pleasure.


    Eventually, the girl trembled all over, her consciousness fading, and without Sterl having to do anything, two other maids took her away to the other side of the bath for washing.


    At that moment, several other girls voluntarily half-squatted down and submerged their bodies in the bath, apanied by a bubbling sound. Sterl felt multiple pairs of lips and tongues swiftly wrapping around his lower body.


    Each maid disyed considerable professionalism.


    Sterl couldn''t help but be entranced, while his lower body was treated to an ever-changing array of sensations.


    As he was being served, he rested his head against one maid''s soft chest, kissing a slightly smaller girl.


    He experienced service from all angles!


    No dead spots.


    Soon, Sterl found himself unable to hold back and randomly pressed one maid''s head down, thrusting wildly.


    Although the maid initially seemed a bit flustered and confused, she quickly fell into rhythm with Sterl, ultimately swallowing everyst drop he released.


    Sterl then pulled the maid who had swallowed his essence out of the water and pressed her down against the edge of the bath, spreading her legs.


    He began to thrust!


    "Mm~"


    "Master~"


    The maids turned their heads, their eyes zed with a pink glow, appearing particrly enticing.


    Seeing this, Sterl couldn''t help but increase his intensity��though he didn''t need to; several maids were already wrapping their arms around his and pressing against his back.


    Sterl could feel the silky skin behind him sending waves of sensation through his body.


    The maids swayed their waists, moving Sterl forward, while the girl behind him pushed back in response. The two groups of maids worked together, sandwiching Sterl in between, allowing him to experience immense pleasure without having to do a thing��


    In the end, he even shifted from his usual frenzy of output and simply closed his eyes, choosing to enjoy the moment.


    He had to admit, this provided an incredibly rxed andfortable sensation. He wasn''t just enjoying it; he was letting his consciousness expand, quietly absorbing the pleasure.


    His entire being became loose.


    In the depths of Hell, and in the face of the immense pressure from the two strange figures, every bit of tension was gradually dissipated.


    Eventually, he even drifted off into a light slumber, entirely immersed in the warm water and the maids'' attentive service.

 Chapter 338: Unlocking Hidden Features?

    Sterl wasn''t sure how long he had been out. When he woke up, he found that the cooldown for the cheat points had finally reset. He was lying in avish,rge bed.


    Surrounding him were more than ten maids sprawled across the bed, their sleeping postures surprisingly elegant, each one trying to showcase her charm as much as possible.


    In short, it was professional! Even in their slumber, they provided Sterl with a significant aesthetic pleasure.


    Upon hearing some noise, one of the maids attempted to struggle awake to serve him. However, Sterl chose not to disturb them and instead teleported back to his own room.


    Last night, he had certainly exhausted the maids. However, due to theirrge number, he had mostly been resting, and half of them remained untouched, waiting for his next use.


    By the way, although Sterl had rxed somewhatst night, he still felt quite ufortable, primarily because his thoughts were lingering on the game pod after allocating his points. Even in his dreams, he maintained a faint connection��


    It wasn''t until he entered his room and confirmed that the game pod showed no signs of change, looking just like the regr version, that he finally felt at ease.


    Nevertheless, after some contemtion, he decided to extract the game pod core. The effects of his point allocation were reflected in the core, while the game pod served merely as a vessel. He then installed a core from the warehouse left behind by the Earthling race, which he had previously toyed with, into the current game pod.


    Thus, the game pod in which Sterl was now lying was indistinguishable from its pre-allocation state.


    Though he was lying in the game pod, he was using the newly allocated core to enter the game.


    Instantly, a translucent figure appeared before him.


    Two icons materialized.


    One was the [Transcendence] icon, depicted as a stone-carved mural showcasing the standard configuration of an adventure party��warrior, archer, mage, assassin, and priest��all portrayed in a graceful and striking manner.


    The other icon was a snarling, menacing skull, surrounded by eerie cold mes that sent a shiver down one''s spine. This was the game icon for Swallowing Heaven.


    Sterl knew that if he logged into his [Transcendence] ount, he would merely be ensnared by that formation, unable to escape. If those two figures decided to cause trouble, he would find it hard to resist.


    At that moment, with no other options, Sterl clicked on the Swallowing Heaven ount.


    In an instant, a cascade of rainbow-like lights shed before his eyes, projecting his consciousness from the game to an unknown destination��


    This scene was something Sterl had witnessed before.


    That scene was reminiscent of his first experience in [Transcendence] when he had just transmigrated as a baby. To his surprise, the Swallowing Heaven ount disyed a simr sequence.


    Then, an animation began to y before Sterl''s eyes, first revealing a structure resembling a towering stack of pancakes, where eachyer symbolized ayer of hell. The camera then zoomed in on one of theseyers, where a scene of war unfolded.


    Strange beings were engaged inbat: a lich dragon made of bones, monstrous creatures stitched together from various corpses, and knights d in ashen armor collided fiercely.


    They fought with all their might, and with each enemy in, they extracted a faint soul bone, integrating it into their bodies. Eventually, mes erupted from the knight, transforming him into a new form. The dragon regained flesh and blood from its skeletal frame, its power surging as dark energies enveloped it.


    The liches wielded their staves, bing immensely powerful, able to unleash frost that froze vast expanses in an instant��


    One by one, the formidable figures faded away, leaving only the two characters of the title "Swallowing Heaven."


    The scene was exhrating and filled with adrenaline, yet Sterl remained unmoved. When he transmigrated as a baby, he also saw a simr war scene in the opening animation of [Transcendence].


    However, unlike the straightforward brutality of Swallowing Heaven, where one simply killed enemies on the battlefield to ascend, the imagery in [Transcendence] illustrated a journey towards greatness, culminating in titles and des after ying foes.


    For ordinary people, it was quite shocking, but for Sterl, given his current strength, it was rather mundane. Those powerful units couldn''t withstand even a casual strike from Sterl...


    However, it was precisely because of the animation and the logo that Sterl initially believed the world in [Transcendence] was merely a pure game world.


    As the animation concluded, the character creation process officially began. Sterl remembered the screen when he had created his character in [Transcendence] after transmigrating��there was nothing but a simple yes/no option to create a character.


    Selecting "yes"pleted the process, while choosing "no" meant he didn''t wish to join the game. In that case, Earth didn''t cater to freeloaders; he was essentially told to fend for himself outside.


    Now, however, Sterl realized that the initial screen indeed mirrored the character creation in [Transcendence]. There was only the yes/no option��nothing else.


    Before him, a series of transparent codes illuminated the screen, disying various prompts.


    [Hidden Options Unlocked.]


    [Unlocked Features: Face Customization]


    [Unlocked Features: ID Nickname Creation]


    [Unlocked Features: Race Selection]


    [Unlocked Features: Talent Extraction and Selection]


    [Unlocked Features: Birthce Selection]


    "Huh?"


    Sterl had just been contemting whether the point allocation was useless since he had onlypleted one-third of it. But now it seemed that was not the case at all! He had directly unlocked many hidden features of the game!


    He was slightly surprised, realizing that yet another secret between [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven had appeared before him. Why had these features, which were inherently part of the game, been hidden?


    However, after a moment of confusion, Sterl redirected his attention back to the character creation page��


    He was immediately filled with excitement!


    It was important to note that while [Transcendence] had powerful detection capabilities, it could only detect the attributes of the character created during the game, which just happened to reflect the yer''s attributes in reality. Now that he could set his own attributes, it was the perfect disguise��one that could not be seen through by any means!


    "Wow! The cheat really is impressive!"


    Sterl couldn''t help but marvel. Although these were merely the most basic features of an online game, they were unattainable for other yers in [Transcendence] and the farmingmunity.


    He decisively began his operations, first with face customization and race selection.


    Sterl didn''t go for anything outrageous or intentionally ugly; instead, he chose an ordinary-looking, rather handsome young man of the human race.


    Hell was characterized by chaos, and anything could appear here, including humans and even angels wielding divine powers. It was said that oneyer of hell was named Heaven, ruled by a powerful divine-level angel, where countless ordinary beings lived in peace and prosperity.


    By the way, when selecting a race, Sterl noticed a wide range of options avable. Perhaps the system had been hidden deliberately, as Swallowing Heaven ced no restrictions on the selection of powerful races, including angels, blood lords, and vampires��


    Yet, Sterl still chose the Earthling race, adhering to Gloria''s advice.


    Next came the ID creation. He chose the name��"Mephistopheles."


    Though this ID was rted to various mythological stories from Sterl''s previous life, it was actually a fairlymon name in Swallowing Heaven; many yers and demons used it.


    As for his birthce, Sterl searched for a while and finally found theyer of hell associated with the Archduke of Blood. He was determined to be born here, both to create some chaos during this expansion event and to scout when the two figures from the upper realms would be able to break their seals, allowing him to log in with his main character.


    Of course, such actions carried inherent risks.


    However�� it didn''t matter.


    Sterl''s true identity and his connection to Cirilo had not been exposed, so theoretically, he wouldn''t encounter any divine-level entities.


    Finally, thest option was talent selection and extraction.


    Sterl drew a total of three talents from the avable options, and luck was on his side��he pulled one E-rank talent and two F-rank talents.


    [Dancer of Death]


    Rank: E


    Effect: 20% of the damage you receive will be gradually deducted over the next 4 seconds.


    ...


    [Power Strike]


    Rank: F


    Effect: Increases the power boost effect of your attacks by 10%.


    ...


    [Divination]


    Rank: F


    Effect: You can predict whether an event will ur or not, with a 30% uracy rate for correct predictions. This skill has a high energy cost.


    ...


    Sterl casually nced over the three talents, and indeed, the E-rank talent had a stronger effect. Despite its E rank, Dancer of Death was quite useful.


    What did it mean that 20% of the damage he took would be gradually deducted over four seconds? In demigod-level battles, both sides could exchange immense firepower within a second or two. This essentially provided a fixed 20% damage reduction, calcted after any other reductions were applied.


    It was a superb ability!


    However��


    This talent was pretty useless in the early game. For a regr yer, relying on this to grow into a demigod was unlikely��


    The other two F-rank talents were rather amusing. Power Strike had some utility, at least.


    But Divination? It could only predict whether an event would happen or not, and the uracy was only 30%. It would be better to just guess without the skill! At least the guessing would have a higher chance of being correct, not to mention that it consumed quite a bit of energy!


    Anyone who ended up with that talent would truly be unlucky��


    Sterl couldn''t help but scoff, finding the situation amusing, and he decisively made his choice.


    [Divination].


    Regardless, a talent that involved mysterious powers and esoteric knowledge had to possess a higher essence than the other two talents!


    Adding this to his potential would clearly be stronger.


    After making his selection, a glowing portal appeared before him, apanied by a shining prompt.


    [Touch the portal to enter the world of Swallowing Heaven!]


    [Enjoy it all, yer!]


    [Warning: If you die in Swallowing Heaven, everything you gained through the game will be taken from you.]


    This was basically the same as in [Transcendence]. Without any hesitation, Sterl stepped forward and touched the portal, instantly engulfed in a brilliant light��

 Chapter 339: Mephistopheles

    Sterl stepped into a new world.


    He found himself refreshing in a ce he was quite familiar with, near the battlefield of the Blood Red Fortress. However, he was positioned closer to the coalition of demons and hell yers.


    At that moment, he realized he waspletely naked. He felt a slight chill in his lower body, and any movement caused his limbs to sway ufortably.


    However, Sterl had no time to dwell on that; he quickly checked the pop-up notifications. First, a Login Terminal appeared suddenly and then integrated into Sterl''s body. Eventually, he discovered a pattern resembling a disk in the palm of his right hand.


    The disk disyed two sides: one was golden, while the other was a dark red. The golden side depicted Sterl''s main character, d in divine armor, looking incredibly dashing. The blood-red side showcased Sterl in his current state,pletely unclothed and revealing his toned muscles.


    Sterl sensed that he could make the disk''s pattern disappear at any time.


    He frowned slightly, recalling that the reason he allowed the disk to integrate so easily was due to several warnings he received upon logging in.


    [Warning: Erroneous data detected!]


    [Warning: Memory overflow in progress!]


    [Warning: yer data error, executing emergency deletion...]


    [Warning: Malicious bug detected, DEBUG mechanism activated.]


    ...


    DEBUG? It wouldn''t just erase me, would it? Sterl couldn''t help but think.


    Then, from the disk, content appeared through the cheat detection.


    [Equip/absorb this item to shield against system detection and enable dual ount ess.]


    Moreover, there was a plus sign indicating that after a third cheat evolution, he could allocate points.


    After some contemtion, Sterl decided to absorb the disk into his body. As long as he could allocate points again in the future, it was unlikely to pose any danger to him. Additionally, he needed this item to block the searches from [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven.


    Sure enough, at that moment, the various chaotic notifications faded away, reced by new content.


    [yer "Mephistopheles," wee to Swallowing Heaven.]


    [Detected that you have a beta test save file. Do you wish to ept it?]


    "Beta test save file?" Sterl paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.


    It was akin to using cheats in his previous life''s online games; the disk''s function was to wash his main ount clean as a beta test save file. But [Transcendence] had a beta test?


    He felt�� perhaps he had received a bit too much secret informationtely; his head was spinning.


    With a tumult of thoughts, Sterl chose to ept it.


    Beep~ Beep~ Beep~


    He felt a series of strange sounds in his ears, followed by a powerful energy gradually infusing into his previously weak body.


    Sterl leaped from being aplete novice to leveling up to third ss, with various skills manifesting. However, as expected, despite now being identified as a yer of Swallowing Heaven, the skills from the [Transcendence] System had not transformed into the Origin of Chaos.


    This was reasonable enough.


    After all, the Origin of Chaos was clearly a specific game mechanic within [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven. It required yers of opposing factions to obtain abilities from another faction through unconventional means.


    If all his skills were to be converted into Origin of Chaos, the bacsh from Fortune would be unbearable for Sterl; he estimated it would result in a rather gruesome death for him��


    However��


    He soon disyed a look of frustration. Now, all the skills he released as a yer of Swallowing Heaven could be disguised. Yet each time he disguised a skill, it consumed a blood-colored document, and each document could only maintain the illusion for ten minutes.


    This meant that Sterl had to frequently hunt down hell yers; otherwise, when his documents ran out, his identity would be exposed, and both [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven would likely take action to eliminate him as a bug.


    Of course��


    At that moment, the most important thing was that Sterl saw the fourth talent, Divination, had settled into his talent bar!


    At the same time, he sensed an ominous presence in the air around him, as if the entire world was locking onto him. He felt that breaking through the limit on talents would surely incur divine retribution.


    "Well then��"


    "Next, I''ll see what yers of Swallowing Heaven primarily do."


    After sensing this, Sterl headed towards a nearby camp where hell yers were gathered.


    About ten minutester, he arrived at the location.


    The camp was established in a natural valley, utilizing space-folding technology. To the outside world, it appeared small, but inside it was vast.


    However��


    The aesthetic of the buildings where the hell yers resided was extremely crude, adorned with massive, dried heads and some blood-soaked furs as decorations.


    Sterl deduced that yers of Swallowing Heaven likely differed significantly from yers of [Transcendence] in reality. Their aesthetic and moral values were probably quite distinct.


    The building style suggested that yers of Swallowing Heaven were chosen from primitive civilizations filled with ughter and raw violence.


    Sterl watched helplessly as a female yer from Swallowing Heaven was dragged into a tent by several male yers, followed by sounds of painful cries and desperate outbursts.


    "It''s really chaotic here," Sterl shook his head.


    However��


    Just seconds after hemented the unfortunate fate of that woman��


    Sterl had no intention of offering help; he was busy gathering intelligence.


    Unfortunately, someone soon patted him on the shoulder. It was a burly man with a ghostly mask and two horns protruding from his head. Behind him were several simrly muscr figures, but those "people" hardly resembled humans at all. There were half-man, half-bull monsters, as well as creatures covered in scales, resembling lizards��


    From their imposing presence, it was clear that they were all of legendary strength, far surpassing Sterl, who was merely a third ss with fluctuating power levels.


    "Hey, bro, you''re new here."


    "Yeah," Sterl replied casually, ready to hear what the burly man had to say.


    Typically, this was how things went, right? When entering a new map, one would seek out locals to help navigate the various customs and facilities.


    The group of muscr men broke into hearty smiles.


    "New guy, a third ss without any foundation dares to wander around outside. Aren''t you afraid of getting yourself killed?"


    Seeing their apparent concern, Sterl offered a polite smile. "I have my own ways of keeping safe."


    He intended to ask this group to give him an overview of the camp.


    However...


    Unfortunately, Sterl''s words were cut off.


    "How about we give you a tour of this ce?"


    "But you''ll have to y a little game with us first."


    Sterl suddenly felt a familiar sensation creeping in��Fortune bacsh, and his alertness heightened.


    "A game?" he asked, keeping his temper in check, as long as no personal stakes were involved.


    "Yeah! We''ve been under a lot of pressure; why not y a little rape game with us?"


    "You just need to y the role of the victim."


    "Not interested," Sterl coldly rejected.


    The burly men were already encircling him, grinning ominously.


    "If you agree, can it still be called rape?"


    "Come on! You''re not bad looking; let''s have some fun."


    "Don''t worry, brother''s skills are certified by subi��guaranteed to leave you wanting more."


    ...


    Sterl was taken aback.


    "???"


    "..."


    He felt a wave of nausea.


    Seriously, guys?


    I''m a guy here��


    Can I really suffer from this kind of Fortune bacsh??


    Sterl felt like he might throw up.


    No wonder the yers of Swallowing Heaven gave him such a shock right from the start.


    "Get lost!"


    "Wait..."


    Sterl nced at the group of burly men, thinking that a mere third ss wouldn''t stir up much trouble. He looked ahead and saw two legendary powerhouses engaged in a fierce battle, clearly having a disagreement.


    One of the legendary yers executed another on the spot.


    The other Swallowing Heaven yers present seemed entirely unfazed by the event; their expressions remained unchanged, and some even cheered, "Nice work, bro!"


    "You really set a standard; others should learn from you!"


    The group of burly men surrounding Sterl were momentarily taken aback. What was so impressive about that? Didn''t this happen numerous times every day?


    Then, the next moment, Sterl casually remarked, "Since it''s fine to attack each other here, I feel relieved."


    Countless strands of Flowing Water transformed into de-like tendrils, swiftly shredding the group of burly men into a cloud of blood mist and bone fragments.


    With a cold expression, Sterl felt slightly better.


    At the same time, he gained four points of Fortune, taking another step closer to evolving his cheat.


    As for the gruesome scene of the burly men''s deaths, no one cared.


    ...


    Afterward, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to find a guide and simply began to explore the camp on his own.


    It was actually quite simr to yers in the main world.


    When Sterl opened the event page, a blood-red text appeared, announcing the "Defend the Homnd" event, which was essentially the same as the events offered by [Transcendence]. It required yers to participate in defending against the armies of the main world to earn contributions.


    However��


    What frustrated Sterl was that the event now disyed��Objective Failed.


    There was also a briefing stating that due to the ongoing activity of the demigod Cirilo from the main world, the hell coalition had suffered devastating losses, and there was now no possibility of victory on the front lines. The event had transitioned into a hidden phase: Revenge.


    yers could earn additional Hell Will rewards by killing yers from the main world, and based on the umted rewards, various tiers of shops could be unlocked.


    Sterl thought, "..."


    How should he put it? It seemed that he couldn''t participate in the event because his main ount had effectively crushed this side of hell?

 Chapter 340: Three Divine Level Demons!

    Sterl thought for a moment. Although he had effectively wrecked the event, he still needed to participate. After all��


    His goal was to check if themotion caused by the figures from the upper realms in the main world had settled down and when he might be able to switch back to his main ount.


    So, Sterl found a Supreme-level yer from hell and epted several quests, which would reward him with contributions within the camp.


    At first, Sterl only took on the quests because of his frugal nature; if it was free, he might as well take it.


    However, he soon discovered that camp contributions were interconnected across all camps in the entireyer of hell, and the highest tier included Iridescent-Level skills and items for exchange!


    For example��


    [Will of the Dead (Fragmented)]


    [Tier: Iridescent-Level]


    [Description: Countless deceased souls believe that losing life brings rest, yet in hell, you will never find the end of your soul''s torment; you will endlessly advance without respite.]


    [Effect: Each time youplete any skill or attack, you will permanently umte ayer of Will of the Dead. When youunch an attack, for eachyer consumed, you can deal 1% of the opponent''s maximum health as damage. This damage cannot be mitigated and will always hit.]


    [Learning Requirement: Death and Rebirth ss prestige.]


    [Purchase Requirement: Must be in the top three of total contributions across all camps to choose any 1/3 of this skill.]


    "That''s powerful!" Sterl remarked.


    As for the so-called prestige, it equated to divine status in the main world.


    At the same time, Sterl was somewhat astonished.


    The Will of Hell could offer such high-level rewards?


    He recalled the Supreme demon he had killed earlier on the battlefield and suddenly realized something��


    Not quite; even if the front lines had copsed, this expansion event was far from over.


    Only divine level demons couldpel Supreme-level demons to sacrifice their lives!


    Moreover, the incredibly valuable items within this camp were being offered for exchange with other yers from hell. Clearly, there were deities standing behind hell, and they would strike sooner orter!


    As Sterl pondered this, he decided he wasn''t ready to dive into the quests immediately; he wanted to spend some resources to gather basic information about the Swallowing Heaven yers.


    Unexpectedly, the Supreme who assigned tasks to Sterl was a lich dressed in a wizard''s robe, looking much more normal than the average hell yer.


    However, suddenly, a golden arrow appeared from the sky, flying from an unknown source! It pierced through multipleyers of the automatically deployed mage shields and homed in on the teleporting lich, striking him in the forehead and prating his soul fire.


    In an instant, the only Supreme in the camp fell dead on the spot.


    Sterl quickly activated Shadow Stealth, hiding in the shadow realm. The golden arrow shattered, transforming into a rain of light. Although it appeared like raindrops, each droplet dealt additional damage to demons and hell yers.


    Apanied by��


    Ding! Ding! Ding!


    A series of light sounds rang out as at least dozens of demons and hell yers were instantly turned into fragments!


    Then�� came a series of shouts: "Kill! That assholeCirilo is gone!"


    "Quick, let''s farm hard and make up for the lost merit!"


    "Charge! We finally found this demon camp; we can''t let the Golden Kingdom and Ashen people get ahead!"


    At this moment, three Supremes led the Hall of Valor yer team into the camp, rampaging and ughtering!


    Under normal circumstances, although the number of monsters in this demon camp was substantial, it wouldn''t warrant such a huge uproar.


    But Sterl had already eaten his fill; other yers needed to fight for the remaining spoils.


    As he watched the Swallowing Heaven yers rapidly decrease in numbers, Sterl remained expressionless, choosing to stay in the shadow realm and watch the chaos unfold.


    Now that his faction had determined that killing the Hall of Valor yers would yield contribution rewards, he decided to wait until they finished off their allies before taking action against the Swallowing Heaven yers�� who he found repugnant.


    However, things did not go as nned.


    The leading Supremes seemed to be familiar with such encirclement tactics, and they casually tore open a scroll.


    Immediately, golden bolts of Thunder zed, even shing into the shadow realm.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Sterl, who had beenfortably fishing, was jolted out by the Thunder, along with at least a hundred hell yers and demons who were about to escape, all forced out from various dimensions and teleportation abilities.


    Sterl helplessly looked at the group of Hall of Valor yers, who wore strange smiles directed at him.


    He sighed, "Why must you force me to make a move?"


    His n was to nonchntly deliver that line before beginning a ughter,


    But the next second��


    Boom!!


    Three towering pirs of light descended, and all the yers from the main world were simultaneously affected by the pirs, frozen in ce and unable to move.


    Then, more sts of light rained down from the pirs!


    Taking advantage of the hell yers'' momentary confusion, they decimated the surrounding yers from the main world.


    And that wasn''t all.


    Sterl quickly activated a skill to dodge a dark purple energy st, which immediately created a massive crater where he had just been standing, with destructive energy surging within. If he had been hit, he would have sustained serious injuries.


    What was going on? Wasn''t this supposed to be reinforcements from hell?


    Sterl was taken aback as he looked up at the three light pirs.


    A thought naturally arose in his mind��


    Gods!


    These were three divine-level demons making their move, but their method of attack was indiscriminate.


    Sterl watched in disbelief as yers from the Hall of Valor, including those few Supremes, were easily struck and burned by the energy sts, their forms disintegrating in the brilliant light.


    Soon, many unfortunate hell yers suffered the same fate��


    They were being dissolved by the energy!


    Sterl had initially intended to farm some merit, but under the bombardment from divine-level demons, he had no time for that. Golden Thunder crackled around him, remnants of the special items used by the Hall of Valor yers right before their demise, which prevented teleportation abilities.


    The primary function of this item was to ensure that the Hall of Valor yers had no chance to escape after being attacked��


    They couldn''t even activate their skills to teleport away.


    Now, Sterl was left restricted, forced to rely on basic skills to evade.


    As he dodged the energy sts, he could hear a group of hell yers cursing angrily nearby.


    "This bunch of gods has been the same for years!"


    "Just to save a little bit on rewards, they''re eager to blow us all to bits, huh?!"


    "Must be nice to be a god. If I ever be a god, I''d do the same��issue tasks, then blow everyone up without having to give out any rewards!"


    They were venting their frustrations,


    Yet the gods high above definitely sensed this scene but didn''t respond at all. It wasn''t that they allowed mortals to insult them; rather, the hell yers were right.


    But the gods of the Swallowing Heaven faction were utterly shameless! They could say whatever they wanted; the gods were determined to blow everything up together.


    Sterl felt dizzy!


    Holy cow!


    They could y it like this? The gods of [Transcendence] would never operate this way, as resources used by units below a god hold little significance to the gods themselves!


    But the gods of Swallowing Heaven had once again redefined Sterl''s understanding.


    He realized what the current situation was: the gods were indeed exterminating units from the main world, but when they attacked, they indiscriminately targeted both friend and foe. Blowing up some Swallowing Heaven yers along the way was a surefire profit; why not do it?


    However��


    Sterl was somewhat relieved.


    Facing the coordinated ughter of three gods, even avoiding the aftermath was incredibly difficult. If he were still on the battlefield using Cirilo''s disguise, he would be in deep trouble.


    Without ascending to godhood, he would undoubtedly perish!


    Yet��


    Soon, the barrage of energy from the three light pirs ceased.


    But Sterl felt even more anxious and hurriedly retreated toward the back of the battlefield.


    Because from the direction of the main world, the three light pirs had risen, indicating that the gods representing the three major factions had brazenly entered the fray.


    This also meant that the intensity of this expansion event had escted to��Divine War!


    As a mortal, Sterl could hardlyprehend everything erupting in the sky amidst the surging Divine Power.


    The sky first transformed into a night filled with darkness, then countless brilliant golden des descended like a torrential rain upon the entire battlefield. Following that were endless strange crystals filling the sky.


    These crystals continuously refracted light, eventually forming a dense grid of energy arrows that sliced through space itself, revealing a massive turbulence!


    Meanwhile, the three gods from hell created a swarm that blotted out the sun, exuding a foul odor as they rampaged everywhere. Just the leaked energy caused countless hell yers and main world yers below to perish simultaneously.


    Then there were strange auras of pink and dark purple shing, and as Sterl watched from below, he had no idea what effects they had. All it did was remind him of that Supreme-level demon''s arrival, with a spatial rift behind it leading to anotheryer of hell.


    Once again, it was the god behind that Supreme demon making a move.


    But thest divine-level demon remained inactive.


    It wasn''t until Sterl had retreated a great distance that he suddenly noticed blood pouring down from the vast river in the sky.


    At the same time, the entireyer of hell began to rejoice, the will of hell boiling as if weing back its master. The natural Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array he had noticed earlier erupted with countless streams of blood, transforming into a massive de.


    It was held in the hands of thest demon.


    And from a distance, Sterl caught a glimpse of��


    The name of that god.


    The Archduke of Blood!


    How could this be?


    Sterl nearly eximed��wasn''t he already dead? Wasn''t that the reason for this expansion event?


    Not just Sterl, but countless yers below and several gods in the sky were equally astonished.


    But facts don''t bend to human will.


    This once-dead divine-level demon had shockingly resurrected, and his aura was even more powerful than before, with a wicked light shing in his eyes.

 Chapter 341: Origin of Chaos · Supreme Sky Thunder

    The Archduke of Blood slowly gathered his power, gripping a de made of blood in one hand while pointing towards the sky with the other.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a bolt of thunder struck down.


    Its might shook the entire sky, and in an instant, the hellish red above was swept away! The offensive forces created by several gods were instantly shattered.


    The three gods were forced to retreat, struggling to maintain their bnce.


    In the end, the lightning did not cause any harm; it merely transformed into silver serpents that coiled around the massive form of the Archduke of Blood.


    Ultimately, the lightning morphed into a suit of armor, empowering him. Instantly, the presence of the Archduke of Blood surpassed that of any divine-level entity present. As the thunder shed, the remaining five in the air all retreated in a panic.


    And this seemed merely a prelude to a singr technique.


    This disy left Sterl pale and struck a profound chord with the three gods of the main world.


    "How is this possible!?"


    "Your technique..."


    "Archduke of Blood... you are truly cunning!"


    "So this time, you intentionally lured us here!"


    The three gods were filled with terror! Because...


    The skill wielded by the Archduke of Blood was a pure and oppressive thunder, a technique that no ordinary demon could learn! It was undoubtedly a move exclusive to the main world factions.


    Now that this divine-level demon had mastered it, it meant that the technique would transform into the Origin of Chaos, its power dramatically increasing.


    Moreover, it appeared that this Origin of Chaos was purely an offensive skill, which would grant this divine-level demon an exaggeratedbat prowess!


    At this moment...


    All the gods turned pale!


    Even terrified.


    The three gods of the main world were understandably in a panic! Among them, Marlon and Ashen''s gods were somewhat better off; they not only possessed their divine authority but also had a long-studied Iridescent-Level skill. In contrast, the god from the Golden Kingdom had only ascended to godhood a few decades ago and possessed merely a fragmented Iridescent-Level skill.


    At this moment, the power of the Thunder mastered by the Archduke of Blood had to be of divine authority quality, and now that it had transformed into the Origin of Chaos, it far exceeded any ordinary Iridescent-Level ability!


    The three gods of the main world simply could not withstand it!


    The two divine-level demons were also not pleased...


    Not long ago, the two divine-level demons had been coveting this unimedyer of hell. They were, after all, the ones who had ambushed and killed the Archduke of Blood initially.


    However, seizing the Archduke of Blood''syer of hell would prove to be quite difficult for them as well.


    The Will of Hell between eachyer is in a state of constantpetition. Once a divine-level demon upies ayer of hell that does not belong to them, the will of the upiedyer is at risk of being devoured by the will of theyer from which the divine-level demon originates.


    As a result, divine-level demons face fierce resistance when attempting to seize anotheryer of hell. Unless they wait for the invasion from the main world when the Will of Hell is already dissipating, it will still tend to favor its own kind.


    However��


    Just when the two divine-level demons were plotting against each other��one of their ns even interrupted by Sterl��they were shocked to discover that the Archduke of Blood had suddenly revived.


    Moreover, he seemed to possess an aura that was subtly stronger than before.


    Initially, the two divine-level demons intended to join forces against amon enemy, but they found that the Archduke of Blood appeared to be ready to set aside his grudges and invite them to coborate in eliminating the gods of the main world for mutual gain.


    In the main world, the gods could kill each other to seize divine authority, let alone the demons from Hell, who were in direct opposition to the main world.


    Furthermore, the demons of Hell could refine the legacies of the divine beings from the main world without any restrictions. Depending on their abilities, they could gain varying degrees of benefits, but even the minimum oue would result in a significant power boost for the divine-level demons.


    Although they were puzzled about how the Archduke of Blood could be certain that the three gods of the main world had already descended, the other two divine-level demons did not hesitate to agree to this coboration.


    Even��


    While cooperation was one thing, if they could manage to seize a substantial amount of the legacies left behind after the fall of the main world gods, the two divine-level demons might even consider teaming up again to eliminate the Archduke of Blood once more.


    After all, these two demons were quite rare; they had previously teamed up once before! In hell, this was a highly valuable and scarce quality!


    They could barely trust each other.


    But now, with the Archduke of Blood wielding the Thunder of Origin of Chaos, his power had surged dramatically.


    This was extremely unfriendly towards the two divine-level demons!


    Not to mention that their ns were likely to fail because of this; even if they abandoned their intention to kill the Archduke of Blood again, it didn''t mean that this resurrected divine-level demon would let them off the hook.


    If people in the main world can hardly tolerate such a grudge, how much more so could demons in hell?


    As a result��


    The two divine-level demons, who had originally been gathering their strength to unleash Iridescent-Level techniques, abruptly halted their actions.


    And thest one left in shock��


    Naturally, it was Sterl.


    He was the one most aware of the situation. The Archduke of Blood had been plotting in the main world, and yet, despite being intercepted by him, how had he managed to obtain the Origin of Chaos? It didn''t make sense!


    Sterl had studied a fair amount of formation theory, and he understood that the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array didn''t work by simply cutting off a random piece of flesh to absorb power. Only core organs, like a demon''s heart or a human''s brain, could serve that purpose.


    The heart of the Archduke of Blood had been devoured by him, and his body had been killed in hell��so how could he possibly absorb the Origin of Chaos? Even if he hadid some groundwork in other Crystal Barrier Gxies, it still shouldn''t be feasible.


    Sterl found it hard toprehend, but that didn''t stop him from making a hasty escape. The main issue was that these divine-level demons were incredibly ruthless; a casual attack could wipe out a whole bunch of minions.


    Sterl had no choice but to retreat. As expected, countless bolts of thunder began to strike down on the very spot where he had just been standing, obliterating those demons and hell yers who were slow to react.


    "Damn! He''s gone mad!"


    "Why is he doing this?"


    ��


    Nearby, hell yers were cursing wildly. Unlike the previous two divine-level demons, the Archduke of Blood was far more brutal, unleashing indiscriminate bombardments across a wide area.


    The targets were clear: both hell entities and main world units were to be annihted! There was no distinction between friend and foe!


    At that moment��


    Under the thunder, beneath the divine wrath, all fighting lost its meaning, and every unit below divine level was scrambling for safety.


    Even��


    Boom!!


    The dazzling lightning washed over Sterl, and he could only see silver serpents dancing wildly before his eyes.


    He was forced to use his clone skill,manding his clone to unleash Protection Power, absorbing a moment of the onught just long enough for him to escape.


    However, on the frontline, the casualties among the units of hell and those from the main world were catastrophic.


    Countless energies and souls were extracted and absorbed into hell.


    The Archduke of Blood''s inexplicable actions served only one purpose: to nourish the already battered Will of Hell.


    Previously, the Will of Hell had actively controlled the demons and hell yers. The death of these units would damage the Will of Hell itself, but now, as hell remained in a dormant state, all units that died there returned their soul power to hell.


    In this process, the Will of Hell itself would receive considerable nourishment...


    Meanwhile, in the sky, the Archduke of Blood, with his grotesque visage, observed everything, seemingly quite satisfied with the scene.


    As for the retreat of the two divine-level demons, it had no effect on him whatsoever.


    "Ha ha! Come again!"


    "Let me show you what true power looks like��Origin of Chaos: Supreme Sky Thunder!"


    He was utterly arrogant!


    The two divine-level demons nearby wore grim expressions but said nothing in response. It was indeed the Origin of Chaos! Such a powerful technique allowed the Archduke of Blood, usually so calcting, to boast about his own prowess with pride!


    Clearly...


    The two divine-level demons deduced that the Archduke of Blood felt invincible!


    At this moment, the Archduke of Blood finally��made his move!


    The earlier bombardment that devastated the battlefield was merely a side effect of the Origin of Chaos.


    Now��


    He slowly raised his hand, the blood-red de enveloped in condensed golden Thunder, which then transformed into a gigantic shadow of the Archduke of Blood. The size of this shadow was at least a hundred times greater than the Archduke of Blood''s real form.


    Consequently��


    Sterl and the other yers and demons who had barely escaped the frontline looked up, their minds shaken.


    There stood a colossal Thunder giant!


    Its feet rooted in the ground below, its head reaching toward the heavens. It was as if the entireyer of hell was being suppressed by this imposing figure.


    "Holy crap! Run!"


    "We''re doomed!"


    "Is the Archduke of Blood going to destroy thisyer of hell?"


    ��


    Nearby, some hell yers were crying in despair.


    Under the terrifying pressure of the Thunder giant, the sands and stones of hell slowly churned, and before the Thunder de even struck, the entire world was engulfed in a scene of impending doom.


    Sterl felt that��


    In such a situation, he might have to use his life-saving skills again.


    The Archduke of Blood''s attack style was exceedingly strange. He could have struck horizontally to severely injure the three gods of the main world, yet he chose to twist his waist and swing the de in a full 360-degree arc!


    "What grudge does he have?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but silentlyin. Had the Archduke of Blood returned from the dead only to go insane and kill everything in sight?


    Swish!!


    Even though the yers still had time for banter, the speed at which the gods acted was astonishing. It seemed the Archduke of Blood had been charging up for ages, but in reality, itsted no more than a second.


    sh!


    The Thunder de''s light spread out in a circr wave, expanding in all directions.


    Sterl watched helplessly as several Supreme demons, caught too close to the action, were torn to shreds!


    Life-saving items shattered in the lightning, unable to even activate; this was an absolute disy of power!


    With his attention intensely focused, Sterl felt the ring of energy slowly advancing toward him, and every living being along its path��


    Would be turned to charcoal without even needing a direct hit from the thunder.


    In that moment, he decisively��


    Pressed the disk tattoo on his skin.


    Change number!

 Chapter 342: What Does an Invincible Skill Mean?

    The reason Sterl made this seemingly nonsensical move was that he had discovered a "BUG." The mechanism of [Transcendence] dictated that yers could not exit the game duringbat. If they forcefully exited, their character would remain frozen in ce,pletely vulnerable without any protective measures. This meant that anyone could easily kill them.


    Of course, this situation only triggered when yers couldn''t exit the game; the exit button would turn gray. However, the ability to switch ounts through the disk was a different story. Thest time it had directly sent Sterl back to reality, and this time, he wanted to see if it would work again.


    Sure enough, as he activated it, he immediately felt darkness envelop him.


    Then, other hell yers and demons nearby saw a figure flicker momentarily, as if the pixels that made up his body had shattered, and he vanished.


    No one had any particr thoughts about it.


    With so many bizarre life-saving items in [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven, who cared about how a hell yer managed to escape?


    Before long, Sterl sensed that he had returned to his reality inside the game pod.


    At that moment...


    Sterl fell silent for a moment, unable to help but smile.


    It worked!


    What does an invincible skill mean?


    Log off, log back in.


    In the meantime, he could jump out of the game, and no attack could harm him!


    In the future, there would be nowhere in the game world that he couldn''t go.


    However��


    Sterl suddenly felt a wave of rm rise within him.


    He raised his arm, the disk tattoo still on his skin.


    Sterl sensed that the tattoo was conveying a message to him.


    His previous action had exploited a loophole in [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven, and to mask this from the system, it consumed 100 documents. Moreover, each time he triggered a bug, the likelihood of the system discovering it would increase.


    This meant that the number of documents consumed would continuously double.


    Sterl: "��"


    He had just thought he had obtained a skill that could be used infinitely, but it turned out that he had overestimated it.


    The current consumption of 100 documents was not a big deal, but now the log-off technique could only be used two more times. If he used it a fourth time, consuming 800 documents, he would exceed the terminal storage limit (the current dual-faction total was 600 documents).


    Sterl wasn''t particrly disappointed, as this log-off method was still quite overpowered.


    As long as Sterl could react quickly enough to use the disk to switch ounts, no powerful opponent would matter to him.


    He could switch ounts to see if any strong yers were still targeting him, then switch back to his main ount.


    Of course, normal yers would never suspect that Sterl had logged off.


    Theoretically, this was an absolutely invincible skill.


    Even if he encountered an opponent he could never defeat��one that could continuously track him and wouldn''t be affected even upon resurrection��he could still log off and resolve the issue.


    And now��


    "There are still two log-off opportunities left; I need to use them sparingly."


    "However, after the cheat upgrade, I might be able to increase my disk capacity. That should allow me to extend the document storage limit and use the log-off technique a few more times."


    Sterl thought to himself, but at this moment, he didn''t have time to ponder too much.


    He waited a few seconds and logged back in!


    Those few seconds were precisely the window he needed to dodge the Thunder de. If he waited any longer, he feared that the Archduke of Blood would unleash another attack, and if he suddenly logged in, he would be caught off guard and suffer a heavy blow.


    Fortunately��


    Sizzle, sizzle!


    As soon as Sterl logged in, he felt the floor beneath him was hot, the Thunder shing around him made it hard to stay on his feet.


    The continuous electric shocks caused him to convulse several times.


    This was the power of Origin of Chaos; even its residual strength was ufortable for Sterl, who had an exceptionally high physique. Around him, a dense, azure electric web had formed.


    Underneath the electric weby a vast expanse of dark gray marks.


    Countless units had perished in this area, leaving nothing behind.


    At this moment, Sterl didn''t need to run anymore, as he looked in the distance and saw the Archduke of Blood, after harvesting countless lives, finally feeling satisfied and getting back to business��


    At this moment, the afterimages of the Thunder des still lingered around the three gods of the main world.


    They were doing their utmost to fend off the attacks but were still being forced to retreat continuously.


    The Archduke of Blood, however, was not nning to give the main world gods any opportunity; he attacked again.


    With lightning crackling around him, the Thunder giant behind him plunged the massive de into the ground and then mmed it down hard.


    First, the Thunder''s light appeared to absorb inward, and then it suddenly exploded.


    Boom!!


    Sterl felt a sudden drop in his life force, and several debuffs appeared on his character panel��dizziness, injury, deafness.


    However��


    He was rtively lucky.


    The light waves released by the Thunder surged forward, transforming into numerous demonic forms that charged ahead.


    Although the other two divine-level demons stood by idly, the three gods of the main world could not withstand the onught. They were enveloped in a spectrum of colors, clearly activating their Iridescent-Level skills.


    Symbolizing eternal night, the flowing ribbons, the phantom of a radiant golden pce, and countless shimmering mirror-like surfaces all appeared.


    Unfortunately, these three skills hadn''t fully formed before they were violently shattered by the lightning.


    The three gods were directly hit by the bacsh, vomiting blood as they were struck by the lightning, falling into a state of dizziness. They emitted beams of light as they rapidly dispelled the control, but this control seemed incredibly tenacious. The three gods showed expressions of agony, clearly having consumed precious items and yet still being held captive for several moments.


    After that, the Archduke of Blood continued his pursuit.


    The instant the three gods broke free from control, the Thunder giant transformed from its humanoid form into a gigantic bat.


    Whoosh!


    It pped its wings rapidly and lunged forward!


    The god from the Golden Kingdom, who wielded an iplete Iridescent-Level skill, was the slowest to react after being struck by the Thunder light wave. At that moment, he was directly hit by the bat, which ensnared him in Thunder chains, rendering him immobile. Meanwhile, the upper half of the bat retained its monstrous form and suddenly lunged at him.


    Swish!


    In the distance, Sterl saw golden raindrops fall rapidly; this was the sight of the god being injured.


    Divine blood sttered onto the ground.


    Golden branches and leaves began to sprout, lending a touch of vitality to the battle-scarredndscape.


    However, the god from the Golden Kingdom was being furiously drained of blood by the bat while its ws tore into him, severely wounding him.


    He was unable to escape, even with all his strength.


    Fortunately, the other two gods understood the gravity of the situation; two beams of Iridescent-Level light shone brightly.


    Countless mirrors reflected a dense energy, and the ribbons of eternal night tightly bound the bat. When the two forcesbined, they sessfully tore the monster apart, but the bat quickly transformed back into a surge of Thunder energy, rejoining the Archduke of Blood''s armor, which only amplified the divine-level demon''s momentum.


    Faced with the Origin of Chaos, the attacks from the two gods proved ineffective, merely serving to interrupt the onught.


    "Run!"


    "Quickly!"


    "Go find those two lords; there may still be a chance."


    At that moment, the three gods disyed no dignity, brieflymunicating with each other through divine thoughts, resembling lost dogs as they fled toward the Blood Red Fortress.


    Surprisingly, the Archduke of Blood did not take action during this wave.


    As for the other two divine-level demons, they were exceedingly wary of the Archduke of Blood, casually casting a few skills that just happened to graze the three main world gods as they passed by.


    Then��


    The yers in the main world found themselves in dire straits. Many demigods who had not yet retreated into the fortress were left facing the divine-level demon wielding the Origin of Chaos.


    Because, the gods of the main world had sold them out!


    Sterl watched from a distance as the Archduke of Blood unleashed a single attack, rapidly dispersing the Thunder shadows behind him, followed by��


    A raging frenzy of thunderstorms dancing wildly outside the Blood Red Fortress!


    Almost every surviving unit had bolts of lightning raining down upon them.


    And then, there was nothing that followed.


    Ordinary units, faced with the divine-level power that triggered the Origin of Chaos, were utterly defenseless, reduced to mere fragments!


    Under the shing electric light, unit after unit evaporated.


    If previously, under Sterl''s relentless bombardment, the main world yers had managed to wipe out most of the forces of Hell, leaving only about 30-40% remaining, now, after this wave from the Archduke of Blood,


    The gap between the forces of Hell and the main world had shrunk to less than a factor of two.


    This was an extraordinarily terrifying statistic, as the main world could unleash the strength of three realms at once.


    Outside the Blood Red Fortress, everything had been cleared!


    Not a single living thing remained!


    At this moment, the Archduke of Blood began to gather strength once more, preparing tounch a direct assault on the fortress.


    The shadow of the Thunder giant began to coalesce bit by bit, yet none of the three gods from the main world dared to step forward to stop it.


    In fact, in their despair, they immediately sought refuge in the pce where the two figures from the Upper Realms resided.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Why the rush?"


    The two figures remainedpletely unperturbed, and as the three gods observed their calm demeanor, they gradually felt reassured. No matter how powerful the divine-level demon wielding the Origin of Chaos might be, it seemed that the two lords from the Upper Realms had a way to handle it.


    "We��"


    The three gods were about to say something when a tremendous noise erupted from the sky, as a Thunder bolt struck down hard on the Blood Red Fortress.


    Immediately, the fortress raised a translucent shieldposed of Divine Power.


    Boom!!


    However, countless units within the city felt as if the sky had suddenly brightened!


    Amidst the brilliant Thunder, everyone felt their vision engulfed by a blinding white light!


    As the brightness faded, countless yers came to a realization.


    "That divine-level demon ising after us!"


    "No way, if thebined might of the three gods can''t hold it back, and the fortress''s shield can''t withstand it, what are we going to do?"


    "Run quickly! No, the Thunder power has interfered with the surrounding space; we can''t teleport away!"


    yers were in a frenzy, shouting in panic.


    The light shield of the fortress, which had originally been maintained by the Divine Power of the three gods and countless demigods, was now riddled with cracks from just a single Thunder attack!

 Chapter 343: The Backstab of the Divine-Level Demon

    It was clear that the destruction of the light shield was only a matter of time, and it wouldn''t be long before it could no longer hold!


    Following that, the second and third bolts of Thunder descended!


    Countless yers within the city looked on in despair.


    The once incredibly sturdy fortress, even with the protection of the shield, was now on the verge of copse. Numerous buildings crumbled, and many nodes formed through spatial formations shattered violently, causing some yers hiding inside to escape in a panic through the chaotic currents of space, bloodied and wounded.


    Even worse, some unfortunate souls perished entirely amidst the turmoil.


    The Blood Red Fortress had yet to be breached, but chaos reigned within its walls.


    Finally��


    Swish!


    Another bolt of Thunder fell, this time with terrifying might. The Thunder gathered in mid-air for a full second, forcibly extracting countless amounts of energy.


    It even created a bizarre vacuum zone, visible from afar, giving the impression of an eerie thinness high above.


    Ultimately, a dazzling golden Thunder descended!


    The lightning crackled in the sky, roaring and tearing open rifts in space.


    And below, the countless yers were struck with dread!


    They wanted to flee, but leaving the fortress would only lead to a worse fate. One by one, they could only look up to the sky in despair, hoping for a miracle to ur.


    Boom!!


    The thunder erupted!


    The sheer terror of its power pierced directly into the ground, transforming a vast area of tens of thousands of miles into a domain of Thunder. The Blood Red Fortress became the epicenter of this energy explosion, shattering the air with electric light!


    The very earth beneath the fortress was dissolved!


    In the end, the Blood Red Fortress had be a solitary castle suspended in mid-air.


    Outside, the spherical shield made of Divine Power finally shattered after holding for a full two seconds��


    This was only possible because the shield had been reinforced by the enhanced divine-level formations provided by the two figures from the Upper Realms; otherwise, it might not havested even two seconds.


    Amidst the rain of light left by the shattered shield, Divine Power faithfully yed its role, breaking the residual waves of Thunder. This was likely another effect of the formation.


    But this was thest line of defense.


    The yers stared in shock at the broken shield, their only thought being��


    To escape!


    Unfortunately, as they flew up into the sky, they quickly discovered that although the shockwaves of Divine Power dispersed the Thunder energy near the Blood Red Fortress, the sky and earth outside were still enveloped in thunderstorms, the very embodiment of a divine-level demon''s power.


    Any ordinary demigod Supreme would face instant death upon contact!


    There was simply no way to escape.


    Meanwhile, the Archduke of Blood took a brief moment to catch his breath before countless bolts of Thunder surged rapidly into the city.


    A bolt of Thunder shot straight toward the mysterious pce where the two figures from the Upper Realms resided. Just as the Thunder was about to strike them, the figures didn''t even bother to dodge, allowing the lightning to hit them while wearing faint smiles on their faces.


    The three gods looked on in surprise��could it be that these two lords were finally going to take action? That would secure their victory! What was the Origin of Chaospared to the abilities of the Upper Realms?


    However��


    The Thunder did indeed hit the two figures. They even snapped their fingers, releasing a light gray vortex that drew all the Thunder in the city toward them.


    As a result, countless yers from the main world became aware of their presence. Many of them were drenched in sweat, half-kneeling on the ground.


    This group understood that getting struck by Thunder would likely mean instant death, and at that moment, they felt like they had survived a cmity! Their hearts raced.


    Inside the pce, beams of light flickered.


    Meanwhile, in the distance, the Archduke of Blood and the other two divine-level demons halted their actions.


    "People from the Upper Realms?"


    They paused, realizing that the Origin of Chaos was invincible in the lower realm.


    But the abilities that individuals from the Upper Realms could casually wield might already be enough to crush something as broken as the Origin of Chaos!


    By the way, the final path for yers and strong individuals in Hell to advance was also toward the Upper Realms.


    However��


    In the main world, the order was tight, and people from the Upper Realms would activelye down to guide talented individuals.


    In contrast, Hell''s endlessyers served as an inexhaustible breeding ground for strong forces; only the most exceptional beings, powerful enough that the heavens could no longer tolerate them, would be sent to the Upper Realms.


    Although demons like the Archduke of Blood hadn''t encountered people from the Upper Realms like the gods of the main world, they were still extremely cautious and chose to retreat for the time being.


    At that moment��


    Boom!!


    A dazzling light shone from the two figures.


    The Thunder that struck them not only caused no damage but seemed to activate something instead.


    The three gods from the main world and the countless yers inside the fortress witnessed this scene, their expressions transitioning from sheer terror to joy.


    "Please, lords, lend us your strength!"


    The weakest among the three gods, the one from the Golden Kingdom, directly fell to his knees.


    The other two gods remained somewhat reserved, but the yers below didn''t have the luxury of such restraint. They knew that if the gods had a chance of survival against the divine-level threat, they themselves were undoubtedly doomed, especially with the Thunder domain outside sealing off all escape routes!


    "Please, lords, lend us your strength!"


    "Please, lords, lend us your strength!"


    ��


    One after another, they shouted, their voices echoing with fervor.


    A sea of figures fell to their knees.


    Faced with this scene, the expressions of the three divine-level demons changed drastically. The Archduke of Blood, who had just been in a position of advantage, immediately transformed into a sh of lightning and retreated rapidly.


    The other two divine-level demons did the same.


    Even Sterl was fixated on the two figures. He found himself within the Thunder domain, barely able to withstand it due to his high attributes, but his life force was rapidly depleting.


    The recent wave that had shattered the shield of The Blood Red Fortress had also caused many Hell yers and demons to suffer grievous deaths on the spot.


    The reason Sterl hadn''t fled yet was that he wanted to see how the two figures would handle the situation, especially since his main character was currently being hunted down.


    If the two figures sustained significant damage or were worn out against the Origin of Chaos, then he could reactivate his main character.


    However��


    In the next second, everyone present only heard the sound ofughter from the two figures.


    "Archduke of Blood, good! Good! We remember you! Thank you!"


    Huh? What do you mean, thank you?


    The first half of the statement sounded like the casual bravado of a powerful being, but the second half was rather peculiar.


    Until��


    "Originally, we needed to stay in the lower realm for a thousand years, but now, faced with a lethal threat, we can return early."


    One of the figures said.


    They were both ecstatic; their earlier ns to search for Solomon had essentially failed.


    Remaining in the lower realm no longer held any significance.


    A mere opportunity in the Upper Realms was worth a hundred or a thousand years of hard training in the lower realm.


    However, since they had joined the organization, they were obligated to serve it and stay in Alpha 8.


    Typically, this term would not end early, but there was an exception: if individuals from the Upper Realms were bound by [Transcendence] in the lower realm, they could not act freely.


    Yet, this wasn''t an absolute rule; if the existence of those from the Upper Realms faced a life-threatening situation in the lower realm, they would automatically enter an invincible state and return to the Upper Realms.


    However�� achieving this condition was exceedingly demanding. The two figures had drawn all the Thunder to themselves not to protect the yers within The Blood Red Fortress, but purely to trigger the threshold of damage��and now they had seeded!


    As the light shone, they gradually ascended toward the sky.


    At the same time, they opened a spatial passage that appeared remarkably clean and clear, pure white in color, devoid of any chaos.


    The two figures were swiftly guided away, and when the light finally dissipated, all that remained was a bewildered crowd.


    The gods and yers inside The Blood Red Fortress were left in shock; the powerful reinforcements that had just appeared were gone just like that.


    The three divine-level demons were also a bit dazed. They had anticipated the possibility of facing pursuit from the people of the Upper Realms and had even devised ns for escape.


    Yet, the development of events was exceedingly strange!


    Only Sterl felt in high spirits!


    The departure of the two beings from the Upper Realms not only meant his safety but also hinted at something significant. From their words, Sterl could deduce that the conditions for their return to the Upper Realms had been triggered, and by absorbing the Thunder, it was clear they had wanted to leave��meaning they had most likely given up on tracking down Solomon.


    Good! Good! Good!


    They left splendidly!


    Sterl felt much more rxed.


    Without a second thought, he turned and fled, no longer concerned about what would happen on the battlefield.


    But even without looking, he knew that once the Archduke of Blood regained his senses, he would once again unleash a terrifying Thunder assault on the city.


    From a distance, Sterl could only see the terrifying lightning gathering in the sky, about to descend once more.


    Since the first wave of Thunder had already turned the surrounding area into a lightning domain, it would be difficult for the units from the main world to escape this time.


    Even those who tried to withstand the Thunder outside the fortress would find their movements slowed.


    Moreover, the Archduke of Blood''s abilities had a vast range, leaving them with little choice but to endure it.


    At this moment��


    The three gods from the main world were also bing desperate. They knew that if they didn''t fight with all their might, they wouldn''t even have a chance to struggle.


    In an instant, iridescent light shed, blinding the yers from the main world.


    The gods began to activate rare items one after another, their auras rising dramatically.


    However, it was all in vain. Just like before, as soon as their abilities manifested, they were targeted by the faster and more powerful Origin of Chaos.


    The Archduke of Blood used the same tactic again, gathering Thunder in anticipation before releasing a shockwave.


    Unfortunately��


    The three gods were not fools; they knew they couldn''t win yet still attempted the same strategy.


    "Ugh!!"


    The Archduke of Blood let out a cry of agony.


    Behind him, the two divine-level demons disyed expressions of confusion. They too were glowing with iridescent light; one formed pink spikes that pierced directly into the Archduke of Blood''s body, interrupting his skill.


    The other unleashed waves of dark fire, burning upward.

 Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Sudden Changes in the Situation, War Escalates

    The intense and bizarre mes coiled around the Archduke of Blood like maggots, continuously burrowing into his body and evaporating into streams of magnificent golden mist.


    Immediately��


    Wherever the mist spread, the parched earth began to regain its vitality. The bodily tissues of a divine being were a tremendous boon for the mundane world!


    "You... dare!"


    In the instant the Archduke of Blood was ambushed, the Origin of Chaos he had gatheredpletely copsed!


    However...


    After sessfullynding their surprise attack, the two divine-level demons did not feel the satisfaction they had imagined; instead, they were left slightly bewildered. They could hardly believe they had seeded so easily!


    How could the Archduke of Blood be so na?ve after his resurrection? Did he really think that the two of them were allies and that he didn''t need to be on guard?


    This scene inexplicably struck the two demons as��absurd!


    At the moment their attacksnded, they almost believed that the Archduke of Blood had some passive ability that allowed him to absorb the strength of others to be stronger.


    But the reality was...


    This divine-level demon, who had grown to such a formidable level after countless schemes and betrayals, had really made a foolish error??


    Suddenly, both divine-level demons disyed extreme regret, mainly because the previous attack had been a bit too harsh, utilizing their specialized Iridescent-Level abilities.


    They had anticipated that the Archduke of Blood would have foreseen their attack and easily dodged it. However, after avoiding their powerful strike, resisting the main world''s deities'' attacks would be no easy feat, likely resulting in significant injuries and slightly tipping the bnce of power.


    But now...


    The Archduke of Blood had been heavily wounded at the first encounter, potentially allowing the main world to gain an advantage, which would, in turn, be detrimental to the two divine-level demons. They still wanted to y those three deities to seize their power.


    This...


    Wasn''t right!


    What happened next was self-evident.


    The three main world deities, who were about to interrupt their attack, also disyed expressions of "as expected," along with a hint of surprise.


    Indeed, two kinds of emotions.


    The first was because the main world deities knew the nature of demons; with the Archduke of Blood''s overwhelming power, how could the other two divine-level demons feel secure? Internal conflict was bound to arise!


    The second was that they hadn''t anticipated the Archduke of Blood would be so severely injured��what else was there to say?


    Take advantage of his illness and im his life!


    The light of eternal night swiftly enveloped the Archduke of Blood, transforming into a scroll-like creation that firmly encircled him. Ultimately, the Archduke of Blood''s entire form was rendered as a bizarre, cartoonish demon figure against the backdrop of the night sky.


    Despite struggling vigorously, his efforts only made the cartoon representation shift from a simple drawing to a hyper-realistic image, creating aically absurd sight.


    At the same time, this demon astonishingly began to age at an elerated rate, causing not only a dramatic decline in his attributes but also a significant reduction in his life force and the limits of his vitality.


    This was the scene after Marlon unleashed his full power!


    Divine power!


    It was an exceedingly terrifying force in the lower realm! The Archduke of Blood, who possessed the Origin of Chaos, could not disregard an opponent of the same caliber.


    Next, countless beams of light, reflecting off myriad mirrors, rapidly dazzled as space fractured and matter vanished.


    Including the scroll painted with the night sky, the Archduke of Blood could not escape this annihtion. He was swiftly torn apart!


    One could only see the cartoonish demon figure shredding into pieces, while the half that had managed to escape took on a realistic appearance, now covered in wounds and gravely injured.


    At that moment, thest ray of iridescent light flickered to life. However, this time it faced the other two divine-level demons, who, afterpleting their ambush, proactively moved to defend against further attacks.


    The final strike aimed at the Archduke of Blood was unexpectedly called off.


    At this point...


    The battle on both sides officially concluded, and the Archduke of Blood quickly broke free from the scroll without further interference, revealing a very disheveled appearance.


    His lightning armor had been forced to dissipate, and his body was covered in wounds, exposing his hollow chest. It was an exceptionally bizarre sight: after his resurrection, the Archduke of Blood seemed to have lost his heart!


    He red fiercely at the five divine beings present, then transformed into a streak of blood light, causing the other five divine-level entities to suddenly lose any trace of the Archduke of Blood.


    In the sky, the storm clouds that had been swirling around finally began to dissipate slowly.


    Yet, the five deities remained on high alert.


    After all, the Archduke of Blood might not have fled; if he were to use his perfect ability to conceal himself for a surprise attack, the unfortunate target would face dire consequences.


    High above, an eerie atmosphere settled as the five deities stood still, waiting.


    After several tens of seconds passed, they finally realized that the Archduke of Blood had indeed departed.


    ...


    As the sh officially came to an end, the demigods and Supremes in the fortress below finally reacted.


    "This... We actually held him off."


    "Divine Lord! We pushed back!"


    "Indeed, the demons will ultimately be defeated!"


    "Long live the Divine Lord!"


    ...


    Most people felt a sense of relief after the cmity and offered their praises to the three deities in the sky.


    However, they all knew that the figures from the upper realms had already fled during the previous encounter. If it weren''t for the two demons from Hellunching a surprise attack, the Archduke of Blood might have taken down all three of the main world deities with ease.


    At the same time, some individuals were discussing the situation.


    "Did you see that? The two lords from the upper realms just ran away! Just how much wealth must the upper realms possess?"


    "No wonder the deities from various factions are scrambling to leave Alpha 8."


    Others focused on different aspects of the situation.


    Yet, they revealed a fact: just how prosperous must the upper realms be for its denizens to look down upon everything in the lower realm?


    ...


    The remaining five divine-level entities above showed no reaction to the musings of the ants below. They exchanged nces and then departed in their own directions.


    For divine-level demons, the deities of the main world were always moving treasures.


    Likewise, while the inhabitants of the main world couldn''t directly absorb the power of a in divine-level demon, they could still receive rewards from the [Transcendence] system, which were also quite substantial.


    The two sides were naturally in a death struggle, but they had momentarily joined forces to prevent the Archduke of Blood from crushing everything.


    Now, although they returned to their own domains and prepared their ns, both sides had exposed significant intelligence through this battle.


    The thoughts of the deities and the demons were the same; they hoped to leverage this information to deliver a decisive blow!


    Then...


    With a whoosh!


    The two divine-level demons swiftly retreated to a distance, raising their hands to open two spatial rifts, through which arge number of demons and Hell yers emerged.


    This scene resembled a cascade of stars falling from the heavens, showcasing the sheer number of Hell yers and demons that appeared.


    No wonder the two divine-level demons had been deliberately ughtering the demons and Hell yers of thisyer; the forces now appearing were considered their direct subordinates.


    When the three deities returned to the Blood Red Fortress and sensed the turbulence of the spatial rifts outside, they immediately unfurled a scroll. Golden light streamed through the rifts, surging directly into the main world.


    They were also gathering their forces!


    Although they hadn''t mobilized as early as the divine-level demons, many powerful individuals had already gathered in the Principality of Florence, eager to venture into Hell and seize opportunities.


    Moreover, at this moment, the yers from the main world in the fortress still had a slight advantage in strength, sufficient to hold out until reinforcements arrived.


    Thus, a war that seemed to be winding down was reignited with renewed intensity.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Sterl quietly withdrew to the edge of the battlefield.


    He didn''t rush to return to his main ount; instead, he blended in with the Swallowing Heaven yers.


    Sterl''s n was to use his new main ount identity as a reinforcement from the main world, while he yed around with his secondary ount in the meantime...


    However...


    Divine-level entities had already entered the fray.


    Sterl decided to observe from the sidelines for a day.


    He discovered that the battlefield was no longer the free-for-all it had been before.


    Previously, the deities had no desire to intervene in the conflict. They looked down upon the rewards and benefits from the activities, and now, both sides had turned their forces into chips and pawns in the game of the gods.


    On the first day of the renewed battle, as the armies shed, divine strikes asionally rained down. Those targeted were often some of the better-performing Supreme demigods.


    These unfortunate souls met swift ends. Only a few managed to struggle briefly, exhausting all their escape tools before being crushed by the interested deities with another strike.


    One word: terrifying!


    Sterl''s only thought was to keep a low profile.


    By the way, on this day, he also allocated points to obtain an Emergency Escape Device for unforeseen circumstances.


    ...


    "Mephistopheles, my friend, you''re lucky to have encountered me."


    "The battlefield is so chaotic right now that very few are willing to help others."


    "I don''t need much from you, just eight hundred!"


    A rotund troll with green skin and a seemingly simple demeanor, yet shrewd eyes, said with a smile.


    Sterl''s secondary ount was mingling behind this troll, among a group of people chained together.


    These individuals were all severely injured but not dead, found by this troll on the battlefield. To be saved, they simply had to sign a contract agreeing to pay a substantialpensation upon returning to the camp.


    Typically, those who reached the status of demigod or legendary figures had enough resources not to default on such debts.


    Of course, if they failed to pay the ransom, they would remain bound by the chains.


    Despite the utter chaos in Hell, the process of signing contracts was simr to that in [Transcendence]; under the Swallowing Heaven system, no one dared to vite them.


    Sterl promptly paid the 800 purple gold coins.


    This high-level currency was used universally in both Swallowing Heaven and [Transcendence].


    The cost for the troll was minimal; he merely had to move the individuals and use some of the most basic healing potions. His demigod abilities specialized in stealth, and he cleaned up the battlefield after the fighting had ended, so it was not dangerous for him at all.

 Chapter 345: Chapter 345: The Armor of the Undead

    The troll''s business thrived because��


    If yers from the main world saw an injured ally, they would usually just take them back.


    But among the Swallowing Heaven yers, there were no kind-hearted individuals.


    Injured yers and demons could mostly only wait for death, or they might have a rade"e along and finish them off.


    So now, during the [Anti-Expansion] event, killing allies would yield no rewards and even incur penalties. This meant that those Swallowing Heaven yers and demons, who would usually enjoy causing trouble for others, had to leave their dyingrades on the battlefield in a pitiful state.


    Naturally, Sterl was not actually injured; he was merely pretending. By spending 800 purple gold coins, he managed to seamlessly integrate himself into the ranks of Hell.


    Otherwise, a normal pathway to join the Hell faction at this moment would require a review and approval under the divine-level demons.


    The likelihood of encountering issues was low.


    Yet, in keeping with Sterl''s cautious nature, he preferred to spend a bit of money to ensure his safety.


    Moreover, to him, purple gold coins had be merely a number; spending them felt more like an insignificant cost.


    After the greedy troll pocketed the money, the chains binding Sterl automatically fell away, dissipating into sparkling light.


    "Alright, I wish you smooth sailing and hope you earn plenty of resources during this event," the troll said with a hearty smile.


    Sterl casually nodded in response, but soon he realized something...


    His demeanor might be a bit too high-ss.


    "Get lost! Don''t let me catch you!"


    Sterl red at the troll with a look of anguish over the loss of 800 purple gold coins, as if he were about to give him a good whack.


    This was a perfect moment to blend into the character he was portraying.


    Among the Swallowing Heaven yers, those with strange, brutish temperaments made up at least 99 percent of the crowd.


    Sterl didn''t want to stand out; his character was meant to be quite ordinary, so he decided to go with the flow.


    The troll, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, even mocking, "You better seize your chance then."


    With that, he went off to collect money from others.


    ...


    Sterl looked around as he wandered, and sure enough, under the leadership of the divine-level demons, the Hell faction had finally established a rtively normal settlement.


    However, unlike the Blood Red Fortress, which had aprehensive defense system, this was arge open-air town.


    There were no protective measures in ce because, after all, if enemies were to attack, the divine-level demons'' power was more than sufficient to handle everything.


    What? You say that those "people" killed before the divine-level demons could act were just unlucky!


    The surrounding scenery finally ceased to be so primitive and wild.


    Nearby, there were various gray-ck spire-like buildings, a testament to the unique culture of theyer of Hell that a particr divine-level demon hailed from.


    On those buildings hung dark green metal bells, which would ring whenever a violent incident urred within the camp.


    Don''t get it twisted; the bells didn''t stop the violence. Instead, they recorded the events, marking the final victor and deducting their contribution to the activity��essentially, a fine...


    However, despite such deterrence, killings were rampant, and within the short time Sterl was wandering around, several yers met gruesome ends.


    Sterl soon entered a hall constructed from giant skulls.


    However, the interior was surprisingly clean, with floor tiles made of some unknown material that felt refreshingly cool beneath his feet.


    The dim yellow candlelight cast a strange atmosphere, but the mes seemed to have an inexplicable spirit and suppressive effect, causing the surrounding hellish yers and demons to appear rather subdued.


    As a result, the hall maintained a semnce of order.


    Sterl, mimicking the chaotic demeanor typical of Swallowing Heaven yers, frowned at the scene, making exaggerated facial expressions and huffing.


    Finally, he arrived at the task reception area.


    At that moment, the task was being issued by a figure unlike the usual bizarre entities��a Subus d in leather, with pale skin, a long tail, and two horns on her head.


    Not only did Sterl''s eyes light up, but the Supreme issuing the task also seemed taken aback.


    Given the odd attitudes of Swallowing Heaven yers��


    "You''re called Mephistopheles?"


    "Young man, I feel like we have a special connection. Are you free toe to my room tonight?"


    "Oh, by the way, let me know what task you want; I can help you choose."


    The Supreme licked her lips, her tone both ambiguous and sincere.


    Shepletely disregarded the difference in their power levels, eager to invite Sterl.


    At the same time, she leaned in closer, her body moving as fluidly as a squid.


    Sterl could feel an exquisitely luxurious touch, along with an inexplicable warmth and tingling sensation against his skin.


    In an instant, he felt his desire ignite, his mouth suddenly dry.


    Sterl responded in kind to the customary behavior of hellish beings.


    "Ma''am, I''m not tired of living yet."


    In truth, Sterl was somewhat tempted by her earlier proposition. As true professionals, Subi had skills in bed that Rosalie couldn''t match by talent alone, nor could Sosia and Sonis catch up through hard work.


    Wasn''t the point of bing stronger to enjoy life?


    Unfortunately, Subi were far too proficient, and their legendary abilities, along with the first type of Law Power wielded by demigods, were often tied to draining the life force from others.


    While Sterl might survive, he would undoubtedly suffer significant losses.


    Moreover�� it would draw suspicion due to the sheer magnitude of his life force.


    "That''s such a pity��"


    The Subus Supreme seemed somewhat regretful, but swiftlypleted the registration for the young demigod she found more appealing, allowing him to ept tasks.


    However, even as she expressed her regret, her body pressed even closer to Sterl,pletely disregarding the power dynamic.


    She resembled a courtesan trying to attract customers, rather than a more powerful Supreme being.


    Sterl pretended to peruse the avable tasks.


    "I hope to find some tasks with good rewards," he said. The Supreme repliedzily, "Alright! Alright!"


    "Just be careful not to get yourself killed on the battlefield."


    The Subus blew a yful breath, her concerned demeanor adding to her allure.


    As a result, the number of tasks disyed in front of Sterl was reduced by at least half.


    After "choosing" once more, Sterl decisively selected a task rted to the Heavenly Locking Formation.


    [Eliminate Enemy Forces]


    [Description:��]


    [Objective: 10 activity contributions for each divine-level unit killed; 1 activity contribution for each unit below divine-level; 50 activity contributions for each Supreme killed.]


    His reasoning was clear; in the absence of sufficient Divine Power, if he wanted to reap rewards from danger, he would have to rely on formations.


    "You must return alive," the Subus Supreme said with unusual enthusiasm, lingering as she reluctantly pulled away from Sterl''s embrace, reminding him.


    With the abilities of a Subus, enticing a man into bed was only a matter of time.


    But if this Mephistopheles were to perish on the battlefield, it would truly be a shame...


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel slightly speechless. As an ordinary demigod in the main world, he had never received such treatment before.


    In addition to epting the task from the Heavenly Locking Formation, Sterl also took on several other killing tasks simr to eliminating enemy forces.


    Once the battlefield shifted into a confrontation between two factions of deities, the entire event changed.


    Sterl was unaware of the situation on the [Transcendence] side, but as for Swallowing Heaven, all previous activity contributions were canceled and reced with new contributions for the event titled [Struggle of the Sequences].


    However, since Sterl had not rued any contributions initially, it did not affect him.


    But the key point was��


    The new event store had plenty of good items!


    Nheless, Sterl didn''t pay much attention to it; he still had a pile of loot spheres that he hadn''t opened yet!


    He nned to open them first, make sure to address any gaps in his strength, and then see if there were any items in the store that could enhance his abilities.


    ...


    After epting the task, Sterl left the hall, only to find amotion ahead. True to the typical style of Swallowing Heaven yers, he went over to check it out.


    "Yeah, that''s the one,e over there."


    As Sterl approached, he hadn''t fully grasped what was happening when he saw a general d in blue-purple heavy armor riding on a massive ck beast. Surrounding him were soldiers who were busy strapping armor onto a humanoid hell yer. Despite struggling fiercely at first, once the armorpletely covered him, he suddenly stopped moving, following the general like a puppet.


    At that moment, the number of controlled demigod soldiers had already reached several hundred, while the demons and hell yers watching the spectacle were mostly in non-human forms.


    Every time a soldier was sessfully controlled, loud cheers erupted from the onlookers.


    Then...


    One of the general''s aides spotted Sterl, his eyes lighting up as he pointed at him, delivering the earlier line.


    "Me?"


    Sterl was taken aback, still unaware of what was happening.


    The surrounding hell yers and demons immediately scrambled away, clearing a path as if they feared being caught in the crossfire.


    One by one, they hurried to distance themselves.


    The aide, however, approached with a sinister grin. "What are you dawdling for? It''s you."


    "I see you''re called Mephistopheles, right?"


    "Nice name. We''re about to execute a mission to break through the southeastern battlefield, and you''ve been recruited into our Necromancer''s Armor Brigade."


    "It''s an honor!"


    Though he imed it was an honor, the expressions of the nearby hell yers clearly conveyed that joining this army was anything but a good thing.


    However, before Sterl could react, the general atop the beast suddenly unleashed a surge of power��Supreme-level strength!


    Moreover, this general seemed to possess far greater power than the average Supreme. The sheer aura forced the surrounding demigod demons and yers to kneel on the ground!


    As for Sterl, who was directly impacted by the pressure, he felt an overwhelming weight�� Well, in reality, it was more like a gentle breeze brushing against him. But as a seasoned veteran, his first instinct was to half-crouch, adopting a posture of submission.


    At the same time...

 Chapter 346: Chapter 346: Making a Name, the Recruitment of a Divine-Level Demon

    "Is this army forcefully recruiting? They''ve set their sights on me, and it''s not even a bacsh from Fortune?"


    Sterl observed keenly. The uniqueness of this army seemed to lie in their armor; once donned, it would control the wearer, leaving them without free will.


    However, the w of this armor was likely that it could only be fitted onto humanoid units.


    Sterl was the perfect candidate.


    At this moment, he seemed to recall the exploits of the Armor of the Undead army. Previously, on the frontlines, they had stormed the walls of the Blood Red Fortress, only to be decimated by a single gesture from a deity of the main world.


    Sterl watched from a distance, realizing that he couldn''t adopt the same reckless killing strategy as before.


    Damn... Joining them is just a one-way ticket to death, right? The Armor of the Undead is likely to storm the Blood Red Fortress again, which would greatly increase the chances of attracting the deity''s intervention.


    No wonder they were so desperate to recruit people; even if a demigod joined this army, they would merely be fodder.


    At the same time, Sterl noticed that he was being surrounded by the aide and several soldiers of the Armor of the Undead. A series of marks were directly ced on Sterl.


    [You have been marked by the call of war.]


    [In thisyer of hell, every time you engage in battle or are near the Blood Red Fortress or the Ancient Camp, your coordinates will be exposed.]


    Sterl felt utterly helpless.


    "Well, this is a predicament; there''s no escaping now."


    Sterl mumbled to himself.


    "Forget it, no more pretending!"


    He resolutely made a decision. Initially, he had nned to portray Mephistopheles as just an ordinary Swallowing Heaven yer, whose strength was not remarkable.


    But now��


    Sterl decided he needed to show some of his power!


    Unlike [Transcendence], where being low-key could yield rewards, in Swallowing Heaven, one would constantly be undermined by others within the same faction, who woulde to step on your head and drain your resources.


    He had nearly been overwhelmed by the aura of the Supreme, but at this moment, he slowly straightened up and coldly looked at the members of the Armor of the Undead army.


    At that moment...


    Countless "people" brightened at the sight.


    The watching Swallowing Heaven yers and demons were all filled with excitement.


    "Let''s fight! Let''s fight!"


    "What''s going on? Did the Armor of the Undead provoke someone with hidden strength?"


    "I want to see rivers of blood!!"


    ...


    They were all incredibly stirred up.


    Wasn''t this just a spectacle for everyone to watch? Unfortunately, the previous showcked weight; it was just a bunch of unfortunate souls writhing in pain, and after a while, it became tiresome!


    But now, conflict was about to break out!


    Good! It was worth their while to stand around for half a day.


    At that moment, Sterl even spotted a familiar figure��the troll who had rescued him earlier on the battlefield.


    The troll opened his mouth wide and shouted,


    "Come! Come! Come!"


    "ce your bets! ce your bets!"


    "Let''s make a bet on who will win! I bet on the Armor of the Undead side, with odds of 1.1 to 1!"


    "This mysterious neer is at 2 to 1!"


    "Hurry up and buy! Once the fighting starts, no more bets!"


    ...


    With the troll''s shouts, many demons and hell yers eagerly opened their wallets.


    Those who believed Sterl''s side would win were in the minority.


    But there were still gamblers: "I''m betting 500 purple coins!"


    "I''m betting 1,000 purple coins!"


    They were all staring at Sterl, hoping to double their stakes.


    However, most didn''t have high hopes for this hidden powerhouse because, in hell, strength was revered, and hiding one''s abilities offered little advantage.


    Most likely, this Mephistophelescked confidence!


    But gamblers thought differently.


    The very fact that Mephistopheles dared to reveal his cards in the face of a Supreme meant he at least possessed strengthparable to a Supreme; this gamble was still worth taking!


    "Go for it, kid!"


    "You can take down this Armor of the Undead! I believe in you!"


    "We all believe in you! If you lose, I''ll have to extract your soul and interrogate you!"


    Sterl''s expression twitched slightly.


    He had faced conflicts in the main world too, but...


    Generally, the onlookers weren''t this enthusiastic!


    They even threatened to not let him off the hook if he died, vowing to entertain his soul!


    As Sterl''s aura began to rise, the Supreme looked on with a hint of confusion, "Huh?"


    "Everyone, attack together!"


    He showed no demeanor of a true powerhouse and directlymanded his demigod army to charge!


    Sterl suddenly found himself surrounded. Those demigods controlled by the armor had lost their minds, yet their fighting instincts remained. In an instant, countless tinum Skills locked onto Sterl, their energy swirling as various skills began to brew.


    Many nearby demons and hell yers activated their protective skills, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.


    Then��


    Pfft!


    It was like a balloon bursting, the faint sound of air rushing out.


    Since using abilities in the Swallowing Heaven system required disk consumption, which automatically concealed them, Sterl didn''t need to hide anything.


    Except for the previous Fission, which was inconvenient to use.


    After all, even if concealed, that terrifying power and widespread lethality still objectively existed, making it easy to connect back to Cirilo.


    Amidst the wave of hundreds of demigods, Sterl slowly gathered the Flowing Water de, creating a flurry of shimmering de flowers, as the surrounding space rapidly solidified.


    The skills unleashed by the demigods also seemed to freeze for a moment.


    In an instant, Sterl swung his de!


    The sound that had earlier resembled a bursting balloon was due to the rupture of space!


    The chaotic energy storm surged into the maelstrom, vanishing without a trace beneath the fractured space.


    Then��


    Countless shes of de light and sword shadows swept through.


    They transformed into a hurricane, rushing from in front of Sterl, then spreading outwards to both sides!


    In a sh of thought, Sterl altered his strategy; he could afford to be less low-key, especially with his offline strategy as a safeguard.


    Even if divine-level demons from hell pursued him in unison, there was no need to panic.


    Why hide?


    The purpose of having an alternate ount was to acquire more resources. In the predatory world of Swallowing Heaven, danger and opportunity did not coexist; rather, one was constantly in peril. Without the ability to ovee it, death was inevitable!


    Only by relentlessly enhancing his strength could he find a glimmer of hope!


    Sterl intended to make his power clear, to be the strongest beneath the gods.


    The countless onlookers had yet to react��


    Even if this hidden powerhouse, Mephistopheles, was indeed formidable, possessing strength akin to that of a Supreme, facing hundreds of demigods would still require effort.


    The battle had just begun��


    However��


    At that moment��


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A series of crisp sounds echoed.


    Then, the entire space shattered.


    Everything dimmed, and it broke apart like ss, which ultimately turned to dust.


    In that instant, hundreds of demigods were annihted.


    They didn''t even have time to unleash their skills before they vanished,rgely due to their minds being controlled; they could fight, but didn''t know how to evade, resulting in not even having a single escape item to use.


    With a whoosh,


    The hell yers and demons who had been eagerly betting and discussing moments ago were now met with shattered corpses and blood stters, some even getting drenched.


    Then��


    In a daze and shock, they began to cheer and wave their gs in excitement.


    "Haha! Awesome! I''m going to make a fortune this time!"


    "Impressive! Lord Mephistopheles! Invincible!!"


    "You''ve made us rich; you''re our boss now!!"


    The gamblers were, of course, ecstatic.


    On the other side, those who had lost were pping like mad.


    "Good! The Armor of the Undeadis gone again!"


    "Haha! That idiot put in so much effort, but what''s the point of rebuilding an army? It just got wiped out instantly."


    "I''m dying ofughter! Though I lost a bit of money, witnessing this scene made it all worth it."


    ...


    Madness and chaos engulfed the scene.


    This was the style of the Swallowing Heaven yers; they didn''t care if their interests were harmed, as long as they could witness a better show.


    Themander in charge of the Armor of the Undead was even more furious: "How dare you!"


    If not for the helmet he wore, his eyes would likely be blood-red with rage at that moment.


    Hundreds of demigod soldiers! And all in humanoid form; it wouldn''t be easy to gather them again.


    Moreover, it seemed he had a personal vendetta against this Mephistopheles!


    In the game of Swallowing Heaven, personal vendettas were easily established: if you hurt me, I will hunt you down relentlessly; if I kill your men, to eliminate the threat, I will go all out against you...


    Themander''s expression shifted as he realized that the previous attack had confirmed his suspicion: Mephistopheles''s strength might surpass his own!


    Suddenly, a sh of determination lit up themander''s eyes, and he patted the massive dark beast beneath him, stepping into empty air and entering a peculiar passageway. Outside the passage, dark lotus flowers spun rapidly.


    At this moment, Sterl also slightly adjusted his grip on the de, the nearly shattered Flowing Water de gathering once more, preparing for the second round of battle.


    However��


    The ck lotus flowers continued to spin for several seconds before slowly withering and falling to the ground, revealing corrosive patterns. Yet, the Suprememander never reappeared.


    Oh, right.


    Sterl recalled a characteristic of Swallowing Heaven yers: they had no sense of shame.


    If they got scared, they would just run.


    In the end, only the previously arrogant lieutenant, who had pointed at Sterl and insisted on forcibly conscripting him, remained, trembling in ce.


    "Sir, spare my life!"


    The lieutenant was quite candid, pleading for mercy without a hint of hesitation.


    Before his words had even finished, Sterl swiftly beheaded him with a single strike.


    At this point, it seemed the incident hade to an end.


    However, at the betting stall started by the troll, a crowd began to stir as those who had bet on Sterl''s victory were now demanding their winnings with wild excitement.


    Meanwhile, those who had wagered on the Armor of the Undead expressed their grievances, saying,


    "That Supreme has already retreated, so we didn''t lose!"


    "The oue hasn''t been decided; just return our money now!"


    In an instant, chaos erupted.

 Chapter 347: Chapter 347: [Solidification Method]

    Sterl smiled as he watched the troll, who seemed quite trustworthy, throw out the payout. As for those demanding refunds, they couldn''t catch him; the troll vanished without a trace using some unknown escape technique.


    It was no wonder this troll could run a gambling den; he was surprisingly reliable. He could have easily taken all the money for himself.


    As Sterl enjoyed the show, he couldn''t help but think to himself.


    However��


    Just as he was about to leave the camp and prepare for his tasks, someone intercepted him.


    Before the person even arrived, a strange fragrance wafted through the air, making Sterl feel a sudden heat wash over him.


    "Mr. Mephistopheles, you truly are a hidden gem," a voice purred enticingly.


    "Perhaps I should have been more forceful in inviting you earlier."


    "After all, with your strength, you could certainly hold out for quite a while."


    "s, it seems I''vepletely lost my chance now."


    The voice belonged to none other than the Supreme-level Subus he had encountered not long ago, who had changed into an outfit reminiscent of a qipao from his previous life.


    The indigo fabric perfectly entuated her figure, and the hem of her dress subtly revealed her long, slender thighs.


    At that moment, the Supreme Subus moved closer, even reaching out to stroke Sterl''s face, her legs entwining around him. This scene caused a group of passing hell yers and demons to turn pale with fear, hastily fleeing as if they had seen a gue.


    Simultaneously, some onlookers whispered in glee.


    "Looks like someone else has caught nda''s eye?"


    "Seems like he''s just a demigod; I estimate he''llst at most two days?"


    "Two days! One night! Last time, that perfect-level demigod barelysted a few hours."


    "Honestly, if I didn''tck the skill for perfect resurrection, I''d want to experience that myself��"


    Hearing their words, Sterl felt no fear; instead, he was a bit excited. After all, how exhrating could that experience be, even if it meant risking resurrection?


    Yet, despite his wild thoughts, his mind remained clear. Sterl didn''t hesitate and wrapped his arms around the Subus''s waist, leaning in closer.


    "I''d love to have a deep conversation with you, but it seems a bit too dangerous. Perhaps I should pass."


    "Danger? No, no, no!" nda giggled.


    "I can''t possibly threaten you."


    "This body of yours hasn''t been used at all."


    "So I wouldn''t dare touch you."


    "Do you genuinely not know, or are you just pretending? This camp is overseen by the Queen herself, and she is currently at a standoff with the main world deities on the battlefield."


    "While she can''t leave, she still has control over every move in this camp."


    "Why not just stay hidden? Why reveal your true strength now?"


    "So��"


    "I''m not here to y with you."


    As nda spoke, Sterl suddenly realized that things were bing quite perilous.


    Your Majesty the Queen??


    From nda''s words, it seemed she had a superior. The question was, if nda was already a Supreme-level demigod, then the "Queen" must be one of the divine-level demons, right?


    A divine-level Subus??


    Considering nda''s implications, Sterl reasoned through several conclusions. First, in a certain sense, his new character could still be considered "virgin."


    His interaction with nda confirmed that Subi likely favored humanoid aesthetics and had a penchant for strength, including that of the Queen.


    Furthermore, a divine-level Subus was keeping an eye on the camp, meaning that just when he finally attempted toy low, he was directly targeted by a top-tier powerhouse.


    Although this wasn''t the typical sense of being targeted, it was still significant.


    However, judging by the words of the Swallowing Heaven yers earlier, even a Supreme-level Subus was terrifying. A divine-level one? Sterl felt his body wouldn''t be able to withstand it.


    But�� it seemed this matter was beyond his control.


    nda''s seemingly flirtatious movements were actually marking him with a pink sigil. The sigil sent surges of electricity through him, apanied by an extremely faint pleasure that immediately put Sterl on high alert.


    "Don''t make that face," nda teased, licking her lips.


    "I won''t do anything to you; the Queen has her eyes on her prey, and no one else can touch you."


    "And you don''t need to worry too much; someone with your potential is too valuable for the Queen to let die."


    "You''ll soon understand what true happiness means and be willing to give everything for Her Majesty the Queen." nda stepped back, adopting a half-crouched posture, stretching out her bat-like wings, exuding a primal allure.


    Seeing Mephistopheles''s expression shift slightly, she couldn''t help but giggle.


    What nda failed to realize was��


    Sterl suddenly had an epiphany.


    The pink energy form.


    What nda referred to as "giving everything to the Queen."


    This meant that the Supreme demon who had previously made the self-sacrificial arrangement must be a puppet of the Subus Queen, right??


    Sterl quickly connected the dots.


    He realized that being targeted might actually be a good thing. The image of that Supreme demon was not humanoid; the fact that it could defy nature to give everything for the Subus Queen likely stemmed from her "special abilities." The Supreme demon had been conquered in bed.


    Sterl immediately understood that setting up formations ahead of time was undoubtedly a crucial part of the Subus Queen''s strategy to seize benefits in this region.


    The fact that she could confidently send a Supreme demon meant she had a high level of trust in her partner��


    He suddenly felt that he might be able to take the opportunity to lurk near the divine-level demon and stir up some trouble.


    After all, he possessed top-tier formation talent, coupled with Divine Power as his trump card.


    Anyone who dared to y formations in front of Sterl would certainly face bacsh. The only issue was��


    Sterl felt he would undoubtedly be controlled��


    After all, that ability to enchant through charm was likely reliant on Divine Power, an Iridescent-Level ability. What right did he have to resist it?


    Even if he could, Sterl figured it was better to assume he couldn''t.


    He quickly extinguished the n that had just sparked in his mind.


    This enchanting ability would likely be extremely nauseating and troublesome; it was possible that even if he logged off and returned to reality, he wouldn''t be able to escape it.


    It seemed that once he was targeted by the Subus Queen, he would have to switch back to his main character for now.


    Sterl felt somewhat frustrated.


    Meanwhile, nda soared into the sky and tossed him a glowing orb.


    "Don''t look so glum."


    "If you want to live a little longer, practice this skill."


    "Who knows, it might let you enjoy yourselfter on."


    "When the Queen returns to the camp, all you have to do is give it a try, and you''ll understand what it means to be entranced."


    nda said this with a grin, her eyes shing with a hint of pink light.


    "I''m also half an introducer for you; once the Queen is done enjoying herself, if you''re interested, you cane find me."


    "I won''t disappoint you either."


    "And don''t let Her Majesty the Queen down; she entrusted me to give you something extremely precious."


    "I think you have great potential, and there''s a chance you could be the Queen''s truepanion."


    With that, the Supreme Subus let out a series ofughter and disappeared into the sky.


    At that moment, Sterl noticed that many yers around him had let out sighs of relief. Clearly, nda had been quite enthusiastic about "Mephistopheles," but for ordinary hell yers and demons who didn''t meet her aesthetic standards, she could be rather brutal��


    Sterl didn''t rush to act. It was obvious that the Subus Queen would take some time to return from the front lines, and perhaps he could find a way to farm some resources first before switching characters.


    It was a shame; he had initially wanted to acquire a wed Iridescent-Level skill, but now that opportunity seemed lost.


    Wait a minute, this glowing orb��


    Suddenly, he realized that it was a skill.


    After considering it for a moment, he decided to learn the skill.


    A new prompt appeared on Sterl''s panel��


    [You have gained a new ability: Solidification Method (tinum/wed Iridescent-Level)]


    Sterl clicked to open the skill''s description.


    [Solidification Method (tinum/wed Iridescent-Level)]+


    [Description: In a main world conquered by the Subus Queen after her ascension, there existed a Buddhist nation with monks who cultivated to resist desire as a means of strengthening their power. Unfortunately, even though the Buddhist nation initially withstood the Subus''s onught for a long time, once their mental state was breached, the desires they ignited became even more terrifying.


    The Subus Queen collected various techniques from the Buddhist nation, organizing them into a skill with the purpose of allowing her prized toys to endure a little longer. The Buddhist nation once sessfully resisted divine-level temptations, but their texts were scattered, and their skills never reached their peak, ultimately leading to their failure.]


    [Effect: Enhances resistance to charms and other mental abnormalities, boosts physical fitness and sexual capabilities, increases resilience to damage, and enhances resistance to all anomalies.]


    [Tip: This skill was originally a wed Iridescent-Level ability, but due to modifications and the addition of some chapters, the skill''s operation has be chaotic, resulting in a drop in quality.]


    [Tip: When proficiency is high, you can attempt to remove the extra chapters and restore the skill''s operation.]


    Huh?


    Huh???


    Sterl was stunned.


    Wait, he had previously thought that acquiring a wed Iridescent-Level ability would take a lot of effort.


    This wasn''t about the past.


    Even now, if he wanted to exchange for a wed Iridescent-Level ability from the Hell faction or the Main World faction, he''d have to work tirelessly to earn contributions.


    And now,he was just handed one without even trying?


    This is�� happiness arriving way too suddenly.


    Even though this Iridescent-Level ability seemed underwhelming and was all passive traits, the fact that everything was passive meant that the stats it provided would definitely be high!

 Chapter 348: Chapter 348: An Iridescent-Level Ability Picked Up for Free

    The skill description of the [Solidification Method]mentioned that due to the modification by the Subus Queen��


    Sterl spected that it was likely due to the enhancement of sexual abilities, which caused the inherent skill conflict to drop the overall effectiveness to a tinum Skill level.


    However, Sterl never focused solely on surface data.


    The foundation of this ability was still at the Iridescent Level! And it could be augmented!


    "Theoretically, I couldpletely optimize the disharmonious parts of this skill through augmentation."


    "That means I''m getting an Iridescent-Level ability for free!"


    Sterl was extremely excited.


    He had already sensed the power of [Rebirth of All Thoughts], and this passive ability was expected to provide him with massive damage reduction and resistance effects!


    Moreover��


    The skill text mentioned that if all the various texts of the Buddhist nation were to be synthesized into a single ability, it would have a chance to resist divine-level charm abilities.


    Sterl''s mind raced; if this ability could be augmented several times, he could potentially resist the Subus Queen''s control.


    Theoretically, for the Subus Queen to dare to release this skill, it meant her charm ability must be stronger than the current annihtion of the Buddhist nation.


    This iplete Iridescent-Level skill''s limit couldn''t withstand the allure of this divine-level demon.


    But Sterl''s augmentation could create miracles!


    "Maybe I shouldn''t rush to escape."


    "If I could lurk near the Subus Queen, it would make all kinds of ns much easier."


    Sterl indicated that he wasn''t merely curious about how effective the Subus Queen''s skills and appearance might be.


    He simply felt that since he could use the logout technique and wasn''t afraid of being charmed, he could afford to act boldly!


    ��


    After some contemtion, Sterl decided to focus onpleting his tasks first.


    He didn''t rush directly into the [Heavenly Locking Formation]but instead mingled on the battlefield for a while.


    The armies of the main world often operated in groups, while hell yers and demons acted dispersed until they converged near the battlefield, mainly due to the fear of being betrayed by theirpanions.


    After about ten minutes of moving forward, he eventually joined arge group amidst ake formed of blood.


    At this moment��


    There were approximately ten thousand demons and hell yers gathered here, and above the army floated a bizarre figure, resembling blue-purple modeling y.


    "Bow before me!"


    "You lowly insects��"


    Sterl immediately understood; this was an attempt to control the army as its cannon fodder.


    The strange figure was continuously emitting droplets resembling sulfuric acid that fell to the ground, causing hell yers and demons below to scream in agony upon contact.


    "Stop! Stop! We are willing to submit��"


    "Spare us!"


    Unfortunately, the pleas of the individuals below hadn''t even finished.


    Swish!


    A strange wave of energy shimmered, and then the ck sun descended.


    The skill unleashed by the strange figure instantly fell silent, and it began to plummet in apparent pain, clearly having been ambushed.


    Then, from a distance, a razor-sharp de sliced through the air, piercing the creature in an instant. The de shattered, transforming into countless needles thatpleted the kill.


    In the blink of an eye, the situation shifted, and Sterl slowly floated down into the midst of the demon army.


    "You have a new leader now," he said coldly.


    The countless demons and hell yers below were unfazed, turning to bow before Sterl one by one.


    "At yourmand, General!"


    "We are willing to follow you."


    Then��


    Sterl led this army into battle.


    The opponents he faced were not yers from the previous three major factions, but a mixed group of demigod and legendary random yers summoned to the battlefield.


    Sterl took a moment to observe the situation.


    He waited until the forces were evenly matched before suddenly striking, activating [Silent Domain]. In that instant, it was as if all things fell silent; a deathly light descended, and under the rising ck sun, everyone crumpled to their knees in pain.


    yers from the main world simultaneously suffered bacsh or fell into silence.


    Then, Sterl led the demon army in a fierce charge.


    The units from the main world suffered heavy damage, and Sterl not only gained a massive contribution from his kills but also, as themander, the [Swallowing Heaven]system assessed his various roles in the war, including hismand abilities and impact on the battlefield.


    Needless to say, Sterl amassed an enormous amount of contribution points.


    But that wasn''t the end of it.


    Seeing the main world''s army beginning to crumble, Sterl quickly logged off to switch to his main ount.


    He then rushed back into the battlefield, using a slightly weaker Fission ability to empower [Ignition me], directly incinerating Mephistopheles''s army, and leading the yers from the main world in a counterattack��


    After all this maneuvering, he effectively killed two birds with one stone!


    He racked up contributions for both factions!


    Meanwhile, the yers from the main world and the Swallowing Heaven yers were nearly wiped out.


    Next, Sterl set his sights on the next location where he needed to execute his mission, swiftly heading towards the battlefield.


    However, before rushing in, he first took a moment to hide.


    Despite the confusion among some soldiers in the hell faction about why theirmander had killed so many enemies and then fled without gathering the spoils, it didn''t dampen their spirits as they celebrated their victory.


    Until a giant hand of Divine Power suddenly swung down from the sky, crushing numerous hell demon yers into a pulp.


    "Eh?"


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if he ran away." The god Marlon from the Hall of Valor quickly shifted his focus to other battlefields.


    A Supreme [Swallowing Heaven]yer who performed impressively, able to kill if possible, yet indifferent about those he couldn''t.


    However, it didn''t take long for the deity in charge of the watch for the day in the main world to sense that something was amiss.


    Today, there seemed to suddenly be an influx of powerful Supremes in hell, capable of swiftly eliminating yers from the main world.


    And it felt like every time he attempted to intervene, he ended up empty-handed.


    Of course, the Subus Queen also felt something strange. She had noticed that a number of formidable Supremes had inexplicably appeared in the main world, capable of easily altering the course of the battle.


    The Subus Queen had originally intended to capture them but had failed time and again.


    ��


    Indeed, the source of unease for both deities was none other than Sterl.


    He realized that the disk''s concealment function was effective not only for logging in with a secondary ount but also for his main ount. It allowed others to remainpletely unaware of the tactics he was employing.


    At least, some weaker deities with low Divine Power were unable to see through it.


    They thought multiple different Supremes were causing chaos.


    As Sterl evaded the pursuit of the deities, he made his way to the most crucial mission location��the site of the natural formation.


    Sterl first executed the same strategy, depleting the forces of both the main world and hell. After that, he hid for a while before observing from the underground valley.


    Then, he turned to leave��


    It wasn''t until he had distanced himself from the formation for quite some time that Sterl''s expression changed drastically, as he had suddenly sensed the presence of the [Archduke of Blood].


    After all, he had refined the Archduke''s heart; within the [Origin of Chaos]skills, there existed the ability to manipte blood, allowing him to perceive it keenly.


    However�� just a few seconds earlier, Sterl had prepared himself to use his logout ability, but the result was that although he sensed the Archduke''s presence, the Archduke of Blood did not attack him. In fact, he even received several feelings of goodwill directed at him.


    It seemed the Archduke wanted to entice Sterl toe closer.


    "Could it be that the injuries the Archduke of Blood sustained in the earlier divine battle are more severe than expected?"


    "Does he need someone with a shared power like me as a supplement??"


    Sterl analyzed the situation.


    He was feeling a bit anxious. The Archduke of Blood was in the underground valley, and Sterl didn''t have the courage to continue setting up the formation, as he felt a faint connection with this divine-level demon.


    Even the best disguise wouldn''t keep him hidden forever.


    What weighed even heavier on Sterl''s mind was the fact that the Archduke of Blood was the inventor of the [Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array], and he was also the ruler of thisyer of hell. If he activated the [Heavenly Locking Formation], Sterl, despite his talent for formations, would not be able topletely counter the Archduke''s setup.


    "This is troublesome!" Sterl''s expression darkened.


    However, he quicklyposed himself.


    "It''s fine. I''m not in a rush to exploit another bug to obtain a new [Origin of Chaos]. The bacsh from [Fortune]hasn''t ended yet."


    "Besides, if the golden hand can evolve again and I can redistribute my points, there may still be hope."


    "Calm down, calm down. Just by farming resources within these two factions during this event, I can secure two iplete Iridescent-Level items. Even if there are no other gains, that should be enough."


    Sterl reassured himself��


    For the next period, things gradually stabilized for him.


    The name Mephistopheles began to resonate throughout the hell faction.


    There were fewer demons and hell yers around him, provoking and taunting him.


    So, he diligently spent his days on the battlefield��


    Grinding!


    Farming!


    Before he knew it, nearly two weeks had passed.


    Sterl encountered three minor skirmishes, but those were merely due to the bacsh from Fortune, which spurred some mindless hell yers and demons to seek him out, resulting in a significant gain for him.


    At this point, he had umted eighty-six portions of Fortune.


    Sterl estimated that after experiencing two or three more incidents, he would likely have enough for a cheat evolution. If a major event urred, he might even achieve it all at once.


    Moreover, Sterl decided to extract the gains he had umted earlier!


    First were the various loot spheres. As expected, he had amassed a full set of legendary equipment from both the legendary and demigod tiers.


    There were also quite a few epic items; he was just one piece short ofpleting the legendary set and three pieces short for the demigod set, which he could likely gather through future purchases.


    Sterl stored everything in his small world or sent them via mail to his trusted agents, Sosia and Sonis, for processing.


    At that moment, the attributes of these items were set aside for the time being.

 Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Mana Storm

    Not only were the equipment and various materials abundant, but the skill books were also overflowing, to the point where Sterl''s small world was nearly at capacity.


    Sterl made every effort to have Sosia and Sonis sell off the excess.


    After sending the items, he quickly received a response.


    "Master�� where did you get so many resources?"


    "I heard there''s an event in the [Principality of Florence]aimed at exploring hell, and it seems you''ve gathered all the resources for yourself."


    The private messages from Sosia and Sonis were filled with astonishment.


    Sterl had anticipated their reaction and couldn''t help but smile, feeling a sense of emotional satisfaction before responding coolly.


    "It''s nothing, just casually grinding some monsters."


    "Also, could you help me look for items simr to the [Emergency Escape Device], as well as some high-quality recovery potions? Once you''ve purchased them, send them to my mailbox."


    Sterl was feeling quite wealthy.


    With the resources he had sent to Sosia and Sonis, he could buy anything on the market at a premium; he had no fear of running out!


    In addition to the supplies sent to his trustedpanions,


    due to the sheer volume of drops, Sterl also picked out a few useful items.


    Among the items was��


    [Core of me]


    [Description: This item has a chance to drop from demons who possess chaotic memories and abilities rted to burning and extinguishing mes upon their death. It can enhance your understanding of me-rted Laws.]


    [Effect: Enhancesprehension of weak me Laws.]


    This was a flicker of me that could extinguish at any moment. In reality, despite its promising description, it was somewhatckluster because it required a vast number of me cores to make any significant progress in understanding the Law.


    However, due to his excessive grinding, Sterl had umted over sixty of them. After using them all at once, he sessfully birthed a seed for the me Law.


    He spent a bit of blood force and sessfullyprehended another Law: me.


    The abilities of this Law were primarily divided into three aspects.


    Sterl could transform into me, avoiding damage, and could absorb various mes to restore his life force and energy.


    He gained unconditional enhancements for all me abilities.


    By actively invoking the Law, he could deal substantial me damage.


    As the mostmon Law, me still provided a significant boost to Sterl.


    His output increased, and he gained a terrifying resistance to fire.


    There were simr items as well.


    After consuming both the Core of Frost and the Core of Lightning, and spending an additional two points of blood force, he happily acquired two more Laws.


    The effects of these two Laws were essentially identical to that of the me Law: they absorbed their respective elements, increased the damage of those elements, and allowed for an explosive output when actively invoked.


    Sterl decided to find a skill thatbined these three basic elemental Laws.


    [Mana Storm], as a tinum Skill, was quite impressive because mastering it required at least three different elemental Laws to reach a fragmentary level.


    Although the Laws used were quitemon, being a tinum skill constructed from three Laws meant that its ultimate output was no less than that of [Silent Domain], though itcked the same level of dominating control.


    Sterl did not allocate points into [Mana Storm], allowing it to function as a regr output method, making it easier to go incognito.


    He sensed the workings of the skill and understood that it involved channeling different types of Law Power into the storm, causing a chaotic reaction among the elemental powers, which would result in explosive output.


    Its might was equally capable of devastating destruction.


    Next, he uncovered an item such as��


    [Nine-Leaf Spirit Mushroom]


    [Description: A special nt that grows in extremely cold and sunny regions, requiring the blood of living beings to mature.]


    [Effect: Grants a total attribute increase of 20 points, with a limit of once.]


    This was a colorful mushroom that shimmered with hues of seven colors, gently swaying in his hand as if it were alive.


    In addition, there were items like [Five-Color Flower], [Divine Nectar], and [Life Essence], all of which collectively raised Sterl''s total attributes by over a hundred points.


    Moreover, Sterl spent two weeks trying to fully consume all the attribute-enhancing resources he had gathered.


    Then there was the [Equipment Refining Stone], a material that could only drop from defeating enemy units in the main world. Its effect allowed for the refinement of equipment, enhancing their attributes.


    Refined equipment would gain additional attribute values and unique effects depending on the type of equipment; armor would generally increase damage reduction, while essories would boost total output.


    The refining limits varied based on the quality of the equipment, and different levels of equipment required varying amounts of refining stones.


    Sterl refined all his equipment to +9, which was the maximum for legendary-grade items.


    As a result, his total attributes increased by nearly 200 points, with damage reduction going up by 18% and damage output increasing by 6%.


    He also had nearly a thousand refining stones left over, which he nned to keep for future use.


    Originally, equipment refining was considered an umon system in [Transcendence], mainly due to the high cost for low improvement. However, Sterl had grinded so intensively that he had maxed it out effortlessly.


    Additionally, he discovered quite a few one-time-use skill items.


    [Focus Stone]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: Bans thest skill used by the opponent; effective against all realms below divinity.]


    [Blood Dagger]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: Deals arge amount of physical damage equivalent to that of a perfect-level demigod, with the added effect of automatically tracking the target. Units hit cannot use any escape abilities or items.]


    [Curse of Silence]


    [Description: �� ]


    [Effect: Inflicts a sustained curse effect over arge area. Units that remain within the range for a certain period will undergo an instant death judgment. If the judgment is sessful, all life force will be cleared; if it fails, the target will be left in a prolonged state of dizziness.]


    [Spirit te]


    [Effect: Removes all control effects and puts you in a 0.1-second invulnerable state. You can randomly select a coordinate to teleport within a thousand miles. This item activates automatically when you are severely injured.]


    ��


    These items ranged from those that dealt damage to those that provided control removal or life-saving effects.


    Many of these were hidden treasures hoarded by legendary demigod yers.


    With the blessing of [One Sword Opens the Sky], Sterl had caused many enemies to be unable to use anything and simply perish,pounded by the increased drop rates from the faction wars.


    Now that these hidden treasures were in Sterl''s hands, they were no longer treasures but rather overflowing stock��


    Sterl didn''t mind the hassle. He meticulously sifted through thousands of resources, choosing to keep many life-saving items on him. In simple terms, for every 10% drop in his health, Sterl would trigger 4 to 5 life-saving items, granting him several seconds of invulnerability and restoring up to 400% of his life force, along with an additional 30% boost to all attributes.


    When his health fell below 50%, these effects essentially doubled, granting him a multitude of enhancements such as increased damage, boosted defense, and additional damage reduction effects��over a dozen in total. He would also gain up to 7 seconds of invulnerability and more than ten instances of teleportation, which could not be blocked by normal abilities.


    In summary��


    Sterl had no idea how he could possibly die!


    Of course, various one-time-use offensive items also ensured he could deal damage equivalent to that of Shattered Void level without consuming any energy.


    This was further enhanced by having eliminated several Supreme beings, whose hidden trump cards had now fallen into Sterl''s hands.


    Aside from these conventional items, Sterl also acquired at least dozens of hidden instance unlocking items and some that pertain to regional main storylines.


    Several extremely valuable affinity items, when given to NPCs, could unlock personal shops or hidden quests. He was overwhelmed by the choices; Sterl felt that the rewards should be quite substantial since these were all main quests and instances at the demigod level.


    Thus, he decided to keep everything for himself, nning to tackle them when he had the chance, and if he found the rewards from these instance tasks unsatisfactory, he would pass them on to Sosia and Sonis for handling.


    Beyond the items and equipment, Sterl was particrly selective. He ended up with several tinum skills. Previously, he had to work hard on quests to umte Valor Contribution Points just to afford these tinum skills, but now he waspletely free!


    He found it hard to even consider skills of lower quality.


    In the end, Sterl learned three tinum Skills.


    [Dark King (tinum)]


    [Description: A special skill developed by a deity for their favored follower,bining the powers of shadow and spatialws to create abilities of concealment and traversal.]


    [Effects: Depending on your mastery of variousw powers, the following effects can be formed��


    - Shadow Cloak (understanding of shadoww or spatialw)


    - Shadow Traversal (mastery of bothws, with at least one reaching perfection)


    - ??? (bothws reaching perfection)]


    [Activation Requirements: Must master either shadoww or spatialw.]


    Without a doubt, this was an upgraded version of his Shadow Stealth ability.


    Of course, the base version of this ability only provided an invisibility effect, along with a damage bonus for breaking stealth and an additional increase in recovery while in stealth. However, its stats were far superior to those of Shadow Stealth, boasting additional corrosive damage from shadow power and a healing prohibition effect.


    To traverse into the shadow world like with Shadow Stealth, however, he would still need to master shadoww. Nevertheless, once the tinum Skill was activated, Sterl could enter the shadow world for as long as he wished, although the energy consumed would increase over time.


    While in the shadow world, Sterl''s attributes would gradually increase, and all his life force and energy values would rapidly recover. Furthermore, upon exiting the shadow world, he could unleash various attack effects, summon shadow creatures, and strike his foes, or directly convert shadow creatures into additional damage.


    The skills enhanced by the Dark King would additionally deal a percentage of the opponent''s life force as damage.

 Chapter 350: Chapter 350: Heart of Frenzy, Forge of a Hundred Shapes

    The only problem was that the Dark King needed the shadowLaw, which Sterl did not possess. Naturally, he couldn''t take the time to slowlyprehend the shadowLaw. Instead, Sterl had forcefully acquired the Core of Shadow through a massive influx of funds.


    This item had numerous demons in Hell that possessed rted attributes, and the amount Sterl had originally extracted was not enough to give birth to even a single seed of Law after refining.


    Thanks to the acquisitions facilitated by the Sosia and Sonis sisters in the Hall of Valor, he barely managed to gather enough resources and even consumed a bit of blood force to directly unlock shadowLaw. The shadowLaw provided Sterl with four significant enhancements.


    First, the affinity with the shadow world allowed him to survive in this alternate space for an extended period and gave him the opportunity to recruit some of the beings within it. Second, it offered an increase in shadow attribute power and enabled various explosive abilities derived from shadow energy.


    Third, it provided a substantial passive boost and an active enhancement effect for all stealth and disguise-rted skills. Lastly, Sterl could create a shadow clone that inherited all of his attributes and skills within the demigod realm, although the powers of Fission and Iridescent-Level skills could not be transferred.


    With that, Shadow Stealth was effectively eliminated from his repertoire.


    Next came the two tinum Skills: one was Heart of Frenzy, a pure enhancement skill that required mastery of thews of frenzy and violence. This skill could provide significant boosts to Sterl''s attributes and output. However, both of thesews were rtively rare.


    Sterl had sessfully stolen the violence Law from a demigod of the main world using a Fate Token and [Consume], acquiring three significant bonuses in the process.


    The first bonus doubled the effectiveness of strength assessments. The second allowed him to activate the skill, ensuring that his next attack would be unavoidable for his opponent. The third bonus enabled him topletely destroy the body of an enemy upon killing them, granting attribute bonuses that could triple all his stats.


    However, Sterl had yet to acquire the frenzy Law.


    The final skill was [Forge of a Hundred Shapes], which enabled Sterl to store and record various attribute panels, requiring mastery of thews of change and me. The change Law was even rarer than the de Law; only a few special races capable of continuously altering their forms had the opportunity toprehend this Law. Unfortunately, there were no such races present on this battlefield.


    [Forge of a Hundred Shapes]primarily assisted Sterl in disguising his appearance. The attribute disguise provided by Star Insight was quite reliable, but the issue was that his facial disguise relied on low-grade equipment crafted from blood force, which was long overdue for an upgrade.


    Thankfully, few bothered to see through his true appearance during their assessments; most were focused on detecting his real attributes, preventing Sterl from facing any bacsh.


    After exhausting all the various loot spheres, Sterl had one final sphere left��the radiant-level Sphere!


    However, Sterl found that he couldn''t open the sphere at all. It continuously disyed the message:


    [Blocked by ???, item cannot be used.]


    [Yes/No to activate auxiliary function for unlocking?]


    Sterl felt a sense of helplessness, as the option to unlock with the auxiliary function waspletely grayed out. After thinking for a while, he realized that it might be simr to the various functions that had been hidden during character creation. He would need to invest points into the game pod core before having the chance to reveal these hidden functions.


    It might require a second or even a third cheat evolution point investment to restore them.


    He could only hope for the former, as by the time the third evolution came around, he might not even need the items within the Radiant Sphere.


    Sterl still had a few more benefits to consider.


    In terms of activity rewards, his contribution to the Hell faction''s contribution store wasn''t enough to redeem an Iridescent-Level ability, especially since he couldn''t farm main world yers like he did with Hell yers previously, needing to avoid the deities lurking around for opportunities to strike. Thus, he decided to hold off on redeeming anything for now.


    On the other hand, he directly opened the highest tier of the contribution store in the main world, where he could select one ability. His original n was to use [Rebirth of All Thoughts]on the battlefield to draw attention, encouraging others to redeem fragments of [Rebirth of All Thoughts]; he would exchange one for each he obtained.


    Sterl knew that iplete Iridescent-Level skills couldn''t be learned by regr demigods or Supremes. Therefore, as long as he identified who redeemed the skill, he could wait until the event was over, then hunt them down, using a Fate Token to lock onto the dropped item and secure the final fragment of the skill.


    However, due to the pursuit of shadows, this n had to be abandoned. Sterl was also uncertain if anyone in the main world faction had redeemed [Rebirth of All Thoughts], so he decided to hold off on iming that reward for now. If he couldn''t gather all the fragments of [Rebirth of All Thoughts], he could opt for another reward.


    After the main world event entered its second phase, all previous merits were converted into contribution coins. Sterl amassed a total of 58,942 contribution coins from this round. The highest-value fragment of the Iridescent-Level skill in the store was priced at 40,000 contribution coins, but it could only be exchanged once.


    Since these were all one-third fragments, Sterl also nned to see if any other yers in the main world had redeemed them. After defeating them, he could loot the fragments and redeem the remaining one-third. This way, Sterl ensured he would at least obtain two-thirds of the Iridescent-Level skill, making it a worthwhile endeavor.


    Now, there was no rush to redeem anything. Sterl decided to keep 40,000 contribution coins on hand for whenever he wanted to redeem an Iridescent-Level ability. He spent the remaining just over 10,000 on various rare resources that had been difficult to collect in the past.


    For example, he acquired potions that increased attribute limits. He also purchased various expedited Law resources simr to the Core of me. Such items were incredibly precious; despite having killed thousands of Hell yers and demons, Sterl still hadn''t gathered enough to obtain even a single seed of shadowLaw.


    Next, he acquired various rare potions and escape items, along with a talisman.


    [Divine Blessing of Light +]


    [Category: Talisman]


    [Description: A reward granted to the brave by [Transcendence], redeemable only after umting over 30,000 contribution points.]


    [Effect: You deal an additional 10% true damage to all non-main world entities, and this damage will be fully converted into your life force.]


    The effect of the talisman itself was average, but it held significantmemorative value. It''s worth mentioning that despite having killed so many Hell yers, Sterl hadn''t dropped a single talisman. ording to the game''s mechanics, talismans could stack infinitely in the inventory, which is why [Transcendence] only allowed yers to obtain them one at a time through various task instances.


    After organizing all his gains, Sterl''sbat power limit had hardly changed, but his foundational strength and attributes had seen a substantial increase. However, he estimated it would take him about another half month to fully digest all the attribute-enhancing items he had acquired.


    During these past two weeks, Sterl''s point allocation system had been operating at full speed. The first point he allocated was not to anything else but to the [Solidification Method]granted by the Subus Queen. This was crucial for Sterl to continue causing trouble on the battlefield and to resist divine-level charms.


    The final result was beyond Sterl''s expectations. He managed to allocate points six times in a row, and by the first allocation, he had already repaired his tinum Skill into a fragment of Iridescent-Level. Sterl could feel he had gained significant damage reduction and resistance to various anomalies.


    Although each sessive allocation only slightly increased his damage reduction, his resistance in the realm of mind surged dramatically. The reason for this effect was because this method originated from a Buddhist nation, where monks ced greater emphasis on the refinement of the inner self, treating the strengthening of the body as a secondary concern.


    After allocating his points, Sterl felt countless Buddhist teachings ripple through his mind, making him feel as if he had be a high monk. Fortunately, at that moment, the cheat mechanism kicked in again.


    Everything that happened after point allocation would only have a positive effect on Sterl. However, the influence of these Buddhist teachings led to a transformation in his state of mind, which was clearly a negative aspect. As a result, the effects of the Buddhist scriptures were suppressed and rendered ineffective.


    Sterl only benefited from the resistances provided by the skill, while his mental state remained unchanged, though he felt more calm andposed.


    The final seventh point allocation brought about a qualitative change. To Sterl''s bemusement, it led to the birth of his firstplete Iridescent-Level skill. Since it had been repaired from a fragment, this skill was slightly stronger than an ordinaryplete Iridescent-Level skill but was overly specialized.


    [Solidification Method (Iridescent-Level)]


    [Description: Originally lost scriptures have been extrapted topleteness under some mysterious influence. However, various contents mixed with skills from the Subus lead to a bizarre and chaotic state for the entire skill.]


    [Effects: Greatly enhances resistance to charm and other mental anomalies, significantly boosts physical prowess and sexual ability, greatly increases damage resistance, and greatly enhances resistance to all abnormal states.]


    [Hint: This skill cannot be taught to any unit.]


    [Hint: This skill provides additional resistance against charm abilities.]


    The skill''s description seemed to remainrgely unchanged. However, after a brief test, Sterl was astonished. The [Solidification Method]was notpatible with divine authority, so its Iridescent-Level strength was somewhat lower.


    But with all his attribute enhancements maxed out and all damage-reduction abilities activated except for [Rebirth of All Thoughts], the passive bonuses from the [Solidification Method]made demigod-level attacks feel like a gentle breeze on the battlefield.


    Only supreme-level skills posed a real threat to him. At the same time, he was able to endure hundreds of attacks from demigod-level enemies,pletely bypassing all control skills thrown at him!


    As for mental resistance, Sterl had secretly consulted nda, discovering that her charm had no effect on him whatsoever. Sterl wasn''t saying that he wouldn''t have a physical reaction to her provocations; the sensations in his body were one thing, but his state of mind remained incredibly calm.


    In fact, he even went so far as to switch to a different ount, waiting for the Subus Queen to make her move.

 Chapter 351: Chapter 351: The Resurrection of the Death Owl

    By the way, after two weeks had passed, both the main world and Hell came to understand that the so-called mysterious Supreme was merely two elusive individuals, one from each camp causing a stir.


    The deities of the main world intensified their search efforts. At one point, three deities joined forces to hunt for Sterl. On the Hell side, things were much more casual. After all, those ordinary demigod legends were just cannon fodder; it didn''t matter how many died. Another divine-level demon only made a symbolic effort to search when it was their turn.


    Conversely, the Subus Queen was extremely interested in the mysterious Supreme of the main world and even made multiple attempts to charm them with all her power. From the Subus Queen''s perspective, she had struck outpletely, only managing to control a few ordinary yers, all of whom she quickly eliminated.


    However, Sterl was actually mixed in with a small team from the main world and had faced the charm effect head-on. At that moment, he was fully prepared; should his mind undergo any changes, he would immediately ascend to godhood. Fortunately, the Solidification Method, after its qualitative transformation, made him feel like...


    Is this it?


    The charm ability of a divine-level demon wasn''t all that impressive!


    Sterl''s expression at that time was one of surprise. Had it already begun? No, it seemed to have already ended?


    He simply felt that the strange radiance released by the Subus Queen was quite beautiful with its myriad colors, but beyond that, he had no other reaction. He didn''t even go through a process of resisting the abnormal state; he was simply immune.


    Instantly, he felt a sense of certainty in his heart, knowing that the uing n was secure, and he no longer needed to flee. Moreover...


    Considering how much trust the Subus Queen ced in the previous Supreme demon, it was evident that this divine-level demon was very confident in their charm ability and was bold enough to employ captured units.


    At that moment, Sterl felt an overwhelming sense of stability!


    Previously, Sterl had been too afraid to approach the Heavenly Locking Formation because of the Archduke of Blood. Being in proximity to a divine-level demon who controlled the Origin of Chaos posed risks even for him to ascend to godhood. However, if he were to go with the Subus Queen to the natural formation, things would be different; he certainly wouldn''t be the primary target for attack.


    When the formation was in y, if anything went awry, he was confident he could escape with the Subus Queen covering for him.


    ...


    Aside from the Solidification Method, Sterl''s seven attribute points were initially invested in some items.


    [Stone of Exile]


    [Description: When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.]


    [Effect: At the cost of being exiled into the chaotic currents of space, you can trap your opponent in a destructive spatial storm. After entering the chaotic currents, you can choose to exit after a fixed time.]


    This is a pure ck stone that shines like a starry sky.


    The principle of this item is simr to the previous emergency escape device.


    Sterl was sent into the chaotic currents due to the side effects of the item, making it nearly impossible for him to be sealed.


    As for the destructive spatial storm it creates, it is of no use against enemies that Sterl cannot handle; a spatial storm would not change that.


    ---


    [Soul of Awakening]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: After consumption, your energy and stamina will be set to unlimited, but for every point of energy or stamina you exhaust that equals your maximum limits, you will suffer real damage of 50% of your maximum life force.]


    This is a shadow of a person contained in a ss vial, constantly emitting howls and roars.


    It is also Sterl''s ultimate recovery potion.


    The effect is extremely domineering; it directly sets energy to an infinite value, allowing him to unleash any skill he desires.


    However, given Sterl''s efficiency in consuming energy, the side effects could easily kill him dozens of times over, meaning he would have to sacrifice one resurrection after using this potion.


    Fortunately, Sterl currently has a good number of resurrection chances avable.


    ---


    [The Resurrection of the Death Owl]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: When your health drops below 10% or you suffer any fatal attack, your life force is fully restored, all attributes are doubled, and you gain 10 instances of instant teleportation without any cooldown. Each attack will inflict a mark of the Death Owl on your opponent, which can be detonated. Eachyer of the mark grants a 3% chance for an instant kill.]


    This is a highly peculiar statue, engraved with an avian figure resembling a raven. However, every time Sterl nces away, he feels as though the raven has opened its eyes. When he turns back, the raven seems to close its eyes again, creating an eerie sensation.


    Nevertheless, [The Resurrection of the Death Owl]is the most powerful life-saving item among all the ones Sterl has collected!


    Not only does it save his life, but it can also significantly boost hisbat power!


    After increasing the effect of ]The Resurrection of the Death Owl], the results be even more outrageous.


    All attributes are doubled! Plus, ites with an instant kill attack effect. This mark can stack quite well; with just a single [Flowing Water de], the effects of condensing and shattering can stack thousands ofyers in an instant.


    Even when factoring in the opponent''s resistances, the chance for an instant kill is still very high!


    As for the remaining four attribute points, Sterl invested them in his fourth talent.


    He upgraded it to level B in one go, but this talent remains ratherckluster.


    Its divination effect allows for predictions on any matter, but the sess rate is still only 30%.


    Sterl felt speechless. What significance does a divination result hold? If the predictions are unreliable, he wouldn''t dare to trust them anyway.


    He figured that this talent would likely need to be maxed out to be truly useful.


    And finally...


    Sterl made onest preparation. After two weeks of frenzied grinding, consuming both the resources of the main world and Hell, his blood force had finally reached 300 points. When he first activated the power of Fission and went on a rampage, he had gained nearly 100 points in just one day.


    Although his efficiency had dropped significantly since then, he was still averaging around twenty to thirty points per day.


    With so much blood force, Sterl had no intention of saving it. In order to deal with the deities, he couldn''t enhance his divine powers, so he decided to strengthen his most powerful skill beneath the divine realm��[Shattered Void]!


    He quickly allocated points to perfect the Laws of de, Space, and Arcane, all to the perfect level!


    Sterl was a bit shocked himself. Previously, achieving a perfect level in a single Law seemed unattainable, but now he had managed to enhance three at once!


    Thus, on the fifteenth day after the godly warmenced, Sterl found a remote area in Hell and sat cross-legged.


    A strange force of true energy rapidly dissolved within him.


    First, an inexplicable sharpness emanated from Sterl, and the underground area where he sat became marked with countless sword scars.


    If a yer had witnessed this, they might have directly grasped a golden-quality sword technique!


    Then, the countless sword marks gradually retracted, and ultimately, under the enveloping intent of the sword, Sterl appeared as an ordinary mortal!


    Next, the power of space began to fluctuate. The entire area was continuously vanishing and re-forming, shattering and dissolving.


    Eventually, it transformed into a semi-transparent domain.


    Everything within this realm became frozen, as if encased in ice!


    Lastly...


    Countless waves of arcane brilliance rippled through Sterl''s soul. While the surrounding scenery remained unchanged, Sterl felt an overwhelming influx of knowledge breaking down and reassembling within him.


    In an instant, the proficiency of all his tinum Skills surged dramatically.


    Even the Fission power, enhanced by the flood of arcane knowledge, revealed new applications.


    Originally, this technique was best suited for enhancing "bombs" like [Celestial Stars], allowing for continuous Fission and pushing its power to the limit.


    Now, however, Sterl realized...


    He could also apply Fission to the swinging of ordinary des, incorporating it into [Shattered Void], maximizing the efficiency of energy conversion into output!


    Finally, Sterl slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, the underground cavern where he had once resided waspletely obliterated.


    All around were shattered stones and dust.


    Yet, everything was suspended in the air, forming a static oil painting.


    Sterl gently spread his hands, and with a movement, he vanished, reappearing in the Hell yers'' camp.


    It took several hours before the oil painting finally shattered.


    Countless stones rumbled, burying all traces of what had just urred.


    ...


    "Rustle, rustle." Sterl slowly opened his eyes.


    Earlier, he had been practicing [Dark King]. Since he wasn''t particrly short on blood force at the moment, he decided to spend ten points to boost his proficiency in this tinum Skill.


    He could now wield it with the same ease as when he first activated [Shadow Stealth].


    The reason he still needed to practice this tinum Skill was that, due to a dy in the mailbox system, he had only just received the Shadow Core mailed by Sosia and Sonis yesterday.


    At this moment...


    Sterl found himself in avish giant vi. The carpet beneath his feet was stitched from the skin of some creature, providing a subtle warmth andfort.


    Above him, a faint blue me flickered, casting light and even benefiting the soul, leaving Sterl with a sense of tranquility.


    This was...


    The treatment of Mephistopheles!


    In Hell, Sterl had never concealed his identity.


    The three gods of the main world had all heard the name Mephistopheles and were actively hunting him down, while Sterl''s main persona continued to operate discreetly.


    Mephistopheles had be one of the strongest leaders beneath the divine level within the Hell faction. Some believed that even the terror demon who had unified the other divine-level camp, reigning as Supreme for a millennium, would only slightly overshadow Mephistopheles.


    As a result, within the camp, they had willingly offered him the best house, the finest resources, and the most lucrative missions.


    This was the privilege of the strong!


    When Sterl stepped out of his vi, from the outside, one would see it was just a modest-sized house, but inside it contained an entire universe.


    And upon his appearance...

 Chapter 352: Chapter 352: Can This Still Lead to Infighting??

    In an instant, the previously chaotic scene on the street came to a halt. Several demons, who had been face-to-face and ready to attack each other, immediately became as obedient as sheep.


    They even trembled slightly, clearly engulfed in immense fear.


    Some demons even reached out to sp hands.


    "Bro, I told you, those guys from that race have excellent heads; they have a nice chew to them."


    "Really? I''ve never tried them. Next time we''re on the battlefield, you point the way, and let''s hit up a buffet together."


    "Sure, I''ve got some secret spices my family brought; I guarantee you''ll be satisfied."


    "You''re too kind! Bro!"


    ...


    Not only were the fighting demons quiet, but even the ones robbing small vendors or assaulting female yers and engaging in various other chaotic activities came to a standstill.


    All of this happened because "Lord Mephistopheles" did not approve, and the strong could set the rules while the other demons had to obey.


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction at the scene. He wasn''t worried about his persona crumbling because the behavior of Mephistopheles demonstrated that he could do as he pleased while everyone else had to follow the rules.


    Many demons shared this mindset.


    Moreover, with this dynamic, every time Sterl passed through the camp, he wouldn''t have to witness the chaotic disys, which lifted his spirits considerably.


    At the same time, demons and yers from Swallowing Heaven approached to pay their respects.


    "Mephistopheles, my lord."


    "Mephistopheles, my lord."


    Each of them bore a humble expression, respectfullying closer.


    "Under your leadership, we have achieved one victory after another on the battlefield; we are all willing to serve you!"


    "Mephistopheles, please grant me the opportunity to follow you."


    "Mephistopheles, I am willing to dedicate my life to you!"


    ...


    There were even fervent demons and Hell yers kneeling on the ground, practically viewing Sterl as a deity.


    Then, a demon of a charming humanoid race approached.


    "Lord Mephistopheles, I have something I''d like you to see..."


    Swish!!


    The chaotic skills of the Moon Law activated instantly, and Sterl felt as if he were immersed in mercury, his entire being sinking into a state of extreme sluggishness, even his thoughts seeming to freeze.


    The woman who had just shown him a smile now hesitated not a moment as she reached toward her smooth, white chest, then swiftly produced a de as thin as a cicada''s wing and lunged at him.


    The de shimmered with a dark purple light, unmistakably a lethal assassination technique formed from a blend of chaotic skills.


    Sterl instantly recognized that it resembled a toxic Law, and being struck would undoubtedly result in dire consequences.


    "Let''s see how you die!" the female yer sneered, her once beautiful face distorting grotesquely, splitting in two to reveal a monstrous visage brimming with writhing tentacles and sharp spikes.


    At the same time, the demons and yers who had previously been smiling at Sterl split into two groups. One group hastily fled in disarray! Despite their previous grand derations of loyalty, they now showed no hesitation or regret.


    The other group was more straightforward, brandishing their weapons and lunging directly at "Mephistopheles"!


    Their eyes glinted with malice, and a tinum glow surrounded them.


    Every one of themunched their attacks with full force!


    In an instant, a barrage of notifications shed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You have been marked by the Reaper; you cannot use any teleportation abilities, and two of your skills will be randomly sealed.]


    [You are experiencing the effects of malicious capture; all attributes are reduced by 20%.]


    [You are under the curse of the Woe Lock; each action will deduct your maximum life force and all attributes.]


    [You are suffering from the skill: Eye of Destruction; damage taken increased by 100%.]


    ��


    He immediately understood that this was not a routine bout of infighting within the Hell faction, but rather a premeditated assassination attempt.


    But��


    Who did I offend?


    Sterl''s first reaction was confusion, but he quickly dismissed it.


    Who cares!


    The demons and yers in the Hell faction were generally deranged; perhaps he had simply caught someone''s eye in the crowd and earned their ire.


    Just as he was about to retaliate, he suddenly heard the sound of countless skills ringing out from outside the camp, followed by a barrage of attacks raining down like a swarm of cluster rockets.


    "Ah??"


    "The people from the main world have broken in."


    "Wait, something seems off!"


    "These are all fluctuations from chaotic skills!"


    Sterl felt a bit dazed.


    He sensed the intensity and quantity of the attacks from outside; it was impossible for a small force to achieve such a feat. It was likely that another Hell camp, ruled by a divine-level demon other than the Subus Queen, had mobilized��


    To assault this ce!


    Only in this way could such a terrifying momentum and power be unleashed.


    Sterl clearly saw that some basic defensive structures outside the camp were instantly destroyed, leading to the immediate demise of the yers inside.


    But��


    Why is this happening??


    Once again, Sterl found himself puzzled.


    It''s important to note that the main world had a slight advantage over Hell!


    Although the forces here appeared toe from twoyers of Hell, the power that the two divine-level demons could mobilize was limited. After all, with their casual style of killing their own kind, many demons and yers had no intention of participating in the event from the start. Being alongside powerful allies from the same faction usually meant the greatest danger.


    In this context, it was astonishing that infighting could still ur.


    Moreover, an entire demon camp was dedicating all its military strength to internal conflict, without even considering defending against a sneak attack from the main world??


    Finally, Sterl understood that he was not being randomly targeted for assassination. Mephistopheles, as the strongest Supreme in the camp under the Subus Queen, shone brightly on the battlefield.


    If they wanted to breach the camp, they would first need to deal with "Mephistopheles"!


    But��


    Sterl still felt��


    Were they all brainless? Thisrge-scale mutual ughter within Hell practically surrendered the oue of this event!


    His anger red, and with a flick of his wrist, he activated a plethora of debuff-clearing items. So quickly that Sterl hardly registered it, he automatically dispelled the female assassin''s chaotic skills.


    At the same time, the Flowing Water de rapidly took shape.


    Sterl had be quite proficient with Shattered Void, and at this moment, he directly performed a flourish with his sword.


    Several Hell yers and demons around him were swiftly frozen, and before they could react further, they were cut into pieces.


    In their final moments, they wore expressions of smug satisfaction, as if their assassination n had already seeded.


    Thus, this hasty assassination attempt came to an abrupt end��


    With the support of three perfect Laws, there were even two Supremes among this assassination team.


    However, the intensity of Shattered Void had reached its limit. Unless they were gods, Sterl believed that even those so-called strongest Supremes, who had long sequestered themselves and were deeply entrenched in their pursuit of divine status, would not be able to withstand it!


    This was also why Sterl was so furious.


    Under the boost of the event and the war, his rate of growth was exponentially faster than before.


    Normally, acquiring the support of three perfect Laws with Shattered Void would take Sterl at least six months to a year of effort.


    Now, another demon camp was trying to ruin this event.


    Wasn''t that putting Sterl''s life at stake?!


    After dealing with the group of assassins, Sterl walked forward with a cold expression.


    He noticed that these assassins had dropped nothing, meaning the rules of the event hadn''t changed!


    With a few swift movements, Sterl was already at the edge of the camp.


    Then��


    He discovered that many demons and Swallowing Heaven yers from other camps, after killing their allies, didn''t rush to continue their ughter. Instead, they took out a colorful gemstone and swiftly began to channel the surrounding energy.


    In the end, countless threads surged from a group of dead Swallowing Heaven yers and demons into the gemstone.


    If this were the main world, Sterl would likely have to put in some effort to gather intelligence to understand the gemstone''s purpose.


    But now, that group of demons and Hell yers wereughing heartily.


    "Great! Great! Great!"


    "We''ve gathered so much contribution from this wave; it''s way easier than fighting on the battlefield."


    "Thank you! We''ve umted so much contribution without lifting a finger!"


    "Not enough! Not enough!"


    "Kill everyst one in this camp!"


    ��


    They were incredibly excited.


    The reason for their betrayal of their allies became clear; they could use the gemstones in their hands topletely siphon off the contributions of others.


    The reward for killing an ally would far exceed that of ying an equally powerful yer from the main world!


    However��


    Sterl rushed forward.


    "It''s Mephistopheles!"


    "Run!"


    "Didn''t that group of assassins say they had found his weakness?"


    "A bunch of unreliable fools, hurry up and run!"


    ��


    Instantly, the Swallowing Heaven yers, who had just been jubnt, began to flee in a panic, as if they wished they could grow two more legs.


    Mephistopheles, as a Swallowing Heaven yer, shone not only on the frontline but also attracted many demons and prominent yers to challenge him, all of whom he ruthlessly killed.


    Quite a few managed to escape this time because Sterl had no intention of dealing with these small fry.


    He wouldn''t gain anything from killing allies!


    He was only here to forcibly take down a wed demigod yer.


    "Hand over that gemstone."


    The demigod, terrified, turned pale and went limp.


    "I''ll hand it over right away, I''ll hand it over right away! Spare me! Spare me!"


    Sterl easily received the trade request.


    The gemstone quicklynded in his hands.


    With a casual kick, he sent the unfortunate soul flying, sparing his life.


    But the next second, he looked at the specific attributes of the gemstone and was left dumbfounded.


    "Ah??"

 Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Stone of Absorption

    [Stone of Absorption]


    [Description: A special item created by the gods of the main world using unique technology and the remains of a certain creation, currently bound to the Lord of Evil Spirits faction.]


    [Effect: yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction can use this item to absorb the activity contributions of the "Subus Queen" faction''s hell yers after their death during the [Counter-Expansion] event.]


    Sterl was stunned for a very simple reason.


    Shouldn''t this be a bit more exaggerated?


    Sterl had already found it quite strange that the demon yers of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction were not afraid of infighting followed by a surprise attack from the main world.


    At this moment, he understood.


    The yers from the Swallowing Heaven faction had once again reset the bar for what was possible.


    Not only were they unafraid of attacks from the main world, but the description of the Stone of Absorption made it clear that this item was specifically designed by the main world to incite discord within the two divine-level demon factions!


    And yet, the people from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction did not hesitate to step into the trap!


    All for short-term gains...


    It was no wonder that the gods of the main world didn''t bother to conceal the origins of this item; there was no need to! After all, the denizens of hell would plunge headlong into the trap, as long as there was something to be gained.


    At this moment, Sterl stood still, a slight frown on his face.


    He was aware that the yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits had already shed fully with those under the Subus Queen, and the hell side was bound to suffer heavy losses. So, what about himself...


    There was no need to hold back anymore!


    Because this expansion event seemed destined for failure.


    Sterl was now considering whether he could fish in troubled waters and gain some benefits from this incident.


    At this time...


    He stood motionless.


    Nearby, the yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction who caught sight of Mephistopheles all retreated in fear.


    An eerie scene unfolded on the battlefield.


    Clearly, the yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction were eagerly trying to kill their fellow faction members to seize merits, yet they scattered like waves crashing against rocks in front of the Subus Queen''s camp!


    A dense crowd of heads rapidly dispersed around Sterl...


    And these yers wore expressions of relief.


    "Although I don''t know why, I''m just d that Mephistopheles hasn''t made a move."


    "Damn, I was unlucky to run into this guy... Wait, am I still alive??"


    "Run! Run!"


    "He hasn''t attacked; let''s get out of here fast."


    The members of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction looked uneasy, and only after distancing themselves from Mephistopheles did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    However...


    At this moment, Sterl suddenly made a move with his hand, and the Stone of Absorption he had previously seized vanished and reappeared, though it seemed to have taken on a slightly different luster.


    What Sterl had been waiting for was the cooldown on his stat allocation ability. This Stone of Absorption had not changed in any other way; it had merely unlocked the faction restrictions.


    In other words, Sterl could now actually plunder activity contributions from hell yers of the same faction.


    "Great!"


    He appeared delighted; this time, his stat allocation had not been in vain.


    Then, Sterl still did note under attack from the yers of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction. Instead, he moved forward alongside them as they charged toward the camp.


    To be sure, Mephistopheles had a fearsome reputation.


    In such a situation, the demigod yers, despite being terrified, dared not make a move against him. They could only ignore him and quietly distance themselves.


    However, some red-eyed yers and demons, caught up in their frenzy, were pushed close to Sterl.


    When they first spotted an enemy faction member who seemed ready to strike, their eyes widened in fear at the sight of Mephistopheles, and they scrambled away with all their might, leaving more unfortunate souls to be shoved next to Mephistopheles.


    Thus, an odd scene unfolded around Sterl; the "crowd" surged like a tide, all desperately trying to get as far from him as possible.


    Fortunately, this situation onlysted a few seconds.


    The madness of the Swallowing Heaven yers could barely keep their wits about them in this nonbat situation. Once they collided with other yers from the Subus Queen faction and began to engage in ughter, no one paid any more attention to Sterl!


    What was there to be afraid of?


    This Mephistopheles wasn''t even making a move; he might as well be one of our insiders!


    If we don''t hurry up and kill to seize activity contributions, ourrades will get the jump on us!


    Sterl watched this scene with great amusement,pletely uninterested in rescuing the "teammates."


    Casually, he pulled out some snacks prepared for him by Sosia and Sonis from his backpack��


    In his hand was an orange-yellow bag. He reached inside and discovered it contained a live squid, coated in sauce, half-transparent and exuding an enticing aroma.


    One bite, and it was crunchy!


    He also received several attribute boosts from it.


    "Delicious," Sterl eximed in delight.


    Meanwhile��


    In the battlefield ahead, many yers from the Subus Queen faction wore expressions simr to his.


    When the enemy surged in, they screamed and cried out in bloodthirsty panic.


    But soon��


    Chaos erupted as skills rapidly bombarded the area, various energies mixing together and covering most of the camp.


    yers from the Subus Queen faction, unless they had foreseen the attack and opened their shields immediately, would be bombarded and severely injured upon entering the fray.


    They found themselves in a situation where they were outsmarted and ambushed, retreating step by step, even facing the threat of death, their faces turning pale with fear.


    Then they spotted Sterl: "Lord Mephistopheles! Save me!"


    "Lord, they are attacking our camp!"


    "Mephistopheles! We''re counting on you!"


    One by one, they appeared hopeful.


    Even though Sterl often switched to powerful characters on the battlefield and ended up eliminating his own troops, he didn''t always operate that way to avoid suspicion. As a result, Mephistopheles had the least casualties among themanding officers.


    His reputation was quite good.


    Unfortunately��


    These yers ultimately showed despair on their faces.


    "Mephistopheles, why are you just standing there? Have you betrayed us too?"


    They shouted in anger.


    Sterl remained calm.


    Crunch, crunch.


    He munched on his snacks.


    The yers who were hurling usations at him were soon cut down by those from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction; a de pierced through their bodies, and after a few faint gasps, they fell dead!


    By the time the front lines of the Subus Queen faction were nearly cleared of casualties,


    a yer from Swallowing Heaven was the first to draw forth knowledge, preparing to seize activity contributions.


    At that moment, Sterl finally made his move��me, Frost, Thunder, and Shadow!


    The energies of these four elements sparkled in his hands.


    Then, like an oil painting, the four elements sshed together, but they did not merge; instead, they shed violently, emitting eerie, bone-chilling crackling sounds.


    With the surge of energy, thunder rumbled across the ground!


    A hurricane stirred.


    This was the tinum skill, [Mana Storm]!


    Most of those Sterl faced were just ordinary demigods, so he didn''t need to use all his strength. It was the perfect opportunity to test out his new skill, which required at least three elemental Laws.


    He could also add new elemental powers to enhance its might, though the efficiency of the amplification wasn''t very high.


    It was during this experimentation that Sterl discovered he could indeed incorporate Shadow power into the skill.


    "With the help of blood force for Elemental-type Laws, I might learn through trickery, as I should have ess to many resources now. What if...?"


    "After this Mana Storm, I should consider allocating points to strengthen it."


    In its unallocated version, Mana Storm adds one elemental power, increasing output by only 1/4. After that, each additional element reduces the output increase by half.


    However, if point allocation could eliminate the drawback of diminishing returns with more added elements, then the theoretical output of this Mana Storm could reach [Transcendence] Shattered Void! The only w is that Mana Storm is purely an explosive skill, making it rtively easy to dodge, and it consumes a significant amount of energy.


    Sterl''s mind raced, and ever since he learned the power of Fission, hisputational abilities had been significantly honed. Multitasking had be second nature to him.


    At this moment, the four-colored storm erupted rapidly from his body!


    Though the yers and demons from Hell were frenzied, they were not mindless; they had been on guard against Mephistopheles and quickly began to retreat!


    Unfortunately, it was all in vain!


    As mentioned before, Sterl could multitask, so at the same time, a ck sun shone down upon everything!


    Silent Domain activated.


    Faced with the onught of a formidable enemy, no one would dare to rely solely on their speed to flee; they all unleashed various skills and talents.


    The result? Total annihtion��a nearplete interruption of their skills led to devastating bacshes!


    St!


    St!


    First, the yers and demons erupted with blood.


    But s, they had no time to feel the pain from the bacsh before being swept away and instantly obliterated by the elemental storm!


    The inherent lethality of Silent Domain had already drained a substantial amount of life force from these demons and yers, inflicting multiple debuffs, including increased damage taken.


    Thus, within the Mana Storm, they were swiftly ground to ashes.


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t help but smirk inwardly: "So desperate to snatch resources, huh?"


    "But still, I appreciate your efforts."


    "Without you, how much less contribution would I have gained?"


    He had just been fishing for an opportunity!


    Waiting for the yers of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction to wipe out their own allies.


    After all, once Sterl allocated points and lifted the restrictions of Stone of Absorption, he could not only absorb the activity contributions from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction but also from his own people!


    However, he was aware that the Subus Queen likely had dispersed divine senses keeping an eye on the camp.


    Sterl didn''t dare to make a move.


    Staying on the sidelines waspletely normal; several Supreme beings in the camp couldn''t be bothered to save anyone, and the yers from Swallowing Heaven had that kind of style.


    The deities wouldn''t hold it against them.


    But to ruthlessly strike downrades, that was something the Subus Queen would likely not tolerate��

 Chapter 354: Chapter 354: Demon of Terror and Cruelty

    At this moment, Sterl was in a good mood.


    To the outside world, a chaotic energy storm was consuming everything around it, while inside, beams of light connected from the corpses of the fallen Hell yers and demons to Sterl''s hands.


    Notifications kept popping up before his eyes��


    [You have sessfully plundered activity contributions; activity contribution increased by three hundred]


    [You have sessfully��]


    ...


    It''s back; it''s all back! The feeling of grinding "demons" with [Fission]had returned!


    Wait��


    When Sterl used the power of [Fission]to smash the enemies of the Hell faction back then, he hadn''t experienced this rapid contribution gain!


    In just a few seconds, he had already amassed nearly ten thousand contributions.


    Unfortunately, in those few seconds, the surrounding "people" had beenpletely drained.


    Without hesitation, Sterl continued.


    This time, however, his performance was updated; he didn''t rush into other areas of the camp. Instead, he listened and waited for a moment, and when he charged onto the frontlines, he found that the yers of the Subus Queen faction had beenpletely annihted.


    All around were charred remnants and scattered corpses, resembling a hellish battlefield.


    There were even a few humanoid beings, their features delicate, whether male or female was unclear, being roughly subdued by several burly men.


    These humanoid figures seemed to have been incapacitated, unable to move at all.


    Meanwhile, yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction were all wielding [Stone of Absorption], the shimmering rainbow lights a clear sign of contributions being drained.


    They collected contributions while eyeing each other warily, and some were even silently gathering skills, preparing to turn on their allies! After all, having one lesspetitor meant a greater share of the spoils.


    But...


    The yers from Swallowing Heaven were hesitant, worried that they might be targets for retribution, so they barely managed to hold back. Fortunately, someone came to relieve their anxiety.


    A figure suddenly appeared.


    Instantly, everyone''s expression turned to one of terror.


    "Mephistopheles! What is he doing here?"


    "Quick, retreat!"


    "No way?? What about the others on the other battlefields? Aren''t they going to stop him?"


    ...


    This group was thrown into disarray.


    And Sterl snapped his fingers.


    The surging elemental storm erupted once more!


    Sterl''s decision to wait until the yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction began to siphon contributions before making his move stemmed from a sudden realization: absorbing contributions wasn''t the same as killing or looting items. It wouldn''t just yield a portion; when he siphoned, he drained thempletely!


    So, even if the yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction managed to take some contributions first, it didn''t matter. After he turned the tables on them, he could just reim the contributions, right?


    Thus, seeing the deaths of many allies, he feigned an expression of anger.


    "You dare!"


    Then, beams of light red from his hands.


    Another [Mana Storm]unleashed!


    This time, it was coupled with Shattered Void.


    With the triple perfect Law enhancement, the power of Shattered Void was overwhelming. Sterl had yet to find an opportunity to unleash his full strength, but the greater control allowed him to release the solidification effect of the first half of Shattered Void on its own.


    Immediately, countless yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits were frozen in ce.


    Then, as the storm swept through, they were reduced to nothing but skeletal remains, and eventually, even those bones were refined and dissolved.


    Sterl continued to activate the effects of [Stone of Absorption]amidst the energy storm.


    The chaotic surge of four elemental Laws made it difficult even for the divine-level demons to perceive what was happening inside.


    Of course, Sterl felt that the Subus Queen probably wouldn''t sense anything at all��


    No need to worry!


    Who would expect that Sterl was siphoning contributions?


    To the casual observer, it simply looked like Mephistopheles had cast his skills and was leisurely moving toward the next battlefield, which waspletely reasonable.


    In the second wave of harvesting, Sterl managed to acquire a whopping twenty thousand activity contributions.


    ...


    Next came the third battlefield, which was now in the core area of the camp.


    Sterl didn''t deliberately dawdle on his way there.


    He knew that the fighting here wouldn''t end anytime soon.


    Sure enough, the central area of the camp was now in utter chaos. What had previously been numerous structures was nowpletely demolished, with turbulent energy generated from shattered spatial artifacts swirling everywhere.


    From a distance, Sterl could see nearly a thousand yers and demons engaged in fiercebat.


    However, their forms appeared to be in a chaotic and distorted state, with the spatial turbulence and debris making everyone look extremely unreal.


    Sterl recognized several familiar faces, including nda and a few other Supremes, who were resisting the onught of enemies.


    Among the most striking figures from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction was a massive creature, roughly three meters tall, covered in bizarre scales, resembling a demonic god.


    Sterl used [Star Insight]to scan it and discovered that this giant demon, while also being a Supreme, had attributes significantly higher than the others.


    It possessed several tinum abilities, and even�� a wed Iridescent-Level skill!


    Sterl momentarily held his breath.


    However, that Iridescent-Level skill didn''t interact with divine authority or Divine Power; it was more akin to Sterl''s [Solidification Method], simply boasting a performance superior to tinum skills.


    After that��


    Sterl was unable to detect the specific details of this demon''s Iridescent-Level ability.


    After all, this Supreme had exceptionally high base attributes, cing limitations on Star Insight''s scanning capabilities.


    Nheless, Sterl managed to identify the race of this Supreme��


    [Demon of Terror and Cruelty]!


    Sterl had once seen the top-tier race known as the [Demon of Terror and Cruelty]when he created his Swallowing Heaven alt ount!


    This race inherently possessed higher attribute bonusespared to typical yer races and came with an A-ss profession, allowing for effortless growth.


    The race would automatically gain skills based on their level, starting from white, transitioning to green�� all the way up to demigod, where they would automatically acquire tinum skills!


    Moreover, reaching the demigod stage would trigger their racial talents, with at least A-ss, and for the majority, S-ss.


    The potential of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty far surpassed that of other demon races, and they enjoyed an exceptionally long lifespan, allowing them more time for cultivation than units from other races.


    They could also use this time to gradually gather various items to enhance their attributes and refine their skill proficiency.


    Therefore��


    Sterl suddenly realized that this giant demon he encountered was likely the first formidable general who had ascended to Supreme under the Lord of Evil Spirits after a millennium!


    Although Sterl didn''t examine the proficiency of its various skills, they were undoubtedly terrifyingly high!


    And at this moment, the battlefield��


    Was easily controlled by this Demon of Terror and Cruelty.


    For the Supremes under the Subus Queen, despite being ambushed at first, they maintained an impressive level of discipline.


    They quickly rallied their forces and prepared a counterattack.


    Moreover, based on the differences in abilities among the yer demons, they organized themselves into front and back lines.


    While not as professional as in the main world, they had at least stabilized their position.


    The forces of the two divine-level demons were roughly equal, with the Supremebatants on the field facing a three-to-four matchup, as Lord of Evil Spirits was still short one member.


    There were also some Supremes who did not belong to either divine-level demon, lurking on the outskirts of the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    When Sterl first sensed the situation from a distance, the Supremes under the Subus Queen had gained a considerable advantage in the central area of the camp.


    Beyond nda, the other three Supremes were in humanoid form, wielding a set of interconnected pink threads to transfer power among themselves. Their positions in battle even conformed to the principles of formation.


    Sterl could see crimson bats swirling in the air, while dark purple energy orbs morphed into beast-like forms, tearing through their foes��


    Meanwhile, the forces of Lord of Evil Spirits, facing a numerical disadvantage, found their tinum skills easily countered, suffering defeat after defeat. Many of the bats even plunged into their protective energy, prompting the three Supremes to emit cries of anguish as their energy began to wane.


    However, everything changed when the Demon of Terror and Cruelty arrived!


    Sterl had only heard of the hidden Supremes in the Hall of Valor and how powerful they werepletely on a different level from ordinary Supremes.


    Now, he was finally witnessing it with his own eyes!


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty didn''t even unleash its Iridescent-Level ability; it merely activated a tinum Skill. Instantly, it expanded again, transforming into a giant towering a hundred meters high.


    Then it mmed down! Brilliant tinum light radiated from it.


    At that moment, Sterl could see the third tinum glow erupting from the demon''s chest!


    The chest of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty rapidly opened, revealing a hollow cavity that began to siphon surrounding energy, ultimately forming an orange-yellow core.


    The core pulsated with flickering light, unstable and seemingly on the verge of exploding.


    The energy gathered in this core was swiftly channeled into the previously released tinum ability of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty.


    It appearedplex, but it all unfolded within mere moments.


    Most of the Supremes under the Subus Queen were still in the aftermath of their own skill activations.


    As Sterl watched, he couldn''t help but marvel��


    Was this the result of a millennium of proficiency?


    He had previously detected the three tinum skills.


    The erged form was called [Heaven-supporting], which could be mastered with just one chaotic skill.


    The skill that generated the energy core was known as [Sun Devourer], also requiring a single chaotic skill.


    However, the ground-smashing move, [Earth-shaking], required two chaotic memories to use.


    They all seemed ratherckluster.


    Yet��


    While the intrinsic power of the tinum Skills wasn''t high, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty executed them with such perfection that theirbined might skyrocketed!


    This was far more skillful than Sterl using [Flowing Water Thousand Cuts]to unleash Shattered Void! That was merely a stronger de, enhancing Shattered Void but failing to achieve a qualitative transformation.


    In contrast, the three skills of the Demon of Terror and Crueltyplemented each other wlessly. Sterl even doubted whether these were the three abilities the demon had meticulously selected; each skill seamlessly triggered the next, providing incredible enhancements with each subsequent ability!

 Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Am I Being Targeted Again?

    At this moment, energy flowed through the Demon of Terror and Cruelty.


    Its gigantic form enhanced the efficiency of [Sun Devourer]and the output of [Earth-shaking].


    Sun Devourer amplified the effect of [Heaven-supporting], causing the Demon of Terror and Cruelty to continue expanding rapidly, further increasing the benefits of [Heaven-supporting]for the other two skills.


    The final output of [Earth-shaking]already enjoyed the advantages of its size; once [Sun Devourer]had drained the energy, it would also generate powerful gusts of wind to restrict the enemy''s movements, aiding in the attack''s uracy.


    Ultimately, the output of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was enhanced by an unknown number of times!


    The terrifying aura forced Sterl to summon his clones and shadow clones, ready to activate Protection Power at any moment.


    "A millennium of being a Supreme is indeed not to be underestimated," Sterl thought, filled with vignce.


    If it came down to pure output, his Fission might still overshadow the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, but it wouldn''t be a one-sided ughter. In a confrontation with an enemy of equal standing, the Demon of Terror and Crueltybining its three tinum Skills into a single cohesive force would clearly yield better results.


    However��


    Sterl''s disadvantagey in that he needed to spend a massive amount of time to find the perfectbination of tinum Skills, pairing and exploring.


    This was one of the greatest assets of those who had long since be Supremes.


    Sterl''s point allocation wouldn''t suffice to make up for this.


    But��


    Shouldn''t I be able to replicate the setups that others have already developed?


    Sterl suddenly had an idea. Knowing that these old-timers who had ascended to Supreme had spent years mastering their skills to break through their limits, Sterl could simply defeat them and attempt to replicate their skill sets!


    By using Consume and Fate Token, he could acquire key skills and purchase skill books for non-key skills with the resources he had.


    As he pondered this, the heavy hammer of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty finally struck the ground.


    Boom!


    A thunderous impact!


    It descended!


    Sterl felt as though his sensing ability was instantly shattered!


    His shadow clone quickly utilized Protection Power.


    The shadow clone, condensed through shadowLaw, could inherit most of Sterl''s skills.


    Theoretically, this process could be infinitely repeated.


    However, after using a sacrificial skill like Protection Power, it would require several hours of cooldown before he could summon it again.


    At this moment, ayer of light enveloped Sterl.


    The terrifying shockwave and wave of energy rushed past him, shattering like raindrops against a ss window, creating dazzling shes of light.


    Sterl stood within it, his cloak billowing from the force.


    Yet, all the cover and structures around him were blown apart and shattered.


    Countless ordinary demigod-level [Swallowing Heaven]yers and demons were flung away or even reduced to meat paste! They were forced to activate their life-saving skills!


    The area where the Demon of Terror and Cruelty attacked formed a gigantic pit, reaching depths of a thousand meters!


    With this move, it covered the entire camp under the Subus Queen. In just a brief moment, all traces of civilization were obliterated.


    Sterl couldn''t help but sigh in admiration.


    Indeed, a Supreme demon that had lived for a thousand years had a more rational approach.


    He noticed that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had activated Faction mode. The yers and demons under the Lord of Evil Spirits were unharmed, merely disoriented by the shockwave.


    Yet, when these "people" got back up, their eyes were filled with fervor as they shouted in bloodthirsty excitement.


    They didn''t even assess the state of their enemies on the battlefield before starting to cheer.


    "Lord Slovic! Invincible!"


    "Another batch of enemies crushed! Invincible Supreme! Overwhelming everything!"


    "Victory! The Lord of Evil Spirits will definitely win!"


    ...


    Though the hellish yers and demons were frenzied, they knew who could bring them benefits, and they generously showered the most fervent praise.


    Once the smoke and dust around them began to clear, and the chaotic energies slightly subsided...


    Sterl finally noticed the ground littered with mangled corpses. This was the result of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty holding back at thest moment; if it hadpletely shattered the bodies, even the Stone of Absorption might not have been able to gather contributions from the remains...


    However, in the core area where the three tinum skills converged and struck, it was clear that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had gone all out!


    There...


    The rocks were rapidlypressed, dissolving into a dark red liquid.


    The four Supremes under the Subus Queen were all heavily injured!


    At this level, they were not without life-saving skills and items.


    Yet, facing the frenzied output of the threebined tinum skills, these four Supremes were "merely" crushed like ants, barely managing to revive from the pile of flesh.


    Now, theyy motionless on the ground, struggling to survive.


    It wasn''t that they couldn''t escapepletely; rather, they had to wait for the Demon of Terror and Cruelty to make a move before they could respond.


    Sterl watched this scene, and even though he was mentally prepared, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    "If it were me... trying to achieve such an effect."


    He analyzed that he could indeed reach such output with Shattered Void, perhaps even far surpassing it!


    But having an advantage in attack strength didn''t mean he could underestimate the Demon of Terror and Cruelty.


    It was using three rather ordinary tinum skills, yet thebination unleashed a multiplied output!


    The consumption and post-release stiffness were incredibly low!


    Moreover... the Demon of Terror and Cruelty hadn''t even activated its Iridescent-Level ability yet!


    This demon...


    Would be difficult to deal with!


    A glimmer sparkled in Sterl''s eyes... he decided to activate the effect of Dark King and hide within the shadow world.


    However, after he activated it, the scenery around him remained unchanged.


    "Mephistopheles?"


    "You�� truly are exceptional!"


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty suddenly fixed its gaze on Sterl, revealing a vicious grin. The sight of its jagged fangs dripping with saliva made Sterl feel both disgusted and rmed.


    He suddenly realized something: it wasn''t that his disguise was wed, but rather that in the wake of that world-shatteringbo attack, everyone else had been severely injured and in a pitiful state.


    Only Sterl, thanks to a single Protection Power, stood firm and unmoved.


    He looked impressive, like a lighthouse standing tall against a storm at sea.


    Wasn''t this obvious enough? The Demon of Terror and Cruelty wasn''t blind; it would surely notice!


    "I initially didn''t believe that any random stray could be the strongest Supreme," it continued, its voice surprisingly articte, a stark contrast to its brutish appearance.


    "Yet here you are, proving me wrong."


    "The Subus Queen hasn''t recruited you yet, has she? How about I give you a chance? Follow my master, and I might spare your life."


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty spoke in a well-structured manner, which waspletely at odds with its rough exterior.


    The term "strongest Supreme" is amon phrase in both the main world and Hell, referring to those who possess a significantbat power advantage over ordinary Supremes.


    Of course, a Supreme like the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, who had been established for centuries, was referred to as a Hidden Supreme.


    The ssification of Supremes and divine beings generally includes ordinary, strongest, hidden, and finally the quasi-divine realm of Law Power transitioning into divine power.


    However, such titles hold little significance.


    The term "strongest Supreme" simply assessesbat strength and is not rted to realm distinctions.


    Hidden Supremes are merely those who have lived long and umted vast resources.


    As a result, even the most talented strongest Supreme cannotpete against the centuries or even millennia of experience and resources amassed by a Hidden Supreme.


    Yet, the existence of such conventions implies significant power disparities between these tiers!


    Thus, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty rxed as it approached Sterl, and a blood-red contract document provided by the [Swallowing Heaven]system floated into view, filled with extremely harsh stiptions.


    Should Sterl sign it, he would forever be the property of the Lord of Evil Spirits, unable to escape even if his power were ten times greater than that of this divine-level demon!


    In that instant, Sterl didn''t hesitate��


    He turned on his heel and ran, retreating at full speed; even a moment of hesitation would be a disrespect to his own persona!


    He wanted to showcase his strength, but Mephistopheles already represented half of Sterl''s power, and there was no need to reveal more.


    Moreover, the most important factor was that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, being a millennium-old existence, didn''t need the rewards from this event, so it had no activity contribution points. The benefits of defeating it would be zero!


    However��


    It was as if he had foresight.


    Sterl suddenly sensed the surrounding space being sealed off by chains.


    In an instant, he was pulled back into Hell.


    What greeted Sterl were faces filled with mockery.


    Just a moment ago, many of the demon yers from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction had looked at Mephistopheles with great trepidation.


    Other Supremes had been severely injured by the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, yet he had stood firm!


    Truly remarkable!


    But now, looking at the situation��


    Mephistopheles, like a lost dog, had been captured again.


    Immediately, the chaos-loving crowd erupted in excitement.


    "Mephistopheles, I''ve heard of you! Aren''t you supposed to be good at running? The gods of the main world couldn''t catch you on the battlefield, and you were said to be elusive and invisible. Why aren''t you running now?"


    "I can''t help it! Just thinking about our greatest general bing a ve gets me all hyped up!"


    ��


    Though these people mocked him, their expressions were filled with fervor.


    Yet, they still kept their distance, afraid that Mephistopheles would suddenlysh out and take their lives...


    While the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was fiercely loyal to the Lord of Evil Spirits and even activated Faction mode to prevent therge-scale death of allies that would harm his master''s foundation, it was also extremely indifferent to itsrades.


    If Mephistopheles went on a rampage, not only would it not intervene, but it would also seize the opportunity to ambush this strongest Supreme, achieving victory at minimal cost.


    As for the unfortunate soul who was in by Mephistopheles��


    Well, they would just die.


    Thus, an odd scene unfolded.


    Faced with the barrage of mockery, Sterl stood quietly in ce, unmoving, like a mountain.


    Those who mocked him, while cursing him with their words, retreated in a panic, clearly flustered.

 Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Four-in-One Platinum Skill

    However, at this moment, Sterl did not find theical appearance of the surrounding yers and demons amusing. Instead, he felt an immense pressure and slowly began to retreat.


    Although in the realm of mowing down weaker opponents, Sterl had been invincible, this was the first time he faced such a hidden Supreme in a direct confrontation.


    It wasn''t that Sterl doubted his ability to win. In his rational analysis, he believed victory was assured! However, his consistent cautious nature made him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He had never fought at this level before! He had to be careful, more careful than ever!


    Almost simultaneously, the battlefield was divided. Several Supremes under themand of Lord of Evil Spirits retreated. They had their own considerations; after all, Mephistopheles had previously faced the Demon of Terror and Cruelty and managed to block its attack with ease. Therefore��


    The depth of Mephistopheles'' power was likely far beyond that of the other Supremes under the Subus Queen. It would be best for them not to get involved in this battle. If the opponent couldn''t handle the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, in a moment of desperation, they might seek to drag a few others down with them. It was wiser to watch from a distance.


    Otherwise, they risked losing their life-saving items at best, or death at worst!


    As for why these Supreme demons had such experience, it was because they enjoyed ying these games. They would deliberately send some subordinates on missions to encircle strong enemies, forcing the foes into a desperate situation and then watching as their subordinates panicked and were taken out by those powerful opponents in their final moments.


    The expressions of their subordinates would shift from arrogance to fear, then to despair. This was one of the essential amusements in the lives of these Supreme demons. But they certainly didn''t want to be the entertainment themselves!


    ...


    On the other side, among the four Supremes under the Subus Queen, aside from nda, who wore a look of regret, the others were also contemting. nda had originally intended to wait for the queen to enjoy herself before tasting Mephistopheles for herself, but it seemed that opportunity might note.


    "A man who is both powerful and attractive, and for some reason has a perfectly refined aurately�� I may never encounter another like him in my lifetime."


    nda felt an overwhelming impulse to rush in and rescue him. Because�� after practicing the Solidification Method, Sterl was enveloped in an extremely cold and ascetic aura that further enhanced his charm.


    For an ordinary person, this might merely mean an increase in attractiveness. But for the Subus n, the ascetic aura would incite their desires even more, and the stronger the Subus, the more intense the effect.


    Moreover, each stage of strength multiplied this influence several times over��Legendary, Demigod, God, High God�� it was the same for all!


    nda had often avoided Sterl before because every time she looked at him, she felt herself losing control, teetering on the brink of irrationality! There had been several moments when she had even considered betraying the queen to enjoy Mephistopheles for herself!


    Then her life would beplete. She would be ready to die immediately if it meant achieving that.


    However, the only issue was that Sterl himself was not particrly interested in nda, which made it difficult for her to suppress her thoughts.


    This Subus felt her mind in turmoil and retreated. Meanwhile, the other three Supremes were all smiles as they swiftly withdrew. At first, they had thought they wouldn''t be able to escape, especially after facing the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s series of attacks.


    No, that wasn''t right! They hadn''t even managed to block those attacks; they had only survived thanks to their ability to resurrect after death. Each of them had felt a sense of despair, but as seasoned warriors with long lifespans and many experiences, they clung to a glimmer of hope for a miracle to happen, thus maintaining a posture of resistance.


    But now�� they had Mephistopheles to take the brunt!


    "Ha ha! Just in time!"


    "Mephistopheles, you''re going to die beautifully!"


    "We won''t let your sacrifice go in vain! If you have any secret treasure locations, shouldn''t you tell us in advance?"


    nda didn''t join in the mockery, but the other three Supremes spoke with derision. They showed no concern for Mephistopheles and were instead feeling a sense of pride and relief, d that someone else was taking the heat for them.


    Nearby, many of the "people" in the Subus Queen''s camp were cheering.


    "Mephistopheles! Hang in there! Just a little longer!"


    "Don''t die too disgracefully!"


    "Where''s that guy who runs the casino? Come here! I''m betting on Mephistopheles��he won''tst more than three moves!"


    At this moment, Sterl had captured the full attention of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction, while the four Supremes under the Subus Queen were blocking the other yers. The Supremes from the Lord of Evil Spirits retreated far away, allowing the Swallowing Heaven yers in the Subus Queen''s camp to feel temporarily safe.


    However, these yers had no gratitude in their hearts; instead, they were all shouting fiercely. They eagerly anticipated seeing the once invincible Mephistopheles being beaten down like a dead dog! It was akin to toppling a noble statue to the ground.


    This primal and dark desire, which would be suppressed among the despicable in the main world, was encouraged to be unleashed among the yers in Hell!


    Sterl, naturally, had no mind to pay attention to the raucous noise around him. The pressure from the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was considerable!


    Yet�� on the other side, the hidden Supreme who had survived for a millennium was also not in a hurry to make a move, even with countless yers from his faction cheering and shouting as if the oue of the battle was already decided. The Demon of Terror and Cruelty remained extremely vignt and somewhat uneasy.


    Until�� a yer from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction threw a sphere filled with malice.


    Sterl didn''t sense any threat as the sphere passed before him��


    [Dirty Rotten Egg]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: ��]


    [Effect: This item is guaranteed to hit and cannot be dodged by skills. Once hit, the yer will emit a disgusting stench for a month.]


    This thing was probably akin to the rotten tomatoes and stinky eggs thrown by the crowd before an ancient minister was publicly beheaded in his past life, Sterl couldn''t help but think, slightly mocking the situation. It was an instinctive reaction; his brain was processing the external stimulus.


    At that very moment, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty moved!


    Amidst the raging air currents, the [Dirty Rotten Egg]was shattered into pieces. After executing a series of attacks, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty still towered nearly a hundred meters high. However��


    At this moment, this hidden Supreme truly demonstrated what agility and flexibility meant!


    He leaped high into the sky, and at his chest, an energy core glowed like a furnace. Then, his massive form rapidly condensed and concentrated. A tinum light red up around him!


    Sterl''s pupils constricted. Beyond the three tinum skills he had seen in session, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had anotherbo technique! This new tinum Skill had gonepletely unnoticed during Sterl''s earlier reconnaissance with Star Insight.


    Now��


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty was revealing�� a four-in-one tinum Skill!


    [Sun Devourer], enhanced by [Heaven-supporting], was used to execute a new tinum Skill, forcibly condensing its gigantic body. Sterl noticed that the information detected by Star Insightwas rapidly diminishing, indicating that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''sbat power was surging!


    Apanied by a fierce wind generated from the gathering energy, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty surged forward explosively!


    At this moment, if the yers from the Subus Queen''s faction hadn''t already retreated far away, a typical demigod would likely have been swept away, their flesh torn apart by the storm.


    Both factions present witnessed countless storms converging, slowly forming a vortex thatpletely enveloped Mephistopheles''s figure. The mere prelude to the release of the technique had transformed into an incredibly terrifying cage!


    As for Sterl��


    He was not affected in the slightest. Although he had been momentarily distracted by the inexplicably thrown item, it was not enough for the Demon of Terror and Cruelty to catch him off guard.


    In that instant of energy umtion, Sterl had already formed the Flowing Water dein his hand. He slowly positioned it at his waist, preparing to draw his sword!


    At this moment, under the sweeping storm, countless demons and Swallowing Heaven yers still wore expressions of either glee or indifferent disdain. However, what they failed to notice was that the core of the storm was remarkably stable and calm, as everything was frozen and solidified by the sharpness of the de and the power of space.


    Outside, the figure of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had shrunk down to its normal height of just a few meters. Yet at this moment, it was at its peak, with its power having surged to its utmost limit! With a final, forceful strike...


    The tinum Skill, Four-in-One!


    The enhanced [Earth-shaking]erupted!


    In an instant, the overwhelming energy coalesced into the technique, radiating a brilliance akin to that of a dazzling diamond, reflecting in the eyes of the onlookers, making it difficult for them to keep their eyes open.


    Simultaneously, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s figure shot downward like a speeding arrow, plunging from the sky into the vortex of the storm''s core!


    This extremely concentrated strike seemed destined to hit its target. To the outside world, it resembled a meteor elerated to its limit, plummeting straight down.


    In that split second��


    The spectators could do nothing but wait in anticipation, ready to witness Mephistopheles''s demise! However, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty itself furrowed its brow slightly, feeling an unusual difort, a sharp pain rapidly emerging in its forehead.


    "What is�� this? A sign of death?"


    Yet, at the core of the energy storm, even a being as powerful as a Supreme could not sense the internal conditions. Still, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty could perceive that within the storm, an incredibly terrifying energy was brewing.


    On Sterl''s side, a glimmer of excitement sparked in his eyes.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Three crisp sounds echoed.


    The purple-gold mes that burned on Sterl''s body were the result of maximizing various attribute enhancements!


    With each sound, the first echoed forth.


    The perfect dew transformed into an endless stream of sharp energy, cutting through everything around it, even the dust and air, fragmenting them into fine particles and revealing a mesmerizing luster.

 Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Full Power Output, Shattered Void!

    The second sound echoed.


    The perfect Arcane Lawtransformed the sharp energy into a higher level of power, as countless sword shadows surged and cheered, eagerly anticipating the impending battle.


    The third sound followed.


    It was the long-prepared Space Law Powerthat ignited everything!


    Boom!!


    The space around Sterl began to shatter, its fragmented state dissolving, and this was merely the prelude to the technique.


    This was��


    Sterl''s ultimate killing move, [Shattered Void], triggered by three perfect Laws!


    Whoosh!


    Countless beams of light from des shot upward, engulfing the entire energy storm.


    Then, before the sword des could strike...


    The storm of wind and rain ceased!


    Many yers from Hell, who were previouslymenting the inability to witness Mephistopheles''s despair before death, were now granted their wish.


    The energy winds of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty were instantly dispelled.


    In an instant, the scene became clear to everyone.


    In the distance, a woman with bat-like wings burst forth, unleashing all herbat power as she charged forward, her eyes filled with self-mockery and... concern for Mephistopheles!


    It was nda; she couldn''t help but intervene!


    Her thought process was that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s attack was something Mephistopheles likely wouldn''t be able to withstand.


    "I just need to save Mephistopheles after he uses his escape item!"


    "I still have the teleportation device granted by the Queen; it should be able to help someone escape."


    nda felt as if she had gone mad.


    Why?


    She herself found it strange how easily she was captivated by Mephistopheles''s charm.


    They had hardly exchanged a few words��


    At the same time, the Celestial Stars, transformed from the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, was forcibly held in ce in the air.


    Countless beams of de light shimmered rapidly around the Celestial Stars, continuously wearing down its power.


    Despite this, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was notpletely subdued; the Celestial Starscontinued to press down little by little. However, battles at the demigod level often concluded in the blink of an eye, allowing techniques to be unleashed in mere moments.


    Yet at this moment, it had been...


    A full second!


    The Celestial Starshad only descended a hundred meters!


    Immediately...


    Everyone was somewhat dazed.


    Wait...


    Was Mephistopheles this formidable?? Even at the brink of death, he could still resist like this?


    The power of Shattered Void, extremely reclusive and hard to observe from afar, seemed to possess no discernible w, yet the 4-in-1 tinum Skill was undeniably being suppressed!


    This was enough to send shivers down their spines.


    However, the shivers hadn''t even fully set in yet...


    Creak, creak.


    Apanied by a sound that grated on the nerves, as if the air was being violently shattered, the Celestial Stars, formed from the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, began to crack and fissure all around!


    The onlooking demons, witnessing this, maintained their expressions, but a few revealed bloodthirsty smiles.


    They felt nothing about this, as the terrifyingbat power of the hidden Supreme should have easily overwhelmed Mephistopheles. The fact that Mephistopheles had dyed for over a second was enough to show that he was no ordinary opponent! yers, aware of their own inferior talents, felt a surge of satisfaction at the thought of witnessing the death of such a young genius.


    Even though Mephistopheles''s demise brought them no benefit, they were still pleased.


    Then...


    In a time frame nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, the Celestial Starsformed from the Demon of Terror and Cruelty collided head-on with Mephistopheles below. People only caught a glimpse of the rookie''s final action��drawing his de and swinging it.


    Then came an extremely violent explosion followed by a brilliant sh of white light.


    The storm created by the pure energy collision left countless Swallowing Heaven yers and demons deaf and blind from the intense bacsh. Even as demigods and legends who could sense the various forces flowing through the air, they felt the bacsh even more severely amidst the chaotic storm.


    Many "people" spat blood and stumbled backward.


    The Supremes were forced to halt their movements, taking a moment to recover their energy. This was still the result of being rtively far from the core zone where the two techniques collided.


    nda, who desperately wanted to rush in and save Mephistopheles, was battered by the violent energy storm. Her bat wings were torn to shreds, and her clothing, along with her gear, was ripped apart, exposing her fair skin.


    She was in an extremely precarious situation!


    nda plummeted to the ground like a bird with broken wings, ultimately forced to activate a life-saving item. A shield materialized around her, entwining her in a blood-red aura that formed the image of a naked woman, barely managing to protect her��


    Simultaneously, there were loud booming sounds as many legends perished directly from the turbulent energy waves.


    In an instant, chaos ensued.


    Those legends who exploded caused considerable trouble for several demigods.


    Many were cursing furiously, "Damn Mephistopheles, can''t you just die quietly?!"


    "Damn it! You made me waste a life-saving item!"


    "Piece of trash! If you were to die at the hands of Lord Lovic, that would be a mercy! If it were me, you''d truly know what pain is!"


    Hell yers and demons howled in anguish, many of them were wounded and had lost their life-saving items.


    One by one, they were filled with rage.


    Their anger couldn''t be directed at the Demon of Terror and Cruelty; they could only vent it on the deceased Mephistopheles.


    Indeed, in their eyes, the oue was already decided��Mephistopheles was doomed!


    There was absolutely no need for discussion!


    Allments were based on the assumption that Mephistopheles was already dead.


    Including nda, after using her life-saving item to preserve her own life, she sat nkly on the ground, staring at the brilliant white light formed from the high-energy reaction��


    Her expression was vacant.


    She was stunned, realizing that after paying a heavy price, it had all been for nothing.


    nda''s heart ached!


    Such a high-quality male had been lost just like that. If she had known he was definitely going to die, she would have liked to have had a taste of him first��


    And on top of that, she had wasted the life-saving item granted by the Queen��


    In this situation, nda remained true to her feelings.


    However��


    Aside from nda, who was still in a slight daze, the others reacted quickly.


    The yers under the Subus Queen, having watched the spectacle, turned and fled. They knew that if they didn''t leave now, they would surely be killed for their contribution to the plundering activities! They had enjoyed a great show and were now satisfied; it was time to make their escape.


    The yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits were cracking their knuckles, eager to take advantage of the situation. They were in high spirits after such an impressive show and were ready to unleash a wave of ughter to rack up their contribution points!


    The various Supremes were also gathering their strength, preparing to take action.


    The two factions, along with some Supremes not directly affiliated with the deities, began to show themselves from the distance.


    The yers from the Subus Queen''s faction exchanged smirks among themselves.


    "Thank you, Mephistopheles; your death was not in vain!"


    Thanks to the time they had just wasted, they had already reformed their ranks and now had a fighting chance against the Lord of Evil Spirits'' faction.


    If it weren''t for the chaotic energy surrounding them, the battle would have already resumed.


    No one paid any attention to the situation.


    As the terrifying energy began to dim, the topography of the entire camp underwent a third transformation.


    At this moment, it had be a massive pit, with radioactive energy carving grotesque patterns into the rock walls, creating a sight that was both fearsome and chilling.


    At the very bottom of the pit, two shadows stood opposed to each other, disying different expressions.


    One of them, with a slight frown, appeared to be facing a dilemma.


    It was Mephistopheles.


    The other figure��


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty, though his expression was grim, quickly shifted to a smile.


    "Not bad. Given your age, you''re hardly over a hundred, yet you possessbat power that can rival mine."


    "There''s certainly value in ying you now."


    At the same time, he pondered silently, relishing the energy collision that had just urred.


    "So that''s it."


    "So that''s it."


    "You are capable of wielding such a powerful tinum Skill. It seems I can''t kill you after all; instead, I will capture you alive and attempt to refine your power using my master''s strength."


    "My own power will surely increase as a result."


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty felt a slight shock within himself.


    Although he had always sensed that the enemy before him would be difficult to deal with, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty did not expect that his Four-in-One tinum Skill was already one of his strongest trump cards. In the end, the earth-shaking power had been utterly shattered by the countless des and spatial ruptures, ground down to��zero!


    If it hadn''t been for the energy gathered by the [Sun Devourer], which provided some defense against the attacks, he would likely have been severely injured, if not dead, and would have lost a revival item!


    However, it was precisely because of Mephistopheles''s strength that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty felt an exhrating thrill, his fighting spirit surging. A formidable opponent was all the more meaningful to y!


    The smile on the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s face came from his realization that this Supreme opponent seemed to be inexplicably low on energy!


    That previous technique was indeed terrifying, but it shouldn''t have drained Mephistopheles to such an extent, right??


    Yet what the Demon of Terror and Cruelty observed was that Mephistopheles''s energy cap was quite low, and after unleashing a powerful move, he was experiencing bacsh from overexertion!


    "My Four-in-One tinum Skill doesn''t consume much energy; I can use it another seven or eight times."


    "Even if the opponent has effective energy recovery potions, in a war of attrition, victory is still mine..."


    The more the Demon of Terror and Cruelty thought about it, the more excited he became. Engaging in battle with a strong enemy, and assured of victory, he might even have the opportunity to gain a powerful technique.


    With this double delight, how could the Demon of Terror and Cruelty not feel joyful?


    On the other side, Sterl frowned��


    It wasn''t that he felt he couldn''t win. He realized that his output was actually higher than that of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty��a being who had been a formidable presence for a millennium.


    Sterl maintained a calm exterior, but inside, he couldn''t help but feel a bit ted. However, he also recognized that the next phase of the battle might be tricky; he couldn''t simply defeat the enemy in one blow and would have to rely on a war of attrition.


    Clearly, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s tinumbination skill didn''t consume much energy.


    Sterl had stockpiled a vast amount of energy recovery potions, so he wasn''t afraid of a battle of attrition.


    But the issue was that the depletion of his soul energy needed to bepensated for with the [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls].


    Initially, he thought this wouldn''t be a problem; he believed that if he dragged it out to the end, he could win.


    The real problem was that revealing the [Fire of Ten Thousand Souls]��


    Was not a good thing!

 Chapter 358: Chapter 358: The Genius Emerging from the Endless Layers of Hell

    Sterl knew that the Subus Queen''s divine sense had been watching the camp closely. He felt that soul energy was an extremely important ability. ording to the information he had gathered earlier, even gods found it difficult to enhance their soul power...


    When faced with treasures that could strengthen the soul, gods would undoubtedly take action to seize them!


    The Fire of Ten Thousand Soulshad to be kept hidden!


    Sterl pondered, "It seems I''ll have to secretly absorb the Fire of Ten Thousand Soulsduring the sh of techniques. But if I do that, I absolutely cannot let the Demon of Terror and Cruelty escape. While others may not notice, he will definitely realize that I used a rare item to repair my soul."


    "If he reports this to his Lord of Evil Spirits, I would be in big trouble."


    Sterl contemted��


    For a moment, both sides were locked in a cold standoff, but thebatants had fallen into silence.


    As for the onlookers��


    Actually, they had stopped watching altogether.


    However, when the first hell yer caught sight of Mephistopheles standing unharmed in ce out of the corner of his eye, a chain reaction akin to a line of dominoes began.


    Countless yers, including those Supreme beings present, froze in ce!


    They were dumbfounded!


    They were utterly shocked!


    "Mephistopheles, are you okay??"


    nda, on her side, was the most excited and overjoyed, nearly jumping up.


    "It''s impossible! Absolutely impossible!"


    "He''s still alive! I had to use my revival item against him; how can he still be standing?"


    "Is this a joke??"


    The distinction between the Lord of Evil Spirits faction and the Subus Queen faction vanished. All the yers wore expressions of disbelief and even some resentment.


    Mephistopheles had not lost his life, but they had lost a precious item!


    How could that not be a death sentence?


    However, it didn''t take long for someone to notice��


    Not only was Mephistopheles alive, but the words spoken by the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, who had been utterly serious just moments ago, were also confirmed by the strongest yer under the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    Mephistopheles was incredibly powerful, not below him at all!


    In fact, this humanoid creature seemed to be quite young, not even a hundred years old, yet he already matched the thousand years of umtion of a top-tier race like the Demon of Terror and Cruelty!


    What kind of genius could this be??


    In that moment, a chill rose in the hearts of countless "people" present.


    "This must be a figure so rare that even the countlessyers of hell have difficulty producing someone like him��"


    "We are fortunate to witness such a talent��"


    "Mephistopheles is destined to ascend to godhood��"


    The numerous Supremes eximed in astonishment.


    Meanwhile, the demons and hell yers around them had subtle changes in their expressions. They felt that Mephistopheles was no longer just a thin humanoid figure, but rather someone who was gradually disying an invincible presence��


    A future respected deity!


    If such a figure couldn''t ascend to godhood, then who could?


    ...


    Many demons couldn''t help but feel a sense of reverence and worship. Under the immense pressure and shock, the sound of gulping could be heard echoing through the air.


    In that moment, the onlookers who had originally gathered to watch Mephistopheles''s demise now resembled pilgrims, bowing slightly in awe.


    Then��


    As a few Supremes concluded their earlier statements, they shared their thoughts.


    "This must be a figure so rare that even the countlessyers of hell have difficulty producing someone like him. If I could witness his death, it would truly be my honor!"


    "We are fortunate to witness such a talent. If this person is not eliminated, when can we ever rest easy?"


    "Mephistopheles is destined to ascend to godhood. If he doesn''t die today, we will never find peace!"


    ...


    The many Supremes shouted, voicing not just their own sentiments but echoing the feelings of all those present!


    A fierce killing intent surged forth!


    It was precisely because of Mephistopheles''s extraordinary talent that the Supremes and demigods from both factions felt an overwhelming sense of panic!


    Not long ago, they had been hurling insults and curses at him. Surely this genius had heard their words; would he not seek revenge?


    Putting oneself in another''s shoes, the yers from hell and the demons felt that it was only natural for someone to retaliate if they had been insulted. Even if they hadn''t been directly offended, it would be reasonable tosh out when feeling irritable.


    Every "person" has moments when they struggle to control their emotions.


    Especially in the case of harboring grudges!


    If Mephistopheles could survive, they might not live to see another day!


    Everyone was shouting loudly.


    "Lord Lovic, go for it!"


    "Kill him! We must eradicate himpletely!"


    "Remove him, or our lord''s authority may be challenged!"


    "Lord Lovic, I will assist you!"


    ...


    The yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits roared in anger. Some Supreme yers even directly cast spells to summon various enhancement skills to strike at the Demon of Terror and Cruelty.


    They activated their Faction mode.


    Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, stood calmly in ce, unbothered by the threat of sneak attacks, and allowed these buffs to umte around him.


    This demon, standing several meters tall, now bore multiple colored auras.


    His momentum increased by at least twenty percent!


    Hisbat power swelled once again.


    On the other side, among the Subus Queen faction, many yers also began to take action. Some remained silent while others approached actively, saying, "Mephistopheles, we were in the wrong earlier; please show mercy�� one, two!"


    As they uttered thest two words, their expressions turned extremely sinister, and a series of debuff skills were unleashed upon Sterl.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s talisman summoned an avatar that appeared prominently and activated Protection Power, shielding him from everything.


    Strange streams of light struck against the azure shield, emitting various nauseating and corrosive auras, or forming puddles of muck and toxic water.


    At this moment, Sterl''s previously stable mindset finally began to crack. He felt a surge of anger��


    "Come on, guys? Isn''t this a bit too much?? After all, I helped draw their attention! Otherwise, you all would have been wiped out by the Lord of Evil Spirits faction by now, and this is how you repay me?"


    Sterl had tried his best to understand this group of "people." After Mephistopheles had helped them fend off the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, he figured that the hell yers and demons would think this way��


    "Since you''ve already taken the hit for us and we''re safe now, you have no more value to us. With no value, aren''t we just free to stab you in the back? Why should we keep you around?"


    ...


    While he had understood the logic, he still struggled to keep hisposure. Sterl had thought his mental fortitude was strong enough to remain indifferent to some annoying individuals in his main world. Just a little wear and tear, that was all.


    Now, he realized he hadn''t encountered true annoyance until now!


    These demons and hell yers unterally believed that Sterl''s moral standards were the same as theirs, so a few insults turned into deep-seated hatred! This led them to unleash their full strength against him!


    At this moment, as if noticing Sterl''s confusion caused by these frenzied demons and yers, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty struck again!


    He did not change his tactics, still employing the Four-in-One tinum Skill.


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s strategy was brutally straightforward, aiming to exhaust Mephistopheles''s energy!


    Sterl, without hesitation, gathered his strength once more to form the Flowing Water de��


    Then, another collision urred!


    Bang!!


    With a violent energy reaction, the camp, which had already been reduced to ruins and pits, expanded further!


    However, this time, the other yers and demons present had taken precautions, retreating to a safe distance. With the keen eyesight of demigod-level beings, even from afar, they could clearly see the battle unfolding.


    "This guy is bound to die sooner orter!"


    "End this quickly, Lord Lovic!"


    "Can we take him out in one hit? This time, there are severalyers of buffs!"


    ...


    From a distance, the demons and yers watched with eager anticipation.


    Only nda struggled to rise. She flipped her palm and took out a purple-golden energy orb from her inventory, wanting to rush to Mephistopheles''s side. However, the terrifying energy made her rationally hesitate to move.


    She sensed that if she forced a rescue, she might end up losing her life as well. So, nda could only watch the core of the energy collision with anticipation. She felt�� Mephistopheles would not be so easily annihted.


    ...


    The light gradually dimmed.


    In an instant, the expressions of countless demons shifted. Even with the various enhancement abilities they had added, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s Four-in-Oneultimate move still failed to achieve victory.


    Once again, two figures stood without a clear winner. The Demon of Terror and Cruelty barely managed to match the power of Shattered Voidthanks to multiple buffs, but ultimately, Sterl still outperformed him! This was the might of a top-tier tinum skill, enhanced to an unbeatable level!


    In fact, because the Demon of Terror and Cruelty hadn''t used [Sun Devourer](which was unleashed when attacking the Subus Queen faction''s Supreme) during their first sh, and since the energy from [Sun Devourer]had not yet been depleted, it formed a protective barrier.


    After the second wave of collision, as the light faded away, people realized that although Mephistopheles appeared to be in a poor state, his mana waspletely drained, he was unharmed, merely lightly rubbing his forehead with a slightly pained expression.


    On the contrary, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty now bore several wounds.


    The oue was clear!


    Faced with this scene, the demons and hell yers only shouted even more fervently.


    "Kill Mephistopheles! Finish him off!"


    "He must die here today!"


    ...


    Seeing that Mephistopheles was still alive, their eyes turned red with fury.


    Since other yers and demons had retreated to a safe distance, they no longer needed to worry about Mephistopheles''s counterattack, and thus��


    They began to unleash a barrage of skills!


    From Sterl''s perspective, he had just cast his ultimate move and was waiting for his energy to recover while crushing bottle after bottle of potions in his mouth.


    However��


    Countless tinum skill abilities rained down upon him!


    Although individually these abilities posed no significant threat, the sheer number, when umted to a certain extent, became overwhelming for Sterl to handle��


    He attempted to activate [Dark King]to slip into the shadow world.


    But the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had already sealed the space!

 Chapter 359: Chapter 359: This is Unreasonable!

    Among the countless skills being unleashed, there was also a faint mist-like energy orb that was thrown into the fray. It was nda, seizing the opportunity to offer assistance.


    Sterl didn''t even nce at it.


    A private message popped up in front of him. nda indicated that by using that energy orb, he could be invincible and lift all teleportation restrictions around him.


    However, Sterl, discarding his cautious style, had no intention of trusting a demon��


    At this moment, he could leave whenever he wanted. Although the space was sealed, he could use special items with side effects for teleportation to escape��


    On his end, Sterl simply unleashed the third Shattered Voidin advance, blocking a multitude of attacks.


    Amidst the storm of des and lights, all skills were shattered, and the item thrown by nda, being of decent quality, withstood the force of the attacks and was sent flying far away.


    Neither the other demons nor the yers dared to pick it up.


    nda''s intent to help Mephistopheles was quite apparent, but everyone present projected their own feelings onto her, still believing she was not trying to assist but rather had a conspiracy in mind!


    That life-saving item awkwardly dropped to the ground.


    At this moment, under the power of Sterl''s skills, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, being the core target of the attack, couldn''t simply wait for Sterl''s skill to finish and then attempt a sneak attack.


    When locked onto by Shattered Void, he could only activate his Four-in-One tinum skill to defend himself.


    The third sh mirrored the second almost entirely.


    Most long-range skillsunched by ordinary demigods and Supremes were dodged, and a few that exploded near Sterl were shattered by Shattered Void, causing no real impact.


    As the high-energy reaction from the collision of the two major skills dissipated, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty acquired dozens more wounds, his life force significantly diminished.


    Meanwhile, Sterl merely maintained an expression of headache.


    During the moment of energy convergence, he quietly tested switching to Bionic Tearand then slipped into the small world to absorb the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    After observing for a while, Sterl concluded��


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty most likely hadn''t noticed! After all, the small world could merge the three divine authorities of creation, humanity, and nature! What was hidden within it might escape even the attention of ordinary deities.


    "We need to eliminate the rootpletely."


    "This is the safest approach," Sterl pondered.


    What if the Demon of Terror and Crueltyter recalled the moments and discovered the ws in Sterl''s actions? What if he had indeed noticed Sterl''s little maneuvers but chose not to point them out, intending tounch a sneak attack during the battleter?


    ...


    As Sterl''s thoughts raced, the demons and yers present were faced with the unfolding scene.


    Mephistopheles was in pain, and the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was wounded, seemingly just a repetition of their previous sh.


    However, the many demons present had anticipated this oue and did not show any signs of disappointment; instead, their expressions grew even more expectant.


    They understood��


    In the end, Mephistopheles would still be unable to hold on.


    The more he struggled now, the more valuable the experience became!


    The Fourth sh...


    Mephistopheles stood with great difficulty, breathing heavily, as if he could barely hold on any longer.


    On the other side, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had umted numerous injuries, one of which was particrly severe, deep enough to expose bone and dripping with blood.


    The Fifth sh.


    Mephistopheles appeared even worse off, struggling to remain upright. Although he bore no visible wounds, he was undoubtedly at hisst gasp.


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty had sustained an injury that had damaged his internal organs, but at least he was still managing to maintain his mana.


    Victory seemed possible!


    Countless demons pondered this in their hearts.


    The Sixth sh.


    The Seventh...


    ...The Twelfth!


    At this moment...


    Where Sterl and the Demon of Terror and Cruelty shed, the remnants of any camp had long vanished, and even the hellish scenery no longer resembled its former self.


    It was just a wastnd, filled with void and chaotic spatial currents.


    Moreover...


    The violent sounds had piqued the curiosity of yers from countless main worlds far away.


    However...


    The demons and yers under themand of the malevolent spirit had been lured by the deities of the main world to the Subus Queen''s camp to y theirpanions.


    Thus, the people from the main world, constrained by themands of their deities, showed no intention of drawing closer.


    Amidst the endless spatial turbulence, two figures floated.


    Mephistopheles...


    Uh...


    He indeed looked worse off, but with each sessive sh, the degree of his apparent suffering seemed to diminish.


    This was not because Sterl was cking or not acting convincingly.


    It was mainly because human expressions have limits, and so does bodynguage.


    He could no longer think of any way to portray himself as more pained or closer to breaking down...


    In fact, it was simply that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty had already incurred sunk costs, having tried so many times��


    Mephistopheles''s mana and overdrawn soul power would surely run out next time!


    Otherwise, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty would have stopped the collision of skills long ago.


    But after repeating this process twelve times...


    The expressions of Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, and many other demons gradually turned strange.


    From initial confidence and satisfaction, their expressions became increasingly odd, eventually losing their smiles as they stared nkly at Mephistopheles.


    Clearly, after each wave of confrontation, he looked as if he was greatly exhausted and on the verge of copse.


    Yet, he somehow continued to hold on!


    It even gave off a bizarre feeling...


    TMD, this guy... could it be that he''s just putting on an act for us?


    "No, it''s impossible!"


    "The mana consumption of the tinum skills used by Mephistopheles cannot be low; he''s not relying on technique, but purely matching output with Lovic''s to achieve a stalemate... He must be pretending!"


    "He won''t be able to hold on much longer; the pain from overstraining his energy limits is something that can''t be endured solely by willpower!"


    "That''s right, the battle is about to end!"


    "Mephistopheles is already a dead man!"


    ...


    At this moment, several Supremes spoke with certainty, their confidence stemming frommon sense.


    It is well-known that in Swallowing Heaven/Transcendence, no matter how strong yers be, they cannot enhance their souls. Even if Mephistopheles has exceptional talent, the damage caused by overexertion will quickly destroy his soul!


    They appeared confident, yet deep down, they felt an inexplicable sense of uncertainty. Logically, they believed what they said was undoubtedly correct, but ording to logic, Mephistopheles should have copsed long ago.


    This line of thinking reignited a spark of hope in the eyes of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty. He shared the same thoughts as these Supremes, and with their encouragement, his resolve strengthened even more.


    That''s right! Victory was within reach!


    Once more!


    "Roar!!"


    The immensely powerful demon howled, burning his life force to forcefully attack!


    After twelve shes, Lovic''s energy had already beenpletely depleted. He had used arge amount of potions topensate, but his soul was also bearing the brunt of overexertion!


    At this moment, burning life force seemed to be the more advantageous choice.


    Lovic felt��


    "If Mephistopheles continues to endure�� I won''t be able to hold on!"


    "Die for me!"


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty was engulfed in a blood-red me, the power of his quadruple tinum Skill fully umted and unleashed once again!


    He aimed for a decisive strike, so the strength of his attack far exceeded anything before.


    On Sterl''s side, he simply released Shattered Voidonce again, his expression unchanging��


    No, it was a sudden change; he contorted his face into an extremely pained expression, as if unleashing the skill was costing him half of his life.


    Then he gathered the Flowing Water de, slowly drawing his sword��


    Swish!


    A storm of countless sharp des and spatial fragments surged forth!


    Ultimately, the attacks of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty and Sterl collided once more!


    Under the high-energy impact, a destructive light burst forth. This time, it was not only a white light but also a surge of blood-red mes, symbolizing the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s desperate output!


    Countless onlooking demons and yers instinctively retreated a considerable distance.


    As expected...


    Amidst the zing light, a storm quickly swept through, more terrifying than any previous skill sh, churning violently.


    The area of the basin, already carved out by the energy waves, rapidly expanded!


    With such an output, the expressions of many demons and yers changed significantly!


    This was precisely the scene they had imagined for Mephistopheles''s demise!


    The demons also showed respect for Mephistopheles, recognizing him as a�� strong opponent!


    He deserved a perfect conclusion.


    ...


    As the white light gradually faded away once more...


    The numerous Supremes who had sworn oaths, along with the demons who believed profoundly in their judgment, all widened their eyes in anticipation of the result.


    They saw Mephistopheles''s figure sway, then his toes lifted slightly...


    Suddenly, he stood upright!


    A provocative smile appeared on his face.


    At this moment, Sterl showed no signs of weakness whatsoever. He had exhausted his imagination trying to figure out how to appear more tragic, so he simply stopped pretending.


    In contrast, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was battered and bruised from the numerous shes, gasping for breath.


    Boom!


    A loud crash echoed through the air.


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty dropped to one knee.


    That''s right.


    The oue was indeed clear.


    It was true that someone couldn''t hold on!


    But it wasn''t Mephistopheles who couldn''t hold on; it was Lovic, who had been a respected deity for a thousand years.


    He couldn''t hold on any longer!


    Silence...


    A hush fell over the area, leaving many demons dumbfounded.


    "No way??"


    "He''s still fine?"


    "Wasn''t he on the verge of copse just a moment ago??"


    ...


    Their first reaction was to doubt their own eyes, and they began to reassess the situation.


    "Lord Lovic... has fallen??"


    "No, wait! Mephistopheles doesn''t look weak at all; we''ve all been fooled!!"


    "How does Mephistopheles seem like he hasn''t consumed anything at all??"


    ...


    They were filled with confusion...


    Some of the Supremes felt their minds were about to explode��


    Had Mephistopheles been pretending all along? Did he really unleash such powerful skills without any consumption?


    Lord Lovic fell first?


    Oh, that actually made sense; he had endured the bacsh from over a dozen skills, plus he had just burned his life force. He was bound to give out.

 Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Is My Strongest Suit Actually Defense??

    It didn''t make sense; Lovic''s situation aligned perfectly with the normal energy consumption in [Swallowing Heaven]. Yet Mephistopheles couldpletely defy that!


    Countless demons and [Swallowing Heaven]yers were left in a daze!


    Even nda''s pupils contracted slightly. Although she hoped Mephistopheles was fine, she had lost hope when he didn''t catch the life-saving item she had thrown earlier.


    However, what unfolded before her eyes was beyond herprehension: Mephistopheles was unharmed. Theoretically, that meant nda got what she wished for, but the method by which Mephistopheles survived exceeded her understanding.


    Then, countless yers realized something.


    Could it be that Mephistopheles was about to win?


    That was not something they wanted! They had offended him so terribly, even attacking him and buffing Lovic.


    Mephistopheles absolutely could not survive!


    That''s what they thought, yet in that moment, countless demons fled without hesitation, scattering in every direction. The dense crowd of onlookers on the periphery quickly darted away into the distance.


    They thought Mephistopheles could not survive, yet theycked the courage to attack again.


    If we can''t provoke him, can''t we at least avoid him? After all, everyone came from variousyers of hell; if Mephistopheles sought revenge, he would have to hunt them down one by one. With the activity reaching this point, it was already impossible to continue.


    Let''s... run! We wouldn''t lose anything.


    Once back in their respectiveyers of hell, Mephistopheles would have to chase them down individually. Who knows, he might not even encounter me!


    yers and demons analyzed the situation in their minds.


    Just as they hadn''t flown far, they suddenly halted.


    Hmm?


    Something was off!


    At that moment, an unprecedented aura of power suddenly coalesced on the battlefield��


    Lovic''s eyes were bloodshot.


    "Bastard, do you dare to toy with me!"


    His aura surged again!


    He made a slight grimace of pain.


    Just now, Lovic had directly activated the [Concentration Stone], a Divine Power item granted to him by the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    The effect of this item was to help him unleash his Iridescent-Level ability, named��[Destructive Light]!


    This was a special Iridescent-Level skill exclusive to the Demon of Terror and Cruelty race. Even among this elite race, only extremely rare geniuses had a chance toprehend it.


    Moreover, once he learned this skill, Lovic would soon be able to ascend to godhood!


    However,prehension did not mean he could use it.


    Sterl was mistaken; Lovic''s Iridescent-Level ability was not a version that could be activated without divine authority. Instead, it was a technique that he hadprehended early as a racial talent!


    It required divine authority to be effective.


    Or it could be forcibly activated with a special item.


    Originally, even though [Destructive Light]couldn''t be used yet, it could give Lovic significant insights, helping him rapidly ascend to the divine level. But now, by activating the [Concentration Stone], Lovic could create a [Pseudonymous Destructive Respectable Position (divine authority)], unleashing about one-third of the power of his Iridescent-Level ability.


    Lovic never expected to be pushed to such an extent by Mephistopheles.


    At this moment, the battle situation was clear: Mephistopheles was at full capacity, while he himself was severely injured. Thus, he had no choice but to expend his precious items desperately.


    In [Swallowing Heaven], battles were typically a fight to the death! Lovic wouldn''t think for a second that Mephistopheles would spare him, even in his weakened state!


    So there was only one option left�� to fight with everything he had!


    As the Iridescent-Level light burst forth, the countless demons and yers who had fled earlier returned even faster! However, they positioned themselves much farther away than before, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.


    Excitement surged through them; who wouldn''t recognize an Iridescent-Level skill?


    In a very short time, they had alreadypleted the equation in their minds��


    An Iridescent-Level skill meant being invincible below the divine realm.


    It meant that Mephistopheles, a Supreme, would definitely be unable to withstand it.


    It meant Mephistopheles was doomed!


    Many couldn''t help but open their mouths, ready to cheer.


    However, Lovic''s use of the [Concentration Stone]meant that he wouldn''t need to spend ages charging up to release his ability; that would defeat the purpose of [Destructive Light]inbat.


    On Sterl''s side, he had just seen Lovic pull out a crystal glowing with blue light and crush it.


    Thus, the demons and [Swallowing Heaven]yers didn''t have time to cheer.


    In the next instant��


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s form rapidly twisted, transforming from that of a giant. The energy core within its chest and abdomen, which had been siphoning energy, began to rupture, morphing into a massive structure resembling a giant cannon.


    Brilliant pure white light erupted forth!


    Sterl had no time to react!


    It was too fast!


    The Iridescent-Level ability unleashed by the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, aside from being somewhat less powerful, was no different from a normal divine attack. Its speed was beyond anything that entities below the divine realm could counter or maneuver against.


    No matter how strong Sterl was, he couldn''t escape this.


    At the same time, he felt that all his avenues for retreat and evasion were forcibly sealed. This wasn''t a skill that confined him; it was simply the overwhelming divine might resonating with the forces of the world!


    It helped the divine being trap his enemies!


    The light of destruction had reached Sterl in an instant. He wanted to gather Shattered Voidto counterattack, but it was toote��


    Of course, even if he managed to umte it, the result would still be the same: he would be shattered by Destructive Light. No matter how powerful Shattered Voidwas, it couldn''t meet the threshold for Iridescent-Level output.


    It was evident that Sterl was about to take another lethal blow!


    Meanwhile, the countless demigods and Supremes watching finally began to show expressions of joy and delight. After so much fear and anxiety, it seemed that Mephistopheles was finally finished!


    nda, sitting on the ground, showed none of the demeanor of a strong individual. She simply shook her head helplessly. To her, Mephistopheles''s death was inevitable.


    Even though Mephistopheles had somehow managed to push the Demon of Terror and Cruelty to such extremes, he had his trump cards, and so did Lovic! Ultimately, there was no way he could survive!


    However��


    Sterl himself waspletely unperturbed. He had an abundance of life-saving abilities.


    This time, being unable to deploy his Protection Powerwas indeed unprecedented, yet it didn''t disturb Sterl''sposure. Instead, he found himself contemting��


    "Divine-level skills are truly extraordinary!"


    After seeing an enemy with an Iridescent-Level skill on the panel, he realized he needed to be cautious. Such a technique had such a domineering control effect after being unleashed��


    Sterl figured that it was just a matter of using his "resurrection" once. He had plenty of those to spare.


    Sterl did not give up on resisting. He quickly activated various damage-reducing skills, finally unleashing��[Rebirth of All Thoughts]!


    This Iridescent-Level ability would provide substantial damage immunity.


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty unleashed a new move, but the nature of the attack hadn''t changed; it remained centered around the concept of destruction.


    This was a transformation from the previous chaotic skills into the power of Respectable Position.


    As a result, Sterl could perfectly absorb the damage reduction from [Rebirth of All Thoughts].


    All of these abilities were invoked by a mere thought from Sterl; he chose to forgo some of the slower-releasing damage reduction skills.


    In the end, Sterl also activated a [Solidification Method], which offered various high-tier passive bonuses. This was aplete Iridescent-Level ability!


    At that moment, various lights erupted from Sterl, and he had not even attracted the attention of the outside world when his entire body was engulfed by the [Destructive Light].


    Then��


    Sterl was ready to unleash his resurrection ability.


    He had figured it out: facing divine power might require him to resurrect more than once, as ordinary resurrection abilities could be cut down again.


    He decided to activate his divine descentresurrection ability to choose his own moment of rebirth.


    Meanwhile, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty was preparing to finally take down this formidable foe!


    Although it pained him greatly, a hint of excitement crept into his eyes. Such a talent was about to fall at his hands��how exhrating!


    The demons and [Swallowing Heaven]yers were ready to start cheering. Finally�� Mephistopheles�� you''re too damn resilient! Facing an Iridescent-Level ability, I don''t believe you can withstand it any longer.


    nda, the only ally present, had also prepared herself mentally��


    Power! I need more power! Otherwise, the next time I encounter a man like Mephistopheles who makes my heart race, I''ll still be forced to stand by and watch. I can''t ept that.


    However��


    Suddenly, Sterl opened his eyes in confusion.


    Huh? It doesn''t hurt??


    He only felt a strong, persistent pressure acting upon him. It was quitefortable, almost like a massage.


    Sterl realized he was right in the middle of that destructive white light.


    The light of destruction swirled around his body, tearing and rending, yet it couldn''t pull anything away or cut anything off.


    He had been feeling quite invigorated until he suddenly noticed that the durability of his equipment was plummeting!


    A stream of blood-red notifications shed before his eyes.


    [Your equipment is about to break!]


    [Your equipment��]


    Sterl quickly took off his gear and summoned a set of simple clothing from his small world.


    But as soon as the clothes appeared, they were instantly turned to nothingness by the destructive energy��


    Sterl stood therepletely naked.


    At that moment, he suddenly realized something��


    It wasn''t that it didn''t hurt.


    The power of [Destructive Light]was incredibly strong, but when it struck him, it was first mitigated by aplete Iridescent-Level ability.


    Then, it was further reduced by a specific targeting effect of one-third of an Iridescent-Level ability.


    In essence, [Destructive Light]was merely the power of a wed Iridescent-Level skill.


    Not only could it not kill Sterl, but it couldn''t even breach his defenses!


    Simply put, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''s ultimate attack was nothing but a gentle breeze to Sterl.


    "So, my strongest attribute is actually my defensive ability??" Sterl couldn''t help but chuckle.


    In fact, he had never really focused on finding damage-reduction abilities; he had always been boosting his attributes for output��


    As a result, during this time enveloped in light, he quickly began crafting excuses and stories for himself to exin how he would perfectly escape from this situation, convincing the countless demons and yers present that it was entirely reasonable��


    After all, there were too many spectators around; Sterl had no way to ensure that he could silence them all��


    Meanwhile, the duration of [Destructive Light]was not infinite. The terrifying Iridescent-Level attack slowly began to extinguish, and the dazzling light that had been blinding was gradually bing clearer.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 361: Chapter 361: Complete Iridescent-Level Ability, Acquired!

    Countless demons and yers from [Swallowing Heaven]no longer focused on the figure of Mephistopheles, as they believed he had been utterly obliterated by the attack and there was nothing left to see...


    But suddenly, they sensed something was off.


    As the light faded, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty appeared to be at the brink of copse; having previously knelt on one knee, he was now half-kneeling, using both hands to prop himself up, barely managing to stay upright.


    Clearly, he was exhausted.


    Well, that was reasonable.


    For a non-divine body to unleash an Iridescent-Level skill without paying a price would indeed be strange.


    Several Supremes, serving under the Lord of Evil Spirits, saw this and quickly flew forward, ready to protect the strongest among their ranks.


    Initially, they had been mocking him: "Lovic, look at you now!"


    "Getting beaten to this state by a mere rookie? You really aren''t what you used to be!"


    "You were hiding this move all along?? What a pity! If you hadn''t, I could have collected your remains."


    "Lucky for me I didn''t finish you off when I challenged you back in the day, or you would have surely killed me!"


    Their sarcasm was palpable.


    Despite serving a master, true friendship among demons was rare; the Supremes had been suppressed by the Demon of Terror and Cruelty for too long, and they seized every opportunity to taunt him.


    However, just as they reached halfway, they suddenly heard strange soundsing from behind them, sounds that seemed to express astonishment�� and perhaps�� fear!


    What? Is it really that serious?


    The Supremes scoffed internally; couldn''t they be a bit moreposed?


    Although it was absurd for Lovic to use an Iridescent-Level skill, he had, after all, been a respected deity for a thousand years and had even shown signs of potentially breaking through to be a true god.It shouldn''t be that shocking for him to use an Iridescent-Level skill, right?


    Yet, the Supremes gradually began to hear the voices from behind.


    "How is this possible? He managed to block an Iridescent-Level skill!"


    "Is this a joke? Did Mephistopheles exploit a game bug?"


    "I refuse to believe it! If he could block that skill, why didn''t he just crush Lovic to death beforehand??"


    What are they talking about?


    Oh right! They were saying that Mephistopheles was fine and had blocked an Iridescent-Level skill, iming his performance was outrageous.


    Indeed, being able to block an Iridescent-Level skill was a bit excessive��


    Wait, what did they say?


    Mephistopheles is still alive??


    The Supremes under the Lord of Evil Spirits were suddenly taken aback.


    Out of the corners of their eyes, they caught sight of Mephistopheles, who they had thought would turn to ash, now standing tall and proud, wearing a mocking and defiant smile!


    Mephistopheles emerged unscathed, with nothing more than a slight change in the color of his equipment, as if its durability had diminished?


    No way!


    He blocked an Iridescent-Level skill so effortlessly?


    His gear didn''t even break! Just a little durability loss??


    The Supremes were utterly dumbfounded by this scene.


    Of course, countless demons and yers from Swallowing Heaven were equally bewildered.


    They had graduallye to ept that Mephistopheles''s strength was absurdly exaggerated, but blocking an Iridescent-Level attack, a feat that brushed the divine, was beyond theirprehension!


    Supreme or quasi-divine, no matter how finely the tiers of power were divided, they were still not gods! In the face of divine might, all that remained was to grovel.


    How could Mephistopheles��


    To exaggerate, even the emotions of astonishment and disbelief were beyond the capacity of the myriad demons and yers present.


    Their thoughts werepletely chaotic.


    Their worldviews suffered a catastrophic blow, as if the beliefs they had held for centuries were shattered in an instant.


    However��


    Before the demons could fully process their shock, Sterl made his move. The star power in his hands coalesced into a liquid form, transforming into a de.


    The space directly ahead was suddenly frozen.


    Another Shattered Void came crashing down!


    Within the Destructive Light, Sterl felt as if he were simply enjoying a bath; he didn''t even need to use any potions to refill his energy reserves, achieving a full state of readiness.


    Moreover, after consecutively using Shattered Void earlier, Sterl had be much more adept with the skill. This time, its power was even more terrifying!


    At that moment��


    The Supremes under the Lord of Evil Spirits changed their expressions drastically!


    While they were willing to protect Lovic, that didn''t mean they were ready to risk their lives for him!


    Although, given the power of Shattered Void, it was unlikely that several Supremes using their strongest tinum Skills simultaneously would meet disaster. They might even have time to take down the Demon of Terror and Cruelty at the cost of their own injuries.


    But who had the guts to gamble against someone who could withstand an Iridescent-Level ability?


    One by one, the Supremes scattered in retreat, leaving the severely weakened Demon of Terror and Cruelty exposed to the de! Though they would face divine retribution afterwards, it was better than dying on the spot.


    And this time, Lovic had no protective abilities whatsoever; he couldn''t even attempt to dodge.


    To forcibly unleash abilities only gods should possess with a non-divine body came at a tragic cost.


    It wasn''t just about exhaustion; it also faced a bacsh from the very fabric of existence!


    In contrast, Sterl formally utilized divine authority to propel the Rebirth of All Thoughts, and because the skill was iplete and functionally narrow, its consumption was even less than that of Shattered Void.


    In an instant, countless des and sword lights surged forth.


    Lovic had no time to utter any words; he could only desperately draw upon the remnants of his Divine Power and scream, "You can''t kill me! My master has ced a��"


    Before he could finish, his body was already being torn apart!


    First, his skin shattered, and his flesh twisted in agony; next, his bones were crushed, and his organs turned to dust!


    Finally, his heart and brain were also shredded into countless fragments by the spatial onught, randomly falling into several different dimensions.


    At the very end, Sterl even caught a glimpse of a fleeting shadow.


    It was the trace of soul energy that this reclusive Supreme had barely umted over a millennium, allowing Lovic''s soul to linger briefly after it had been ripped from his body.


    Unfortunately, taking advantage of the visual chaos created by Shattered Void, Sterl pulled out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls and directly began to refine Lovic''s soul.


    "No! This is impossible!"


    "How could you possess such a relic��"


    Lovic''s soul screamed in agony! Hisst glimmer of hope was brutally extinguished!


    This elicited a faint smile from Sterl; it confirmed that Lovic had not discovered the existence of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls prior, and in his current state as a soul, there was no way for Lovic to ry any information.


    He was safe!


    As for the threats from this Supreme in his dying moments, Sterl naturally ignored them.


    He could almost guess thetter part of Lovic''s warning.


    It was highly probable that the Lord of Evil Spirits had ced a mark on his strongest subordinate, and killing him would provoke the god''s personal retribution.


    But with the state Lovic was in now, Sterl had done enough damage; it wasn''t as if the Lord of Evil Spirits would have the opportunity to erase him.


    "Ahhhhhh!!"


    Amidst the horrific screams, the me ignited Lovic''s soul.


    Ultimately, as Lovic''s soul shadow dissipated, the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls in Sterl''s hand slightly grew stronger.


    He reversed his hand, retracting the me, and then stood still, his palm resting on the ground.


    Thus��


    The strongest under the Lord of Evil Spirits��the Demon of Terror and Cruelty��had fallen!


    His body was shattered, and his soul was burned.


    There was absolutely no chance of survival!


    He did not perish in campaigns against other divine-level demons, nor did he die while exploring newyers of hell, or during the various high-difficulty instances that his strength should have participated in.


    No, he fell in a simple matter of leading his fellow yers and demons to seize contributions from others in the same faction!


    And now he was gone!!


    Meanwhile, Sterl regarded the other demons around him with malicious intent.


    He didn''t rush to act.


    Instead, Sterl quietly tossed aside another Fate Token, activating the effect of [Consume].


    "Ughhh!!!"


    Sterl immediately felt as though steel des were piercing through his entire body, a wave of inexplicable power surged into him, rampaging violently and recklessly.


    At the same time, Sterl noticed a massive demon figure manifesting within his mental realm.


    The demon waspletely out of ce against the surrounding starry sky, its mere presence triggering intense reactions!


    Like boiling seawater, Sterl''s entire mental domain was in turmoil.


    In the end, it was the thousands of threads symbolizing the special ability [Consume] that surged forth rapidly, wrapping around the demon, refining it, and breaking it down. However, Sterl''s mental realm was inplete disarray, requiring a significant amount of time to restore normal order.


    This chaos left him feeling dizzy and disoriented in reality.


    Yet the rewards were promising.


    [You have acquired the Iridescent-Level ability [Destructive Light]!!]


    The Swallowing Heaven system even expressed surprise with an exmation mark.


    Following that, detailed attributes of the skill appeared before Sterl.


    [Destructive Light (Iridescent-Level)]+


    [Description: The Demon of Terror and Cruelty race was once capable of advancing to the divine level upon birth. They originally belonged to the upper realms but were forcibly demoted to the lower realm by ??? using ???, resulting in the degradation of their race. Only the extremely rare ancestral Demon of Terror and Cruelty can relearn this skill.


    Moreover, only byprehending this skill can this race return to the divine level.]


    [Effect: Disintegrate a portion of your own body while absorbing energy from the surroundings, releasing a beam of destructive light that can directly erase all existence below the divine level, ignoring all defensive, immunity, and resurrection effects.]


    [Usage Restrictions: Must possess the divine authority of destruction/Respectable Position.]


    [Usage Restriction 2: You must have the bloodline of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty.]


    ...


    The skill description wasn''t overly detailed, but what astonished Sterl was its mention of the upper realms and the secrets hidden within the Demon of Terror and Cruelty race.

 Chapter 362: Chapter 362: The Bloodline of Humanity on Earth?

    "Demon of Terror and Cruelty was actually a race from the upper realms, and it was born with divine-level strength??"


    Sterl was slightly taken aback.


    He had previously spected that perhaps bing a deity was the true beginning of the game in [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven].


    Now, it seemed that this was indeed the case.


    The upper realms was clearly amon "game map" in [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven].


    If there were races in the upper realms that started at divine level, then in the game flow of the upper realms��


    Bing a deity might be as ordinary as how people in the lower realmplete a ss change to obtain a profession!


    "The so-called gods in the lower realm are just a form of more powerful life."


    "God is merely a title."


    Sterl felt even more convinced of his judgment.


    The gods in [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven] were simply a level of power, not the omniscient and omnipotent symbols found in various religious texts before his transmigration.


    At the same time, Sterl looked at the skill description for Destructive Light, which mentioned an unknown entity capable of demoting an entire divine-level race to the lower realm, causing him considerable unease.


    What kind of entity could that be? How powerful must they be!


    Could they be connected to that mysterious race that had intricate ties with the human race on Earth and seemed to be rted to the birth of [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven]?


    If it were that race��


    The thought of their power made Sterl''s heart race.


    It was important to note that if he hadn''t gained the ability to create a secondary character, he would have likely been caught by two figures from the upper realms earlier.


    Although Sterl had sessfully escaped, the news of a new genius named Solomon emerging from the human race on Earth had likely already spread throughout the upper realms.


    The existence of that mysterious race, which could demote the "god race" to the lower realm, put immense pressure on Sterl!


    If not, it would be even worse!


    It would mean that the mysterious race or entity suspected of creating [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven] might be even stronger! After all, the upper realms were also part of the game; the forces capable of demoting the Demon of Terror and Cruelty could not possibly be weaker than the creators, right?


    Sterl felt even worse!


    Under absolute power suppression, there was often no room for maneuvering.


    Sterl had not yet revealed himself, but what if that mysterious force discovered Solomon''s existence and used some bizarre items to forcibly drag Sterl out?


    The joy he had just felt from defeating a formidable enemy and obtaining aplete Iridescent-Level skill was almost entirely shattered.


    He had not yet crossed the divine level threshold, and he was already aware of the existence of power levels far beyond divine level.


    He was being closely watched by enemies that were potentially super divine level or even stronger!


    It was unbearable!


    What troubled Sterl even more was��


    He couldn''t use Destructive Light at all!


    Sterl did not destroy the divine authority/Respectable Position.


    At the same time, he alsocked the bloodline.


    He sensed the fluctuations of Destructive Light coursing through his body.


    Both conditions were indispensable.


    When Sterl attempted to draw upon the power of the Iridescent-Level skill, he felt an extremely fric energy surge within him, almost causing internal injury. Fortunately, the energy he unleashed was only a mere trickle, which resulted in only a single meridian being damaged, quickly restored by his life force.


    Sterl marveled slightly at the current situation; despite the various damage-avoiding abilities and the still-active Rebirth of All Thoughts enhancing him, even a tiny amount of power had caused such bacsh.


    Even though it was energy erupting from within his body, where defenses were rtively weak, it was enough to prove that��


    If he forcibly activated Destructive Light, it was likely that he would explode before the skill could even manifest.


    Sterl looked at the effects of this technique.


    It could erase all existences below divine level!


    Ignoring defenses, damage mitigation��


    He could only gaze longingly.


    Unfortunately, due to the bloodline restriction, Sterl would never be able to use this skill, wasting a Fate Token.


    "How unfortunate!"


    Just as Sterl wasmenting in his heart, he suddenly thought of something and activated his talent [Divination].


    The target was��


    "I want to use Destructive Light; what should I do?"


    The sess rate of Divination was indeed low, but perhaps it could provide a hint?


    He didn''t know if the divination was correct or incorrect, but a peculiar thought appeared in Sterl''s mind, consisting of just a brief line of text��


    "Enhance Bloodline."


    "Ah?"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned. "Enhance bloodline?"


    "What bloodline do I have that can be enhanced?"


    "The human race on Earth?"


    He felt a bit dizzy; the racial talent of the Earth humans was essentially nothing��


    However��


    At that moment, Sterl suddenly recalled the information that Gloria had shared with him, as well as the objective fact that Solomon was being hunted.


    Could the bloodline of the Earth humans be quite special?


    Why would an entity suspected to be the creator of the game want to capture the geniuses of the Earth humans?


    If the divination result was correct, could he make a deduction? The bloodline of the Earth humans indeed held something extraordinary; only those with exceptional talent could activate it?? And this bloodline had immense value??


    This conjecture also exined why the mysterious race was so wary of the talents emerging from the Earth humans yet did not directly eliminate that race.


    Because they needed the Earth humans to reproduce and develop, producing talents for them to capture and refine?


    Sterl''s eyes flickered as he spected randomly, then he pulled his thoughts back.


    He felt that his fourth talent might be more useful than he had imagined.


    It could help him generate some extremely precious information from nothing!


    At that moment, he had a direction.


    To explore the hidden powers within his bloodline!


    If the divination result was correct, the benefits that Sterl could potentially gain in the future would likely surpass even an Iridescent-Level skill like Destructive Light.


    "However, even if Divination is correct, simply enhancing my bloodline probably won''t be enough."


    "I also need a divine authority/Respectable Position rted to destruction."


    Sterl quickly calmed down and analyzed the situation further.


    "This requirement should be rtively easy to achieve."


    He reached this conclusion.


    Destruction was considered amon divine authority/Respectable Position. Sterl could find an opportunity to kill a relevant deity or demon and use a Fate Token along with "Devour" to obtain it.


    ...


    The time Sterl spent pondering felt slow.


    In reality, given his currentbat power and attribute enhancements, it took only a single breath to conclude.


    This amount of time was not even enough for the countless demons and Swallowing Heaven yers watching to regain their senses.


    Yet, these individuals had already scattered in panic.


    Their minds were still in a dazed state,pletely failing toprehend what had happened, but they had witnessed the scene of Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, being brutally torn to shreds, his corpsepletely obliterated.


    How could they not be scared? How could they not run??


    But as they fled, they gradually began to realize��


    The oue of the battle�� was that Mephistopheles had withstood the Iridescent-Level ability and, in an almost invincible manner, had in Lovic!


    Indeed, at the beginning of the fight, this neer Supreme, whom no one had believed in, had mocked and looked down upon others, only wanting to see a spectacle involving a talented figure.


    Mephistopheles hadn''t even revealed any trump cards; he simplyunched wave after wave of collisions, wearing Lovic down until he was forced to reveal his own trump cards in desperation.


    In the end, after a long struggle, Lovic faced annihtion!


    This was�� so terrifying!


    The thoughts of the demons raced. Looking at Mephistopheles now was like gazing upon a respected deity!


    They understood that Mephistopheles''s power could not reach divine level, but he was undoubtedly a strong existence that even Supremes or quasi-divines would find hard to contend with.


    Moreover�� at this moment, the demons and Swallowing Heaven yers began to indulge in their imaginations.


    Mephistopheles must have other skills and trump cards; he just found it more entertaining to toy with Lovic until his demise.


    It had to be that way!!


    Because if it were "me," I would y like that too!


    Only then could I savor the despair of my opponent.


    Many demons and Swallowing Heaven yers, after analyzing all this, felt a sharp pang of regret in their stomachs!


    Why did I have to run my mouth and offend him?


    The result was that, in an attempt to ensure Mephistopheles''s downfall, they had both supported Lovic and attacked Mephistopheles, leading to an inevitable sh!


    In a battle where neither side could afford to back down, it was rare to encounter an unparalleled genius amidst the countlessyers of hell!


    And this Mephistopheles, who had a touch of psychological deviation, was causing Lovic to die in utter agony. For someone of Lovic''s weaker strength, being caught by him made a swift death nearly impossible!


    At this moment, the sky seemed to be filled with countless shooting stars, as demons desperately activated various survival tools to hasten their escape.


    If one were to take a closer look, they would find that some demons and Swallowing Heaven yers were trembling in fear!


    What?


    Did you say there was a contribution plunder war initiated by the yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits against the Subus Queen faction?


    Who still cared about that?


    Survival was the priority.


    This scene left even the yers from the main world who were observing from a distance utterly bewildered.


    They had no idea what had happened; from the perspective of the main world yers, it looked like intense energy explosions erupted during a conflict among demons!


    They felt extremely fortunate that they hadid a trap to make the demons kill each other. If it hade to a direct confrontation, the terrifying might of their attacks would have fallen upon them��


    It was unthinkable.


    The current situation was also quite easy to understand; it was likely that the powerful figures from the two major demon factions had shed and reached a conclusion.


    Naturally, one side would have to retreat��


    Huh?


    Why is everyone running away??


    The yers from the main world experienced their first wave of confusion.


    Even if the strongest contenders from the two factions had perished together, wouldn''t the remaining demons and Swallowing Heaven yers think that their remaining fighting power was enough to annihte their enemies and continue the chaos amongst themselves?


    What was going on?


    Did they all think they couldn''t win??


    This didn''t make sense!


    yers in hell were known for their craziness; they would never flee unless the disadvantage reached a certain level.


    But if one side was at such a huge disadvantage, the other side would surely swell with confidence and start pursuing them.


    All the demons were fleeing??


    What on earth had happened here??

 Chapter 363: Chapter 363: One Person Intimidates Two Major Factions

    However, the yers from the main world didn''t show any mercy. As they saw the demons scattering in fear, they couldn''t help but feel exhrated.


    "Everyone, follow me! All units, move out!"


    At that moment, near the battlefield, the one who reacted the fastest was a figure d in shining silver armor, with a pair of wings extending from his back. He drew his glowing longsword and charged forward at high speed, pursuing the fleeing demons and yers.


    Behind him, a group of demigod-level warriors shot into the air like arrows, their expressions filled with urgency. The demons, in their desperate attempt to escape, had no ability to counterattack; they were merely contributing to their own demise.


    As the yers from the main world closed in on the fleeing demons, a second wave of shock hit them!


    The yers not only saw ordinary demigods and legendary figures running away, but also several familiar Supreme-level warriors who were now fleeing as if they were stray dogs, frantically soaring through the air.


    On the main world side, the armored figure stood frozen in ce, utterly dumbfounded.


    It was important to note that these Supremes had previously dominated the battlefield! Ordinary demigods would be easily killed by them! If they weren''t killed, they would be captured and subjected to torment for the amusement of the demons...


    The young man was nearly paralyzed with fear! There was no way he could escape if he collided with these Supremes; the distance was too close!


    In his despair, he couldn''t help but think: What''s going on? The Supremes are running away too?? Wasn''t it you Supremes who were down there fighting to the death, causing such exaggerated energy fluctuations?


    Howe you lookpletely unscathed, as if you hadn''t participated in the battle at all?


    Despite his confusion, the young man in shining silver armor had only one option left: to abandon his teammates and fly back.


    He hade in fast, but now he was even faster.


    Just as he hadn''t retreated far, his heart nearly stopped.


    He noticed a renowned Supreme demon known as "Piercing Death" charging toward him, moving with incredible speed and activating some kind of item, mes engulfing his body...


    The expression on this Supreme demon''s face was twisted, as if he were ready to devour someone whole.


    "It''s over!"


    "My life is at an end! The yers from the main world closed their eyes."


    The only thing he could pray for was that...


    The Supreme demon would grant him a quick end. "Piercing Death" had earned a dreadful reputation on the battlefield; those struck by his skills would often scream for days, their lives slowly withering away.


    The young man''s face was filled with despair, but...


    After several moments passed, he realized he was flying smoothly through the air without being attacked. Only a powerful gust of wind had rushed past him, cutting into his arm.


    "Wait, I''m fine?"


    The young man was taken aback. Looking back, he saw that hispanions were also safe.


    What happened next left the yers from the main world in a state of utter confusion for the third time.


    Not a single person was attacked.


    The demons and Hell yers seemed to have undergone aplete transformation, their only focus on escape.


    The young man further noticed that the previously fearsome "Piercing Death" was now trembling all over!


    The reason for this Supreme demon''s earlier ferocity had been��fear!


    Scenes like this unfolded in various locations near the battleground where Sterl and Lovic were engaged inbat.


    The yers from the main world who were trying to intercept werepletely bewildered.


    "What�� what just happened?"


    "Forget it! Let''s retreat first."


    "Run! Hurry!"


    The yers from the main world were not like those reckless individuals from horror movies who, even sensing danger, feltpelled to investigate.


    They didn''t know what had happened, but anything capable of making the Hell yers flee so desperately couldn''t possibly be friendly to them, so they also took off.


    In that instant, Sterl himself might not have realized that he had single-handedly intimidated all the yers in the entireyer of Hell!!


    At this moment, Sterl stood at the bottom of the basin formed by his battle with the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, slowly locking onto his target.


    He understood from the beginning that, with the two factions of demons scattering in all directions, he wouldn''t be able to capture them all.


    Without hesitation, Sterl charged toward the demigods of the Subus Queen faction.


    His thought process was clear; on the surface, he was still considered part of the Subus Queen''s side. Now, due to the earlier attack, it was understandable that he would strike back in anger.


    Normal demons would struggle to endure a situation like this with someone like Mephistopheles.


    Afterward, if the Subus Queen intervened, Sterl would have to save face for the gods and obediently back off.


    At that point, he could then pursue the yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits, maximizing the use of his resources...


    Of course, the worst-case scenario would be if the Subus Queen decided to attack him for hunting her subordinates.


    Well, no need to panic.


    Sterl possessed a special item with teleportation abilities as a side effect. With such a tool, he could easily escape from the hands of figures from the upper realms, and it was impossible for ordinary divine-level demons to capture him.


    Sterl had also exploited a bug in [Transcendence]/[Swallowing Heaven]��the bnce of items.


    This special teleportation item had the advantage of being difficult to seal. However, it was incredibly expensive and had a high mortality rate upon use; being caught in spatial turbulence could easily lead to one''s demise, even with resurrection items!


    Normally, no yer would use such an item as theirst resort for survival.


    But with enhancements to his abilities, a special teleportation item with a zero mortality rate had been created...


    This allowed Sterl to act recklessly!


    He casually nced around and fixed his gaze on a target, then swiftly charged forward with a flicker of movement!


    Sterl intercepted the target''s ascent into the sky, colliding forcefully.


    Bang!


    With a crisp sound, a figure plummeted from the sky, and in the next moment, Sterl''s shadow surged forward, delivering a heavy stomp!


    Boom!!


    After a thunderous noise, the ground was violently dented, creating a pit.


    "Spare me! Spare me!"


    The first demon Sterl targeted was a demigod demon, its entire body crimson with two horns protruding from its head. After being stomped on the chest, it spat out blood.


    "I didn''t attack you just now!"


    The demon cried out, sincerity dripping from its words.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl couldn''t help butugh in anger. The demon was adamant, yet Sterl had clearly seen it throw a crimson spear from a distance, enhanced with various damage boosts and curse effects.


    If Sterl had been hit, he would have been gravely injured, if not dead.


    Truly, a creature from Hell had no dignity as a strong being; it could lie so easily.


    Sterl didn''t bother with further conversation. He raised his hand and unleashed a sword strike enhanced by Flowing Water Thousand Cuts.


    This strike wasparable to an ordinary tinum Skill in terms of output, yet the demigod demon was already terrified out of its wits and only thought of fleeing.


    It quickly activated a short-distance dashing ability, bing a mere afterimage.


    Unfortunately, the demon was caught up to in just a few moments. Sterl used spatial powers to lock onto it, piercing through with his sword!


    Then, countless des of Flowing Water shattered, turning into needles that shredded the demon into pieces, leaving only a faint mist of blood floating in the air.


    Sterl casually took out the Stone of Absorption, collecting the contribution.


    A total of 4000 points credited to his ount.


    "Not bad, pretty lucrative," Sterl nodded. Due to the need to absorb contributions, he averaged half a second to kill a single demon. After this dy, many demons and Hell yers had already fled far away. If it weren''t for Lovic''s Destructive Light causing chaos in the surrounding space, the demons and Hell yers might have even managed to teleport away.


    Sterl had anticipated this. With a twist of his arm, the body of the in demon exploded into countless beams of Starlight Spray, sttering like spilled ink.


    For a moment, his hit rate wasn''t very high. The pressure Mephistopheles exerted on the demons and Hell yers was overwhelming. Even though they sensed that the threads posed no real threat, not a single one dared to take the risk; they were all desperately dodging!


    However, with so many targets, the threads still managed to mark several yers despite being cast broadly.


    Some demons and yers thought they were safe and ran away without a care, only to be hit by Starlight Spray after others dodged in front of them. Others, while trying to escape, were identally struck by theirpanions'' kicks, palms, or energy beams, which slowed their movements and left them exposed to Sterl''s marking.


    The second type of unfortunate souls was plentiful.


    The demons had a simple mindset: "Better them than me!"


    "Here, take the wrath of Mephistopheles for me!"


    However, those demons and Hell yers who tried to make others scapegoats soon learned the meaning of self-inflicted suffering!


    After marking his targets, Sterl immediately activated a teleportation attack.


    His attack range wasn''t limited to just one unit!


    A blood-red de shot out, and for his second wave of attack, Sterl targeted a space where dozens of demons and Hell yers were gathered.


    With swift reflexes, he activated Shattered Void!


    In an instant, dozens of yers were frozen in ce, unable to move!


    Some wore expressions of fear, having been marked by Sterl, while others appeared smug, having sessfully let others take the brunt of Mephistopheles''s wrath.


    And Sterl, with nonchnce, drew his sword and made a horizontal sh! This time, Shattered Void didn''t need to be driven at full power; the perfect execution of the triple Law was enough!


    Delicate des of light erupted, and soon everything fell into nothingness!


    Fear or smugness alike were transformed into souls under the des, as the demons were rapidly disintegrated, leaving behind only remnants.


    Then, while absorbing contributions in the air, Sterl saw the demons and yers he had just in explode into countless threads once more.


    "Contributions have already reached fifty thousand?!"


    Sterl''s tone was excited. The chaos caused by the yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits led to the activity ending ahead of schedule.


    However, after analyzing the situation, Sterl felt it wasn''t a loss. Aside from not being able to use the Heavenly Locking Formation to create more chaos, the other gains were quite substantial!


    He could exchange for Iridescent-Level skills from the Hell faction!

 Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Contribution Soars!

    Sterl was in a good mood, and his hands didn''t stop moving. For the third time, heunched a teleportation attack into an area upied by a dozen people.


    However, this time...


    Before Sterl could make his move, he noticed someone standing in front of him.


    It was four Supremes under the Subus Queen, led by nda. The other three Supremes wore hesitant expressions; they had been lured over by nda''s persuasion, who imed she had always wanted to help Mephistopheles, citing a sort of camaraderie.


    But in Sterl''s eyes...


    They were just four ordinary Supremes.


    nda? Yes, she was there, but what distinguished her from the other three?


    "Mephistopheles, let''s call a truce."


    "If you want to hunt down the people from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction, we can help. There''s no need for us to fight among ourselves��"


    nda spoke with considerable confidence.


    However, in the next second, her expression changed drastically, and along with the other three Supremes, she retreated in rm. This was because Sterl''s Shattered Void hadpletely frozen the surrounding space, threatening to eliminate them as well.


    "You carry on! You carry on! The kid doesn''t know any better!"


    "We have no objections! These people have wronged you and deserve to die!"


    "Lord Mephistopheles, we mainly want to assist you in hunting down the people from the Lord of Evil Spirits faction. If you want to deal with the traitors on our side first, that''s perfectly fine!"


    ...


    The other three Supremes hurriedly begged for mercy, pulling nda along as they attempted to flee.


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged. He intentionally let these Supremes go. As direct subordinates of the Subus Queen, they had little interest in the activity''s rewards and didn''t possess much contribution. Killing them would yield minimal benefit.


    Furthermore, they were high-ranking generals under the divine-level demons; taking them down would surely incur the wrath of the Subus Queen.


    Sterl wasn''t in the business of making losing trades.


    He quickly initiated the third wave of Shattered Void, reaping more contributions from the activity.


    Next came...


    The fourth wave.


    Twelve were in,ting him over 8,000 contributions.


    The fifth wave followed, iming 31 lives and earning 21,000 contributions.


    ...


    The sixth wave...


    The seventh wave...


    The eleventh wave...


    At this moment, the yers and demons under the Subus Queen''s faction were crying out in despair as they were pursued mercilessly. Yet, no one doubted Mephistopheles''s motives; after all, betrayal from allies was more detestable than the harm inflicted by enemies.


    Sterl watched as his activity contributions soared, and the frustration from being beaten by two factions dissipated entirely.


    Now, his contributions from the Hell faction far surpassed those from the main world faction!


    The resources painstakingly umted by others all fell into Sterl''s hands.


    The four Supremes had grim expressions. While it was one thing for Mephistopheles to vent his anger by casually killing a few people, it seemed now that he intended to eliminate everyone in his path with that blood-red teleportation skill. How many lives was he nning to take?


    "We must stop him; we can''t let this continue," one of them insisted.


    "Stop him? With what?" another replied.


    "Of course, we must inform Her Majesty the Queen and send her the footage from here."


    "That''s the only way."


    The other three Supremes discussed among themselves. Only nda gazed at Mephistopheles''s figure, closing her eyes and murmuring to herself. What expression had he just worn? He hadpletely ignored her. Did she not have any charm for him at all? She couldn''t ept it!


    How could this happen? Ahhh!!!


    nda felt as if her heart had been severely wounded. She couldn''t bear it!


    After finally feeling a spark of attraction toward someone, she found herself in such a ridiculous position.


    "nda?"


    "nda??"


    It wasn''t until the other three Supremes kept calling her name and asking for her opinion��"Can we summon Her Majesty the Queen?"��that she snapped back to reality.


    "That''s the only way to stop Mephistopheles," they insisted.


    Huh?


    nda was taken aback. Earlier, when Mephistopheles was being hunted, she had considered this idea. However, summoning the Queen required all four Supremes to jointly present the items they each guarded.


    But...


    nda felt a bit ufortable. She had actually wanted to summon the Queen before, with the goal of rescuing Mephistopheles.


    Yet, she had never voiced this intention. To save Mephistopheles, she would need to reveal the core reason��Mephistopheles was a target chosen by the Queen. That would be the only way to persuade the other three Supremes.


    But she couldn''t say that! As a member of the Subus tribe, she had always been a loyal follower of the Subus Queen.


    The other three Supremes were captured by the Queen and were fiercely loyal, but they likely wouldn''t show any goodwill toward a potential "rival."


    So, nda knew from the start that even if she suggested summoning the Queen, it would likely be rejected. The three Supremes would do their best to dy, and nda feared that Mephistopheles might meet his end at any moment. It didn''t seem worth the effort to argue with her colleagues.


    Now, however, she could summon the Queen to capture Mephistopheles?


    "You all need to think this through. The Queen is likely upied by the deities of the main world; otherwise, she would havee herself. If we force a summoning, there''s no guarantee Her Majesty will even arrive," nda shook her head, trying to find reasons to prevent the summoning.


    But the other three Supremes were clear in their intentions.


    "Even so, we have to summon her."


    "By participating in this event, the Queen has brought the elite troops who are loyal to ouryer of hell."


    "We can''t afford to let Mephistopheles continue this ughter; how long would it take to recover from such losses?"


    The three colleagues were extremely serious.


    nda thought about this and was taken aback; she found herself questioning her own life choices. After all, she and Mephistopheles weren''t particrly close, having barely exchanged a few words.


    "But why�� am I thinking so much about him, to the point of disregarding the Queen''s interests?!"


    nda suddenly felt a pang of guilt...


    After a moment''s contemtion, she silently nodded in agreement to the summoning.


    With a sigh in her heart, she thought, "Mephistopheles, don''t me me for not helping you; I did my best."


    At that moment, the three Supremes noticed nda''s nod and broke into smiles. "Great! Once Her Majesty the Queen arrives, if Mephistopheles dares to keep killing, he''ll truly be doomed!"


    "Her Majesty will surely punish Mephistopheles!"


    "Alright, let''s hurry and summon her!"


    ...


    The three Supremes spoke seriously, but their expressions betrayed their impatience. Previously, when faced with Mephistopheles''s ughter, they had barely managed to stall him for a second before fleeing in disgrace.


    It wasmon for demons in Hell to abandon their dignity to save their lives, yet each of them had a strong sense of pride. Those who felt humiliated would always be plotting their revenge.


    Seeing the three Supremes chatting happily, nda couldn''t help but roll her eyes inwardly. "Why don''t you all say a little less?"


    "After all, it might not be Mephistopheles who ends up in trouble."


    From what nda knew of the Queen, her tastes were quite simr to hers. Once she actually met Mephistopheles, she would likely have a very high opinion of him.


    The three Supremes were here ndering and attacking Mephistopheles, which could very well backfire on them.


    ...


    In the sky, countless demon corpses fell like dumplings.


    The four Supremes from the Subus Queen''s faction worked together to retrieve an ancient bronze disk fragment. Whenbined, their four pieces formed aplete disk.


    Then, strange characters appeared on the disk, lighting up one by one in a vibrant green, eventually coalescing into a beam of light.


    This beam shot into the sky, transforming everything around into a stream of information that was drawn along with it.


    And this scene... was naturally captured by Sterl.


    A sense of rm surged within him...


    "They must be trying to summon the Subus Queen."


    Sterl wasn''t being overly prescient; he simply preferred to think of the worst possible oues. From the very beginning, he had decided to keep hunting "people" until the Subus Queen descended.


    At that moment, Sterl saw the emerald green light shooting up into the sky, showing no signs of stopping.


    He gathered his strength once again, condensing the de of his sword, and swiftly shed! The power of Shattered Void continued to tear through the sky.


    Meanwhile, the Supremes summoning the Subus Queen, except for nda, watched the unfolding scene with a glimmer of delight in their eyes.


    "Go ahead and kill! The more you kill, the worse it will be for youter!"


    They all anticipated the chaos, their eyes brimming with malice!


    ...


    At the same time, near the Blood Red Fortress.


    The divine being Marlon from the Hall of Valor smiled as he watched the figure before him��a woman with an incredibly graceful figure, wearing a veil.


    "Your Majesty, you seem to be in good spirits."


    "Your chess skills aremendable as well."


    Instead of fighting the divine-level demon opposite him, the two were seated in midair, engaged in a game of chess.


    Marlon''s task was to stall the Subus Queen, while the other two divine beings in the main world were engaged in different missions aimed at inciting internal conflict within the hell factions, forcing them to withdraw from the event.


    Marlon, however, had no desire to battle another divine-level being to the death. Thus, a tense standoff ensued, with one divine being and one demon managing to maintain a fragile peace.


    Just then, a green light suddenly descended from the sky and entered the consciousness of the Subus Queen.


    "What''s happening?"


    "Is someone ughtering my subordinates?!"


    "Didn''t I say you don''t need to report such matters to me?"


    The Subus Queen frowned slightly; she was well aware of Lord of Evil Spirits'' formidable general��Lovic. With him around, she knew many of her troops would likely be wiped out.


    Moreover, Lovic was not only under the protection of Lord of Evil Spirits but also received mysterious aid from their race, making it impossible for her, as a divine-level being, to directly intervene.


    Initially, the Subus Queen intended to ignore this summoning.


    But then she realized��


    This time, the one ughtering her subordinates was not Lovic but a young man named Mephistopheles.


    "Isn''t this the kid I had my eye on?"


    The Subus Queen''s expression shifted as she began to observe the images streaming into her consciousness.


    Then, she saw Sterl, fully powered up with his Solidification Method!


    Hmm??

 Chapter 365: Chapter 365: The Succubus Queens Frenzy

    Marlon suddenly noticed that the Subus Queen across from him had stopped her observation of the chessboard, staring nkly.


    "She must be struggling to ept that her powerful subordinates have nearly been wiped out," he thought with a hint of amusement. However, despite the Subus Queen''s daze, he had no intention ofunching an attack.


    In a moment of fury, if he acted recklessly, he might be a target for her to vent her anger upon. Among divine beings, unless one possessed the Origin of Chaos like the Archduke of Blood and could easily overpower their opponent, they would not carelessly engage in a life-and-death struggle with another being of equal rank.


    However...


    The Subus Queen was indeed in a state of shock.


    Beneath her veil, her face��remarkably perfect and even divine in its allure��showed signs of astonishment, her rosy lips slightly parted.


    What had she seen?


    It was the scene in the sky where Sterl was mercilessly ughtering many powerful members of the Subus Queen''s faction.


    Yet, the intention behind the image being ryed by her Supremes was to showcase Mephistopheles''s madness and audacity.


    But through the Subus Queen''s eyes, she saw a��


    Handsome figure, though that wasn''t the main point.


    He exuded an extremely cool and ascetic demeanor, carrying an inexplicable yet lethal allure!


    Moreover...


    He was a standard humanoid.


    Gulp.


    Huh?? Marlon was a bit bewildered. Why did the Subus Queen suddenly swallow hard? What was going on?


    And why was her mood bing increasingly agitated, looking particrly excited?


    What exactly was she seeing??


    Shouldn''t this be about her subordinates being ruthlessly ughtered?


    Marlon''s guesses werepletely off-base, but the conclusion was still correct.


    The Subus Queen''s subordinates were indeed being ughtered, but the instigator was not someone under Lord of Evil Spirits.


    However, he couldn''t understand what was so delightful about this.


    Suddenly, the Subus Queen stood up.


    "Respected deity of the main world, perhaps we shall meet again by fate."


    "It''s a pity; I originally wanted to engage in some friendly games of [Transcendence] with you."


    "Now it seems that won''t be necessary."


    The Subus Queen spoke with a chilling indifference, which only heightened Marlon''s sense of strangeness. He was tasked with intercepting this queen precisely because his looks were the most striking among the three divine beings, allowing him to dy her for a time.


    Who would have imagined that the Subus Queen, who had previously shown him considerable warmth and had even flirted with him during their chess game, would now be as cold as ice, as if she had found a new love and was ready to cast aside the old one.


    "Wait, Licitris, you can''t leave!"


    Marlon shook his head, trying to cast aside the bizarre thoughts swirling in his mind. The Subus Queen was indeed terrifying, yet after spending some time with her, he had genuinely developed feelings for her. The allure of her respected position was truly formidable!


    He stood coldly in front of the Subus Queen, not only out of duty but also to seize an opportunity to strike. Otherwise, his mental state would continue to be influenced by her enchantment...


    However...


    Marlon never anticipated that the usually calm andposed Subus Queen would suddenly adopt an extremely cold tone.


    "Do you dare to block me? Fine!"


    The Subus Queen produced a peculiar flower and swallowed it whole. The simplicity of the action was unexpectedly enticing, nearly causing Marlon to lose hisposure. Thankfully, he activated his Divine Power and created a unique domain that surrounded him, allowing his expression to return to normal.


    But Marlon noticed that after swallowing the flower, the Subus Queen''s eyes transformed from human pupils to vertical slits, shining with a bright golden light. She crouched down, taking on a predatory stance.


    "Marlon, if you try to stop me��"


    "You will die!"


    Before her words even finished, a sensation of frenzied tearing erupted in Marlon''s right arm. He felt as though a storm had passed,pletely shredding his right hand!


    The Subus Queen had already charged forward, breaking free from Marlon''s domain.


    "She''s gone mad��she''s using her trump card right from the start?"


    Marlon realized that the item she had just consumed was extremely valuable; Licitris was burning through her Divine Power and life force. After this reckless move, she would undoubtedly experience a period of weakness. Even if he had items to recover from weakness, it would still cost him a significant amount of precious resources.


    Was the Subus Queen truly insane?


    Was she really willing to y this way?


    At this moment, if Marlon didn''t fight back with equal desperation, hisbat ability would be utterly crushed.


    And the divine beings in the main world clearly did not want to engage in such a manner.


    This event offered little benefit to the gods; if they fought desperately, the losses would outweigh any gains from the event itself!


    Marlon was unwilling to engage in a losing trade.


    "Forget it."


    "After all, I''ve done my best."


    "Pressing Licitris to use her trump card means those two can''t me me."


    "Could any other god have done this?"


    Marlon pondered for a moment. Letting the Subus Queen go wouldn''t be his responsibility.


    Thinking this over, he decided to remain seated in the void.


    "I shouldn''t have made thatst move; I should have yed here instead."


    He fiddled with the chessboard, appearing rxed and at ease.


    "However, those two should be just about ready."


    "Oh?"


    Marlon suddenly received some news, and his expression shifted to one of surprise.


    "I didn''t expect the subordinates of these two divine-level demons to fight so fiercely?"


    "With this, Rog and Licitris are likely to be seriously weakened."


    He murmured to the void.


    "Alright, this time the three of us will coborate."


    "If we sessfully hunt them down, we''ll split the Respectable Position left behind after the divine-level demons fall."


    Marlon''s expression gradually turned excited.


    He hadn''t anticipated that what started as a casual move��seeking benefits for his subordinates to help themplete the event��would also provide him with a chance to elevate his own strength!


    "Great! Great! Great!" Marlon eximed joyfully, inspiration striking him as he casually ced a piece on the chessboard.


    "I''ve won, Licitris!"


    "You�� no, you all have lost!"


    ��


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the Subus Queen, seeing that the gods of the main world had note to intercept, paused her state of burning life force and instead consumed several precious potions.


    Thus, Licitris slightly recovered, herplexion returning to a rosy hue.


    She touched her face and eximed, "Mephistopheles."


    "I can''t believe I''ve encountered someone like you!!"


    "This is wonderful�� so wonderful!"


    The Subus Queen was incredibly excited. Originally, having suffered an ambush from the Lord of Evil Spirits, it seemed that a retreat from Hell was imminent. The Subus Queen had wasted a Supreme to sacrifice to the Heavenly Locking Formation of thisyer of Hell, but just thinking about��


    Mephistopheles.


    Licitris felt all her worries vanish, leaving only excitement and anticipation.


    She thought��


    After meeting Mephistopheles, how could she everpare the men she had encountered in her life�� or rather, her demonic life, to this extraordinary figure?


    Only a few strong individuals from the Buddhist nation could barely catch her eye, but none couldpare to Mephistopheles!


    At this moment, the Subus Queen released her state of burning life force and continued to move forward at full speed.


    She had already grasped the whole situation: in short, this little fellow Mephistopheles, whom she held in high regard, had actually single-handedly killed the strongest subordinate of the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    Now, it seemed he was engaged in some��


    Uh, ughtering those among his own ranks who had offended him.


    Well, that''s fine!


    A swift and decisive revenge! Good job!


    The Subus Queen felt that Mephistopheles was doing the right thing!


    After all, he could be considered one of her faction. When Lovic had targeted him earlier, they had backstabbed him��despicable!


    Fortunately, he wasn''t harmed; otherwise��


    I would have sent you all to�� a painful death.


    The more Licitris thought about it, the angrier she became.


    Mephistopheles, such a good person, how could you bully him like this? He can endure, but I cannot!


    Licitris was increasingly anxious. She knew that Lovic, under the Lord of Evil Spirits, was expected to ascend to godhood and was extremely important to the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    Because Lovic was utterly loyal, once he ascended, the Lord of Evil Spirits would directly possess a divine-levelbatant under hismand.


    If Lovic were to die, the Lord of Evil Spirits would likelye personally to target Mephistopheles��


    I must protect Mephistopheles in advance.


    "Fine, that scoundrel Rog will definitely go mad this time; I''ll settle both old and new scores with him."


    The Subus Queen had made up her mind to protect Mephistopheles with all her strength! She would even be willing to go to war with the Lord of Evil Spirits! It would be a chance to take revenge for the attack from his subordinates.


    It was clear that since Lovic had acted, this internal conflict was definitely instigated by the Lord of Evil Spirits. Rog was not like Licitris, who had sacrificed a Supreme to arrange matters in thisyer of Hell.


    Therefore, the Lord of Evil Spirits could leave whenever he wished, and he was simply looking to violently extract some benefits from his allies before making a hasty retreat.


    This grudge, the Subus Queen was not willing to endure!


    Although facing the Lord of Evil Spirits would deplete her strength significantly, just thinking about it made the fire of fury ze within Licitris.


    ording to the Supremes, Mephistopheles had actually withstood the Iridescent-Level skill and counterattacked!


    To ordinary demons, this indicated that he hid his strength deeply and possessed many trump cards.


    But in the heart of the Subus Queen, there was only immense pain.


    Mephistopheles had encountered such danger, and I wasn''t there just now!


    Thus, the Subus Queen hurriedly sent messages to the Supremes.


    "Keep an eye on him!"


    "Monitor the movements of the Lord of Evil Spirits."


    Then she shot forward at full speed. Licitris found herself within a magical artifact activated by three gods, an area vast and boundless; even with divine speed, it would take some time to exit.


    After flying for several seconds, the scenery around her hadn''t changed at all.


    ��


    On the other side, upon receiving the Queen''s reply, nda''s expression shifted dramatically.


    Lovic was merely a Supreme, not even quasi-divine; even with a red skill as a trump card, Mephistopheles could still secure victory.


    But if Her Majesty intervened�� how could Mephistopheles withstand that?


    She could only pray��


    That Her Majesty could spare Mephistopheles'' life��

 Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Everything Will Be Alright Once the Queen Returns

    The other three Supremes from the Subus Queen''s faction were grinning from ear to ear as they watched Mephistopheles, their bare malice and disdain on full disy.


    Earlier, they had spoken with some restraint, but now they let their true feelings pour out.


    "Aren''t you quite strong? Once Her Majesty the Queen arrives, you will undoubtedly die."


    "She has already instructed us to keep an eye on you. Await your punishment, Mephistopheles."


    "I advise you to stop now; perhaps Her Majesty will spare you."


    "You humiliated me earlier, and soon you shall pay it back in full!"


    The voices of the three Supremes were not loud.


    However, nearly everyone present possessed strength above demigod level��who wouldn''t hear them clearly?


    When Sterl heard this, he couldn''t help but furrow his brow, thinking��


    This is bad!


    It seemed the situation was heading in a rather dire direction.


    These Supremes had followed the Subus Queen for many years, and they would undoubtedly be prioritized over an outsider like himself.


    Even though the Subus Queen had taken a liking to him, Sterl didn''t believe that this divine-level demon would abandon her original subordinates in favor of him��


    Because that would undoubtedly be the most misguided way to manage subordinates!


    Even if the Subus Queen wanted to recruit such a talented genius like him, she couldn''t afford to alienate her loyal followers. Otherwise, who would follow her in the future??


    The Subus Queen had no choice but to take action against Mephistopheles!


    After analyzing all of this, Sterl concluded that unless the Subus Queen was a fool, he was bound to be in trouble!


    But divine-level demons needed to manage their factions; they wouldn''t make such a rookie mistake.


    "Better prepare to flee."


    He didn''t feel guilty at all.


    After all, the Subus Queen had already allowed him to obtain a full version of the Iridescent-Level ability; it was no loss if he didn''t get more benefits.


    Sterl had initially nned to lurk beside this divine-level demon to manipte the Heavenly Locking Formation in thisyer of Hell. Now that the event was nearing its end, what was the point of trying to control anything?


    There would be no more benefits to extract from the Subus Queen.


    Once she arrived, he would just make a run for it.


    Sterl''s mind raced as he quickly assessed the situation.


    The other yers from the Subus Queen''s faction in the sky now stood a bit taller, emboldened.


    As they dodged attacks, they shouted,


    "Mephistopheles, don''t you stop? Do you want to die?"


    "Every person you kill now will only add to the punishment you''ll faceter!"


    "If you don''t leave now, it will be toote!"


    The pressure from Sterl was so intense that these demons were surprisingly "kind" in their attempts to persuade him.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl''s eyes darkened, growing even more ferocious.


    Since the Subus Queen was about to arrive...


    Time was of the essence!


    Without hesitation, Sterl intensified his attacks!


    In an instant, shes of des and swords erupted all around him.


    The powers of Shattered Void unleashed wildly!


    Screams echoed through the sky.


    Meanwhile, the four Supremes under the Subus Queen were left in shock.


    Wait, buddy? You''re this brave?


    Three of the Supremes muttered resentfully: "What does it matter? Let him be reckless for a moment."


    "Mephistopheles'' death is imminent."


    "Her Majesty is soon to arrive; he won''tst much longer."


    They only murmured their thoughts, yet each of them crouched back in fear, afraid that Mephistopheles might hear ande after them.


    The Supremes appeared timid, yet their eyes brimmed with confidence, looking at Mephistopheles as if he were already a corpse.


    The majesty of the gods must not be offended; even if you are gifted, any hint of disrespect can lead to obliteration!


    The same goes for the main world!


    Hell was even more unforgiving; the more talented a being was, the more they disyed disrespect towards the gods, and the more likely they were to be killed!


    In the eyes of the gods, any being that showed disrespect, even if they weren''t a god yet, was too arrogant. If they truly became a god, they would pose a massive threat.


    They must be eliminated!


    Thus, the three Supremes and countless demigods being hunted by Sterl rationally concluded��


    Don''t provoke Mephistopheles; a dying man can be unpredictable!


    Now was just a matter of endurance! They needed to hold out until the Queen arrived; everything would be fine then!


    Only nda was in a panic. She dared not fly close to Mephistopheles and could only keep shouting, "Stop it! Mephistopheles! The Queen ising soon!"


    "You''ve vented enough, haven''t you?"


    She pleaded earnestly, hoping to save Mephistopheles'' life.


    Sterlpletely ignored nda''s cries. He had no trust in any of the demons or the Swallowing Heaven yers. As long as nda stayed at a distance, she wouldn''t affect anything, so he let it be.


    Seeing that Mephistopheles wouldn''t heed her advice, nda, unwilling to give up, called out several more times to no avail. Eventually, she could only hover in despair.


    Even the other Supremes, demons, and Swallowing Heaven yers present wore strange expressions. In such circumstances, there was truly no room for conspiracy; who couldn''t see that nda was trying to help Mephistopheles?


    Nearby, a cold voice suddenly rang out.


    "nda, you really have some nerve."


    The Subus Queen Licitris had unexpectedly descended without anyone noticing.


    Her tone was somewhat dissatisfied, as if she intended to reprimand nda.


    In truth, the displeasure reflected in Licitris'' amber eyes shifted toward a fascination and fervor as she gazed at nda and then at the distant Mephistopheles.


    Just as nda had previously suspected, the Subus Queen was significantly stronger, and her temptation toward someone like Sterl, who had mastered the Solidification Method, was even greater!


    It was akin to how the human body is naturally addicted to high-protein, high-sugar, and high-salt foods.


    The Subus, a race known for tempting others into corruption, gained more from their own souls the higher their purity before their fall.


    Sterl, having developed an immunity to charms at the Iridescent-Level, and further enhanced that ability, posed a lethal temptation to them.


    At this moment, the divine being could hardly move. However, surrounded by her subordinates and with a group of demons fleeing under the Lord of Evil Spirits in the distance, she barely managed to keep herposure.


    And at this moment... Sterl also ceased his movements.


    On one hand, it was to give face to the divine-level demon; on the other, it was because the arrival of the Subus Queen was apanied by an overwhelming aura. She raised her hand, sealing off the surrounding space. Only a few demons under the Lord of Evil Spirits managed to escape to a distance; the rest of the demons and Swallowing Heaven yers were all trapped in ce, unable to move.


    So there was no rush to pursue; after all, everyone was stuck.


    At this moment, countless expressions changed among those present.


    First was nda, her face filled with extreme unease and panic.


    nda couldn''t understand what was happening; she had merely wanted to voice a few supportive words for Mephistopheles��was that such a big deal?


    Wasn''t he chosen by Her Majesty herself?


    Helping him out didn''t seem like a grave offense, did it?


    Why was it like this?


    But the other Supremes and yers, along with demons under the Subus Queen, were reveling in the chaos.


    In a very short time, they all underwent a dramatic change in demeanor!


    Could they not see the situation clearly? Mephistopheles'' actions had already provoked the Subus Queen!


    This divine-level demon was visibly displeased with nda, who she usually valued highly, simply because she wanted to assist Mephistopheles.


    Well then�� everything was set!


    Though they didn''t understand why the Queen was in such a foul mood today��on other asions, when she encountered a talent, even if some of her subordinates were killed, she wouldn''t be overly enraged. Not to mention Mephistopheles, who had helped Licitris eliminate Lovic, the top general under the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    But why worry about all that?


    The situation was favorable for them; let''s just enjoy it for now!


    The Swallowing Heaven yers standing beside Sterl underwent a dramatic change in expression.


    What began as anxiety and fear quickly morphed into smug arrogance, especially upon noticing that Mephistopheles had ceased his attacks. They wore mocking smiles.


    "Come on! Why don''t you keep attacking?"


    "Let''s see you kill me!"


    "Hey, look over here! Damn it! Still trying to y tough!"


    "Do you have any idea what happens when you offend a god?"


    This group not only taunted verbally but also made various provocative gestures, rolling their eyes and sneering.


    Below, the three Supremes spoke in unison, "We wee Your Majesty, the Queen!"


    "We are currently under attack from the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, as well as Mephistopheles, and our faction has suffered greatly."


    "Lovic is dead, yet Mephistopheles remains relentless."


    "How to deal with this situation, we humbly await Your Majesty''s decision."


    Unlike ordinary Swallowing Heaven yers who would plead for mercy when in a disadvantage and act arrogantly when in power, the Supremes still concealed a hint of smugness in their eyes.


    Mephistopheles, weren''t you quite powerful? What good is that against a god? Whether you are a genius or a fool, it''s all meaningless.


    "Hmm."


    The Subus Queen casually nodded, then fell silent, making no further moves.


    Yet this seemingly trivial moment caused countless demons and Swallowing Heaven yers to lower their heads in submission.


    This was the majesty of a deity!


    The Subus Queen''s stillness only fueled the panic among the beings present, as if they werembs awaiting judgment.


    Time passed��


    The pressure on the many demons and yers grew heavier, and beads of sweat began to form on many foreheads.


    They couldn''t understand why the Subus Queen had stopped her actions, although they could roughly guess it was likely to punish Mephistopheles.


    But until everything was settled, how could anyone not feel anxious while watching the Subus Queen''s inscrutable demeanor?


    As for the Subus Queen herself, she gazed up at Mephistopheles'' figure in the sky, feeling increasingly excited and delighted. After all, the shadow she had seen earlier in the information stream was nothingpared to the real Mephistopheles, who ignited her enthusiasm and allure!


    She stood still, simply enjoying the sight of Mephistopheles!


    ��


    At that moment, Sterl flicked his wrist, summoning a water-blue de once again, transforming it into countless shes of des and swords.


    In an instant, those demons and hell yers who had mocked him were reduced to mere chunks of flesh.


    Before their deaths, they wore expressions of arrogance and satisfaction, as if they had seen the once-mighty Mephistopheles crushed beneath their feet, relishing the moment!


    Unfortunately, such expressions would forever be frozen in time��

 Chapter 367: Chapter 367: "Judgment" Mephistopheles

    Sterl, having a life-saving trump card, waited a few seconds, giving face to the divine-level demon.


    However, since the Swallowing Heaven yers were calling for their deaths, Sterl had no intention of indulging them.


    With a swift motion, he struck back and imed the activity contribution.


    He didn''t hide his actions, as Mephistopheles'' current power level was at least on par with Lovic, a hidden Supreme.


    Such figures had little need for activity contributions.


    Sterl''s act of seizing contributions would only be interpreted as venting his anger, without any other implications.


    Seeing this, the demons and yers in the sky, who had previously mocked him, were too busy to pay attention to Sterl''s public extraction of contributions. They first scattered in terror, frantically distancing themselves from Mephistopheles.


    Yet, their faces soon broke into radiant smiles. They didn''t dare to insult him any longer, fearing that Mephistopheles might set his sights on them next, but in their hearts, they felt immense satisfaction.


    "Good! Good!"


    "Before the divine-level demon descended, you were so reckless, but now you dare to p the face of the Subus Queen right in front of her. How could she possibly let you go? I''d rather kick your head off and use it as a ball!"


    The majesty of a god is not to be offended; that is an irond rule.


    The three Supremes below wore simrly respectful expressions towards the Queen, yet their bodies trembled continuously.


    They couldn''tugh!


    Absolutely couldn''tugh!


    Hold it in!


    Only nda stood there,pletely dumbfounded.


    Earlier, when she had been coldly addressed by the Queen, it hadn''t felt as chilling as this moment.


    Mephistopheles, do you enjoy courting death this much?


    In front of the Queen, even Licitris wouldn''t let you off just to maintain his own dignity; otherwise, how could hemand an entireyer of hell?


    Sterl floated calmly in the air. He hadn''t anticipated that, after his almost provocative attack, the situation remained eerily calm.


    He wasn''t nning to leave just yet; instead, he wanted to observe the Subus Queen''s capabilities as a deity before using his escape item. Sterl''s style was to squeeze every bit of utility out of everything.


    What if, in the future, he might have to confront the Subus Queen? The more information he gathered, the better equipped he would be.


    But the divine-level demon remained unmoving for quite some time...


    Sterl hesitated for less than half a second.


    So, what are we waiting for? Let''s continue the killing!


    Sterl''s wrist twitched slightly, gathering another Flowing Water de. Just as he was about to act, the three Supremes suddenly stepped in front of him.


    "Mephistopheles, aren''t you going to stop?"


    "Do you really disregard Her Majesty the Queen?"


    "Dare you harm ourrades again?"


    Each of them exuded a righteous air, and anyone unaware would think they were beings from the main world, showing no trace of demonic demeanor.


    On the surface, the three Supremes aimed to block Sterl, but in reality, their full attention was on the Queen. At the same time, their words were intended to provoke Mephistopheles, hoping he would not only ughter yers from their faction but also utter disrespectful words about the Queen.


    Then Mephistopheles would be doomed, right?


    Sterl found the situation amusing. The three Supremes were trying to block him, but they were still quite far away. If Sterl truly wanted to strike, they wouldn''t be able to react in time.


    These people were quite humorous��


    Sterl slowly gathered his energy, and the surrounding space began to solidify.


    Hmm?


    Something was off!


    Sterl''s expression changed abruptly!


    It wasn''t just him; several Supremes, along with countless demons and Swallowing Heaven yers in attendance, felt the shift. Only Sterl turned extremely alert, his hand already holding a teleportation escape device from his small world.


    The others, however, wore expressions of delight.


    Earlier, an overwhelming divine presence descended, leaving no room for any resistance in their hearts. This could only be the Subus Queen, making her move.


    A faint pink wave of Divine Power nearly crushed the entire area.


    No matter how strong Mephistopheles was, he couldn''t resist against Divine Power!


    Not only the followers of the Subus Queen, but even the yers and demons from the Lord of Evil Spirits side were grinning. They weren''t happy because they had offended Mephistopheles; rather, they were delighted at the prospect of witnessing the downfall of such a legendary genius before their likely demise.


    What a spectacle it would be!


    nda, feeling helpless, closed her eyes.


    Mephistopheles had plenty of chances to survive, but he stubbornly pushed things to the end.


    When those Supremes were intercepting, he should have just held back.


    If only he had given the Queen a bit of face, she wouldn''t target him so fiercely.


    nda sighed, "Mephistopheles, I have no regrets for trying to save you."


    Sterl held his breath, focusing intently. At that moment, the Subus Queen waved her delicate silk sleeve, and three shimmering golden-threaded chains shot out, seemingly capable of sealing off every escape route.


    Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Sterl didn''t feel any pressure from this. Instead, he became even more vignt!


    "The Subus Queen is so cautious, even against a non-divine level entity like me, she''s hiding the fluctuations of her attacks??"


    "Even a lion will exert its full strength when hunting a rabbit?"


    "Impressive!"


    He regarded this divine-level demon with newfound respect.


    However, the others didn''t share Sterl''s unique perspective. In that brief moment, they could only watch in eager anticipation��


    Mephistopheles, he''s finally going down!


    I could cry!


    Have we had it easy?


    We''ve waited so long!


    The three Supremes were even more ecstatic! They were the most excited, being the closest to Mephistopheles.


    This was the VIP viewing area!


    But suddenly, the three Supremes felt their bodies tighten, as if something was wrapping around them. They instinctively tried to break free, but the binding force came with an overwhelming weight that easily shattered their resistance.


    This was a fluctuation only Divine Power could produce; how could this be? Was it the Lord of Evil Spirits who had arrived? But that wasn''t his style of attack��


    Wait a minute, this is Her Majesty the Queen''s Divine Power.


    The three Supremes'' minds went nk; in that fleeting moment, they couldn''t even react before being captured!


    Huh??


    In the next instant, countless onlookers were left dumbfounded.


    Their first reaction was that Mephistopheles had finally been caught. But wait, why does Mephistopheles have three bodies? Hold on, this isn''t Mephistopheles; these are the three Supreme under the Subus Queen!


    What''s going on? How can you even capture the wrong person?


    Clearly, many were leftpletely bewildered in the face of such a bizarre twist of events.


    Fortunately��


    There were still a few who remained calm in this moment, and it was Sterl.


    He analyzed the situation, his expression changing dramatically. Could it be that the Lord of Evil Spirits had intervened and disrupted the Subus Queen? Otherwise, why would she trap her own Supremes?


    Oh boy��


    Things are about to get messy!


    With both deities present, I need to get out of here!


    Sterl was grateful that the Lord of Evil Spirits had made the rational choice to deal with another god first instead of targeting his enemy, giving Sterl a chance to escape.


    Without any fluctuations, the Subus Queen managed to control her own Supremes. If it had been directed at him��


    Well, that wouldn''t be a problem.


    The Radiant ss Body could withstand one instance of control.


    But just as Sterl was about to press the button on his Emergency Escape Device, the voice of Subus Queen Licitris rang out��cold and clear, yet with a hint of sacred purity. It echoed in everyone''s hearts, a resonance of Divine Power that needed no time to spread, reaching deep within them.


    "You shall not show disrespect to Mephistopheles."


    "He has in Lovic for me, and after suffering such humiliation and betrayal, what harm is there in venting a little?"


    "I decree that anyone here who has acted against you can be in."


    Her words carried a chilling intent to kill.


    But it wasn''t aimed at Sterl; it was directed at the demons and yers present who had ambushed him. At the same time, her words struck the hearts of the three Supremes like the tolling of a bell.


    Initially, no one realized what had happened, as the voice of the Subus Queen carried an extremely strong charm effect. This was a passive ability that could not be turned off at will.


    Countless demons in attendance, including the three captured Supremes, felt a momentary nkness in their minds, consumed by the desire to dedicate everything to the voice''s owner, willing to sacrifice their lives without hesitation.


    The ordinary demons and Swallowing Heaven yers went wild, instantly turning their gaze toward Subus Queen Licitris. Many knelt, drooling and fervently rushing toward her, devoid of any semnce of dignity as strong beings, almost as if they had been brainwashed.


    Among those affected by the charm was Sterl, but his reaction was noticeably a beat slower than the rest.


    The main reason was ack of information; Sterl was unaware of the seductive effect of the Subus Queen''s voice. He reacted quickly, but he still couldn''t synchronize with the others.


    As for the charm in Licitris''s voice, Sterl didn''t feel it at all��


    To him, it simply sounded pleasant, nothing more.


    "It should be fine, I''ll start my disguise right away��"


    Sterl pondered, feeling a profound sense of calm within, which allowed him to immediately grasp the meaning behind the Subus Queen''s words.


    As a result, he chose not to escape but to remain for the time being.


    Then��


    Sterl felt a bit dizzy.


    What Licitris had just said was a bit outrageous!


    He believed his earlier deductions couldn''t possibly be wrong.


    There was no way Licitris would side with him unless something was fundamentally off in her mind.


    This divine-level demon truly seemed to have lost her mind.


    Otherwise, how could she make such a foolish decision? To control the three Supremes, who had at least outwardly shown loyalty, and then to extend such kindness toward him while stating that those who had attacked Mephistopheles could be freely in?


    What did this imply? If Sterl so wished, he could wipe out the elite troops that the Subus Queen had brought with her.


    Even if she had some resources left, it would significantly weaken her in the originalyer of hell.

 Chapter 368: Chapter 368: She Seems Like a "Sycophant"

    Sterl was left dumbfounded. What on earth was going on?


    Could it be that...


    He connected this with nda''s earlier behavior and came up with a theory��


    Could it be that the Subus Queen has some special detection ability that revealed my uniqueness? Perhaps it''s because my human race bloodline from Earth actually contains some secrets? Or maybe she discovered my Earth human heritage and intends to report it to the upper realms.


    Or is it possible that after mastering the Solidification Method, absorbing me would bring her, a divine-level Subus, immense benefits?


    Or�� simply that my charm is too strong, captivating this goddess?


    Sterl''s mind was in a state of alert!


    There was not an ounce of joy; something unusual must have an underlying reason!


    The first two spections both implied extremely terrifying oues! Either he would meet his end, or he would attract the attention of mysterious forces targeting the human race from Earth��


    As for the third possibility��


    Sterl simply dismissed it in his mind, trying to amuse himself.


    Not to mention a goddess, even some ordinary professionals wouldn''t pay a hefty price just for a member of the opposite sex or for beauty.


    Sterl quickly ruled out that possibility.


    He pondered, should he just run away?


    No matter what conspiracy was at y, if he wasn''t there, it wouldn''t matter.


    Without hesitation, Sterl pressed the button on the Emergency Escape Device.


    Before the effects of this item could manifest, Sterl took a moment to enjoy the bizarre expressions that emerged as countless people broke free from the enchantment.


    The Supremes under the Subus Queen and the Supremes left behind by the Lord of Evil Spirits were the first to react. They began recalling the words that had shed through their minds, wearing expressions of disbelief.


    No way???


    What kind of joke is this?


    Has the Subus Queen gone mad? Making such a decision, could it be that this Mephistopheles is her illegitimate child? But that''s impossible; the Subus race doesn''t produce male members.


    What is going on here??


    This was tantamount to handing over her subordinates to Mephistopheles. Even in Hell, where divine-level demons are notoriously brutal towards their subordinates, such an overt betrayal would be unthinkable!


    That would destroy her credibility!


    After this, the number of followers willing to follow her would surely decrease significantly.


    Countless yers and demons were left stunned, many of them trembling and unable to maintain their floating positions, plummeting to the ground.


    Their faces were filled with sheer terror.


    "Your Majesty, have you sold us out??"


    "Why? Why is this happening?"


    "Did I hear that wrong?"


    ...


    Those who had eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Subus Queen were now utterly broken.


    At this moment, the space was sealed under Divine Power; there was no escape! Mephistopheles could truly wipe them all out!


    Many turned to look at the Subus Queen, unable to speak or question her; their eyes revealed a desperate hope that perhaps she was joking��that she had some ulterior motive to recruit Mephistopheles and this was just the way to start things. Maybe she would even mentionter about saving their lives??


    However, the Subus Queen was serious. With a mere wave of her hand, countless demons and yers from [Swallowing Heaven] were bound and pressed to the ground, unable to mount any defense.


    Now, if Mephistopheles wanted to kill them, he could do so with a mere unsheathing of his sword; he didn''t even need to use his tinum Skill.


    In an instant, their minds felt like they were on fire! They didn''t even know who to beg for mercy.


    Mephistopheles? How could they possibly do that? He was a harbinger of death.


    Licitris?


    To question a god''s decision was a death sentence for mortals!


    "Ha~ha"


    "Yah~yah"


    Under the immense pressure, these demons and yers from [Swallowing Heaven] could hardly speak, only able to emit incoherent sounds.


    Some were so overwhelmed with fear that their internal energy surged wildly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Some even self-destructed!


    Their deaths were tragic, their flesh and bonespletely ignited by their own energy, turning to ash!


    The effects of the self-explosion severely injured many of the yers and demons around them, who were already suppressed and now had no strength left to resist.


    ...


    The yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits were just as bewildered. They epted the situation a little better because they had anticipated that escape would be difficult from the start.


    However, not witnessing Mephistopheles'' downfall left them feeling some regret.


    But that didn''t mean they could ept�� that Mephistopheles had so openly offended a god''s authority and yet received such favorable treatment.


    They felt it was utterly absurd and deeply frustrating!


    Why?


    Why should he alone enjoy all the good fortune?


    Mephistopheles was powerful, with unparalleled talent, and yet he also received the favor of a god��not just any god, but the embodiment of desire��


    The Subus Queen, Licitris. To be favored by this deity meant not only material support but also the purest enjoyment in the realms of physical and spiritual pleasure!


    Many demons and yers from [Swallowing Heaven] not only resented Mephistopheles for forcing them into such a dire situation, but they also envied his fortune��


    It was all too enviable!


    The four Supremes under Licitris, including nda, looked at Mephistopheles withplex expressions in their eyes.


    The loyalty of these individuals to the Subus Queen was unquestionable. When Licitris chose to support Mephistopheles, they had no objections��


    nda was somewhat relieved; at least Mephistopheles was safe. She sighed, knowing that she probably wouldn''t get to enjoy that safety herself��


    She was the only one who could understand Licitris''s thoughts. The fact that Mephistopheles had such a strong allure for her meant that for a queen who had reached divine level power, he would be even more tempting.


    What tormented nda was the realization that if Mephistopheles was so favored by the queen, she probably would never have a chance to get close to him.


    "I can only hope the queen grows tired of him soon��"


    "Or maybe when Mephistopheles has some free time, he coulde to y with me. After all, I''ve made several efforts to save him; shouldn''t he repay me a little?"


    nda''s thoughts wandered.


    Meanwhile, the other three Supremes wore expressions of calmness.


    Just moments ago, under the circumstances of Mephistopheles being so favored, they had even entertained feelings of betrayal. Their anger felt like it was igniting their very consciousness!


    Unlike nda, who could understand Licitris''s thoughts, they knew that this was likely yet another rival in love, and a formidable one at that, capable of receiving the greatest affection from Licitris!


    The Supremes, captured by the charm, found it impossible to ept this one fact! They felt an impulse to kill Mephistopheles and take the ce of the Subus Queen!


    Thus, the power of enchantment forcibly activated, twisting the minds of the three Supremes.


    At that moment, they felt dazed and unusually calm. Whenever Mephistopheles crossed their minds, an inexplicable sense of concern and respect began to flow within them.


    However��


    In the midst of this focused attention and burgeoning hatred, Mephistopheles''s figure suddenly glowed, as if he were about to vanish.


    "Wait, what are you doing?"


    Licitris reacted quickly. She had been closely monitoring Sterl''s movements, especially since her enchanting voice had seemingly left Mephistopheles unaffected. The fact that he pretended to be under her control only made Licitris''s heart flutter with excitement!


    It was precisely because the power of enchantment was so overwhelming that this divine-level demon craved a partner who could resist her charms.


    In other words, Sterl''s usual tactic of appearing unremarkable��


    Had finally been exposed.


    At that moment, Licitris immediately activated her Divine Power to prevent Mephistopheles from teleporting.


    To her surprise, while Divine Power did indeed freeze Mephistopheles in mid-air,pletely solidifying the space around him, the white light surrounding him continued to operate!


    It was sending him into a chaotic space rift. Licitris, having seen such things before, recognized what it was.


    "A forced escape item! You�� why are you using that?"


    Licitris''s expression shifted to one of deep grievance. Even a god was merely a more powerful entity, after all, and they too experienced emotions.


    The Subus Queen felt hurt! For the first time, she had developed such strong affection for a male, only to find that hepletely disregarded her feelings?


    Could it be that my fearsome reputation scared him away?


    Caught between questioning Mephistopheles''s actions and her own self-doubt, Licitris unhesitatingly chose to examine her own issues.


    She quickly sent a telepathic message.


    "Wait! Mephistopheles, I mean you no harm, and I would never hurt you. I can sign a contract��please, just stay and don''t leave!"


    "Don''t use that item! The death rate associated with such things is far higher than what''s written on them. If you get caught in the spatial rift, I won''t be able to save you!"


    "Please! Don''t do this!"


    ...


    Her voice flooded into Sterl''s senses, leaving him momentarily stunned. Although the effect of her charm didn''t work on him, the emotion infused in Licitris''s words felt incredibly genuine.


    Sterl pondered��


    This Subus Queen''s demeanor ispletely different from what I expected.


    Wait, I''m the one who has chosen to escape despite your good intentions. The Subus Queen is actually more concerned about my safety?


    Sterl felt as if this was reminiscent of the sycophants from his previous life before transmigrating.


    But aren''t you a god?


    Since his transmigration, Sterl had been able to analyze the thoughts of various powerful beings logically, yet today, he found himself utterly confused.


    Huh??


    Sterl was just about to be pulled into the spatial rift when suddenly, a blood-red alert shed before his eyes.


    [You are affected by a sealing spell; your current coordinates are fixed.]


    [You are receiving��]


    The text continued to flicker.


    Sterl understood one thing: the forced teleportation item was not invincible; it merely provided immunity to spatial restrictions. With his coordinates locked, he could not teleport away.


    However, such abilities were quite rare, and Sterl usually wouldn''t encounter them.


    At the same time, he heard a chilling, eerieughter echoing around him, reverberating through the vicinity.


    "You think you can leave?"


    "You can''t escape!"

 Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Lord of Evil Spirits · Rog

    Once again, a surge of divine-level power rippled through the surroundings!


    There was no need for introductions.


    Lord of Evil Spirits �� Rog!


    Countless skulls rushed out from the air, ultimately coalescing into a massive figure. Compared to the eerie charm of the Subus Queen, whichmanded the submission of countless subjects, this being that had just descended truly resembled a divine-level demon.


    The body formed from innumerable bones took on the shape of a giant. With every movement, numerous bones fell to the ground, transforming into wisps of dark mist. Any creature ensnared by this mist was swiftly devoured, their flesh dissipating to be mere skeletons.


    Eventually, those skeletons bounced and hopped towards the body of the Lord of Evil Spirits, causing it to grow evenrger.


    At this moment...


    The countless members under the Lord of Evil Spirits did not disy excitement; instead, they looked increasingly terrified.


    "I instructed you to act alongside Lovic, and this is the oue."


    The deity spoke each word deliberately, with every syble infused with thick, gray-ck mist. The weapons of countless fallen souls surged towards his subordinates; many had already been consumed, their forms merging into the body of the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    "Feel the punishment."


    The Lord of Evil Spirits said coldly.


    He wasn''t directly killing these subordinates; doing so would soon make it impossible for any yer demon to dare to reside in hisyer of hell.


    At that moment, the Lord of Evil Spirits was merely drawing these subordinates into his body to begin torturing them and extracting their power.


    After the judgment wasplete, the yer demons of the Lord of Evil Spirits faction, who had not been selected, finally felt relief.


    "My Lord! You have finally arrived!"


    "Wee, my Lord!"


    "Please take revenge for Lord Lovic!"


    ��


    In an instant, they fell to their knees, overwhelmed with excitement.


    The arrival of their revered deity meant that they had been saved.


    As for Licitris at this moment... she paid no attention.


    Under normal circumstances, wasting power on the followers of another divine-level demon would be unwise; for Licitris, it would be a significant loss.


    But at this moment, she simply stared nkly at the returned Mephistopheles, her face filled with concern,pletely unconcerned about the yers and demons under the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    "Thank goodness! Thank goodness you''re okay."


    "Using a forced teleportation item is a gamble with your life; why did you have to do that?"


    "What did I do to make you want to leave me so badly?"


    Licitris''s tone was gentle.


    Sterl was taken aback. Even if the Subus Queen had ulterior motives toward him, her attitude was surprisingly benevolent. In the past, when Gloria had considered him a fellow member of the human race on Earth, she had shown him some kindness, but it was nothingpared to the gentleness he was experiencing now.


    "I... I just sensed that the Lord of Evil Spirits was about to descend, so I thought it best toy low for a bit," Sterl said, casually providing an excuse.


    Inside, he was even more shocked. He waspletely immune to the Subus Queen''s charm abilities, yet he still felt a pang of sympathy from her seemingly hurtful words.


    This was the allure of a divine-level being! It was terrifying!


    However, before either of them could say much more...


    Ahhh!!


    A chorus of agonizing screams erupted from within the body of the Lord of Evil Spirits, who then unleashed countless bones that transformed into translucent skulls, rushing toward Mephistopheles to tear at him.


    "You killed my general, so you shall pay with your life."


    At this moment...


    The originally pale-faced yers from the Subus Queen''s faction suddenly brightened.


    What a twist of fate! The one helping them was actually the respected deity from the faction that was supposed to attack them, the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    If Mephistopheles died, the Subus Queen wouldn''t go so far as to kill them; she might even offer them as sacrifices instead.


    Moreover, the emotions of the three sealed Supremes were gradually bing active. If Mephistopheles were to die...


    Then the Queen wouldn''t abandon them...


    He must die! He absolutely must die!


    As for whether the Lord of Evil Spirits'' attack would seed?


    The demons and the yers from [Swallowing Heaven] were not overly worried about that!


    Unless the Subus Queen was willing to go to war with another god for Mephistopheles, otherwise, Mephistopheles was doomed!


    Surely it couldn''te to that, could it??


    Countless thoughts raced through the minds of those present; divine beings wouldn''t easily engage in battle with each other, as they all possessed the power to destroy one another. A single misstep could determine the oue of their conflict.


    And this time, the Lord of Evil Spirits had lost his general, Lovic. Mephistopheles wasn''t even under Licitris''smand. Would she risk everything to fight with the potentially enraged Lord of Evil Spirits over him?


    That would be madness!


    Even if the Lord of Evil Spirits was reluctant to fight, there were still three deities from the main world watching closely outside.


    For two divine-level demons to swap skills would carry significant risks.


    Most "people," with just a little thought, would conclude that Licitris''s only viable option was to abandon Mephistopheles.


    She would definitely do that.


    Uh... she should do that, right?


    After suffering a p in the face earlier, who could possibly not realize how highly the Subus Queen valued Mephistopheles? They dared not assume how Licitris would decide when faced with an attack from the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    No! It couldn''t be!


    Was Mephistopheles really worth the risk of the Subus Queen''s own downfall?


    That was absurd!


    However...


    Just as countless demons were devouring yers in a state of anxiety...


    Boom!!


    Ayer of pale pink mist mixed with purple lightning appeared in front of Mephistopheles, shattering the skulls released by the Lord of Evil Spirits into fragments!


    The explosive sound was not just the shattering of the Lord of Evil Spirits'' skills, but also the breaking of the spirits of the three Supremes under Licitris!


    The mindset of countless demons and [Swallowing Heaven] yers shattered!


    Are they serious?


    Have they lost their minds??


    Licitris was really willing to engage in battle with the Lord of Evil Spirits for Mephistopheles, ignoring the menacing deities from the main world.


    No one couldprehend this!


    Earlier, they had fleetingly wondered if the Subus Queen would stubbornly protect Mephistopheles, but reason told them it was impossible.


    Yet reality was utterly absurd!


    ��


    On the side of the Lord of Evil Spirits, he too was astonished.


    He had long since noticed Licitris''s concern for Mephistopheles, but when he acted earlier, he never expected that the Subus Queen would truly intervene.


    Licitris, he understood well, did not behave like an ordinary demon, easily enraged, but rather acted with considerable strategy.


    Lord of Evil Spirits could see clearly that Mephistopheles had not won Licitris''s favor through mere talent, but rather through his appearance.


    This meant that the Subus Queen could easily cast him aside.


    But now, with the current developments...


    Lord of Evil Spirits watched as Licitris continued to gather the power of the Respectable Position, seemingly eager to take action herself, and he felt a bit of panic.


    He knew that the deities from the main world had already set their sights on him.


    If he were to engage with Licitris, those three deities would surelye to ambush him.


    In a moment of desperation, the Lord of Evil Spirits actually backed down.


    "Enough!"


    "Enough!"


    "Licitris, I think you''ve truly lost your mind."


    "Let''s each take a step back. Don''t you just want to enjoy Mephistopheles? Let him take one hit from me."


    "That would at least give me some closure."


    ��


    At this moment...


    The yers under the Lord of Evil Spirits were also stunned.


    They were witnessing for the first time the once-powerful respected deity making a concession.


    He even offered a rather generous condition: as a god, he was willing to spare the life of the mortal who had angered him for just one hit.


    Although the Lord of Evil Spirits'' strike was incredibly terrifying, able to infuse destruction and curse power into Mephistopheles''s body and instantly render the talented genius incapacitated, if the Subus Queen was willing to spend her Divine Power to gradually expel the Lord of Evil Spirits'' influence, Mephistopheles could return to normal after several decades.


    He would, however, suffer greatly during that time.


    It seemed that Mephistopheles would suffer greatly afterward, but considering his situation, he had just killed the first general under the Lord of Evil Spirits and was enjoying a treatment that amounted to offending a deity to the point of death, yet only dying his power advancement for a few decades.


    In essence, the Lord of Evil Spirits had already let Mephistopheles off the hook, even if it was due to the urgent circumstances. This was an unprecedented urrence.


    A mere mortal killing the most beloved general of a god, a being who might even ascend to divinity in the future, and yet facing no consequences!?


    To be honest��


    The many demons and yers from [Swallowing Heaven] present looked at Mephistopheles with a mix of awe and envy.


    What on earth was happening?


    He had acted recklessly, and yet he was favored by the gods. The Lord of Evil Spirits didn''t dare to do anything to him��


    The yers under the Subus Queen also sighed in relief. If Mephistopheles was seriously injuredter, he probably wouldn''t have the time to execute them, right? At least it seemed like the situation was finallying to an end.


    Well, at least they had saved their lives.


    ��


    However, after the crowd expressed their sentiments, their expressions quickly turned strange.


    They noticed that Licitris was still standing protectively in front of Mephistopheles.


    Licitris remained resolutely shielding Mephistopheles.


    "Rog, I won''t let you touch him."


    After saying this, Licitris turned her palm, and radiant light quickly coalesced, ultimately transforming into a pink energy crystal that exploded in all directions!


    The Subus Queen radiated with an Iridescent-Level glow.


    She was giving her all!


    At this moment, Licitris was not acting purely on impulse; she felt that if the Lord of Evil Spirits were to incapacitate Mephistopheles, the mysterious allure that Mephistopheles held for her would diminish significantly.


    Licitris had analyzed this allure and suspected it was likely due to the considerable benefits Mephistopheles provided her!


    On top of that, emotionally, Licitris didn''t want someone she valued to suffer.


    With these factorsbined, she made a move that the Lord of Evil Spirits found iprehensible.


    Rog found himself continuously retreating in the face of the exploding crystals.


    While Sterl looked utterly bewildered.


    After dodging the impact of the crystals a few times, the Lord of Evil Spirits finally reached his breaking point.


    "Alright! Fine!"


    "Licitris! I''ll remember you!"


    His expression darkened, and through his senses, he discovered that the deities from the main world had already made their move, just as Licitris unleashed her full power! Clearly, the three deities had been monitoring everything that was happening here through some mysterious means for quite some time.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits understood that if he stayed any longer, he risked falling at any moment.


    So��

 Chapter 370: Chapter 370: The Next Origin of Chaos, Settled!

    Bang!


    With a tremendous explosion, the bones within the Lord of Evil Spirits shatteredpletely, transforming into a bizarre cloud of smoke that rapidly swept away a group of his yers and demons, charging off into the distance.


    The remaining space confinement from the Subus Queen was easily broken apart.


    Dark gray streaks were left behind, quickly spreading outwards, and it took a long time for the Subus Queen''s power to gradually neutralize them.


    At this moment, Licitris did not intervene; instead, she nced at Sterl with some regret. "I may not be able to help you take revenge on those who were saved by Rog."


    "I''m sorry for putting you in this position."


    Huh?


    Was this something a deity should say? And she was apologizing for making him feel wronged? What on earth did he have to feel wronged about?


    Lovic was killed by Mephistopheles, and the Lord of Evil Spirits couldn''t touch him at all. Was this really something to be called wronged? He wouldn''t mind being wronged like that!


    Countless demons, yers from [Swallowing Heaven], several Supremes under the Subus Queen, and powerful beings lingering within the Subus Queen''s faction��even the three deities from the main world who were observing everything here through a special item��all couldn''t help but blink in disbelief.


    "Why do I feel a bit envious of this kid?"


    "If I became a god and was treated like this by a goddess�� tsk tsk tsk."


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves; we need to stop Rog and catch both of them at once."


    The three deities from the main world chatted among themselves.


    Except for the elderly-looking deity, the other two looked at Mephistopheles with expressions of jealousy.


    Gods were more capable of sensing the emotions and truths hidden within words, after all.


    Even though the Subus Queen was renowned for her ability to tempt and manipte hearts and minds, the three deities had prepared themselves with multiple buffs to resist Licitris''s abilities in order to deal with this divine-level demon.


    The Subus Queen could control a person''s life and soul with just a few words.


    It was precisely theseyers of controversy that convinced the deities that Licitris was being sincere at this moment.


    ��


    As for Sterl himself, he was at a loss for what expression to wear.


    He was stunned.


    The Subus Queen''s attitude was almost excessively kind; he didn''t know how to respond.


    Sterl was also a normal man, and Licitris''s allure was already terrifying; being treated this way by her made him slightly excited.


    But��


    Sterl quickly regained hisposure. The power of temptation was indeed formidable. Even though he was effectively immune to her controlling effects, the Subus Queen certainly didn''t rely solely on brute mental maniption to captivate others��there were also verbal and behavioral inducements!


    This was something to be cautious of!


    Although Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of affection for Licitris, he continuously reminded himself to stayposed.


    Then��


    He was hit by another wave of temptation.


    As the Lord of Evil Spirits and his forces withdrew, the Subus Queen gradually approached Sterl. With every movement, her tall, perfectly sculpted figure swayed slightly, radiating immense allure.


    While Sterl was immune to the effects of charm, the pure beauty and seduction expressed through the Subus Queen''s physicality stirred something within him, causing a subtle rush of blood down below and igniting a spark of excitement in his mind.


    Before Sterl could even gather his thoughts on how to respond to the queen, Licitris closed in on him with incredible speed, characteristic of a divine-level demon.


    Before he knew it, he felt as if he were enveloped in a warm embrace of jade, apanied by delightful sensations coursing over his body.


    Licitris wrapped her arms around him.


    The thin veil she wore had the power to obscure detection; others present could not see Licitris''s true form through it.


    However, the material of the veil was so light that when Sterl was embraced, it felt as if he were touching Licitris''s bare skin.


    A wave of warmth and slickness emanated from her as she held him.


    "Mephistopheles, I''m quite fond of you. How about youe back to my kingdom with me?"


    "I will treat you well and prepare resources for your ascension to divinity."


    "Shall we conquer the hells together in the future?"


    Licitris spoke with a voice as soft as the gentlest brush, tickling Sterl''s heart.


    Her tone was incredibly sincere, and the content of her words left Sterl in a daze.


    Am I going to be taken care of?


    Resources for bing a god are already prepared??


    Sterl felt his mouth go dry, and he was�� barely able to resist!


    He had originally intended to stay put, regardless of the Subus Queen''s intentions, to bide his time and turn the tables when the opportunity arose.


    But now��


    Sterl felt that even standing still was a form of torture.


    In the realm of the mind, he was immune to everything, but physically, he was responding instinctively.


    At that moment, Licitris didn''t feel like a deity; she resembled a young girl in love, incredibly tender and affectionate.


    Sterl had thought his heart was as solid as iron, yet he found it difficult to withstand her allure!


    "Alright! How about this: you don''t rush to punish my subordinates."


    "Let''s leave theyer of hell for now and go to my pce."


    "I have forged a bed out of a hundred thousand years of ice jade. Would you like to try its texture?"


    Licitris hadpletely wrapped herself around Sterl.


    Without him even realizing it, her initially normal embrace had shifted into a more intimate hold.


    Sterl''s mind remained unaffected, but his entire body was in turmoil, blood surging restlessly. He felt an overwhelming urge to ept Licitris''s proposition without hesitation.


    Yet this was merely the result of the Subus Queen not using any external means; it was purely the allure of her physical charm and the temptation of her words.


    "Since I have the Solidification Method, it should be fine to enjoy Licitris, right?"


    Sterl forced himself to analyze the situation.


    At the same time��


    Swish!


    He activated the power of Destructive Light within his mental realm, and an intense pain shot through his soul, snapping him back to rity in an instant.


    "Wait a minute."


    "Having the Subus Queen as a casual partner isn''t bad, but developing feelings for a demon is foolish."


    "If she truly is so infatuated with me, that could be a point I can leverage."


    "For example, using the Blood Sacrifice Array to refine Licitris? That might create another Origin of Chaos."


    Sterl''s physical body remained in a state of arousal.


    But his will had returned to calm, as unyielding as steel.


    He meticulously recalled Licitris''s various reactions and actions.


    There were only two possible exnations.


    Either he himself could provide the Subus Queen with some extraordinarily terrifying benefits��


    But that still wouldn''t exin why a divine-level demon would treat him with such deference, would it?


    The power of a divine-level being was not something that Mephistopheles could contend with.


    The second possibility was that Licitris genuinely felt an inexplicable fondness for him.


    Just like before with nda, Sterl wasn''t foolish; he noticed that after mastering the Solidification Method and following those days of stat increases, nda''s gaze toward him had grown increasingly passionate, almost as if she wanted to pull him in.


    Could it be that mastering this technique grants an attraction bonus to Subi?


    Sterl pondered, considering that the first possibility couldn''t be entirely ruled out. Perhaps the Subus Queen''s style was to manipte hearts rather than resort to brute control. But the likelihood of that was low; Sterl''s nature was to observe his surroundings cautiously.


    He also recalled that earlier, several Supremes under Licitris had been forcibly altered in their mental states.


    Licitris did not shy away from forcibly controlling others.


    Moreover��


    "Mephistopheles, once you be a god, you can be my true partner. I will announce to my kingdom and my people that you will share in all that I have."


    The Subus Queen''s eyes sparkled with a strange light, exuding a captivating aura.


    Sterl could sense the abundance of emotion in her words.


    It didn''t seem like an act at all.


    At the same time, Licitris''s legs gently rubbed against Sterl''s lower body, sending waves of peculiar sensations through him. Even though he was clothed, it felt as if he werepletely naked, and the physical arousal was intensifying.


    As the waves of inexplicable pleasure surged through him, Sterl felt he was on the verge of losing control.


    He made up his mind.


    In that case��


    He would follow Licitris back to heryer of hell and see if he could gain even greater benefits.


    Uh��


    It was certainly not because he wanted to experience the Subus Queen''s allure��


    If Licitris was wearing a disguise, Sterl had his ace up his sleeve with his ability to ascend to godhood, and he could escape anytime he pleased.


    If she wasn''t a disguise��


    Then he truly had an immense trust in himself.


    The next Origin of Chaos would be within reach, and before refining Licitris, he could extract numerous resources from her.


    A win-win!


    I would be winning twice over.


    Sterl remained calm; Licitris''s feelings for him were her own concern. For the sake of his own growth, he would not hesitate to sacrifice Licitris if the opportunity arose.


    Moreover��


    Sterl''s principle was to only take virgins into his harem, but the Subus Queen had undoubtedly been sought after by countless others. Although it was likely that those "others" had been the ones used instead.


    In Sterl''s value system, he didn''t particrly care about the concept of virginity, but in a world where personal power was paramount, why shouldn''t he indulge a little?


    At that moment��


    Licitris skillfully used her charms to entice Mephistopheles, watching as this desirable figure gradually lostposure, her own mood lifting even higher. Little did she know that the person she was smiling at harbored his own hidden ns.


    And this scene��


    Countless demons and yers below could not see clearly, thanks to the shielding effect of Licitris''s Divine Power.


    Yet they could guess what the Subus Queen intended to do by approaching Mephistopheles.


    Thinking about it, this notorious and alluring queen, known for her fearsome reputation, was likely to do something that would make Mephistopheles experience what "paradise" truly felt like.


    This thought ignited a fire in the eyes of almost all the male demons and yer characters!


    After the Lord of Evil Spirits fled, the yers in the Subus Queen''s faction, who had previously shed with Sterl, remained in a state of bondage, suffering immensely, likembs waiting to be ughtered.


    What tormented them even more was��

 Chapter 371: Chapter 371: The Deity of the Main World Takes Action!

    The object of immense hatred, Mephistopheles, was about to undergo the greatest pleasure of his life!


    He could almost feel his teeth grinding to dust.


    The only thing these people could do was to remain defenseless as they were bound, waiting for their doom! Just thinking about the tantalizing scenes Mephistopheles might enjoy made their mental statepletely shatter!


    Meanwhile, on Sterl and Licitris''s side, both seemed to be on the verge of losing control.


    The Subus Queen even used telepathy to warn nda, instructing her to lead the team back to the 1744yer of hell.


    She nned to take Mephistopheles back first for some more intimate contact.


    Licitris''s mind was entirely focused on Mephistopheles, yet she remained vignt.


    "I had a confrontation with Rog earlier; even if we didn''t officially fight, the fluctuations of divine-level power should not have escaped the attention of the deities of the main world."


    "They might have initially intended to use the event''s contributions as bait, forcing my subordinates and Rog''s to kill each other, thus abandoning this expansion event."


    "But the situation has changed. Now that I''ve made my move, the deities of the main world might have developed a bigger appetite, wanting to swallow both Rog and me��"


    She analyzed the situation, not because she had seen through the thoughts of the deities of the main world, but because if she were in their position, Licitris would do the same!


    The Subus Queen quickly gathered her power, trying to open a passage back to heryer of hell.


    However...


    A brilliant golden barrier of light sprang up before her.


    "Is the space sealed?"


    "A Divine Power seal?"


    "No, that''s not right! The deities of the main world must have acted before I even confronted Rog!"


    Licitris''s heart sank.


    "Mephistopheles, stay close to me."


    "Do not leave my side, no matter what happens."


    The Subus Queen tightly embraced Sterl, her expression shifting slightly, revealing a hint of murderous intent.


    Yet, up close, Sterl noticed that even when Licitris disyed such an expression, there was still a strange beauty to it.


    Sterl didn''t resist; the perfect spatialw allowed him to see that Licitris was trying to escape thisyer of hell but had failed.


    It was obvious that the deities of the main world were up to something.


    Sterl remained unperturbed.


    If worse came to worst, he could just log off and switch ounts.


    When did you all conclude that I was a yer from [Swallowing Heaven]?


    But being in this situation was quite ufortable for him, held tightly in Licitris''s embrace, feeling her silky skin and the waves of alluring scent emanating from her.


    Sterl''s body was extremely aroused, and he was on the verge of losing control!


    ...


    Meanwhile, not far away, in a spatial tunnel,


    Lord of Evil Spirits and the countless yers and demons he led in retreat had already been intercepted.


    In the midst of space, on one side was a mountain of bones formed from countless gray mists. On the other side stood three humanoid beings radiating light. The deities of the main world had arrived.


    "Just as I suspected. I knew you could never be trusted," Lord of Evil Spirits roared in fury, while the three respected deities merely looked on with cold disdain.


    "Trusted?"


    "Can a demon utter such words?"


    One of the deities from the Golden Kingdom spoke slowly, their voice creating waves of pressure that forced Lord of Evil Spirits to halt in his tracks.


    "Do you intend to tear up the contract?" Rog bellowed again.


    Lovic had led the yers under Lord of Evil Spirits to attack Licitris''s camp, clearly under the orders of this divine-level demon.


    After obtaining the Stone of Absorption, Rog, already wary of the Archduke of Blood, had aligned himself with the deities of the main world. He nned for his subordinates to plunder contributions from the event while he himself would stall Licitris for a while, allowing the main world deities to set up a sealing formation.


    In this way, Rog''s appearance in theyer of hell wouldn''t be a waste of effort, and he wouldn''t be left empty-handed.


    However, the n was beautiful, but reality had dealt him a severe blow!


    The three deities of the main world first used their means to obscure Rog''s perception. Although he forced himself to pry a little, all he discovered was that Lovic was pursuing the "strongest Supreme," Mephistopheles. Rog certainly didn''t think his top general could lose, so he withdrew his divine awareness.


    In that brief moment, Lovic was brutally in.


    Rog''s heart sank; he was filled with fury, wishing nothing more than to torture Mephistopheles to death in the most brutal manner possible.


    Lovic''s loyalty had guaranteed Rog a divine-levelbat power. Losing him meant a significant decrease in Rog''s strength and disrupted all his future ns for power enhancement.


    It was precisely because of Lovic that Rog felt pressured by the threat of the Archduke of Blood, thinking only of retreating. He didn''t need to take risks; once Lovic ascended, he could reap immense benefits!


    But now, his top general was gone.


    When he had previously faced off against Licitris, he had already been blustering. Without Lovic, Rog was only focused on quickly returning to his ownyer of hell to recuperate, since hell itself was also affected by the looming catastrophe.


    The disaster would spread throughout the lower realm!


    No one could escape.


    Rog had to prepare for the loss of Lovic, who was about to ascend to godhood, to ensure his own survival.


    He knew the deities of the main world were watching closely. In order to save time, they had quickly taken away a batch of stronger yer-demons.


    Yet here he was, cornered.


    At this moment, Rog felt extremely uneasy, but he still brought out the contract he had previously signed with the deities of the main world.


    He held no illusions about leaving unscathed; he knew that was impossible.


    However, with the help of the contract, it shouldn''t be too costly...


    The divine-level demon pondered this as he strategized.


    But in the next instant, the three deities of the main world took out a small knife adorned with golden edges and suddenly stabbed it into their own bodies.


    "What is this?"


    Rog hadn''t reacted yet when an ethereal image of a contract appeared above the deities, roaring to life and turning to ashes.


    "You nned to betray me from the very beginning."


    Lord of Evil Spirits'' expression shifted in shock.


    The three deities merely sneered. "Do you think we would ever cooperate with a demon like you?"


    "Even with the constraints of the contract, demons constantly find loopholes. For instance, your responsibility in assisting us to kill the Subus Queen was merely to force her to release a single skill."


    "It''s a pity that we were on the same page from the start; we never intended to fulfill the contract."


    "The power from the fall of a single divine-level demon isn''t enough to divide among three respected deities."


    "With the great cmity approaching, we must consider our own interests too."


    The three deities of the main world looked at Rog with indifference, as if he were merely a moving treasure trove. After the figures from the upper realms departed, these three respected deities would have no chance of securing a ce in their organization to ascend to the upper realms.


    It was time for them to fight for themselves.


    What unfolded before them was the result of their meticulous nning.


    [Swallowing Heaven] and [Transcendence] were two different games, and demons could only sign contracts using non-game system scrolls that were not factory-made.


    These scrolls derived their power from a high-dimensional existence in the upper realms.


    Betraying the contract would result in being struck down by the ethereal manifestation of that exalted being!


    However...


    In thest session, there was also an existence that symbolized betrayal; it had projected numerous items capable of breaking contracts into the lower realm.


    The three deities used one of the treasures from the Hall of Valor �� the de of Betrayers.


    Any contract touched by this de would burn and disintegrate.


    ...


    Lord of Evil Spirits'' expression changed drastically in an instant... if his massive misty form had a "face."


    "You think you can leave me behind!"


    Rog roared in fury.


    His bizarre shadow,posed entirely of ck mist, began to boil as if it were boiling water, stirring up strange clouds throughout the spatial tunnel.


    "Let''s see you try," Marlon stepped forward, initiating the first attack.


    Get away!!


    Lord of Evil Spirits didn''t speak, but his will transformed into a mental needle that erupted within the spatial tunnel.


    Marlon was first affected, momentarily stunned.


    Then he saw countless clouds of mist sweeping toward him.


    Marlon still thought this move was just an ordinary skill; the iridescent light of the Lord of Evil Spirits hadn''t even flickered. He casually released a beam of light to defend himself.


    Unfortunately...


    The mist invaded the light barrier as if it were passing through a thin, translucent curtain, facing no resistance whatsoever.


    Caught off guard, Marlon was swiftly consumed.


    The mist transformed into countless skulls, frantically tearing and wing within the body of this deity.


    A being from the Hall of Valor, within a single encounter, was left drenched in blood, afflicted by toxins and curses.


    Hisbat power was significantly diminished!


    "You... how could you!"


    Marlon was left dazed. The two other deities nearby quickly rushed to help, unleashing waves of purification abilities.


    Yet, the assistance from the other two deities had no effect whatsoever.


    Marlon''s injuries continued to expand at an rming rate.


    The reason was...


    In that brief moment, Lord of Evil Spirits had actually used all the minions he had absorbed into his body as fuel to unleash this attack!


    The mist released by Rog wasposed of countless tiny skulls, continually gnawing and tearing at everything.


    Each skull symbolized a sacrificed demon of at least demigod level or a yer from [Swallowing Heaven]!


    Ordinary demigods posed no threat to deities, but the umtion of these sacrifices finally triggered a qualitative change, especially since the power of these demigods was now propelled by Lord of Evil Spirits'' Divine Power.


    This move was utterly unexpected.


    The three deities of the main world had no relevant intelligence about such tactics. This was normal; even in hell, casually sacrificing minions like this was considered outrageous!


    If word got out, no strong beings in hell would dare to follow Rog anymore! Otherwise, wouldn''t they all be reserve weapons for this divine-level demon?


    Thus, those who had witnessed this move before... must have all perished!


    "Don''t worry about me!"


    "Stick to the original n!"


    Marlon said coldly, still enduring the excruciating pain of countless skulls devouring his flesh. Half of his body had turned into a skeleton, and all of his Divine Power was devoted to counteracting the assault from those skulls.


    Meanwhile, Rog, having unleashed his ultimate move, attempted to flee but was once again blocked by the deities from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.

 Chapter 372: Chapter 372: The Deadlock of the Divine-Level Demon

    The two deities were concerned about what kind of tactics this divine-level demon would employ next, and their bodies immediately radiated with iridescent light.


    Their target was not just Rog himself, but also the spatial tunnel nearby!


    In this expansion event''syer of hell, the three deities had firmly sealed it using formations left behind by the figures from the upper realms.


    Rather than engage in a drawn-out struggle with Rog in the spatial tunnel, it would be far better to force him back into theyer of hell! They could then trap the Lord of Evil Spirits like a turtle in a jar and deal with him at their leisure!


    In the blink of an eye, countless grids made of mirrors and radiant streams of light surged forth.


    Rog felt overwhelmed.


    He had already exhausted all his minions in the previous ambush.


    Now... he could only rely on his iridescent-level skills to fight back.


    But even then, he couldn''t possibly match up against two respected deities.


    There existed an implicit power limit in the lower realm; whether divine-level demons or deities, they could typically only attain a level of weak Divine Power.


    Trying to enhance one''s strength through normal cultivation was nearly impossible, as the rate of progress would plummet to a fraction of its original rate.


    For instance, in Alpha 8, beings above the weak Divine Power level had either killed a vast number of divine-level entities and refined their essence to ascend or were ancient deities that had existed during a time when the lower realm had no power limits.


    However, whenever these gods or divine-level demons were questioned about those bygone days, they would disy extreme pain and terror!


    It was as if they had encountered a nightmare.


    They had long forgotten the state of the lower realm; their memories had been severed between the upper and lower worlds, and the only effective information they could provide was that it seemed a particrly catastrophic event had led to the current situation.


    Because of this, thebat differences among divine-level beings were generally not vast.


    In a one-on-two scenario, the Lord of Evil Spirits was bound to lose.


    His soul trembled slightly, and then suddenly, he began to umte power! He ignited the sea of corpses within his body!


    Rog unleashed an iridescent-level skill that transformed into a gigantic Smoke Dragon, roaring and howling as it surged forward!


    Faced with beams ofserposed of countless mirrors, the dragon pushed through with sheer force, charging toward the deities of the main world!


    Earlier, Rog had depleted all the minions he had saved.


    This time, if he wanted to extract power, he would have to resort to a different strategy.


    Rog''s life form was quite unique; it was a being forged from the remains and souls of countless powerful warriors. Originally, Rogcked any self-awareness until the endless corpses piled up his strength to the divine level, granting him consciousness.


    At this moment, as he ignited the countless remnants of powerful souls he had absorbed, Rog''s entire body shrank by nearly one-third. With this exaggerated enhancement, countless mirrors were shattered in an instant! Thesers barely scratched the Smoke Dragon, causing it to feel like mere tickles.


    In the end��


    Roar!!


    The giant dragon roared as it charged into the body of the deity from the Golden Kingdom!


    Like Marlon, he was rapidly consumed by the countless skulls formed from the remnants of powerful souls, suffering severe injuries in a single encounter!


    However, the two injured deities disyed strange smiles.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits struggled desperately, injuring both deities from the main world, but this was merely the result of his frantic efforts, while the deities had yet to use any trump cards and had only relied on conventional means.


    Moreover...


    All of Rog''s counterattacks were borne by the deity from the Golden Kingdom alone. Although he was heavily wounded, another golden beam sted through the spatial tunnel, melting it down!


    Everything around fell into extreme chaos, with spatial turbulence surging violently.


    A divine-level demon could withstand spatial turbulence, but in such conditions, the Lord of Evil Spirits could not control where he would be teleported.


    Rog saw a dazzling golden formation shining within the space.


    Originally, the Lord of Evil Spirits was about to randomly arrive in another world, but unexpectedly, that formation forcefully bounced him back!


    In a moment of daze, when his consciousness returned, he found himself plummeting from a great height!


    His body, which had been made of ethereal mist, reformed into a mountain of corpses, albeit significantly smaller.


    At that moment, Rog noticed Licitris looking up in surprise at this scene.


    The Subus Queen quickly revealed a cold smile, gathering her hostile skills, preparing to deal a devastating blow to Rog.


    However, just before the skills could erupt, Licitris realized something, withdrew to the side, and instead blocked above the Lord of Evil Spirits, raising a shield.


    The Subus Queen easily sensed the energy fluctuations from the skills of the main world emanating from Rog.


    She understood that the three gods of the main world had a huge appetite; they aimed to push Rog back toward themselves, and with surrounding sealing formations, they wanted to devour both divine-level demons together.


    Boom!


    The massive body of the Lord of Evil Spirits crashed onto the ground.


    Countless yers under the Subus Queen were ground into a pulp, caught in a control spell meant to sacrifice them to Mephistopheles for ughter, with no chance to evade, only to be crushed into meat paste.


    Their final thought before dying was ��


    Finally, liberation!


    Compared to temporarily clinging to life and watching their enemy Mephistopheles enjoy the Subus Queen''s body, it was better to die; after all, they wouldn''t be alive for much longer anyway!


    ...


    At this moment, Rog slowly stood up.


    "Licitris, we are going to fight side by side again."


    The Lord of Evil Spirits still wanted to get closer, but he noticed the Subus Queen tightly hugging Mephistopheles and casting him a disdainful nce.


    "Stay away from me, and stay away from Mephistopheles."


    "This time, we are merely seeking survival together."


    After saying this, the Subus Queen sighed, "Run."


    She waved her hand, lifting the spatial blockade.


    Below, among Licitris''s yers, only about one-tenth remained free, as they had not attacked Sterl.


    Immediately, these demigod-level demons and yers fled for their lives.


    They could guess what was about to happen next: a divine battle. Unlike the previous mutual probing between Licitris and Rog, the three deities from the main world would spare no effort in hunting down divine-level demons.


    The opposition between the infernal camp and the main world camp meant that as long as they killed a divine-level entity from the other side, they would surely be able to increase their own strength. A great cmity was approaching; the deities from the main world knew that if they did not fight, they would surely die, and they would bring out all their trump cards!


    Ordinary demigod demons, including those Supreme-level beings, understood that staying behind would only result in being easily killed by the aftershocks.


    Only Sterl remained calm, still lying in Licitris''s embrace.


    "Even if I let you go, you probably won''t escape."


    "I''m sorry, but you''ll have to stay with me."


    Licitris''s expression was cold and resolute.


    However, even in this situation, the natural instincts of the Subus Queen''s body still subtly writhed, providing Sterl with an incredibly intriguing sensation, their bodies pressed tightly against each other.


    Sterl''s lower body was directly wedged between Licitris''s legs.


    Any slight movement from the Subus Queen would bring him considerable stimtion.


    At this moment, Sterl had endured for a long time. He was even forced to invoke Destructive Light in the mental realm to keep himself calm.


    "No problem."


    "We''ll figure out a way to get back together." It was precisely because he managed to calm himself down that Sterl spoke up to gain more favor, though internally he was plotting that since the deities of the main world were blocking the space, he could still use a forced escape device to get away. At that point, Licitris would just have to cover for him...


    The Subus Queen, however, was unaware of her beloved''s thoughts; she was simply filled with worry.


    Her earlier overemphasis on Mephistopheles made it likely that the deities of the main world would seek opportunities to capture him, pressuring the Subus Queen into revealing vulnerabilities.


    Thus, the only way Licitris could protect Mephistopheles was to keep him close; their fates would be intertwined.


    She sighed softly, feeling quite distressed.


    Licitris continued to infuse power into the protective shield above, reinforcing it. After the initial chaos, Rog also arrived at the other side of the shield, channeling his Divine Power into it.


    At this moment, Sterl fell silent...


    He didn''t understand how the situation had escted so quickly.


    How did I get involved in a divine battle?


    However...


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a sudden urge to take advantage of the chaotic situation.


    If...


    A divine-level entity truly fell during this divine battle, could he seize the opportunity tond the final blow and then activate Fate Token and [Consume]?


    Moreover...


    With three main world deities fighting two divine-level demons, wasn''t Licitris''s side destined to lose?


    It seemed he truly had a chance to take advantage of the situation.


    I''ll take the gamble!


    Sterl made up his mind.


    And the next moment...


    Before he could evenprehend the situation without ascending to godhood, the shadows of the three main world deities suddenly appeared, standing on the outer side of the protective shield, cold smiles etched on their faces.


    "What''s the point? Just a dying struggle!"


    "Break it for me!"


    They had long investigated Licitris''s abilities and produced a peculiar item targeting the shield; it resembled a miniature red hammer with small wings on either side of its head.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits Rog''s expression changed drastically, and Licitris''s face also turned pale.


    Rog realized that the deities of the main world had already returned to a state of full power; hadn''t just a few seconds passed?


    His desperate strike, the one that consumed his essence, had beenpletely in vain!


    In truth, the three main world deities were brimming with confidence. The two who had returned to the upper realms were quite loyal, and due to the sudden events, they had left behind a few resources for the three gods.


    This included the formation that had initially tracked Solomon and a special recovery potion from the upper realms that helped the two deities of the Hall of Valor from the Golden Kingdom to rapidly restore their strength.


    At this moment, Licitris was also in a state of panic.


    She couldn''t recognize the small hammer-like item, but she sensed an extremely sharp aura emanating from it, one that could greatly counter shield-type skills!

 Chapter 373: Chapter 373: Clash of Deities, Destruction of Heaven and Earth!

    The three deities of the main world rapidly channeled their Divine Power.


    The small hammer transformed into a streak of light, like a meteor, hurtling toward the protective shield!


    Inparison to the massive size of the shield, the hammer seemed as insignificant as a grain of dust. Yet, when this tiny particle struck the shield, it easily shattered the barrier formed by the powers of the two divine-level demons��splitting and breaking apart!


    With a sharp bang, the entire shield dissipated into the air!


    All that was left were the two divine-level demons, staring in disbelief.


    They were utterly stunned.


    Had the three deities of the main world really prepared so thoroughly?


    The divine-level demons were unaware that the main world was facing an even more severe impact from the impending catastrophe, as eachyer of hell contained only one divine-level entity.


    Despite the hardship of the cmity, the divine-level demons still had a chance to survive.


    But the main world was grappling with disasters unleashed upon each Crystal Barrier Gxy. On Alpha 8, there were powerful beings above the weak Divine Power threshold, and it was these beings that heightened the difficulty of the cmity, forcing the weak Divine Power deities to find ways to boost theirbat strength.


    Otherwise, they would be waiting for death!


    "Let''s fight them!"


    Rog gritted his teeth and took the initiative to soar into the sky.


    Licitris had no choice but to hold Mephistopheles tightly and charge upward.


    Suddenly, five beams of Iridescent-level light illuminated the sky, symbolizing the unfolding scroll of eternal night. A fine web of mirrored energy enveloped the sun, moon, and earth, while ashen-colored energy rain fell from the heavens like droplets!


    The oppression from the deities of the main world came in relentless waves.


    Rog summoned the Mist Dragon once more, while Licitris conjured a massive scythe in her hand.


    However, the oue of the battle was evident from the very beginning.


    The Smoke Dragon was gradually sliced apart within the scroll, firmly trapped, as Iridescent-level abilities were not so easily countered. The disintegrated Smoke Dragon turned into countless small streams of power, but they were still shattered by the endless barrage of light projectiles raining down from the sky!


    The scythe summoned by the Subus Queen seemed to carry some strange power; when it cut through, it could obliterate everything around it...


    Including energy, skills, and even abstract concepts likews.


    Licitris flicked her wrist, transforming the scythe into a disk that shattered the scroll of eternal night!


    However, despite the scythe''s formidable power, the energy consumption was immense.


    Sterl could clearly sense that Licitris was wavering, seemingly falling into a state of weakness. Yet, the Subus Queen''s sudden burst of action made him grit his teeth; the sensation was overwhelmingly intense...


    Thus��


    Faced with the constricting energy and the barrage of light projectiles, the Subus Queen ultimately managed to destroy only two-thirds of the scroll before she was spent.


    The scythe faded into nothingness...


    Yet Licitris remained unfazed, letting out a tinklingugh and seductively saying,


    "Why must you be so rough? I''m just a fragile little girl..."


    Before her words could finish, the Subus Queen quickly retreated!


    In her previous position, dozens of golden light swords plunged down, only to shatter and transform into a rapid downpour of smaller swords.


    Meanwhile, the Ashen deity slowly retracted the scroll, which contained an Iridescent-Level ability��purely a killing technique.


    Clearly, thatst attack had been his doing.


    If Licitris hadn''t reacted in time, she would have been torn to shreds!


    At this moment, the Subus Queen realized that the gazes of the three main world deities were extraordinarily strange. They seemed to have consumed some sort of potion that froze their minds, mechanically executing their pursuit of the two divine-level demons.


    Thus, they werepletely immune to enchantment.


    The only issue was that this potion likely had to be divine-level quality to perfectly resist such effects.


    The three main world deities had invested heavily, clearly determined to y the two divine-level demons.


    Watching from the VIP viewing area, Sterl was somewhat stunned. Was this the power of divine-levelbat?


    He nced around; the attacks from the five deities were all aimed at the enemies, but even the residual waves of energy were enough to reshape the terrain.


    Previously, the battle between Sterl and Lovic had only turned the Subus Queen''s camp into a giant basin, but now that basin had been shredded into countless pieces, and its size had expanded severalfold. The ground was fractured and sunken, with streams ofva flowing out.


    In the sky, various energies were nearly incinerated, revealing an extremely thin atmosphere that made breathing difficult.


    As for the yers whom the Subus Queen hadmanded to flee earlier, none were spared. Originally, there were some main world yers who wanted to pursue these demons and the [Swallowing Heaven] yers, but the residual waves from the deities'' battle had wiped out all the demons and [Swallowing Heaven] yers.


    Then...


    Seeing Licitris and Rog at a loss, the three main world deities grew more rxed. Marlon was the first to fly off into the distance, sitting down to meditate and recover energy, while the other two deities unleashed their Iridescent-Level skills once more.


    The divine-level demons had no choice but to respond with techniques of the same caliber.


    The Smoke Dragon and the scythe converged again, but although the skills of the two main world deities did not have a significant advantage, the Subus Queen managed to wound the Ashen deity with her scythe, forcing him to sever his entire arm.


    But soon after, Marlon, fully refreshed, returned to the battlefield with the Ashen deity who had gone to rest and recover.


    The three deities of the main world adopted the most reliable battle strategy, determined to wear down the two divine-level demons to the point of exhaustion.


    After the third round ofbat,


    Rog''s form shrank once more, reduced to only one-fifth of his original size. He ignited the energy within his body again, hoping to create an opening for an escape.


    The Smoke Dragon seemed toe alive, flying erratically while the countless bones inside it transformed into crimson rays that scattered in all directions.


    The Ashen deity, who had been resting, suddenly struck, crushing Rog''s hopes.


    He pulled out another scroll, the same golden des as before, which rapidly diminished the blood-red energy generated by the Smoke Dragon. Then, the three deities of the main world struck together, annihting the Smoke Dragon!


    Although the Subus Queen sessfully wounded the three deities from the side, they quickly produced recovery potions that instantly restored their conditions.


    In the fourth round ofbat...


    Licitris was forced to burn her life force, forcibly squeezing out Divine Power, yet the oue was still a stalemate.


    Meanwhile, the Ashen deity had fully restored his arm.


    In the fifth round...


    In the sixth round...


    The energy within the two divine-level demons was nearly depleted, theirbat strength drastically reduced, and despair was beginning to show on their faces.


    Licitris sighed, "Mephistopheles, I never expected that in the end, I would be the one to burden you."


    "With your potential, you could have ascended to godhood under normal circumstances, but it seems we will die together here."


    After saying this, Licitris even disyed a mix of regret and satisfaction, as if she thought that if death were to be the conclusion, it wouldn''t be so bad to depart alongside Mephistopheles.


    Sterl sighed as well.


    In this one-sided battle situation, he realized there was no way for him to capitalize on it; perhaps he should just run.


    He was just about to activate his Emergency Escape Device when, suddenly, Sterl sensed something?


    He looked up toward the sky, and at that moment, the five divine-level beings, who had been engaged in fiercebat, also looked up at the sky. Despite the three main world deities desperately trying to y the demons, it was as if they were under some sort of control, forced to nce upward.


    The two divine-level demons wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to escape, but they found themselves unable to control their own bodies.


    In the first second,


    the sky was clear and bright.


    In the second second, everything was stained crimson.


    It seemed as if some voice was wailing in agony, much like when he witnessed the fall of a deity before. Tears flowed uncontrobly as he fell into profound sorrow.


    But this time, it wasn''t just him; the five divine-level beings present also appeared tormented, seemingly on the verge of tears, engulfed in immense grief.


    Finally, two whirlpools emerged in the blood-red sky, and within them, a space could be faintly seen, swept away by a strange ck tide.


    Just gazing at it sent shivers down one''s spine.


    Unlike the five divine-level beings who trembled in fear, Sterl felt an inexplicable warmth and sense of reassurance, with a certain power rapidly surging within him.


    "This is...?"


    He suddenly thought of a possibility.


    But before Sterl could contemte further,


    two colossal figures plummeted from the sky, like two tattered sacks.


    They seemed to carry some strange energy, rendering their forms indistinct; yet, everyone who witnessed them felt certain they were embodiments of beauty and power.


    Sterl''s heart skipped a beat.


    Although their sizes had multiplied immensely, wasn''t that just the silhouettes from the upper realms?


    But their appearances seemed to suggest��


    they were dead??


    Their chests and bellies were gaping open, countless ck maggots gnawing at their flesh and blood.


    Yet, Sterl strangely noticed that the chests of the two figures still subtly rose and fell, as if they were still alive.


    Then��


    As some energy dissipated, the silhouettes gradually revealed their true forms: a pair of remarkably simr twins, one male and one female.


    At this moment, the faces of the three main world deities changed drastically.


    "How could the two esteemed ones fall from the upper realms?"


    "What on earth happened?"


    "Isn''t it said that death does not exist in the upper realms?"


    "And what are those maggots??"


    They were still in a state of forced control,pelled to watch the two figures and unable to act.


    Licitris and Rog, too, were unable to escape; the sight sent chills down their spines.


    Demons also harbored the desire to ascend to the upper realms.


    That meant greater power and eternal life��who wouldn''t want that?


    But now, it was a tant p in the face!


    The two figures they had previously watched return to the upper realms were now back, and in a near-death state at that. What had happened?


    And what were those ck maggots?

 Chapter 374: Chapter 374: The Potential Enhancement of [Consume]

    For a moment, the battle came to a halt.


    Five divine-level entities, along with Sterl, were forced to watch as the two "humans" from the upper realms slowly walked toward death. Besides this, any other action was just a fantasy. Consequently, the gods werepelled to observe closely as the massive corpses gradually decayed.


    Countless maggots rapidly proliferated, creating a nauseating scene. Yet Sterl''s heart nearly stopped. He sensed something different; those maggots felt strangely familiar!


    It wasn''t a feeling of familiarity directed at Sterl himself, but rather towards the skill [Consume] that he possessed. At that moment, as the swarms of maggots crawled and feasted on the bodies, a faint dark ripple began to spread outwards in all directions.


    When the ripple touched the divine beings, it dispersed rapidly but then seemed to burrow underground, as if awakening something or perhaps nurturing something new. However, Sterl, immobilized, found himself tainted by the dark ripples.


    "What the hell!"


    He was stunned! This was bad! What was this thing? It couldn''t be a curse or some kind of parasite, could it?


    Yet, Sterl still didn''t feel any pain; he simply felt a warm sensation throughout his body, as if some organ was about to sprout��


    "Ah, an organ is about to sprout??"


    Even with Sterl''s mental fortitude, this terrifying possibility left him a bit flustered. He nearly changed color in shock. However, once he steadied himself, he noticed a prompt appearing before him��


    [Your skill [Consume] has received an unknown power boost.]


    [Your skill��]


    The prompt shimmered with a golden light, appearing to be a good thing?


    Sterl was taken aback and quickly began to check. Although it stated that an unknown power had been granted, a careful examination revealed that there were no changes to the data of [Consume].


    No, wait��there was an additional plus sign!


    Sterl discovered that [Consume] could be enhanced again, and the prompt indicated that upon cheat evolution, it could be further improved.


    "So, that means the ripples emitted by the maggots helped [Consume]plete its essence?"


    The rules for Sterl''s cheat enhancement were quite clear��


    The potential limit of an entity is determined by its inherent capabilities, such as talent or authority; even the most worthless ones can be enhanced multiple times.


    As for items and skills, they rely on the strength and potential of their essence; the higher these two factors, the more enhancements can be applied.


    As a skill, [Consume] must have had its essence strengthened in order to gain additional enhancement points��


    "In other words�� the maggots are connected to the Devourer of All Things."


    As Sterl finished his deduction, he suddenly noticed that the maggots emitted a subtle, shimmering rainbow light while they feasted on the corpses.


    The radiant glow was imperceptible to any ability and could only be seen with the naked eye. The ck maggots surged like a tide; if not for intentional observation, it would be impossible to see clearly.


    Even if one did see them, unless they, like Sterl, preemptively assumed that the phenomenon was akin to the Divine Protection of the Devourer of All Things, they would be unable to recognize what the shimmering light around the maggots was.


    "If my reasoning is correct..."


    Sterl was suddenly struck with a realization. The figures from the upper realms were falling, nearing death, and the maggots on their bodies were rted to the Devourer of All Things. Moreover, the Devourer of All Things was connected to the Great Cmity.


    This meant that the cmity was not unique to the lower realm; it was sweeping across both [Transcendence] and [Swallowing Heaven], engulfing both realms.


    But... this didn''t make sense!


    Sterl had vaguely heard that many divine beings were selling everything they had to escape to the upper realms to avoid the disaster. How could it be that the Great Cmity had not yet arrived in the lower realm, yet chaos had already ensued in the upper realms? What was the point of those divine beings going to the upper realms?


    Sterl felt a whirlwind of confusion in his mind. With his intelligence attribute enhancing his memory, he could remember everything he had seen. He recalled some documents that Sosia and Sonis had shown him, which mentioned ancient divine beings who had orally recounted��


    There was a history where the upper and lower realms coexisted, but for some reason, the two realms had been separated. The divine beings only understood this objective reality; they werepletely unaware of what the scene was like when the upper and lower realms merged, or how the separation urred.


    It was as if parts of their memories had been forcibly erased.


    At that moment, Sterl couldn''t help but wonder if there was a possibility that the upper realms had separated from the lower realm to iste themselves from the Great Cmity, yet the disaster still engulfed everything now?


    For some unknown reason, this thought flooded his mind.


    However�� when Sterl regained his focus, he discovered that his [Divination] talent had turned gray and was now cooling down. It didn''t show how long it would take to cool down��


    Sterl''s heart stirred slightly. Did this talent activate automatically?


    "Could it be that this information, if left unknown, would bring about tremendous disaster?"


    "Talent protects the master??"


    He felt that ever since the divine battle abruptly stopped, a series of bizarre events had rapidly unfolded, affecting both realms!


    Sterl felt extremely uneasy! He even sensed a strange urgency. Until now, he had not paid much attention to the "Great Cmity," after all, his strength was increasing rapidly, far surpassing those divine beings.


    But now, Sterl suddenly realized that the Great Cmity might have already descended,ing from the upper realms to engulf the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy!


    He felt that if he didn''t rapidly enhance his strength, he would soon be�� consumed!


    Before Sterl could finish his thoughts, he suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.


    He experienced a prickling sensation on his scalp, as if the pressure of a bacsh from Fortune had descended upon him! It felt as if he had fallen into a cage.


    Then, Sterl sensed the soft sensations surrounding him suddenly tighten; it was Licitris. As a divine-level entity, she shivered as well. The other four gods nearby disyed simr expressions of unease, clearly disturbed.


    Sterl felt a surge of horror. Even the divine beings were affected??


    Then he understood what was happening.


    Apanied by the gnawing of the ck maggots, the two giant figures were finally nearing their end.


    They let out a wail and then began to cough violently!


    Cough! Cough! Cough!


    With the sound of their coughing, the five divine beings (and Sterl) couldn''t help but clutch their own lungs, including the theoretically unaffected Lord of Evil Spirits, who also wore a pained expression.


    Sterl merely felt the pain, but after a brief hesitation, the five divine-level entities couldn''t wait to rush forward.


    In their view, the two figures from the upper realms were about to fall. The blood, bones, and flesh of the beings from the upper realms were invaluable treasures for the lower realm!


    Even though the ck maggots induced a sense of inexplicable dread, these gods still had the courage to take the plunge.


    Mainly, the Lord of Evil Spirits and the Subus Queen were already at a disadvantage, and they aimed to turn the tide of battle through the corpses of the beings from the upper realms.


    The three gods from the main world, who might have initially nned to wait a moment and cautiously investigate, nowcked the courage to allow Rog and Licitris to seize the opportunity.


    What if the two divine-level demons truly gained the power to turn the tables? That would be disastrous! They were remnants from the upper realms, and even in death, they retained immense power!


    In an instant, five beams of light darted toward the giant bodies like swallows diving toward the forest.


    However, before the five points of light could reach their destination, the two figures, on the brink of death, forced their mouths open, seemingly struggling to say something in pain.


    "Ugh!"


    "Ahhh!!"


    "Ula!!"


    Even though they were merely uttering strange onomatopoeic sounds, everyone present inexplicably understood the meaning behind them.


    "Don''t! Don''t go to the upper realms, we''re going insane!"


    "No, it''s those people who are insane!"


    "No, it''s us who are insane!"


    "Hahaha!! I''m insane!"


    "Embrace insanity!"


    "Be nourishment, be bait!"


    "Good! Good! Good��"


    These were all nonsensical ramblings, and after repeating "good" three times, the words of the two giant figures abruptly ceased, as if their vocal cords had been forcibly severed.


    The assembled gods and Sterl had no time to contemte the meaning behind those frenzied words.


    In the next moment, the giant figures suddenly swelled like inting balloons, their bodies expanding at least tenfold. The sky was filled with their grotesque and ugly, stretched skin.


    Finally��


    Bang!


    With a crisp explosion, the giant bodies burst apart! It was as if a balloon filled with vibrant paint had shattered, sttering murky liquids in every direction.


    The five divine-level beings reacted swiftly; the moment the corpses began to inte, they quickly retreated. However, their speed was not enough to match the rapid intion of the giant bodies.


    In the explosion, countless streams of polluted blood, shimmering with iridescent hues, gushed forth like raindrops, spraying in all directions. The ground quickly became stained, transforming into a bizarre, oil-paint-like substance. Sand and river water became distorted and reflected mottled light.


    The five gods, Sterl, the surrounding world of the divine battle, and even the nearby Blood Red Fortress, were all engulfed by the boundless tide of Polluted Blood!


    ��


    "What''s going on?"


    "What happened over there?"


    "Wait! Run! Get out of the way!"


    At that moment, near the edge of the fixed teleportation portal of the Principality of Florence, a group of recently arrived demigods and a mixed team of legends were exploring hell. Beside them, a legendary-level demon had fallen, letting out a wail and exploding a few glowing orbs.


    Everyone wore excited expressions.


    It had begun!


    Hunting a legendary demon in hell, with the activity bonus, was far more rewarding than defeating a legendary boss in the main world.


    But the yers hadn''t yet reacted when they noticed a distant rumble, followed by the surge of colorful Polluted Blood, emanating a nauseating and bizarre aura.


    From afar, it looked as though a slowly moving worm had appeared on the horizon.


    Yet, the demigods and legends, facing what seemed like a slow tide, found themselves unable to escape, helplessly watching as they were engulfed.

 Chapter 375: Chapter 375: Blood of Contamination

    Pfft! Pfft!


    It felt as if everyone was standing still, suddenly drenched by a bucket of paint; they all experienced a chilling sensation wash over them.


    At the same time, the Polluted Blood rapidly solidified and hardened, forming thread-like fungal mats, resembling some sort of creation.


    Everyone felt as if they were wrapped in the mucous of some organism, struggling for quite a while before finally breaking free.


    "Ugh��"


    "What the hell! What is this disgusting stuff?!"


    "Are you all alright?"


    "We''re fine! We''re fine! It''s just this stuff that''s making us sick."


    "It''s okay; the monster''s dropped loot Sphere is still here."


    One by one, the members of the team struggled to emerge from the carpet of blood, covered in a myriad of colors. They pulled out numerous cleaning tools, just managing to clear themselves off.


    The yers felt difort for a moment but soon returned to normal.


    After all, they were demigods and legends; they had seen their fair share of storms, and this level of disgust was something they could endure��


    However, someone suddenly eximed in terror, "Wait a minute!"


    "Why do I feel something''s off with my body?"


    "Hold on��what''s this negative buff?"


    "I think I''ve got that buff too."


    A wave of panic spread across their faces.


    All of them noticed two buffs shing over their bodies��


    [Blood of the Holy Spirit]


    [Description: Blood from the innate holy race, originating from a greatnd where all power and nobility converge. The blood infused with their life and soul will grant mortals a significant transformation.]


    [Effect: �� When you deal damage, half of the value will be converted to Holy Spirit damage (upon hitting, it will definitely take effect and cannot be reduced by any means).


    �� While under the effect of Blood of the Holy Spirit, you cannot be killed by any damage��]


    Crackle, crackle.


    The Blood of the Holy Spirit buff existed on the yers'' panels for merely an instant, not even disying any attributes before it abruptly shifted to another buff.


    [Blood of Contamination]


    [Description: Once upon a time�� [Data Error] they would [Call Failed] No, they gaze upon you.]


    [Effect: Under the influence of Blood of Contamination, you will continuously lose all attributes and maximum life force. The rate of decrease will incrementally increase. When your maximum life force or any attribute drops to zero, you will be annihted!]


    [Hint: Depending on the concentration of the Blood of Contamination you endure and your strength, you may suffer a more potent curse.]


    [Hint: You can regain a portion of your weakened attributes and life force by killing other units infected with Blood of Contamination (they cannot be lower than one major realm than you). However, your Blood of Contamination thereafter will inflict a stronger curse.]


    [Warning: Infection by Blood of Contamination after death will result in [Data Error][Cannot View].]


    The description of Blood of Contamination seemed rather ordinary, appearing to be just a typical debuff. However, this buff also appeared to encourage yers to turn on each other in a desperate struggle for survival, making it seem somewhat brutal. Yet, many demigods and legends had encountered far more terrifying curses before.


    But still�� the faces of the numerous demigods present were filled with fear!


    For one, the curse was bizarre from its very description. What did "call failed" mean? What was "data error"? What did [Transcendence] have to do with "data"? And what exactly was being "called"?


    Not everyone, unlike Sterl, had a cultural background that included the concept of online games; they simply could notprehend why such terminology would appear. The strange characters sent chills down their spines.


    Moreover, within Blood of Contamination, the phrase "you will Annihtion" did not appear in the normal prompt font of [Transcendence], but instead featured a grotesque, grinning skull.


    It pronounced, "You will Annihtion!"


    The skull, seemingly ordinary, would draw closer with every blink and breath of the yers. Even if they closed their panels, the skull still loomed ominously in their minds.


    Blood flowed continuously from the skull, and as it drew nearer, yers felt an overwhelming pressure, making it likely that any skill they attempted to cast would either fail or backfire.


    The effect of Blood of Contamination, which drained life force and attributes, was merely the beginning. The loss of power among the yers was not substantial yet, but the apanying debilitation far exceeded what was disyed on their panels.


    At this moment, even the slowest among them realized that they were in serious trouble.


    "Priest!"


    "Use purification skills! Help us!"


    "Why can''t we remove this curse with items? I exchanged my Valor Contribution Points for this!"


    ��


    In an instant, the newly arrived group of yers in hell fell into chaos.


    First, a demigod yer with a priest ss raised their staff, spreading pure white light. This light bore the mark of a tinum Skill, but once it merged with the yers, they felt nothing more than a warm sensation in their bodies.


    Others pulled out items��


    A delicate, translucent leaf glimmered, transforming into a vibrant green phantom.


    From an ancient gourd, a fine, exquisite liquid was poured, and yers consumed it��


    However, although the yers sensed various healing effects from the precious treasures, the Blood of Contamination buff remained, continuing to persist without any effect from their attempts.


    Under the pressure of the eerie skull, everyone urgently sought to remove Blood of Contamination, but despite exhausting all means, they found themselves helpless.


    At this moment, the demigods were merely feeling the gradual loss of their power, their expressions growing increasingly grim.


    Meanwhile, a legendary yer suddenly began gasping for breath.


    "No! No! Don''t!"


    "It''s so hot! So cold!"


    He writhed as if every bone in his body had been shattered, struggling like a boiling worm with a bizarre, contorted movement.


    Colors of light flickered rapidly around the legendary yer. Those present who used detection skills soon discovered that his weakest attribute, agility, had beenpletely drained.


    This legendary yer had been at the forefront of the team and was thus affected the most by Blood of Contamination. The buff clearly stated that those with lower strength were more susceptible to its effects, and this yer seemed to have hit the jackpot; from the very beginning, the curse he received far surpassed that of others.


    "Help me!"


    "Please, don''t leave me!"


    The legendary yer screamed in despair, but the others quickly retreated. It wasn''t that they were heartless; the Blood of Contamination buff explicitly stated that those who died from it would cause an unknown effect.


    It was obvious that it couldn''t be something good! They had to retreat first.


    As for saving him? How could they? Even a demigod-level priest couldn''t save him with their most powerful tinum Skill; there was no point in trying!


    "No! How can you do this to me!"


    "I paid you to take me with you!"


    "You all won''t survive! You all won''t survive!"


    "No, wait! You all must die! You all must die! Hahaha!"


    The legendary yer initially disyed immense terror, but suddenly his expression changed, revealing a semnce of savagery.


    On the detection panels of the others, the legendary yer was already marked as dead; oddly enough, his corpse was still moving.


    In the end, the legendary yer erupted into maniacalughter and, like a spring, suddenly lunged at the retreating team.


    Caught off guard, they truly fell victim to a surprise attack!


    They weren''t struck in the traditional sense. The legendary yer, like an arrow, forcibly drove his head into the ground, his skull shattering like a fragile watermelon, yet his spine pierced the earth, anchoring him in ce.


    The legendary yer''s position was right at the center of the team!


    Enhanced by the colorful light, the speed of this deceased legendary yer was beyond what any demigod could react to!


    Then, the legendary yer swelled like a balloon, inting to the utmost limit.


    Bang!


    The balloon exploded!


    The colorful Polluted Blood sprayed out like fireworks.


    The others, caught unprepared, were doused in it.


    "Ahhh!!"


    "What the hell!"


    "Damn it, Zach has gone crazy, even in death he wants to cause trouble!"


    ��


    The team was thrown into a state of panic.


    This time, the intensity of the Polluted Blood was not as severe as before, and they easily crawled out from the coagted fungal mass. However, everyone''s expression was grim as they quickly checked the Blood of Contamination buff, relieved to find that the various descriptions on it had not changed.


    "Wait, let''s stay calm."


    "This curse is extremely strange."


    "We need to return to the main world, to the Hall of Valor, and see if there''s any way to cure this." After the sacrifice of one member, the team leader, a demigod-level priest, decisively ordered. He felt an immense unease within.


    He followed a deity who wielded divine authority over life. Although he couldn''t resolve this curse himself, surely the god could handle it easily, right?


    As the demigod priest analyzed the situation logically, his feelings of unrest only deepened. Especially after being hit by Blood of Contamination for the second time, he had an inexplicable sense that he was already dead.


    "Yes! We need to go back."


    "Let''s move quickly; the entire hell might be undergoing changes."


    "I''ve also privately messaged other teams; they haven''t returned yet, and I don''t know why."


    "Haah!"


    The yers were originally discussing normally. However, the female yer who mentioned messaging others wore a look of horror��not because she couldn''t reach anyone, but because she had just noticed the streaks of rainbow-colored Polluted Blood marring her game panel, which looked extremely disgusting.


    "How is this possible??"


    The female yer felt like she was about to go insane. This Blood of Contamination was not only polluting yers but also tainting the [Transcendence] game system??


    What kind of joke was this??


    At that moment, a profound, indescribable fear enveloped her heart. The death of the legendary yer hadn''t shaken her much psychologically��after all, in [Transcendence], losing several friends and family members could happen during any instance, adventure, or boss fight. But now, she was truly frightened.


    If even the game system had been corrupted, what could possibly happen next?


    She felt an impulse to log off immediately to inquire about the legendary yer. What had he felt in those final moments?


    Theoretically, even if his ount was gone, he should still be around.


    As the female yer thought about this, she knew she couldn''t log off right now, but she instinctively opened the settings��

 Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Hell Becomes "Hell"

    The female yer let out that strange cry just moments ago. She saw��


    In the settings, the button to log out of the game was actually enveloped by the rainbow-colored Polluted Blood, gradually dissolving it.


    !!


    Her expression changed again! Panic surged through her! At the same time, she felt her heart racing as if it might burst, an overwhelming fear gripping her tightly.


    She understood very well that the curse of Blood of Contamination was far more terrifying than the demigod priest had imagined!


    The female yer began to doubt whether she could survive and return to the Hall of Valor...


    A curse that could affect the [Transcendence] system??


    This was unheard of!


    Her first instinct was�� could it be the creation of the upper realms?? Even gods couldn''t possibly exist in a way that would influence the game system!


    The female yer quickly concluded that given the terrifying capabilities exhibited by Blood of Contamination, her death was inevitable!


    "No! No! I can''t die!"


    "I''ve worked so hard to reach the demigod level; I haven''t spent all my Valor Contribution Points yet, and I still have several chances to enter special areas toprehend the Law."


    "No!"


    "Wait! Over there�� there''s light; maybe it can save me!"


    "Hmm?"


    "Why am I flying? No, is this�� is this my corpse??"


    In her panic, the female yer seemed to be led by some unseen force, her mind in disarray as she stumbled and dashed toward the light.


    But halfway there, she found herself floating as if she were soaring into the sky, even though she hadn''t used any flying abilities. It wasn''t until she saw a headless corpse spraying nauseating rainbow blood that she realized the truth.


    That corpse was all too familiar.


    Wasn''t it her own body?


    Then��Bang!


    The female yer felt herself transform into a brilliant firework.


    ��


    Meanwhile, the expressions of the yer team were extremely grim as they quickly raced toward the direction of the teleportation portal the moment they broke free from the fungal mass.


    Just moments ago, their team had experienced an incredibly horrifying scene.


    The third strongest member of the team, a female yer specializing in speed Law, who hadn''t even been the most affected by the second wave of Blood of Contamination, suddenly went mad. She began to swell and charged toward the core of the team.


    The remaining two demigods in the team, a priest and a swordsman, reacted swiftly. One of them managed to subdue the female yer while the other executed her, and then the entire team scattered to avoid another eruption of Blood of Contamination.


    However, although the yers sessfully dodged the danger, the rainbow-hued Polluted Blood remained on the ground and quickly sprouted strange tendrils. These tendrils appeared menacing and vibrant, ultimately forming a fruit.


    The fruit emitted an enticing aroma that was incredibly alluring.


    The yers present felt an overwhelming urge to step forward and swallow the fruit, but they all maintained theirposure, knowing that would be tantamount to seeking death.


    After using their detection skills, they discovered that the fruit bore a name: [Vita Lurak], which was unmistakably the name of the demigod female yer.


    Now it had be the name of the fruit.


    Everyone felt an intense shiver run down their spines!!


    Without the need for the demigod priest to speak, everyone hastily made their way toward the teleportation portal back to the main world. As for that fruit, they dared not touch it; they would let it grow and perish on its own.


    The yers feared that they might be the next to suddenly drop dead.


    Luckily, the third wave of Blood of Contamination seemed to be taking longer to manifest. They were close to the teleportation portal and spent less than ten seconds before arriving beneath a massive luminous gate.


    However, the closer the yer team got, the more something felt off.


    Wasn''t there an unusuallyrge number of people gathered around the teleportation portal?


    Using the portal should have been instantaneous, but everyone was stuck here. What was going on?


    "Why can''t we use it?"


    "What''s happening?"


    "It''s not that we can''t use it; right now, using the teleportation portal is almost guaranteed death."


    "Look over there��"


    "It''s all fallen corpses."


    Murmurs began to spread among the crowd.


    What was going on with the fallen bodies?


    The already jumpy yer team moved closer, and they quickly pieced together the full story without much effort. The rainbow Blood of Contamination had swept across the entireyer of hell.


    Many people, after being infected by the Blood of Contamination, realized that there was no way to lift the curse. In a moment of desperation, they activated precious items to prepare for a return to the main world.


    However, even those using teleportation items exchanged for Valor Contribution Points could only return to the corresponding teleportation point at the entrance of the Principality of Florence.


    The portal here was indeed operational, but it was evident to the naked eye that the vibrant Blood of Contamination surged within it.


    Several demigod yers with exceptionally strong survival abilities, determined and reckless, charged in without hesitation.


    As a result, during the teleportation process, yers suddenly died, their bodies being expelled and giving rise to even more Blood of Contamination.


    At that moment, the yer team had gathered enough information and observed from a distance.


    Many of those who fell out of the teleportation portal were still "alive," their chests heaving as if some kind of worms writhed inside them, looking in extreme agony.


    Seeing this scene sent a chill down everyone''s spine.


    "Does that mean..."


    "Are we trapped in this hell?"


    "It''s over, it''s all over!"


    The demigod priest in the yer team took a few steps back and sat down on the ground in despair.


    Where was the aura of a strong individual?


    He had never lost hisposure like this before.


    The demigod priest understood that hell would soon be a ce that truly deserved the name "hell."


    The buff from Blood of Contamination was currently impossible to lift. The only way to survive was to kill someone of equal rank before beingpletely infected.


    But even if they managed to survive, the speed of infection from Blood of Contamination would only increase, forcing them to kill even more frantically.


    Not to mention that those infected by the cursed blood would cause extremely bizarre effects upon death!


    Everyone was doomed!


    It was just a matter of the order in which they would die!


    Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "What about the gods? What do they say?"


    This question pushed the already terrifying atmosphere to a new climax.


    "The gods? All the gods have lost contact!"


    "Those whomunicated with them suddenly erupted with massive amounts of rainbow blood. The gods were even more severely contaminated; justmunicating with them could infect the [Transcendence] panel, leading to immediate death!"


    Huh??


    As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into silence!


    Even the gods couldn''t handle it and were infected??


    What hope did mortals have of surviving?


    ��


    If the yers in the main world were like this, on the other side, the hell yers and demons had a slightly better mindset.


    "They can still hold it together?"


    "They''ve even formed a strange order."


    Sterl stood by the edge of the white-tiled corridor, watching the camp outside the pce��


    After being infected by Blood of Contamination, the Swallowing Heaven yers and demons were not much different than before, as they had always ughtered their own kind without restraint.


    So now, whenever someone''s Blood of Contamination reached its peak, they would frantically attack another yer, and the other yers and demons didn''t find it strange.


    They didn''t intervene and simplyzily stepped aside to avoid being caught in the bizarre effects that erupted after the infected died.


    "For curses that the yers from the main world can''t ept, the Swallowing Heaven yers don''t care because they''re already living on borrowed time," Sterlined.


    However, he also knew that the Swallowing Heaven yers were still unaware of the horrors of the contamination. Even divine-level units couldn''t avoid it, as no demon dared tomunicate with divine-level beings; that would be a death sentence! Except for those directly under the Supreme.


    Therefore, the ordinary Swallowing Heaven yers and demons were not in a state of despair; they still seemed rtively normal.


    However, once they realized that under the influence of Blood of Contamination, no one could survive, the madness that erupted from these individuals would far exceed that of the main world.


    As for Sterl, he was in possession of an Iridescent-Level item in Licitris''s hands��the Heavenly Pce.


    This was a mobile pce that was extremely luxurious and offered various benefits, such as helping individuals concentrate their mind, remove debuffs, and enhance life force.


    Although the Heavenly Pce was ineffective against Blood of Contamination, it could help the upants maintain a better state, allowing them to endure the effects of Blood of Contamination a little longer.


    Most importantly, it provided a means to separate from other infected individuals, avoiding the gue that erupted upon their deaths.


    "Things are gettingplicated!" Sterl sighed.


    Just as some people in the main world had investigated, all five divine-level beings, along with Sterl, were infected with Blood of Contamination, and it was the purest form of Polluted Blood from the upper realms.


    Naturally, those who hadmunicated with the three deities from the main world immediately dropped dead.


    While the five divine-level units were incredibly powerful, they were also heavily affected and could only temporarily scatter, each going into seclusion to suppress the Blood of Contamination.


    Moreover, the alliance between the deities of the main world and the temporary coalition of divine-level demons hadpletely copsed.


    This was because Blood of Contamination required the lives of simrly ranked units to dy its onset.


    The three gods of the main world understood each other better; if they really had to kill a target, they certainly wouldn''t choose a divine-level demon. Choosing a "peer" would be a more stable way to survive.


    The two demons, likewise, were more familiar with each other, so they naturally kept their guard up and went their separate ways.


    At this moment, Licitris was using the Heavenly Pce to suppress his Blood of Contamination, but whether he could seed remained uncertain.


    The reason Sterl stayed here was that the Heavenly Pce was rtively the safest option.


    He had no way to leave thisyer of hell; after being infected by Blood of Contamination, he couldn''t log out. Even the disk wouldn''t allow him to leave. Sterl could see ayer of colorful ripples covering the surrounding space and the soul passage.


    The so-called soul passage was the route yers took to enter Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven through the game login device.


    Sterl could forcibly log out using the disk, but that would lead to his soul being directly corrupted by Blood of Contamination.


    There would be no chance of survival!


    Thus, Sterl simply switched to his main ount via the disk, investigated some information in the main world for a while, and then switched back to Mephistopheles''s ount.

 Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Holy Spirit Bloodline, The Strongest Buff

    For Sterl, the optimal solution was to stay in Licitris''s Heavenly Pce for the time being.


    He wasn''t afraid of wasting time.


    Because he had invested in Blood of Contamination!


    A buff was shimmering with a hesitant glow on Sterl''s panel.


    If this buff were ssified by quality, it would definitely not fall under Iridescent-Level; it was Radiant-Level, even stronger than the usual Radiant.


    [Holy Spirit Bloodline (Remaining Time: 21:04:11)]


    [Description: From the upper realms, this bloodline power is the purest of its kind. Even gods would rejoice upon encountering such a creation; you will ascend! You will rise!]


    [Effects: �� Active: All your skill qualities and proficiency will increase by one major tier (Cooldown: 1 day).


    �� All damage you deal will be ssified as Holy Spirit damage, ignoring any reduction or mitigation upon hitting the target.


    �� Upon activating the bloodline, you cannot be killed by any means that reduce your life force, nor by any instant-death spells. When you die, you will automatically resurrect, and all your attributes will increase by 30%,sting for 12 hours with a 24-hour cooldown.


    �� You can learn all lower realm skills without any conditions, and you have gained permission to learn upper realm abilities.


    �� You are immune to all interference from lower realm abilities.]


    [Tip: The Holy Spirit Bloodline is a state acquired by beings from the upper realms upon active activation. You have gained the blessing of the Holy Spirit Bloodline through contamination.]


    This buff was visibly powerful and invincible.


    Each of its five effects was monstrous!


    What does it mean to increase the quality of skills and proficiency by one tier?


    Sterl''s Shattered Void could directly transform into an Iridescent-Level ability that outputted at least ten times more, along with the proficiency boost.


    Transforming damage into Holy Spirit damage was also extraordinary, as it ignored all damage reduction and immunity effects.


    Not to mention, some divine authorities of certain gods were rted to defense.


    With this, Sterl could easily leverage one-fifth of the Holy Spirit Bloodline''s effects to ignore divine abilities.


    And then there was the passive effect of being Imperishable after activation.


    Thest two enhancements were particrly noteworthy.


    One allowed him to learn lower realm abilities without any conditions, which was extremely practical for Sterl. He immediately exchanged for all the Iridescent-Level abilities avable from both the hell and main world factions and learned them.


    At the same time, this enhancement opened up the permissions to learn upper realm skills, though Sterl couldn''t ess them and had to let that go.


    However, he suspected that this permission was likely very important! The powers of the upper realms were probably far beyond those of the lower realms! But without permission, he would forever be separated by a set of great doors, unable to wield that terrifying might!


    Sterl vaguely guessed that this Holy Spirit Bloodline might not be something everyone in the upper realms possessed. Some gods could expend all their resources to ascend to the upper realms, but without this bloodline, they could only activate lower-tier abilities.


    In the upper realms, they would merely be weaklings at the bottom tier.


    The other enhancement allowed immunity to all interference from lower realm skills. This interference included all negative effects��not only control effects but also anything that Sterl subjectively deemed harmful to himself.


    For example, the bacsh from skills used in the lower realm or the weakness caused by some high-level abilities were allpletely immune.


    Holy Spirit Bloodline!


    Exaggeratedly powerful!


    Moreover��


    Sterl knew that the two fallen figures did not possess this bloodline; they only had the Blood of the Holy Spirit.


    He hadn''t fully understood the effects of the Blood of the Holy Spirit at the time; it was only after he inquired among the yers in the main world using his main ount that he learned the details.


    The various enhancements were notparable at all, and the Blood of the Holy Spirit only disyed a partial unlocking of upper realm skills.


    After Sterl''s enhancement, the Blood of the Holy Spirit transformed into the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    However��


    Sterl was still in a dire situation.


    When the blood from that figure sttered onto him, Sterl noticed a buff with enhancement symbols appearing in front of him. Without a second thought, he directly applied the enhancement, knowing that what would normally harm him could also be beneficial after the enhancement.


    Thus, he acquired the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    Yet this bloodline had a time limit. Sterl sensed that once the time ran out, the Holy Spirit Bloodline would directly transform into��Blood of Contamination.


    Sterl knew the effects of Blood of Contamination; even the gods couldn''t withstand it, and he certainly couldn''t either��contact meant certain death!


    Due to the entireyer of hell being isted, Sterl had some advantages. However, dying the effects of Blood of Contamination required killing units of the same rank or higher.


    There were many beings and demons he could kill.


    But eventually, he would be dragged down by the ever-increasing speed of contamination or ascend to godhood, killing everything in theyer of hell, only to still face death.


    Unless��


    He could enhance again to extend his life.


    Yet each application of enhancement could only maintain the Holy Spirit Bloodline for about 24 hours, meaning Sterl had to enhance the moment the cooldown on his cheat ended.


    This was not difficult for him given his high attributes; he could precisely gauge the timing.


    But it also meant that Sterl''s current enhancement ability was constrained.


    He could only use it to preserve the Holy Spirit Bloodline and save his life.


    Because once it transformed into Blood of Contamination, Sterl couldn''t guarantee he could enhance it back.


    Despite the frustration, Sterl''s mood was not too bad.


    While the five divine beings were suffering greatly trying to suppress Blood of Contamination, he waspletely unaffected and had instead gained a buff that significantly boosted hisbat power.


    Inparison, didn''t that bring a sense of happiness?


    "However... if I didn''t have cheats this time, even Licitris wouldn''t be able to save me."


    Sterl gazed at the rtively orderly camp outside, his expression dark. Two of the Supremes under the Lord of Evil Spirits had already sumbed to Blood of Contamination.


    It was unfortunate that they were so close to the site where the bodies fell from the upper realms.


    "Damn it."


    After a few seconds of silence, Sterl couldn''t help but curse.


    Right now, he could maintain the state of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, and with the protection of the Heavenly Pce, he was rtively safe. But in the best-case scenario, he would still end up trapped in theyer of hell after all living beings were extinguished by Blood of Contamination.


    He would endure countless years of loneliness and suffering until he finally passed away...


    And the greater possibility was��


    As all beings in theyer of hell perished, the influence of Blood of Contamination would expand, distorting the Heavenly Pce. Even before that happened��


    Licitris might die first. If the residual pollution she emitted touched him, it was possible that even while the Holy Spirit Bloodline was active, Blood of Contamination could emerge prematurely.


    Sterl would ultimately be killed by this terrifying curse!


    This meant he was trapped in a deadlock.


    Although he lived a morefortable life than the gods, it didn''t change the fact that, following this trend, the entireyer of hell would be annihted in the pollution.


    Sterl would be just another member in the vast sea of corpses.


    He looked outside the Heavenly Pce, where the sky shimmered with faint iridescence, and the ground was warped, with many areas flowing like a vibrant liquid.


    Everything was bizarre! It was unsettling and nauseating!


    "This is the great catastrophe..."


    "Truly terrifying."


    Sterl felt that he had pushed himself to the extreme, striving to be stronger at any cost.


    Thus, he found it absurd.


    He considered himself to have decent talent and cheats, yet he might die without any value?


    He felt a bit stunned, even slightly despairing.


    The world had be a cage!


    Sterl could only wait for death.


    And this was merely the prelude to the great catastrophe!


    Now he understood why those divine beings were frantic to escape to the upper realms; some things cannot be ovee just by working hard!


    Who could stop the catastrophe of world annihtion??


    "The only way is to evolve the cheat; I can enhance the Holy Spirit Bloodline once more."


    Sterl thought at that moment.


    Currently, the enhancement symbol on the Holy Spirit Bloodline was gray, needing his cheat to be upgraded before it could amplify.


    He estimated the worst-case scenario��


    After the cheat upgrade, he could probably extend the duration of the Holy Spirit Bloodline a bit. At that point, he could gain some enhancement attempts, and with that, he would have a chance to turn the tables.


    But the only problem was, how could he obtain the Fortune needed to evolve the cheat?


    Sterl was now caught up in the great catastrophe. It wasn''t just that his Fortune was being backfired; even if he managed to survive, his Fortune wouldn''t increase.


    The amount of Fortune needed for the cheat evolution wasn''t much, but thatst little bit was something he couldn''t just wait for.


    Unless...


    Sitting on the edge of his bed, Sterl found that after the outbreak of Blood of Contamination, his connection to the outside world had basicallye to a halt. He couldn''t even use the logout trick.


    So, he organized his mailbox, which contained resources sent by Sosia, Sonis, and Teresa from time to time. Some were regr recovery potions, while others were specifically items Sterl had requested from them��resources that were abundant now, including whatever oddities they could find that might be effective in critical moments.


    He also had them collect information based on his needs.


    For example, how to obtain Fortune, some literature regarding the power of faith and Divine Power, and information about the great catastrophe and the Devourer of All Things.


    Sterl first stored various items in his small world.


    He sensed that he might have to fight for a while in theyer of hell.


    Then he began reading through the assorted information he had gathered��


    The power of faith was amonly existing force, and even those who weren''t gods could find ways to collect it...


    Alpha 8 had once produced some ancient artifacts that described how people from the upper realms and the lower realms had once joined forces to fend off creatures resembling the Devourer of All Things...


    Finally, Sterl''s eyes lit up; he had found something useful! Among the information about Fortune, there was a very effective method:


    The mostmon and stable way to obtain Fortune was to kill someone who possessed it, thus taking their Fortune, or kill someone who had been abandoned by heaven and earth to receive a reward of Fortune from the world.


    Sterl didn''t know who possessed Fortune, but he knew exactly who was despised by the world!


    That was the demon who already owned the Origin of Chaos��the Archduke of Blood!


    "Great! Great!"


    "The Archduke of Blood, I''m going to rely on you again."


    Sterl''s eyes gradually brightened.

 Chapter 378: Chapter 378: Combat Power Beyond the Divine

    Sterl''s eyes gradually brightened.


    The idea of killing a god to survive seemed somewhat outrageous, but he already possessed the power to ascend to godhood. Furthermore, Sterl could ascertain that Licitris was, to some extent, on his side��


    In the previous critical situation during the divine war, the Subus Queen had shown no intention of abandoning Mephistopheles.


    Sterl felt he could trust her, at least a little.


    The only issue was that the Origin of Chaos amplified thebat power of the Archduke of Blood far too much.


    That wouldn''t be easy to handle.


    But it was certainly simpler than dealing with Blood of Contamination, a cmity from the upper realms.


    Moreover...


    If he could enhance the Holy Spirit Bloodline once again, perhaps he could turn that buff into a permanent upgrade!


    Wouldn''t that be a game-changer??


    The iron rule in the lower realms was that mortals could never defeat the divine, but with the Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl felt that hisbat power could reach a level where he could challenge some weaker divine beings��


    He could y gods!


    He had no fear of the strange effects of divine authority; his attacks would definitely deal damage, and with the enhancement from the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the Iridescent-Level Shattered Void...


    He would be virtually invincible!


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was still under a countdown to death, Sterl would have wanted to throw a celebration right then and there...


    "Cheat must evolve!"


    "This is the only way to survive."


    Sterl silently murmured. Next, he nced out the window in boredom. Several distinctly different demons were engaged in a brutal fight, their brains sttering everywhere. Yet even the sttered gray matter shimmered with iridescent patterns, creating a bizarre spectacle.


    The final victor greedily inhaled the air around him.


    "I knew I wouldn''t die! I can still live!"


    "Ha ha ha!"


    In the face of such a bloody scene, the other "people" were unfazed and went about their business as usual...


    "What are you looking at? So engrossed." Sterl heard the sound of footsteps on the pristine white floor, and a tall figure emerged from behind him, wrapping him in an embrace.


    A whisper, almost like a soft murmur, emanated from her, carrying an incredibly alluring quality.


    Sterl... was initially startled, but then he realized something.


    He silently closed off the influence brought on by the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    Previously, he had beenpletely unaffected by mental maniptions, but the Holy Spirit Bloodline allowed Sterl''s body to remain unresponsive even in the face of the Subus Queen Licitris''s allure.


    Just moments ago, Sterl had been startled, thinking he was done for!


    However, as soon as he closed off the shielding effect of the Holy Spirit Bloodline against Licitris''s temptations, he felt invigorated. The sensation of her soft, delicate touch, the silky caress, the subtly elegant fragrance despite her subus nature, and the tingling whispers brushing against the nape of his neck ignited his desires in an instant.


    When Sterl turned his head, he was met with a pair of deeply affectionate, stunningly perfect features.


    Even he couldn''t help but feel a sense of shock.


    Among the women he had known, Rosalie and theter-rising Rayna were undoubtedly at the top of the beauty rankings.


    Rayna still had the chance to rise through her strength and im the champion''s title.


    But now, that title was surely lost.


    Licitris presented the most perfect visage he had ever seen.


    Sterl struggled to find words to describe it; every feature was exquisitely crafted. He thought of the "Goddess of Beauty" from sculptures in his past life, and Licitris''s beauty surpassed even that!


    Her inky ck hair cascading over her shoulders appeared incredibly alluring, yet without a hint of lewdness.


    At that moment, Sterl finally understood the truth: one should never challenge a professional with personal preferences.


    As the strongest among the enchantress race, Licitris''s beauty was likely unparalleled even in the upper realms, let alone among mortals.


    This excessively exaggerated beauty itself was utterly captivating.


    Yet, Sterl''s Holy Spirit Bloodline once again shielded him from it all.


    A wave of astonishment shed through his mind: could he really withstand this?


    He realized that the potential of the Holy Spirit Bloodline extended far beyond the descriptions of its buffs!


    As Sterl felt this inner turmoil, Licitris was equally astonished.


    The Subus Queen''sposure was disrupted.


    Mephistopheles had once again surprised her.


    Licitris knew that after she passed the Solidification Method to Mephistopheles, he had practiced it effectively, allowing him to resist her charm, which gave her such a significant attraction.


    Yet now, Licitris was shocked to find that no matter what methods she employed, she could not alter the mindset of this young, handsome demon!


    This was beyond the capabilities of a mere spell!


    The only exnation was that Mephistopheles possessed an extraordinarily steadfast will, achieving what even divine beings could not.


    He hadpletely ignored Licitris''s abilities!


    "Could it be that in his eyes, I am just an ordinary woman?"


    Licitris pondered, her emerald-like pupils gradually shimmering with a pink glow. She felt...


    A growing fascination for the man before her!


    Thump!


    Thump!


    The Subus Queen''s heartbeat became strangely erratic for the first time.


    Beside him, after finishing his thoughts, Sterl caught sight of Licitris''s incredibly alluring gaze. He then observed her posture��


    Licitris disyed none of the queenly dominance; instead, she was submissively half-kneeling, her arms draped over Sterl''s body.


    "Mephistopheles, you are truly amazing!"


    "Will you stay with me?"


    "Here in thisyer of hell, let us walk together to the end of destruction."


    She withdrew her right hand to cradle her heart, speaking as if making a confession.


    Licitris did not exin her condition to Mephistopheles. She had attempted to suppress the Blood of Contamination, but the only result was that the gue it brought no longer remained merely on the surface of her body; instead, it gradually consumed her Divine Power and life force in the shadows.


    In this way, she could barely slow her approach to death, but that was all.


    Licitris felt that it wasn''t so much that she had sessfully suppressed the Blood of Contamination, but that the Blood of Contamination perceived her divine body as too abundant and thus wanted to take its time devouring it.


    She was unable to alleviate the Blood of Contamination for Mephistopheles. In ayer of hell that had been thoroughly sealed off, encountering such a desirable partner ignited a wild thought in Licitris''s mind: to find a truepanion with whom to spend the final stages of her life.


    Sterl was stunned.


    A bit dazed!


    He had never expected to find himself in such a situation.


    Was there really such a connection between him and a goddess? First, Gloria had taken special care of him, and now Licitris...


    Had she just confessed her feelings??


    Under the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl felt his senses sharpen significantly. He clearly noticed that Licitris was not in a frenzied state wanting to leap into bed with him; rather, there was a genuine emotional depth to her feelings...


    How could mortal beings in the lower realm deceive the Holy Spirit??


    Huh?


    Sterl felt dizzy.


    In his mind, he had envisioned that as someone who pursued strength with single-minded determination, his emotional detachment would be at a ten, while ordinary people would be at a one. For a subus species that fed on the essence of the opposite sex, it should be at least a hundred!


    How could a subus possibly have feelings???


    Licitris, in barely uttering a few words, had fallen for him?


    Sterl, for some reason, recalled a scene from the Greek myths he had read in his childhood before transmigrating.


    The young hero bound himself to the deck to resist the enchanting songs of the sea sirens.


    Before him, all those enchanted had been thrown into the sea, bing food for the sirens.


    Yet the hero, by resisting temptation, caused countless sirens to fall for him, even willing to sacrifice their lives.


    He looked at Licitris, inexplicably reminded of those incredibly beautiful, seemingly heartless yet deeply devoted sirens from the stories...


    Had he, through his efforts��no, through the enhancement he received��resisted all temptations, and in turn, won Licitris''s heart??


    So...


    Watching the unparalleled beauty before him with her eyes slightly closed and her cheeks flushed, resembling a blooming rose, Sterl felt a stir in his heart.


    I have an idea!


    The n to hunt the Archduke of Blood was too risky for him to handle alone.


    If Licitris could help by acting as a shield against the Origin of Chaos, then the opportunity would increase significantly!


    Sterl''s boldest idea had initially been to hide behind Licitris and let the Subus Queen take on some of the burden, but now his thinking had expanded.


    What if he could channel emotions to manipte the divine? The benefits could be even greater!


    Sterl quickly analyzed the logic in his mind, solidifying the persona and style of "Mephistopheles."


    Faced with Licitris''s tender words, any man would be unable to resist pulling her into his embrace.


    But Sterl merely smiled coldly, grabbing Licitris''s delicate, fragile little hand and tossing it down to the ground, forcefully removing it from his body.


    "Don''t be so frivolous, alright?"


    From Licitris''s perspective, the young demon Mephistopheles,pletely unaffected by her allure, spoke these words in an extremely indifferent and upright tone.


    Instantly, Licitris felt a jolt within her.


    Her steps faltered, and she almost lost her bnce.


    She sensed something unusual arising within her nearly perfect divine body.


    To put it simply��she was getting wet!


    The sight of Licitris in that moment made Sterl''s heart race.


    It worked!


    Sterl understood that if he wanted to take advantage of the fleeting affection Licitris had just developed for him, gentle actions would not suffice.


    Women instinctively feel attracted to aggressive males; it''s an instinct ingrained in their gics. Although subi are not human, the phenomenon of power attraction among demons should be even more pronounced.


    Even if Licitris had fallen for Mephistopheles, tomand this queen, he needed to first establish her position as subordinate and psychologically weaker.


    However, most would not dare to y such a game with a divine level being.


    One misstep could mean certain death.


    But Sterl felt fearless.


    On the other hand, by crafting Mephistopheles''s image to appear indifferent toward the Subus Queen, he could diminish Licitris''s value, making her easier to manipte.


    In simpler terms, it was a form of psychological maniption��essentially, PUA (Pick-Up Artist tactics).

 Chapter 379: Chapter 379: The Ultimate Pleasure

    However...


    Everything ultimately revolved around��


    Licitris''s belief that she was on the brink of Annihtion, filled with longing, desiring to obtain a connection.


    This provided Sterl with an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability.


    At that moment, Licitris could only stand there, feeling wronged.


    Her earlier words had carried some of a queen''s authority, but now she resembled an ordinary girl.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I''m serious..."


    "Though I''ve had many partners in the past, they were merely toys."


    "I will absolutely be loyal to you!"


    Licitris spoke with utmost sincerity; in the final stages of her life, she had no desire to seek additional lovers.


    Sterl shook his head, maintaining his cold demeanor.


    "We''re just using each other."


    "Your people offended me earlier, and you helped me take revenge."


    "We''re even now."


    As soon as those words left his lips, Licitris''s expression fell into deep disappointment. Mephistopheles''s remarks sounded as if he wanted to sever tiespletely! Sterl closely observed the changes in the Subus Queen''s mood.


    With the Holy Spirit Bloodline, it was as if he had activated a cheat code; even without using any special abilities to conceal his presence, he could sense the divine emotions around him.


    Seeing Licitris''s disappointment, he began to y with her emotions like fishing, pulling and pushing.


    "However, a sufficiently powerful partner would suit me just fine."


    "But afterward, you will belong to mepletely."


    Sterl made an effort to mimic the standard speech of hellish demons.


    These two statements not only aligned with Mephistopheles''s persona but were also highly offensive. Even though Licitris was infatuated, there was a good chance she would be furious.


    This was tant disrespect for a divine being.


    Even the boldest among the Supreme, and even pseudo-divine level demons, would not dare to speak this way.


    However, with the ability to ascend to godhood and the Holy Spirit Bloodline backing him, Sterl had no fear of Licitris. Furthermore, given the destructive prospects brought on by the Blood of Contamination, he felt bold enough to drop a heavy bombshell.


    As expected, Licitris showed no signs of anger; instead, upon hearing his words, her body nearly went weak.


    Everything Mephistopheles disyed was perfect, aligning with her desires for a partner��powerful, mysterious, rebellious, domineering, and most importantly, impervious to all her temptations.


    No matter how she begged, he remained indifferent!


    Licitris felt her blood boiling, excitement coursing through her veins.


    If it were any other time, she would have to consider how Mephistopheles''s character might affect her dignity as a deity, as well as her future ns.


    But now, facing imminent death, why bother with so much? It was better to seize the moment and enjoy herself!


    Like a docile little cat, Licitris quickly sprawled onto Sterl, presenting herself for his taking.


    "Of course, Mephistopheles, you''re right!"


    "From now on, I belong only to you."


    "I am your ything."


    A spark flickered in Licitris''s eyes; her words carried a hint of genuine feeling, yet also a touch of pretense. More than anything, she was lost in the intoxication of escaping the reality of Annihtion.


    Sterl coldlyughed to himself; this was precisely the effect he desired.


    At the same time, he reaffirmed his thoughts.


    What are gods? Just slightly more powerful and intelligent beasts.


    Deities are merely animals pushed to their utmost limits!


    Licitris chose to indulge in his words for amusement.


    This only indicated that even a demon whose existence revolves around seduction could be psychologically overwhelmed without systematic learning.


    Sterl understood from his knowledge before transmigrating that any creature could be trained, and gods were no exception.


    Once Licitris became ustomed to being Mephistopheles''s possession, her instinct to submit would be hard to resist.


    As mentioned before,


    In the face of the fatal destiny brought on by the Blood of Contamination, Licitris would likely remain lost in this instinctual desire, for death meant everything fading away��what significance was there in considering anything else?


    In Sterl''s n, he only needed Licitris to obey onemand to stand against the Archduke of Blood. Thismand, though certain to lead to death, was simr to a fate she was already destined to meet.


    Let her sacrifice for love.


    At this moment, Sterl finally disyed a satisfied smile, a reward for her submission, reinforcing Licitris''s mindset.


    He had seeded once again.


    Licitris, feeling even more excited, pressed closer,pletely unfazed by her lowly posture as a goddess.


    Sterl, meanwhile, maintained his calm andposed demeanor, though physically, he was on the verge of losing control.


    Licitris''s sheer, diaphanous garments were incredibly alluring, the sensation exquisite. Sterl felt himself growing increasingly aroused, and he had to repeatedly activate and deactivate the shielding effect of the Holy Spirit Bloodline to keep himselfposed.


    It was then that Sterl realized.


    Initially, his n to subdue Licitris solely through a Solidification Method would have been exceedingly difficult. Without the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he would have likely sumbed to his own desires and had to make a hasty exit...


    Returning to the matter at hand, Sterl struggled to maintain his aloof demeanor, extending his right hand to grip the queen''s neck, lifting her to his face.


    Then he kissed her.


    Before Sterl could make any move, he felt Licitris skillfully extend her tongue and wrap it around him.


    His response was to forcefully push the Subus Queen down onto the ground, the action rough enough to emit a dull thud.


    At this moment, empowered by the Holy Spirit Bloodline, his mind was exceptionally clear.


    To tame Licitris, he needed to exhibit more of his aggression and brutality.


    Even though her technique was impressive, Sterl had no room to simply close his eyes and enjoy.


    He pinned Licitris to the ground, violently tearing away the murderous intent surrounding him. Or rather, while he was tearing, it was evident that Licitris was wearing an extraordinarily precious piece of equipment that automatically tore apart with his movements.


    Sterl lifted Licitris, and without any prompting, she wrapped her legs around his waist, their bodies fitting tightly together.


    Sterl eagerly reached out to knead Licitris''s breasts, caressing every inch of her skin.


    At that moment, he realized that his earlier admiration for Licitris''s allure had been premature. While her face radiated a captivating softness with divine charm, it was her body��an actual weapon of a true Subus��that was even more perfect.


    With their bodies pressed closely together, Sterl felt an incredibly warm sensation, as if her jade-like flesh wrapped around him, each inch of skin bringing an exquisite experience that intoxicated him, making him feel as if he were in paradise.


    "Mephistopheles, let us merge as one."


    Licitris gasped, her gaze bright and herplexion flushed.


    Unable to resist, Sterl suddenly raised his body and prated Licitris.


    Initially, with the Solidification Method, he had to be somewhat cautious, considering that a Subus could absorb the life force of the opposite sex.


    However, with the Holy Spirit Bloodline enhancing him, even the abnormal effects caused by divine beings, including life absorption, became ineffective against him.


    Sterl could indulge without any reservations.


    As he just prated Licitris, his expression shifted slightly.


    To put it simply, the bodily structure of a Subus was indeedpletely different from that of normal life forms.


    Forparison, it was like the difference between shy advertisements for various types of sex toys��promotional material is one thing, but in reality, the human bodycks the nerve endings to experience suchplex sensations.


    Yet inside Licitris, Sterl truly felt it.


    Various incredibly strange structures contracted around him, providing immense pleasure.


    Inparison, among the women Sterl had been with before, even the most skilled could not match this kind of raw, transcendent experience!


    Moreover, as the Subus Queen, Licitris offered sensations that were far beyond the initial wonder.


    Sterl noticed that the structure locking his lower body was continuously changing.


    This was... quite the surprise, wasn''t it?


    He had to admit, Licitris had opened a door to a new world for him.


    And this was just the beginning.


    As he felt the wonderful sensations, he exerted himself, while the Subus Queen swiftly responded, every movement of hers expertly guiding him, yielding to Sterl to achieve the best effects.


    Despite having experienced many things, this was the first time he encountered such a perfect experience.


    Yes, the feeling Licitris gave him was simply two words: perfection.


    With every movement, Sterl felt as if the pressure and pain within him were beingpletely released...


    It wasn''t just a physical pleasure; it was also an extreme mental ecstasy.


    Sterl suspected that if he were not empowered by the Solidification Method or the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he would likely be addicted, much like an overdose on drugs.


    "No wonder... the Subus Queen canmand so many Supreme demons to submit, utterly loyal to her."


    Sterl reflected, finally letting himself go.


    At that very moment, Licitris held him tightly, her incredibly soft skin and the strange sensations made Sterl feel even more blissful at the peak of his pleasure.


    With the enhancement of his robust physique, Sterl didn''t hesitate to initiate a second round.


    This time, they kissed, and Licitris managed to position herself on Sterl''sp.


    They embraced tightly, resembling a pair of lovers or partners.


    As they exchanged kisses and tongues, Licitris ced one hand on her lower abdomen and began to twist slowly, pressing down with her palm, sending waves of strange pressure to Sterl''s lower body.


    "What the hell��"


    Sterl trembled slightly; until now, he and Licitris hadn''t engaged in any tricks.


    But unlike Sosia and Sonis, whose antics couldn''tpare to thefort brought by Licitris through basic positions and movements.


    This was incredibly professional!

 Chapter 380: Chapter 380: The True Power of the Succubus Queen!

    Sterl feltpletely immersed in a dreamlike sensation of euphoria.


    However...


    With the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline and the Solidification Method, the joy that was supposed to drive mortals into madness had a different effect on him:


    [After undergoing one mental check, your mental attribute increases permanently by one.]


    [After undergoing one special check, your physical attribute increases permanently by one.]


    [After undergoing...]


    ...


    Sterl stared at the notifications, feeling somewhat numb. The intimacy with Licitris was akin to a drug from his past life, possessing a powerful addictive quality!


    Sterl was certain that the Subus Queen had no intention of harming him, but he relied on his two abilities to barely maintain hisposure.


    One word could describe Licitris''s passive charm: terrifying!


    But at this moment, Sterl''s abilities were even more exaggerated! The strange power of the lower realm that could enchant all beings had no effect on him whatsoever.


    His two abilities were as follows:


    One was the Solidification Method, which was the greatest counter to Subi. Though it was only Iridescent-Level, it shouldn''t even exist in this world; it was onlypleted through his point allocation ability.


    The other was the Holy Spirit Bloodline, a trait inherently found in the upper realms! Something that also shouldn''t appear in the lower realm!


    Only when the two werebined could they block Licitris''s powers! This just goes to show how absurdly powerful the Subus Queen truly was.


    Sterl was convinced that if it weren''t for him, the deities of the main world would also fall victim to Licitris''s charms. Of course, this condition was somewhat exaggerated; the deities wouldn''t risk their sanity for a moment of pleasure.


    "What''s wrong? Not continuing?"


    After finishing a second round of their encounter, Sterl noticed that the Subus Queen had stopped her movements and was secretly observing him.


    Sterl immediately realized it was another opportunity to strike!


    He grabbed Licitris by the throat and slowly lifted her up.


    Sure enough, such a rough action caused the Subus Queen to tremble all over, filled with excitement.


    Licitris was in a love-struck state, realizing that despite her best efforts, even as Mephistopheles, she couldn''t seem to win him over.


    Instantly, her affection for him skyrocketed, "It''s nothing, Mephistopheles!"


    "Come on!"


    "y with me! Ravage me!"


    In ordinary circumstances, Licitris would have swiftly eliminated any uncontroble charm, but now she was teetering on the brink of surrender, desperately seeking a suitable partner.


    Seeing that Mephistopheles had passed her test time and again,bined with Sterl''s persuasive words, Licitris''s entire body softened, and she lost all remnants of her divine-level pride.


    Like a submissive dog, she knelt partially and instinctively rubbed against Sterl''s waist and abdomen.


    Sterl felt a strange tingling sensation coursing through him, as Licitris''s hair brushed against his skin, sending electric shivers down his spine.


    So this is what it means to be a Subus��her hair feels almost like an extension of her... femininity, he couldn''t help but think.


    Then, he lifted Licitris''s legs, the speed of his movements causing the Subus Queen toy back almost instantly.


    Crash!


    Her head hit the floor with a loud thud. If it were a normal human, that impact would have been enough to kill them. Thankfully, Licitris''s high level allowed her to ignore it.


    Sterl had applied considerable force; he even managed to chip some of the tiles of the Heavenly Pce with the impact...


    "That''s amazing!"


    "So powerful!" Licitris eximed, her expression full of emotion, her heart surging.


    However, Sterl could barely contain himself; just in that moment, he felt Licitris''s insides suddenly tighten, bringing about an extraordinary sensation akin to being ground down.


    He was on the verge of losing control, but fortunately, the Holy Spirit Bloodline was still in effect. Sterl managed to ovee the influence of desire!


    After bracing himself, he grasped Licitris''s legs, which felt like exquisite works of art, smooth and silky. As he exerted a bit of force, he felt his fingertips enveloped by her warm flesh.


    At the same time, he noticed that after changing positions, the internal structure of Licitris brought about apletely different sensation, as if he was with a different partner entirely.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Sterl could still see Licitris gazing at him with longing, he might have genuinely begun to doubt his senses...


    Along with the waves of strange sensations, Sterl found himself moving his hips faster, thrusting vigorously. In the midst of this, he could feel Licitris''s body twisting, as soft and pliable as the most yielding material!


    Although he was not under any enchantment, he was still entranced by the primal pleasure enveloping him...


    Then came the fourth encounter...


    Sterl pinned Licitris down, securing her upper body as he thrust violently.


    All he could see were her hips, waist, and neck��three exquisite creations, undting and flowing, captivating himpletely.


    With every movement, he felt dizzy as their skin made contact, sending him into a euphoric state of bliss.


    Finally, Licitris exerted a bit of force, aligning herself with Sterl''s rhythm, and she settled back onto him.


    Sterl''s chest pressed against the smooth back of the Subus Queen. With each thrust, he could feel the points of contact on his lower body, where Licitris''s hips twisted with remarkable dexterity.


    The fifth time... the sixth time... the seventh time...


    Licitris remained in a passive state, subjected to Sterl''s rough handling, her demeanor one of delicate vulnerability as she seemed to silently endure it all.


    But��


    Sterl was experiencing a small issue with his n for the first time.


    The dominant position in bed could also influence their daily interactions. He had always wanted to maintain control over Licitris, to strengthen hismand, and ultimately tame the Subus Queen. However, Licitris was indeed exhibiting extreme submission.


    The problem was that even in her passive state, her inherent physical advantages, along with the expressive bodynguage and emotions she disyed when aroused, could drive any manpletely wild.


    Sterl was immune to temptation, but he was still a normal "man"!


    Under Licitris''s guidance, he found himself growing more and more vigorous, not wanting to stop at all!


    Sterl felt that no matter how hard he tried, he could never match Licitris''s skills in bed. On the surface, he seemed to overpower the Subus Queen, but in reality, the rhythm was entirely controlled by Licitris. She wholeheartedly amodated his movements in order to "create" a better effect.


    Otherwise, no matter how forceful Sterl tried to be, he would easily be pinned down by Licitris.


    Fortunately, Sterl realized that this did not affect Licitris''s psychological disadvantage.


    He wanted to tame Licitris, while the Subus Queen simply wished for a normal romantic rtionship. She didn''t need to rely on her innate charm to win him over.


    Therefore��


    Though she guided the rhythm, she remained incredibly obedient to Sterl. She did her best to cooperate with him, fearing that she might make him ufortable.


    Amidst this overwhelming pleasure, Sterl gradually became dazed. He was enjoying Licitris''s service, until...


    Suddenly, he snapped back to reality.


    He quickly allocated points to the Holy Spirit Bloodline to restore its duration to 24 hours; otherwise, once the Blood of Contamination buff activated, he would be left counting down the days until his demise.


    He had confirmed through his main ount that once infected by the Blood of Contamination, upon death, he would be unable to use any abilities to preserve his life or resurrect himself.


    After allocating the points, Sterl embraced Licitris once more, their bodies melding together.


    ...


    It wasn''t until Sterl hazily woke up three dayster that he realized time had passed.


    He found himself lying on an incredibly luxurious bed, with a strange silk-like material beneath him that felt extremelyfortable, apanied by a faint fragrance.


    The bed''s edge was decorated with several ornaments that appeared to depict strikingly beautiful female figures, but he recognized them as a type of calming formation, one that could help restore mental and physical fatigue.


    How thoughtful?


    Had Licitris moved me here?


    Sterl feltzily contemtive.


    His first reaction was to regret not being able to focus entirely on the pleasure, as he needed to constantly remember to allocate points to the Holy Spirit Bloodline. He hadn''t fully enjoyed himself this time around.


    Sterl considered one of his strengths to be hispleteck of desire for physical beauty.


    However, faced with Licitris''s attentive service, he found himself somewhat enchanted, ultimately sumbing to a state of blissful slumber.


    If only...


    He wished that once the danger of the Blood of Contamination had passed, he could enjoy a moment without worry.


    Sterl sensed that Licitris was sitting nearby, using her Divine Power to suppress the Blood of Contamination as much as possible. However, it was still proving ineffective; she could only prevent the curse from manifesting physically.


    The Subus Queen''s life was on a countdown.


    When Licitris saw that Sterl had awakened, she quickly halted her efforts and returned to the bed, gently wrapping her arms around him.


    It seemed she wanted him to feel her warmth and touch as soon as he opened his eyes.


    This exceptionally tender and caring treatment was reminiscent of a lover, and Sterl found himself appreciating it.


    He had to admit, Licitris, as a Subus, truly knew how to please a man...


    Unfortunately, under normal circumstances, Licitris would have been able to sense Sterl''s psychic fluctuations before he woke up. However, with the enhancement of his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl''s perception and reaction abilities even surpassed those of the divine beings.


    Licitris''s expectations fell t.


    As Sterl feigned just waking up, he first furrowed his brows and said, "Move aside."


    He adopted a cold demeanor, but then quickly shifted his tone.


    "Very well, Licitris, you''ve pleased me."


    In this push and pull, Licitris''s affections, which had slightly warmed after their earlier intimacy, soared even higher.


    After being suppressed, she was once again recognized and validated.

 Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Jealousy and Murder!

    "You''re hitting so hard?!"


    "You''re finished!"


    The five Supremes understood��Licitris was aware of the animosity between her lovers, which is why she had established strict rules against killing one another.


    Just moments ago, the golden-haired youth had unleashed his skills merely to test the waters; he had no intention of severely injuring Mephistopheles��he was only trying to intimidate him!


    Such a brutal attack, cleaving someone in half, was something the youth would never dare to initiate.


    For other transgressions, Licitris might have been more forgiving, but this time��


    Even the three Supremes who had previously witnessed Licitris''s immense favoritism toward Mephistopheles didn''t believe he could escape unscathed.


    The Subus Queen certainly wouldn''t allow her harem to erupt in violence. After all, what was the point of collecting these handsome and powerful individuals if not to satisfy her desires?


    Mephistopheles, favored for fulfilling Licitris''s desires, would naturally face condemnation for his own.


    "You all have some nerve!"


    As expected, the expectation in the eyes of the many Supremes turned to shock as the Subus Queen appeared.


    Sterl had initially nned to manipte the situation, to imply that he had spared the youth''s life to avoid harming Licitris''s power, and then point out that these individuals were being disrespectful to her�� that they were unfriendly towards a "neer" like him.


    Licitris treated Sterl with a warmth akin to jade, but at her core, she was still a powerful demon��ruthless and cold-blooded!


    Given that she was aware of her impending death and her subordinates would soon face annihtion, she had little to lose.


    Most likely, she would take the initiative to act on Sterl''s behalf.


    Sterl wasn''t acting out of vengeance; he aimed to eliminate the few personnel around Licitris who couldmunicate with her!


    This way, the only voices she would hear would be his, making it easier for him to control the situation.


    Sterl''s n was wellid out, but before he could even speak, the Supremes hadn''t had the chance to report the troubling events. They were all wearing expressions of schadenfreude��


    They didn''t expect Mephistopheles to be expelled by the Queen, but they did anticipate he would face severe punishment, suffering immensely!


    The only thing that puzzled them was��


    Why did the Queen use the term "you all" instead of... "you?"


    In the next moment, the expressions of the Supremes froze.


    "Uh�� ah!"


    "Mephistopheles, are you insane?"


    "Are you seeking death?!"


    They all screamed in horror.


    At first, the Supremes were still questioning Mephistopheles.


    But when he made his second move, the implications of his provocation were immense!


    Did Mephistopheles really not fear that Licitris would kill him?


    However, the Supremes quickly realized that the force that struck them was Divine Power, distinctly different from the fluctuations of Mephistopheles''s strength.


    Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the image of their beloved queen slowly retracting her hand, the waves of Divine Power dissipating.


    Then, a deep fear gripped the five Supremes.


    They sensed that their bodies, beneath their heads, were being shredded.


    In the next instant��


    Since the Subus Queen could evoke desire and pleasure in others, she could also inflict unimaginable torment.


    The heads of the five Supremes twisted grotesquely!


    Their bodies were disintegrating, yet the pain of their shattered forms surged continuously, like steel needles piercing into their remaining heads!


    "Ahhh!!"


    "Why?!"


    "Your Majesty, what did we do wrong?"


    "You can take my name; just tell me the reason!"


    ...


    The five Supremes cried out in despair.


    In an incredibly short span of time, theypleted their mental shift from heaven to hell. Their earlier mockery of Mephistopheles now paled inparison to the intensity of their current suffering. It wasn''t just physical harm; it felt like their spirits were crushed.


    Yet Licitris didn''t even want to say a word. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the five "heads" out of the Heavenly Pce and into the camp beyond.


    In just a fleeting moment, the chaos-loving demons and yers of Swallowing Heaven realized that the once lofty Supreme had been reduced to nothing more than a defenseless head.


    Instantly, they erupted into revelry!


    "Haha! Is that a Supreme Lord? How did ite to this?"


    "Perfect! I was just in need of a urinal, and your shape is just right."


    "By the way, I propose we hold a ball game! I got this simple rule from the memory of a weak race''s soul in the main world! Supreme Lords,e join us; you can be the ball!"


    "Wait a minute, let me see what it feels like to poke into the brain matter!"


    A group of "people" gathered together joyfully, their eyes gleaming with excitement!


    For the demons, humiliating former great figures was the ultimate pleasure.


    The entire camp of "people" gathered together in celebration!


    Sterl was momentarily stunned by the scene unfolding outside. If he were in the same situation, he would certainly be eager to snatch the heads of the Supremes to alleviate the effects of his Blood of Contamination.


    But those demons and Swallowing Heaven yers had a rather unconventional mindset; they were solely focused on venting their frustrations and having fun.


    "How dare you! Are you all insane?!"


    "Don''te over here, don''te over!"


    "Don''t poke that thing into my brain!"


    The five Supremes, who had just felt utterly defeated and were enduring immense pain, now faced even more horrifying humiliation!


    At this moment, they had no emotional response left for Mephistopheles; all they wished for was to die with some dignity.


    Sterl shivered.


    This�� was way too cruel!


    Licitris gently leaned against him and wrapped her arms around Sterl, causing a warm breath to flow into him.


    "What''s wrong? Are you feeling a bit cold?"


    "Would you like me to adjust the temperature?"


    Within the Subus Queen''s concern was a hint of humble appeasement, her tone remaining exceedingly submissive.


    "I originally intended to eliminate them directly."


    "Letting them die quickly."


    "After all, I am now entirely yours; how could I let others touch me?"


    "I didn''t expect they would still want to attack you��"


    "In my moment of anger, I may have gone a bit too far; should I leave the handling of this to you?"


    Licitris sincerely regretted her actions.


    Sterl reached out to caress her perfectly shaped body, feeling the wonderful sensation while quietly reflecting��


    Indeed, a demon is a demon.


    He felt nothing.


    In situations that didn''t affect his interests, Sterl remained calm; he didn''t care about the fates of the Supremes.


    He simply realized that despite trying to think the worst of the demon race and the Swallowing Heaven yers, his imagination fell a bit short.


    However��


    As Sterl observed Licitris''s submissive demeanor, he nced back to see nda, who wore a shocked expression that soon transformed into one of realization.


    This Supreme Subus had guessed most of the truth.


    Under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, the Queen likely wished to pursue a pure romance. The previous lovers were undoubtedly doomed.


    nda then thought with excitement,


    Ah! Mephistopheles seems to be looking at me. Does that mean he doesn''t want a pure romance but rather seeks to indulge before his death, perhaps even cheat?


    Does that mean I have a chance?


    nda was filled with joy!


    nda had once feared Licitris, but now, under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, she realized she wouldn''tst much longer and decided to let loose a little.


    "Mephistopheles, while I may notpare to Her Majesty the Queen, I have my own unique skills that are sure to satisfy you!"


    Shepletely failed to notice the true thoughts hidden behind Sterl''s emotionless pupils��there was only one outsider left near Licitris��nda.


    Removing her would push the n to its climax!


    Under Sterl''s influence, Licitris would likely be willing to confront the Archduke of Blood for Mephistopheles!


    ...


    nda inexplicably shivered.


    Outside, the revelry had just begun, but one of the five Supremes had already been killed during the chaos. The Blood of Contamination he unleashed before dying sent another wave of disorder through the camp.


    Demons and Swallowing Heaven yers were fighting and killing each other, the air thick with the stench of blood and the sounds of chaos.


    Sterl held Licitris tightly in his arms, her body a perfect embodiment of beauty, his smile masking his true feelings.


    ...


    For the next few days, Sterl and Licitris indulged in their festivities.


    As for nda��


    She met her end on the third day.


    The reason? She had attempted to seduce Mephistopheles and was caught on the spot by Licitris.


    Sterl naturally yed his part, exhibiting Mephistopheles''s characteristic indifference towards women, coldly rejecting her advances.


    Meanwhile, Licitris, who had previously been instructed to retrieve a flower crown, returned just in time. Sterl expressed his desire to see the Subus Queen adorned with flowers.


    Licitris, albeit reluctantly, showed some leniency; since nda had always been her follower, she did not punish her severely but simply expelled her from the Heavenly Pce.


    However, the concentration of the polluted waters outside had been steadily increasing.


    Even the inherently "optimistic" demons and Swallowing Heaven yers found themselves descending into madness.


    They gradually began to understand the patterns of the Blood of Contamination. By killing others, they could reduce their own infection rates, but the concentration of Blood of Contamination in their bodies would also rise. Although they could clear a significant portion of their infection progress, the rate of pollution would deepen rapidly!


    nda, being rtively untainted due to her time spent in the Heavenly Pce, became a prime target. With her body only affected by the internal waters and not by external influences, she was seen as a valuable prize.


    Several Supremes joined forces to ambush and y her.


    Thest creature, a semi-human monster with many tentacles, managed to im nda''s head, but s, he was quickly killed by the frenzied attacks of the other Supremes.


    Then, chaos erupted.


    The Blood of Contamination explosion caused by the monster''s death sent everyone''s infection rates soaring.


    They were forced to turn on one another to try to reduce their infection progress.


    In the end, several Supremes, who had aimed to dy their demise, found that only one of them survived.


    And the level of contamination was terrifyingly high.


    Sterl watched in the Heavenly Pce as thest surviving Supreme barelysted two more hours before sumbing to the effects of the Blood of Contamination.

 Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Jealousy and Murder!

    "You''re hitting so hard?!"


    "You''re finished!"


    The five Supremes understood��Licitris was aware of the animosity between her lovers, which is why she had established strict rules against killing one another.


    Just moments ago, the golden-haired youth had unleashed his skills merely to test the waters; he had no intention of severely injuring Mephistopheles��he was only trying to intimidate him!


    Such a brutal attack, cleaving someone in half, was something the youth would never dare to initiate.


    For other transgressions, Licitris might have been more forgiving, but this time��


    Even the three Supremes who had previously witnessed Licitris''s immense favoritism toward Mephistopheles didn''t believe he could escape unscathed.


    The Subus Queen certainly wouldn''t allow her harem to erupt in violence. After all, what was the point of collecting these handsome and powerful individuals if not to satisfy her desires?


    Mephistopheles, favored for fulfilling Licitris''s desires, would naturally face condemnation for his own.


    "You all have some nerve!"


    As expected, the expectation in the eyes of the many Supremes turned to shock as the Subus Queen appeared.


    Sterl had initially nned to manipte the situation, to imply that he had spared the youth''s life to avoid harming Licitris''s power, and then point out that these individuals were being disrespectful to her�� that they were unfriendly towards a "neer" like him.


    Licitris treated Sterl with a warmth akin to jade, but at her core, she was still a powerful demon��ruthless and cold-blooded!


    Given that she was aware of her impending death and her subordinates would soon face annihtion, she had little to lose.


    Most likely, she would take the initiative to act on Sterl''s behalf.


    Sterl wasn''t acting out of vengeance; he aimed to eliminate the few personnel around Licitris who couldmunicate with her!


    This way, the only voices she would hear would be his, making it easier for him to control the situation.


    Sterl''s n was wellid out, but before he could even speak, the Supremes hadn''t had the chance to report the troubling events. They were all wearing expressions of schadenfreude��


    They didn''t expect Mephistopheles to be expelled by the Queen, but they did anticipate he would face severe punishment, suffering immensely!


    The only thing that puzzled them was��


    Why did the Queen use the term "you all" instead of... "you?"


    In the next moment, the expressions of the Supremes froze.


    "Uh�� ah!"


    "Mephistopheles, are you insane?"


    "Are you seeking death?!"


    They all screamed in horror.


    At first, the Supremes were still questioning Mephistopheles.


    But when he made his second move, the implications of his provocation were immense!


    Did Mephistopheles really not fear that Licitris would kill him?


    However, the Supremes quickly realized that the force that struck them was Divine Power, distinctly different from the fluctuations of Mephistopheles''s strength.


    Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the image of their beloved queen slowly retracting her hand, the waves of Divine Power dissipating.


    Then, a deep fear gripped the five Supremes.


    They sensed that their bodies, beneath their heads, were being shredded.


    In the next instant��


    Since the Subus Queen could evoke desire and pleasure in others, she could also inflict unimaginable torment.


    The heads of the five Supremes twisted grotesquely!


    Their bodies were disintegrating, yet the pain of their shattered forms surged continuously, like steel needles piercing into their remaining heads!


    "Ahhh!!"


    "Why?!"


    "Your Majesty, what did we do wrong?"


    "You can take my name; just tell me the reason!"


    ...


    The five Supremes cried out in despair.


    In an incredibly short span of time, theypleted their mental shift from heaven to hell. Their earlier mockery of Mephistopheles now paled inparison to the intensity of their current suffering. It wasn''t just physical harm; it felt like their spirits were crushed.


    Yet Licitris didn''t even want to say a word. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the five "heads" out of the Heavenly Pce and into the camp beyond.


    In just a fleeting moment, the chaos-loving demons and yers of Swallowing Heaven realized that the once lofty Supreme had been reduced to nothing more than a defenseless head.


    Instantly, they erupted into revelry!


    "Haha! Is that a Supreme Lord? How did ite to this?"


    "Perfect! I was just in need of a urinal, and your shape is just right."


    "By the way, I propose we hold a ball game! I got this simple rule from the memory of a weak race''s soul in the main world! Supreme Lords,e join us; you can be the ball!"


    "Wait a minute, let me see what it feels like to poke into the brain matter!"


    A group of "people" gathered together joyfully, their eyes gleaming with excitement!


    For the demons, humiliating former great figures was the ultimate pleasure.


    The entire camp of "people" gathered together in celebration!


    Sterl was momentarily stunned by the scene unfolding outside. If he were in the same situation, he would certainly be eager to snatch the heads of the Supremes to alleviate the effects of his Blood of Contamination.


    But those demons and Swallowing Heaven yers had a rather unconventional mindset; they were solely focused on venting their frustrations and having fun.


    "How dare you! Are you all insane?!"


    "Don''te over here, don''te over!"


    "Don''t poke that thing into my brain!"


    The five Supremes, who had just felt utterly defeated and were enduring immense pain, now faced even more horrifying humiliation!


    At this moment, they had no emotional response left for Mephistopheles; all they wished for was to die with some dignity.


    Sterl shivered.


    This�� was way too cruel!


    Licitris gently leaned against him and wrapped her arms around Sterl, causing a warm breath to flow into him.


    "What''s wrong? Are you feeling a bit cold?"


    "Would you like me to adjust the temperature?"


    Within the Subus Queen''s concern was a hint of humble appeasement, her tone remaining exceedingly submissive.


    "I originally intended to eliminate them directly."


    "Letting them die quickly."


    "After all, I am now entirely yours; how could I let others touch me?"


    "I didn''t expect they would still want to attack you��"


    "In my moment of anger, I may have gone a bit too far; should I leave the handling of this to you?"


    Licitris sincerely regretted her actions.


    Sterl reached out to caress her perfectly shaped body, feeling the wonderful sensation while quietly reflecting��


    Indeed, a demon is a demon.


    He felt nothing.


    In situations that didn''t affect his interests, Sterl remained calm; he didn''t care about the fates of the Supremes.


    He simply realized that despite trying to think the worst of the demon race and the Swallowing Heaven yers, his imagination fell a bit short.


    However��


    As Sterl observed Licitris''s submissive demeanor, he nced back to see nda, who wore a shocked expression that soon transformed into one of realization.


    This Supreme Subus had guessed most of the truth.


    Under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, the Queen likely wished to pursue a pure romance. The previous lovers were undoubtedly doomed.


    nda then thought with excitement,


    Ah! Mephistopheles seems to be looking at me. Does that mean he doesn''t want a pure romance but rather seeks to indulge before his death, perhaps even cheat?


    Does that mean I have a chance?


    nda was filled with joy!


    nda had once feared Licitris, but now, under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, she realized she wouldn''tst much longer and decided to let loose a little.


    "Mephistopheles, while I may notpare to Her Majesty the Queen, I have my own unique skills that are sure to satisfy you!"


    Shepletely failed to notice the true thoughts hidden behind Sterl''s emotionless pupils��there was only one outsider left near Licitris��nda.


    Removing her would push the n to its climax!


    Under Sterl''s influence, Licitris would likely be willing to confront the Archduke of Blood for Mephistopheles!


    ...


    nda inexplicably shivered.


    Outside, the revelry had just begun, but one of the five Supremes had already been killed during the chaos. The Blood of Contamination he unleashed before dying sent another wave of disorder through the camp.


    Demons and Swallowing Heaven yers were fighting and killing each other, the air thick with the stench of blood and the sounds of chaos.


    Sterl held Licitris tightly in his arms, her body a perfect embodiment of beauty, his smile masking his true feelings.


    ...


    For the next few days, Sterl and Licitris indulged in their festivities.


    As for nda��


    She met her end on the third day.


    The reason? She had attempted to seduce Mephistopheles and was caught on the spot by Licitris.


    Sterl naturally yed his part, exhibiting Mephistopheles''s characteristic indifference towards women, coldly rejecting her advances.


    Meanwhile, Licitris, who had previously been instructed to retrieve a flower crown, returned just in time. Sterl expressed his desire to see the Subus Queen adorned with flowers.


    Licitris, albeit reluctantly, showed some leniency; since nda had always been her follower, she did not punish her severely but simply expelled her from the Heavenly Pce.


    However, the concentration of the polluted waters outside had been steadily increasing.


    Even the inherently "optimistic" demons and Swallowing Heaven yers found themselves descending into madness.


    They gradually began to understand the patterns of the Blood of Contamination. By killing others, they could reduce their own infection rates, but the concentration of Blood of Contamination in their bodies would also rise. Although they could clear a significant portion of their infection progress, the rate of pollution would deepen rapidly!


    nda, being rtively untainted due to her time spent in the Heavenly Pce, became a prime target. With her body only affected by the internal waters and not by external influences, she was seen as a valuable prize.


    Several Supremes joined forces to ambush and y her.


    Thest creature, a semi-human monster with many tentacles, managed to im nda''s head, but s, he was quickly killed by the frenzied attacks of the other Supremes.


    Then, chaos erupted.


    The Blood of Contamination explosion caused by the monster''s death sent everyone''s infection rates soaring.


    They were forced to turn on one another to try to reduce their infection progress.


    In the end, several Supremes, who had aimed to dy their demise, found that only one of them survived.


    And the level of contamination was terrifyingly high.


    Sterl watched in the Heavenly Pce as thest surviving Supreme barelysted two more hours before sumbing to the effects of the Blood of Contamination.

 Chapter 383: Chapter 383: The God-Slaying Plan

    Sterl''s mind remained undisturbed.


    nda was merely an ordinary Supreme; even if she didn''t perish outside the Heavenly Pce, she would eventually meet her end.


    No one could save her.


    This demon had some affection for him, but Sterl could never be sure until the end whether nda had her own agenda or if she was truly infatuated with him just like Licitris.


    ...


    The day after nda''s death.


    The Heavenly Pce, as an artifact, had already been activated by Licitris and was floating in mid-air.


    However, throughout theyer of hell, the constant deaths were causing the total amount of Blood of Contamination to increase rapidly, eroding the entire realm.


    The sky had transformed into an Iridescent hue, with clouds of the same shimmering color drifting above, while the ground was twisted and resembled a distorted rainbow,pletely unlike the human world.


    Everything was being passively tainted.


    The Heavenly Pce itself held no life; it was merely a distorted entity, and its energy would not be converted into Blood of Contamination, allowing it to hold out for a while longer, but not for much longer��


    Sterl and Licitris had spent several days indulging in pleasure.


    Inside the Heavenly Pce, various facilities operated automatically to provide for their needs.


    Meanwhile, Licitris was being relentlessly brainwashed by Sterl.


    He maintained his aloof demon persona while subtly suggesting in bed that he was the only one who truly cared for Licitris, that everyone else was merely captivated by the Subus Queen''s charm.


    "Aside from me, no matter how many partners you seek, you will never find true love."


    "Now that we''re both nearing death, why not indulge ourselves? There''s nothing to fear!"


    It even sounded somewhat reasonable��


    Licitris, having never experienced such psychological maniption and already inclined toply, quickly sumbed to his influence��


    She could only think of indulging in pleasure with Mephistopheles, willing to do anything for her lover.


    ...


    "Ha~ Ha~ Ha~"


    Amidst the sounds of heavy breathing,


    Sterly on the bed, while Licitris rode him with wild fervor.


    Sterl felt the movement of the Subus Queen''s waist, watching as strange pink patterns flickered across her abdomen, dazzling him to the point of being momentarily blinded.


    In the extreme sensation of contraction and pressure,


    Sterl felt his blood surge, and Licitris quickly leaned down to intertwine their lips and tongues.


    In the peak of pleasure, the two embraced, lost in ecstasy.


    Outside�� in the camp, there were fewer than a hundred demons and Swallowing Heaven yers remaining.


    All of them were covered in sores and oozing pus under the effects of the Blood of Contamination, letting out agonizing wails.


    In this state, they had actually stopped killing each other, needing to preserve their heads for when their infection progress peaked.


    All the "people" were silently awaiting their demise, until a sudden noise pierced the silence��a yer on the brink of Annihtion lunged at the others!


    He unleashed all his abilities, even at the cost of�� self-detonation!


    Fiery energy surged forth.


    This Swallowing Heaven yer, seemingly attacking to survive, was willing to sacrifice his life to take down his enemies.


    As the infection progress of the Blood of Contamination eased momentarily, the infected could experience a brief sense of relief. For this fleeting moment of respite, yers who knew they were doomed had gonepletely mad!


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    "Ugh!!!"


    "I''m going all out with you!"


    The only reason the camp still existed was that even though some had fallen, the effects of the Blood of Contamination would amplify. However, if one were to wander alone in hell, they would likely find no living beings even if their infection progress maxed out.


    That would be even more despairing.


    The existence of the camp, however, led to a chain reaction triggered by the self-detonating yers, causing the Blood of Contamination to surge and the infection progress of many to explode, reigniting chaos and ughter!


    People had to score kills to alleviate the infection from the Blood of Contamination!


    ...


    Below the Heavenly Pce, a scene reminiscent of hell was unfolding.


    Inside the Heavenly Pce, however��


    "Ah!"


    "Ugh!!!"


    "Mephistopheles, you''re amazing!"


    "Keep going! I love you!"


    Licitris and Sterl were entwined, with the Subus Queen serving her lover with all her memories and tenderness.


    This scene was beyond mere debauchery.


    With top-tier beauty and skills, it resembled��art!


    Yet, at the edge of this artistic tableau, the demons and Swallowing Heaven yers below were engulfed in an escting tide of ughter and suffering, reaching a fever pitch!


    Such cruel scenes could not escape the notice of the divine-level Licitris and the Holy Spirit Bloodline-empowered Sterl.


    Sterl remained unhurried; the Archduke of Blood had surely been affected as well. In theyer of hell, aside from himself, no one with the Holy Spirit Bloodline could avoid the Blood of Contamination.


    He could easily wait until both Licitris and the Archduke of Blood were extremely weakened before executing his n.


    Licitris, on the other hand, waspletely lost in passion, seemingly trying to forget everything through pleasure.


    Sterl yed along��after all, he was enjoying himself as well.


    Only asionally did he pause to switch to his main ount and venture into the main world.


    There, it was unlike the madness of the demons and Swallowing Heaven yers; by the time the Blood of Contamination had reached its maximum progression, they gathered together simply to have heads to im when they were about to perish.


    Everyone in the main world instinctively distanced themselves, fearing that in their final moments, they might not be able to resist attacking their former friends, family, and lovers.


    Knowing they were doomed, why not maintain some dignity?


    Fortunately, among the three gods, some loyal followers were still following their deities.


    These individuals would automatically leave to choose a ce for their demise when their infection progress maxed out.


    This allowed Sterl to breathe a sigh of relief when he switched to his main ount.


    "Looks like the n can still be set in motion."


    He quickly took action and switched back to the Mephistopheles ount, returning to the Heavenly Pce.


    Until��


    "Mmm��"


    Suddenly, a glint of Iridescent color shed in Licitris''s eyes, and strange patterns began to appear on her arm.


    She felt an immense pain, and at that moment, Licitris suddenly tightened her body, harnessing the power of her suffering. Sterl felt as if a hand was gripping him tightly.


    In the midst of the intense pleasure, Sterl didn''t resist using the Holy Spirit Bloodline; instead, he surrendered to the sensation andid down his defenses.


    ...


    A flicker of joy passed through Sterl''s eyes, quickly followed by a wave of concern.


    Licitris was unable to suppress the Blood of Contamination, and it was likely that the infection progress for other divine-level beings was also reaching simr levels��including the Archduke of Blood.


    His Origin of Chaos was purely offensive, offering no physical enhancements, and his condition wouldn''t be any better.


    "It''s time to execute the n."


    Yet, while Sterl felt in high spirits, he also harbored some anxiety.


    ying a god in the lower realm was not something a unit beneath the gods could easily plot.


    Whether Licitris would fully obey Sterl''smands remained uncertain. After all, she was a divine-level entity, and it was entirely possible that at thest moment, she could awaken to the allure of Mephistopheles through instinct.


    Sterl''s psychological tactics were a science, not hypnosis�� and there was always a chance of failure.


    It was unclear just how terrifying the Archduke of Blood could retaliate with the Origin of Chaos.


    The pressure on Sterl was immense!


    But despite the turmoil within him, his expression remained unchanged as he wrapped his arms around Licitris.


    In the days prior, the Subus Queen had been obsessively clinging to him, while Sterl had remained rather aloof, all to set the stage for this moment.


    When Licitris felt pain from the Blood of Contamination, it represented her most vulnerable moment.


    Instantly breaking from his usual demeanor, Sterl gently embraced her and said, "Are you okay?"


    "Do you need to rest? Don''t worry; no matter what happens, I''ll be right here with you."


    His sweet words flowed freely, as if they cost nothing.


    The contrast between his previous indifference and his current tenderness seemed to transform Mephistopheles, a famously cold character, into someone capable of warmth through love.


    It perfectly provided Licitris, who was at her lowest point, with a much-needed boost of emotional support.


    Even divine-level beings were merely stronger animals.


    Sterl reaffirmed his thoughts as the Subus Queen''s heart shattered. She leaned against Sterl''s shoulder, her face filled with fear, quietly sobbing, "I... I don''t want to die."


    "I''ve worked for nearly a thousand years to ascend to godhood and gain my current strength."


    "Why? Just because of some turmoil in the upper realms, am I meant to perish??"


    Licitris was unaware that the issues in the upper realms were tied to cmity; she could only attribute it to an unfortunate ident.


    Sterl simply stroked her head gently.


    Eventually, Licitris seemed toe to terms with her fate, resting quietly against Sterl''s chest: "Well, I suppose I am approaching my end."


    "But my talent would have been trapped at the level of weak Divine Power."


    "In another thousand years, I would have exhausted my lifespan and fallen."


    "Perhaps I traded this thousand years for the chance to meet you."


    "That''s not a bad ending."


    The glow of the Blood of Contamination shimmered around her, even as Licitris desperately tried to suppress it.


    Sterl could still see the perfect form of the Subus Queen, with what looked like live insects churning and writhing beneath her skin, grotesque bulges appearing that were quite nauseating.


    Sterl pulled Licitris closer. "What are you saying?"


    "Is there really no way to suppress the Blood of Contamination?"


    "We''ve only just met, and now we''re talking about parting ways."


    "Let''s at least face death together."


    "This isn''t the Archduke of Blood''syer of hell; there should be plenty of blood around. Could we use this ordinary blood to dilute the corrupted blood?"


    Sterl suggested.


    At that moment, he hadn''t been infected by the Blood of Contamination, showing no symptoms.


    Sterl''s reasoning was sound; he had been firmly protected by Licitris and hadn''te into contact with much blood. Consequently, the progression of the Blood of Contamination was rtively slow.


    The argument itself might not hold much weight.


    But Licitris was willing to ept this reality��she had protected Mephistopheles.


    This lie was something the Subus Queen could easily convince herself of.


    Sterl''s earlier words were meant to lead into the next topic.


    Mephistopheles didn''t want Licitris to fade away prematurely and, in a panic, suggested a hypothesis��


    Since the Blood of Contamination was transmitted through blood, and there was a river of blood in thisyer of hell, perhaps the sheer volume of blood could neutralize some of the toxins?

 Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Returning to the River Valley, Gods Gathered!

    This was not Sterl''s intention to deceive Licitris.


    By utilizing the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, he could selectively draw in countless sacrificial bloods. Although this would waste the formation''s potential to enhance power, it could dilute the Blood of Contamination.


    Indeed, it could allow the Subus Queen to linger for a few more days. However, the divine-level formation could only withstand the cmity from the upper realms for a few days at most.


    This was primarily because the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array could counter the Blood of Contamination, while a standard formation would have little to no effect.


    The only issue was that it was certainly toote to set up this formation now; they could only make use of the sessfully established Heavenly Locking Formation in hell.


    However, the Heavenly Locking Formation concealed the Archduke of Blood!


    If Licitris aimed to suppress the Blood of Contamination, she would inevitably confront the Archduke of Blood, who wielded the Origin of Chaos!


    By the way, when Sterl changed to hisrger form, he took a distant look around. Using his skills as a top-tier Array Master, he confirmed that the Archduke of Blood had not activated the formation ahead of time.


    Clearly, this divine-level demon also hoped to activate the formation at a time when the contamination level had peaked.


    Yet, Sterl did not rush to propose any induction; he merely expressed concern as Mephistopheles in a panic.


    If he mentioned the formation, it would appear too purposeful.


    How could Mephistopheles know all this?


    What if Licitris asked him about it? How would he answer?


    Sincerity was the ultimate weapon!


    The Mephistopheles that Sterl portrayed would never attempt to lie to Licitris. If he failed, all the prior maniption would go up in mes.


    Fortunately, as Sterl anticipated, other divine-level beings might react slowly, but Licitris had already arranged for a Supreme sacrifice beforehand.


    She could not possibly forget about the formation within theyer of hell.


    "Yes! I can''t give up yet! Every extra day I can spend with you is worth it!"


    Licitris revealed an incredibly radiant smile, feeling as if she were immersed in honey while looking into Mephistopheles''s concerned eyes.


    She activated her Divine Power to forcefully diminish the influence of the Blood of Contamination once more, restoring her to the magnificent Subus Queen she once was.


    However, this was merely superficial.


    "There is a river valley in theyer of hell, where countless years of blood force have umted. Perhaps we could use it to slightly dy the effects of the Blood of Contamination!"


    The reason Licitris only thought of this formation now was that she was not a professional Array Master like Sterl and hadn''t considered the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array''s potential for such a purpose.


    It was only when Sterl brought up the idea of diluting the Blood of Contamination that Licitris analyzed it and saw some logic, prompting her to recall the existence of the formation.


    "Let''s go together."


    "After all, we can''t stay here much longer."


    Licitris looked up at the ceiling. In the Heavenly Pce, a sculpture depicting an angel suddenly shed a drop of colorful tears from high above.


    This beautifully haunting scene sent a chill down Licitris''s spine.


    The divine-level artifacts had been thoroughly corrupted!


    The Heavenly Pcehad also be part of the Blood of Contamination!


    Licitris looked at Mephistopheles and nodded with a smile, speaking words that seemed to suggest they would face this together. Suddenly, she made a firm decision��


    While the formation might alleviate the effects of the Blood of Contamination, her own power as a divine-level being was too vast for the formation to cleansepletely.


    But�� if it were Mephistopheles��


    Sterl''s gaze was filled with deep emotion, but his mind was racing as he quickly reviewed his ns.


    He always tended to consider multiple angles.


    Sterl understood well that the moreplex the n, the easier it was to fail.


    In this world, there was no such thing as a perfect strategy.


    Sterl''s approach was to predict the general direction of certain events based on objective realities and to make multiple preparations ordingly.


    One n involved killing the Archduke of Blood.


    This included inducing Licitris to be hostile toward him.


    He had discreetly spread the news that the natural blood formation could resist the Blood of Contamination, which was what he had done when he changed to hisrger form. Sterl estimated that at this moment, all the divine beings would have simr levels of infection.


    Soon, in the river valley where the Heavenly Locking Formation was located, the divine beings from the main world and even the Lord of Evil Spirits would arrive.


    In the ensuing chaos, everyone would fight to seize the formation.


    As a hidden divine-level being, Sterl could briefly unleash divine-level power thanks to his Holy Spirit Bloodline, allowing him to navigate the turmoil!


    All he needed was to im the head of the Archduke of Blood!


    In addition, he could directly utilize the results of his maniption of Licitris,manding her to fight for him.


    He could also attempt to reverse-engineer the Archduke of Blood''s formation within the river valley and seize it for himself��


    Multiple preparations were in ce.


    Do what one can, and leave the rest to fate.


    Having prepared for failure, he could only say that the odds of obtaining a head and gaining fortune were not low.


    Yet, Sterl still felt uneasy because of the Archduke of Blood''s Origin of Chaos!


    Having his own Origin of Chaos, Sterl understood just how outrageous such a power was.


    How could he gain such explosivebat power on the battlefield so quickly?


    From an existence that struggled against a Supreme, he transformed into a being capable of effortlessly obliterating even hidden Supremes like Lovic?


    Three hundred blood force directly pointed to three perfect Laws.


    This was equivalent to a demigod''s thousand years of hard work.


    In an instant, Sterl filled the Shattered Void to its maximum!


    How powerful could the supreme Sky Thunder be under the control of a divine-level being?


    Sterl felt that when the Archduke of Blood had previously made his move, he might have only unleashed a fraction of his true power!


    This time, he was destined to fight desperately to protect the formation!


    Several divine beings would also strive to kill their equal counterparts to dy the progress of the Blood of Contamination, which meant they would fight fiercely for the kills. At that point, he might only be able tomand Licitris to buy time with her life.


    Would she obey?


    That was difficult!


    "It''s okay."


    Seemingly sensing Sterl''s worries, Licitris suddenly grasped his hand. A faint warmth spread from her palm into Sterl''s body.


    "Yes, we can definitely do it."


    Sterl replied, his tone firm, pushing aside any errant thoughts.


    ...


    Soon, the two left the Heavenly Pce.


    Enveloped by Divine Power, Licitris and Sterl arrived almost instantaneously in the underground river valley, where three figures were already standing.


    One of them was the Lord of Evil Spirits, who had barely managed to restore himself to half his original size.


    The other two were divine beings from the main world, their bodies glowing with a flickering light, but the divine light around them was asionally tainted by an odd, multicolored dye.


    It was quite unsettling to behold.


    "You''re here too! Good, good! Let''s join forces against the enemy!"


    The Lord of Evil Spirits hurried over to Licitris''s side, finally feeling a bit more rxed.


    Rog had just received the news, learning through interrogation of a devout follower of a divine being from the main world, who had been fully tainted, that there was indeed a natural formation in this hell that could suppress the Blood of Contamination to a certain extent.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits felt quite lucky.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the follower of the divine being would choose a ce for Annihtion that wouldn''t affect others before dying, and if he hadn''t suddenly sensed a peculiar power erupting near his closed-off location and gone to investigate, he wouldn''t have stumbled upon this follower.


    Without extracting information from the remnants of the follower''s soul, he wouldn''t have made it to the location of the Heavenly Locking Formation. Had he arrived anyter, the two divine beings from the main world might have already worked together to take the formation away.


    Clearly, the coincidences that Rog encountered were the result of Sterl''s schemes. He had manipted the followers of the divine beings from the main world to end up near the Lord of Evil Spirits, while also informing a Swallowing Heaven yer of the blood in the valley that could purify the Blood of Contamination, hinting that he should report this information to Rog for potential rewards.


    Thetter preparation fell t. Rog exhibited the cunning expected from a divine-level demon, sessfully rummaging through the memories of the follower of the divine being.


    However, when Rog arrived at the river valley, he coincidentally ran into the two divine beings from the Golden Kingdom and Ashen.


    Under normal circumstances, a fight should have broken out.


    However, the divine beings from the main world hesitated due to the news that Sterl had spread using hisrger form��specifically, that the valley had been affected by the contamination to a lesser degree, prompting them to investigate.


    They were wary of acting immediately, fearing that they might destroy the valley''s unique properties. At the same time, they were concerned that the other divine beings might suddenly turn against them while attacking the divine-level demon, leading to a stalemate.


    At this moment, it appeared to be a two-on-two standoff.


    In reality, each divine-level being was operating as an individual entity, eyeing each other warily.


    Just then, thest ray of light descended from the sky.


    Marlon, a divine being from the Hall of Valor, had been dyed for some reason but had finally arrived!


    Sterl, standing behind Licitris, felt a jolt.


    Thanks to his Holy Spirit Bloodline, he barely sensed the presence of the Archduke of Blood��faint and elusive. It was clear that this divine-level demon had also noticed that the formation was being targeted and, faced with five equals, chose to hide for the moment.


    This eased Sterl''s mind.


    If the Archduke of Blood had chosen to strike directly, it would indicate that he was confident in facing five divine beings thanks to his Origin of Chaos.


    How strong would that make him?


    Putting Sterl aside for now, the five divine beings engaged in a brief standoff.


    Suddenly, Licitris spoke up: "You all must be aware of the uniqueness of this valley, which can prolong our lives."


    "If we engage in a fight now, if even one of us falls, the others will undoubtedly perish instantly under the effects of the Blood of Contamination."


    "Why not coborate to develop the formation within this valley first?"


    With her experience from the previous Supreme demon''s sacrifice, she believed she could leverage the Heavenly Locking Formation for an advantage, so she was the first to suggest this.


    The air momentarily froze.


    It wasn''t a good proposal; even if they pooled all the blood gathered from an entireyer of hell, the purification they could achieve would be limited. Sharing the development meant that each individual could only extend their life by a small margin.


    The three divine beings from the main world were the first to relent.


    "Alright, we''ll follow your lead."


    "Let''s first see if this blood can alleviate the contamination."


    "Given the situation, we might as well band together and do our best to survive."


    ...


    Their environment made them more cautious about life than the two demons who had advanced to divine level in hell.


    Moreover, the three divine beings were not in a position to expel the two demons.


    Thus, the conflict paused.

 Chapter 385: Chapter 385: The Array of Seizing Heaven and Creating Fate

    Seeing that the situation had stabilized, the Lord of Evil Spirits quickly left Licitris''s side.


    Everyone understood that Licitris wouldn''t make a suggestion without having a backup n. However, with their lives at stake and feeling on the brink of copse, it was best to purify the Blood of Contamination first before continuing the fight.


    The deity from the Golden Kingdom revealed a peculiar smile.


    He was the first to choose a spot to sit down. After making a few hand seals, the river of blood enveloped him, and a faint rainbow-colored blood was exchanged.


    In Sterl''s view, it resembled the dialysis treatment for kidney disease he had undergone before his transmigration, where Polluted Blood was expelled and reced with ordinary blood.


    Although drawing blood from theyer of hell would undoubtedly cause significant harm, it was nothingpared to the Blood of Contamination that had transformed from the cmity of the upper realms; it was almost negligible.


    The deity from the Golden Kingdom''splexion visibly brightened.


    It seemed he was already familiar with the formation here.


    The other gods reacted quickly as well. Even if theycked talent in formations, their long lifespans allowed them to grasp some knowledge about formations. Under the Archduke of Blood''s full concealment, it seemed they could easily manipte the Heavenly Locking Formation. Soon, all five gods upied their respective positions and began purifying themselves.


    Only Licitris not only wanted to purify herself but also wanted to bring Sterl along...


    At that moment, Sterl didn''t overact; he simply said coldly, "It''s most important for you to restore your strength first. I''m not in a hurry."


    To express his willingness to sacrifice himself and even give up purifying the Blood of Contamination was a bit excessive.


    As expected, Licitris showed another expression of gratitude.


    "Hmm~"


    She gently kissed Sterl before sitting down to purify her blood.


    Sterl stood by, ignored by everyone.


    To the gods, no matter how much potential or talent Mephistopheles had, he was not a divine-level entity��just an ant that could be easily squashed.


    Aside from Licitris, everyone else disregarded Mephistopheles, treating him like an insignificant stone on the roadside, unworthy of even a nce.


    It wasn''t that no one wanted to use Mephistopheles to threaten Licitris.


    However, as divine-level beings, they all felt that Mephistopheles was more likely a bait thrown out by the Subus Queen.


    Who would believe that a god could genuinely fall in love with a mortal?


    The more probable scenario was that Licitris''s Divine Power was hidden within Mephistopheles, ready to explode at any moment. Anyone who tried to capture him as a hostage would face dire consequences.


    The only approach taken by the many divine-level beings was to ignore him.


    Sterl wasn''t angry about this; he understood that the current calm was extremely unstable.


    The Blood of Contamination within the five deities had reached its peak and needed to be suppressed and purified first. Once they somewhat returned to normal, the mes of battle would be ignited.


    At that moment...


    Sterl gazed at the surging blood in the valley, which reflected a handsome face.


    Yet in his eyes, that face gradually morphed into a grotesque demonic visage��one that resembled the Archduke of Blood.


    Once the five divine-level entities began to sh, it would be the perfect opportunity for the Archduke of Blood to make his entrance.


    Meanwhile, Sterl merely wandered casually, and as a demigod, the actions of the five divine-level units��aside from Licitris asionally checking on him with divine sense��were of no concern to the other four gods at all.


    He was quite pleased to analyze the situation with ease.


    As expected, he picked up on some clues.


    On the surface, the formation still appeared to be the original version in the valley, but having been here before, Sterl realized that the formation had already been altered.


    It had a very peculiar flow.


    "Rather than a blood sacrifice, this seems more like a different kind of power extraction ability."


    "It targets divine-level entities. Knowing it''s impossible to refine gods with resistance all at once, it should be... aimed at seizing Divine Power?"


    "Indeed, this is the work that the Archduke of Blood has been orchestrating all along."


    "In that case, we seem to be quite in sync, both luring them in."


    Sterl murmured to himself, recognizing that the Archduke of Blood had not yet activated the formation, allowing him some room to maneuver. This dy signified that the Archduke intended to purify when the influence of the Blood of Contamination was at its peak to gain maximum benefit.


    Furthermore, even in dire straits, this divine-level demon was still scheming against other divine-level entities.


    Sterl suspected that if he hadn''t provided information, it was likely that... after a short while, the gods and demons would also be drawn in by the Archduke of Blood.


    Wait! It was very possible that Marlon hadn''t received his message; otherwise, why would he be dyed for so long?


    As Sterl pondered, a surge of knowledge about formations flooded his mind, and prompts began to pop up before him.


    [You have acquired iplete formation knowledge.]


    [You have acquired iplete formation knowledge.]


    [You have acquired...]


    [You have obtained the iplete formation [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate].]


    [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate (iplete)]+


    [Category: Formation]


    [Description: [Unknown] A formation modified from the blood sacrifice formation that already exists in hell, the original version only targeted divine-level demons and was ineffective against the life of the main world. After modification, it can seize the Divine Power of any divine-level entity.


    This formation is extremely concealed; after its establishment, anyone remaining within the formation''s range for a period will experience an enhanced effect of Divine Power extraction, with no upper limit on umtion.]


    [Warning: You only possess partial knowledge of the formation and cannot construct it.]


    Sterl knew that with just a slight touch, adding points to this new divine-level formation would make everything clear to him, allowing him to manipte the Archduke of Blood''s setup in return.


    If he added points multiple times, he could even innovate this formation, creating a more powerful version simr to the Blood Sacrifice Array, using it to scheme for greater benefits.


    However, right now, to avoid the influence of the Blood of Contamination, he could only allocate all his points to the Holy Spirit Bloodline. Adding points? What a joke!


    His only option was to rely on his understanding of formations to study the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, seeing if he could figure out how to operate it.


    After contemting for a moment, Sterl simply sat down in the underground valley, quietly absorbing the various fluctuations of the formation as the gods activated it. He also pulled out some materials to inject into the surrounding spatial nodes, testing his ideas.


    With the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he did not unleash the enhancement skills of his bloodline. Although hisbat power was the lowest in the area, his perception ability was the strongest, as it derived from the upper realms'' cross-dimensional power.


    He noticed that the gods merely cast him a casual nce beforepletely ignoring him, clearly not believing that Mephistopheles couldprehend divine-level formations.


    In truth, they were not wrong.


    Even if Sterl''s sub-profession talent allowed him to level up, and his demigod body could utilize divine-level formations, normally, even a regr god would need decades of study to master a divine-level array.


    Sterl initially could not have learned the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array without relying on adding points.


    But now, he was rapidly reverse-engineering the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, using his knowledge of the Blood Sacrifice Array, which was of the same origin but more intricate!


    A day passed...


    The underground valley remained dreary and oppressive.


    Two days passed...


    Sterl felt a flicker of attention from the Archduke of Blood directed at him, but this divine-level demon chose to ignore it.


    He even sensed a hint of mockerying from the Archduke, despite his Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    The Archduke of Blood found it amusing!


    In the thoughts of this divine-level demon, there was not a hint of the idea that Mephistopheles wanted to take the opportunity to control the formation.


    The Archduke simply believed that Mephistopheles might be a quick learner...


    Did he really think that while on the verge of death from the Blood of Contamination, he could gain some knowledge of formations?


    Did this little demigod truly believe that his master Licitris could survive and take him along?


    Howughable!


    Even if the three gods of the main world had a chance, the two divine-level demons were still doomed.


    At this moment, the Archduke of Blood''s form had dissolved into a strange flow of water, surging through the valley.


    Yet, while he had marked the two divine-level demons for certain death, it seemed to stem from a desire to avenge the earlier killings.


    However, there was no hatred in the Archduke of Blood''s eyes!


    Then, on the third day...


    Colorful traces gradually appeared on the te above the underground valley.


    At this moment, the entireyer of hell had be a deste wastnd. Aside from the six divine-level entities and Sterl, there were no living creatures; everything had transformed into a continuously flowing, filthy, multicolored liquid.


    The several deities, including the concealed Archduke of Blood, had blocked off the passage in the valley early on, preventing any blood tainted with the Blood of Contamination from flooding back into the riverbed. They were purifying themselves using the massive amounts of blood umted in the valley over millions of years.


    Theirplexion had improved significantly.


    Meanwhile, Sterl remained deep in thought, his eyes flickering.


    The iplete knowledge of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate and the iplete Law Power were not the same thing. Without fullyprehending them, there was no proficiency to speak of, and thus he could not enhance them with blood force.


    Sterl could only split his remaining blood-type true power in half and add it to the Blood Sacrifice Array to enhance his perception of simr formations.


    [Your ability [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate (iplete)] has increased inpleteness.]


    [Your ability [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate (iplete)] has increased inpleteness.]


    [Your...]


    ...


    Time flowed steadily.


    On the fourth day, the deity from the Golden Kingdom inexplicably opened his eyes and meaningfully nced around.


    On the fifth day, while everyone else was calmly purifying their blood, Licitris suddenly activated a powerful force that surged toward her body from within the valley; it was the Supreme backup n she had previously arranged.


    Licitris could no longer rely on this backup to initiate a grand blood sacrifice to enhance her strength, but she could draw upon the immense power of the valley to rapidly refine herself, significantly slowing the progress of the Blood of Contamination, allowing her to strike first and seize the initiative.


    Just at that moment...


    "Stop!"


    A rough, guttural voice echoed through the air.


    Licitris was not surprised; a hint of regret shed in her eyes as the other divine-level entities slowly opened their eyes and began to rise.


    At this moment, a stream of blood surged within the valley, ultimately transforming into...

 Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Hell Trial!?

    The strange stream of blood gradually coalesced into the form of the Archduke of Blood! He coldly surveyed everything around him, a mocking smile ying on his lips.


    The other divine-level entities felt an unprecedented improvement in their physical condition, having expelled more than half of the residual toxins from the Blood of Contamination.


    However...


    Within the formation controlled by the Archduke of Blood, countless invisible threads had already formed, linking to the five divine-level entities!


    The deadly trap created by the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, designed to extract Divine Power, was now in ce!


    Licitris was momentarily taken aback. Her initial thought was that her wave of blood absorption and purification would surely be interrupted by the other deities, but unexpectedly, it was the Archduke of Blood who made the first move!


    This was unreasonable!


    The appearance of the Archduke of Blood would inevitably draw the most hostility. To put it bluntly, everyone needed blood to purify the Blood of Contamination, and as the original master of thisyer of hell, the Archduke had the highest level of control over the Heavenly Locking Formation.


    If he didn''t show up, that would be one thing, but as soon as he did, he would be the target of all the divine-level entities.


    Originally, Licitris''s forced evolution would have shattered the temporary peace among the five divine-level entities. When the real fighting began, the Archduke of Blood could reappear, and the gods would not be able to stop immediately.


    This divine-level demon could then reap the benefits of the chaos.


    Now that the Archduke of Blood had appeared, everyone was wary of his Origin of Chaos; no one dared to be the first to strike against him. However, the five deities also could no longer engage in battle among themselves, lest they provide him with an opening to take advantage of their conflict.


    In fact, they would likely cooperate to prevent the Archduke of Blood from killing anyone else.


    Sterl was somewhat puzzled.


    The Archduke of Blood''s initial ns had seemed quite normal, so why did he falter at such a critical moment? Even if Licitris were to recover significantly, her level of pollution should be heavier than that of the Archduke, who had been lurking in the sea of blood. Moreover, other deities would certainly move to stop the Queen of Subus from regaining her strength.


    What was the Archduke trying to achieve by acting now?


    Was he out of his mind?


    Sterl watched as the Archduke of Blood wore a smug expression.


    "Did you think I would give you a chance to recover? Dream on."


    "Next, you''ll understand what true terror is."


    He spat these words, his palm swirling as if about to unleash some kind of power.


    The expressions of the many deities present changed dramatically. Even before the formation was activated, these divine-level beings sensed something was off.


    Licitris reacted with remarkable speed! Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Mephistopheles and felt a surge of... courage!


    She acted with a decisiveness far beyond her usual self.


    "Let''s all attack together! We need to take down the Archduke of Blood first!"


    "Hepletely controls the Heavenly Locking Formation. As long as he''s here, we can''t continue purifying the Blood of Contamination."


    Licitris made a valid point, but the other deities couldn''t possibly trust her, unless...


    The Queen of Subus took the lead and charged forward, exposing her back to the four divine-level entities as she swung her scythe, gathering energy to strike at the Archduke of Blood.


    "Come on!"


    However, while the other deities were surprised by the Queen of Subus''s bold move, the Archduke of Blood was entirely unfazed.


    He countered by gathering lightning!


    Supreme Sky Thunder!


    He unleashed it!


    Terrifying bolts of lightning gathered and plummeted from the heavens, shattering the ceiling of the hidden valley.


    Yet before the Thunder could reach the Archduke of Blood, the other four divine-level entities quickly chose to act.


    The Long Night transformed into a bizarre scroll, rushing upward to intercept the Thunder mid-air, but it was soon shattered, causing Marlon to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    Next came a barrage of finesers and dense energy projectiles, culminating in the Lord of Evil Spirits unleashing a Smoke Dragon from his mouth.


    These multiple forcesbined to counter the Thunder. Although individually, thesers, energy projectiles, and Smoke Dragon could easily be torn apart by the Thunder, they continuously shielded and covered for each other, even managing to revive the leafless Long Night scroll once more as it surged upward.


    In the end, the scroll depicted a scene where the Thunder was entangled and strangled by the dragon''s shadow and various energies. Because of this, the lightning was forcibly suppressed and unable to break free from the scroll!


    Despite having engaged in battle only a few times, the deities noticed that the Archduke of Blood''s Supreme Sky Thunder seemed to require the lightning from above to be summoned before it couldunch further attacks.


    Though the gods found it strange that a skill of the Origin of Chaos level could have such a major w, it didn''t stop them from springing into action at the first moment.


    Licitris had made the right bet.


    Divine-level beings, most of the time, would make rational decisions. They couldn''t possibly trust the words of an alliance.


    But when the Queen of Subus even put her own safety aside tounch an attack, the four deities did not let Licitris down; they decisively targeted the most terrifying foe, the Archduke of Blood.


    This scene seemed to be well within the Archduke of Blood''s expectations; he showed no surprise at being besieged.


    The Archduke of Blood let out a furious roar, "Useless! Useless!"


    Then, he reached out to harness the lightning, but when he realized that his Thunder was being held back by thebined efforts of the five deities, panic immediately crossed his face.


    "How is this possible?! Damn it!"


    Just a moment ago, the Archduke had exuded confidence, but now he resembled a gambler who couldn''t ept defeat, his eyes filled with rage.


    The array of seizing heaven and creating fate was gradually activating, faint threads flowing from each deity, drawing away their Divine Power, though the extraction efficiency was not very high.


    At that moment, the formation''s array te was suspended in the air, slowly taking shape.


    It shone with a colorful light, simr to that of the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array.


    Now it was Sterl''s turn to be dumbfounded. "Aren''t you a divine-level being and the creator of this formation? Are you really ying this carelessly, just putting the array te out there like that?"


    Could it be that there was some technique I''m unaware of protecting it?


    Sterl was highly skeptical.


    Meanwhile, the Archduke of Blood was in a state of panic!


    He had originally nned to use the Thunder generated by the Origin of Chaos to defend the array te, but now he couldn''t summon any lightning at all!


    He needed at least a little time to activate the Supreme Sky Thunder.


    For the Archduke of Blood himself, that amount of time was insignificant; he could easily suppress the five deities afterward.


    But it was enough time for the unprotected array te to be destroyed.


    "Damn it!"


    A shout of anger echoed... but it didn''te from the Archduke of Blood. It was Sterl, who was inwardlymenting his situation, his face contorted in frustration.


    He had been thinking of utilizing this formation.


    After days of research, Sterl... had failed.


    He wasn''t the protagonist who would suddenly gain immense power at a critical moment, turning the tides with a newfound understanding of the formation. However, his solid fundamentals had given him a decent grasp of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate.


    After activating his ascension to godhood, Sterl could forcibly twist and modify parts of the formation''s patterns, simr to those in the Blood Sacrifice Swallowing God Array, thereby redirecting a portion of Divine Power away from the Archduke of Blood and towards himself.


    Sterl was somewhat satisfied with this.


    He had always been an ordinary yer from a trash race.


    After allocating points, he had forcibly piled up his talents, managing to learn parts of the divine-level array in just five days.


    That was already quite impressive!


    He could be considered a genius in his own right.


    Gaining additional Divine Power significantly enhanced Sterl''sbat strength. In fact, when it came time to hunt down the Archduke of Blood, he could rely on the formation to sustain his efforts. The chances of securing the kill would increase dramatically.


    But now, if the formation was destroyed?


    Sterl nearly spat out blood in frustration!


    Was the Archduke of Blood mentally impaired? He acted so immaturely in every way. Didn''t he have any contingency ns at all?


    Sterl grumbled to himself. He had treated his opponent as a god and calcted meticulously, only to find that the Archduke of Blood was utterly foolish! It was infuriating!


    Yet he couldn''t stop the five deities from moving to destroy the array te.


    Reluctantly, he adjusted his mindset, trying to act as if the formation didn''t exist.


    Until...


    "Ugh!!"


    The Archduke of Blood emitted a howl, as if suffering from some severe bacsh, his flesh bursting apart.


    Then, all five deities, including Sterl, seemed to be swept by a faint ripple.


    Drip!


    Suddenly, a notification appeared before the eyes of the deities and Sterl:


    [You have been summoned and joined the hell trial of thisyer of hell. Teleportation begins!]


    [You have��]


    ...


    [Completing the hell trial will reward you based on the number of challengespleted. Warriors, show your strength! If you die during the trial, you will exit the trial and be revived.]


    The notification surprisingly came from the [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven game system?!


    Even though the deities had gathered their attacks and were about to strike the array te, they found themselves unable to resist the power of the system. In an instant, they were immobilized, their bodies transforming into colorful threads and disappearing from the spot.


    However, even as they vanished, they were still entwined by the lines from the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, which continued to draw away their Divine Power...


    After being teleported away, the Archduke of Blood''s body shattered, yet it had no effect on his actions.


    Even the Blood of Contamination swirling within him did not elicit a reaction from this divine-level demon.


    He simply stood up silently.


    Looking at the array te that had finally taken shape and merged into the sky, the entire world transformed into a crimson barrier, and countless threads began to surge wildly...


    The Archduke of Blood smiled.


    "Ooh~"


    "Haah~"


    At first, his celebratory words sounded somewhat strange, not resembling normal speech.


    After a few seconds, he realized something, pinched his mouth shut, and rearranged his facial features.


    "I am the ultimate victor!"


    "And with the blood of the upper realms, given time, it too will be my power!"


    "Ha ha ha!"


    The Archduke of Bloodughed maniacally.


    He didn''t even attempt to heal his injuries, allowing his body to gradually decay.


    He showed no concern for the Blood of Contamination; in fact, he seemed eager to use the power of this special creation!


    Despite the fact that he had already been cursed and was on the verge of death.

 Chapter 387: Chapter 387: The True Identity of the Archduke of Blood

    What was happening with the deities? Sterl had no idea.


    He waspletely baffled.


    At that moment, he looked around and found himself standing in an arena. However, the arena was in ruins, with only some fragmented remnants remaining, and the spectator stands werepletely empty.


    The entire arena seemed to be shrouded in ayer of gray mist, indicating that it hadn''t been used in a long time.


    It wasn''t that the Archduke of Blood had managed toe up with a countermeasure to prevent the array te from being destroyed, which Sterl found somewhat reassuring. But wasn''t this method a bit outrageous?


    Had this divine-level demon really been able to host a hell trial after unifying theyer of hell for countless years?


    Sterl had gathered a lot of information from various texts, thanks to his high attributes.


    The hell trial was an event held in eachyer of hell, simr to the Trial of the Brave in the Hall of Valor.


    It was only called when there was a need for a unified divine-level demon to cultivatebat power, selecting a group of potential "individuals" to help them grow.


    But the problem was��


    This was an uncontroble mechanism.


    What gave the Archduke of Blood the right to manipte it? To put it bluntly, even exploiting a bug wouldn''t allow for such a thing. How did hee into contact with the will of hell andmand it to serve him?


    Sterl was utterly confused.


    He continued to think about the details of the hell trial.


    The highest difficulty of the trial corresponded to the divine level, as the purpose of the trial itself was to cultivate a divine-level demon.


    The reward system was tiered, based on the number of challengespleted minus one; the final number determined the reward level, with higher numbers unlocking more lucrative rewards in the reward shop.


    This system was designed to prevent exploitation of bugs. If a divine-level entity entered the trial, they would directly face a divine-level opponent. However, since rewards were based on the number of challengespleted minus one, even if you defeated a divine-level warrior that had been summoned by theyer of hell at great energy cost, you wouldn''t gain any benefits.


    When facing divine-level opponents, even gods had to put in some effort. Although the divine-level warriors simted by theyer of hell were significantly weaker than true gods, they were still strong enough to assist the Archduke of Blood and buy him a considerable amount of time.


    The array of seizing heaven and creating fate wasn''t drawing Divine Power at a fast rate, and a single formation bearing the pressure of five divine-level beings was quite taxing. Thus, the five deities wouldn''t be drainedpletely.


    However, the Archduke of Blood could leverage the umted Divine Power to have an overwhelming advantage in battle. Moreover, while drawing power, the high consumption of his Origin of Chaos would be fully offset.


    Even facing five opponents, he still had a significant advantage!


    If this was all part of the Archduke of Blood''s initial n, then he truly was a cunning strategist. However, Sterl, possessing the Holy Spirit Bloodline, could sense the Archduke''s earlier disdain for the siege and his panic when unable to unleash the Origin of Chaos��it wasn''t an act.


    "So,unching the hell triales at a significant cost for the Archduke of Blood as well?" Sterl pondered silently.


    For him, participating in the hell trial was quite convenient. Starting from the third ss and fighting all the way up to the divine level, he was sure to earn some impressive rewards.


    Moreover, since the enemies at the third ss posed no threat to him, he could calmly think while waiting.


    Suddenly, with a wave-like ripple, an enemy wielding dual des and wearing a smiling mask charged down from above, followed closely by another enemy sporting a crying mask.


    These two units exuded an intense aura, far beyond what an ordinary third-ss opponent could handle. The des they wielded were gathering energy, seemingly preparing to undergo some transformation��


    Sterl''s eyes flickered, and the meLaw automatically ignited.


    He reduced the two monsters to torches.


    [Congrattions! You havepleted the first challenge. The next wave will load legendary-level enemies.]


    Sterl ignored the notification, feeling tense.


    What he wanted most was to quickly face a divine-level opponent.


    Either he would eliminate his opponent swiftly and exit the hell trial, or the divine-level entity would dispatch him, sending him back to the battlefield.


    Sterl felt that although he had devised a solid n, everything was slipping further from his control.


    This was, in fact, expected.


    It wasn''t that Sterl was overly calcting; from the very beginning, he knew he was just an ordinary person with average intelligence, and it was reasonable for his ns to have ws.


    However, the manner in which these ws emerged had taken Sterl somewhat by surprise.


    "I hope the hell trial doesn''t trap those divine-level units for too long. Otherwise, when they finally emerge, they''ll face an exceptionally terrifying Archduke of Blood."


    Sterl felt helpless; he understood that the realm of weak Divine Power couldn''t be broken through simply by absorbing more Divine Power. Thebat strength of the Archduke of Blood would not undergo a qualitative change.


    But the deities were already fighting in a weakened state due to the Blood of Contamination, and if they alsocked Divine Power, they would undoubtedly be utterly dominated by the rtively normal Archduke of Blood!


    Not to mention, the disparity inbat strength brought on by chaotic resources would be immense.


    "The deities are in a weakened state; even if I ascend to godhood, I won''t be able to handle it alone."


    "Moreover, if the deities don''t provide enough intense battles to attract the Archduke of Blood''s attention, he might discover the alterations I''ve made to the formation."


    Sterl felt a wave of anxiety wash over him, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. Worrying was pointless; the only approach now was to stay calm and respond to whatever came his way.


    Then, apanied by a rapidly spinning energy vortex, the next wave of enemies appeared.


    [Your current challenge level is legendary; their power exceeds your realm. Please respond with caution.]


    Sterl ignored the warning from Swallowing Heaven, his mindpletely focused on the external formation.


    He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, recalling the many spatial nodes he had deduced that influenced the array of seizing heaven and creating fate.


    Soon, the second wave of enemies materialized.


    A legendary-level gargoyle.


    This trial had a certain cleverness to it.


    As Sterl severely injured the first gargoyle, the second one immediately swooped down from above.


    This special life form had a specific mechanism; when its life force reached 50%, 25%, and 10%, it would enter a brief period of invincibility.


    As a result, it took Sterl an extra three seconds to deal with them.


    He faintly sensed that the second gargoyle flying in had significantly enhancedbat strength.


    But for Sterl, wielding the Flowing Water de, it was still a matter of casually slicing away. Each sh could directly reduce the monster''s life force to the critical point.


    Then they would petrify, and Sterl would strike again, bringing the gargoyle to the next critical point of life force.


    The two seemingly magnificent legendary units, after their initial movements upon entering, remainedpletely frozen for the duration.


    Then, they were shattered by the Flowing Water de, exploding into a shower of ck crystals.


    [Congrattions! You have increased your reward level for this trial.]


    Festive text appeared before Sterl''s eyes.


    "Wait a minute�� The formation te had a smoky pattern symbolizing the southwest direction, which means this formation not only absorbs Divine Power but also has a concealing function."


    "Is the Archduke of Blood really that foolish? He doesn''t even attempt to hide."


    "Did he invent this formation?"


    Sterl muttered to himself. Thanks to this new discovery, he had formed a new idea about one of the nodes in the formation.


    In the Blood Sacrifice Array, there was a function simr to concealment that automatically masked the formation core. If the Archduke of Blood had not activated the "concealment" of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, Sterl could rece this part of the formation, making it smoother for him to steal Divine Power.


    At that moment, the demigod-level trial began.


    A rather peculiar-looking creature emerged, resembling a unit of the eye demons Sterl had seen previously in the Trial of the Brave.


    Sterl''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    Even amidst the immense pressure, his mood brightened a bit.


    "What a coincidence! This is an opportunity for me to take revenge!"


    He quickly gathered his power.


    In the massive pupil of the eye demon, a strange gleam flickered.


    Odd waves dispersed, but under the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl didn''t even try to block it; he simply felt a gentle breeze on his face, with no adverse effects whatsoever!


    With a swift motion, Sterl unleashed the Star Point Finger. The attack wasn''t particrly strong, but he infused it with the power of Fission!


    The eye demon was pierced through, and then��


    It began to copse from the inside!!


    A terrifying white light erupted as this incredibly powerful war god was shattered, the force of the Fission power creating a small mushroom cloud that engulfed everything in the blinding light!


    [Congrattions! You havepleted the demigod-level trial!]


    [Your reward level has increased!]


    For some reason, Sterl noticed that after each trial, the notification text was not formic; each time it was different.


    He didn''t bother paying attention to such details.


    He continued to simte the formation in his mind.


    Every second counted; he had to make the most of it.


    He thought that the next opponent would be at the divine level. Although he wanted the rewards, he decided it was wise to sacrifice some time.


    He didn''t want to do it earlier because the demigod-level eye demon would have to stand still for a while to kill him.


    With a divine-level opponent, if he actively engaged without any defense, there was a chance he could be eliminated in a single blow.


    To his surprise, there were still two more stages left.


    A perfect-level demigod and a Supreme-level trial��seemingly, the hell trial was quite generous, offering two additional levels of reward!


    However, Sterl felt a bit helpless under the time pressure; he believed that if he couldplete all the trials, the rewards would be substantial. But the problem was, he needed to survive to im those rewards!


    [Perfect-level demigod trial has begun!]


    [Brave one, please try to resist temptation! Those with weak minds will find themselves sinking into despair.]


    The perfect-level demigod was a subus of the same kind as Licitris, possessing immense charm. She appeared with a beaming smile.


    "Oh, hello there, handsome��"


    "Huh?"


    The subus intended to entice Sterl, but as she felt the dual enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline and Solidification Method, the perfectly alluring Mephistopheles in her transformed into a shade of pink.


    "Damn it, why do I have to encounter you during a trial?"


    "Forget it, it doesn''t matter."


    "May I ask how you would like to be addressed?"

 Chapter 388: Chapter 388: Who Exactly is the Archduke of Blood?

    The Subus leaned in seductively, her eyes sparkling with allure, almost maximizing her powers to their utmost extent. But it was definitely not to y an enemy. Rather, she intended to pin this humanoid demon down and enjoy him thoroughly.


    Sterl found himself at a loss for words. "I''m sorry, but I''m in a hurry. Otherwise, out of respect for Licitris, I might have let you live for a few more seconds."


    The moment Sterl spoke Licitris''s name, the Subus''s expression changed! It seemed she knew something. Sterl was well aware that beings with self-awareness appearing in the hell trial were likely akin to that female yer who granted him his first Iridescent-Level ability��those who had made a pact with the Swallowing Heaven system or someyer of hell during their lifetime.


    This Subus knew something about Licitris. Unfortunately, Sterl had no time to inquire further.


    Ordinary demigod opponents would likely fall easily under the control of a Subus if they hadn''t specialized in the mental domain, leading to a swift demise. But Sterl swiftly drew the Flowing Water de. He pierced the Subus''s heart with one strike, then gentlyid her down, letting her copse into his embrace.


    The Subus eventually transformed into a myriad of twinkling lights and dissipated. "If you are an acquaintance of Licitris, consider this a courtesy to him," Sterl murmured softly as he held the Subus.


    [Brave hero, you have ovee endless temptations; your reward tier has risen once again!]


    [Next, you will face Supreme-level enemies��show your valor!]


    Sterl''s expression remained calm as he returned to a standing position from his half-kneeling embrace. Before himy an endless sea of blood, slowly roiling and gathering until a hand suddenly shot out.


    It was a�� weakened version of the Archduke of Blood!


    Sterl had been prepared to act immediately, but something felt off. He had never seen the true form of the Archduke of Blood before, only a heart. Now he observed��the differences between the weakened version of the Archduke of Blood and the one resurrected with the Origin of Chaos were stark.


    The external form of the Archduke of Blood radiated a yellow and orange hue, adorned with a protectiveyer of scales. In contrast, the Supreme version of the Archduke of Blood had far fewer scales, appearing significantly weaker in defense, with its primary color a mere bright red.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Sterl''s mind stirred as he seemed to grasp a crucial piece of information. However, he also felt something was off because the deities in the outside world and the two Divine Level demons likely knew the true form of the Archduke of Blood. They didn''t seem to question it at all.


    Sterl pondered this.


    Meanwhile, the Archduke of Blood within the trial nced around casually. "Another one?"


    "Damn that original body of mine, it''s gotten easier for him while I''m left suffering here. How much longer do I have to endure this?"


    "Hey, you from the outside, can you tell me how that damned original body is doing? Has he managed to ascend to godhood yet?"


    His tone was weary, almost as if he didn''t expect an answer. The Archduke of Blood slightly raised his hand, manipting the blood and tides. The crimson liquid quickly enveloped Sterl.


    At that moment, Sterl hadn''t made a move yet, but he noticed something amiss. The Archduke of Blood in the outside world hadn''t activated any blood-rted skills. He could stir the blood in the river valley, but that wasn''t the same as transforming blood into weapons for use��


    Sterl''s Origin of Chaos was equivalent to the Blood Law and Divine Power; he simply couldn''t use it at the moment due to his insufficient level. He could clearly sense that the Archduke of Blood out there was manipting the sea of blood in a different way!


    "Could it be that this isn''t the Archduke of Blood at all, but an imposter?"


    "But what''s the point? Why disguise oneself as a dead Divine Level demon?"


    Sterl couldn''t wrap his head around it. Even if another Divine Level demon wanted to make trouble, there was no need to impersonate the Archduke of Blood, as that would draw the ire of the deities from the main world. After all, the Archduke of Blood was fighting on his home turf. The two Divine Level demons would also be extremely wary of him.


    Sterl was still unaware that the Archduke of Blood had been killed by Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits; otherwise, he would be even more baffled. In that context, impersonating the Archduke of Blood would only lead the two Divine Level demons to suspect that you were out for revenge, and to protect themselves, they would go so far as to hunt you down again��


    With all these lingering doubts swirling in his mind, Sterl felt increasingly perplexed, yet nothing made sense. Ultimately, he could only conclude��it didn''t matter!


    Whether that being outside was the Archduke of Blood or not didn''t change the fact that this demon, having obtained the Origin of Chaos, was despised by the world. If Sterl killed him and obtained Fortune, he could evolve his cheat, rid himself of the Blood of Contamination, and even�� gain the Holy Spirit Bloodline permanently!


    At that moment, as he was enveloped by the sea of blood, Sterl turned and twisted his waist. Star power transformed into liquid and coalesced into a sword de, which he slowly lifted and pressed down.


    Countless strands of filthy blood, forming a killing array, suddenly froze.


    Supreme level?


    To Sterl, they were nothing more than ants that could be extinguished with a mere flick of his hand.


    Shattered Void!


    Countless des of light swiftly manifested. With incredible speed, they shredded the sea of blood created by the Archduke of Blood into countless fragments! As the space fractured, it was as if the very essence of the Archduke of Blood was being torn apart��his life source, his heart, was ground into pieces.


    Afterward, his arms and a few segments of his lower legs, since their remaining pieces were slightlyrger, slowly twisted and transformed into two new versions of the Archduke of Blood. The split-off forms of the Archduke of Blood initially appeared somewhat dazed, standing still as if they had lost consciousness.


    It wasn''t until two beams of light descended from the sky and took control of their bodies that they began to move.


    Then, the hearts of the two avatars came to a standstill amidst a dazzling de of light. The aftermath of Sterl''s Shattered Voidpleted the execution once more!


    "The Archduke of Blood has such capabilities. Perhaps he was deemed dead at first butter revived because he can create avatars after death," Sterl pondered. "As long as there is a scrap of physical tissue left, he can be reborn? No wonder he was already recognized as dead by the Hall of Valor and the other two major forces, yet he could still resurrect."


    Sterl mused over this. If he weren''t in a hurry, he would have been more than willing to have a few words with the Archduke of Blood in the trial. The entity he faced seemed to be a fragment of the true Archduke of Blood''s will; it appeared that the Archduke had made some sort of deal, likely with the will of thisyer of hell, trading for resources to aid his own growth��


    That''s probably why the avatar harbored such hatred for the "original body," paying the price of being eternally trapped in the trial in exchange for the original''s strength�� Who wouldn''t feel resentful?


    At this moment, Sterl felt a chill in his heart. He understood that dealing with a blood sacrifice was going to be more troublesome; just because he had killed it once didn''t mean it was over��this being could still revive.


    In the worst-case scenario, he would have to shatter all of the Archduke of Blood''s remaining limbs after defeating him, and then kill the Archduke of Blood again after he revived from those remnants. It was going to be quite the hassle.


    Sterl felt a slight headacheing on, though if luck was on his side, breaking the Archduke of Blood''s true form once would him Fortune, greatly increasing his margin for error��


    After eliminating his Supreme-level opponent, a brilliant light shone before him.


    [Congrattions onpleting the most challenging trial; what lies ahead will be a fight for your life, one that is nearly impossible to survive. Prepare for your final struggle.]


    [Your reward level has increased.]


    Even in the trials of hell, a crisp sound echoed, and the dark red light above radiated a feeling of divine grandeur. Sterl then noticed that the trial arena of the hell trial disyed a semi-transparent state��he suddenly became able to see the scenes from the outside world.


    The five Divine Level entities had already detached from the hell trial long ago. They murmured to each other, but due to the spatial barrier, Sterl could not hear their voices clearly; he could only guess their words through lip-reading, primarily deducing that three of them were the deities from the main world.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits had no mouth. Licitris, as a Subus, had a body structure vastly different from that of humans. As Sterl watched the Subus Queen''s lips move, he felt a rush of blood surge within him.


    Additionally, since the three deities from the main world sometimesmunicated telepathically, Sterl couldn''t perceive their words, but he still managed to catch some hints of their conversation.


    "Who�� who are you?"


    "You''re not the Archduke of Blood at all."


    "Why does the Blood of Contamination have no effect on you?"


    "Damn it, could you be a being from the upper realms?"


    "No, no! The Blood of Contamination isn''t ineffective against you; rather, you can ignore any burden that this body brings. No wonder my techniques didn''t work!"


    "This is not the Archduke of Blood at all!"


    At this point, the five Divine Level entities seemed to grasp the situation. Sterl had initially wanted to observe a bit longer, but the deities merely emitted some meaningless exmations. Knowing that the Archduke of Blood was a fake held no real significance. The entity truly controlled the endless blood in the river valley and possessed the powerful Origin of Chaos.


    The five Divine Level beings still had to defeat this "Archduke of Blood" if they hoped to survive.


    As the blood-red light gradually faded, a figure resembling an angel descended from the sky, its wings disying a gray-ck hue. This was one of the special races Sterl could choose when creating his alternate ount��a fallen angel.


    Previously, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, had already shown Sterl just how terrifying a unit from a special race could be as it evolved. He immediately felt a sense of impending danger; even though the Divine Level units in the hell trial were inferior to true gods, they could still wield Divine Power, albeit with their divine authoritycking some of the rules'' strengths.

 Chapter 389: Chapter 389: Seal of Heaven

    For the few deities, this trial was rtively easy to pass. However, Sterl still had to exert some effort. He thought for a moment and then decided to go all out for the first time!


    Ascend to Godhood!!


    With the rapid surge of energy within him, Sterl''s aura skyrocketed. He had not prepared to activate the Holy Spirit Bloodline because Ascend to Godhood had no cooldown and could be activated continuously, whereas the Holy Spirit Bloodline enhancement could only be used once a day. He needed to save that for a critical moment to seize the Archduke of Blood''s head.


    Seeing that the deities outside were temporarily safe, Sterl felt a surge of ambition. If he wanted to im the ultimate reward from the hell trial, he could only rely on Ascend to Godhood to face the divine beings.


    At this moment, strange marks representing the divine authorities of nature, the human race, and creation appeared on Sterl''s body.


    A green leaf.


    An abstract humanoid shadow.


    And finally, the "fireball" symbolizing existence before the cosmic explosion��the most unique mark,pletely overshadowing the other two and even controlling the entire trial arena��


    All was silent.


    Only the fireball burned fiercely.


    The fallen angel that had descended was slowly kneeling on one knee with its eyes half-open. Its presence surged to a peak as it opened its eyes, exuding an air of high prestige! Yet, under the suppression of this higher divine authority, the fallen angel''s aura was extremely weakened.


    Inparison, Sterl appeared like a giant standing before an ant!


    The fallen angel also possessed its own consciousness. After opening its eyes, a hint of helplessness shed in its crimson pupils.


    "Another beating awaits."


    "After being used by the winds for so long, I finally had a chance to breathe, and it''s just pure suffering."


    "I''ve already been hit five times in a row, and now another unbeatable opponent has arrived."


    "I really am out of luck."


    As it spoke, it even disyed a somewhat human-like sense of frustration.


    So, the earlier five deities had taken turns beating this multi-winged angel and sessfully passed the trial?


    At this thought, Sterl felt his serious demeanor begin to crack. In the past, he might have chatted with the fallen angel for a moment, but now he had no time for that.


    At this moment, he directly activated the effect of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, allowing him to ignore conditions to utilize all abilities from the lower realm��specifically, the Iridescent-Level ability, Destructive Light, which he had seized from Lovic!


    This move still had some imperfections; Sterl would need to allocate pointster to perfect it. However, it symbolized the most intense and terrifying output, enough to break through a Divine Level entity!


    Sterl felt a phantom materializing before him. The power of the Holy Spirit Bloodline forcibly extracted his energy, manifesting an image of a Demon of Terror and Cruelty that bore a resemnce to Lovic, though it appeared much stronger, its scales glowing with a golden light.


    It looked like a perfected version of Lovic, a Demon of Terror and Cruelty that had grown to be a deity and had be even more powerful!


    "So this is how forcibly using all skills works?"


    "Simtion?"


    "More advanced energy can easily epass the myriad transformations of lower-level energy??"


    Sterl''s understanding of the Holy Spirit Bloodline deepened. He began to grasp that the Holy Spirit Bloodline''s enhancement and simtion of lower realm powers might just be a glimpse of its true abilities. To truly harness the power of his bloodline, he would need to unlock the energies of the upper realms.


    Seeing the simted phantom, Sterl knew that the battle situation was secure, allowing him to drift into light-hearted thoughts. However, on the battlefield, the fallen angel was in a state of shock.


    Staring at the simted image of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, the previouslyckadaisical fallen angel suddenly changed expression, as if it had encountered something utterly outrageous.


    "Demon of Terror and Cruelty, is there still an awakener among your descendants? Someone who has grasped the key to power!"


    "No, you aren''t! You have stolen their��"


    "No, no! This is the Holy Spirit Bloodline! Spare me, my lord! I was just��"


    "Wait a minute, you''re not one of the enforcer race; you''ve stolen the Holy Spirit Bloodline."


    "Alright, alright, you''ve got guts! Impressive!"


    "Impressive!"


    "My lord, save me! Can you��?"


    The fallen angel''s expression perfectly illustrated what it meant to change dramatically in an instant. From initial astonishment to surprise, then to anger, realizing the implications of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, and finally shifting to a hopeful expression as if it had seen a lifeline��


    Sterl was almost impressed by this rapid sequence of facial transformations. However, he was really pressed for time.


    The fallen angel seemed to possess a lot of hidden narratives, rting to the upper realms and the secrets of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty lineage. Sterl had the authorization to use Destructive Light and could potentially gain a lot from this.


    What did it mean to hold the key to power?


    Did the skill Destructive Light possess some kind of special status?


    Was the Demon of Terror and Cruelty n hiding some incredibly important legacy?


    And what exactly was the enforcer race that had expelled the Demon of Terror and Cruelty from the upper realms?


    Was the Holy Spirit Bloodline a power only essible to beings of the enforcer race?


    Sterl hadn''t expected to glean so much information from just using Destructive Light. If he set aside the risks this time��


    Being able to allocate points to the Holy Spirit Bloodline seemed like an absolute windfall.


    As Sterl analyzed this, he did not stop his actions.


    The phantom of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty filled with energy at its chest and abdomen! The power suddenly erupted forth.


    Destructive Light engulfed the fallen angel as it charged forward. In that brilliant flow of light, facing the true divine-level enhancement along with Sterl''s various output boosts, the fallen angel, despite reacting quickly and donning a peculiar shield, was unable to withstand the onught.


    The shield was immediately shattered. The fallen angel was reduced to dust, but before it perished, it managed to throw out an item. Sterl swiftly dodged, not wanting to touch it at all. He realized the fallen angel''s intention; it didn''t necessarily want to resist. Instead, it seemed to be making a show of sincerity by choosing to die, possibly hoping to prompt Sterl to do something.


    "Please, ept that task!" the fallen angel cried out in despair just before disappearing.


    "The Demon of Terror and Cruelty n has likely long lost its former glory. If my race still exists, we will surely reward you handsomely!"


    Then�� the fallen angel vanishedpletely. Before leaving, it let out a chilling scream, one so mournful that even Sterl, with his mental fortitude, felt a shiver run down his spine.


    The fallen angel''s actions had skirted the edge of the rules. During the trial, fallen angels were not allowed to go easy on their opponents. It could only justify its defeat by iming it misjudged the power of its opponent''s attack, leading to its swift demise. Yet it still faced what seemed to be a punishment from the Will of Hell.


    As for the item the fallen angel had thrown, it was a peculiar jade pendant inscribed with therge character "suppression". Sterl did not recognize this character, but its meaning naturally surfaced in his mind upon seeing it.


    After hesitating for a moment, Sterl activated his ability to create Divine Power, forming a barrier within his palm to grasp the jade pendant that was about to vanish along with the fallen angel.


    A prompt appeared before him, one from Swallowing Heaven and another from the cheat system.


    From Swallowing Heaven, it disyed only��


    [???]


    [Description: [...] Unreachable, an item not to be handled by mortals.]


    It seemed like it couldn''t read the information, and there appeared to be data errors and garbled text.


    However, the cheat system allowed Sterl to ess urate information.


    [Seal of Heaven (Damaged)]+


    [Description: A special item from the upper realms that can seal bloodlines, forcibly weakening a certain race. Perhaps this seal contains other powers, but even if someone from the lower realm obtains such a treasure, they can only utilize its predetermined functions.]


    [Effect: Detecting that you possess the Holy Spirit Bloodline, you can activate this seal to suppress anyone''s bloodline abilities, rendering them permanently silent.]


    [Warning: This item is in a damaged state and cannot be used normally.]


    [Hint: You can use the pendant as a token to ept a special task. Please proceed to coordinates 677, 411, 632, 100 to seek it out.]


    "Four-dimensional coordinates?"


    "Do I have to go to another realm to ept this task?"


    Sterl pondered as he stored the jade pendant in his pocket dimension. Just from a slight touch, he discovered that under the activation of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the seemingly ordinary pendant emanated a vast and overwhelming pressure! The entire Hell Trial space began to crack under the weight of this pressure, as if it were about to shatter.


    Although he didn''t fully understand what the fallen angel meant, this item was still a treasure from the upper realms, making it worth keeping. Furthermore, it had the ability to unconditionally suppress bloodlines. A permanent suppression capability was quite a domineering power.


    However, Sterl had no use for the term "permanent" because once something from the upper realms was activated, it would necessitate ensuring silence��if the opponent was killed, wouldn''t that already mean they were permanently silenced?


    Sterl couldn''t help but scoff internally. He might not even undertake the task, but the gains from this encounter were still quite good. As for what the Seal of Heaven said about being "damaged" and thus unable to be used, Sterl had already checked. After this evolution of the cheat system, he would be able to repair it.


    Just a few seconds after he put away the Seal of Heaven, a crisp sound rang out. Ding! A blood-red light illuminated the surroundings, but this time no new enemies appeared. Instead, true cheers and light fused into Sterl''s body.


    A new prompt lit up before him��


    [Congrattions! You havepleted the highest difficulty of the Hell Trial and earned the title [Champion Demon].]


    Sterl casually checked the attributes.


    [Champion Demon]+


    [Description: A title awarded only forpleting all levels of the Hell Trial across any regionalyer; challengers cannot reach divine level.]


    [Effect: You will receive the blessings of the Hell Consciousness Group when refining the power of divine authority/Respectable Position, increasing your sess rate.]


    "What a powerful title!"


    Sterl hadn''t earned a title in a while, and this one was a brilliant red right off the bat! The effects of this title would likely drive countless people into a frenzy. Increasing the probability of refining divine authority was no small boon!

 Chapter 390: Chapter 390: The Lament of the Divine! The Thunder of Corruption

    It is important to know that a significant factor contributing to the tinum Skill is the existence of quasi-divines who have perished while striving for the divine realm. Just the sheer number of tinum Skill techniques stored in the Hall of Valor implies that countless exceptionally talented demigods have fallen during their attempts to reach the divine level.


    Refining Law Power into divine authority is undoubtedly a critical life-and-death threshold! If others were aware of this title, they would likely go mad, desperately wanting to seize it for themselves. Unfortunately, the title system in [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven is an independent system; it cannot be traded or dropped.


    Although Sterl doesn''t particrly need the increased sess rate for refining divine authority��he has three divine authority points guaranteed, and in the future, he can forcibly seize divine authority through [Consume]��advancing to be a divine being will be a breeze for him. This does not diminish the absurdity of the title [Champion Demon]!


    Consider its acquisition conditions: to y a divine-level entity while possessing a non-divine body and in a trial arena where one cannot set up formations in advance to gain an advantage. It can be said�� that this is a reward that Sterl rightfully deserves.


    "There''s also room to enhance it further, though I''m not sure what effects the enhancement will have at this point." He pondered, feeling quite pleased. After all, if it''s a rarer type of Law like de Law, then among the demigods with this ability, those who manage to ascend to divinity and choose to convert de Law into divine authority must be exceedingly rare.


    Obtaining the corresponding divine authority doesn''t guarantee finding a hapless individual to devour. Sterl can only promote himself; will this title be of great use when that timees?


    While he was contemting, a sh of light appeared before him.


    [Great Hero, Future Legendary Demon, you have passed the trial��]


    This was all formalities. Sterl was toozy to read until the next moment.


    [You~you~you�� Damn it! How could you pass? No! No! What kind of joke is this! My power�� No!]


    In the previous moment on the hell trial''s settlement page, there had been a disy of jubnt "Inspire" words. Suddenly, the text transformed into a blood-red hue, resembling strange characters flowing with blood, exceedingly ring!


    Sterl felt as if he were being mentally tainted; if not for the Holy Spirit Bloodline protecting him, he would surely be experiencing some headache. From these prompts, he could sense the wailing and suffering of some existence��


    Considering the source of the hell trial, could it be that the Will of Hell itself was screaming?? Sterl was taken aback.


    The rewards forpleting the hell trial, who would provide them? It must be the energy consumed by thisyer of hell. In a sense, it was indeed damaging the Will of Hell. Yet, based on the information Sterl had gathered, wasn''t this will merely a chaotic consciousness?


    Seeing a powerful demon appear in its territory, shouldn''t the Will of Hell be pleased?? Because a powerful demon might have the ability to conquer othernds, allowing theyer of hell to grow continually, thus nourishing the Will of Hell as well.


    The Will of Hell is actually resisting because of this?? That goes against its interests entirely! Unless this will can easily discern that Mephistopheles is fundamentally not aligned with thisyer of hell and will not expand its territory for it. Such intelligence would far exceed what one would expect from a ne''s will!


    Sterl grew increasingly perplexed. The more anxious he became, the more pressing the time felt, and the more various enigmas confronted him, leaving him no time to solve them. Fortunately��


    The blood-red text was just a minor interlude. Sterl noticed that a code seemed to sh briefly. The hint text was forcibly restored to normal.


    [You have passed this trial! Your Trial Shop rewards have increased by one!]


    [Defeating a divine-level entity while not being a divine level yourself earns you another reward!]


    [You have gained the opportunity to select a reward!]


    [You have 30 minutes left to stay in the trial arena; after 30 minutes, you will be forcibly ejected and returned to the location where you entered the trial.]


    At this moment, Sterl quickly dismissed his confusion. He scanned the rewards shop, frowning as he closed it. He saw several pieces of equipment, skills, and items that intrigued him.


    For skills, he would need to allocate points to unleash their full power; in terms of sheer output, it would be better to continue using Destructive Light. As for the equipment, Sterl would need to reach legendary status or even demigod level to wear it. As for swapping out for a third-ss piece? Sorry, the shop didn''t have anything that low-tier.


    Some of the items were meant for enhancing attributes, but they would require a period of refinement. This trial was of no benefit to Sterl''s ns. He decisively chose to exit the hell trial arena and return to the Blood River Valley of theyer of hell.


    As Sterl''s form coalesced�� nothing happened. No one would pay attention to the appearance of a non-divine-level entity. He saw five gods and the Archduke of Blood exchanging techniques with one another, various terrifying Divine Powers being wielded. The gods weren''t holding back, fearing they mightpletely destroy the river valley.


    Thus, Divine Power was highly concentrated; if a normal Supreme were toe here, they would likely be unable to stand and would be forced to kneel. And Sterl�� knelt as well.


    Under the influence of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, all effects on him felt like a gentle breeze brushing against his face.


    But the show must go on.


    As Sterl knelt and crawled outward, he suddenly felt a lightness about him��Licitris had split off a portion of her Divine Power to protect him during the battle. Unfortunately��


    This action immediately led to a consequence��Licitris had intended to support Marlon, preventing him from being struck by Thunder after finishing his attack. As a result, the god from the Hall of Valor took a solid hit, letting out a scream as he plummeted into the river valley.


    In an instant, the situation deteriorated. The Archduke of Blood was somewhat strained in the face of thebined efforts of the five gods. However, he had sessfully recalled Thunder, and armor formed from the Origin of Chaos enveloped him. With the enhancement of the supreme Sky Thunder, bolts of lightning shed around him.


    On the contrary, the gods found themselves repeatedly pushed back. Previously, the five gods had coborated to block the descending Thunder from the sky, but now the Archduke of Blood was unleashing his full power and continually drawing upon the Divine Power of the surrounding gods to replenish his energy, leaving them unable to retaliate effectively!


    Licitris''s assistance further disrupted the situation, breaking the bnce of pressure that the five gods were sharing. They were forced to endure significant injuries before they could stabilize themselves again. At this point, Licitris noticed that Mephistopheles was still being crushed under Divine Power, moving sluggishly.


    Although she was extremely concerned, a scan with her divine consciousness revealed that Mephistopheles was quite far from the battlefield and would not be directly affected by the Archduke of Blood''s Thunder. He was only experiencing some residual effects, which were not fatal, so she reluctantly chose not to focus on him any longer.


    She truly felt powerless.


    Licitris wielded her scythe, trying her best to fend off the dazzling Thunder, but she was steadily pushed back. Lightning constantly flowed through her scythe, striking her body and turning the usually beautiful queen into a charred figure, her imagepletely ruined.


    The other gods were not faring any better. They were all shaken by the lightning, and their own attacks did little to harm the Archduke of Blood, while their injuries continued to umte.


    What made the three main world gods grit their teeth in frustration was that��


    Those two divine-level demons had already killed you once, and instead of seeking revenge on them, you indiscriminately attacked us. Is that fair?


    The battle had reached a stalemate. Although the five gods were being pressured, they managed to hold on by shielding each other from attacks. Meanwhile, the Archduke of Blood showed no signs of holding back, even as his Divine Power extraction reached a critical limit. Suddenly, he gathered his strength andunched a fierce assault!


    High above, among the colorful clouds, terrifying power gathered, transforming the entire sky into a realm of thunder and lightning��but that was merely the residual effect of the attack!


    Once the energy had fully gathered, the tainted Thunder descended with a vengeance!


    "Damn it!"


    The Ashen god was the first to notice this scene, taken aback. Previously, they had already observed that the Archduke of Blood, despite being weakened by the Blood of Contamination, showed no signs of slowing down or weakening in his actions. Now, it was even more absurd!


    The entireyer of hell was soaked in Blood of Contamination, and even the Thunder produced from the sky was affected. Yet, the Archduke of Blood summoned this lightning as if it were an extension of himself. The other gods looked on in horror, daring not to be hit.


    Thus��


    They fought desperately!


    The Ashen god summoned several gs, nting them around his body to form a very small divine-level formation, emanating waves of energy that neutralized the surrounding Thunder upon contact.


    Marlon and the god from the Golden Kingdom, having made prior arrangements, swiftly retreated to the spot where the Golden Kingdom deity had drawn blood force, and spatial fissures began to materialize around them. While these fissures could inflict considerable damage on the gods, they seemed capable of blocking attacks.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits opted to disperse his body quickly, frantically floating around to evade the Thunder strikes. However, this tactic clearly came at a significant cost; he had been unwilling to use it even when being pursued by the three main world gods earlier.


    Meanwhile, Licitris nced over to confirm Mephistopheles''s position before using her life-saving item. It was a rather ancient talisman, connected below by a strand of gold wire and a copper coin.


    As Licitris held it, it emitted a series of crisp sounds.


    In the next moment, the rainbow-colored Thunder surged toward her!


    Licitris ignited the talisman, and instantly, a mark spread rapidly, enveloping the vibrant lightning. Some of the Thunder was redirected toward the Archduke of Blood, directly impacting his Thunder armor!


    Thanks to the talisman''s lightning attraction effect, Licitris narrowly escaped disaster and even managed to injure the Archduke of Blood in the process. Originally, the Origin of Chaos should not have been controble, especially not to strike its own master.


    But under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, once the lightning was released, it lost control and transformed into pure destructive and corruptive power!


    This particr strike��


    In the aftermath of the lightning, the Archduke of Blood staggered, his armor shattered, and the smell of burnt and charred flesh filled the air as his internal organs were affected by the electrical onught.


    However, after deploying the talisman, Licitris had also expended a significant amount of energy and was unable to continue her pursuit.

 Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Drawing Divine Power! A Drastic Change in the Mental Realm!

    At this moment, the Archduke of Blood was injured, but there was no god tounch a counterattack.


    Licitris was in a weakened state, to say the least.


    The other divine beings were still being pursued by the contaminated Thunder!


    The Origin of Chaos and the supreme Sky Thunder unleashed the most powerful divine lightning.


    Licitris had used a counteractive divine-level item, but it only provided her with a semnce of protection. The rainbow-colored power had been reduced by about one-fourth. The other gods still had to endure the onught!


    Each of them showcased their unique abilities.


    The Ashen god managed to withstand the attack using a small formation. Amidst the shing lightning, the terrifying high energy was rapidly neutralized.


    One by one, the small gs in the Ashen god''s formation shattered, leaving only three remaining as the lightning dissipatedpletely.


    The gods from the Golden Kingdom and Marlon were left bloodied and battered by the spatial shards. However, the lightning was absorbed by those shards, all redirected into another dimension. Their life-saving method proved quite effective; after blocking all the Thunder, the spatial shards still existed, though a few trembled as if on the verge of breaking.


    It seemed they could withstand several more rounds of the Archduke of Blood''s attacks.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits fared the worst. Despite scattering his body into tiny fragments, he was still struck by the lightning. In a desperate move, he severed the tainted portions of his body, reconstituting himself. At this point, his form had shrunk by one-third, rendering him extremely weak, but he managed to endure this deadly strike from the Archduke of Blood.


    At this moment, the five gods were far from rxed. They remembered that in the previous battle, the Archduke of Blood had demonstrated a record of continuously summoning Thunder.


    Now, with the addition of their five Divine Powers, the Archduke of Blood did not need to do anything else��he could simply pummel them with Thunder again and again, forcing their hidden cards out, exhausting them, and potentially killing them outright!


    The five divine beings were filled with despair as they realized that the Archduke of Blood disyed none of the qualities of a true powerhouse. Seeing the battle turn in his favor after unleashing Thunder, he immediately began to frantically siphon energy from within himself and summon Thunder once more!


    Though the Archduke of Blood was indeed affected by the Blood of Contamination, and his various actions were forced to ovee his sense of weakness in unknown ways, the depletion and pollution of his internal energy remained an objective reality.


    He could not summon the purest lightning with the same ease he had exhibited during the assault on The Blood Red Fortress. Even as he continuously drained the Divine Power from the five gods, the Archduke of Blood needed to pause and recuperate before unleashing his most powerful attacks again.


    But this divine-level demon was extremely reckless, willing to burn his own life force to exert overwhelming pressure!


    The five gods watched in horror as their faces changed dramatically.


    "Is there no chance to catch our breath?"


    "The Archduke of Blood, if he burns his life force like this, the progress of the Blood of Contamination will skyrocket!"


    "Is he insane?"


    ��


    In this wave, the five gods were clearly in dire straits. They hadn''t anticipated that the Archduke of Blood would unleash two major attacks in session!


    It was well-known that the Archduke of Blood had no way to resolve the Blood of Contamination; otherwise, he would recover to full strength, and the five infected gods would stand no chance against him.


    So, if he was burning his life force, it was a path toward mutual destruction!


    Even if he managed to kill the five gods, significantly slowing the progress of the contamination, the life force he expended would never return, undoubtedly bringing his death closer.


    The Archduke of Blood also could not possess the ability to traverse theyer of hell sealed by the Blood of Contamination.


    What on earth was he thinking?


    In such a favorable position, why rush toward a shared demise instead of securing his advantages?


    The gods couldn''tprehend this, and because of their confusion, they missed their opportunity to react. Now, it was toote to think about using their life-saving abilities.


    A vast surge of lightning gathered once more!


    The rainbow-colored power of the Blood of Contamination mingled within, and the five gods looked on with despair in their eyes.


    "It''s over! What can we do?"


    "If this continues, we won''t be able to withstand it. Is there any way out?"


    "Licitris, didn''t you have a backup n? Can you do it again?"


    The gods from the main world were stunned, even pleading for help from the demon.


    Licitris could only offer a bitter smile.


    "There''s nothing I can do; my setup was neverpleted. I only had that one opportunity to draw the blood."


    In an instant, their thoughts surged, exchanging desperate messages, but what they ultimately conveyed was hopelessness.


    The five divine-level beings were filled with panic, standing in ce as they faced the heavenly thunder above��


    They felt incredibly small!


    It was as if they had suddenly transformed from celestial beings among the clouds into mere mortals, crawling under the might of heaven!


    ��


    At this moment, Sterl had retreated to a distance.


    The Archduke of Blood had notpletely lost his mind; he knew he couldn''t destroy the formation, so the power of the lightning was more concentrated and directed solely at the five gods.


    Sterl was now in a safe zone, observing the situation.


    "Now''s my chance!"


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, and the five gods were under immense pressure from the Archduke of Blood, they had no choice but to reveal their ultimate cards. Even in the second wave of attacks, they were locked in and destined to fight desperately.


    Sterl acted decisively!


    He felt that at this moment, it would be difficult for the Archduke of Blood to pay attention to him, and the other five gods would struggle to perceive the fluctuations in the formation.


    So he quickly moved, triggering the setups he hadid out at various spatial nodes long ago.


    As Sterl worked, his lips were pressed tightly together, and his expression was serious.


    If it had been him, he would have been vignt while Mephistopheles appeared to be studying the formation, ready to disrupt any potential arrangements Mephistopheles might have made.


    However, Sterl had not sensed the Archduke of Blood doing anything of the sort.


    This was a result of the arrogance inherent in divine beings, which was understandable.


    But what if the Archduke of Blood had been cautious and had secretly taken action while setting up the formation?


    In that case, Sterl would have to return to another set of spatial nodes he had already selected, reinvest materials, and forcibly seize partial control of the formation.


    However, this operation was extremely risky, requiring him to enter the battleground where the gods and the Archduke of Blood were shing.


    Given how the five gods were currently being beaten down, it was uncertain whether they could hold out long enough for Sterl to stabilize the formation.


    Fortunately, when Sterl triggered the previous arrangements, everything seemed to proceed without incident.


    Or rather, that wasn''t entirely urate...


    Boom!


    A thunderous roar echoed.


    Sterl watched helplessly as the five gods were struck by the Thunder engulfed in the Blood of Contamination, suffering immensely.


    Marlon and the god from the Golden Kingdom were generous, actively drawing on the power of the spatial shards to protect the remaining three divine beings.


    But this time, the spatial shards werepletely shattered.


    The five gods were subsequently knocked back by the aftershocks, spitting blood as electric currents coursed through them, leaving everyone charred ck��there was no trace of divinity left.


    They looked like nothing more than stray dogs.


    The river valley had beenpletely refined by the high-energy lightning, transforming into a strange, viscous mixture of soil, stone, and blood flowing together.


    However, as long as they hadn''t been tainted by the rainbow-colored pollution, it was still usable!


    The five divine beings exchanged nces, sighing with slight relief.


    At least they still had hope of defeating the Archduke of Blood and using the blood to dy the onset of the curse.


    Meanwhile, Sterl, unfazed by the terrifying thunder, quickly pressed down thest few hand seals. Instantly, countless faint red threads surged forth, detaching from the Archduke of Blood.


    These threads, through a concealed function that Sterl had discovered earlier, turned transparent and linked to him, channeling Divine Power into his body.


    "Hmm~~"


    Sterl couldn''t help but let out a satisfied sigh.


    Earlier, when he faced that fallen angel and activated ascension to godhood, it had cost him some Divine Power.


    But now, he was effortlessly replenishing it!


    Previously, Sterl had managed to gather a wave of Divine Power, allowing him to use the Lamp God as a regr means ofbat.


    But now��


    He had never fought such a rich battle before.


    Sterl felt that the three divine authorities, which had once been in a state of depletion, were now glowing slightly within him as Divine Power surged rapidly.


    The influx of Divine Power brought not only a quantitative umtion but also a qualitative leap as it gradually stored up.


    Sterl''s mental domain underwent another significant transformation.


    First, in the realm of the human race, there were already some little people continuously generating power of faith for Sterl, and now they had been infused with vitality.


    They became more agile, and at that moment, these human groups seemed to have been pressed on the fast-forward button, rapidly evolving.


    From an initial primitive society of sh-and-burn agriculture, they began to develop resources on variouss, leading to swift social advancement.


    Within the human race, there emerged nobles d in fine robes, soldiers in armor, and ves in tattered clothing.


    They gradually stepped into a society resembling the medieval era.


    There were even dedicated churches actively worshipping Sterl, resulting in a significant increase in the production of power of faith.


    At the same time, under the influence of the natural divine authority, thes inhabited by these humans rapidly transformed into lush green worlds, filled with a plethora of natural resources.


    This eleration further contributed to an explosion in the human poption.


    Lastly, the creative divine authority showed no visible change, but there seemed to be a peculiar alteration.


    Sterl felt as if his mental domain suddenly contracted into a single point, only to explode violently afterward. This scene felt like an illusion, yet it also seemed to be happening in reality.


    Because if it truly shrank to a point and then suddenly exploded, those newly generated human races should have long ceased to exist.


    Wait��


    "This simtes the birth of the universe as I perceive it! The universe exploding!"


    Sterl suddenly sensed the change in the creative divine authority.


    Apanied by the infusion of Divine Power, this divine authority began its "genesis"!


    This wave of Divine Power allowed creation to simte the explosion of the universe, and afterward, Sterl sensed that it would gradually create��protons, electrons��


    The basic elements of the world mentioned in the knowledge he had acquired before his transmigration.


    When Sterl formally ascended to godhood, some of these fundamental elements would manifest, and as he advanced to a higher god status, the corresponding higher divine authority would also be created.


    It would even generate various substances from the periodic table of elements.


    One day, the universe within his mental domain would be indistinguishable from the real world!


    "This is just a glimpse of the true power of a god."


    "Without the support of Divine Power, it was merely water without a source, wood without roots!"

 Chapter 392: Chapter 392: The Power of Rules · Fission

    Sterl was filled with emotion.


    However, the changes in his mental domain did not temporarily enhance hisbat power.


    What he was sensing now was the energy within his body.


    He discovered that he could enter an unrestricted state of ascension to godhood. With the five divine beings acting as a power bank, his divine level strength could be maintained without any drop in the umted Divine Power within him; in fact, it would gradually increase.


    He would only expend Divine Power when he took action.


    With the additional umtion he had gathered, Sterl stood still, not immediately ascending to godhood. Instead, he nned to gather a bit more Divine Power. After engaging in battle with the Archduke of Blood, he could sustain a barrage of attacks for a day or two without issue.


    In battles at the divine level, either the oue could be decided quickly, like with the Archduke of Blood''s most powerful Thunder, or the gods could exchange blows for days or even months.


    However, with the threat of the Blood of Contamination looming, the battle would inevitably conclude within a few days, as all six divine beings on the field would face imminent death once the pollution progressed to a critical level.


    In other words��


    "I did it!"


    "My current reserves are sufficient tost until the end of the battle."


    Sterl felt a rush of excitement.


    He couldn''t help but nce over at the Archduke of Blood, eager to observe the enemy''s movements.


    Sterl understood that starting to siphon Divine Power did not guarantee victory; he still needed the five gods to hold the Archduke of Blood in check, forcing him to remain oblivious to the formation, or even if he did notice the changes, he needed to be unable to spare any effort to deal with Sterl.


    What surprised Sterl, however, was��


    Through the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he could capture the emotions of divine-level entities.


    He noticed that the Archduke of Blood waspletely unaware that his Divine Power was being drained.


    Instead, when the Archduke perceived the influx of Divine Power into his body diminishing, he disyed an expression of delight.


    "Haha, you are already at your wit''s end!"


    "Atst! All the fruits of victory will belong to me!"


    From Sterl''s perspective, this statement was quite strange.


    The array of seizing heaven and creating fate should never show a decrease in the Divine Power being siphoned.


    Even if the five divine beings were somewhat weakened, that weakness would actually enhance the formation''s efficiency in drawing power.


    Unless the five gods werepletely drained, the Divine Power should not diminish.


    But the Archduke of Blood, noticing the decrease in Divine Power, assumed that the five divine beings were weakened, indicating that he seemedpletely unaware of the true nature of the formation.


    Wasn''t this formation improved by him?


    Sterl frowned slightly; he didn''t bother to delve deeper into it. He could essentially confirm that the Archduke of Blood''s identity had issues.


    But for Sterl, this was good news.


    "Can I be even bolder with my actions of siphoning Divine Power from the formation?"


    If the Archduke of Blood was truly just operating the formation without understanding it, Sterl believed he could give him a lesson. He even had a thought that could significantly increase his chances of defeating the Archduke of Blood.


    "I''m going for it!"


    After some contemtion, Sterl directly moved toward the edge of the battlefield, squeezing out of the formation nodes. He quickly poured materials into refining and modifying the nodes. With eachpleted node, the amount of Divine Power he siphoned increased slightly.


    The Archduke of Blood''s gains decreased in tandem, yet the divine-level demon remained oblivious to it.


    Instead, the Archduke of Blood grew increasingly convinced that the five divine beings were on the brink of copse, choosing to engage in conventionalbat rather than summoning the terrifying Thunder. |em|p,yr


    He didn''t mind going down with them, but it was still better to preserve his current form if possible.


    The five divine beings were pleasantly surprised; they had felt despair, believing that a few more strikes of Thunder would spell their doom. The Archduke of Blood had inadvertently given them a moment to breathe, allowing the five gods to regroup and stabilize their situation.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sterl refined most of the formation nodes on the battlefield''s periphery.


    At this point, he had reached his limit.


    By using the Blood Sacrifice Array to reduce the dimensional impact, he transferred half of the effects of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate onto himself. Continuing to modify it further would not only risk exposure to the Archduke of Blood but would also threaten the copse of the entire formation.


    Moreover, Sterl''s violent modifications had already caused the efficiency of the formation''s Divine Power absorption to drop to 80% of its original rate.


    "Is there really no reaction?"


    He had spent quite some time modifying the formation, umting a considerable amount of Divine Power in his body��enough to unleash a fierce battle.


    Thus, Sterl was gambling; in the worst-case scenario, he would be exposed and forced to act early, but he wouldn''t suffer significant losses. After all, he would eventually join forces with the five divine beings to attack the Archduke of Blood.


    If sessful, the rewards would be immense!


    Half of the Divine Power from the formation would be supplied to him, allowing Sterl to unleash a flurry of attacks!


    Previously, he wanted to enhance Fission, repair its ws, and then use the creative divine authority to generate the corresponding Law.


    But that required a massive amount of power of faith to rece Divine Power.


    At this moment, Sterl''s ability to enhance his skills was still bound by the Holy Spirit Bloodline, preventing him from repairing Fission. Moreover, due to the impending evolution of the cheat, Sterl had barely acquired half of a new ability and could vaguely sense the number of enhancements required for the ability.


    Fission needed seven points to be barely repaired, and then it would require a second evolution of the cheat to be fully restored.


    This was because the skill was extremelyplex; even the creator of Fission had only recorded subsequent powers as a mere guess.


    Transforming it into aplete ability was quite troublesome!


    Even if Sterl added a point to Fission, the enhancement to the skill would be very limited��


    But he no longer needed to repair it.


    The purpose of Sterl''s gamble was to have surplus Divine Power, which would allow him to activate the creative divine authority and directly shape Law Power: Fission.


    Fission was incredibly powerful, symbolizing a terrifying force within the universe.


    Once it became a Law, it could enhance tinum Skill abilities!


    Of course, normally, it would be impossible for Sterl to create something like that using Divine Power!


    Fortunately, he had five gods acting as a power bank!


    The Archduke of Blood waspletely oblivious to the siphoning of the formation, which allowed Sterl to seize the only opportunity amid the cracks.


    "Fission itself symbolizes the most violent and destructive existence in the world."


    "But a Law-level Fission still cannot bepared to the supreme Sky Thunder."


    Sterl was well aware of this.


    The rank of Origin of Chaos was above divine authority, on the same level as superior divine authority!


    However, the Holy Spirit Bloodline could temporarily enhance Fission to the level of divine authority!


    At that point, if Fission strengthened Destructive Light, the power of that attack��


    Would undoubtedly live up to the word "destruction"!


    However, Sterl recalled not long ago when the Archduke of Blood unleashed Thunder, which was also an embodiment of "destruction"!


    Analyzing the most optimistic oue, he concluded that it would be a 50/50 chance against the Archduke of Blood.


    The oue was still uncertain.


    "That is enough!"


    Sterl even felt a wave of weakness wash over him, as if he might copse to the ground.


    After so much nning, he had finally secured a ticket topete on the same stage as the Archduke of Blood; now it all came down to how well he could perform in the moment.


    He still had the life of Licitris to use as leverage.


    "As long as I seed, I will leap into the sea like a fish and soar into the sky like an eagle!"


    "With the Holy Spirit Bloodline in hand and the power of Fission at my disposal�� After I activate ascension to godhood in Alpha 8, even some beings slightly above my weak Divine Power may not be my opponents."


    "Even in the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy, if the hidden strong ones are not sufficiently powerful, I can use my trump card and be invincible!"


    "How many yers wish for such an opportunity?"


    Sterl muttered fiercely to encourage himself, but suddenly he felt his heart nearly stop.


    "Damn it!"


    The Archduke of Blood''s expression shifted from surprise to furious rage after Sterl siphoned a small amount of Divine Power.


    At first, Sterl was taken aback. Could it be that I''ve been exposed? He still needed some more Divine Power to refine Fission Law!


    But then he realized that the Archduke of Blood waspletely ignoring the formation, as if his anger was directed at something else entirely.


    "Damn it, how could this happen?"


    "Of all times!"


    The five divine beings present were taken aback as they noticed that the Archduke of Blood seemed to have inexplicably weakened a bit.


    Instantly, the five divine beings, who had been drained of Divine Power, felt a surge of energy. They realized this might be theirst chance!


    They rallied their spirits.


    Marlon''s long night canvas was stained with blood, a testament to this god shedding his own essence.


    Ashen and the Golden Kingdom''s representatives surprisingly worked together to create golden and pure white energy arrows.


    Clearly, the two factions had been coborating in secret, and the gods had developed an Iridescent-Level ability that could be released in unison.


    The Lord of Evil Spirits was in the worst state; unable to conjure the Smoke Dragon, he instead condensed all his bones into a fearsome, wed shark serpent.


    Licitris cast a lingering nce at Mephistopheles��


    Hmm? What''s Mephistopheles'' situation right now? Why does he feel so powerful, even stronger than me?


    It must be an illusion, right?


    "Let''s go all out!"


    "Let''s take him down!"


    "The Archduke of Blood has beenpletely neglecting his defenses; his life force must be running low!"


    With Licitris'' initial bravery, the five divine beings found enough trust in each other.


    After a brief mentalmunication, they didn''t wait for anyone to take the lead andunched their attack simultaneously.


    However, the Archduke of Blood merelyughed maniacally, "Come at me!"


    Once again, he burned his life force!


    At this moment, the rainbow-coloredPolluted Blood within the Archduke of Blood had transformed from a mere trickle at the start of the battle to a state where it covered 60 to 70 percent of his body.


    The scales on his body shimmered with a multi-colored glow.


    It was incredibly eerie!


    However, despite the overwhelming Blood of Contamination, the Archduke of Blood was merely suffering from energy depletion.


    The third, supreme Sky Thunder began to gather slowly in the air.


    On Sterl''s side, he had originally been waiting for his Divine Power to umte while monitoring the situation of the gods, but suddenly he felt an extraordinarily strange aura emerge within him��


    At first, Sterl didn''t realize what was happening; after sensing it for a moment, he finally understood.


    His expression twisted in shock.


    Even when he had sessfully siphoned Divine Power before, it had never felt like this��


    Diminished.


    "How is this possible?!"

 Chapter 393 Has Fortune Arrived?

    Sterl was feeling dizzy!


    This time, the n to hunt the Archduke of Blood for self-preservation was fraught with problems.


    Sterl had not met with disaster, purely because something was off with the Archduke of Blood as well, which allowed Sterl to seize many opportunities he had never dared to hope for in the n.


    However��


    The rapid influx of Divine Power into his body, coupled with the inexplicable changes that followed, made him feel as if his luck had suddenly improved.


    Sterl discovered that he now had an added measure of "Fortune" within him!


    But how could this be? He hadn''t even killed the Archduke of Blood; where could this Fortune possiblye from?


    "Wait a minute!"


    "Having destroyed half of the Archduke of Blood''s formation setup, that must have significantly hindered this being loathed by the heavens and earth."


    "So I must have received the reward of Fortune."


    Sterl quickly deduced.


    The concept of Fortune wasn''t extensively studied in the lower realm, and even gods might not have ess to it.


    The information provided by Sosia and Sonis was urate, but it didn''t necessarily require killing a being despised by the world; inflicting sufficient damage would suffice!


    Sterl had directly seized half of the authority over the array of seizing heaven and creating fate!


    For the energy-depleted Archduke of Blood, this was a massive weakening.


    "Just three more pieces of Fortune, and I can evolve my cheat!"


    Sterl felt as if his heart had stopped!


    He shifted slightly, finding a morefortable standing position.


    After all, there was nothing he could do but wait for time to pass slowly��


    He didn''t have enough Divine Power to create a Law.


    Hecked enough Fortune to evolve his cheat.


    Wait!


    He could only wait!


    In Sterl''s perception, everything around him stretched out into a seemingly endless duration.


    When the next piece of Fortune arrived, the power of the supreme Sky Thunder erupted once again.


    The rainbow-coloreddivine thunder descended once more!


    The gods desperately unleashed their ultimate abilities, their eyes filled with hope and excitement; they believed they might create a miracle!


    Unfortunately, there was no miracle.


    After earlier casting their abilities, many gods threw out a plethora of items, their divine-level wealth naturally being immense.


    Sterl watched from a distance,pletely unaware of what they were using; he only saw crystallized items being crushed one after another, the various lights emanating from the gods sparkling like a rainbow.


    Then, one by one, pills and potions were rapidly consumed, and Sterl felt a bit overwhelmed just watching.


    "The speed of divine-level beings is astonishing; they can use so many items at once."


    He casually muttered, while pondering��


    Perhaps the small world could provide him with a significantbat advantage in the future; other gods could only rummage through their inventory for resources, and when it came to taking potions, they had to throw them into their mouths.


    But Sterl could directly transfer potions into his mouth and swallow them, which was much more convenient...


    He now sensed the presence of Fortune and was on the verge of achieving Fission Law, causing all his pressure to dissipate as he gleefully watched the unfolding events.


    There had been an opportunity to challenge the Archduke of Blood directly.


    With the uing evolution of his cheat, Sterl felt a surge of optimism.


    He had deliberately timed his arrival with Licitris to the river valley.


    After all, if the situation turned dire, Sterl could choose to let the Blood of Contamination infect him; he wouldn''t die immediately, and that would give him a chance to gain an extra point allocation for future use.


    At this moment, there were only a few minutes left until his cheat would cool down.


    If he could hold out during this time, his cheat shouldplete its evolution, and Fission Law would also be finished.


    Then, he would have new points to enhance the Holy Spirit Bloodline before the countdown hit zero.


    Whether he chose to further strengthen his bloodline or extend the duration of the Holy Spirit Bloodline to free up point allocations, he would be satisfied either way.


    Unfortunately, as Sterl looked around, he realized he didn''t need to kill the Archduke of Blood to evolve his cheat, yet he had no intention of running away.


    The Archduke of Blood was calling forth Thunder mixed with a massive amount of contamination power, bombarding the area. If not for the five divine beings blocking the attacks, Sterl feared he might have already been caught in the crossfire.


    Not cooperating with the gods to take down the Archduke of Blood would lead to endless trouble.


    To put it bluntly, if the five divine beings perished, and only the Archduke of Blood and Sterl remained in the entireyer of hell, that divine-level demon would undoubtedly choose to eliminate Sterl as well!


    Moreover, Sterl had previously taken away an Origin of Chaos from the Archduke of Blood, and their enmity was already irreconcble.


    Having spent some time as a Swallowing Heaven yer, Sterl hade to ept a certain logic: if he offended someone, he had to eliminate thempletely. Otherwise, if they sought revenge when he was at his weakest, he would find himself dead with no one to me.


    As Sterl pondered this, he felt another surge of Fortune within him.


    He was just one piece away from evolving his cheat, and the Divine Power for creating Fission Law had reached 94%��


    Meanwhile, a brilliant Thunder descended from the sky where the Archduke of Blood was. For some reason, the other divine beings were frantically consuming potions and using items.


    The Archduke of Blood, however, was not doing anything other than summoning Thunder with all his might, seemingly brimming with confidence.


    But the other divine beings were far too preupied to notice such details.


    They were focused solely on using as many items and potions as they could.


    Boom!


    Apanied by an ear-splitting roar, Thunder fell!


    Under the influence of the rainbow-coloredBlood of Contamination, the lightning emitted an extraordinarily bizarre fluctuation, twisting and shimmering!


    The Thunder rapidly struck and shattered Marlon''s canvas, causing the god of the Hall of Valor to spit blood and nearly perish.


    Earlier, among the items he had used was a crystal that significantly enhanced power by binding one''s techniques and life force together��if one thrived, the other thrived; if one suffered, the other suffered.


    At this moment, Marlon''s life force was plummeting!


    Moreover, he had voluntarily sacrificed his Divine Power after the canvas shattered to avoid being infected by the rainbow-coloredBlood of Contamination.


    With multiple enhancements at y, this god from the main world had copsed to the ground, consuming restorative potions while sitting cross-legged, utterly devoid of anybat capability.


    However, Marlon''s sacrifice proved valuable; he had managed to weaken the Thunder by over half, albeit at the cost of nearly losing his life.


    Now, the rainbow-coloredlightning no longer appeared ferocious. It descended with divine might, crashing down forcefully!


    The arrows crafted by the gods of the Golden Kingdom and Ashen swiftly pierced through the Thunder.


    Sterl could see the lightning being forcibly torn apart by the arrows, scattering in all directions. Before the energy of the arrows was depleted, they even managed to dart toward the Archduke of Blood, leaving a direct gash on his face.


    "Ugh!"


    The Archduke of Blood let out a wail, clearly affected by the curses enhanced within the arrows. Despite his earlier demeanor of disregarding any wounds and fighting valiantly, he had now faltered.


    At this moment, the gods of Ashen and the Golden Kingdom were also in a miserable state, kneeling on the ground.


    The arrows had nearly drained them of their strength!


    They quickly worked to suppress the Blood of Contamination, fearing they might perish immediately.


    Meanwhile, the Lord of Evil Spirits, transformed into a dragon, was visibly stirred.


    He saw a glimmer of hope for victory!


    The dragon lunged forward, biting madly!


    The Archduke of Blood was ensnared as if wrapped in a python, unable to move. Naturally, the dragon, as the embodiment of the Lord of Evil Spirits, had more than just ws and fangs for attack.


    While entangling the Archduke of Blood, the dragon''s body transformed into countless skeletal figures that began to gnaw and tear at him.


    The scales on the Archduke of Blood were rapidly stripped away, and flesh was being devoured!


    He was gravely injured!


    However, the price paid by the Lord of Evil Spirits was that all the skeletal forms desperately gnawing away were swallowed into the rainbow-coloredblood.


    By the time Rog withdrew, his form had shrunk to a minimal size, bing norger than an average person. Though the Lord of Evil Spirits seemed to have some reserve of power, he tore open scroll after scroll, enveloping himself in mist that allowed for rapid recovery.


    Yet, for the moment, he was also left withoutbat strength.


    Finally, Licitris wielded her scythe, making her movest with a simple yet unassuming strike!


    But Sterl could clearly see that after the Subus Queen''s de passed through, her dark hair turned white, and her Divine Power and life force werepletely drained.


    At the same time, the Archduke of Blood was brutally bisected!


    Countless streams of ck energy surged and shattered from his body bit by bit.


    Of course...


    This wasn''t a case of the other four divine beings setting Licitris up for the kill. What had just happened?


    The five divine beings were momentarily stunned, not expecting that their desperate gamble would actually have a chance of sess.


    They hadn''t fought this way earlier mainly because the Archduke of Blood could also use all his resources to boost hisbat strength.


    So they had held back their trump cards, waiting for the right moment to unleash their power.


    But who would have thought that ast-ditch counterattack would actually work?


    Was the Archduke of Blood really on the verge of death?


    The expression of the other divine beings shifted dramatically!


    They hastened their recovery efforts, desperately trying to rise... the Archduke of Blood wasn''t dead yet, and there was still a chance to im the kill.


    Only Sterl remained calm, observing the scene without urgency.


    Though he didn''t have a pressing need for the Archduke of Blood''s head, he knew that Fortune was something that could never be too abundant!


    However...


    Sterl was aware that the five divine beings'' counterattack... had failed!


    From his previous experiences through the Hell Trial, Sterl knew that the Archduke of Blood was not so easily killed!


    He had the ability to resurrect!


    Sure enough, after being in, the remaining gods frantically tried tond the finishing blows.


    In an instant, various energy sts were fired, and Licitris forced herself forward despite her weakness.


    The Archduke of Blood''s body was torn to shreds amid the overwhelming Divine Power.


    Yet...


    Tworger chunks of his corpse suddenly absorbed a massive amount of blood.


    The water level in the river valley noticeably dropped.


    The two pieces heaved and merged into one, reviving once again!


    In the midst of continuous distortion, the Archduke of Blood''s bodypleted its reconstruction!


    Not only had he evaded the desperate counterattack from the five divine beings, but he also swept away all his previous injuries, entering a peak state!


    "Come!"


    "Bring it on!"


    This divine-level demon sneered.


    And at this moment...


    Sterl remained unfazed.


    The three gods from the main world wore bitter smiles, knowing that things were not so simple.


    Only the two divine-level demons looked horrified!


    "Exclusive ultimate talent, Blood God Resurrection Technique."


    "How is this possible?"


    "You sold that skill to the Will of Hell, didn''t you?"

 Chapter 394 The True Form of the Archduke of Blood: Will of Hell

    Huh?


    What is this?


    The gods from the main world felt a bit confused.


    Sterl was taken aback.


    Something was off!


    It seemed that things were not as he had imagined.


    On Licitris''s side, she had no secrets from Mephistopheles.


    After their friendly matches, they often hugged and shared their thoughts, enjoying that ambiguous and rxed feeling.


    Thus, Sterl had learned some information.


    The death of the Archduke of Blood was the result of abined effort from Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    Licitris believed that at the time, she might have been influenced by the will of Swallowing Heaven, leading to her impulsiveness. In hindsight, she seemed to have felt a stroke of good luck, presumably receiving a Fortune reward.


    However, there were some matters Licitris had not mentioned...


    For instance, the reason Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits could kill the Archduke of Blood was because the three divine-level demons had already known each other for some time.


    They had even gone on adventures together.


    Of course, among demons, this did not constitute friendship; it was merely a coincidental encounter.


    There was no such thing as a demon sparing an old acquaintance simply because they had once adventured together.


    Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits also knew some secrets about the Archduke of Blood, such as��


    The Archduke of Blood was thest "person" of a certain lineage from the upper realms. Thus, despite hisck of innate talent, he had inherited the Blood God Resurrection Technique.


    This was an ability exclusive to the Archduke of Blood''s race.


    Iridescent-Level!


    After awakening, it could not be used until reaching divine level.


    With this ability, the Archduke of Blood could quickly advance to godhood.


    However, before the Archduke of Blood could rise, he encountered a war instigated by demons from the upper-level Respectable Position, spanning hundreds ofyers of hell. In the battlefield''s grinding machine, the Archduke of Blood was severely injured and fled to an unupiedyer of hell without any divine-level demons.


    Due to his original injuries, the Archduke of Blood was on the brink of death when he unexpectedly received a proposition from the Will of Hell. He offered a portion of his residual soul in exchange for healing his wounds and being trained to be a divine level.


    Naturally, the Archduke of Blood wanted to keep this a secret, but at the time of signing the contract, the Will of Hell announced it to the entireyer of hell. This seemed to be a special ritual; without this announcement, the contract could not be signed.


    Originally searching for the Archduke of Blood, Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits also heard this news.


    By the way, at that time, they thought that since the Archduke of Blood was close to death, it would be better to take advantage of the situation and prepare to kill their panion" to seize his resources.


    After hearing the promation from the Will of Hell, the two quickly retreated.


    With the Will of Hell''s protection, attempting to steal the life of the Archduke of Blood was practically impossible; they could end up trapped themselves.


    Subsequently, after the Archduke of Blood ascended to godhood, he initiated a purge, eliminating many who were privy to his past. However, the movement of demons in hell was quite fluid; many would not remain in the sameyer of hell for long.


    In theory, besides Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits, there were many other demons who knew about the Archduke of Blood''s past.


    At this moment, after the Archduke of Blood revived, he did not rush to take action.


    The aforementioned information was initially shared by the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    He casually mentioned it, speaking vaguely, but soon noticed that the Archduke of Blood was listening intently, wearing a smug expression as if he were enjoying the story.


    Licitris also chimed in, embellishing the past secrets to buy some time for the five divine-level beings to recover.


    The gods from the main world remained expressionless, merely digesting the information.


    "I thought I was the only one who knew that the Archduke of Blood could resurrect; now it seems I reached the correct conclusion through erroneous intel."


    At first, Sterl, feeling more rxed as he listened, simply made a casual remark.


    But as his thoughts shifted slightly, he began to catch on to something.


    "Isn''t the description of the Archduke of Blood''s ability strikingly simr to what the fallen angel referred to as the ''Key of Power of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty''?"


    "Blood God Resurrection Technique, Destructive Light."


    "Could it be that the Archduke of Blood''s race was also banished from the upper realms?"


    Suddenly, Sterl''s eyes lit up.


    He had been stuck in a dilemma; after killing the Archduke of Blood, he was unsure what ability to acquire using the Fate Token''s [Consume] ability.


    Now... the target was clear!


    It was the Blood God Resurrection Technique!


    The value of this ability went beyond its apparent skill effects! Moreover, with Sterl''s Holy Spirit Bloodline, he could forcibly activate this exclusive ability. He would essentially gain another resurrection armor, which was definitely a win!


    As for the Origin of Chaos, what Sterl obtained through consumption was merely the original skill.


    The birth of Origin of Chaos was essentially a ritual, a means of acquiring the abilities of another faction, granted as a special reward by the system.


    [Consume] could not seize that.


    Sterl carefully nned, muttering to himself.


    "The Archduke of Blood''s resurrection ability... he just sold it to the Will of Hell?"


    "Wait! Sold to the Will of Hell!"


    Suddenly, Sterl felt a connection form in his mind, as if a thread had been tied together.


    It was known that the Archduke of Blood had sold a portion of his residual soul and the Blood God Resurrection Technique to the Will of Hell, which was present in theyer of hell where everyone was at that moment.


    Therefore, the Supreme-level Archduke of Blood in the hell trial could indeed be resurrected.


    He was merely a fragment of a soul, with strength suppressed from below, but he could still use the Blood God Resurrection Technique...


    As for the original Archduke of Blood, he likely no longer possessed such an ability.


    Previously, Sterl had witnessed the Archduke of Blood''s heart being destroyed; he had been killed again by Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits.


    There was no way he could resurrect!


    If he were able toe back, the Hall of Valor would not have recognized that the divine-level demon in thisyer of hell was dead, thus losing its ruler.


    Even if the Archduke of Blood had made arrangements in another main world and had descended using a portion of his bodily tissue to obtain the Origin of Chaos, his true form was already gone.


    That bodily tissue returning to hell would simply be a shell.


    Much like the Supreme version of the Archduke of Blood in the hell trial, which, upon resurrection, had two bodies but only a wisp of residual soul; as a result, neither could be controlled until a beam of light enveloped it, restoring normalcy.


    What was that light?


    It was naturally the Will of Hell, the maniptor of thatyer!


    This was enough to prove that the Will of Hell had the ability to act through the Archduke of Blood''s body.


    Meanwhile, the outside Archduke of Blood was using his resurrection ability.


    The Blood God Resurrection Technique, like Destructive Light, was an exclusive ability of a certain race, and it was impossible for others to replicate.


    Moreover, the Blood God Resurrection Technique was only held by the Will of Hell in thisyer.


    Putting it all together, Sterl recalled how earlier, he had seen the Will of Hell disying a posture of extreme disdain when preparing to distribute rewards.


    Thisyer of hell no longer needed to nurture powerful divine-level demons...


    It was one itself!


    It surely wouldn''t want to expend energy giving out rewards.


    Sterl remembered the earlier incident, where the female yer had used Rebirth of All Thoughts to buy her life and mentioned some information.


    The contract of [Transcendence]/Swallowing Heaven could trace back to the real world, ignoring distance to capture souls.


    The Archduke of Blood had sold part of his soul, which meant that afterward, the Will of Hell could control the remaining fragment of the Archduke of Blood''s body, which only possessed the Origin of Chaos!


    Once the Will of Hell sessfully upied the body, it could activate the Blood God Resurrection Technique to reconstruct the Archduke of Blood''s form.


    In theyer of hell where Sterl and the other gods resided, a very strange phenomenon began to ur...


    The Will of Hell itself became the divine-level demon that ruled over all.


    Sterlpleted his deduction.


    Meanwhile, the intellect and life experience of the gods on the other side far surpassed Sterl''s, exining why he couldn''t live long.


    They slowly began to voice their own deductions, mainly to buy time.


    Faced with the terror of the crowd, the Archduke of Blood merely sneered, considering himself to be in a position of victory.


    Moreover, there was no rush for him...


    What did it matter to waste a little time? These gods would only grow weaker under the Blood of Contamination; it wasn''t like a powerful foe would suddenly emerge to take him down.


    The Archduke of Blood nodded slowly in acknowledgment.


    "Indeed, I originally only intended to lure Licitris and Rog here."


    "To strike them down in one fell swoop and devour youryer of hell, absorbing the two additional wills to strengthen myself."


    "To my surprise, there are additional gains."


    "The gods of the main world have also arrived."


    "It was worth it for me to limit my own power and allow Lord Swallowing Heaven toplete the formation for me."


    The Archduke of Blood spoke in such an ambiguous manner that ordinary people might not understand, but Sterl immediately realized��


    No wonder the Archduke of Blood had such poor control over the formation; the array of Seizing Heaven and Creating Fate was genuinely invented by the Archduke of Blood. After the Will of Hell upied his body, it was fortunate that he could use it at all.


    Let alone understand the formation.


    What the Will of Hell referred to as "modifying the formation" simply meant changing it from one that could only target divine-level demons to one that could also target the gods of the main world.


    However, the Will of Hell still didn''t understand the formation, which allowed Sterl to take advantage of the situation.


    With this, many of the previous questions seemed to have clear answers.


    Why did the Archduke of Blood not harbor hatred for Licitris and Rog? Because he was merely the Will of Hell, only caring for his own growth; in fact, he owed these two divine-level demons gratitude for giving him the opportunity to upy the deep recesses of the Archduke of Blood.


    Why was the Archduke of Blood easily ambushed when he first attacked the Blood Red Fortress? Because he had not grown up in a treacherous environment like a demon,cking any guard against allies.


    This included the various peculiarities exhibited during the earlier battle; the Will of Hell might not have intended to force the five divine-level beings to turn against each other before stepping in to reap the rewards.


    He simply felt he had the power to crush everything and jumped in, ready to take action.


    The exposure of the array was simr; the Will of Hell could be described as somewhat na?ve, having overestimated his own strength. He failed to release the Origin of Chaos in the first instance, almost causing the array to be destroyed.


    He had no choice but to forcibly activate the hell trial.


    No matter how strong a divine-level demon was, they could not manipte this thing, but the Will of Hell could do so effortlessly!

 Chapter 395 The Evolution of Cheat!

    The reason why the Origin of Chaos must attract lightning from the sky to be released is that this thing is bound to the soul.


    Sterl changed ounts, and the bacsh from Fortune was still ongoing.


    Will of Hell contained the remnants of the Archduke of Blood, simr to the ount change of Sterl, possessing a mark that allowed him to barely utilize the supremely powerful Sky Thunder. However, the "mark" was iplete, being just a remnant soul, which prevented him from unleashing its full potential.


    Sterl analyzed this silently.


    He frowned slightly. After the identity of Will of Hell as the Archduke of Blood was revealed, there was no unexpected power that emerged; instead, he could confirm one thing: the Origin of Chaos was not a result of Will of Hell holding back, nor had it failed to reach its peak.


    It could exert such great power on its own.


    But who could say what the embodiment of an entireyer of hell might possess? Would it have any special abilities?


    When Will of Hell mentioned "Swallowing Heaven," it should refer to the Swallowing Heaven game system, right? Did the game system itself also possess consciousness? Could it assist the world consciousness of its affiliatedyer of hell?


    Sterl suddenly felt that the waters were very deep! He stroked the disk tattoo on his body, feeling somewhat unsettled.


    His operations had always been exposed to the Tanscendence/Swallowing Heaven system.


    Why add another Tanscendence, you ask? Well, that''s obvious; it''s an entity on par with Swallowing Heaven. It wouldn''t make sense for Swallowing Heaven to have its own consciousness while Tanscendence didn''t.


    Sterl gently rubbed his temples, trying to push these unnecessary worries out of his mind.


    If the dual game systems wanted to find fault with him, they could have done so long ago.


    There was no way to avoid it now; he needed to focus on the present.


    "Recing the Archduke of Blood with Will of Hell might not be a bad thing; it could potentially weaken this enemy''s upper limit ofbat power."


    "But the unknown also represents risk��"


    Sterl recalled the current situation, still feeling a headache; the unexpected factors in his ns were increasing. With just a slight misstep, he could easily fall into a trap!


    "I must eliminate Will of Hell!"


    "Otherwise, with his control over the entire hell, after dealing with five deities, he would definitely hunt me down to the end of the earth��I wouldn''t even be able to escape." Sterl estimated that with Fortune arriving and the evolution of cheat, he could at least free up some points, avoiding the need to bind cheat to the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    However��


    "I need to traverse through the Blood of Contamination''s obstacles to return to the main world, which means I''d have to store up several days'' worth, or even more than ten days'' worth of points to have a chance."


    "With such a long duration, an entity capable of controlling the entirety of hell could continue hunting me down!"


    "If I don''t resolve Will of Hell, I can only await death!"


    In other words��


    The situation before him was even more brutal, a fight to the death.


    Sterl''s expression shifted slightly; the pressure was mounting.


    At that moment, he felt a surge of energy flowing into his body, and he immediately sensed that the simr energy within him became more harmonious andplete, as if he had be one cohesive whole.


    "One hundred portions of Fortune!"


    A sh of light appeared before Sterl''s eyes! In July, he had exceeded one hundred portions, seemingly breaking through a critical threshold. The originally dispersed mist of Fortune had transformed into a cloud of Fortune.


    The luck and opportunities brought by this cloud far surpassed the benefits of a hundred portions of mist!


    It was precisely because of this transformation that the qualitatively changed Fortune cloud could enhance Sterl''s cheat.


    In that instant, he felt an immense pressure lift off his heart.


    Will of Hell was not the Archduke of Blood himself, which allowed Sterl to deduce that all his little maneuvers had gone undetected, perfectly disguised.


    And with the evolution of cheat, he felt�� his confidence returning!


    Sterl silently summoned the Fortune within him: "Evolve!"


    He whispered to himself.


    The Fortune cloud seemed to be drained as if it were being gulped down by a whale.


    Nothing changed on Sterl''s body.


    He only felt a slight flutter in his heart.


    Then, he eagerly looked at the Holy Spirit Bloodline page.


    After the evolution of cheat, new points were not provided, but Sterl could immediately see various options for allocation.


    [Holy Spirit Bloodline]����[Evolution Count: 0, Maximum Evolution Count: 0, Promotion Count: 1, Can additional points enhance abilities after three evolutions?����Yes.]


    "It''s much clearer now!"


    Sterl felt a surge of joy.


    The second evolution of cheat no longer resembled the past, where adding points meant gradually umting them without knowing how many days it would take to max out skills or items.


    Now it was straightforward!


    Moreover, the previously vague information about whether points could be allocated again after cheat evolution was now clearly stated in explicit text.


    On a regr day, this newly added ability wouldn''t seem significant, but in urgent battle situations where time was limited, Sterl could confirm which items or skills needed points to boostbat power in a short time.


    It was better than finishing point allocation only to find that a crucial skill hadn''t improved, potentially leading to disaster.


    Aside from that, Sterl didn''t feel any additional effects from the cheat evolution.


    Yet, he felt a sense of anticipation.


    Regr evolution had limited enhancements for various abilities, but extreme evolution surely would have a more noticeable boost!


    The third phase of point allocation��promotion��should provide a certain degree of improvement.


    Sterl was now fairly certain that after promoting the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he would at least achieve his minimum expectation of extending buff duration��this was undoubtedly achievable!


    "Just seven minutes left�� then the point allocation will go on cooldown."


    Sterl murmured to himself.


    In divine-level battles, countless moves could be exchanged in mere moments.


    Fortunately, the deities were deliberately stalling for time, engaging in discussions about Will of Hell''s various schemes. They did not use the efficient method of mentalmunication but instead expressed their apprehension and fear of Will of Hell through various tones and onomatopoeic expressions, recounting their fears slowly.


    Whether they were apprehensive or fearful was one thing, but recounting their stories was indeed very "slow."


    The storytelling had already consumed nearly ten minutes.


    "Thank you all!"


    Sterl felt a wave of gratitude as he quietly sensed the Divine Power within him��it was already enough to create FissionLaw and still have leftover strength for a wave ofbat to ascend to godhood!


    The Law-level Fission was the key for Sterl to take down Will of Hell, as it could leverage the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline to elevate Fission to the level of divine authority!


    Such output wasparable to the Origin of Chaos!


    Moreover�� it could even exert a slight advantage. In Sterl''s estimation, Fission at the divine authority level was akin to a superior-tier type of pure violence and destruction divine authority.


    The Origin of Chaos and the Supreme Sky Thunder also belonged to this tier, but Will of Hell could not fully unleash its potential, setting aside some bizarre trump cards that Will of Hell, as the entity controlling hell itself, might possess.


    In terms of absolutebat power, Sterl already held the advantage.


    At that moment, Sterl felt quite excited.


    With Will of Hell recing the Archduke of Blood''s Origin of Chaos, it naturally also took over the bacsh from Fortune��


    Sterl suspected that the cmity in the upper realms had erupted in thisyer of hell for this very reason.


    "If I can y it, I''ll be able to gather a significant amount of Fortune for the next cheat evolution."


    "However, how do I achieve this qualitative transformation of the soul?"


    He had always felt that the Imperishable Will of Hell was difficult to deal with, and now the potential rewards after Will of Hell''s demise presented Sterl with an irresistible bargaining chip.


    A substantial amount of Fortune was beckoning to Sterl!


    He had clearly sensed that the next cheat evolution would require 5,000 portions of Fortune, along with achieving a transformation of the soul.


    The first condition meant that Sterl had to diligently dig for any trace of Fortune he encountered, wasting not a single bit.


    As for the second condition, he currently had no idea how to fulfill it; perhaps a quantitative umtion was required to achieve a qualitative change in the soul?


    Should he collect more items simr to the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to raise his soul level?


    At this moment, Sterl did not act impulsively.


    Creating a Law might not create a loudmotion, but the disturbances it caused would shine brightly like a candle in the perception of the deities.


    He wanted to wait a while longer, at least until Will of Hell and the five divine-level entities were engaged in battle once more before he began to create.


    So, Sterl��


    Continued to watch the show.


    Additionally, he took a nce at his cheat.


    Instantly, his eyes widened with surprise as the pressure on him lightened considerably.


    At this moment, within his second evolution of cheat, many of his equipment pieces could be allocated points again. Although the authority heart could no longer be enhanced, it wasn''t due to ack of cheat ability, but rather it indicated that Sterl''s current physical potential was insufficient.


    Moreover, Sterl discovered that Shattered Void could actually receive points again, and it was ready for a promotion. This skill had already reached the limit of a tinum Skill, and further enhancement might allow it to cross over to Iridescent-Level.


    Even though, at that point, Shattered Void wouldn''t be the strongest Iridescent-Level ability, its quality would still be exceptional, as it was a skill enhanced by triple Laws and would transform into a power backed by triple divine authorities.


    Sterl estimated that after allocating points, he wouldn''t be able to use the Iridescent-Level version of Shattered Void in the short term; he would still only be able to use the tinum Skill version.


    Just as Destructive Light could help Lovicprehend the concept of Destruction and advance to godhood, Shattered Void could aid Sterl in obtaining triple divine authority. The three Laws of de, Space, and Arcane all had the potential to independently advance to divine authority, and they were mutually exclusive.


    The most crucial aspect was the de divine authority, which was quite rare. Sterl would have a hard time securing it through normal means, but now, with the point allocation system, he could easily leap over that hurdle.


    Aside from that��


    Destructive Light also had one promotion opportunity and three regr point allocation opportunities, but unfortunately, it did not have any chances for extreme evolution.


    Sterl was bursting with excitement!


    He didn''t linger long on the remaining skill information��


    The prospects for each ability were simply too enticing, but the point allocation wasgging behind!


    At this moment�� he truly felt no panic!


    "If I can''t kill Will of Hell in the river valley and instead drag out the fight, I could allocate points several more times, and mybat power would skyrocket!"


    "The odds would only increase."


    Sterl couldn''t help but smile.


    This was my cheat!


    Invincible!


    ��


    At that moment, as the deities'' deductions reached their conclusion, Will of Hell wore a smug expression.

 Chapter 396 The Formation of Law, the Change of Heaven and Earth!

    Will of Hell manipted the body of the Archduke of Blood, cheerfully sharing, "You are all quite right."


    "The Blood of Contamination doesn''t work on me."


    "Rather, those bizarre maggots can actually gnaw at me, an existence that is neither spiritual nor material."


    "They scared me quite a bit; even though I could have easily wiped them out, fortunately, when those two corpses from the upper realms exploded, they took the maggots with them."


    "Otherwise, my ns would have been ruined."


    "But after hiding in the blood river for so long, I have finally confirmed that those maggots are truly gone."


    "In the end, I am still the winner!"


    "Hahaha!"


    ��


    His words were somewhat peculiar.


    He was clearly admitting defeat, yet it sounded as if he was boasting about some grand achievement.


    Sterl and the gods were not surprised.


    Will of Hell''s intellect was on par with any intelligent race, yet hismon sense and worldview seemed to be out of touch, resembling a clumsy imitation of others.


    It appeared normal but was, in fact, chaotic.


    Earlier, on the battlefield, Will of Hell had blindly trusted two divine-level demons as allies and was ambushed. At that time, he had chosen to retreat to avoid exposing his identity and abilities.


    Not long ago, he could have let the dogs fight it out, but hepletely failed to consider that this would force the five gods to unite against him.


    To Will of Hell, that earlier speech was a sign of his calmness, a perfect maneuvering based on the situation to achieve his goals.


    However, Sterl was taken aback, his mind stirred once again.


    "The essence of Blood of Contamination is the Blood of the Holy Spirit being tainted, stemming from the twisted power of the upper realms."


    "It''s reasonable that Will of Hell is not affected due to its unique nature."


    "But how can those maggots harm it? And those maggots are rted to the Devourer of All Things��does that mean the essence of the Devourer of All Things is stronger than that of Blood of Contamination, a being from the upper realms??"


    He pondered, primarily because he had time to spare and wanted to analyze more information��who knows when it might be useful in the future?


    But then, Sterl''s expression changed; if it was extremely difficult to kill Will of Hell itself, how would he resolve it??


    At this moment��


    Will of Hell was like a child showing off a toy, allowing the five gods to stall for time to satisfy their desire to vent.


    He wasn''t foolish; after all, the array of seizing heaven and creating fate was still extracting Divine Power, so stalling didn''t hurt him.


    What Will of Hell couldn''t understand was that the five divine-level beings hadpletely lost their footing. Now, with this moment of conversation, the gods had enough time to regroup, even if their Divine Power was further depleted; they could stabilize the situation better at this moment.


    "Make your move!"


    With just a subtle exchange of nces, the five divine-level entities acted while Will of Hell was still preparing for another round of boasting about how difficult it was for him, as an avatar of the world, to reach this point.


    The blood-colored Divine Power, infused with life force, ignited.


    At this moment, the five divine-level beings had nearly exhausted their trump cards, and they had no choice but to gamble everything.


    Especially Licitris and Rog, who felt increasingly uneasy.


    As gods, they had a premonition that Will of Hell would not simply kill himself to effortlessly invade theyer of hell.


    Perhaps the gods of the three main worlds could die more easily.


    Rog and Licitris were both in dire straits.


    Not only were the gods preparing tounch an attack, but they were alsomunicating rapidly in the mental realm: "We''ll take turns attacking and absorb the blood from the river valley."


    "Will of Hell itself cannot be destroyed, but its body can be affected by the Blood of Contamination."


    "That''s right, Will of Hell has been protecting the blood in the river valley because its resurrection depends on this blood."


    "We must drain the bloodpletely!"


    "If we fail��"


    Thest part of theirmunication came to a halt as they all braced themselves for the possibility of being drained of Divine Power and facing annihtion!


    In the final moment, they would self-destruct to forcibly contaminate the river valley!


    This would render Will of Hell''s ability to resurrect ineffective!


    And the remaining beings would have a chance to take down Will of Hell''sst life!


    No matter how powerful Will of Hell was, without a physical body to act in the outside world, it was destined to die!


    As for how they would survive after killing Will of Hell?


    The five divine-level entities��


    Deep down, they had already epted their fate.


    They hade to the river valley merely to prolong their lives; without a way to break Blood of Contamination, even without the Archduke of Blood, they would eventually turn on each other and die.


    Now, all hope of luck was gone.


    Sterl watched this scene, his eyes flickering; perhaps he could be a bit bolder. Since these beings were resigned to death, the greater the terror of impending doom, the more their divine nature would weaken, bringing them closer to being ordinary beasts.


    "I can manipte this!"


    A gleam shone in Sterl''s eyes.


    At this moment��


    The brilliance of Divine Power surged forth.


    The five divine-level beingsunched another assault, their nightmarish canvas unfolding, withser energys, a barrage of missiles, the Smoke Dragon transformed by the Lord of Evil Spirits, and the divine scythe in Licitris''s hand.


    Once again, they manifested!


    In an instant, the river valley teetered on the brink of destruction!


    Having lost all hope for life, the five gods no longer fought with caution for the river valley''s safety; they had cast aside theirst shred of restraint. The power they unleashed after their careful orchestration was overwhelming, at least thirty percent stronger than before.


    Even Sterl felt the pressure increase significantly.


    Now, the gods resembled wounded beasts, disying the most dangerous and terrifying scene imaginable.


    However��


    Just as the divine-level beings had previously ignored Mephistopheles''s presence, they now cared little about whether their attacks would obliterate this insignificant ant.


    Only Licitris quickly changed position.


    He stood in front of Mephistopheles, ensuring that the shockwaves of the battle would be intercepted by him.


    This scene went unnoticed by everyone.


    Well��


    In his cautious manner, Sterl still took note of it, furrowing his brow for no apparent reason.


    But the next moment��


    A roar that overshadowed his unconscious gesture echoed through the air.


    "Here ites!"


    After revealing his identity, Will of Hell hadpletely shed his silent demeanor, now roaring with wild abandon, though his tone seemedpletely at odds with the body of the Archduke of Blood, creating a rather bizarre effect.


    In an instant, thunder rumbled, and the world changed color.


    The power of the Origin of Chaos was ignited once more; Will of Hell, not being particrly sharp, was not about to make the same mistake again.


    This time, the action of summoning lightning was incredibly swift; he propelled himself high into the air, forcefully merging with the thunder, and amidst the blinding light, the Thunder armor rapidly assembled around him.


    The resurrected Archduke of Blood hadpleted a powerful move!


    The five gods had no time to react.


    What they also failed to notice was that Will of Hell, drawing from the blood river below, created an incredibly horrifying scene. He fabricated multiple body parts of the Archduke of Blood��hearts, skeletons, flesh��


    Scattered about, they filled the sky.


    In this bizarre spectacle, theplete body of the Archduke of Blood began to burn in the light of the lightning.


    At this moment, Will of Hell upied the sky.


    He noticed that the five divine-level beings were attempting to contaminate the river valley, so he decided to use this resource all at once.


    As the body of the Archduke of Blood burned, it transformed into Divine Power. Apanied by the power extracted from the formation, Will of Hell repeatedly unleashed the ultimate output of the supreme Sky Thunder!


    Lightning bolts rapidly appeared in the sky.


    The Blood of Contamination within the Heavenly Curtain, initially passively adhering to the thunder, began to swirl and gather under the stimtion of this high-energy reaction.


    Under the overwhelming might of the heavens, the other five divine-level beings were left dumbfounded.


    This wasn''t just a figure of speech; they were genuinely stunned.


    Divine level represented a transformation in the tier of life, and their mental resilience had been significantly strengthened.


    But now, facing the boundless Thunder, they finally lost theirst shred of belief.


    Trade lives?


    Trade for what?!


    Will of Hell wasn''t pretending anymore; he was utterly invincible!


    The upper limit of his power hadn''t increased, yet he had nearly drained the blood river with a single output; the sheer magnitude of that output was terrifying. The strikes assembled by the five divine-level beings gradually began to shatter under the rolling Thunder.


    They hadn''t even officially begun to sh yet!


    At that moment��


    Sterl slowly closed his eyes as the divine authority symbolizing creation in his mental realm shone with a dazzling light.


    It was as if an invisible brush appeared in his hand, gently painting.


    Sterl thought for a moment and drew an extremely simple symbol: a small sphere surrounded by several elliptical trajectories, with another sphere orbiting among them.


    This was a simple particle structure.


    "What is it called??"


    Sterl felt a buzzing in his head as some will from the outside world questioned him.


    It was not the system sound of Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven.


    Rather, it was a presence of much greater significance.


    "Fission! Fission Law!"


    Sterl provided his answer.


    Ding!


    A brilliant light descended from an unknown source.


    "Warrior, congrattions on establishing your own power!"


    In a daze, Sterl felt as if a mark resembling a radiant sphere was suddenly inscribed deep within his body and soul, including in his mental realm.


    "What is this thing?"


    He was taken aback, wanting to shake it off, but the mark vanished instantly, leaving him with a warm feeling all over.


    "Wait�� this is��"


    Sterl realized that nothing seemed to have changed on him, yet something felt different.


    That mark seemed to be a form of recognition for himself.


    "My cheat��"


    He suddenly discovered that the 5,000 units of Fortune required for the next evolution of his cheat had instantly reduced to only 3,000, and the requirement for soul transformation had changed to a soul level of Lv. 99.


    Huh??


    What on earth??


    Sterl was left dumbfounded!


    He merely sensed that the cheat had signaled an unknown power, indicating that the requirements for the third to fifth upgrades had decreased.


    Huh???


    Sterl felt dizzy!

 Chapter 397 An Existence Beyond Transcendence!

    Sterl was feeling a bit dizzy. The only thing he could sense was that he had achieved something remarkable by creating the Fission Law, establishing a power of his own, and receiving a reward for it!


    This was not just a wild guess; it was the information he received after the radiant sphere-like mark appeared.


    "If I hadpleted the Fission Law not through the divine act of creation but through my own strength, I would have gained even more terrifying rewards."


    Sterl reflected on the message within the radiant sphere, feeling somewhat speechless��


    If I could just create a Law with my bare hands�� wouldn''t I be invincible?


    Even normal gods don''t have such capabilities.


    Only the divine authority of Creation could achieve this��


    "Could the reward alsoe from a being above Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven? Perhaps the entity that created the game?"


    Sterl felt a bit dazed.


    However, it didn''t hinder his excellent mood.


    He didn''t know what the radiant sphere could do in the hands of others, but for Sterl, the continuous reduction of the requirements for the evolution of his cheat was a tremendous boon!


    The straightforward implication was��


    Next time, all he needed was to umte the required resources. Whether it was Fortune or soul level, he could take his time and gradually improve; he would reach his goal eventually!


    Amidst his excitement, a brilliant white light slowly illuminated before Sterl.


    The creation of the Fission Law had little impact on the mental realm, but it was a different story for the external reality!


    Fission corresponded to a phenomenon in the natural world��


    Thus, this area, sealed off by the Blood of Contamination, became the core.


    A strange message began to flow toward countless Crystal Barrier Gxies, spreading to the upper realms.


    Sterl was overthinking; ordinary gods could not sense this strange message at all.


    Only countless beings in the upper realms inexplicably opened their eyes.


    At that moment, in the void,


    A pure white pce floated in mid-air, surrounded by countless flowers and trees growing in abundance.


    If Sterl were to visit this ce, he might recognize that it resembled the paradise from the myths of his previous life before transmigration, as well as the pce of the gods of Olympus.


    This peculiar region was located at the very core of the upper realms.


    Inside the pce, several statues, apanied by soft rustling sounds, opened their eyes amidst the swirling dust.


    "A new Law has appeared."


    "How many years has it been since thest one?"


    "I don''t know."


    "How would I remember such things?"


    "Isn''t this also considered our aplishment?"


    "Aplishment? Rewards of this caliber have long since lost their meaning for us."


    "Only by nurturing true warriors can we gain the opportunity for ''Transcendence,'' but is the life after ''Transcendence'' truly what you and I desire?"


    ...


    As the statues engaged in conversation, they gradually emerged from their previously frozen state, revealing their forms. These beings disyed various bizarre postures.


    Some were humanoid, others had wings sprouting from their backs, resembling angels, while some appeared as demonic entities. Yet, these beings seemed disinterested inmunicating mentally; instead, they used amonnguage to converse.


    Among themselves, the statues exhibited a remarkably simr resonance.


    In the temple, even those statues that had not awakened, though varied in form and belonging to different races, remained interconnected through some shared characteristic, sustaining the operation of the colossal structure.


    In the outside world, the temple remained shrouded in energy, invisible, untouchable, and unmentionable.


    "By the way... what kind of power has transformed into a Law?"


    "Are there still types of power in this world that haven''t been cataloged?"


    "Let me see... it seems to be called..."


    At first, the few awakened statues were merely chatting happily among themselves until they suddenly realized that the power that had ascended to a Law was something special.


    "It''s the Fission Law!"


    "How could it be this kind of Law?"


    "It''s the human race from Earth; only this one race could possibly create this Law!"


    "And it''s those traitors who possess the relevant technology!"


    "Really!"


    "Is there such a thing??"


    "It seems we''ve missed some good drama?? How did the principle of Fission circte? Or are those traitors still alive and kicking?"


    ...


    Not only the awakened statues but countless statues within the temple echoed these voices, awakening with expressions of joy.


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    "Our kind... the human race from Earth, has not only produced talents but has also unearthed the powers that those traitors had long hidden. If we find them, we can not only..."


    "We can also..."


    One statue shouted loudly, but the key words in what he said transformed into secret sounds that could not be deciphered.


    Then the entire temple turned into a boiling ocean, and it was unclear which statue was speaking.


    "Immediately mobilize all the forces from the lower realm to search for traces."


    "Not a single Crystal Barrier Gxy can be overlooked!"


    "No, the upper realms must conduct a self-inspection too!"


    "The previously reported trace of Solomon must be searched again!"


    "We have waited too long; some of our oldrades have already departed forever."


    Quickly, the statues reached a consensus. They were referring to several shattered statues within the temple; calling them shattered was more urate than saying they had been weathered or corroded into ashes...


    Looking at those who had perished, the statues were impatient and eager to find the being that had created the new Law.


    Meanwhile, the earliest awakened statues were still in the discussion line.


    Soon, they sensed something as a matter of routine, and their expressions changed! Some even appeared frightened.


    "We need to be prepared."


    "That thing ising again!"


    "We don''t know if it''s an additional force or a backup that has existed all along, triggered at a fixed time, but this time we can''t escape!"


    "Just received word that some ''cornerstones'' in the upper realms have transformed into seeds of that thing and have fallen into the lower realm."


    "It seems that this time, that thing has evolved and changed its method of invasion."


    "No, we should say there are two modes of invasion operating simultaneously."


    As the words were spoken, the formerly joyful statues in the entire structure became somewhat panicked and uneasy.


    "Damn it! It''sing again?"


    "What do we do? Should we...?"


    "What should we do?"


    "Wasn''t the purpose of building the temple to defend against those things?"


    "At worst, let all races be extinguished; as long as we still have means to manipte reality, we won''t run out of troops."


    "As long as we are in Transcendence, there will be no Annihtion."


    The statue, appearing extremely noble��


    It was no longer just a statue; it was a golden humanoid figure, speaking to steady the other "beings."


    "Yes! Yes!"


    "It''s not our concern!"


    "We will endure!"


    ...


    The statues discussed among themselves, gradually quieting down, no longer agitated.


    Only scattered voices remained.


    "By the way, how is the decryption of the Transcendence code progressing?"


    "So far, it''s difficult to achieve the goal; all yers will be ejected when cmity strikes."


    "Is that not possible? Oh well, it doesn''t matter; we have all the time to wait until the next wave of yers grows stronger."


    Then the topic shifted.


    "The revival of those entities may very well disrupt the boundaries of the realms."


    "When that happens, the world will integrate and restore..."


    "It''s fine; the temple has solidified its power, and the upper realms will be reinstated. This will not affect our energy concentration here. Instead, the merging of countless worlds and the reorganization of hell will make it easier to find the possessor of the ''Fission'' Law."


    "We have long prepared strategies and rehearsals; what''s there to be anxious about?"


    "True enough, it''s all good news."


    These scattered voices gradually diminished, and eventually, the temple transformed back into a dead zone.


    At this moment, if an outsider were toe here, they would be greatly astonished to discover that the beings within the temple seemed to stand on equal footing with the creation of the Transcendence system??


    Could they even be contemting controlling Transcendence??


    ...


    Sterl had no idea that his creation of the Fission Law could expose him at any moment.


    Fortunately, those statues that were aware could not investigate the creator of the Law; they could only employ the most rudimentary method of wildly searching through all the Crystal Barrier Gxies.


    Unaware of the impending crisis, Sterl shook his head as he looked at the battlefield ahead.


    The situation was dire!


    The aftermath of Thunder had almost shattered the attacks of five divine-level units.


    In response, three gods from the main world shouted, "Gather over here!"


    Rog and Licitris did not hesitate and rushed over.


    They were already on the brink of death; a few more minutes of life were not worth mutual suspicion.


    The three gods of the main world indeed had their means; they suddenly pulled out a peculiar Oil-paper umbre.


    This was left behind by two figures from the upper realms.


    At that time, in their haste to return, they had left behind many treasures.


    This Oil-paper umbre was their most precious item.


    Its effect was simple and direct, and with the infusion of the three gods'' Divine Power, the Oil-paper umbre shattered, transforming into a barrier as thin as paper, positioned above the five divine-level units, cutting off all lightning.


    "How is this possible!"


    Despite the Will of Hell''s furious howls and continuous use of lightning, the paper-formed shield merely trembled slightly, showing cracks, but could not be breached in the short term.


    Fortunately, the Oil-paper umbre was not so overpowering as to cover the entire Blood River; the Will of Hell hesitated slightly and then crazily burned his life force to siphon the Blood River, transforming into the Archduke of Blood.


    One by one, the Archdukes of Blood became burning torches!


    The result was that Thunder had already covered everything!


    Throughout theyer of hell, all vitality was extinguished, leaving only the brilliant lightning, as if it were about to create the world anew.


    Theoretically, the Oil-paper umbre had already been marred by cracks.


    Under the Will of Hell''s desperate circumstances, it should have shattered quickly, especially with the Blood River on the verge of being drained.


    However, the Will of Hell suddenly became rational and calm, slowing down its offensive, as if it too was wary of something.


    And with a deeper understanding of the situation in hell, Licitris and Rog felt a sense of awakening��

 Chapter 398 A Desperate Counterattack

    Two divine-level demons voiced their concerns, and in their over-excited state, the turbulence in the mental domain could be felt by Sterl.


    "It doesn''t dare to lose all its bodies!"


    "Will of Hell, actively manifesting to attack is a vition of the rules!"


    "If it loses all its bodies, it will be treated as a BUG!"


    The two divine beings roared, driven by their instincts.


    Regarding bugs and certain game mechanics, while the two divine-level demons and even the three gods of the main world could not engage with the system as frequently as Sterl did, they had lived long enough to know a thing or two!


    As the strongestbat units in the lower realm, divine-level entities, over the centuries, had learned some secrets about the game system, and they understood that all things in the world must abide by the rules of Swallowing Heaven/Transcendence.


    Even though the emergence of the Will of Hell, possessing such a strong sense of autonomy, was a low-probability event, there were always some instances in the myriad worlds. The Will of Hell in the Archduke of Bloodyer of hell was the first autonomous entity encountered by five divine-level beings.


    This mostly indicated that the Will of Hell had interfered with the external world, viting the system''s rules.


    Other autonomous Wills of Hell would not dare to operate in such a manner!


    The two divine-level demons, understanding the mechanism of Swallowing Heaven better than the gods of the main world, had made their earlier derations.


    They were not entirely certain but knew that the Will of Hell could not hide its intentions.


    Despite the Will of Hell being rtively intelligent, it did not angrily deny or react excessively; instead, it let out a cold sneer and continued to unleash lightning.


    However, its change in style��from mocking to silence��was in itself an admission.


    Sterl, through his Holy Spirit Bloodline, sensed it��


    The Will of Hell was disying an emotion of fear for the first time!


    It had fallen into madness!


    Initially, the Will of Hell had been holding back, and its efficiency in siphoning the Blood River was not particrly high, but now it eruptedpletely!


    The barrier formed by the Oil-paper umbre swayed precariously!


    Then...


    Boom!


    A beam of lightning descended.


    Before the shield could react or show signs of energy dissipation, from high above, the second and third strikes followed...


    Finally, the tenth Thunder erupted with a deafening roar!


    This was the full force of the Will of Hell!


    It was now entirely drawing upon the Divine Power of the five gods, extracted through the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, connecting to the life force, and forciblyunching a powerful attack!


    The initial wave had only ten strikes of lightning, solely because Sterl upied half of the array''s efficiency, resulting in insufficient Divine Power for the Will of Hell; otherwise, there would have been twenty supreme Sky Thunder!


    However, the three gods of the main world revealed a glimmer of delight.


    "Good, it''sing!"


    Even though the Oil-paper umbre was an artifact from the upper realms, it was still merely an abandoned tool, inferior in status to the lower realm items of Transcendence. It was also something the two figures from the upper realms had looked down upon.


    Its defensive capabilities were not strong enough to ignore the theoretically strongest output in the lower realm, equivalent to the divine authority of the Origin of Chaos!


    The Oil-paper umbre''s limit was to block a few supreme Sky Thunder strikes at most.


    Ten strikes bombarding together was a sheer waste!


    And more importantly��


    "It actually worked."


    "We''ve seized the only opportunity."


    The eyes of the two divine-level demons sparkled with excitement.


    The earlier shouting had also beenmunicated with the three gods of the main world.


    Knowing that they were destined to die, how could divine-level beings easily lose their reason? Their excited cries were merely a ploy to lure the Will of Hell into a trap!


    Amidst the ten strikes of Thunder,


    the shield formed by the Oil-paper umbre was easily torn into countless fragments, scattering across the sky.


    The surroundings were filled with blinding light!


    Sterl''s expression shifted slightly; he had just been pulled into the shield''s range by Licitris in an instant��not because he was ambushed, but due to a moment of confusion; he almost instinctively dodged Licitris''s movement��


    Wouldn''t that expose the true power of Mephistopheles as being formidable? Fortunately, Sterl managed to suppress this reaction and skillfully feigned astonishment, which then shifted to a look of gratitude.


    The other divine-level units ignored Sterl; they were gradually realizing that Licitris seemed to have developed genuine feelings for Mephistopheles.


    But it was meaningless.


    The five divine-level beings could at most drag the Will of Hell down with them; they could not survive. Licitris was just a grasshopper on the same rope, no need to target her.


    If Mephistopheles wanted protection, then so be it.


    Sterl observed silently.


    In the midst of the lightning, everything around had be indistinguishable from the Divine Power density, and he could not glean any information.


    Moreover, from the external viewpoint, one could not see the shadows of the five divine-level units��


    The river valley was also affected by the Thunder, and under the immense power, this special point in theyer of hell was utterly destroyed!


    The rainbow-colored Polluted Blood, apanied by the lightning, flowed drop by drop toward the only pure area in hell.


    As for the remaining blood in the river valley?


    The Will of Hell moved swiftly, refining all the blood before the Thunder obliterated the river valley, transforming it into more than a dozen Archdukes of Blood, floating in mid-air for backup.


    "Ants!"


    The Will of Hell sneered.


    Indeed, it had panicked! Under the rules of Swallowing Heaven, the Will of Hell could not actively influence the world; it was more like an NPC, a tool for issuing quests.


    It could only gather power to initiate hell trials, provide rewards, or issue some mainline quests, creating instances for yers to use.


    Any act of defiance would incur the wrath of the Swallowing Heaven system.


    Earlier in the battle, the Will of Hell had been punished by the Swallowing Heaven system for attempting to refuse the trial rewards designated for Mephistopheles, leaving it in agony and even injuring its essence!


    As the gods had spected, the bodies of the Archdukes of Blood had obscured the mechanical detection of Swallowing Heaven. Even after losing its bodies, the Will of Hell could still unleash the Origin of Chaos, but the power of Swallowing Heaven��


    The Will of Hell trembled; in such a tant vition, Swallowing Heaven could easily erase it with a single strike.


    Fortunately��


    It had ultimately seeded!


    Under the ten mighty strikes, the Will of Hell sensed its moment and prepared itself.


    It aimed to devour their souls the instant the bodies of the five divine-level beings copsed! The Will of Hell was neither a yer nor a god; it could not enhance itself by killing divine-level units and seizing their essence.


    It could only absorb souls to strengthen its will or, more urately, the strength of the souls. Moreover, the Will of Hell would take centuries, if not millennia, to fully digest a soul, making the process extremely inefficient.


    Even the remnants of the Archduke of Blood''s soul had not beenpletely refined by the Will of Hell; it could only operate them perfectly, not merge them into itself.


    But for the Will of Hell, what itcked the least was time. Just like the Blood of Contamination, which couldn''t harm him, it would leave him in ayer devoid of any living beings.


    This would mean the Will of Hell would be unable to use the prosperity of theyer of hell to enhance itself for a long while, nor could it utilize the controlled Archdukes of Blood to venture into other worlds and devour prey.


    Yet, it didn''t care; it could wait for the Blood of Contamination to dissipate and then prepare for its next power enhancement.


    Just as the Will of Hell was filled with joy, the next moment arrived.


    The protective shield formed by the Oil-paper umbre shattered!


    The Archduke of Blood showed a hint of a "smile."


    As its pupils constricted, the remnants of the Oil-paper umbre, after breaking apart, formed an energy that ensnared countless Thunder strikes!


    That, subjected to massive power,pressed and twisted at high speed! It sank inward!


    There was a limit to the distortion; when the pressed against the faces of the five divine-level beings, its sticity reached its peak!


    The shattered!


    However, before it broke apart, it used the tremendous rebound to send countless bolts of lightning and chaotic resources right back!


    Under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, the rainbow-colored Thunder was now an unimed entity, immediately transforming into a torrential downpour of lightning that shot upward into the sky.


    "Good, it''sing!"


    The Will of Hell was quite excited; it still had gathered multiple bolts of lightning that it hadn''t used yet.


    Unfortunately, once again, it made a mistake.


    In a certain sense, the Will of Hell was still too young,cking inbat experience.


    In a back-and-forth battle, it wouldn''t make mistakes, but when it came to tactics and schemes, it was lost.


    As the torrents of lightning surged skyward, they collided with the newly gathered attack of the Will of Hell!


    Next, the rainbow-colored lightning shed and shattered��


    Sending forth countless sprays of blood!


    Indeed, the strategy of the five divine-level beings was never about a frontal assault; it was about using the already unimed Thunder to activate the Blood of Contamination!


    Blood rain poured down from the sky, while the Blood of Contamination on the ground had already consumed thest area of the entireyer of hell!


    In the high sky, the rainbow-colored liquid spilled forth, tainting all the temporarily created Archdukes of Blood!


    These unimed bodies were rapidly corroded, and in an environment where the entire hell had already been polluted, they decayed at the speed of light!


    Many of the Archdukes of Blood began to sprout tufts of fuzz, transforming into pools of Polluted Blood that fell from the sky.


    Plop!


    Plop!


    They merged into the rainbow-colored currents on the ground.


    In a matter of moments, using the rebound of the lightning from the Oil-paper umbre, the five divine-level beings sessfully destroyed all the Archdukes of Blood created by the Will of Hell!


    And in the river valley, there was no remaining blood force left.


    The Will of Hell could no longer create new bodies.


    Moreover, within the sea of Blood of Contamination, the bodies that the Will of Hell personally controlled were also affected, beginning to decay��


    However, at that moment, the three gods of the main world did not perceive anything amiss.


    The regional will, Sterl, and the two divine-level demons suddenly felt a jolt in their minds, as if they had severed a connection with something, plunging into a brief state of disorientation.


    When they snapped back to reality, they could only hear the excited calls of the three gods of the main world.


    "Good! Good! Let''s descend into hell together!"


    "Just hold on for a few more seconds! Thest body of the Will of Hell is about to decay; we must drag it down with us!"


    The "Archduke of Blood" in the sky had no reaction, caught in a state of bewilderment.


    Only Sterl felt a slight sting from the disk tattoo on his arm, which brought him back to his senses.


    He understood��

 Chapter 399 : 399: Can the Game System Be Severed??

    In an instant, Sterl realized...


    The Swallowing Heaven system had been severed!


    Earlier, before the Blood of Contaminationpletely consumed the entireyer of hell, everything had been functioning normally. Now, the entireyer of hell had been engulfed...


    It had be part of the Blood of Contamination!


    But...


    Why was it only the Swallowing Heaven system?


    Sterl noticed that when Swallowing Heaven was cut off, the Will of Hell, the Mephistopheles ount, and the divine-level demons all appeared stunned.


    However, the three gods of the main world showed no reaction.


    He tested it himself with his disk and found that the Transcendence system was still operating normally; he could switch to his main ount at any time, but there was a vague prompt indicating that if he switched back to his main ount, he wouldn''t be able to return to his smaller ount because the Swallowing Heaven system was disconnected.


    Sterl opened the panel...


    But it wouldn''t open at all!


    All functions of Swallowing Heaven were paused and unusable.


    Fortunately, Sterl was well aware of hisbat abilities, which remained unaffected.


    But why was this happening?


    Both Swallowing Heaven and Transcendence were game systems, right?


    The upper realms were themon upper realms of the hell main world.


    It made no sense for the Blood of Contamination to target only Swallowing Heaven.


    Sterl was bewildered.


    Yet his actions were swift!


    He vanished from his position in a sh!


    He had a nagging feeling that something was amiss; if the connection to Swallowing Heaven had been severed, then even if he destroyed all the bodies of the Will of Hell, he might not face punishment from the system.


    But...


    That wasn''t the main concern.


    Sterl was in desperate need of Fortune!


    Killing thest body of the Will of Hell would certainly yield significant Fortune, and he couldn''t afford to wait any longer!


    Sterl employed the same trick again, using the Bionic Tear to mimic his stance in ce, while his true self rapidly ascended to godhood!


    He had previously managed to deceive Gloria.


    Now, with more disguising tools at his disposal, he was even more adept at it.


    The five divine-level beings and the Will of Hell remainedpletely unaware of anything amiss...


    Soon, the effects of the severed connection to Swallowing Heaven began to dissipate.


    The two divine-level demons regained their senses.


    They appeared surprised, as if their counterattack had been effective??


    Had all the bodies of the Archduke of Blood been destroyed in one go??


    Good!


    The Will of Hell, on the other hand, was furious, roaring in rage.


    It sensed the disconnection of Swallowing Heaven but had no convenient means to call upon the yer panel. The Will of Hell could not ascertain whether Swallowing Heaven was truly gone or not.


    It was still terrified of facing punishment after all its bodies were destroyed.


    Thus, it let out a frenzied scream.


    "Why?"


    "Why do you insist on obstructing me so much?"


    "Why can''t you just go to your deaths obediently?"


    "I''ll send you on your way right now!"


    With each furious shout, the vocal cords of the Archduke of Blood''s body were torn apart.


    In its madness, the Will of Hell recklessly controlled its bodies, causing bolts of lightning to sh. The vast majority of the Archduke of Blood''s bodies were already rendered useless, but even the remaining fragments of life force were sufficient to unleash several full-powered Origin of Chaos attacks.


    Below, the five divine-level units hadn''t even had time to celebrate when they were struck by the shing lightning!


    The Ashen deity and Lord of Evil Spirits Rog stood at the front, havingmitted all their trump cards; momentarily caught off guard, they were enveloped by the lightning!


    Just before their demise, they reacted swiftly, unleashing their powers, but before they could even gather their strength, they were consumed by the radiance and turned to nothing!


    Tick!


    Tick!


    In an instant, all units present felt a wave of inexplicable sorrow.


    It was evident that this was a sign of the gods'' imminent fall!


    At the same time, the surging Divine Power transformed into various manifestations, spilling out in all directions, only to be instantly tainted by the Blood of Contamination.


    In an instant, the two divine-level units vanished without a trace!


    Not even a hint of their existence remained.


    At that very moment, the Will of Hell opened its massive mouth and swallowed the soul light of the Ashen deity. Just as it aimed to rush toward the soul of Lord of Evil Spirits Rog, an overwhelming presence surged from behind.


    A new divine-level unit had appeared!


    For a moment, the remaining three divine-level beings and the Archduke of Blood were all stunned.


    What was happening?


    There was still a hidden divine-level being?


    What a joke!


    The Will of Hell found this unreasonable; it controlled the entireyer of hell! Even if it was hiding within the body of the Archduke of Blood, causing its sensing ability to slightly diminish with some dy, there shouldn''t be a god appearing without its knowledge!


    The presence of a god in the lower realm could not be concealed!


    It was as radiant as a lighthouse in the dark!


    Unless, from the very beginning, this newly appeared divine-level being had activated a divine authority-level hiding ability, but that would only deceive beings of the same rank.


    The Will of Hell could sense the arrival of the new god immediately!


    Moreover, under the influence of the Blood of Contamination, the entireyer of hell had long been sealed off; it was impossible for a new god to enter this ce!


    The Will of Hell felt a strong sense of foreboding arise within! For the first time, it experienced an inexplicable fear and unease.


    As for the two gods of the Hall of Valor and the Golden Kingdom, along with Licitris, they were simply bewildered!


    The two divine-level beings had been ughtered, which was within their expectations; they didn''t even have time to grieve for their fallenrades because it was soon going to be their turn��


    But the appearance of the new god left them utterly confused��


    Mainly, they couldn''tprehend why the Will of Hell was also surprised?


    If the new god could conceal itself from them, then there was no way it could fool you!


    That would contradict the basic rules of Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven!


    The three divine-level beings were utterly perplexed!


    But their expressions slightly improved; the situation had deteriorated beyond repair, and the emergence of a new divine-level unit might just bring a glimmer of hope?


    Licitis again used his divine sense to sweep over the Bionic Tear, ensuring the safety of Mephistopheles.


    Then��


    Boom!!


    The three divine-level beings felt a beam of light ignite in their pupils!


    It was blindingly bright!


    They didn''t even realize what was happening��


    Until they saw the beam pierce through and y thest body of the Will of Hell.


    "What is this��?"


    "What is this��?"


    Licitis and the two gods almost recognized what this attack was, but their thoughts felt blocked, and they simply couldn''t figure it out.


    This skill was none other than Sterl''s Destructive Light after ascending to godhood, activated through his disk, using a blood-colored document to conceal it.


    He had timed his ascension perfectly to coincide with the fall of the two divine-level units, allowing him to immunize against the debuff that affected units below divine level after a god''s death.


    Then��


    Sterl unleashed his full power, releasing Destructive Light with all sorts of enhancements maximized.


    He thought that, being below a divine-level entity and alreadyckingbat experience, the Will of Hell would be at its most vulnerable at this moment when it was preparing to devour souls!


    "It worked!"


    Amidst the destructive radiance, Sterl''s figure dissipated, and at the same time, a Fate Token in his hand also vanished, only to reemerge, shimmering with bizarre, colorful light before quickly extinguishing.


    Using the small world as a cover, Sterl, right under the noses of several gods, switched back to the small world with the Bionic Tear, transforming himself back into Mephistopheles.


    Earlier, when he attempted to y the body of the Will of Hell, he had used a Fate Token to acquire the Blood God Resurrection Technique. Unfortunately, it was deemed that he hadn''t killed the enemy, so he couldn''t obtain it.


    However, the Fate Token had already appeared on the probability page, allowing Sterl to select it. It seemed he might end up failing after all...


    "[Consume] appears to devour the flesh, but in reality, it consumes both flesh and soul??"


    Fortunately, the Fate Token was not wasted; instead, it bounced back, locked in a state where it couldn''t be used again. But when Sterl erased the soul of the Will of Hell, he could trigger��


    The [Consume] ability, obtaining a second token as a key to the Iridescent-Level capability: Blood God Resurrection Technique.


    "Excellent, everything is going smoothly!"


    At this moment, Sterl''s return to Mephistopheles was somewhat anxious, as the Holy Spirit Bloodline enhancement skill could only be used once and only for the final kill.


    When erasing the body of the Will of Hell, which was about to be corrupted by the Blood of Contamination, he had to rely on conventional means.


    Drawing upon his previous umtion and leveraging the Iridescent-Level output ability, he sessfully killed it!


    He feigned concern as Mephistopheles, casting a worried nce at Licitris, while strange waves of energy surged within him; his Fortune was finallying in!


    This wave of ying the Will of Hell''s body granted Sterl 30 units of Fortune, added to the gradually increasing Fortune from intercepting the celestial ns.


    His total Fortune now amounted to 46 points.


    "If I can eliminate the Will of Hell itself, maybe I can umte another hundred Fortune?"


    Sterl felt a sense of anticipation. After the cheat absorption, this time, the Fortune within him couldn''t recover slowly.


    He needed to umte it anew.


    Sterl had yet to enjoy the benefits that the clouds of Fortune could bring��


    "Mephistopheles" stood steadily.


    The situation on the field was rather bizarre.


    The three divine-level units remained bewildered.


    They were somewhat disoriented, unsure of what had transpired.


    On the surface, the events unfolded as follows��


    A new god appeared and yed thest body of the Will of Hell, and then��


    Then that new god also vanished?


    What? Dude?


    What does this mean?


    They couldn''tprehend it!


    Based on the deductions of the three divine-level beings, the new god must have been tainted by the Blood of Contamination. The blood in the river valley was now empty.


    So, what was the new god''s intention in intervening?


    If it wanted to survive, it could only target the three divine-level beings; attacking the Will of Hell was futile! It couldn''t dy the Blood of Contamination.


    If it was aimed at the Will of Hell, then wouldn''t it consider finding a way to deal with its soul??


    Divine Power can directly harm souls!


    Existences like the Will of Hell, which were very simr to soul bodies, could also be eliminated.


    What kind of escape was that?


    If it weren''t for the remnants of energy from that destructive beam of white light still reverberating in the air, the three divine-level beings might have thought they were experiencing an illusion.


    "What should we do now?"


    "Wait to die??"


    "It seems that''s all we can do."


    Marlon spoke slowly, with the Ashen deity chiming in.


    Only Licitris kept his lips pursed; despite his weakness, he exuded an air of pitiable charm.


    "There''s no need for us to turn on each other."


    "The Blood of Contamination has spread across the entireyer of hell; no one can leave alive."


    "In this level of pollution, our mutual ughter would only extend our lives by less than a day��"

 Chapter 400 : 400: I Am Solomon!

    The three divine-level beings struggled toprehend what the new god was after, but they were all exhausted, half-kneeling on the ground.


    It didn''t matter anymore.


    They silently gathered their strength, waiting for the Will of Hell to show itself again. If it dared to appear, they would strike with all their might and see if they could erase it. If the Will of Hell remained hidden, they would simply wait for death.


    Except for Licitris.


    She slowly stepped forward, preparing to approach Mephistopheles, deciding that in thisst moment of life, she could try one more time.


    For the Subus n, they didn''t care about external perceptions!


    Moreover, leaving in ecstasy would be a rather good ending.


    "Mephistopheles, you''re still alive; that''s wonderful."


    But just then, the three divine-level beings suddenly heard a voice filled with overwhelming joy.


    "It''s okay!"


    "I''m fine!"


    "Really! Swallowing Heaven has been severed!"


    "Great! Wonderful!"


    "This pollution snow is truly a marvelous thing; if I can control it, what will I ever have to fear in the future!"


    Voices echoed throughout the world.


    At first, it was a soft whisper, then it turned into a bizarre chorus of indistinguishable voices, finally resonating with repeated shouts!


    Amidst the thunder rolling in the sky, a strange phantom appeared!


    Initially, it was merely a nearly indistinguishable stream of energy.


    But as lightning armor continually enveloped it, a form was eventually outlined.


    At this moment, bolts of lightning descended from the sky, but the three remaining divine-level beings could no longer stop it.


    Eventually, the lightning armor fully formed, revealing a new creature!


    It looked somewhat simr to the Archduke of Blood, but with wings made of lightning extending from its back.


    It was none other than the Will of Hell!


    The expressions of the three divine-level beings changed dramatically.


    The scene they dreaded the most hade to pass!


    The Will of Hell had not been punished for its illegal actions; instead, it could still mobilize the Origin of Chaos, with no losses inbat power!


    It continued to draw Divine Power through formations, while also converting its soul energy into Divine Power to unleash its attacks!


    No wonder the new god didn''t take action; it knew that once the Will of Hell was defeated, it would enter another state of peak power.


    "Damn it! Where''s that bastard?!"


    The Will of Hell also noticed the disappearance of the new god, and its first reaction upon reconstituting itself was revenge, to kill the one who had just ambushed it. But the result��


    It couldn''t find anyone!


    What frustrated it even more was that the soul light of Lord of Evil Spirits Rog had long been engulfed by the Blood of Contamination; it had lost a significant source of sustenance.


    It was painful!


    Not only was it painful for him.


    Sterl also felt the pain.


    He had just in the body of the Will of Hell, only to find that the soul light he wanted to collect was gone. He had originally nned to use the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to burn out some nourishment!


    Now it was gone!


    Still, he maintained hisposure, hiding behind the three gods.


    The cheat distance could still be increased; only twenty-three seconds remained!


    Facing the true body of the Will of Hell, Sterl wanted to be fully prepared before making a move.


    Fortunately, the three gods were determined to fight to the death; they wouldn''t back down against the Will of Hell just because of a hidden divine-level unit.


    At this moment, Sterl felt�� like he was sittingfortably on a fishing tform.


    He silently counted down the seconds.


    The Will of Hell also didn''t rush to act; instead, it slowly gathered Thunder. At this moment, as it transformed into its true form, it seemed to have set its sights on the Divine Power drawn from the array of seizing heaven and creating fate.


    The Will of Hell had umted quite a bit of power within theyer of hell. It slowly gathered this Divine Power, which was mostly tainted by the Blood of Contamination but not yet fully assimted.


    The Will of Hell could ignore the effects of the bizarre rainbow-colored curse and effortlessly mobilize this power. At the same time, he sensed that this Divine Power would soon bepletely corrupted, so he had no fear of wasting it.


    With a frenzy ignited!


    The amount of Thunder summoned from the Origin of Chaos was vast, transcending the scene when the Will of Hell had previously sacrificed his life force.


    Although the battle had yet tomence, the qualitative change brought about by the quantitative umtion had already forced the three remaining divine-level beings to kneel on the ground, extremely weakened.


    Licitris, the unparalleled beauty, was also in a state of chaos, with various electrical sparks shing around her.


    In these final moments, she desperately gathered Divine Power to maintain her beauty��


    The Will of Hell silently sensed that after separating from the Archduke of Blood''s body, his various perceptions surged rapidly, inundating him with information from the entire hell.


    Until��


    "Hahaha!"


    "There''s such a treasure!"


    "It''s time for my rise!"


    The Will of Hell suddenly revealed a wild expression.


    His gaze abruptly locked onto Mephistopheles, who was behind the three divine-level beings!


    Sterl felt something was off. His expression changed drastically.


    "Another piece of Origin of Chaos?"


    "It''s actually hidden right before my eyes; hand it over!"


    The Will of Hell ignored the three divine-level beings and instead unleashed the storm of Thunder toward Sterl!


    He even moderated his power to avoidpletely obliterating the demon with the lightning, as that would destroy its soul, preventing the Will of Hell from devouring it and iming the Origin of Chaos!


    In the absence of Swallowing Heaven, the Will of Hell, as a quasi-soul entity, could fully consume souls!


    He could preserve the code of the Origin of Chaos!


    By the rules governing the Will of Hell, he couldn''t use the absorbed Origin of Chaos directly, but he could keep it intact within himself and spend almost endless time slowly cracking the protective code of the Origin of Chaos until he could extract its power!


    He was engulfed in ecstasy!


    This was the most precious resource in the lower realm.


    Inparison, divine souls and upying otheryers of hell were insignificant.


    Sterl''s expression turned grim.


    He had calcted everything but still revealed himself under the domineering detection abilities of the Will of Hell.


    "This is trouble."


    Sterl thought to himself. He didn''t show his difort too openly; he had to y the role of a weak demon well and must appear extremely panicked at this moment.


    "Theoretically, if I were to ascend to godhood now, activating the Holy Spirit Bloodline might give me a fighting chance."


    "However��"


    Looking at the torrents of lightning in the sky, Sterl decided to y it safe.


    "First, the Will of Hell might have hidden means."


    "Second, his energy is too abundant��"


    "It''s not rational to engage right now."


    At this moment, the three divine-level beings hadn''t yet grasped what was happening.


    Sterl''s gaze flickered as he passed over the panic and anxiety on Licitris''s face, along with the wildly surging waves of Divine Power surrounding the Subus queen.


    He slipped behind the two main world gods!


    Sterl removed the blood-colored document disguise provided by the disk and switched back to hisrger identity.


    Cunningly, when he switched back to hisrger identity, he retained the appearance of Mephistopheles as a cover. Of course, without the document disguise, Sterl''s temperament remained mostly unchanged after changing identities.


    Sterl subtly activated the power of Fission.


    In his palm, a miniature sun ignited, radiating a zing light.


    The eyes of the two main world deities changed.


    They immediately recognized this object, their expressions shifting from one form of bewilderment to another, as an overwhelming amount of events had transpired in such a short time!


    The speed of thought among the deities was incredibly fast, and they felt dizzy!


    "I am the Solomon you have been searching for all along."


    "You must have investigated the sacrifices of the Principality of Florence; the final beneficiary is Solomon."


    "I have indeed acquired the power of the Origin of Chaos."


    "Will of Hell confirmed it for you, didn''t he?"


    "If you can capture me, the existence of the upper realms might spare your lives!"


    Sterl was merely taking a gamble, unsure if he would receive help from the two main world gods.


    In theyer of hell enveloped by the Blood of Contamination, messages couldn''t get out, so capturing Solomon would be futile.


    But the two main world deities had no choice! They were already facing death! It was better to take a risk!


    Sterl remained calm, and surprisingly, the two deities truly gritted their teeth and stepped forward!


    "Let''s resist together, Solomon, or none of us will survive!"


    The two respected deities roared in anger.


    Marlon crushed a strange seal in his hand, sending golden characters soaring into the sky, only to be effortlessly blocked and dissolved by the rainbow-colored Polluted Blood!


    The energy contained within those golden characters was immense, causing the Blood of Contamination to visibly expand, and the rainbow-colored radiance in the sky intensified by dozens of times!


    "Is it�� is it really unable to transmit?"


    "It seems like it really can''t."


    The two main world deitiesmunicated mentally, their eyes filled with despair and a hint of madness.


    What should they do?


    Should they take action?


    If they could protect Solomon, there might be a chance for survival if the upper realms sent someone to investigate due to the fall of these two figures.


    Otherwise, the existence of the upper realms would note to save two "gods" who had no achievements to their names.


    Sterl remained unfazed.


    He showcased his identity as Solomon but still remained in disguise.


    Moreover, if the two main world gods truly had a way to send out messages, wouldn''t they have done so by now? They were close to death; were they still afraid of the upper realms'' punishment?


    He faced minimal risk in this situation.


    And the result��


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled with anticipation��


    The two main world deities gritted their teeth and took action!


    Without hesitation, Sterl made a run for it!


    "Resist together? What a joke! I just want to exhaust the Will of Hell''s power."


    If they were to face it head-on, wouldn''t that mean they were diving straight into a fight?


    The Will of Hell seemed unaware of who Solomon was.


    Seeing the two main world gods trying to resist, he became furious!


    "I let you live a little longer, and you still refuse!"


    "Die!!"


    The Will of Hell was filled with rage.


    In an instant, the lightning surged, transforming into relentless destructive power.


    Boom!!


    In the midst of the deafening sound, the two divine-level beings were struck by at least four bolts of Thunder!


    They barely managed to unleash their ultimate moves, but before they could sessfully defend, they were already charred ck, their Divine Power spilling out!


    Fortunately, the Will of Hell was not targeting them directly and was concerned about the divine souls being refined by the Blood of Contamination, so he held back.


    The two main world deities still had some breath left.


    "There are only fourteen seconds left."


    Sterl furrowed his brow slightly.


    The two main world deities had only bought him less than two seconds?


    How pathetic!


    He remained calm internally.


    The worst oue was merely that he would have to start fighting before he could add points.


    "I still have onest card to y."


    Sterl thought, ncing at Licitris, and suddenly his heart stopped��

 Chapter 401 The Plan Has Collapsed!

    Sterl had prepared his lines to reassure Licitris.


    However, the Subus Queen gazed at him with sparkling, infatuated eyes, utterly captivated.


    Mephistopheles, was he really this powerful??


    Both of the main world gods were asking him to act together??


    A wave of pride surged within Licitris; this was the person she valued!


    Sterl was still a bit "young."


    His worldview was still influenced by the perspectives from the world he had transmigrated from, where deception in "love" was a significant issue.


    But for demons, admiration for strength was ingrained in their instincts.


    As she faced death, Licitris merely gazed at him in a daze, her admiration for Mephistopheles''s hidden power filling her with surprise and reverence!


    Moreover, the Subus Queen was still maintaining her unparalleled beauty at this moment.


    Though his heart was like iron, Sterl still felt a slight difort...


    He didn''t pause in his actions and prepared to speak.


    Sterl''s line of reasoning was��


    To express his need for Licitris''s protection, emphasizing that if they could endure this wave, he woulde to rescue her.


    With all the prior psychological maniption and the dire circumstances they faced, the Subus Queen would likely do everything in her power to obstruct any threats, giving Sterl enough time to wait for his cooldown to finish!


    Before Sterl could speak, he noticed the Will of Hell rushing forward at breakneck speed. He did not seek to finish off the two heavily injured, dying deities.


    The Will of Hell was extremely wary of opponents possessing the Origin of Chaos; he thought��


    If he were to finish off the two divine-level beings and then get entangled with Mephistopheles, that would mean two more souls would fall prey to the Blood of Contamination!


    Wasn''t that a massive loss?


    The Will of Hell unleashed all his power!


    He once again disyed his characteristic of being oblivious to "human affairs."


    Ordinary divine-level beings, faced with the demigod "Mephistopheles," would likely just think of crushing him effortlessly.


    But the Will of Hell''s logic was��mybat strength is average, and I can suppress five divine-level beings primarily because of the Origin of Chaos, right? Since Mephistopheles also possesses the Origin of Chaos, he is my greatest enemy!


    I must do everything in my power to erase him!


    "Die for me!"


    "Your Origin of Chaos will belong to me!"


    The Will of Hell roared, and Sterl could hardlyprehend why he had suddenly be so frenzied and self-assured!


    Through the perception granted by the Holy Spirit Bloodline��


    "Is the Will of Hell extremely cautious of me while believing a single strike can kill me?"


    Sterl''s hair stood on end.


    He knew�� he was likely about to face the hidden abilities of the Will of Hell! This was bad!!


    The sound of waves crashing and stones shifting echoed from afar.


    Then, the sound transformed into a booming roar!


    These sounds resonated throughout the whole world, and Sterl could only stand still and wait, unsure where to hide.


    The Will of Hell did not unleash the overwhelming might of the Sky Thunder to bombard him; he merely relied on the control he had over the entireyer of hell after separating from his body to gather an immense sea of blood!


    It was a terrifying hell formed from countless Blood of Contamination!


    "Damn it!"


    Sterl frowned tightly.


    Thanks to the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he had managed to remain uninfected even as the Blood of Contamination spread throughout hell. However, when the two divine-level beings fell, an extremely terrifying wave of rainbow-colored curses erupted.


    Even though Licitris had been defending against the curse wave for him, the concentration of curses in the air had reached its limit.


    Still, no debuff from Blood of Contamination had manifested on Sterl!


    But to be engulfed by the waves driven by the Will of Hell...


    Sterl wasn''t willing to gamble that he woulde out unscathed.


    His heart tightened.


    Sterl quickly made up his mind.


    He looked at the Subus Queen.


    It was time to use his final card!


    But...


    Could he actually use it?


    In Sterl''s n, he, as Mephistopheles, was supposed to keep his abilities hidden until Licitris''s annihtion, remaining immersed in a beautiful dream.


    But now...


    The lies had been exposed.


    The Origin of Chaos had been revealed.


    At the same time, despite the high-intensity flight and propulsion power, he was still exhibiting performance consistent with a Supreme being.


    However, under the pressure from the Will of Hell, Sterl was behaving like any normal Supreme.


    The problem was, why should things be normal??


    What about the weakening from the Blood of Contamination?


    No unit within the entireyer of hell could escape this!


    Licitris''s reactions had dulled to an extreme degree; she had previously thought that it was simply that Mephistopheles was stronger, but she could no longer deceive herself!


    Divine-level beings were not foolish; once the information gap was removed, Sterl''s psychological tricks were easily unraveled.


    Earlier, Mephistopheles had been able to state that, with Licitris''s protection, he had not been contaminated by the Blood of Contamination, maintaining decent condition.


    Now, with divine-level Blood of Contamination exploding all around, how could Mephistopheles remain unaffected??


    There had to be something wrong!


    Especially since the Will of Hell confirmed that Mephistopheles possessed the Origin of Chaos, yet he had never shown it before.


    This meant��


    "Mephistopheles previously said that we would all perish."


    "He wasn''t contaminated."


    "Was he lying to me?"


    "What advantage does he gain from saying that?"


    "Making me think I was going to die with him?? Just to..."


    In a short time, Licitris,cking experience, had previously only sought casual encounters, so she hadn''t figured it out.


    But upon locking eyes with Mephistopheles, she suddenly understood!


    What had Mephistopheles been doing? Luring the two main world gods to shield him.


    Hisck of Blood of Contamination wasn''t a sign of immunity; he was desperately trying to survive.


    Now, Mephistopheles was looking at her.


    "He wants me to continue shielding him."


    Licitris''s expression became clear, revealing a hint of deep sorrow.


    The Subus Queen understood that the love she thought she encountered before her fall was merely a creation woven from lies!


    Mephistopheles was just using her!


    "I..."


    "This is too ridiculous!"


    Licitris was in a daze.


    She felt an absurd sensation; she had once enchanted countless beings, and now, because she had been "enchanted"... she was suffering immensely!


    This was a heart-wrenching betrayal just before death!


    Seeing her like this, Sterl immediately shut his mouth and flew upward without looking back.


    "Damn it!"


    "This n haspletely copsed!"


    He felt a bit uneasy; the Archduke of Blood''s "true form" had not only led to the downfall of five divine-level beings but had also caused Sterl significant trouble!


    Now...


    Sterl could see that the Subus Queen seemed to have figured it out.


    He no longer expected Licitris to help; he just hoped she wouldn''t harbor hatred and drag him down with her at thest moment...


    Sterl was feeling distressed!


    Fortunately, he had the strength to stand firm and still had a fighting chance against the Will of Hell; otherwise, Sterl''s mindset would have likely crumbledpletely.


    Whoosh!


    In the next moment, Sterl''s expression changed again!


    Licitris''s energy fluctuations surged!


    And...


    "Is it targeting me??"


    Sterl''s face turned cold.


    Fine, let''s ascend to godhood once more and make it swift.


    He held no resentment toward the Subus Queen''s vengeful actions.


    However, from the corner of Sterl''s eye and through his mental perception, he saw Licitris burst forth at incredible speed, only to collide with the sea of corruption created by the Will of Hell.


    Sterl noticed that as the Subus Queen flew, there were glistening tears in the corners of her eyes, reminiscent of those traditional love stories��


    At this moment, the tears would surely fall from the sky.


    But in divine-levelbat, even if Licitris were to cry, no tears would fall.


    Time was simply too short.


    Sterl realized that the Will of Hell had cunningly split the countless Blood of Contamination into two waves of assault: one was a towering tide, and the other consisted of highly concentrated arrows.


    It was a doubleyer of insurance.


    The tide transformed into a massive assault, making it difficult for Sterl to evade, while the concentrated arrows followed the tide, striking with the potential to ignite the high concentration of Blood of Contamination, causing a wave of curses to peak!


    Sterl estimated that even provincial-level units would be instantly killed.


    This was almost a kill shot with no chance of survival!


    Being corrupted to death by Blood of Contamination meant that even resurrection armor wouldn''t help!


    As Sterl swiftly dodged, his mind remained calm, utilizing the Holy Spirit Bloodline to sense the entire battlefield.


    He still had to contend with Licitris''s revenge and the subsequent changes following the Will of Hell''s deadly move.


    But Sterl froze for a moment.


    What he saw was Licitris unleashing her Divine Power, charging toward "Mephistopheles"...


    She was heading straight for the tide of Blood of Contamination in Mephistopheles''s escape route!


    In terms of the quantity of energy controlled, Licitris clearly couldn''tpare to the Will of Hell, which governed the entireyer of hell. However, in terms of the "quality" of energy control, Licitris and the Will of Hell were not far apart!


    In the lower realm, a weak Divine Power level was nearly the highestbat ability avable.


    The Will of Hell had not managed to break through that limit!


    Licitris burned her life force,unching an attack akin to self-detonation; at this moment, she had no time to execute any techniques and instead erupted in a magnificent disy of light!


    In the Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven realm, regardless of the level of the unit, there was a non-tiered technique that ignited oneself!


    This technique could be initiated in an instant.


    Realizing she couldn''t catch up to the abilities released by the Will of Hell, Licitris decisively ignited her life and Divine Power in a self-explosion!


    A storm of destruction shing with pink and emerald colors erupted in a dazzling disy.


    It forcefully opened a gap and a passage for Sterl!


    However, the price was that Licitris herself was burned in that energy me, gradually turning to ash.


    For a moment...


    The Will of Hell merely sneered. He was oblivious to "human emotions"; the sudden actions of the two main world gods and Licitris to protect Mephistopheles were not surprising to him. They were merely a few additional hurdles to ovee in battle.


    "Sacrificing yourself in vain."


    "Your soul will belong to me as well."


    "It''s like a mantis trying to stop a car!"


    But Sterl''s expression changed dramatically!


    He hadn''t expected that in the face of a failed n, Licitris would choose to use herst moments to protect "Mephistopheles."


    In this scenario, Sterl wouldn''t have to confront the threat of a divine-level demon, yet there was no sign of relief on his brow.


    Instead... his face looked grim!


    This was purely an instinctive action! Sterl''s mood felt strange and ufortable...


    "Damn it."


    He muttered.

 Chapter 402 Attribute Enhancement, Bloodline Fusion

    Sterl remained calm inside. The cheat was only a few seconds away from activation, and he continued to buy time without needing to make any special moves.


    Standing still, he muttered a curse under his breath.


    It was the same as fleeing...


    Exactly the same!


    He didn''t need to run away from the waves stirred up by the Will of Hell.


    Because��


    Licitris''s desperate move was meaningless.


    In fact, it could even be described asughable.


    Sterl noticed that behind him, in the sky, and on the ground, countless strands of Blood of Contamination surged toward him.


    The passage opened by Licitris was not an escape route.


    Instead, it was more waves of Blood of Contamination.


    The Thunder armor on the Will of Hell dimmed significantly; due to its abnormal mental state, it had be the only entity that, under Sterl''s guise of strength, could insteadunch a heavy counterattack!


    Sterl had nowhere to hide, and even using his teleportation ability would not allow him to escape the tide of Polluted Blood engulfing the entire world!


    He could only wait to be swallowed by the tide, and in his boredom, Sterl looked toward Licitris.


    The look in the Subus Queen''s eyes before death turned into despair as she saw Mephistopheles about to be contaminated by the Blood of Contamination, letting out an ear-piercing scream!


    "No! No!!!"


    Originally, Licitris had shown a serene smile, as if she were weing death head-on.


    She had no regrets!


    If her lover''s wish was to grow stronger and survive by stepping over her corpse, Licitris would dly ept it.


    But she realized that even with such a sacrifice, Mephistopheles would still be engulfed by the Blood of Contamination! It was destined that her beloved would also perish!


    "Wait! Wait!"


    Licitris desperately tried to burn her remaining Divine Power, but unfortunately, it only made the light around her shine a few degrees brighter.


    The only trace left was that this Subus Queen, who had shown an extraordinary and breathtaking beauty even in her final moments, now wore a face filled with fear and pain,cking even the strength to maintain her form.


    Her skin cracked, flesh and bones rotted, making her appear like a bloody mass, devoid of any beauty!


    In fact, it was horrifyingly grotesque.


    "Mephistopheles!"


    "You must live on for me!"


    "You have to survive!!"


    In herst few cries, Licitris transformed from an originally confident deity into a pitiful, desperate creature.


    In the end, she died in despair!


    Not because of Mephistopheles''s deception, but because her sacrifice could not fulfill the deception of Mephistopheles.


    From Licitris''s perspective, since Mephistopheles had always hidden his true power, it was clear that he did not possess the strength to defeat those below the Will. As for why there were no signs of having been infected by the Blood of Contamination, it was because Mephistopheles had concealed his power, not because he hadn''t been infected at all.


    Now, being engulfed by the rainbow-colored blood meant certain death!


    Ultimately, Licitris faded away in pain, her consciousness dispersing!


    "��" Sterl remained silent.


    It was the first time he witnessed how a deity died when self-exploding.


    After the energy was exhausted, Licitris''s entire body transformed into a translucent crystal, although at that moment, rainbow-colored Polluted Blood flowed within the crystal...


    Finally, a tiny point of soul light drifted away.


    Sterl''s expression was nk... He had no time to think about Licitris; he only felt a slight difort in his stomach, as if he had eaten something bad.


    Boom!! In the midst of the tidal wave, the Will of Hell surged forward and swallowed Licitris''s soul whole! This also shattered the emotions that Sterl had yet to cultivate.


    Sterl waspletely engulfed by the waves made of Blood of Contamination, swept away, and vanished from sight.


    Then, countless arrows pierced into his body!


    The concentration of Blood of Contamination skyrocketed in an instant!


    A faint sensation stirred in Sterl''s heart. The Swallowing Heaven system had lost connection, and he no longer received system notifications.


    But he could sense that information was stilling through��


    "Due to the effects of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, you are immune to Blood of Contamination."


    "Due to the effects of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, you are immune to..."


    Sterl felt somewhat absurd.


    Licitris''s sacrifice at the moment of her death was doubly meaningless.


    It neither helped Mephistopheles resist the tide of Blood of Contamination nor did it serve any purpose��it was almost a joke.


    With his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl could have ignored the Blood of Contamination all along!


    He had suspected this earlier; however, out of caution, he had been avoiding the Blood of Contamination.


    Now it was confirmed, and he had ovee a significant hurdle.


    Sterl should have felt good about this. In his n, Licitris would have been used to withstand the Will of Hell, buying time with her life.


    Now, although Licitris''s sacrifice seemed in vain, Sterl''s goal of dying time had still been achieved!


    Within the tide of Blood of Contamination, the Will of Hell showed no intention of investigating further.


    Sterl was able to stand quietly in ce,pletely still.


    He felt slightly uneasy, hisplexion flushing with heat.


    At thest moment, Licitris had seen through Sterl''s psychological tricks and understood that Mephistopheles had been using her from the very beginning.


    "So the Subus Queen was sincere??"


    Sterl spoke the answer he already knew, but with a sense of disbelief.


    "In the end, she died for me??"


    Sterl exhaled, only to find himself tasting the Blood of Contamination.


    "I... do not regret it."


    He remained calm.


    "Even if Licitris was sincere, that alone cannot be proven until she truly cast aside everything for my sake in her final moments."


    "Moreover, viewing a Subus as one''s beloved and executing even riskier ns for her is inherently foolish."


    For the first time, Sterl took a moment to convince himself of this.


    However, his expression remained as somber as iron!


    Thud~


    Thud~ thud~


    Time trickled slowly by.


    Sterl''s heart beat slightly.


    Outside, the Will of Hell leisurely observed the world buried beneath the Polluted Blood.


    Below, the two main world gods were still alive.


    The Will of Hell wasn''t in a hurry to act; he was certain that the demigod demon harboring the Origin of Chaos would certainly perish!


    Now, he was stepping into a new phase.


    The two remaining deities could serve as witnesses.


    However, the two deities of the main world did not share this perspective; they simply stared vacantly at the sky.


    Everything was already over; it was pointless to think about anything!


    They gazed at the surging rainbow-colored Polluted Blood, finding it somewhat splendid.


    "Hmm?"


    Will of Hell suddenly felt something was off; why was there an incredibly brilliant light appearing within the tide of Blood of Contamination?


    ��


    Among the waves, Sterl wore an expressionless face.


    Usually, when he was expressionless, it was mostly to achieve a better effect of bravado.


    But now, his heart was genuinely as calm as ice.


    Thud~


    His heart beat once more.


    Then��


    The cooldown time for the cheat passed its final second.


    "Allocate points to Holy Spirit Bloodline."


    Sterl silently chanted, and the Divine Power he had umted surged within him!


    At this moment, the Holy Spirit Bloodline, unable tomunicate with Swallowing Heaven,cked any specific data.


    Sterl only felt that the blood coursing through his body surged, an external radiance rapidly merging with his own blood.


    It felt as if an excavator was digging into certain elements within him.


    In his mental realm, various fundamental elements, which he had originally thought would take an eternity to create, manifested swiftly!


    Under the influence of high energy,


    Fundamental electrons and protons began to form!


    Sterl felt that he had reached a realm he once thought could only be crossed at the divine level in an instant!


    At the same time, he faintly sensed...


    After this promotion, the Holy Spirit Bloodline had not been fully acquired; rather, it had allowed Sterl to gain a portion of the Blood of the Holy Spirit, whichpleted its fusion with the human race bloodline within him.


    This fusion was like a key unlocking a lock, truly activating the power of the Blood of the Holy Spirit!


    Now, he remained under the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, with the durationsting for three days! Furthermore, due to the merging with his own bloodline, all the remarkable abilities of the Holy Spirit Bloodline were fully unlocked!


    "It feels as if the bloodline of the Earth human race is inherently a part of the Holy Spirit Bloodline; without thisponent, even an outsider possessing the Holy Spirit Bloodline could only have a wed version."


    Sterl analyzed, feeling a wave of restlessness.


    He couldn''t calm himself down at all.


    He felt an overwhelming urgency within him to do something!


    The moment after allocating points waspleted, the vast Divine Power surged into the sky!


    Simultaneously, under the illumination of Sterl''s Holy Spirit Bloodline, the Fission Law was elevated to Fission divine authority!


    In that instant, Sterl discovered that a divine authority that had not existed before was created, and a wave of inexplicable energy spilled out from him.


    At the same time, within the upper realms, in that mysterious pce, countless dormant statues were awakened once again.


    "What''s happening? The Fission divine authority has also been created?"


    "Does this mean that the genius from the lower realm, the Earth human race, is probably not just at the divine level anymore!"


    "How did he break through his limits??"


    "Could it be that someone in the upper realms dares to defy��?"


    "Quickly redirect the investigation target, focusing on those who have broken through their power limits!"


    ��


    In an instant, numerousmands flew out from the temple, heading to various worlds.


    Countless statues awakened and then fell silent again.


    ��


    Sterl had no idea what kind of ripple he had set off, nor that he had sessfully misled potential pursuers.


    In the ocean of rainbow-colored blood, he quickly invoked the power of Destructive Light.


    At the same time, the power of Fission divine authority was activated!!


    Before Sterl, the figure of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty emerged, with a radiant energy core gathering at its chest, forming a brilliant flow of light.


    With the activation of the Fission divine authority,


    Or rather, the influx of the Holy Spirit Bloodline''s power,


    This time, the appearance of the giant beast changed again! Although it remained exceedingly massive, its form became more refined, standing upright. Sterl inexplicably sensed that the bloodline of the Earth human race resonated joyfully.


    As the vast Divine Power surged forth from within him, he suddenly noticed that the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, optimized by the Holy Spirit Bloodline, somehow...


    Looked a bit like a "human"?

 Chapter 403 No Regrets

    Sterl had no time to think further.


    He merely focused on the location of the Will of Hell beyond the waves.


    With Fission enhancing his power, Destructive Light burst forth, radiating dazzling particles!


    Before the attack could fully materialize, the intense heat evaporated a substantial portion of the rainbow-colored Polluted Blood waves!


    In that moment, the Will of Hell and the remaining two deities felt a tremendous shock!


    They sensed, in the blink of an eye, the aura of a deity appearing!


    They weren''t foolish; they finally realized that Mephistopheles was the hidden sixth divine-level entity!


    However, this revtion didn''t concern the two deities��what did it matter if another divine-level entity appeared? They were still destined to die.


    The Will of Hell was indifferent��


    Gods were of no consequence!


    Under the Blood of Contamination, the sixth divine-level entity would be instantly corrupted and worn down!


    The Will of Hell''s embodiment surged toward the rainbow-colored Polluted Blood waves, ready to extract the soul of the sixth divine-level entity for the purpose of refining the Origin of Chaos.


    But then��


    The two deities and the Will of Hell suddenly froze, simultaneously sensing an overwhelming aura of death!


    It was clear that the new god was behind this!


    Not only had he not perished within the Blood of Contamination, but he could also retaliate??


    At the same time, the rainbow-colored mist rapidly dispersed, revealing a massive void in the waves.


    "Is there more to this?"


    "Could it be that his earlier disappearance was just a buildup of power?"


    "Good! Good! Good! Will of Hell, you''re going to die!"


    The two deities roared, their expressions wild with madness.


    They could dissolve so much Blood of Contamination in one go, yet they felt the threat of death growing ever more severe.


    This could only mean��


    The new god''s technique was still in the umtion phase, and it already possessed such terrifying power. Imagine what it would be like when fully unleashed.


    The two deities were neither joyful nor sorrowful; they were simply frantic, shouting with fervor!


    They anticipated the destruction of Will of Hell along with themselves!


    As for the Will of Hell, it had initially charged forward but abruptly halted.


    "No! This is impossible!"


    For the first time, the one who had seemed so self-assured revealed a hint of panic.


    Feeling themotion outside, Sterl couldn''t help but think, "If Licitris were still alive, he would probably be quite pleased to see me unleash such a move."


    "At least he wouldn''t be wearing that expression of despair like before��"


    Sterl briefly lost focus.


    "Wait, is this really the time to be thinking about such things?"


    He extinguished the distractions in his mind and concentrated on the battlefield.


    Normally, Sterl would have been able to unleash the Destructive Light and strike Will of Hell.


    But Sterl felt parched, a fire burning within him.


    He poured Divine Power into his attack with reckless abandon!


    It was almost to the point of wastefulness!


    "The embodiment of the will of the entireyer of hell is not so easily dealt with."


    He convinced himself, using this rationale to justify his slight madness.


    The power consumed by the Fission divine authority was horrendous, and under Sterl''s full exertion, the Divine Power he had previously siphoned was drained in an instant!


    Buzz!


    Buzz!


    Buzz!


    Before the phantom of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, high-energy reactions surged; the space shattered and trembled, with even the Demon of Terror and Cruelty itself swaying precariously, nearly on the brink of copse!


    Fueled by the power of ascension to godhood, Sterl abandoned all pretense. He manipted the spell in his hands, swiftly seizing all remaining permissions of the Array of Seizing Heaven and Creating Fate.


    His method was a pure act of violent theft, which not only aroused the Will of Hell''s vignce but would also lead to the rapid copse of the entire formation!


    "But that''s enough!"


    "There''s no way to extract more Divine Power anyway."


    Sterl''s gaze darkened!


    He continued to pour in his strength!


    The heavens and earth trembled!!


    Countless Blood of Contamination were vaporized; the entireyer of hell echoed with cracking sounds from all directions, as if heralding the arrival of some terrifying entity!


    "You�� you�� you!"


    "How is this possible!"


    The Will of Hell felt the formation being taken from him, but he couldn''t afford to care; instead, he showed an expression of extreme fear.


    "This technique�� it has reached a higher level!!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Higher beings�� they cannot move freely!!!"


    "And why is Blood of Contamination ineffective against you?"


    "I don''t believe it! This must be fake! It has to be fake!!!"


    Other divine-level entities, even in the face of death, held onto their pride. They struggled and faced their demise fearlessly!


    Yet the Will of Hell was like a giant infant who couldn''t get the toy he wanted, throwing a tantrum!!


    He was pulled by the aura of Destructive Light, unable to escape!


    An unprecedented terror was etched on his face.


    For a being like the Will of Hell, who theoretically had an infinite lifespan, the shadow and fear of death loomedrge!


    "No, I''m done ying, I''m leaving!"


    He showed no intention of resistance, directly dispersing the Thunder armor formed by the Origin of Chaos, trying to scatter his consciousness��


    To flee!


    But there was no escaping!


    The two divine-level entities even struggled to rise, eager to assist the new god: "A good death! A worthy kill!"


    "We''ll send you on your way too!"


    They were frenzied with excitement!


    At the same time��


    Sterl, unbeknownst to himself, roared, "Die for me!"


    He had invested the vast majority of his Divine Power into this attack.


    A fire still burned within Sterl, driving him to extract every ounce of power to crush his enemies.


    "This move, with this much power invested, is more than sufficient."


    Rationality forced Sterl to halt his actions.


    Destructive Light erupted!


    A beam of light pierced through heaven and earth!!


    This was not an exaggeration; it truly split the entireyer of hell in two!


    If observed from a distant vantage point, one would see the rainbow-colored ocean covering theyer of hell forcibly divided from a certain point!


    Within theyer of hell appeared a bright white line, which was actually the beam of Destructive Light. Everything within that beam was incinerated to the point of annihtion, leaving no trace behind!


    The Will of Hell, being a soul-like entity formed by the umted thoughts of the entireyer of hell for a thousand years, had an extraordinarily powerful soul force. Even with the might of Destructive Light capable of instantly extinguishing his soul force, the sheer volume of his essence was immense.


    The Will of Hell held on for several seconds!


    Before finally beingpletely burned away!


    Suddenly, the entire hell seemed to undergo a change in "atmosphere." Even when surrounded by the Blood of Contamination, such a malignant transformation had never urred before.


    It was as if the world had died, and a putrid scent of decaying corpses filled the air!


    The only two witnesses to this scene were the two deities from the main world.


    "Did he really just kill him in an instant!??"


    "This is too exaggerated, isn''t it??"


    "A being of upper-level Divine Power??"


    As they were engulfed in the light of destruction, they disintegrated into ashes��not because Sterl had targeted them with his attack, but because the two respected deities understood they were doomed and chose to observe the annihtion of the Will of Hell from the closest possible distance!


    They watched in shock as "Mephistopheles" emerged, and their hearts swelled with pride!


    "Good! Good! Good!"


    "To witness such a genius before death is worth it!"


    "Solomon, no wonder the upper realms are trying to hunt you down; with your abilities, you might one day truly reach the pinnacle of Transcendence!"


    "To leave our mark on your journey through life is what true immortality is all about!"


    Theyughed heartily��


    Only to bepletely dissipated in the Destructive Light!


    In their final moments, the two deities, along with thest remnants of consciousness of the Will of Hell, looked at the approaching "Mephistopheles" and suddenly felt an incredibly absurd sensation rise within them.


    "Wait a minute, buddy."


    "You could take down the Will of Hell in one blow."


    "Your powerpletely overwhelms him."


    "So why did you run away earlier? Couldn''t you have just attacked directly?"


    In an instant, the two deities'' bravado evaporated, leaving only confusion and bewilderment.


    The Will of Hell also felt as if he had died without understanding why!


    Sterl, hearing the two divine-level beings'' bold exmations, was unaware of their subsequent confusion.


    Thus, he couldn''t help but reflect.


    "Damn! Two divine-level souls are gone!!"


    He muttered aloud.


    Originally, those two souls could have served as nourishment for the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, but now they were simply gone.


    Who would have thought the two gods would choose to die themselves??


    Sterl grumbled, being quite frugal, and proactively shut down his ascension to godhood as he flew forward.


    "Finally, it''s over��"


    "This journey through hell has exhausted me."


    "Wait, what''s this?"


    "Ah, it can be like this too?"


    He vaguely sensed that after he had killed the beings in hell, a new game feature seemed to have unlocked.


    [Lord Module].


    As the vanquisher of the Will of Hell, Sterl could control thisyer of hell as his own territory. He could check the loyalty of those who descended into thisyer of hell, monitor the soldiers'' morale, construct various buildings, develop technology, and even establish sects within his territory to gain the power of faith.


    Sounds pretty useful.


    "Not bad��"


    After saying this, Sterl fell into silence, for he realized he had no good mood left at all.


    It wasn''t just that the final performance had no audience, leaving only a vast emptiness.


    But rather��


    "Alright, I admit it, I regret taking down Licitris a bit," he mumbled while standing in a void.


    Sterl wasn''t a native yer; he had studied psychology��


    He recalled the marvelous metaphor about heroes and sirens that had surfaced in his mind when he first encountered Licitris. Clearly, the siren, who had used all her charms and failed to win over the hero, ultimately chose self-destruction.


    And when Sterl had betrayed Licitris in the mostplete way, he still hadn''t severed her love for him.


    He discovered that he, too, had been inexplicably bound by rising emotions��


    "It doesn''t matter."


    In the end, Sterl opened his eyes once more.


    He chose to confront his inner self and ultimately confirmed��


    Even if given a second chance, he wouldn''t change his decision.


    To be stronger, he was prepared to sacrifice everything!


    Sterl''s gaze was intense! In the midst of his turbulent emotions, he experienced a boost in his soul without even absorbing the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    He leveled up!

 Chapter 404 Return to the Principality of Florence

    "Phew."


    For the first time, Sterl felt a hint of fatigue.


    He slowly descended from the air andnded on the ground. The rainbow-colored Polluted Blood had beenrgely evaporated by him, so the ground beneath him had turned into crystallized soil and stone.


    In the distance, he could see a tide-like rainbow-colored ocean gradually surging toward him, threatening to fill the area that had been evolved.


    Before the ocean reached his feet, Sterl rose up again.


    "This time, the gains should be substantial."


    "It''s time to return to the Hall of Valor and reorganize."


    "Moreover�� it would be best to analyze what other benefits the Hall of Valor might offer; I could just grab what I can and leave."


    "Two figures have returned to the upper realms, so Solomon''s information might have already spread."


    "Now, I can ignore the Blood of Contamination and simply endure the filth in the spatial tunnel to break through."


    He adjusted his mindset and returned to normal while "speaking," choosing to whisper his thoughts for safety.


    The potential cmities from both realms weighed heavily on Sterl, leaving him no time formentation.


    This time, he had ovee a great catastrophe and even turned misfortune into fortune, but next time might not be so lucky.


    This cmity could be something that beings in the upper realms who were ten or even a hundred times stronger than Sterl might struggle to withstand; he could only��


    Continue to grow stronger! Move forward swiftly!


    Only then could he grasp his own destiny.


    Sterl sensed a shift, and the Fortune within him settled down after a tumultuous surge, finally stabilizing at exactly 100 units and coalescing into a cloud.


    He casually pulled out an ancient scroll and opened a portal.


    Just as he was about to leave, he sensed that his fourth talent had somehow recovered from its cooldown.


    He activated it casually��


    A faint glow illuminated around Sterl.


    He jumped into it, and the previously obstructive Blood of Contamination passed through his body without any ripple.


    ��


    "Is the spatial formation still not fixed? The guys are waiting."


    "I''ve told you, it''s not a formation issue; it''s some kind of special substance blocking all energy flowing to thatyer of hell."


    Sterl looked up at the long-missed sunlight, beside him was a fully armed squad arguing with a person who appeared to be an Array Master.


    The Blood of Contamination isted everything within theyer of hell, while outside theyer, its corrosive power had corrupted all the spatial passages connecting to the outside world.


    People outside could only be surprised at their sudden inability to enter theyer of hell, without realizing the terrifying changes happening inside.


    Moreover, the Blood of Contamination had annihted the entireyer of hell in less than a week.


    So��


    No one realized the countless yers from the three major factions and the three deities had advanced and perished.


    Sterl gazed into the distance��


    The Principality of Florence was once again bustling with activity; various residential buildings had already been easily repaired by the efforts of various powerful individuals.


    Because many yers wereing to hunt the demon, a lot of them took on small tasks to help rebuild the Principality of Florence in the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl looked at the uniquely green tower and the fruit vendors at the edge of the tower selling various fruits, feeling quite pleased.


    Hell had be unbearable!


    The influence of the Blood of Contamination made everything even more ufortable...


    But now, he could see the various lives of the residents, and he could observe the arguments between yers from the Golden Kingdom, Ashen, and the Hall of Valor.


    This truly lifted his spirits!


    Sterl stepped forward, approached a fruit stall, and casually picked up an oval, translucent green fruit, tossing it into his mouth.


    "Crunch, crunch."


    The taste was refreshing, and he carelessly tossed a purple coin onto the stall.


    Just then, Sterl was suddenly bumped into by someone, almost spilling his fruit.


    "Hall of Valor''s people??"


    Huh?


    Sterl was taken aback, then realized that the person must have activated the Faction mode, allowing them to identify him.


    Soon, several demigod yers, presumably from the Golden Kingdom, surrounded him.


    "Heh, you still dare to act alone? Looks like you''re looking for trouble."


    "Guys, let''s have some fun with him; you don''t mind, right?"


    ��


    A multitude of powerful auras erupted, revealing a teamposed of several demigods and legendary yers.


    A nearby team from the Hall of Valor had wanted to say something, but their strongest member was only a demigod; sensing the overwhelming pressure, they instantly vanished.


    Sterl shrugged helplessly: "Alright, let''s consider this a chance to stretch and soak up some sun. I could use a bit of exercise."


    Then��


    me ignited in his hand.


    The most basic golden skill��Ignition me!


    ��


    "Ugh!"


    "How is this possible?"


    "He''s that strong??"


    As a group of demigods turned and fled, they bore the marks of charred skin, while a few legendary yers copsed to the ground, gasping for breath, already severely injured!


    Sterl cracked his neck; that was just a bacsh of Fortune, so someone was looking for trouble.


    In a good mood, he decided to let them go, and upon sensing his own body, he found that he had indeed received a substantial amount of Fortune.


    Sterl opened his panel, and the first thing that popped up was a series of private messages.


    "Master, here are some recent administrative documents��"


    "We''ve already taken care of them."


    "Please review them."


    ��


    "Master, why didn''t you receive thest batch of resources?"


    "Could you reply, Master?"


    "Did you encounter some issues?"


    ��


    "Master, the spatial tunnel leading to theyer of hell has been cut off. What''s going on?"


    "Master, the Valor Combatants tournament is about to start. Based on your previous disy ofbat strength, you''ve been reported as a perfect-level demigod due to your absence, which allows you to skip up to three rounds. You need to return quickly."


    "Master, this is Sonis. I''ve arrived at the Principality of Florence, while Sosia is managing the guild at the Hall of Valor��"


    ��


    "Master, what on earth happened?"


    ��


    "Master��"


    "Ma��"


    ��


    These were messages from Sosia and various inquiries from Teresa, Linna, and Rayna.


    However, Sosia and Sonis needed to continuously send resources to Sterl, so they noticed the anomalies early on. The other girls, on the other hand, often didn''t pay much attention because Sterl was sometimes too busy to reply.


    At this moment, Sterl couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    He began to reflect on whether he had been too cold in the past.


    For the girls who cared for him, he should have responded with more emotion.


    Otherwise��


    No matter how much he portrayed himself as a cold-hearted machine focused on strength, he would still feel a pang of sadness when familiar faces left.


    With a smile, he continued to munch on the fruit, quickly finishing his replies.


    "I''m fine."


    "As for the things in theyer of hell, don''t ask; knowing won''t do you any good. Anyway, I''m the big winner here."


    "Sonis, send me the coordinates, and I''lle find you shortly."


    He then replied to the other girls, teasing them a bit, indicating that he would log off soon to connect with them emotionally.


    Next, he ignored Sonis''s message, "Master, that won''t do; I''lle find you."


    Sure enough, a minuteter, the girl obediently sent him the coordinates.


    Sterl strolled slowly toward the southwestern side of the Principality of Florence, a small me swirling in his hand.


    Inside it, a divine-level soul was being continuously refined, transformed into nourishment for the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    On his palm, a miniature hidden formation was running, ensuring that the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls wouldn''t be detected.


    After checking, he returned the me to his pocket dimension.


    "The refining efficiency is pretty good; the energy from the Fire of Ten Thousand Soulsbined with a divine-level soul should barely elevate my soul level to 30."


    This soul fragment came from a soul devoured by the Will of Hell. Sterl learned through his fourth talent that it was extremely difficult for the Will of Hell to refine souls.


    It required centuries or even millennia, which allowed Sterl to easily obtain two swallowed soul fragments from the remnants of the Will of Hell.


    In contrast, the three divine-level entities that were not swallowed werepletely turned to ashes.


    The remaining two soul fragments fell into Sterl''s hands.


    One was the one he was currently refining.


    The other was��


    Licitris''s.


    Alright��


    In the end, Sterl couldn''t resist using Divination to check if there was still a chance to rescue his "lover" whom he had met in hell.


    After all, the sess rate of Divination was low; Sterl didn''t regard it as a controble resource, so if it was wasted, so be it.


    The final result was quite encouraging.


    It revealed to Sterl that it was possible to rescue soul fragments from the Will of Hell, as well as��


    Reviving a divine-level soul was simple: just prepare a body to merge with the soul, and the quality could be slightly inferior, possessing at least demigod strength. However, he had to consider that low synchronization and fusion rates could lead to soul destruction.


    Sterl initiated the creation of divine authority, allowing him to produce a perfect body.


    However, Sterl was not nning to adopt such a solution.


    While the essence of the soul would remain unchanged and it would still be that person, all skills and power would dissipate.


    The power didn''t matter; he could train again.


    But Sterl believed that a person''s existence relies not just on the imprint of the soul, but also on the umtion of memories.


    A Licitris whose memories had been wiped clean would not truly be Licitris. If he revived her using this method, the Subus Queen, who wanted to maintain her perfect demeanor even in her final moments, would truly be�� gone.


    "There are countless strange and miraculous abilities in the upper realms."


    "Retaining skills during revival isn''t impossible either."


    "Why should I rush?"


    "Licitris''s soul can also serve as reserve food. If ites to a critical moment, temporarily devouring it could elevate my soul level to ny-nine, evolving into a cheat, which would be a key turning point."


    Within the divine-level soul, there were some instinctive reactions; directly devouring the souls of other divine-level entities might result in bacsh, but Licitris should pose no problem��

 Chapter 405 : 405: Letting Go

    Sterl pondered for a moment, then stopped in his tracks. With a slight gesture of his finger, what had appeared to be a wall before him instantly transformed into a door.


    He pulled open the grand door and stepped inside.


    "Master!"


    It was Sonis, her face lit up with surprise and joy.


    She rushed toward him, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.


    Sterl, feeling unusually gentle today, lifted her into his arms and gently stroked her hair.


    "You''ve worked hard. Thank you foring all this way."


    He took two steps forward and arrived at the bedside. Without needing any instruction from Sterl, the girl had already begun to unfasten his belt and leaned down.


    With the slick sensation, legendary-level Sonis couldn''tmunicate through Divine Power, so she resorted to private messages to chat with Sterl.


    Sterl soon learned that during the nearly half a month he had spent in the Principality of Florence, the situation had changed significantly.


    Most matters were rather mundane.


    However, Twilight had rapidly expanded, and the contribution points required for the guild''s level had already skyrocketed.


    Previously, Sterl''s feats of ying numerous powerful foes had intimidated many small-time yers, transforming Twilight from a weak organization with SSS-level status into a force with deep, unfathomable potential.


    All kinds of locations that could grant contribution points had been willingly surrendered to them.


    "Sounds good."


    Sterl nodded, and as the Inspire effect took hold, Sonis''s tongue curled and executed a difficult maneuver, wrapping around Sterl''s member and repeatedly coiling around it.


    This immediately brought about a somewhat rough yet extremely wet sensation.


    Despite the enjoyment on his face, Sterl maintained hisposure; the time spent with Licitris had honed his endurance to near invincibility.


    He could indulge in the pleasures of the opposite sex without losing his cool, no matter how stimting the experience.


    "Mmm!"


    Once Sonis finished delivering her report, Sterl stood up, pressed her head down, and began to thrust vigorously.


    Finally, amidst Sonis''s breathless cries that sounded like she was drowning, Sterl reached his climax.


    "Master��" Sonis''s eyes shimmered with mist, incredibly enticing.


    Sterl smiled back, "Of course, I wouldn''t only think of my own pleasure."


    He pressed the girl down onto the floor and continued to take his pleasure.


    At that moment, Sterl noticed that the entire room seemed to have been prepared by Sonis, who had brought in quite a bit of furniture.


    With a nce, he could see several toys that could be put to good use...


    "It seems you came well-prepared."


    He teased her.


    "Master, do you like it?"


    Sonis simply licked her lips.


    Sterl was not shy at all; he casually picked up a fluffy tail and stuffed it into Sonis''s rear. Then, with a slight press of a button, the middle of the tail seemed to extend into a long probe.


    "Mmm!!"


    Sonis immediately let out a sharp cry, but her voice sounded like a kitten scratching a scratching post, making it hard not to feel a tickle of excitement.


    After a round of pleasure, Sonis copsed onto the floor,pletely spent.


    But Sterl''s enthusiasm remained undiminished. He gently set Sonis upfortably, covering her with a nket, and sent her a message to return to the Hall of Valor first. There were plenty of matters to attend to in the Twilight guild, and Sosia alone certainly couldn''t handle everything.


    As for Sterl himself��


    It was simple: log off!


    Time to get to work!


    Sterl returned to the base, where he found Rosalie, who seemed to be utterly bored.


    Upon seeing Sterl, she nearly leaped into his arms.


    "Gather everyone here, including the maid brigade."


    Sterl snapped his fingers.


    Today was the day to engage in a good fight!


    Although he had been spending intimate moments with Licitris leading up to the final battle against the Will of Hell, the psychological pressure from that ultimate confrontation had been immense, and Sterl needed to vent.


    Rosalie, looking obedient, nodded enthusiastically. She closed her eyes for a moment and began rying the message.


    Then she excitedly added, "Master, how did you know? I''ve specially prepared a new room!"


    Huh??


    Sterl was taken aback.


    Rosalie took Sterl by the hand and led him toward a newly constructed room in the base.


    "Master!"


    "Master!"


    ��


    The ce Sterl arrived at was asrge as a football field, though the ceiling was not as high, just barely enclosing the massive space. The maids, dressed ince low-cut outfits, greeted him in waves, nodding and calling out joyfully.


    They obediently knelt before him.


    Sterl stared, feeling a bit dizzy; before his transmigration, he had traversed time and space, witnessing countless emperors, none of whom could enjoy such luxuries as he did!


    Those historical figures had harems filled with women of questionable beauty.


    His own maid brigade, however, wasposed of gically optimized beauties from the human race of Earth!


    "Hahaha! Wonderful!"


    Sterl couldn''t help but express his delight; he was among the most fortunate of all reincarnators.


    The technological level of Earth''s human race was impressive, and in his past life, they had produced movies and games galore, so he was nevercking in enjoyment.


    Moreover, all the women, power, influence, and wealth that had been unattainable in his previous life were now within easy reach.


    What a thrill!


    Sterl casually scanned the room and noticed several massive beds lined up.


    The air was infused with a fragrant aroma, carrying an intimate vibe.


    Teresa, Linna, and Rayna were already waiting on one of the beds, looking a bit shy.


    The maids, most of whom he didn''t recognize, seemed a bit embarrassed.


    "Gulp." Sterl swallowed hard, ncing at Rosalie, and gently patted her shoulder. "You did well! Fantastic!"


    He first stepped forward to intercept Linna and Rayna, whom he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    "Wow!"


    "Sterl, you don''t need to be in such a hurry."


    The two eximed, but Sterl simply wrapped them tightly in his embrace.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing."


    "It''s nothing."


    "We''ll always be here."


    The girls seemed to sense Sterl''s fatigue, and they wrapped their arms around him, gently stroking his head.


    Sterl''s gaze became dreamy, and he felt as if he had returned to the days before he awakened his cheat, when he would work at the base, earning credit points and returning home exhausted.


    Linna and Rayna would embrace him,forting him��


    The three of them held each other in silence for a while.


    Until Sterl felt a rush of blood to his lower body, and desire began to rise.


    The room was filled with a scent that stimted the senses.


    Without any active resistance from Sterl, his yearning for the girls'' bodies only intensified.


    Before he could make a move, several maids approached from behind and began to remove the clothing of Sterl, Linna, and Rayna.


    Their touch was quite gentle, and Sterl felt a tingling sensation wherever they made contact, like silk gliding softly across his skin.


    Next, Sterl didn''t need to move; hey back on the soft bed, sinking into its embrace, which brought an incredibly rxing sensation.


    With a soft sound��


    Linna, surrounded by the maids, settled onto Sterl''sp.


    The maids supported Linna''s waist, guiding her movements.


    Apanied by the graceful figure of the girl, Sterl felt as if he had been plunged into a paradise.


    The maids continued to help Sterl and Linna, easing both their bodies together in a gentle rhythm.


    Sterl felt as light as a feather, as if floating on a cloud of cotton.


    Linna felt the same; she didn''t need to do anything but let out soft moans, simply enjoying the moment.


    "Ah~ Sterl, this is amazing!"


    "Why do I feel like�� you''ve gotten even better??"


    Linna''s eyes were hazy with pleasure.


    Although the maids were controlling the movements, Sterl''s body, honed by his time with Licitris, was already several times stronger, and the maids expertly utilized that powerful physique.


    Linna could hardly contain herself!


    "Ugh!!!"


    She trembled all over!


    The maids gently helped the girl down.


    With their assistance, Sterl stood up and changed his position, pressing the somewhat shy Rayna down, initiating another round of pleasure.


    Throughout the entire process, Sterl squinted his eyes, as if in a deep slumber.


    And he truly was in a state of sleep.


    Sterl''s current strength allowed him to function without sleep, but a session of rxing rest could greatly ease his mind.


    He decided to simply sleep through the cooldown for leveling up.


    On Teresa''s side, she hadn''t yet begun her battle, but the maids noticed her flushedplexion, indicating her arousal, and they surrounded her, slowly reaching their hands toward Teresa''s lower body.


    "Wait, no need!"


    "Ugh, ugh, ugh��"


    Apanied by the maids'' delicate fingers, Teresa''s body twisted like a piece of jade, flowing in a liquid-like motion.


    Sweat poured from her, herplexion pale, and her body trembled.


    Her expression became somewhat dazed.


    Teresa was on the verge of rolling her eyes!


    Meanwhile, Rayna''s delicate features contorted with each thrust.


    "Sterl!"


    "Sterl!"


    She cried out her lover''s name, ultimately wrapping her arms tightly around Sterl, fainting in the process.


    At that moment, Sterl gently set Linna aside. The maids understood perfectly; with just a nce, they brought Teresa over.


    One maid quietly sat behind Sterl, wrapping her arms around him and helping him sit up.


    Teresa was brought close and suddenly positioned herself atop Sterl.


    "Mm~~"


    Having already been toyed with, Teresa trembled all over. However, as she felt Sterl''s robust form prate her, her instincts caused her to tighten around him like a snake!


    Her limbs clung tightly to Sterl.


    "Master!!!"


    "Ravage me!!"


    She screamed.


    The maids were not only serving Sterl but also attending to Teresa.


    The maid behind Sterl moved rhythmically, using her movements to assist Sterl in thrusting toward Teresa.


    Several other maids moved to Teresa''s back, roughly kneading her chest, waist, and shoulders.


    As Teresa experienced waves of pleasure, her expression grew more dazed.


    Yet she held onto Sterl even tighter.


    Teresa extended her tongue, seeking a kiss��

 Chapter 406 : 406: New Hidden Feature Unlocked

    While Sterl enjoyed Teresa, Rosalie was being attended to by a group of maids, who extended their tongues to lick her entire body, including her most intimate areas.


    Rosalie emitted alluring sounds, her eyes fixed on Sterl, resembling a cat that was ready to pounce.


    It wasn''t until Teresa trembled and rolled her eyes, nearly fainting, that Sterl finally moved to Rosalie''s side, grabbing her hair and pulling her into his presence.


    "You did well. It''s time for a proper reward."


    Faced with this rough treatment, Rosalie was filled with excitement!


    "Master,e on!"


    Seeing her reaction, Sterl quickly began his actions. This time, without the maids'' assistance, he pressed Rosalie down onto the bed and began his thrusting.


    Sterl thrust forward, and at the same time, Rosalie let out a long moan: "Ugh ah ah ah~~"


    It was a sound of deep satisfaction.


    Like a thirsty traveler suddenly drinking from a parched spring, Sterl continued thrusting while firmly pping Rosalie''s rear, kneading the girl''s chest with such force that it could crush ordinary second- and third-ss yers!


    Yet, under such painful pleasure, Rosalie became even more exhrated!


    Sterl felt her body tighten suddenly, constricting and wrapping around him.


    Faced with the increasingly tight sensation��he elerated!


    Smack! Smack!


    The sound of water echoed continuously.


    Rosalie let out cries that were a mix of pain and pleasure.


    Until she finally went limp, herplexion pale.


    After withdrawing from Rosalie''s body, Sterl looked at the maid group that had now exceeded a hundred. He stopped the few maids who had just served him: "You''ve worked hard too."


    "It''s time to enjoy yourselves."


    "Yes, Master!"


    "Our existence is for this moment!"


    The maids disyed serene, gentle, andposed smiles, with one of them kneeling down, opening her mouth to clean up the remnants of the earlier encounter.


    Apanied by that delightful sensation, Sterl felt the blood rush even more intensely in his lower body.


    Without a second thought, he pushed down one maid, barely ncing at her face as he stood up, positioning the maid against his waist!


    With a soft thud!


    The two instantly became one.


    The maid couldn''t help but disy an expression of pain.


    Clearly, she was inexperienced��


    Sterl, however, softened his approach slightly, slowing down his movements.


    Yet, the maid actively wrapped around him, desperately moving her hips. Her somewhat awkward technique brought even greater stimtion, satisfying Sterl''s desire for conquest.


    The first maid quickly lost her fighting spirit.


    This time, Sterl directly embraced four girls, lining them up in a row and thrusting into each one in turn.


    He felt his idea was quite brilliant.


    By having the four maids experience both pleasure and the pain of their first time, he could maximize the enjoyment.


    "Master! I�� I can''t take it anymore!"


    "Master��"


    As the girls let out their low cries, an extremelyscivious scene unfolded!


    ��


    Eventually, Sterl looked at the scene of bodies scattered everywhere and nodded in satisfaction.


    At this point, it was already the next day.


    Sterl felt he had been quite moderate. After a day of uninhibited release, it was finally over.


    Even during the battles, he didn''t forget to allocate points.


    He entered the small world and upgraded the game pod core.


    After this allocation, Sterl saw brilliant and pure light shing, with lines of code shimmering within the game pod core, but he would have to enter the game to see what effects it had.


    He gently carried the girls who were sprawled out on him back to the bed and quickly made his way to his dedicated gaming room, lying down in the game pod. He extracted the game pod core��log in!


    When Sterl went online, he suddenly discovered��


    After allocating points, it seemed like there were no effects at all; everything was normal within the Transcendence game system.


    "Ah?"


    What''s going on??


    Sterl was bewildered. After clicking through all the pages, he confirmed that there really were no effects.


    "Wait a minute!" Sterl pped his forehead and dove back into the small world to switch ounts.


    Mephistopheles, online!


    This time, without Sterl needing to check, a flurry of notifications popped up.


    [You have unlocked hidden permissions: Lord Module.]


    [You have unlocked UI debug page.]


    [You have unlocked trophy system.]


    [You have unlocked automatic pathfinding��]


    ��


    A plethora of functions hit Sterl in the face.


    Among them were manymonce features found in online games, like automatic pathfinding and UI debugging, which were self-exnatory.


    Automatic pathfinding allowed Sterl to select a location and then log off while his body would automatically proceed there.


    UI debugging let Sterl adjust various elements disyed in front of him, such as health bars, faction mode switches, and a host of other features.


    The trophy system was quite special and actually had some utility.


    Sterl could directly im purple coins based on the achievements he hadpleted. When he clicked to check, he found that he had quite a few aplishments.


    For example, defeating many foes alone, challenging opponents of higher levels, ying a deity, and being a rebel��


    Not only did he receive several hundred purple coins at once, but he also earned seven different titles.


    The attributes of these titles were mediocre, and Sterl couldn''t really use them, but he realized that if he could aplish more, these seven titles could merge with subsequent ones to ultimately yield a title of [tinum Clearance].


    This title shimmered with a strange luster and bore a pattern of illusion. Sterl sensed that it was a presence stronger than radiant-level!


    "This title must have a powerful effect."


    "But the achievement system�� seems iplete?"


    Sterl looked around, feeling powerless toin.


    There were many empty pages in the achievement system, and some achievements were just a jumble of characters.


    He had a feeling that this achievement system was originally intended to go live but was hidden because it wasn''t finished, dragging down the title system along with it.


    Sterl discovered that the achievement system was nearly all-epassing, divided into overall achievements and regional achievements. Just in the Principality of Florence alone, there was a dense set of achievements that, when fullypleted, would reward a golden-quality title.


    Completing all the achievements in the Hall of Valor region would grant an Iridescent-Level title.


    As for the conditions to obtain [tinum Clearance], they were temporarily unclear, but it likely wasn''t the same as the kind of all-achievement acquisition before transmigrating, since the Swallowing Heaven achievement system required everything to bepleted, meaning one would have to traverse all regions! That was simply beyond human capability.


    Sterl browsed through some of the random new features, most of which were ratherckluster��half-finished features that could exist in online games but ultimately didn''t.


    The only major highlight was the Lord Module.


    As far as Sterl knew, Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven allowed yers to establish factions, but there wasn''t such a convenient support system in ce.


    Previously, he could only vaguely sense that he was controlling ayer of hell. Now, a detailed panel appeared before him.


    It included information about the state of theyer of hell, the resources that could be produced, and various unit data.


    He nced over it briefly before closing it, as the data was pitifully bleak! The entire world had been corrupted by the Blood of Contamination and couldn''t be processed in a short time.


    However, the lord page had a small red dot in the mailbox, indicating a message notification. When he opened it, he received the following:


    [You have received a transfer of hell permissions from Subus Queen Licitris (This entryes from Licitris''s wishes before her death, dedicating everything to Mephistopheles to aid in his rise.)]


    [Do you wish to merge the twoyers of hell?]


    [Tip: It is rmended that you choose to merge.]


    [Your current control over the localyer of hell is 100%, while Subus Queen was unable to y the Will of Hell, and the previous control over theyer of hell was 47%. After merging, you will haveplete control over the newly mergedyer of hell.]


    "Licitris..."


    Sterl fell silent for a second.


    "No."


    Merging theyers of hell now would allow the Blood of Contamination to flood into Licitris''s territory, leaving no survivors.


    He couldn''t help but recall the look in Subus Queen Licitris''s eyes just before her death.


    After thinking for a moment, he opened the panel again, and sure enough, a subpage for the second territory appeared. The data for this territory was much more normal, listing various famous architectural wonders, key powerhouses, and resources.


    Sterl also noticed a chibi version of a Subus within theyer of hell, seemingly praying while hopping around.


    He activated themunication feature.


    Immediately, a somewhat familiar voice flooded into his ears.


    "Your Majesty, you finally responded."


    "Aren''t the various factions about to revolt? What should we do now?"


    "Did the n seed? Did you obtain the blood force??"


    ��


    The voice speaking was very simr to nda''s.


    The tone was almost identical to the frantic manner in which Sonis and Sosia had messaged Sterl.


    His expression remained unchanged, but inside, he adjusted his ns. He coldly stated, "I am the new ruler of thisyer of hell, and the��


    "lover of your Queen Licitris."


    "I currently have no time to deal with the situation in hell. If you encounter any dangers you cannot handle, you can seek my assistance."


    With that, he cut off themunication.


    Sterl had originally nned to carry out a major purge against Licitris''s subordinates to ensure control over the newyer of hell, but at this moment, he felt a slight pang ofpassion��


    Controlling theyer of hell primarily benefited Sterl through the power of faith, converting Divine Power, and various resources produced by theyer of hell.


    With the array of seizing heaven and creating fate, he had amassed a considerable amount of Divine Power, so he wasn''t in desperate need of faith. The rate at which he spent resources didn''t keep up with the rate at which he could generate them.


    He realized he could afford to wait before calling on the resources of theyer of hell.


    Sterl decided to let Licitris''s subordinates prepare themselves mentally before making his appearance.


    Those willing to submit could be dealt with easily, while those unwilling to submit would meet their end.


    "Licitris had some feelings for her kin after all."


    "Let''s give her a face."


    With that thought, Sterl closed the Lord Module.

 Chapter 407 This plot development seems a bit off

    Lover? What a joke!


    Freika felt the abrupt cut-off of themunication was absurd.


    How could the queen of the Subus n have a lover? At most, she might have a few ythings.


    That man who sent the message must be lying.


    Yet, she hesitated��


    That man was so confident, iming not only to be Licitris''s lover but also that they could call upon him directly in times of danger��


    Moreover, Freika realized toote that she had merely prayed to the queen. If Licitris was in another ne oryer of hell, she might not even be able tomunicate with her.


    But this man could effortlessly speak in her mind��what kind of power was that?


    "Could it be that the queen has hooked a big fish and secured a divine-level man?"


    "No wonder it''s you, Licitris!"


    As a fellow Subus, Freika dared to directly address the Subus Queen by her name.


    Regardless, that man clearly promised to help them. Even if he hadn''tpletely won over the queen, he was still a strong ally.


    Freika felt a wave of reassurance wash over her, alleviating some of her anxiety about not being able to contact the queen.


    If Licitris could seek out men, she must be safe; perhaps she was just too far from theyer of hell tomunicate.


    Freika reassured herself, though her heart continued to race. The mere thought of the queen filled her with an inexplicable sadness and pain.


    It felt almost like when a divine-level being falls��


    No! It can''t be! Her Majesty the Queen has always been cautious; how could she easily fall without even sending a message?


    "Freika." Just as Freika was deep in thought, a young girl approached her. The girl didn''t look much like a Subus; her pure white form and silver hair gave her an almost ethereal appearance.


    "The hidden supreme suppressed by the queen has escaped!"


    "He''s gone mad; seeing that the queen is absent, he''s rallying forces to try and annihte our n."


    "Those demons and Swallowing Heaven yers are actually being swayed by him. If the queen doesn''t return, what should we do?"


    As the girl spoke, Freika''s expression grew grim. Such urrences weremon in hell; when a divine-level demon ruling ayer of hell vanished, chaos ensued.


    The demons and Swallowing Heaven yers, as long as they could seize the benefits, were unafraid of divine retribution since they could scatter and hide in variousyers of hell.


    Even gods couldn''t possibly chase down everyone; they might catch one or two unlucky souls.


    "We''ll hold our ground for now."


    "The queen must have her reasons for being busy. If worstes to worst��"


    "We could seek help from that man we just spoke to��"


    She made her decision.


    ��


    Sterl closed the panel and stepped onto the rainbow ship. Out of caution, he didn''t activate his demigod powers but instead rode a ship that was already set to return.


    Next, he prepared to head back to the Hall of Valor, nning to allocate points and sort through the gains from his journey to hell.


    The rainbow ship took an entire day to reach its destination.


    Sterl thought for a moment and decided to invest a point into his Divination skill.


    This talent had brought him several surprises, but it was still at a rtively low tier, and during predictions, the sess rate was curiously lower than the failure rate.


    After the cheat evolved once more, Sterl saw the specific information.


    The fourth talent was quite special, requiring ten points to reach level 3.


    Not only did he need to invest points in the talent itself, but Sterl also had to allocate additional points to his arcane skill, Star Soul Rotation, to amodate a new talent.


    "This time, the sess rate has increased by 10%."


    "Luckily, I didn''t invest in this troublesome thing on the battlefield before."


    Sterlined as he looked up into the distance. Through the transparent cabin of the rainbow ship, he noticed�� a spatial passage slowly opening.


    ��


    "Finally back."


    As he passed through the spatial passage and the rainbow ship gradually came to a stop, Sterl found himself once again in the special world contained within the Hall of Valor.


    He looked around at the vast grasnd scenery, breathing in the air and feeling a sense of tranquility wash over him.


    "Wait? What''s that mark��"


    Sterl opened the map and was shocked to discover that, ording to the faction camp markers, there was a group of Twilight Guild members engaged inbat ahead.


    "Still looking for trouble?"


    "It seems Sosia and Sonis kept quite a bit from me to avoid worrying me."


    Sterl''s expression soured.


    He felt somewhat helpless; the Twilight Guild had a fatal w in their previous strategy��only one powerful member could act at a time.


    Everyone wasn''t stupid.


    They would definitely suspect that something was off with the Twilight Guild!


    Perhaps those powerful members were all just one person in disguise.


    If that was the case�� provoking the Twilight Guild would reveal their vulnerability if that powerful member didn''t show up.


    It would be a perfect opportunity to strike!


    Sterl hadn''t been gone for half a month, and someone was already knocking on the door again. It just showed how impatient the other guilds were to test the waters.


    And they had indeed hit the mark.


    Sterl analyzed the situation as he left the rainbow ship, blending into the crowd while maintaining a guise he had never used before.


    The intel about Solomon might have already spread.


    Sterl had reasoned that since he had appeared in theyer of hell and at an earlier time, it indicated that Solomon had a decent chance of being active around the Principality of Florence, or that he might be connected to the Hall of Valor, the Golden Kingdom, or Ashen.


    These two points weren''t necessarily true.


    But at least they provided a direction for investigation.


    He felt that even if he discovered that the Hall of Valor was actively hunting for him, it wouldn''t be surprising news.


    At that moment, he was disguised as a newly promoted demigod, observing his surroundings and listening intently to the conversations of yers nearby.


    "Let''s go, time to take on some quests."


    "Has anything interesting happenedtely?"


    "Isn''t it the Valor Combatants tournament? But the rewards this time are so good that all sorts of monsters are showing up. I don''t want to participate; I''d just get beaten up and wouldn''t even ce."


    ��


    After hearing this, Sterl realized there was no news about Solomon being hunted.


    "Not bad."


    "If that''s the case, I might as well participate in the Valor Combatants tournament."


    He nodded. If actions against Solomon had already begun, it would be time to get out of here!


    The Hall of Valor was definitely not a ce to linger.


    While contemting, Sterl quickly flew forward, soon reaching the area where the Twilight Guild members were located.


    Aheady a rtively open valley.


    A sh was taking ce.


    At that moment, a massive beast resembling a giant anaconda, about a hundred meters long,y sprawled on the ground, its corrosive liquid gushing out and generatingrge amounts of white smoke.


    Even the dry sand and stones were being eroded.


    On the battlefield, Sterl could see the members of the Twilight Guild ring angrily, while standing in front of the massive serpent were yers that outnumbered them two to one, shouting loudly.


    "Great! So d you came!"


    Sterl couldn''t help butugh in frustration.


    Just like before, the Twilight Guild members were being blocked while trying to kill the boss.


    Damn it!


    Could these guildse up with a different strategy?


    Sterl mentally rolled his eyes, but his brain quickly processed some of the voices he heard.


    "Isn''t the Twilight Guild being a bit too domineering?"


    "This boss is clearly ours! Just because half of it ran into your contribution farming range, why should it be your boss?"


    "Do you have any idea how much we''ve suffered to take down this boss??"


    ��


    Therger group of yers trembled with rage, led by a female knight in golden armor whose elegant voice was slightly distorted with anger.


    Behind her, the crowd was fuming, but no one dared to make a move.


    Reputation matters; the Twilight Guild was infamous!


    They had wiped out more than a dozen demigod guilds.


    Who would dare provoke them??


    That was a sure way to get your entire family killed!!


    In the Hall of Valor, aside from the guilds formed by the gods, who would dare to challenge them?


    Especially when it came to farming bosses for contributions.


    The guilds founded by those powerful beings had decades or even centuries of history; they no longer needed to farm contributions. The guilds that couldpete with the Twilight Guild were often newly established, and their strongest members were usually just newly promoted demigods, or even just perfected-level demigods.


    How could they dare to confront Twilight head-on?


    But��


    Most of the good contribution farming areas had already been imed by the Twilight Guild.


    The yers led by the female knight had finally managed to target a mutated special boss, suffering heavy casualties with several legends falling and one demigod sustaining injuries. The number of items used was incalcble.


    They were on the verge of reaping significant contributions when that boss, in its dying throes, retaliated and charged into the contribution farming range of the Twilight Guild.


    Content from m-vl|em|p,yr


    They were immediately blocked by the Twilight members!


    They aimed to seize all the boss drops, showing no intention of offering even a tokenpensation.


    In such a seemingly justified situation, the female knight still didn''t dare to lose her temper; she could only continue to rally her numbers and argue her case.


    Unfortunately��


    "Reason? Does our Twilight Guild even need to discuss reason?"


    "Do you know how many demigods our powerful members have in? Destroying your guild would be a piece of cake. We just want our contributions; what''s wrong with that?"


    "If you have the capability, go fetch a god or at least a few Supremes to back you up, otherwise, get lost!"


    "Don''t think that just because the boss ran into our area, it belongs to us. And if you don''t want to offerpensation, you think you can just leave??"


    "Exactly! Our Twilight Guild is destined to rise. Everyone is farming for contributions, and if the guild leader returns and finds the contributions are insufficient for upgrades, you''ll all be dead!"


    ��


    The Twilight members were extremely arrogant.


    They weren''t joking; many of them were already gathering their power.


    They intended to strike first.


    They wanted the boss, and those members of other guilds who had intruded into their territory had better be prepared to pay for their lives.


    This was an outdoor area, and there was no protection from the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl was left speechless.


    "Something about this plot development seems off?"


    Sterl muttered.

 Chapter 408 Provoking the Twilight Guild! Youre Done!

    Sterl''s expression tightened.


    Previously, it was his side that had been oppressed, and he had acted decisively, relishing the dramatic effect.


    But now, the Twilight Guild had be the oppressors.


    Sterl recalled the information Sosia and Sonis had shared with him; the Twilight Guild had be the dream guild for yers in the Hall of Valor.


    Their powerful buff benefits had attracted numerous talented solo yers.


    Moreover, the original members that Sterl had recruited weren''t exactly paragons of virtue; they were all exceptional talents, proud and ambitious.


    It was only natural for them to sh with others over interests.


    But Sterl felt a twinge of dissatisfaction.


    This trip to hell had only strengthened his resolve:


    To seize every opportunity that benefits him, without regrets.


    If the stakes weren''t too high, he would do whatever felt right!


    umting contributions didn''t have a significant impact on him.


    The real way to quickly obtain resources for guild upgrades wasn''t through the tedious grind of boss farming, but by dismantling and assimting other guilds.


    At his core, Sterl still held the values instilled in him from his past life, which were far more noble than those of most characters in Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven.


    Though he typically set those values aside and focused solely on profit.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose to intervene!


    "You all��"


    "You all��"


    The yers were incensed, ring furiously at the Twilight members.


    In front of the giant serpent''s corpse, a burly man with a face full of flesh stepped up to the female knight, yanking off her helmet.


    "What are you pretending for?"


    "I see some talent in you, why don''t you��"


    A lecherous glint shed in the burly man''s eyes as he eyed the female knight''s curvaceous figure.


    "Serve me well, and I can secure a rmendation slot for you in our guild."


    As soon as he said this, the female knight''s gaze turned icy, her chest heaving with anger.


    "Presumptuous!"


    "You''re asking for death!"


    Many yers behind the knight also changed their expressions, particrly some of the female yers.


    "Why should it be him? Am I not as good-looking as him?"


    "Why not let me serve him and give me a chance to join the Twilight Guild!"


    "Wait, are we really going to let our vice president be seduced like this?"


    "Forget about him; even if it means serving an animal or a goblin, just give me a chance to join the Twilight Guild!"


    "That''s a free revival opportunity! Plus, future guild buffs could increase!"


    ��


    They looked on with envy, wishing they could take her ce, some even getting riled up.


    Bang!


    A dull thud resounded.


    The burly man, who led the Twilight Guild, had been forcefully shoved into the ground, yet he was still alive; his energy had beenpletely dispersed, rendering him unable to fight back for the time being.


    "After all, he''s a member of my guild."


    "Sosia and Sonis must have vetted him, and as long as he''s useful, I don''t care about his character."


    Sterl thought to himself, standing in ce with a peculiar expression.


    The plot development had once again caught him off guard.


    He decided to enact a wave of justice, stepping in as a wandering hero to thwart the Twilight Guild''s oppressive actions.


    But in the end...


    Wow, after that burly man delivered a ssic viin speech, Sterl felt that his dramatic intervention would surely have a great effect!


    However, these yers from other guilds were undermining him!


    Not only were they not opposing him, but they were also envious��what on earth was going on? Was the Twilight Guild that attractive?


    Sterl found himself both amused and bewildered; he wasn''t upset at all. In fact, he felt a hint of satisfaction.


    This was his guild! The most captivating presence in the Hall of Valor!


    At that moment, as Sterl made his move, the atmosphere changed dramatically.


    The many yers of the Twilight Guild, who had beenughing and enjoying the spectacle, suddenly turned pale and furious!


    "You''re looking for death! How dare you attack us, the Twilight Guild!"


    "You''re finished; brothers, let''s go!"


    "Insulting our guild is an insult to our guild leader! Let''s take him down!"


    ��


    Sterl had originally nned to gather his strength and send these people flying, but upon hearing their words and sensing the sincerity and fervor in their voices through the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he fell silent again.


    These people truly believed that it was fine for them to be pped in the face, but they could not tolerate any humiliation directed at the powerful figures behind the Twilight Guild!


    Even when faced with an unknown identity and unclear strength��someone capable of defeating the burly man, a newly minted demigod��they charged forward without hesitation!


    They were all fervently enthusiastic!


    Uh-oh! It seemed like I had given Sosia and Sonis some management books from my past life to help them cultivate a sense of honor among their guild members.


    Did I cultivate it a bit too well?


    Sterl couldn''t help but mutter to himself, his expression twisting��


    Behind him, the other guild yers��


    Except for the female knight, who stood beside Sterl with a grim expression.


    The female knight was also a newly minted demigod. She said, "Why did you have to intervene?"


    "The Twilight Guild is not a group we can offend without a background!"


    "Regardless, the boss''s ownership is an issue for our guild; why do you need to get involved?"


    "I''ll hold them off; you should leave first."


    "But it''s best not to return to the Hall of Valor for a while; the slots in the Twilight Guild are too scarce, and everyone wants to join."


    "Their guild buff allows for revivals; if it weren''t for theck of other buffs, even the gods would be tempted."


    "If they allocate a slot to hunt you down, you will never have peace."


    The female knight''s golden hair fluttered in the air, giving her a valiant appearance.


    Her tone was surprisinglyposed, but the crowd behind her was shouting, "You�� haven''t you just doomed us?"


    "We can''t possibly go against the Twilight Guild!"


    "You''re going mad; why drag us into this?"


    "If you''re unhappy with the Twilight Guild, find an opportunity to ambush their members; don''t involve us!"


    "Let''s go; how can we let him leave? You must stay here and hold off those Twilight Guild members for us!"


    "If something happens to us, it''ll be your fault!"


    ��


    These people didn''t dare to confront the Twilight Guild, but they certainly had the guts to me a passing strongman!


    They weren''t just shouting; some were even casting furtive nces at Sterl, inching closer.


    "Brother, let''s fight side by side!"


    "We''ll take him down together!"


    ��


    They were shouting, but in their hands, they were secretly gathering their strength, preparing to ambush and take down Sterl.


    "Let''s tie up this guy who dared to attack the Twilight Guild and let him vent their anger!


    That way, we can at least secure our lives..."


    Sterl found himself both amused and exasperated.


    "Get lost!"


    He roared, and with the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, even a simple use of Divine Power created a shockwave that stirred up a storm!


    Both sides felt as if they had crashed into a mountain!


    The overwhelming mental pressure swept through them, crushing them like insects!


    After a deafening roar, there were hardly any standing figures left on the battlefield.


    Only the flying female knight from the Twilight Guild and a few yers who bore no ill will toward Sterl remained, trembling in ce...


    They stared at Sterl, utterly bewildered, unable toprehend what had just happened...


    They simply looked at him with immense fear!


    Who on earth was this person?


    They hadn''t even sensed him using a skill before being knocked out all at once!


    This had to be�� at least a perfect-level demigod?!


    Sterl nced at the members of his own guild; he certainly hadn''t harmed them.


    But to avoid raising suspicion, why only show mercy to the Twilight Guild? Was it because he had a connection with them, or was he afraid of them?


    Sterl wanted to show off, of course, but he couldn''t appear cowardly. Not wanting to expose his rtionship with Twilight, he decided to let the group that had tried to ambush him go as well...


    "Ahem."


    Sterl slowly spoke.


    "My lord, what do you wish to say?"


    One yer standing beside the female knight quickly approached with a smile.


    At that moment, Sterl realized with a headache that he hadn''t had a chance to say anything during his disy of power.


    "I��"


    He had intended to say some words to set the scene, something like calling out injustice.


    But suddenly, a demigod from the Twilight Guild stood up, gritting his teeth. He seemed to possess a special talent that allowed him to resist mental damage.


    "You''re finished!"


    "Our Twilight Guild must not be provoked!"


    "If you harm one of us, we will be at odds with you to the death!"


    With that, a strange light shot from his hand into the sky.


    In the distance, many yers in the Hall of Valor, who were busy executing tasks, grinding monsters, or lounging in their estates, suddenly opened their eyes.


    Many of them had reached demigod status.


    At this moment, they quickly got up and donned capes emzoned with the tattered World Tree emblem��Twilight Guild''s uniform!


    Before Sterl had established his own infamous reputation, many talented demigods had joined Twilight.


    Under the allure of Sosia and Sonis''s promises and their respect for the powerful figures behind Twilight, they were deeply loyal.


    They believed that Twilight was the guild highly valued by that formidable figure who provided SSS-level materials! When something happened, they had to show their worth; who knows, they might catch the eye of that powerful being!


    Before Sterl could say anything, a beam of teleportation light shone beside him.


    Dozens of demigods, cloaked in Twilight Guild capes and wearing serious expressions, appeared, surrounding Sterl!


    Simultaneously, more beams of teleportation light lit up, and in total, several dozen demigods appeared, all eyeing him menacingly.


    "Whoever insults our guild��"


    "Will die!"


    One demigod whispered.


    A chilling aura locked onto Sterl.


    Sterl "��"

 Chapter 409 Vice President, You’ve Betrayed Us??

    Sterl was left speechless. What baffled him even more was that the yers who had just shown him a friendly demeanor were now fleeing for their lives.


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    Even the female knight quickly tore open a teleportation scroll.


    "With so many demigod strongmen around, we should all run for our lives."


    "May luck be on everyone''s side."


    There was a hint of regret in the female knight''s voice; she realized that resisting against so many demigods was futile. Dispersing and fleeing might allow one or two of them to survive.


    Sterl felt a bit dizzy...


    He realized he had underestimated the importance of revival opportunities. The Twilight Guild had evidently be one of the top guilds in the Hall of Valor!


    "So many demigods, and they''re all my subordinates."


    "Just a while ago, the Twilight Guild was besieged by over a dozen demigod guilds."


    "How long has it been since then..."


    Faced with a crowd of demigods whose faces were etched with "loyalty," Sterl shook his head. He slightly gathered his strength, and a strange halo appeared in his hand.


    Ignition me, activate!


    He conjured dozens of mes and hurled them at the demigods.


    Under Sterl''s various enhancements, the ordinary golden skills radiated an extraordinarily brilliant light!


    "Damn it!"


    "This is impossible! What did you do?"


    "Who the hell are you??"


    The brilliant light of the tinum Skills was easily consumed by the mes.


    In the end, the demigods were left with charred bodies, their charge halted with ease. Many of them even knelt on the ground, looking utterly defeated.


    They were badly injured.


    On Sterl''s side, he stood confidently, radiating an aura of a master.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed...


    Wait, where did everyone go?!


    Sterl felt dizzy as he realized that the guild members he had just saved from oppression had all fled!


    They were surprisingly loyal...


    The first to wake up took the unconscious members with them as they left.


    Sterl had sensed the dense teleportation waves earlier; he didn''t care much about it but hadn''t expected them to all run away.


    As for the boss they were supposed topete for...


    The giant King Cobra, seeing that no one was paying attention to it, struggled and dragged its injured body away, slowly hopping off into the distance.


    When it caught a glimpse of Sterl''s suddenly directed gaze, the boss froze for a moment before desperately continuing to flee!


    Sterl couldn''t be bothered to stop it; the boss quickly disappeared from sight.


    However...


    "Something doesn''t feel right."


    Sterl sensed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward.


    He hadpletely turned into a one-man blockade against the entire Twilight Guild!


    What was that about saving people? Stopping the Twilight Guild from iming the boss?


    Where did everyone go?


    Where was the boss??


    Sterl awkwardly cleared his throat a couple of times.


    His initial intention for stepping in was to show off a little, to satisfy his emotional needs.


    Now, all he felt was frustration and difort.


    "It''s time to end this charade! My true identity is actually��"


    Sterl was internally groaning, preparing to change his appearance to his usual guise of "David," but before he couldplete the transformation, he heard the demigods'' anguished shouts...


    "Good! Good!!"


    "With such strength, do you know that our two vice presidents are on their way? Do you dare to touch us? Do you dare to touch them?"


    "They are the women of the powerful figures behind our guild!"


    The demigods were also confused about what was happening; when they arrived, they saw this guy attacking while yers were continuously teleporting away from him.


    Those who had teleported away were merely a swarm of ants.


    There was no way they could have any connection to such a powerful being who could unleash golden skills and wipe out dozens of demigods in seconds.


    So...


    The truth was that this powerhouse hade looking for trouble with the Twilight Guild!


    The fleeing individuals were just bystanders passing through.


    The demigods were filled with terror, their only hope was to shout loudly, hoping that the formidable figure before them would hesitate to act.


    In previous conflicts between the Twilight Guild and other guilds, no one dared to take action once the two vice presidents appeared! While harming an ordinary member might not lead to consequences, if the vice presidents were injured, the powerful figure behind Twilight would surely be furious!


    The demigods were somewhat flustered, yet still confident; this was the demeanor expected from a guild member with deep roots and a strong background.


    Even if you could defeat us, so what?


    The powerful figure backing us could easily wipe out demigods!


    What a joke!


    The powerful figure behind you is me, do you understand?


    Before Sterl could respond, two graceful figures appeared alongside the teleportation waves��Sosia and Sonis.


    With the guidance of their lucky star, they were instantly alert.


    Seeing this, Sterl retracted the swirling energies around him, stepped forward, and revealed a smile.


    The demigods were momentarily stunned, but their expressions quickly changed.


    "Protect the two vice presidents!"


    "He''s crazy! How dare he attack?"


    "You''re seeking death! You''re courting disaster!"


    ...


    The demigods never expected that the Twilight Guild had made a name for itself, but there was still someone so arrogant? How dare they even touch the women of that powerful figure?


    Their faces turned ashen!


    Their minds were in chaos!


    Facing Sterl, they felt they couldn''t win, yet they couldn''t neglect to protect the vice presidents either; otherwise, when the powerful figure behind Twilight returned, they would be the first to be killed!


    Unfortunately, it was toote!


    The demigods were already severely injured, their movements slowed.


    When Sosia and Sonis saw Sterl, they immediately rushed toward him, joyfully running over, causing the demigods'' movements tog even further.


    They had almost lost all hope.


    But they noticed that the actions of that mysterious powerhouse seemed a bit slow, moving as if he were just an ordinary person running.


    "There''s a chance!"


    "Protect the vice president!"


    "Let''s fight him!"


    Sterl hadn''t seen Sosia in a long time and was about to embrace her when he noticed the group of demigods shouting something about protection, the guild''s honor, and burning their lives as they charged toward him.


    They all seemed quite loyal.


    Sterl couldn''t be bothered to ponder what they were thinking.


    He wasn''t pleased about outsiders encountering Sosia and Sonis.


    So, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers.


    Immediately, mes erupted,bining with various Laws to form a wall that isted everything.


    The demigods, however, did not hesitate. They charged straight into the mes, bracing against the damage!


    Unfortunately, they found themselves randomly teleported to different locations, helplessly watching as Sosia and Sonis got closer and closer to that terrifying enemy!


    The demigods'' pupils contracted, and under extreme tension, it felt as if time had slowed down significantly.


    The two vice presidents were now only five steps away from that mysterious powerhouse.


    Three of the demigods gritted their teeth and activated life-saving items, their bodies transforming into streams of light as they rushed forward!


    They understood clearly: saving the two vice presidents would lead to multiplied rewards from the powerful figure behind the guild!


    But s, the spatial Law held hidden secrets, and a strange curtain enveloped them, casting them away!


    Suddenly, a hint of terror shed in the eyes of the other demigods.


    It was over!


    The two vice presidents and that mysterious powerhouse were only three steps away from each other.


    The remaining demigods went all out.


    A few of them desperately unleashed their tinum Skills!


    "I''ll clear the way for you!"


    Their bodies were engulfed in a burning crimson me, igniting their life force. They were also chewing on potions, frantically crushing one item after another in their hands, maximizing their various enhancement buffs.


    They intended to force their way through.


    The other demigods made up their minds.


    "We''reing too!"


    They rapidly consumed their stored trump cards and charged forward with all their might!!


    In an instant, a terrifying energy storm swept through the area. What had once been a regr boss-fighting zone was now being shattered into pieces by countless tinum Skills, turning it into a deep pit!


    In the distance, at least dozens of yer teams, upon witnessing the explosion of terrifying energy from the Twilight Guild''s area, wasted no time in fleeing!


    As they ran, they couldn''t help but exim,


    "Which fool decided to provoke the Twilight Guild this time?"


    "It''s none of our business; let''s hurry and get out of here before we get caught in the crossfire."


    Thus, vast areas were consumed and retreated from the surge of energy.


    ��


    In that moment, arge portion of the Hall of Valor felt the disturbance.


    On the battlefield, the many demigods of the Twilight Guild felt an emptiness within them; they had pushed themselves to their limits and now disyed hopeful expressions.


    Can we win??


    That mysterious powerhouse only used Law Power; surely we shouldn''t be unable to break through this?


    Unfortunately.


    The demigods'' pupils reflected an absurd scene.


    One skill after another was consumed by spatial vortices, which were then shattered, revealing walls of frost, followed by walls of thunder, and then walls of sword qi, with shields formed by Arcane rules appearing as well.


    The sword qi and Arcane shields were immensely powerful; no skill could prate them! They were easily torn to shreds.


    "Three types of perfect-level Law??"


    "It''s over; we really can''t keep up!!"


    The demigods were stunned!


    After a moment of sensing, they were left dumbfounded!


    No way, is it really that exaggerated?


    When did the Twilight Guild provoke such a terrifying powerhouse?


    At that moment, they didn''t feel much fear, as Sterl''s current demeanor was quite different from when he had brutally in enemies of the Twilight Guild; he was now merely defensive.


    But the demigods were panicking! The pressure on them was mounting.


    Who didn''t know that the two vice presidents were far more important than these ordinary members?


    Moreover, the mysterious powerhouse waspletely ignoring them. If he were to act normally, killing the two vice presidents would be a matter of moments, yet he was leisurely taking one step after another.


    Killing was one thing, but breaking their spirits was another!!


    The demigods felt as if their eyes would burst!


    At this moment, as all the tinum Skills were swallowed up,


    Sosia and Sonis, along with Sterl, were now just a step away. They gradually spread their arms, preparing to embrace.


    The many demigods present sensed that something was off.


    A demigod with a bushy beard felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.


    "Vice Presidents, how could you betray us?!"

 Chapter 410 Buffs that Enhance Even Divine Levels?

    With that shout, the other demigods suddenly realized.


    "Sosia, Sonis, you two really betrayed us! Have you lost your minds?"


    "Can you look that great person in the eye??"


    "I knew there had to be some inexplicable powerhouse targeting our Twilight Guild!"


    "So there was a traitor among us!!"


    The many demigods roared in anger...


    They felt as if they had been yed for fools, filled with extreme hatred!!


    They watched as Sosia and Sonis embraced each other.


    "You wait! When that great person returns, it will be your end, you pair of dogs!"


    "It''s over for you!"


    "When the timees, you''ll wish for a peaceful death, but it will be nothing but a fantasy!"


    "Our Twilight Guild will ultimately return to that great person''s hands."


    However, the demigods were momentarily stunned before suddenly reacting.


    How sweet their feelings were! If Sosia and Sonis had betrayed them, then they bore no responsibility for failing to protect them.


    They just needed to wait for the existence behind the guild to take action...


    Hmm??


    The demigods'' expressions solidified once more.


    The walls created by the mysterious powerhouse vanished.


    Only Sosia and Sonis had slightly flushed faces; Sterl had crafted the walls mainly to conceal his intimate contact with Sosia.


    He had no interest in putting on a show for others.


    Now, Sterl had reverted to his David appearance.


    He raised a hand, and countless Flowing Water des coalesced, exactly the ability he had used most when acting for the Twilight Guild earlier.


    In an instant...


    The atmosphere became eerily silent.


    The demigods who had been cursing fiercely just moments before were now frozen in ce.


    They weren''t truly scared into immobility, but they didn''t know how to respond appropriately!


    So...


    If the people beside me aren''t moving, then I won''t move either!


    But... soon, one demigod couldn''t bear the pressure, rushing forward to kneel on the ground.


    "President... so you are that hidden powerhouse."


    "I can''t believe I didn''t recognize you; what use are these eyes?"


    He was quite the tough guy, gouging his eyes out and kneeling while repeatedly bowing his head.


    Seeing this, Sterl took half a step back.


    The other demigods nearby saw this tactic was effective and began to imitate him, starting to harm themselves.


    "I actually attacked you earlier; I''m utterly heinous, I''ll sever my arm!"


    "I spoke disrespectfully; I''ll cut out my tongue!"


    "I''ve crippled my own leg!!"


    ...


    Though these demigods were injuring themselves, they directed pained expressions at Sterl, as if their own suffering meant nothingpared to the thought of disappointing him!


    In the end, Sterl was almost unable to maintain hisposure.


    "Enough."


    "You''ve shownmendable loyalty."


    "You only acted against me for the sake of the guild."


    He tossed out arge pile of life-saving items and temporary power-enhancing tools, along with a bunch of healing potions.


    "I''ll double what you consumed earlier; you don''t need to keep hurting yourselves."


    "Let''s get you healed up."


    At that moment, Sterl truly tasted what it meant to wield ultimate power.


    In the real world, he was merely a hands-off manager, not caring about the factions within the Earth human race base.


    Yet within the Twilight Guild, due to a misunderstanding, the demigods who had previously been troublesome for Sterl were now all bowing low, like worms!


    Even though the actions of these demigods were somewhat bloody and disgusting, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a bit of satisfaction at witnessing the scene where he held the power of life and death over them. It seemed that this great person had forgiven him.


    The demigods were all ecstatic; they didn''t even dare to take the doublepensation that Sterl had mentioned. Instead, they took just a few healing potions to replenish their life-saving trump cards, remaining on their knees on the ground.


    Sterl: "..."


    Seeing the demigods like this, he felt a bit bored.


    "Alright, I just think that our Twilight Guild is powerful and resource-rich; there''s no need to take away what should belong to others, right?"


    As soon as Sterl finished speaking, everyone was nodding in agreement.


    The demigods, not fully understanding what had happened, repeatedly bowed their heads like they were pounding garlic.


    "That''s right, great one! This was our previous mistake, and we will definitely correct it!"


    "From now on, our Twilight Guild will strive to change the predatory atmosphere in the Hall of Valor, supporting each other and growing stronger together!"


    "We will faithfully obey yourmands."


    Sterl: "..."


    "In any case, think about how our guild was bullied before; why should we upy the advantage and then turn around and bully others?"


    Sterl had originally nned to lecture them further.


    But he realized...


    It wasn''t necessary.


    Reason is something only the weak need; everything a strong person says will be taken asw.


    Regarding the moral issues within the Twilight Guild, Sterl initially found it hard to address from his previous life perspective.


    Yet in reality, with just one sentence, it was resolved effortlessly.


    Sterl added onest point.


    "Of course, in necessary situations, my orderse first."


    Sterl made it clear that keeping the Twilight Guild at a high moral standard was merely to satisfy his emotional value. However, if it came down to practical value, any moral guideline could be disregarded.


    If there were profits to be made, then the weak should be ruthlessly bullied!


    "Understood!"


    "Understood!"


    "We swear to serve the president unto death."


    The many demigods shouted in unison.


    After finishing his lecture, just as Sterl was about to leave, Sosia and Sonis defended their fellow guild members.


    "Don''t me them; it was information we received that guilds at levels 4 to 6 could unite to form a second enhancement buff."


    "This buff is effective even at the divine level!"


    "The members of the Twilight Guild want to enjoy the new buff for themselves, and they also want to help you, the hidden powerhouse, gain the divine level buff, to please you."


    "They initially didn''t know that David was the hidden powerhouse; it''s only natural to hope to use the divine level buff to attract the previous powerhouse who had acted against us, right?"


    "So they acted a bit hastily."


    "Hmm." Sterl''s eyes shifted, and he nodded silently.


    On the other hand, it seemed he now had an additional reason to participate in the Valor Combatants tournament.


    If Sterl could elevate the guild to level six, it wouldn''t just be a special buff for the usual levels four to six; it would be a radiant-level buff from a level six coalition!


    How powerful would that be??


    Sterl was already feeling a bit excited.


    Soon, Sterl returned to his estate after nearly half a month.


    On the way, he chatted with Sosia and Sonis.


    The pair of sisters had previously informed Sterl about the uing Valor Combatants tournament and had even prayed for him in private messages.


    Sterl confirmed the official start time for the tournament, which was the day after tomorrow.


    He could use the strength he previously dered to skip three rounds, meaning that Sterl would need topete in his first match twelve dayster.


    "Thank you for your hard work."


    Sterly back on Sonis''sp, casually pulling Sosia into his embrace.


    "While you were away, I made up for your absence."


    Make up for?


    What was he talking about?


    At first, Sosia didn''t quite understand.


    It wasn''t until Sterl pushed her onto the bed, ripping away her clothes to reveal her youthful, white-as-jade body that it dawned on her.


    "Master, please don''t go easy on me."


    Sosia bit her lip, her body trembling.


    Sterl showed no hesitation as he entered her.


    Sonis held onto Sterl, assisting him in moving forward.


    "Ugh~ ugh~"


    Sosia covered her mouth, enduring the invasion.


    At the same time, her legs, as white as jade, wrapped around Sterl, locking him in ce, and she desperately twisted her waist, bringing waves of tingling sensations.


    Sterl reveled in the feeling, quickening his pace.


    "Ugh ugh~~" Sosia''s pupils dted. Under her previous techniques, Sterl would usually slow down due to pleasure, but now��


    After training with Licitris, Sterl maintained a full output!


    p~ p! p!


    With each crisp sound, Sosia felt waves of joy crashing over her, expanding like a tidal wave, shattering her consciousness.


    She felt as if she were flying in the sky.


    ...


    Finally, Sterl found some leisure time.


    He wandered around the Hall of Valor, confirming whether news of Solomon had spread, while also returning to Heavenly Curtain Canyon to refresh the resources he controlled.


    Then, he continued to provoke incidents.


    Mainly because Sterl''s Fortune bacsh state hadn''t been lifted yet.


    During this period, he encountered hostility from four demigods and an attack from a Supreme, all of which he managed to fend off using false identities.


    Due to the Valor Combatants tournament, many hidden strong individuals and those in seclusion within the Hall of Valor emerged, and Sterl sessfully blended in without anyone paying attention to his alter ego or his encounters with the Supreme.


    And so��


    Sterl sailed smoothly, lifting the Fortune bacsh�� the penalty of obtaining the fourth talent was evidently lower than that of acquiring the Origin of Chaos.


    Sterl''s final Fortune data halted at a cloud, with twenty-three units remaining.


    After lifting the bacsh, he took some time to quietly seclude himself, practicing arcane skills to refine his experience and level up, while organizing his gains and allocating points.


    Sterl first enhanced his fourth talent, consuming a total of 9 point allocation numbers over 9 days.


    He transformed it into an SSS-level version, allowing Star Soul Rotation to be upgraded to amodate three talents��


    [Infinite Space Insight]


    [Rank: SSS]


    [Description: A legendary spell that can see through everything; mere mortals cannot harness its power, only managing to manipte a fraction of its magical essence.]


    [Effect: You can perform a detection and deduction on any event once. Based on the highestbat power, risk, and whether it is concealed, you can determine the cooldown time for this policy deduction. The knowledge you gain from the deduction is guaranteed to be correct, but it may be partial.]


    [Warning: Prophecies possess self-fulfilling qualities.]


    This already somewhat mystical talent point maxed out��


    Became even more mystical.

 Chapter 411 Organizing Gains, Crushing the Valor Combatants Tournament

    Sterl sensed the ability and began to grasp its meaning. Unlike the previous use of Divination, which relied purely on luck, Infinite Space Insight allowed Sterl to know everything. In theory, he could inquire about anything within the worldview of Transcendence/Swallowing Heaven. However, the more precious the information, the longer the cooldown for this ability after he gained insight.


    Simr to before, during the cooldown period, the specific time wouldn''t be disyed. Sterl would have to wait until the ability was avable again and check for himself to discover that Infinite Space Insight could be used once more.


    There was another w with Infinite Space Insight: due to its tier being only at the 3rd level, when he tried to query information about the upper realms, the responses might consist of only a few words. These words would be urate, but they could also mislead Sterl. This was because the information provided by Infinite Space Insight only represented a single facet of the information he sought. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "But it''s still quite practical," he thought. "Some information and intelligence simply have no other means of acquisition. Even if the details are sparse with each use, I can always probe gradually... If I make several attempts, I can piece together enough."


    As Sterl looked at the skill description, he recalled the prophecies from various mythologies before his transmigration. The contents of those prophecies were often vague, and the heroes who tried to defy fate could only resist based on those unclear predictions, ultimately bing part of the prophecy''s fulfillment.


    To avoid such an awkward situation, Sterl decided that whenever he wanted to know something, he would use Infinite Space Insight repeatedly until he gatheredplete information!


    Afterward��


    Sterl was three points away from his first appearance at the Heroic Spirit Tournament. He allocated these points into Rebirth of All Thoughts. Ultimately, Sterl acquired two-thirds of the skill''s version, with contributions from his main world redeeming one-third of Rebirth of All Thoughts.


    This skill could be enhanced once through regr allocation and once through extreme reinforcement. The final effect was��


    [Divine Nature of All Thoughts]


    [Description: A special technique created by a certain deity, which specialized in defensive capabilities after sacrificing some abilities.]


    [Effect: Based on the damage dealt and received in previous battles, you convert into a Net Divine Body. In this state, you will be immune to the type of damage you previously suffered the most, and you will also reflect that damage back.]


    [Learning Restrictions: Natural divine authority, arcane divine authority, life divine authority, elemental divine authority (any one is sufficient).]


    In its iplete state, Sterl could only achieve a 70% immunity to the most damage he had received. Now, he achieved perfect immunity, along with a reflection effect.


    As for thest third of Rebirth of All Thoughts, he was toozy to collect it, as that effect corresponded to the transformation of damage he dealt after activating Rebirth of All Thoughts, turning into special skills like God''s Wheel of Heaven, God''s Rain of Light, and Eye of Annihtion...


    For a normal divine level, having three additional skills seemed reliable, but these three skills were inherently weaker than typical Iridescent-Level abilities, rendering them useless to Sterl.


    For the final point before the tournament began, he allocated it to Holy Spirit Bloodline. This was not because the bloodline could be further enhanced; during thest cheat evolution, Sterl confirmed that this ability could only be upgraded once and would have to wait for the next cheat evolution to improve further.


    It was because, at the time Sterl could not use the Swallowing Heaven system, he sensed something unusual about the Holy Spirit Bloodline after allocating points, feeling a certain resonance with himself.


    Heter checked and found that the Holy Spirit Bloodline buff hadpletely vanished. However, there was a change in the bloodline section of Sterl''s panel:


    [Earth Human Race (Initial Awakening)]


    [Attached Ability: Blood of the Holy Spirit]


    [Effect: Slight.]


    He no longer had a permanent Holy Spirit Bloodline, but instead, a permanent Blood of the Holy Spirit. Whenever Sterl needed it, he would have to spend a point to transform Blood of the Holy Spirit into a 48-hour Holy Spirit Bloodline. This meant that to fully unleash hisbat potential, he had to preemptively store a point on him.


    "The problem is, I can''t store points," he thought. "They won''t refresh daily if I don''t use them."


    Sterl felt helpless. He could only resort to a clumsy method: normally allocating points and, when he sensed potential danger, activating the Holy Spirit Bloodline in advance. After activating it, his bloodline panel would disy:


    [Earth Human Race (Intermediate Awakening)]


    [Attached Ability: Holy Spirit Bloodline]


    [Effect: Slight.]


    At that moment, Sterl understood why Gloria had warned against polluting the bloodlines of the human race; this ability was incredibly powerful! The Holy Spirit Bloodline and Blood of the Holy Spirit seemed to originate from the bloodline of the Earth human race. Normally, it couldn''t be activated.


    Sterl suspected that when he didn''t cheat during his initial evolution, he could only allocate points for a 24-hour version of the Holy Spirit Bloodline. Now, even after the cheat evolution, he could only allocate points for a 48-hour version. This indicated that his current cheat abilities were still insufficient to activate the Holy Spirit Bloodline fully.


    However, as a noble Earth human, he inherently contained great potential!


    With the cheatbined with the blood of the upper realms, he briefly tapped into the power of the Holy Spirit!


    "Indeed, the Earth human race holds many hidden secrets," Sterl quietly analyzed. He was starting to feel the urge to use the Key of the Realms that Gloria had given him.


    He wasn''t foolish enough to just wander directly into the so-called secret storage space that this item led to; who knew what sort of conspiraciesy within? He nned to use the Key of the Realms to explore the upper realms.


    This would serve two purposes: gathering intelligence and, since he had already unlocked the learning privileges for upper realms abilities, he needed to find a way to acquire one or two upper realms abilities as trump cards.


    ...


    After allocating his points, Sterl, equipped with the Holy Spirit Bloodline, arrived at the venue of the Valor Combatants Tournament. He chose to activate the Holy Spirit Bloodline primarily because the number of participants in the tournament would be massive, increasing the likelihood of encountering hidden powerhouses. Having the Holy Spirit Bloodline would provide a safety.


    Thepetition was located at the very peak of Valha Mountain, where an arena had not been used for a long time. Sterl simply verified his identity at the teleportation array at the foot of the mountain to gain entry.


    The difference between the entrance and the inside was like night and day. In one moment, he was at the serene mountain foot, where he could see countless cattle and sheep grazing peacefully on thewn. In the next moment, he stepped into a massive arena that appeared to be made of white porcin, surrounded by a chorus of cheers.


    The arena, segmented by spatial formations, could amodate nearly a thousand people engaged inbat simultaneously. The audience''s seating also featured special formations, allowing viewers sitting far from their desired match to feel as if they were right at the edge of the battlefield.


    Sterl casually chose a seat and selected a match to watch. He realized it was a demigod-level duel, with both contestants at peak strength.


    One contestant was a green-skinned troll wielding a massive spiked club, while the other was an individual d in iron armor with an unknown race. Sterl noticed that he could choose whether or not to havementary, and he selected "Yes."


    He casually took out some snacks, preparing to enjoy the battle.


    On screen, the twopetitors collided.


    "Contestant 67421 showcases an incredibly impressive technique, sessfully transforming meLaw into a special form!"


    "Oh my god!"


    "He has reached the fiery output of a conventional tinum Skill, which has surprisingly coalesced into a refined piercing attack!"


    "He has sessfully breached his opponent''s imprable armor!"


    "This indicates at least a mastery-level proficiency in skill!"


    "However, it seems the other contestant is not defeated; instead, he is unleashing his own techniques!"


    As thementary continued, Sterl saw the seemingly rugged troll condensing the raging mes into a single point beforeunching it!


    It erupted like a tiny spark, shooting forth!


    The armored figure was momentarily caught off guard and was struck!


    A small, glowing red pit appeared on his armor...


    Then, an explosion of high temperature erupted from within!


    The body beneath the armor trembled, seemingly in great pain!


    Yet, the battle was far from over; amidst the intense suffering, the armored figure elerated to double the speed he had before.


    Boom!!


    The armored figure mmed into the sky, crashing down to the ground like a celestial star.


    Sterl was quite astonished.


    Both contestants were peak-level demigods, and the participants of the Valor Combatants Tournament were indeed remarkable!


    The troll''s use of Law was innovative, seemingly mastering a terrifyingly high tinum Skill.


    Sterl realized that in handling meLaw for a single round, he didn''t quite measure up.


    The armored individual possessed an incredibly robust life force; even after being struck by the mes, he could continue fighting, and it appeared that he was able to convert pain and damage into his own output...


    Thus, he grew more and more ferocious.


    It seemed as though the armored figure had intentionally allowed himself to be hit by the troll''s mes.


    The level of this battle was exceptionally high!


    "Is this what the Hall of Valor has umted over countless years, a gathering of extraordinary talents?"


    Sterl''s eyes began to shine, and his interest in thepetition deepened.


    Soon, the match he was watching concluded with the armored figure emerging victorious, having torn the troll into bloody pieces. Fortunately, the Hall of Valor provided for his resurrection.


    Meanwhile, thementary in Sterl''s ears shouted, "The victor has been decided; everyone can now redeem their rewards based on their betting tickets..."


    It seemed they were promoting the built-in gambling aspect of the tournament.


    Sterl is not interested in this and couldn''t be bothered to watch the match; it''s just a bunch of low-skilled yers fighting each other.


    Since he had not registered personally, he had already skipped three rounds.


    The hidden Supremes and pseudo-divine level beings would only appear as seed contestants in the final stages of the tournament.


    So, Sterl simply sat in his seat with his eyes closed, meditating and continuing to refine his experience.


    Until...


    He felt a warmth in his palm, and a prompt shed before his eyes��


    [Contestant No. 1888, please proceed to the arena for your match.]

 Chapter 412 Absurd Abilities Acquired in Succession!

    Sterl''s contestant number was rtively low. He quickly followed the instructions and entered the arena. His figure slowly emerged; although the arena appeared small from the outside, it was actually the size of a city, ample enough for demigod-level powerhouses to showcase their skills.


    Across from him stood a young man with dreadlocks, resembling a member of the human race, exuding an aura that suggested he was a perfect-level demigod.


    "Alright, let me stretch my muscles a bit."


    "It''s been a while since I''ve bullied a kid like this."


    Sterl smiled, and the next moment��


    "Is that the one from the Twilight Guild??"


    "I concede!" the young man shouted decisively, vanishing in a sh of light, allowing Sterl to advance automatically.


    "...Am I that famous?"


    Sterl was momentarily stunned by his opponent''s quick decision.


    ...


    Sterl overlooked the reputation he had built from his previous exploits; the infamous strength of the Twilight Guild was known far and wide! He had previously ughtered peers at the demigod level! Fighting him was just asking for trouble, wasn''t it?


    For several consecutive days, every time he entered the arena, his opponents would surrender immediately. Sterl was content with the ease of it all, continuing to organize his earlier gains.


    He decided to allocate points to the one-third Iridescent-Level ability he had exchanged from the Hell faction. After four allocations and one extreme evolution, hepleted the transformation into a full Iridescent-Level ability:


    [de of the Undead]


    [Tier: Iridescent-Level]


    [Description: You willmand endless undead, walking in the realm of the living, destroying everything, and bringing an end to all.]


    [Effect: All units you kill can be resurrected, retaining 60% of their originalbat power, to serve as undead under yourmand. You can store up to 1,000 undead.]


    [Note: The strength of the undead cannot exceed the upper divine authority/Respectable Position.]


    This skill was easy to understand; any being Sterl could kill could be transformed into an undead warrior. The limitation of upper divine authority was irrelevant for Sterl, as he currently could not deal with such formidable foes.


    The de of the Undead could theoretically allow Sterl to amass six entities with sixty percent of their strength. It was important to note the vast difference in power between divine-level beings and those below them.


    With a thousand divine units at hismand, Sterl could single-handedly obliterate the Hall of Valor!


    "This time, I''ve really hit the jackpot with my point allocation," Sterl couldn''t help but marvel. When he realized that this skill could both undergo extreme evolution and advancement, he had a premonition��


    de of the Undead would be immensely powerful.


    And indeed, it was!


    Next up was the enhancement of Destructive Light. He allocated points three times, simply increasing its power, transforming it into a mid-to-upper tier Iridescent-Level ability.


    It seemed this ability could unlock the power of the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, requiring a cheat for the next enhancement to break through.


    The Blood God Resurrection Technique was simr; at that time, one of Sterl''s Fate Tokens was locked. When the "soul" of the Will of Hell shattered, that token vanished, granting him this skill.


    He also allocated points to this three times, resulting in:


    [Blood God Resurrection Technique]


    [Description: A special ability from the Blood God lineage. They are born as gods, imperishable, and unless targeted by [data error], they will remain in the upper realms, enjoying eternal glory.]


    [Effect: Upon your death, you can consume blood to resurrect yourself, with increasing consumption required for each revival.]


    The effect of his point allocation was to reduce the amount of blood consumed.


    And this skill��


    Was a bit outrageous!


    The fewer words used, the more overwhelming the effect��unlimited resurrection as long as there is blood avable. Sterl sensed that with each subsequent resurrection, the blood consumption would double, then triple on the second resurrection, quadruple on the third, and so on.


    However, this did not diminish the absurdity of the ability. If he could prepare a setting simr to the River Valley of Blood from the previous Layer of Hell, resurrecting seven or eight times would be no problem!


    Sterl suspected that if he could fully master this ability, he could create many backup bodies like the Will of Hell, a method that wouldn''t trigger penalties that would increase blood consumption. Although, as a normal life form, entering a created backup body would undoubtedly be inferior to his original body.


    But the advantage of being able to resurrect infinitely in critical moments was enormous.


    Additionally, he spent one promotion opportunity on Shattered Void, elevating it to Iridescent-Level, greatly increasing its power. However, to use it, Sterl needed to possess at least one type of divine authority: de, Arcane, or Space.


    With that, Sterl''s strength surged.


    He then worked on enhancing some scattered abilities. He sped through the matches, refining his experience while cutting once with his alternate ount. After a second point allocation in the game pod, Transcendence remained unchanged, but the Swallowing Heaven system unlocked a multitude of functions, including "Unlock."


    Sterl sessfully opened the radiant-level Sphere and used a Fate Token to draw a skill book that piqued his interest. He chose to learn it without hesitation.


    This skill book itself could not be allocated points for now, but its power was quite impressive. It was called [Silent Domain]!


    This shared the same name as the tinum Skill he had mastered. He had drawn the Iridescent-Level version of Silent Domain, which was essentially an all-around enhanced version of the tinum variant, but it still required mastering at least one type of divine authority to use.


    To enhance this skill, Sterl would need to possess the Holy Spirit Bloodline and cheat for the third evolution before he could allocate points. He suspected that this would directly transform it into an "upper realms ability"!


    Based on this newly acquired ability, Sterl guessed that the Hall of Valor was not the developer of Silent Domain; this ability was likely created by the upper realms to counter the Devourer of All Things. It was designed to give the lower realms a fighting chance against the Devourer, resulting in both a degraded tinum version and even a golden-quality version.


    Finally, Sterl allocated points to a few important skills.


    First was Cursed Vision, which provided him with teleportation abilities. After promotion, its tier remained unchanged, but the range of his teleportation attack increased to 5,000 kilometers, significantly enhancing his mobility.


    Second was Starlight Spray; after his promotion, this skill reached the golden-quality limit. The skill text shimmered with a faint tinum glow, greatly increasing the ssh range and the maximum number of threads generated during sshes.


    These two abilitiesplemented each other perfectly.


    He then casually allocated points to Celestial Stars and Stardust. Unfortunately, neither of these skills managed to break through their quality limits.


    The power of Celestial Stars increased significantly, while Stardust could enhance tinum Skills at the cost of consuming a massive amount of "Stardust."


    It could only be said that these two techniques were gradually fading into history...


    Regarding the equipment section, considering that he would soon be swapping them out, Sterl did not allocate any attribute points.


    Most of the legendary equipment he had umted was now obsolete, leaving him with only the [Armor of the Great Demon], which served as an equipment amplifier and still had a slot for an upper garment.


    After Sterl enhanced the first SSS-level guild material, promoting it to radiant-level, the finals of the Valor Combatants tournament finallymenced.


    ...


    Sterl remained calm.


    When he arrived at the arena, he noticed that the audience attendance was even higher than before. Despite the soundproofing, cheers and apuse erupted from demigod-level beings supporting the powerfulpetitors below.


    "Go for it! Victory is ours!!"


    "Show the spirit of our Spirit Kill guild!"


    "For the glory of the Sun Goddess, offer your hearts!"


    The chants echoed continuously.


    In the arena, countless Divine Powers danced in the air, creating a tapestry of strange colors. Brilliant light rain fell, apanied by gods wielding blessings and healing divine authority. Anyone seated in the arena could bask in the showers.


    [You are affected by the Rain of Blessing; your skill Celestial Stars'' proficiency is increasing randomly.]


    [You are receiving the Rain of Blessing...]


    Sterl was in good spirits, quietly enjoying the raindrops.


    During the breaks between matches, many gods came forward to perform.


    For instance, a god of Wealth and Trade descended with numerous sparkling loot spheres. Sterl casually grabbed a few and was delighted to find a few purple coins alongside a [Trade Token], an itemposed of Trade''s Divine Power.


    It was said to act like a talisman, making it difficult to be deceived during transactions, but the real highlight was that Trade Tokens could also be allocated into Fate Tokens!


    Sterl straightened up in his seat.


    "Wait, does this mean I don''t have to hunt gods to replenish Fate Tokens?"


    He was thrilled.


    While Trade Tokens were rare, during this Valor Combatants tournament "cash giveaway," many participants likely acquired some, making it easy for him to buy a batch.


    Next, a god who controlled music divine authority presented a dance, while another god, skilled in culinary divine authority, cooked a demigod-level beast in mid-air for the numerous yer NPCs to share.


    The Valor Combatants tournament felt like a grand celebration for the Hall of Valor!


    Countless people were exhrated!


    And Sterl officially faced his first opponent in the finals.


    As a faint white light enveloped him, he found himself teleported to a cliff, surrounded by howling winds and a chilling frost that felt very ufortable.


    In the distance, a naked figure with long hair, seated cross-legged and appearing almost primal, slowly lifted his head.


    Just this simple action caused the world to tremble.


    Hurricanes abruptly ceased.


    Countless snowkes began to rise from the ground toward the sky!


    Sterl felt a prickling sensation all over his body; the Supreme across from him exuded a tremendous threat.


    Aside from Lovic, none of the Supremes he had in couldpare to this individual!


    ...

 Chapter 413 Valor Combatants Tournament Finals!

    "Looks like a good show is about to begin!"


    "One is the mysterious powerhouse from the Twilight Guild, and the other is the Vajra Supreme, who has been undefeated against foes of the same rank for over a century!"


    "Who do you think will win?"


    "Probably Vajra Supreme, right? The Twilight Guild member hasn''t faced anyone particrly strong."


    "The Twilight Guild''s powerhouse has only achieved crushing victories in battle, but some have analyzed that he did so by unleashing all his power! If his opponent were even slightly stronger, he wouldn''t have such an easy time."


    "Exactly, this Twilight Guild powerhouse hasn''t fought in over a month, so his strength likely hasn''t changed much. I''d bet on Vajra Supreme to win."


    As the finalsmenced, the number of concurrent matches dropped significantly, with almost only Supremes able to take the stage. Thus, every match garnered immense attention, especially from a group of professional gamblers who meticulously gathered data on all the strongpetitors to analyze the situation and ce their bets.


    As soon as Sterl was transported to the battle arena, he was already being watched by thousands of members from the Hall of Valor��


    The betting opened!


    At that moment, other arenas featured ordinary Supremes battling, but Sterl''s match drew extra attention due to the impressive records of bothpetitors, resulting in higher odds and increased excitement!


    Sterl was unaware that his every move was influencing the thoughts of countless spectators outside.


    He observed the imposing golden-skinned man who could still the winds and storms with a mere gesture, as he slowly raised his hand to conjure a Flowing Water de.


    Sterl felt no pressure at all!


    The Vajra Supreme slowly opened his eyes.


    With a swift motion, a sh of light sparkled within his gaze.


    Sterl tilted his head slightly as a section of space behind him tore apart.


    The muscr man''s attack had missed, yet he remained calm. Sterl couldn''t help but think to himself, "It was clearly a sneak attack, but as long as he puts on a righteous expression, he can pretend nothing happened??"


    Well, that''s a lesson learned!


    Sterl maintained a rxed demeanor.


    Meanwhile, the muscr man''s golden patterns surged across his body, and a four-armed figure resembling a Buddhist arhat appeared behind him.


    Of course, this image of the arhat was slightly different from the Buddhist iconography Sterl was familiar with before his transmigration; it seemed to be a cultural representation rather than a direct reflection.


    "Die!"


    The man spoke calmly, as if he were merely inviting someone for tea rather than issuing a threateningmand.


    Then, with all his might, he struck with a palm!


    A brilliant golden palm print mmed forward!


    The blizzard in the battlefield was torn apart, and the very fabric of space trembled violently in chaos!


    That palm print rushed toward Sterl in an instant.


    It rapidly expanded to the size of a mountain!


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged as he stood his ground.


    Mainly because��


    After several days of training, Sterl had reached level 150 andpleted an additional 20 levels of attribute umtion.


    On top of that, with the constant boost from the Blood of the Holy Spirit, his strength had undergone aplete transformationpared to when he battled Lovic.


    The Demon of Terror and Cruelty was not only a hidden Supreme-levelbatant; his innate race granted him substantial attribute bonuses and various powerful resistances!


    He was also on the verge of entering the divine realm thanks to Destructive Light.


    He was the strongest beneath the quasi-divine realm! Even weaker quasi-divines could notpare to him.


    At that time, Sterl had been able to suppress him head-on.


    He now had the power to dramatically change the tide of battle; if he were to fight again, Sterl could severely injure Lovic with just one cast of Shattered Void! Two casts would be enough to take him downpletely!


    Therefore��


    Sterl was unaware of the high evaluation of the muscr man from the outside perspective; he only sensed that his opponent''s aura was strong but still felt he could easily overpower him.


    So, he intentionally made no moves, simply standing still��


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    Preparing to show off a bit!


    Suddenly, a tearing sound echoed around Sterl, signaling a rupture in space.


    He moved!


    At the same time, countless yers outside began to discuss.


    "Huh? The Twilight Guild guy isn''t reacting?"


    "Isn''t he about to be taken out in one hit?"


    "I checked the previous records; Vajra Supreme could directly kill opponents of the same level with a single palm strike! It looks like the oue is clear!"


    The yers were clearly filled with doubt regarding Sterl!


    What a joke.


    The mysterious powerhouse from the Twilight Guild was obviously all hype; he faltered in front of a true strongman and couldn''t block a single attack��


    However��


    Just as the yers voiced their opinions, on the screen,


    Sterl drew the Flowing Water de, infused with the power of Fission...


    His empty left hand glowed, resembling a dark sun rising.


    Silent Domain aggressively interrupted the golden giant''s palm, causing it to disintegrate!


    Seizing the opportunity, Sterl thrust his sword!


    It pierced into Vajra Supreme''s body. The muscr man was not overconfident; he didn''t dodge because he couldn''t. Under the suppression of Silent Domain, he suffered a bacsh from the attack and was temporarily immobilized.


    Sterl''s speed was simply too fast!


    The Flowing Water de, enhanced by Fission, erupted into thousands of needle-like strikes!


    All of them embedded within the muscr man''s body.


    Vajra Supreme managed to endure this attack!


    Golden patterns surged across his body, seemingly attempting to shatter the foreign objects within him. Many of the water needles were violently squeezed and exploded into ordinary liquid.


    Then��


    Boom!


    Countless streams of water detonated!


    The Fission Law unleashed its power!


    The myriad needle-like water streams transformed into individual needle-shaped bombs!


    The muscr man''s expression changed instantaneously, blood seeping from his eyes.


    His body suddenly stiffened.


    Pfft!


    Pfft!


    After a faint sound,


    Brilliant lights burst through Vajra Supreme''s skin! They shone brilliantly!


    The light, which started as a few scattered beams, turned into a dense downpour, ultimately engulfing his entire form into a towering pir of light!


    As for Vajra Supreme, he naturally vanished amidst that radiance.


    One round.


    The battle was over!


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged as a blood-colored document waspletely incinerated.


    He had just activated the Fission Law, then used a disk to cover the aftermath.


    Sterl retracted his hand and stood calmly, gazing at the sky.


    A howling wind rose, and snow fell heavily.


    Only one person stood silently, leaving behind a solitary silhouette.


    He gave himself full marks for this disy!


    Throughout the entire encounter, Sterl had executed only one action: drawing his sword and thrusting it forward.


    "It should look pretty cool from the spectator''s perspective."


    He nodded to himself.


    Sterl''s form dissipated, and he directly left the arena, returning to his manor.


    ��


    However, Sterl clearly underestimated the enthusiasm of the watching yers.


    Their eyes were practically zing with anger!


    "Why? What''s going on with this Vajra Supreme? Has he regressed after a century of seclusion?"


    "How could he be so weak, taken out in one hit!"


    "I bet on this match to go at least 10 minutes, and I ended up losing!"


    "I worked hard to umte contribution points for this!"


    In an instant, the gamblers were in despair.


    They found it hard to ept and began to curse Vajra Supreme, calling him garbage.


    Only a few who had bet on Sterl''s victory were overjoyed; the odds were higher on Sterl''s side, and they had won big!


    But for most, a chill ran down their spines.


    "The Twilight Guild''s powerhouse�� is that exaggerated."


    "I thought he was just an ordinary Supreme-level fighter, but now it seems he can easily crush Vajra Supreme. He must be at least a hidden Supreme-level existence!"


    "There''s no record of any Supreme in the Hall of Valor who specializes in the Flowing Water Law. This Twilight Guild member has really just emerged recently! How strong must his innate talent be?"


    "This is uneptable; we need to investigate! We must thoroughly uncover the true identity of those behind the Twilight Guild!"


    They watched Sterl''s strength with extreme unease and astonishment!


    Following this battle, hundreds of scouts were dispatched to gather all information about Sterl and the Twilight Guild.


    None of this affected Sterl, however. He didn''t train that day; instead, he carefully selected equipment for his legendary journey.


    Once he gathered everything, he spent some points to enhance his helmet, which could be upgraded two more times.


    Then, he used up the remaining 100 points of blood force to elevate the Cursed Law to perfection!


    His Arcane Law was already perfected for Shattered Void, so once he brought the Cursed Law to perfection, he would unlock the full potential of Silent Domain.


    He only had 7 blood force points left after using most of them earlier to break the Heavenly Reformation Formation.


    Previously, Sterl had depleted his reserves of blood force while navigating thest week in theyer of hell.


    Due to the influence of Blood of Contamination, all units in theyer of hell had stopped producing blood force, so he had nearly exhausted this precious resource.


    ��


    In the following days of the Valor Combatants Tournament, Sterl faced Supremes of average strength, and he easily dispatched them, fully enhancing his helmet in the process.


    On the fourth day, when Sterl participated again, countless spectators focused on him. David from the Twilight Guild, who had only been somewhat known in the Hall of Valor, had skyrocketed to fame after swiftly defeating Vajra Supreme.


    Vajra Supreme''s evaluation of David circted widely: "My strength has undoubtedly improved greatly over thest century, but against David, I felt like a child,pletely powerless to resist."


    Sterl''s information was also uncovered, but no one believed he had truly joined the Hall of Valor at third-ss strength.


    Instead, they concluded he had been concealing his true power!


    Such urrences were not umon in the Hall of Valor.


    Thus, after Sterl encountered a formidable opponent once more, countless yers and NPCs eagerly came to watch.


    Suddenly, Sterl found himself attracting such great attention.


    He was teleported to a highly modern building.


    Brilliant neon lights flickered, making the stars and moon appear dim inparison.


    A bizarre entity, resembling a twisted brain, materialized before him.


    Sterl recognized the figure; the previous Vajra Supreme was not listed among the top fighters sorted by Sosia and Sonis in the Hall of Valor, but this brain-like being was documented.


    Brand Witte.


    A special race, the Heartstealer Demon.


    A hidden Supreme-levelbatant!

 Chapter 414 Another Instant Kill!

    Countless yers watching Sterl''s battle hesitated.


    They had initially been set on betting on "David" to win.


    But David''s opponent was formidable as well!


    About three or four hundred years ago, Brand Witte had been sanctioned for his mass ughter of members from the Hall of Valor, and he was already a Supreme back then.


    Due to the excessive killing of fellow faction members, he was bound by a contract to serve the Hall of Valor.


    He had been carrying out tasks ever since and had never returned.


    Now, his appearance at the Valor Combatants Tournament left many members of the Hall of Valor feeling anxious.


    At the same time��


    No one would question Brand Witte''s terrifyingbat strength!


    A Supreme could easily kill ordinary demigods without facing punishment from the Hall of Valor. It was only because he had killed too many of his own kind, including a hidden Supreme, that the Hall of Valor had to personally intervene to suppress him!


    Who could estimate just how strong Brand Witte was at this moment? He could very well be one of the top contenders in the finals.


    At that moment��


    In a viewing tform that resembled a casino, a small room amodated nearly a thousand yers and NPCs. The entire room was painted a dark brown, dim lights illuminated the space, and young women dressed as bunny girls flitted about, serving drinks.


    However, the people here had no time to admire the girls'' beauty; their eyes were glued to a single screen.


    The screen appeared empty at first nce, but as soon as one''s gazended on it, they found themselves atop a high-rise building, right next to the two powerful fighters, Brand Witte and David, who were about to engage in battle. They could even feel the temperature shifts and the dazzling neon lights hitting their faces.


    "Who''s stronger between these two?"


    "The odds seem very tight."


    "David was so ruthless before; Vajra Supreme couldn''t even withstand a single strike. Should we just bet on him??"


    The yers were somewhat indecisive.


    Until��


    Suddenly, a man in a purple tailcoat raised his wine ss and let out a scoff.


    "Ha, David?"


    "He�� is not going to win."


    The man''s face was filled with confidence, and his assurance drew no objections; everyone stared at him in shock.


    "That''s a quasi-divine level being!"


    "No way! Isn''t that the one under the God of Death and Shadows?"


    "He''s still alive."


    Immediately��


    The atmosphere in the entire casino fell into silence, and everyone faced the man in the tailcoat with utmost respect.


    Quasi-divine beings rarely took action.


    They were typically on the verge of breaking through to the divine level.


    It could even be said that every quasi-divine being had the capability to leap into the divine level in an instant, unless their level was insufficient.


    However, the probability of sessfully making that leap was uncertain.


    Ordinary Valor Combatants Tournaments would not typically attract such individuals, but the rewards this time were incredibly rich. Even beings just a step away from divinity would be tempted.


    And when this quasi-divine being appeared, everyone listened intently.


    His judgment was certainly not to be doubted.


    Because whether it was David or Brand Witte, both were crushed by "quasi-divine" power! Perhaps there were a few quasi-divine beings less inclined tobat who could be killed by a Supreme in retaliation.


    But the young man before them was exceptionally strong! His mastery of the Law of Death was already approaching the realm of divine authority! No matter how well David performed��


    To put it bluntly, if he faced this young man, he would fall in an instant.


    "David specializes in offensive Law powers."


    "He has never shown any defensive capabilities."


    "There are two possibilities: one is that his sheer power is so overwhelming that no one can force him to use any defensive techniques."


    "The other possibility is that he has focused all his efforts on cultivating offensive killing techniques, and in battle, he either kills his opponent in an instant or gets killed himself."


    "And Brand Witte, with his racial talent, has a strong ability to preserve his life."


    The quasi-divine being in the tailcoat spoke with a resonant voice.


    The next moment, the entire casino erupted into chaos. Everyone summoned their activity pages, frantically betting various contributions, purple coins, and items on Brand Witte''s victory.


    The yers had figured it out!


    David''s background had been thoroughly investigated; he was a very young genius.


    He simply didn''t have the time to cultivate both offense and defense. Moreover, a person''sbat style often depended on their innate talent. David likely possessed top-tier offensive talent, which meant his defense would be weak.


    As a Heartstealer Demon, Brand Witte''s attacking methods were extremely devious and hard to defend against, and he had innate abilities to protect his life.


    David was going to throw himself at a win??


    "Damn it!"


    "Crap!"


    At that moment, a yer suddenly mmed his thigh. He had been slow to react for a few seconds and at thest moment wanted to bet on Brand Witte winning but couldn''t get the bet in!


    He could only watch helplessly as the activity page disyed [Purchase Failed].


    Seeing his face twist in dismay, the other gamblers around him were exhrated, smiling with delight.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay; we can still treat you to a meal with the money we''ve won."


    "Bro, you deserve to miss out on your fortune��"


    The originally joyful atmosphere was abruptly shattered.


    The reason that yer couldn''t continue betting was that the battle had begun.


    The sudden silence from everyone else was also due to�� the battlemencing.


    On the screen,


    David gathered the Flowing Water de, then sheathed it at his waist, while Brand Witte stoodpletely still, and then countless white shadows shed by.


    The effect of One Sword Opens the Sky erupted!


    As a result��


    Brand Witte didn''t even have a single move to make before being reduced to ashes.


    His ability to preserve his life?


    Sorry!


    This was precisely what countered life-saving abilities.


    Brand Witte might have been powerful, but facing someone who had essentially advanced to Iridescent-Level with Shattered Void, he simply couldn''t withstand it and was instantly controlled.


    Then came the instant kill!


    Sterl''s only thought after finishing was��


    "Time to call it a day!"


    With his current strength, he might not find a single opponent throughout the entire Valor Combatants Tournament.


    Brand Witte?


    He had heard of him.


    So he would just use a more ruthless technique to take him out!


    ��


    However��


    Everyone in the casino had an extremely grim expression.


    The yer who had regretted not cing a bet suddenly pped his thigh.


    "Good! Thank goodness I was slow!"


    At first, his voice was quite loud, but gradually it diminished, and he hung his head, falling into the same silence as before.


    However��


    "Cough, cough, cough��"


    He simply couldn''t contain hisughter any longer; his body was shaking uncontrobly.


    In the end, he said, "Sorry, I''ll take my leave first."


    The yer took a brisk step away from the casino and then used his teleportation ability to vanish.


    The expressions of the others present turned ashen!


    Just moments ago, many had trusted the judgment of that quasi-divine being and bet their entire fortunes, hoping for a big win.


    Instead, they had just sent themselves to their doom.


    Who could withstand this?


    "Impossible! How could he have such a technique?!"


    "It''s fake! It''s fake! I must have seen it wrong; I''m under an illusion."


    "Where am I right now? Wasn''t I in my own estate? How did I end up here?"


    ��


    Many were going mad.


    They shouted and roared in anger; if it weren''t for that powerful individual who had given the earlier advice, they might have turned on him, wanting nothing more than to tear him apart.


    Meanwhile, the quasi-divine being sat calmly, watching the fading figure on the screen with a slight smile.


    "Interesting��"


    "Perhaps we might encounter him again."


    "David."


    The quasi-divine picked up a top hat and ced it on his head, leaving the casino with an elegant demeanor.


    It wasn''t long after he left that a barrage of curses erupted.


    "Damn it! What''s he trying to prove? He doesn''t understand anything and is just spouting nonsense."


    "He''s ruined us!"


    "Damn it�� that scoundrel! After the cmity, I hope he''s the first to die."


    "Exactly! If I''m targeted during the cmity, I''ll be the first to lure the monsters toward him!"


    ��


    Countless yers gritted their teeth!


    They red at the position on the screen that "David" had upied, full of resentment.


    They regretted it immensely; if only they had bet everything on David winning from the start, they would have already soared!


    Now, the opportunity was gone.


    With David''s truebat power revealed, even hidden Supremes would be easily in; who didn''t know to bet on him to win?


    The odds were probably terrifyingly low!


    "From now on, whenever I see David, I will definitely bet on him to win; if I don''t, I''m a dog!"


    One yer swore an oath.


    ��


    Sterl had no idea he had caused such a stir.


    Upon returning to the estate, he sat cross-legged, familiarizing himself with the perfect Law-driven Silent Domain, and then made a slight upgrade to the Great Demon Armor, enhancing it and adding a new special effect��


    An additional ability generated based on the equipment absorbed.


    "Not bad."


    Sterl nodded.


    The next day, when he returned to the arena, he was stunned to see his uing opponent.


    This time, the finals were structured as a round-robin scoring system, where each person earned points based on the number of opponents they defeated; the rankings determined who would advance.


    Generally, the top contenders among hidden Supremes and a few top-tier pseudo-divine level fighters wouldpete in the finals.


    During this finals period, only one quasi-divine was unable to skip to the finals due to registeringte.


    Sterl was surprised to find that he had encountered that individual so quickly.


    In front of him stood a young man dressed in a tailcoat and topped with a high hat, his right hand pressing down on the hat, obscuring his features, with only a faint smile visible.


    Instantly, the yers who had previously boasted that anyone who didn''t bet on David''s victory was a dog changed color.


    Oh my!


    This is a welfare agency!


    Even with their eyes closed, they knew which side to bet on, right?


    How could a mere Supremepare to a quasi-divine level powerhouse?

 Chapter 415 Pseudo-Divine Level?? Still Instant Kill!

    Sterl could naturally recognize that the enemy before him was not easy to deal with.


    The quasi-divine realm was theoretically a bit stronger than Lovic.


    Of course, excluding the Iridescent-Level ability��Destructive Light!


    "David, I''ll give you a chance to showcase your abilities."


    "I''ll allow you three moves."


    The young man disyed a great deal of confidence.


    This mboyant disy, under the watchful eyes of countless yers outside, seemed��


    Perfectly reasonable!


    A quasi-divine being would not need to go all out against a Supreme; there was no necessity to do so.


    The earlierments from this quasi-divine regarding David had already spread.


    Although David had extremely strong offensive capabilities, his defensive abilities were likelycking.


    While it seemed that the quasi-divine had been pped in the face in the previous match, that was not entirely true; it was merely that the Heartstealer Demon''s strength was insufficient, and he was instantly killed by David''s output!


    Otherwise, if the battle dragged on, the oue was still uncertain.


    This was the shared conclusion of the countless spectators outside.


    They were not just simple gamblers; they themselves possessed demigod-level strength and had experienced countless battles, making them seasoned enough to deduce David''s situation, which aligned with the quasi-divine''s analysis.


    "Lord Aochulov is indeed interested."


    "If he doesn''t give David a chance, David might not even get to make a move."


    "Though I know David can''t possibly win, I''m anxious because the battle isn''t over, and the rewards haven''t been distributed."


    The yers discussed among themselves, feeling that if quasi-divine Aochulov didn''t give David a chance, he would be killed in an instant. Even if he did give him a chance, it would merely be a brief bout before Aochulov defeated David��


    Many ced heavy bets, yet they appeared remarkably rxed; what was there to worry about when the oue seemed so certain?


    Sterl also felt a slight sense of gravity.


    Aochulov found this scene even more amusing.


    What a genius��


    You''ve run into misfortune by crossing paths with me.


    This time, I will show you what despair truly means.


    I will shatter all your confident abilities and techniques, one by one.


    The quasi-divine thought to himself with great confidence!


    The gap between a Supreme and someone on the verge of divine status might seem like just half a step, but that half-step felt like a divine punishment.


    Sterl found it somewhat peculiar.


    Quasi-divine beings rarely made a move; if it weren''t for the Valor Combatants Tournament, he thought he might never have had to face a quasi-divine even if he advanced to divinity one day.


    As for how to deal with this opponent?


    Sterl simply slowly drew his sword. If the quasi-divineprehended the half-step divine authority, then his Shattered Void could amodate half-step Iridescent-Level power.


    In essence, there was no difference between the two.


    How could one know the oue without engaging in a battle? Sterl was also quite confident; with various enhancements, he felt he could win! If he couldn''t win, he would simply reveal another trump card to take down his opponent.


    "However�� after three moves, you will experience the most terrifying death and torment!"


    Seeing that David didn''t make a move immediately, Aochulov suspected that he was afraid, so he decided to put on another show. He suddenly let out a chilling and eerie roar and then tossed his top hat high into the air.


    Sterl "��"


    He hated two types of people: those who wouldn''t let him show off and those who tried to show off in front of him.


    Holy Spirit Bloodline, activate!!


    The Law of the de evolved into the Divine Authority of the de!


    Theoretically, without reaching the divine realm, one could not wield the power of divine authority.


    Sterl discovered a bug in his approach. When he activated the de Law halfway and evolved it using the Holy Spirit Bloodline, it would only deduct from his energy pool. Then, the de Law would convert into the de Divine Authority and activate normally.


    Next, he channeled Iridescent-Level��Shattered Void!


    "I�� you��"


    In an instant, Aochulov was caughtpletely off guard. He felt a lethal threat surging within him, rendering him speechless. Then, he found himself frozen in mid-air by the Shattered Void.


    His consciousness was forcibly halted.


    Then��


    Shattered!


    Before Sterl even executed his de strike, the quasi-divine being had already turned to ash. Perhaps he had some life-saving abilities and defensive techniques, but unfortunately, they all shattered along with his life under the enhancement of One Sword Opens the Sky.


    "This is the power of Shattered Void at Iridescent-Level."


    "It truly lives up to being a tinum ability formed from the fusion of three Laws."


    Sterl couldn''t help but express his admiration.


    The might of Iridescent-Level Shattered Void, even in the moment it froze his opponent, unleashed thousands of de-like energies. Aochulov had technically never been struck by Sterl; he was merely shredded by the preparatory phase of Shattered Void��


    "Alright, it''s over; time to wrap up!"


    Sterl felt good, vanishing from the arena in a sh.


    However��


    He didn''t know that at that moment, the arena was utterly silent, even the sound of a needle dropping could be clearly heard in the casino.


    It wasn''t just there; nearly everyone who had been following the match wore a dazed expression.


    "No�� it can''t be??"


    "He was actually killed in an instant??"


    "A quasi-divine being couldn''t hold him back??"


    "Who on earth is David? What is his race?"


    ��


    yers murmured, swallowing hard, with many even rubbing their foreheads to confirm they weren''t dreaming.


    They had anticipated that David would be strong enough to threaten Aochulov, and that if the quasi-divine got too cocky and allowed David to unleash his strongest move, there might be a chance of a reversal��


    Who would have thought that the worst-case scenario they envisioned couldn''t even describe the scene before them?


    At thest moment, Aochulov had clearly realized something was amiss and was preparing to fight back, wanting to retract his promise of allowing David three moves.


    But he struggled desperately without even managing to counterattack, frozen in mid-air until he disappeared.


    He met the same fate as the previous Heartstealer Demon!


    Identical, powerless to fight back!


    Puasi-divinelevel??


    This was pureedy!


    Among all possible oues, the yers witnessed the most improbable one.


    "Holy crap! That useless Aochulov, what was he bragging about? He couldn''t even withstand a single move!"


    "No way, my contribution rate��I''ve saved it for over 20 years, and now it''s all gone."


    "No! No! This bet is unfair; Aochulov must have hidden his strength! We''ve all been deceived!"


    Some gamblers wailed in despair.


    But many more yers, despite losing substantial contributions, remained silent.


    Everyone was fixated on the arena, where the battle had ended.


    They vaguely sensed that in this Valor Combatants Tournament, the ultimate winner might not be those powerful individuals who were already guaranteed spots in the finals��


    But rather a rapidly rising neer to the Hall of Valor, who had been there for less than a year��David.


    Even a quasi-divine like Aochulov hadn''t necessarily forced him to unleash his full power.


    "Before cmity descends, there must be a prodigy born."


    "I think I understand the meaning of this phrase now."


    Someone whispered softly.


    ��


    Soon, Sterl realized the tremors he had caused.


    After returning home, he reinforced the boots he needed for the legendary realm.


    When Sosia and Sonis, who hade to attend to him, saw him, their expressions were filled with shock. "Master, you were able to easily eliminate even a pseudo-divine being?"


    "This�� we want to follow you, but we can''t keep up."


    The twin sisters first expressed their joy for Sterl, but then a hint of despair crept into their faces.


    They had worked hard to grow stronger using the resources of the Twilight Guild, yet the gap between their strength and their master''s had only widened.


    Sterl couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    After learning the situation, he found out that David''s name had spread throughout the Hall of Valor.


    A peerless genius! He must have hidden his strength when he came to the Hall of Valor.


    Many people believed that David was the being born to confront the great cmity.


    As Sterl looked through the pile of materials the sisters had brought, all praising him, his mood improved significantly.


    He understood what kind of results his disy ofbat power at the Valor Combatants Tournament would bring.


    Attention from the Hall of Valor?


    He didn''t care!


    The Divine Power he had stored was enough for him to solo a deity with weak Divine Power levels!


    The knowledge of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate was also in his mind.


    If Sterl wanted, he could prepare a formation at any time to take down opponents at the divine level, forcibly extracting Divine Power through the formation.


    Unless beings above the level of weak Divine Power intervened, he was already fearless!


    "ording to the data I''ve checked, beings above the weak Divine Power level won''t easily intervene because the power limit in the lower realm is here."


    "Once they make a move, they might suffer permanent power loss."


    Sterl felt quite reassured; he was nearly invincible! What was there to fear?


    In the following period, Sterl spent five dayspleting the ranking matches.


    He finished reinforcing the boots required for the legendary level and also upgraded three ssS-level guild materials to radiant-level, while conveniently leveling the guild to level four.


    As a result, he gained a new buff.


    [Burning Soul: For every 1% decrease in life force, gain 1% increase in action speed.]


    "Isn''t the value a bit low?"


    At first, Sterl thought this buff was somewhat weak and not worthy of radiant-level.


    After examining it more closely, he found that the increase in action speed was extremelyprehensive!


    It included casting speed, movement speed, potion usage speed, scroll usage speed, and Divine Power activation speed��


    Although the added values were not particrly high, they were very useful! Even as he advanced to divinity in the future, it would still be a nice little enhancement.


    Sterl slightly adjusted it to state that for every 1% decrease in life force, he would only gain 0.5% increase in action speed.


    Thus, in the eyes of other Twilight members, the guild upgrade notification also shed.


    Sterl ignored the stream ofpliments and congrattions from the guild members that came through private messages, then set off to participate in the final round of selection for the championship��


    The rule was a free-for-all mode!


    The top 40 yers on the leaderboard would enter abat arena together.


    Thest 16 survivors would join 16 seeded yers to form a 32-yer knockout round.

 Chapter 416 The Disappearance of the Gods

    Sterl arrived at the arena just in time, entering the venue at a leisurely pace through the teleportation portal.


    As the faint glow of the teleportation light faded, he noticed several familiar faces nearby��


    The quasi-divine he had defeated earlier was there, along with the Vajra Supreme he had taken down, and even the Heartstealer Demon, whom he had eliminated in a single blow��


    There were also a bunch of lesser-known contenders whom he had dispatched even faster, their names slipping his memory entirely.


    As Sterl gazed at the crowd, they were all staring back at him. The other participants nearby had realized that "David" had just teleported in. Instantly, a multitude of eyes turned toward Sterl.


    Fear, panic, hesitation, unease��


    The setting for the final chaotic brawl was a vast mountain field, stretching across tens of thousands of kilometers. Even beings of the Supreme level would require several seconds to traverse it.


    What yers dreaded most was the possibility of respawning right next to David. This guy was utterly ridiculous!


    Despite others analyzing that David specialized in high burst damage with weak defenses, the reality was, up until now, even those at the quasi-divine level had been taken out in a single strike!


    Who could confirm whether he had ever fought with all his strength before?


    In a chaotic brawl, to secure a higher ranking, one had to eliminate as many opponents as possible. Encountering David meant certain death, as he wouldn''t hold back, leading to a high probability of being instantly eliminated! All the hard work they had put into thepetition could be undone in an instant.


    Conversely, if they were far from David, he would need a few seconds to reach them, and he wasn''t foolish enough to chase someone down recklessly. The time it took him to fly over would allow the yers nearby to strike many times.


    This significantly increased their safety and chances of advancing.


    The yers around Sterl wore anxious expressions!


    However, this anxiety quickly dissipated as they noticed��


    Hang on, while David was indeed powerful��


    The lineup surrounding him was the all-star team of strong contenders before the finals!


    Almost all the formidable yers had respawned right next to David.


    Although they might not have had a rapport before, their years ofbat experience allowed them tomunicate strategies with just a few exchanged nces.


    The conclusion was clear.


    Eliminate David!


    Get him out of thepetition!


    This was the most sensible approach!


    Moreover, old grievances surged to the surface.


    Many of the powerful yers recalled the humiliation of being defeated by Sterl and couldn''t help but feel eager for revenge!


    Aren''t you strong? What good is your strength?


    You don''t care about personal rtionships when ites to survival in this game?


    You took us down in front of countless members of the Hall of Valor.


    Do we not care about our dignity?


    Now it''s your turn to die!


    Tick-tock~


    Tick-tock~


    Tick-tock~


    In the chaotic arena, a countdown flickered before the yers'' eyes.


    The time was about to hit zero!


    Sterl simply stared ahead, his expression unreadable.


    The other strong contenders, though unable to move, were filled with murderous intent and anticipation in their eyes!


    David must die!


    Yet, they felt a heavy pressure in their hearts! The terrifyingbat prowess David had disyed earlier was enough to unsettle anyone!


    ��


    At this moment, it wasn''t just the contestants feeling the pressure; the audience outside the arena felt it too.


    "Should we switch?"


    "It''s still not toote to bet on David getting eliminated!"


    "Is there any need to hesitate? The looks on everyone''s faces clearly show they''re nning to team up!"


    "While David is indeed incredibly strong, he''s been far too arrogant on his way here! Now it''s time for him to pay the price!"


    ��


    In the numerous rooms of the arena,


    Spectators were discussing among themselves. Many of them were demigod-level yers and could easily see the predicament David was in at that moment.


    Thus, the yers hesitated; rationally speaking, David was bound to lose this round. Two fists could hardly contend against four hands!


    His defense was likely weak, and while he might take down one or two opponents in a team assault, he would also be taken out!


    But the yers were anxious too!


    After being wrong multiple times in their predictions, who could still be so confident?


    "How about we do a divination or a prediction?"


    A suggestion came from thergest casino.


    Quickly, all eyes turned to a young man in a deep gray robe��he was the one who possessed the talent of divination.


    In the entire Hall of Valor, there were only a handful of people with his abilities.


    The gray-robed youth didn''t hesitate, tossing a turtle shell and igniting it with me.


    "Let me see��"


    Strange cracks began to appear on the shell.


    The powers of prediction were exceedingly rare, and all yers watched the turtle shell, eagerly awaiting an answer.


    But then��


    Crack!


    A foot stomped down on the turtle shell, crushing it to pieces.


    This was a Supreme!


    "Are you all joking? Even at the divine level, the uracy of predictions is only about forty percent."


    "Can''t we see the situation David is facing?"


    "It''s a guaranteed kill."


    "If you''re too afraid to ce a bet under these circumstances, you deserve to miss out on contributions!"


    The Supreme boomed, casually opening his yer interface and sharing the screen.


    Betting on David''s failure!


    Three hundred million contribution points!


    Gasps filled the room!


    Although this wasn''t Valor Contribution Points, three hundred million was a sum that an entire faction would umte over a century.


    This Supreme was clearly a guild leader! And at least a level six guild leader at that!


    Ordinary contributions might not be as effective as Valor Contribution Points, but that sum was enough to send shockwaves through everyone present!


    This was obviously funding for the guild''s development, yet this leader ced a hefty bet.


    Other yers understood as well.


    The odds of David being eliminated were one to eight! After the three hundred million contribution points were ced, the odds changed to one to seven point eight.


    With such terrifying returns, who wouldn''t be tempted?


    Moreover, rational analysis pointed to David''s inevitable defeat!


    So��


    After a brief silence, everyone fell into a frenzy!


    No longermunicating, they frantically clicked on the activity panel in front of them!


    They ced their bets!


    No, this wasn''t even a gamble!


    What if David had hidden moves? So what?


    He might take out a few opponents, but against a coordinated attack, he was doomed!


    They hadn''t evenmunicated among themselves.


    Yet David''s odds kept dropping!


    Seven point five, seven point three��


    Six point nine, five point two��


    Four point eight��


    Ultimately, it settled at three point three!


    It''s important to note that as the odds fell, the required contribution points and resources increased. If it weren''t for the initial odds being so high, this bet on David''s elimination would have already dropped to a very low value, making it worthless to bet on.


    It was clear that this wave of excitement was almost entirely driven by the Supreme who had wagered three hundred million, causing everyone to get swept up in the frenzy.


    ��


    Aside from the strong contenders in the arena who had been humiliated by Sterl and were now ring angrily at "David," the rest of the members of the Hall of Valor��from the third-ss yers to the Supremes��had a changed perception of David!


    "David" was about to help them earn a significant amount of contribution points!


    At this moment, in a hidden, luxurious room nestled within a spatial crevice in the arena, countless rare treasures sparkled throughout the space, featuring amenities such as temperature control, fragrant air, and background music.


    If an ordinary yer, or even one of the Supreme-level demigods, were to enter, they would be utterly astonished.


    The temperature-controlling device was amp with a shimmering glow.


    That glow emanated from the souls of those who had mastered the Laws of me and Frost!


    Inside the box providing the air fragrance were peculiar humanoid figures that tirelessly ran about, exuding delightful scents.


    All of these humanoids had achieved legendary-tier strength!


    If even the decorations were so extravagant, one could only imagine the status of the individual seated within the room.


    ��


    The figures in the room exchanged nces.


    "Do you think David can survive being surrounded?"


    Suddenly, someone spoke up.


    "Him? He''s as good as dead! He''ll be the first to be eliminated."


    "It''s a bit premature to say that now; after all, David''s weak defense is just a spection."


    "It doesn''t matter who wins or loses; he will eventually be dealt with."


    "Exactly��"


    ��


    In a matter of moments, the figures in the room exchanged a myriad of information.


    Their perspective differed from the frenzy outside; it was more transcendent.


    Was David strong or weak?


    It didn''t matter.


    These individuals were the sixteen seedpetitors of the Valor Combatants tournament. To them, no matter how fierce David was, they could band together to deal with him!


    Below the Supreme level, strength has its limits.


    The attribute bonuses from talent have a ceiling, the potency and proficiency of tinum Skills have a cap, and while Law Power can be learned infinitely, the increase in overallbat effectiveness diminishes with umtion.


    The figures did not deny David''s power; they could even specte that he was exceptionally strong, considering him to be wless below the divine level!


    But so what?


    If he couldn''t break through the limits of divinity, he was nothing more than an ant!


    In this tournament, every slot gained in the finals would yield considerable additional benefits, greatly aiding these individuals in their quest to reach the divine level.


    Thus, they formed a loose alliance; everyone outside the seedpetitors was an enemy!


    For this group, even if David managed to force his way through the onught, he was destined to reveal all his trump cards��


    "Afterward, we can easily take care of him."


    "Besides, there are plenty more instances toe��"


    In the room, an extremely wide and hefty old man, resembling a mountain of flesh, said slowly, his face shaking with wrinkles.


    ��


    At this moment, a storm was brewing!


    The final selection before the Valor Combatants tournament finals was stirring the hearts and minds of nearly everyone in the Hall of Valor.


    However, there was one thing that few seemed to realize.


    The gods, who were usually eager to join in the excitement, hadpletely vanished!


    Not a single deity was spectating this tournament!


    This was an exceedingly unreasonable phenomenon.


    Gods are also beings with curiosity; they enjoy a good spectacle.


    The Valor Combatants tournament is one of the rare entertainments within the Hall of Valor.


    How could they possibly miss it?

 Chapter 417 Iridescent-Level·Silent Domain!

    The disappearance of the gods had yet to stir any waves.


    Most people wouldn''t dare to probe into the whereabouts of the deities; they even spected that the gods were hiding in some special room, watching the tournament.


    Gods could never sit in the arena alongside mortals!


    That would be too degrading!


    Only a few priests who had dedicated their faith noticed that their gods werepletely uninterested in this tournament.


    However, they did not exchange any information among themselves.


    Thus, to the members of the Hall of Valor, it simply seemed like their familiar gods had chosen not to attend the event.


    Little did they know that while the Valor Combatants tournament attracted countless gazes, the power structure of the Hall of Valor had diminished significantly, with arge portion of its top-tier strength vanishing without a trace.


    The gods had disappeared!


    ��


    At this moment, in the arena��


    Sterl wore a calm expression, and as the countdown reached zero, he even had the leisure to stretch.


    Hepletely ignored the yers around him, who had previously been defeated and humiliated by him!


    On the surface, Sterl seemed to disregard them, but in reality��


    He was intensely sensing everything through his Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    He had an inkling of the ns surrounding him.


    "Are they trying to surround me?"


    Sterl raised an eyebrow slightly.


    He was confident of his victory and deliberately feigned ignorance to amplify his showmanship.


    To ignore someone was the highest form of disdain!


    This kind of aura was far more powerful than mere threats.


    When it came to showing off, Sterl was a true professional.


    He pondered for a moment, then walked toward the summit of the mountain, sending out a mental call that enveloped the entire arena.


    "The final victor,e challenge me."


    He took on a mboyant posture, strolling toward the peak. Sterl moved incredibly quickly, each step a broad leap through space��


    However, while he appeared rxed, he was actually on high alert, wary of others attempting to ambush him. It wasn''t that he feared being eliminated in one hit; he had already tested that earlier.


    Destructive Light couldn''t breach his defenses!


    A group of ordinary Supremes, even with a quasi-divine among them, what could they possibly do to him?


    Sterl was merely concerned that if he were struck, it would diminish his prestige and damage his aura as a strong individual!


    Thisbination of rxation and tension in his movements was extremely taxing.


    Sterl waited for someone to block his path.


    Afterpleting his first leap, he discovered a dense crowd ahead, all standing in his way!


    Sterl felt a surge of joy in his heart; it seemed he wouldn''t have to exert himself.


    "Thank you all."


    He thought to himself, feeling grateful.


    But in his actions, he still maintained his facade.


    "What is it?"


    He adopted a condescending posture.


    This scene, whether viewed from the outside or by those in the arena, seemed��pletely normal.


    It was entirely natural for the strong to be a bit arrogant.


    Sterl''s calm demeanor, however, began to unsettle those around him!


    The n was already set.


    But since there hadn''t been any formalmunication, they still needed a spark to ignite the battle!


    The quasi-divine Aochulov''s eyes shed with light: "I''ll take the lead! Let''s take him down first!"


    He understood that without a leader, no one would dare to make the first move.


    As the strongest among them, Aochulov felt a twinge of pride, convinced thatst time he had merely underestimated David, allowing him to unleash his full power and ultimately defeat him.


    This time��


    Even if he was the first to charge in, as long as he was cautious, nothing would go wrong.


    There was no dramatic buildup; in an instant, everyone exploded into action!!


    In an instant, countless streams of tinum light illuminated the area around Sterl.


    Sterl didn''t even recognize these techniques, as he had previously defeated his opponents in one hit and had no idea what forms these powerful skills took.


    Now, countless swords and des rapidly coalesced in the air, raining down like a torrential storm, nearly sealing off all of Sterl''s escape routes.


    Crimson gue flowers bloomed everywhere, forming whirlpools that dragged everything around them.


    Above, icy torrents cascaded down, scattering countless snowkes.


    Delicate rays of light transformed into the shadow of a blue dragon, roaring and shaking the very souls of the onlookers��


    In the outside world, the dazzling streams of light caused many legendary yers in attendance to cover their eyes.


    "What the hell is this?"


    "It hurts! It''s so hot!"


    They shouted in panic.


    Then, they stared in shock at the terrifying skills unfolding before them.


    "What an overwhelming force!"


    "With so many attacks�� even a god would struggle to resist!"


    ��


    The ones shouting now were all weaklings; the real demigod-level Supremes among the yer NPCs were in a stable and advantageous position.


    David was not so easily defeated!


    Even assuming his defenses were weak, it would be hard to take him down in one wave! Moreover, David still had his life-saving items intact!


    This battle would require at least several rounds ofbat.


    Sterl remained unhurried, and a pure ck sun appeared in his hand; this was the tinum version of Silent Domain.


    The next second, he infused it with the power of his Holy Spirit Bloodline!


    Sterl had dragged his feet to thest moment to participate in thepetition, just to umte a point for himself to enhance his Blood of the Holy Spirit.


    With the evolution of his Holy Spirit Bloodline, he had prepared this as insurance for the chaotic finals.


    Little did he expect��


    He would actually need to use it!


    Whether it was the Hall of Valor''s inherent malice or merely random chance, almost all the strong figures were surrounding him!


    Sterl was under siege!


    With everyone unleashing their full power��


    It became challenging for Sterl to saunter around and achieve the perfect show-off effect.


    After all, he only had one radiant-level authority heart to break through thebat power ceiling below the divine level��


    After infusing his Holy Spirit Bloodline,


    The battle was essentially over.


    In the face of Silent Domain, numbers held no significance.


    After infusing the power of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the ck sun suddenly shattered and copsed, ultimately unleashing brilliant white light, reminiscent of an explosion at the very point of the universe. The intense darkness transformed into a sphere of light that scattered in all directions!


    This scene was beyond theprehension of those watching from the outside.


    "Is this another big move from David? It looks pretty intense?"


    "It''s normal; he hasn''t even made it to the finals yet. It wouldn''t be worth it to reveal all his trump cards."


    "This should be an area-of-effect attack. I wonder how many people are going to be unlucky?"


    The top-tier powerful observers also chimed in with their analyses.


    Their first instinct was��


    David''s move was incredibly terrifying!


    The viewing method provided by the Hall of Valor allowed spectators to feel as if they were right in the middle of the battlefield, and everyone felt goosebumps at the sight of Silent Domain unfolding.


    This was divine power, a natural suppression against non-divine entities!


    However��


    What would be the effectiveness of this attack?


    How much energy would it consume?


    Everyone widened their eyes in anticipation of the fading glow of David''s power.


    "Let''s see which unfortunate souls are eliminated?"


    "David is probably in a weakened state now��"


    "A contender for the championship, and he might not even make it into the top thirty-two��"


    ��


    In the minds of countless powerful figures, some were curious, while others reveled in misfortune.


    They analyzed clearly��


    When David struck, even if the other yers worked together, there would still be casualties.


    But David couldn''t defeat all his enemies; after all, before reaching divine level, there were limits to power!


    The only question was, how close was David''s hidden trump card to that limit?


    Moreover, the more enemies David defeated with this move, the greater the consumption of this ability would be!


    At that point, the exhausted David would be easily in and eliminated!


    David''s originalbat power would have posed a challenge to those seed yers in the finals, but if he was eliminated at the very start of this chaotic battle, it would mean the end of his journey in the Valor Combatants tournament��


    As a result, many people''s eyes sparkled with excitement!


    The fall of such a genius brought them great joy.


    However��


    As the light gradually dimmed, silhouettes began to materialize slowly.


    Eventually, what appeared before the countless spectators was an exceedingly bizarre scene.


    The crowd that had surrounded David seemed frozen, as if they had been pressed to a stop button, each maintaining various poses of skill release, utterly motionless.


    As for their "abilities," they had long been devoured!


    On David''s side, he remainedpletely unscathed, casually gazing at the distant mountains, with not a single enemy in sight.


    Gulp.


    At that moment, in one of therger spectator stands, someone swallowed hard, breaking the silence!


    The scene changed abruptly!


    The figures near David all copsed to the ground, blood streaming from their seven orifices! It was as if they had suffered some severe bacsh, their bodies shimmered with a bizarre cursed glow that continuously gnawed at and burned their life force.


    Meanwhile, David remained standing in ce,pletely motionless, his expression indifferent as he walked toward the mountain peak!


    He then sighed, "Why did you have to force me to act?"


    Just like before, he took slow, measured steps, and in less than two seconds, hepletely vanished.


    All that remained were the cursed mes surrounding him, where everyone, including quasi-divine Aochulov, had reached the end of their lives, transforming into white light one by one as they were teleported away��


    ???


    The spectators were left in utter confusion.


    What was going on? What kind of technique was this?


    Was the power level a bit outrageous?


    There were dozens of people attacking David!


    Among them were the powerful figures umted over nearly a thousand years from the Hall of Valor.


    The weakest among them was at the Supreme level.


    They had just unleashed their full power.


    A loss could be understood!


    David''sbat strength was overwhelming!


    Heavy casualties, with over a dozen eliminated at once, wouldn''t be surprising.


    Given David''s disyed talent and capability, it made perfect sense for him to hide a big move.


    But what in the world was this??


    Everyone was wiped out!


    Even some deities, if their divine authority wasn''tbat-oriented, wouldn''t be capable of such a feat!!


    "I don''t understand at all!!"


    "What was that technique?"


    "I can''t recognize it at all!!"


    Numerous yers and NPCs mored in confusion. Under the cover of the blood-colored document in the disk, Sterl unleashed Silent Domain. Even though it radiated iridescent-level light and the form of Silent Domain itself was familiar to many powerful figures in the Hall of Valor, they still couldn''t confirm what they had just witnessed.

 Chapter 418 The Bizarre Match Scene

    Soon, amotion erupted.


    "Aochulov is back!"


    "Let''s hear what he has to say!"


    "How did David manage to kill you? What skill did he use?"


    Amidst the countless inquiries from those around, the many powerful figures hidden in secret rooms of the arena couldn''t help but channel their Divine Power, focusing on the quasi-divine Aochulov.


    They were just as baffled as everyone else��how did David manage to wipe out the entire field with a single move?


    Yet in the end, Aochulov simply stared nkly, his eyes wide with confusion. If he had harbored any doubts about David before, now he was consumed by sheer terror!


    Who wouldn''t feel fear in the face of such unknown power??


    "I�� I don''t know."


    His voice was hoarse as he mumbled, trembling all over.


    It was as if he had been scared out of his wits.


    Aochulov wasn''tpletely clueless; he at least knew he had experienced a feeling.


    Facing David was like standing before a deity! The sense of helplessness he felt was even more exaggerated than the pressure typically exerted by deities.


    But he didn''t want to admit this; it was too humiliating!


    The divide between gods and those beneath them was crystal clear.


    The fact that he could feel this way only meant�� he was utterly afraid of David!


    Aochulov didn''t want to acknowledge it!


    Yet even though he held back some of his words, the impact of his revtion didn''t diminish one bit!


    Huh??


    In an instant, the entire arena fell silent.


    Is David really that outrageous?


    Not only did he wipe out the entire field with one move!


    But those who were eliminated didn''t even understand how they died??


    "A new deity is about to rise!"


    "It seems the Hall of Valor will have another god soon."


    "David? This guy�� can''t be more than one or two hundred years old. Truly formidable, truly formidable!"


    "Who would have thought that in such a harsh era, a deity could emerge?"


    "Yeah, thest time a ''self-made deity'' was born was that one from the Golden Kingdom, who barely advanced three hundred seventy-one years ago, and that was only because he absorbed the divine essence of his father at the time of his fall."


    "David is something else!"


    ��


    At that moment, everyone was murmuring in awe.


    David had already taken on the semnce of a god!!


    Not just any semnce of a god.


    This was the "semnce of a god" on the eve of a great cmity!


    Moreover�� the yers began to realize one crucial thing.


    The Valor Combatants tournament had already prematurely killed off any suspense!


    David would undoubtedly advance to the finals.


    And the finals operated on a standard point system, where everyone wouldpete in a round-robin format, and the one with the highest points would be crowned champion.


    A group that couldn''t even defeat one of their opponents.


    Let alone in a one-on-one match!


    The ultimate winner of the Valor Combatants tournament had already been decided; the only remaining suspensey in whether the seed contestants could force out more of David''s hidden cards. At the very least, they wanted to see what his defensive capabilities were like.


    And indeed, that was the case.


    David had settled at the summit of the arena, appearing to meditate with his eyes closed.


    The other contestants watched David from a distance, not daring to approach and disturb him!


    Unlike the spectators outside who understood the entire situation and knew that David had wiped out dozens of Supremes with one move, the contestants had only witnessed the earlier battle erupting next to David, and how dozens of yers had been swiftly eliminated.


    Those individuals were originally strong contenders for advancement.


    Who was unaware of the situation??


    Sterl, meanwhile, satfortably in ce, remaining still as he continued to contemte the insights he had gained from unleashing the Iridescent-Level Silent Domain.


    He discovered that the Holy Spirit Bloodline had a cheeky aspect that allowed him to experience the powers of certain Laws as they transitioned into divine authority through the Iridescent-Level skills.


    For instance, while the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, could not use Destructive Light, he could still see a "wall" that represented the might of a deity through the skill.


    Sterl, on the other hand, activated his Holy Spirit Bloodline, briefly passing through the "wall" to openly study divine authority and Divine Power.


    He quickly realized that investing in the Holy Spirit Bloodline was indeed worthwhile.


    The opportunity to evolve his skills once a day would enable Sterl to rapidly advance his understanding of Law to the quasi-divine level and even�� divine level!


    While Sterl''s innate talent was not particrly strong, the enhancement from the Arcane Soul allowed him to learn the powers of most rules and divine authority at an elerated rate.


    Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    ��


    About an hourter,


    Sterl opened his eyes slightly, his breath steady, and he gained a new understanding of the powers of curses and the Arcane.


    In his line of sight, there were still over ten contestants engaged inbat with one another.


    The energy fluctuations caused by their various skills had transformed the once-mighty mountain into a white expanse.


    No, it wasn''t urate to call it a white expanse.


    Since Sterl sat at the summit, all the fighters had deliberately restrained themselves during their skirmishes to avoid affecting David.


    What if their skills identally hit that fierce individual? What if he casually waved his hand and eliminated them?


    Among the remaining contestants were those who had little hope of advancing.


    However, those who were originally strong contenders had all been sent away by David, leaving behind a chance for these fighters to prove themselves.


    These yers cherished their opportunities; in the face of David, they felt as if they were in the presence of a deity and dared not provoke him!


    As a result, the entire mountain had been whittled down into a long, pencil-like shape.


    The mountain below had transformed into a cylindrical shape, while the summit above formed a perfect triangle.


    Sterl noticed the fear in the other contestants; his expression remained calm and impassive as he continued to contemte.


    ��


    At this moment, the battle situation was bing increasingly tense.


    After exchanging attacks for a while, the contestants began to retreat from one another.


    For the demigods and above, the time taken to determine a victor was short, but they wouldn''t recklessly put their lives on the line. In a chaotic skirmish, the priority was not to defeat the enemy before them but to preserve their own safety and avoid ambushes.


    In this melee, there was a shrinking circle mechanism, meaning the area avable for the demigods to move about was bing smaller, which in turn increased the likelihood of being ambushed duringbat.


    Gradually, they ceased their movements, all waiting for the next battle to erupt.


    Originally, this would have maintained a period of rtive peace.


    However, a yer seemed to have offended someone and was charging in from the outskirts of the map, energy swirling behind him!


    This individual was clearly being pursued by several perfect-grade demigods.


    Two serpentine, smoky tendrils spiraled around him, locking onto the yer, while bolts of lightning continuously bombarded the area directly in front of him!


    The Thunder targeted all possible escape routes, forcing the fleeing yer to relinquish many life-saving items during his escape.


    The young yer''s expression was extremely grim!


    He was acutely sensing his surroundings, and then, suddenly, his form became semi-transparent, allowing him to evade the impact of a shadow!


    The shadow morphed into mist and slowly reformed.


    It was a woman dressed like an assassin; she smirked coldly, vanishing into thin air while continuing to wait for the opportunity to strike.


    Clearly, this young man had three people focused on him!


    He was on the verge of being eliminated!


    Although Sterl wasn''t concentrating on the contestants, his formidable mental attributes still allowed him to analyze the situation��there were only about twenty people left.


    If the unfortunate soul being chased could just hold on a bit longer, he would enter the finals and significantly increase his rewards, but unfortunately, he wouldn''t have that chance.


    With this person''s strength, there was no possibility of aeback.


    However��


    Just as Sterl thought this, he was proven wrong.


    "Don''t push me!"


    "Push you? What''s it to us?"


    "If you have the strength, just make your move!"


    The young man received taunts from his pursuers, while the other yers merely squinted, fixated on the few engaged in battle.


    Anyone who appeared weak would be their target.


    In the current situation, eliminating a yer brought the remaining contestants one step closer to advancement.


    "Fine, since it''se to this, don''t me me for being ruthless!"


    The yer smirked coldly and suddenly reached into his belongings.


    He released three ice crystal spikes that shot upward into the sky!


    "Let''s all die together!"


    Heughed maniacally as the three ice spikes hurtled toward Sterl''s direction.


    "You! What are you doing?"


    "You''ve lost your mind!"


    "Stop immediately!!"


    In an instant, everyone reacted.


    This guy was trying to provoke David into action!


    Is this guy out of his mind?


    Based on David''s previous performances, the contestants could tell that his skills covered a wide area, and if David made a move, it wouldn''t just be the provoking yer who would die!


    Everyone around him would suffer!


    In fact, all the contestants could be in danger!


    As for why yers still dared to fight near David, it was because the shrinking arena was closing in at an rming rate.


    This was also part of the Hall of Valor''s arrangement to prevent yers from simply avoiding battles to slip into the top 16.


    And as the Frost Spikes drew closer,


    The air gradually crystallized with icy light.


    The Arcane and curse energies that Sterl was contemting began to warp.


    Sterl''s expression soured slightly; he was deep in thought about his skills when he was interrupted?


    Seeking death!


    Meanwhile, the yers who had been chasing the young man were all filled with terror and quickly halted their attacks.


    Then, these yers, along with the others, rushed toward the Frost Spikes!


    No matter what, they could not allow David to re-enter the fray!


    Otherwise, they would all die.


    "Block that madman!"


    "Quick, stop that attack!"


    ��


    Huh?


    Sterl stood frozen, dumbfounded.


    He was speechless!


    They didn''t even need me to intervene?


    In the blink of an eye, the yers had no time to gather their skills; they were terrified that David might act first, so they rushed in to block with their bodies!


    An elder managed to expend a life-saving item to sessfully intercept the three spikes!


    He spat blood and slowly fell to the ground, while the others did not take the opportunity to attack but merely shot him a grateful nce.


    If it weren''t for the elder''s sacrifice, they would all be doomed.


    The young man who had initiated the chaos stood frozen in panic.


    He didn''t dare to make another move.


    In his desperation, he had already used David as a weapon, which was basically asking for trouble.


    To try it again? He didn''t have the guts.


    For a moment, silence fell once more around them.

 Chapter 419 The Struggle for Authority in the Hall of Valor

    But as the faint red circle beneath the mountains continued to shrink, the expressions of the yers gradually turned grim. They were not foolish; they understood that in this situation, anyone who felt cornered would choose to strike at David, so they dared not provoke a fight.


    However, the red circle was merciless.


    That was an elimination zone, and anyone who touched it would be immediately disqualified.


    Earlier, they had seen someone identally knocked back during a fight, only to touch the circle and be teleported away.


    Suddenly, the opponent count on everyone else''s prompt panels decreased by one.


    After a few minutes of silence, scattered shouts of battle rang out once more.


    Initially, a few yers had chosen their rivals and agreed to fight one-on-one, promising not to disturb David if they lost. Yet, some yers had no sense of sportsmanship and, when on the brink of elimination, desperately unleashed their skills!


    Two swift wind des shot toward Sterl.


    He continued to contemte, not even lifting his eyelids in the Silent Domain.


    Although the unsportsmanlike yer had attacked, he was hit by a shockwave from another yer, sending him right into the elimination zone. His form flickered and was teleported away!


    His face was full of reluctance, but he also wore a wild grin.


    "If I can''t make it to the finals, neither will you!"


    The other yers had no choice but to brace themselves and continue to block the attacks heading toward David.


    The yer who had been defending against the attacks was just barely knocked back to the edge of the elimination zone by the wind des. Seeing this, the other yers, sensing an opportunity to remove apetitor, charged forward like madmen.


    Unfortunately, the yer who had just defended for Sterl unleashed a molten ray once again!


    It shot toward Sterl!


    The other yers could not afford to chase after their target; they hurriedly went to intercept the ray.


    Chaos ensued!


    The yers watching from the outside were stunned!


    Initially, they thought this selection process would be a siege��


    They would kill David and have the others battle it out for victory.


    Instead, with a single move, David had eliminated the strongest group of yers, leaving behind those who had no hope of making it to the finals.


    These people had no courage to confront David!


    Their strategy for iming a spot in the top 16 involved defending against the attacks of other yers while desperately helping David lower his defenses to prevent this ruthless contender from going berserk.


    It felt as if the assessment for thispetition was��protect David!


    "Damn it, what kind of situation is this?"


    "This is a bit exaggerated��"


    "Good grief, it feels like thispetition is set up just for him!"


    ��


    yers were buzzing with discussion about this Valor Combatants conference.


    So far, all the spotlight and attention had been focused on a single individual.


    Indeed, it was Sterl!


    ...


    After more than ten minutes had passed, the match was finallying to an end.


    Sterl watched as two yers exchanged skills and shed together, arcs of electricity and mes shing wildly, as if the very mountains were about to crumble.


    However��


    These two yers disyed exceptionalbat skills, managing to keep the residual waves of their attacks from reaching him.


    "Die!"


    "The ultimate victor will be me!"


    The two yers roared with bravado, one surrounded by a storm of lightning that transformed into the phantom of a celestial deity, the other engulfed in mes, charging forward with a colossal fiery fist.


    In the end, the overwhelming forces of thunder and me collided with each other, and many powerful spectators outside the arena couldn''t help butment.


    "Just low-skilled yers fighting each other."


    "I don''t even know what the point of this match is; I could join in too!"


    "Isn''t this just a waste of our time?"


    ��


    Their expressions were all rather grim.


    me and lightning, being the most basic elementalws, were indeedmonce, yet the two yers in the arena had clearly mastered these foundationalws to a remarkable degree, showcasing extraordinary talent.


    However, they were still far from deserving to battle for second and third ce in the Valor Combatants finals!


    One word could describe the feelings of the countless spectators: frustration, as many thought,


    Damn it!


    I could do that too.


    While the Valor Combatants conference included many talented individuals from the Hall of Valor, there were also those who recognized their own limitations and knew they could not reach the finals.


    The pre-final rewards weren''t particrly enticing, so they were content just to watch the matches.


    Now, a group of weaklings had managed to advance simply because David had sent all the strong contenders away!


    Countless spectators were envious to the extreme.


    On Sterl''s side, he merely watched as the two yers unleashed their final bursts of power, both sumbing to the sh of thunder and me, leaving behind only charred remnants.


    It was unclear who ced second and who ced third.


    Yet in the end, no one dared to attack him!


    "Not bad, quite easy."


    He nodded slightly.


    ...


    With Sterl''s departure, the final selection of the Valor Combatants conference came to a close.


    He left quite leisurely, but the other yers who made it into the top 16, upon being teleported out, stood in the arena, bothughing and crying!


    "We really made it!"


    "Wait, I just wanted to go through the motions, and now I''m actually in the finals!"


    "Entering the finals means we''ll definitely get a special reward from the Hall of Valor, no matter what our rank is!"


    ...


    These yers were so excited that their eyes turned red.


    "Thank you, Lord David! Thank you, Lord David!"


    "If you have any tasks for us, we will risk our lives without hesitation!"


    "We will remember this kindness."


    ��


    Soon, they seemed to realize something, bowing and sping their hands in the direction where Sterl had disappeared, their demeanor exceedingly sincere.


    Nearby, other yers looked on at these 15 fortunate individuals with intense envy. If it weren''t for the fact that these yers had entered the finals and received the Hall of Valor''s high-level protection, any attacks against them would be met with the Hall''s punishment, even if the Honorable Kill privilege were activated.


    Many were purely motivated by jealousy and wished to eliminate these 15 yers.


    However, within the cramped room in the arena''s space, the atmosphere was somewhat eerie.


    "We don''t need to discuss this any further; none of us can match David in the finals. Let''s use that item."


    "No matter how much of a genius David seems, born to confront great tribtions, it has nothing to do with us. Even if he could turn the tide, it won''t prevent us from being easily killed in this cmity. We won''t have the chance to escape."


    "Exactly, we are only trying to save our own lives."


    The figures murmured among themselves.


    "This is pretty much in line with our original n. We initially aimed to deal with those yers entering the finals; now we only have to handle David. The rest are too weak."


    "This way, we expend less energy."


    They showed no concern for the 15 lucky ones who sessfully advanced to the finals; those yers would also be trampled and annihted by people like them in the finals.


    There was only one crucial matter: eliminate David!


    Among the 16 seeded yers, six had reached quasi-divine level strength.


    They recalled the simtion from the Hall of Valor and the power of the Silent Domain they had felt, which filled them with trembling and dread!


    The quasi-divine yers were resolute in their hearts: they absolutely could note into direct contact with the ck sun created by David.


    Otherwise��


    They would die!


    Absolutely die!


    ...


    Sterl, however, was unaware that he had once again be a target.


    There were five days of rest before the finals began.


    He continued to strengthen the legendary-level equipment he needed one by one.


    On the other hand, the Twilight Guild, which had been fervently hunting various bosses, had left Sterl feeling��


    That their efficiency was too slow!


    He had originally wanted to take matters into his own hands to see if he could wipe out a few guilds and seize their contribution points, but he received unexpected news.


    "You mean to say that many guilds are already fighting amongst themselves?"


    At that moment, Sterl was lying on the bed, with Sosia resting beside him. The scent from the young girl wafted over, and as she spoke, her gentle breath brushed against his neck, creating a ticklish sensation.


    "Yes, Master. For some reason, there hasn''t been any divine-level power emerging from the Hall of Valor for a long time, as if all the gods vanished overnight."


    "One of the members from a guild among the six remaining level-seven guilds leaked this information."


    "Their guild has received a mission. Depending on their level of control and upation within the Hall of Valor, they will gain ess to certain privileges."


    "This mission can only be epted by level-seven guilds!"


    "It is suspected that the departure of the gods is due to the Hall of Valor needing to reselect its administrators."


    "Apparently, soon will be the first phase of the mission. Based on the level of upation, the Hall of Valor will be divided into several factions, and these factions can then battle each other to determine the ultimate ruler."


    Sosia provided this information with keen insight.


    But she only looked at Sterl with admiration.


    To gather so much intelligence wasn''t just due to abundant resources and a willingness to spend money; it was also because David''s name had echoed throughout the entire Hall of Valor.


    With the gods absent, David was the strongest!


    At this moment, the Twilight Guild hadn''t reached level seven and couldn''t theoretically contend for the management rights of the Hall of Valor.


    However, if David took action to devour other guilds, reaching level seven would be a breeze!


    The Twilight Guild itself was a strong contender for dominance over the Hall of Valor.


    The existing six level-seven guilds clearly did not want this information to be exposed, but among these six guilds, some members believed that rather than remaining ordinary members within their guilds, it would be better to bet on Twilight!


    By achieving merit, the rewards would be greater.


    At this moment, Sosia also mentioned��


    "Vinika, Swagger, Rosha..."


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    "These individuals are yers from those level-seven guilds providing us with information. Their condition is that if the Twilight Guild sessfully seizes some privileges, they want to join Twilight."


    "Uh-huh."


    Sterl nodded silently. The strength of those who had originally been in level-seven guilds was not weak, and bringing them in would not be a loss for him.

 Chapter 420 The Stone of Breaking Limits

    Twilight was merely an organization under Sterl that helped him manage resources. The moral character of its members, whether they would betray him for personal gain, was of no concern!


    Thus, even if those members from level-seven guilds betrayed their original guilds, Sterl didn''t mind.


    He was solely focused on the struggle for control over the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl summoned a panel.


    It was the maniption permissions for the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    Thanks to the information he received from Sosia, Sterl felt that messages were subtly emanating from the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    [Hint: You have triggered a hidden main quest (Hall of Valor region): Master the Power of Creation!]


    [Description: Just like countless times before great tribtions, the Hall of Valor will undergo changes during each cmity, searching for a new master. This not only means controlling this respected deity artifact but also that the controllerscan forcibly ascend to godhood with the blessings of the Hall of Valor.


    You have already stolen part of the existence of the Hall of Valor and suddenly realized that you can reach for the Hall of Valor''s more core powers.]


    [Reward: Legacy from the creator of the Hall of Valor: The Stone of Breaking Limits.]


    A light flickered before Sterl, and as he read the task description, he felt overwhelmed by the amount of information.


    "Wait a minute, my ''control'' seems different from the ''control'' the Hall of Valor chooses for its masters before a cmity."


    He pondered.


    It was known that all the gods had disappeared.


    Using the task description, Sterl guessed it must be rted to the Hall of Valor changing its master.


    However, no matter how much time he controlled the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, it would never change its master in the face of cmities.


    "That means the gods who once controlled the Hall of Valor merely borrowed authority rather than havingplete control like I do?" Sterl mused.


    This seemed quite reasonable.


    Otherwise, when he was in control of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, the Hall of Valor itself would have sensed it to some degree.


    If a god were to turn the Hall of Valor into their own possession, they would surely be aware of this information.


    They would definitelye to cause trouble for Sterl, trying to find a way to reim the permissions of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    "No wonder the level-seven guilds are restless; it turns out the most core reward allows one to use the blessings of the Hall of Valor to ascend to godhood."


    "And ording to the task description, it refers to ''the Controllers,'' which means the slots for ascending to godhood are not limited to just one??"


    Sterl''s heart raced.


    It''s important to note that in the [Transcendence] game system, breaking through each level was incredibly difficult.


    But bing a god was undoubtedly the hardest challenge.


    Just the transition from demigod to god was split into numerous stages, making it exceedingly hard to break through!


    Moreover, even with perfect preparation, there was still a possibility that one might fail to forge divine authority during the ascension and perish!


    If he didn''t already possess divine authority beforehand, Sterl could also face failure when he reached the point of ascension!


    The blessing of ascension to godhood gained from controlling the Hall of Valor was incredibly precious!


    Sterl''s point allocation may be a bit cheeky, but it couldn''t guarantee that Linna, Rayna, and even Teresa, as well as the Sosia sisters, who he relied on as his handy deputy stars, would definitely seed in ascending to godhood in the future.


    However, if he controlled the Hall of Valor, it would be a different story...


    With multiple blessings, at the very least, it would ensure that Linna and Rayna could stabilize their ascension to godhood!


    Sterl was quite delighted!


    He initially thought the resources of the Heavenly Curtain Canyon had be irrelevant, but unexpectedly, through this part of the ownership of the Hall of Valor, he gained ess to such crucial information!


    Moreover��


    "When I obtained the Radiant ss Body, I knew that the blessings were remnants left by that great Divine Power, and having one less is a loss."


    "If the Hall of Valor is to change its master every time it faces a cmity, it certainly wouldn''t grant all the blessings at once."


    "If I were to control the Hall of Valor, I could use the permissions from the Heavenly Curtain Canyon to obtain higher-level permissions and even make the entire Hall of Valor my own."


    "Then wouldn''t I be able to extract all the blessings at that time?"


    "How many gods could I create in one go?"


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement!


    This didn''t even ount for the other benefits he might gain from truly making the Hall of Valor his own!


    A glint shed in his eyes.


    "It seems I must find a way to elevate the guild to level seven as soon as possible."


    "The problem is, during this Valor Combatants conference, we might not gather enough radiant-level materials to reach level seven."


    Sterl felt a bit of a headache.


    But he was also quite decisive; at worst, the seventh level of the Twilight Guild could use some lower-level materials.


    Controlling the Hall of Valor was the more important matter.


    He could always gather materials again in the future and establish a new guild!


    "Relying solely on boss farming to umte contribution points is too slow; I need to take action personally."


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled with determination.


    He didn''t rush into action but instead took a look at the reward for the hidden quest.


    Sterl was curious.


    What exactly was the Stone of Breaking Limits?


    Soon, as he looked at the item''s description, he was stunned.


    "Wow, so that''s how it is!"


    Sterl''s heart skipped a beat as he read the item''s description.


    The detailed attributes of the Stone of Breaking Limits did not appear.


    On the task page, he could only find a brief piece of information regarding the final reward.


    [An essential item for breaking through weak Divine Power.]


    [It is said that when the upper realms formed, all the special elements from the world were extracted, creating the Stone of Breaking Limits, which was then taken into the upper realms. Unitscking this item will be forever trapped in the realm of weak Divine Power, with a lifespan forever limited to ten thousand years.]


    [Hint: This item is extremely precious, with fewer than a hundred remaining in the lower realm. Please use it with caution.]


    "Is this the key to breaking through weak Divine Power??"


    Sterl was somewhat surprised.


    At this moment, he also vaguely realized that his strength had reached a certain limit.


    Even though his cheat had evolved again, it could only raise his talent to radiant level.


    The strongestbat power he had was merely the Iridescent-Level output skills.


    At most, he could add a single evolution from the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    This was enough to allow him to challenge opponents several levels higher.


    However, in a certain sense, his strength enhancement had also hit a wall. Continuing to develop in the lower realm now left him with only attribute growth and stacking.


    He could now kill gods.


    When Sterl eventually ascended to godhood, he would likely be able to eliminate enemies across one or two stages.


    Yet, he feared that he would also get stuck at the realm of weak Divine Power.


    Facing enemies of great Divine Power would likely prove challenging for him.


    The limits of all his various methods had been locked in when he was still at third ss strength in the lower realm!


    "Even if I don''t take the risk to use the Key of the Realms to go to the upper realms and gain upper realm abilities, as long as Iplete this task, my strength can still continue to grow!"


    His expression brightened with excitement.


    The potential rewards from this hidden quest were enormous.


    Sterl felt a heat surge through him.


    He didn''t see himself as a typical protagonist who must venture to the upper realms just because he had the ability; after all, "Solomon" was still being hunted down!


    Whether going to the upper realms would be an opportunity or a trap was uncertain, and it could easily be a suicide mission!


    It would naturally be best if he could safely ascend in the lower realm.


    "However, I shouldn''t be too optimistic. If the cmity is too terrifying, I''ll still have to take the risk��"


    Sterl shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions.


    His primary goal now was to raise the guild''s level!


    As for the caution regarding the Stone of Breaking Limits,


    Sterl felt exasperated. Of course, this thing was meant for him to advance; would he really waste it?


    Yet, he also had a strange feeling that he might be overlooking something��


    Sterl immediately became alert. He remembered that in various novels and films he had encountered before transmigrating, there were often some side characters who, out of their arrogance, thought that certain oddities were mere illusions.


    Generally, those kinds of people met pretty grim fates.


    Sterl quickly edited the information about the Stone of Breaking Limits, condensing it, and sent it to Sosia and Sonis, requesting them to gather information in the Hall of Valor��


    Then, Sterl sent a message to everyone on the guild page.


    [@everyone, I should have told you before, right? The Twilight Guild should not engage in any acts of bullying the weak. However, I''ve thought it over, and during the time I was away, you all must have handled quite a few things, which I haven''t addressed yet.]


    [Additionally, for those of you who joined the Hall of Valor, some are neers and have not been here long, which is fine. But for some of the older members who joined our guildter, there should be quite a few guilds they''ve offended. Please list all of them now.]


    As soon as those words were spoken,


    they instantly stirred up countless waves of shock!


    The members of the Twilight Guild, who were previously focused on their own tasks, were startled out of their wits by the sudden pop-up message!


    At this moment��


    In the Hall of Valor, in the outdoor area,


    a group of yers was reluctantly retreating.


    Before them floated a snow fairy resembling a human female. This boss had initially been targeted by them, but it had coincidentally wandered into the hunting grounds of the Twilight Guild.


    Without hesitation, the group turned to leave.


    Although Sterl had clearly restricted the internal matters of the Twilight Guild from randomly stealing bosses, outsiders had no way of knowing this!


    In the minds of ordinary yers, the Twilight Guild remained a fearsome and unapproachable force! They were known for being extremely domineering; if a monster entered their hunting territory, it belonged to the Twilight Guild!


    Even if you had already been fighting it, you could only consider yourself unlucky and yield the boss.


    Moreover, during the Valor Combatants conference, the name David echoed throughout the Hall of Valor.


    Who wouldn''t be afraid?


    Nobody dared to offend Twilight under David''smand!


    A few Twilight Guild members nearby noticed the scene and smirked disdainfully.


    Although they weren''t actively stealing monsters, if others yielded the boss, they couldn''t just ignore it.


    After all, bosses do attack��


    Before the members of the Twilight Guild could even make a move, their expressions changed dramatically.


    They stared at David''s message, frantically calling out to the group in front of them.


    "This is bad!"

 Chapter 421 Isn’t It Quite Simple to Upgrade the Guild?

    The guild leader had emphasized a few days ago that no one was allowed to bully the weak, yet it seemed he was going to take proactive measures to assess and clean up the guild!


    It looked like he intended to reform the culture within our guild!


    This time, we had indeed taken someone else''s boss; it was peak opportunism!


    Weren''t we doomed?


    The yers of the Twilight Guild were quite astute. With President David''s strength and the buffs being provided by the guild, people outside were lining up to get in!


    If I made a mistake and got kicked out of the guild, that would be a huge loss.


    Moreover, "David" had quite the notorious reputation; anyone who defied him was sure to meet their end!


    Who wouldn''t be afraid?


    "Wait, everyone! You take this boss! You take it!"


    "Don''t go! Don''t go! I''m begging you!"


    There was even a hint of a sob in their voices.


    The same scenes were unfolding in the Hall of Valor.


    A few members of the Twilight Guild were preparing to ept a task in the Assembly Hall, and other yers immediately backed away upon seeing the Twilight Guild insignia on them.


    "Big shots from the Twilight Guild, you go ahead!"


    "You go ahead!"


    ��


    As a result, these few members, who had originally been smiling, suddenly changed their expressions and shouted, "What do you take me for?"


    "Queue up properly!"


    "We in the Twilight Guild despise those who don''t follow the rules!"


    ��


    Near Mount Valha, a few yers were dividing loot when one yer wearing the Twilight Guild uniform maintained a calm demeanor.


    He opened his trading page and found that the allocated resources were indeed more plentiful.


    This was what he deserved as a member of the Twilight Guild; without this identity,pleting tasks would be a lot more troublesome.


    However, the next second, a hint of panic shed in his eyes: "Are you trying to set me up?"


    "Take it back! Take it back!"


    "The task waspleted through everyone''s collective effort!"


    "Distribute it fairly! Don''t mess things up!"


    ��


    In an instant, countless Twilight Guild members were in a state of panic!


    At that moment, they were even more rmed to discover that President David had spoken again on the guild page.


    [I personally believe that a great cmity is approaching, and our Twilight Guild must remain highly united. List out the names of those you''ve offended or those who have offended you, along with their guilds, and we will eliminate them one by one!]


    [After all, we in the Twilight Guild cannot allow any potential enemies to exist!]


    After finishing his statement in the guild, Sterl nodded in satisfaction.


    It must be said that sometimes the thinking of the Swallowing Heaven yers was indeed worth emting.


    Lacking guild contributions, ordinary [Transcendence] yers might hesitate to take action against other guilds, fearing it would seem unjustified.


    Hell yers could easily concoct reasons to go on a rampage.


    ��


    Huh?


    Huh???


    The numerous Twilight yers were left dumbfounded.


    No way��


    Is this really what our guild leader said?


    Didn''t he previously tell us not to bully the weak? Now, because of a minor conflict, he wants to wipe out entire families??


    Guild leader, is such brutality really necessary?


    The members of the Twilight Guild were utterly confused.


    But they quickly came to a realization.


    Why bother thinking about it so much��


    Our attitude towards President David can be summed up in two words��loyalty!


    When the gods left the Hall of Valor, our Twilight Guild was already unbeatable! The strong must humiliate the weak without mercy.


    The guild leader is wise.


    So, what was I just doing??


    Damn!


    A hint of ferocity shed in the eyes of many Twilight Guild yers.


    ��


    "Are we getting the boss back?"


    "Thank you, thank you all."


    The yers from the same guild seemed a bit puzzled.


    Why are the Twilight Guild members being so nice??


    This group didn''t suspect anything; the news had spread widely that David had previously rescued a group of yers being oppressed by the Twilight Guild.


    In the eyes of many yers in the Hall of Valor, it at least indicated that the Twilight Guild leader was a good person!


    So it was only natural for the lower-ranked members to behave a bit better to please David.


    "Tank, go in and draw aggro! We''ll buff first!"


    A person who looked like a captain directed the team.


    At the same time, a heavily armored giant stepped forward, drawing his sword to strike at the ice-blue female figure.


    However, the giant was instantly knocked back by a powerful palm strike.


    The attacker was a member of the Twilight Guild.


    "Wait, do you really want the BOSS?"


    He wore a look that clearly said, "Are you joking?"


    The other Twilight Guild members coldly drew their weapons and charged in!


    "Dare to steal our Twilight Guild''s boss? You must be seeking death!"


    ��


    "Then let''s line up properly. We''ll do it as it should be!"


    A yer in the Assembly Hall spoke up.


    In an instant, he was sent flying by a shockwave!


    A few Twilight Guild yers stood together.


    "Line up? What line?"


    "Remember, once we Twilight Guild members arrive, we set the rules!"


    "It''s not that you allowed it; we were always meant to go first!"


    ��


    Boom!!


    With fire exploding everywhere.


    "We don''t want the task rewards; you can have them all!"


    "Are you insane? Sure, you Twilight Guild are strong, but we the Shattered Star Guild aren''t��"


    Thest yer nearby was impaled by a glowing de.


    The young man dressed in clothing emzoned with the Twilight Guild''s emblem coldly smiled.


    "I just said I hadn''t offended any guilds, and now look what happened?"


    "Thank you all."


    He quickly sent a message in the guild''s built-in chat panel��


    [I''ve offended the Shattered Star Guild. They''repeting with me for task rewards, and I had no choice but to take action.]


    The young man was well aware that recently, the waves of conflict among various guilds had intensified.


    He didn''t know the exact reasons, but it was clear that their guild leader, David, must understand the underlying issues and was deliberately inciting disputes.


    The young man was naturally loyal and wanted to relieve the guild leader''s worries.


    And as soon as the term "the Shattered Star Guild" appeared, the next second, the guild chat room��


    Began to flood with messages!


    Sterl was observing the guild page.


    At first, there was a moment of silence for a second or two, and then it erupted into a frenzy of messages.


    Sterl had merely asked them toe up with a list, but many members of the Twilight Guild were exceptionally considerate.


    [The Shattered Star Guild Guild Level: Level 5, Strongest: Supreme (suspected to master Mirror Law)][Attachments: images, videos]


    [Felix Guild Guild Level: Level 6, Strongest: Two Supremes][Attachments: images, videos]


    [The Thousand Faces Guild��]


    They clearly stated the levels and strengths of the rival guilds.


    There were even some who listed the main members'' locations and the position of the guild leaders.


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction.


    "You all did well."


    He encouraged them in the chat and then swiftly began to take action.


    With less than a day until the Valor Combatants finals began,


    Sterl decided to target two guilds first��


    He quickly reviewed the information provided by the Twilight members and soon nodded: "First target, hmm, it''s you!"


    "This�� Felix Guild!"


    ording to the information, Sterl discovered that the Felix Guild was nearly fully mobilized, attacking a special instance outside the Hall of Valor called the Abyss of No Return.


    This instance could only be challenged by guilds at level six.


    The rewards obtainable were quite high, including tinum Skill abilities, various demigod-level equipment, and a special item called a ss change book that allowed yers to change their sses.


    It served as a welfare instance for the Hall of Valor.


    Basically, guilds that reached level six would attempt to challenge it.


    The Felix Guild had been preparing for this instance for several years, even skipping the Valor Combatants tournament to focus on it.


    Sterl activated his Space Law, his form turning ethereal, and in the next moment, he had vanished into the distance.


    After a few "jumps," he arrived at the Assembly Hall of the Hall of Valor, used the teleportation array to reach the entrance of the special instance, and directly sat down��


    Blocking the entrance!


    This was a rather dim cave, but it was quite spacious, filled with the sound of dripping water echoing around.


    In the distance, the cave''s air howled, resembling the cries of ghosts and spirits.


    At the center of the cave was a slowly swirling dark purple light circle.


    That was the entrance to the instance.


    In the Hall of Valor, there weren''t many level six guilds, and challenging the Abyss of No Return required years of preparation, with actualbat time onlysting about a day or two. So aside from Sterl, the area waspletely empty.


    Sterl wasn''t in a hurry; he continued to sit cross-legged, contemting the power of the de divine authority. He had previously used the Iridescent-Level Shattered Void skill.


    Due to the existence of [Consume], Sterl prioritizedprehending the most precious skill��[de (divine authority)].


    About an hourter, while Sterl was meditating, a sudden spatial fluctuation urred around him.


    Around forty figures slowly materialized, all wearing standard armor, showing numerous injuries and supporting each other, looking extremely disheveled.


    However, the expressions on their faces were filled with joy.


    "After nning for years, we finally cleared the instance!"


    "We''ve directly obtained three S-grade guild materials and a precious hidden ss change book! These two are worth a lot!"


    "We managed to get this ss change book; its drop rate is extremely low!"


    "And there''s plenty of equipment that dropped this time; everyone can upgrade!"


    Members of the Felix Guild were in high spirits.


    But they celebrated too soon.


    Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended!!


    Sterl, harnessing the power of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, exuded a mental aura that was already incredibly intimidating due to his attributes!


    It was akin to the natural suppression that predators exert over herbivores in the animal kingdom!


    Simr to the divine pressure that gods exert on mortals, but of a different kind.


    In the lower realm, aside from gods, everyone would be awed by Sterl''s presence.


    Even at the divine level, they could only barely withstand this aura as long as Sterl hadn''t yet ascended to godhood.


    The rxed smiles on the faces of the Felix Guild members vanishedpletely; they were drenched in sweat, and many of them copsed to the ground.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The sound of bodies mming against the stone walls echoed through the cave.

 Chapter 422 What Kind of Technique is This?

    This was the instinctive reaction of beings from the lower realm, who knelt on the ground under the pressure of the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    "Who are you?"


    "Wait! What powerful being are you? What business do you have with us?"


    "We, the Felix Guild, are at your service. Please let us know how we can assist you."


    ��


    The members of the Felix Guild were busy exiting the instance and were unaware of the previous events at the Valor Combatants tournament.


    They did not recognize Sterl.


    They were all shouting in a panic.


    The neer clearly meant trouble!


    But they still had to force smiles, as the pressure was overwhelming.


    However, a few well-informed individuals recognized who had arrived!


    "Is that David from the Twilight Guild?"


    "It seems he has a powerful Supreme backing him. What does he intend to do?"


    The entire guild was in disarray.


    The guild leader of Felix, an elderly man with a goatee, slowly stepped forward and slightly cupped his hands in greeting.


    "May I ask what brings you here, Guild Leader David?"


    "Our guild may not be strong, but if you have any requests, we will do our utmost to fulfill them."


    "Fulfill them to the utmost?"


    "Alright then."


    Sterl smiled and said, "Hand over your guild core for me to absorb, as a contribution to our Twilight Guild."


    He spoke slowly.


    What?


    The expression of the goateed elder changed drastically. If they gave their guild core to someone else, it would effectively mean theplete destruction of their guild, forcing them to start anew. Moreover, the resources and contributions gained from merging with the core were not particrly significant.


    Generally, only guilds with deep-seated grudges would resort to such measures to utterly obliterate a rival guild!


    An ordinary person could choose to kill all the members of a guild while leaving the guild itself as an empty shell.


    The Twilight Guild was hardly familiar with them; why would theye in demanding such an extreme request right off the bat?


    Had the Felix Guild offended him?


    "Guild Leader David, I''m afraid that''s not something we can agree to."


    Before the elder could finish his sentence,


    Sterl had already slowly raised his hand��Silent Domain activated!


    In order to master divine authority, every two days, he would allocate points to the Blood of the Holy Spirit. The skills that came with the evolved Holy Spirit Bloodline would expire if not used.


    Therefore, he unleashed his full power!


    A dark sun slowly rose, followed by the infusion of the Holy Spirit Bloodline''s strength, rapidly causing the power of Silent Domain to fission and escte!


    ��


    Meanwhile, the members of the Felix Guild shouted, "President, take him down!"


    "He only has one Supreme as his backing; are we really afraid of him?"


    "Let''s kill this David first, then we can go after the Twilight Guild!"


    ��


    These people were indeed quite confident.


    The two Supremes of the Felix Guild were not intimidated by the power behind the Twilight Guild!


    The guild leader and another figure d in a ck robe quickly sprang into action, two beams of tinum light illuminating the cave.


    The yers from the Felix Guild wore cold smirks.


    In the blink of an eye, they didn''t have time to think much; they relied on their past experiences��


    When two Supremes acted together, even a typical demigod would be reduced to ashes. Moreover, the rumors in the outside world imed that this David was hardly strong! He was merely the public face of the Twilight Guild.


    The true powerhouse of Twilight was a figure behind the scenes.


    If that weren''t the case, the Felix Guild would have disregarded David, especially after he had previously released an incredibly terrifying aura of pressure.


    It''s important to note that a level seven guild is the pinnacle of the lower realm''s guild system, and the resources needed to advance further were already said to be exhausted in the lower realm.


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    To elevate a level six guild to level seven required several extremely rare materials, which only a deity could collect!


    Thus, the two Supremes of the Felix Guild were already top-tier existences among level six guilds, holding a notable rank within the Hall of Valor!


    Their earlier good attitude towards David was simply due to their inability to gauge his true strength; if he was being disrespectful, they would simply kill him.


    However, in an instant,


    The dark sun expanded!


    All yers of the Felix Guild were crushed to the ground under the pressure of the Iridescent-Level skills. Not only did their various innate skills dim, but even their attempts to channel the power of the rules were blocked.


    At the same time, numerous curses wrapped around them.


    Sterl didn''t unleash any lethal curses, but effects like body sluggishness, spell bacsh, softening of bones, damage amplification, and heavy pressure were all applied!


    In an instant, the yers of Felix were in agony.


    The two Supremes hadn''t even made a move yet, but they too were forced to kneel under the pressure.


    Sterl particrly targeted the two strong ones, causing them to cough repeatedly, spitting out blood.


    Before them shed a barrage of terrifying alerts, rapidly appearing!


    Messages about various escape and survival items being unusable��


    Warnings that if they died due to curses, there was no way to be resurrected��


    Notifications that their souls were about to be destroyed?


    Just looking at these messages was terrifying, and they realized that every time they attempted to move, the output of the curses only intensified!


    At that moment, the two Supremes felt as if they had fallen into an ice pit, allowing their bodies to copse freely to the ground, daring not to make any extraneous movements!


    Meanwhile, the other members of the Felix Guild hadn''t even realized what had happened.


    They were utterly bewildered!


    Who am I? Where am I? Where are our two powerful guild leaders? Have they really all fallen like this?


    The group of people, using their peripheral vision��


    mainly because they were lying on the ground and couldn''t look directly at David��felt waves of fear and panic rising within them.


    Strangely, the surroundings werepletely silent.


    The members of the Felix Guild couldn''t even take a moment to contemte David''s terrifying presence; under the curses, even moving a little was a challenge.


    Tick-tock.


    Tick-tock.


    The sound of water dripping echoed against the cave floor.


    Several seconds passed, and Sterl stood motionless in ce.


    The Silent Domain had consumed too much energy, and naturally, it had shut down early.


    Only then did the members of the Felix Guild dare to cautiously rise to their feet.


    As they looked at the swirling ck sun in Sterl''s hand, the guild leader of Felix let out a resigned sigh.


    "I... you..."


    "Everything will be done as youmand, my lord."


    His expression changed repeatedly, ultimately choosing topromise.


    The elder with the goatee summoned the guild core, which could only be drawn out with the authority of the guild leader, and half-kneeled as he presented the glowing orb before David.


    He lowered his head, a sh of resentment and hatred crossing his eyes.


    Losing the guild meant losing some buffs, and the items avable in the guild shop were far inferior to what could be exchanged at the Hall of Valor.


    The yers didn''t suffer catastrophic losses!


    On the contrary, they had sessfully cleared the Abyss of No Return, securing the maximum benefits they could obtain near the Hall of Valor through their guild.


    This time, the losses for the Felix members didn''t seem too severe.


    However, the benefits a guild provided were not easy to umte!


    The Felix Guild, built over decades of effort, was destroyed in an instant!


    How infuriating! How frustrating!


    Many yers from the Felix Guild fixed their gaze on David, wanting to remember this disguised face��


    Sterl casually took the orb from them and crushed it in his hand, instantly allowing streams of brilliant golden light to surge into his body.


    A notification shed before his eyes.


    [Your guild Twilight has been nourished by other guild cores, significantly reducing the contribution needed for upgrades!]


    [Your guild Twilight has received nourishment from other��]


    The notifications rang out three times in a row.


    A smile appeared on Sterl''s face as he casually checked the guild panel; the progress toward level 5 had decreased by a full 1/6.


    "Isn''t this quite convenient?"


    "Leveling up the guild isn''t hard at all."


    "What can grinding bosses really do for leveling up?"


    He vanished in a sh from before the members of the Felix Guild, preparing to look for the second unlucky guild.


    Sterl didn''t see himself as a good person; when it came time to upgrade his guild, he would directly target the unfortunate.


    Yet at the same time, Sterl also didn''t want to engage in indiscriminate ughter. Through the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he could clearly feel that at least a dozen members of the Felix Guild harbored intense hatred for him, while others were equally indignant.


    But so what?


    "I''ve only revealed thebat power that David has already disyed; there''s no need to silence anyone."


    "Let them off this time."


    "As for their hatred towards me... it doesn''t matter."


    "I''m already treating them this way, so let them hate. Be magnanimous."


    Sterl murmured to himself.


    The members of the Felix Guild watched as his figure gradually faded into the space, unable to contain their curses.


    Damn bastard, do you think you''re so strong?


    There are countless people in this world stronger than you; one day, you will also be...


    Humiliated! Killed!


    The guild leader with the goatee lowered his head, lost in thought.


    But at that moment, his pupils constricted!


    Other members of the Felix Guild, filled with resentment as they stared at Sterl, showed the same expression.


    Sixteen figures appeared in the sky!


    An overwhelming aura surged forth, emanating a power at least at the Supreme level!


    Their mere presence nearly suppressed the space itself!


    David''s dissipating figure was forced to coalesce.


    The figures merely sneered and said, "David, we''ve been waiting for you for a few days; you finally came out!"


    There was a hint of annoyance in their tone.


    They were the same group of people who had been watching the match in the arena, the sixteen seed yers of the Valor Combatants tournament!


    Their original n was to trap and kill David using a special instance.


    But it turned out��


    Good grief!


    David neveres out!!


    ording to the rules of the Hall of Valor, yers'' residences are ces even deities cannot enter.


    Only those few who truly hold authority over the Hall of Valor can breach a yer''s home.


    As long as David stayed at home, these sixteen seed yers had no way to deal with him.


    What was even more outrageous was��


    The sixteen seed yers discovered that David had no contact with anyone from the Twilight Guild, except for the two vice presidents.


    And those two vice presidents hadn''te out in days!


    That''s right, Sosia and Sonis hadn''t made any appearances since Sterl returned; they simply let the Twilight Guild develop on its own while spending every day in bed with their master.


    Sterl was only at the Hall of Valor for this long because of the Valor Combatants tournament, and after it ended, he would leave. Naturally, the two sisters werepletely infatuated.

 Chapter 423 The Seed Players, All Annihilated!

    Sterl''s situation caused immense suffering among the sixteen seed yers!


    They couldn''t even devise a n to draw David out; David simply didn''t make any external contact.


    The seed yers considered attempting to ambush other members of the Twilight Guild to find David.


    But, as expected, besides the two vice presidents, David didn''t care about the other members of Twilight at all; if trouble happened, it happened.


    Mainly, Sterl felt that Twilight wasn''t worried about recruiting new members right now, so why should he y babysitter to rescue them? It was ridiculous!


    Let those unfortunate souls fend for themselves; it would instead allow them to recruit stronger guild members.


    As a result, the seed yers felt that David might actually make it to the finals without a hitch.


    If that were the case, what would happen to them?


    Who could contend with such a terrifying existence in the finals?


    If they didn''t secure first ce, they wouldn''t obtain the divine artifact! Even if they ced in the rankings, the ultimate benefits would only be enough to support 1 or 2 divine-level births.


    They could not reach the goal they had set when the sixteen of them formed an alliance.


    In the face of a great catastrophe, two measly divine levels wouldn''t be able to protect anyone!


    However, the seed yers never expected that scouts would suddenly discover David had left his residence.


    Instantly, they rejoiced and chased after him!


    They sensed the residual power from the previous Iridescent-Level skill, which made them feel faintly uneasy, but under the cover of the blood-colored document, the seed yers could only sense the strong remnants of the skill''s fluctuations!


    How strong exactly�� they didn''t know.


    Moreover, the arrow was on the string; it had to be released!


    They decisively chose to take action, but someone acted even faster!


    At this moment��


    Sterl''s expression changed, and he immediately summoned the power within his body, Shattered Void, ready to strike!


    Fission Law slowly charged up!


    He regretted having shown off earlier by using the Holy Spirit Bloodline to enhance Silent Domain.


    "My biggest w is still my kindness."


    "Mainly, I don''t want to kill indiscriminately; otherwise, Shattered Void would be enough to wipe out all the members of the Felix Guild."


    "But it can''t suppress everyone like the Iridescent-Level Silent Domain without harming anyone."


    "Now, I''m missing a big move."


    Sterl felt a bit remorseful; indeed�� being soft-hearted was not an option!


    The reason he was going all out now was because of the sudden appearance of the sixteen mysterious Supremes; regardless of whether their intentions were benevolent or malevolent, it was best to strike first!


    The sixteen seed yers were also stunned; they hadn''t expected to face David''s big move right from the start.


    Among them, the elder with the most powerful aura smiled casually and said, "I''ll block him; you all quickly use that..."


    The other yers didn''t hesitate and quickly gathered together; one of them produced a brilliant glowing orb while the others infused their own power into it.


    Instantly, amidst shes of lightning and thunder, a portal with an incredibly strong gravitational pull rapidly emerged.


    As the yer who retrieved the glowing orb silently recited a few words, Sterl felt all the gravitational pull converge upon him.


    Unfortunately...


    It was toote!!


    Sterl had acted too early, almost beginning to gather his power the moment the sixteen seed yers descended.


    That elder dashed forward confidently, a tinum light emanating from him, while a beam of light resembling a star fell from above.


    "Hmm?"


    Sterl paused slightly; he sensed a power that shared origins with the Starry n.


    However, during battle, he didn''t want to think too much, so he quickly drew his sword!


    Instantly, Shattered Void froze the surrounding space with its solidifying effect!


    Then, Sterl swung his sword, and countless sword lights and shadows flickered.


    All those sword lights and shadows transformed into the most intense explosive projectiles, igniting andunching!


    Brilliant white light consumed everything.


    The sixteen seed yers merely watched; they were not Sterl''s targets at all. Sterl had aimed his strike in the direction where they had escaped to.


    After all, [Transcendence] was just a game; unless under special circumstances, his skills couldn''t harm himself.


    Sterl rushed into the white light of Fission, casually tossing out a Fate Token.


    At that moment, no one could stop him!


    The elder closest to Sterl didn''t make a move!


    Because he��


    Was gone!


    Although Shattered Void was not aimed at the elder, the attack range of Fission was too vast.


    The light and heat generated by the simultaneous explosions of countless sword lights instantly engulfed the elder, and the star power he had released vanished without a trace, not even causing a ripple!


    At this moment, the terrifying light shone brightly.


    The gravitational pull from the portal had no effect at all, rapidly being neutralized by the high energy of Fission!


    The remaining fifteen seed yers and other members of the Felix Guild looked up at the terrifying energy swirling in the sky, each one forced to hand over their various protective items.


    In an instant, the surroundings were filled with a myriad of colorful shield skills.


    Yet, under the might of Fission, most of the shields still developed cracks and eventually shattered slowly.


    Fortunately, Sterl''s Fission Law was simr to the power of a nuclear bomb in reality; its maximum output could only be sustained for a few seconds unless he injected additional energy.


    As a result, everyone watched the space cracks formed by the destructive high energy in mid-air with lingering fear, their hearts racing!


    "This... this is the true power of David when he goes all out!"


    "Thank goodness we didn''t provoke him earlier; otherwise, we would have been wiped out!"


    "Seeing it this way, we sacrificed a guild core to save our lives, and that''s not too bad."


    The members of the Felix Guild whispered to each other, each feeling a bit fearful.


    After all, David had taken their guild core; since they had already submitted, could they still fear him?


    They had already expressed their submission to him; he couldn''t just kill them, right?


    But the fifteen seed yers felt a chilling sensation all over!


    They felt as though they had walked a circle at the gates of hell.


    When thatst attack was unleashed, they hadn''t defended in time. Who would have thought that David would be so decisive and unleash his full power?


    If it weren''t for David needing to use that move to escape, choosing to attack them with all his might, he might have been sucked into the portal, and they would have vanished in that light as well, unable to even use their life-saving items!


    "What... what kind of monster is this?"


    "What kind of existence have we provoked?"


    "Why is hisbat power even more ferocious than before?"


    These people spoke in dazed tones.


    Sterl''s Iridescent-Level Silent Domain unleashed during the Valor Combatants tournament had a terrifying effect, but its power was extremely restrained.


    Those watching from the sidelines, or even those who had been instantaneously killed by that move, didn''t feel it was that overwhelming.


    But now, with thebination of Shattered Void and Fission Law delivering such extreme output, it left these Supremes and pseudo-divine level experts trembling in fear!


    The fifteen seed yers found it absurd.


    The only reason they hadn''t died just now was because��


    Of David''s mere whim.


    "Should we continue?"


    "Should we keep looking for trouble with David, or should we�� just give up?"


    In the mental realm, the remaining seed yers weremunicating.


    "Continue? What are you talking about?!"


    "Why aren''t you running?!"


    After exchanging just a couple of sentences, the fifteen of them prepared to scatter. They had initially plotted against Sterl to achieve a good ranking in the Valor Combatants tournament, to advance to divine status, and then secure their lives.


    The core was their lifeline!


    David was too powerful; why would they contest against him?


    They seemed hesitant, butmunication among Supreme and quasi-divine level experts was incredibly swift. In just a couple of moments, the seed yers dispersed in every direction.


    Then, the yer who had previously released the portal reached out, intending to retract it.


    However��


    "Hey, where''s my hand?"


    "No, wait, why do I feel��?"


    He suddenly felt a sharp pain throughout his body before vanishing into thin air.


    This seed yer died without understanding how.


    Hispanions, however, witnessed a scene of sheer terror��


    David, that legendary killer, hade back!


    At this moment, David''s body was enveloped in a thinyer of strange creation; it resembled both armor and some kind of cheap stic film. Yet, thanks to this film, he was immune to the portal''s gravitational pull.


    This was the barrier created by Sterl using Divine Power to invoke divine authority earlier.


    In the Hall of Valor, where no gods existed, David could act more boldly, manipting Divine Power without fear of being detected.


    Until now, Sterl had no idea where those sixteen strong yers hade from or what their purpose was.


    But that didn''t stop him fromunching a counterattack.


    Once again, he condensed the Flowing Water de, activated Shattered Void, and infused it with Fission Law!


    Sterl swallowed several different mental recovery potions all at once.


    Instantly, he felt a bit full.


    He had taken too many potions at once.


    Sterl still had the presence of mind toin.


    But facing the fifteen seed yers under Shattered Void, they were all in utter chaos!


    They had just used their life-saving abilities and items.


    Now, they were a split second too slow to react��perhaps even a thousandth of a second��but that was equivalent to a death sentence!!


    Bright tinum lights flickered, and vague techniques began to coalesce.


    Sterl''s expression turned serious as he saw six beams of tinum light transform into an iridescent glow!


    First, countless strange threads formed into a towering statue, representing power that was beyond divine level, gradually shifting towards godly strength!


    Simultaneously, he could sense an inexplicable chill emanating from his shadow.


    Sterl sensed that strange shadow, half tinum and half iridescent, binding toward him.


    Alongside that was an extraordinarily intense light that seemed to threaten the obliteration of everything!


    In that moment, all fifteen Supreme and quasi-divine level experts were fighting for their lives!


    At this point, it was evident how thoroughly divine level power crushed ordinary power.


    They were all reacting a beat too slowly, hastilyunching their attacks.


    The greater power of the half iridescent abilities was even faster than the normal tinum Skill releases!


    Unfortunately��


    Sterl''s Shattered Void itself was equivalent to demigod-level power!

 Chapter 424 The Portal of Soul Structure

    Shattered Void had already reached Iridescent-Level, but without the corresponding divine authority, it couldn''t be fully unleashed.


    However, Sterl had been at home for the past few days, using any spare points to invest in Blood of the Holy Spirit, and then releasing Shattered Void while contemting the power of the de Law.


    The power of Shattered Void had been steadily increasing.


    At this moment, Sterl solidified the space, and the forces belonging to Space Law and Arcane Law were easily shattered by the half-Iridescent-Level skill. However��


    The subsequent de Power far surpassed the previous two Law Powers!


    The sharp aura surged forward like countless des, ready to massacre!


    Initially, the fifteen seed yers had not yet plunged intoplete despair.


    They couldn''t believe that David could easily handle Iridescent-Level power. If he had such strength, he would have already ascended to godhood!


    If he were a god, what need would he have to participate in this Valor Combatants tournament?


    Moreover, the Hall of Valor was currently in a special state; any divine-level entity lingering here was purely courting death!


    David was not a god, and if we six quasi-divine beings unleashed our full power��


    The advantage is on our side!


    The seed yers hadn''t felt they couldn''t win; they were simply afraid for their lives and chose to flee.


    Especially when they saw the solidifying power of Shattered Void being explosively shattered, their spirits lifted!


    Sure enough!


    Though David was strong, we can handle him together!


    The expressions of the seed yers had just begun to calm down, but then they twisted again!


    In a very short time, their minds were shaken once more, but they had no time to change their expressions.


    It was an extraordinarily dramatic scene.


    Numerous half-Iridescent-Level abilities faced the unknown technique unleashed by David.


    They were actually locked in a stalemate?


    No, it should be said that those countless sword-like auras and phantoms were slightly overpowering the six half-Iridescent-Level forces!


    The de energy roared, bit by bit suppressing the other skills!


    The number of David''s skills couldn''tpare to the six, but in terms of quality, they had the upper hand.


    Because of this, the fifteen seed yers were engulfed in immense terror!


    They knew that the technique David unleashed had two phases.


    The first phase was a sh of de light and shadow.


    The second phase was even more ferocious!


    Now, the de light and shadow were momentarily suppressing their skills.


    How were they supposed to handle the second phase?


    They had no time to react further and could only desperately drive their skills, trying to shatter Sterl''s technique before the second wave of explosion hit.


    Clearly, this was impossible.


    Even a nuclear warhead before Sterl transmigrated would not be obliterated upon encountering an incredibly terrifying impact.


    Instead��


    It would explode prematurely!


    The fifteen seed yers were unaware of this; their desperate attempts to unleash their skills had turned into a death sentence!


    In the midst of increasingly frenzied power collisions,


    Crack, crack.


    Sounds of shattering echoed.


    Countless sword shadows shattered!


    The fifteen seed yers had no time to react.


    Boom!


    It was a thunderous sound that shook the heavens and the earth!


    The yers from the Felix Guild had already reacted and activated various teleportation items to escape, but it was still toote!


    The light produced by Fission seemed to devour everything!


    It surged and roiled!!


    A single, no, countless mushroom clouds formed!


    In everyone''s perspective, it was as if countless suns had risen!


    The members of the Felix Guild could feel that if the dark sun created by David before had instilled fear and unease, like a demon''sir that swallowed everything,


    now the pure white, zing sun instead brought endless light and heat!


    However, this light and heat were so overwhelming that no existence could withstand it!


    Everything was reduced to ashes within it!


    Shattered Void was already stronger than ordinary half-Iridescent-Level skills.


    And the divine-level skill, Fission, was equivalent to a higher divine authority.


    Though the power of rules embodied in Fission could not break through the barrier of divine level,


    it was infinitely close to Divine Power!


    The two forcesbined.


    Unbeatable!


    Even quasi-divine beings could only await their doom!


    The statue disintegrated into nothingness, and the shadow creatures behind Sterl were ignited, their destructive divine light easily devoured by the high-energy light of Fission Law��


    The six half-Iridescent-Level abilities turned to nothingness!


    Then��


    The light spread.


    It disappeared after a few seconds.


    Only Sterl remained standing in ce.


    The cave he upied was part of the Hall of Valor created by the great Divine Power, so it was only stripped of ayer, with the scene hardly changing at all.


    But the surrounding seed yers and the members of the Felix Guild were all consumed by the light!


    And Sterl slowly uttered a phrase.


    "What kind of force do these sixteen strong yers belong to? Why did they oppose me?"


    He still couldn''t figure out who the enemy was.


    This group of seed yers had concealed their identities out of caution before revealing themselves.


    After Sterl broke through and escaped earlier, he immediatelyunched a counterattack, without even the time to activate Star Insight or to check their identities.


    "Forget it, no need to dwell on it."


    "After all, there are no divine-level units in the Hall of Valor now."


    "I am invincible."


    He thought casually.


    By the way, the surroundings were incredibly clean, with not a single loot sphere in sight.


    So Sterl knew that the ones who had attacked him must be from within the Hall of Valor; there wouldn''t be any drops from yers killing one another within the same faction.


    Additionally, Sterl''sbat power had also been sensed by the Hall of Valor.


    He essentially held a status level close to that of a god, meaning he could y other members of the Hall of Valor without facing any punishment.


    After analyzing for a few seconds, he felt that it was impossible for any faction within the Hall of Valor to produce this many quasi-divine beings all at once.


    "So, these quasi-divine beings are a self-formed alliance??"


    Sterl still couldn''t make sense of it and could only temporarily set aside his thoughts.


    He looked around.


    Everything hade to an end.


    The only thing left was��


    A portal stood nearby, emitting crackling arcs of electricity.


    At first, Sterl didn''t pay much attention to what that thing was.


    After the battle ended, he took a moment to inspect it and discovered that a significant amount of Divine Power had been consumed, precisely due to the creation of that istion membrane.


    "Ah?"


    He was taken aback.


    "What is this suction force?"


    "Why is it so difficult to resist? It requires additional Divine Power to create a substance to defend against it?"


    Sterl was filled with confusion.


    But soon, his confusion turned into delight.


    That portal was not an ordinary creation; it was a medium akin to the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls!


    Because of this, what it absorbed was not Sterl''s physical body but rather his soul!


    "Damn! If I had been captured by that thing just now, I would have been finished!"


    Sterl had just taken down sixteen Supreme, quasi-divine level strong yers and felt a bit smug.


    Originally, he thought he was invincible below the divine level.


    After experiencing a real battle��


    It turned out to be true!


    Sterl was in a good mood, but at that moment, he realized��


    He hade dangerously close to a disaster!


    Sterl analyzed the worst-case scenario.


    "That portal is likely a binding device specifically targeting souls!"


    "If it has the same effect as the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, it could even annihte me in an instant."


    "At that point, I wouldn''t even have the chance to lose my powers and return to the real world as an ordinary person!"


    A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.


    At that moment, Sterl was in a dilemma.


    The portal floated alone in the air, its energy gradually weakening, seemingly on the verge of dissipating in the wind.


    Yet, he was somewhat tempted to collect it.


    Resources rted to the soul were extremely precious; up to this point, Sterl had only obtained one Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    The only problem was how to collect it?


    Creating divine authority allowed for the construction of a protective membrane to iste against certain harms, because Sterl was currently experiencing that damage.


    However, Sterl needed to create a substance capable of collecting thispletely unknown portal.


    The consumption of Divine Power would be terrifying.


    This was because the scope of creation was too broad.


    He pondered for a while before ultimately deciding to activate his fourth talent��Infinite Space Insight!


    This was the first time Sterl used this ability.


    After some thought, he sent out an inquiry��how could he utilize this portal?


    In an instant, Sterl felt himself slipping into a truly extraordinary realm; countless remnants of worlds surfaced within his soul, each one stacking upon the other.


    He could see the grass and trees swaying, a wild rabbit darting through a field of flowers, and in the sky, countless winged soldiers shed with one another. In the bubblingva, unique forms of life wereing into existence��


    It was as if everything from the infinite worlds had entered Sterl''s vision, with endless information surging around him!


    Sterl''s consciousness fluttered like a butterfly in a sea of information, gently pping its wings and creating ripples!


    For a moment, he felt he had truly be a god��not just a slightly powerful entity within [Transcendence], but an omniscient and omnipotent true deity!


    Eventually, he pressed his hands to his forehead, blood streaming from his eyes.


    The skill had concluded!


    Sterl obtained the answers he sought, but at the same time, Infinite Space Insight fell into a month-long cooldown.


    "This is an instance entrance?"


    "Called [Inquire Within]?"


    "A type that can be carried by a person?"


    "essing it doesn''t rte to strength, but rather to one''s will?"


    "Time inside the instance might stretch to hundreds or thousands of years, but only a moment passes in the outside world."


    "If you fail to clear it, your soul will be erased??"


    "No one has cleared it in nearly a thousand years?"


    Sterl quickly sorted through the information brought by Infinite Space Insight and made a swift decision.


    Only a fool would attempt this instance!


    He didn''t consider himself some sort of "protagonist" who could break through a challenge that had remained unbroken for a millennium; he would walk in and clear it immediately.


    The difficulty of [Inquire Within] was clearly extremely high, and failure meant instant death! No wonder others regarded it as a weapon.


    It was indeed a terrifying killing move.


    However��


    Sterl suddenly remembered something.


    He paused for a few seconds and switched ounts.


    Mephistopheles, make your entrance!

 Chapter 425 Instance: Inquire Within

    Switching ounts was necessary to activate the "special function" that came with Swallowing Heaven.


    Sterl pointed in the air a few times and indeed found a helpful feature��[Automatically return to the original location after the instance ends].


    The effect of this feature is exactly as the name suggests; if the instance fails, yers can log off, and their bodies will automatically return to the original location.


    However, the rules in Swallowing Heaven and [Tanscendence] state that dying in an instance means you''re dead; there''s no chance to return to the original location.


    Thus, this function had been hidden until Sterl had upgraded the game pod core twice.


    If this function could be triggered, could it allow him to exploit a bug?


    Sterl couldn''t help but ponder.


    Even if he perished in Inquire Within, could he possibly use this support feature to resurrect?


    He was merely thinking carelessly when the disk tattoo suddenly trembled.


    It signaled to Sterl.


    This bug could indeed be exploited, but it would require 100 blood-colored documents to cover it up, and the resource cost for the next bug exploit would double.


    "Then let''s do it."


    Sterl''s eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement. If the disk authentication was a bug, it meant he could indeed survive in the Inquire Within instance using this method.


    Moreover, the portal had no way to be collected; if left to linger in the air, it would soon dissipate on its own. Not taking this opportunity would be a waste.


    Additionally, since it was a soul-rted instance, there might be soul-rted materials produced.


    How could Sterl not be tempted?


    With a life-saving n in hand, he felt no hesitation.


    He then charged into the portal.


    Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Sizzle, sizzle.


    Apanied by a faint crackling sound, he suddenly found himself��


    Wait��


    What am I doing??


    [Face Your Regrets...]


    A soft voice echoed.


    Sterl realized that he was surrounded by a rainbow-colored glow, which gradually solidified into a towering flood of Blood of Contamination!


    Have I returned to the past?


    Wait, where have I returned to��


    No! No!


    This is not the time to think about such chaotic things.


    Unless I deal with the Will of Hell, I won''t be able to escape.


    Though Sterl felt he had entered a bizarre state, he remained calm in the face of crisis.


    He looked into the distance; the gods of the two main worlds were already heavily injured.


    Even the temptation to capture Solomon had left them immobile, as they actively hid within the Blood of Contamination. While this would hasten their demise, at least it allowed them to survive a few seconds longer against the Will of Hell.


    The lifeforms made of thunder armor were strutting about, relentlessly pursuing him.


    Sterl felt helpless; his cheat still needed a little more time to upgrade, so he had to use his final piece.


    He nced to the side, where Licitris, the embodiment of all beauty in the world, was gazing at him intently. The eyes of the Subus Queen were exceptionally clear, as if reflecting an entire world.


    Sterl felt that Licitris seemed to have seen through everything.


    A wave of inexplicable regret surged within him.


    Was he really going to do this, to betray the feelings others had for him?


    It was clear that if he took just a slight risk and acted a bit earlier, the Will of Hell wouldn''t have been a match for him at all.


    Why sacrifice others? Didn''t he himself feel he was making a mistake?


    Yes, maybe it was time to change!


    Yes, shouldn''t he reflect on himself?


    Countless thoughts flooded Sterl''s mind at lightning speed.


    Those were his own voices, continuously shouting.


    Behind him, the Will of Hell was gathering an endless wave of spikes and torrents made of Blood of Contamination!


    A voice within Sterl echoed with grandeur and conviction��no matter if youmanded Licitris, it would be of no use; you know very well that this move is a wide-area attack!


    You cannot escape!


    Sterl''s face turned ashen, clearly affected by the insidious voice.


    And indeed, he was.


    "Damn! The Will of Hell has this move too!"


    Sterl felt his heart filled with various regrets, coalescing into a single thought: he shouldn''t let Licitris make such sacrifices for him; he shouldn''t force her into meaningless sacrifices.


    He immediately concluded! It had to be that the Will of Hell wasunching some kind of mental attack against him.


    Moreover, this attack was extremely dangerous; Sterl had analyzed it before, and having Licitris block it might not be of any help.


    "It''s using my own thoughts against me!"


    "This is likely a skill that utilizes soul power!"


    What a pity��


    A hint of pain shed in Sterl''s eyes.


    Such a powerful skill, and he had to painfully give it up.


    Because that Iridescent-Level skill, which symbolized the key of the Blood God n, was far more important!


    [Consume] can only take one ability!


    Sigh!


    How frustrating!


    Sterl quickly shouted, "Licitris, for me! Help me stall for a bit!"


    "Trust me, as long as you can hold off the Will of Hell for a short while, I will definitely save you, and we will leave this ce together!"


    Seeing the Subus Queen move without hesitation, Sterl shouted even louder.


    "Yes! That''s right! Good job! I love you!"


    "I will always love you!"


    Heughed wildly, soaring into the sky, finishing the lines he hadn''tpleted in theyer of hell, then not paying any attention to the Subus Queen.


    He focused entirely on preparing to face the Will of Hell! The only distraction was whether that speech could have been more perfect, more emotional?


    Before transmigrating, Sterl had read in some books that to deceive others, one must first deceive oneself.


    For some reason, he felt a bit familiar with what was happening next.


    Licitris''s attempts to obstruct were futile; under the area attack, Sterl was still enveloped by the endless Blood of Contamination, but it didn''t matter!


    The Holy Spirit Bloodline exempted him from it all.


    Next, Sterl directly leveled up and sliced down the Will of Hell. Just as he was preparing to sort through the spoils, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy.


    "Hmm?"


    He paused for a moment.


    In an instant, Sterl regained his alertness.


    He looked around, observing his surroundings.


    In the distance were the two main world gods that had already been rendered useless.


    The Will of Hell wasunching a full-scale assault against him.


    "Indeed, I still have to utilize Licitris as a piece on the board."


    He frowned slightly.


    For some reason, Sterl seemed to see a vivid image of Licitris sacrificing herself for him, only for it to be utterly ineffective.


    A colossal wave of regret gnawed at his soul.


    "Yes! That''s right! Good job! I love you!"


    "I will always love you!"


    But Sterl had already finished that deceptive speech, soaring rapidly into the sky.


    Regret or not, it did not hinder the actions he needed to take.


    Then he was enveloped by the Blood of Contamination, but the Holy Spirit Bloodline sessfully granted him immunity.


    Sterl leveled up and ascended to godhood, ying the Will of Hell.


    Then��


    Hmm?


    Sterl froze, suddenly alert.


    "The main world gods are done for; it''s time to use Licitris."


    Wait, why were some vivid images surfacing in my mind?


    I don''t need Licitris to make sacrifices.


    Is this interference from the Will of Hell?


    Forget it; just to be safe�� I should still use her! Even a few moments of dy would be beneficial.


    Sterl thought to himself, but his mouth was still busy.


    "��"


    "I will always love you!"


    He had finished speaking.


    Licitris perished in vain, and Sterl, filled with rage, continued to y through hell.


    ��


    Then it was the fourth time.


    The fifth time.


    The sixth time��


    A certain emotion echoed increasingly within Sterl''s heart.


    "Why can the Will of Hell influence my decisions by fabricating memories?"


    "It shouldn''t be possible; I didn''t originate from thisyer of hell."


    "Could it be that Swallowing Heaven granted it some special ability?"


    While pondering these thoughts, hemanded Licitris to her demise.


    Hepleted the kill.


    ��


    The thirty-fifth time��


    "What a terrifying technique; has it twisted my mind to this extent?"


    Sterl sighed. He now felt an intense resistance to sending Licitris to her death.


    Thus, he decisively resisted while trying to manipte the Subus Queen with his words, leading to yet another meaningless sacrifice.


    ��


    The sixty-sixth time.


    "Why do I feel like I''m getting a bit used to this?"


    "Wait, what am I getting used to?"


    Sterl had a puzzled expression, regret swirling within his heart, yet he felt as if nothing had happened.


    Following the n, using Licitris''s life to dy��


    Unfortunately, this dy was utterly meaningless.


    Sterl remained calm, relying on the Blood of the Holy Spirit to immunize himself from the contamination, ying the Will of Hell once more, and everything restarted again.


    ��


    The ny-ninth time.


    Sterl felt countless waves of regret swirling around him.


    It seemed he had done something very wrong to the Subus Queen.


    Below, Licitris had tears in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something?


    Sterl resolutely shouted that familiar phrase again, allowing Licitris to die in vain��


    As he struck down the Will of Hell once more, the scene continued to twist��


    Yet Sterl merely smiled coldly.


    "So that''s it; it''s not the Will of Hell that''s behind this."


    "I''m trapped in some sort of illusion!"


    His logic told him that the Will of Hell couldn''t possibly have such power, manipting feelings of regret to the point of nearly destroying his mind and spirit.


    If the Will of Hell were that formidable, why would it take so long to fight?


    It could have wiped out Sterl and the five divine-level beings long ago!


    As for Licitris''stest sacrifice��


    Sterl felt a twinge of sorrow, but so what?


    Repeating it a thousand or ten thousand times, he would still make the same choice!


    Finally, the entire scene shattered!!


    Sterl found himself standing in a void, the memories of 99 cycles flooding his mind, making him a bit dizzy. Yet this very process made him feel as if his soul was undergoing some strange transformation.


    Before him, a hint of light shed.


    Brilliant golden text shimmered:


    [Congrattions onpleting the first phase of the Inquire Within trial.]


    [Task Evaluation: Even if all things perish, your heart, as steadfast as steel, will not waver.]

 Chapter 426 Confronting Fear

    At the same time, Sterl faintly sensed, with the disappearance of the prompt text, a translucent figure in front of him pointing an using finger at his nose and berating him.


    "Are you even human?!"


    "Someone loves you so much!"


    "You could feel that something was wrong, you even predicted the future, yet you still insisted on letting her die 99 times. No, wait, adding the previous time, that makes it 100 times."


    "You''re a worthless beast!"


    With a swoosh, the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls swept through, effortlessly incinerating the figure to nothingness.


    To Sterl''s surprise, he discovered��


    "Wow! This figure was that powerful? That''s equivalent to the souls of two gods."


    "Wait, no, it''s not that he was powerful; the souls of the gods were inherently weak."


    He shook his head.


    With the conclusion of the first phase of the trial, Sterl also retrieved the memories of the 99 cycles.


    His only thought was��


    Is this it?


    He had roughly guessed that once ensnared by the illusion, choosing to remedy his regrets would lead toplete consumption��


    In most novels and movies, that''s how it goes.


    It should be like that, right?


    He analyzed this, wondering if it was a bit too difficult to require 99 cycles to clear.


    Sterl suddenly felt a bit uneasy��


    He sensed��


    Could there be another approach to clearing the trial?


    For example, bravely facing his guilty conscience and oveing it!


    "And my approach to clearing is to stubbornly stick to my views, no matter how many cycles I go through��"


    "That''s why the evaluation turned out like that."


    Sterl''s unease wasn''t for any other reason; primarily, even though he was in an illusion, having sacrificed Licitris 99 times still made him feel a bit guilty.


    But��


    That was as far as it went.


    His expression quickly returned to normal.


    Now, Sterl did feel some guilt, but it didn''t change his mindset; to him, Licitris''s soul was still a reserve, a resource to be used in critical moments.


    If he ever found himself in a situation where he couldn''t use a divine-level soul as a resource, and if Licitris was still around, Sterl would do everything in his power to resurrect her��


    After resting for about an hour,


    Sterl felt himself floating in the void, with energy continuously flowing into his mind, helping him regain focus.


    Then the surrounding scene changed once more.


    [Face your fears��]


    Sterl was taken aback, but someone was shouting nearby.


    He discovered he was seated at the exit of a cave.


    The one shouting was Rosalie.


    "Master, what should we do?"


    "There are just too many Devourers of All Things."


    "Ah??"


    Although Sterl felt confused, he quickly got into the zone, recalling the current situation.


    Disaster had befallen, and although Sterl had worked hard to improve himself, he had only be an ordinary Supreme-level warrior, still far from achieving divinity.


    Yet, the Devourer of All Things had already attacked the base where he was located.


    Sosia, Sonis, and Teresa had long since perished in battle.


    Now, only Linna and Rayna were trembling in a cave opened up by a spatial formation, along with Rosalie, who was appearing as the Undying Imperishable incarnation of the Illuminated King.


    "I��"


    Sterl''s expression was hesitant as a massive creature, resembling a body made of swirling ck holes, charged toward him.


    This was a terrifying existence��the Devourer of All Things!


    Its aura unmistakably reached the divine level!


    Facing this horrific being, the demigod-level Rosalie could only flee, looking extremely disheveled.


    At that moment, the bizarre giant beast swung its gigantic arm, unleashing a powerful strike!


    Seeing Sterl still in a daze, Rosalie desperately rushed forward to cast the Curse Law, forming chains of deep purple-ck energy.


    However��


    The protective divine light surrounding the Devourer of All Things shattered against the chains.


    Then, the power of the Curse Law waspletely devoured.


    Although Rosalie was merely a phantom, her face visibly turned pale.


    Sterl, on the other hand, looked past the enemy in front of him and saw the battlefield from a distance.


    Despite the presence of numerous divine-level, demigod, and Supreme beings fighting desperately, they were gradually being overwhelmed as they faced the Devourer of All Things, with its strange Divine Protection and devouring power causing them to suffer more and retreat further!


    Only a few individuals who had mastered the Silent Domain could barely suppress the Devourer of All Things temporarily, rendering its Divine Protection and devouring ability ineffective, turning it into a mere ordinary unit.


    Subsequently, countless skills rained down on these silenced monsters, ying them.


    However, the number of Devourers of All Things that fell was but a fraction; the sky was filled with a dense mass of darkness, which was the nearly countless ck hole bodies rapidly converging.


    Countless smaller Devourers of All Things, wriggling like maggots, crawled across the ground, devouring the earth and sucking the energy from the air above.


    It was as if the entire world was on the verge of ending.


    On Sterl''s side, a divine-level Devourer of All Things struck out with a powerful punch, aiming to y him!


    Rosalie desperately lunged forward to defend him.


    But her efforts were destined to be futile.


    Due to excessive energy consumption, Rosalie''s movements were sluggish, and she simply couldn''t reach her master in time to protect him.


    Sterl felt as if the entire world had been reduced to the shadow of that one fist, and he could only offer himself up for ughter, utterly without the power to resist.


    In the face of imminent death, he decisively activated his ascension to godhood!


    Divine Power surged!


    Boom!!


    Sterl''s aura swelled immensely, followed by the Iridescent-Level Silent Domain and the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline!


    In Sterl''s understanding, he had to maintain the Holy Spirit Bloodline state when facing war, so at this moment, he didn''t even consider allocating additional points first.


    The Iridescent-Level Silent Domain directly formed a ck sun.


    And at the moment that ck sun began to expand, it was strengthened once more.


    Corresponding to the power of the upper divine authority, the radiant-level Silent Domain erupted!


    This was Sterl''s ultimate move.


    A pure ck sun slowly rose in his palm, illuminating everything with an endless, destructive light.


    All the entities on the battlefield, whether divine beings or Supreme demigods, couldn''t help but cast their gazes towards him, feeling an impulse to worship.


    That ck sun ascended into the sky like a true sun, eclipsing the original daylight!


    The ck sunlight shone forth!


    Under the support of Divine Power, the Silent Domain emanated an overwhelming force of suppression.


    Across the battlefield, countless Devourers of All Things were forcibly pressed to the ground, the curse''s effect gnawing at their bodies��


    The yers, who had initially been at a disadvantage, instantly turned the tide; they didn''t need to do much��just casting a few skills was enough to y the Devourers of All Things that had lost all their special characteristics!


    As for the divine-level Devourer of All Things that had attacked Sterl?


    It wasughable; it didn''t evenst a second before disintegrating into ashes.


    Sterl was momentarily stunned.


    After ascending to godhood, the Holy Spirit Bloodline enhanced his Iridescent-Level skills, and this smooth littlebo was something he could easily employ even back when he was a third-ss warrior.


    In his current "memories," he recalled that the intensity of the catastrophe Sosia, Sonis, and the others experienced during their deaths was roughly simr to what he faced now.


    That was why Sterl felt fear.


    In the same scenario, he once again found himself unable to protect those around him, letting Linna, Rayna, and Rosalie perish as well.


    But��


    This didn''t make sense!


    Even if Sterl had identally used the Holy Spirit Bloodline''s skill evolution prematurely,


    in the current intense battle, an Iridescent-Level Silent Domain should be sufficient to suppress the whole area. It wasn''t unreasonable to think he could wipe out the Devourers of All Things in one fell swoop or create an easy escape route.


    "Teresa and Sosia, how did they die?"


    "How could I not protect them?"


    "Under my full power, even if the intensity of the battlefield doubled, I shouldn''t have to fear!"


    "Teresa and the others shouldn''t have died unless I was being reckless, deliberately letting them leave my side to meet their demise."


    "But I didn''t let them leave!"


    Images began to form in Sterl''s mind.


    Faced with the onught of several Devourers of All Things, he had helplessly fled alone, while Teresa and the others, despite their significantly lower strength, still charged toward the enemy, trying to buy time for Sterl.


    It didn''t add up!


    "Other than the possibility of me choosing to abandon Teresa and the others at a critical moment, nothing else made sense!"


    "The strength of these Devourers of All Things��I could easily crush them even without ascending to godhood!"


    The more Sterl thought about it, the stranger it felt.


    He casually struck out with his palm; a weak Divine Power-level Devourer of All Things in the distance was silenced, then shredded by the de-like Divine Power contained within Sterl''s hand!


    ording to Sterl''s predictions, he used the evolution skill of the Holy Spirit Bloodline every day, gaining insights into the de divine authority ahead of time.


    The cmity had officially erupted, and it was time for him to master this divine authority.


    He tested his output capability, and everything seemed fine.


    But how had Teresa and the others perished?


    "Is there something wrong with my memory?"


    "Wait, why am I saying ''ording to my predictions''?"


    His mind was in a state of confusion.


    No!


    No!


    No!


    A word echoed repeatedly in Sterl''s mind, its volume growing louder.


    As his thoughts continued, the world, already shrouded by the ck sunlight of the Silent Domain, became even grayer, with distant sounds of cracking and shattering echoing in the air.


    Sterl tilted his head to listen��


    "Could it be that I''ve fallen into an illusion or some sort of trial?"


    He reached this conclusion.


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    It wasn''t that Sterl had particrly keen perception to see through the Inquire Within instance; rather, it was amon trope in various novels and films from his previous life before transmigrating.


    He was simply guessing!


    Sterl shot into the sky: "Rosalyn, take care of Linna and Rayna; I''ll be back soon."


    At this point, Sterl felt a wave of fear.


    If he wasn''t there alongside them, how could Rosalie, as a demigod, protect his two family members during a cmity?


    Hmm?


    Why should he rely solely on her?


    "Because I have my own means!"


    "Bionic Tear!"


    Sterl summoned his clone; Bionic Tear possessed all of hisbat power and would be more than enough to guard Linna and Rayna.

 Chapter 427 Sterls Nightmare

    As Bionic Tear transformed into Sterl''s form, he felt something was off again.


    Earlier, when he was protecting Teresa and the others, why hadn''t he used Bionic Tear?


    Now, to validate his suspicions, Sterl flew toward the source of the cracking sounds.


    He focused all his attention on Bionic Tear; at a critical moment, he could unleash the power of Fission. Thebination of an Iridescent-Level Silent Domain and Fission power would be enough to clear the battlefield of all Devourers of All Things in one go.


    So...


    How had Teresa and the others died?


    Why had he just been helplessly guarding outside the cave?


    Sterl felt that the images in his memorypletely defied logic.


    The current situation was also chaotic!


    Those Devourers of All Things, to put it bluntly, he could easily obliterate them. Unless Sterl had deliberately chosen not to act, wanting to get Teresa and the others killed, otherwise...


    Everything he remembered shouldn''t have happened at all.


    "Damn it, I must have fallen under some illusion."


    "Holy Spirit Bloodline! Activate!"


    Using the power of the upper realms, he sensed an instant surge of countless golden threads impacting the entire world!


    Sterl didn''t need to fly to where the crashing sounds wereing from.


    His confusion was resolved.


    The entire world was disintegrating into nothingness, shattered by the threads created by the Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    Sterl stood at the edge of the void, feeling memories surge within him.


    "It really is an illusion..."


    "Right, I''m participating in the Inquire Within instance!"


    "So everything before my eyes is merely a trial."


    Sterl contemted.


    As the whole world turned into countless drifting fragments, everything hade to an end!


    Sterl found himself once again standing in the void, this time without any spirit entitiesing to speak to him.


    A prompt slowly appeared before him.


    [Congrattions, you havepleted the second stage of the Inquire Within trial.]


    [Task Evaluation: [Data Error]]


    "Huh?"


    Sterl was taken aback.


    He looked at the broken world and recalled the scenes he had just witnessed, gradually realizing something. The second stage of this instance''s trial corresponded to his own fears.


    Sterl''s greatest fear in the face of cmity was his ownck of strength, which prevented him from protecting those around him, especially...


    Linna and Rayna.


    He had once had nightmares where, during a great disaster, he lost his only two family members because...


    Sterl wasn''t strong enough!


    The content of this trial was designed to force Sterl to break through his fears.


    However, the earlier feeling of "regret" had been constructed based on Sterl''s memories, making it a nearly wless reenactment of past events.


    But now, the scenes projected by the Inquire Within instance depicted a normal scenario, showcasing what a third-ss yer might achieve in the future.


    The instance had already overestimated Sterl as much as possible; a third-ss yer had advanced to Supreme!


    Such a rapid improvement was almost unreasonable.


    Yet it still failed to simte Sterl''s truebat power.


    Just as Sterl had considered in the illusion, even if he hadn''t improved at all and had simply reached the Supreme level��adding just a few attribute points��the time spent each day gaining insights from the Holy Spirit Bloodline was enough for him to master multiple forms of divine authority!


    Combined with his existing abilities, Sterl could unleash a radiant-level Silent Domain that perfectly countered the Devourers of All Things!


    A great cmity??


    It was merely his yground.


    The scenes of despair from the earlier illusion were almost trivial for Sterl to obliterate with a mere gesture.


    Ironically, he didn''t even need to advance to Supreme; sending his current self into that situation would result in rampant ughter.


    The Inquire Within instance had simted the terrifying aspects of cmity based on the information it possessed.


    But to Sterl, that terror was nothing at all!


    This led Sterl to detect a bug within the illusion.


    As a result, the second phase of the trial shattered instantly!


    "But... this time, the real cmity is likely to be much more challenging than what the illusion depicted."


    Sterl didn''t let his guard down due to the perceived difficulty of the cmity shown in the Inquire Within instance. He could sense that the intensity of the cmity in the illusion was roughly simr to what was recorded in various texts.


    Sterl vaguely guessed the truth.


    The cmity within the Inquire Within was just an ordinary disaster; faced with such intensity, he could easily push through it now!


    But this time...


    Recalling the information he had gathered, he noted the gods were extremely fearful and frantically seeking refuge, and the upper realms had been the first to be tainted by the cmity.


    Sterl chuckled helplessly, "If it were truly like what I saw in the illusion, I''d be at ease."


    After waiting a moment, he felt a strange flow of energy surging into his body, rapidly alleviating his mental fatigue. However, after clearing the second wave of the illusion, no spirit entities appeared for him to refine and absorb, leaving him a bit disappointed.


    New information popped up before Sterl.


    [You havepleted the first two phases of the trial. Do you wish to conclude your journey in this instance and receive rewards?]


    [You can choose to challenge the final "nightmare" phase of the trial, which has an extremely high difficulty level. Please choose wisely.]


    Hmm?


    So he could leave after just two phases.


    Sterl was somewhat surprised. Why had no one cleared this instance in a thousand years?


    He thought for a moment; the difficulty of this instance was actually quite high.


    The first trial of "Regret" was something that only someone with a heart of stone, like himself, could break through. For most people, it would be incredibly challenging.


    The "Fear" trial was even more exaggerated. Sterl felt that if he were truly faced with the scenario of Linna, Leah, and everyone around him being killed, while confronting an unstoppable enemy, he might not be able to ovee his fear and fight to the end.


    Moreover, the key wasn''t just oveing fear.


    It was aboutpletely ignoring the overwhelming threat posed by the enemy, having not a single shred of unease in his heart!


    He felt that, whether before or after his transmigration, he had merely the mentality of an ordinary person.


    How could he possibly achieve that?


    It was only due to the limitations of the Inquire Within instance that he discovered the bug in the illusion, allowing him to clear it sessfully.


    So, facing the third level of the trial, Sterl made his choice without hesitation��


    "Confirm participation!"


    He had even enabled the assistive features. What was there to fear? After all, nothing bad would actually happen!


    After confirming, he vaguely heard a phrase echoing��


    "Face your nightmare��"


    Then he found himself standing on a strangely textured ground.


    Wait a minute, this is...


    Sterl looked down; it was a cement road.


    The odd sensation was due to the new sneakers he had bought recently, which felt a bit ufortable.


    At the same time, he felt extremely weak, as if he hadn''t awakened his talent yet.


    Wait, awaken talent?


    Had he be dazed while reading a novel at night? Was he starting to fantasize?


    "Hey! What are you standing there for?"


    "The ss bell has already rung; aren''t you heading over?"


    Sterl snapped back to reality as a boy with brown curly hair, wearing a t-shirt and smiling brightly in the sunlight, approached him.


    "Let''s go! Let''s go! Didn''t you say you wanted to aim for more A+ grades? You could trick your way into getting some extra pocket money."


    Oh, right!


    Sterl suddenly realized.


    The person approaching was his good friend!


    What was he doing just standing there? It was time for ss!


    As for the extra pocket money, Sterl recalled that he wasn''t like other ssmates who had girlfriends, but he had spent quite a bit on games, often running short on cash.


    This semester, Sterl had vowed to get good grades so his parents would give him more money.


    Now�� he needed to hurry to ss!


    If he offended the teacher, he would lose all his participation points!


    As for just now, what had he been doing standing there?


    Sterl felt as if he had just woken from a strange dream, one that involved concepts like transmigration, game worlds, and gods��a jumble of nonsensical ideas.


    Clearly, those things couldn''t possibly exist.


    Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, surrounded by the beauty of the campus.


    The tall trees let sunlight filter through their leaves, casting dappled golden light that fell on Sterl''s face.


    Everything appeared tranquil and serene.


    From there, Sterl followed a routine: attending sses,pleting group assignments, returning to his dorm, ying games, ordering takeout, finishing meals, continuing to game, attending afternoon lectures, and finally going to sleep.


    The next day, he would wake up for ss.


    Back to the dorm, gaming��


    Time passed day by day, yet Sterl felt as if something within his body was slowly slipping away.


    But��


    He decisively went to the hospital, and the results showed everything was normal.


    He was in excellent health.


    Sterl felt relieved.


    Was he really going to doubt the doctor and trust his own unfounded imaginings?


    Thus, Sterl continued this repetitive cycle of life day after day.


    ��


    Sitting in the cafeteria, Sterl said, "Sometimes I feel like my life has fallen into some kind of loop, where I always see the same predictable scenes."


    Behind him, many people clinked their trays as they walked by.


    Sterl poked at his pizza with a knife and fork, then took a hearty gulp of c, letting out a long sigh.


    "Is that so?"


    His friend, the brown-haired boy from earlier, didn''t seem to care much and focused on demolishing the chicken leg on his tray.


    "Are you a transmigrator, a superpower user, or an alien?"


    The brown-haired boy mumbled casually.


    Sterl just chuckled lightly, ending that topic.


    He felt a bit restless.


    He was clearly already tired of his monotonous life, yet he saw no way to escape it.


    Perhaps this was his future��gradually graduating, methodically finding a job, and then getting married and having kids.


    Sterl felt he could see the future unfolding before him.


    And indeed, that was how things went.


    Before long, he graduated.

 Chapter 428 The Assassination Quest of [Transcendence]

    After leaving the campus, Sterl found a job at a bank. His daily routine consisted of going to work and then returning home to y games.


    Later on, he met a girl, and Sterl decided to give up gaming. He started dating during his time off from work.


    The two fell in love.


    Sterl stood in the church, holding his wife''s hand.


    Amidst the cheers, apuse, and flowers, they shared a kiss.


    However��


    Sterl always felt that something was off. Was his wife really just one person?


    Shouldn''t there be two��?


    "What''s wrong, Sterl?"


    "It''s nothing, Rayna." Sterl shook his head and kissed the girl in front of him.


    Years passed.


    Sterl had children.


    He took care of his kids and family, slowly growing older.


    Until six or seven decadester.


    Sterl''s children got married and had children of their own, and he had lovely grandchildren.


    Sterl retired, and his daily life didn''t change much.


    As an elderly man, he still enjoyed ying games and asionally going fishing with a few friends he knew.


    In the end, he hazily saw himself peacefully closing his eyes during a long night.


    The pastor prayed at his gravesite.


    "Mr. Sterl was an extraordinary man. To outsiders, his life may have seemed incredibly calm and uneventful, but he fought tirelessly for his children and family, providing them with sufficient means."


    "He was an ordinary man, yet he was also an extraordinary person."


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    Sterl felt a bit annoyed. What did it mean to be ordinary yet extraordinary?


    Ordinary was just that��ordinary! He had lived a life devoid of ups and downs, a truly mediocre existence!


    Sterlined, his tone clearly filled with dissatisfaction.


    Wait a minute?


    Hadn''t I just died?


    Then��


    Sterl froze, realizing he was standing on a cement road once again.


    "Hey, bro, it''s time for ss. Aren''t you going?"


    Sterl saw his friend approaching and calmly nodded. This time, he slipped into the role more quickly.


    "Yeah, it''s time to head to ss."


    However, he felt a bit weaker this time.


    Once again, it was a repetitive process.


    Sterl graduated, started working, and got married.


    This time, his wife was a lively girl named Linna.


    Sterl still found it a bit strange.


    Was his wife really just one person?


    In the church, the vivacious blonde girl didn''t notice her husband''s confusion and enthusiastically hugged him.


    Then, Sterl and Linna had children, retired, and peacefully slept on their sickbed.


    This time, he saw the pastor''s prayer but didn''tin as he had before; he simply watched calmly.


    Isn''t this how it should be when someone dies?


    Surely they wouldn''t turn into a spirit just to critique their own funeral, would they?


    Then came the third cycle...


    The fourth...


    The fifth.


    After each reincarnation, Sterl felt as if he had returned to a young body, beginning his campus life anew. Yet, even in this strong and youthful form, he inexplicably felt weak.


    At this moment, in the void, Sterl''s body was unharmed, but his soul''s fluctuation grew fainter and fainter.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Sterl had already devoured numerous Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, making his soul even stronger than that of a deity, he might have been extinguished long ago!


    In the instance��


    The unease from the soul''s decline triggered a reaction in Sterl.


    "What''s wrong, bro?"


    In the illusion,


    Sterl noticed his friend looking at him with a puzzled expression.


    "It''s nothing, I just feel a bit off."


    "By the way, I seem to have forgotten your name?"


    "Ah?"


    The abrupt and seemingly pointless question left both of them stunned.


    It was as if a bug had been triggered, causing everything around them to freeze for a moment. Soon, the previous dialogue was disregarded, and time began to flow again.


    "Bro."


    Sterl chose a ceholder name, wondering why he didn''t call his friend by his actual name.


    "Don''t you think this life is utterly meaningless? Just going through the motions."


    The brown-haired boy looked at him with a puzzled expression and said, "Going through the motions? What do you want to do, bro? We still have student loans to pay off!"


    "Yeah."


    "Student loans."


    Sterl''s ambitions were instantly crushed.


    How could he talk about life and the future when he couldn''t even repay his student loans?


    First�� he had to focus on studying.


    However, he was supposed to be following the path and attending ss normally.


    The illusionary space around him, which had begun to show cracks, suddenly solidified and became perfect once more.


    Suddenly, a strange fluctuation surged within Sterl''s body; the Fortune cloud he had earlier acquired shattered, transforming into wisps of blue smoke.


    Ultimately, it flowed into Sterl''s arm.


    The disk tattoo on his arm began to glow, emanating a series of eerie lights.


    Sizzle.


    Sizzle.


    Concealment failed, a code error appeared, and the system was rebooting.


    Attention, host!


    Attention, host!


    The continuous notifications startled Sterl!


    Oh no!


    I''m still using the Mephistopheles ount.


    Wait? What Mephistopheles? How did I suddenly switch to a mythological story?


    What does "concealment failed" mean? What am I trying to conceal?


    Sterl felt a haze in his mind, as if something was trying to break free but was firmly restrained.


    He looked at the tattoo on his arm, and for some reason, Sterl felt that the voice wasing from it.


    "When did I get a tattoo?"


    He didn''t particrly mind tattoos, but the issue was that it shouldn''t be something as ugly as this, right?


    It was a bizarre-looking disk.


    "No way! In my memory, I''ve never had a tattoo."


    This isn''t a tattoo! It''s just a disk that has fused into my body!


    A thought suddenly sprang up in Sterl''s mind.


    He chuckled to himself.


    Was he really so unwilling to be ordinary that he was losing his mind?


    What supernatural events happen in reality that would allow a disk to merge with one''s body?


    What a joke!


    "No, wait! There''s another voiceing."


    "It''s the voice of the game system."


    Sterl sensed something, and before him appeared a series of strange humming sounds, morphing into a statement that he found somewhat iprehensible.


    [You have triggered a quest!]


    [You have triggered a quest!]


    [Quest: Escape!]


    [Quest Description: As a hell yer, you dare to activelye to the main world. Your coordinates have been exposed. You have received a quest to fend off pursuers. Your location will be reported in real-time for the next 10 hours. You must survive for 10 hours to regain the right to log off and teleport!]


    [Quest Reward: None]


    [Warning: The [Transcendence] system will continuously issue quests to obliterate you.]


    [Warning: Afterpleting the quest, you will have one day to escape. Otherwise, you will trigger another pursuit by the [Transcendence] system.]


    That was the chilling scream from the Swallowing Heaven system.


    Sterl was momentarily stunned��


    Swallowing Heaven?


    What''s this Swallowing Heaven?


    Another system?


    What am I even thinking?


    His expression grew increasingly perplexed.


    No! No!


    This doesn''t make sense!


    Sterl''s mind raced.


    He looked at everything around him, which had turned into a semi-transparent, illusory state��


    The tattoo on his arm was very clear, and the words in his mind didn''t seem like mere auditory hallucinations.


    "My memory is messed up. I should have lived a normal life!"


    "Didn''t I go through several cycles like this before?"


    "No! Several lives? I''ve experienced several lives? What a joke! How many lives can an ordinary person have??"


    If he were a normal yer, he might have been fooled.


    But in Sterl''s illusion, the world he was in was one that valued science.


    There was no concept of past lives or souls!


    His memories and knowledge were in conflict!


    The prompts from the disk and the Swallowing Heaven system had be the trigger.


    "Everything''s wrong! Everything''s wrong!"


    Sterl felt increasingly frantic.


    His good buddy stepped forward, "Bro, what''s wrong? Do you need me to call a doctor?"


    "No! That''s not it!"


    Sterl screamed, shoving the brown-haired boy to the ground as he burst out of the dorm!


    He dashed through the campus in a frenzy, not knowing where he was heading.


    "This ce... looks a bit familiar!"


    Sterl suddenly stopped in his tracks, unsure why he had found himself here.


    But it was as if a gust of wind had blown through the sealed memories in his mind.


    He felt that this point in the campus was somewhat familiar!


    "I was right here when that incident happened."


    Sterl murmured, but after he spoke, he quickly dismissed his own words.


    Having gone through multiple reincarnations, his soul''s power had weakened to the extreme, yet it was still equivalent to a divine-level existence. Under the influence of the illusion, he repeatedly forgot various anomalies.


    But in the turbulence of Sterl''s Divine Power, he faintly saw something��


    Suddenly, everything around him turned gray.


    Sterl felt a pulse in his chest��


    Thump!


    Thump!


    The sound of his heartbeat echoed.


    A golden light illuminated his chest!


    "Is it my stat-boosting cheat?"


    This time, Sterl showed no signs of confusion.


    Other things were external, but the stat-boosting cheat was tightly intertwined with his soul.


    He sensed the presence of the cheat immediately!


    A strange panel appeared before him.


    Sterl raised his arm; although the attribute panel didn''t show up, he could easily perceive that his school uniform could be enhanced through stat points.


    Without hesitation, he chose to allocate points.


    Instantly, the ordinary clothing shimmered; Sterl felt the outfit he was wearing be incredibly tough, impervious to knives and bullets.


    "This is my special ability!"


    Sterl''s face lit up with excitement.


    "Just as I thought!"


    "I knew I wouldn''t remain ordinary my whole life!"


    He was overjoyed.


    Under the influence of the illusion, the earlier Swallowing Heaven task prompt and the warnings from the disk were all ignored after the initial shock.


    However, after the cheat was awakened, Sterl''s memory of it was directly etched into his soul, making it impossible to forget!


    "With the ability to allocate points, I will rise to the top in the city!!"


    "This is my destiny!"

 Chapter 429 Breaking Through the Illusion

    Sterl spoke with excitement.


    "What a pity I can''t enhance my talents; otherwise, mybat power could skyrocket in an instant."


    He sighed.


    After discovering his ability to allocate points, Sterl felt something inside him stirring, ready to break free.


    But the illusion continued to suppress his thoughts; the word "talent" slipped from his lips, only to be forgotten immediately.


    Outside the illusion, the stat-boosting cheat within Sterl surged forth, transforming into a beam of golden light that shot into his mind!


    It activated a memory.


    About how he had transmigrated!


    Sterl had long lost track of that memory; he had always thought he simply woke up one day in another world.


    Now, he recalled something.


    The illusion within the instance began to shift as well.


    The campus changed its appearance!


    "Help! There''s�� there''s a monster attacking!"


    From a distance, Sterl saw a girl in hot pants, her figure quite impressive, rushing toward him.


    It seemed to be��


    "The cheerleading captain from our school?"


    Sterl recognized the girl.


    His brown-haired male friend had a crush on her and had pursued her in the past.


    At that moment, however, the cheerleading captain appeared to be in a dire state, covered in blood.


    Upon seeing Sterl, she revealed a hint of surprise and tried to rush over.


    Suddenly!


    Her expression froze, her movements became stiff, and she coughed up chunks of her innards.


    She was pierced through by a monster that charged in from behind!


    "That is��?"


    Looking at the creature, which was entirely green with arms resembling dual des, Sterl felt a strange sense of familiarity.


    "It looks a bit like the demons I used to grind against in hell?"


    "Wait, I was in hell before??"


    "What the hell is going on?"


    Inside the illusion, Sterl''s memories were in a continuous state of chaos.


    But he had no time to think.


    He saw mes descending from the sky.


    The campus instantly transformed into a hellish inferno.


    He was thrown back by the shock of the mes, tumbling to the ground in a miserable state.


    Yet amidst the endless fire, a golden silhouette also fell from above.


    "This is��?"


    Sterl was still in a daze, but his body had already begun to move.


    He wasn''t just acting on his own will; he was mimicking actions he had once taken, hidden in his memories.


    Sterl forced himself to get up. Despite the painful burns from the mes, he ran without hesitation toward the spot where the golden light was descending.


    He sprinted a few steps, suddenly dodging into a pile of debris just as a me crashed into the spot he had upied moments before!


    Boom!!


    Many bricks and stones on the campus were shattered.


    However, thanks to his excellent positioning, Sterl had already dashed into the ssroom building. The mes and debris hit the walls, causing no damage to him at all.


    Next, Sterl initially intended to head towards the elevator, but after a moment''s thought, he abruptly turned and bolted down the hallway.


    Behind him��


    ng!


    ng!


    The elevator doors opened, revealing a few bouncy monsters munching on the corpse of a staff member in work attire.


    They nced curiously ahead.


    They could clearly sense the presence of prey��


    Well, since the prey had disappeared, they might as well eat.


    Nom nom!!


    A few small demons quickly reduced the teacher''s corpse to nothing but bleached bones.


    Sterl skillfully evaded the onught of mes and the ambushing demons, finally making his way to the rooftop of the campus.


    At that moment, the golden light was just about to fall!


    Sterl made a sudden leap, soaring over the rooftop to grasp the golden light in his hand!!


    "Was I really that reckless back then??"


    Sterl recalled!


    Looking at the golden light he had caught, his memories flooded backpletely!


    He remembered his transmigration.


    At that time, he was on his way to ss when chaos erupted on campus. His friends, the cheerleading captain, and many teachers were ughtered by demons.


    And Sterl had noticed a point of light falling from the sky, radiating an inexplicable allure, prompting him to seek it out decisively��


    He also remembered how heter transmigrated, awakened his cheat, and grew stronger, eventually joining a colossal organization like the Hall of Valor, ying the will of an entire dimension in hell.


    However��


    He still couldn''t recall how he returned to the time before his transmigration.


    But Sterl had regained his former memories.


    Next, he lost the ability to act as everything unfolded like a movie.


    It was just a first-person VR perspective.


    After grasping the golden light, Sterl rapidly fell from the rooftop.


    At such a height, there was no doubt he would die upon impact.


    Unfortunately for Sterl, he crashed headfirst into the ground, instantly rendering him unconscious!


    "..." Sterl''s consciousness felt helpless; he remembered thinking that after obtaining the golden light, he might be a hero and save the campus.


    Instead��


    He died on the spot.


    However, the golden light fused into his body, forcefully sustaining his soul.


    At this moment, Sterl''s consciousness transformed into a third-person perspective, watching his own corpse: "This is what I looked like after falling."


    He observed with curiosity.


    In the chaos, no one paid any attention to Sterl''s lifeless body.


    Hey there for what felt like four or five days.


    Sterl''s consciousness had waited too long, and he was extremely anxious.


    Finally, several figures approached.


    "There''s actually someone still alive."


    "Wait, why does this potential value seem so high? Such a strong Fortune!"


    "This person could be quite valuable."


    The memory of their thoughts froze at this moment, and he felt a chill run through him, as if those people were spraying some kind of reagent from a gun.


    "Store him."


    "Later, we can reactivate him..."


    This was all the memory he had before his transmigration!


    As his consciousness gradually faded��


    Sterl felt that the surrounding illusion could no longer be maintained.


    The light in his chest, symbolizing the cheat, grew more intense! Ultimately, it broke through everything!


    Even in an extremely weak state, his soul level approached that of a god.


    He recalled the most crucial memory��


    He had participated in the instance, which was why he had returned to the past; this was an illusion!


    Upon realizing this,


    Bang!!


    The sound of shattering echoed all around.


    All light and shadow turned to nothingness, and Sterl returned to the void.


    "The instance has been cleared."


    Sterl murmured.


    At this moment, however, he felt little excitement; instead, he was overwhelmed by confusion and fear.


    "The difficulty of Inquire Within the instance is indeed exaggerated."


    "Except for the first stage, I passed everything by sheer luck."


    Sterl pondered that the second stage had ws due to the limitations of the instance itself, while the third stage was...


    He sensed within himself and found that his Fortune had indeed been depleted.


    He hadpletely immersed himself in the nightmare illusion; if it hadn''t been for Fortune triggering the disk, causing a bug that rendered the concealment ineffective and exposed Mephistopheles''s presence, he wouldn''t have triggered the pursuit mission.


    This led to two prompts suddenly shing into Sterl''s mind, and without that, he might not have awakened the cheat to ultimately break the illusion...


    Failing to clear the instance could trigger the assist function to run his corpse...


    But all the rewards would be lost! How could he not be afraid?


    "My nightmare..."


    Sterl murmured softly.


    "What I fear most isn''t some powerful enemy, but living a mundane life as an ordinary person..."


    He sighed, realizing that was why, when cmity descended upon the campus, he chose to risk everything to chase after that golden point of light.


    In the next moment, Sterl found himself in a state of confusion again.


    "Perhaps I transmigrated because I captured the point of light representing the cheat??"


    "What did those figures mean by potential?"


    "It seemed like they were selecting some special individuals."


    "Could my transmigration be rted to them?"


    "They also mentioned something about reactivation."


    "Did I end up being frozen??"


    After regaining his lost memories, Sterl became even more bewildered.


    He had thought that the world before his transmigration was just an ordinary, peaceful one, but now it seemed... quiteplicated??


    Were there monsters from hell appearing??


    It was likely that his hometown had also been affected by the [Transcendence] system and the Swallowing Heaven system, belonging to some Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    "Will I ever be able to return?"


    As he pondered this, he felt little joy; what would be the use of returning to his hometown? The timelines were different, and it was very possible that everything had changed beyond recognition.


    All the friends and family he once knew might have turned to dust.


    "No, I should still find a way to go back, at least to understand where the demons that erupted during the disaster at the campus came from."


    "Why did the cheat manifest? And I need to uncover the secrets hidden by those mysterious forces."


    "And..."


    He suddenly considered a chilling possibility.


    His body hadn''t actually died at that time; if he had been frozen by those mysterious individuals, was there a chance of resurrection?


    Would he encounter another "Sterl" upon returning to his hometown?


    The more he thought about it, the more perplexed he became.


    At this moment, Sterlzily floated in the void.


    Returning to his former hometown was a bittersweet experience for him; even though he was just an ordinary student there,


    he had enjoyed ying games every day, indulging in various fast foods, and living a peaceful life, which gave him a sense of ease andfort.


    This was something he could no longer enjoy in his current state.


    "But if I had to choose..."


    "I still want to be this version of Sterl, the one who can even kill gods."


    He muttered to himself.


    Time flew by, and a gentle flow of energy entered Sterl''s mind, rejuvenating his exhausted spirit.


    Suddenly, a prompt appeared before Sterl.


    [Congrattions! You have perfectly cleared the instance: Inquire Within. This instance will temporarily close.]


    [You will receive an opportunity for soul infusion.]


    "Soul infusion?"


    Sterl noticed the void dissipating, transforming into a semi-transparent space filled with countless numbed souls.


    They were densely packed,yered upon each other.


    There were at least thousands upon thousands of them!


    Suddenly, the souls seemed to be influenced by something and rapidly rushed into Sterl''s body!

 Chapter 430 Soul Power Surges! Stage Zero!

    Sterl reflexively tried to dodge, but it was toote!


    A soul rushed into his body!


    Immediately, Sterl felt a slight increase in his soul level��


    It brought him a strange sense offort and satisfaction.


    Then came��


    The second shadow of a soul.


    The third shadow of a soul��


    Countless souls surged toward Sterl like an endless stream of water.


    Sterl had a general idea of where these souls came from; they were the countless individuals who had perished tragically without clearing the Inquire Within instance.


    Their consciousness erased, the souls had be the sustenance umted within this instance.


    All of it was poured into the final challenger!


    Sterl felt an extremely pleasant sensation, as if he were floating on a cloud.


    His soul level was rapidly soaring.


    Eventually, he felt a sort of fullness on a spiritual level, yet there were still a vast number of souls rushing into his body.


    Sterl looked at the panel, and his soul level seemed to jump almost every second!


    Just a moment ago, he had reached level 30, then it was thirty-two, thirty-five, and forty-one��


    Then��


    Forty-two, forty-three, forty-four��


    Finally, his level settled at over forty-nine!


    The massive experience bar from level 49 to 50 was filled to four-fifths!


    At this moment, Sterl sensed something; level 50 appeared to be a special level, likely offering significant enhancements!


    Without hesitation, he took out the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls and absorbed it, leaving just a flicker of me.


    The results of his absorption made Sterl extremely satisfied.


    He felt his soul stirring, transforming from an initially formless and insubstantial body into something solid.


    [Your soul level has been raised to level 50.]


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    [Your soul power system has officially unlocked, current status: Stage Zero!]


    In an instant, Sterl felt as though an explosion had urred in his mind!


    Everything became chaotic and disorganized.


    He clutched his forehead and slowly copsed to the ground.


    Various jumbled messages danced in his mental realm.


    Sterl felt��


    His body move, and astonishingly��


    He detached from his physical form!


    He found himself floating at the entrance of the Abyss of No Return, with Mephistopheles''s body half-kneeling on the ground below.


    "Is this soul departure?"


    Sterl was somewhat astonished.


    At this moment, he felt that the entire world seemed more transparent.


    Sterl quickly caught sight of some lingering spatial fluctuations��traces left behind by members of the Felix Guild who had activated their teleportation abilities early and fled.


    He hurriedly manipted his soul form to reattach to his body.


    Then, he opened his eyes again, and a flurry of messages filled his vision.


    [You have unlocked the soul panel.]


    [You have entered Soul Stage Zero, and you have experienced a soul surge!]


    [You have gained the ability: soul shell.]


    [You have acquired a Soul Treasure Vault.]


    ...


    The various messages were all about the newly appeared soul panel.


    Sterl chose to ignore these notifications and instead opened the panel to observe.


    [True Soul Name: Sterl]


    [Soul Level: lv 50]


    [Soul Treasure����Active Slots: One, Avable Slots: One]


    [Soul Transformation: Not yet reached the specific level (0/100)]


    [Soul Abilities: soul shell, soul departure, soul imprint]


    Sterl examined the panel and quickly processed the information.


    The panel provided quite a bit of insight.


    Firstly, reaching soul level 50 marked the true manifestation of soul power at Stage Zero!


    The benefits it brought included��


    First, Sterl sensed an enhancement in his abilities; he noticed that using all his skills felt much smoother and more effortless.


    To put it simply, it was like his smartphone before transmigration; various skills and talents were like apps. Sterl had always been able to use these "apps," but they tended tog while running.


    After the soul enhancement, Sterl''s phone was now fully upgraded, allowing for extremely smooth operation of all apps.


    This was no small boost inbat power.


    At level 50, his soul level surpassed many divine-level entities.


    In other words, Sterl''s speed and reaction time were now unmatched in the lower realm!


    Second, reaching Soul Stage Zero granted him an additional empty slot in the Soul Treasure.


    "But what is a Soul Treasure??"


    This was something Sterl had never heard of before. He was no longer a na?ve rookie just entering the Hall of Valor; he had studied extensive materials collected by Sosia and Sonis.


    His knowledge was already quite profound.


    Yet, "Soul Treasure" waspletely absent from the records of the Hall of Valor.


    "ording to the panel, there is more than one slot for Soul Treasure, and additional slots can be unlocked."


    "If filled, it should provide significant bonuses."


    "But if there''s no relevant information in the lower realm, I''ll have to seek it out in the upper realms."


    Sterl pondered.


    Next was the section on soul transformation.


    Sterl was unaware that the two figures from the upper realms in the Blood Red Fortress had previously mentioned this term, so he didn''t pay it much attention.


    He searched his mind and found that the materials from the Hall of Valor also did not mention this term.


    "You need to reach level 100 to touch the threshold of transformation."


    "There''s no rush to understand it now."


    He thought to himself.


    Finally, there were the three abilities he had gained.


    [soul shell]


    [Category: Special Ability]


    [Description: After the soul has undergone transformation to its initial stage, it possesses certain characteristics of reality creation, granting it a degree of protective capability.]


    [Effect: You cannot have your soul shattered by attacks specifically targeting anything other than the soul. Only entities with a soul level higher than yours can harm your soul.]


    Hmm?


    Sterl looked at the skill''s effect and found it somewhat convoluted.


    But soon, he understood.


    With his soul level reaching Stage Zero and having acquired soul shell, ordinary means could no longer harm him. For example, the Inquire Within instance, which targeted yers who failed to clear it by erasing their souls.


    If Sterl were to fail the challenge, the power of the Inquire Within instance to erase souls would be below the level of 50.


    In that case, Sterl would be immune to the punishment.


    Additionally��


    In divine-level battles, deities could inflict damage upon souls. However, with soul shell, ordinary methods couldn''t extinguish his soul unless the divine-level entity that killed Sterl had a soul level exceeding his.


    Otherwise, Sterl could reliably trigger his resurrection skills.


    "Nice! This skill is impressive!"


    Sterl was quite pleased.


    In divine-level battles, once the physical body was destroyed, the soul couldn''t escape either, meaning that the casualty rate in battles between divine beings was even higher than that between demigods!


    When facing a god, a heap of resurrection abilities would be rendered ineffective.


    But now, under the protection of soul shell, Sterl''s resurrection abilities could be activated once again in divine-levelbat!


    The second ability was soul departure.


    This was easy to understand, as Sterl had passively tested it just moments earlier.


    He looked at the detailed information about the skill��


    [soul departure]


    [Category: Special Skill]


    [Description: Mastering powerful soul energy is a cornerstone of being a strong individual. With overwhelming soul power, you can easily separate your soul from your body. In the event of your physical annihtion, you can prolong your life through soul departure.


    You can also possess others and take over their bodies, but upon doing so, you will lose all non-soul-bound abilities, including all talents and ss skills.]


    "Hmm?"


    After reading the information, Sterl found it somewhatckluster.


    He thought that since he could already resist soul attacks with soul shell and activate his resurrection abilities, did he really need to possess someone else?


    Soul departure didn''t seem to offer much utility for resurrection��


    Wait! It wasn''t useless!


    Sterl suddenly recalled something. Taking the earlier example of the Blood of Contamination, that thing couldn''t corrupt the soul but could devour the body, causing all resurrection abilities to fail.


    Under normal circumstances, even a god would surely die. However, if he had the ability to possess, there would still be a chance for rescue.


    Although he had to give up everything and start anew, Sterl''s ability to allocate points was tied to his soul. As long as he was alive, there would always be a chance for aeback.


    At present, the function of soul departure allowed Sterl to separate his soul and observe the outside world, making it an extremely effective method for gathering intelligence.


    Sterl tried once more to let his soul float out of his body.


    He sensed it, and indeed, soul departure was distinctly different from having one''s soul forcibly manifest after the physical body was destroyed.


    When a divine-level entity forced a soul to manifest, they could easily sense it.


    However, in a state of soul departure, unless the soul level was higher than Sterl''s, it would be impossible to detect the existence of his soul.


    The final ability on the soul panel was��


    [soul imprint]


    [Category: Special Ability]


    [Description: Only after the soul has transformed to its most basic state can it carry extraordinary power; otherwise, you are merely a temporary possessor of that power, and the original wielder can reim it at any time.]


    [Effect: After your death, abilities below divine level (Iridescent-Level) cannot be stripped from you.]


    Huh?


    Sterl was taken aback!


    He had originally thought that soul departure was not very practical, but now it seemed that this skill was truly useless!


    Sterl couldn''t help but chuckle; what good was a passive ability that protected part of his power after death?


    The only significance of this skill was that it finally made Sterl understand something.


    The soul was the source of all power. In Tanscendence, when a yer died, all of their power was stripped away because the enhancements to the soul from leveling up, bing stronger, and even achieving divinity were minimal.


    If the soul could not carry the power acquired, then naturally, when the "yer''s body" was destroyed, they would revert to being an ordinary person.


    "In other words, as long as the soul level is high enough, it doesn''t matter whether yers in Tanscendence die or not."


    "If I can preserve divine-level abilities when I''m at Stage Zero, then once I break through to Stage One, it should be impossible to strip away powers above divine level, right?"

 Chapter 431 The Ceremony of Ascending to Legend

    After receiving a new piece of information, Sterl''s expression remained unchanged. His only thought was to help Linna, Rayna, and the others elevate their soul levels. That way, even if they identally perished in the game world, they could return to reality with their skills intact, and their lives wouldn''t suffer as a result.


    Sterl sensed two pieces of information from the soul panel.


    First, the Zero Phase represented the process of soul powering into existence from nothing, allowing only for self-defense. Upon reaching the First Phase��level 100 andpleting the transformation��thebat capability of soul power would be on par with any conventional means.


    Second, Soul Treasures were independent of the soul power system and could additionally bestow soul abilities and various special enhancements.


    "So..."


    Sterl recalled the Key of the Realms lying in the small world. If he were to venture into the upper realms, his tasks would increase by two: find a way to rapidly elevate his soul level toplete the transformation, and gather Soul Treasures.


    After organizing his thoughts, Sterl vanished from the cave.


    At that moment, data was flickering on his task bar.


    [Coordinate Broadcast Countdown: 9:44:51]


    Sterl checked and indeed found he could not log off or use his teleportation ability.


    He attempted to switch ounts using his disk but discovered that would be considered a bug exploit. However, the cost was rtively low, requiring only 50 blood-colored documents. Unfortunately, Sterl''s documents were nearly depleted...


    He couldn''t afford to waste them like that.


    Deciding against it, he swiftly shed away to Heavenly Curtain Canyon, waiting for his pursuers to arrive.


    Calcting the time, he realized that if hepleted the escape task, he could switch back to his main ount and participate in the first round of the Valor Combatants tournament.


    "After all, I''m not the first one scheduled topete."


    "I just need to make it back before it''s my turn."


    Before long, a small team of figures slowly appeared outside Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Do these Swallowing Heaven yers dare toe to the main world? That''s just asking for death!"


    "If we take them down, we''ll get... seven hundred merits?"


    "This is a gold mine!"


    The group of yers looked quite excited. They were special ss practitioners known as bounty hunters.


    The uniqueness of this ssy in their ability to ept missions issued by the Transcendence system and open special merit shops to exchange for many precious resources.


    Bounty hunters sacrificed part of their professional strength in exchange for the authority to take on tasks, which caused their ss rank to be artificially inted. Under the same conditions, they couldn''t defeat opponents of the same level.


    However, bounty hunters could rapidly develop by utilizing resources from the merit shop! Their growth speed far surpassed that of ordinary sses.


    This squad was the first to arrive after discovering the [Transcendence] mission! At this moment, they looked at the generous rewards of the task, rubbing their hands in anticipation.


    "Heavenly Curtain Canyon is known for its peculiarities in the Hall of Valor; we should be cautious."


    "Let''s use formation C and be ready with teleportation items at all times."


    After resting for a while, the squad decisively stepped into the spatial tunnel.


    Meanwhile, yers from all directions were pouring into Heavenly Curtain Canyon. They all came to hunt down that unknown Swallowing Heaven yer!


    ��


    In this instance, Sterl couldn''t be bothered to make a move. Most of thoseing to hunt him were merely legendary-level characters. After all, Mephistopheles was only third ss.


    He directed a host of newly spawned demigod-level bosses to confront them. Sterl remained as steady as a mountain, sitting and cultivating in Heavenly Curtain Canyon.


    Outside, a chorus of screams echoed, as countless yers faced their demise!


    At this moment, the bounty squad that had arrived earliest turned pale.


    "How is this possible? We encountered the top boss of Heavenly Curtain Canyon right away!"


    "This phoenix isn''t even supposed to be here!"


    Bounty hunters possessed a unique skill system that allowed them to detect the status, environment, and enemies near their mission target. However, this phoenix boss appeared out of nowhere!


    Its strength exceeded the information they had received, reaching demigod level. The bounty hunters stared at the phoenix before them, which was spewing mes, quaking in fear!


    "Retreat! Retreat!"


    Just as they shouted these words and attempted to activate their teleportation scrolls, they found that, for some unknown reason, Heavenly Curtain Canyon had transformed into a special zone where teleportation items were unusable.


    Then, the phoenix soared into the sky.


    Below, the bounty hunters activated their legendary abilities, but facing the enormous ming form of the phoenix, they were utterly defenseless.


    With a piercing screech, their legendary abilities were burned away, and the ming bird crashed to the ground.


    A dull thud echoed! Amidst the blinding light of the mes, everything fell silent.


    Not far away, simr scenes yed out repeatedly. Some legendary-level yers were frantically pursued by demigod-level enemies.


    This was mainly because Sterl had only spawned demigod units in Heavenly Curtain Canyon, having amassed his legendary gear!


    There was no helping it; these yers who came to take on the hunting mission had to bear the brunt of the situation. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Ten hours quickly passed in the blink of an eye.


    Sterl casually stood up and switched back to his main ount.


    Hepleted the escape task without receiving any rewards. However, since Mephistopheles was a Swallowing Heaven yer and Heavenly Curtain Canyon was under his control, the unfortunate yers who were killed outside were deemed to have been in by Sterl, resulting in several blood-colored loot spheres dropping.


    Although Sterl wasn''t particrly interested in the drops from legendary units, he still picked them up one by one, driven by his frugal nature.


    After that, he left Heavenly Curtain Canyon, found a teleportation array, and arrived near the arena, waiting for the finals to begin.


    Sterl spent some contribution points to open a private box for himself to watch the match. Thepetition hadn''t started yet; since it was the finals, only one match was held at a time in the arena to facilitate viewing.


    Sterl reclined on the soft sofa, realizing that the first round of the match should be starting soon, but the arena was still empty.


    He didn''t mind; instead, he took some time to organize a few minor gains.


    First, there was the tinum Skill��[Mark of the Heavens].


    Using it required the Law of Stars.


    It could be leveled up three times, evolved once, and promoted once, making it a fairly promising tinum ability. However, it couldn''tpare to Shattered Void and likely wouldn''t reach Iridescent Level.


    When used, [Mark of the Heavens] could create meteors in the sky that would strike the ground, simr to a fully upgraded version of Celestial Stars.


    Sterl sensed that this ability could take on three forms based on the different phases of the Law of Stars. The strongest version could carve a scar in the sky, causing a meteor shower to rapidly bombard the target! This skill was indeed rted to the abilities of the Starry n.


    "What a pity; I killed that old man too quickly earlier and couldn''t gather any information from him."


    Just as Sterl felt a twinge of regret, he noticed that within [Mark of the Heavens], there seemed to be a hidden star map, containing extremelyplex information. However, with his shared origin profession, Sterl could easily decipher the information.


    With his powerful soul strength and mental attributes, he quickly deduced a coordinate.


    "This is another continent��the domain of Ashen??"


    Sterl paused for a moment before making a decision... Afterward, he would head to the continent ruled by Ashen and work on his legendary ascension.


    The reason Sterl hadn''t initiated the legendary promotion task until now was primarily due to the conditions that varied ording to different professions.


    In addition to some specific requirements, legendary tasks also had fixed conditions.


    He needed to master an arcane skill, which Sterl had alreadypleted.


    He required several high proficiency skills that could correspond to the legendary abilities he would form in the future; in this area, Sterl already possessed legendary skills, which he had cleared directly.


    He also needed a significant number of legend points, but Sterl couldn''t be bothered to check how many he had at the moment; he had umted nearly a thousand points by now.


    When he had in the Will of Hell, he had gained 500 points in one go.


    What was most unique about the legendary ascension was that it would generate a special task based on the yer''s current coordinates.


    The task required yers to exert a significant influence on a certain faction, empire, or race, creating a regional legendary story. Moreover, this "story" couldn''t be developed in advance; it could only be initiated after triggering the promotion task.


    Sterl had been taking his time to start the ritual becausepleting a legendary story would require a considerable amount of time and might necessitate some strategic nning. This wasn''t just about defeating monsters or killing enemies; it also involved waiting for circumstances to evolve.


    Thus, creating a legendary story was best done in conjunction with other objectives��like collecting traces of the Starry n��so as not to waste time.


    Nearby the Hall of Valor, there weren''t any resources for Sterl to develop, and initiating the promotion ritual would simply waste time.


    If he were to go to another continent��


    Sterl pondered for a moment and decided to spend 10,000 Valor Contribution Points to purchase an item.


    [One-Time Teleport Beacon]


    [Description: It is said to harbor a fragment of the source of the world. This special teleportation item allows for free teleportation within the Crystal Barrier Gxy. ]


    [Effect: You can activate the teleport beacon to move to a location you have previously visited, limited to Alpha 8 and its adjacent areas within the Crystal Barrier Gxy.]


    "This is the kind of thing that costs 10,000..."


    Sterl tossed the teleport item in his hand like a chess piece, feeling frustrated.


    At this point, Valor Contribution Points were practically useless to him, but 10,000 points�� that was no small sum!


    If it weren''t for his concern that Twilight might trigger a quest to contest the authority of the Hall of Valor after he left, making it impossible for him to return quickly from another continent, he would never have considered redeeming it.


    "I''d prefer not to use this thing if I can avoid it."


    Sterl muttered as he stored the teleport item in his small world.


    Then he continued with his tasks.


    The second minor gain came from the blood-colored spheres he had previously collected.


    Sterl quickly opened them up.


    A series of notifications began to refresh before his eyes.

 Chapter 432 Treasure Compass

    Various messages rapidly refreshed before Sterl''s eyes.


    [You opened a loot Sphere and obtained: Quick Recovery Potion 3]


    [You opened a loot Sphere and obtained: Charge of the Vanguard (Gold)]


    [You opened a loot Sphere and obtained...]


    ...


    [You opened a loot Sphere and obtained: Treasure Compass]


    Sterl casually inspected the items, and as expected, most of them were trash.


    Wait, it seemed there was one item that wasn''t garbage.


    He pulled out a small brass item that resembled apass.


    [Treasure Compass] +


    [Category: ss-Specific Item]


    [Description: A ss-specific item for Bounty Hunters. Bounty Hunters serve the [Transcendence] system directly and possess some extremely rare items. It is said that the Treasure Compass can find everything that lies deep within one''s desires.]


    [Effect: Input text to search for any item. The current quality of the Treasure Compass may be insufficient; if the quality is inadequate, searching will not be possible.]


    [Tip: This item can only be used by yers with the Bounty Hunter ss.]


    "ss-specific item?"


    At that moment, Sterl was still under the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline and ced his hand on the Treasure Compass.


    A faint smile appeared on his face.


    "Sure enough, I can use it."


    He looked at the plus sign on the back of the Treasure Compass, a cheat hint indicating that the item could be leveled up three times, evolved once, and promoted once.


    Immediately, Sterl felt a surge of excitement.


    He tentatively typed in a few words��Soul Treasure.


    Thepass spun wildly and then quickly trembled beforeing to a stop.


    [Compass quality insufficient.]


    Seeing the prompt, Sterl felt even better.


    Insufficient quality?


    Instead of being unable to search??


    Great! Since it can be leveled up, is quality really a problem?


    After extreme evolution and promotion, this item could be guaranteed to reach the demigod level at its limit. By then, the probability of searching for Soul Treasure would be quite high!


    "I''ll level it upter and give it a try."


    There was no information on Soul Treasure in the lower realm, but the upper realms had been separated from the lower realm, and when they were split, it was unlikely that all resources had been taken away.


    The lower realm might still have some hidden treasures left behind.


    If he had the chance to find one, it should significantly enhance hisbat power!


    Sterl stored the Treasure Compass in his small world, feeling quite pleased.


    Originally, there was no reward for the task, but now there was an extra gain!


    Victory!


    Sterl grinned andy back on the soft sofa, deciding to take a break and watch the match.


    However, he soon noticed something was off...


    Sterl had spent quite some time organizing his items.


    Why hadn''t the match started yet??


    In the arena, a cier had formed, but it waspletely empty; only the sea breeze blew across it, while a few seals and penguins chased each other in the distance.


    When Sterl left the private box, he found the audience in the stands cursing in frustration.


    "What''s going on? Am I just supposed to sit here and wait?"


    "Supreme-level powerhouses can afford to bete for a match like this?"


    "Is the match even happening? Don''t waste our time."


    ...


    The audience was clearly irritated.


    Many had arrived long before Sterl, and quite a few had been staring at the empty cier stage for nearly an hour.


    And the result was...


    Nothing had happened!


    Initially, many spectators were excitedly waiting for the sh of two quasi-divine level fighters among the seedpetitors.


    For many, this was a rare opportunity to learn!


    The Hall of Valor also knew that shes at the quasi-divine level were extremely rare; ordinary yers might never witness one in their lifetime.


    Therefore, watching the finals required contribution points as a ticket fee.


    The yers had paid, so they hadn''t thought much of it.


    But...


    You''re making us watch this??


    A bunch of ciers?!


    Refund!


    Many yers were extremely angry.


    Just then, a notification popped up before them.


    [Detected that the participating contestants have not yet appeared; entering countdown: 300, 299, 298...]


    [After the countdown ends, the two absent yers will automatically be judged as failures and will not earn battle points for this round.]


    Only then did the yers'' emotions stabilize somewhat.


    In the fight for the final championship, every round''s battle points were crucial.


    Especially for quasi-divine level powerhouses.


    They entered the Heroic Spirit Combat Tournament with only one goal: the championship! They were vying for the chance to be divine, so the two quasi-divine contestants would be racing to reach thepetition venue at all costs.


    "Those two contestants should have received the message too; they should be here soon."


    "Finally, the match is about to start."


    "Both of these quasi-divine fighters seem to have mastered several perfect Laws. If we can learn even a bit of their techniques in using the Laws, the ticket price will be worth it."


    The yers were filled with anticipation, and many straightened up in their seats.


    Time ticked away, second by second.


    Finally, the countdown of 300 seconds reached zero.


    The arena formed for the battle instantly faded into nothingness.


    A notification arrived��


    [Valor Combatants Tournament Finals, Round 1. Both contestants are judged as failures.]


    "What''s going on?"


    Sterl was confused.


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    Did the two quasi-divine beings just give up on the match?


    What could have happened?


    In a normal scenario, the two seedpetitors wouldn''t abandon a match unless... they couldn''t make it!


    But within the Hall of Valor...


    Gods had already departed, so shouldn''t quasi-divine level powerhouses be able to walk through anything?


    "It seems there''s more to this than meets the eye."


    Sterl''s expression changed slightly.


    Meanwhile, countless spectators in the arena were wearing strange expressions...


    They were unhappy, but they had no grounds forint. Compared to their dissatisfaction, the real loss was the points that the two quasi-divine contestants had forfeited in the match.


    However, despite the absence of the twopetitors in the first match, no one in the arena left their seats.


    The rules for this final were simple and brutal: 32 top yers would face off against one another in session.


    Ultimately, rankings would be determined based on points. If there were yers with the same score, they would face each other again to decide their rankings.


    Each day only five matches would be held, with the tournament spanning a week, and the final day would have fewer matches.


    There were still four more matches to watch...


    But...


    The yers soon received another message.


    [Both contestants in the first round did not appear; only substitutes willpete.]


    [Today, six matches will be held in the Valor Combatants Finals.]


    This notification made many yers feel slightly better; at least they wouldn''t feel like their ticket was wasted since they could still watch five matches.


    Unfortunately, they were too optimistic.


    In the second match, still no one showed up!


    Numerous yers waited for over an hour, only to be informed that seven matches would be held today.


    In the third match, again no one appeared!


    Now, with eight matches scheduled for the day, the audience couldn''t hold on anymore. No matter how many matches were nned, nothing was happening!


    Sterl was at a loss.


    "What on earth is going on?"


    As he pondered, he looked around, feeling increasingly uneasy.


    The revenues from the Valor Combatants Tournament were astronomical. The final champion could ascend to godhood, and even someone like Sterl, who had countless resources, was determined to win the championship.


    How could the other seedpetitors simply abandon their matches?


    Yet, in the first three matches, a total of six seedpetitors had not shown up.


    What did this imply?


    Combining this with the information that all the gods had left the Hall of Valor, Sterl''s ominous premonition grew stronger!


    Could it be that the Hall of Valor is about to face a major catastrophe?


    He couldn''t help but ponder this.


    As seedpetitors, the quasi-divine and Supreme beings had survived in the Hall of Valor for hundreds or even thousands of years; their channels for information were much more reliable than those of ordinary people.


    It was highly likely they had fled in advance!


    If they hadn''t fled, then it was even more terrifying��something had happened directly within the Hall of Valor!


    "What should I do? Should I run away too?" Sterl contemted.


    Fortunately, he had just advanced to the soul tier, significantly enhancing his survival abilities, making him even stronger than ordinary gods.


    Sterl felt a bit more confident and decided to continue observing for a while.


    He quickly checked his escape items, ensuring he was fully prepared, and finally settled back down in his seat.


    However, while he appeared rxed, his muscles were tensed up!


    Fortunately, the fourth match finally had a participant.


    However...


    There was only one person.


    A perfect-level demigod.


    Due to Sterl''s earlier rampage, this yer had somehow made it into the finals.


    When this yer stepped onto the stage, his face was calm; he had already seen his opponent, one of the six quasi-divine seedpetitors.


    He knew he was destined to lose!


    Thus, as he walked up to the front, he respectfully bowed, saying, "Please guide me, senior."


    If he couldst even two rounds, that would be considered a sess.


    Soon, this yer was left bewildered.


    Where is my opponent??


    Meanwhile, countless spectators who had been waiting were finally thinking they were about to see a match.


    Although this match would be a boring scene of a quasi-divine ughtering a perfect-level demigod, after waiting through three matches, the spectators were no longer picky; they just wanted to see apetition.


    Unfortunately, after the first contestant arrived quickly, the quasi-divine level powerhouse still had not shown up.


    Tick-tock, tick-tock.


    As the countdown reached zero on the translucent screen in front of all the yers, a notification appeared��


    [The winner of this match is: Morrian. She has sessfully earned a winner''s point.]


    [The Valor Combatants Tournament is now underway, with real-time rankings.]


    A leaderboard appeared before the yers, showing Morrian at the top with one point, while all other yers were tied for second ce with zero points.


    Apanied by the shimmering gold letters on the notification screen, it looked quite festive.


    But not a single person could find it in themselves to smile.


    No way? Isn''t this a bit absurd?


    A perfect-level demigod had managed to reach the finals thanks to David, and now she had even earned a victory?


    If this continued, would she end up in the top three or five?


    And now, a total of seven seedpetitors had not shown up��what on earth was going on?


    In an instant, countless yers were in an uproar!

 Chapter 433 The Eerie Finals

    At this moment, it wasn''t just Sterl who was muttering to himself.


    Countless spectators and a group of Supreme-level powerhouses were also murmuring.


    The inexplicable absence of the seedpetitors made them feel something was off.


    The logic was straightforward: these individuals would never abandon the finals of the Valor Combatants Tournament.


    If they weren''t present, it meant they couldn''t make it.


    With seven seedpetitors going missing, something must have happened!


    Among the seedpetitors were several quasi-divine level fighters, and they had mysteriously vanished? Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Wasn''t there a hidden current flowing in the Hall of Valor?


    Many perceptive yers began to realize this.


    However, unlike Sterl, if he chose to flee, it wouldn''t affect his growth. Ordinary yers would undoubtedly see a significant slowdown in their strength if they left the Hall of Valor.


    As a result, many quickly left the arena but didn''t rush away; instead, they returned to their homes to organize various protective items.


    As time passed, the term "catastrophe" had already begun to circte among demigod yers.


    The inexplicably missing seedpetitors served as a warning bell for many!


    Next came another duel.


    This time, it was quite standard, featuring two low-tier yers forcefully pulled into the finals by David��two perfect-level demigods.


    They casually exchanged a flurry of skills.


    One demigod harnessed the power of nts and nature, slightly channeling energy to transform the arena from a modern urbanndscape into a sprawling sea of trees!


    The other perfect-level demigod manipted numerous special metals, causing them to bond, break, and collide!


    Each surge of metal brought with it intense heat, turningrge sections of the forest into ruins, creating a rather spectacr sight.


    Branches waved amidst the mes.


    The alloys gathered power, transforming into countless des.


    Many legendary yers watched with delight.


    Some demigods who also wielded nt and metal-rted rules observed thoughtfully.


    However...


    The Supreme powerhouses within the Hall of Valor wore expressions of disbelief!


    Wasn''t it said that this time, the Valor Combatants Tournament had the highest rewards and was the strongest lineup in history?


    We didn''t even dare to sign up!


    Because we wouldn''t make it to the finals and wouldn''t earn any good rewards; instead, we would just humiliate ourselves and expose our abilities, making us easy targets for enemies.


    What a significant loss.


    But now, what was going on?


    The two on stage were far below our level!


    Thepetitors in this finals were even worse than thest Valor Combatants Tournament!


    In the previous finals, at least some Supremes were fighting!


    Now, it had devolved into a brawl between perfect-level demigods??


    Especially for the Supremes who hadn''t participated, each was so furious they felt like they might spit blood.


    "If I had known the rewards were this easy to obtain, I would have joined too!"


    "Can you believe they let such weaklings get the benefit??"


    "I thought my entry as a newly minted Supreme would be embarrassing, but now I realize I was aplete fool!!"


    The Supremes grumbled in frustration.


    They were genuinely heartbroken. Just entering the finals was already a decent reward, and now these low-tier demigods could still earn some victory points and rankings?


    Why should that be allowed?!!


    In the end, the two perfect-level demigods determined the victor. The one controlling the vast sea of trees was pierced through the heart by a strange golden metal.


    This injury wasn''t enough to kill him, but it significantly weakened his abilities, slowing down the rate at which he could generate the forest.


    Ultimately, a torrent of metal surged forth, annihting thest remnants of the nts.


    The arenay in ruins, the entire city destroyed, and from a massive pit emerged a young man transformed into a giant tree, smiling. "You truly are strong; I probably won''t ever forget this battle."


    The other perfect-level demigod nodded slightly.


    "You''re not too shabby yourself."


    At this moment, as the sun began to set in the arena, only the two figures remained standing in ce, creating a profound atmosphere.


    This scene made the watching Supremes outside feel their eyelids twitch uncontrobly.


    "You two are actually appreciating each other!"


    "Damn, how do two trashy yers deserve that??"


    "If it weren''t for David, you worthless ones would have never made it to the finals!"


    ...


    They were truly frustrated!


    However, the developments that followed were still absurd.


    Another duel between seedpetitors began.


    After three consecutive matches with no one appearing, it was confirmed that out of the 16 seedpetitors, a staggering 13 had gone missing!


    At this point, even the slowest yers realized that something was seriously wrong.


    Some influential powerhouses started to inquire, and they ultimately reached a chilling conclusion.


    The 16 seedpetitors had clearly made a normal appearance just yesterday, but they had all collectively vanished around half a day ago.


    Panic ensued!


    After all, that was a group consisting of six quasi-divine beings��how could they just disappear like that? And all at once, they were either killed or trapped!


    Was that even reasonable?


    What kind of formidable enemy was lurking around the Hall of Valor?


    As such...


    The matches on stage entered the second phase.


    Even though two more perfect-level demigods sent by David initiated the second official battle, the arena was in chaos.


    The originally packed audience was continuously disappearing, leaving only a few legendary yers behind, who were utterly bewildered due to theck of information.


    They couldn''t understand what was happening.


    Why had all those demigod-level big shots fled?


    As for Sterl��


    He didn''t run away. After the two perfect-level demigods finished their match, it would be his turn topete, and he still wanted to im the final champion''s reward, so he naturally wouldn''t leave.


    Sterl stepped forward, easily sending a demigod he had brought along off the stage to earn a victory point.


    However, when Sterl returned to his position, many of the demigods and Supremes who had previously fled began to return.


    They weren''t foolish; they had brains and, after analyzing the situation, understood one critical thing��


    If a mysterious force were targeting the Hall of Valor, what would happen if they ran away after the disappearance of numerous seedpetitors?


    The reason this mysterious force chose to strike against the seedpetitors at this moment was precisely to use the chaos of the Valor Combatants Tournament to amplify the situation of the missing seedpetitors, inciting panic and causing countless individuals to flee.


    There were likely many powerhouses lurking around the perimeter of the Hall of Valor, waiting for an opportunity.


    Blindly running away would be tantamount to seeking death.


    Since it could be inferred that the mysterious force hoped to plunge the Hall of Valor into chaos, then the enemy''s target was precisely what they needed to oppose.


    They had to stabilize the situation! No rash moves were to be made.


    Moreover, the Valor Combatants Tournament had gathered numerous Supremes, making it significantly safer than escaping alone to fight on their own.


    In this eerie atmosphere, the matches continued.


    Since at least five matches had to bepleted in a day, after several rounds of byes, including Sterl winning a round by default, the demigods he brought along had also won seven or eight rounds without lifting a finger.


    Finally, they managed toplete five matches.


    In the final match, two perfect-level demigods unleashed intense energy, shing with each other before both perishing, failing to earn any victory points...


    However, almost no onemented on this in the arena.


    What had previously been mere spection was now confirmed.


    All the seedpetitors, theoretically the strongest forces in the Hall of Valor after the deities left, had indeed beenpletely wiped out��none were left!


    In an instant, even the formidable Supremes fell into panic.


    Legendary yers who had been unaware of the situation began to gather information through their connections, and they were all shocked!


    "Oh no!


    The quasi-divine level big shots have been eliminated!


    This is bad!


    The Hall of Valor is in serious trouble!"


    This was not information meant to be kept secret; soon, the news spread like wildfire.


    In no time, everyone in the arena understood the situation!


    This was not a mere mishap during the tournament; the Hall of Valor was facing a formidable enemy and was in grave danger!


    Thus, despite the matches having concluded, no one dared to leave the arena. Even yers from the outside who had received the news rushed to thepetition grounds.


    The arena was equipped with spatial formations, so it could amodate arge number of yers.


    The neers had only one purpose: to save their lives!


    Now, the strongest forces in the Hall of Valor were essentially gathered in the arena. With all 16 seedpetitors having been ambushed, the best way to ensure their safety was to hide here!


    And Sterl was hiding in a "box."


    But he had previously ventured out once, wandered around the arena for a few seconds, and then participated in three matches.


    Even those top-tier Supreme powerhouses looked toward the direction where David had vanished into thin air, feeling an inexplicable sense of reassurance rising within them.


    In the arena, the strongest figure was still present! We need not panic!


    Only Sterl sat there, bemused, as he sensed countless gazes directed toward the spatial rift he upied with a mix of anticipation and expectation!


    At this moment, he had realized the truth of the situation.


    Sosia and Sonis had provided him with information about the 16 seedpetitors. Afterparing the data, Sterl reached a startling conclusion: the 16 powerful individuals he had previously dispatched were indeed the 16 seedpetitors of the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl: "..."


    He had considered this possibility initially but dismissed it, thinking that to obtain the item to ascend to godhood, winning the championship was a necessity, and there was no reason for the 16 seedpetitors to collude.


    Moreover, while it logically made sense to suspect that the seedpetitors had been killed by him, it was a form of evasion��he had deliberately ignored the possibility of strong enemies lurking around!


    What if things went sideways?


    But now��


    The truth wasid bare!


    Sterl felt an overwhelming sense of speechlessness��


    From that point on, the Valor Combatants Tournament had devolved into a farce.


    Originally a seven-day event, it was reduced to just three days due to half of the yers being eliminated.


    During these three days, Sterl prioritized enhancing the treasurepass, and he didn''t have to exert himself much.


    Either he faced the already missing seedpetitors, standing in the arena for over an hour to win by default, or he faced the demigods he had forcibly brought to the finals.


    As the tournament progressed, Sterl continued to umte victories, all the while grappling with the absurdity of the situation. The tension surrounding the Hall of Valor was palpable, yet here he was, seemingly untouched by the chaos outside.


    The remainingpetitors in the arena were a mix of confusion and desperation, yet Sterl, despite the growing sense of dread, found himself in a unique position of safety, albeit under strange circumstances.


    With each passing day, the reality of what had transpired weighed heavily on him, and he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was at the center of a storm far beyond his control.


    As the final matches approached, the atmosphere grew tenser, and Sterl knew that the truth would eventuallye to light. Would he be able to navigate the fallout from this tournament? Would he be able to confront the mysterious force that had struck at the heart of the Hall of Valor?


    All he could do was prepare for whatevery ahead, knowing that each victory came with its own set ofplications.

 Chapter 434 Champions Reward Acquired!

    The low-tierpetitors who faced Sterl were quite sensible, all voluntarily conceding defeat...


    Besidespeting in matches, Sterl also took the opportunity to destroy four level 6 guilds, which was significantly easier than dealing with the Felix guild previously.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the Hall of Valor was tense, with only one strong figure, David, remaining. Who would dare to offend him?


    Thest guild leader was well-informed; he knew that David was collecting guild cores to enhance Twilight. Thus, he willingly offered up his core and stated that he had no other demands��he simply wanted to secure a spot for himself in Twilight.


    Sterl did a quick search and decisively recruited this guild leader into the guild��this was a case of spending a fortune to buy a bone!


    This guild leader also had satisfactorybat power. By treating him a bit better, acquiring guild cores in the future should be significantly easier.


    As for why Sterl didn''t target the level 7 guilds, it was simply because he... couldn''t find the guild leaders of those guilds. Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    However, one of the level 7 guild leaders was among the previous 16 seedpetitors, a quasi-divine.


    After Sterl had in him, the level 7 guild was handed over to the vice president, who then hid away in an instance and never came out.


    Even if Sterl wanted to cause trouble, he couldn''t find him.


    Although he had obtained four guild cores to absorb and refine, due to the panic surrounding the disappearance of the seedpetitors, the members of Twilight guild had all retreated to the arena and stopped farming bosses.


    Twilight guild was still a bit short on the contribution points needed to advance to level 5.


    And now, with the final battle of the Valor Combatants Tournament approaching��


    Sterl stood expressionless in ce, looking at the empty space in front of him.


    Finally, the countdown reached zero.


    [Notice: As one yer has yet to attend this battle, the winner is David!]


    [The final stage of the Valor Combatants Tournament has officially concluded!]


    [Rankings will now be determined based on the winners'' points, and the rankings have been generated.]


    A brand-new leaderboard appeared.


    David''s name was naturally at the top, with a total of 31 points for a perfect victory!


    Golden text illuminated before Sterl.


    [Congrattions, Warrior! You have sessfully ovee numerous challenges and defeated countless opponents to be the champion!]


    [Your name will be transmitted throughout the Hall of Valor.]


    [O mighty one, continue to climb to greater heights!]


    [You have earned 50,000 Valor Contribution Points.]


    [You have received 200 Law Insight Coupons.]


    [You have received 4 Material Selection Packs.]


    [You have received 4 Equipment Selection Packs.]


    [You have received 1 Perfect Equipment Box.]


    [You have received 1 Skill Selection Pack.]


    [You have gained two opportunities to select from the Champion''s Store.]


    As he nced at the flood of rewards streaming in, Sterl''s pained expression finally eased a bit. Naturally, he couldn''t juste out and say that he was responsible for the disappearance of all sixteen seed contestants. That would involve Inquire Withininstance and the elevation of Sterl''s soul level. He certainly preferred to keep that under wraps.


    The result of Sterl''s silence was��over the past few days, the entire Hall of Valor had been shrouded in a strange atmosphere! Everyone was on edge. Sterl found it rather amusing. And without revealing the information that the seed yers were already dead, Sterl could only keep stepping onto the battlefield, enduring the wait of more than an hour to secure victory.


    Fortunately�� Although the grandpetition ended rather abruptly, Sterl''s haul of rewards was far from small.


    First, there were 50,000 Valor Contribution Points, which he decided to hold onto. At this point, Valor Contribution Points couldn''t be exchanged for much��nothing that could significantly transform his situation. Sterl intended to use them only for some consumables and special items.


    As for the Law Insight Tickets, they were of little use to Sterl. If he wanted certain Laws, unless they were of the precious kind, it would be much easier for him to activate [Consume] to devour them. If they were of the more cherished variety�� well, unfortunately, the Hall of Valor didn''t provide any scenarios for insights.


    He sent all the Law Insight Tickets to Sosia''s inbox, leaving a message asking her to sell a portion of the reserves for funding, while keeping the rest as guild benefits.


    The material selection package, however, surprised Sterl greatly; he could directly select 3s-level guild materials, which he redeemed entirely. The equipment selection package offered decent items as well, allowing him to exchange for several excellent pieces of legendary demigod-level gear.


    Unfortunately, Sterl had already stored up better equipment beforehand, so he couldn''t find anything superior to what he had saved forter use. That too was left for Sosia to handle!


    The [Perfect Equipment Box]was a delightful surprise for him.


    [Perfect Equipment Box]


    [Category: Consumable]


    [Description: One of the blessings from the beings who once created the Hall of Valor.]


    [Effect: Acquire one piece of the highest quality equipment (mythical level) from the lower realm, based on your current power level.]


    [Hint: You can select the part of the equipment and make some vague requests regarding its attributes.]


    [Hint: Divine level power is required to open this box; it can only yield quasi-divine level equipment.]


    Looking at the effects of the item, Sterl felt a bit conflicted. If he opened this box while at the demigod level, he could obtain a top-tier mythical piece of equipment with a customizable part and effects, which would be the most perfect scenario! However, no matter how powerful Sterl became, he couldn''t possibly gather a full set of mythical gear by the time he ascended to demigod.


    On the other hand, if he opened the box at the divine level, while he would only receive quasi-divine level equipment, its value would likely be higher than that of demigod mythical gear. Still, Sterl thought that when he eventually became a god, he should focus on collecting aplete set of top-tier equipment. Obtaining a single piece of quasi-divine level gear would soon feel inadequate.


    He concluded that it would be better to enhance hisbat power further during the demigod phase and elerate his growth. "Forget it, no need to overthink it. I''ll deal with that after I be a demigod."


    However, he pondered, "Mythical quality is merely the limit for lower realm equipment; do upper realm items have even higher standards?" This new piece of information was quietly noted in his mind.


    Next came the skill selection package, which was straightforward��he could choose one Iridescent-Level skill as the champion''s reward. It sounded impressive, but there were only four Iridescent-Level skills avable in the selection package.


    The first was [Rebirth of All Thoughts]. Sterl decided not to go for this one. The advantage of this Iridescent-Level ability was its bnce of offense and defense. "I only need the defensive capabilities of Rebirth of All Thoughts."


    The other three skills were as follows:


    [Radiant Soul]: A semi-passive, semi-active buff skill. Its effect transformed all types of damage into Holy Spirit type damage and provided a significant boost to the sess rate whenprehending and converting Holy Spirit divine authority. When activated, it allowed the user to shift into a radiant form, gaining substantial bonuses and various attack skills.


    [Celestial Light Stream]: A purely destructive skill. Simr to Destructive Light, it delivered explosive damage output but was more oriented towards area damage. Although Sterl''s current moves were all area-of-effect attacks, they didn''t qualify asrge-scale skills; the immense energy contained within only allowed them to hit enemies within a range of several dozen kilometers.


    In contrast, activating


    [Celestial Light Stream]could bombard targets over a distance of thousands of kilometers. This skill intrigued Sterl since he could imagine it synergizing with his Fission ability to create a bombing.


    [Beast Spirit Possession]: A straightforward effect that allowed the user to merge with their pet or mount, gaining attribute bonuses from that fusion. It seemed rather ordinary.


    But Sterl immediately changed his mind; he decided against [Celestial Light Stream]! He wanted [Beast Spirit Possession]! This Iridescent-Level ability allowed for the fusion of pets and mounts, and the higher the quality of the fused creature, the stronger the power and the greater the benefits.


    Sterl happened to have a 3s-level pet! Moreover, Sterl''s current skill points could upgrade the [Star Radiance Dragon]to a level beyond radiant-level! However, the [Star Radiance Dragon]needed to first advance to demigod to be elevated to radiant-level, and then undergo soul transformation to rise above Radiant.


    At the demigod level, the Star Radiance Dragon could smoothly ascend. As for soul transformation, once Sterlpleted it, he would also enhance his pet. In the future, even at levels above radiant-level, Sterl could use his skill points to upgrade the Star Radiance Dragon. Therefore, among the four Iridescent-Level skills, [Beast Spirit Possession]had the greatest potential!


    This skill would grow increasingly terrifying in power as the Star Radiance Dragon was enhanced. What about [Celestial Light Stream]? As a pure damage output skill, it would eventually be outdated.


    By the way, the reason Sterl never used his pet in battles was mainly that the Star Radiance Dragon didn''t possess the same cunning tactics as him, and as a third-ss creature, it could only handle legendary-level enemies at most. Thus, this pet primarily served to provide a cute presence and share the skills obtained through Infinite Evolution.


    After selecting the skill, a prompt appeared before Sterl:


    [Warning: This skill originates from a former hostile faction of the Hall of Valor. As a captured item, no one in the Hall of Valor has sessfully mastered it. This skill may require special release conditions, so please choose carefully.]


    Sterl pretended not to see it and continued with his selection. He possessed the Holy Spirit Bloodline, and he could easily call upon the abilities of the lower realm!


    Suddenly, a skill book shimmering with radiant colors appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he chose to learn it. Another Iridescent-Level ability was added to his skill panel.


    [Beast Spirit Possession (Iridescent-Level)]+


    [Description: This is a skill that can only be mastered at the divine level, representing the product of a special Law Power evolved to its ultimate form.]


    [Effect: You can fuse with your pet or mount, gaining 100% of their attributes and the divine authority rule power they possess, allowing you to use all their skills. When fusing with an SSS-level pet or mount, an additional effect is triggered, granting an extra 10% to your attributes.]


    [Learning Restrictions: The divine authority of animals or strong corrtion forms of divine authority pertaining to the fused pet (for example, fusing with a dragon can also bepleted through divine authority: Dragonborn, divine authority: Dragonblood).]


    [Hint: Unknown limitations may exist when activating this skill.]

 Chapter 435 Blessing: Guild Level Upgrade

    Sterl nced at the skill, realizing that [Beast Spirit Possession]could be upgraded four times, evolved to its limit once, and further enhanced after future cheat upgrades. Its guaranteed future was at least a radiant-level skill, possibly even higher!


    Currently, this skill offered extra benefits specifically for SSS-level pets, and after enhancement, it would likely provide bonuses for radiant-level and levels above Radiant as well! The future potential was immense!


    "What a blood profit!" Sterl eximed, his expression filled with excitement.


    He pulled the Star Radiance Dragon out from his sleeve. The little guy was still in a drowsy state, but it seemed to sense its master''s happiness and began iling its limbs joyously, fluttering about.


    At this moment, Sterl stood in the center of the arena. With his current strength, there was no need to hide an SSS-level pet. However, there was a problem. Whether it was the animal divine authority or the dragon divine authority required to fuse with the Star Radiance Dragon, there were no opportunities forprehension within the Hall of Valor.


    Fortunately, Sterl wasn''t anxious. As long as he found a beast or monster that had ascended to divinity, he could obtain the animal divine authority. Simrly, he just needed to locate a divine-level dragon to acquire the dragon divine authority. By defeating these two divine-level entities, he could activate [Consume].


    Just as he was about to leave, he heard waves of cheers erupting around him.


    "Lord David is indeed powerful!"


    "Your strength overshadows everything!"


    "David! Invincible! Invincible!"


    Countless voices shouted in excitement! They were eager to take the opportunity to curry favor with the strongest individual in the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl merely nodded expressionlessly, then vanished in a sh. He swiftly returned to his estate and began selecting his two rewards from the champion shop.


    In the shop, there was indeed an item that could allow him to ascend to godhood, and Sterl could directly exchange for two. However, this item would deplete all his potential, and his strength would no longer be able to improve.


    Next, the shop offered some conventional resources, such as pseudo-mythical equipment within the divine-level realm and various Iridescent-Level skills. What caught Sterl''s interest were some special amber crystals.


    [Amber �� Divine Authority: Flowing Water]


    [Description: This is an extremely special creation; only very powerful beings can capture deities and forcibly refine the divine authority within them.]


    [Effect: Using this amber, if you possess the Flowing Water Law and use it to ascend to divine authority: Flowing Water, the sess rate is increased by 60%.]


    [Amber �� Divine Authority: me]


    [Amber �� Divine Authority: Shadow]


    ��


    Now, Sterl understood why the previous sixteen seed yers could connect with one another. The rewards for ascending to champion were outrageous. There were three opportunities to ascend to godhood!


    One was through the skill selection when he chose Radiant Soul, allowing a quasi-divine being with Light attribute Law Power to ascend to godhood. The seed yer who had unleashed the destructive light earlier could clearly utilize this.


    In the champion shop, he could choose two divine-level evolution items that would ensure a stable ascension to godhood. Alternatively, he could choose amber-type items for a high sess rate transformation into divinity. Furthermore, the resources avable from the second ce onwards might even allow for the emergence of a fourth god!


    The Hall of Valor might allow other contestants to choose one-third or one-half of the Iridescent-Level skills, and they could even assemble a Radiant Soul! Additionally, considering the resources avable to the second and third cepetitors, under extreme circumstances, it was possible that among the seed yers, five out of six quasi-divine beings could advance!


    It was evident that the Hall of Valor had truly invested heavily! Such generous rewards made it understandable that the seed yers would want to monopolize them.


    "It''s just a pity you all chose the wrong opponent and ended up delivering a big gift to me," Sterl muttered casually.


    However, a hint of gloom shed in his eyes. The rewards from the previous Valor Combatants conference were verifiable, and not a single opportunity to ascend to godhood had been offered. Yet this time, they had released five. The reason was obvious: they were preparing for a cmity!


    The more generous the Hall of Valor was, the more it indicated that a storm was approaching!


    Sterl quickly regained hisposure, his expression calm as he began selecting the items he needed. Naturally, he wouldn''t exchange for something like amber. Common divine authority was something he would have many opportunities to hunt down corresponding deities and devour their divine authority in the future.


    He chose two items he had long since eyed. One was��


    [Blessing: Guild Advancement]


    [Description: Thises from a special creation made by a powerful Divine Power, perhaps its very purpose is to allow those facing cmity to instantly gain a guild capable of contending for the Hall of Valor''s privileges.]


    [Effect: Raises the guild level by one, without any requirements or costs, with a maximum enhancement effect of elevating from level 6 to 7.]


    This straightforward blessing caused Sterl to smile as he looked at the item''s description. [Blessing: Guild Advancement]was indeed designed to help create a level seven guild, quickly giving Sterl the opportunity topete for the Hall of Valor''s privileges. However, he chose to ignore the mention of "those facing cmity."


    He was quite self-aware; without the skill point cheats, he was just an ordinary yer, still struggling to figure out if he could even ss change. The person facing the cmity was clearly someone else.


    The other item Sterl chose was��


    [Guild Material Box]


    [Description: Same as the effect.]


    [Effect: Acquire 10 SSS-level guild materials.] Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    This item was simple and straightforward. Ten SSS-level guild materials. These materials were extremely rare and typically had no market; collecting them would take an immense amount of time. It was far more convenient for Sterl to take them directly from the champion shop.


    "Though these two items I''ve chosen are a bit peculiar," he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.


    In terms of value, a special item that could elevate a guild from level 6 to 7 was still quite valuable,parable in rarity to those divine authority amber items. However, since the individual benefits of a guild were minimal, most people wouldn''t choose it, but Sterl took it because he needed it.


    On the other hand, the ten SSS-level guild materials weren''t worth as much. While difficult to collect, they still fell under the category of items that ordinary demigods had a chance to acquire. Ten of them couldn''tpare to divine authority amber.


    No one but Sterl would choose them. He didn''t regret it.


    Nothing else interested Sterl. His strength had already reached the limit for resource gathering in the lower realm. Hecked nothing in terms of Iridescent-Level skills.


    As for equipment? Sterl''s level wasn''t high enough to equip the top-tier divine-level gear.


    What about consumables? Life-saving items?


    During the battle in the underworld, Sterl had collected a plethora of Supreme treasures, enough that he couldn''t use them all!


    In the champion shop, the only two items Sterl had chosen were indeed useful. After redeeming his goods, he thought for a moment and decided not to idle around. He went out once again to find some misfortunes for the unfortunate guilds��


    The most pressing matter now was to continue leveling up his guild. What Sterl didn''t know was that while he was leisurely pursuing his ns, chaos reigned in the arena of the Valor Combatants conference.


    The fifteen yers who secured a spot in the top sixteen were utterly stunned! The strongest among them was merely an ordinary Supreme, while most were just perfect-level demigods. Yet, these yers had received generous rewards and ess to the [Glory Shop].


    In the Glory Shop, the second-ce yer could choose five items, the third-ce yer four, and so on. Even the sixteenth-ce yer could select one item. The resources in the Glory Shop were slightly inferior to those in Sterl''s champion shop, but they still included iplete Iridescent-Level skills and broken divine authority amber.


    If multiple yers pooled their resources, they could potentially obtain aplete divine authority amber!


    These yers were in disbelief! They weren''t even Supremes! Were the rewards they received a bit excessive?


    At that moment, countless individuals rushed over to these fifteen lucky yers.


    "Hey, bro. The resources you exchanged in the Glory Shop are basically meant for Supreme or quasi-divine levels."


    "How about we make a deal? Are you willing to sell? I can offer a premium price."


    One Supreme powerhouse approached without caring about his status or demeanor, pleading earnestly. As he stated, if any of the top sixteen yers were willing to sell the resources from the Glory Shop, he would buy them at any price! With the impending cmity, every bit of strength mattered!


    Not only this Supreme, but other powerful figures from the Hall of Valor also rushed over enthusiastically.


    Even though they had been furiously pounding their chests and shouting in frustration while watching the matches, eximing, "How did these useless yers get ranked in the Valor Combatants conference!" now they wore smiles and were incredibly warm.


    It wasn''t that they couldn''t seize the items after these fifteen lucky yers redeemed their goods. However, first of all, it would be a direct affront to the Hall of Valor, and the system would definitely take action against them.


    Secondly, since the other party was also yers, even if they found a way to bypass the no-drop rule within the same faction and managed to take down these lucky yers, they might not even get the desired items. It was far more practical to spend some money to purchase them.


    At this moment��


    Powerful figures filled the arena. Countless ordinary demigods and legendary yers were astonished to realize that the foundation of the Hall of Valor was indeed formidable.


    In just a short while, nearly a hundred Supremes had emerged! They all had the same goal: to enthusiastically approach the fifteen winners of the Valor Combatants conference!


    "Sell your items to me, I promise you won''t suffer a loss!"


    "If you hand your resources over to me, you can join our level seven guild, Huang Tian, and I''ll ensure your safety during the uing cmity."


    "Trust me! I am the messenger of the God of Trade. If you let us sell your items, you''ll definitely gain greater benefits, just a small fee will be deducted!"


    In an instant, mental broadcasts and the shouts of the Supremes resonated throughout the arena!

 Chapter 436 Setting Sail for the New Continent!

    It wasn''t just the Supremes who were moring; there were also the so-called divine envoys of the God of Trade, eager to assist these fifteen yers in selling their resources at a higher price. However, the faces of the fifteen lucky individuals were grim.


    They understood the current situation; although it seemed that everyone was extremely enthusiastic about them, the reality was quiteplicated. All the Supremes were eager for the resources in their possession, which meant that no matter whom they sold to, they would offend the other Supremes!


    As for handing their items over to the divine envoy of the God of Trade for sale? That was a thought that only someone with a screw loose would entertain.


    If they were dealing with ordinary items, it might be worth a try. But what they had in their hands were resources that could lead to ascension to godhood! To put it bluntly, the God of Trade wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice a divine envoy to obtain divine authority amber!


    In this era, with cmity looming, the difficulty of bing a deity was at an all-time high. One god was worth countless divine envoys. Consequently, the value of resources that could assist in godhood had reached its peak.


    Selling them? Absolutely impossible!


    The fifteen yers quietly formed a private chat group to exchange opinions.


    "We must stand together and not reveal anything about the items in the shop."


    "Exactly! Otherwise, it would lead to our deaths. Those Supremes, driven mad by their desire to be gods, would kill us in a heartbeat, no matter how slim the odds, just to see if they could obtain the items."


    "Killing us would be the better oue! Those people would capture us alive, constantly interrogating us, using special items to prevent us from logging off, until they extract the fragments of divine authority amber."


    They discussed and reached a conclusion!


    The potential rewards were too massive��so big that even though they couldn''t use them, they didn''t dare to reveal them! The only solution was��


    The fifteen yers fell silent for a moment, and suddenly, they shared amon thought.


    "Let''s seek refuge with Lord David!"


    "How about joining the Twilight Guild?"


    Instantly, the atmosphere in the private chat group became much livelier.


    "Aligning ourselves with Lord David is the best choice right now. His strength is the greatest in the Hall of Valor, and he can protect us."


    "Right! Even if David wants to take all the resources from us, we''d ept it. After all, it was with his help that we managed to obtain the divine authority amber!"


    "Lord David wouldn''t take everything for himself; he would leave us some, and that would still be a tremendous bargain for us."


    The group discussed and managed toe up with apromise that everyone could ept.


    The main issue was that they couldn''t hide the fact that they had ranked in the Valor Combatants conference. Everyone in the Hall of Valor was watching; there was no way to escape. Seeking a protective umbre, they realized that an unexpected windfall could very well cost them their lives.


    The fifteen yers were quite clear-headed, understanding that what they needed to do now was not to figure out how to im all the rewards from the Valor Combatants conference, but rather to ensure their own safety first.


    So, in response to the enthusiastic calls from countless Supremes, the fifteen yers quickly said,


    "Thank you, esteemed ones, for your attention."


    "However, our ability to receive these rewards is entirely due to the assistance of Lord David."


    "These rewards, we intend to dedicate to Lord David, and we dare not overstep our bounds."


    They didn''t just say it; they immediately contacted the two vice presidents of the Twilight Guild. At the same time, they shared their screen.


    The many Supremes were surprised to see that the fifteen yers were indeed following through on their words, applying to join Twilight and promising to hand over their gains from the Valor Combatants conference, leaving it entirely to President David to decide how to handle it.


    At that moment, even the expressions of the attending Supremes darkened significantly, yet they could not voice any objections. The logic of the fifteen yers was sound. They had only achieved these rewards thanks to David; now they wanted to return the rewards to him��who could argue against that?


    Moreover, the Supremes also understood that the rewards the fifteen yers obtained from the conference were an extremely valuable resource for David. Would that ruthless fellow give up such a significant gain? Absolutely not! To try to forcefully purchase from them now would be tantamount to courting death.


    Thus, the Supremes all showed friendly smiles.


    "Yes, yes, yes! We didn''t consider that at first!"


    "You young friends truly understand the greater good."


    "You''ve thought this through; these rewards rightfully belong to President David. How could we dare to interfere?"


    In an instant, the atmosphere became harmonious and cheerful.


    Meanwhile, Sterl was initially unaware that the fifteen yers who had managed to make it to the finals because of him intended to contribute their resources to him.


    "This is going well, quite smoothly," he mused. At this moment, Sterl was busy increasing his contribution points to the Twilight Guild. The method was still the same old trick: dismantling the core of other guilds.


    To his surprise, as David became renowned in the Valor Combatants conference, many guild leaders approached him without Sterl needing to seek them out. These leaders expressed their desire to contribute their guild cores and join Twilight.


    Not all guilds were focused on raising their level to seven topete for authority within the Hall of Valor. Most guild leaders established their guilds with the primary goal of gaining a few buffs. However, after running their guilds for decades or even centuries, their levels had naturally increased over time.


    When these leaders learned that David was desperately trying to elevate the guild level of Twilight, they quickly realized��


    It''s good to have a strong ally!


    With cmity approaching, what good was their small, shabby guild? Being under David''s wing would offer them far better protection!


    Moreover, the buffs received from joining the Twilight guild would be stronger than those from their original guild!


    As a result, after collecting two cores that were willingly offered, Sterl decided to halt his own actions and delegate the tasks to Sosia and Sonis.


    "From now on, you two are responsible for increasing the guild''s contribution."


    Sterl reclined in a wicker chair in the manor.


    "Once we have enough contributions, I will promote the guild as quickly as possible."


    Previously, he had obtained four tier-3 materials from a materials box and acquired ten more tier-3 materials through the champion shop. All the costs for upgrading from level six to level seven would be covered by the Blessing.


    In reality, Sterl only needed thirteen materials for the upgrades from level four to five and from five to six. He even had an extra SSS-grade material.


    Thus, he casually directed them.


    Additionally, the thirteen guild materials would require thirteen upgrades.


    Sterl nned to wait in the Hall of Valor while he arranged for his legendary promotion ceremony, using any spare points to evolve one or two of the guild materials.


    If he could elevate the guild to level seven within a month, it should be enough to keep up with the tasks rted to the Hall of Valor''s authoritypetition.


    As the guild leader, even if he was in another continent, Sterl could raise the guild level anytime and anywhere.


    After giving instructions to the two sisters, Sterl approached and pulled Sosia and Sonis into his embrace, settling them on hisp.


    He could log off tofort the other women at home, but this pair of sisters could only remain in the Hall of Valor.


    Sterl decisively decided to help them feel good before leaving.


    "Master."


    Sosia and Sonis looked at him with misty eyes.


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose one and kissed her, his hand moving to loosen her clothing.


    At this moment, the loyalty requests from the fifteen fortunate yers arrived in the private chat pages of Sosia and Sonis. However, the two vice presidents, who were usually extremely dedicated, werepletely oblivious to these trivial matters.


    Sosia was the first to straddle Sterl, suddenly sitting down hard, feeling the overwhelming sensation as she let out a soft cry, reminiscent of a cat''s mewl. Sonis, equally eager, leaped forward as well. This time, it seemed they were both aware of the impending separation, and Sterl along with the sister duo went all out.


    Sterl continued to thrust, eliciting low, dizzying cries from Sosia until, after a final flurry of movements, the girl was nearly unconscious. Then it was Sonis''s turn, as she was pinned down on the carpet, her legs raised high as she responded to Sterl''s advances.


    Once Sosia regained some stamina, she wrapped herself around Sterl again. He quickly brought her down once more before turning to Sonis. For a time, the entire manor was filled with muffled cries of pleasure.


    The three of them engaged in their passionate encounter for a full day and night. Eventually, the sisters'' stamina was exhausted, and they fell into a deep slumber. Sterl ced the two beautiful girls back on the bed and then left the manor.


    ��


    While Sosia and Sonis were still sleeping soundly, Sterl had already stepped aboard a rainbow ship. He was heading to the far north of the Vastor continent, where there was an ultra-long-distance teleportation array that crossed over to the southern continent of Loviath. This continent was under the influence of Ashen and was also the location marked by the Starry n in the Mark of the Heavens.


    Sterl nned to rank up to legendary status there, etching his story into the annals of history.


    By the way, Sterl was not only going to another continent to search for the traces of the Starry n. In reality, many legends would choose to ascend in an unfamiliar ce. If one was already famous, the impact of their deeds would not be as profound. In contrast, rising from obscurity and causing a stir could lead to a more dramatic story with a stronger resonance, garnering higher acim.


    Sterl had read in the tomes that the more significant the events undertaken during one''s legendary ascension, the greater the impact and fame they would evoke, leading to better results! The legendary abilities consolidated in the future would also be more potent.


    Although Sterl rarely used legendary abilities, it did not hinder him from exhausting every possible avenue to be stronger��


    After spending a full three days on the rainbow ship, Sterl finally arrived at the far northern region. During this time, he sessfully allocated points to max out his treasurepass.


    Its name was��The Compass of Desire.


    At that moment, Sterlpleted the final point allocation. In his hand was a very worn-looking pocket watch, its surface marred and battered, with a twisted dial. The four cardinal directions were etched with various patterns: one resembling a cab, another depicting a human figure, along with a swirling mass of air and a bnce scale design.

 Chapter 437 Is the Speed of the Rainbow Ship Increasing?

    An item notification popped up in front of Sterl.


    [the Compass of Desire]


    [Category: Special Item]


    [Description: A uniquepass that symbolizes the ability to reveal all things, originally existing in myth as a creation, now inexplicably born into the world.]


    [Effect: Depending on the category of the item being searched, pressing the corresponding emblem will immediately initiate the search. Thepass will continuously point the way; within a continent, it will show green; within a Crystal Barrier Gxy, it will show blue. If the location of the searched item is within one kilometer, thepass will turn gold.]


    "Indeed, the effect has significantly enhanced; it''s almost a transformation!" Sterl murmured with excitement.


    He looked at the slowlying to a stop Rainbow Ship and didn''t immediately activate the effect of the Compass of Desire; instead, he frowned slightly.


    "That''s strange!"


    "Logically, it shouldn''t take less than four days to reach the Far North, right?"


    "Yet we arrived a whole day early??"


    With Sterl''s cautious nature, any unusual urrences would prompt him to pause, think carefully, and then proceed.


    But this time, after contemting, he didn''t see why arriving a day early would pose any issues.


    The Rainbow Ship system of the Hall of Valor always operated at maximum capacity; there was no way anyone could deliberately arrange for Sterl to arrive early to ambush him.


    The Rainbow Ship simply didn''t have that capability!


    But then, why had they arrived a day earlier?


    Sterl was puzzled. "I didn''t encounter any special spatial nodes or fluctuations on the way."


    "The voyage process seemed theoretically normal."


    After pondering for a moment, he decided not to dwell on it.


    He quickly disembarked and then activated the Compass of Desire.


    Sterl pressed the emblem representing the item and silently recited��


    "Help me search for the Soul Treasure."


    With a series of crackling sounds, the pointer on the Compass of Desire spun rapidly.


    Tap! Tap! Tap!


    The pointer whirled, producing a vibrating sound, before finallying to a stop.


    Thepass emitted a bright blue light, pointing directly west!


    "That''spletely opposite to the continent I want to go to��" Sterl shook his head, a bit regretfully.


    He had originally hoped this trip could achieve three goals at once: obtain the Soul Treasure, level up to legendary status, and acquire the legacy of the Starry n.


    Unfortunately, Sterl''s luck had already run out in [Inquire Within], and recovering it would take time.


    Sterl wasn''t disheartened, though; he prepared to deal with the other matters at hand first.


    At the very least, he had confirmed through the Compass of Desire that there was a Soul Treasure within a Crystal Barrier Gxy''s range from his location.


    This meant there was definitely a Soul Treasure somewhere in Alpha 8!


    As for whether the Compass of Desire might point to another Crystal Barrier Gxy adjacent to Alpha 8, causing the straight-line distance between Sterl and the treasure to fall short of one Crystal Barrier Gxy?


    That would significantly increase the difficulty of finding the treasure, as crossing the gap between Crystal Barrier Gxies required special items.


    Even gods could not easily travel to other worlds!


    Fortunately, Sterl was well aware��this was impossible.


    The distance between each Crystal Barrier Gxy far exceeded the size of the Crystal Barrier Gxy system itself.


    "Though I can''t solve everything at once, being able to obtain the Soul Treasure without going to the upper realms is still quite good."


    After acquiring Infinite Space Insight, Sterl''s intuition had been greatly enhanced; he had a feeling that the Soul Treasure would bring immense benefits.


    Subsequently, Sterl sent out Bionic Tear to scout while he hid in a small world, making his way forward. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Beside him, a group of yers who had arrived in the Far North approached with enthusiasm.


    "Lord Moffat, pardon our intrusion along the way."


    "For this journey to the extreme north, we are relying entirely on you!"


    "Sir, here''s the map; take a look."


    ...


    After boarding the Rainbow Ship, Sterl disguised himself as an ordinary demigod, and there were quite a few legendary and demigod-level yers aboard as well.


    During the few days of sailing, there were minor frictions among the yers.


    In his role as Moffat, Sterl easily suppressed any conflicts, and in the eyes of all the yers, Moffat was undoubtedly a talented demigod, far surpassing his peers inbat power, and needed to be courted.


    Everyone was eager to please, and among them was a girl dressed in gothic attire, pale-faced and seemingly from a special race, gazing longingly at Sterl.


    She was a demigod.


    At this moment, however, she followed Sterl with a rather humble demeanor.


    "Sir, you promised to protect me when the timees."


    The girl let out a coyugh.


    Sterl nodded casually.


    This woman had actively taken on the role of Sterl''s toy on the Rainbow Ship.


    She had a good figure, and her racial talents provided a unique warmth that fluctuated in temperature, which Sterl found quite enjoyable.


    However,pared to the beauties at his own home, sheckedpetitiveness.


    Even now, Sterl didn''t even know her name.


    She also intended to go to the continent ruled by Ashen, and the price for Sterl''s attention was simply to help block a wed demigod.


    To this, Sterl had agreed while on the Rainbow Ship.


    He had always concealed his strength, but now the power he disyed was merely the tip of the iceberg; it allowed him to indulge and enjoy himself, which was not a bad thing.


    As for intercepting the demigod, that was a simple task.


    Sterl was generally easy to talk to when it didn''t involve personal interests.


    He took the initiative to wrap his arm around the girl, smiling as he caressed her pale skin, which felt remarkably smooth.


    "No problem, you can rest assured."


    Then he turned back to hispanions.


    "If a demigod-level boss appears near the teleportation array, you don''t need to intervene."


    Sterl reassured the friends he had made on the Rainbow Ship, adopting the demeanor of a warm-hearted big brother.


    ...


    Then the group began their journey.


    In the Far North, the spatial forces were extremely chaotic, and Sterl''s party couldn''t use teleportation or simr methods; they could only walk.


    Sterl trudged through the snow, his feet sinking and rising unevenly, as the frenzied wind and snow whipped around him, transforming him into a snowman-like figure.


    He advanced slowly towards the teleportation array.


    The numerous legendary and demigod yers behind him looked at him with admiration.


    "The frozen soul snow of the Far North has no effect on Lord Moffat at all!"


    "How lucky we are to be apanying this powerhouse!"


    ...


    It took Sterl and the others over four hours to finally catch a distant glimpse of��


    A magnificent golden energy driving in a slow elliptical trajectory.


    "We''ve arrived."


    Sterl exhaled a breath of warm air.


    The teleportation array, capable of spanning multiple continents, was indeed extraordinary; it required not only a terrifying amount of energy but also relied on the earth''s gravitational forces.


    As an Array Master, Sterl understood that the Far North, being the closest location on the Vastor continent to the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s barrier, had the most chaotic and surging spatial energy, which was necessary to transport individuals over vast distances.


    Due to theck of nearby points connecting to the Crystal Barrier Gxy, Sterl went there and is unable to teleport back.


    Of course, he had prepared a return item that would allow him to instantly return to the Hall of Valor.


    "This kind of power��"


    "If I could master it and transform it into Law or even divine authority��"


    Sterl gazed longingly into the sky, witnessing a sight that could not be seen elsewhere.


    The teleportation array relied not only on spatial power but also on the thin membrane and folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy to facilitate movement.


    Thus, Sterl observed a strange, semi-transparent wall, shimmering like crystal ss, stretching across the sky, apanied by endless wind and snow!


    "Wait, that is��"


    In the next moment, Sterl''s expression changed slightly.


    As he focused his attention, he was astonished to find that the Crystal Barrier Gxy wasyered, twisting in a vortex-like manner, almost like a thousandyer cake!


    The core of the vortex was not in the Far North but in an even more distant area.


    However, the Crystal Barrier Gxy was an incredibly hard creation; if forcibly distorted, it would only lead to one result.


    Crack! Crack!


    From afar, Sterl could hear the sound of the crystal wall seemingly on the verge of shattering.


    No, it was already breaking!


    Sterl could see countless glimmering shards falling from the sky, and one evennded in his palm.


    At the moment he witnessed the Crystal Barrier Gxy shattering, a profound sense of terror surged within him.


    It was akin to the natural human instinct to feel uneasy in the presence of darkness or snakes.


    As a being existing in Alpha 8, he had relied on the protection of the Crystal Barrier Gxy to live peacefully.


    Now, with the Crystal Barrier Gxy breaking apart, Sterl felt an instinctive unease and panic!


    Even though he didn''t understand what the shattering of the Crystal Barrier Gxy meant.


    "Damn it! What the hell is going on?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but curse inwardly.


    He realized why the journey to the Far North had been a day shorter.


    The shattering of the Crystal Barrier Gxy was caused by the vortex-like distortion,pressing the entire world''s size.


    The closer one got to the Far North, the greater the degree of deflection andpression.


    The journey on the Rainbow Ship had seemed fairly normal at first; however, as they approached their destination, the world itself was being increasinglypressed.


    It wasn''t that the speed of the Rainbow Ship had increased; rather, the distance to the destination had shortened.


    During thetter part of the journey, Sterl mostly saw an unchangingndscape of ocean icebergs.


    Having never been there before, he hadn''t noticed thepression.


    Now, Sterl finally understood!


    Crack! Crack!


    The sound of breaking continued to echo.


    The degree of distortion and the elerating rate of distortion were constantly increasing!


    Sooner orter, the entire world would bepressed to a fraction of its original size by the vortex!


    Sterl felt a chill run down his spine.


    He thought��


    Wait, the Far North was merely an area close to the membrane of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, not the center of the distortion, and already visible changes were urring.


    What would the core of Alpha 8 look like now?


    Sterl looked back up at the sky.


    His high level of spatial mastery allowed his gaze to pierce through the membrane of the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    To his horror, he discovered that in the vast unknown world outside, everything was also twisting, transforming into a vortex!

 Chapter 438 The Upper Realms Ability: Boundary

    It wasn''t Alpha 8 that was beingpressed!


    It seemed that countless worlds were being shrunk within the vortex?!!


    Sterl was stunned!


    "But�� what does this mean?"


    Despite his astonishment, Sterl quickly regained hisposure.


    The shrinking of countless worlds was merely a phenomenon.


    What was important was what it symbolized behind the scenes��


    This was something Sterl waspletely unaware of.


    However, out of nowhere, he suddenly thought of something.


    From the information he had gathered earlier, he knew that the upper realms and the lower realm were originally a single,plete massive world. It was only after the upper realms were separated from the lower realm that the current world structure was formed.


    What did the world originally look like?


    ...


    Sterl didn''t dwell on the current changes for too long.


    He only knew that amassing more power for himself was essential to resist risks.


    Sterl initially intended to head straight for the teleportation array.


    He had heard that the teleportation array in the Far North was rarely used and that the surrounding energy was immense, attracting numerous ferocious wild monsters.


    At this moment, Sterl casually enhanced the Blood of the Holy Spirit, as the extended time spent marching through the snow had depleted his abilities.


    He felt a strange surge of blood energy coursing through him, making him feel warm.


    At the same time, the Holy Spirit Bloodline instantly activated!


    Sterl felt a sharp pain in his right palm as a peculiar crystalline sand emerged.


    "This is�� the crystal that fell into my hand when the Crystal Barrier Gxy shattered earlier??"


    Sterl recalled that after the crystal hadnded in his palm, it had vanished without a trace. He hadn''t expected it to hide within his body!


    "Good thing I activated the Holy Spirit Bloodline; otherwise, this could have turned into a disaster."


    His expression tightened slightly.


    Although Sterl had been shocked by the distortion of the entire world, he hadn''t expected to overlook something as bizarre as the crystal merging into his body!


    The only exnation was that he had beenpelled to ignore it!


    The crystal contained some form of cognitive maniption power!


    Sterl''s expression darkened; if it weren''t for the strength of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he could have been caught off guard!


    "What if it damaged my Bionic Tear? That would be a huge loss!"


    Indeed, Sterl''s main body was hidden in the little world, and the crystal had merged only with his avatar.


    After acquiring the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the avatar had also synchronized its abilities, forcing the crystal out.


    By the way, the reason the Holy Spirit Bloodline was effective on the avatar was that Sterl''s soul was immersed in Bionic Tear, personally controlling the avatar.


    Once his soul detached, and the Bionic Tear acted independently, the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline on the avatar would instantly dissipate.


    The Holy Spirit Bloodline was a power attached to the soul!


    "Let me see what this crystal is all about."


    Sterl looked through the avatar''s vision and saw a new information panel.


    This panel was quite special; it appeared in pure gold, exuding an inexplicable air of luxury!


    [Boundary Fragment]


    [Category: Information Entity]


    [Description: [Data Deleted][Data Unreadable, Insufficient Permissions], once [Data Deleted] used to create the Crystal Barrier Gxy, this ability is inscribed within the crystal wall membrane that delineates each world.]


    [Effect: Collect 10,000 pieces, and you can obtain a severely iplete [Boundary] method.]


    "Is this the special ability of the upper realms?"


    Sterl murmured.


    Although the item description didn''t specify this, he could easily confirm through the sensing of the Holy Spirit Bloodline that [boundary]was indeed a skill from the upper realms.


    Furthermore, the description of the [boundary fragment]made Sterl realize that the Crystal Barrier Gxy was not a natural formation; it was likely created by the existence of the upper realms to separate the lower realm!


    "But that has nothing to do with me."


    "As long as I collect ten thousand fragments of the crystal wall membrane, I can obtain a severely iplete upper realms ability!"


    "Holy Spirit Bloodline, ensure that I can learn this ability."


    "By enhancing my skills, I can optimize a new ability from this severely iplete power!"


    Sterl''s eyes sparkled with excitement!


    He hadn''t expected that his journey to the Far North would yield such additional gains!


    As for the strength of the upper realms ability?


    Needless to say??


    Just by holding the crystal in his hand, Sterl could faintly sense that many years ago, a mysterious figure had raised a hand, causing vast stretches ofnd to shatter into pieces.


    It was like the biblical tale of Moses parting the sea.


    Transparent crystalline barriers appeared! At the same time, from the fracturednd, deep indigo gas was forcibly extracted, forming a small world that floated in the air.


    Thus, countless primary worlds were officially born!


    And that small world��


    Perhaps, it was the upper realms!


    "Hiss~"


    "So powerful!"


    As Sterl watched the crystal in his hand, the images ying began to fade gradually.


    He was filled with immense anticipation for the power of [boundary]!


    That was a terrifying existence, seemingly from the upper realms, a power used to create both the lower realm and the upper realms! If it weren''t for the current world distortion,bined with Sterl''s fortunate acquisition of the Holy Spirit Bloodline,


    he suspected he would never have been able to grasp [boundary], even if he used the Key of the Realms to reach the upper realms!


    "I can''t miss this opportunity."


    Sterl decided to slightly alter his ns.


    The yers around him were in a daze; they didn''t possess the spatial Laws and couldn''t easily sense the changes in the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s membrane like Sterl could.


    They only heard the sounds of shattering and saw a crystal enter the body of Lord Moffat, followed by the crystal being forced out again.


    The yers were bewildered and spoke up.


    "Lord, do you know what is happening?"


    "Is the sound of breaking in the sky a portent of something?"


    ��


    They were very curious.


    "Lord Moffat, you are well-traveled; please enlighten us."


    The woman in Sterl''s arms smiled sweetly and pouted.


    However, the expressions of the yers froze.


    Sterl looked at the sky, where the crystalline giant screen continued to shatter and crack, with asional shards falling down.


    He hadn''t observed it closely before, but now with the powerful perception brought by the Holy Spirit Bloodline,


    Sterl noticed that all the shards seemed to be flowing toward sentient beings, with many wild monsters in the distance being selected��


    Among them, one or two shards were flying toward him.


    "Let''s take down some wild monsters and see if we can drop any [boundary fragments]!"


    Sterl''s heart stirred. The copse of the Crystal Barrier Gxy had been ongoing for a while, and the crystals would likely have actively integrated into the bodies of sentient beings around him. There was no need to rush to the new continent; he could farm some monsters first. The prospect of obtaining the upper realms ability made his previously dormant heart race with excitement.


    He threw a few Mark of the Heavensfrom a distance, and a tinum light illuminated Sterl''s figure. Although it was broad daylight, in an instant, the sky appeared to be filled with twinkling stars, with several bright celestial bodies descending rapidly from above! They were heading toward the wild monsters in the distance!


    Most of those monsters were merely third-ss or second-ss beings. As they looked up at the Star Radiancediving down from the sky, they were left stunned!


    "Wait�� Am I really a target for this?"


    The monsters disintegrated in the overwhelming energy, as the light from Starlight Sprayrained down like a fine mist, efficiently ughtering all living creatures within a vast area. All that remained were glimmering fragments flying toward the towering energy beam where Sterl was located.


    Facing some insignificant creatures, Sterl used his tinum Skill. The monsters were too far away, and after clearing them with Mark of the Heavensand Starlight Spray, he could trigger the passive effect of the boundary fragment��which attracted crystals to sentient beings, making them drift toward Sterl.


    As for why there was an energy beam at Sterl''s location, it was because he had cast a Mark of the Heavensenhanced with Fission Law! The yers around him, who had previously looked up to him, as well as the woman pouting in his arms, were all dissolved by the radiant light.


    "I''m kind-hearted; I made a big move to ensure you all experienced no pain during your annihtion."


    Sterl extinguished the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, incinerating the yers'' souls entirely. At this point, the entire Far North was eerily silent, leaving only the howling winds and snow.


    There was no way around it. Sterl hadn''t expected to force the crystals out of himself. If this news got out, it might expose his possession of the Holy Spirit Bloodline. Nearby yers, even if they didn''t understand what Sterl''s actions meant, had enough memory and divine power to recreate this scene in their minds.


    Next, Sterl still needed to continue collecting crystals to devise a way to piece together the upper realms ability. Also, his actions being spread among the yers would mean exposing that he might possess the ability to harness upper realms power. There was no avoiding it. Despite having enjoyed pleasant conversations earlier, he had no choice but to eliminate them!


    After casting his skills, Sterl didn''t linger; he decisively continued toward the teleportation array, having collected thirty-one crystals.


    "The quantity is less than I expected," he mused, slightly frowning.


    "That''s normal, given the visible distortion of the Crystal Barrier Gxy."


    "But only the Far North seems affected; this is clearly unreasonable."


    Sterl analyzed the situation based on the principles he learned in his previous life��


    the further away from the point of distortion, the less significant the distortion at the core would cause massive changes.


    The visible distortions in the extreme north indicated that the Crystal Barrier Gxy had shattered quite severely; logically, even in the Hall of Valor, some powerful beings should have noticed something amiss. Yet, the entire Alpha 8 was currently calm and undisturbed.


    "Clearly, the distortion has just begun."


    "The influencing power hasn''t had time to propagate to farther locations."


    "That''s why there are so few boundary fragments falling from the Crystal Barrier Gxy."


    He continued his analysis.

 Chapter 439 The Fusion of Countless Worlds

    In Sterl''s perspective, the crystal wall membrane was changing little by little, and the Far North was not the core of the distortion; even Alpha 8 might only be on the edge of the distortion zone. This involved the upheaval of countless worlds!


    Sterl recalled the massive continent he had seen within the crystal and felt a flicker of thought. If the distortion was vortex-shaped, the outer primary worlds would gradually draw closer to the core point. Ultimately�� he suddenly realized something��countless shattered worlds would be rejoined as one!


    Sterl was shaken to his core!


    But soon, he regained hisposure.


    "At this rate, even if I wipe out all the nearby monsters, I still won''t gather ten thousand fragments."


    Sterl felt a bit frustrated, but he didn''t stop his movements, quickly making his way toward the teleportation array. As for the countless worlds he had just discovered to be merging, he seemed to ignore it entirely.


    Sterl was clear-minded; with his current strength, contemting the grand trend of world fusion was pointless. So, he decided not to overthink it.


    "Let''s head to the teleportation array; there should be some bosses there."


    "Perhaps the dropped crystal fragments will be more plentiful."


    He murmured to himself but suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    Apanied by a fierce roar, Sterl saw the ground ahead suddenly cave in!


    A vast iceke appeared!


    In the center of the iceke was a colossal beast, entirely snow-white with long whiskers, its jagged teeth measuring over ten meters long, ring at him menacingly!!


    This was a beast resembling a sea lion!


    "A demigod-level boss?"


    "Wait, a perfect-grade demigod??"


    "What''s going on?"


    Sterl was stunned!


    Using Star Insight, he examined the detailed attributes of the boss ahead.


    [Imperial Tooth]


    [Category: Boss]


    [Rank: Demigod (Perfect Grade)]


    [Attributes: ��]


    [Skills: ��]


    [Description: A creature living in the Far North, catalyzed by the information body of the upper realms, forciblypleted its breakthrough at the cost of burning its life.]


    "As expected, being infused with crystal involves a price to pay."


    Sterl nodded, but this, in turn, reflected the extremely high value of the boundary crystals. ording to the data from the Hall of Valor, the strongest bosses in the Far North were only perfect-grade demigods, and such outdoor bosses had long been defeated. Thest time a perfect-grade demigod monster appeared in the Far North was over a hundred years ago.


    Monsters and bosses progressed in strength much slower than ordinary yers; theoretically, a new perfect-grade demigod shouldn''t emerge within a century, let alone a perfect-grade demigod!


    [Imperial Tooth]had evidently forcibly enhanced its power through the crystals, and the only price it paid was merely consuming some of its lifespan!


    "Even if others don''t have the Holy Spirit Bloodline and cannot see the true function of the boundary crystals, thepetition pressure is still significant."


    Sterl contemted.


    He realized that gathering the boundary skill pieces in the Far North was not an urgent matter, as the distortion of the Crystal Barrier Gxy would eventually spread throughout Alpha 8. At that point, every map would have opportunities to obtain crystals. However, once the effects of crystal enhancement were revealed, everyone would flock to it.


    Compared to bing stronger, consuming a little lifespan was practically without cost.


    "That''s troublesome!"


    Sterl sighed, watching the boss rush towards him, transforming mid-air into massive fangs made of frost, filled with an overwhelming killing intent as it mmed down toward the ground. He acted as if he hadn''t seen it at all, until the frost-covered fangs were about to touch his skin.


    He slightly raised his hand, pointing like a sword.


    One Sword Opens the Sky!!


    Sterl had grasped part of the divine authority''s de aura, transforming it into an extremely sharp illusion that sliced upward. It was as if boiling water had poured into a greasy drain. The sword energy surged through, unimpeded, dissolving all defensive forces in its path.


    In the air, only sshes of ice and snow remained, along with the boss''s entrails and blood raining down in a messy cascade. Sterl had just received the detailed attributes of [Imperial Tooth]but couldn''t be bothered to nce at it; the power gap was too vast. One Sword Opens the Skyignored everything!


    Even if [Imperial Tooth]possessed life-saving abilities or could enhance its life force, it was all in vain.


    It was a one-hit kill!


    Sterl casually picked up the loot sphere dropped by the boss, feeling the sixteen crystals merge into his body. He nodded with satisfaction and walked toward the next monster''s location.


    What followed was a rather monotonous massacre.


    With thebined effects of Starlight Sprayand the cursed world, Sterl swiftly traversed the Far North. He remained silent, releasing skills in quietude.


    In the glow of his abilities, countless lives vanished. Bosses and wild monsters fell before Sterl. It was a true extermination, leaving not a de of grass behind!


    Sterl spent five days, and his blood force broke through seventy points!


    His killing efficiency had improved significantlypared to before, but the Far North was not a battlefield; the density of monsters was much lower. This showcased the madness of Sterl''s ughter!


    Thisnd, filled with swirling snow and wind, had truly transformed into a colossal icy tomb!


    During those five days, Sterl had catalyzed five guild materials.


    Now��


    He looked curiously at a mountain peak.


    "What is that?"


    Sterl observed ahead; all the monsters in the Far North had been wiped out by him. He had collected 1,263 crystals and was prepared to leave through the teleportation array.


    But at that moment, the crystal wall membrane suddenly split open, creating a massive gash. A dazzling beam of light descended,nding atop the mountain peak. Sterl, being extremely cautious, approached slowly using Bionic Tear.


    But he discovered��


    The mountain hade to life!!


    With a thunderous roar, the original mountain morphed into the shape of a giant, the snow and wind gradually dissipating to reveal a frenzied face. It resembled the Frost Giants of myth and legend.


    As the giant stretched its body, the world shook! The space trembled!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The giant slowly lifted its foot, causing the ground to quake violently.


    Sterl activated Star Insight��


    [Unable to Detect!]


    A particrly unusual prompt appeared before him?


    Huh?


    What''s going on?


    Sterl was stunned; usually, even with a significant disparity in divine power, the prompt should indicate a detection failure, not an inability to detect! What on earth was this Frost Giant??


    Sterl immediately felt a surge of rm in his heart. He had a faint sense that the golden creation descending from the Crystal Barrier Gxy was likely connected to the upper realms!


    After all, based on the memories conveyed by the crystals, above the countless primary worlds outside the Crystal Barrier Gxyy the upper realms. The upper realms and the sea of space beyond the crystal wall membrane were interconnected. Only the existence of the upper realms could give rise to such bizarre monsters.


    As Sterl pondered this, the Frost Giant caught sight of him. Immediately, a glimmer of murderous intent and predatory desire shed in its once-empty eyes, and the giant charged forward in a frenzy.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The giant''s footsteps pounded against the ground, creating a deafening sound. The Far North, originally a massive cier, now crumbled beneath the weight of the giant''s steps. Sterl frowned; this scene of destruction was somewhat intimidating.


    He tentatively gathered the Flowing Water deand unleashed a Shattered Void. This attack was not executed with full strength; it was purely a test. He first activated the effect of freezing space.


    Sure enough, the Frost Giant waspletely unaffected, continuing its slow yet determined advance. What felt bizarre to Sterl was that the freezing effect did not seem to have been resisted by the Frost Giant; it was as if it hadn''t been activated at all. The giant didn''t even show the slightest dy!


    This could only indicate two terrifying possibilities.


    First, the Frost Giant might be immune to the power of space. If this were the case, the creature''s strength would be exceedingly exaggerated!


    Second, it might not be immune to the power of space but had somehowpleted a breakthrough in an incredibly short time that Sterl couldn''t even observe! This would mean that the Frost Giant''s strength could far exceed what it would be under normal circumstances!


    Though Sterl felt uneasy, he had seen his fair share of storms. Steadying himself, he struck with his de! Countless de auras surged forth! All the sword lights collided at high speed, annihting each other in the process. They couldn''t even locate an enemy! Only a few randomly released sword energies barely grazed the Frost Giant.


    In front of Sterl, the words [block], [block], [block]popped up one after another.


    "What the��??"


    Sterl was a bit dazed. He often instant-killed opponents in battle, so damage indicators didn''t usually appear. However, when facing bosses with high health, damage numbers still showed up. Sometimes, after a boss cast a defensive buff, he had seen [-0]characters, indicating that he hadn''t broken through their defenses. But now�� the Frost Giant was apletely different situation!


    It had resisted his attack!!


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    It was immune to Sterl''s damage!


    Sterl''s expression changed drastically. Despite his main body still hiding in a small world, it didn''t prevent his vignce from reaching its peak! He managed to stay calm and decided to throw out a few more skills.


    Mark of the Heavens, Ignition me, Fission Power, a variety of Law Powers!


    The sky transformed into a riot of colorful lights.


    Yet all attacks failed to automatically lock onto the target with their essence; Sterl had to exert his divine power to actively guide them. Thus, countless beams of light rained down upon the giant.


    Boom!


    The deafening noise and the destructive reactions caused by the collision of various elemental forces surged forth. Especially the brilliant white light emitted by Fission Law, which momentarily illuminated the Far North by a third!


    [block], [block], [block].


    Sterl''s prompt screen was flooded with notifications.


    "Damn it!"


    How was he supposed to fight this? All his methods were immune?!


    At this moment, the Frost Giant continued its unhurried advance. After unleashing his skills, Sterl swiftly retreated, but��


    As the Frost Giant slowly raised its massive palm��

 Chapter 440 The Terrifying Frost Giant!

    Sterl felt an immense pressure!


    He could no longer hide in the small world. If Bionic Tearwere to fail, he wouldn''t be able to move through the spatial passage, and if the Frost Giant "guarded the corpse," he would have an even harder time dealing with it. Right now, he had the advantage of attacking alongside a very powerful clone, which alleviated some pressure.


    Thus, Sterl''s figure flickered, appearing in the outside world.


    The Frost Giant, however, paid him no mind and suddenly brought its massive palm crashing down!


    Sterl felt as if he were locked in ce by the very heavens; an infinite amount of frost and strange powers sealed him. If he had the time to open his attributes panel, he would see that all his skills were lit up, indicating that he was not under any silence or control effects. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Sterl found himself unable to move!


    All he could see was that frost-covered giant palm growingrger before his eyes, leaving him with no ability to resist! Before leaving the small world, Sterl had activated all abilities to resist abnormal states. However, a series of skills, including Radiant ss Body, were all rendered ineffective!


    Finally��


    The giant palm mmed down onto the ground!


    Apanied by a terrifying roar, Sterl felt an overwhelming wave of frost invading from the material realm to the mental realm, and then into the soul realm!


    He closed his eyes and concentrated slightly.


    Although normal detection methods were ineffective against the Frost Giant, Sterl''s soul departure, due to his elevated soul rank, allowed him to temporarily detach from his physical body.


    Thus��


    Sterlpleted a brief detection before returning his soul to his body. He didn''t choose to ascend to godhood; instead, he gathered all his strength, attempting to break free from the seal.


    Unfortunately�� it was useless!


    Boom!!


    Rumble, rumble, rumble��


    First came a tremendous crash, followed by a deep, resounding noise as if the entire Far North was shattering. The Frost Giant''s palm had forcefully driven down a quarter of the map!


    The Far North was essentially a massive cier floating on the sea. Now, it was beingpressed downwards!


    Sterl activated the effect of Rebirth of All Thoughts. He hadn''t yet engaged the Frost Giant in a proper battle, so he couldn''t gather damage immunity to counter it, but at least it was an Iridescent-Levbility that would somewhat increase his resistance.


    However, Sterl�� was utterly shattered!


    His eyes widened in disbelief. The Frost Giant''s destructive power was certainly formidable, but its output strength hadn''t exceeded Sterl''s expectations.


    It wasn''t the sheer output that defeated Sterl; it was some strange aura. Just as Sterl''s attacks against the Frost Giant were all resisted, his defenses were automatically dissolved before the Frost Giant!


    It was like spring sunshine melting away the snow!


    Thus, Sterl had no room for resistance and was swiftly annihted.


    Bionic Tearwas drawn into the small world just before Sterl met his end.


    The Frost Giant remained in the pose of bringing down its palm, slowly rising. Its previous strike could have obliterated a deity!


    At this moment, the waves surged, and the Far North slowly began to restore itself thanks to buoyancy. Yet the surrounding sea was a scene of apocalyptic devastation. A nearly hundred-meter-high tsunami had been generated, transforming into colossal waves sweeping in all directions.


    In the distance, Sterl calmly activated a resurrection item with a teleportation effect.


    Amidst a faint golden light, his form was outlined and reformed, and all his equipment was intact, showing no signs of damage. The way the Frost Giant destroyed souls was simr to that of deities, relying on overwhelming force to output damage. Therefore, after the elevation of Sterl''s soul rank, he found himself amidst a frenzy of surging energy.


    His transparent form stood firm and unmoving. However, Sterl''s expression was somewhat grim as he resurrected at the edge of the teleportation array, simultaneously thinking,


    "What the hell is going on?"


    He cursed internally. Just now, he had confirmed the Frost Giant''s soul strength through soul departureand assured himself that he wouldn''t die, which is why he hadn''t activated ascend to godhood. The main reason was that this Frost Giant was far too bizarre, and Sterl wasn''t sure if he could deal damage after ascending.


    Exposing his strength might provoke the giant''s vignce, making it even harder to fight. He needed to set up a safe retreat first.


    At this moment, Sterl chose to resurrect at the edge of the teleportation array, raising his hand to activate the Hall of Valortoken.


    Immediately, with the sound of clicking gears, brilliant light erupted.


    The teleportation array prepared quickly, with runes rapidly forming and condensing, connecting with the breath of heaven and earth. A beam of light shot upwards.


    The Frost Giant seemed somewhat dazed. It thought that after smashing its opponent with a single blow, it had achieved victory. Thus, it leisurely sat down, staring nkly at the sky.


    Sterl had already activated the teleportation array for over two seconds. It took the Frost Giant that long to realize it hadn''t actually killed its opponent; it merely thought a new enemy had appeared.


    "Roar!!"


    The giant bellowed furiously, its roar scattering the clouds above the Far North.


    The frost surged, soaring into the sky!


    However, this strange attack, which had so easily obliterated the highly defensive Sterl before, now felt like a gentle breeze against the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s membrane, unable to affect the crystal wall in the slightest.


    In the distance, Sterl''s eyes shifted slightly; the defensive power of the crystal wall membrane was indeed terrifying??


    The Frost Giant''s power likely also stemmed from the upper realms, but it couldn''t break through the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane created by the mysterious entities utilizing the boundary technique!


    It was precisely because of this that countless unknown forces distorting the Crystal Barrier Gxy were likely even more terrifying��


    Given the Frost Giant''s sluggish movements, Sterl had the leisure to ponder and reflect.


    As the giant gradually regained its senses, it slowly began to charge forward. Sterl noticed that ayer of azure barrier was gradually enveloping the giant, shattering everything in its path with rapid force.


    At the same time, Sterl''s aura rapidly peaked to its utmost limit.


    Swish!!!


    The power of ascend to godhood!


    All living beings in the Far North had already been eradicated, allowing Sterl to unleash his offensive without worry of exposing his information.


    A tremendous surge of Divine Power flowed from within him, transforming him into a godly form through the threefold divine authority in his body!


    Simultaneously, under the enhancement of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the previously gray Iridescent-Level Shattered Voidin Sterl''s skill bar was now unlocked. He transformed Flowing Waterinto a de using star power, and with the radiance of the Holy Spirit Bloodline illuminating him, he unleashed the Shattered Void!


    At the same time, the Fission Lawattached to it suddenly evolved!


    An even more terrifying freezing effect emerged!


    In an instant, the entire Far North froze, but unfortunately, this seemingly overwhelming move faced two opponents.


    One was the Frost Giant, which appeared unaffected, charging forward at high speed.


    The other was the crystal wall membrane in the sky, still slowly distorting and asionally shedding debris!


    The prelude to Shattered Voidfelt as if it hadn''t been released at all.


    Fortunately, Sterl didn''t mind��


    What followed was an explosion of countless de energies!


    Sterl did not hold back; he nearly squeezed every ounce of power from within him, so that in front of him, behind him, and on either side��except for the spot where the teleportation array stood��he deliberately guided his Divine Power to avoid.


    Countless de energies swept through everything, shattering and obliterating even the winds, frost, and snow in this terrifying storm of des. The Far North became extraordinarily clear!


    All matter was shredded to the point of being invisible to the naked eye!


    This ce seemed to transform into an extremely vast and fresh prairie.


    Not even a thousandth of a second had passed.


    The Far North was forcibly reduced by a quarter in area!


    Millennia-old unmelting ice turned to dust, apanied by fragments of various rocks and soil, floating freely in the sky.


    And this was merely the prelude to the sharp energy; the true killing move was the countless de forces, gradually igniting into a brilliant explosion!


    At the same time, Sterl was enveloped by the special energy swirling in the teleportation array, sent soaring into the sky, heading straight for the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    At first, Sterl could control the de energies of Shattered Void, but soon, the world-destroying power brought by Fission Divine Authoritybecame uncontroble!


    The Fission Divine Authorityhad only one effect: it ruthlessly expanded outward!


    Everything would be devoured by the destructive white light!


    Sterl didn''t need the teleportation array now, but he wouldn''t be able to use it shortly.


    The only regret was��


    After he unleashed this skill, the teleportation array in the Far North would also be destined for destruction!


    "But with that Frost Giant around, it makes no difference whether the teleportation array exists or not."


    "After all, whoeveres will die!"


    Sterl had already deduced the action pattern of the two giants, attacking all living beings within his range of perception.


    He murmured casually in his heart.


    However, he wasn''t immediately teleported away.


    The intercontinental teleportation array was no longer utilizing space; it used the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane for rapid movement.


    Sterl had a rough idea of the principle behind it.


    The Crystal Barrier Gxy was created using the boundary technique, which possessed spatial properties. Although the power of the boundary was not something that the lower realm''s space Laws or divine authority could easily touch, it was still a form of the power of space!


    Using it for teleportation was perfectly normal!


    Perhaps the teleportation array itself was supported and constructed by beings from the upper realms��


    Sterl was in no hurry.


    He already had an answer in mind about the oue of this battle��


    Sure enough, he casually nced downward��


    Sterl saw that amidst the earth-shattering white light, the Far North suffered another severe blow. Originally, this was an area formed by a massive cier, but where Sterl unleashed his attack, a tremendous rift appeared.


    The cracks extended from the surface down to the depths of the earth''s core.


    The output of the Fission Labined with an Iridescent-Levelskill was already capable of surpassing the full power of some upper-level divine authority beings specializing in output!


    The might of this move even surprised Sterl himself!

 Chapter 441 The Special Teleportation

    The Far North had never suffered such a terrifying onught since its inception!


    There were no resources here, only a teleportation array...


    It wasn''t worth the effort for the powerful to unleash their skills in bombardment.


    Thus, in the face of Sterl''s world-destroying Fission Divine Power, there was simply no way to stop it!


    It exceeded the limits that thisnd could endure!


    After the Far North fractured, the teleportation array was naturally engulfed by the destructive white light, its exquisitely intricate energy structure disappearing in an instant.


    Next came the boiling seawater, forming a massive deep pit filled with evaporating gas waves, rapidly surging in all directions. Even in the high sky, above the Crystal Barrier Gxy, Sterl could still see a gigantic void with his naked eye.


    After a few seconds, the white light gradually subsided.


    Sterl finally caught sight of the terrifying Frost Giant from before...


    "Just as I thought."


    He nodded; everything was as expected.


    If earlier the Frost Giant had been extremely imposing, its massive form towering as if it could hold up the sky, now...


    There was no difference.


    At most, due to a temporary loss of bnce, the giant had sunk into the void formed by the vaporized seawater, appearing a bit awkward...


    Indeed, the Frost Giant waspletely unharmed!


    He emitted an extremely fine disy of resisted attacks��


    [block], [block], [block]...


    "Just as I guessed."


    Sterl had been calm just a second ago.


    Then...


    "What the hell is this thing?"


    He couldn''t help but voice his frustration.


    Sterl had predicted that the abilities of the lower realm wouldn''t harm the Frost Giant, but to find out that even after ascending to godhood andunching a full-force attack, it still came to nothing was extremely disheartening!


    In the past, Sterl had never faced such humiliation.


    Against any opponent, hadn''t he always been able to one-shot them?


    Others couldn''t harm him at all!


    Now, he had be the unfortunate one who couldn''t hurt others but got taken down in a single hit.


    Sterl rubbed his temples; thankfully, he had prepared in advance and had already teleported to the next continent. Otherwise, he might have exhausted his lives without being able to deal with this Frost Giant.


    "Once I reach the new continent, even if the giant is extremely powerful, he won''t be able to chase me down..."


    "Wait, he won''t actually follow me, will he?"


    Sterl muttered, and then his expression turned grim.


    He had just resurrected and was in a hurry, so he hadn''t paid much attention to the changes in his body.


    It was only now that he noticed a new BUFF he had acquired.


    [Frost Giant''s re] Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    [Description: Having been subjected to the gaze of [data unreadable], he will relentlessly pursue your footsteps, delivering death to you.]


    The buff itself had no damage potential; it merely formed a pale blue mark on Sterl''s left chest, resembling a simple drawing of a giant.


    It was quite well-drawn.


    But Sterl had no time to appreciate such details.


    He felt a bit troubled.


    If the Frost Giant were to continuously hunt him, he currently had no effective response n.


    Unless he logged off to avoid disaster.


    But the problem was that he needed toplete the legendary promotion ritual! Logging off meant a halt in his power growth...


    He couldn''t help but think about the impending cmity, the inexplicable distortion of the Crystal Barrier Gxy...


    Sterl had skills to allocate; he originally didn''t need to rush to increase his strength, slowly developing until he reached the pinnacle, but the current situation was pressing!


    Fortunately, the process of teleportation remained calm and peaceful.


    Sterl''s gaze only caught sight of the Frost Giant sinking into the swirling waters, and as the steam slowly dissipated, the bowl-shaped vortex pit gradually filled with flowing water.


    The Frost Giant remained at the bottom of the water flow and did not emerge��


    Through the sensing ability of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl discovered that the Frost Giant wasn''t deliberately avoiding him; rather, the giant was clumsy and could only thrash around wildly in the vortex.


    Though its strength was formidable, it was slightly outmatched by the vastness of the ocean. The Frost Giant''s attacks and defenses, which operated on a certain set of rules, were utterly meaningless against the lifeless ocean.


    Even though countless water currents were frozen, it didn''t hinder the Frost Giant''s explosive power; the more it struggled, the faster it sank.


    In the end, all that remained was the sound of gigantic water cannons surging.


    "It looks like I don''t need to worry for a while," Sterl shook his head.


    The reason he could observe the enemy while using the teleportation array was that the intercontinental teleportation relied on the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane. He had to wait for the fluctuations of the Crystal Barrier Gxy; only when the folds appeared could he be teleported.


    Before that, Sterl was in a special space.


    After observing the Frost Giant, it seemed the folds had just appeared, and Sterl found himself suddenly transformed into a beam of light, rushing into the Crystal Barrier Gxy!


    Sterl felt himselfpressed into a stream of information swirling rapidly...


    "What is this?"


    He was a bit puzzled. ording to previously acquired information, when using the teleportation array in the Far North, even divine-level beings sensed a sudden loss of consciousness, only to open their eyes again at their destination.


    Howe he still retained consciousness on this end?


    He vaguely realized...


    Perhaps it was the effect of the Holy Spirit Bloodline?


    But during this time, what could he possibly do?


    Sterl felt somewhat speechless; the key was that he waspressed into a stream of informational consciousness, rendering him unable to do anything at all.


    He could sense the pulse of the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane''s folds, but this power was too advanced for him to analyze. After more than two hours had passed, Sterl''s "expression"��no, he didn''t have an expression now��anyway, his mindset began to change��


    "Something''s not right! This is bad!"


    He felt himself moving through the membrane folds at an exceedingly slow pace, unable to sense how far he had traveled in a short time.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Am I just supposed to wait here without losing consciousness?"


    Sterl couldn''t help butugh and cry at the same time.


    He guessed that the teleportation array in the Far North surprisingly also involved the Law of Time.


    The flow of time during the teleportation process was vastly different from the real-time flow outside.


    Thanks to his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl resisted the negative effects of losing consciousness, resulting in him having to wait helplessly for the distorted time to end.


    "Hopefully, it won''t take too long."


    His mindset was still manageable at this moment.


    Soon, though, Sterl became numb!


    Half a day passed.


    Three days passed.


    A week passed.


    Sterl realized that he was still trapped within this membrane fold, moving slowly, unable toplete the teleportation.


    Suddenly, his mindset exploded.


    In this bizarre state, he couldn''t even find the opportunity to log off; he could only wait silently...


    This meant that in the worst-case scenario, if the teleportation failed, would he be permanently trapped in this void?


    Sterl knew that in such an empty void, no matter how resilient his soul was, the emptiness would lead to a loss of consciousness, ultimately causing his soul to dissipate!


    As an intelligent being, no one could endure the agony of absolute solitude!


    Fortunately, Sterl''s mindset didn''t crumble; his memory held a vast amount of information.


    He simply thought back over it all, treating it like a collection of misceneous books and novels, which could keep him upied for quite a while.


    Two monthster...


    Sterl had gone through the various chaotic materials he had read at least twice.


    He began to recall his various techniques, using meditation to reflect on his past battles, identifying weaknesses and filling in the gaps.


    "Right! Back then, I was already anxious."


    "In fact, I didn''t need to use Celestial Stars; I could have ended the battle while conserving more energy."


    ...


    "When I first mastered Law Power, I was too crude in my application."


    ...


    "That wave could have been finished with a less powerful skill."


    ...


    Although Sterl was now merely a stream of information, he inexplicably felt that hisbat skills had significantly improved!


    In the past, he had relied on his overwhelming output and defense to crush his enemies, far surpassing others of the same realm.


    However, due to his rapid rise in power, Sterl''s foundation had been somewhat shaky.


    But after summarizing his experiences over the past two months, he had undergone a transformation. Once he regained his physical form and reacquainted himself with his body, hisbat effectiveness could increase significantly.


    Six monthster, Sterl had revisited every battle he had fought up to that point and then began to study the powers andws he had already mastered.


    One yearter.


    Three yearster.


    Five yearster!


    The information entity that Sterl represented hadpletely organized the powers he had mastered, radiating an exceptionally clear light!


    In this endless stretch of time, Sterl''s character underwent immense refinement. The destructive power he had previously wielded in a frenzy was now perfected.


    Though Transcendencewas a game world, some rules were still applicable to reality. Even though Sterl could instantly max out the proficiency of his skills using blood force, the number of times he had employed his trump cards was far fewer than that of a typical demigod legend.


    Even if Sterl was often in abat state, he couldn''tpare to others who had umted experience for over a hundred years.


    As his understanding of techniques deepened, Sterl gradually calmed down.


    His mindset also began to elevate slowly.


    If it weren''t for the uncertainty of when this teleportation would end, Sterl might have actually gained something from this experience.


    But...


    The information entity that Sterl had transformed into suddenly burst into light.


    He discovered that the dust containing the power of time, hidden in the small world, could inexplicably be extracted!


    In addition to reviewing the various abilities he had mastered, Sterl had also grasped a portion of the power of time!


    As a result, a soft sound echoed��


    A light thud.


    Countless dust particles swirled around Sterl, transforming into raging mes!


    Within the Crystal Barrier Gxy, the distorted time instead flowed in as nourishment into Sterl''s body.


    In an instant...


    Sterl experienced a sudden enlightenment!


    As always, his innate talent wasn''t particrly strong, but the Arcane Soultalent had already made Sterl one of the top geniuses in the lower realm!


    At the cost of controlling the dust infused with the power of time, Sterl began to gain insight!


    In just a few seconds...


    With a thought...


    The decades that were supposed to be distorted during the teleportation transformed into a mere instant.


    Sterl gained decades ofprehension all at once.


    In his state as an information entity, he reformed his body, and the image of a clock face appeared in his eyes.


    At this point...


    The most mysteriousw in the lower realm��time!


    Due to an unexpected incident, it had been indelibly inscribed within Sterl''s body.


    "This is..."


    As the power of time surged, Sterl felt his soul vibrating.


    His soul power was rapidly and violently increasing!

 Chapter 442 The Law of Time

    With the condensation of time, Sterl was ejected from the Crystal Barrier Gxy, his body reassembling as the energy spheres around him reappeared. Then, he fell toward the ground.


    As the bright light faded, the energy surrounding Sterl dissipated, and he found himself firmly nted on solid ground.


    It felt as if he had returned from another world.


    "Finally made it out," Sterl thought, feeling a bit of a headache. If it weren''t for the items he had previously acquired, he would not have been able toprehend the Law of Time to escape this ordeal.


    It would have taken decades to return to the main world, and Sterl doubted whether his willpower could have endured that long.


    However...


    Sterl pondered, "The Law of Time is something that no one in the lower realm canprehend."


    "Rted items are extremely rare, and for the instance Dream of Lyeto produce an item containingplete Law Power...


    "This instance is definitely not simple!"


    He recalled that Lye, as an existence, could transform into an instance simply from a dream.


    At the time, Sterl hadn''t understood, but now he spected that the entity he had in at the end of the instance was not Lye''s true form, but rather a mental projection born from its slumber.


    Regardless, the rewards had been explosive.


    With this experience of acquiring the Law of Time, Sterl felt he should seek out more instances with simr characteristics; the benefits could exceed his expectations!


    As for what those characteristics were...


    "This kind of instance seems somewhat reminiscent of the so-called Cthulhu Mythosstories from before I transmigrated?"


    That''s right!


    Sterl''s eyes brightened; he had previously collected who knows how many special instance activation permissions on the battlefield.


    While idly summarizing the gains and losses of being a yer during the time-warped folds, he had noted a plethora of instance items that matched the Cthulhu Mythosstyle.


    - [The Call of the Secret Lock]


    - [Challenge Level:Adaptive]


    - [Description:Upon entering this instance, your energy and memories will be temporarily sealed. Rewards will be granted based on your performance after solving the puzzles.]


    - [Note:Use this item directly to enter the instance.]


    - [Plymouth Inds]


    -[Challenge Level:Demigod �C Weak Divine Power]


    - [Description:Strange stories have circted from a group of mysterious creatures inhabiting the inds. Countless depths of darkness lie hidden within this small area.]


    - [Upgrade:You need to visit the map: Ruin Inds [Invest consciousness, check detailed coordinates] to open the instance.]


    - [Nightmare Corridor]


    - ...


    After confirming, Sterl found a total of six instances suitable for his demigod level or above, four located in the main world and two in differentyers of hell.


    Among them, the location of Nightmare Corridorwas in theyer of hell once ruled by Licitris.


    He decided that after advancing to legend status, if he had some free time, he would attempt to challenge a few of these instances and see if the rewards would be as explosive as those from Dream of Lye.


    Once Sterl had finished organizing his thoughts, he realized he was surrounded by emptiness; he had stood there for quite some time with no one approaching.


    Looking around, Sterl found himself in a temple dedicated to a respected deity.


    He observed the peculiar flickering lights surrounding him, and the stone walls shone a brilliant gold.


    The sheer vastness of the temple made it feel oppressively dim, creating a sense of difort.


    A few prompts popped up in front of Sterl.


    [You have discovered a new map: legend points +3.]


    For him, legend points had be meaningless...


    Next was��


    [Due to unknown influences, the proficiency of all your abilities has increased significantly.]


    [Celestial Stars proficiency has increased; current level: Mastery.]


    [Mark of the Heavens proficiency has increased...]


    ...


    A flurry of information refreshed before him.


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged; the increase in skill proficiency was just a part of it.


    What mattered more was the improvement in his Law Power and Iridescent-Level abilities, which did not normally disy proficiency. Skills like Stardust, Solidification Method, and Rebirth of All Thoughts, which typically couldn''t enhance their efficiency, also became remarkably smooth and effective, bringing about thergest increase.


    Sterl''sbat power had seen a significant boost!


    Next came��


    [You have sessfullyprehended the Law of Time (Iplete Level).]


    Sterl had originally hoped to push the Law of Time directly toplete mastery, but unfortunately, even though he still had 79 points of blood force, he couldn''t use it directly on the Law of Time.


    "It requires 500 points of blood force to reachpletion and then 5,000 points to achieve perfection??"


    Sterl couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    It wasn''t just the high cost of the Law of Time that surprised him, but rather the sheer might of the Origin of Chaos!


    The difficulty ofprehending the Law of Time was likely far beyond that of dozens or even hundreds of other Law Powersbined!


    Even so...


    Blood force could still be used to forcefully increase points!


    You could say it was quite shameless.


    In fact, the requirements of 500 and 5,000 points of blood force didn''t seem so outrageous now.


    During the previous battles, Sterl had probably umted three to four hundred points of blood force, and with the approaching victory and the distortions of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, Sterl felt that opportunities to farm blood force in Transcendencewould be plentiful.


    Compared to the frustrating task ofprehending the Law of Time without any clear direction, farming blood force at least gave him something to look forward to.


    He felt good as the various prompts lined up one after another.


    [Through the Law of Time, you have mastered the following abilities.]


    [Time eleration: You can elerate the flow of time on yourself, enhancing your movement speed, reducing skill cooldowns, increasing recovery efficiency, and boosting your action speed.]


    [Time Rewind: You can rewind time by three seconds. This ability can be split for use. (Cooldown: one day. If used before cooldown ispleted, the cost doubles, and the cooldown time also doubles.)]


    [Time Rift: You can seal your opponent within a time rift. This effect does not undergo resistance calctions and cannot be immune; it is only ineffective against special units transcending time.]


    [Time Resistance: You have a very high resistance to time-based effects and may even have a chance to manipte the time gates affecting you.]


    Take off!


    Sterl looked at the four special effects and felt ted!


    All four abilities were highly practical.


    After testing them briefly, he discovered that Time eleration was far more potent than its description suggested.


    In simple terms, the eleration effect provided an additional boost after stacking all eleration abilities and effects.


    Even the speed of blood oxygen release, the rate of brain activity, and the speed of physical transformation��none of which could be enhanced by any abilities��would all be amplified!


    This ability allowed Sterl to move at an incredibly ghostly speed!


    He could even unleash his full strength with the Law while simultaneously executing Shattered Voidand Destructive Light.


    Within a unit of time, his output capacity nearly doubled!


    As Sterl conducted his own experiments, he set up a small device to record his movements. The results confirmed that his speed had indeed skyrocketed!


    "With Time eleration currently at the iplete level, I can only achieve a one-fold increase in speed."


    "But that''s enough."


    Sterl grew increasingly excited about how powerful the Law of Time would be once it was fully upgraded.


    Time Rewindwas the ability from a previous item; in high-stakes battles where time to determine victory was extremely short, being able to rewind three seconds infinitely could keep Sterl undefeated in most situations.


    If he found himself at a disadvantage against an opponent, he could repeat that moment dozens of times until he emerged victorious!


    Thest two abilities, Time Rift, offered an incredibly domineering control effect.


    Nothing could evade it, except for life forms of special races!


    Including...


    Sterl felt that the earlier Frost Giant would likely have no way to resist such an effect.


    If space is an objective existence, then time is an extremely abstract one.


    It cannot be resisted or immunized...


    Because time flows relentlessly and unfeelingly.


    This ability would be Sterl''s most powerful means of control.


    He would no longer have to rely solely on Shattered Voidto immobilize his opponents.


    The final effect simply increased Sterl''s own resistance to time-based abilities.


    He mused��


    If the various bizarre time forces in those Cthulhu Mythosinstances were repeatedly activated, mastering the Law of Time would make it much easier for Sterl to clear them.


    At this moment, Sterl was in high spirits!


    He thought for a moment and decided not to linger any longer in the empty temple.


    At this time, the Holy Spirit Bloodline was still active.


    Because the time spent in the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy only appeared to be a few seconds in the outside world.


    With his keen perception, Sterl quickly chose a mountain peak after leaving the temple.


    He sat cross-legged.


    "Time to advance to legend."


    Sterl chanted silently.


    In an instant, a radiant light shot upwards.


    The will and data symbolizing Transcendencesurged into Sterl''s body!


    Legend represented the most crucial stage in a yer''s journey to climb the heights of Transcendence.


    At this moment, a yer would etch their story into the world, affirming their existence!


    Before this, regardless of one''s strength or innate talent, to the entire world, they were merely a handful of worthless dust...


    Stepping into legend meant transformation!


    At this moment, information flickered before Sterl''s eyes.


    [yer Sterl, congrattions on officially stepping onto the legendary path!]


    [yer Sterl, you will be etched into the history of Transcendence!]


    Even the cold prompts seemed to carry a hint of joy in their tone, as if the Transcendencesystem was in a good mood.


    Sterl smiled broadly.


    Legend had significance among the human race on Earth.


    Typically, it was viewed by young boys and girls as a lifelong dream and pursuit.


    Well, calling it a pursuit wouldn''t be quite right.


    It was simply a dream.


    Back then, Sterl had never even dreamed of bing a legend; his boldest act was merely reading some novels from the human race''s base and imagining himself as the protagonist, aiming to rise to legendary status and be a prominent figure among the Earth''s human race...


    And now...


    He was really about to be a legend!!

 Chapter 443 The Legendary Ceremony

    For Sterl, bing a legend was akin to an ant.


    But that didn''t stop him from feeling excited about his own advancement.


    Moreover, once he reached the legendary status, the legendary abilities granted by the Origin of Chaos, along with the ones provided by his profession, as well as a plethora of various skills and attribute enhancements, were about to be unlocked!


    His arcane skill could finally be maxed out, resulting in enhanced attribute effects.


    Just these factors alone could boost Sterl''s power by about 30%.


    When it came to the increase in attributes, the effectiveness could rise by 60-70%!


    How could he not be thrilled??


    Advancing to legend was the moment when his arcane skill would reach perfection, and the culmination of his arcane skill would also mark the time when his two innate talents would upgrade to Radiant!


    Sterl''sbat power was set to undergo a transformation!


    How could he not feel joyous?


    By the way, Infinite Space Insight was also considered abat talent, but his arcane skill could not awaken it, and after his next cheat evolution, he wouldn''t be able to allocate points to it either.


    This ability was extremely powerful, but its enhancement was also highly challenging.


    Just as Sterl was basking in his excitement, a new prompt appeared.


    [yer Sterl officially begins the advancement to legend. Task requirements are being generated...]


    [You need toplete the following tasks to break through.]


    [1. Based on your current talents, you need to find an arcane skill that amodates three talents.]


    [Completed!]


    Sterl realized that the legendary ceremony was indeed different.


    Once he fulfilled a condition, a crisp sound rang out.


    A golden strike crossed through thepleted item, followed by a checkmark symbol...


    Then, thispleted item formally dissipated, apanied by a smooth animation.


    The next task requirement popped up in front of him.


    "Why does it feel like the prompts that pop up after bing a legend are taken much more seriously?"


    Sterl grumbled.


    With high emotional intelligence, the prompts post-legend seemed to carry more weight.


    With low emotional intelligence, before bing a legend, the prompts from Transcendencewere just trivial��


    The second task requirement refreshed��


    [Your current level has reached 150.]


    [Completed!]


    Next, this item was also crossed out with a golden line.


    [You need to umte 500 legend points.]


    [Completed!]


    Sterl paused slightly, 500 legend points?


    This was the first time he had seen such an outrageous requirement for advancement.


    Normally, to be a legend, one would only need a few legend points for enhancing their golden skills��


    "500? That''s quite a bold request."


    "That''s enough for dozens of legends to advance."


    Sterl quipped, but he wasn''t worried; the greater the challenge, the higher the rewards...


    The legendary advancement ceremony was different from the second and third ss advancements, which were about uncovering the yer''s own power.


    Legend was about merging with the heavens and the earth.


    As Sterl looked at these stringent urgent requirements, he realized that uponpleting the ceremony, everything would transform into greater rewards.


    Thus, he chose to pay the 500 legend points immediately, and countless specks of light turned into brilliant starlight, shooting into the sky, ultimately forming a magnificent vortex that enveloped Sterl.


    That vortex sparkled with colors, and just gazing at it brought a sense of extraordinary beauty.


    Then...


    A new task appeared.


    [Provide at least three golden skills that have been refined with legend points.]


    [Completed!]


    [You need to spend 1,000 purple coins.]


    [Completed!]


    "1,000 purple coins?"


    Sterl''s joy grew even more.


    For him, who was financially well-off, 1,000 purple coins were mere pocket change; a normal third-ss yer wouldn''t be able to gather that much.


    He quickly chose to pay, and immediately, the purple coins transformed into a flowing river.


    It extended from Sterl and seemed to reach the horizon, as if strange substances were surging from the river.


    "Hmm��"


    Sterl nodded slightly. Just in this initial phase of the ceremony, both the legend points and purple coins had already sown an indescribable blessing upon him.


    "It seems that I have been formally recognized by Transcendence, so everything should proceed more smoothly."


    Thanks to his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl could barely sense his gains.


    It was likely around a ten percent Fortune bonus; based on his existing Fortune, the stronger it was, the higher the value added after the percentage increase.


    "So this is the benefit of spending money?"


    Sterl''s expression became even more difficult to contain. He initially thought that after spending so many resources, the requirements wouldn''t be too high, and even a small boost would suffice.


    After all, this was just a legendary advancement ceremony, and his current opponents were divine beings. Even a slight enhancement would make the 500 legend points and 1,000 purple coins worth it. Yet Sterl received a tremendous surprise.


    What does a percentage Fortune bonus mean?


    In the future, Sterl would need thousands of Fortune to advance his cheat, and after he evolved his cheat, he would likely find a way to umte tens of thousands of points of Fortune.


    The effects of this percentage-based Fortune bonus were incredibly terrifying.


    Sterl estimated that even if others had Fortune bonuses, it would only be around 1% or 2%. He had just been wondering whether the cost was a bit too high, but now he was left thinking, why not ask for 2,473 legend points or 12,000 purple coins?


    Don''t ask; he simply didn''t have that much on him...


    As the two previous requirements disappeared, the main event of the advancement ceremony arrived!


    [You need toplete a legendary story. Current status: iplete [Invest consciousness to see details].]


    [You can invest special precious items to enhance the quality of this advancement ceremony [Invest consciousness to see the list].]


    "Is the core just aboutpleting a legendary story?"


    Sterl nodded slightly.


    Completing a legendary story didn''t mean yers would be wandering aimlessly like headless flies.


    Once the legendary advancement ceremony was initiated, yers gained the attention of Transcendence, allowing them tomunicate with the world''s consciousness and learn about nearby events suitable for legendary tasks.


    The events prompted would definitely include the highest-yield legendary events nearby.


    yers could also ignore these prompts and search for other events on their own, but the yield cap for any found events would only match that of the system''s prompt for the highest-yield events.


    At this moment, Sterl was on the continent governed by the Ashen faction.


    Theoretically, the events indicated by the system should all rte to this continent, but if there were no highest-yield events, Transcendencewould guide him to other regions.


    In summary, the process of crafting legendary stories in the legendary advancement ceremony was still quite fair.


    Everyone had the opportunity to unlock the highest-yield events.


    However, this "highest yield" was merely a baseline; different legendary yers would often achieve varying yields whenpleting simr events to craft their legendary stories.


    The benefits of an event are determined by the story''s poprity, as well as the difficulty of the yers'' actions and the resulting impact within the event.


    Therefore, some yers choose to set up another legendary story before starting the legendary ceremony, opting to forego the highest-yield events suggested during the ceremony��


    Sterl was already well-versed in the intricacies of legendary advancement.


    However, he had yet to select a legendary event. Find your next read at mvl


    To his surprise, he noticed��wait a minute, there was an additional option to invest items to improve the quality of the ceremony?


    Upon closer inspection, he found an entry he had never seen before, glowing faintly with a golden light and emanating a strange aura.


    He sensed it lightly and realized that this was a hidden advancement section!


    Instantly, Sterl''s heart raced.


    Everyone advancing to legend could improve the quality of their ceremony by investing items, but the Transcendencegame system had defaulted this option to hidden.


    Who would whimsically think to ce precious items in a specific formation around themselves during the advancement ceremony without knowing about this option?


    The very existence of this formation couldn''t have been imagined out of thin air.


    Sterl was pleasantly surprised at that moment.


    Not only did he have a new requirement for his advancement, which was likely to yield better results, but he also had a new power boost.


    Moreover, the effect of the game pod core''s upgrades was once again manifesting.


    While the Transcendencemain ount couldn''t unlock hidden auxiliary functions like the Swallowing Heaven Mephistopheles, the Transcendencesystem also unlocked certain restrictions due to the upgrades.


    However, these unlocked contents needed to be gradually discovered by the yer.


    "That''s great!"


    Sterl smiled.


    He didn''t rush to check the prompts for legendary stories but instead looked at which items could enhance the quality of the ceremony.


    [Jade Ganoderma]


    [Description:A nt that grows in a special cave; legend has it that consuming it can revive recently deceased beings.]


    [Effect:Can be used to make various potions and elixirs, with additional life recovery effects uponpletion.]


    [wless Eye]


    [Description:��]


    [Holy Lotus Altar]


    ��


    Sterl was presented with a dazzling array of options that refreshed wildly before him.


    He nced over the items and noticed that while their quality ranged from legendary to demigod levels, none reached the divine level.


    [Based on the host''s talents, the maximum number of quality-enhancing items that can be invested in the ceremony is 5. Each item corresponds to one of your talents, adding an extra effect attribute to the talent.]


    [Hint: The effect attributes may not necessarily rte to the talents themselves.]


    "Are the items supposed to correspond to the 5 talents?"


    Sterl nodded to himself, noting that he had 4bat ss talents and one Sub-Profession talent, which made it perfect!


    At this moment, he felt a surge of excitement.


    Sterl had not only unlocked the hidden function for investing items to increase the quality of the legendary advancement ceremony, but he was also set to reap massive benefits from his five talents!


    Adding 5 effect attributes at once, although their strength might not be very high since they were merely secondary attributes, it was still impressive that he could invest items at the demigod level, indicating that at least these 5 abilities were close to tinum Skill level!


    "The best-case scenario is that these 5 effects can individually be enhanced; the second-best scenario is that they can be enhanced collectively when I allocate points to my talents."


    "But surely, there will be an increase!"


    "In any case, I''ve already hit the jackpot!"


    Sterl was extremely delighted.

 Chapter 444 The Frost Giant Strikes Again!

    To put it bluntly, even in ancient times, when Transcendencehad not yet hidden this advancement project, other yers integrating the highest demigod-quality items into their legendary advancement ceremonies still couldn''tpare to Sterl.


    After all, not only did he possess five talents, but even having dual talents was a rarity! Those ancient yers could manage at most a couple of enhancements.


    Sterl couldn''t help but stand up in joy.


    He took a moment to calm himself before preparing to check the hints provided by the ceremony, aiming to choose an event with the highest yield to create his own legend.


    Before he could take any action, he heard a sound of shattering.


    Crack! Crack!


    The eerie noise triggered a wave of immense unease within all Holy Spirits!


    Sterl recognized it all too well; it was the sound of the Crystal Barrier Gxy copsing!


    What was happening?


    Sterl paused for a moment, realizing that the copse of the Crystal Barrier Gxy had reached this ce?


    Then he quickly came to another realization: no, the location of the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s distortion and copse was something he had never been certain about. Clearly, the continent before him was much closer to the twisted core than the Far North!


    However, due to the geography, Sterl couldn''t see the membrane with his naked eye.


    "What a pity, it''s too far from the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane to obtain any boundary fragments."


    He shook his head in regret. Enjoy new tales from mvl


    But then�� a terrifying wave of air surged from the distance.


    A blue point of light gradually expanded, transforming into a massive shockwave!


    It violently tore through thend of the continent, carving out a canyon!


    Countless beings, birds, and animals along the path were caught in a panic, their terrified screams silenced before they could even escape, vanishing into nothingness!


    Within the shockwave, the Frost Giant was running wildly! It darted left and right, its target aimed directly at Sterl, asionally changing direction only to dash back to its original path.


    It looked like a clumsy child stumbling toward him.


    Yet this "child" instilled profound fear in all who witnessed its presence.


    "What''s going on? How did it track me down?"


    Sterl''s expression was bizarre.


    Just moments ago, the Frost Giant had been submerged in the sea, struggling as it sank deeper, and it was located on another continent!


    Even though this giant was fast, crossing two continents would take days.


    So how did it suddenly appear right in front of him?


    Sterl''s confusion was quickly answered as he observed the flickering space and time powers ahead.


    He couldn''t decipher the principles behind it, but he could see it clearly.


    The teleportation array had been activated again.


    To be precise, the Frost Giant had imitated the previously operating teleportation formation, traversing the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy membrane and crossing the continent!


    "Isn''t this a bit underhanded? A bit exaggerated?"


    "And with its level of intelligence, it can actually handle a teleportation formation, something so advanced."


    "Did it really manage to simte it from just one previous instance of teleportation?"


    Sterl couldn''t help butin.


    What he didn''t know was that the giantcked intelligence but could instinctively respond to everything.


    With only one goal in mind��to hunt down Sterl��it had naturally operated the teleportation through its instincts.


    Surprisingly, the effectiveness of its teleportation was even slightly higher than the original formation!


    "Damn it! It just won''t go away!" Sterl felt a prickling sensation at the back of his head. Apanied by the terrifying sound of impact, the temperature in the entire universe dropped significantly.


    The Frost Giant was about to collide with him!


    Sterl quickly regained hisposure. With the Law of Time in hand, he had no fear even against the Frost Giant!


    He snapped his fingers.


    Time Rift!


    He felt a massive wave of energy being abruptly drawn from his body. Sterl''s expression changed; it wasn''t that he couldn''t bear the consumption, but the cost of using the Law of Time exceeded his expectations.


    For instance, the Fission Law, when it bes divine authority, directly equates to higher divine authority. When in a state of Law, ites close to Divine Power.


    Its consumption is already higher than that of equivalent Laws, but the Law of Time wasn''t just a notch higher��it consumed ten times more than normal rules of power!


    But the effect�� was worth it!


    The power of time could no longer be ssified as divine level or below.


    Against units with no resistance, there was no way to withstand it!


    Sterl was only surprised by the consumption and didn''t feel that the Law of Time was wasteful.


    From an external perspective, it seemed as if nothing had happened.


    Only Sterl, the skill caster, and a few exceptionally perceptive entities could see that the space around the Frost Giant was isted by ayer of translucent film.


    The Frost Giant could ignore the effects of spatial freezing, but under the control of time��


    Within the film, all its actions slowed down, and ultimately, its charge came to a halt!


    Then, it became frozen in ce!


    Unable to move!


    Under the influence of the Law of Time, the terrifying energy field that had appeared near the Frost Giant was also solidified, showing no signs of dissipating.


    "It worked!" Sterl''s eyes lit up.


    He had always been a personcking in a sense of security.


    The Frost Giant was rted to the upper realms, so it was normal that he couldn''t defeat it.


    However, Sterl still felt that if this Frost Giant kept chasing him, his growth would undoubtedly be severely impacted.


    Fortunately, he now had the Law of Time to trap it.


    All his concerns vanished.


    He casually unleashed several skills, and after enduring the torment of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, Sterl had transformed.


    With just a single use of Shattered Void, he could harness an extremely high level of control to make the solidified space effectst only for an instant, maximizing the reduction in consumption.


    Then, countless des of light surged forth!


    This time, with about a twenty percent reduction in energy consumption, the power of his moves increased by fifteen percent!


    Such optimization could only be achieved by characters who had used their skills countless times, fully integrating their abilities into theirbat style!


    These were often the gods who had fought on the battlefield for hundreds of years.


    Yet, Sterl, having been in the game for less than two years, achieved this effortlessly.


    The des gleamed with cold light this time, attacking the giant at incredible speed without the need for guidance.


    Previously, Sterl needed to use Divine Power to lock on to enemies, or rely on passive skill targeting; now, with just a thought, the des could pivot and aim at the target!


    Unfortunately��


    Thousands of des struck against the Frost Giant''s light blue skin.


    They shattered rapidly!


    It was like eggs smashing against a hard stone!


    No matter how many eggs were smashed, they couldn''t harm that resilient rock in the slightest.


    The endless de shadows eventually came to a halt.


    But all he received in return was a screen full of [BLOCK].


    Everything was resisted!


    "Alright, even though I can control the Frost Giant, it still can''t be harmed."


    "Fine, see youter."


    Sterl thought to himself. The Frost Giant,cking intelligence and relying solely on its innate resistance, was nearly invincible when it could resist. But once it couldn''t resist, it would be in serious trouble.


    Under the binding of time power, the Frost Giant would likely be trapped for several hours.


    Seeing this, Sterl wasn''t in a hurry. He exited his Ascend to Godhoodstate, sat cross-legged to recover, and checked the potions in his backpack.


    "Sure, if you want to chase me, then go ahead."


    Now, he could engage in a tug-of-war with the giant. Even without consuming potions, Sterl could recover his energy before the Frost Giant broke free.


    Considering that he still needed to explore andplete legendary stories, all he had to do was control the giant and quickly drink some potions if there were enemies nearby.


    Simple and easy!


    Sterl even thought about floating over to the Frost Giant and observing it closely.


    At such a close distance, he could slightly sense through his Holy Spirit Bloodlhat the giant''s emotions were extremely chaotic, almost frenzied.


    "This means it''s chasing me simply because it wants to hunt every living being."


    "If there are other beings nearby, it would indiscriminately kill them too."


    Sterl pondered this realization and suddenly thought of something: the giant''s pursuit might not be a bad thing��


    When the Frost Giant had charged at him, it had killed every living thing in its path, even slightly altering its course several times, which extended the distance it had to run.


    "Maybe I can use this to my advantage?"


    As Sterl contemted this, he initially intended to open the page for creating his legendary story, but suddenly felt a wave of heat coursing through him.


    It seemed like some kind of bloodline connection was rapidly pulsing.


    When the Frost Giant had charged at him, it had seemingly brought with it some sort of domain and suppression effect.


    Sterl knew this all too well; when he was locked onto, he felt utterly immobilized!


    "This sensation was also sealed until I trapped the Frost Giant?"


    Sterl realized something and opened his clothing, and sure enough, when the Frost Giant was frozen, the "simple drawing" on him had also changed from a glowing state to a dull one.


    "So, this tracking buff also has the effect of suppressing my opportunities."


    "How disgusting?"


    Sterl felt a headacheing on.


    This Frost Giant was indeed absurd. If it weren''t for him, the gods of the lower realms would likely be easily toyed with and killed.


    In fact��


    It could be considered a moving natural disaster.


    "Wait, a natural disaster?"


    "It couldn''t be that this thing is also a type of catastrophe, could it?"


    As Sterl thought about this, his expression grew increasingly distressed.


    After all, why had that golden light surged out from the cracked Crystal Barrier Gxy, merging with a mountain to form the Frost Giant��


    He couldn''t figure it out!


    Maybe it was like the Blood of Contamination�� the upper realmsmitting atrocities while the lower realm suffered.


    As Sterl contemted this��


    Suddenly, as the suppressionpletely lifted, his Authority Heartlit up!


    Brilliant light overflowed from Sterl''s body.


    "Wait, what''s happening?"


    "Could it be an opportunity rted to the Starry n?"


    Sterl reacted quickly.


    But as he recalled the coordinates indicated earlier, this was definitely not the right ce!

 Chapter 445 The Underground Palace of the Starry Clan

    Sterl felt a bit puzzled as he clearly saw his Authority Heartreflecting a long, winding path leading towards a distant mountain range.


    After contemting for a moment, he didn''t hesitate much; opportunities rted to the Starry n had presented themselves so clearly, there was no reason to pass them up.


    With a few quick movements, Sterl swiftly dashed toward the area illuminated by the light. However, the guiding function seemed a bit foolish; it would only change direction after he reached a dead end, causing him to waste considerable effort.


    Moreover, the guiding light fluctuated in intensity, appearing as if it might flicker out at any moment.


    Despite feeling impatient, Sterl had no choice but to quicken his pace and follow the light.


    He suspected that this time, he had been lucky enough to trigger the guiding light, and the next time he came, the unknown entity emitting the light might havepletely vanished, making it impossible to find the way using his Authority Heart.


    After about half an hour, he finally arrived at his destination.


    At this moment, Sterl was far from the location of the temple.


    Yet, based on his Holy Spirit Bloodlineperception, the sound of the Crystal Barrier Gxy shattering was amplifying at an extremely slow frequency.


    At first, Sterl was concerned, fearing some unforeseen event might ur, such as another beam of golden light descending, leading to the emergence of several bizarre individuals.


    But ultimately, nothing happened.


    He gradually felt at ease.


    At this point, the guidance from his Authority Heart reached its conclusion.


    Finally, the light led him to the interior of an incredibly majestic mountain.


    This giant mountain was even more spectacr than Mount Everest, the highest peak in Sterl''s world before his transmigration.


    Along the way, countless mountain ranges stretched for thousands of miles, and Sterl could see the lush greenery in the mid-section of the mountains and the snow-capped peaks above them.


    The scenery was breathtaking.


    Seeing this, Sterl wasted no time and activated the Mark of the Heavens.


    A shower of meteors rained down upon the ground!


    Before Sterl, it was a scene resembling the apocalypse, with countless stars crashing into the towering mountain.


    This unknown peak was gradually weakened.


    Its height rapidly diminished, and eventually, it was ttened into a basin.


    A massive visual and auditory effect spread outward.


    However, Sterl preferred to expend a bit more energy to conjure a spatial barrier, shielding the surrounding changes to prevent attracting unnecessary onlookers.


    He wasn''t worried about someone trying to snatch the opportunity from him.


    The main concern was��


    Sterl had already discerned that even with a radiant-level Authority Heart, the fluctuation caused by the Starry n''s opportunity was significant, indicating that this race''s true depth was likely profound!


    If someone came to investigate due to Sterl''s actions, he would have no choice but to eliminate them to keep them silent.


    With a kind heart, Sterl chose to expend more mana.


    After about an hour and a half, he had ttened the mountaintop, transforming it from a basin into a massive pit.


    With the terrifying output efficiency, the copsed and sunken interior of the mountain revealed a giant entrance to an underground pce.


    "What is this?"


    Sterl couldn''t help but pause.


    The scale of the underground pce was still vast; with the naked eye, he could see no boundaries.


    The pce''s exterior was crafted from gold and various jewels, and under the erosion of time, it presented a faint bluish-grey hue.


    The reason Sterl did not act recklessly was because...


    Outside the underground pce, the seemingly ordinary bluish-grey patterns were not just decorations; they contained terrifyingly lethal formationworks!


    Even though these formations were operating at their lowest energy consumption due to ack of power, with some even having stopped functioning entirely, Sterl dared not take any impulsive actions!


    The foundation of these formationworks was at least demigod-level, and there were even three primaryworks that were divine-level formations!


    Who would dare to mess with that?


    Sterl could only move forward slowly, sensing each formation and rapidly learning about them.


    Fortunately, Sterl had previously experienced a rapid learning phase in hell with the Array of Seizing Heaven and Creating Fate, and after some time in the Crystal Barrier Gxy, his understanding of formations had greatly increased.


    He quicklypleted the deciphering of the three divine-level formations on the wall.


    The effects of the three formations were quite simple.


    Star-Blocking Midnight Array:


    A divine-level formation that could block all star power.


    Heart-Wasting Array:


    A divine-level formation that would extremely slowly wear down all living beings within the formation, stripping them of their souls and cultivation. Although the process was slow, it was irreversible and could not be resisted.


    In theory, even a great Divine Power capable of creating the Hall of Valorwould be worn down by this formation and unable to resist.


    Of course, one could simply unleash their power to forcefully break the formation and escape.


    As for thest formation, Sterl could not recognize it because it had already stagnated and be non-functional due to ack of energy.


    "Not bad," Sterl nodded. Two new divine-level formations had appeared on his Sub-Profession Panel, although they were still iplete versions that needed to be restored with skill points before he could use blood forceto enhance their proficiency.


    Although one of these formations was only applicable to the Starry n and the other had limited practicality��seemingly a special formation used to wear down sealed entities in the underground pce��it was still divine-level. Just these two gains made Sterl''s mood significantly better, and he was immensely looking forward to exploring further.


    If the entrance alone had yielded such rewards, what treasures awaited him within?


    Sterl spected that the third divine-level formation was likely a major sealing formation, but it hadpletely failed, while he had quickly deciphered the other formations without much effort.


    Most of them were demigod or legendary-level minor formations, which Sterl had little interest in learning about.


    After searching around, he finally located the entrance to the underground pce.


    At the entrance stood an enormous bronze door, intricately entwined with various dense patterns.


    The scenes depicted on it seemed to illustrate a struggle between two factions.


    One of the groups, radiating with the light of stars, appeared brutally savage, mercilessly hunting down other beings in an act of genocide.


    "Is that the Starry n?"


    "They don''t seem to be the good guys here," Sterl remarked casually, adjusting the spatial nodes with a slight tremor in his palm. There was a peculiar mechanism at the center of the bronze door.


    Hepletely ignored it, having no intention of interacting with it.


    Utilizing his control over formations, Sterl quickly sensed and inserted various materials, forcibly cracking the energy fluctuations within the mechanism.


    Click.


    Click.


    Apanied by soft sounds, the door emitted a low hum.


    Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~


    Above the massive bronze door, a chain-like rectangr object began to rotate, then sank inward, creating a handle-like protrusion that spun around three times on its own.


    At this point, a golden light surged from the handle of the bronze door, transforming into countless web-like beams that enveloped the entire door.


    Sterl watched as the light sessfully turned the massive door into a series of grids.


    Then, the light vanished.


    The bronze door shattered into numerous bronze ingots, which fell to the ground.


    The location of the giant door happened to align perfectly with a pit, allowing the ingots to be swallowed one by one.


    Before Sterly the vast interior of the pce, revealing itself to him.


    He waited a few seconds and then quickly stepped forward.


    Inside the pce, the space appeared empty.


    No, it wouldn''t be urate to say it was empty;


    Sterl could see from the patterns formed by countless energy shocks on the inner walls that this ce had once experienced an extremely fierce battle.


    He decided to test the waters, executing a perfectly standardbination of the tinum Skill Shattered Voidand Fission Law.


    Brilliant light erupted.


    Countless sword and de shadows sliced through everything, creating a mushroom cloud effect.


    Yet in the end, all he managed to do was leave a few dents in the ground of the underground pce.


    Sterl''sbo was already incredibly close to the output strength of a god-level attack, but the marks left behind were hardly distinguishable from the original scars within the pce.


    This indicated that thebatants who had previously battled in the pce were at least divine-level entities.


    However, this all took ce countless years ago.


    Everything had faded, leaving behind numerous skeletal remains, and the gear once worn by these bones waspletely decayed, leaving nothing behind.


    Sterl was taken aback and without hesitation began to gather all the bones into his small world. The remains left by deities could serve as valuable materials for crafting equipment.


    Sterl hadn''t yet gathered enough divine-level gear, and with so many divine bones, he could likely forge a mythic piece of equipment.


    Hepletely scavenged the underground pce, spending considerable time in the process.


    "Just some skeletal remains??"


    "How long has this underground pce actually existed?"


    Sterlined, thinking that since these were divine-level entities, they must have had at least one or two pieces of divine-level equipment on them. Yet ultimately, all the gear hadpletely decayed, leaving only a handful of bones.


    If everything was merely due to the passage of time...


    Then that was indeed a bit absurd!


    Because, ording to the various materials Sterl had consulted, divine-level items were theoretically immortal!


    They should not decay with the passage of time at all.


    However, having mastered the Law of Time, he realized it wasn''t that simple.


    Sterl could vaguely sense that if he pushed the Law of Time to a higher realm, he could enact a n to elerate the passage of time, causing deities to fall in an instant and divine-level items to turn to ashes.


    This operation essentially condensed countless thousands of years into a mere moment of destruction.


    In other words, the Law of Time could achieve this merely through the gradual passage of time itself.


    But...


    The records of the lower realm couldn''t be said to be wrong...


    Because even if one calcted the time from the period before the separation of the lower realm and the upper realms to the present, the umted years were still insufficient to decay divine-level items.


    "Does this mean that the suspected war between the Starry n and other races urred in a very distant past??"


    "Long before the history that the upper realms and lower realm can record??"


    As Sterl reached this conclusion, his expression shifted, yet he felt no great surprise.

 Chapter 446 Starlight Radiance

    Sterl felt that there was no need to be surprised by the existence of prehistoric civilizations.


    Just like in the world before his transmigration, where dinosaurs once ruled the Earth, it was entirely normal for the Starry n and other races to have civilizations that predated the upper realms and lower realm.


    Perhaps the previous civilization was destroyed by a cmity of immense power??


    Sterl''s thoughts wandered as he continued deeper into the underground pce.


    He could sense that with each step, a power akin to his own profession began to ripple around him. With this power protecting him, there should still be some remaining resources deeper within the pce.


    Tap.


    Tap.


    Tap.


    The entire pce was excessively empty, and the surrounding silence was profound, leaving only the sound of Sterl''s footsteps.


    He carefully approached a creation resembling a special elevator. After Bionic Tear pressed the mechanism, Sterl slowly descended into the ground along with the elevator.


    In reality��


    It was Bionic Tear that was descending into the depths, while Sterl''s main body remained suspended in the visual blind spot above the elevator, poised to ambush any enemies.


    His preparation proved effective, as he soon discovered that when the elevator doors opened, two statues resembling soldiers began to move, wobbling towards Bionic Tear.


    Sterl quickly activated Star Insight, and his expression changed in an instant.


    He exploded into action!


    He and Bionic Tear unleashed their abilities simultaneously!


    Double the Shattered Void!


    In the confined space, countless de-like shadows tore through everything.


    The two soldier-like statues failed to react at all before beingpletely cut to ashes.


    [Ster Guardian]


    [Category: Mechanism Creation]


    [Rank: Weak Divine Power (Weakened state, currently demigod level)]


    [Attributes: ��]


    [Skills: ��]


    [Description: Guardians created by the Starry n in the Astrological Pce. They are beings fashioned from the highest skills of the Starry n, but their power has diminished to a mere fraction after countless years of deterioration.]


    Sterl let out a slight sigh of relief as he looked at the two adversaries reduced to fragments.


    The average person might think that since these two mechanism creations had fallen from weak divine power to demigod level, there was no need to worry.


    However, Sterl''s thought process was different��


    These two demigod-level beings had once been divine-level?!


    That meant they surely had terrifying trump cards!


    He had to eliminate them quickly, or he might find himself in trouble!


    As the two statues were destroyed, two points of starlight suddenly appeared!


    At first, Sterl didn''t quite understand what they were and took a few steps back.


    But a few secondster, he instinctively felt a tremendous desire arise within him.


    It was as if a newborn child craved milk to gain vitality.


    His body and soul radiated an emotion of longing.


    Through the perception of his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl could sense that these two points of starlight did not seem to pose any harm to him.


    His cheat enabled him to directly investigate��the two light points were named [Starlight Radiance].


    Looking at their appearance, Sterl noticed that the light points were enveloping material, simr to the star fragments he had collected during his ss change.


    However, the star fragments he had once gathered were merely a chaotic collection of hard stones radiating starlight.


    In contrast, these were like emeralds, incredibly transparent, and merely gazing at them brought an inexplicable sense of tranquility.


    Good stuff! This was definitely something valuable!


    However, what surprised Sterl was that his [Transcendence]system showed no reaction to these two points of light!


    "Wait a minute."


    "It seems that the [Transcendence]system has been unresponsive since entering the underground pce; no information has popped up at all."


    "The data on the two Ster Guardiansearlier was also gathered through Star Insight."


    Sterl felt that his guess might indeed be correct.


    The Starry n was undoubtedly a race buried in distant time.


    Its existence likely predated the [Transcendence]game itself.


    Therefore, [Transcendence]could not record any relevant information about it.


    "But when I did my ss change, that instance was functioning normally within the [Transcendence]system, right?"


    "And even if [Transcendence]initially didn''t have information on the Starry n, it should have gathered plenty of data through my experiences."


    "Why is it still unable to detect anything in the underground pce?"


    "Doesn''t the [Transcendence]system have self-updating capabilities?"


    Sterl felt a bit puzzled.


    He had always thought that [Transcendence]was a game constructed by those so-called super artificial intelligences from his previous life, capable of continuous self-updating and evolution.


    But based on what he had seen in the underground pce, Sterl felt that it might not be quite like that.


    He didn''t dwell on it any further and took a couple of steps forward to collect the Starlight Radiance. The moment the energy surged into his body, he felt a jolt run through him.


    This still couldn''t be exined by the panel''s descriptions.


    Sterl sensed that he could enhance all of his existing professional skills through the Starlight Radiance.


    This enhancement had no upper limit; he could even elevate them to radiant-level or beyond.


    However, the initial enhancement required 1,000 units of Starlight Radiance.


    After that, the number of radiant points needed for each subsequent improvement would increase tenfold.


    Skills with initially lower levels were less worth upgrading.


    Nevertheless, the first enhancement would firmly raise the skill to Iridescent-Level.


    Having now collected two units of radiant points, he still needed to gather 998 more��


    toplete his first enhancement!


    The above details were purely Sterl''s sensing. No panel had popped up to provide any information.


    Clearly, everything rted to the Starry n was not recorded in the [Transcendence]database.


    This revtion brought Sterl considerable excitement; he had skills he wanted to enhance!


    To unconditionally raise his professional skills to Iridescent-Level��


    "It''s best to enhance [Stardust]," Sterl said, feeling a surge of excitement.


    Mainly because [Stardust]was extremely useful!


    It could enhance various aspects of skills, including control effects, additional effects, output, and range��


    Even though he couldn''t use [Stardust]right now and had acquired countless tinum Skills through various battlefields, Sterl still hadn''t found an auxiliary ability as outstanding as [Stardust]!


    Now�� he finally had the chance to enhance it!


    For the next period, Sterl began his search deep within the underground pce.


    His main task was to hunt down Ster Guardians, shatter them, and umte Starlight Radiance.


    Initially, Sterl worried that it would be like collecting the fragments of the boundary, and he wouldn''t be able to gather enough.


    But soon, he realized he had worried for nothing; there were a vast number of Ster Guardiansin the pce!


    Sterl gradually sensed something was amiss. At first, he thought that this underground pce was meant to seal the Starry n, but then he noticed that the atmosphere of life here seemed too abundant.


    He realized that the underground pce might be the Starry n''s base.


    The outeryer of the pce had been shattered and was barely recognizable due to the battles that may have once urred, while the area where Sterl currently found himself had suffered less damage, allowing him to discern traces from who knows how many years ago.


    Countless Ster Guardiansmoved nearby, seemingly guarding something.


    In the darkness, Sterl stumbled upon a massive city.


    After descending via the elevator, he found himself at the outskirts of this city, surrounded by single-story houses and variousmunal buildings. Deeper within, there were numerous luxurious vis.


    However, all these structures were inessible; they were clearly constructed as small worlds using spatial powers, which had long since faded after countless years.


    Inside nearly all the buildings, there were only chaotic dimensional storms.


    As Sterl reached the end of this area, he could see a dpidated pce.


    Yet, within the underground pce, there was a strange wave that suppressed detection. Out of caution, Sterl chose not to teleport recklessly in this unknown territory, opting instead to walk slowly.


    Along the way, he eliminated Ster Guardiansand collected Starlight Radiance.


    By the time he found the pce, four days had passed, during which he had gathered 437 units of Starlight Radiance, allocated two points of guild materials, and spent two points to maintain the status of his Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    As for the Frost Giantthat was hunting him down, it was blocked outside the underground pce. The Starry n''s base had a powerful detection pattern, which seemed to suppress the Frost Giant''s abilities that could almost ignore everything.


    It had chased him all the way to the entrance of the underground pce.


    At this point, Sterl''s aura hadpletely vanished.


    Thus, for four days, the Frost Giant remained outside the pce, showing no intention of entering. It sat on the ground, gazing up at the starry sky and the radiant sphere.


    How Sterl knew this was due to the odd assortment of items he had on hand; he casually threw one with detection abilities near the pce''s perimeter.


    That allowed him to see the scene of the Frost Giant''s arrival.


    The Frost Giant had subsequently destroyed the detection item.


    Using the talisman''s duplication ability, Sterl asionally tossed out another detection device.


    As long as he moved within the pce, even if he threw out a detection item, the Frost Giant could not sense any life within the underground pce.


    Though it could visibly see something strange happening inside, it remained oblivious, leading it to stand motionless, like a confused child.


    Sterl only needed to expend a few surplus detection items to keep a firm grip on the Frost Giant''s movements.


    He watched as the uniquely destructive giant sat dumbfoundedly at the pce''s edge, appearing quite adorable in its confusion.


    However, this seemingly cute Frost Giant would unleash a devastating frost at the moment any living creature appeared.


    Sterl was quite pleased with the situation.


    Over the course of four days, he explored the underground pce at a leisurely pace.


    Until��


    As he approached the crumbling pce, he suddenly came to a halt.


    Sterl felt a strange calling resonate deeply within him.


    "Kin��


    "Kin�� you have finallye."


    It was a sensation of bloodline connection; Sterl felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy and warmth, which made him grow wary.


    "What is this?"


    He drew his weapon and pointed it toward the pce, readying himself for whatever mighte next.

 Chapter 447 The History of the Starry Clan

    Sterl remembered that the bronze door leading into the underground pce bore inscriptions depicting the atrocitiesmitted by the Starry n. If it were merely a tale of conquest and destruction, the engravings on the door would not be necessary to showcase the Starry n''s brutality and power.


    Those designs were likely meant to unt their own martial prowess.


    It seemed the Starry n had indeed engaged in such acts.


    They bullied the weak and acted recklessly, relying on their strength.


    While Sterl had inherited the power of the Starry n, he had no illusions, especially upon seeing the prosperous city within the underground pce. He felt that the Starry n was far from being a pitiful race that had been annihted.


    They once possessed an exceptionally glorious civilization and abundant martial strength.


    Based on the historical knowledge he had acquired before his transmigration, Sterl spected that the Starry n might have had multiple instances of aggression against others.


    The so-called annihtion of the Starry n might have been the result of wise individuals uniting their efforts to eradicate them.


    At this moment, the voice calling out to him from the pce seemed to belong to some ancient being seeking to upy his body and revive.


    Sterl did not rush into the pce; instead, he carefully sensed the calling voice.


    Soon, a strange expression crossed his face as he realized that it was precisely because he had advanced his profession to radiant-level that he had managed to establish a connection with the Starry n within that pce.


    If not for that, he felt he would never have caught the attention of the being inside the pce.


    "So, does this mean that only radiant-level star-type professions are considered nobility or royalty among this race?"


    As Sterl continued to explore the underground pce, he felt that the depth of the Starry n''s heritage was expanding.


    After all, radiant-level corresponded to upper-tier divine authority.


    Radiant-level might merely be the threshold for the royal family of the Starry n.


    This indicated that��


    There could very well be beings of upper-tier divine authority within the underground pce, and such powerful entities would have a stronger ability to resist the erosion of time!


    Perhaps they still retained considerable strength!


    Sterl began to feel a sense of tension.


    He was well aware of the power of upper-tier divine authority; he only had a Fission Divine Authoritythat could match the output of upper-tier strength.


    However, the attribute gap due to level differences,bined with theck of enhancement from not having advanced to legendary status, left him with little chance of victory.


    Fortunately��


    Sterl possessed the Time Law.


    And thankfully, the strength of the Holy Spirit Bloodlinewas present here!


    The Time Lawcould also forcibly evolve!


    After testing it through the Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl received new information: mastery over Time Divine Authoritywas divided into multiple stages known as Moment, Myriad, and Return to Zero, three realms.


    The first realm corresponded to ordinary divine authority, but its effects were significantly stronger and possibly already on par with upper-tier divine authority within [Transcendence].


    Using the Holy Spirit Bloodlo evolve the Time Law, Sterl could only reach the Momentlevel.


    "That should be enough."


    "If things get dire, I can regress time on myself, reverting to before I enter the pce, which would help me avoid most dangers."


    Upon reaching the entrance of the pce, Sterl disyed a moment of hesitation.


    There was an inexplicable barrier ahead, allowing only Sterl himself to transmigrate inside; the Bionic Tearcould not enter as a scout first.


    Sterl could revert the Bionic Tearto an item and personally carry it inside.


    The problem was, he knew without a doubt that under this special barrier''s effect, once he stepped into the pce, he might not be able toe back out. In that case, it wouldn''t matter whether the Bionic Tearscouted ahead or not.


    "Let''s take a gamble with the Time Law," Sterl murmured to himself.


    He stepped into the pce.


    To his surprise, the interior of the pce was just as dpidated as the exterior. Surrounding him were slowly shrinking spatial rifts, indicating that this area was also in a state of semi-copse.


    The carpet inside the pce felt incrediblyfortable; as Sterl walked on it, he felt the energy within him surge, as if merely staying here could enhance his attributes.


    Vases and ornaments nearby shimmered with a strange glow, clearly once precious treasures, but now they were all "dead."


    Sterl noticed several divine bones scattered throughout the opulent pce.


    The entity calling to him was a massive figure seated on a golden throne, resting with its right hand supporting its head.


    Just by looking at the skeleton��


    Sterl''s expression changed: "It looks somewhat simr to the Frost Giant from the outside!"


    He felt a bit confused.


    Cautiously, Sterl took a few steps closer, but the skeleton on the throne remained motionless.


    He decided that if it wasn''t moving, he wouldn''t rush either; he would explore the pce first!


    Perhaps he could find some treasures��


    Unfortunately, after spending over ten minutes collecting the bones, Sterl found nothing else of value. The various decorations were merely for show, their spiritual essence long lost and worthless.


    Only the carpet retained some utility.


    Holding it for a long time could slightly enhance his attributes, so Sterl cut a piece of the attribute-boosting carpet and consumed it��


    Gaining a total attribute boost of 5 points.


    After thoroughly searching the pce, Sterl stepped closer to the throne.


    With a sense of impending danger, he scanned the area, yet received no response.


    After a few seconds, he revealed an expression of resignation.


    "I guess I have to give it a try."


    Sterl gently pushed a gust of air��


    Boom!


    Crumble!


    Suddenly, the throne copsed.


    The massive figure seated upon it turned to ash, leaving behind only a shining halo��


    What had called to Sterl was not a real consciousness, but merely a segment of information left by the light orb��


    The [Transcendence] system remained in a state of stagnation, while Sterl''s Holy Spirit Bloodlinesensed the orb before him, emanating a faint aura.


    The energy contained within was extremely sparse and posed no threat.


    "Is this also a form of messaging entity?"


    When Sterl utilized the Crystal Barrier Gxyfor transmission, he had transformed into a simr state, so this wasn''t entirely unfamiliar to him.


    After much hesitation, he sent the Bionic Tearforward to extend a hand.


    Sure enough, the orb in the Bionic Tear''sgrasp was like a moon reflected in water; with a gentle nudge, it shattered, and the arm retracted, reforming into a single mass.


    Seeing this, Sterl hesitated for a second before slowly reaching out.


    He reasoned with himself that he couldn''t just leave empty-handed; no matter how tangled his thoughts were, he had to try it himself.


    He made a decisive choice.


    "Where am I??"


    "It seems I''ve touched that strange orb from the star map."


    At first, Sterl looked bewildered, but he quickly regained hisposure. With the aid of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he easily broke free from an effect simr to the Inquire Withininstance''s hypnosis.


    At this moment, he realized he had arrived on a battlefield.


    "Damn it!"


    "Those people are only taking advantage of the cmity tounch a sneak attack; otherwise, our n would have wiped them all out."


    "Stop the chatter! We must hold on a little longer; the Celestial Stars formation is about to bepleted."


    Sterl could see what appeared to be the Starry n''s army desperately resisting the onught of the external coalition.


    Endless waves of soldiers surged forth like a tide.


    Their strength was far inferior to that of the Starry n warriors, who were often struck down by shimmering spears and meteors, vanishing into nothingness amid the high-energy reactions.


    However, the enemy''s numbers were simply overwhelming. Even though the Starry n fighters were formidable, they could not withstand the relentless attrition.


    Observing everything with cold detachment, Sterl frowned slightly.


    He could see clearly that the soldiers of the Starry n possessed divine-level strength, and many of themanding officers and elite soldiers wielded upper-tier divine authority, rampaging across the battlefield.


    The enemy''s cannon fodder consisted of a mix of divine-level and demigod fighters; their expressions were vacant, as if stripped of all emotion, rendering them oblivious to fear and fatigue as they fought to the death.


    They were consuming the strength of the Starry n with their own lives.


    In the sky, dozens of different formations could be seen operating. However, since it was merely an image, Sterl could not analyze the structures of those formations.


    Just this scene, as he had just entered the illusion, had already astonished him.


    "The known existence of the Starry n predates the birth of [Transcendence]."


    "Isn''t there an excessive number of powerful beings from this era?"


    "Demigods can only serve as cannon fodder, while divine-level beings can only be ordinary soldiers."


    Sterl felt dizzy. Even if the Starry n was a top-tier race, it shouldn''t be this exaggerated.


    He thought that sending out a hundred-man squad from their army could easily obliterate Alpha 8 and countless other main worlds wrapped in the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    Moreover��


    Sterl felt a chill run down his spine; don''t think that divine-level soldiers were cheap; theirbat power exceeded that of the modern gods.


    These "gods" possessed highly specialized training methods, and although they wielded various divine authorities, they worked together harmoniously, achieving a 1+1>2 effect.


    They also had standardized divine-level equipment,plete with armor and weapons.


    The bursts of light unleashed during battle were blinding!


    In this illusion, Sterl could sense the fluctuations from countless powerful beings shing throughout history, making him increasingly uneasy!


    How could such a powerful Starry n suffer such heavy losses due to a cmity?


    They were even being driven back to their homnd.


    In the background of the illusion, Sterl could see a pce that bore a striking resemnce to the one he had just entered in the underground, onlyrger, adorned with even more luxurious and vibrant decorative patterns and formations.


    This was likely the Starry n''s most important base!


    As Sterl observed, the Starry n warriors were soon overwhelmed by the endless enemy assault, and casualties began to mount. The first soldier fell, leading to the copse of the formation lines.


    Ultimately, over 2,000 divine beings formed the Starry n army, engaging in chaotic melee.


    For a moment, the sky was filled with a profoundly tragic atmosphere.


    The fall of hundreds and thousands of divine beings triggered the weeping of heaven and earth.


    A torrential rain of blood poured down.

 Chapter 448 Relics of the Stars: Stars Change

    As Sterl observed the scene around him, tears streamed down his cheeks. An overwhelming sorrow enveloped him, wrapping around him like a shroud. Suddenly, a wave of joyous emotion surged from deep within his heart.


    What was it��?


    He looked up and saw it: the formation spoken of earlier by the warriors of the Starry n had sessfully manifested. Countless life forces of the fallen members of the Starry n were being drawn up into the sky, while the magnificent pce rapidly dissolved into a massive orb of light, soaring into the clouds!


    Then, countless beams of light burst forth from the formation in the sky, transforming into points of light that shot out in all directions. At that moment, the entire main world resembled a map, and under the surge of these light points, flowers began to bloom everywhere!


    Each point of light concealed a resource that Sterl could sense was incredibly precious, and the outer shell of these resources took on the form of a small, ethereal underground pce.


    The glorious spectacle left Sterl in shock, and just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.


    "Hello, future descendant."


    Sterl turned and looked, his pupils constricting in surprise; he had been caught off guard by someone standing so close. However��


    In the illusion, everything could be erased at will.


    Sterl analyzed the situation and concluded it wasn''t his fault. Yet, as he gazed at the person who spoke, he felt something was off��the robe the figure wore was identical to that of the one who had sat on the throne outside the illusion!


    Earlier, when he had observed the figure''s skeletal form, he thought the Starry n on the throne resembled a Frost Giant, and now that the skeletal form had been restored to flesh and blood, the resemnce was even stronger!


    However, this should not symbolize the Frost, but rather another type of giant, one whose eyes were filled with wisdom��


    Unlike that powerful individual outside who was devoid of substance!


    "Hello."


    Sterl cautiously replied, his mind racing with thoughts.


    What connection could there be between the Frost Giant and the former Starry n��?


    He had spoken out of courtesy, not expecting a response, but the giant of the Starry n nodded earnestly.


    "Hmm, indeed."


    "It seems that the inheritors of my n have not yet devolved into savage beings; there is still some intellect."


    The giant''s voice was warm and gentle.


    Sterl looked up again, realizing that the giant existed within the illusion, yet spoke as if he were a real person.


    "Who exactly are you��?"


    "Me? I am merely a long-dead specter."


    "You need not pay too much attention to it."


    The giant waved his hand and settled into a nearby crevice, positioning his head level with Sterl''s, making their conversation much more convenient.


    "I am among the Starry n��"


    He struggled to articte, and then his form flickered as if he were about to fade away, prompting the giant to quickly change his words.


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    "Apologies, it seems I cannot mention my name yet; the curses from those n families upon the Starry n are still in effect."


    "Our lineage is destined to be forgotten."


    As the giant spoke of the curse, he exhibited no anger, merely an overwhelming calmness.


    The atmosphere became awkwardly still.


    After a moment of contemtion, Sterl finally spoke, "I felt a summons."


    "And then I found myself trapped in this environment."


    "What do you wish to convey to me through this illusion?"


    The giant did not respond immediately; instead, he closed his eyes and sensed the atmosphere before revealing a smile.


    "I never expected that the luckiest one would be me.


    "The first inheritor is one of my own!"


    "Descendant, listen closely. Our Starry n may have long since perished, but before our downfall, we mobilized the formations of the Celestial Stars and melded all our legacies into the stars, scattering them across various locations in the world."


    "There are a total of 108 pieces, known as the Relics of the Stars."


    "Each treasure is guarded by an underground pce. Once, our Starry n upied the entire continent, and the number of astrological pces was countless."


    "But to preserve the Relics of the Stars and to maximize the inheritance of the Starry n''s power, all pces other than those guarding the relics have been melted down to enhance the quality of the relics and ensure that the secrets of the Starry n do not leak out."


    "You have unlocked the pce where I reside."


    "I shall bestow upon you the fourteenth treasure of the Relics of the Stars��Stars Change."


    "This is an extraordinarily special treasure."


    "It can open highly stable spatial passages across various worlds."


    "That''s right; it''s not just in this world where we find ourselves��there are other worlds beyond."


    "This Stars Change can assist your forces in traversing different worlds; merely selling resources could allow you to nurture transcendent-level soldiers."


    As the giant spoke, a pale blue, spoon-like jade artifact fell into Sterl''s palm.


    This must be Stars Change.


    The wondrous relic melted away instantly, melding with Sterl''s being.


    Sterl felt a surge of fear.


    He hadn''t even had time to react before Stars Change suddenly integrated into his body!


    Had the giant intended to kill him, Sterl wouldn''t have had time to use the Law of Time.


    Was the Starry n a bit too exaggerated?


    Clearly, when he had scanned the area earlier, there had been no powerful forces present in the illusion.


    However��


    After Stars Change integrated, Sterl felt a subtle resonance and couldn''t help but smile.


    He realized the immense power of this Relic of the Stars.


    In simple terms, it could open a spatial passage and close it at will; the only limitation for opening the passage was one thing: Sterl''s existence.


    This existence didn''t mean that Sterl had to be at that ce.


    Rather, someone in the world where the passage was opened needed to know "Sterl."


    This was an incredibly domineering method of arrival!


    For example, in theyer of hell of Licitris, where several Subi had spoken with Sterl, it would have been quite troublesome for him to travel anywhere. Now, he could directly activate Stars Change to open a stable and permanent spatial passage.


    Sterl himself incurred no cost whatsoever.


    The Relics of the Stars could be charged by any creation that formed a concept.


    In the world of [Transcendence], the night sky was filled with stars, so the spatial passage Sterl constructed would have one end in [Transcendence], without requiring any additional expenditure.


    Moreover��


    He sensed slightly and thought, "I want to return to my hometown."


    Stars Change was highly precise in its judgment, capable of discerning what Sterl meant by his hometown.


    "If the timeline hasn''t shifted too much since I transmigrated, there should still be people who remember me."


    "If I''m fortunate, it hasn''t been more than 20 years since I transmigrated here, and if only 20 years have passed in my hometown, my parents should still be there."


    Sterl, for once, lost hisposure slightly; he found himself missing�� his mom and dad.


    Even though he had already gained unparalleled power in this other world, he still longed to return home.


    Linna, Rayna, and the countless girls he had metter, they were all just lovers��


    And not parents.


    Sterl had never forgotten that before he transmigrated, he had been an ordinary person, but he had experienced warmth. On Christmas Eve, he would sit by the firece, holding his family''s Samoyed, "Coco," while the sound of crackling from the fire filled the air.


    Upstairs, his overly energetic little brother was ying with his toys.


    From the kitchen, the delicious aroma of his parents cooking wafted through the house��


    For a moment, Sterl''s vision blurred with emotion.


    However, he quickly felt disappointment.


    Stars Change provided no exnation, remaining silent for a long time before finally responding.


    [Unable to open the spatial passage.]


    It did not specify whether it was because no one remembered him in his hometown, or if there was another reason altogether.


    During this period, the giant maintained hisposure, patiently waiting.


    "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," he said. "There are situations in which the Relics of the Stars cannot be activated. For example, if you want to open a passage back to your hometown, but the distance to your hometown is simply too great."


    "The good news is, if you can be the true leader of a new era for our Starry n, you can activate the Relics of the Stars and strengthen them."


    "You will have a chance to fulfill your wishes."


    The giant''s words sparked a flicker of hope in Sterl''s eyes.


    However, he was also a bit puzzled��


    A leader of a new era?


    The leader of the Starry n?


    Hadn''t the Starry n already faced annihtion?


    He voiced his confusion.


    The giant chuckled softly.


    "Do you know why we went to such lengths to melt down numerous underground pces and countless lives to preserve our legacy?"


    "Because the Starry n was on the brink of destruction, surrounded by attacks from other races?" Sterl tentatively answered.


    "That was indeed the case."


    "I lived in the era when the Starry n faced a brief period of annihtion; at that time, an unprecedented cmity descended��"


    The giant sighed.


    "Prior to that, the Starry n had endured countless cmities against other races."


    "To us, they were merely bizarre beings that would devour everything."


    "While they were difficult to deal with, as long as we could unleash attacks far exceeding their devouring capabilities, we could defeat them."


    "Our generation of the Starry n had already survived 173 such cmities."


    [Your ''generation''?] Sterl found the term a bit strange, but he refrained from interrupting the giant''s tale.


    At that moment, the environment shifted.


    It showed the many soldiers of the Starry n confidently hunting the Devourer of All Things, wearing proud smiles on their faces.


    "Even as cmities approached, our n continued to conquer other races, gathering their elite warriors."


    "We of the Starry n do not take inherent races into ount because star power exists as an innate force across countless worlds."


    "Anyone can cultivate, and our n has pushed the methods of cultivating the stars to their utmost limit."


    "As long as there are talented individuals who join our n and practice the methods of the stars, we canmunicate and continue to refine those methods together."


    "Moreover, those who cultivate the methods will produce offspring who are better suited for the cultivation of star techniques."


    "Thus, we are indeed a race."

 Chapter 449 So, I Was Deceived?

    By this point, Sterl had begun to understand. The Starry n did not appear to be an innate race; rather, it seemed to be a force formed by continually absorbing strong individuals.


    The reason it could be ssified as a race was that all beings within the n possessed star power. Moreover, once one cultivated the Starry n''s methods, they truly became of the same kind! This was because the offspring born from such individuals would increasingly adapt to the Starry n''s cultivation techniques. Additionally, cultivating star power was an excellent way to grow stronger.


    The descendants of the Starry n would never consider switching to other methods. To gain ess to cutting-edge research on star power, they had to actively gather with other members of the Starry n.


    Thus, with shared bloodlines andmon culture, who could deny that this was indeed a race?


    Sterl suddenly recalled what the giant had said about "our generation of the Starry n." Since the lineage was passed down through the cultivation of star power, it was possible that even if all members of the Starry n perished, as long as the cultivation methods remained, a new Starry n could emerge in the future.


    They might not be the same species as the previous generation, but their bloodlines would still have some consistency in adapting to star power. Referring to them as different generations of the Starry n was entirely appropriate!


    And as for himself...


    "I''ve also learned the star cultivation methods, so I should be a new generation of the Starry n, right?"


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    Sterl felt a bit dazed. He had always been wary of the n that granted him this inheritance, but now he found out they were "one of his own"? No, in the current situation, there were only two members of the Starry n��himself and his pet, the Star Radiance Dragon. With only two members, Sterl''s chances of vying for leadership of this generation of the Starry n would undoubtedly improve.


    However, Sterl did not show any signs of excitement because he had just heard an ominous term��great cmity. ording to the giant, the ordinary great cmities were something the Starry n did not fear; they had faced over a hundred cmities, showcasing the n''s strength.


    The problem was that the giant had also exined that the Starry n''s annihtion was due to an enhanced version of a great cmity, and now Sterl was about to face one as well! If even the Starry n could be destroyed��one that presumably had divine-level beings as soldiers and higher divine authorities as leaders��how could they withstand an enhanced version of a great cmity?


    The various forces Sterl was currently involved with would only suffer even worse fates in the face of cmity!


    Sterl no longer felt any joy about acquiring the Relics of the Stars.


    "Can you tell me more about how the Starry n was annihted? What does it have to do with the cmity?"


    He couldn''t help but ask.


    The giant looked at Sterl''s slightly changing expression and continued to speak in a gentle tone.


    "This time... no, it should be a long time ago for you."


    "Our Starry n did not sincerely cooperate with other races, leading to the momentum of the cmity bing inevitable."


    "The annihtion and reshuffling of the entire world had already been set in motion."


    "As for the specific form of the cmity, I cannot disclose that at this moment."


    "But that is not necessarily a bad thing."


    "Let''s just say that the cycle of life and death is the rightful path of the world."


    "For the entire world, continued destruction gives rise to new groups from those that exist."


    "It is an irond rule."


    "Even if we survive this enhanced version of the cmity, the next cmity will only be more terrifying, continuing until theplete destruction of the world."


    As the giant spoke, the scenery in the illusion shifted repeatedly, unveiling scenes of life desperately fleeing from disasters like falling meteors, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. As the cmities came to an end, a few scattered groups gradually began to regroup and reproduce.


    Sterl''s heart trembled at the sight��this seemed never-ending. What the giant implied was that the cmities could not be ovee. They would continue to manifest and grow stronger until everything was obliterated. Did this mean...


    No matter what actions were taken, escape from death was impossible? It seemed the giant sensed Sterl''s confusion and added, "The cmity targets all living beings in the world; it does not attack any single individual. Our Starry n would not have faced total annihtion, but the hatred from other races toward us was far too exaggerated.


    When faced with the cmity, they chose to go all-out,mitting all their forces to take us down with them."


    "The cost of such actions is that they are doomed to fail to survive the cmity. However, in the face of an enhanced cmity, unless all races work together, they will all perish! So, it is reasonable for them to waste their strength on revenge rather than resist the cmity."


    At this point, the illusion shifted back to earlier scenes of countless races attacking the Starry n. "Our existence as the Starry n relied on the inheritance of abilities, so when besieged, we chose to forge everything into one and lie dormant, waiting for the next generation of the Starry n to emerge."


    "Other races probably had their own ways to forcibly survive this annihtion, and some merely survived due to sheer luck amidst the cmity. This enhanced version of the cmity is both a disaster and an opportunity. The will of the world does not seek to annihte all life; killing off 99% is often sufficient. As long as there are means, some will inevitably survive."


    "Moreover, to break through the [��], one must endure a cmity at least once. So, it is very likely that some ancient beings from my time still exist in your era, having lived through the enhanced cmity. Their strength would be incredibly terrifying. Only those who have also survived an enhanced cmity from ancient times can contend with them."


    The giant spoke casually as shadows of several figures in robes appeared in the illusion. Although it was merely a vision, it still filled Sterl with an overwhelming sense of dread; he found himself struggling to breathe.


    Sterl had clearly heard the name of the realm the giant mentioned, yet for some reason, he could not piece those words together into any meaningful content. The so-called realm that could only be breached through experiencing cmity might contain no one among the upper echelons he knew. These individuals were the true hidden bosses in the world!


    A sense of unease washed over Sterl. If he faced someone who had sessfully passed through a cmity, he might have no means to defend himself and could be easily crushed!


    However, it was precisely because of the giant''s words that Sterl finally understood what his goal should be. He needed to lead the girls he knew through this cmity!


    The cmity did not necessarily have to kill Sterl and his loved ones; it only needed to ensure the annihtion of most living beings in the world. "If all else fails, I have to protect myself, Linna, and Rayna. The Sosia sisters and Teresa will form the second tier. Rosalie doesn''t matter as much."


    "Though ironically, she is the safest because she has be my protective Illuminated King..." Sterl pondered.


    He was not only fighting for survival but also striving to break through to a higher realm!


    "Alright, let''s stop talking about that," the giant said, noticing Sterl''s expression deep in thought and shifting the topic. "Even if other races have a few survivors, their legacy will neverpare to the Starry n, which actively sought annihtion."


    "Seeing your appearance, it seems the cmity is imminent. With the legacy of our Starry n, you might have an opportunity to break through the [��]. At that time, with the vast world before you, where could you not go?"


    "Young one, you should have inherited our royal star power. Therefore, I can confidently pass the Stars Change onto you. Afterward, other Relics of the Stars will appear on their own."


    "The arcane skill of the Starry n can be transmitted through dreams. We will choose a group of strong individuals to serve as your sharpening stone. Of course, you might end up being their sharpening stone as well. Eventually, many willpete with you for the inheritance."


    The giant slowly continued, and as he spoke, the entire illusion gradually transformed. Countless stars in the sky began to fall toward the ground, seeking those destined for them.


    "In the end, you willpete with other inheritors to determine who will collect all the Relics of the Stars and be the new leader of our Starry n."


    "Thispetition doesn''t involve just you. As inheritors of these relics, you also have another privilege: to control the Star Servants."


    The giant disyed another scene. After the various Celestial Stars had sent out the relics and the underground pce, the formation erupted like a blooming flower, releasing countless pollen particles.


    "These are..." Sterl was momentarily taken aback.


    The giant pointed with his hand, and a single droplet of pollen expanded rapidly, presenting itself like a small world.


    "These pollen grains contain false inheritances. The abilities they provide are merely arcane skills learned by our n''s lowly ves, which can only utilize star power at a very low efficiency."


    "Those who receive these ve-ss inheritances will mistakenly believe they are inheritors of the Starry n. In reality, as they develop their professional powers, they will bepletely controlled by the Starry n and reduced to servants!"


    "As soon as you encounter these individuals, you can manipte them. These weak members of the Starry n can acquire primary stars and deputy stars. We can control them directly, gaining the enhancements of both themselves and their primary and deputy stars."


    "The inheritance of the Starry n does not only involve you true inheritors; it also epasses the struggle over the servants under the inheritors."


    The giant spoke with a hint of pride, while Sterl stood there, stunned. He recognized clearly that the so-called false inheritance small world was precisely the instance he had once challenged! Although the pollen the giant disyed was somewhat different from the instance he had essed, the form and appearance were strikingly simr!


    No wonder the [Transcendence] system could read the small world within the pollen and convert it into an instance; this was indeed something the Starry n had cast out as bait! It would surely merge with the outside world toplete its disguise.

 Chapter 450 The Pursuit from Eons Ago

    Goodness, I originally thought I was the legitimate heir to the Starry n''s inheritance. I never expected I was just a hapless soul bound by their ve contract! Sterl felt a bit speechless; if it weren''t for the cheat of leveling up and evolving, he would have truly be a puppet!


    Fortunately...


    The oue was favorable. After leveling up, his star power had already reached royal standards. Instead, he had unlocked the Starry n''s trials and was the first to obtain the Relics of the Stars. In the future, he would have the opportunity to inherit the entirety of the Starry n''s legacy.


    Once the giant hadpleted his task, he seemed quite weary. "Don''t worry; as the true inheritor, you will receive some privileges."


    "My remnant soul still has some energy left. I hope to see you as the victor during the ceremony of power transfer for the n. Then I can boast a bit to my old friends."


    ...


    After saying these words, the giant''s form began to gradually shrink, ultimately dissipating into a wisp of light smoke. As his figurepletely vanished, the illusion started to shatter. As it broke apart, streams of azure energy surged toward Sterl''s body.


    With a peculiar chime, the azure waves transformed into a storm that surged into Sterl''s being. This was an incredibly tumultuous and strange energy. Sterl felt a unique mark gradually forming within him. It was called the Star Mark!


    Eventually, the storm intensified, and Sterl felt as if his soul were being washed anew. After experiencing several years of tempering in the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, his soul level had risen by three levels. Now, it was about to surge once more.


    Level 54...


    Level 55...


    ...


    Finally, it came to a stop at level 59. However, the impact brought by the Star Mark continued to grow, until Sterl felt his mind go nk. After a long time, he regained consciousness.


    At this moment, Sterl hadpleted the integration of the Star Mark. The Starry n''s artifacts still could not be viewed for their effects through his panel. It seemed that his level was too low to fully utilize the capabilities of the Star Mark.


    After searching for a while, he finally noticed a new plugin added to his map system. It disyed numerous bright points. The underground pce beneath him was also pulsating and shing. However, the brilliance gradually dimmed, seemingly indicating that the Relics of the Stars had already been taken.


    The remaining 107 bright points were stable and shining, but most were located at extreme distances, appearing outside Sterl''s map. It seemed that the positions of these underground pces were all beyond Alpha 8.


    The nearest underground pce...


    "It''s actually in ayer of hell, and the spatial distance from Alpha 8 isn''t far at all?"


    "What''s going on?" Sterl was taken aback. Countless Crystal Barrier Gxies had once formed a continent, where the underground pces of the Starry n were scattered. As the continent fragmented, the pces were also carried into different Crystal Barrier Gxies. But how could one possibly end up in ayer of hell?


    He felt puzzled. Upon closer inspection, he was astonished to find that as many as 16 underground pces were located in hell.


    "Could it be that hell was once part of the original continent?" After much contemtion, Sterl could only arrive at this conclusion.


    However, based on the images he had seen in the boundary fragments, when the continent was shattered, no part had been taken out to form hell separately. Moreover, wasn''t the number ofyers in hell supposed to be infinite? No matter how many portions were cut from the original continent, it wouldn''t be enough to form hell, would it?


    Sterl muttered in confusion. He wasn''t in a hurry to search for other Relics of the Stars; after all, the Starry n would actively select qualified individuals and urge them to collect the Relics of the Stars. For the sake of efficiency, Sterl could wait until others had gathered a significant number of the Relics before making his move to seize them.


    It wasn''t that he waszy. From the perspective of Stars Change, the effects of the Relics of the Stars were powerful, but they might not significantly enhance Sterl''sbat ability. There was no need to rush into collecting them and disrupt his own development ns.


    "The only problem is, can my ss, evolved through leveling up, control those who have obtained ve inheritances?" Sterl pondered, somewhat uncertain. His skills panel didn''t show any effects rted to controlling individuals with ve inheritances, which might put him at a disadvantage whenpeting with other inheritors.


    As for why he was worried despite having already gained an inheritance from one underground pce, it was mainly because Sterl had also experienced a peculiar sensation before him��


    [Would you like to change your ss to quasi-radiant level: Ruler of the Stars?]


    Sterl could switch his ss to the legitimate Starry n inheritance at any time, but after deliberating, he chose to decline. Not to mention, whether exchanging a radiant level for a quasi-radiant level was a loss or not, the existence of ve inheritances made Sterl extremely cautious.


    If the true inheritors of the Starry n could control ordinary inheritors, was there a chance that above the true inheritors, there were [real] true inheritors?


    When Sterl controlled others as ves, perhaps he would be a ve himself��


    It was still more reliable to stick with the ss obtained through the leveling system. After all, when leveling up, it actively eliminated any negative influences on the host. Sterl''s ss wouldn''t have any hidden drawbacks. Explore more stories at mvl


    Then, he closed the Star Mark''s sensing ability and discovered the second function of this mark. After retracting the mark, Sterl noticed that no trace of the Starry n''s power was emanating from him; this process took about five seconds.


    "So, only I can actively search for other Relics of the Stars," he concluded. "Even if other inheritors get close to me, they won''t realize that I''m actually theirpetitor??"


    "That''s pretty good!" Sterl smiled faintly.


    He was too early in his joy. Before he could fully suppress the aura emanating from him, he sensed something was off; it seemed he had been locked onto by something.


    Sterl suddenly realized that the surroundings felt wrong. He had originally been standing in the royal pce of the Starry n, where it was empty nearby. However, the spatial rift next to him suddenly began to ripple, and figures burst forth.


    Their auras were instantly ignited!


    They radiated a pressure that made Sterl furrow his brow slightly!


    These were units at the divine level!


    Sterl activated Star Insight and strained to gather information��


    His expression changed further. These beings were not divine level at all; their original strength was at the level of upper divine authority. However, due to the endless passage of time, their power had continuously diminished, leaving them with only the strength of ordinary divine level.


    "Everyone from the Starry n must die!"


    "Indeed, we''ve finally arrived!"


    "Before the annihtion of our souls, we''ve found the heir of the Starry n!! Hahaha! It''s worth it!"


    "We will never allow this terrifying race to resurrect!"


    These divine-level beings roared, one after another. Their Divine Power was severely weakened, seemingly worn down over endless ages. As Sterl looked on, he noticed that most of these deities, emerging from the rifts in space, appeared withered and mummy-like, yet they still retained a glimmer of self-awareness.


    Though their actions were not entirely righteous��as theyy in ambush for Sterl, the heir of the Starry n��they were filled with righteous fervor! Their eyes sparkled with excitement! Through his Holy Spirit Bloodline''s sensing, Sterl felt no deception in their words, nor did they seem to be deliberately positioning themselves on a moral high ground. They were entirely sincere in their belief��


    they were doing something monumental!!


    For this, these beings were willing to endure countless years of torment!


    Sterl, who had some knowledge of formations, could see through it all. These deities had intentionally sealed themselves within the underground pce. The reason they had evaded the enhanced cmity was that, once sealed, they could no longer act independently; they could only move when the heir of the Starry n appeared.


    This was a rather unique formation, with the core involving making an oath and fulfilling that oath in exchange for incredible power.


    "But the formation itself is quite damaged."


    "Even if I were to eliminate these deities, I wouldn''t be able to derive anything useful."


    "However, if I could ess multiple underground pces, each housing such self-sealed deities..."


    "Perhaps I could piece together a fragmented understanding of the formation?"


    "Then I could refine it through additional points?"


    But��


    Sterl couldn''t help but scoff internally.


    How many terrible deeds had the Starry nmitted? The giant he had encountered earlier had left a good impression, and the illusions he had seen showcased the courage, fearlessness, and sacrifice that the Starry n exhibited when facing the crisis of extinction.


    Just moments ago, he had thought the Starry n quite noble.


    Yet now, faced with a life-threatening situation, he couldn''t help but recall the giant''s words��


    Many races, even at the cost of their own survival, were willing to fight against the Starry n.


    It was evident that despite their strength, this n had stirred up great animosity.


    Most likely, they hadmitted numerous misdeeds!


    So much so that the powerful beings of rival races would risk their own lives to eradicate the Starry n!


    Some even used special methods to turn themselves into mummies, preparing to snuff out the spark of the Starry n''s resurrection after countless years!


    At this moment, Sterl still had the presence of mind to scoff. After all, divine-level beings posed a threat to him, but it wasn''t overwhelming.


    However, he found himself puzzled. The Ster Guardian in the underground pce hadbat strength akin to that of a demigod, which was understandable. The Starry n was selecting an heir, not trying to make things difficult for them, so the guarding force wouldn''t be overly strong, and after countless years of wear, the guards had devolved to the demigod level.


    But why were these warriors, who aimed to extinguish the Starry n''s chance of resurrection, only at the upper tier of divine authority?


    Wasn''t there a stronger presence?


    Sterl pondered, remaining calm; after all, he had started to make his escape the moment the first divine-level being appeared.


    These entities had been sealed for who knows how long, and even if they were to fight, it would be better to change the battleground to avoid the opponent''s home-field advantage.

 Chapter 451 Lock of Captured Stars

    At the same time, having just acquired the underhanded ability of Time Law, Sterl felt a surge of confidence. If he couldn''t win, could he not escape?


    "In the era of the Starry n, divine-level beings were not particrly valuable; upper-tier divine authority was only somewhat rare. In the Starry n''s army, they could only serve as ordinary little leaders."


    "These mummies, even if they held a slightly higher status among other races, wouldn''t be that significant."


    "So��"


    Sterl began to form a hypothesis.


    Initially, he thought the effort to extinguish the Starry n''s lineage must be an organized and nned action, with ambushes set in each underground pce. Now, Sterl realized that perhaps it was just his bad luck?


    Was it possible that a group of passionate youths had appeared in this underground pce long ago, willing to sacrifice themselves for the hope of eradicating the Starry n in the future?


    Understanding the situation brought him some relief. After all��


    Sterl''s n was to wait for the Relics of the Stars to be collected by others before they were delivered to him. In the lower realm, excluding those ancient beings who had survived before the splitting of the lower realm, the strongest possessed only weak Divine Power. If each underground pce had divine-level beings guarding the corpses��


    Even gods might not be able to take the Relics of the Stars and leave!


    Sterl figured he would have to venture into the various underground pces himself, which would likely take quite a bit of time��


    He pondered this. After the divine-level beings appeared, they didn''t rush to attack; instead, they silently sealed off the space. Unfortunately, Sterl had fled too decisively, showing no intent to fight, and as a result, their interceptive measures failed outright.


    "Only a fool would engage them."


    As Sterl swiftly exited the pce, he thought to himself.


    He could sense that the mummies were already struggling to move their bodies; once defeated, they would likely disintegrate into dust, meaning there would be no loot to im. In Transcendence, there were some so-called skeleton zombies and the like, but those existed within the game system and would drop loot!


    The divine-level beings before him would provide nothing but a fruitless struggle. Just then, Sterl suddenly realized something was wrong!


    Strange beams of light shot out from deep within the pce, and before Sterl could evade, he was struck directly. The beams transformed into chains, binding Sterl tightly, wrapping him up like a mummy.


    Sterl was rmed, already bracing himself to lose a life, but to his surprise, he seemedpletely unharmed.


    "What''s going on?"


    Sterl was taken aback.


    After countless years of refinement, these mummies might have lost considerablebat strength and their awareness had dulled, making them inferior to ordinary divine-level beings. However, they retained one ability that they would never forget.


    [Lock of Captured Stars]!


    As Sterl sensed the chains wrapping around him, the name of the ability shed through his mind. This was indeed the effect of [Star Mark], which seemed to record a wealth of lineage information.


    The mark was rapidly transforming, spitting out lines of characters, which eventually took the form of a message that Sterl found quite familiar, albeit all in shades of azure blue.


    [Establishing the most easily readablemunication mode based on the host''s current condition.]


    [Prompt: The host is affected by the special skill Lock of Captured Stars. The effect of this skill is to seal all abilities of the Starry n. The number of Lock of Captured Stars hits, based on the power disparity between both sides, determines the extent of the sealing. The more abilities sealed, the higher the damage received.]


    [Prompt: Being hit by Lock of Captured Stars will lead to the permanent loss of sealed abilities over time.]


    Apanied by the notification from Star Mark, Sterl discovered that his professional abilities��


    were not affected at all!


    That''s right��


    The enhancements he had made to his profession had erased its original ws, rendering Lock of Captured Starspletely ineffective!


    Not entirely ineffective, though. Sterl immediately sensed that Star Mark had been sealed and could no longer be used. Moreover, as time passed, he could feel the energy of the mark within him being gradually emptied.


    It wouldn''t be long before the inheritance he had just obtained would be lost.


    At that moment, Sterl was filled with rage!


    The opportunity he had worked so hard to acquire was not something they could just take away!


    He turned around and halted his steps.


    Looking at the thirteen divine-level beings pursuing him, a sh of anger crossed his eyes!


    What if there were thirteen divine-level beings?


    Against an area-of-effect output like Fission Law, they would be eliminated in an instant!


    Sterl, initially brimming with confidence, suddenly noticed that the membrane at the pce had shattered!


    Then, a massive coffin came crashing in, flying at high speed and emanating a faint green, eerie aura. Nearby buildings were enveloped by the green mist and rapidly dissolved into corrosive liquid.


    Yet Sterl remained calm and unhurried.


    He methodically activated Ascend to Godhood, concentrating his aura to its peak. However, for those mummies pursuing the Starry n, the power of the enemy stirred no fear in them.


    They only grew more excited, howling fiercely.


    "For the peace of the world!"


    "To save this world!"


    "Scum of the Starry n, die!"


    "Countless years of suffering have led to this moment."


    Faced with Sterl''s increased strength, they not only refused to retreat but charged forward more ferociously, each one fearless in the face of death!


    No, the mummies were already dead; they were but remnants of souls and bodies, unwilling to leave this world, determined to stand their final watch! To kill thest members of the Starry n.


    A few of the mummies even ignited rainbow-colored soul mes on their bodies.


    They were willing to ignite themselves, if only for a moment. They must not allow the Starry n to return to the world!


    Sterl let out a cold smile, drawing the Flowing Water de and activating Shattered Void!


    Fission Law, activate!!


    His series of actions were not rushed; instead, he slightly gathered his power, adjusting the potency of his techniques to the highest level.


    Due to the strange coffin ahead, Sterl hesitated to unleash his full firepower, opting instead to evolve Fission Law using Holy Spirit Bloodline.


    He chose to hold back.


    In case he encountered an insurmountable enemy, he could still evolve Time Law and escape.


    At this moment, he first activated the effect of freezing space!


    When Sterl had previously observed his surroundings, he noted that during the time the Starry n existed, the quality of skills and equipment possessed by divine-level beings was significantly better than in the current era, and theirbat strength was evidently stronger as well.


    At that time, Sterl analyzed that the increased number of divine-level beings meant there would also be more divine-level equipment forgers, resulting in better-crafted gear. Furthermore, the gathering of countless divine-level beings allowed for rapid exchange ofbat experience and the development of new skills.


    The ancient practitioners certainly surpassed the modern ones.


    However, the mummies before him had lost too much of their strength.


    Their skills could hold an advantage over today''s divine-level beings, but in terms of sheer resistance to skills, they were considerably weaker��


    Thus, Sterlunched his powerful attack right away. Even though it led to significant energy consumption, he relentlessly teleported potions from his small world into his mouth, swallowing them without hesitation! Enjoy new tales from mvl


    As expected, Shattered Void easily controlled everyone!


    As a power that could only be activated with triple divine authority, Sterl, by leveraging the Holy Spirit Bloodline, was able to forcefully wield it, far surpassing the capabilities of a typical Iridescent-Level being! Even at their peak, the mummies might not be able to withstand the effects of spatial solidification.


    The mummies reacted quickly, with many gathering the brilliance of Iridescent-Level energy, ready to unleash their skills. Once released, those abilities would undoubtedly lead to cataclysmic collisions.


    Unfortunately for them, they couldn''t execute their attacks.


    At this moment, the mummies were all frozen!


    Likembs waiting to be ughtered.


    "Time Law is indeed useful," Sterl remarked, surprisingly calm.


    Indeed, while he had made the first move, those mummies were equally frantic, eager to unleash a powerful attack on Sterl.


    By using Shattered Void to control everyone, Sterl relied on the honing of his soul, which optimized his skill release speed, along with his own [Time eleration]. Hepleted his technique leisurely, before any of his enemies had a chance to act.


    Then, countless frozen mummies were swept up in a storm of des and swords!


    The second phase of Shattered Void activated!


    Since the technique was released with the enhancement of time eleration, the countless sword and de shadows sliced through everything at double the usual speed!


    In an instant, the shadows of swords blotted out the sky.


    However, countless des and sword lights were suddenly obstructed.


    It was the coffin that had made its move!


    Sterl''s Shattered Void naturally enveloped and controlled this strange object.


    Yet, the coffin slowly opened even under the effect of spatial solidification, and a rush of faint green gas surged forth, corroding the countless sword shadows.


    Although these gases werergely evaporated before beingpletely corroded, thanks to Sterl actively triggering a detonation that transformed them into the devastating light of Fission, it only managed to dissipate about half of the green mist emanating from the coffin, failing to inflict further damage��


    The dual frenzy output of Shattered Void and Fission Law ended up resembling a mere firework disy, fleeting in nature.


    The only effect was that a section of the city corridor within the underground pce in front of the coffin was turned into nothingness.


    This performance was akin to a newly ss-changed yer unleashing an area attack skill.


    Despite the strong defenses of the underground pce, even divine-level techniques could only barely leave a mark, making Sterl feel somewhat embarrassed��


    "What is this thing?"


    "Fortunately, I didn''t unleash my ultimate attack immediately."


    As Sterl observed further, he realized that the green mist seemed endless. Even though he had just advanced Fission Law to divine authority, he might not be able to incinerate the mist in one strike.


    Now, he retained the opportunity to evolve the Holy Spirit Bloodline and still had the possibility to defeat his opponent.


    After exchanging a blow, Sterl''s expression turned serious, and he took a half-step back.

 Chapter 452 Half-Upgraded Divine Authority Level

    The mummies also sensed something and paused their attacks.


    "Princess Billie!"


    "Are you going to make your move as well?"


    "Good! Good! Good! United, we will definitely y the remnants of the Starry n."


    ...


    The mummies shouted fervently. Although they had mostly lost their sanity, the sight of the impending "beauty" still evoked a glimmer of infatuation in them.


    Sterl felt a bit strange; it seemed...


    that this Princess Billie was the main reason the mummies were determined to remain in the underground pce to ambush the inheritors of the Starry n.


    That was just fine; the probability of other races lying in ambush in the underground pce had decreased significantly.


    Creak.


    Creak.


    The coffin finally opened, and two red wooden "doors" fell to the ground.


    Sterl distinctly sensed that a significant amount of temporal energy had crystallized between these two doors, which rapidly turned to ashes, sparkling with twinkling starlight.


    Clearly, this was a rare material that could be used to forge equipment.


    "Wait a minute, if the doors have withstood the ravages of time, then the one inside must be..."


    "Much better off than these mummies."


    It was important to note that the mummies themselves were at the upper divine authority level! If the being inside the coffin had not suffered any damage, Sterl would be facing an upper divine authority-level enemy.


    Without hesitation, he turned and ran.


    Sterl didn''t think of abandoning Star Mark; instead, he decided to draw things out a bit. If he truly encountered an upper divine authority-level opponent, Sterl felt that his output might not even be enough to kill them, so he considered it a loss before it had even begun.


    Better to retreat first.


    After all, the Lock of Captured Stars was onlyunched by those mummies, and Sterl still had the chance to maneuver around and eliminate the mummies, thus lifting the seal on Star Mark...


    His thoughts raced.


    Meanwhile, a figure slowly emerged from the coffin as the smoke cleared.


    A woman, her features as exquisite as jade, wearing a green veil dress, suddenly opened her eyes.


    She appeared somewhat emaciated; her once full breasts seemed shrunken, and although her skin was pale, her thinness exposed the purple-blue veins beneath.


    Despite this, the female of this humanoid race still possessed a peculiar allure, even if her body had be considerably unattractive due to its desation.


    Even with the protection of the coffin''s doors, the "princess," as the mummies referred to her, had endured severe wear over endless time.


    Yet somehow, she managed to maintain her form.


    Thanks to his Holy Spirit Bloodline, Sterl could still sense her level of power.


    His expression softened considerably.


    The opponent had fallen from the realm of upper divine authority.


    She had be something akin to a quasi-divine being, perhaps half the power of an ordinary upper divine authority.


    Sterl could sense the profound energy surging within Princess Billie, resembling the essence of his own [Creation].


    "Perhaps there''s still hope?"


    "After all, she''s not a true upper divine authority."


    He thought to himself.


    At that moment, the woman stepped out of the coffin, her bare feet making a soft pattering sound against the ground.


    She gazed ahead indifferently.


    "Starry n, you destroyed my homnd and insulted my family back in the day; today is the day of vengeance!"


    Billie''s intelligence remained remarkably intact.


    Billie''s speech was much more coherent than the frenzied shouts of the mummies. Sterl''s first reaction was to...


    Continue running whilemunicating with his refined Divine Power.


    "I only obtained this inheritance by coincidence. Regardless of any grudges you have with the previous generation of the Starry n, they have long since perished in history. Perhaps we can talk."


    "For instance... I can help you kill the remaining members of the previous Starry n?"


    Sterl was reluctant to kill these creatures that offered no benefit. Moreover, even if Billie was a half-upgraded divine authority, it was still a kind of transformation. Sterl felt that his current firepower, not yet having advanced to legend, might not be enough, so he thought it best to negotiate first.


    However, the response from the mental realm was extremely cold:


    "Hate?"


    "Hate is meaningless."


    "I act out of responsibility."


    "A responsibility that must be fulfilled by one who knows the truth."


    "The Starry n cannot be allowed to exist!"


    "Otherwise... the world will never know peace."


    Billie''s mind rapidly returned to rity; the frenzy she had just experienced upon leaving the coffin had already turned to calm.


    "Ah?" Sterl was taken aback.


    What does that mean?


    If it''s not for hate, then what does she want?


    In a sh, he couldn''t afford to think too much. Although Billie acted not out of hatred, her killing intent was even more intense than that of the mummies!


    He couldn''t fight her!


    Sterl quickly made his judgment! Continue reading at mvl


    Immediately, he gathered his power��


    A massive amount of energy was expended.


    This was the Time Law activated in an ascended state��Time Rift!


    A transparent wave of energy surged, elusive and invisible.


    Sterl, without looking back, continued to flee. He could jump back at any moment with his spatial abilities. If Billie was immobilized, he would turn around and eliminate the mummies to clear the path; if she wasn''t immobilized... then he would keep running.


    "Even upper divine authority should struggle against the Time Law," Sterl thought confidently, though he chose to escape out of caution.


    "Open for me!"


    Billie seemed to have anticipated an ambush. After a furious shout, a radiant-level skill illuminated her.


    An extremely peculiar wave of energy forcefully shattered the energy before the Time Law had fully formed!


    While the Law of Time was indeed unresistable, Sterl overlooked one crucial point: during the era of the Starry n, many talents flourished like fish crossing a river. Although few understood the Time Law, there were still quite a number!


    Almost everyone would consciously cultivate skills to resist the power of time!


    Billie''s strategy was to unleash her strongest radiant-level skill while utilizing the shockwave generated before its release to disrupt the operation of the Time Law! Time itself could not be touched, but the energy before the formation of time constraints could still be traced.


    If there were contemporaries who mastered the power of time, they might have been able to turn the tables by intentionally dying the operation of the time power, countering it cleverly.


    But Sterl had only just grasped the Law of Time; he couldn''t operate it so skillfully!


    Suddenly, his technique was shattered!


    Sterl felt numb!


    "Poof!"


    For the first time, he suffered a recoil from his power, coughing up a mouthful of blood. This kind of pain was incredibly unfamiliar to Sterl; he began to understand why those struck by the Silent Domain lost their ability to resist so instantly.


    The frenzy of energy within him surged chaotically; this wasn''t something one could endure merely through willpower��anyone would suffer immensely!


    A light, white mist glowed around Sterl.


    Yet his escape did not slow down in the slightest.


    No other reason��he simply had the resources.


    In his backpack, there were at least hundreds of rare life-saving items that could dispel bacsh effects. When Sterl used Silent Domain against others, most people wouldn''t dare to use life-saving items just to negate a single bacsh, and as a result, they would be taken out in an instant.


    As for Sterl, he was wealthy and extravagant! The effect of the white mist he had just used was to revive him and remove all abnormal states, including bacsh from his abilities. He had even wasted the revival feature.


    However...


    Even though he was escaping quickly and not looking back, he still felt a chill run down his spine! A tremendous sense of unease enveloped him!


    "Damn! Is it really necessary to be this hard to deal with?!"


    Sterl felt numb.


    Ever since encountering the Frost Giant, he felt as though his path to invincibility had been abruptly cut off!


    He had been thoroughly beaten down...


    Although the rewards he obtained were staggering��first mastering the Law of Time, and then acquiring the inheritance and legacy of the Starry n��he still felt overwhelmed by the opponents he faced!


    With the Law of Time rendered ineffective, he could only run and apply a time eleration effect on himself.


    Sterl had mentally prepared himself to give up on Star Mark.


    Meanwhile, a deep aura surged from behind him.


    The radiant-level skill had been fully gathered!


    Sterl''s expression grew even more pained. He wasn''t particrly afraid; he had sensed that due to the passage of time, no matter how powerful Billie''s soul had been in life, she certainly hadn''t reached zero stage now.


    Even if he were to be killed by her skill, it wouldn''t affect his revival.


    The problem was, it was frustrating!


    What if Billie kept chasing him with a group of mummies? If the Law of Time couldn''t trap them, how long would he have to fight to break free?!


    Sterl felt a little ufortable.


    "If ites to that, I''ll find a ce to log off.


    Then I''ll switch ounts to Mephistopheles, and I can observe from a distance to see if Billie and the others are still guarding the corpse..."


    The next moment, Sterl felt a sharp pain all over his body.


    Before he even realized he was dying, he was enveloped in a boundless green light, turning to ashes.


    Then, Sterl used a revival item with teleportation capabilities, forcibly escaping from Billie and the mummies'' vicinity...


    However, the distance he managed to create was almost meaningless. The half-upgraded divine authority-level, withered girl rapidly approached again,unching her radiant-level ability once more!


    For some reason, the energy within her seemed limitless, allowing her to unleash it freely, which made Sterl quite envious.


    "Oh, my energy bar is still just at third ss level. No wonder; that''s no big deal..."


    The more critical the situation became, the more he cracked jokes in his mind to ease his tension.


    Unfortunately, the second burst of green light shone even faster.


    It seemed that with the fight, Billie was gradually reiming the sensations she had in life.


    "Block!"


    Sterl chanted in his mind and activated Rebirth of All Thoughts. Unusual soul marks surged from his body, forming a simr green swirling shield.


    He gained an exceptionally high damage resistance effect!


    After being killed by this move earlier, Rebirth of All Thoughts could theoretically withstand almost all of the power of this radiant-level technique!


    However...


    The emerald light indeedsted for a while, and Sterl finally understood the principle behind his opponent''s technique��

 Chapter 453 The Location of the Stars

    Billie''s radiant-level skill created a strange ray simr to sunlight, which would strip the flesh from any living being within its range, turning them to dust. Moreover, this skill was remarkably clean; apart from living beings, it did not affect any buildings or inanimate objects at all.


    And then...


    Sterl was truly reduced to ashes...


    While his Iridescent-Level ability provided extremely high damage resistance, it was still not enough to withstand the output of a radiant-level attack!


    Rebirth of All Thoughts merely bought Sterl three more seconds, allowing him to run for three more seconds...


    Then, the rainbow-colored soul marks on his body began to shatter.


    With each fragment that broke apart, the exposed skin instantly turned to dust, and the radiant energy surged into Sterl''s body, corroding him with formidable intensity.


    "Damn!"


    Even with Sterl''s willpower, he couldn''t help but curse; it was just too painful!


    He had learned in his previous life that the greatest pain one could endure was from internal organs, and now Sterl was experiencing the agony of his soul marks copsing, with the green light burning him from the inside out!


    Even the most terrifying torture in the world could notpare to this.


    Fortunately, it wasn''t a bacsh effect that one could not withstand through willpower.


    Sterl continued to run without stopping, even as his insides were burned to a hollow shell, leaving only a dried-out husk on the ground.


    Then, he revived once more.


    Sterl felt a twinge of regret.


    He had amassed a massive quantity of revival items on the battlefield, but those with teleportation capabilities numbered just over seventy.


    At this rate, he felt he would need to consume at least a dozen revival items just to escape from the depths of the dungeon, and then another dozen to make it out entirely...


    No matter how many revival items he had, he couldn''t afford to waste them like this...


    However...


    After a moment''s thought, he refrained from taking any extra actions, allowing Billie to kill him over and over again.


    Sterl simply activated time eleration and other skills repeatedly, trying to run as far away as possible. He kept reviving, continually heading toward the exit of the dungeon.


    Meanwhile, the princess behind him remained cold, her eyes filled with a chilling intensity.


    "What are you struggling for?"


    "Your items will eventually run out."


    "While my power will also be consumed, it can gradually recover."


    "Even if I can''t release the skills to kill you, I can still keep pace with you."


    "In the end, we will both die; why bother resisting?"


    Billie''s tone was tinged with a hint of urgency and dissatisfaction, even carrying a trace of inexplicable panic.


    At first, Sterl had been in a state of panic when he was being hunted, unable to think through everything; now, dying had be a habit, and he gradually began to sense something was off.


    From a purely power perspective, Billie should not feel she had the overwhelming ability to crush him.


    So what was she afraid of? Afraid of the power of the Starry n.


    No, it shouldn''t be called power, but rather the consequences that the inheritance and strength of the Starry n might provoke...


    Upon realizing this, Sterl''s expression changed slightly. At that moment, the mummies behind him were making a ruckus.


    "Quickly surrender!"


    "You were meant to die; why resist?"


    "Beastly thing, didn''t you hear the princess''s orders? Kneel and wait for death!"


    The mummies mored, their tone filled with anger.


    Sterl didn''t care at all; after all, they were just a bunch of remnants that had nearly burned away all their intelligence. However, as he observed the mummies'' movements, he noticed a hint of panic among them. He sensed that something was increasingly amiss.


    The mummies didn''t possess the understanding that Billie had; they were instinctively afraid!


    A guess formed in Sterl''s mind as he flew backward, shouting, "I understand!"


    "Stop!"


    "If you insist on attacking, I will unleash the power of the inheritance and bring forth cmity!"


    Indeed, his words had an effect!


    Billie paused for a moment, visibly slowing down her skill-gathering action.


    It took a full second before she was able tounch her next skill.


    That one second, free from any attacks, was enough for Sterl to sprint to the elevator and pull the lever.


    As he watched the elevator doors slowly close, he maintained a calm demeanor.


    The materials of the various creations within the dungeon were extraordinarily robust; even a Radiant skill couldn''t bring the elevator crashing down.


    For the moment, he was safe.


    Sterl''s heart raced. Just now, he had taken a gamble. As a non-conventional heir of the Starry n, his ss was purely based on stat allocation.


    He didn''t possess any special abilities from the inheritance!


    This meant that the technique that had made Billie so wary of him was something he couldn''t use!


    "I actually managed to bluff her."


    "So there really is a secret within the Starry n''s inheritance."


    "Could it summon a great cmity?"


    He analyzed the situation.


    At that moment, Sterl felt a sense of gratitude toward those who had ambushed him.


    From the giant''s narrative, he had thought the Starry n was nothing but trouble, but the story was quite thrilling.


    Now it seemed that they had concealed quite a bit of crucial information from him.


    This included...


    Did the power of the Starry n have any side effects? Would it bring about cmity? Besides, wasn''t the very act of cultivating the stars leading to a transformation of bloodlines rather bizarre?


    It was reminiscent of the individuals in those "Cthulhu Mythos" novels he had read before transmigrating, who turned into monsters from worshiping evil gods!


    Once he removed the filter of admiration, Sterl couldn''t shake the feeling that something was wrong.


    However...


    Just as he was considering whether the Starry n might be a special race that worshiped some kind of monster, a strange, clear sound echoed in his ears.


    "Come!"


    "Come... my child..."


    "Call for me."


    "The stars shall ultimately descend upon the earth."


    "Ahhhhhh!!!"


    Sterl screamed in shock.


    In that fleeting moment, he glimpsed an indescribably bizarre entity.


    It was as if he stood in a vast void, watched by a pair of enormous eyes...


    The mere gaze of those pupils made Sterl feel as though his entire body, blood, and veins had developed a consciousness of their own, writhing and distorting!


    Surrounding the monster was a magnificent starry sky.


    It was extraordinarily beautiful, enchanting to the point of being intoxicating.


    This was a realm and domain that no human could reach; Sterl felt as though his very soul was being corroded!


    Fortunately, while that bizarre presence observed him, it was blocked by Sterl''s authority heart.


    Discover hidden stories at ��??


    His abilities came from the Starry n, but ultimately, he had relied on stat allocation to enhance them. That unknown presence''s sensing abilitysted only a moment before bing ineffective!


    Yet in that brief moment, Sterl''s eyes nearly bulged out in pain as he fell to the ground.


    He understood! Heprehended!


    No wonder Billie was unwilling to say anything...


    Sterl had no idea what the bizarre entity serving the Starry n was. He was merely guessing randomly, and coincidentally, he stumbled upon the truth, which pulled his consciousness away. Only by relying on the barrier formed through his stat allocation was he able to escape.


    If Sterl had truly known the real information about that terrifying existence, this encounter might have been even worse��perhaps he wouldn''t have been able to escape at all!


    But right now...


    He was simply kneeling on the ground, feeling as if something flesh-like was beginning to grow on him.


    At the same time, an entry appeared on his panel.


    [Unknown Scales] +


    [Description: A blessing bestowed by the respected deity from the location of the stars, but not everyone can understand the love of the divine.]


    [Effect: ???]


    "Damn!"


    Sterl shouted in anger, his expression extremely pained.


    He hadn''t expected that, just like before, his wild thoughts would lead to such a heavy blow.


    Not only had he been pulled into the starry expanse, but he had also suffered from permanent contamination.


    The Unknown Scales were clearly not a good thing; Sterl spected that they were likely an anchor point of the Ancient One in the starry sky, and now that he had been affected, it would be very difficult to break free from it.


    He touched the scales on his left hand, which were likerge fish scales from a creation, and when he flicked them gently with his nail, they emitted a metallic echo.


    At first nce, they seemed unremarkable, but with the metallic sound, tentacles gradually sprouted from the surrounding walls, waving around vigorously.


    Moreover, they seemed to convey excitement akin to that of a small cat or dog seeing its owner.


    However, this scene made Sterl''s expression even worse; he felt a tremendous malice hidden within the scales.


    Fortunately, this thing could be enhanced.


    And by merely tapping into a thought in someone else''s mind, he could draw the will of the Ancient One from the endless stars. The abilities granted by it might be uneptable to ordinary people, but in terms of strength, they should not be low.


    "If I can use stat allocation to remove the influence of the Ancient One from the scales, perhaps I could gain a decent ability?"


    "Then I might evene out ahead."


    Sterl muttered, trying to find humor in his predicament.


    However, if given a choice, he didn''t particrly want this powerful ability...


    Who knew what kind of unfortunate events awaited him after establishing this connection with the Ancient One?


    Fortunately, after examining the scales for a while, he could refocus his mind.


    Sterl sensed his mental domain and slowly let out a sigh of relief.


    His mental domain was constructed based on various astronomical knowledge he had learned in his previous life; it was a kingdom of stars, and while it was called stars, it was actually a manifestation of the universe itself.


    The Ancient One that had pulled Sterl''s will toward the location of the stars symbolized the mysticism of the celestial bodies.


    Though both were associated with stars, Sterl''s spirit was in stark contrast to the will of the Ancient One. Coupled with the brief time he had spent in contact with the Ancient One, he soon realized that the being in the starry sky seemed to still be in slumber. Pulling his will toward it was merely a passive action.


    Sterl barely managed to ensure the purity of his mental domain...


    "Damn, I almost bit the dust!"


    His expression was somewhat numb as he thought of the Frost Giant, Princess Billie, and the Ancient One...


    He just wanted toplete a legendary quest; was it really necessary to go through all this?


    Every time he faced life and death!

 Chapter 454 Frost Giant Joins the Battlefield!

    Sterl slowly returned to normal.


    He discovered another "surprise."


    A new ability had appeared in his skill bar.


    [Seeking Grace] +


    [Description: A skill bestowed by the respected deity from the location of the stars. You can offer powerful creations or sacrifice items with which you have a strong emotional connection in exchange for rewards. Delight the respected deity, and you will soon change your perspective and realize how fortunate you are. Everything can be melted down!]


    This was the first time Sterl had seen a skill without any tier description or effect introduction, only a description.


    Despite his efforts to avoid thinking about the specific sacrificial process, relevant knowledge continued to surface in his mind like fish leaping out of water��there was no escaping it!


    It was an energy maniption method simr to formations, but extremely peculiar; by reciting certain incantations, one couldmunicate with the Ancient One, wherever it might be, and rapidlyplete a portable formation of divine level or higher.


    Sterl struggled not to think about it, but the initial rush of knowledge still significantly improved his formation skills.


    "Damn."


    Sterl felt that the number of curse words he had uttered recently could rival all his previous adventuresbined...


    There were just too many unexpected things happening.


    This sacrificial ability was one he would absolutely not use.


    It wasn''t a matter of benefits; the key issue was that the sacrificial target was that Ancient One residing in the [location of the stars]!


    Each sacrifice, even if it could yield a reward aligned with his desires, would mean a deepening connection with that Ancient One.


    Sterl didn''t dare to engage.


    Moreover, the sinister nature described in the sacrificial process made him feel a chill.


    Sacrificing powerful creations to gain benefits was reasonable.


    But sacrificing someone with whom he had a strong emotional connection... that felt rather twisted.


    In innguage, it meant sacrificing one''s parents, spouse, children, or friends��the more important the person, the greater the reward?!


    This was undoubtedly the method of a dark deity!


    Fortunately, there was a leveling symbol above this skill.


    Sterl could only twitch his lips in a grimace, trying to reassure himself��


    Although he didn''t know what leveling this thing would do,


    at the very least, it could eliminate the Ancient One''s influence on him. With the leveling cheat, he could remove the adverse effects of that unpleasant encounter...


    And...


    "One day, I will make a sacrifice to you, but by then, it won''t be you seeking me out."


    "I''ll have to go to your home and end you!"


    Having previously ughtered the dream persona of Dream of Lye, Sterl understood that, even though the Ancient One he encountered had an indescribable terror about it, it ultimately wasn''t an unresolved existence like those in the novels before his transmigration.


    Ancient Ones needed to rely on the lower realm''s races.


    Moreover, they could likely be in by even more powerful beings...


    Sterl felt he was getting the short end of the stick; he would have to spend a considerable amount of points to eliminate the side effects of a single scale and a skill.


    But he was prepared; one day, he would go to collect his debt!


    "So the truth behind the Starry n Annihtion ispletely different from what that giant said."


    Sterl remarked.


    No wonder they didn''t care about their own Annihtion; the entire purpose of their race was to serve the Ancient One high above in the heavens.


    As long as the Starry n''s legacy remained, new individuals would continuously join the ranks under the banner of the "location of the stars." With their cultivation, new members of the Starry n would be born, twisted by the blessings of the Ancient One.


    The downfall of the Starry n was not only due to the enemies they made everywhere but also likely because of their frequentmunications with the Ancient One, which brought great catastrophe to the world. This also exined why, when Princess Billie first awakened, she spoke of revenge, but after regaining her senses, she cared only about eliminating Sterl, the remnant of the Starry n.


    If it were Sterl himself, he would feel the same way!


    As Sterl pondered these matters, he didn''t remain idle; he continued to slowly make his way toward the exit of the underground pce. Upon reaching the entrance, he didn''t rush to leave but waited silently. About three secondster, he heard the sound of an elevator approaching.


    Sterl nodded; it was likely Princess Billie and her "guards"ing to kill him. He sensed the impending danger, yet a smile appeared on his face. After waiting for a few moments, he felt the green light gathered by Billie re up once again. So, he quickly stepped out of the underground pce.


    He observed for a while, confirming that Billie and the group of mummies could exit the underground before he continued to flee.


    "What''s going on?"


    "No! Impossible! It''s the trace of the Ancient One''s power!"


    "How could someone who''s just been inducted into the Starry n have such abilities?"


    Sterl could hear the voices filled with fear from a distance, and then Billie and the mummy army wentpletely mad!


    "You''vemunicated with the Ancient One so quickly!"


    "Damn it, you really are a fanatic!"


    "We shouldn''t have wasted our breath on you earlier! Die!" Experience new tales on ��??


    As Billie emerged from the underground pce, she saw Sterl standing to the side with a smile, and her rage exploded.


    "Do you have any idea? The Ancient One has just shifted its gaze!"


    "Your actions will make them refocus on thisnd!"


    "Even without cmity, everyone will die because of the Ancient One."


    "The Starry n is indeed a bunch of lunatics!"


    The withered girl roared, and a brilliant golden radiance began to shine from her body.


    This was the precursor to the outburst of radiant-level power!!


    Billie ignited what little remained of her soul, her murderous intent toward Sterl reaching its peak!


    "I guess if I said I was forcibly drawn here, she wouldn''t believe me," Sterl thought helplessly.


    He felt an overwhelmingly terrifying aura locking onto him, but...


    "It doesn''t feel as intense as the Frost Giant."


    Sterl smiled casually; Billie''s strength-based lock-on couldn''tpare to a rule-based one. He empowered himself with a time eleration and dashed forward.


    Of course...


    He still couldn''t evade Billie''s radiant-level attack.


    However, he died in front of the Frost Giant.


    Earlier, the giant had been wandering around the periphery of the underground pce while Sterl was exploring, unable to detect the creation left behind by the Starry n.


    During Sterl''s days of exploration, the giant had strayed a bit while hunting down a few birds that happened to fly by.


    Sterl had intentionally waited at the entrance of the underground pce, timing his actions so that when Billie''s deadly strike followed him, it would lead her right to the giant!


    This time, Sterl activated Rebirth of All Thoughts again. Despite the additional torment and pain he had to endure, he could visibly see the Frost Giant also being engulfed by the emerald green Destructive Light!


    "Got it!"


    Sterl smiled as he died! Thest glimpse from the corner of his eye revealed that the radiant-level attack, the destructive light that annihtes everything, illuminated the giant just like normal sunlight striking the ground, except it turned the giant''s skin a sickly green.


    In addition, dense Blocks materialized around the giant!


    Indeed, even the output from a radiant-level attack had no effect on the Frost Giant!


    This was the immunity to damage in ordance with the rules!


    Sterl''s consciousness faded into nothingness.


    He didn''t rush to revive but transformed into a soul form.


    His Divine Descent had the ability to dy resurrection, provided his soul level was sufficient.


    Sterl could float around in a soul state and observe the situation.


    However, once he revived, he still needed to return his soul to his body or the point of death.


    He could not use the soul state to return to the original location.


    After all, Sterl''s resurrection ability still fell under the rules of Transcendence.


    As a yer, without special skills, he could only respawn near his corpse...


    Once Sterl transformed into a soul state, he floated up into the sky to watch the show.


    The reason he initiated Rebirth of All Thoughts was to create a time gap.


    Sure enough, after Sterl''s physical annihtion, during the brief moment his soul began to manifest, he was not a target in the Frost Giant''s line of sight.


    Thus, after being struck, the giant was not the least bit angry; instead, it stood up in a goofy manner until it spotted Princess Billie and her mummies.


    In theory, the princess and her guards had long been dead, but there still lingered faint remnants of their souls.


    So...


    Sterl''s soul watched gleefully as the Frost Giant suddenly went into a frenzy!


    "Come on!"


    "Show us what you''ve got, Bro!"


    Although Sterl found it challenging to deal with a semi-divine authority level being, it didn''t mean the Frost Giant couldn''t handle it!


    With a roar, the giant charged forward, causing the ground to shake violently!


    Outside the underground pce, the valley, which had already be a deep pit, was once again filled with flying sand and stones!


    "Let me handle this!"


    "Princess, you chase after the remnants of the Starry n with your lingering soul!"


    A few mummies rushed forward, eager to prove themselves.


    The Frost Giant may not have appeared very strong, but the mummies were confident that with the four of them, divine-level units, working together, there was no enemy they couldn''t ovee!


    The giant showed a hint of delight.


    Great! You''re not running away; instead, you''reing toward me!


    Thanks!


    It raised its head and exhaled a mist of frost, which didn''t seem very powerful.


    The mummies felt...


    Perhaps they had overestimated the giant.


    Wasn''t this just a demigod-level being releasing a tinum Skill?


    Watch me easily defend against it...


    The mummies had also noticed that Princess Billie''s radiant-level skill had been resisted by the giant.


    But they didn''t think much of it.


    Indeed, there were certain skill attributes that had counters against each other, just like asking if me power attacks would be effective against fire-elemental beings.


    This giant should just happen to counter the princess''s abilities.


    So, let us handle it and eliminate it!


    The mummies were brimming with confidence!

 Chapter 455 Total Annihilation Pursuit Team

    Several mummies charged forward at high speed.


    Billie had just unleashed a powerful attack and felt slightly weakened, so she didn''t speak out to stop them.


    She had some doubts; could it really be that her skills were countered?


    As a former princess of an Annihtion race, her sword was extraordinary.


    In theory, no giant race should be able to resist her creation divine light!


    This Frost Giant might not be simple at all.


    However...


    Visually, the Frost Giant looked quite ordinary before making a move, with no signs of energy fluctuations, appearing almost like a "mortal" without any profession.


    While Billie felt that her subordinates might not be able to defeat the giant, they were still divine-level units; surely they wouldn''t be taken out in an instant, right?


    Yet, as the frost aura wrapped around them,


    the mummies that had stepped forward instantly turned into ice sculptures, frozen in ce and unable to move!!


    Moreover, many of them had gathered their Iridescent-Level skills, with shimmering lights forming a majestic eagle slowly taking shape, a strange mist swirling upwards.


    But they were all trapped within the ice!


    Energy, air currents, matter, Divine Power, souls��everything, both abstract and concrete, was surprisingly frozen by the seemingly ordinary mortal ice!


    Without the Frost Giant needing to take further action, the soul mes within the mummies began to extinguish naturally in the extreme cold!


    Although it was not visible to the naked eye,


    Billie seemed to have a special perception of the mummies, and her expression changed drastically.


    In a single encounter, out of thirteen divine-level mummies, four had alreadypletely perished.


    They died without even realizing it, their faces still maintaining an excited and fervent look.


    Now, seeing theirpanions unable to move, the remaining nine mummies continued forward, their minds unable toprehend the situation, only thinking that since the enemy wasn''t taken care of, they should keep attacking.


    Only Billie looked grim and quickly spoke up to stop them.


    "Wait! You all��"


    She wanted to warn her remaining nine subordinates to prevent them from walking into their deaths.


    But sadly, it was toote!


    After achieving sess with a single strike, the Frost Giant was even more delighted. It had been tracking that annoying little mouse, but the target was too slippery, always dodging its attacks and possessing an inexplicable ability to teleport over great distances, making it difficult to catch!


    This so-called little mouse referred to Sterl.


    From the giant''s perspective, it could not sense the time had stopped; it simply thought Sterl could teleport.


    The Frost Giant was like a child who had just received candy, filled with joy.


    These mice before it weren''t running away but were actively attacking!


    How delightful!


    You''re so sensible!


    The Frost Giant charged forward!


    The nine mummies,pletely obedient to Billie''smand, attempted to retreat quickly.


    But it was toote!


    When the Frost Giant exploded into motion, its speed was far beyond that of the divine!


    It struck out with a palm, the same strike it had used to lock onto Sterl.


    Once the nine mummies were targeted, they immediately stopped moving.


    Run? There was nowhere to run!


    Resist? There was no way to resist!


    They could only kneel on the ground, likembs waiting to be ughtered!


    They stared nkly at the giant palm expanding above them, their eyes devoid of emotion.


    For the mummies, who had been tormented by the passage of time for what felt like an eternity, true death was a form of eternal sleep.


    Boom!


    The giant palm struck the ground, creating a massive five-fingered crater, causing the surrounding mountains to copse and shatter.


    The nine divine-level mummies didn''t even have a moment to resist before they were turned to dust!


    Their residual souls were likewise obliterated by that single blow.


    Billie stood frozen in ce, stunned.


    In two heartbeats, everything had changed.


    She had originally led thirteen divine beings in pursuit of the remnants of the Starry n, and now she was leftpletely alone.


    "Damn it! The remnants of the Starry n are indeed full of tricks!"


    "I will kill you!!"


    Billie surmised that the Frost Giant was likely not being manipted by the Starry n but was instead a special unit that indiscriminately attacked all living beings nearby.


    Explore more at ��??


    While they had been busy chasing, they had walked into a trap...


    Now that her subordinates werepletely annihted, even though Billie didn''t care for her own life or that of the mummies��after all, they were merely residual souls revived to eliminate the remnants of the Starry n��she was still filled with rage!


    Facing the Frost Giant now, she had little chance of breaking through and even less of ying the remnants of the Starry n that hadmunicated with the Ancient One!


    How infuriating!


    If that was the case...


    Billie''s expression changed, radiating a faint chill.


    She was desperate!


    The mes of light on her body burned to their limit; despite her previous attack being ineffective, Billie had no choice but to try again, attempting to break through the Frost Giant with her ultimate move.


    The girl transformed into a beam of emerald green light, bing a giant source of illumination, soaring into the sky and casting her glow all around.


    She vaguely sensed Sterl''s soul and chose a mutually destructive strategy!


    Countless beams of light spread across the heavens and earth, carrying a lethal killing intent.


    Unfortunately, this was also within Sterl''s expectations.


    He immediately chose to activate his resurrection item!


    Ding!


    In the brilliant golden light, Sterl''s body gradually reformed. ording to the Transcendence game system, when a yer is revived, there is always a brief period of invincibilitysting a fraction of a second.


    This was also to ensure fairness in the game; otherwise, if a yer managed to obtain a resurrection item but was killed again immediately upon reconstruction, it would mean their resurrection was pointless.


    Thus, the emerald green divine light poured forth.


    Yet, Sterl felt as if a gentle breeze had brushed against him, and he mockingly looked at the girl: "Doesn''t hurt!"


    Meanwhile, most of the divine light fell upon the Frost Giant, transforming it into... a "Green Giant."


    Unfortunately, it still failed to inflict any damage.


    The word BLOCK appeared rapidly.


    Billie didn''t even have time to express despair before she was struck by a palm!


    Another loud crash!


    Countless beams of light were forcefully suppressed by a single hand!


    Billie felt excruciating pain coursing through her body, her mind a whirlwind of confusion.


    She had anticipated that she wouldn''t break through the giant''s defenses; the opponent was exceedingly strange... far beyond what normal means could handle.


    But why did that Starry n and its remnants possess such exaggerated abilities,ing back to life with an apanying protective golden body?


    In the timeline before Transcendence had taken over the world, there was no need to consider fairness in battles or game bnce.


    Even if one activated their resurrection ability and was stabbed to death again before fully reviving, that would be considered normal for Billie.


    The girl fell to the ground in resentment!


    She truly was a being of semi-divine authority. After being struck by the Frost Giant, Billie was severely injured but still clung to life, lying in a pool of blood.


    However, her meridians were shattered, and her soul was weakened to the extreme, rendering her nearly immobile.


    At that moment, a gentle male voice echoed in Billie''s ears.


    "I told you, I''m not interested in the Starry n; I merely acquired their power."


    "I didn''tmunicate with the Ancient One; that bastard pulled me over himself. One day, I will kill him."


    Sterl stood beside Billie, his words transmitted telepathically. In an instant, Billie grasped his meaning.


    At that moment, the withered girl couldn''t help but reveal a heart-wrenching look of sadness. "Really?"


    "You really intend to be enemies with the Ancient One?"


    "Of course I do..."


    Sterl smiled gently, but suddenly his expression morphed into one of sheer madness.


    "I''m just kidding!"


    "Hahaha!!"


    "I will destroy this world along with the Ancient One; it''s all your fault for not stopping me!"


    Sterlughed maniacally, and the sword de he had formed pierced Billie''s heart without hesitation!


    He truly intended to oppose the Ancient One, but he hadn''t forgotten the grudge of being hunted down.


    Normally, he wouldn''t engage in chit-chat before delivering a finishing blow.


    Since he was talking, there was definitely a purpose behind it.


    Sterl aimed to ensure that Billie would die without peace of mind!


    That was his twisted pleasure!


    As Sterl ended Billie''s life, the hunting team pursuing the remnants of the Starry n waspletely annihted!


    Sterl quietly observed the prompt that popped up, frowning slightly as a Fate Token beside him faded into light and disappeared.


    The Frost Giant''s palm was already pressed against Sterl''s forehead.


    "Ha."


    Sterl remained calm, as if that giant hand couldn''t harm him at all.


    Boom!!


    A deep pit formed in the ground again.


    Sterl was dead.


    That''s right; he wasn''t panicking because, in his attempt to seize the opportunity for a finishing blow, Sterl was destined to die once more and could not escape.


    Then, the Frost Giant quickly turned to look behind.


    Amidst the golden light and threads, Sterl''s body gradually became whole again.


    He activated the Law of Time again...


    Snap.


    With the sound of a finger snap, a time rift appeared, freezing the giant''s body in mid-air.


    "The Law of Time is more than enough to deal with you."


    Sterl pped his hands in satisfaction.


    Thus, his exploration of the Starry n ruins came to a sessful conclusion!


    "Oh right!"


    "Earlier, I obtained a coordinate through the Mark of the Heavens; maybe I should check it out."


    He thought for a moment, swiftly distancing himself from the Frost Giant, activating the time eleration effect, and heading toward the coordinates recorded by the Mark of the Heavens.


    Upon arriving at the location, Sterl felt a bit disappointed.


    It was an instance entrance situated on a mountain close to the starry sky, its peak polished to a smooth finish, where a barracks was stationed.


    Using the Star Mark''s sensing ability, Sterl discovered that it clearly housed a Starry n legacy meant for ves.


    Moreover, there was a faction guarding the entrance of the instance.


    Sterl silently noted this location.


    The ve legacy might not be useless to him.


    If Sterl allowed others to learn the ve legacy and then allocated points to them, ording to the fundamental logic of point allocation, only the parts of the creation and abilities that were disadvantageous to Sterl would be eliminated.


    Clearly, Sterl could control the parts of the ve legacy that were advantageous to him, ensuring they wouldn''t be optimized away by point allocation.

 Chapter 456 Frost Giant, So Useful!

    Sterl estimated that after allocating points to the ve legacy, there was a higher probability that the person who received the servant legacy would only be controlled by Sterl himself!


    Thus, this instance caught Sterl''s attention!


    This meant...


    Linna, Rayna, and the girls around him could all ss change to star-rted professions through this instance.


    Of course, Sterl was in no hurry.


    First, he did not have the method to control ves, which was something only found in the formal noble legacies of the Starry n. However, this was easy to resolve; the Starry n''s underground pce was already actively searching for a master.


    After killing someonepeting for the legacy, Sterl could activate [Consume] to steal the control mechanism for the ves.


    Second, there was the issue of the Ancient One at the location of the stars...


    If he couldn''t ensure that he could block the Ancient One''s detection, or if Sterl had no way to kill the Ancient One, he didn''t want the people around him to gain star-rted abilities...


    Because ording to the usual plotlines in TV shows and novels, the protagonist might be unaffected by the evil gods, but those around them often would be...


    The Ancient One was not a dismissive ruler of humanity like the deities in the Cthulhu Mythos; they needed the offerings of the Starry n.


    With the entanglement of interests, it was entirely possible for the Ancient One to personally intervene.


    However...


    He could select some good candidates from the Twilight Guild, preferably attractive women, to ept the ve legacy. If he could fully control them, it would be nice to allocate some points to these individuals...


    Then, he would have a group of fiercely loyal fanatics willing to serve him without fear of death.


    Sterl pondered.


    "Come on! Drink! Keep drinking!"


    "No one is allowed to leave today; everyone stays!" Experience more on ��??


    "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Whoever runs away will have the bill at the Emerald Pavilion next time they return to the city."


    ...


    The noise from below at the entrance of the instance was quite raucous.


    Sterl observed for a while.


    He discovered that several demigod-level units were making a fuss, drinking and ying games.


    As for why demigod-level beings were stationed at the instance, it was because, unlike when Sterl had entered a lower-level instance years ago, the current instance allowed anyone who entered to acquire Starry n-rted powers and professions through trials.


    The instance was not a one-time use.


    From his Holy Spirit Bloodline and the Star Mark''s research capabilities, Sterl learned that this instance was likely one of the highest forms of the ve legacy left behind by the Starry n.


    Performing well in the instance could lead to acquiring a 3-star authority heart, and the instance would produce many rare materials, allowing for the crafting of various equipment suitable for star power.


    Sterl vaguely guessed that the elder who had attacked him first among the 16 seed yers in the Hall of Valor probably obtained his power from this instance.


    For such a high-value instance, it was not unusual for demigods toe and protect it; even a deity personallying would bepletely normal.


    "Looks like they really came."


    While Sterl wasining in his mind, he noticed aet-like light point rushing toward him from the distance.


    A deity d in heavy armor floated down, and just standing there caused the surrounding space to twist and churn.


    This being looked incredibly powerful!


    They were not a weakling merely relying on a divine authority to barely step into the realm of Divine Power.


    "Who goes there?"


    This unknown deity seemed to have a specialization in perception, as they discovered Sterl''s presence.


    "Troublesome."


    Sterl frowned slightly; facing a deity directly, he didn''t ascend to godhood, so it would be quite difficult to kill.


    Then, Sterl simply remotely nullified the effects of the time rift.


    "Goodbye!"


    Sterl spoke slowly, and amidst the confused expressions of the deity, this intruder who hade to spy on their Kingdom of Fengxing gathered a phantom sword and plunged it into his own heart��


    Hemitted suicide.


    "What about his soul?"


    The deity immediately sought to find it; the soul of the deceased would be a threat, and the instance below involved the fate of the entire nation, which could not afford to lose anything.


    But�� it was toote.


    Apanied by a thunderous roar, the Frost Giant charged in rapidly, ughtering all nearby entities!


    Just a moment before, this deity had been trying to find Sterl''s whereabouts; in the next moment, he discovered that Sterl had used a resurrection item, revealing an even more puzzled expression.


    "No matter how crazy you go, you will die."


    After resurrection, Sterl''s aura still hadn''t reached the divine level.


    For the deity, their first reaction was to see him as a non-deity, a mere ant in their eyes.


    This deity didn''t understand what this strange fellow, acting like awork clown, was trying to aplish.


    And then��


    There was no "and then."


    At that moment, the Frost Giant transformed into a colossal Celestial Star, crashing down to the ground.


    Everything came to an end!


    When the Celestial Stars descended, the entire Heavenly Curtain froze, and then snowkes began to swirl. A tremendous pressure forced the so-called deity of the instance to kneel on the ground.


    "Enemy attack!!"


    The deity screamed in despair.


    Then, an iridescent glow radiated from his body as he drew a knight''snce. Behind him, carvings symbolizing Thunder, Frost, and Hurricane materialized, while thence in his hand zed with me.


    This was undoubtedly a technique thatbined the powers of four elemental deities.


    Sterl watched from a distance, unable to help but nod. Although it was amon elemental divine authority, thebined strength of four elements was not to be underestimated. If he were to fight, it would probably be quite a challenge to ovee.


    Now it was convenient.


    Sterl, in a spiritual state, sat back and watched the show.


    The Frost Giant''s attack, although area-restricted,cked sufficient soul power to harm Sterl''s soul.


    Then came��


    The impact of the fourbined elements, pouring into the meteorite formed by the Frost Giant!


    "Holy Spirit!"


    "Holy Spirit!"


    "Holy Spirit!"


    Countless soldiers below cheered, as if they could already see the oue.


    The fourfold divine authority of the deity was known for being invincible, always favorable in battle!


    But everyone saw a gigantic ck inscription.


    [BLOCK]!


    Ding!


    A crisp sound of shattering echoed.


    The man referred to as "Holy Spirit" watched in horror as thence in his hand shattered piece by piece.


    "How is this possible!"


    "Invalid??"


    "What on earth is this?"


    His expression darkened!


    However�� in the next moment, the Holy Spirit was even more terrified to realize that he had intended to slightly evade and regroup for another attack.


    But under the meteorite''s impact, he couldn''t even escape, and due to the proximity, he couldn''t make any defensive moves, leaving himpletely at the mercy of fate!


    "What is this��"


    The Holy Spirit, filled with confusion, was swallowed up!


    What was once a god was crushed in an instant!


    Countless soldiers and demigods below didn''t react in time, unaware that theirmander had already been in.


    Boom!!


    The meteorite struck the ground!


    All living beings, unable even to feel pain, were annihted in the terrifying energy.


    All that remained was an empty instance entrance and a sunken pit where the ground had been.


    After being resurrected for the second time, Sterl acted quickly, activating the time rift once more to immobilize the Frost Giant.


    "This is much more convenient than fighting myself."


    His tone wasced with excitement; facing a god with four elemental divine authorities would take a long time and expend a lot of effort.


    But by releasing the Frost Giant, with a single strike, everything was settled!


    What a relief!


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.


    He approached the entrance of the instance to examine it, then casually tossed down a few coordinate devices. With these, Sterl could teleport here instantly.


    Sterl quickly set up a small formation to conceal the coordinate devices.


    "It''s a pity it''s not a divine-level concealment formation."


    "If someone is determined to investigate, they might still uncover it."


    After finishing his setup, Sterl didn''t rush to leave. He felt�� being chased by the Frost Giant might not be a bad thing after all. He could use the timew to immobilize it, but for other unfortunate souls, it wouldn''t be so simple. As long as Sterl lured the creature over, even a god would fall!


    "So now I��"


    He was considering how to maximize the benefits from the Frost Giant''s pursuit when he suddenly felt that something was off!


    After leaving the underground pce, he had been hearing the sounds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy fracturing along the way.


    He had heard it so many times for so long that he had grown ustomed to it and no longer paid attention.


    But now, something was different!


    The sound of the fractures, which had initially been a gentle drizzle, suddenly transformed into a torrential downpour.


    Crack! Crack!


    Even from a distance away from the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s membrane, Sterl could see a massive crack appearing in the sky above him!


    "Oh crap!!"


    At this moment, Sterl didn''t care about using the Frost Giant anymore; he just wanted to escape quickly because something seemed to being from above along with the widening crack!


    Just like the fracture of the Crystal Barrier Gxy gave a sense of unease, whatever was about to fall from the sky filled Sterl with immense dread.


    He felt��


    It was best for him to run! Otherwise, he would surely die!


    Without hesitation, Sterl followed his instincts and sprinted away, only slowing down after crossing tens of thousands of kilometers.


    He took out the detection devices he had prepared earlier and continued to monitor the situation.


    What could be causing the upheaval in the Crystal Barrier Gxy? It wouldn''t be another Frost Giant, would it? If the crack had expanded this much, it might not just be one or two Frost Giants��could it be dozens or even hundreds?


    As he watched the violet-ck crack in the sky grow wider, Sterl''s mental state began to unravel.


    Having one Frost Giant hunting him was already terrifying enough.


    Sterl barely managed to cope, hoping to gain a bit of an advantage.


    But if dozens of giants came, not even the timew would be able to stop them!


    Even though he was far away from the crack in the Crystal Barrier Gxy and wouldn''t be chased, he still felt a chill run down his spine.


    Because these giants possessed an instinctive urge to destroy, annihting everything in sight.


    Even if the Frost Giant horde didn''t immediately pursue Sterl, they would kill everything nearby, ultimately wiping out the entire Alpha 8 Crystal Barrier Gxy!


    Only then would they stop.

 Chapter 457 A New Continent Falls?

    Sterl''s expression was grim; in the worst-case scenario, the Frost Giant army would indeed descend upon them.


    Now that he had evaded their pursuit, it wouldn''t matter; sooner orter, they woulde knocking, and he would have to face the encirclement of dozens of Frost Giants!


    "However, by that time, my strength might increase again, allowing me to contend with such monsters."


    He reassured himself, though the hesitation in his voice revealed his own uncertainty.


    Facing such a creature, one that could resist radiant-level skills released by upper-tier divine authorities, he truly didn''t know how to fight.


    "Fortunately, I haven''t started constructing my legendary story yet. If the Frost Giant army descends, ughtering everything in their path, what kind of tales would be left to tell?"


    Then, Sterl made a sarcastic remark, his eyes glued to the detection screen, fearing that another burst of golden light would drop down, just like the previous Frost Giant.


    He soon realized that he was overthinking things.


    The events he worried about did not ur��


    As the crack in the Crystal Barrier Gxy grewrger, Sterl noticed that its diameter had already exceeded tens of thousands of kilometers, and it continued to expand, revealing a vast void with no discernible edges.


    Within the void, it seemed that something was being expelled and drawn in, gradually revealing the shadows of mountains, rivers, and rocks.


    "What is this?" Sterl felt a bit dazed, and only after about ten seconds did the object being expelled from the void fully reveal itself.


    A giant continent, appearing semi-transparent, came crashing in!


    "Ah??"


    Sterl was stunned, his heart filled with alertness as he watched the continent descend.


    He had never seen such a scene before; a continent falling from outside the Crystal Barrier Gxy??


    In that moment, he caught a glimpse of a bizarre scene as the illusory continentnded, opening a void that allowed Sterl to faintly see a strange spectacle.


    Countless worlds within the Crystal Barrier Gxy twisted and rotated, merging together. It wasn''t just an illusory continent descending here; several other Crystal Barrier Gxies were experiencing the same phenomenon.


    As the new continent was absorbed, those Crystal Barrier Gxies expanded as if they had consumed some nutritious supplement.


    "Could it be that the worlds are truly merging, forming a whole from the countless Crystal Barrier Gxies?"


    Sterl whispered, his tone filled with shock.


    He had originally thought the upheaval in the world was still some time away, but in reality, it was imminent.


    From his brief nce, Sterl realized that Alpha 8 was rtively fortunate; it was situated toward the front of the vortex.


    Other continents were merging into this one.


    Meanwhile, some Crystal Barrier Gxy worlds at the tail end of the vortex were already shattered, with countless spatial currents flowing into them.


    Sterl immediately understood where the continent merging into Alpha 8 hade from��


    It was from those Crystal Barrier Gxies that were headed for destruction!


    He couldn''t tell whether it was the spontaneous operation of the Crystal Barrier Gxy or the coborative effort of life within the worlds, but in any case, shattered worlds continuously produced phantoms rushing toward the still intact worlds.


    "But Alpha 8 isn''t at the core of the vortex."


    "The Crystal Barrier Gxy is copsing."


    "This means it won''t be long before our own world is destroyed, forcing us to merge into other Crystal Barrier Gxies."


    Initially, Sterl had felt some wariness toward the illusory continent, but now he inexplicably disyed a sense of mncholic resignation.


    However, as he watched the shadow of the illusory world draw ever closer, Sterl suddenly felt uneasy.


    He sensed that it didn''t resemble a continent at all, but rather like a python that preyed on the unwary.


    The instincts brought on by his Holy Spirit Bloodline made him acutely aware that he must not let the shadow of the illusory continent touch him; otherwise, he might discover something uneptable!


    Trusting his intuition, Sterl decisively activated a teleportation beacon and arrived at the temple he had reached after teleporting through the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    That ce was the very edge of the continent.


    The illusory continent and the real one did not align perfectly; the area Sterl upied happened to be untouched by the illusory world.


    Once he arrived, he continued to observe. Since the transparent continent hadn''t officially struck the ground yet, the detection devices he had set up were still operational.


    However, as he looked at the scene unfolding before him, he was left dumbfounded.


    The shadow of the illusory continent came crashing down hard onto the ground!


    The core of this impact was not far from the entrance to the Starry n''s ve inheritance instance.


    Consequently, Sterl saw the bottom of the illusory continent.


    A massive stone, resembling a king piece from a game of chess, came crashing down!


    The stone shimmered with an extraordinarily strange light, clearly something remarkable.


    Then a poor soul appeared.


    The Frost Giant, immobilized by the time rift, happened to be directly beneath the king piece.


    As the giant chess piece fell with terrifying gravitational potential and its inherent suppression force, the Frost Giant could only brace itself with its skull, motionless.


    Sterl heard a thunderous crash!


    Then, a terrifying shockwave radiated outward!


    A familiar "block" appeared on the giant''s body.


    But in the next moment, cracks began to emerge on that very symbol.


    Crack! Crack!


    The fissures continued to expand.


    Ultimately, with a tremendous noise, the "block" shattered!


    Thus, the king piece came crashing down with a vengeance!


    In the aftermath, the shockwave swept through the area, destroying all of Sterl''s detection devices.


    After a moment of dazed shock, he realized that the illusory continent had nowpletely merged with thend beneath him.


    Sterl watched in disbelief as everything around him transformed amidst strange lights, and he gritted his teeth. With the danger sensed by his Holy Spirit Bloodline having dissipated, he raced toward the spot where the Frost Giant had been struck.


    It seemed like the creature had been broken!


    Was there a chance to kill it and collect drops?


    Sterl was incredibly excited as he sped forward!


    Along the way, Sterl witnessed the massive upheaval caused by the impact of the illusory continent.


    In the first city he encountered, as the real world merged with the illusory one, it corresponded to a vast wastnd.


    Most people were unharmed, but a subterranean cave from the wastnd had merged into the city, forming several instance portals.


    At that moment, many adventurers were already gearing up, preparing to explore.


    "Looks like this might even be a good thing?"


    "There are several instance points within this city, which can quickly cultivate yers."


    Sterl mused to himself.


    He continued to fly as the world transformed rapidly around him.


    Buildings, valleys, caves, and cities sprouted like mushrooms after a rainstorm.


    Essentially, during the integration of the illusory world into the real world, if the original location was an open space, thendscapes from the illusory world would be transferred there.


    It appeared that the fusion of this foreign world was, in fact, a stroke of good fortune, causing the resources of the Alpha 8 continent to surge dramatically.


    "So, if the trend of this fusion continues,"


    "Will it ultimately form aplete continent that can gather treasures from countless worlds?"


    Sterl pondered, feeling significantly better.


    The fusion of worlds was currently yielding positive oues.


    As he passed through a newly "grown" city, he noticed many soul-like light points manifesting and transforming into living beings. These figures, once their physical forms were restored, embraced each other in excitement.


    "The lord didn''t deceive me; we really made it across!"


    "We''ve arrived at a new continent and world."


    "We can finally live again��this is incredible!"


    From their snippets of conversation,


    Sterl could roughly infer that the illusory continent had indeed been a real one, and this method of world fusion could save many civilians.


    It felt�� quite good!


    Sterl nodded slightly and continued his flight.


    If he had some spare time, he would have liked to chat with these residents about how they had transformed from illusory souls to physical bodies; it would certainly help him enhance his own soul power.


    But right now, he was eager to im the head of the Frost Giant, so stopping was out of the question.


    However, his mood quickly soured.


    As he passed through the first city, he had thought that the continent''s fusion was a good thing, as it had resulted in new cities and poptions.


    In the transcendent world,nd was not as scarce as it had been in his previous life; there were vast stretches of wilderness across the various continents, making the doubling of city numbers inconsequential.


    But as Sterl continued past several more cities, he sensed something was off.


    He saw that after a city merged with an illusory one, it transformed into a third city thatbined characteristics of both.


    That alone wasn''t terrifying.


    What was horrifying was that many people, apanied by the influx of soul-like light points, had also changed their appearances.


    In simple terms, the inhabitants of the illusory world merged with those from the real world,


    resulting in the emergence of a third individual.


    These individuals seemed to possess two different sets of memories, leaving them in a dazed state.


    Yet, this bizarre fusion also brought some benefits.


    Using his Star Insight to analyze, Sterl discovered that the third individual''s strength was an enhanced version of the strengths of the first two.


    Additionally, there was a "+1" icon next to their character information.


    Moreover, some wild monsters had alsopleted the fusion, showing a "+1" symbol after their appearance changed.


    Skills, weapons, and equipment followed suit; when two simr creations fused, a new piece of gear or skill would emerge��


    The effects of these fused resources were considerably more powerful than their original counterparts, apanied by the "+1" notation on the information panel.


    However, Sterl was not in the mood to dwell on what these symbols meant.


    He was solely focused on reaching the location of the Frost Giant.


    Sterl was taken aback.


    Earlier, he had seen that in the central part of the illusory continent, a king-like piece had crushed the Frost Giant.


    Clearly, the location of the Frost Giant was an extremely important point within the illusory world.


    So��

 Chapter 458 A Top-tier Power Comparable to the Hall of Valor

    Sterl stood there, dumbfounded.


    What had once been a wastnd, ravaged by the Frost Giant and reduced to a basin, had transformed into a Giant City.


    The city stretched endlessly, its walls towering high into the clouds. As Sterl looked up, it felt as if the entire Heavenly Curtain was covered by this immense structure.


    "The size of this city��"


    Sterl''s eyes flickered as he strained to sense its magnitude, realizing that this Giant City upied a full one-seventh of the continent. Its height seemed to directly press against the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s membrane, linking with the fissures at the horizon.


    Within those fissures, phantoms had once been cascading down, but now they were all "devoured" by the city.


    "The size of this city might be close to the main body of the Hall of Valor."


    "No, wait! It should be roughly the same size as the Hall of Valor because it definitely has spatial folding formations within!"


    Sterl was somewhat taken aback.


    Unlike the Hall of Valor, which existed in a different dimension as a small world, this city, while simr in size, was directly suppressing the main world!


    Indeed, suppression.


    Earlier, Sterl had seen that ck chess piece, which had a "suppression" effect. That piece utilized the immense energy generated during the fusion of the Giant City with the world, even breaking the Frost Giant''s invincibility.


    That was something even radiant-level skills couldn''t achieve!


    Now that the entire city had settled onto the ground, although itcked the high energy from the world fusion, it produced a terrifying suppression effect that was still forming.


    Sterl could discern that this suppression was potent enough to strip countless monsters in the vicinity of their autonomy, forcing them to be ves to the Giant City.


    Even yers and NPCs would suffer from this suppression, finding it difficult to muster any rebellious spirit against the Giant City.


    There was no doubt that the Giant City was akin to top-tier powers like the Hall of Valor, Ashen, and the Golden Kingdom, and it resembled the Hall of Valor in that this city itself seemed to be an extraordinarily powerful artifact!


    The Giant City was audaciously positioned in the realm of reality, clearly unafraid of any external challengers or conspirators.


    This spoke volumes about the arrogance and pride of this power, as well as its immense strength.


    It was highly likely that this force was even stronger than Ashen, the ruling power of this continent!


    "Yet, such formidable strength ultimatelypelled them to flee to other worlds."


    "Faced with the distortion and copse of the Crystal Barrier Gxy��"


    "No matter how strong a power is managed, it is futile if they don''t break through a critical threshold of their own strength; otherwise, they will be utterly defenseless against the changes of the world."


    Sterl couldn''t help butment.


    Although his mind was racing with thoughts, his actions were swift.


    The Giant City, despite its grandeur, still appeared as a semi-transparent, inky ck and had not yet fully formed.


    Sterl immediately flew forward, diving into the city.


    His expression was grim; although the city was merely an illusion, he took the opportunity to discern the intricate formations carved into the walls.


    The artistry andplexity of these patterns revealed that they were all divine-level arrays!


    The patterns were cleverly concealed, making it difficult for Sterl to easily read their functions or learn them by stealth.


    Moreover, the walls were exceedingly high and wide,prised of an unknown number of divine-level arrays woven together into a peculiar structure.


    As a top-tier Array Master, Sterl found this exceedingly challenging! A sense of unease began to brew within him.


    Fortunately, while the Giant City remained in a virtual state, the formations could not take effect; however, Sterl couldn''t shake off the rising alertness in his heart.


    Upon further examination, he discerned that based on the patterns still in their illusory state, it could be inferred that the formations within the walls had numerous effects of suppression, sealing, and intimidation...


    All of which were quite unpleasant!


    Entering the city was easy now, but if he couldn''t escape before the Giant City fully manifested, he would struggle to flee in the face of so many formations...


    However, Sterl felt a touch braver now.


    In the past, he had never engaged in fights without considering resurrection abilities, but in recent times, he had relied on resurrection more frequently, thus pushing the boundaries of his mental resilience.


    What had begun as a necessity to retreat unscathed had shifted to��


    As long as he could ensure a safe resurrection after death, he considered it secure.


    Additionally, with an abundance of resurrection items at his disposal, Sterl felt more liberated in his actions.


    "All I''m merging with is a top-tier power simr to the Crystal Barrier Gxy''s Alpha 8; it''s not guaranteed that there are souls within it capable of killing me at zero level."


    "It''s even uncertain whether anyone within this power can defeat me directly."


    "The likelihood of encountering individuals with even weak divinebat power is quite low."


    "After all, I only intend to seize the Frost Giant''s loot and have no ns to directly engage with the Giant City, so the risk should be minimal."


    "Moreover�� I can''t give up the giant''s spoils."


    "The Giant City''s defensive breach was only achieved by leveraging the momentum of its descent and the high energy from the world fusion; under normal circumstances, no one in Alpha 8 could y the giant."


    As Sterl''s thoughts raced, the scenery of the Giant City whizzed by.


    He could see numerous spectacr skyscrapers adorned with a sacred luminescence, and in the air, there were massive artificialkes alongside various sculptures.


    The residents of the Giant City were of various races, predominantly humanoid.


    Along the streets, there wereyers of extraordinarily ornate pces stacked like mountains. At the highest point, many figures cast their gazes toward Sterl, the intruder.


    Though the phantoms were not yet fully formed, these beings were already conscious; they were clearly the rulers of the Giant City��gods!


    "Approximately sixty or so gods?"


    "In terms of foundation, they should be slightly weaker than the Hall of Valor but stronger than Ashen."


    Sterl analyzed.


    In Alpha 8, the Hall of Valor was unique as a special artifact created by a once-great Divine Power, instinctively gathering strong individuals to fill its ranks.


    Moreover, the Hall of Valor, as an artifact, imposed no harsh treaties, which led many freedom-loving powerful beings to prefer joining it.


    Sterl had no clear idea of how many gods there were.


    There were simply too many beings hiding in the nooks and crannies of the Hall of Valor.


    In contrast, powers like Ashen and the Golden Kingdom were more typical of strong factions.


    The number of gods disyed was theoretically less than the actual number, but the difference wasn''t significant.


    However, Sterl felt that the gods he saw in this single encounter were likely not the entirety of the Giant City''s divine inhabitants.


    Considering that Ashen had mobilized all its visible gods, which amounted to just over fifty, it was evident that the Giant City had hidden strong individuals, putting Ashen at a considerable disadvantage.


    "It seems there''s a good show to watch."


    "Who knows, I might even have a chance to fish in troubled waters."


    Sterl mused.


    Originally, a top-tier power in Alpha 8 could dominate several continents, and the continent beneath Sterl''s feet was precisely the headquarters of Ashen.


    The entrance to the alternate space where Ashen resided was located within this very continent.


    Thisnd was Ashen''s territory, containing numerous subordinate institutions that facilitated the gathering and supply of resources for the gods and the cultivation of new talents for Ashen.


    For Ashen, it was a strategic stronghold that could not bepromised.


    The force Sterl belonged to also shared a simr situation; the continent housing the entrance to the Hall of Valor was firmly under its control, with even small ces like the Principality of Florence allocating resources for its maintenance.


    Likewise, since the Giant City had descended upon this continent, as a top-tier power, it would also require subordinate institutions and would need to upy various transportation and teleportation nodes across thend.


    A sh between the two great powers was inevitable, especially given Ashen''s evident weakness; the Giant City would undoubtedly take the initiative to strike!


    Sterl''s heart raced with excitement.


    This was yet another excellent opportunity to grind blood force!


    He was almost looking forward to it. If the two great powers went to war over the ownership of this continent, even divine-level beings might have to join the fray��


    Then, if he could participate and weave a legendary tale within it, wouldn''t that be a tremendous victory?


    Sterl had perused some ancient texts, and he knew that if a legendary event ultimately exceeded its limits, the rewards upon ascending to legend would also surpass the norm.


    However, that was only true before the world had been fragmented. Once the world split into countless Crystal Barrier Gxies and the upper and lower realms, individual power caps emerged, and the benefits of the three great rites��legendary ascendance, demigod status, and ascension to godhood��also faced limitations.


    But now the world had merged��


    If he could get involved in a divine-level event��


    "How much would my final rewards for ascendance be?!"


    Sterl''s eyes were almost glowing red with excitement.


    The more he thought about it, the more exhrated he became.


    Earlier, Sterl felt overwhelmed by the multitude of matters, causing his legendary ascendance to be dyed time and again. Now, however, he realized that the dy had been a blessing!


    Initially, he would only receive the legendary ascendance rewards after being shot down by the heavens.


    But now�� the world had merged!!


    What a win!!


    As he reveled in his joy, he did not stop moving and continued to fly swiftly.


    Yet, the terrifying expanse of the city made his journey lengthy, and it was only now that he had managed to draw near to the location of the Frost Giant.


    At the same time, the surroundings transformed into a world of ice and snow.


    This was the result of the Frost Giant''s actions!


    Sterl noticed that not far away, at the center of countless Frost beings, a giant was roaring and bellowing madly!


    It was wildly pounding on everything, causing distortions in space; the extreme icy power was freezing the very fabric of space.


    The area within a thousand miles felt like a frigid purgatory.


    Sterl observed the energy phantoms around the outskirts that had not beenpletely destroyed and concluded that this was likely a gathering ce within the Giant City.


    There were numerous tall buildings, and the structures inside were hidden vis crafted using spatial arrays.


    The size of these vis wasparable to Sterl''s estate in the Hall of Valor.


    However, these buildings were frozen by countless icy sts, and the internal spatial structures shattered one by one, transforming into a deste ice-blue wastnd.


    Many glowing figures within the interiors had all vanished!

 Chapter 459 The Golden Code?!

    "In this gathering ce, there are numerous formation patterns within the buildings, which clearly indicates that the inhabitants here must be legendary or even demigod-level powerhouses."


    "Only they could enjoy such treatment."


    "However�� they didn''t have the chance to transform from phantoms into physical forms before being killed by the Frost Giant."


    "They died in such a hasty manner��"


    A hint of sympathy crept into Sterl''s tone.


    Those powerful beings didn''t even realize their own deaths before being sent to the afterlife.


    Sterl also understood that if Alpha 8 were forcibly merged into another world, he too could suffer such a fate!


    "Then I shall avenge you," Sterl said calmly, muttering under his breath.


    Ahead, the giant summoned icy sts, continuing to crush the distant phantoms.


    These shadows, produced during the merging of worlds, were impervious to normal attacks. But just as divine-level entities could forcibly harm souls using Divine Power, the Frost Giant''s output capability exceeded the divine level, allowing it to obliterate the shadows with sheer energy.


    After making his bold statement, Sterl remained motionless for a few seconds, observing before flying forward.


    "Roar!"


    Apanied by a thunderous roar, the Frost Giant suddenly leaped up,nding on top of the Frost tower it had built.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    It swung its arms like a gori, beating its chest, and its aura grew increasingly fierce!


    Countless cold currents transformed into grayish-white ice powder, swirling and rubbing against everything.


    It seemed to envelop the entire world in a "mist."


    Then, the Frost Giant leaped high, preparing to m down onto the ground!


    At this moment, it was theplete opposite of the cute and docile demeanor Sterl had observed earlier when no enemies were around.


    It was utterly frenzy!


    The reason for the Frost Giant''s madness was that it was currently in a dire state!


    Its once icy-white skin, akin to frost, was now drenched in blood, and a massive gash had been smashed into its chest and abdomen.


    From the wound, a semi-transparent sphere was exposed, gleaming brightly.


    A streak of golden light dashed around inside the sphere, desperately trying to break free!


    But the golden light was trapped, continuously swirling within the sphere, turning the entire transparent orb a vivid gold due to its high-speed movement.


    Yet every attempt the code made to break free caused the Frost Giant immense pain, prompting the creature tosh out at everything in its line of sight.


    "This must be the thing that created the Frost Giant earlier."


    Sterl was taken aback. When the golden light had descended before, he hadn''t clearly seen what it was, as the golden light was incredibly peculiar, making it impossible to sense through his abilities; he could only observe it with the naked eye.


    At that moment, Sterl was too far away.


    Now, he was much closer, and although the Frost Giant was moving at incredible speed, it couldn''t run too far.


    Finally, Sterl managed to see the golden light clearly, and to his surprise, it was��


    Countless densely packed characters resembling code, swirling rapidly.


    There were so many characters that they formed waves, rolling like water.


    However, the sheer liveliness of this mass of code felt extremely bizarre to Sterl.


    "What the hell is this?"


    Sterl''s expression shifted��not with surprise, but with delight.


    While others might think that [Transcendence] was merely a game cloaked in the guise of reality, Sterl understood that the world was real, but it was indeed a game.


    Many things wereposed of code, which he had proven when he added points to the game podcore.


    No wonder the Frost Giant couldn''t be broken through no matter how hard it was attacked.


    In a game, if a piece of code is designed to be invincible, then no matter how much damage you deal, the oue will be the same.


    If not for the might of the world merging, forcibly breaking through the code, it was possible that Alpha 8 could have been single-handedly defeated by this Frost Giant!


    The key point was the creation that appeared directly in the form of code��


    It was undoubtedly extremely precious!


    With his upgraded game podcore and disk tattoo, Sterl had a chance to utilize the code!


    "I hit the jackpot!"


    Sterl''s face was filled with excitement.


    At this moment, an endless onught of frost apanied the Frost Giant, crashing down from above!


    Countless illusory buildings and figures were violently shattered, transforming into ethereal phantoms��


    Sterl stood quietly amidst the hurricane,pletely enveloped in snow and wind, waiting for the right opportunity.


    The snowman suddenly trembled slightly.


    Sterl transformed into an afterimage, having waited for the perfect chance��


    The Frost Giant was in a moment of recovery after unleashing its powerful attack.


    Sterl sprang into action, invoking the Law of Time, creating a time rift!


    In an instant, an invisible wave surged forth!


    Originally, this move could easily immobilize the Frost Giant.


    But�� at this moment, the light from the time rift rapidly spread, solidifying much of the Frost Giant''s body, halting its once-frenzied movements��


    Until the Law Power made contact with the exposed sphere on the giant''s outer body, a sh of golden light erupted.


    The wave of code emitted a visible energy wave!


    In that instant, countless forces of time shattered!


    Unlike before, when Princess Billie had used her skills to prematurely end the power of the Law of Time, this time the force twisted as the time seal formed!


    "Uh�� ah~"


    Sterl let out muffled groans, blood streaming from his seven orifices.


    The power of the code was a bit overwhelming!


    He hurriedly took a resistance item to counter the bacsh, hisplexion paling.


    Sterl quickly realized that the earlier Giant City Suppression had only partially separated the golden code from the Frost Giant; the power of the code itself still remained.


    Moreover, the effect of the code itself was far stronger than when it was attached to the Frost Giant; even the Law of Time could not take effect!


    Previously, the code had been encased within the Frost Giant, with the timew restraining the "shell" outside, which was the Frost Giant itself.


    Now that the code was exposed, when Sterl invoked the Law of Time, he suffered a bacsh!


    "Fortunately, the Frost Giant itself still cannot sense the power of time."


    Sterl sighed.


    After the fluctuations of time power, the Frost Giant remained oblivious, continuing to look around, intent on causing destruction.


    If it had sensed Sterl''s ambush andunched a counterattack, Sterl would have lost a resurrection item.


    Sterl also noticed that the earlier arrival of the Giant City had not only nullified the invincibility of the code but had also sessfully suppressed the Frost Giant.


    A faint chain appeared on the giant, piercing deep into the city.


    The chain itself was in a phantom state, impervious to destruction.


    Yet, the Frost Giant was constrained by this illusory chain, its range of movement decreasing! Moreover, the chain seemed to be absorbing the Frost Giant''s power, continuously growing stronger.


    This appeared to be a sophisticated formation, a culmination of countless divine-level arrays umted throughout the process.


    "Is this the wisdom of otherworldly forces?"


    Sterl marveled, realizing that thebined power of various divine-level formations had ultimately transcended the weak Divine Power realm of [Transcendence]!


    Thus, it was able to bind the Frost Giant.


    Inparison, aside from the ancient remnants in Alpha 8, there were no entities that had broken through the weak Divine Power realm; they were clearly being outssed by the Giant City forces!


    At the same time, Sterl guessed that once this city transitioned from illusion to reality, the power of suppression would likely multiply several times!


    By then, the Frost Giant would undoubtedly be doomed!


    "That won''t do!"


    "My head is on the line, and the code is mine too!"


    With this thought, Sterl did not hesitate to strike again!


    He charged up slightly, still using Shattered Void!


    The effect of spatial freezing took hold this time; the golden sphere was now exposed to the outside world. The code itself was invincible, but the Frost Giant''s invincibility had vanished.


    And so��


    The giant was immediately frozen.


    It wasn''t until the power of space touched the exposed golden sphere that it shattered once more.


    Sterl coughed up a mouthful of blood, but a smile lingered on his face.


    His test had seeded!


    Indeed, the Frost Giant was now left with only brute strength, no longer immune to spatial freezing.


    Sterl swallowed a pill to counter the bacsh and invoked Shattered Void again!


    With this move, he harnessed the power of ascension.


    A terrifying aura surged, dominating the surroundings!


    The power of space first froze much of the Frost Giant''s chest, abdomen, legs, head, and right arm, leaving only the side containing the golden code unfrozen!


    Thus, the Frost Giant could only twist its remaining muscles, making its body exhibit a bizarre shudder; apart from that, it could do nothing!


    Then, a raging storm of des swept in!


    This time, countless sword images sessfully struck!


    The invincibility prompt was gone from the Frost Giant��


    Sterl watched as, amidst the hurricane, the Frost Giant''s skin, flesh, and bones were being torn apart and shattered at an exceedingly slow rate!


    "This thing is indeed monstrous; even when its invincible body was shattered, its defenses remained incredibly high."


    He sighed.


    The Iridescent-Level Shattered Void was already stronger than many divine abilities.


    Yet still, it was not enough to y the Frost Giant.


    In fact��


    Merely in terms of output, Sterl found that the power of Shattered Void was about to wane, barely managing to inflict wounds deep enough to expose bone��


    But for a life force that had reached the divine level, this level of injury was insignificant!


    Sterl noticed that as soon as the storm of des began to subside, the Frost Giant''s injuries were rapidly healing.


    Flesh began to grow back inch by inch on its body.


    The cracks in its bones were mended, and its veins resembled threads being woven, with new skin covering it. The Frost Giant merely let out a slight howl of pain before it was almost back to its peak condition.


    "What terrifying regenerative power."


    Sterl''s expression remained stoic as he snapped his fingers.


    "Bang!"


    He uttered a syble.


    It seemed the Frost Giant''s wounds were about to heal.


    Sterl, however, maintained a calm demeanor; this was the real meal!


    The Frost Giant''s resilient skin inadvertently aided Sterl in his efforts.

 Chapter 460 Slaying the Giant, the Fall of the Behemoth!

    As is well known, the power of a nuclear bomb is highly dispersed; most of its energy is wasted unless it is in a highly confined environment.


    And at this moment��


    Within the Frost Giant''s body, countless fading sword shadows suddenly coalesced, transforming into white light.


    The Frost Giant, having justpleted its recovery, let out a furious roar but suddenly froze in ce.


    Its entire body was engulfed by numerous spheres, surging like waves.


    An incredibly terrifying energy was being suppressed.


    Until��


    A faint light began to seep from the giant''s skin.


    First one or two rays, then thousands of beams burst forth��


    The giant was forcefully transformed into a "porcupine," and then the torrent of light surged, sweeping everything away!


    The ultimate brilliance erupted!


    Having honed his skills through training within the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, Sterl had significantly improved his mastery over various abilities. This allowed him to employ a dyed release technique after enhancing it with the power of Fission.


    The sword shadows of Shattered Void fully blossomed, and it took nearly a second before the Fission light manifested!


    Under the suppression of the dual giant''s membranes, all the power flowed into the giant''s body without resistance. Sterl couldn''t help but smile.


    He had a new idea; this wave of using Shattered Void to embed sword shadows into the enemy and then detonating them with the Fission Law would be his strongest killing move!


    In terms of damage output, it was already on par with the radiant-level technique previously used by Billie.


    Of course, hers was an area-wide extermination, while Sterl could only achieve single-target destruction, and he couldn''t guarantee the stable activation of Fission from within the enemy��


    There was still a gap.


    Sterl pondered, tilting his head away, not even looking in the direction of the Frost Giant.


    Uh��


    He felt certain that his enemy was doomed and, recalling the style from movies in his past life, he expertly struck a pose.


    Sure enough, the giant''s entire body transformed into a brilliant white light!


    The radiance spread everywhere, as if a brief sun had risen.


    The intense light melted away all the ice and snow, leaving only a vast expanse of white earth.


    And amidst the light, Sterl stood calmly with his hands in his pockets.


    At this point, everything dissipated.


    The once-mighty, invincible monster exploded into countless pieces.


    Ultimately, those remnants also transformed directly into soil and stone��


    Sterl recalled that the Frost Giant had been brought to life from a mountain by the golden code.


    Now, with the disintegration of the Frost Giant, the spherical representation of the golden code also vanished, freeing the code, while the Frost Giant reverted to its original form��sand and dirt.


    However, as soon as the code broke free from the sphere, it was eager to escape from this ce.


    It first dove downward, but then feigned a move and shot back up into the sky.


    The entire action was extremely swift, almost as if it possessed a form of intelligence.


    Yet, no matter how quick the code reacted, it could not match Sterl''s efficiency. He had enhanced himself with a time eleration effect, bing a blur of phantom images.


    In the blink of an eye, he seemed to be everywhere in the surrounding space. Sterl regarded this peculiar code with great seriousness, intercepting all avenues of escape.


    When the code first fell from the cracks of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, it had already revealed its speed limit��merely that of an ordinary demigod in flight.


    Naturally, with nowhere to run, the code was instantly caught in Sterl''s palm.


    Then, the golden stream of light struggled, a wave of helplessness flooding into Sterl''s body.


    "Hmm?"


    At first, Sterl felt a bit uneasy.


    Although the code possessed extremely powerful enhancements, ording to typical patterns, such things couldn''t be directly absorbed. Once the code merged, he might mutate into some sort of monster.


    Fortunately, nothing untoward happened in the end.


    However, in that very moment, several figures appeared.


    From the time Sterl entered Giant City to the moment he vanquished the Frost Giant, it hadn''t taken long��no more than two minutes. Therefore, within Giant City, a transformation toward reality was still ongoing.


    But��


    The several phantoms surrounding Sterl, while merely shadows, had already begun to exude a divine-level aura.


    Clearly��


    For those below the divine level, merging into another world was purely a gamble with their lives, but the shadows of divine level beings maintained self-awareness from beginning to end.


    As these shadows crushed a simrly ethereal object, their forms surprisingly took on a semi-solid state.


    At the same time, the phantoms slightly parted their lips as if they wanted to say something.


    Thanks to his high attributes, Sterl had indeed learned some lip-reading skills. It only took a few minutes to pick up, but in certain situations, it could help him gain additional information.


    Why not learn it?


    Thus, he could roughly discern what the phantoms were trying to convey��


    "Put the item down; that giant was a Suppression of our Orichalcum Kingdom. You have no right to dispose of its remains."


    "If you don''t hand over the item, once the royal city is established, you will have no way to escape."


    "We will hunt you to the ends of the earth; this is your final warning. Even if you are a god, we fear nothing!"


    The phantoms wore expressions of arrogance; they were not mindlessly seeking enemies.


    Upon descending into this new world, it was inevitable that they would sh with the forces of this realm, even to the death, in a struggle for territory to survive.


    At this moment, the being before him exuded an inexplicably weak aura, likely a divine-level entity with hidden abilities. Although itsbat power was impressive, it was precisely because of this that using him as a pawn would prove more effective.


    Moreover, the mysterious giant had dropped something��


    Though it was impossible to see clearly what it was, only a golden glimmer could be discerned.


    But the giant could withstand the entire royal city''s Suppression!


    If it hadn''t been for the fusion power of the world crushing the giant, it might have broken through when the royal city descended.


    In that case, the Orichalcum Kingdom would face direct annihtion!


    At that point, only divine-level entities would manage to escape.


    The entire organization, built over thousands of years, would be destroyed in an instant.


    In their dread, these divine-level entities also realized the giant''s extraordinary nature; its remains were absolutely not to be touched by outsiders.


    At this moment, a total of six gods activated items that allowed them to descend into the new world ahead of time.


    Such items were not only precious but would also leave them in a weakened state for a century.


    But for the sake of the giant''s remains, they were willing to risk it all!


    As for Sterl�� he merely raised an eyebrow.


    A normal person might have exined a few things, such as how he had lured the giant here all along, and by rights, the spoils should belong to him as well��


    But he was different.


    He was determined to take it, and he couldn''t be bothered to reason with them; he would just kill.


    The divine-level aura emanating from Sterl surged once more!


    Ultimately, the power of time manifested as a binding force that firmly controlled the six gods.


    Even though they activated their items, they still needed some time to fully manifest as physical forms, which left them unable to evade.


    In the distance��


    Dozens of divine phantoms shouted in terror: "What are you going to do?"


    "Do you want to go to war with our Orichalcum Kingdom?"


    "Stop! Are you crazy?"


    ��


    Sterl focused on reading their lips, and due to their virtual state, he couldn''t sense their actions through his abilities.


    The dozens of gods were purely filled with impotent rage.


    Without hesitation, Sterl swung his Flowing Water de.


    The Iridescent-Level Shattered Void was unleashed, causing the effect of space to solidify for an instant before dissipating, the energy saved transforming into even more sword shadows to tear apart his foes.


    This time, Sterl didn''t need to concentrate his output like he had against the Frost Giant; as a result, a rather spectacr scene unfolded.


    Countless beams of light from swords whirled across the entirety of Giant City!


    The sword shadows reflected throughout the city!


    The six gods were caught off guard and were instantly obliterated!


    The main reason was that they were attempting to fully be physical forms, which rendered them rigid. Although itsted only a moment, it became a fatal weakness against the master of the Law of Time!


    Combined with the fact that the items forcing them to be corporeal severely weakened their overall strength, including their defenses, it led to the scene unfolding before them.


    These gods felt that their deaths were utterly unjust.


    Gods rarely engaged in directbat against one another; they often spent a long time testing the waters before unleashing their powers. Divine-level battles could obliterate souls, and all gods avoided targeting opponents of the same level with full force��if things went wrong, it would lead to a death that could not be reversed!


    Who would dare to gamble?


    But Sterl was here to kill!


    Then��


    The dozens of divine phantoms roared in furious outrage, and without hesitation, they fully infused a special power into their attacks.


    The phantoms of the gods began to dim, but the shadow of Giant City rapidly solidified.


    "Kill him and blood-sacrifice him!"


    "I''ll extract his soul and roast it with me for a thousand years!"


    "Damn it! Six gods! We''ll need at least six hundred years to replenish ourselves!"


    ��


    However, just as these divine entities were in an uproar,


    Sterl had already vanished.


    Even though only a few seconds had passed,


    Giant City had transformed into reality, and countless chains shot out toward the position where Sterl had stood. But it was futile!


    He was already gone.


    On the other side��


    Sterl slowly opened his eyes, slightly twisting his neck as the game pod before him automatically opened.


    That''s right; he had logged off.


    But it wasn''t through the usual exploit granted by the disk.


    After acquiring the golden code, Sterl received a prompt that allowed him to merge the item into the game pod core he possessed; this prompt was issued by the cheat.


    Naturally, Sterl chose to trust it, preparing to log off after leaving Giant City and ending hisbat state.


    However, at the moment of merging with the golden code, it granted him a free log-off opportunity.


    Faced with the siege from the gods of the Orichalcum Kingdom, Sterl didn''t hesitate to wipe them out and then took advantage of the free log-off.


    In his view, the code was something he couldn''t afford to lose, so it was destined to create a deep enmity with this top-tier force.


    Moreover��


    As for the gods who were further away, that was one thing, but the few divine phantoms that had been closer had likely already seen the data code within the golden light.

 Chapter 461 A Deadly Rivalry Forms

    Sterl was convinced that if the deities of the Orichalcum nation learned that the golden code was rted to the [Transcendence] system, they would stop at nothing to hunt him down! Even if they didn''t know its purpose, they would still exert every effort to eliminate him.


    If they couldn''t obtain it themselves, they would spread the word, inciting other factions topete for it, hoping to profit from the chaos. In any case, they would make sure Sterl''s life was anything but easy. The feeling was mutual; no matter the rank of the equipment, items, or skills, nothing couldpare to the very essence of [Transcendence]!


    Therefore, silencing him was imperative.


    Of course, Sterl had just concealed his presence and disguised his appearance. However, he still could not afford to take the risk of exposing the code! At this moment��


    In the game world.


    Just as Sterl had anticipated, the distant divine apparitions arrived quickly, and they were unaware of exactly what was contained within the golden sphere of light.


    Furious, they gazed at the locations where their sixrades had fallen, then turned to observe the Giant City, which was struggling to materialize and was trembling as stones crumbled. They could also see the countless shadows within the city being forced to disperse due to the tremors.


    They were extremely enraged!


    The gods now withdrew the energy they had forcibly injected. With a sound like a balloon bursting, countless Divine Powers scattered into the air. The Giant City returned to its ethereal state, beginning the countdown to descend back into the mortal realm.


    "No matter which faction that deityes from, I will kill him!" one of the gods shouted.


    "Immediately issue the highest-level bounty once the royal city descends!"


    ��


    The gods shouted with bloodthirsty urgency, their rage palpable as though it were a tangible force! They vowed to pursue the one who had stolen the golden creation relentlessly.


    They felt that the god from Alpha 8 was simply provoking them!


    What they did not realize was the terror of the Frost Giant. They had only witnessed how this entity could not be subdued even by the strongest Suppression pieces within Giant City, and could only be defeated through the power of world fusion. This merely indicated that the Frost Giant might possess a unique defensive ability.


    The people of the Orichalcum nation understood that the items dropped by this giant were precious, but they were unaware that the giant itself could kill higher deities and was immune to radiant-level skills. Furthermore, even the six deceased gods could not discern the true nature of the golden code.


    Sterl had no idea that his worries werepletely unfounded. He was only able to capture the image of the code because he had upgraded his game pod core; others, no matter how close they stood, could only see a swirling mass of golden mist. Thus, the Orichalcum nation didn''t care about the loss of the code; they were simply filled with rage!


    They were convinced that Sterl was a deity from the local power of Alpha 8,e to provoke them! Surely, he wouldn''t go to the lengths of killing six deities of equal rank over a mysterious golden object, would he? The Frost Giant was likely sent by the local forces of Alpha 8 just to stir trouble!


    Many gods from the Orichalcum nation felt they had uncovered the truth.


    ��


    Coincidentally, on the other side, Sterl was also swearing an oath.


    "Orichalcum nation."


    "That must be the name, though I only gathered that through lip reading. The name of the Giant City faction might simply sound simr to what I deciphered."


    "Theoretically, the other gods shouldn''t know about the existence of the golden code; they only know that a rare item has fallen into my hands."


    "But�� for safety''s sake, it''s better if they�� face annihtion!"


    Sterl''s eyes glinted with ferocity.


    Theoretically, the non-divine level members of this factioncked self-awareness while the Giant City had not fully descended, and only a few deities had witnessed the Frost Giant and the golden sphere of light. Most likely, they wouldn''t deliberately spread this information.


    After all, the Orichalcum nation might suspect the golden code was valuable, but they wouldn''t realize it was rted to the core of the [Transcendence] game. They probably wouldn''t actively disseminate this news.


    Therefore, as long as the Giant City faction was eradicated, it was unlikely anyone would know that Sterl had taken the golden code.


    "Then my legendary event is already set," he thought. "There will definitely be a battle between Ashen and the Orichalcum nation. As a member of Alpha 8, I have to support my own faction!"


    "Ashen, let me lend you a helping hand to erase this divine-level power that has inexplicably descended upon our territory!"


    Sterl mused to himself. Of course, he couldn''t guarantee that the news about the golden sphere wouldn''t leak. Even if the Orichalcum nation''s people disclosed it, unless someone had witnessed it firsthand, other powerful beings and factions might not pay much attention to the sphere. Sterl was merely trying to eliminate threats as much as possible.


    As for now��


    Sterly in the game pod, preparing to log out, when a brilliant golden light surged from within him, transforming into a dazzling stream of data that rapidly rushed out! This light ultimately surged into the game pod core he possessed.


    In an instant!


    The entire core lit up!


    It was incredibly bright, as if it were daylight!


    Fortunately, Sterl had quickly activated his ascent to godhood and had allocated his recently cooled points to the Blood of the Holy Spirit, which enhanced the Holy Spirit Bloodline into shadow divine authority. A realm resembling an endless dark abyss enveloped him, sessfully masking the light emitted by the game pod core.


    Then, Sterl saw that the core in his hand gradually dimmed, ultimately presenting a mysterious sensation.


    [Code integration in progress, current progress�� 0.01%]


    [Code integration in progress, current progress�� 0.02%]


    ...


    Sterl estimated that it would take about a day to fully integrate. Initially, he had thought of using another game pod he had disguised himself with to log in again but found that��


    [Your current login area is under the special time Law [World Fusion] and cannot be entered.]


    [Detected that you possess a time Law. Would you like to activate Law Power to log in?]


    [Warning: Activating Law login will cause significant fluctuations and may reveal your location to demigods and above.]


    [Warning: The current area''s time flow is elerated; you may lose part of your lifespan while in this area.]


    "No," Sterl replied calmly.


    He hadn''t expected that world fusion would have such an effect, changing the flow of time! In an elerated time flow, a single day outside might trante to months or even years within the world fusion area. Sterl realized he would be foolish to force his way in without considering the risk of being immediately detected by other powerful beings.


    The elerated time flow was inherently disadvantageous to him!


    His cheat seemed to refresh "once every day," with rtively lenient conditions. However, this "day" was a strict time unit; only a full day unaffected by any external influences counted. He had confirmed this in the Dream of Lye instance. In a field of elerated time, it could take him months or even years before he could level up again!


    Even if Sterl wanted to eliminate the Giant City faction, he had changed his mind.


    "Let''s wait for a while," Sterl thought. "If I can log in normally in a few days, then I''ll just consider it a dy of a few days. If not, I''ll have to think of another way."


    Sterl felt a bit of a headache. If this elerated time field persisted, it would be quite difficult for him to log back in. Fortunately, within [Transcendence] and Swallowing Heaven, there were many peculiar items, including ones that could forcibly pull offline yers to a specific coordinate, changing their login location. However, such items were quite rare and hard to collect.


    Sterl could contact Sosia and the others through Rosalie. As long as they were willing to wait for a while, he could still return to [Transcendence] within half a month at most...


    For now, Sterl decided to take a moment to rx. He couldn''t log in, and the game pod core was currently in the process of code integration. With nothing else to do, he prepared to find someone to "entertain" himself with...


    ��


    "Sterl?"


    "You''re here at the base again?"


    Teresa approached with a look of surprise. To Sterl''s surprise, it was not the ever-concerned Rosalie who came to greet him this time. She truly had a strong libido, constantly keeping a close watch outside the game room. Yes, outside the game room, because she knew that if she tried to peek inside, she might witness things she shouldn''t see and could end up being directly in by Sterl.


    Instead, it was the usually busy Teresa who came to wee him, prompting Sterl to voice his confusion.


    Teresa responded, "You''re asking about Rosalie? It seems she detected an extremely powerful aura, so she went off to track it down."


    "A powerful aura? A legendary being or a demigod?" Sterl guessed, thinking that the strongest known beings of the human race on Earth were likely at the demigod level.


    "Tell her not to get too caught up in it; whether she can trace it or not doesn''t matter��safety first," he instructed.


    "No, tell her toe back immediately."


    He issued a few moremands, his expression growing increasingly solemn. On one hand, he needed Teresa to contact Rosalie through the base''smunication system; on the other hand, he used the sensing ability of his Illuminated King avatar to convey the message��no matter what she had discovered, she shouldn''t continue the pursuit.


    ording to the intelligence provided by Gloria, the human race on Earth was not to be trifled with. Sterl didn''t want to be implicated because of Rosalie''s recklessness; after all, he was a wanted criminal known as "Solomon"��


    Rosalie didn''t reply immediately...


    At that moment, Teresa was walking towards him with affectionate eyes, her swaying waist exuding a delicate charm like gentle spring water.


    "Sterl~!"


    The door to the room opened behind her.


    Linna and Rayna also approached with joyful expressions. They had just received Teresa''s message and immediately put aside what they were doing to rush over.


    Sterl noticed that Rayna''s already stunning appearance had been further enhanced. Clearly, as her strength had increased, her beauty had blossomed even more.


    "Isn''t this a bit odd?"


    Sterl activated Star Insight, and Rayna''s stats appearedpletely normal. However, her ever-increasing beauty seemed a bit strange. This was likely due to some ability rted to her bloodline...

 Chapter 462 The Trace of the Dark Moon Goddess?

    Sterl pondered, feeling a hint of suspicion��could it be rted to the bloodlines of the human race on Earth? After all, the Holy Spirit Bloodline was also rooted in human race bloodlines, suggesting that the Earth''s human race was indeed extraordinary! Rayna might be experiencing a partial ancestral return and awakening of her bloodline.


    Shaking his head, Sterl realized he didn''t have enough information to analyze anything further. Meanwhile, Linna pouted in dissatisfaction, "Sterl, are you not even going to look at me?"


    "Then you can just go and be with Rayna," he teased.


    "I''m leaving!"


    The girl was acting coy. Sterl quickly put on a smile to appease her. Linna hadn''t changed much in appearance, but she wore a tank top and a super short skirt. As she twisted her waist, her toned midriff showed, looking quite alluring.


    As she approached, she casually tossed her outer jacket onto the floor, clearly having been dressed more conservatively outside. Now that she was back to see Sterl, she hurriedly changed her outfit...


    "I missed you all," Sterl said as he gently patted Teresa''s backside. The incredibly soft and delicate sensation caused a flutter in his heart. Teresa followed him with a slightly blushing face, ncing at Linna and Rayna, who were both in his embrace, a trace of envy shing in her eyes...


    Perhaps she would never receive the same kind of affection from him...


    "Mm~"


    This time, Rayna was quite bold and initiated a kiss. Sterl wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as they shared a deep kiss. The sweet fragrance of the girl uplifted his spirits.


    Then, Linna, who was quick to follow up, pushed him against the wall, and they exchanged kisses for a while. Eventually, Sterl gently helped the flushed girl to the side.


    He felt...


    Perhaps Rosalie had been too dazzling in her previous performances. Now that the demigod girl was absent, the others wanted to shine for a moment.


    ording to the usual pattern, Sterl should have been gearing up for a wild celebration, but instead, he wore a wary expression.He had initially nned to indulge a bit, but suddenly remembered the various stories he had seen before transmigrating��both viins and heroes often faced setbacks due to trivial matters, just like what had happened with Rosalie this time��


    Logically, since she had gone out to search for traces of a powerful aura and hadn''t found much yet, being called back should not result in any unexpected incidents.


    But that "it shouldn''t cause any issues" mindset��


    Often led to unexpected events!!


    Sterl absolutely refused to set any gs!


    He said earnestly, "I don''t know what Rosalie has found out over there. Just to be safe, I''ll go check it out first. After that, we can continue��"


    He exhaled as he spoke to the girls who were so close to him. He could sense that the three girls were already somewhat damp below, their eyes filled with emotion.


    But Sterl''s thoughts were to remain calm in such moments!


    He must not entertain any feelings ofcency.


    "Alright, then we''ll continue handling matters rted to the base," Teresa and Rayna responded obediently.


    Linna deliberately pretended to be upset.


    "Hmph."


    She sat there, all haughty.


    Sterl chuckled as he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, then with a few swift movements, he teleported away from the base.


    The scenery outside the base had changed quite a bit.


    Originally, this was just a parched, barren mountain. However, thanks to Sterl releasing Purification Ripple a few times each time he logged off, the once deste mountain had transformed into a lushndscape. It even seemed to have attracted various birds and animals, giving it a vibrant and lively appearance.


    There were also some craftsmen that Sterl had captured in the past. At some point, they had returned to normal thanks to the purified environment and had married, started families, and were now enjoying pics with their loved ones in the forest, their faces radiating happiness.


    "Teresa and the others mentioned that various bases have some individuals who suffered severe radiation exposure, and they are often driven away. Our base has been secretly rescuing these people, which has gradually increased our manpower," Sterl mused. "It seems that most of them have restored a normal life now."


    A smile crept onto Sterl''s lips. As long as it didn''t affect his own interests, he was more than willing to do good deeds like this. Helping his kind was an instinctive behavior ingrained in human gics, a way to please oneself.


    Sterl nced around. If one overlooked the extremely deste post-apocalyptic scenery, the area outside the base was quite simr to the park he remembered from before his transmigration.


    "These animals must have been collected by Rosalie," he thought. "Only she could traverse the wastnd and gather various materials from before the copse of Earth''s civilization."


    "But�� these animals theoretically shouldn''t be able to survive in the wild. Could it be that she stole them from someboratories in popted areas?" Sterl felt a mix of admiration and concern as he surveyed the scenery outside.


    It seemed Rosalie had been working diligently. But then he realized why the demigod girl was tracking down the traces of a powerful aura. Rosalie likely roamed through the wastnd frequently... collecting many rare specimens to fill Sterl''s base, while also encountering various dangerous situations.


    For instance, at this moment, she might have stumbled upon secrets concerning the human race on Earth, which could exin why Sterl was so anxious to find her.


    Using his connection to the Illuminated King avatar, he quickly traversed several fragmented continental tes. He eventually paused his movements, not because he had found Rosalie''s trace, but because he was momentarily taken aback while floating in the air.


    Before him was a wave of energy that felt extremely familiar.


    "Shadow power and the divine authority of the moon?"


    "This fluctuation��"


    Sterl was astonished. The wave of the moon''s divine authority resonated closely with the Moon Law he had mastered.


    No, it was more than a simple resonance!


    This moon divine authority was the higher tier of the Moon Law that Sterl had stolen! It originated from Gloria''s power!


    Sterl focused his senses again and faintly detected the scattered remnants of Divine Power around him. He also saw strange nts nourished by the blood of deities after they had been wounded.


    "A brutal battle urred here not long ago��"


    "The gods were fighting each other, and Gloria clearly suffered significant losses."


    Closing his eyes to sense more deeply, Sterl came to a conclusion. He then noticed amidst the tumultuous Divine Power, a trace of Law Power associated with curses.


    This fluctuation was identical to Rosalie''s!


    "So, she got caught up in Gloria''s personal vendetta?"


    Sterl felt a wave of relief wash over him. Forget about any gratitude Gloria might owe him. He had long since understood that she bore some responsibility concerning the human race on Earth and wanted to pass that responsibility onto him...


    It was simply a matter of mutual exploitation.


    Sterl would not risk his life for a mere Fission Law to help the so-called race. He felt reassured that Gloria had actively erased her memories, clearly not wanting to be tied to the secrets of the human race on Earth. Even if something happened to her, it wouldn''t trigger any retaliatory mechanisms within the human race.


    With that thought, Sterl felt a wave of calm wash over him. As for Rosalie, even if this situation turned deadly, it wouldn''t bring any mes of disaster down upon him.


    He carefully discerned the other Divine Powers in the current area... After hesitating for a moment, he decided to pursue them!


    Sterl was curious why there were multiple Divine Powers present; there should only be one god, Gloria, on Earth. For the safety of his base, it was best to eliminate any divine presence. Additionally, the benefits of hunting gods included the soul experience converted from the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    Although each god provided only a small amount of experience, Sterl had no other means to gain experience at the moment.


    In his quest to cheat his way to a higher level, he needed to cherish every opportunity to gain soul experience.


    After following the trail, Sterl found himself amidst the ruins of a city. Despite the ravages of hundreds of years, the area remained rtively intact due to its location in a basin, shielded from harsh winds and rains. The vestiges of its former glory were still evident.


    He stood before a massive, corroded billboard that had been reduced to a skeletal steel frame. In the distance, it seemed a significant earthquake had torn apart a corridor, splitting it into two; one half perched high while the othery in a valley. The ground was a grayish hue, covered with weeds and the remnants of a concrete road.


    In the high air of the street''s center, Sterl spotted a faint golden figure hovering near Gloria, who appeared somewhat disheveled in her flowing robes. Surrounding her were three shadowy figures, exuding a bloody aura.


    "Why bother?"


    "Struggling is futile."


    "Gloria, you know that in this cataclysm, the weak have no chance of survival."


    "Since that''s the case, why not convert your life into our sustenance?"


    ...


    The three figures were all entities possessing either moon or shadowws. They had arrived on Earth by tracking Gloria with special items, having followed her to her offline location.


    At that moment, their expressions were rxed as theymunicated telepathically with one another.


    "I thought there would be risks in finding her offline, but this called Earth is so weak; even a demigod is a rarity."


    "After we swallow Gloria''s divine authority and divine power, let''s wipe out those Earth humans as a nice bonus, to vent our frustrations."


    "I wonder why this bitch Gloria has so many trump cards. I had to exert so much effort just to force her into this corner."


    "Wait, how about we don''t kill her right away?"


    "Let''s have some fun first, brothers."


    They disyed none of the so-called "nobility" of gods. Instead, they resembled three thugs, their eyes filled with lust and ferocity, while the powers of shadow and the moon swirling around them appeared extremely restless.


    Gloria''s face paled slightly. Though the three godsmunicated with their minds, they made no effort to conceal their words. She was close enough to hear everything!

 Chapter 463 The Gradual Fall of the Gods

    "Before, I was the one hunting others; now, am I finally facing retribution?"


    "And�� these people have lost all their divinity. Is this catastrophe truly the prophesied end?"


    "The separation of the upper and lower realms forcibly weakened the power of the cmity, but in the end, it created an unprecedented disaster. How ironic."


    Gloria wore an expression of resignation. She hade to terms with her desperate situation; given her ability to strike against other gods to evade the cmity, it seemed only reasonable that she would also be prey.


    Even the filthy words of the three other gods didn''t particrly bother her. Although no one had touched her physical form, the many years of her divine existence had nearly worn down Gloria''s humanity; purity meant nothing to her now.


    Theoretically, it should have been this way. Yet for some reason, a flicker of fear and resistance, apanied by a feeling of disgust, began to rise within Gloria.


    She was terrified of death.


    The thought of those three twisted-faced gods tearing her garments and savagely attacking her made her want to vomit!


    The sh of these two emotions left her feeling unsettled, confused, and afraid. This strange turmoil felt utterly bizarre to Gloria!


    After all, she had faced enemies who coveted her beauty and had encountered near-death situations before, yet she had remained remarkably calm in those moments. Now, however, Gloria found herself inexplicably overwhelmed with chaotic emotions.


    Still, this detail was something the goddess strangely overlooked. She continued to focus her energy on the battlefield.


    From the eyes of the other three gods, she saw madness and a barely perceptible flicker of me.


    Did she begin to realize something?


    These three gods were not right.


    Although Gloria imed to have erased her memories concerning the human race on Earth, in truth, it was merely an act facilitated by "David."


    The gaze of the upper realms was omnipresent. Gloria knew she was likely being watched, so she devised a method of "memory erasure" as a form of cleansing.


    In that moment, she resolutely entrusted everything to her sessors. However, after several days, her memories began to resurface.


    Gloria''s actions were not only to ensure that David would not fail to carry on the legacy of the human race on Earth. It was also because she had an inkling that this cmity was somewhat abnormal. If this truly was the foretold disaster that would bury [Transcendence] in the cycle of destruction and rebirth, then��


    Her knowledge was far too limited, and she would undoubtedly meet her end.


    For this reason...


    As Gloria observed the frenzied behavior of the three gods, she wouldn''t react in the same calm manner as Sterl, who merely viewed gods as slightly stronger humans, with emotional fluctuations being normal.


    Gloria understood that, after attaining divinity, a god symbolically represented a natural force in the lower realm, even if that representation could be multifaceted.


    But since they had already be embodiments of the world��entities devoid of emotions and will��this inherently led to the gods possessing divinity, which meant their various feelings gradually faded.


    Now, the three gods before her, each wielding shadow and moon divine authority, were utterly devoid of any resemnce to ordinary beings. Where had their divinity gone?


    Gloria suddenly looked up and asked, "What happened recently in Alpha 8? Is it a change in the connection between the upper and lower realms, or is there a problem with the Crystal Barrier Gxy system?"


    Her tone was calm.


    "Well, if you want to ask, you should be the one to answer! What do you think you are?"


    "You''re about to die, and you still have the nerve to worry about these things?"


    "If you want to know,e over and lick me, ha ha!"


    Apanied by even more vicious insults, the three gods mocked her, and the one who uttered thest words even pretended to pull down his pants.


    However, it was precisely because of their intense emotional fluctuations that Gloria caught a glimpse of the truth.


    Had the world already begun to merge?


    When she had mentioned that term moments ago, the three frenzied gods disyed a moment of bewilderment.


    The Dark Moon Goddess finally understood: it was likely that all the divine essence of the gods in Alpha 8 had already been lost at this moment, including�� herself.


    "No wonder I felt a bit panicked just now��"


    "Is it because I''ve restored my human traits?"


    "And if I hadn''t realized that I was losing my divinity, I wouldn''t have even noticed that my emotions were off, because they were thoughts I should have had all along, just suppressed by my divinity."


    Gloria murmured to herself.


    In a scenario of world merging, the "world''s" authority expanded, while the powers wielded by the gods remained stagnant. Naturally, they could no longer represent a certain "phenomenon."


    Thus, gods became human.


    "But even if I''ve regained my humanity, it shouldn''t be like this�� should it? Is it consistent with the fable that if it''s confirmed that the cmity is unprecedented, one should immediately log off and never log back in, or else risk being burned to ashes by the mad me?"


    "These three guys don''t seem to have regained their humanity; their emotions are far too intense, bordering on madness."


    "So, I can already deduce that the end-time cmity ising??"


    The more Gloria thought about it, the more her scalp tingled.


    The scene before her confirmed that this cmity would be terrifying beyond measure!


    Yet soon, she found a sense of resignation.


    Cornered by three gods of equal standing, with no hope of survival, even if it was a world-ending cmity, what of it?


    After I die, let it rain down!


    Though she had resigned herself to death, she couldn''t help but ponder.


    "Previously, those who ascended to godhood in a limited world enjoyed the blessings of the world''s will within that small realm, gaining divinity. But would they gradually go mad after the small realm shatters and merges?"


    "If they don''t log into the game, perhaps they can avoid this side effect."


    She formed her own hypothesis.


    At the same time, Gloria felt an immense sense of urgency. If the three in front of her still possessed some rationality, there might still be a chance for negotiation to secure her escape.


    Now, however, these three gods were screaming at her like lunatics, making it impossible to avoid battle through conversation.


    Their madness would only provide them with advantages inbat.


    While she could rationally predict their moves, the three crazed beings would often unleash unexpected attacks!


    Those three mad gods could make countless mistakes, but if she failed to dodge even once, it would mean certain death!


    Gloria felt the darkness closing in around her.


    She had finally understood... the cmity had officially arrived, and the first wave of disaster was the cmity of humanity. With the trend of world merging, countless gods would unknowingly descend into madness!


    The turmoil brought about by these mad beings alone would lead to the annihtion of countless lives!


    Realizing this crucial point, Gloria closed her mouth and fell silent. In the face of an inevitable death, she didn''t want to share her spection with the three crazed gods, letting them carry that information back to Alpha 8.


    Gloria only wished to watch the world burn, apanying it to her grave!


    Yet, she cast a regretful nce at the golden phantom beside her.


    "Rosalie, I''ve dragged you into this."


    "You finally managed to break free from your mother, only to end up facing a fate of being soul shattered."


    The Dark Moon Goddess spoke gently at that moment. Although there was still a holy air about her, it was merely a reflection of her appearance and style, no longer exuding a chilling authority.


    This sense of divinity instead sparked another''s desire to vite it, to defile it.


    That other�� was clearly Rosalie.


    She felt herself drooling a little at the thought of offering this goddess to her master for his amusement, watching as this incredibly noble and majestic being dribbled, her expression dazed, her body covered in thick, sticky fluid...


    Rosalie sensed that she was on the verge of... getting wet!


    However, in front of Gloria, Rosalie couldn''t express her true feelings; she could onlyfort the goddess in return: "Lady Gloria, I''m fine."


    "Compared to my original fate of being refined by my mother, at least I''ve been quite happy during this time."


    "Living with Lord David has brought color back to my world."


    "I even have the time to learn about the stories of this civilization that was destroyed by disaster."


    "Though it was only a brief moment, I truly experienced happiness, and I have no regrets in death."


    Rosalie''s words rang with conviction, causing a flicker of emotion to sh in Gloria''s eyes.


    In her memories, Rosalie, the demigod, had a notoriously bad reputation, yet under David''s influence, she had be so gentle and kind.


    Could it be that this junior of mine was naturally the kind of hero who could bring light and hope to those around her?


    In reality, Gloria was unaware that Rosalie''s rediscovery of herself and her newfound happiness referred to her daily attempts to engage her master in BDSM y, where she yed the role of the submissive.


    While the two were chatting, the three gods around them continued to exert the purest Divine Power, causing a faint purple protective shield around Gloria to sway precariously, on the verge of breaking.


    It was evident that this final line of defense was about to be shattered.


    A flicker of despair crossed Gloria''s eyes.


    The dark purple shield was none other than a treasure of the human race on Earth, capable of absorbing an amount of Divine Power equivalent to three times its own to form a shield.


    In the past, this item had helped Gloria navigate through numerous perilous situations.


    It was one of the highest technological achievements of the human race on Earth before their lineage hade to an end.


    Now, faced with thebined assault of the three gods, this shield was powerless��


    Moreover, yet another relic left by old friends would be lost to her.


    There was no way around it; defensive measures would eventually lead to destruction.


    Just as the shield was about to be destroyed, with cracks beginning to appear, Rosalie suddenly froze, sensing a faint signal!


    It was the soul fluctuations from her master.


    Rosalie was taken aback, feeling both joy and panic.

 Chapter 464 Am I Being Played With??

    Rosalie was surprised. If her master had tracked her down all the way here, he would surely have noticed the signs of divine conflict among the gods. Given Sterl''s cautious nature, it was unreasonable for him toe and check on the situation��


    The joy she felt stemmed from her realization that the only reason her master woulde here was due to her safety. Could it be that he cared about her that much? It couldn''t possibly be because of Gloria; their rtionship wasn''t that deep.


    "Do I... hold a significant ce in my master''s heart?"


    "All this time, he looked at me with such hostility, as if I would be killed for inadvertently stumbling upon one of his secrets. It turns out that was just a facade."


    "My master treats me like this, yet I often doubted his intentions. I really should be ashamed!"


    The demigod girl felt a surge of emotion.


    But in the next moment, a wave of panic washed over her. Saving herself? That was impossible!


    After all, a single god would be more than enough for her master to handle, and her mother had made it so that he couldn''t summon her freely in the Hall of Valor.


    Now, there were three gods!


    Even if their strength was far inferior to her mother''s, three against one was still formidable!


    If her master came to save her, even if he managed to hold off one of the gods alongside Gloria, the remaining two respected deities could easily crush Sterl.


    It wasn''t just abouting to her rescue; even merely watching from afar was a risk!


    The perception abilities of gods were incredibly strong!


    Rosalie felt utterly helpless. She couldn''t even warn Sterl to escape quickly; any hint of her anxiety might lead those three mad gods to uncover her master''s whereabouts.


    The demigod girl was in a state of turmoil.


    Having already resigned herself to death, she believed that her master''s coldness and ruthlessness would never lead him to confront the gods for her sake. She had been prepared to ept her fate.


    After all, back in the Heavenly Curtain Canyon, she should have already perished.


    But now, with a glimmer of hope, Rosalie found herself in greater agony.


    She had always been a child starved for love. The constraints imposed by the Illuminated King, while not as powerful as a deputy star, still had the subtle ability to alter the thoughts of those under control.


    Yet, from Sterl, she had felt the genuine sensation of being alive��the thrill of frenzy coursing through her.


    Moreover, she was deeply moved by the thought that her master hade personally to rescue her��


    Instantly, she felt overwhelmed!


    She could only think of urging Sterl to flee!


    But all she could do was desperately chant in her heart.


    "Master, please don''t do anything rash! This is divine level danger!"


    "Just abandon me! Find another avatar. With your strength, you''ll catch up soon enough. Clear some space, and just arrange for a divine level avatar!"


    Wuwuwu��


    Forget about me.


    Rosalie knew that her master''s Illuminated King protection could read the thoughts of his avatars.


    She thought, if Sterl was currently reading her mind to gather information, then she needed to rush him to escape!


    Then, the demigod girl''s eyes lit up as she sensed that her mental connection with Sterl had been established.


    "My thoughts should have been transmitted��"


    "Thank goodness."


    "At least my master won''t be in danger."


    However, Rosalie''s moment of relief didn''tst long.


    She noticed that her master had no intention of leaving.


    What was he nning to do?


    Should I just take my own life?


    That way, her master wouldn''t need toe to her rescue.


    Damn it, I can''t take my own life.


    Rosalie had initially considered self-detonation, but then realized that as an avatar, her life was in Sterl''s hands. When he didn''t give themand, she had a degree of autonomy, but her right to life wasn''t included in that. She couldn''t even kill herself if she wanted to!


    No!


    "Master, please hurry and leave!"


    Rosalie was on the verge of tears, and she could almost see Sterl being easily torn apart by the gods.


    ��


    On the other side, Sterl frowned slightly.


    He sensed a wave of chaotic emotionsing from his avatar, and after reading her thoughts, he was speechless.


    Rosalie was so confident?


    She still thought I was here to save her?


    However��


    He looked at the expression on Rosalie''s face, which was filled with a sense of "loyalty."


    Sterl remained calm. He knew he could safely hide off to the side without worrying about Rosalie causing trouble that would reveal his position.


    As for�� taking action?


    Sterl had no intention of doing so. Earlier, to ensure the golden code remained hidden, he had used his Holy Spirit Bloodline''s daily enhancement to evolve shadowLaw into divine authority.


    Now he was down one important trump card. Even though Sterl sensed that the three rather mboyant gods before him weren''t particrly strong��


    One of them wielded both shadow and moon divine authority, while the other two each possessed one of those divine authorities.


    But their auras felt somewhat weak; they were weaker than the newly ascended god he encountered from the Golden Kingdom back in Hell.


    These three gods had likely ascended to divinity not long ago.


    During this time, Sterl had experienced quite a bit, especially in the Starry n''s underground pce, where he had battled mummies and Princess Billie. He was aware that his output was exceptionally powerful within the divine level.


    After ascending to godhood, unleashing Shattered Void would easily finish them off!


    But what if��?


    Just like Gloria, who managed to hold off three gods with a shield for quite a while.


    It was reasonable to assume these three gods also had their own hidden cards.


    Sterl decided not to rush into action and would wait for Gloria to expend some of her strength first.


    Moreover��


    Sterl had also sensed Gloria''s movements through Rosalie.


    From Gloria''s words, he could deduce two points��


    First, this goddess was unaware of the recent changes in Alpha 8 and did not know whether she was in seclusion or had simply not logged in while remaining on Earth.


    Second, Gloria was aware of some information regarding the world merging.


    However, this point contradicted the first one.


    The world merging, theoretically, had only urred this time!


    Based on known historical information, Sterl could infer that during the Starry n era, the world was a whole, followed by a division into the upper and lower realms, and then it fragmented into countless Crystal Barrier Gxies.


    The current merging of worlds only came after thest division.


    How could Gloria have known in advance that the world would merge??


    This meant that after the separation of the upper and lower realms, the re-merging of the world was an inevitability?? And it had been prophesied by someone.


    Sterl''s heart trembled!


    This time, he hade to investigate, and the situation was not the crisis he had imagined.


    Turning down Linna and the others'' advances had indeed paid off; he had gained ess to such valuable information, and it was worth it!


    Afterpleting his analysis, Sterl''s expression shifted, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth as he wore a half-smile.


    "Gloria didn''t tell me the truth back then��"


    His gaze was indifferent.


    "Previously, the innocence and confusion she disyed after wiping her memories were just a facade."


    "I''ve been yed."


    Sterl had never really trusted Gloria, but he still felt a twinge of annoyance. Back then, he genuinely thought Gloria had be much more lively after losing her memories, and a bit troublesome��best to keep some distance.


    In any case, he felt like a puppet being manipted.


    However, Sterl knew he wasn''t clever enough and had instinctively doubted everything, preparing himself mentally for the possibility that Gloria was deceiving him. That had led to his current calm judgment.


    So, he was quite irritated.


    "No matter what secrets you''re hiding, it doesn''t matter."


    "You''re in my hands today."


    "I''ll take you down, and once I''ve trained into a deputy star, you''ll obediently tell me everything."


    Sterl quietly watched the battlefield ahead.


    He was waiting for the right moment to force out some of the gods'' hidden cards, and just as Gloria was about to fall, he would strike!


    At that time, he could guarantee that the Dark Moon Goddess would not escape his grasp!


    Pop!


    Apanied by a soft sound, Gloria''s incredibly valuable protective artifact shattered instantly!


    Completely destroyed!


    It turned into a wisp of pale purple light.


    Sterl''s mouth twitched; he felt a pang of regret. He had been quite envious of that protective artifact, which allowed Gloria to withstand the onught of three gods for so long��it clearly had exceptional utility!


    Now, it was gone!


    Sterl felt helpless; after all, the information in Gloria''s possession was far more important.


    As for using the Key of the Realms to look up information, Sterl would rather use that tool to venture into the upper realms than enter a room filled with stored data.


    Especially now that he knew Gloria had been pulling a fast one on him, he was even less inclined to take unnecessary risks.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Gloria smiled calmly.


    "Rosalie, try to escape."


    "I''ll give you a push."


    With that, she prepared to gather Divine Power and "throw" Rosalie away.


    The three gods outside were extremely frenzied and wouldn''t let Rosalie escape, but they wouldn''t actively hunt down a "weak" demigod either.


    Doing this��


    Perhaps it would earn David some goodwill.


    It would help fulfill the wishes of her people better.


    Gloria thought to herself.


    From Rosalie''s words, she had analyzed that David seemed indifferent to outsiders but appeared quite decent to his own people.


    He had helped a girl who once had psychological issues regain her life!


    Whether Rosalie survived after being thrown out was not important.


    What mattered was that David would know she had sacrificed herst chance of survival to do this!


    However, upon hearing Gloria''s words, Rosalie shook her head vigorously!


    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to live, but she felt the odds were slim.


    Faced with the pursuit of three gods, any move Gloria made would be meaningless. Under the onught of Divine Power, her chances of survival were no more than 1%!


    Even as an "avatar," Divine Power was enough to crush everything; there was no way Rosalie could be revived.


    Gloria''s rescue would only result in her own death and the senseless demise of the Dark Moon Goddess!


    It would be better to��


    Rosalie decisively shouted, "Lady Gloria, given the situation, do you really think I have any chance of surviving?"


    "May as well go down fighting with those three guys; if I''m going to die, I''ll at least take a piece of them with me!"

 Chapter 465 Customized Iridescent-Level Ability?

    Rosalie''s thoughts were clear.


    No matter what her master intended, it was good to have Gloria fight against the three gods and force out some information! If, afterwards, her master could take revenge and y these three gods, it would be much easier with that information in hand. At that point, it would count as a contribution from Gloria.


    Upon hearing this, the Dark Moon Goddess was momentarily taken aback.


    She hadn''t expected Rosalie to be so resolute!


    For David to cultivate such a subordinate, his own character must be quite extraordinary!


    Indeed, what she had previously encountered was merely the tip of the iceberg!


    Gloria felt a surge of joy, thinking that she would have no regrets in death; with such a hidden dragon among the human race on Earth, how could they not rise again?


    She revealed a determined expression: "Good, you, a demigod, have such awareness."


    "Why should I fear life and death?"


    "Come on!"


    Gloria charged out of the remnants of her shield, not even waiting for thest moment when the purple mist would disappear��a moment during which her invincible shield could still hold.


    It was precisely because of this that, caught off guard by her sudden attack, the three gods could have interrupted Gloria''s offensive but instead allowed the Dark Moon Goddess to sessfully unleash her domain.


    A dark purple moon emerged, radiating endless light, enveloping the entire Heavenly Curtain!


    This was the Dark Moon Goddess''s full power!


    Under the moonlight, the once barren and dpidated ruins of the city began to be restored bit by bit, with flowers and nts sprouting forth, transforming into monsters with sharp thorns and crimson branches.


    The monsters worshipped the moonlight as they soared into the sky, charging towards the other three gods! Though these creatures didn''t seem very powerful, the ws shining on them carried the lethal force of Divine Power!


    The other three gods felt their foreheads pulse wildly, rising feelings of immense vignce and unease. Chapter Find:


    Gloria was radiating with iridescent light.


    When she unleashed her divine authority, the domain she called forth was her Iridescent-Level skill.


    This scene caused the hearts of the three gods, Sterl included, to stop for a moment!


    Holy crap!!


    Sterl''s expression changed.


    Gloria''s Iridescent-Level ability felt all wrong; it perfectly matched her divine authority, Divine Power, and personal style.


    It was as if this ability had been tailor-made for her.


    Or perhaps��


    It was like an Iridescent-Level ability that Gloria had created herself.


    But both scenarios were impossible.


    tinum Skills usually required a quasi-divine fall to form when striving toward the realm of divinity.


    Some tinum Skill abilities not formed through this method had been passed down since ancient times, and skills like Sterl''s Shattered Void originated from "other worlds."


    This "other" should refer to worlds outside the entire Crystal Barrier Gxy System.


    On the other hand, Iridescent-Level skills were exclusively ancient abilities that had been passed down.


    The existing gods were long past their prime to create new Iridescent-Level abilities.


    This meant that even someone as powerful as Sterl would have to wait until he ascended to godhood to obtain a customized Iridescent-Level move through a radiant-level profession.


    Moreover, that skill would merely be closely rted to his upational system, his talents, the arcane skills he practiced, and the powers he had been researching, with no direct corrtion.


    Yet the Iridescent-Level ability in Gloria''s hands perfectly aligned with her Dark Moon power!


    This was something that should have been impossible, yet it was happening right before their eyes!


    Sterl''s heart raced!


    If it were any other day, he would have spected about how Gloria obtained this ability, but now he didn''t need to think too much. Once he captured the Dark Moon Goddess, he would naturally find the answer.


    "If I can acquire an Iridescent-Level ability that perfectly aligns with my own, mybat power will surely skyrocket!"


    Sterl''s heart thumped with excitement. He felt�� today would yield significant rewards!


    At the same moment, the other three gods seemed to sense a strange wave in the realm of consciousness.


    Even information that Sterl was aware of wasmon knowledge for the three of them, who, although newly ascended gods, had lived for several hundred years!


    They were ecstatic!


    In fact��


    The once unbreakable alliance among the three began to show signs of strain.


    They couldn''t help but ponder: if they actually captured Gloria and directly killed her, would that be a waste?


    Perhaps it was more important to extract the source of this customized Iridescent-Level ability?


    And what if opportunities to obtain this customized Iridescent-Level ability were limited? How should they divide it?


    Though the three gods had entertained the idea of capturing her alive, their actions remained swift. The monsters summoned by Gloria were closing in on them!


    An unpleasant aura emanated from the creatures.


    They were about to pounce on their target.


    At that moment, another dark moon rose!


    However, its glow was slightly dimmer than Gloria''s.


    It couldn''t summon various monsters to attack the enemies, but fortunately, under the illumination of this dark moon, the creatures released by Gloria were severely suppressed.


    In a divine-level war, powers of the same origin inherently counteract each other!


    Thus, Gloria''s monsters were rendered immobile; their mere presence alleviated a significant amount of pressure from their master.


    Gloria swiftly suppressed the deity with the same shadow moon and dual divine authority.


    The second dark moon rapidly waned.


    But this advantage couldn''t be maintained for long.


    At this moment, the other two gods also began to glow with rainbow-colored light, signifying the night''s veil and the dark curtain sweeping away. It bore some resemnce to the abilities of the deity Marlon that Sterl had encountered earlier.


    Next, a pure white moon rose, exhaling moonlight and providing countless nutrients to the slightly weaker dark moon��


    With the united strength of the three gods, the collision of their pure divine authority produced no explosive sh of skills, leaving behind a serene moonlit scene��


    Three moons in the sky.


    However, the brightest dark moon, though it had a more formidable presence, was gradually suppressed by the other two moonlights.


    Instantly, Gloria''s momentum was crushed!


    She even coughed up a bit of blood.


    The collision of the same Origin Powers was the most unadorned; it appeared beautiful, yet it was the most terrifying in terms of lethality for both gods.


    Divine Power, divine authority, and life force would all be obliterated in the process of collision!


    Despite Gloria possessing a perfectly crafted Iridescent-Level skill, she was unable to unleash its power!!


    Under the sh of pure strength, she found it impossible to leverage her output advantage to defeat her enemies one by one.


    Gloria''s strength continued to wane, and within the three gods, someone impatiently spoke using their mental prowess: "Wait, don''t kill her yet! We still need to ask her about the information on the Iridescent-Level ability."


    The speaker was the god who wielded shadow divine authority.


    The leader of the team, who wielded dual divine authority, shot a strange nce at hispanions beforeughing heartily, "No problem."


    "When the timees, the three of us bros will definitely see a surge in strength!"


    As soon as the words left his mouth, a cold glint shed in the leader''s eyes.


    "Three bros?"


    Sorry, I only need myself.


    Once I seize Gloria''s powers, I''ll take your divine authority as well, and obtain a tailored Iridescent-Level ability. Even when faced with future cmities, I will have the means to protect myself. Who would still want to mix with you?


    This foresightful god didn''t feel invincible based on his current ns.


    He had simply realized earlier that the information about the customized Iridescent-Level ability was far too important. He didn''t trust his two friends to keep the secret perfectly safe.


    Even if the other two gods wouldn''t subjectively leak the information, what if they encountered a strong enemy and things went awry?


    Naturally, they would have to use their customized abilities. If they still couldn''t hold their ground, they would inevitably be interrogated and forced to reveal rted information.


    Although they could establish a contract stating that anyone who disclosed information would be exterminated, the fear of being painfully tortured and interrogated was clearly more terrifying than a painless execution by [Transcendence].


    If these two bros ever sold him out, as the one possessing the customized Iridescent-Level ability, he would never know peace again. The upper limits of power in this world might be mere Divine Power, but those ancient monsters��


    They were truly terrifying!


    Thinking back to the woman he had once seen, smiling as she ughtered dozens of gods, the leader felt a chill run down his spine!


    Meanwhile, on Gloria''s side, Rosalie was somewhat surprised. She knew information about the Iridescent-Level ability, and suddenly felt that she wouldn''t die in vain.


    So, the girl desperately chanted in her heart:


    "Master, Gloria has information about the customized Iridescent-Level ability. After she dies, you should check the sixth and seventh gathering zones."


    "I discovered that when Gloria was being hunted, she passed through two locations where she might have stored or retrieved some important items."


    "Master, Gloria has a customized Iridescent-Level ability��"


    Rosalie didn''t know what situation Sterl was in, so she could only use this clumsy method to try to convey the message.


    On the other hand, Gloria''s expression grew darker and more desperate.


    She had hoped that by revealing the secret of her customized Iridescent-Level ability with the [Dark Moon Domain], the three gods would turn on each other.


    Unfortunately��


    She was overthinking!


    At this moment, the three gods appeared even more united, working together to generate a tide of Divine Power that pressed toward Gloria!


    The moonlight filled the sky, merging together, yet it resembled two chemical reagents that would react violently.


    Various smoke and foam rapidly ascended.


    Divine Power was mutually destructive, emitting a rainbow-colored spectrum that obliterated everything around them.


    The remnants of the city that could still be seen gradually turned to ashes.


    Gloria was being suppressed more and more; her dark moon was slowly sinking in the sky, as if it were about to set.


    She understood that if only the dark moons of the three hostile gods remained in the sky��


    It would mean she would instantly lose all ability to resist!


    Helpless, she could only grit her teeth and pull a crystal stone from her backpack, crushing it.


    Instantly, Gloria''s aura surged with renewed strength!

 Chapter 466 Glorias Desperate Situation

    A radiant glow erupted from the Dark Moon Goddess, and then a dark purple silhouette separated from her, summoning another moon to help alleviate the pressure on Gloria. However, thebat power provided by this avatar onlysted for a few fleeting moments before being suppressed and shattered by the tidal wave of Divine Power from the three gods!


    Not all avatars are like Sterl''s Bionic Tear, possessing nearly all of the main body''sbat prowess.


    Gloria''s energy phantom only held 1/4 of the Dark Moon Goddess''s strength, and this power rapidly diminished as the avatar remained summoned.


    Now that she had begun to use her items, Gloria didn''t hesitate to pull out another crystal stone.


    From a distance, Sterl''s eyes lit up at this scene.


    "This is more like it!"


    "Keep struggling!"


    "You''re a seasoned deity; use those trump cards of yours! Otherwise, how can you possibly deserve the title of an old deity?"


    Previously, in theyer of hell, he had seen how gods fought desperately, each one smashing valuable crystal stones without a second thought!


    Even if Gloria had already exhausted some resources against the three gods, she couldn''t bepletely drained. Sterl was waiting for Gloria to expend herst life-saving items! It would be even better if it forced the three gods to use some of their resources too.


    So the battle continued in a tug-of-war.


    Gloria repeatedly brought out her treasured resources and items, stabilizing her formation. She even managed to mount a few sessful counterattacks.


    She summoned a massive dark purple dragon, which injured the enemy god who wielded shadow divine authority.


    The sudden enhancement to the monsters summoned by her Iridescent-Level skill left two deep, bone-deep wounds on the leader of the opposing gods.


    However, that was where the sess ended.


    After sustaining a wound, the leader decisively activated an item that strengthened his summoned dark moon, causing the moonlight to suddenly be intensely corrosive.


    As a result, the monsters summoned by Gloria were quickly burned alive.


    This led to a rapid surge in the pressure she was under.


    The dark moon, which had been stabilizing, began to sink again.


    In this moment, Gloria could only watch helplessly as her moon gradually descended, making no moves at all. It was clear that her previous effort had been a desperate gamble.


    Gloria not only had a customized Iridescent-Level skill but also a simrly tiered divine-level customized red item toplement it!


    Even though she was facing two opponents, she had managed to sessfully take down the leader god and could easily defeat the remaining one!


    Unfortunately, the total disparity in Divine Power from thebined efforts of the three gods was far too great.


    Gloria had saved her items forst, hoping to take down one enemy, but that didn''t happen at all��


    The previously frantic three gods disyed remarkablebat prowess in this final moment. They no longer uttered any taunts; instead, they focused intently on controlling their powers as they swept toward her!


    The curtain of night in the sky flowed continuously, absorbing the pure moonlight, and ultimately, all the power surged into the dark moon opposing Gloria.


    Finally...


    Swish!


    Gloria''s brilliance waspletely devoured.


    Pffft.


    She spat out a mouthful of blood and half-kneeled on the ground, the severe bacsh causing her flesh to continuously erupt.


    The whole person shattered like a magnificent firework, breaking apart again and again!


    Such a bloody scene brought a look of sheer delight to the three gods, as the powers symbolizing shadow divine authority and lunar divine authority surged into the air with Gloria''s destruction, allowing them to absorb it at will.


    The sense of fulfillment and exhration from the enhancement of their divine authority was irresistible, even for gods, who found themselves intoxicated by its allure!


    Then, the three gods moved suddenly, once again raising the gigantic dark moon that dominated the sky. Countless strands of purple Divine Power transformed into numerous entwined threads, rushing toward Gloria.


    These threads swept past Rosalie,pletely ignoring her.


    However, Rosalie felt no embarrassment; instead, she was quite pleased. Every second she lived gave her a chance to do something for her master.


    Rosalie continued to chant in her mind��


    "Master, I have new information!"


    "Gloria''s customized Iridescent-Level ability actually has apanying items! You must check out the locations I mentioned!"


    "Gloria''s customized Iridescent-Level��"


    Rosalie didn''t believe she would survive, but she felt at ease repeating the message, hoping to convey the information.


    The three gods did not think a demigod could stir up any trouble andpletely ignored her.


    In the sky, countless threads constructed a cage!


    From the front, back, and sides��


    They were surrounded on all sides!


    There was no way to escape.


    Just as the threads were about to envelop Gloria, the Dark Moon Goddess''s gaze became dazed under the bacsh.


    A figure appeared at the center of the battlefield��it was Sterl!


    At this moment, the threads were just a few steps away from Gloria.


    Perhaps, in a split second, the Dark Moon Goddess would be captured!


    But then, a sudden change urred!


    The newly appeared figure was, of course, Sterl.


    He had deliberately harnessed the power of the Time Law to perfectly time his entrance!


    Mostly, it just looked cooler that way��


    However, he noticed that upon his arrival, the three gods werepletely unfazed!


    Their expressions remained unchanged, and their mental fortitude was unshaken.


    It wasn''t an act; the three gods simply ignored Sterl.


    They continued to channel the power of the dark moon, intent on capturing Gloria.


    The reason was��


    Even though Sterl''s entrance was striking and perfectly timed, his aura hadn''t changed.


    He was prudent and didn''t rush to activate his ascension to godhood before the battle began.


    If he were to fail, he would just use a resurrection item, and then ascend to godhood during his invincibility period.


    With an Imperishable soul, who could kill Sterl?


    Moreover, he had to conserve his Divine Power, using a little less each time!


    Thus, there was this awkward scene.


    Fortunately, while the three gods ignored Sterl, the other two reacted excessively!


    Gloria, who had already be disoriented, quietly closed her eyes, waiting for death.


    She wasn''t worried at all about being interrogated about her customized Iridescent-Level ability.


    Gloria didn''t even know where her customized Iridescent-Level ability came from. The peculiar beings from the human race of Earth, who used the Key of the Realms to reach the upper realms and store information, had left her a gift when they departed the lower realm.


    Guided by the gift and after cultivating to be a deity, Gloria automatically acquired the perfectly suited Iridescent-Level ability...


    However, the Dark Moon Goddess revealed a hint of a mocking smile, believing that the three gods were destined to be yed by her, but then sensed that "David" had appeared!


    Indeed, this time Sterl did not use any other disguise.


    The protective aura of the Underworld King allowed Rosalie to easily understand that the figure who had emerged was none other than Sterl himself.


    Even though Rosalie tried her best to conceal her emotional fluctuations, it was likely that she could not hide them from the nearby Gloria.


    So, she might as well use a disguise!


    This way, Gloria wouldn''t be suspicious, thinking that Sterl was the kind of person who liked to hide his identity.


    What if��


    What if this time the Dark Moon Goddess managed to escape?


    Counting losses before victories��that was Sterl''s style.


    As a result, Gloria''s relief and joy dissipated in an instant, transforming into boundless fear and anxiety!


    No��


    What are you doing?


    David, why are you here to court death?


    Could it be that he truly came to rescue Rosalie??


    She never expected David to be so devoted and righteous to this extent!


    But facing a god, you''re just asking for death!


    "Run!"


    The Dark Moon Goddess forced out thest of her Divine Power in a sudden burst. She had initially nned to wait until the three gods brought her close before detonating herself, thinking that perhaps she could leave her enemies with an evesting memory with her life.


    But why did David have toe andplicate things?


    Gloria felt that she would have to sacrifice herself this time.


    What infuriated her even more was that, just like before when she wanted Rosalie to run away, the three gods would also pursue David, leaving him no escape!


    Plus, her customized Iridescent-Level skill had already exposed vital information.


    "If I step in to protect David, it will definitely make those three gods think that he possesses key information."


    "Isn''t that worse?"


    "But if I don''t intervene, David will soon be torn apart by the aftermath on the battlefield."


    "It''s a dead end either way."


    Gloria''s mindset waspletely shattered.


    This was it!


    If she fell here, David would also be lost, and the entire human race on Earth would lose even a single heir!


    What would that mean��?


    Gloria couldn''t even fathom what severing the lineage would lead to; she simply felt an instinctive terror.


    At this moment, if looks could kill, she would have liked to execute David with her gaze.


    Wasn''t this pure insanity? Did he really need toe and court death?


    The other person in turmoil was Rosalie! Chapter Find:


    She quietly watched her master floating in the air, unable to contain her overwhelming emotions!


    Her mind went nk!


    Rosalie was genuinely impressed, her heart echoing a single thought.


    Her master was simply�� too cool!!


    She understood that Sterl''s arrival was meant to apany her to death! There was no other possibility.


    Rosalie could hardly believe it; she never imagined that as a mere ve, she could upy such a significant ce in her master''s heart!


    He was willing to disregard even the two Mistresses for her??


    What was this��?


    This must be love!


    So that''s how it was!


    Rosalie realized that Linna and Rayna were merely her master''s family, while Teresa and Sosia were his subordinates.


    Only I!


    Am I different!


    I am the beloved!


    The story that was about to unfold was one of tragic devotion!


    Rosalie''s tears began to fall, but in an instant, they had no time to flow.


    She recalled the times when she had continuously warned Sterl not toe out while rying information.


    But now, her master had still made his choice.

 Chapter 467 Modern Deities Are Too Weak

    "He is so deeply affectionate towards me!"


    Rosalie slowly closed her eyes.


    "Anyway, let''s walk this path to the underworld together."


    The girl thought this was quite nice.


    Although her time with Sterl was briefpared to her over a hundred years of life, it was this short period that allowed Rosalie to make friends, gain a new lease on life, and find a lover with whom to share both joy and sorrow in their final farewell to the world! It was worth it!


    Compared to her original life trajectory, even if she had continued living, she would have merely be food for her mother��this was infinitely better.


    Rosalie had her doubts��


    Is this really my master? Why does it feel like he''s been swapped out or like I''ve fallen under some sort of mental enchantment?


    Sterl''s caution was evident in their daily life.


    Even against foes far weaker than himself, he would treat them like a formidable threat, meticulously strategizing before swiftly defeating them with a single move.


    Why is he acting so recklessly today?


    But eventually, the girl dismissed her suspicions.


    It couldn''t be!


    Even if he had been reced or was under some mental control, the imposter masquerading as my master wouldn''t have any motive to die alongside me!


    If he was indeed under some kind of mental enchantment, it would be utterly foolish to have spent so much effort to control someone as uniquely gifted as my master just to have him sacrifice himself!


    The only exnation��


    Is love!


    Rosalie''s eyes welled up with tears, the droplets building up, ready to spill over at any moment.


    Unfortunately, everything happened in an instant.


    The girl''s emotions could only ripple within her heart.


    At the same time, Gloria''s energy began to coalesce; a faint purple glow flickered on her skin, and a hint of despair shed in her eyes. In her haste to assist David, she found herself unable to act.


    There simply wasn''t enough time to unleash her abilities!


    Rosalie wanted to feign resignation, closing her eyes to await her fate, but as a mere demigod, she was too slow. The tears had yet to flow, and her eyes had not fully closed when she found herself staring wide-eyed at��


    Sterl, moving.


    At that moment, he felt a bit speechless, as he could sense Rosalie''s thoughts.


    Sterl didn''t even know how to respond.


    Girl, why are you so confident?


    And�� love??


    What nonsense!


    His initial mindset of being the hero who would save everything was shattered in an instant.


    Thus, Sterl no longer pretended to put on a show; he went all out.


    He exhibited an eerily strange speed, the effect of time eleration!


    In an instant, countless threads ahead revealed Sterl''s shadow.


    Then, atop the shadow, waves of raging energy ignited!


    This was the power of ascending to godhood!


    At this moment, Sterl possessed the divine authority of creation and nature, and the aura he emitted while ascending to godhood waspletely different from when he had seized the Gloria Newborn Sprout of Creation years ago.


    The Dark Moon Goddess was not immediately aware that Sterl was her former enemy.


    She merely stared nkly��


    Wait�� what''s going on with your aura?


    Have you be a god??


    Thest time we met, you were at most a demigod; you''d need to reach the quasi-divine realm before bing a god, right?


    Has it really only been ten years since west met? No, was it even a year? Or just half a year?


    Gloria was extremely bewildered!


    Not to mention anything else, the ascension to godhood ceremony itself could take several years.


    What makes you, David, a god already?


    This only makes me look like a fool��once a genius who spent 300 years ascending to godhood, following the strategies left by the ancient predecessors of Earth��


    Gloria''s emotions were in turmoil, but her mind remained sharp. The thought processes of a deity operate at lightning speed, and she quickly realized that if David possessed divine-level power, this might be an opportunity!


    Herbat ability was not inferior to any of the gods present. If David could hold off just one of them, perhaps there was a chance to fight back��


    Unfortunately, Gloria''s thoughts had not yet fully developed.


    The others present were in even worse condition.


    As a demigod, Rosalie had no time for any extraneous reactions; she was still lost in fantasies of dying alongside her beloved.


    The three gods pursuing the Dark Moon Goddess exchanged anxious nces. Their powers were slightly weaker than Gloria''s, so they could only think��


    This newly appeared figure is clearly Gloria''s ally! It''s evident that someone with a custom Iridescent-Level skill must be backed by an organization!


    "Should we fight or flee��"


    "Against an organization, can the three of us handle the intel on a custom Iridescent-Level skill?"


    "An arrow on the string must be released! First, let''s eliminate these two gods before we decide."


    The three gods had different thoughts, but they were unable tomunicate in time!


    Sterl had already exploded into action!


    He transformed into an endless array of phantoms at incredible speed!


    Under the eleration of the Law of Time, Sterl''s efficiency was unmatched!


    Time is the highest Law, surpassing even Fission!


    It had transcended the invincible rules of the divine level in the lower realm!


    Of course, Sterlter came to understand that he hadprehended the Law of Time by harnessing the power of the Ancient One within the folds of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, amidst the chaos of the world merging and shattering.


    This Law itself did not belong to the lower realm!


    Naturally, it could break the restrictions imposed by Laws that were inferior to divine authority!


    Then, after elerating, Sterl slowly raised his hand, his power shimmering, as star energy coalesced into a de.


    Shattered Void, poised for action!


    His leisurely movements were amplified by the effects of time eleration.


    At the same time, countless afterimages appeared!


    Numerous sword and de shadows surged forth.


    Sterl remembered his encounters with those mummies; although they had also been ambushed, they were still able to unleash their Iridescent-Level abilities in response.


    However, under the crushing weight of the Law of Time, they simply didn''t have time to activate their skills!


    Yet, they bore no responsibility for this ambush!


    Even transformed into mummies, even with their souls decaying to the brink of destruction, their instinct forbat remained wless!


    But the three gods before Sterl almost made himugh out loud.


    Were they still hesitating about whether to maintain the dark purple threads of confinement?


    They werepletely unable to let go of the temptation to capture Gloria��


    And because of this��


    Everything came to an abrupt end!


    The chilling killing intent emanating from Shattered Void could pierce even the most discerning aesthetic senses, causing a sensation akin to needles piercing their skin.


    But by the time the three gods actively abandoned their Divine Power to maintain the threads of confinement in an attempt to block the attack, it was far toote!


    Countless sword and de shadows tore through the air at high speed, while the Blood of the Holy Spirit, enhancing the release of divine authority through the skill, directly froze the three gods in ce.


    This was yet another transformation of the Shattered Void that Sterl had researched.


    The effects of solidifying space and the output of de and sword shadows erupted simultaneously.


    As a result��


    The three gods, who were still wearing expressions of surprise at the imminent capture of Gloria, found themselves frozen in ce!


    In an instant, the sky was clear and bright.


    The curtain of night, with its radiant full moon and dark moon, came to an end.


    A ray of golden light slowly illuminated the scene.


    The sun had risen!


    Sterl didn''t even bother to nce at his three opponents; he couldn''t help but mutter to himself.


    "Sure enough, after the separation of the upper and lower realms, the lower realm is ridiculously weak."


    "The number of gods is scarce, leading to less conflict among them. All the gods have be significantly weakerpared to the era of the Starry n!"


    "They may have some experience with battles below the divine level, but their understanding of divine-levelbat ispletely off the mark."


    "They can only rely on sheer strength to suppress their enemies."


    Sterl felt a sense ofment.


    "In the era of the Starry n, countless powerful races could not withstand the enhanced version of the Great Cmity."


    "So now�� the cmity that approaches is likely to be an enhanced version of��"


    "With thebat strength of the gods in the lower realm, aren''t they just waiting to die?"


    He didn''t care whether the other gods lived or died.


    But cmities swept through everything, and to survive, everyone would be fodder for others.


    Sterl felt that if the gods around him were too weak, he would be unable to stand alone.


    While pondering this, Sterl slowly approached Gloria.


    At first, he was taken aback.


    He hadn''t had the opportunity to observe Gloria closely before. In the previous battle, the goddess''s veil had been torn away, revealing a visage that bore hints of mixed heritage.


    Her face was strikingly three-dimensional and deep, yet incredibly beautiful.


    The translucent fabric draped over her form highlighted the goddess''s graceful figure.


    Strands of purplish-golden blood rolled down her snow-white skin; though it was Gloria who was injured, it somehow added to her allure.


    How should one put it��


    Gloria gave Sterl a sense of Licitris.


    This wasn''t about her charming appearance, but purely about her reproductive value.


    Just like the differing aesthetics among various races, often based on which individuals within a race held more reproductive value, the goddess''s reproductive potential clearly transcended that of ordinary women.


    Especially with Gloria''s seemingly fragile demeanor, it stirred something within Sterl.


    "Mydy goddess, it''s been a long time."


    He spoke with a gentlemanly tone, a gentle smile gracing his face.


    What he thought inwardly was��


    Gloria surely wouldn''t expect that I would soon change my demeanor and take her down.


    Sterl idly mused.


    Behind him, amidst the myriad sword lights and shadows, space slowly fractured while the three gods were utterly helpless against the chaos that shredded them into pieces!


    Fragment by fragment, the bodies of the three gods shattered, caught in the turbulent flow.


    Among the sword shadows, their three souls were also brutally severed, instantly losing their will, preparing for the Bionic Tear of Fire of Ten Thousand Souls to easily capture and refine them!


    Amidst a few short cries of anguish, the three ambitious gods were reduced to mere nourishment, making the mes of the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls burn even brighter.


    Everything��


    Ended far too quickly!


    Because the Iridescent-Level Shattered Void possessed a domineering effect: Iridescent-Level, One Sword Opens the Sky!

 Chapter 468 Is He the Heir of the Starry Clan?

    No matter what trump cards the three gods had, once they hesitated over whether to fully resist Sterl''s attack, losing their opportunity to strike, their fate was sealed!


    They were doomed to be annihted by the sword shadows!


    No matter what life-saving abilities or tools they possessed, they could not use them.


    Because��


    One Sword Opens the Sky!


    This effect was powerful enough to break through all methods at the same level.


    This highlights just how outrageous the capabilities were!


    Normally speaking, even if someone sessfully researched the Shattered Void tinum Skill and aimed to upgrade this technique to Iridescent-Level capability in the future, it would be impossible to enhance the domineering characteristics of Shattered Void from the tinum Skill to Iridescent-Level on a one-to-one basis.


    The Sky-Splitting Sword Technique at the tinum Skill level and the Sky-Splitting Sword Technique at the Iridescent-Level were simply notparable in magnitude.


    Thus��


    Screams echoed from within the sword shadows! The gods were utterly obliterated.


    Sterl was somewhat astonished himself; he never expected to have such overwhelmingbat power against a god with weak Divine Power.


    It was as if��


    He could y them the moment they showed their heads!


    It could only be said that his harrowing experiences of being hunted like a dog on another continent had made him underestimate his ownbat abilities.


    "Don''t get too proud," he reminded himself. "If these three gods hadn''t been so focused on Gloria, I might''ve had to engage in a couple of exchanges."


    Sterl kept himself in check, but he couldn''t help feeling a bit pleased about so easily ying the three gods.


    He couldn''t handle ancient powerhouses with high divine authority, nor could the Frost Giant formed by code power, but he could certainly deal with them.


    He quickly calmed his emotions, standing with a faint smile in front of Gloria. Although his thoughts wereplex, the assistance of time eleration allowed him toplete everything in an instant.


    However��


    The other entities present were in a state of confusion.


    The three gods who had been obliterated didn''t need much boration; their thoughts were still lingering on whether to attack or not. They died without ever understanding how it happened.


    The worst-case scenario they had envisioned was merely suffering some minor losses against the organization behind Gloria before escaping. Even if they faced retaliation, it would beter on.


    Who would have thought they would be wiped out instantly?


    Their consciousness faded into nothingness.


    Rosalie stood frozen for several seconds, ncing at the sky, the ground, and ahead��


    All of it was the spatial rifts caused by the slow dissipating of Shattered Void.


    The scene was utterly astonishing!


    The air rippled like water, gradually settling into a calmke surface.


    Due to the spontaneous filling of the ruptured space, this statested for several tens of seconds before the trend finally stopped.


    And this was enough for Rosalie to understand what had happened��


    She was saved!


    Her master had made a move!


    In an instant, the gods were obliterated!


    All of this felt too surreal, making Rosalie feel as if she were dreaming.


    "Master�� have we all died, and is this heaven, where I see the illusions I wish to see?"


    "Ouch!"


    Rosalie let out a cry of pain as Sterl gave her a mental jolt; the sharp pain made the young demigod realize that this was indeed reality��


    However, she fell into an even greater state of confusion��


    This wasn''t right, was it?


    Her master had previously annihted her when he was just a rtively strong demigod, employing special methods that could barely threaten the quasi-divine enhanced version of the Heavenly Curtain Mechanism.


    At that time, the Heavenly Curtain Mechanism had left her master in quite a predicament. Now he had directly ascended to godhood?


    Rosalie found herself in a simr state of confusion as Gloria. The ritual for ascending to godhood could take several years. Moreover, the longer the ritualsted, the stronger the resulting god would be.


    But even the most pathetic divine ascension ceremony would take no less than a year, right?


    Did that mean her master, even after bing a god, would be an unprecedentedly weak one?


    Yet his performance didn''t reflect that. The three gods he had effortlessly in were no pushovers��


    In Sterl''s case, the three divine-level beings he had killed had weakbat awareness and slow reactions.


    However, to Rosalie, these three gods were all standard examples of powerful beings who had umted strength over time to make the leap to godhood!


    In terms of weak Divine Power, they were still strong, otherwise, how would they dare to hunt gods to enhance themselves?


    When it came to direct strength, her mother wasn''t much weaker than the leader among those three gods who possessed dual divine authority��


    A confrontation would undoubtedly result in a fierce battle.


    Her mother would have to expend numerous trump cards to defeat the opponent, with a chance of being eliminated herself.


    Moreover, when her mother had just ascended to godhood, she only possessed a single curse divine authority and probably wouldn''t stand a chance against the dual divine authority god who had just been killed by her master!


    Her mother had cultivated at least six generations of daughters, including Rosalie, through a process of devouring and refining before reaching her current strength.


    However,paring her mother to those three powerful beings led Rosalie to a terrifying conclusion��


    If her mother faced her master, even with her slight edge in strength, against her master''s terrifying speed and the endless onught of frozen space''s sword shadows, it would all be meaningless!


    In a direct confrontation, her mother mightst a few rounds, but if she ended up in a surprise attack like the three gods before, she would probably die without even knowing how!


    Rosalie was stunned.


    The reason she had been so easily dismissive earlier was due to her resolve to face death, coupled with the immense pressure from her mother.


    Who wouldn''t be afraid of a god lurking in the shadows, someone who could take their life at any moment?


    All of Rosalie''s wild, desperate attempts to win Sterl''s affection stemmed from the feeling that every day she lived was a gift.


    She believed that if her master confronted her mother, he would likely hand her over to quell the disaster, putting her at risk of falling into the abyss at any moment.


    When she saw Sterl risk his life to save her, she felt that when the time came to face her mother, her master would most likely not be willing to give her up, and with her mother''s methods, he would likely suffer extremely brutal torment, unable to control his own life or death.


    It would be better for them to go out in a ze of glory together.


    But the reality was��


    Rosalie felt that, in the face of her master''s talents and abilities, the terrifying mountain that had once loomed before her��the pressure from her mother��had been easily suppressed by Sterl.


    She was filled with awe!


    Before the great disaster, a figure like her master had emerged. Perhaps he was the one foretold in various tales, the one destined to face the world''s cmities?


    Rosalie couldn''t allow herself to think otherwise!


    It was too outrageous.


    From the young girl''s perspective, how long had it been since Sterl transitioned from demigod to god?


    To put it bluntly, the next instance, which might take a little longer, could cost even more time.


    How far could her master grow in theing years?


    Even�� the upper limit of weak Divine Power in the lower realm?


    That would surely be easily surpassed by her master!


    At that moment, Rosalie had be an ardent fan of Sterl.


    However��


    A bittersweet smile crept onto the girl''s lips. "I knew my master would never sacrifice his life for me; to him, I''m just an unimportant pawn."


    "That''s fine."


    "Someone like me doesn''t deserve to stand shoulder to shoulder with my master."


    Rosalie wasn''t foolish; she realized that Sterl hadn''t changed his behavior because of her. He remained as cautious as ever. With the power he had demonstrated, he could have stepped in earlier to annihte the three gods.


    But he had waited!


    He waited until the three gods unleashed their abilities and could not withdraw in time before he struck decisively.


    As a result, the three gods had died without any ability to resist!


    The demigod girl''s mind was buzzing.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was utterly incredulous!


    She understood more, which only added to her confusion. Just moments ago, everything had unfolded in a sh, and even with a god''s speed of thought, there hadn''t been time to grasp what was happening.


    Now, as Gloria looked ahead, she felt incredibly weak, half-kneeling on the ground, only able to see the silhouette of a young man. Though slender, he stood like a towering wall before her!


    Countless dark purple threads were intercepted by his figure.


    This sight brought an involuntary sense of relief and rxation to Gloria,pelling her to lean forward and then fall into the warmth of his embrace.


    It was Sterl, ever the gentleman, who supported her, gently patting her back.


    "It''s all right now."


    Sterl felt that a fewforting words were appropriate in such a moment.


    Gloria''s tension eased, and she couldn''t help but shed tears.


    She had lost her divinity, feeling like a wronged little girl, sobbing softly.


    At the same time, Gloria noticed��


    After the explosive sh of des, the resulting spatial fluctuations swirled around, causing David''s long garments to billow and make loud sounds!


    The young man''s expression was remarkably calm, as if he had just ughtered not three gods, but three sheep!


    This made Gloria recall a fragment from the damaged prophecy she had received��


    In the great cmity''s conclusion, there would emerge a powerful being inheriting the legacy of the ancient Starry n.


    He would rise with astonishing speed!!


    This was one of the possible candidates to grow into the one who would face the cmity.


    "Star?"


    Could it be��


    David was the heir of the Starry n??


    Sterl had made efforts to conceal his information, but with David using skills like Celestial Stars, he hadn''t hidden that at all.


    After all, every disguise had to reveal some techniques, right?


    Gloria hadn''t thought of this before, but now, upon reflection, she immediately realized that this was clearly the power of the Starry n!


    For some reason��


    Normally, skills from the Ster series were impossible to learn.


    There were no holders of Ster Law, no gods with Ster divine authority.


    The reason was��


    Those who cultivated star power inevitably went mad!


    Gloria recalled a king of a small nation who, for reasons unknown, had be obsessed with studying Ster Law. In the end, on a night when blood rained down, he sacrificed his entire nation and vanished without a trace.


    That nation was left as nothing but ruins, and anyone who dared to venture in would mysteriously disappear!

 Chapter 469 Refining Gloria, the New Deputy Star

    Gloria remembered that even a divine authority had entered that small country for the sake of research on the power within its borders, only to never return. After that, the borders of the small nation began to expand uncontrobly. Each expansion resulted in countless lives being consumed! This consumption was unavoidable by any means; whether you were an ordinary person, a demigod, or even a deity, if you failed to escape during the expansion, death was inevitable��or rather, permanent disappearance.


    Eventually, the small country gave rise to some extremely bizarre creatures. They resembled distorted humanoids, their bodies covered in a structure akin to swampy sludge, and they ughtered any life they encountered. The strongest of these twisted beings possessed divine-level power, and ording to some ounts, this was confirmed to be the very deity that had gone missing!


    This distorted god''s power surged uncontrobly, plunging into madness and turning one-sixth of the continent where the small nation resided into a sea of blood! It took the intervention of a reclusive high divine authority to finally y it. Legends say that the distorted deity even exchanged blows with the high divine authority, showcasing the intense battle between them.


    Afterward, the ruins of the small nation were relentlessly bombarded by the Hall of Valor, in conjunction with several other factions, deploying hundreds of deities to obliterate that region, transforming it into a permanent spatial turbulence zone. Thus, the cmity was brought to an end!


    Now it seemed that this was a restriction imposed by the Starry n on star power, allowing only their own to wield it. This illustrated the dominance of this ancient n and the strength of their legacy; otherwise, they would not have guarded it so fiercely!


    Moreover, David not only practiced star power but also advanced at an astonishing rate, indicating a high probability that he had received an ancient inheritance! It was not unusual for such ces of inheritance to have fields with abnormal time flow, enabling Sterl toplete rituals of ascendance to godhood in mere moments, which would typically take decades.


    The mystery was solved; everything wasing together. Gloria felt she had grasped the truth. However, if Sterl were to learn of the goddess''s thoughts, he would surely be amused and bewildered��her reasoning was absurd. The Starry n was not unwilling to allow outsiders to utilize their abilities; they were more than eager to let outsiders learn from their power. Those with insufficient aptitude would merely toil, while those with strong qualifications would be absorbed into the ranks of the Starry n.


    Clearly, the king had a profound understanding of the Starry n''s heritage, which led to him being summoned by the Ancient One! Then he went mad, sacrificing the entire nation and unleashing a massive disaster!


    "David is the prophesied one!"


    "Good! Excellent! Remarkable!"


    Gloria may not fully understand the Starry n, but she felt she didn''t need to; after all, it was merely a foundation for David to grow stronger! She felt she had a clear grasp of the current situation. The legacy of the Earth n was in David''s hands, and the likelihood of it flourishing was exceedingly high! The sacrifices and endurance of their ancestors were finally about to bear fruit!


    Gloria''s eyes shone brightly. Meanwhile, Sterl frowned slightly.


    "Why are you staring at me?"


    Never mind, it''s not important.


    The time was almost right. The cracks in space had mostly been repaired. Sterl casually took the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls, extracting and refining the newly added soul experiences, revealing a hint of a satisfied and intoxicated smile.


    The nourishment of the soul indeed felt extremelyforting. However, even after refining the souls of three deities in one go, Sterl found that he hadn''t even umted enough experience to level up by a single rank. With the lower realmcking methods to temper souls, the value of divine-level souls was rather limited��


    With a calm expression, Sterl extended his hand toward Gloria. "Lady Goddess, I offer you a choice: submit or die."


    A radiant glow, linking to the deputy star, emanated from his palm. At the same time, a portion of Sterl''s mental control was diverted to Bionic Tear. This avatar held the Flowing Water de in its left hand, ready to unleash the Shattered Void to freeze space at any moment. In its right hand, a bizarre energy surged, thews of time gathering strength.


    Sterl was also prepared to utilize the countless restrictions and sealed items stored in his backpack. If Gloria attempted to flee, she would find herself in a situation far more desperate than when facing the three deities.


    The Dark Moon Goddess held far too many secrets. Sterl could only feel at ease if he thoroughly controlled her using the blessings he possessed. However, facing the twinkling starlight, Gloria nodded calmly.


    There were many secrets she would never share with outsiders. But for the inheritors of the Starry n and the Earth human race, she felt it wouldn''t be so bad to follow him. Although the Key of the Realms contained numerous secrets, cross-referencing them with her own memories could yield new information that might provide David with additional help.


    David was growing stronger at an astonishing rate, so assisting him with logistical preparations seemed advantageous.


    "I will submit to you and offer my assistance."


    After saying this, Gloria willingly stepped away from Sterl''s embrace and slowly knelt down. A tattered purple robe draped over her body, and even the act of kneeling appeared incredibly mysterious. A glimmer of surprise flickered in Gloria''s eyes.


    From what she understood, the greatest ability of the Starry n''s inheritors was to control others by bestowing the same star power upon them. This meant that she would not merely be under control but also granted power!


    Gloria thought that by kneeling, she was not only acknowledging a fellow member of the Earth human race but also a future top-tier powerhouse. It was not a shameful act! Instead, it presented an opportunity; with the assistance of Starry n''s power, she might elevate her own strength and break through her current limitations!


    "If you refuse��"


    "What did you say?"


    "You agree."


    Sterl was momentarily stunned. He had mentally prepared himself for this moment, realizing that Gloria owed him more than he had initially thought. The past schemes might not have been malicious after all.


    Sterl concluded��at such a time, he could not afford to show weakness! Letting Gloria go would mean losing countless pieces of information, effectively sealing his own fate in cmity!


    He had thought he might have to capture Gloria and torture her mercilessly. After all, inflicting pain was a source of suffering for the victim and also a psychological burden for the torturer.


    Yet, unexpectedly, Sterl found that he had achieved his goal with such ease?


    "Good."


    "Since you agree, then things will be easier. From now on, we are on the same side."


    He nodded slightly, realizing that he wouldn''t be foolish enough to ask Gloria��do you not know that everything about you will be under my control in the future, and yet you agree so easily?


    No matter what had gotten into the Dark Moon Goddess, it was best to solidify the arrangement first.


    Rosalie, observing this scene, was unfazed. She felt that given her master''s talent and capabilities, it was only reasonable for Gloria to submit.


    In an era on the brink of cmity, the Dark Moon Goddess possessed considerable power, yet she nearly fell victim to a siege by three gods. The disparity in strength between her and her master was stark. Gloria felt fortunate to have the chance to follow him. With her own abilities, a single mishap in this cmity could easily spell death for her. However, the opportunity to follow her master for her own survival was far greater!


    "Lady Goddess, from now on, we are on the same side," Rosalie said with a sweet smile. "I will treat you well."


    Gloria, not fully grasping the implications of her words, nodded gently. The demigod girl felt that her previous fantasies about Gloria had a chance ofing to fruition! She longed for her master to shatter the goddess''s nobility and purity into pieces. How wonderful!


    Joy radiated from Rosalie''s eyes. Meanwhile, Sterl seemed unfazed by the recent exchange and coldly remarked, "Do not resist, or else..." His tone hinted at a threat. Gloria nodded seriously; perhaps�� if something went wrong in the power-giving process from the Starry n, the consequences could be dire, even leading to her own explosive demise.


    Thus, the goddess released her mind. Sterl extended his hand, cing it gently on Gloria''s forehead. His touch felt warm, like caressing a piece of jade. He suddenly realized that this was his first contact with Gloria''s body and his first touch of a goddess''s form. The thought stirred a strange excitement within him.


    Then, star power surged forth rapidly! It had been a long time since Sterl had refined a deputy star, and his technique felt somewhat rusty. Fortunately, as she had imed, Gloria did not resist at all. Star power flowed continuously into the goddess''s body, transforming her form.


    In fact, Gloria''s mental realm experienced intense fluctuations. Others might not understand, but as a divine-level entity, Gloria could distinctly recognize the noble and extraordinary power emanating from Sterl''s authority heart. It had already reached above SSS level, ascending to�� radiant level! This was the power that transcended the world''s limits!


    As Gloria underwent refinement, she felt immense joy! The amount of star power being transformed wasn''t particrlyrge, but its quality was exceptionally high! Gloria sensed that her opportunity for breakthrough trulyy with David. She felt herself rapidly evolving toward a more powerful direction!


    "Huh? Something''s off," Sterl remarked, unable to suppress his doubts about Gloria. "You''re this happy about being refined into a deputy star?" He wondered if she might be a submissive like Rosalie. That wouldn''t do; there was already someone upying that role at home��


    "Master�� Master." Gloria was still getting used to the title, but her tone soon became much smoother. "I will serve you." The goddess was somewhat puzzled as to why, despite being infused with such lofty powers, she had yet to see an increase in her own strength. However, under the influence of the deputy star, she felt no resentment toward Sterl, merely standing obediently to the side.


    Gloria spected that it was likely because she had just joined and had not yet been granted any power. Meanwhile, Sterl stood there in a daze, wondering why everything felt so easily resolved.

 Chapter 470 The Prophesied Heir of the Starry Clan

    As the light gradually dimmed, Sterl sensed that Gloria had be an exceptionally bright node in his awareness. Under the influence of the Dark Moon Goddess''s radiant-level authority heart, her mindset had undergone a significant transformation after being refined into a deputy star. She gazed at Sterl, feelings of boundless reverence swirling within her, an impulse to worship him taking hold.


    Watching this scene, Rosalie felt an inexplicable sense of superiority. Unlike others, as the embodiment of the Illuminated King, she would not be so easily brainwashed. I fell in love with my master of my own ord, unlike Linna and Rayna, who were just tools beneath me. As long as I exist, you subordinates will always be under my heel.


    Fortunately, Rosalie was unaware of Licitris''s existence; otherwise, she might have been instantly shattered. The Subus Queen had carved out a small ce in Sterl''s heart at the cost of her own life, while Rosalie would forever remain a mere instrument...


    Sterl was oblivious to the thoughts of the two alluring women. He casually said to Gloria, "Take me to a base that won''t be detected."


    "Yes." Gloria ced her hand on Sterl''s shoulder. "Please don''t resist, my master."


    "Alright." Sterl nodded lightly and then snapped his fingers, saying to Rosalie, "You can head back on your own."


    "Understood, understood." Rosalie smiled brightly, ncing at Sterl''s face and then at Gloria''s, before letting out a series of lightheartedughs as she drifted away.


    Sterl''s expression remained unchanged. However, Gloria, who controlled the Moon Law, felt an inexplicable sense of unease.


    "Rosalie was willing to share life and death with me earlier. Now that we''re on the same side, she wouldn''t harm me." The goddess shook her head, dismissing her unrealistic thoughts.


    Then, she wrapped her arms around Sterl, her face slightly flushed. In her current state, devoid of divinity, Gloria suddenly realized that she had not experienced intimate contact with the opposite sex for countless years. Thest time was�� perhaps when she hugged her father goodbye as she boarded the train to university.


    Father... Mother... Gloria''s expression turned distant; she had forgotten what her family looked like, yet an inexplicable sadness washed over her.


    A soft purple light illuminated the surroundings. The figures of Sterl and Gloria vanished, swiftly arriving in a new realm.


    "This ce is...?" Sterl looked around. The area was filled with solid rock barriers, and small gas vents below released puffs of warm air. It was clear they were underground��very deep underground.


    "This is thest legacy of the Reawakening Council."


    "Reawakening Council?" Sterl inquired, puzzled. Gloria exined, "It was a council formed by those of us who sought to inherit the true will of the Earth''s human race."


    "In addition to wanting to pass down the Key of the Realms and some secrets, we also aimed to restore the Earth''s environment."


    "My master, you were involved in the Netherworld operation earlier. I wanted to seize the Newborn Sprout of Creation to gain natural divine authority, to restore the Earth at least to the state it was in before the civilization copsed."


    "Unfortunately, the Newborn Sprout of Creation was taken by a mysterious god."


    "If you ever have the chance, you must find that god and y them to reim the Newborn Sprout of Creation."


    "That is an incredibly precious item; the Newborn Sprout of Creation existed even before the realms were divided at the dawn of the Netherworld," Gloria continued. "Even among the countless Crystal Barrier Gxy worlds, it might be a unique resource."


    "Uh..." Sterl felt awkward. Given the circumstances, it seemed inappropriate to mention that he had personally seized the Newborn Sprout of Creation. Fortunately, Gloria didn''t linger on the topic. Searching for an unknown god was akin to finding a needle in a haystack, but mentioning it to her master was reasonable��after all, who wouldn''t want to improve their home''s environment?


    "The Reawakening Council has been annihted; I am the only survivor."


    "What happened to you all?" Sterl asked, intrigued.


    "We didn''t encounter anything disastrous. The council was developing smoothly; we just needed specific resources to purify the Earth."


    "That''s why our ns have made little progress. Finding a genius who can inherit Earth''s human race''s true will is simply a matter of waiting."


    "Until now, I have found you."


    "But before, the Reawakening Council didn''t really aplish much."


    "We mostly gathered to chat and bond." As she spoke, a hint of happiness flickered in Gloria''s eyes.


    "Yet, the Reawakening Council is no more."


    "Aside from a few council members who died in battle, the others simply passed away from old age..."


    "Except for me, who barely has any qualifications; the rest couldn''t even ascend to god status."


    "After all, we have entered the era of cmity."


    "Old age?" Sterl found the term somewhat unfamiliar; with increasing strength, lifespan also tended to extend. Moreover, with disaster approaching, dying of old age seemed like a particrly fortunate way to go.


    Sterl nodded silently in agreement.


    Regarding the era of cmity, Sterl understood without Gloria exining. It was a well-known topic of study. ording to data provided by some ancient deities, as the impending catastrophe drew closer, the difficulty of ascension increased dramatically.


    Many years ago, it was easy for quasi-divine beings to upgrade to divine authority. However, at some point, the possibility of failure arose, and now the odds of failure far outweighed the chances of sess.


    At the previous Valor Combatants tournament, among the contestants who attacked Sterl, six had reached quasi-divine status, yet none dared to seek a breakthrough on their own. They would rather forfeit their future and use special items to ascend to godhood than risk it.


    Because that wasn''t just a risk; it was a game of Russian roulette��with six bullets loaded. The gamble wasn''t merely on themselves, but on whether they could hit an empty chamber! Unless one was utterly hopeless, who would take such a chance?


    As for the reasons behind the era of cmity, there were several theories. One suggested that as disaster approached, the world itself became more dangerous, unwilling to allow people to gain greater powers.


    That theory felt particrly disheartening; deities represented a facet of worldly order. The more gods umted, the more they upied that facet. For neers, it became increasingly difficult to break into the ranks of the divine.


    It was precisely because the order of the world was controlled by the gods that cmity was born��to eradicate these beings and restore order...


    Thinking of this, Sterl couldn''t help but ask Gloria which of the two possibilities seemed more usible.


    The Dark Moon Goddess pondered for a moment before providing her answer.


    "It should be thetter. As far as I know, there was once a deity in the Hall of Valor who, in an attempt to help his child ascend to godhood, ughtered beings with simr divine authority. In the end, his child sessfully fused with divine authority and ascended."


    "However..." Gloria''s tone shifted, "that was two thousand years ago. Recently, no deity has attempted anything like that, so the imminent cmity and the difficulty of ascending to divinity are clearly rted."


    After she spoke, the two fell into silence.


    Sterl had a vague realization: this time, during thetter stages of the End cmity, new gods might emerge. Even if the difficulty of ascension was high, with plenty of vacancies in divine authority, many could seed in melding with it.


    "So before that, I need to prepare Linna and Rayna, so that when the time is right, they can ascend to godhood."


    Sterl was plotting.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    Apanied by the sound of footsteps, Sterl followed Gloria''s guidance into an underground hall. In front of them was a wide round table, with only the purple moon symbol representing the Dark Moon Goddess still glowing. The remaining chairs were covered in a thickyer of dust, untouched for quite some time.


    "Alright, now you can tell me directly."


    "What secrets does the Earth''s human race hold? And why did you choose to submit to me just now?"


    Sterl casually found a seat and used the power of space to keep the dust at bay. He rested his hands on the table, partially obscuring his face as he inquired.


    Gloria was exceedinglypliant. "Yes, my master."


    "Regarding the legacy of the Earth''s human race, I cannot say, as those ancestors left only information about finding a sessor when they ascended to the upper realms. For the true legacy, you need to use the Key of the Realms to ess the information repository."


    At this point, Gloria looked somewhat puzzled.


    "My master, haven''t you gone there yet?"


    Sterl shot her a nce.


    "This is me asking you a question; do not respond to a question with another question."


    The suppression power from the deputy star erupted, unleashing terrifying pressure upon the goddess!


    Thud!


    The goddess was forced to kneel on the ground.


    The process of correcting Gloria''s mindset as a deputy star required time; Sterl did not wish to vent his anger, but rather, he aimed for this kind of pressure to help Gloria better recognize her position.


    "I''m sorry!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    "I was wrong!"


    "Please forgive me, my master."


    A strange feeling surged within Gloria.


    She thought she would be enraged and retaliate, yet her mouth and body reacted unexpectedly, yielding and begging for mercy.


    For some reason, while doing so, she felt remarkably rxed, as if liberating her true nature.


    Suddenly, all resistance within Gloria vanished!


    The horror of the radiant-level deputy star''s powery in this very aspect.


    In less than a few minutes, she transformed from a noble goddess to a lowly servant.


    Sterl released the pressure and waved his hand.


    Instantly, Gloria sprawled on the ground like someone who had nearly drowned, gasping for breath.


    "Ha~ Ha~ Ha."


    She was drenched, her alluring curves outlined clearly, her full chest pressing against the ground,pleting a seductive transformation.

 Chapter 471 The Starry Clans Backup Plan?

    Gloria''s sheer dress, which originally exuded an air of mystery and obscurity, now appeared extremely form-fitting with the addition of moisture, leaving only temptation in its wake. Sterl could see every inch of Gloria''s skin illuminated through the delicate fabric. Her body was exceptionally delicate, and the moment she knelt on the ground, it left behind a series of damp, red imprints.


    Of course, despite Gloria''s sulent and fragile appearance, she still concealed the defenses of a deity. A gentle touch or squeeze could leave marks, but truly tearing through this skin would require at least divine-level output. In short, while Gloria''s defense was incredibly strong, it did not diminish the tactile sensation of her body.


    Sterl squinted slightly, beginning to understand why, in various stories from his past life, some people desired profane deities. I want it too!


    "..."


    He felt a heat rising from below. Previously, Linna and the others had stirred his desires, and to be safe, Sterl had left without any hesitation to search for Rosalie''s whereabouts. Now, he found it hard to contain himself��


    Thus, he decided to focus on the task at hand!


    Sterl maintained a calm demeanor. At this moment, Gloria did not dare to ask if Sterl had visited the Key of the Realms to ess the information repository. Sterl was certain of one thing: from the perspective of the Dark Moon Goddess, the information repository posed no danger.


    So right now��


    It was still not the right time to go! What if Gloria and the entire Reawakening Council were deceived?


    In typical movie and novel tropes, the narrative often unfolds like this��


    The so-called inheritance of the human race on Earth is actually bait left by mysterious forces from the upper realms. They lure talented individuals from the Earth to take the bait!


    Sterl''s thought was that if the original function of the Key of the Realms was nonexistent, he could use it in the future to venture to the upper realms, making it worthwhile to have obtained this item.


    He shifted to the next topic.


    Sterl did not speak up voluntarily; instead, he adopted a dominant posture, continuing to tame Gloria. Instantly, the empty room fell into silence.


    Gloria knelt on the ground, and for some reason, she suddenly felt that this eerily familiar room now disyed a hint of foreboding! She froze for a moment; the earlier punishment had left her in a state of panic, and having lost her divinity, she was not performing any better against the deputy star''s control than Teresa or Sosia had in the past.


    In fact, due to Sterl''s heightened authority, the deputy star''s effects were even more overwhelming! She gazed at Sterl with a sense of inexplicable dread.


    Quickly, she searched her mind for a suitable response to avoid another punishment.


    Soon, Gloria thought of something.


    "Why should I submit to you? It must be because you are the heir of the Starry n, right��?"


    Hmm?


    Sterl was taken aback. How did you know that?


    Wait, it must be that my Celestial Stars were exposed. As long as Gloria knew about the existence of the Starry n, she would have a chance to guess this aspect.


    Then, the Dark Moon Goddess expressed her thoughts.


    Sterl''s expression twitched slightly. What kind of nonsense are you guessing?


    The Starry n is that type that takes extreme precautions, not wanting the terrifying Ancient One to learn about their legacy? Those who steal their power will face punishment??


    The Starry n would save the world; they''d be satisfied if they didn''t destroy it!


    What nonsense is this?


    And��


    Am I a member of the Starry n as prophesied?


    That''s even more ridiculous.


    The inheritance I received is the inheritance of a ve!


    Wait��


    It seems Gloria''s prophecy is quite credible. The great cmity ahead could indeed be the [End] of all things.


    Does that mean a true heir of the Starry n will appear?


    Sterl was filled with tion.


    If such an heir existed, that would be a good thing!


    Sterl might even help him obtain some of the Starry n''splete inheritance!


    After all, the Starry n is connected to the Ancient One.


    Every time he received an inheritance, it meant facing a trial, and he might be drawn back to [the ce of the Stars] by the Ancient One, with the risk of falling!


    If he could trick a poor soul into obtaining the highest inheritance for himself, then using [Consume] to take everything from that person would be extremely safe!


    Of course, [Consume] could only take one ability, but that was fine.


    Sterl could seize other Starry n inheritances and abilities from the chosen ones in those underground chambers.


    He already had a stable channel for obtaining them.


    His only concern was that after collecting all 108 Starry n treasures to trigger the ultimate inheritance, what if he gathered all these items but found no one qualified enough to bear the inheritance? Would he have to take it himself?


    With a prophetic child, Sterl''s worries could be easily resolved!


    Next, Sterl began to ask questions again.


    First, about the prophecy.


    The goddess had already be ustomed to kneeling at Sterl''s feet to report on matters. Soon, Gloria''s hoarse andzy voice rang out.


    Although she couldmunicate telepathically, after seeing Sterl''s interest in her body, Gloria proactively changed the way she conveyed information.


    Indeed, a spark of excitement flickered in the goddess''s heart as she realized her voice could bring joy to her master, making his gaze even more passionate.


    Gloria then continued to speak slowly.


    Unbeknownst to her, she had lost herself and was solely focused on pleasing Sterl; the inheritance of the Earth''s human race no longer mattered.


    This was just like when she was previously influenced by her divinity without realizing it.


    Sterl nodded slightly. As he expected, the prophecy Gloria had received was quite iplete, only recording a few major events.


    This included the arrival of the End cmity and the emergence of a great hero from the Starry n who would lead countless people to fight against the cmity.


    As for the prophecy, it was not a legacy of the Earth''s human race but something Gloria had inexplicably obtained.


    Sterl had originally wanted to press further on how she obtained it, but suddenly felt a strange psychic fluctuation simr to the Ancient One from [the ce of the Stars].


    "I think it might be because��"


    As Gloria spoke, her gaze gradually became vacant, a peculiar ethereal starlight beginning to shine in her eyes.


    Sterl quickly called a halt to the Dark Moon Goddess.


    At this moment, Sterl also began to understand.


    This prophecy must have been orchestrated by the Starry n.


    Why did Gloria not know how she obtained the prophecy?


    Because she had never actually received a so-called [prophecy]!


    ording to the Ancient One''s methods, Gloria most likely learned about the [future] in her dreams!


    Sterl further spected��


    It was very likely that Gloria was not the only one to receive a prophecy; countless other deities were also firmly convinced.


    In the cmity, there would be a being from the Starry n leading people against the disaster.


    Combining this with the story the giant of the Starry n had once told him when he obtained Stars Change, it seemed that the Starry n had an extraordinary sense of honor!


    Sterl hade to understand that this prophecy was a deception.


    Perhaps a powerful member of the Starry n would indeed appear, but he would certainly not be there to protect the world or lead people against the cmity. The sole purpose of his actions would be the same as that of the king of a small nation who sacrificed his country��calling upon the Ancient One!


    Moreover��


    Sterl''s thoughts went even deeper.


    The reason the Starry n was annihted in the past was not that they had incurred the wrath of many, but rather that in the face of the End cmity, they had employed simr tactics, pretending to lead people against the disaster while actually trying to summon the Ancient One!


    They had taken advantage of chaos.


    And in this era, those who knew of the prophecy appeared normal on the surface, but in reality, this knowledge of prophecy was also a curse.


    Perhaps at the critical moment, these people would blindly follow the Starry n''s actions��


    Leading to some terrifying consequences.


    Sterl simplymanded,


    "The Starry n is not what you imagine. There may be a lot of misleading information in this prophecy."


    "Don''t think about anything rted to it anymore."


    His tone was casual.


    The deputy star had a strong control ability, and upon hearing her master say this, Gloria immediately changed her mindset��


    "Understood!"


    "I will be cautious. I will also activate the Dark Moon Alliance to investigate any potential issues with the Starry n."


    Sterl nodded slightly, feeling that this world was indeed fraught with misfortune. Although he had corrected Gloria''s thoughts, there were likely still many deities deceived by the Starry n.


    Sterl began to doubt the giant''s im that he was the first person to obtain the formal inheritance of the Starry n.


    Perhaps countless individuals from the Starry n had already been causing trouble in the Crystal Barrier Gxy.


    The giant may not have lied to him; there were too many lies, and they might not be beneficial to the Starry n''s ns. Often, those who deceive do so with a kernel of truth.


    However, his sensing ability might only extend to Alpha 8, leading him to believe that there were no other inheritors besides Sterl.


    "Right now, the great cmity has yet to arrive, and the Ancient One is eyeing the world with fierce intent�� Goodness."


    "It really is�� disastrous!"


    Sterlined.


    However, the crisis facing the Starry n was still within controble limits because his Star Mark could detect the positions of nearby inheritors. As long as Sterl acted quickly enough, the Ancient Ones might not have a chance to descend upon the world.


    Moreover��


    He reassured himself that when the Starry n was at its height, the Ancient Ones had not appeared. This race had only just begun to revive; causing some disturbances was normal. It would not be so easy to summon the Ancient One��


    If it was merely a matter ofpleting some sacrifices to create twisted life forms, it would only add a few more trivial variations to the chaos and disasters of the cmity.


    Then, Sterl began to ask questions about the main topic.


    "How did you acquire the information regarding the world integration and your exclusive Iridescent-Level abilities?"


    Gloria answered without hesitation.


    She ryed arge amount of information, and Sterl''s expression shifted from calm at the beginning to furrowed brows, joy, and finally deep contemtion.

 Chapter 472 Followers of the Stars, the Mysterious Ancient One

    Gloria had obtained part of the news about the world merging through thenguage of the Starry n, some from the remnants of the Earth''s human race, and additional insights from the prompts provided by [Transcendence]. This had essentially answered many of Sterl''s questions.


    However, the sheer volume of information was overwhelming at the moment, and Sterl was toozy to organize it all. Instead, he simply noted it internally.


    As for the Iridescent-Level abilities... Sterl received a disappointing revtion: Gloria had acquired them through a special item left behind by the Earth''s human race. This item was now damaged and could no longer be used. The corresponding item for the Iridescent-Level ability had also been created based on the remnants of the Earth''s human race.


    While Sterl felt disappointment, he insisted that Gloria hand over that item to him. His disappointment quickly turned into joy. Gloria described the item as a folder encapsting a stream of silver light; the only thing she could do was to hold this folder and continuously release her skills after melding with divine authority. This process eventually birthed an Iridescent-Level ability. She would then continue to wield the folder, repeatedly using her newly acquired Iridescent-Level ability, causing the silver light to consume itself and create new items.


    In total, three items were created. Thest one was used during her encounter with the three gods, while the other two were utilized during Gloria''s two previous adventures. One was during an instance where she faced a life-and-death situation; she used the item sessfully to defeat the boss and escape. The other...


    As Gloria spoke, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes. "I... I think I forgot!"


    She wasn''t afraid of being punished by Sterl; rather, she felt a pure panic at the thought of recalling her past memories. At the same time, an unusual fluctuation from the Starry n began to emanate from her.


    Sterl quickly ced a gentle hand on the goddess''s shoulder, leaving a bloody mark on her fair skin. Then,bining this with the active maniption of deputy star over her psyche, he managed to ground Gloria, who was gasping for breath as she leaned against him.


    "Master..."


    "Master..."


    "What''s happening to me?"


    Gloria looked bewildered, her expression filled with confusion. An odd halo flickered around her as she fell into a faint.


    Sterl''s expression darkened.


    "It''s alright."


    "You''re okay now."


    Just moments ago, he had used his points for someone else for the first time. Gloria had received a peculiar buff that only manifested when she recalled how to use her second exclusive item. It was called��


    [Followers of the Stars (Weak)]


    Description: You have gained the attention of an Ancient One in the starry sky, bing one of his followers. He can bestow blessings on you at any time, allowing you to attain ascension.


    Sterl''s expression twisted as he began to grasp how Gloria had used her second exclusive item. The process of obtaining the prophecy was not as simple as he had imagined. The Ancient One of the Starry n must have interfered!


    They had directly tainted the recipients of the prophecy, and Gloria had barely managed to escape using her exclusive item. Yet, she still bore the consequences. She had be one of the so-called Followers of the Stars.


    Although Gloria had forgotten how she obtained the prophecy, she instinctively believed in everything rted to the Starry n. This made it easier for Sterl to capture her just now. However, the existence of the Followers of the Stars buff meant that if the Ancient One acted in the ce of the Stars, he could transform the enchanting goddess before him into a monster!


    Earlier, Gloria and Sterl had mentioned that small nation that made sacrifices and the twisted deity. At that time, a being with weak Divine Power had forced a higher existence of divine authority into a confrontation, resulting in a fierce battle that ended with thetter''s death. That twisted deity might have been the one that was "ascended"!


    Now, Sterl felt a pang of fear just thinking about it. If he hadn''t mentioned the use of the exclusive items while chatting with Gloria, he might not have realized until one day when Gloria was transformed into a monster.


    "And also..."


    Sterl''s expression darkened. He had no idea how many people had received the Starry n''s prophecy and had be followers. He also had no knowledge of whether those who did not ept the prophecy could be controlled and turned into followers as well.


    Once the Ancient One acted, how many powerful beings would ascend? There were not many strong individuals above weak Divine Power in the lower realm. If the Ancient One had enough followers under his control, they could potentially destroy the entire world without even needing a great cmity.


    The world controlled by the Ancient One might be even more terrifying than the world after the great cmity, because the cmity would open a new era. Life from the old era could not survive. But this world had undergone a rebirth.


    Sterl recalled the Cthulhu Mythos novels he had seen before his transmigration. The Ancient Ones would twist the entire world into something grotesque!


    Sterl felt a chill run down his spine! He remembered the great cmity he had witnessed in the Inquire Within instance, and the current situation facing the world seemed like a mere child''s y inparison.


    Fortunately, Sterl had resolved the issue surrounding Gloria; the Followers of the Stars buff on her was only weak. So, Sterl could directly use his points to enhance it.


    The result of the enhancement transformed Followers of the Stars into [Followers of Mercury]. Mercury was a profession created by Sterl.


    [Followers of Mercury]


    Description: A blessing from the yet-to-be-manifested great existence, Mercury. Currently has no effect, but a certain binding with Fortune ensures that this follower is destined to follow that great being and reach new heights.


    Hint: All followers will unconditionally obey Mercury.


    In other words...


    Sterl had sessfully turned the Ancient One''s "blessing" into his own blessing for Gloria.


    "How should I put this? The Ancient One is powerful, but it seems that my enhancement ability is even more domineering."


    Upon seeing the results of the enhancement, Sterl''s initially tense emotions rxed significantly...


    He even felt a bit of excitement.


    What had originally seemed like a great disaster had turned into Sterl''s feast! All he had to do was add a point, and he could directly turn the Ancient One''s meticulously developed lower limit into Sterl''s subordinate.


    It''s important to note that the deputy star had an upper limit, while the Followers of the Stars could be controlled in whatever number he desired! The only issue was that Sterl could not directly investigate the Followers of the Stars, nor could he handle other buffs rted to Followers of the Stars.


    Because Gloria had used that precious exclusive item to escape the influence of the Ancient One, the buff on her was only weak. If it had been the normal version of [Followers of the Stars], Sterl''s cheat would need to be enhanced once more to have an effect.


    "No, Gloria has a trump card. Don''t the other gods have one too?"


    "There are probably quite a few of these weak versions of the Followers of the Stars buff."


    "They may even be the mainstream version. Deities and powerful beings would definitely recognize that the Ancient One is an ominous presence; they would resist with all their might against losing control over their consciousness."


    "Rather than forcibly bestowing the full version of Followers of the Stars, the Ancient One might prefer to let the gods exhaust their trump cards while thinking they''ve escaped, while secretly retaining a weakened version of the Followers of the Stars buff."


    "Subtly, this would foster goodwill towards the Starry n in these beings, making them pawns."


    "After all, the Ancient One can still create followers using the weakened buff!"


    "The gods would believe they had escaped, but in reality, they would always be under control."


    "But�� if that''s the case, then I''ve hit the jackpot!"


    Sterl''s heart swelled with joy!


    Oh my!


    I''m taking off!


    When did I ever say I wasn''t a sessor of the Starry n? I am the most authentic heir of the Starry n!


    The powers they possess across countless worlds are about to belong to me!


    Even the Ancient One is working for me!


    Victory!


    Sterl was in a fantastic mood. As long as he could find a way to distinguish the Followers of the Stars buff, he would soon be able to assemble a divine army!


    Moreover, the Followers of the Stars not only had the effect of controlling minds, but they could also enhance the potential and talents of those under him as he grew stronger.


    In other words, Sterl would gain a legion that would grow more powerful alongside him.


    He even felt a bit tempted to learn how the Ancient Ones bestow blessings.


    He could easily bestow blessings on the girls around him, allowing them to rise alongside him. How wonderful would that be?


    Even some of the capable members in the Twilight Guild could be honored with blessings!


    With his point-enhancing ability, Sterl''s potential was limitless, and so was the potential of his followers!


    As long as they could work for him, blessings would be the perfect reward.


    Sterl had already outlined a rough organizational structure: those on the periphery would execute tasks, and those who demonstrated high potential or made significant contributions would receive blessings.


    The benefits of the blessings themselves would attract countless powerful beings!


    On the other hand, after bestowing blessings, Sterl would haveplete control over the blessed!


    The organization would operate like a well-oiled machine, eternally obedient to Sterl''smands!


    Just then, Gloria suddenly let out a small gasp and woke up.


    She was surprised to find herself in Sterl''s embrace. "Master, what just happened to me?"


    Sterl wouldn''t reveal his point-enhancing ability; instead, he simply stated, "You were influenced by a certain faction of the Starry n. Now, I''ve changed that influence to my side."


    "Don''t worry; you should feel that your potential has been enhanced."


    He wore a calm expression.


    This made Gloria, who had been a bit flustered earlier, considerably steadier.


    She closed her eyes for a moment, soon revealing a hint of surprise.


    "Really! Master!"


    "Oh my, my talent effect has improved!"


    Instantly, Gloria''s face filled with awe and admiration.


    Having resolved the issue of the Followers of the Stars, and after Gloria''s excitement, Sterl turned to his important tasks��

 Chapter 473 Upgrading the Game Podcore

    What Sterl held at this moment was a leather briefcase with a rope loop and several lines of crimson text.


    [Top Secret Document �� Rhonda Byrne]


    This was clearly a creation from a bygone civilization.


    As for who Rhonda Byrne was, Gloria could only shake her head in confusion. At this moment, she was slumped in Sterl''s arms, making her look quite adorable.


    ording to Gloria, the briefcase contained a dimly glowing silver orb.


    However, Sterl discovered that it was not an orb at all, but rather a string of code! Yet, it was a string of code that operated extremely slowly, resembling a desated snake skin.


    The codey lethargically in the briefcase.


    It was strikingly simr to the golden code that had previously created the Frost Giant!


    But the silver code showed no signs of trying to escape.


    Sterl was somewhat surprised to find that, aside from himself, it seemed that no one else could see the code. Even though Gloria had been in close proximity to the silver code for quite some time, she still only perceived it as an orb.


    At this moment, Sterl remainedposed and did not n to share his discovery with Gloria; he pretended that he could only see a glowing orb.


    However, while he could perceive the essence of the silver code, he was unable to manipte it in any way. Through his cheat ability, Sterl sensed that the energy within the code had already been depleted, and he could not wield it as Gloria did, simply by holding it in his hands.


    He would have to find a way to replenish the code''s energy.


    As for the specific application of the code��


    Sterl sensed that the game podcore hidden in the small world was restless, eager to integrate this object. So, he simply tossed the briefcase into the small world��


    Instantly, the silver code was swallowed by the sphere.


    The game podcore, which had yet toplete its fusion with the golden code, now received an additionalyer of code.


    To Sterl''s astonishment, the two types of code began to resonate with each other.


    Illusions of two colossal dragons, one golden and one silver, were outlined above the sphere, intertwining and dancing around one another, making the game podcore extraordinarily remarkable!


    At this point, all Sterl had to do was wait��


    He had a premonition that the upgraded game podcore would bring him a great surprise!


    Next��


    Sterl helped Gloria sit up.


    "Thank you for your trouble, Master."


    The goddess''s body was soft, like water, as shey against Sterl''s chest.


    "Did you live here before?"


    "Now that we''re on our own, would you like toe to my base?"


    Sterl thought for a moment and decided to reframe the story about the Newborn Sprout of Creation.


    He exined that due to various fortuitous circumstances, he had obtained this item, gaining purification abilities. As for whether the Newborn Sprout of Creation in his possession was the one that had been taken from Gloria, Sterl imed he didn''t know.


    Gloria had no doubts about this at all.


    Instead, she expressed joy, stating that for her master to acquire the Newborn Sprout of Creation was indeed a sign of great fortune! Truly befitting for a heir of the Starry n and the human race.


    To be fair, Gloria was quite good atpliments, providing a considerable amount of emotional support.


    "Even though the radiation here is rtively low, it''s not as thoroughly evolved as my base. Would you like to live with us?"


    Sterl extended the invitation.


    Gloria immediately replied, "No problem, Master. I will reside at the base to serve you from now on."


    "Although sometimes I will need toe back here to organize a few things."


    The two continued their conversation.


    Sterl spoke in a gentle tone, refraining from any further punishment. This made Gloria feel somewhat ttered, causing her to be even more submissive and mild-mannered��


    Sterl silently nodded to himself; it was a sess! The refining of the radiant-level deputy star hadpletely won Gloria''s loyalty, transforming her into a devotedpanion.


    Before leaving, Sterl recalled that L had mentioned something earlier, specifically about the information regarding world integration, part of which Gloria had learned through the hints from [Transcendence].


    "How did you receive that hint? Was it because of your divine-level strength?"


    Sterl inquired curiously.


    Seeing her master speak, Gloria quickly replied, "It''s because my game pod is somewhat special."


    The goddess seemed a bit anxious, feeling that she had overlooked key information and was worried about facing punishment again.


    Sterl gave Gloria a meaningful nce.


    He wasn''t really angry; he was just putting on an act��


    Continuing to train Gloria.


    Then, somewhat nervously, Gloria led Sterl to a giant room beneath the Reawakening Council, where a colossal game pod, resembling a pale skeleton, stood tall.


    Sterl noticed that the game podcore in the small world was once again pulsating with excitement.


    Gloria introduced it, saying, "Master, this is the most primitive version of the [Transcendence] game console."


    "Back in the day, we members of the Reawakening Council all logged in using this machine."


    "This machine is quite troublesome to log into; every time you enter or exit, you have to wash your clothes."


    "However, since it''s the original version of the console, it is said to contain some code from [Transcendence], which processes part of the game information locally."


    "So it can activate the early hint function of [Transcendence]."


    "Back in the day, we even researched whether we could unlock more features through the original game pod, and identally discovered a few times the gathering and legion functionalities."


    "But those were triggered by unstable bugs that couldn''t be replicated."


    "The only function of this early game pod is the asional hints it provides."


    "It allowed me to gather some extra information, but the efficiency of retrieving information was very low and unstable."


    "The information would randomly refresh from the public chat bar, and our council spected that maybe the code for this information system had been altered to that of the chat window, which resulted in a bug that would trigger from time to time."


    "To be honest, I might not evene across an extra piece of information in a year."


    "The game pod doesn''t provide any boost tobat power."


    "I forgot to mention that earlier."


    Gloria appeared extremely anxious.


    "Master, if you want a simr game pod, I can take you to the warehouse."


    "Hmm."


    Sterl nodded slightly. So, before heading back to the base, he collected a bunch of primitive game pods in his small world.


    Listening to Gloria''s words, he felt not disappointment but excitement.


    He had stored some code from [Transcendence]!


    That could possibly lead him to discover numerous backdoors and loopholes!


    Moreover, performing localputations on some of the [Transcendence] data??


    That was an extremely crucial point; many games from Sterl''s previous life before his transmigration had be rampant with cheats precisely because they moved some data to localputations!


    Now, he felt that the primitive game pod was of immense value.


    It was akin to those hard-cracked game consoles.


    Many backdoors and exploits could only run on this type of machine.


    Sterl not only decided to use the primitive game pod himself, but he also took all the game pods from the Reawakening Council.


    His expression was one of joy; this was a bountiful harvest.


    Sterl further resolved��


    If the girls at home were willing to log in using this type of device, he would let them help him gather any potential information.


    If they were unwilling, he wouldn''t insist.


    After all, using the primitive game pod was quite unpleasant; it would cover the user in a special nutrient solution, making it very ufortable.


    Later, he nned to use his blessing ability to control several puppets and have them use the primitive game pod as well.


    After bringing Gloria back to the base, Sterl briefly shared the information about the primitive game pods.


    One by one, Teresa and the others eagerly volunteered, clearly eager to help relieve some of Sterl''s burdens��


    Then, Sterl simply introduced Gloria''s situation to them.


    He didn''t hide anything about the deputy star.


    In the midst of curious yet respectful gazes, Gloria was easily epted, as there was no doubt about the loyalty of Sterl''s deputy star.


    The girls, led by Rosalie, began to prepare a weing feast.


    Rosalie had returned to the base earlier and started the preparations, even though the resources at the base weren''t overly abundant.


    However, there were vegetables and fruits that had been grown.


    Not a trace of "radiation" was in them; even Gloria, who had savored all kinds of delicacies, couldn''t help but feel emotional as she tasted the vors of Earth''s past civilization, nearly bringing her to tears.


    Moreover, there were plenty of delicacies that Sterl had brought from the game to reality, specifically for pampering Linna and Rayna.


    During the feast, everyone was in high spirits.


    At first, the numerous girls were a bit shy around the goddess, much like when Rosalie first arrived at the base; everyone was afraid of her.


    Fortunately, Gloria''s social graces overshadowed everyone, having lived for nearly a thousand years.


    With just a few casual words, she bridged the gap in rtionships.


    "MistressesLinna, MistressesRayna."


    "No, no, no, you''re too polite; we can''t ept such titles," Linna and Rayna quickly waved their hands, trying to refuse.


    "There''s nothing to refuse; perhaps the master is a great being born to face cmity."


    "But I''ve heard stories of his past, and if it weren''t for your mutual support, perhaps the master alone wouldn''t be able to sustain his life, which would be a tremendous loss for the entire world."


    What Gloria said sounded like ttery, but it was incredibly sincere, her eyes revealing a strong sense of belief.


    No one could im she was lying just to curry favor.


    "You may have unknowingly saved this world."


    "Ah? Really?"


    "Hehe, actually, we''re just a family living together, striving for a better life."


    Linna and Rayna''s faces turned slightly red.


    Hearing Gloria''s words, they felt as if they were indeed quite remarkable.


    "Miss Teresa��"


    Then, Gloria approached another person.


    "Are you the one in charge of managing this base?"

 Chapter 474 Integrating Tattoos and Assembling the Ultimate Game Pod

    "Yes, I''m in charge."


    "It turns out I''m also responsible for a small organization on behalf of the master, but it''s no longer needed now."


    "Well, I wouldn''t say it''s unnecessary. I heard from the director and Rosalie that it was precisely because you took the initiative that the master thought about forming the Twilight Guild."


    "I believe the master has always valued you."


    Gloria spoke with unyielding sincerity.


    Knowing that the other party was under the control of the deputy star and would never betray Sterl, Teresa couldn''t help but cast a friendly look at Gloria.


    The goddess really understood people''s hearts and knew how to speak well.


    Sterl watched as Gloria quickly garnered goodwill from everyone and couldn''t help but smile.


    However, Rosalie was an exception.


    The young girl simply smiled mysteriously at Gloria, indicating that she would surprise her in a few days before taking her leave.


    Sterl didn''t mind this.


    Rosalie had already tracked Gloria for a while; they were familiar with each other, so there was no need to establish a special rapport.


    Observing the scenes at the banquet, Sterl finished his meal quickly and made his way to the corridor.


    Outside was a passageway carved from the mountains, where he could feel a gentle breeze blowing.


    "Wow! Sterl, you''ve even managed to win over the goddess; that''s impressive!"


    Suddenly, Linna darted out from behind and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "What''s so special about a goddess?"


    "You''re quite bold, aren''t you?"


    "This is just the beginning," Linna retorted.


    "Don''t worry, if you don''t be a god, your lifespan will only be a few hundred years. I can''t ept that."


    "In the future, everyone must ascend to godhood."


    "Even reaching a stronger realm would be great; if we could live as long as the world itself, and achieve immortality, that would be perfect."


    Sterl casually mused, while Linna nearby was taken aback by his audacious vision��


    Everyone bing gods��


    Living eternally alongside the world.


    Just a little while ago, she was just an ordinary girl, unsure of even bing a professional!


    Yet Linna looked at Sterl, and after speaking, she wore azy expression, as if what she had just expressed was no more significant than dering they would have seafood for dinner tomorrow night.


    For some reason, a strong feeling surged up in Linna''s heart.


    Sterl would seed!


    He would definitely seed.


    For him, the deration just made was not a mountain to climb but rather a necessary waypoint on his journey through life!


    "Well, I''ll be waiting for you."


    "What kind of goddess do you think would suit me when the timees?"


    Linna asked with a cheerful smile.


    After dinner, Sterl politely declined the girls'' flirtatious invitations, only smiling with a hint of suggestion: "Remember to take a shower after dinner."


    Then he returned to his room.


    Sterl took out a brilliant orb with golden and silver dragon shadows floating above it, surrounded by a skeletal structure that grasped the dragon shadows.


    The newly appeared skeletal structure was formed because the game pod core had absorbed three primitive game pods.


    Now, although the game pod had not yet merged with the code, as long as Sterl possessed this core, he could enter the game at any time.


    Moreover, Sterl could sense that within the three primitive game pods, although they didn''t contain divine items like golden codes or silver codes, they epassed a significant amount of foundational code from the [Transcendence] system.


    After absorbing the three primitive game pods, the core had perfectlypleted all the foundational codes.


    Sterl understood why the Reawakening Council''s experiments had failed: the codes stored in each primitive game pod were all different.


    Once a bug had been encountered and fixed, switching to another game pod made it impossible to replicate.


    If the experiment couldn''t be reproduced, it would ultimately lead to failure, right?


    Moreover��


    After feeding in twoyers of code, Sterl was pleasantly surprised to discover that the game pod core seemed to have produced a sort of recognition effect toward him!


    He felt he could use the disk tattoo on his body to absorb the orb.


    "Then let''s absorb it."


    Sterl thought for a second; he was unsure what the oue would be, and the game pod core was far too precious to act recklessly.


    However, he couldn''t store it in the small world when it went online; he could only keep it beside him, which posed a risk of loss.


    Integrating it into his body seemed the most reliable option.


    At least it wouldn''t be taken away by others.


    Sterl''s operation was simple; he pressed the orb quickly against the disk tattoo.


    Apanied by a faint glow, the disk seemed to ripple like the surface of ake, entering into the tattoo.


    "Hmm?"


    After the core merged, Sterl felt a burning sensation in the palm of his hand and throughout his entire arm, followed by waves of heat radiating through his skin, flesh, bones, and organs.


    He sensed�� some strange substance being burned into blue smoke and expelled from his body.


    Fortunately, the abnormality came quickly and left just as fast.


    After a series of shes of light across his body, everything calmed down.


    He thought for a moment and, using his Holy Spirit Bloodline, sensed that his body seemed unchanged.


    "No, there is a change."


    "Thest trace of Forbidden Poison has been burned away."


    Sterl felt a bit delighted.


    The Forbidden Poison had originally been infinitely diluted by white mist, but no matter how much he diluted it, that substance always existed within his body.


    Yet now, with the game pod core, it had somehow removed the Forbidden Poison?


    Sterl didn''t understand why, but it was ultimately a good thing!


    His eyes brightened as he looked down to observe the state of the tattoo.


    Sure enough, the tattoo underwent dramatic changes.


    Its size expanded, transforming into a newpass-like creation, while the surrounding patterns gradually blurred, as if forming a new design.


    Then, at its core, the orb with the two dragon shadows shimmered, with skeletal structures extending to envelop the entire disk.


    As the two dragon shadows glimmered, the skeleton gradually grew flesh.


    Eventually, the flesh waspleted, covered by ayer of gray-ck membrane that transformed into leather-like patterns.


    With that, the changes to the tattoo werepletely finished.


    Sterl was fascinated, staring at the tattoo for several hours, watching the entire transformation.


    Afterward��


    All he had to do was wait.


    Wait for the fusion of the two codes toplete��


    During this time, Sterl tried logging in again and found that the time-elerated field was still avable.


    "Then I guess I''ll just wait a few days."


    Before searching for Rosalie''s traces, he instructed Teresa to contact the Sosia sisters to start gathering items that could change the yer''s login coordinates.


    Once he was pulled into the normal time flow by Sosia and her sisters, he would be able to log in again.


    As for what came next��


    "Vacation!"


    Sterl cheered.


    There were still plenty of things he hadn''t allocated points to, and he couldn''t log into the game anyway.


    He didn''t want to take risks.


    It was time to indulge and rx!


    Meanwhile, he would digest all sorts of resources��


    As for how to pass the time before the point allocation cooldown, Sterl quickly changed into a fitted bathrobe.


    As soon as he entered the bathroom, several maids crawled over to him.


    "Master, please allow us to serve you."


    The maids disyed sweet smiles as they bowed, revealing their delicate and soft skin at their chests.


    Sterl felt a jolt, his heart racing with agitation.


    He let his body go ck, allowing several maids to support him as they slowly walked him toward the already prepared bath.


    Sterl closed his eyes to rx, soaking in the fragrant scents and silky sensations around him.


    Their soft hands gently removed his clothing.


    At first, Sterl had not been ustomed to such servitude, but now he was lost in pure enjoyment.


    Amidst the girls'' affectionate attention, Sterl was gradually eased into the bath, never even touching the walls of the tub.


    Below him, a young girl actively used her thigh to support him.


    Behind him, another maid gently wrapped her arms around him to hold him steady.


    As Sterlfortably reclined in the bath, he could feel the girls'' skin gliding over him, coated in fragrant body wash.


    At Sterl''s level of power, the bathing rituals that mortals needed held no significance for him anymore.


    However, he could still use this time to rx and enjoy life.


    The only issue was��


    Sterl felt a bit of difort in his lower body.


    He waved his hand, and immediately one of the girls understood, taking a seat on hisp.


    In the bath, soft moans escaped the girl''s lips, apanied by a trickle of crimson.


    Sterl felt himself gradually being enveloped.


    This maid seemed not only beautiful in appearance but also exceptional in her internal structure, providing a delicate sensation.


    This was Rosalie''s "carefully selected rmendation"!


    As for the girl''s virginity, Sterl was not surprised; Rosalie always reported such matters to him.


    Though he didn''t particrly care, his powerful attributes endowed him with a memory that recalled the selection criteria for the new maid squad.


    As Sterl''s base continued to grow stronger, and with Rosalie''s restless personality, she scoured the entire Earth for talent.


    With the human race on Earth frantically producing offspring and continuously optimizing their genes, finding beautiful girls was no longer a matter of searching one by one but rather by entire legions!


    Many girls, despite their beauty and decent personalities, were discarded simply because theycked the cultivation talent��


    They were produced to serve the powerful within the Earth base.


    Unfortunately, beauty alone held little value, necessitating additional worth.


    These girls whocked the talent to be professionals were directly cast aside, relegated to the status of lowly prostitutes within the game''s base.


    Thus, Rosalie easily brought them back, rescuing at least thousands of "beauties."


    As a result, the maid squad had long since evolved from a fixed team into a "disposable" model, used and then dismissed.


    Many girls joined the maid squad, undergoing various training to ensure they could please Sterl, but each one only had one chance to make an impression.

 Chapter 475 Sterls Maid Squad

    This ensured that every time Sterl received service from the maid squad, he would experience perfection, as each visit would feature a new girl.


    After all, men naturally possess an instinct for novelty, aiding them in spreading their genes.


    Rosalie was utilizing this trait to provide Sterl with impable service!


    The girls dancing around Sterl were all new recruits in the maid squad, and they were eager to give everything for him.


    Pleasing their master just once would grant them freedom within the base, along with a lifetime supply of food and daily necessities.


    If they had family, they could even share these resources with them.


    This was a world of extraordinary power, where basic survival resources held little value; only cultivation resources were deemed precious.


    Even if Sterl were to indulge in hundreds of women each day, the base could easily support it.


    Moreover, the prevailing atmosphere in the base would remain unaffected.


    Everyone knew that everything in the base stemmed from Sterl''s will.


    It was thanks to this great figure''s decision to evolve the Earth that the base even existed!


    The girls could devote themselves to Sterl and receive resources from the base without any issue��no one would question it.


    In reality, unbeknownst to Sterl, the top-tier beauties from the world before his transmigration had alreadypeted secretly multiple times for the opportunity to serve him.


    At that moment, the girl riding on Sterl had made a significant promise, vowing to share her gains in exchange for the chance to perform for him��


    Sterl slightly opened his eyes, and amidst the pale glow, the girl in front of him bit her lip, revealing a youthful yet extreme allure.


    Her expression showed a hint of pain, yet she moved her waist with utmost professionalism, her eyes conveying seduction.


    The girlpletely disregarded her own difort, aiming only to provide Sterl with the most pleasurable experience.


    Her technique, while not as strong as that of Sosia and the others, was nheless the limit that a mortal could achieve through practice.


    Combined with the girl''s shyness and her desire to serve, it added considerable value to her performance.


    Sterl felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure, not only physically but also psychologically, as he reveled in the experience.


    Satisfaction!!


    He let out a deep sigh of contentment.


    Finally, as the offering girl trembled for the third time, her face turning pale, Sterl reached his peak.


    He felt a pang of tenderness, choosing not to act frenziedly.


    But the girl herself tightened around him, enveloping him with fervor, causing her injury to reopen and a few drops of blood to spill forth.


    With the girl''s movements and the maid behind him suddenly embracing him, Sterl released himself with satisfaction.


    He then leaned back against the chest of the maid behind him, enjoying the slightly intoxicating sensation as soft, silky touches cascaded over him, leaving him in a dreamlike stupor.


    The girl on top of Sterl looked exhrated as she caressed her abdomen, her fingers gliding over her smooth skin, creating a beautiful sight.


    Her gaze was dazed, as if savoring the most precious of wines.


    "Thank you for your gift, Master."


    Her tone was sincere, reminiscent of a fervent devotee.


    There was no hint of performance in her gratitude toward Sterl.


    This was due to Rosalie cing great emphasis on ideological education while training the maid squad, constantly reiterating that everything in the base came from Sterl��that he had saved the Earth and saved them.


    Anyone harboring thoughts of betrayal could go out into the wastnd and enjoy the radiation.


    At the same time, Rosalie offered an additional reward: anyone who could bear Sterl''s child would receive a substantial prize!


    The demigod himself would help them be a professional and achieve at least second-ss strength.


    For the human race on Earth, this was akin to a meteoric rise; who could possibly refuse such temptation?


    The reason for such a generous reward was that, with the improvement of yers'' strength, the probability of birthing offspring would typically decrease.


    The families of the Earth human race were mostly third-ss families. Why were there not many legendary yers'' families?


    Primarily because even extracting their own sperm and eggs to produce offspring was rtively difficult.


    Thus, there were only a few legendary families that truly controlled the surface power of the Earth human race.


    Sterl''s strength was such that he could easily y gods, making it difficult for him to conceive children under normal circumstances.


    With Linna, Rayna, and the others, it was even harder because the women were also professionals.


    As ordinary maids, the chances of them bearing offspring were somewhat higher.


    Therefore, if a maid could give birth to Sterl''s descendants, it would indeed be a great achievement!


    Rosalie''s actions had garnered support from all the girls around Sterl!


    As the first girlpleted her service, the mesmerizing maid squad bowed their heads and sank into the pool.


    Sterl felt silky tongues licking at his lower body, swiftly helping to clean him.


    Not only were their movements wless, but they also carried a sense of longing, bringing him immense psychological pleasure.


    Then, Sterl pulled one maid close, cradling her in his arms as he inquired about the other girls'' situation.


    "The Mistresses are currently gathering information for you."


    "So only we came."


    The girl replied, looking delicate and submissive.


    Sterl learned that the girls had received his request and had each set aside their tasks to activate the primitive game pod.


    They logged on to see if they could gather any intelligence.


    Upon hearing this, Sterl''s gaze softened, feeling quite moved��


    He then hugged the girl tighter: "Good answer, let me reward you."


    Apanied by the girl''s reluctant yet weing squeals, Sterlughed heartily and began again.


    He lifted the girl into the air.


    Ssh!


    Water droplets glistened on her skin, cascading down and creating dazzling reflections.


    As Sterl thrust himself in, he found, as expected, that her interior was even tighter than that of an ordinary woman, offering a unique sensation.


    Rosalie truly knew how to select!


    Sterl couldn''t help but marvel at this.


    In the girl''s pained yet inexperienced movements, Sterl''s desire for conquest was greatly satisfied.


    He lifted the girl towards the sky.


    Then, without any effort from himself, another maid behind Sterl wrapped her arms around his waist, pushing her smooth, white abdomen against him to help propel him forward.


    Not only was Sterl enjoying the pleasure of releasing, but he was also pressed against by her incredibly silky skin��


    Under such a wonderful squeeze, Sterl continued to thrust, while the maid he was lifting had no leverage and could only cling tightly to him, her legs trembling weakly.


    Then�� the girl trembled again and again, her insides tightening.


    "Master! I''m going to die!"


    "Just end me!"


    "I want to give you everything."


    She cried out, and Sterl released himself several times. With each release, the maid would tighten her insides, seemingly trying to retain every precious drop of his essence.


    However, her internal muscles clearly weren''t strong enough to trap the liquid, and strands of white fluid slowly trickled down her thighs, prompting the other maids to eagerly move forward to lick and clean.


    This scene stirred Sterl''s blood and ignited his battle spirit once more.


    Thus, he was about to let go of the girl in his arms but suddenly changed his mind and surged forward again!


    Eventually, he yed the maid in his embrace into a faint state.


    Even in this condition, the girl clung tightly to him, looking blissfully entranced.


    Then, without any effort from him, several maids came forward to take the unconscious girl away.


    He turned to the girl who was panting from helping him thrust.


    "You did well; it''s time to reward you."


    Sterl smiled as he crudely thrust himself back into the mouth of the girl behind him, just pulled from the previous girl.


    Despite his frenzied movements, the girl still gently opened her mouth, using her tongue and throat to carefully clean him, swallowing deeply as her throat muscles rhythmically contracted and released.


    Meanwhile, the other maids surrounded Sterl, kissing and embracing him.


    In an instant, every part of Sterl was upied.


    Ultimately, under the service of everyone, Sterl once again released his essence.


    The girl, while being filled, swallowed all of Sterl''s fluids, her face flushed with overwhelming satisfaction.


    Then��


    Sterl continued to seek out prey within the maid squad,pleting the initiation ritual.


    Before long, he realized that his initial n to y with each member of the maid squad had resulted in even more girls!


    As more and more girls fainted, some were carried away out of Sterl''s line of sight.


    Though he couldn''t hide from Sterl''s perceptive abilities, he chose to feign ignorance, simply enjoying the sight of beautiful girls appearing in waves around him.


    Sterl''s maid squad seemed inexhaustible!


    So, he emptied his mind and indulged himself!


    It wasn''t until the second day that Sterl finally opened his eyes from the bath.


    Sshing sounds filled the air as he stepped out of the pool, and a new batch of maids gathered around to wipe his body and dress him in a clean white robe.


    After a flurry of activity, the girls helped Sterl to his bedroom, respectfully closing the door behind them.


    "So obedient, do you know that no matter how indulgent I am, it usually onlysts for a day?"


    Sterl nodded,


    and without hesitation, he summoned his skill panel.


    He began to allocate points!

 Chapter 476 Allocation of Points, the Technique of Sacrifice

    For the next period of time,


    Sterl indulged in debauchery almost every day.


    The first and second days were entirely served by the maid squad.


    During these two days, he did not allocate points to the Holy Spirit Bloodline to increase his proficiency with divine authority; instead, he invested all his points into the sacrificial skill provided by the Ancient One.


    However, even after two allocations, it was not enough to shake the distortion of this skill.


    It only resulted in a reduced requirement for sacrifices and a potential increase in rewards received after sacrificing.


    In fact, a warning message also appeared.


    When sacrificing to the evil god, an increase in the quality of the sacrifice would not necessarily yield better rewards.


    Sterl naturally ignored this prompt.


    Who the hell would sacrifice to this Ancient One? I don''t want this skill at all!


    On the third day,


    Sterl wandered around the base, looking at the status of various industries within.


    Though referred to as industries, it primarily consisted of craftsmen manufacturing game pods.


    With Gloria as an insider, Sterl could easily obtain arge number of game pod cores from the gathering ces of the Earth human race.


    Gradually, he could grant everyone in the base ess to the game.


    Then, Sterl visited some light industrial factories established by Rosalie, which produced items like books, tables, chairs, and benches, as well as farms for raising various animals and growing vegetables.


    Most of the people working there wore happy smiles, as they had originally died in the game and were now unfortunate enough to endure radiation.


    Now, in Sterl''s base, Rosalie was not interested in exploiting them; she simply allowed them to rentnd and factories at reasonable prices.


    The produced goods were uniformly collected, and the wealth from the purchases was issued in credit points by the base, which could be directly exchanged for copper coins in the game.


    After the tour, Sterl noticed that since the base was situated in a massive mountain range, the increasing poption was beginning to strain space.


    However, he felt that expanding outward carried its own risks, so he decided to spend his free time not just ying with the maids but also actively starting to build spatial formations to widen the area within the base.


    Additionally, Sterl instructed Gloria to help him gather individuals with spatial formation talents.


    While he could efficiently expand the base, he couldn''t focus all his attention on it.


    He nned to find some apprentices; once he calcted the spatial nodes, they could handle thebor.


    After a good while of work, Linna, Rayna, and the others finally emerged from their tasks.


    Sterl had sessfully expanded the internal area of the base by over four times, using a fair amount of spatial materials. However, it was not considered wasteful since it benefited his own base.


    The original game pods had left the girls sticky all over, and they spent half the day cleaning themselves before returning to Sterl.


    Their final conclusion, however, was that using the original game pods was almost indistinguishable from normal logins; there were no additional messages popping up as Gloria had imed.


    They did not suspect the Dark Moon Goddess was lying; they merelymented that gathering intelligence would require years of umtion.


    "Don''t worry, Sterl!


    We will definitely stick to using it to log in!"


    Rayna appeared somewhat delicate, but once she made a decision, she would never back down.


    Seeing her so resolute, Sterl felt a bit of a headache��


    "Ah, actually, I don''t really need all that intel from you guys."


    He sighed in resignation, then Sterl finally had a long-awaited friendly match with the girls at home.


    This time, he was still assisted by the maids, who sent over more than ten of them to join Sterl, Linna, and Rayna in the pleasure room.


    Soon, the room was filled with enticing sounds.


    The maids had already demonstrated their training, which left Sterl feeling impressed, but he soon realized that Rosalie''s presence transformed the maid squad into their full glory!


    As the embodiment of the Illuminated King, Rosalie orchestrated everything through her mental prowess, ensuring that the maids were always ready to meet Sterl and the girls'' needs.


    This included helping Sterl correct the girls'' positions for better performance, enhancing mutual enjoyment, and even teaching some special techniques on how to serve Sterl with their mouths or other parts of their bodies.


    The professionalism disyed opened a new world for Linna, Rayna, and Teresa��


    For a moment, Sterl felt that he should reconsider his previous thoughts.


    Just a couple of days ago, he thought he shouldn''t be too immersed in the maid squad.


    Now��


    Damn it!


    After working so hard for so long, I came here to enjoy myself; what''s wrong with indulging? I''m thrilled!


    As he thought this, he took a deep breath.


    Underneath him were Linna, Rayna, Teresa, and Rosalie, along with two maids, their six tongues slithering like a group of hunting snakes, ready to devour him.


    The sensations brought him to a state of ecstasy.


    Sterl felt as if his soul was about to be drawn out of him.


    Before long, he released himself.


    Then, Sterl grabbed Linna, who was trying to escape, and pressed her down to the ground, hoisting her long, smooth legs onto his shoulders as he began to thrust.


    It wasn''t long before Linna''s pleas for mercy filled the air, and she convulsed, fainting on the floor.


    Next, a somewhat anxious Rayna charged at Sterl with Teresa''s assistance.


    However, the two girls found themselves stacked together, and Sterl attacked with incredible speed, even leaving afterimages in his wake.


    In their sensations, they felt as if they were being endlessly filled!


    Soon enough, both girls lost consciousness.


    Finally, Rosalie, with an excited smile on her face, was ready to reap the rewards.


    "Master,e on!"


    "Ravage me hard; I''m not afraid, my constitution is strong."


    She uttered the filthiest words with an incredibly pure expression.


    Sterl wasted no time and pressed her down!


    Then, without hesitation, he began to thrust!


    At first, Rosalie thought this style was a bit nd and uninteresting.


    But by the tenth time she trembled, her eyes rolling back, she realized her master was serious!


    "Wait! I was wrong!"


    "Stop!"


    "I really can''t take it anymore!"


    "Master, spare me!"


    The girl cried out intentionally; she didn''t truly want Sterl to stop, but she understood all too well that the more she resisted, the more exciting it became!


    So amidst her pleas for mercy, Sterl relentlessly yed with the demigod girl until she fainted.


    Yet Rosalie somehow forced herself to wake up again, wrapping herself around Sterl.


    However, now she could barely stand on her own and called for several maids as backup.


    The maids, already familiar with their superior''s style, were ready to assist.


    So they firmly grabbed hold of Rosalie and pressed her against Sterl.


    "Ah! No!"


    "Why are you betraying me?!"


    Rosalie screamed heart-wrenchingly.


    The maids, as if they were torturing her, tightly bound Rosalie and pushed her body to collide repeatedly with Sterl''s.


    "Stop!"


    "Don''t!"


    "Leave me out of this!"


    Rosalie became increasingly excited, her performance reaching new heights with every wave of intensity.


    Due to the various rough actions, by the time Rosalie finally fainted, her body was covered in bruises and marks.


    Just looking at the scene, it seemed as if an incredibly pure girl had been ruthlessly bullied by Sterl.


    In reality��


    Sterl quietly finished his juice, feeling that for the moment, he had no earthly desires.


    Thus, from the third to the seventh day,


    Sterl continued to joyfully indulge.


    After a week of time spent, he finally allocated his points into the transformation of the sacrificial ability.


    The effects post-transformation relieved Sterl; this sacrificial skill had be a pure sacrificial ability, with little rtion to the Ancient One.


    Sterl could now specify a target above divine level for sacrifice.


    When sacrificing, if the item Sterl provided was something the target needed, then the target would have to offer a fair response.


    In simple terms, the return from the sacrifice had to be of greater value than the item Sterl sacrificed.


    However, currently, the only sacrificial target he could select was [the ce of the Stars: ???].


    Moreover, the sacrificial ability could be allocated points once more.


    So on the eighth day, to pass the time, Sterl decided to y with the maid squad again.


    At this point��


    Rosalie hadpleted a round of technical upgrades.


    The maids had transformed from mindless ttery to possessing various distinct personalities. Some would enthusiastically leap towards Sterl, while others acted shy and panicked, enticing him to take the initiative.


    There were even those who feigned indifference, as well as ones with all sorts of peculiar fetishes.


    Sterl could only think��


    This is fun! I love it!


    However, he almost missed the time for his point allocation that day.


    In the end, he managed toplete his upgrade in the third second after the refresh.


    He received a new ability��


    [the Technique of Sacrifice]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: The most primitive method of sacrifice derived from the knowledge of the Ancient One. It symbolizes the key to the very concept of sacrifice itself; perhaps you can use this skill to continuously advance on the path of sacrifice.]


    [Effects: �� You can designate any target toplete a sacrifice. This sacrifice is enforced with fairness; if the item you sacrifice benefits the recipient and they ept the sacrifice,


    then the recipient must provide an equivalent return, or they will suffer bacsh damage. You will not incur any harm from the sacrifice unless the offering includes your own pain or certain bodily tissues.


    �� You have mastered a method of "self-sacrifice." You can temporarily sacrifice corpses on the battlefield or various precious items to enhance yourself, randomly gaining attribute boosts, perception enhancement, output capability enhancement, defense capability enhancement, etc. [Mentally check for details].

 Chapter 477 Another Branch of the Human Race Bloodline? The Ancient Blood

    Following that, the Technique of Sacrifice has another effect��


    [�� You can initiate the most extreme form of sacrifice by permanently losing a part of your body, along with the associated fragment of your soul, to unleash special abilities.


    Sacrifice: Finger �C You will gain the Annihtion Chainsaw, which has a power output of 1.5 times your maximum output and canst for 600 seconds. Sacrifice: Skin �C You will acquire the Fire of Sacrifice; this me is ssified as universal damage and is not mitigated by any means. Opponents burned by this me will sustain significant damage continuously, and their souls will be scorched.


    Sacrifice: Brain �C You will summon an eye with true vision to survey the battlefield and continuously emitser beams, with the output being 1.5 times your maximum output.


    Sacrifice: Spine �C You can obtain the de��Defeating Demons. While wielding this de, you ignore all effects that hinder movement. The base attack of this de deals 1.3 times your maximum output, and each attack will enhance the next, stacking an increase of 20% indefinitely.


    Sacrifice: Heart �C You will summon three avatars that possess all your strengths. These avatars share life force, and when one is about to perish, it will enter a frenzy state.


    Sacrifice Life, ??? (The effects will vary based on the power you have cultivated and the characteristics of your soul.)]


    "This skill is quite sinister," Sterl remarked as he examined the new ability he had acquired.


    The good news was that he was no longer connected to the Ancient One in any way. Perhaps due to Sterl''s strong will, the cheat had undergone targeted adjustments during its evolution.


    In the effects of the Technique of Sacrifice, the option of "the Unknown Deity of the ce of Stars" no longer appeared among the targets for sacrifice. It seemed he hadpletely severed ties with that Ancient One.


    However, Sterl had never intended to sacrifice himself to anyone. There was no target in the lower realm worth such a sacrifice, and in the upper realms, he was a wanted man known as Solomon.


    To actively reach out to them through sacrifice would be tantamount to courting disaster.


    Aside from that, there were the beings from other worlds. He only knew of the one Ancient One, but Sterl wanted nothing to do with it.


    The first effect of the Technique of Sacrifice was utterly useless to him.


    On the other hand, the second effect of the skill was quite practical, allowing Sterl to gain enhanced capabilities. In battle, he could grow stronger with each fight, and in daily life, he could umte rare items to strengthen himself further.


    After all, this was a skill transformed from the power of the Ancient One, and the first special effect explicitly mentioned that no matter how strong the sacrificial target was, fairness principles must be upheld, indicating that the Technique of Sacrifice held significant value.


    The values provided by the second effect should also be generous.


    As for the third effect of the skill, it caused Sterl to frown slightly.


    He had just felt that this aspect was quite peculiar! It actually involved sacrificing his own bodily tissues, and this sacrifice included his soul as well...


    For instance, if Sterl sacrificed his finger, a portion of his soul would be permanently damaged��a hefty price to pay!


    However, the effects of the sacrifice seemed quite domineering. The weapon created by sacrificing his finger could output up to 1.5 times his maximum output.


    At first, Sterl had no idea how to calcte his maximum output. As he began to sense the details of the skill, his expression grewplex. The term "maximum output" was indeed meant literally.


    Sterl''s current maximum power should result from activating Ascend to Godhood, evolving the Holy Spirit Bloodline into Fission Divine Authority, and unleashing that power. If he sacrificed a finger, Sterl could wield a weapon for 600 seconds where each basic attack would be equivalent to an explosion of Fission Divine Authority!


    But there were two issues to consider.


    First, Sterl had to activate the Holy Spirit Bloodline before he could convert his maximum output into the Fission Divine Authority tier.


    Second, he could only sacrifice his finger once. After that, he would lose the concept of having a finger; due to the shattering of his soul, he would permanently lose a part of his personality and memory. Even if he couldter restore his soul''s power, the lost aspects of his personality and memories would be gone forever.


    A chill ran down his spine.


    "It''s better not to use this ability at all." Sterl could not allow his soul or personality to be damaged. Even a single instance of loss would mean the original Sterl was dead, leaving behind only a being with thoughts somewhat simr to his former self...


    Still, as he gazed at the domineering power of the sacrifice ability, he couldn''t help but think that perhaps he could find a way to exploit a bug?


    Not just the finger, but the effects of sacrificing the brain, heart, or spine were also incredibly strong... If he could resolve the soul issue and sacrifice only his physical body, Sterl''sbat power could spike significantly.


    ...


    Sterl spent an entire day and night thinking about how to exploit a bug but came up empty. However, he wasn''t anxious; he had eight days to finally deal with the Ancient One''s first gift.


    As for the Ancient One''s other gift, the peculiar scale, it took Sterl ten days to fully consume it. No matter how he allocated points at first, it remained unresponsive, with only the scale bing shinier.


    Only after he had allocated points eight times did itplete its transformation and merge directly into Sterl''s body.


    Instantly, Sterl felt on high alert! Would this strange scale merging with his body cause greater harm?


    Fortunately, the cheat did not betray Sterl; after merging into his body, the scale did not exhibit any unusual effects.


    The next day, with his point allocation reset, Sterl eagerly performed the final upgrade on the scale.


    Immediately, dazzling light shed through the scale before it shattered! It transformed into a pale blue liquid flowing through Sterl''s veins.


    At this point, he had three different types of blood circting in his body: bright red, brilliant gold, and pale blue. Strangely, these three types of blood coexisted in harmony.


    As for the reason...


    Sterl could roughly guess that this was because the bloodline of the Earth human race was indeed extraordinary! It had forcibly dominated two unique types of blood.


    In Sterl''s bloodline panel, beneath the Earth human race, a new ability appeared:


    [Ancient One''s Blood �� Modified]


    [Description: Even the Ancient Ones had their childhoods. These powerful beings from beyond the universe were not born strong; they also went through a period of gradual development after their birth. At that time, they were simply known as the Ancient Ones.]


    [Effect: You have gained the Blood of the Ancient One, which grants you a natural affinity for powers from the outer universe series. You can unconditionally use all skills within the Ancient One System that are not exclusive abilities (provided you learn them). Each of your attacks will impose a mental check on your opponents. If they fail the check, there is a chance they will be permanently marked with a Followers imprint. Depending on the effects of your Followers imprint, they will be subjected to various influences (this skill can be activated at your discretion). If your various pieces of information are in a disguised state, opponents will be unable to read them. If in a true state, when opponents attempt to read, they will undergo a mental check; failing this check will plunge them into a deep madness that directly affects their souls and cannot be undone. Any units killed by opponents in this mad state will transfer their experience to you.]


    "Blood of the Ancient One?" Sterl sensed the change, but he didn''t feel any difference in himself. In fact, this bloodline hadn''t provided him with any increase inbat power; it had merely enhanced his camouge ability.


    Additionally, it granted him an automatic protective attack ability when detected.


    But the most important thing was...


    Sterl had initially thought he would need to find a way to acquire the ability to impose the Followers imprint, only to discover that it was given to him for free?


    He couldn''t help but nce up at the sky, at the countless stars shining down! That Ancient One was indeed a great bro!


    Sterl had already figured out why he had been pulled into the ce of the Stars��it was primarily because he held a Stars Change in his hand while being in the Starry n''s underground pce.


    Now, having severed his connection with the Ancient One through point allocation, Sterl felt much more at ease.


    He was safe!!


    He even had the mind to get excited, eagerly sensing the ability to create Followers, his eyes filled with anticipation.


    At first, he was quite thrilled. nting Followers imprints required no resources for Sterl; he could nt them infinitely!

 Chapter 478 Re-Login, The End of Time Acceleration

    Thus, Gloria, as a deity and possessing greater power than Sterl, still shared some of her potential, enhancing her talents. However, it remained extremely difficult for Sterl to nt the highest-level imprint on those around him.


    The most cost-effective way was to lure the Ancient One from the ce of the Stars into nting a Followers imprint, and then Sterl could intercept it; that would save him a lot of trouble. Of course, he also needed to prepare some resources for those around him to ensure they could escape when facing the Ancient One, rather than getting fully marked, which would put Sterl in a tight spot in the short term.


    If he sessfully acquired a weakened version of [Followers of the Stars], then after consuming a day''s worth of points, Sterl couldplete his top-tier imprint...


    However, the difficulty in creating the highest-level Followers imprint did not mean Sterl''s abilities were rendered useless. On the contrary, if he wanted to temporarily control a batch of subordinates, the low-level imprint he could impose required almost no energy; instead, it would siphon off the life force of those marked, providing Sterl with sustained health restoration and energy recovery.


    Moreover, nting the low-level imprint was quite convenient��once Sterl engaged inbat with an enemy, he could sessfully send the imprint. If the opponent could not resist, they were as good as dead.


    Of course, against opponents of equal rank, the imprint would not take effect and could only be used to bully weaker foes. At the very least, he had picked up a decent control skill for free.


    "Not bad." Sterl felt pleased.


    The bloodline of the Ancient One needed the cheat to evolve to another stage before he could allocate points; he nced at it a few times before shutting down the system panel. Yet, he still had some doubts about why his bloodline disyed a "Modified"bel. Was it because he particrly did not want to be associated with those Ancient Ones, leading the cheat to twist the manifestation of this bloodline?


    Sterl looked at his body; he hadn''t grown any tentacles or slime due to the addition of this new bloodline...


    At this moment, he had been offline for 18 days. This was the longest he had been since entering [Transcendence]. Unfortunately, the time eleration field had not ended, and Sosia and the others had not managed to find the items needed to log back in.


    Sterl could only continue allocating points for now. He upgraded all the guild materials, meeting the requirements to elevate the guild to level 7. Furthermore, he had also obtained a set of SSS-level guild materials.


    Sadly, he could not log into the game for the time being, preventing him from further upgrading the guild and obtaining buffs. It was fortunate that Sterl was ustomed to storing precious materials in his small world; otherwise, he would have been unable to allocate points for these materials while outside the game.


    After enhancing the guild materials, Sterl had not yet had the chance to wait for the next cheat cooldown when he discovered that the barrier indicating changes in time flow had ended during his routine check to see if he could log back into the game!


    Simultaneously, it seemed that Sterl''s game ount had been stuck in a strange time field due to his offline position, causing the game pod core''s integration with the code to remain stuck at 99.9%.


    At this moment, Sterl sensed that both progress bars had finally reached 100%. The two codes transformed into shining shadows, finally shattering apart!


    The golden and silver strands intertwined, forming flesh and blood with a leathery texture, which were once again absorbed into the sphere. Sterl''s disk tattoo rapidly changed, and the game pod core section transformed into a pristine jade stone.


    The disk''s other facets no longer disyed the images of [Transcendence] or Swallowing Heaven. Instead, there were two portraits of Sterl. One depicted hisrger form��a spirited young man wearing a robe that billowed dramatically in the wind. The other showed his smaller form, Mephistopheles��a handsome youth bearing a wicked smile, standing atop countless corpses as if a demon lord had arrived!


    Sterl couldn''t afford to admire the scenery on the disk at the moment. He swiftly called over Rosalie nearby and informed her that he needed to log into the game first. He instructed her to contact him through Sosia or Sonis if anything came up.


    After saying this, Sterl thought for a moment. Since he had already revealed the power of ascension to godhood, he decided not to hide it any longer.


    "Rosalie."


    "You don''t have to hide anymore."


    "Regarding your mother, I will handle it when I return to the Hall of Valor."


    "Now, if you want to join me in the game world, that''s fine, but the enemies I face are quite strong, and there''s a chance you could fall."


    At his words, Rosalie''s eyes sparkled with interest.


    It wasn''t because Sterl would resolve her mother''s situation. Rosalie had never been anxious about that; her master''s cautious nature assured her that a god with whom they had enmity would definitely be in.


    The demigod girl was thinking��


    I can spend time with my master!?


    Rosalie felt ted; this was the greatest advantage of being the incarnation of the Illuminated King! While others could only watch from a distance as Sterl moved further away, she could always stay close to her master!


    However...


    "There is still an important n about to be fulfilled��"


    "Going into the game world, I don''t know when I will return."


    Rosalie pondered for a few seconds. Recently, she had been desperately trying to get closer to the Dark Moon Goddess, and through subtle probing, she had nearly dismantled the other party''s defenses; she was just one step away from sess.


    Unlike the maids Gloria had brought, the Dark Moon Goddess was extraordinarily noble and had maintained her purity and single status; she would undoubtedly make the perfect gift for her master.


    Moreover, Linna and Rayna, the two Mistresses, had mentioned that her master''s birthday was approaching.


    Leaving now�� wouldn''t be a good idea!


    Rosalie smiled sweetly. "Master, go ahead and take care of your business."


    "When you log off next time, I promise I''ll have a surprise for you!"


    "A surprise?"


    "Just do your best."


    Sterl felt that Rosalie''s thoughts were a bit scattered, but when it came to getting things done, she was very reliable. Since she mentioned a surprise, it was most likely going to be a genuine surprise.


    With that in mind, Sterl felt reassured as he retreated into his room. He took out an original model game pod, through which he could directly enter the game using the tattoo on his body.


    However, to maintain his disguise, Sterl had to change into a specially designed outfit before stepping into the thick, viscous nutrient liquid...


    Then, he silently pressed his hand against the tattoo, entering the game...


    The tattoo connected with the three original model game pods it had consumed, as well as with the game pod he currently upied, initiating the process together.


    With a whoosh!


    The light gradually faded.


    Sterl found himself standing in a city. Everything around him moved at a very slow speed, as he had activated the time eleration effect the moment he logged in.


    To Sterl, the world seemed to be ying in slow motion.


    His eyes shifted as he quickly disguised himself as a worker in work attire, blending rapidly into the crowd. He also seized an unconscious worker, pulling him into his small world.


    Under the influence of time eleration, the unfortunate worker had no awareness of what was happening before he dissolved into nothingness. The other workers remained oblivious to the fact that their colleague had been swapped out.


    Then, Sterl activated his abilities, lifting dozens of massive stones and began stacking them to create a room. These stones carried an incredibly terrifying gravitational force, making them difficult to move, while legendary demigod yers around him were working asborers.


    "This is a good find," Sterl noted as he sensed the structural properties of the stones, discovering they had exceptional spatial adaptability. Buildings made from these stones could significantly expand living space.


    "Alright, I guess I''ll get to work then. But where were these stones mined from? I should grab some to take back for developing my base."


    Although Sterl didn''t know how to construct buildings, his powerful attributes granted him a keen learning ability, allowing him to imitate the work of those around him.


    Indeed, he was in the royal city of the Orichalcum Kingdom, where he had logged off earlier. This area had been thoroughly destroyed by the Frost Giants and was now undergoing a vigorous reconstruction.


    As for why no one had attempted to intercept Sterl upon his re-entry, it was because normal yers didn''t think of logging off as a means to evade enemies. Inbat, you simply couldn''t log out!


    The people of the Orichalcum Kingdom believed that the deity from Alpha 8 hadpleted their provocation and had directly used an item to escape.


    Sterl, however, knew he needed to disguise himself because there were many sealed magical arrays within the royal city, making it very difficult for him to break out directly. He could see the areas of forbidden flight and the multiple seals forming the Heavenly Curtain above, and it was best to leave through the city gates in a proper manner.


    With the bloodline of the Ancient One, Sterl''s disguise would not be seen through. The cost-effectiveness of breaking out was too low.


    So, Sterl carried on, undistracted, moving the massive stones for a full ten hours.


    By the time night fell, the workers gradually received their "rewards" and began to disperse.


    Sterl observed that not everyone went to collect their rewards; it seemed that the resources obtained as construction workers could be imed daily or collected in bulk every few days.


    He blended in with the other workers and took the opportunity to leave.


    Following the direction the workers were heading, he estimated that he could follow a few legendary yers to a small tavern on the edge of the city.


    Having visited Giant City for the first time, Sterl had roughly memorized theyout of the city.


    So, from the workers'' destination, he chose a point closest to the city wall and followed along. This way, he could maximize his chances of getting close to the city wall without raising suspicion, waiting for the right moment to escape.


    However, sitting in the small tavern, Sterl felt a bit helpless.


    He pretended to look at the menu, not paying right away.


    As he did so, he discovered that the trading system in Giant City only supported one method of identity coding interaction. He noticed that the patrons in the tavern exchanged resources by touching their identity codes to that of the tavern owner.


    "Good thing I observed this," he thought. "Otherwise, if I pulled out purple coins to pay, I would probably be caught on the spot."


    Not having an identity code didn''t faze Sterl. This tavern was somewhat off the beaten path, and the quality of food wascking; there wasn''t even a demigod-level individual nearby.


    Sterl could operate boldly...

 Chapter 479 The Power Boost of Game Code

    Sterl''s disguise granted him ess to a string of code carried by the unconscious workers he encountered.


    After observing the actions of others around him, he swiftly ordered a few dishes and activated the


    Law of Time


    , briefly swapping the unconscious worker into his ce to execute the necessary code contact, then switched back to his original position seamlessly.


    Afterward, Sterl sat calmly, listening intently to everything around him, hoping to gather some intel on Giant City.


    The result? Sterl couldn''t help but feel exasperated.


    It was clear he had logged on at a rather inconvenient time.


    The royal capital of Orichalcum was underplete lockdown.


    No one was permitted to enter from outside, and no one was allowed to leave the city.


    The reason was a massive, ongoing war between this new faction and the forces of Ashen.


    The battle had already been raging for three years.


    Initially, Ashen had been at a disadvantage. However, Sterl''s earlier actions��killing six of Orichalcum''s deities��had shifted the bnce of power between the two factions significantly.


    In the time-elerated domain, the two factions spent three years testing each other, then escting minor skirmishes into full-blown war.


    Although Ashen had fewer resources, they were able to spendrge sums to enlist support from other powerful factions outside the time-elerated domain.


    Other than the mysterious


    Hall of Valor


    ��from which all the deities had seemingly vanished��most of Alpha 8''s native factions had sent reinforcements to Ashen''s side.


    Ashen had long-standing alliances with these groups and had a clear strategy: prioritize targeting the invaders. If they could carve up Orichalcum, many factions in Alpha 8 would feast on the spoils.


    And as for why a time-elerated domain even existed?


    After gathering information at the tavern and wandering around the capital, Sterl found the mainstream view was that a higher power��the will of the


    Transcendence


    world��was aiding Orichalcum''s swift integration into this new realm. Though�� it was certainly a rather aggressive integration method.


    As for the current situation��


    Sterl kept a calm expression, though a drunkard beside him was patting his shoulder incessantly, babbling on.


    "Bro, you couldn''t have picked a better time to join up!"


    "Right now, we''re locked in a battle with those wretches who wouldn''t even give us a ce to rest."


    "Aren''t you trying to break into the demigod realm?"


    "As long as you head to the battlefield and rack up some military achievements, you''ll reach your goal in no time!"


    ��


    "Thank you," Sterl replied, subtly stepping back to avoid the spit the drunkard sprayed as he spoke.


    With a slight shift in his stance, Sterl vanished, leaving the drunk man behind, who continued patting at the wall, mumbling.


    Huh? I could''ve sworn someone was just here��


    Where''d he go?


    Sterl was loungingzily on the edge of a clock tower atop a dark Ashen-colored skyscraper. With a rxed demeanor, he opened his game panel for a leisurely review.


    Unlike the usual process of acquiring new abilities, which would prompt notifications, the benefits of fusing with this code werepletely concealed.


    After some searching, he managed to identify only two new features.


    The first was a self-defense ability, somewhat simr to the power of the Frost Giant��[Self-Preservation Mode].


    This mode granted 0 seconds of invincibility once per day. During this invincibility period, Sterl could, like a Frost Giant,pletely ignore enemy attacks��even those involving high-level divine authority would fail to breach his defenses. Additionally, his own attack power would skyrocket, with each hit delivering double the usual damage.


    Though this didn''t quite match the power of the actual Frost Giant itself, if Sterl were willing to use his own body and willpower as fuel for the code, he could theoretically activate unlimited invincibility.


    Beyond invincibility and the attack boost, he''d gain a host of other abilities: instantly mastering any skill with just a nce, regenerating at superhuman speed, and traveling freely through space and time.


    However, Sterl wasn''t too interested in this. After all, surrenderingpletely to the code''s control would mean his own consciousness would cease to exist.


    The second new ability was derived from the silver code''s properties, providing two functionalities: the


    Creation Module


    and the


    Map Module


    .


    The Creation Module, a skill exclusive to the Iridescent-Level, originated with Gloria. The Iridescent-Level skill could generate items attached to exclusive skills. But when the Dark Moon Goddess acquired it, she had more than just the code itself��she had a charged version that could consume [Pure Energy]to directly produce skills and items.


    Sterl could tell from the creation panel, which emerged from his fusion with the silver code, that Gloria had been carrying the code all along, using her own abilities to slowly activate its potential. It was a roundabout method to unlock the code''s powers.


    By tapping into the creation panel, Sterl could instantly create Iridescent-Level and even Radiant-Level abilities, along with high-powered Divine items of Radiant caliber.


    The only downside was that creating these required Pure Energy, which was currently at "zero."


    Pure Energy could be obtained by dismantling equipment and skill books, but after testing it out, Sterl found the process inefficient. His personal world contained a considerable amount of unassigned resources��around a hundred gold-level skill books, which, once dismantled, yielded a single unit of Pure Energy. Yet, to craft a gold-level skill tailored to himself required one unit of energy.


    "One hundred to one?"


    Sterl stared nkly at the panel, baffled.


    But after some thought, he conceded it wasn''t entirely a bad deal.


    Pure Energycould be extracted from lower-level skill books and items, and once enough was gathered, it could be used to forge higher-level abilities.


    For the Iridescent-Level abilities Sterl sought, he would need a thousand units of Pure Energy. In a full-scale war, he might gather a few hundred units��though only if it were a massive conflict like the current struggle between the two great factions, Ashen and Orichalcum.


    Furthermore, the creation ability granted by the silver code allowed for methods to reduce Pure Energy consumption. For instance, Sterl discovered that to craft an Iridescent-Level ability perfectly suited to himself, he could incorporate star or spatial Iridescent-Level skills to lower the Pure Energy requirements.


    "Good idea�� I can start gathering rted skills ahead of time," he thought to himself. "Though I''ll need Sosia and Sonis to do the collecting. It might be easier to exchange for them at Orichalcum''s contribution store."


    Sterl recalled information he had uncovered previously.


    Orichalcum had developed a special technique to extract skills from the corpses of legendary demigods. Although extraction wasn''t very efficient, often requiring many lives to obtain aplete skill, the ongoing war, coupled with the various forces from across the Crystal Barrier Gxy closing in on Orichalcum, had produced ample opportunities.


    In the three years of conflict, Orichalcum and the factions of Alpha 8 had both suffered losses, but Orichalcum had managed to extract a vast number of Iridescent-Level and tinum Skills.


    This meant that, by joining this faction, Sterl could easily ess the variety of skills needed to craft his customized abilities.


    "Besides, joining Orichalcum, fighting for it, and getting involved in the divine-level conflicts among factions�� it''ll make for a truly legendary story."


    Sterl smiled.


    In addition to the creation module, there was also a map module, which fortunately didn''t require any extra energy.


    Sterl now had ess to an infinite surveince map of the area he upied.


    His current area was Alpha 8, and aside from specific zones covered by special barriers, Sterl could see everything within this region. By zooming in on the map, he could even observe the situations of people at specific coordinates.


    He casually adjusted the map''s view, watching as Linna and Rayna faced a boss in the Divine Mountain Empire''s territory.


    The boss was formidable, with a level higher than theirs, but with the vast resources Sterl had provided, the two young women fought valiantly, exchanging skills with the boss in a serious duel.


    Until��


    "Linna!"


    A powerful blow from the boss sent the blonde girl flying! The attack would have been fatal for a yer of her level, but a radiant glow surged around her, and a shield appeared,pletely nullifying the impact.


    She quickly threw out a few disposable items, managing to st the boss into oblivion.


    A radiant glow then enveloped both of them as they reaped a significant amount of experience points. Due to the huge disparity in power between them and the boss, they also gained legend points.


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction. "That''s exactly how you should y��don''t hold back on resources."


    Then, with a grin, he clenched his fist in excitement.


    This map module was ridiculously overpowered.


    How to put it��


    With a few quick taps, Sterl even discovered several Ashen and Alpha 8 native factions attempting to ambush Orichalcum''s forces. These groups were led by deities, and they had specifically activated Shielding Powerfor stealth. Yet, under the map''s surveince, they were utterly exposed.


    Although the module description imed that its detection could be countered, there was no one in Alpha 8 capable of interfering with it!


    If Orichalcum''s deities had ess to such detection abilities, they would likely have repelled the other factions'' invasions long ago!


    "As expected of a code-derived power," Sterl thought, calming himself.


    He knew exactly what his next steps would be.


    Wait.


    Sterl was preparing to join Orichalcum''s faction, to rack up contributions. With the map module, he was bound to shine brilliantly in theing conflicts.


    After all, what leaves a stronger impression: adding icing on the cake, or delivering aid in a crisis?


    Soon, in the face of coordinated ambushes, Orichalcum would suffer significant losses.


    And when that time came, it would be his perfect moment to make a dramatic entrance.


    For now��


    Sterl closed his eyes, focusing his mind.


    Then, a luminous screen appeared before him.


    [Begin creating a legendary story? Yes / No]


    [Yes.]


    Sterl selected.


    Instantly, countless lines of information cascaded across his view like raindrops.


    [The Path of Legend begins here.]


    [Rmended quests are now avable.]


    [Hint: You may also choose to initiate a custom legendary story. However, any manually triggered events will not yield rewards beyond those of the current rmended story points.]


    [Rmended Story 1: The Storm of World Fusion]


    [Description: Within the boundless framework of the Crystal Barrier Gxy, a sudden, mysterious vortex has twisted countless worlds. You have had the rare privilege of witnessing its urrence firsthand, and now it is time to choose your path.


    In the aftermath of world fusion, conflict and war are inevitable. Will you stand for your homnd, driving out the invaders? Or will you fight for these now-homeless travelers, helping them secure a chance at life and a ce to belong?]


    [Rmended Story 2��]

 Chapter 480 Story Chosen, Master of the World Storm!

    [Rmended Story 2: Chronicler of the World War]


    [Description: This is an unprecedented War of the Gods. The Kingdom of Orichalcum and Ashen will engage in a conflict that will shake the entire world, reshaping its very foundations.


    In this battle, countless legends will be reduced to dust, and even deities will fall. As a native of this world, as an observer of this war, you have the duty to record every legend, demigod, and deity. Record them, remember them��for death is not the end, only forgetting is.]


    [Rmended Story 3: Master of the World Storm]


    [Description: A war among gods, a battle to determine the fate of the world, is about to unfold. This is an earth-shattering conflict, where the victor will rule all and the defeated will be the foundation stones of the new order.


    Is nobility reserved only for the chosen few? You are the mightiest on Earth and a crucial spark in this war. You may choose to observe, to flee, or to join and aid a side. But perhaps there is another choice?


    It is both war and rebirth��perhaps thisnd awaits a new master. Could that be you?]


    ��


    Sterl stared at the three rmended legendary stories disyed before him, momentarily frozen in ce.


    Before initiating the legendary story, he had nned to craft his own narrative, selecting his own legendary path.


    But as soon as he saw the third rmended story, he found himself captivated.


    Master of the World Storm!!


    He could hardly believe it��


    Transcendence


    had suggested a legendary story of such global consequence. This wasn''t just a legendary story; it was an event on par with myth, perhaps even a


    Transcendent


    myth!


    Ordinarily, most who ascended from third ss to legendary would do so through a fairly standard legendary story, like leaving their name in a renowned battle, participating in a hunt for a legendary dragon, or making a notable contribution.


    Or they might choose a defensive battle��defending a nation or a city and bing remembered by its people. There were even simpler paths, like healing the sick, reaching a high enough number of people healed to be remembered and attain legendary status.


    These are the usual legendary stories avable to reach legendary rank. But Sterl''s ambitions demanded that his story be the best possible. Anything less would hardly be worthy of his status.


    So, he chose to begin his legendary story amid the war between Orichalcum and Ashen. After all, this was a battle at the divine level!


    Once he sessfullypleted this story, his power would skyrocket, granting him an immense, even unprecedented, legendary strength.


    This was exactly what he wanted��to be the strongest. Mediocrity? That had no ce in his vocabry.


    However, the third rmended story, Master of the World Storm, had indeed taken him by surprise. This was far beyond merely participating in the war; it meant bing the central figure of the conflict, using his own power to suppress both Orichalcum and Ashen, bing the sole victor of this war, sweeping away all opposition, and emerging as the ultimate ruler!


    If he could trulyplete it, he would be the most magnificent and awe-inspiring presence in all legendary tales and see an extraordinary leap in power.


    "Who would''ve thought such a story could form? Could it be because of my fusion of the golden and silver codes?" Sterl mused to himself, his gaze firmly fixed on this story.


    Initially, he had considered choosing the first story,


    The Storm of World Fusion


    , but once he saw the third, he had no doubts. As for the second rmended story, it was dismissed without a second thought.


    He, Sterl, was never one to run away, much less settle for being a mere chronicler of a war, recording the actions of beings weaker than himself! If he was going to do something, he would do it with all his might��not only in conquest, but with women, goddesses, and, above all, in battle!


    [Select Rmended Story Three: Master of the World Storm!]


    Sterl selected with absolute confidence.


    For any ordinary third-ss being, not yet even legendary, joining such a conflict would be out of the question.


    But Sterl was different. He possessed a radiant-level ss! He had three SSS-grade talents! Three Iridescent-Level abilities! And, on top of that, he wielded the


    Blood of the Holy Spirit


    and the power to ascend to godhood. He had in more deities than he could count on both hands; there was nothing here to fear.


    Besides, How could hesleep soundly in a sinking ship?He had long considered the Alpha 8 world his personal domain, and this was the perfect chance to take it once and for all. Not only could he make these deities his prey to gather soul experience, but his cheat abilities needed a vast amount of soul experience to level up!


    As soon as he spoke, the


    Transcendence


    system immediately responded.


    [Story selected: Master of the World Storm. The difficulty has exceeded the highest limit for legendary rank. Uponpletion, the rewards will scale up ordingly!]


    From this moment on, every action Sterl took would be recorded, shaping his unique legendary story. Only when the story was fullyplete would the recording end, resulting in the birth of an unprecedented legend!


    Sterl took a few deep breaths, needing a moment to steady himself. Originally, he had simply intended to intervene in a war of deities to create a wless legendary story. But now, with the fusion of the


    Transcendence


    golden code, he had unlocked a story of unimaginable proportions. The leap in difficulty was so enormous that he needed a moment to adjust.


    Once he gathered his thoughts, he decided to proceed with his original n.


    First, he would align himself with Orichalcum, joining their ranks and reaping the benefits. When the battle between Orichalcum and Ashen reached its peak, with both sides weakened, he would bring in his followers and armies, fully intervening to suppressboth factionspletely.


    Conveniently, he had recently obtained the


    Blood of the Ancient One


    , which granted powers he could bestow upon his followers. While he didn''t expect his troops to take on deities, they only needed to handle the remaining mortal forces from both sides.


    As for the deities themselves, Sterl had already proven he could kill weaker gods with ease. Now, with his invincibility power, which allowed him to ignore any attacks and deal double damage for a limited time, they would all be nothing more than prey.


    And the perfect moment to enter this conflict was approaching!


    "For now, I''ll assume a new identity and officially join Orichalcum," he mused. "From there, it''s just a matter of waiting patiently."


    Gazing at his map module, he observed the deity-led forces inching toward Orichalcum''s capital under the cover of


    Shielding Power


    . Sterl was practically itching to act.


    However, he wasn''t foolish. Acting now would not only fail to provide aid at a critical moment but might also expose his map module''s capabilities, inviting unwanted attention from Orichalcum.


    In its current critical wartime state, the map module''s ability to detect even deities would be immensely valuable to Orichalcum. If they obtained this, they''d be almost unbeatable. And even if Ashen and the other local factions became aware, they''d fear the map module''s powers, avoiding rash moves. Thus, Orichalcum was almost certain toplete its fusion and establish itself firmly in this world.


    Since he had chosen the legendary story of Master of the World Storm, Sterl''s goal wasn''t simply to deal with Ashen and the native factions; he would also aim to weaken Orichalcum itself as much as possible.


    All he needed to do now was wait patiently. Let them wear each other down, and he would reap the rewards! He intended not just to be the fisherman benefiting from their conflict, but the ultimate master of everything.


    In the days that followed, Sterl remained in the royal city, performing his duties under a disguised identity while carefully investigating every detail of Orichalcum��tracking the locations of various demigods and divine-level figures, identifying weak points in the defenses, and studying the formations and field seals protecting the city.


    To overthrow this vast royal city, his first challenge wasn''t the divine-level beings themselves, but rather the intricate formations and field seals embedded throughout the capital.


    A few days passed, and all the while, Sterl kept a close eye on the movements of Ashen and the other Alpha 8 factions through his map module.


    These gods had no idea that their "secret" operations, which they had gone to great lengths to conceal with


    Shielding Power


    , were fully visible under his watchful eye. After all, who could possibly imagine that someone had ess to the


    Transcendence


    map module, observing their every move from a god-like perspective?


    "Is it time to begin? How thrilling��"


    Sterl''s face lit up with excitement as he set down his work and quietly moved toward a location he had previously chosen.


    As soon as the battlemenced, he would use the


    Blood of the Ancient One


    to cloak himself, disabling the formations and detection systems on the gates of the royal city. Then, utilizing his teleportation abilities, he would bypass the senses of every legendary and demigod being, slipping out of the city undetected.


    At that point, it would be time for his harvest!


    Looking at his map module, he could see the Ashen forces and their allies advancing in three separate directions, closing in on the royal city''s eastern, southern, and northern positions. Each route targeted one of the staging grounds Orichalcum had established outside the city, meant tounch counterattacks against Ashen and defend the royal city at a moment''s notice.


    Unfortunately, Ashen''s


    Shielding Power


    had lulled Orichalcum into a false sense of security.


    Orichalcum couldn''t imagine that their enemy would dare approach so close to the city for a direct assault! Not only that, but the enemy was striking in three directions at once, clearly a well-nned maneuver to throw Orichalcum''s defenses into disarray and deliver a severe blow!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 481 Battle Begins, Shadows Annihilate!

    "The show''s about to start," Sterl murmured, a look of interest shing across his face as he observed the movements of Ashen and its allied forces.


    Ashen''s coalition forces consisted of three phnxes, each one carrying five deities, totaling fifteen gods in action��more than a quarter of Ashen''s divine power. It was clear that, if this ambush seeded, Orichalcum would suffer a devastating blow. At that point, Ashen''s other deities, along with their armies, would surely swarm in, aiming to strike while the iron was hot and crush Orichalcum in one fell swoop.


    Even if Orichalcum''s full strength managed to fend off this fierce assault, it would still suffer heavily, leading to a prolonged conflict that would leave them at a severe disadvantage. Ultimately, this would only hasten their eventual downfall to Ashen''s forces.


    "This is a war among gods��how could I miss the chance to witness it firsthand?" Sterl thought, smiling to himself.


    Though his current power level allowed him to easily y deities, he was still technically just a humble third-ss being. Observing a sh of gods was bound to earn him some legend points.


    Although he already met all the requirements to ascend to legendary rank, and had multiple legendary and even several tinum and Iridescent-Level skills, legend points were always wee. One could never have too many, after all.


    Of course, Sterl''s true aim wasn''t merely to gain some legend points. His goal was to ensure that Orichalcum''s three military staging grounds would suffer significant damage but not bepletely overrun. That way, he could step in at a critical moment, providing aid and allowing Orichalcum to recover just enough to avoid losing too much of its strength.


    If Ashen were to overpower Orichalcum, or if Orichalcum''s godlybat forces fell too far behind, it would spell trouble for Sterl''s future ns. If Orichalcum were left crippled, he wouldn''t want to face the massive force of Ashen alone. Confident though he was in his abilities, he was no fool.


    Until his n was fully in motion, he would do his best to remain inconspicuous, taking advantage of Orichalcum''s resources to the fullest extent possible.


    With a quick shift in focus, he masked his aura and concealed all his information. Then, finding a moment when no one was paying attention, he swiftly activated his powers and sped to a position just outside Orichalcum''s capital.


    Sterl nced once more at the Ashen coalition forces. Under the cover of


    Shielding Power


    , they had reached the outskirts of the three military staging grounds, undetected even by the deities stationed there.


    "Even though Orichalcum has been at war with Ashen and these local factions for three years��and despite the six deities I eliminated earlier��Orichalcum''s high-level power still surpasses that of Ashen''s Alpha 8 gods."


    Sterl analyzed the situation carefully.


    Orichalcum was an enormous force, powerful enough that even he had been struck by the depth of its resources. As a power from beyond Alpha 8, Orichalcum''s strength and foundation were undeniably solid. Their slight overconfidence toward native factions was understandable; after all, they had gained the upper hand through most of the three-year war, making significant gains. If this trend continued, Orichalcum''s full integration into the world was almost inevitable. Once integrated, the suppressive power of the capital would be even more terrifying.


    At that point, any Ashen troops approaching the capital would face intense pressure and might even be assimted and enved by Orichalcum''s power! And, after some recovery, they would replenish their six lost deities, setting themselves up to systematically eliminate the local factions one by one.


    This exined why Ashen and its allied factions were willing to deploy so many deities in a desperate attempt, using


    Shielding Power


    to stage an ambush.


    Once outside the capital, Sterl headed toward the nearest staging ground in the east, advancing covertly.


    The Eastern War Preparedness Zonewas the focal point of Ashen''s nned assault on Orichalcum''s capital. By first neutralizing the forces stationed here, it would then be easier for him to support the northern and southern fronts if needed.


    As he moved, he kept a close eye on his map module. Once Ashen''s forces had finished positioning themselves, the ambush began, unfolding with a silent ferocity.


    From each of the three attack groups, a god stepped forward. With the map module''s aid, Sterl immediately identified them as the God of Ghosts, God of Shadows, and God of Thieves.


    All three were deities of low Divine Power, yet they specialized in stealth and ambush tactics. As they activated their


    divine authority


    and Divine Power, the trio vanished from sight, hidden entirely by


    Shielding Power


    , as if they had disappeared from the world altogether.


    Sterl watched with a smirk of admiration.


    If not for his map module, Sterl would never have detected these stealth techniques, which were practically wless. The Orichalcum deities stationed at the staging grounds, caughtpletely off guard, were utterly oblivious to the approaching danger.


    Ashen''smand seemed toe through, and the three deities began carefully advancing toward the staging ground. Meanwhile, the remaining gods held back, leading their demigods, legends, and even third-ss troops, waiting in silence.


    Each staging ground was defended by five deities, with Orichalcum''s main forces still concentrated within the royal capital. Furthermore, since Orichalcum had not yet fully integrated with the world, many of its deities hadn''t manifested at full strength. Outside the capital, their power was considerably weaker.


    The twenty deities stationed at these staging grounds represented Orichalcum''s absolute limit. In case of an attack, these five deities could hold out for a while, buying time for reinforcements from the capital.


    Most importantly, Orichalcum had never imagined that these "native" forces would be capable of advancing this deeply into the core area outside the capital.


    Ashen''s objective was clear: these three deities would strike hard, possibly even assassinating one of the Orichalcum gods. If sessful, they would severely weaken the forces at each staging ground. With enough speed and Shielding Power on their side, Ashen could take down all three staging grounds before the capital had time to react, eliminating fifteen gods in one swift blow!


    Such a blow would cripple Orichalcum, setting the stage for a full-scale invasion. The prospect of seizing Orichalcum��a force potentially even stronger than Ashen itself��was a prize no deity could resist.


    Under thebined effects of their


    divine authority


    ,


    Divine Power


    , and


    Shielding Power


    , the three Ashen gods boldly stepped into the staging grounds, unnoticed. They bypassed the legendary and demigod guards with ease, arriving swiftly at the central area where the five deities were stationed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Die, you ursed invaders! Go to hell!" the God of Shadowsmuttered darkly, eyes fixed on a nearby Orichalcum deity. Boundaries among deities were distinct, and even in shared spaces, they maintained distance. Too close, and differing


    Divine Power


    and


    divine authority


    would create needless friction.


    As a result, each deity was effectively isted!


    The God of Shadowshad his target in sight��a deity carefully chosen and well-researched, none other than the God of the Prairiefrom Orichalcum''s Nature Pantheon.


    Both were deities of low Divine Power, but the Nature and Environmental Pantheons were considered some of the weakest, with far less resilience and defense than other pantheons. Choosing such a target maximized the chances of a swift, lethal strike.


    Without hesitation, the God of Shadows concentrated his Divine Power, unleashing his divine authorityability: [Shadow Annihtion!]


    [Effect: Ignores all defenses (effect halved for low Divine Power or above), harnessing the annihting force of the shadow world to inflict massive damage on the enemy. If the target''s health is below 20%, they will be forcibly killed by the power of the Shadow Realm (this effect is nullified for low Divine Power or above). If the target''s health is above 20%, they will suffer a one-second paralysis of fear, with all attributes reduced by 50% and stamina depleted by 80%.]


    As the God of Shadows'' killing move, Shadow Annihtion was powerful enough to plunge any unprepared, low-health deity of his rank into utter despair.


    A frontal assault was hardly necessary; even a direct strike would likely leave the God of the Prairiedefenseless.


    Suddenly!


    The God of Shadows unleashed his power, dispelling the concealment effects of his own


    divine authority


    and


    Shielding Power


    . In that instant, his divine might nketed the entire staging ground.


    The God of the Prairie, deep in meditation, snapped her eyes open, a sh of raw fear appearing in her gaze. She could feel it��a deity''s power, directed solely at her.


    rm bells rang in her mind, and she began to mobilize her Divine Power to evade and defend. But after gathering his strength for so long, the God of Shadows wasn''t about to give her the chance to react!


    A dark beam shed across the field, and the skies over the staging ground turned as ck as night. Around the God of the Prairie, the air thickened with shadows, as if the entire world had been cloaked in ink.


    Before she could fully process what was happening, the devastating force of Shadow Annihtiondescended upon her, the immense power of the Shadow Realm tearing at her body and divine authority.


    "Enemy attack!" she cried out in desperation. "It''s Ashen''s God of Shadows! Damn it! For a god to resort to such cowardly tactics��how despicable!"


    The other four deities stationed in the Eastern War Preparedness Zoneinstantly sensed the disturbance. But it was toote.

 Chapter 482 Instant Kill of the God of the Prairie! A Deadly Crisis!

    With a sickening squelch, the God of the Prairiefroze. A dark crack, formed of shadow power, spread from her chest, widening rapidly as the God of Shadows'' Divine Power relentlessly eroded her own. Her beautiful, holy eyes dulled, losing all their luster.


    Had she been given enough time to react, to call upon her


    divine authority


    and


    Divine Power


    , and activate her Iridescent-Level abilities, her life force would surely have been stronger than that of most low Divine Power deities.


    After all, the prairie is tied to the essence of life. But the God of Shadows hadn''t given her that time. With one strike from Shadow Annihtion, he crushed all her hopes, bypassing her defenses and wiping out the majority of her life force in an instant.


    Her life force dropped below even 0%, triggering the second trait of Shadow Annihtion��the forced execution by the power of the Shadow Realm!


    "N-no�� it''s�� impossible��" she stammered, her voice filled with the despair of final moments. Then, her body dissolved into countless points of light, her divine form shattering, her soul obliterated by the Shadow Realm''s annihting power.


    "Hahaha! Invaders, this is your fate! Even gods will fall to our might!" the God of Shadowsughed, triumphant. The n had seeded wlessly. With the God of the Prairie dead, how could the remaining four deities possibly withstand thebined assault of the five gods from Ashen?


    The only disappointment was that, upon her fall, no Divine Power remained, and her


    divine authority


    had shattered into nothing. The God of Shadows couldn''t help but feel some regret.


    But there was no helping it; to ensure his n''s sess, he had unleashed his full strength, making the Shadow Realm''s destructive power so intense that it had obliterated everyst trace of the God of the Prairie.


    Not that it mattered. The loss of one deity''s yield was insignificantpared to the victory now assured. Once Orichalcum was crushed, the rewards would far exceed the value of a single god!


    "Such a waste, though��"


    Watching all this unfold through his map module, Sterl shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes.


    Such a waste indeed! The God of the Prairie''s beauty, grace, and youthful vitality matched that of Gloria. She had a unique aura of freshness and life, like a sulent de of green grass��luscious, radiant, and full of vitality.


    As a deity, the God of the Prairiepossessed formidable power. Her Healing and Blessing Powerwould have been invaluable if refined as a deputy star or controlled through the Blood of the Ancient One. Sterl found himself almost regretting not intervening directly against Ashen.


    Of course, it was merely a fleeting sense of regret; his actions, as always, were governed by the bigger picture.


    He also took note of the Shadow Annihtionability of the God of Shadows. Observing it through his map module and activating Star Insight, he had witnessed its raw power firsthand. Against deities of low Divine Power, it was a perfect hunting technique.


    If he could acquire this ability himself, enhanced with Stardustand his own power multipliers, any deity he targeted would be doomed.


    Thankfully, this ability held little threat against him. Once he activated ascend to godhoodand relied on his Law of Timeand Law of Space, he could prevent the God of Shadows from ever having a chance tounch an attack. And even if caught off guard, his 99% damage reduction from Millennial Rebirthwould keep him firmly out of harm''s way.


    Reassured that the God of Shadows posed no significant threat, Sterl rxed and continued monitoring the battle.


    Following the God of Shadows'' sessful kill in the Eastern War Preparedness Zone, the northern and southern staging grounds also erupted into attacks. The God of Ghostsexecuted his target in a single blow, much like the God of Shadows. Only the God of Thievesencountered a minor setback, failing to kill his target outright but leaving them gravely injured and out ofbat.


    Ashen''s ambush seemed wless so far, barring unforeseen events, and it was certain to seed. However, Sterl had no intention of letting Ashen gain such an easy victory.


    He wanted a sh between titans, a dogfight, not a one-sided triumph. Yet, it still wasn''t time to act.


    By now, Sterl had arrived just outside the Eastern War Preparedness Zone. Even without the map module, he could observe the situation inside. Nevertheless, using the map module made things far more precise.


    "When I finish this legendary story, maybe I can find a way to unlock more **[Transcendence] code power��"


    He mused to himself. Each code he had acquired had given him incredible surprises, and he suspected that the more codes he obtained, the greater his hidden permissions within [Transcendence]would be!


    Just as with this rmended legendary story, it had far exceeded the limits of the legendary tier, with even the reward level reaching the ultimate [Transcendence]grade, elevated several levels higher.


    This likely wasn''t simply because his power was approaching the divine level; after all, under [Transcendence]rules, his rank was still technically just third ss.


    At that moment��


    Inside the Eastern War Preparedness Zone, the remaining four Orichalcum deities, furious and enraged, burst forward, instantly dispelling the Shadow Heavenly Curtaincast by the God of Shadows. They finally saw the scene within.


    Their faces, however, turned dark with fury and horror��because they were already toote.


    The God of the Prairie was gone. Only faint traces of her presence lingered in the area, remnants of her divine essence fading into nothingness.


    "You vile natives! How dare you assassinate a god of Orichalcum! You will face endless divine retribution and be hunted until your very souls are obliterated!"


    The lead deity, an elder with a dignified aura, radiated divine authority and Divine Power. He was a double-divine authority god��the God of Thunder and Courage, wielding the Thunder Lawand Courage Law.


    The other three deities, while not dual-divine authority, were equally filled with wrath, theirbined aura shaking the staging ground itself. The God of Shadows, locked onto by these four powerful deities, felt an overwhelming pressure of impending death.


    But instead of panicking or retreating, the God of Shadows threw back his head andughed defiantly.


    "Arrogant fools! You invaders dare to im you''ll establish yourselves on our sacrednds? You deserve to perish! Divine retribution? A hunt? Heh�� worry about yourselves first!"


    As his words faded, the sky suddenly darkened.


    Outside the staging ground, the remaining four gods from Ashen''s coalition unleashed their Divine Power without restraint.


    At their lead was another double-divine authority deity��the God of Painting and Swordsmanship!


    With these four gods joining forces with the God of Shadows, a total of five deities now concentrated their power, unleashing a massive force toward the God of Thunder and Courage, reversing the entire situation.


    And not only that: behind these five gods, a vast army of demigods, legends, and powerful third-ss warriors advanced in a tightly formed battle array. United in formation, they marched forward with overwhelming force, pressing down upon the Orichalcum forces.


    "This�� how can this be possible?!"


    "How did five deities manage to infiltrate? And such a vast army of demigods and legendary warriors? How did they avoid detection by the capital''s formation? And how did they conceal their Divine Power?!"


    The God of Thunder and Couragewas stunned.


    This was Orichalcum''s staging ground, practically its core territory. Just beyondy the royal capital itself! And now, somehow, the enemy had managed to infiltrate this deep without anyone noticing. An ominous feeling gripped his heart.


    If he put himself in their ce, with such a power to shield divine senses, he would certainly not limit himself to attacking only the Eastern War Preparedness Zone. Surely, the other staging grounds would also be under siege, and if those attacks seeded, they couldunch a massive offensive and overrun the capital in one decisive strike!


    The realization hit him like a blow��could it be that Orichalcum had already lost this battle?


    "Hahaha! Foolish invaders, you will be nothing more than dust in history! With your capital and people, you will sink forever into the abyss, consigned to oblivion!"


    The God of Painting and Swordsmanshiughed, his gaze turning icy and fierce.


    "Kneel before me! Submit, ept the mark of servitude, and surrender a fragment of your Fire of the Divine Soul, and I might grant you a chance to survive!"


    The four Orichalcum deities wore expressions of utter horror and disbelief.


    On Ashen''s side, each god felt a thrill of satisfaction. They had endured three years of war, three years of humiliation and frustration under Orichalcum''s superior strength. Now, atst, they could unleash their pent-up anger!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Their n was to enve Orichalcum''s gods and demigods, to subjugate these invaderspletely. They would force the goddesses of Orichalcum to kneel, to lick their feet, to face utter degradation. They would take pleasure in breaking everyst vestige of pride from these divine beings.


    As a world''s fusionpleted, the gods had found that their divinity diminished while their human emotions resurfaced with heightened intensity. Even as deities, primal desires surged within them, and the basest of impulses��greed, wrath, lust��multiplied, dark and unchecked.


    "No! Never! Orichalcum will never be defeated!"


    "Submit to you? Impossible!"


    The God of Thunder and Courageroared in fury. His Courage Lawerupted, spreading a wave of pure bravery and wrath across Orichalcum''s forces, dispelling all fear and doubt in an instant.


    Their hearts surged with courage, burning with anger.


    They would fight to thest breath to protect their homnd, to defend the ce they called their own.


    ��

 Chapter 483 Clash of Thunder and Sword Intent, Hidden Killing Intent!

    "Fools, facing death and yet still resisting?" The God of Painting and Swordsmanship looked coldly at the four deities standing against him, as well as the demigods, legends, and third-ss warriors newly inspired by the Courage Law. His bloodlust surged as he slowly raised his hand and gave amand.


    "Kill! Crush these invaders! Let their blood soak ournds, and let their resources feed our strength!"


    Behind him, Ashen''s forces, barely containing their eagerness, burst into action, faces lit with excitement. The situation was almost entirely in their favor��after all, they had one more deity than their opponents. For beings at the divine level, miracles were rare; this wasn''t the realm of second-ss soldiers who might miraculously shift the battle.


    Victory was certain. Now was the perfect moment to rack up contributions. Once they breached Orichalcum''s royal capital, they would reap unimaginable rewards, resources beyond their wildest dreams.


    Greed is endless, and with the advancing world fusion, even gods had begun to experience a revival of their base desires. For third-ss warriors and legends, this feeling was only magnified.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!" "Crush these filthy invaders!" "Ashen is invincible! Undefeated!" "The heretics shall be destroyed!"


    The Ashen forces'' morale surged, matching Orichalcum''s troops, who had been bolstered by the Courage Law.


    In perfect formation, Ashen''s forces, charged with immense power,unched their assault on the staging ground.


    In contrast, the Eastern War Preparedness Zone''s troops were still reeling from the shock of the God of the Prairie''s sudden death and the lightning-fast ambush. Though their spirits had been restored under the Courage Law, they hadn''t had the time to regroup into a formation.


    While the two armies were simr in average strength, having a military formation was a game-changer.


    "With so many legends and third-ss fighters, not to mention the demigods forming that army, they might even be able to kill a god," Sterl mused as he watched. Ashen''s side alone had hundreds of legends! Thousands more were skilled third-ss fighters, some of the best in their rank. Combined, this force presented a threat even Sterl would need to activate ascend to godhood to ignore.


    For most gods, however, it would be an incredibly deadly threat.


    In contrast, without a formation, Orichalcum''s side looked like nothing more than a scattered field of powerless weeds. The ordinary third-ss warriors posed no threat, and even their legends and demigods could only retreat from the relentless charge and onught of Ashen''s army. Within moments of first contact, Orichalcum''s forces had already lost dozens, and the casualties continued to rise rapidly!


    "You despicable ambushers! You deserve to be eternally marked with shame!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One of Orichalcum''s demigods roared, seizing an opportunity to strike. Using his Law Power, he targeted a weaker area of the formation andunched a fierce attack.


    However, a blood-red barrier suddenly materialized, enveloping Ashen''s entire formation. This was a unique effect of their formation, a defense powered by thebined morale and vitality of the entire force. The higher their morale, the greater the numbers, and the stronger their average level, the more imprable this barrier became.


    Under thebined power of Ashen''s legends and demigods, this barrier had already reached a strength only a god could break��unless another formation shed with it head-on.


    The demigod''s full-force strike only created a ripple across the barrier''s surface. Then, with a slight tremor, the barrier rebounded his own energy back at him! The demigod shuddered, his expression darkening. Before he could even scream, his body disintegrated into countless points of light, gone in an instant.


    "Damn it!"


    Above, Orichalcum''s four deities were seething with rage. Thunder crackled and surged around the God of Thunder and Courage, who was ready to unleash a deadly strike on Ashen''s army below to shatter that damned formation. But the gods of Ashen weren''t about to give them the chance��immediately, all five enemy deities engaged them in battle.


    The God of Painting and Swordsmanship summoned a brilliant golden longsword with Divine Power and swung it down with full force at the double-divine authority deity in front of him!


    The God of Thunder and Courage, forced to focus on this powerful enemy, invoked his Thunder Law and Divine Power to counter the attack.


    After all, this was, at its heart, a war of gods. No matter how brutal the battle below might be, the true oue depended on the sh of deities. Whoever emerged victorious among the gods would decide the fate of the battlefield below.


    But with Orichalcum already down a deity, having lost the God of the Prairie, how could they prevail against such overwhelming odds?


    Boom!!


    Endless thunder and sword energy shed in a violent storm of annihtion, Divine Power colliding and expanding, creating horrifying tornadoes that tore across the battlefield.


    Ashen''s forces, protected by their formation barrier, remained unaffected by the residual shockwaves. But the Orichalcum army wasn''t so fortunate. Many third-ss soldiers were flung back, injured or worse, while the legends and demigods who struggled to hold the line suffered heavily, with many getting picked off in the chaos.


    Seeing this, the God of Thunder and Courage felt a surge of urgency and fury. He attempted to lead his opponent skyward to change the battleground, but the God of Painting and Swordsmanship activated his Painting Law, conjuring a prison-like structure around them that restricted his movements, forcing him to defend himself as a barrage of attacks rained down.


    Frustrated, the God of Thunder and Courage resisted, but to his irritation, the God of Painting and Swordsmanship refused to engage directly. Instead, he used his Painting Law to continuously create obstacles and limitations, clearly aiming to stall for time.


    ncing at the other battlefronts, the God of Thunder and Courage realized that Ashen''s forces had coordinated this assault in advance. While he was held off by the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, the other four deities focused their attacks on the remaining three Orichalcum gods.


    With four against three, it was only a matter of time before Ashen''s side leveraged their numbers to take down each Orichalcum deity one by one. Once that happened, the remaining four Ashen gods, along with the double-divine authority God of Painting and Swordsmanship, would turn theirbined power on him. Even as a double-divine authority god, he knew he wouldn''t stand a chance against that.


    Understanding that time was running out, the God of Thunder and Courage made a swift decision and unleashed his ultimate attack.


    "Holy Thunder Retribution!!"


    Shattering the painted barriers around him, he let out a low roar. The Courage Law manifested as a crimson aura that enveloped him, spreading a powerful wave of Law energy toward both the Ashen gods and their forces below.


    As a Law Power, the Courage Law not only enhanced his own attributes��battle spirit, morale, recovery, stamina, damage output, and defense��but could also act as a field skill, draining courage from his enemies, instilling them with fear.


    If Orichalcum''s army had managed to assemble into formation under this Law''s influence, they could have be an unstoppable force, a fierce and invincible army. Unfortunately, due to the suddenness of the attack, they hadn''t had time to form up.


    However, even now, it was enough to rally the wavering spirits of Orichalcum''s forces at the staging ground and slightly weaken Ashen''s overwhelming momentum.


    With that, the Thunder divine authority was unleashed at full power, Divine Power pouring out of the God of Thunder and Courage as if there were no limits.


    In an instant, the heavens darkened.


    Thunder rolled and crackled above, creating an oppressive atmosphere that weighed down on everyone, making it difficult even to breathe. Even the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, a fellow double-divine authority deity, felt the weight of this pressure.


    The thunder above rapidly coalesced, forming a massive pir of lightning, dozens of meters in diameter, that shot skyward!


    The moment this column of divine thunder took shape, the air became saturated with thunderous energy, enough to paralyze and stiffen bodies to some extent. Even the gods found their movements subtly impaired.


    Yet, facing this wrathful thunder, the God of Painting and Swordsmanship remained unfazed. Instead, a gleam of cold calction shed in his eyes as he unleashed his own power.


    Using his Painting Law, he painted a longsword shimmering with rainbow-colored divine light. The sword radiated a fierce and concentrated intent, its energy shing against the sky''s thunderous assault.


    "Something''s off here..."


    Watching the intense sh from outside the staging ground, Sterl''s brows furrowed.


    At first nce, it seemed like the two double-divine authority gods were about to unleash their ultimate moves, but beneath the surface, there was something far more lethal at y.


    If he were on Ashen''s side, aiming for a swift and decisive victory, he would either use overwhelming power to quickly defeat the opposing double-divine authority god or eliminate the remaining three Orichalcum gods as swiftly as possible, gaining a numerical advantage for the final showdown.


    But double-divine authority deities were highly resilient and formidable inbat. With their powers matched, this battle couldst for days or even weeks.


    Thus, the only real openingy with the other three Orichalcum gods.


    Sterl''s gaze sharpened as he looked toward the other battleground, where four Ashen gods were pressing against the three Orichalcum deities. With the numbers disadvantage, the Orichalcum gods were gradually pushed back. Yet, they seemed to be intentionally stalling for time rather thanmitting to an all-out fight.


    After all, though they''d been ambushed, they were close to the royal capital. If they could buy enough time, reinforcements from the capital would surely arrive, potentially turning the tide and allowing them to counter Ashen''s forces decisively.


    However, Sterl could sense through his map module that a lethal intent was subtly but steadily targeting these three gods.


    ��

 Chapter 484 Despicable Scheme, Despair of the Gods!

    With a deafening roar, the pir of Thunder descended from the sky, its target locked onto the God of Painting and Swordsmanship.


    The terrifying thunderous retribution seemed powerful enough to shatter the earth, reducing everything in its path to dust and ashes.


    But the God of Painting and Swordsmanship was no easy opponent. With his mastery over the dual divine authorities and Laws of Painting and Swordsmanship, he brought them together in a devastating synergy. The sword formed by his Painting Law merged seamlessly with the power of Swordsmanship Law. He swung it with deadly precision��whilecking the sheer might of the thunder, the strike carried a terrifyingly sharp, lethal force.


    "Such power! That strike rivals the tearing strength of my Phantom des of Space in ascend-to-godhood form," Sterl observed, surprised as he watched the sh. It seemed these low Divine Power gods were more formidable than he had thought.


    Perhaps his extensive experience killing gods had dulled his sense of their power, but the fierce battle between these two seasoned double-divine authority gods rekindled his interest. After all, Orichalcum''s origin remained a mystery. Although he had in six of their gods earlier, that was a result of tactical advantage, seizing the moment before they had fully manifested.


    In terms ofbat prowess, these gods were notably stronger than the three modern gods Gloria had faced. And the God of Painting and Swordsmanship was one of Ashen''s veteran deities��his strength was not to be underestimated.


    As thunder and sword collided, a brilliant, blinding light erupted, like a rising sun piercing through the heavens, its residual power pressing down on the demigods and legends below, who struggled to endure the force.


    But as the thunder and sword continued to sh and wear each other down, the Ashen forces below suddenly surged with activity.


    The energy of their entire formation rapidly condensed, and in the blink of an eye, a brilliant red glow appeared on the barrier surrounding the army. This scarlet radiance intensified and condensed at breakneck speed, forming a blood-red beam aimed directly at the God of Thunder and Courage, who was locked inbat with the God of Painting and Swordsmanship.


    The crimson beam moved with lightning speed, almost like an edited video jump-cutting to its target. Before the God of Thunder and Courage could react, it was upon him, radiating a terrifying, god-level power. Enhanced by the support of several demigods and the effect of the formation, the attack contained the full might of aplete War Law!


    "Despicable!"


    The God of Thunder and Courage instantly realized what was happening. He hadn''t expected the army below to intervene in a battle between deities, nor had he anticipated that Ashen''s forces would be lying in wait, ready to strike!


    Instinct told him he had to evade immediately, or the consequences would be dire.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His jaw clenched in fury. These damned natives had already killed one of their gods through ambush, and three years ago, when they first descended, they had done something simr��brutally ughtering six of their gods before they even had a chance to react. And now, they were using the same vile tactics again!


    These wretched natives had no dignity, no honor worthy of deities.


    But now, he had no choice but to fall back. If he were hit, he would be gravely injured, and he couldn''t withstand the ensuing onught from the God of Painting and Swordsmanship.


    Swiftly, he directed a portion of his Holy Thunder Retribution toward the beam infused with the Law of War from the formation below, while transforming into a bolt of thunder and teleporting to a distant spot, evading the iing sword energy.


    At that moment, the God of Painting and Swordsmanship''s eyes shed with a sinister light, and a sudden smile spread across his face.


    "Fool! You''ve fallen for it!"


    With that, he activated his dual Law Powers, instantly summoning three fierce rainbow-colored divine swords, each imbued with the Law of Swordsmanship, andunched them toward the three Orichalcum gods in the distance!


    Though these three swords didn''t match his previous attack in power, they still surpassed the strength of any single-divine authority god. Simultaneously, the remaining four Ashen gods roared and unleashed a brutal attack on the three Orichalcum gods, trapping them within the range of the sword strike.


    "No!!"


    The God of Thunder and Courage''s eyes widened. He hadpletely underestimated his enemy''s cunning and deceit. This wasn''t merely the God of Painting and Swordsmanship��it was the God of Conspiracy and God of Trickery, a vile god who reveled in deception!


    He transformed into a bolt of thunder, rushing toward the three imperiled Orichalcum gods, but he was immediately intercepted, nearly struck by a de in the process.


    By the time the other three Orichalcum gods realized the trap, it was toote. The rainbow swords struck them, and while one managed to block the attack, they were immediately wounded by two other Ashen gods who had freed themselves to join the assault.


    The battle was over in an instant. Before the Eastern War Preparedness Zone''s forces even had time to react, their three gods were all gravely injured. Under the relentless pursuit of the four Ashen gods, they continued to fall back, barely able to hold their ground and looking like they wouldn''tst much longer.


    The God of Thunder and Courage wore a grim expression, a flicker of despair surfacing in his heart. A god of courage, feeling despair��it spoke volumes about the minuscule chance of victory, nearly devoid of hope.


    By the time reinforcements from the royal capital could arrive, they would likely have been eliminated one by one. And given how thoroughly their enemies had prepared, it was likely they had amassed arge army. Once theypleted their assault on the staging grounds, they would strike directly at Orichalcum''s royal capital, catching them off guard. With such significant losses already suffered, defending the capital would be all the more difficult.


    It was possible that reinforcements had already been dispatched, only to be intercepted en route.


    "What a thrilling fight!"


    Sterl watched with fascination, taking in every detail from his god-like perspective thanks to the map module''s capabilities. Ashen''s side had clearly prepared extensively, perhaps even rehearsed this ambush multiple times, to execute their n so seamlessly, leaving Orichalcum''s forces utterly defenseless.


    "This is the depth of strength and explosive power a god-level faction can wield," Sterl mused. "Orichalcum ced too much focus on world integration and grew careless. If nothing changes, the native factions will likely achieve aplete victory."


    He observed the map, noting that the northern and southern staging grounds were faring no better. The southern ground was in slightly better shape only because the God of Thieves had failed to kill his target, leaving that god merely gravely injured rather than dead.


    But their defeat seemed inevitable.


    Furthermore, Sterl noted that the gods within Orichalcum''s capital had sensed the divine ambush and quickly sent reinforcements. Yet, as these reinforcements broke into groups, they were intercepted by waves of Ashen''s suicide squads��legendary warriors who had sacrificed their life force and soul energy.


    These legends, clearly Ashen''s native elite, had be deadly kamikaze fighters. By burning their life essence and potential, enhanced with various artifacts, they had acquired the power to dy even the gods.


    At this rate, by the time Orichalcum''s reinforcements manage to break free and arrive, the battle will already be over. They might even arrive just in time to be ughtered, only to bepletely wiped out by Ashen''s forces.


    Ashen''s strategy was ruthless, designed for a blitz attack that left Orichalcum with no time to formte a response.


    "But�� I can''t let Orichalcum fall just yet," Sterl thought.


    He was prepared to activate ascend to godhood and join the fray if needed. After all, he still intended to align with Orichalcum and cash in while stoking conflict between both sides, working to ensure that each faction''s forces were thoroughly depleted. This would clear the path for his legendary story by eliminating obstacles.


    If either side retained too much power, it would be difficult to take control of both forces at once.


    Of course, it was still too early to intervene. He would wait until Orichalcum''s gods had almost entirely fallen, using the opportunity to exhaust Ashen''s gods as well.


    At that moment, a scream echoed across the battlefield as Orichalcum''s God of Volcanoes was in by two enemy gods working together. His Divine Power was siphoned off, and his


    divine authority


    shattered. With the battle ongoing, no deity could take the time to burn their soul to retrieve it, so the divine authority faded back into the void.


    That scream, however, plunged Orichalcum''s side into utter despair.


    Even with the boost from the Courage Law, Orichalcum''s army lost its morale, gripped by terror.


    "No, don''t kill me! I surrender, I''ll serve you forever!" "I''m just a bounty hunter, not part of Orichalcum''s forces! Please, I''ll sign a ve contract and serve you." "It''s over, it''s all over. Even the gods have fallen. Orichalcum�� is finished��"


    Despair spread like a shadow over their hearts. The Ashen army, protected by its formation, appeared to them like a pack of savage beasts, ready to devour them.


    Some soldiers cried, some threw down their weapons in panic, and others dropped to their knees, pleading for mercy.


    The remaining two severely injured gods were on the verge of copse as well. Under the relentless assault of the four Ashen deities, one of them was soon killed, his desperate scream echoing over the battlefield as he was surrounded and brought down.


    Thest deity''s fate was obvious��already gravely injured, he stood no chance against four gods of equal level. He was shattered on the spot, his Divine Power and


    divine authority


    split among the Ashen deities.


    Now, the God of Thunder and Courage faced an overwhelming force alone: five deities and an army that rivaled the strength of another god.

 Chapter 485 This Sword Will Be Swift!

    The God of Thunder and Courage found himselfpletely encircled by five Ashen deities, including the God of Painting and Swordsmanship. Their eyes were cold, as if he were nothing more than amb awaiting ughter.


    Unless he could somehow transform into a higher god instantly, his fate seemed sealed. He would be worn down and killed, just like the three Orichalcum gods before him.


    The God of Shadows watched him closely, ready to exploit even the slightest misstep. If he showed the smallest weakness, the same deadly ability that had defeated the God of the Prairie would be used against him. One hit would leave him critically wounded, if not outright dead, rendering him defenseless.


    He took a deep breath, feeling a creeping numbness in his mind. Four gods had been defeated and killed right in front of him. The sudden and brutal turn of events rattled him to his core.


    "Am I really going to die here? Is Orichalcum truly going to be destroyed here? At this moment�� is there anyone who can save me, anyone who can break Orichalcum free from this nightmare?"


    In his heart, he fantasized about a savior��a god who would appear to turn the tide and deliver Orichalcum from the brink. If such a figure appeared, he would give anything, even the rare Soul Treasure long kept by Orichalcum''s gods. He would serve unquestioningly, willingly.


    On the battlefield below, loyal soldiers of Orichalcum knelt, tears streaming down their faces as they gazed at the God of Thunder and Courage, surrounded and in mortal peril.


    "Oh, heavens, is there no one to save us?" "Ancestors of Orichalcum, please help us!" "Are we truly facing annihtion?" "Why? Why must it be this way? We only wanted a ce to call home. Why are we being hunted to extinction? Why such cruelty?"


    Their voices rose in a sorrowful, desperate chorus, praying for a miracle.


    But this was a war of gods, where the very existence of deities was itself a miracle under [Transcendence] rules. Yet, in this war of miracles, Orichalcum had lost. What miracle could there be for them now? Their fate was sealed.


    "Hahaha! Foolish invaders, look at you now, groveling on the ground like dogs!"


    "Come on! Weren''t you so arrogant? Didn''t you im you would kill us all and seize ournds?"


    "This is the fate of invaders! Your children will be our ves, and as for your wives and daughters�� heh, don''t worry, we''ll take good care of them," taunted a soldier from Ashen''s forces,ughing wildly.


    For three years, Orichalcum''s strength had kept Ashen in check, and countlessrades had fallen to these invaders. They had lostnd, seen cities destroyed, and umted a sea of blood and hatred between the two sides. Now, sensing victory, they shouted with unrestrained triumph, venting all the pent-up rage and bitterness within.


    "Do you see it now? The oue is clear. If you''re willing to submit and wear this ve cor, I can spare your life," the God of Painting and Swordsmanship sneered, holding a spiked ve cor in his hand. "You''ll still be a god of Orichalcum��just with an added title: Ashen''s loyal dog! Hahaha! And don''t worry; I''ll let you oversee the envement of Orichalcum''s people."


    The cor was a demeaning piece Ashen had crafted at great expense. It was designed to subdue even a god''s soul. While it couldn''tpletely control the mind, it could instantly extinguish the wearer''s soul at a whim. And the cor itself, shaped to resemble one meant for a pet dog, was intended to be the ultimate humiliation for a proud deity.


    Hearing the taunts echo around him, the God of Thunder and Courage red fiercely at the five gods surrounding him. The fantasy of a savior was just that��a fantasy. No one wasing to his aid.


    But as he looked at that degrading cor, an overwhelming rage and sorrow surged within him. He was a god��the god of unyielding courage and the mighty thunder. He would never bow, never wear a cor meant for a dog! He would rather die than submit.


    "Then I''ll take you down with me!" he roared, charging at the five gods, his body zing with the power of the Thunder Law.


    But five against one��his fate was all but sealed. In just one exchange, his Thunder and Courage Law were shattered by the overwhelming numbers, and he was left severely wounded.


    "It''s time for me to step in," Sterl murmured from afar, watching the God of Thunder and Courage with a measured gaze. He began to channel his power, preparing to make his move.


    The reason Sterl waited until now was to maximize the weakening of Orichalcum''s forces. If he had intervened earlier, with no casualties on Orichalcum''s side, they would remain at full strength after Ashen''s defeat. How would he fight them then?


    But now, with only the God of Thunder and Courage remaining, it was finally time for him to act.


    As for the true nature of this conflict, it wasn''t a matter of right or wrong. Orichalcum sought to secure territory to root themselves in this world andplete the fusion of their capital. The native factions, in contrast, were defending their world and its inhabitants. From each side''s perspective, the other was a vicious threat, a natural enemy. There was no need for moral judgment��both were fighting for their own survival and interests.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterl was no different. His intervention wasn''t to secure a home for Orichalcum or to help Ashen protect their world; it was all for the sake of his legendary story.


    And why side with Orichalcum? Simple��it was merely the best choice to achieve his own goal.


    "It seems you''ve made your decision," the God of Painting and Swordsmanship remarked, looking at the bloodied, unyielding old deity before him, his gaze filled with cold killing intent.


    A double-divine authority god like this could greatly expand his own influence if they were willing to submit. Even within the same faction, there were always political factions and alliances. But this god refused, unwilling to swallow even a morsel of humiliation. For him, submission was a weakling''s price to pay, and this offer of mercy was a rare gift.


    Yet, if his opponent rejected that chance, he would dly withdraw this offer of survival and grant him death instead.


    "This ce shall be your tomb, buried for eternity!"


    A brilliant, multi-colored sword materialized in his hand, emanating a fearsome killing intent as he prepared to drive it into the God of Thunder and Courage.


    Thetter''s eyes widened as he stared down the approaching de, his body trembling. His very soul felt fear. He could have surrendered his pride and secured a long life, but he couldn''t bring himself to bow to his enemies or to be their dog, their ve.


    With that thought, the fear in his heart vanished, leaving him to face death with unyielding resolve.


    At that moment, Sterl finally made his move!


    A vast, towering wave of energy erupted from afar, sending a surging shockwave of power across the battlefield, as immense as the ocean itself.


    Human Race Divine Authority! Creation Divine Authority! Nature Divine Authority!


    Three divine authorities concentrated within him, enhanced further by abilities like Divine Descent, pushing his power beyond the limits of the lower Divine Power tier.


    In an instant, Sterl''s body became a flurry of illusions. With the Law of Time amplifying him, his speed transcended physical limits, and he appeared in the heart of the battle in the blink of an eye.


    The sudden outburst caught everyone off guard. Those below the level of a god couldn''t evenprehend what had happened.


    The God of Painting and Swordsmanship hesitated, his hand stopping mid-motion, stunned by the sudden surge of power. But before he could grasp what was happening, Sterl moved!


    He lifted his hand slowly, almost leisurely, as though he was merely stretching after watching for too long. A gleam rippled around his hand as Star Power condensed into a sword-like de, its appearance enhanced by the Flowing Water Law, resembling waves frozen in time.


    Then came the activation of Shattered Void!


    The power of the Law of Time was the ultimate force of [Transcendence] within the lower realm. His movements created a chaotic, blended trail of afterimages, like countless frames stitched together in rapid sequence. In those afterimages, des and sword lights intertwined with Spatial Law Power, transforming into a flood of destruction aimed at the five gods in front of him.


    A breathtaking sight, yet it held a lethally sharp intent that defied imagination. Those below the level of a god felt their eyes sting just from a nce, with the risk of permanent damage if they continued to look.


    The lethal energy, even elerated by the Law of Time to near-instantaneous speed, was still captured by the senses of the gods.


    But Sterl was prepared. He activated the Blood of the Holy Spirit,bining both Spatial Law and Time Law to instantly freeze the five deities in ce.


    He had already tested this move when he saved Gloria and instantly killed three gods. For lower-realm deities of weak Divine Power, it was an unavoidable death sentence��whether they reacted or not. And this time, he had struck too suddenly, giving them no time to react.


    Now trapped by the Spatial Law, the gods could only watch helplessly as the dazzling torrent of energy swept toward them!


    In that fleeting moment, the sky zed with divine light��a spectacle of deadly radiance.

 Chapter 486 Instant Annihilation! The Terror of the Gods!

    The divine radiance surged forward, directly targeting the five deities frozen in ce!


    It was the same Shattered Void technique, utilizing the properties of


    One Sword Opens the Sky


    .


    Sterl had tested thisbination many times before; deities of lower Divine Power levels rarely survived this swift set of moves. Furthermore, with his sudden assault aided by the


    Time Lawn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ��and its effect of obscuring the senses of these five Ashen gods��their fate had already been sealed, just like the fate of the Ashen forces when they faced the Orichalcum Nation earlier.


    In truth, with his current level of power, Sterl could easily dispatch these five gods even in directbat, though it might have required more effort.


    As long as the number of deities with low Divine Power didn''t reach a critical mass, they posed no lethal threat to him. This was precisely why he had waited until now to strike. It wasn''t just about strategic timing; he was supremely confident in his own faction''s strength.


    Even if only a split second remained, his mastery over the


    Time Law


    would allow him to turn the tide of battle!


    Amidst the blinding, radiant glow, Sterl turned slowly, the de in his hand formed entirely from star power. His face was a picture of calm, like the deep, unshaken waters of an ancient well. It seemed that even if the sky were to copse, his emotions would remain unmoved.


    As the power of the


    Time Law


    waned, the intense divine light behind him erupted with boundless killing intent. The five deities, ensnared within


    One Sword Opens the Sky


    , were already engulfed in this overwhelming aura.


    Space itself fractured like a spider''s web, cracks spreading out before shattering piece by piece. The five deities, too, were eroded by the force of the


    Space Shatter


    , fragmenting along with the broken space around them.


    At that moment, their so-called


    Divine Power


    ,


    divine authority


    , and all their abilities became nothing more than a joke. Trapped by the twisting force of the


    Time Law


    and the binding strength of the


    Space Law


    , these powers meant nothing.


    As for their souls? With their divine bodies obliterated by the


    Space Shatter


    , the soul was even less likely to endure. They barely had time to feel fear before losing all consciousness.


    "Hmm? There''s actually one still alive?"


    Sterl''s expression remained cid. He had intended to wipe out all five deities with a single strike, adopting the posture of an unassable powerhouse and reveling in the disy. Yet, unexpectedly, one had survived.


    However, in such moments, the greater the surprise, the more he maintained an air of absolute calm and indifference. After all, anything less would tarnish the wless image of strength he had cultivated.


    He turned around slowly, his deep, tranquil eyes fixed on the only deity still alive in front of him��the most powerful among the five, the God of Painting and Swordsmanship.


    Sterl immediately understood what had happened. As


    Shattered Void


    erupted, this god had used his dual


    divine authorities


    to forcibly pull two of the other deities in front of him, thereby shielding himself from the core attack of the


    One Sword Opens the Sky


    technique. This desperate move allowed him to barely survive.


    Even so, he was gravely wounded. His soul was dimmed, and his aura flickered weakly, a far cry from the arrogance and bravado he''d disyed moments before. He now looked like a beaten, whipped stray dog.


    "Wh�� who are you?"


    His voice trembled as he looked at Sterl, shaking uncontrobly from the pain and terror. Everything had happened far too quickly. In just an instant, if not for his dual


    divine authorities


    allowing him to drag two others as shields, he would have met the same fate as the other four, reduced to ashes on the spot.


    Staring at Sterl''s unfamiliar face and aura, he recalled the victory he had already glimpsed in his mind��the grand vision of Orichalcum''s royal city falling, vast resources and wealth, even countless reserves of


    Divine Power


    and


    divine authority


    , all waiting to be their spoils.


    But now, because of this mysterious deity, everything had been ruined!


    Sterl''s appearance had been altered through the Facade of Vanity. To ensure absolute security, he had changed his face so thoroughly that no one, not even Rayna and Linna, would recognize him. Of course, if they happened to see "little Sterl", that might be a different story; after all, his impressive size had long been etched into their memories, forming a shape distinctly associated with him.


    Even his aura had been disguised under the Blood of the Holy Spirit. In situations like this, it was best to stay inconspicuous and meticulous.


    Looking down imperiously at the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, he noted how the ongoing world fusion had steadily diminished these gods'' divinity, while their human nature was resurfacing rapidly. Even gods, it seemed, could feel fear in the face of death.


    As for who he was? Sterl certainly had no intention of answering that question. A mere dying weakling had no right to question a superior being. If he answered, wouldn''t that ruin his mystique entirely? Instead, he responded with a question of his own.


    "Another one of Ashen''s people�� truly an eyesore."


    His calm, indifferent voice echoed through the air.


    The God of Painting and Swordsmanship froze, stunned. What did this mean? Could it be that this terrifying powerhouse in front of him was actually an enemy of Ashen?


    He searched his memories repeatedly, but after going over everything again and again, he couldn''t recall any instance of Ashen having an enemy of such overwhelming strength. Could it be a misunderstanding? A being of this level��even if they were an enemy��they would have tried to turn him into an ally. After all, to have someone like this targeting them would make peaceful nights of rest impossible.


    Especially considering the strange power he had just witnessed��it was even more terrifying than the assassination skills of the God of Shadows. Once he struck, it was like what had happened to those four gods: they wouldn''t even know how they died.


    Just as he was about to respond, he saw Sterl slowly raise his hand.


    "Since you''re Ashen''s trash, then die."


    In an instant, countless brilliant energies gathered in Sterl''s hand. A powerful wave of pressure surged from his body, spreading out in all directions. Soon, a beam of light took shape��it was none other than his Iridescent-Level ability, Destructive Light!


    To leave no room for error, Sterl unleashed his most potent single-target ability. The power of Destructive Light, in a way, was even more dominant than


    One Sword Opens the Sky


    . It had no additional effects, no subtleties; its only characteristic was pure destruction��destruction of everything.


    "Wait!"


    The God of Painting and Swordsmanship was paralyzed with fear, entirely stripped of the courage to resist. He tried to speak, desperate to stop Sterl, but in the next moment, the space around him froze again, trapping him as if he were an insect encased in amber.


    Then Destructive Light roared forth, striking him directly. This time, there was no unfortunate shield to absorb the blow. The force of Destructive Light tore him to pieces, leaving only a faint Spiritual Aura drifting in the air.


    Such valuable material couldn''t be wasted. The Bionic Tear, prepared in advance, quickly captured the soul of the God of Painting and Swordsmanship along with those of the other four deities, immediately refining them.


    A series of brief, agonized screams echoed in the minds of everyone nearby. Then, the five powerful deities, who had nearly brought ruin to the Orichalcum Nation, became nothing more than fuel for Sterl''s Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    Such valuable resources couldn''t be squandered. Though hecked an arcane skill for refining souls, small contributions would gradually umte. The previous three deities had already provided him with some soul experience, and with the addition of these five, it was enough to raise his soul level by another notch.


    "Hm? No legend points or any rewards?"


    Sterl quickly understood.


    He had already begun the writing of his legendary story, so until itspletion, everything he did would be counted as part of that legendary tale, and all rewards would umte, to be granted at the story''s end.


    "Killing five deities in front of so many people��this reward should be substantial, right?"


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit of anticipation. This was ideal. Although he was not officially a legend yet, his ultimatebat strength had already [Transcended] the limits of the lower realm, reaching a level above minor Divine Power! Ordinary rewards no longer held any substantial value for him. It was better to have them umte and transform into something more significantter.


    At this moment, Sterl finally turned around to take in the now utterly silent battlefield.


    It might have seemed like many things had happened, but in truth, it had all ended in the blink of an eye. Even the soldiers below the legendary level could barely make sense of what had transpired. They only felt an overwhelming, unprecedentedly terrifying presence descending upon them. Then, suddenly, there was one more person in the sky, while the five deities of the Ashen forces had all mysteriously vanished!


    As for Orichalcum''s remaining deity, the God of Thunder and Courage, he stood there, utterly stunned. With his dual


    divine authorities


    , he had a clear understanding of everything that had happened.


    The five deities, who had rendered him utterly powerless and driven him to the brink of despair, were ughtered by this unknown powerhouse as effortlessly as if they were mere chicks. Even the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, another dual-authority god and his equal in power, had been easily killed!


    It had all happened so fast, so quickly that it almost felt like an illusion.


    "Could this truly be an illusion? Perhaps those native gods, knowing my inner thoughts, have conjured this scene specifically to mock me?"


    Such thoughts ran through his mind. The event felt so surreal that he began to question reality itself. Only moments ago, he had been fantasizing about a powerful being arriving to save Orichalcum from its crisis. And then, the next moment, such a savior had actually appeared!


    Could it be that the fabled Great Deity had somehow heard his plea and sent this figure to rescue them?


    He waspletely bewildered, his mind tangled in a web of emotions. There was the relief of having escaped death, mixed with horror at the instant annihtion of the five deities, and a profound awe and fear of this unknown god.


    At this point, he no longer looked anything like the god he once was.

 Chapter 487 The Presence of a Suspected High Deity! Morette in a Frenzy!

    Even the God of Thunder and Courage was in such a state, so it went without saying how the demigods, legends, and the countless third-ss soldiers below him felt.


    Though they hadn''t fully grasped what had happened, they could at least see that the god of Orichalcum, who should have been killed, was still alive, while the five gods from Ashen''s forces had all vanished! Adding the piercing cries they''d just heard, even a fool could figure out that the gods of Ashen had likely been wiped out by this unknown, mysterious powerhouse.


    "The great Lord Austin�� in?"


    "What just happened? Why are the gods gone?"


    "Oh, heavens! I think I heard the gods'' wails!"


    "No, it can''t be. How is this even possible?"


    "Five gods��those were five gods! Who on earth is he?"


    "Could this be a high deity of Orichalcum?"


    Ashen''s soldiers were stricken with fear, their entire worldview shattered. In their eyes, gods were the ultimate, invincible beings. But now, right before them, those very gods had been instantly andpletely annihted by this mysterious force.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The shock was enough to break every ounce of faith and courage they held, leaving them more terrified and unsettled than if the sky itself had fallen!


    The emotions of Ashen''s army plummeted from paradise to the depths of despair. An endless terror began to devour their hearts.


    "Ashen''s army?"


    At that moment, Sterl''s voice rang out again, like the horn of death, reverberating in everyone''s minds and jolting them out of their dazed state.


    "No, please don''t kill me! I''m willing to submit to you!"


    "Oh mighty and invincible god, please forgive our sins!"


    "We''re Ashen''s army. If you kill us, you''ll bring down the wrath of all the gods."


    "We beg for mercy!"


    With the copse of their morale and faith, the strength of Ashen''s army formation quickly dwindled. Every soldier from Ashen grew increasingly anxious. Some knelt to beg for mercy, while others even issued empty threats, desperately shouting to vent the terror festering inside.


    However, since Sterl had already struck, he intended to see this through to the end. At least this way, he could reap some rewards. With the people of Orichalcum still present, it wouldn''t be ideal to take these soldiers as his own. Turning them over to Orichalcum as prisoners or ves would mean providing resources to a rival, something he would never consider. After all, his target wasn''t only Ashen��it was Orichalcum as well.


    And so��


    With a mere thought, Sterl released a Silent Domain.


    In an instant, the entire battlefield fell into silence, including the soldiers of Orichalcum. Ashen''s army, however, bore the full brunt of the curse''s effect.


    Then, from high above, a massive meteor descended, crashing directly into the now-silent formation of Ashen''s forces!


    The force of the meteor unleashed devastation, instantly crushing several demigods, while legends and third-ss soldiers perished in countless numbers. The immense damage overflowed, transforming into streams of Power of Starlight��silver-white chains that spread rapidly, perfectly covering every soldier in its path.


    With Celestial Starsbined with Starlight Spray, Cursed Vision, and the divine power Sterl had attained upon ascending to godhood, he was nothing short of a walking cataclysm for any being below deity level. His area-of-effect damage was maxed out!


    The raging mes soared high, causing the Orichalcum soldiers to stagger back in horror, fearful of getting caught in the inferno. But as they regained their senses, they realized that this unknown deity''s target was not them. From the looks of it, he held a deep grudge against the Ashen forces��so deep, in fact, that he was determined to obliterate everyst one of them, sparing no one!


    It took a while for the mes to dissipate, finally revealing a massive crater where the Ashen army''s formation had once stood. Now, nothing remained��no trace of any figure. All had been reduced to ashes by thebined might of Celestial Stars and Starlight Spray.


    Due to the ongoing nature of the legendary story, however, there were no drops from this massacre. This was nearly ten demigods, dozens of legends, and thousands of third-ss troops��normally a veritable treasure trove of loot. Yet, for the sake of the priceless rewards awaiting at the tale''s conclusion, this minor loss of drops hardly mattered. After all, sacrificing a grand reward for a bit of immediate gain would be a ssic case of being penny wise, pound foolish.


    A dead silence fell over the field. Countless eyes cautiously watched the tall, majestic figure standing in the sky. For a moment, no one knew how to process the overwhelming emotions in their hearts.


    This powerful deity appeared like a divine descent from the upper realms��mighty! Unstoppable! Ruthless! With overwhelming force, he had pulled them back from the brink of annihtion. The stark contrast of their salvation inspired many to slowly lower their weapons and kneel before Sterl, as though only in this gesture could they fully express their respect and gratitude toward this mysterious, formidable being.


    Once the first soldier knelt, the rest of Orichalcum''s surviving forces followed suit, one after another, until every single one was kneeling before Sterl. The sight was utterly magnificent.


    Looking down at the scene, Sterl felt an immense satisfaction welling up within him. These soldiers��third ss, legends, even demigods��who were usually so high and mighty, were now willingly kneeling at his feet. And why was that? Was it because he saved them?


    No, Sterl understood perfectly: at the core of it all, it was because he was powerful enough. When one''s strength reaches a certain level, even gods will willingly kneel.


    This understanding was precisely why he had chosen this divine battle, one that would reshape the entire world, as the setting for his legendary tale��to achieve the greatest legend of all!


    Then, his gaze slowly shifted to the God of Thunder and Courage, who still stood in a daze.


    "A god from another realm? A warrior fighting for survival��not bad."


    With that, he turned away as if about to leave. Sterl had already decided; he wouldn''t directly join Orichalcum but would wait for them to beg him to do so. That way, he could secure the maximum possible benefit.


    Thus, the identity he''d crafted for himself was that of a lone, immensely powerful figure with a deep-seated hatred for Ashen. He belonged to no faction, and his intervention here was purely a result of his enmity toward Ashen. Most importantly, he needed to show that he held no hostility toward Orichalcum''s forces.


    At that moment, Morette, the God of Thunder and Courage, finally snapped out of his stupor. Seeing Sterl about to depart, his mind cleared instantly.


    Morette swore he had never spoken with such urgency in his life, but if he didn''t speak up, this powerhouse was about to leave!


    "Honorable warrior! Thank you for your assistance. You would be regarded as the highest friend of Orichalcum!"


    He quickly approached Sterl, covertly assessing his appearance. Sterl had taken on the guise of a stern-looking middle-aged man, with eyes that seemed to pierce through all pretense and deceit. Morette didn''t even dare to activate his probing abilities, fearing that it might incur this powerhouse''s wrath.


    After all, his strength wasparable to that of the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, and this mysterious warrior had killed that god with a single strike. He could just as easily do the same to him!


    Nevertheless, Morette carefully scanned his memory,paring this god''s face to every deity he knew. Yet he found no trace of resemnce to anyone he''d ever encountered.


    "Hmm."


    Sterl nodded coldly, putting on an aloof demeanor, and then continued, "I didn''te to save you. I just happened to pass by and saw those damned Ashen striking at a foreign human race that only wanted a ce to survive. It irked me a little, that''s all."


    Having said this, he made to leave, but Morette quickly stepped forward to block his path.


    "Please, wait a moment. As they say, ''the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'' We have amon enemy��perhaps we could form an alliance and fight against Ashen together, to eradicate these ruthless executioners once and for all!"


    He added, "Also, I''d like to invite you to the royal city to properly express our gratitude for your assistance."


    Inside, Morette was on the verge of panic. While he had survived, four other gods had fallen. Yes, Ashen had suffered even greater losses, with five deities in by this mysterious powerhouse and an entire army wiped out. But the Eastern War Preparedness Zone wasn''t the only area under attack. If Ashen seeded in other battle zones, Orichalcum''s forces would be severely weakened, and the threat to the royal city would remain unresolved.


    But if he could secure the support of this powerful being, they could turn the tide of this crisis��perhaps evenunch a counter-offensive and bring Ashen down once and for all!


    Thus, no matter what the cost, he had to recruit this terrifying warrior, who seemed to possess the strength of a high deity.


    Indeed, subconsciously, Morette had already ssified Sterl as a high deity-level being. Although the lower realm didn''t allow for the presence of high deity powers, Orichalcum had its own ways of reaching that level��it was just that such powers couldn''t freely manifest. And from what he understood of that level, the strength Sterl had shown came remarkably close, if not on par, with it. Most importantly, Sterl could wield this power freely within this world!


    The more he thought about it, the more determined he became to win Sterl over.


    "No, I do not care for alliances," Sterl replied. "As for Ashen, I''ll destroy thempletely in due time. Even high deities cannot stand in the way of my power!"


    At these words, Morette grew even more desperate. His expression turned as humble as possible, and he tried every form of ttery and persuasion imaginable.


    ��

 Chapter 488 Soul Treasure? Joining a Faction!

    "No, no, no! Please, reconsider our offer. If you join us, you would be the most honored protector of Orichalcum, with ess to boundless resources and wealth, all free of charge!


    Your strength is indeed impressive, but the depths of Ashen''s power are not to be underestimated. They also have high deities as their backers. Orichalcum could serve as your perfect Safe Haven!"


    Watching Morette''s tireless persuasion, Sterl could barely suppress a smile, a peculiar expression crossing his face.


    If only Morette knew that he was the same one who, three years ago, had seized the golden code and in six of Orichalcum''s deities��what kind of expression would he wear then? Would he still be so eager to invite him now?


    Then again, maybe it wouldn''t matter. In this world, there were no eternal friends or enemies, only eternal interests. If his presence could benefit Orichalcum enough to help them escape their current crisis, they might indeed let bygones be bygones and overlook his past actions.


    After all, such things had happened to him many times before. Whether it was the king of the Divine Mountain Empire or the Dark Moon Alliance of Gloria, even after he had in their followers right before their eyes, they had still extended olive branches because of his strength and potential.


    As the saying goes, invest in others, and you''re just a sycophant. But invest in yourself�� and congrattions, bro��you''ll gain knowledge, wealth, status, and even women.


    Sterl understood this all too well, which was why he never relied on anyone else. He relied only on himself.


    "A perfect Safe Haven?"


    He chuckled, casting a nce at the brutal battlefield below and the injuries Morette bore, saying nothing more. Yet his look said it all.


    How could a faction that couldn''t even protect itself offer him a Safe Haven? It was almostughable.


    Seeing this, Morette felt a tinge of embarrassment. Here they were, having been saved by this powerhouse, yet now iming to be his Safe Haven��it was indeed a bitical.


    Still, he pressed on, undeterred.


    "You misunderstand. Orichalcum has existed for countless years, amassing immeasurable wealth and resources, and gathering formidable strength. It''s only due to an irreversible upheaval that we had no choice but to merge into this world."


    "The royal city is still in the process of merging. That''s why those lowly forces of Ashen managed to get the upper hand," Morette exined, a mix of frustration and pride in his voice. "We were caught off guard, yes, but more importantly, the fusion isn''tplete, and so we can''t yet unleash our full strength.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Once the royal city fully merges with this world, then you will see Orichalcum''s ultimate weapon! The power of the royal city is invincible!"


    He spoke with fervor. Then, catching the look in Sterl''s eyes, he quickly smiled and added, "Of course, with your support, Orichalcum would gain added strength. Your joining us would be a win-win arrangement! Ashen would be crushed underfoot."


    "Oh, really?" Sterl replied indifferently, though inwardly he felt a twinge of caution. He''d witnessed the power of Orichalcum''s royal city before, but he still didn''t fully understand it. It seemed he''d need to eliminate every potential risk before he could move forward with his grand conquest.


    Seeing Sterl still looking as though he might leave, Morette hesitated, his face full of inner conflict. Finally, he gritted his teeth, as if making a momentous decision.


    "Our treasury holds an extremely rare Soul Treasure! If you agree to join us and help defeat Ashen, I will personally persuade the other deities to gift you this Soul Treasure!"


    At this, Sterl''s eyes lit up instantly.


    A Soul Treasure? Just from the name, it sounded incredibly valuable. Judging from Morette''s expression, it was likely a highly prized relic for Orichalcum. With the wealth of this grand city, the value of such a rare treasure was beyond imagination. If he could obtain it, it would be a major gain!


    Seeing the change in Sterl''s demeanor, Morette finally breathed a sigh of relief. So, he had a taste for treasures, after all. For a moment, Morette had feared that this powerhouse was someone with no desires��that sort of person was the hardest to sway and the most terrifying to deal with.


    As for the Soul Treasure, while extremely precious, Morette reasoned that for the future of the royal city and victory in the war, it was worth the offer. Besides, if they could use this opportunity to wipe out all the native forces and seize control of an entire world, they would easily recoup the cost of losing a treasure.


    "Yes! The Soul Treasure!" Morette continued eagerly. "I can show you a glimpse of its powers, and we would also be willing to provide you with any rare arcane skills and equipment you desire. Whatever you need, Orichalcum will do its utmost to provide it!"


    As he spoke, Morette immediately shared some information about the treasure. Even though Sterl had mentally prepared himself, he was still astounded by what he saw.


    The information was brief, but it revealed a general ability: it consumed Soul''s Power to enhance any chosen target. There was no specific limit to this enhancement, but ording to Morette, it could even have a slight effect on deities, which is why it was one of Orichalcum''s most prized treasures.


    This truly piqued Sterl''s interest. With his unique advantage, his own strength grew quickly, but this left his followers struggling to keep up. To him, those followers were not worth much but a shame to waste, useful only for handling minor tasks.


    But if he could use the Soul Treasure to elevate them uniformly to third ss, legendary, or even demigod level��and with formations to bolster their strength��they could form a force even stronger than the army he had just wiped out. They might even be capable of taking down deities!


    This would make them a true asset, finally worthy of keeping up with him and greatly enhancing his capabilities.


    Indeed, to wait for the big payoff was wise. If he''d epted right away, Morette would never have offered such a precious treasure, and Sterl would have missed out on such a powerful resource.


    After a moment of silence, with Morette watching him anxiously, Sterl finally gave a reluctant nod.


    "In that case, I''ll join you. However�� I''ll help you deal with Ashen, but that Soul Treasure must be mine!"


    His eyes shed with determination, a hint of threat emanating from him. Morette, however, didn''t mind, nodding eagerly in excitement.


    "Rest assured, I swear on my soul: as long as you help us destroy Ashen''s main forces, the Soul Treasure will be yours!"


    "Good."


    Sterl nodded, and a system notification echoed in his ears.


    [You have joined the Orichalcum faction]


    [Faction: Orichalcum has been unlocked]


    [Current reputation: (Respect 0000/50000)]


    [Current contribution points: 0000]


    [You have unlocked the Orichalcum''s final mission: Destroy Ashen''s main forces. Completion will grant you the Soul Treasure, with additional rewards based on mission performance.]


    [Your strength has earned the recognition of Orichalcum''s deities. You may now freely ept tasks rted to the fight against Ashen and use contribution points to exchange for Orichalcum''s treasures.]


    Due to Sterl''s instant annihtion of Ashen''s five deities,bined with the earnest invitation from Morette, a dual


    divine authority


    god, his reputation and contribution points in the faction immediately skyrocketed to 10,000 upon joining!


    Orichalcum''s attitude toward him had already reached a level of deep respect. He now had free ess to faction missions, allowing him to amass a significant number of contribution points and rewards��all perks that came with his strength!


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement. As the saying goes, "the stronger you are, the more opportunities you find." Now he could fully explore this faction and reap the benefits!


    With no time limit on the final mission or on his legendary story quest, he could afford to take his time. After all, he''d only reach legendary status by conquering the world and bing its ruler. Until then, he would use this period to his advantage.


    "Wee, honorable Lord Hades."


    Morette grinned ear to ear, having received information that this mysterious powerhouse was a powerful yer! This reassured him; Hades wasn''t a local deity, so Orichalcum''s ambitions to conquer the world wouldn''t offend him. All it cost was a Soul Treasure, which, to gods, was


    not worth much but a shame to waste


    .


    "Hades" was, of course, a fabricated name Sterl had chosen. With Facade of Vanity and Blood of the Holy Spirit, no one could see his true identity.


    "Rest assured," Sterl said, "since I''ve joined you, we''re on the same side now. Let''s go. I sensed the presence of those despicable Ashen forces to the north and south while I was passing through. It seems Orichalcum''s situation isn''t very favorable."


    Now that he could freely ept faction missions, he wouldn''t miss this opportunity. The Southern War Preparedness Zone and Northern War Preparedness Zone would give him the chance to earn additional rewards. Ideally, he could raise his reputation with Orichalcum to a level of reverence, making any future ns much easier to aplish.


    Morette''s face fell immediately; it seemed his suspicions were correct. These despicable natives had indeedunched a multi-pronged assault. Without Hades'' intervention, he might already be dead. He could only imagine the devastation in the other two zones.


    ��

 Chapter 489 The Schemes of the Indigenous Forces, Northern Crisis!

    The assassination plot��how long these indigenous forces had been nning it was anyone''s guess��was entirely driven by the intention to annihte the nation of Orichalcum in one fell swoop.


    If the assassination teams sent by the Southern and Northern War Preparedness Zones were anything like the one here, these two regions would undoubtedly fall! The gap in the royal city would be brutally exposed and easily exploited!


    "Dammit! These natives are utterly despicable and treacherous!


    I must contact the royal city for reinforcements, or else, if they seed, the consequences will be unimaginable!"


    The smile on Morette''s face, which had appeared when he sessfully invited Sterl, instantly vanished, reced by a serious and urgent expression. This was nearly a matter of the royal city''s survival.


    Even though he had managed to recruit this powerful and mysterious figure, if the north and south were to be overtaken, it would create a gap in the strength of the gods��essentially a difference of ten gods'' worth ofbat power. Adding in the Ashen army''s two formations, it would be a twelve-god gap. Even with this mysterious powerhouse named Hades, Morette didn''t think he could face such a number of gods in one battle.


    After all, when numerous gods unite, thebined might of their Law Powers and divine authorities can easily suppress any individual of equal rank, to the point where they cannot even release their Divine Power. To Morette, Hades was indeed powerful, but he could only be considered roughly equivalent to three or four weaker gods at the Divine Power level.


    As for the earlier attack, it was simply this powerful figure taking advantage of the Ashen gods'' focus on him to set up a long-nned sneak attack. In a direct confrontation, there was no way the battle could have been so easily resolved.


    "Contact the royal city? No need."


    Sterl waved his hand dismissively. Such an intense battle among gods could not have gone unnoticed by the royal city of Orichalcum. Reinforcements had already been dispatched, but they were being dyed by those reckless legendary demigods. It would be impossible for them to arrive in time.


    As for sending more reinforcements, the gods of Orichalcum were no fools. They had probably already guessed that, given the situation in the three War Preparedness Zones, sending more gods would only serve to offer up their lives as sacrifices to the indigenous forces. Under such circumstances, the only viable strategy was to retreat to the royal city, fortify it, and rely on its strength to buy time and a chance to catch their breath amidst the heavy losses.


    "This... Mr. Hades, though these natives are despicable, their strength cannot be underestimated. What if they have other ambushes waiting? If it''s just the two of us, we may be in danger," Morette spoke, his voice tinged with concern, and he began contacting the royal city''s forces through special channels. However, after a brief moment, his expression darkened, and his face grew grim.


    Because the message he had sent waspletely blocked by some kind of force, unable to reach the royal city, the power behind it immediately reminded him of the Shielding Power that had once helped conceal the gods of the Ashen forces.


    As expected, the enemy was fully prepared for a total war with the nation of Orichalcum and had no qualms about their actions. This was an all-out attempt to sever the three War Preparedness Zonespletely.


    Sensing the gaze of Hades beside him, Morette''s mood continued to sink. He attempted several more times to contact the royal city but still couldn''t get through.


    "Don''t waste your time. Let''s go. Ashen is nothing. I can handle them on my own."


    Sterl spoke with an air of mystery.


    "Ashen is like small potatoes before me, hardly worth mentioning."


    Hearing this, Morette stiffened slightly. The Ashen forces were, without a doubt, one of the most powerful indigenous factions in this world, almost on par with Orichalcum itself. But in Sterl''s mouth, they were small potatoes? Was this confidence or arrogance?


    Looking at Hades, Morette saw that his expression was calm and indifferent, radiating an air of absolute disregard for everything around him, as though nothing mattered. There was also a hint of an overbearing fearlessness, as if he truly believed that, by himself, he could handle the situation. Perhaps... he really could do it.


    Sterl inwardly chuckled as he observed Morette''s reaction. He had intentionally shaped his personality to appear arrogant and domineering, hoping to lower the vignce of the Orichalcum gods. He wanted them to believe that Sterl was just a mercenary powerhouse who worked for money, with no ulterior motives or schemes.


    It seemed like he had already achieved that goal, at least to arge extent.


    "Let''s clear the trash in the north first, then return to assist the south."


    He nced at the map module and spoke decisively.


    At that moment, the Northern War Preparedness Zone had be as precarious as the Eastern one had been earlier. Aside from the god with dual divine authority, who was barely holding on, the other three gods were severely injured after being surrounded by four others of equal rank.


    As for the south, it was slightly better. The God of Thieves'' assassination attempt had failed, and while one of the gods in the Southern War Preparedness Zone had been gravely injured, there was at least no immediate risk of a fatality.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Therefore, Sterl had no intention of assisting the south just yet. What he wanted to see was not Orichalcum''s victory over Ashen, but rather the two sides tearing each other apart in a bitter dogfight, both suffering heavy losses.


    He needed to wait until the south had suffered the same kind of losses as the north and east before making his move. For now, the situation needed to be dyed.


    Morette didn''t overthink the situation. Since he didn''t have ess to a map module, he couldn''t see the status of the northern and southern zones. If he had known, he would have immediately rushed to support the south, which might have ensured that no major losses were sustained there.


    Otherwise, if he headed to the north and then returned, by the time he made it back, the south might have already been on the brink of copse, and no one would be able to assist in time.


    Before long, Morette followed Sterl, flying toward the Northern War Preparedness Zone. Along the way, Sterl deliberately slowed his pace and even began leading Morette in circles. After all, no gods had died in the Northern War Preparedness Zone yet. At least two or three more needed to fall before he would make his move.


    Otherwise, if he went there too soon, the Ashen forces might suffer even heavier losses, and the Orichalcum gods would gain even morebat strength. That would diminish his own absolute value in the eyes of both sides.


    At that very moment, in the Northern War Preparedness Zone, the Orichalcum forces were being fiercely resisted by the Ashen gods. Diana, the dual-divine-authority goddess who controlled Archery and Swamps Divine Authority, was struggling to hold off their relentless assault.


    Everything had happened so suddenly, without warning. The Ashen God of Ghosts had somehow infiltrated the area and unleashed his most powerful abilities, assassinating one of the gods beforeunching a barrage of attacks like a violent storm.


    Looking down at the fierce battle, the soldiers of the Northern War Preparedness Zone were retreating steadily. These were warriors of at least third-ss rank, top-tier fighters in the outside world, yet they were being butchered and trampled by the Ashen forces as if they were nothing more than livestock,pletely powerless to fight back.


    Perhaps it was due to the current degradation of her divine power, but Diana felt a wave of pity rise within her. A beautiful, sorrowful expression appeared on her face, and for a moment, she seemed almost like a mortal in her empathy for the suffering of her soldiers.


    This disy only fueled the Ashen gods'' excitement. They watched as Diana''s perfect curves and her noble divine nature were revealed in battle, stoking the mes of their base, human desires.


    They could barely resist the urge to suppress her on the spot, to publicly vite and humiliate her in front of so many soldiers below!


    However, while Diana''s strength wasparable to his own, and the god whomanded me and Curse was even a bit stronger, her abilities were particrly troublesome. She avoided direct confrontations with him, using her Swamp Law and Archery Law to dy him from a distance, buying time as she waited for reinforcements from the royal city.


    Not only that, she asionally loosed an arrow to support the other three gods who were barely holding their own. Without her aid, those gods would have long since been in one by one.


    Even so, the three gods were now in a desperate situation. Their Divine Power was almost entirely depleted, and after maintaining a state of heightened tension for so long, they were utterly exhausted.


    At that moment, a terrifying force suddenly gathered in the army below. Nearly ten demigods, along with a number of legendary third-ss warriors,bined their strength with the power of the military formations, unleashing a force that reached the level of gods.


    But instead of targeting Diana, as in the Eastern War Preparedness Zone, the assault was aimed directly at the other three gods!


    The sudden ambush caught the three godspletely off guard. They had no time to react, especially under the relentless assault of four enemy gods. Even though Diana sensed something was wrong, she was unable to provide any support in time.


    A deafening explosion rang out!


    One of the gods was instantly enveloped by the force of the military formation. A mix of powers tore through his Divine Power barrier, and simultaneously, the other two gods seized the opportunity andunched a lethal strike!


    The god let out a chilling scream as his Divine Power shattered, his divine authority crumbled, and even his very soul turned to ash��there was no possibility of resurrection.


    "We''re done for."


    Diana''s heart sank.


    The situation had already been dire, but with one more god now dead, the entire battlefront would copse in an instant!


    "Hahaha! Did you see that? This is the wisdom of Ashen! You foolish invaders will pay for your actions!"


    The God of Curse and meughed maniacally, continuously releasing waves of powerful me to suppress Diana. In the midst of the chaos, Diana''s focus waspromised, and she unwittingly found herself afflicted by a weakening curse!


    This was no ordinary curse��it was the power of divine authority and Law, a force only gods could wield!


    Immediately, a wave of weakness washed over Diana. At the same time, another scream echoed, and another god from Orichalcum fell.


    Before long, thest remaining god, surrounded by four enemies of equal rank and the army below, which was now on par with divine strength, could only let out a final, angry roar before beingpletely overwhelmed by the various Law Powers.


    Once that was done, the four Ashen gods, their strength now freed up, immediately moved to surround Diana. They closed in, trapping her from all sides.

 Chapter 490 A Critical Moment—The Goddess on the Verge of Humiliation?

    Thebined pressure from the five gods'' Divine Powers caused Diana''s stress to escte instantly!


    As gods themselves, all once the strongest prodigies from the same world, the difference in their inherent strength was minimal. If the five gods attacked simultaneously, without factoring in the god-like army below, they could still easily overpower and heavily injure her in an instant.


    "Hahaha, stupid bitch,e on! Weren''t you so tough just now?"


    The God of Curse and me continuously scanned Diana''s full chest andgenitals, the curves outlined with incredible tightness, constantly stirring his desire.


    He had never tasted the goddess''s allure before; it must be truly exquisite.


    An evil emotion spread from him, and soon, the other four gods disyed the same lecherous expressions, slowly inching toward Diana.


    "The oue is already decided. The goddess of the Kingdom of Orichalcum will fall into our envement!"


    "Just thinking about it excites me. I''ll enjoy defiling their goddess right in front of these worthless fools!"


    "You pathetic fools, beg for mercy. If I''m in a good mood, perhaps I''ll let you experience the taste of the goddess for yourselves."


    The God of Ghosts looked down at the soldiers in the Northern War Preparedness Zone below, their despair clear to see. With a grotesqueugh, he vanished in an instant and reappeared beside Diana, moving so quickly that she didn''t have time to react. He lightly traced a cut across her waist.


    Diana had been focused on The God of Curse and me, and with the God of Ghosts'' ability to conceal his presence, she didn''t notice the slit in her clothing. Arge section of her smooth, marble-like skin was exposed, glowing faintly with divine light. It was so soft it almost looked like it might drip with moisture.


    Diana gasped in surprise, quickly attempting to retreat, her face twisted with anger and humiliation. But she was immediately surrounded by the other gods, with no escape in sight.


    Their intent was clear��to humiliate the goddess, tear at her clothes, force her legs apart, and subject her to brutal degradation.


    As the five gods looked at Diana''s flushed, perfect face, they were stirred by thoughts of what woulde next. It was exhrating, the kind of experience that a god should savor.


    Diana, feeling the gods'' insatiable, lustful gazes, couldn''t help but feel disgust��and fear.


    Yes, she had regained a portion of her humanity, and the thought of being stripped by these gods and publicly humiliated in front of her own soldiers filled her with overwhelming terror. The panic showed on her face, making her already perfect features even more enticing. It almost seemed like they couldn''t wait to force themselves upon her, to take her in that moment of vulnerability.


    The scene left the soldiers below stunned, their eyes wide with shock, disbelief slowly turning into hunger and desire.


    They had never seen such an expression on the Goddess''s face before. It was a look they only ever saw on the faces of those forcefully used courtesans andmoners.


    In their eyes, the Goddess had always been untouchable, exalted beyond reach, her aura filled with an indomitable sense of nobility. She was a figure to be revered from a distance, a being so far removed from the mundane that it was inconceivable to even imagine approaching her.


    But now, the Goddess was being humiliated. Bit by bit, her clothes were being stripped away, exposing her delicate form��a body that sparked untold fantasies.


    Suddenly, their desires could no longer be restrained. The soldiers of Ashen side roared in excitement, their aggressive gazes greedily roving over Diana''s body, openly appraising this Goddess they had once never dared to dream of possessing.


    Some even went so far as to remove their armor, pull down their trousers, and fondle themselves while leering with obscene grins, letting out guttural, disgusting noises.


    The soldiers of the Orichalcum side, though filled with rage at the sight of their Goddess being so degraded, couldn''t tear their eyes away from Diana. Their minds were filled with anticipation, imagining the moment when the Goddess would be forcibly spread open, brutally prated in that mysterious ce, her body covered in the foul, disgusting fluids.


    As Diana felt the weight of countless lecherous gazes upon her, a deep despair and rage gripped her. She was a Goddess, a true divine being! Yet now, she was not only facing the insult of the Ashen gods but possibly the oppression of these mortal men?


    No! This could never be!


    A sh of steely resolve crossed Diana''s eyes. If it truly came to this, she would rather unleash all her Divine Power in a final explosion, taking them all down with her, than allow herself to be captured, especially by these vile creatures who would desecrate her in such a way.


    But at that moment...


    On the Ashen side, a god who wielded the Law of Binding cast a dark shadow in his eyes. Just as Diana was preparing to fight to the death, he activated the Law of Binding directly upon her.


    In that instant, her movements faltered slightly, and the remaining gods immediatelyunched their attack. Within a single exchange, Diana was severely injured, blood spilling from her lips as herplexion turned deathly pale.


    This appearance only made one''s desire to vite her even stronger.


    "Get on your knees, take off all your clothes."


    The God of Curse and me shamelessly eyed her body, a wicked smile curling on his lips. Diana, gravely wounded and ensnared by the Law of Binding, waspletely unable to summon her Divine Power or the Laws to counterattack.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Nevertheless, she still wore an expression of Unyielding defiance on her face, and this look ignited the conqueror''s instinct in the gods around her.


    With a rip, the God of Ghosts made his move again. This time, Diana''s skirt waspletely torn off, exposing her snow-white, full, and supple thighs, making it impossible for one not to fantasize about lifting her onto their shoulders and taking advantage of her!


    Another illusion flickered by, as if teasing its prey. Diana''s clothes became fewer and fewer, until only a small piece of fabric remained over her chest and private areas, leaving the rest of her body fully exposed.


    "Attack! Fuck her hard! Fill up every hole on her body."


    "Is this the goddess? When the gods get bored, I will definitely insert my dick into her mouth, making her facepletely covered in my liquid!"


    "Haha! What about the goddess? Put the mark of very on her, put on a ve Cor, make her make a humble sex object, and have her serve us day and night!"


    "Conquer thend of Orichalcum and capture all their goddesses, using them as prostitutes!"


    These soldiers, who had never encountered a goddess in such a form, werepletely entranced by the exposed skin. Their imaginations ran wild, with many of them directing their attention toward Diana, indulging in their base desires.


    The thrill of mentally degrading a goddess seemed to intoxicate them, as though they were possessed by the spirit of goblinscking any of the dignity or restraint one would expect from legends or demigods. Their minds were consumed entirely by thoughts of viting the goddess before them.


    "Come over here, kneel and take my dick in your mouth, and I might spare your life."


    The God of Curse and me pointed at his genitals, holding a ve Cor in his hand, and said with an evil grin.


    At this point, Diana waspletely filled with despair, especially as she watched the actions of the mortals below. Every movement seemed to trample and shred the dignity and pride that once defined her as a goddess, reducing them to nothing more than dust beneath their feet.


    The intense humiliation made her wish she could just die right there. Unfortunately, bound by the Law of Binding and severely injured, even suicide seemed nearly impossible for her. Furthermore, her heart refused to ept such a fate. She had fought so hard to be a god, enduring countless trials and suffering along the way. Was she really going to die like this?


    Gazing at the ve Cor in the hands of the God of Curse and me, she realized that if she continued to resist, the most likely oue would be brutal abuse at the hands of these people, followed by her inevitable death. But if she surrendered�� perhaps, just perhaps, there might be a chance she could survive.


    In her mind, it seemed as though two voices were constantly arguing. One represented the dignity of a goddess, while the other represented the primal instinct to survive.


    But as time passed, the voice of survival slowly gained the upper hand. Indeed, when faced with death, what did the flesh and blood of her body matter?


    However, as she thought of her body, now tainted by the vile fluids of these gods and mortals, a wave of disgust surged within her. Her inner self recoiled violently, and she even felt the urge to vomit.


    No! She could never ept this!


    "Heh, I''ve already given you a chance. Put on the ve Cor obediently, and you''ll be nothing more than a ve to us. But it seems you''ve chosen to refuse. Well�� when we''re done ying with you, we''ll seal away your powers and turn you into a whore for the army! No! I''ll even throw you into the slums, where those filthy mortals can ravage your body and trample your spirit however they wish!"


    After bing gods, nearly all deities lost their humanity, being controlled by their divine nature. But that doesn''t mean they were pure and noble before they ascended to godhood.


    Among the five deities, during their time as rulers, they had countless people of the opposite sex at their mercy.Many women, in fact, were pushed to the brink of death by their relentless torment.


    However, now their target of maniption has be a goddess. This unprecedented experience, even if their divinity hasn''t fallen, they couldn''t help but want to try it, especially now!


    In an instant,


    The God of Curse and me stepped in front of Diana, reaching out to grab at her chest. Diana quickly recoiled, but was caught by the sudden force of his palm, which struck her sharply across the face.


    She was severely injured now, her speed and reactions far too slow to match his.


    She is severely wounded now, and her speed and reflexes are no match for her opponent. Soon, her face turned red from the p, and her mind became dazed. Her long, smooth hair flowed in the air, adding a touch of fragility to her appearance, evoking sympathy.


    The God of Curse and me let out a wickedugh, revealing his lower body and reaching out to grab Diana''s head, attempting to force it down.

 Chapter 491 Like Stepping on Clouds, Divine Descent!

    Diana trembled uncontrobly, her gaze fixed on the lower body of the God of Curse and me. Her mind was a whirlwind of repulsion and resistance.


    But right now, she had no strength left to fight back. Faced with the God''s grasp, there was nowhere she could escape.


    Was she really going to be publicly humiliated like this? Was she truly about to be a tool for these mortals to vent their desires, forced to endure their filthy acts day after day?


    "No�� it can''t be. Who can save me��"


    Her thoughts began to drift involuntarily, imagining a divine figure descending from the heavens, standing on clouds, rescuing her, and annihting all the fallen gods��just like the fantasies she once had when she was still a little girl and had yet to ascend to divinity.


    Unfortunately, fantasies were just that��fantasies. They were merely an escape from reality. Her fate seemed to be sealed. With that thought, her spirit began to falter, and she despondently closed her eyes.


    But at that moment��


    A terrifying aura suddenly surged!


    Before she could even open her eyes, the surrounding space seemed to fall into a vortex, freezing the world around her in an instant.


    For a brief moment, the five gods'' movements came to a halt, and the soldiers below were as if sealed in wax, their faces frozen in evil, twisted grins of excitement.


    "Just in time�� I almost missed it," came a calm voice.


    In the next instant, a figure appeared in front of Diana. The man exuded a vast and powerful aura, his appearance dignified and solemn, his presence overwhelming and fierce. In his hand, he wielded a brilliant sword that shimmered with endless starlight, his gaze steady as he stared at the five gods, now trapped in Spacetime Freeze.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was Sterl, the hero who had arrived just in time!


    He had deliberately dyed his arrival, waiting for the other three gods of Orichalcum to be in, and for Diana to be on the brink of despair before stepping in to intervene.


    Of course, there was another small motivation. How could such a stunning goddess be humiliated by these fallen gods? In a moment of crisis, a hero saving a damsel could even win the loyalty of a goddess.


    To be honest, even he had found himself stirred by the previous scene. Watching the goddess being vited, no one could remain unmoved by such apelling sight.


    However, Sterl had strong spiritual principles. Having already set his sights on this goddess, he wasn''t about to let himself wear the shame of a man who had allowed such disgrace to befall her.


    "So small, and yet you still have the nerve to expose it?"


    With a disdainful nce at the lower body of the God of Curse and me, Sterl sneered. Compared to his own, it looked like a weak, limp earthworm. How dare it try to humiliate a goddess?


    He slowly raised his hand, and in his Ascend to Godhood state, all of his enhancements were activated, unleashing his full power!


    Then, with a flick of his wrist, he swung the de formed from condensed Star Power, simultaneously activating Shattered Void��One Sword Opens the Sky!


    In an instant, a blinding light enveloped the five gods. Space Shatter tore through the air, transforming into countless de-like shards carrying the Power of Space, swiftly slicing through their bodies.


    Divine Power faded, their godly forms shattered, and even their souls began to crack, the fractures spreading like webs!


    The terrifying Power of Spacetime��though merely a result of his Ascend to Godhood state��was enough to overwhelm and tear apart the weak Divine Power of the five gods. No resistance could stand against this overwhelming force!


    The next moment...


    The dawn arrived!


    The brilliant Star Power tore through the darkened sky, and sunlight poured once more upon thend, illuminating Sterl. At that moment, he was cloaked in dazzling divine light, standing as if upon a radiant, rainbow-colored cloud, like an invincible god who ruled the heavens.


    At the same time, Diana opened her eyes, just in time to witness Sterl''s sword enveloping the five gods, saving her from the depths of despair.


    The sheer contrast of this moment left Diana frozen in ce. Her expression went nk, as though she had been turned to stone. She stared nkly at Sterl''s back, lost in a daze.


    At that moment, Sterl slowly turned around. His deep eyes seemed to contain entire gxies, his aura so powerful that it seemed capable of banishing all darkness, as if he were a supreme deity, the master of all light and warmth.


    "Are you alright?" he asked gently.


    He gave her a warm smile, and in the radiant divine light surrounding him, he appeared even more dazzling. It was as though the god she had always imagined hade to life before her eyes.


    Behind Sterl, the broken space glowed brightly, like a miniature sun rising behind him. The five gods, frozen in time, followed this radiant orb, slowly disappearing. Even their souls were shattered into countless fragments.


    In that moment, Diana waspletely captivated.


    "Am I�� am I in the realm of the Supreme God? Is this a hallucination as I near death?"


    If this was a hallucination, then perhaps being enved wasn''t so bad. At least, before her, stood such a magnificent god.


    Diana''s mind raced with thoughts, and she couldn''t help but understand. No wonder the gods of Ashen were so confident in their ns to turn her into a submissive ve. Perhaps, out there, her divine body was being defiled by filthy mortals, but in her mind, she was this unparalleled beauty. Even though she knew it was all a lie, she had lost her desire to resist. All she wanted was to continuously cater to his everymand.


    Sterl looked at Diana, and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction filled his heart!


    The concept of "hero saving the damsel" had long since be a clich�� to him. But if the damsel in question was a goddess, that was apletely different story. And right now, this goddess was gazing at him with a foolish, entranced expression, and it gave Sterl an immense sense of fulfillment!


    As he examined Diana''s body, Sterl couldn''t help but marvel. No wonder she was a goddess��her beauty was like a finely crafted work of art. Her figure was incredibly sultry, with her chest and hips so round and full that they seemed about to burst out of the little clothing she had left. Her waist was so narrow it could be gripped with a single hand, as though squeezing it would make water drip from her. She was the perfect frame, not a bit less alluring than the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria!


    If Sterl knew Diana''s thoughts in this moment, he would be even more pleased. Indeed, with enough power, even a goddess couldn''t resist his charm.


    Then, he once again used Spacetime Freeze, absorbing the souls of the five gods. Such a valuable prize should not be wasted.


    At the same time, a system notification sounded in his ear.


    [You havepleted the hidden faction mission: Save the Northern War Preparedness Zone!]


    [You have earned 10,000 Orichalcum Kingdom Contribution Points.]


    [Your reputation in the Orichalcum Kingdom has increased by 10,000 points.]


    [Current Contribution Points: 20,000]


    [Current Reputation: (Respect 20,000/50,000)]


    [As you are in the process of writing a legendary story, the hidden mission rewards will bepounded and settled once the story ispleted.]


    "Did I just trigger a hidden mission?" Sterl said with delight. It seemed that taking on tasks against Ashen didn''t require him to seek out anyone; he could trigger faction-rted hidden quests at any time and from anywhere.


    It made sense, though. With the power he had demonstrated, he had already earned the respect of the Orichalcum Kingdom, and didn''t need to go looking for gods to ept missions.


    "Only 10,000 Contribution Points and 10,000 Reputation? That''s a bit too little, don''t you think?" Sterl muttered to himself. He remembered that when he hadpleted the Divine Mountain Empire task and in the Emperor of the Divine Mountain Empire, the legendary Octavius, he had earned a full 100,000 Reputation.


    But after giving it some thought, Sterl realized that the Reputation he had earned before was in rtion to the Divine Mountain Empire, whereas now it was tied to the entire Orichalcum Kingdom, a powerful divine faction. Clearly, they weren''tparable.


    In terms of value, even a single Contribution Point in the Orichalcum Kingdom was likely more precious than one hundred or even one thousand points in the Divine Mountain Empire!


    Just as he was about to open the Contribution Mall to see what items he could exchange with these points, the system notified him that Orichalcum Kingdom Contribution Points could only be exchanged in the royal treasury in the capital.


    "Gods already possess powers that are beyond the control of Transcendence, and as a divine-level faction, it makes sense that Transcendence cannot directly manifest items for exchange," Sterl mused.


    He didn''t think much of it and decided to wait until he reached the capital to make his exchanges.


    His attention shifted back to Diana, and he saw that she was still in a dazed, almost trance-like state. A wicked smile crept onto his face, but he quickly masked it, adopting a cold and domineering expression. He extended his hand, forcefully pulling the goddess��whose clothing was in tatters, leaving only the most private parts of her divine body exposed��into his embrace.


    Her soft and smooth form felt exquisite in his arms. Her delicate waist, so slender that it could easily be grasped in one hand, stirred an impulsive desire within him to lift her effortlessly and take her right there.


    Diana, sensing something, began to react, but before she could struggle, Sterl reached into the fabric of space and retrieved a thin veil, gently draping it over her body. He then gazed down at her, their eyes locking. The moment was like a beautiful painting, and for the first time in centuries, Diana''s heart stirred, ripples of emotion surfacing. Her eyes became unfocused, almost zed.


    Such a brilliant and powerful god, if she could be cherished and dominated by him�� perhaps, it wasn''t so unbearable after all.


    As her humanity began to resurface, this thought surged uncontrobly in her mind. Staring at Sterl''s handsome face, she even felt an impulse to kiss him.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here. It''s all right now."


    With those words, Sterl gently helped her to her feet, before ncing at the army below, all frozen in ce with nk expressions. He snapped his fingers.


    Suddenly, several massive meteors, imbued with immense power, rained down from the sky. Their target: the army below!


    This time, the meteors didn''t only strike Ashen''s forces. The Orichalcum army was also within the impact zone!

 Chapter 492 Has the Goddess Fallen in Love?

    "What... what is that?"


    "My God, it''s a meteor! A meteor is falling, run!"


    "No, please, Divine One! We are soldiers of the Kingdom of Orichalcum! We ask that Your Divine Power spare us!"


    "We are willing to surrender! We are willing to submit!"


    It wasn''t until now that everyone finally realized what had happened. The Ashen faction, consisting of five gods, had been almostpletely obliterated in an instant!


    And the cause of this destruction was none other than the terrifying god floating in midair, holding Diana in their arms, radiating boundless divine light like a deity from the heavens.


    Five entire gods��just like that, as if cutting through vegetables��were they truly in?


    Though their minds struggled to process the information, they all understood that, in the face of divine power, they had no chance of resistance.


    Meanwhile, the heavens and earth seemed to mourn. With the death of these five gods, the divine authority they once wielded returned to the world.


    However, Sterl noticed that perhaps due to the merging of the worlds, the impact of these gods'' deaths wasn''t as immense as it had been in the past. In fact, the simultaneous death of five gods seemed less impactful than thebined killing of the Conspiracy and the God of Trade by Gloria and the other five gods in the Hall of Valor.


    "So... this is what they call the Great Cmity..." he thought to himself, but his actions didn''t pause for a second. With a swift movement, he sent several meteors, enhanced by Stardust and surrounded by terrifying mes, hurtling toward the earth at incredible speed.


    Many legends and demigods tried to evade the meteors by jumping into the air or fleeing into the distance.


    But Sterl had already anticipated this. He used the Space Law, augmented by the power of the Dimensional Heart, to apply the Force of the Forbidden Sky across the entire battlefield. Not even the legends and demigods could escape��let alone the mere mortals.


    With a deafening crash, the earth trembled violently. Many were crushed into dust by the falling meteors. Meanwhile, the Starlight Spray and Cursed Vision activated, sending massive bursts of energy scattering throughout the battlefield. At first nce, it seemed like a chain of crimson light tinged with silver, weaving through the crowd, until it finally ceased after touching almost everyone.


    In an instant, the vast battlefield fell silent and deste. The Ashen army was entirely wiped out, and the forces of the Kingdom of Orichalcum were reduced to fewer than a hundred.


    "As warriors, we must fight with all our might for our nation," Sterl dered coldly. "To allow evil enemies to desecrate our goddess�� such men are unworthy of being called warriors. They must be eradicated!"


    Gazing down at the terrified eyes of the remaining soldiers below, Sterl spoke domineeringly. This group of people were the few who hadn''t been swept away by desire and had refrained from inappropriate actions toward Diana. As for the rest, since they had tried to subdue Diana, a goddess, they naturally had to be killed.


    As for whether innocents would be affected��of course not. Sterl, at his core, was still a good person. It was just that he had always been forced into these actions. Therefore, anyone he killed deserved to die.


    It was only then that Morette finally arrived, looking down at the carnage around him with aplex expression. He had been following behind Sterl all this time, and to dy the enemy, Sterl had even used the Time Law to mask their presence.


    Upon seeing Dianapletely despairing, Sterl had immediately activated the Temporal-Spatial Law and arrived in an instant. To Morette, it was as though the powerful god, Hades, had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Soon after, a terrifying wave of energy surged from a distance, and by the time he felt it, the battle had already ended.


    However, he had clearly witnessed the moment when Sterlunched the meteors, indiscriminately attacking. Although he had sessfully rescued Diana, Morette thought the soldiers didn''t need to be executed. Right now, they needed all the manpower they could get. Such a loss was nearly equivalent to that of a god''s fall.


    "Honorable Hades, actually... they didn''t need to die," Morette couldn''t help but say.


    Sterl gave a soft chuckle, then nced at Diana before speaking, "For the sin of profaning a goddess, their death is well deserved."


    Upon hearing this, Diana, who was standing next to Sterl, fell into a stupor once again. Her emotions churned as she gazed at Sterl, her eyes almost zed over.


    If this were the past, when gods were fully imbued with divinity, she would not have been so disoriented. But now, with her humanity restored, and having been rescued by Sterl in her despair, her emotional turmoil was overwhelming.


    This made her reflect on the past. Back then, she had only wanted to find a powerful protector to rely on. But now, looking around at the geniuses of her level, it seemed she was the strongest among them. And so, that desire faded, and she faced all difficulties alone.


    Yet now, that unfulfilled wish from the past had resurfaced. And to be able to rely on such a powerful and righteous god, well... that didn''t seem too bad at all.


    Morette saw Diana''s expression and couldn''t help but feel a ck line of disbelief across his forehead. As gods of the Kingdom of Orichalcum, they both knew Diana''s character well. She was a powerful and aloof goddess, yet now, this goddess was looking at Hades as if she wanted to bear his child. How could he not be shocked?


    "Is everything alright now?"


    Sterl looked at Diana and released a healing ability. Tiny, glittering lights appeared around them, flowing into Diana''s body and alleviating some of the injuries she had sustained.


    "Thank you�� Hades."


    Diana could no longer suppress her emotions. Through their alliance, she had learned of this mysterious and powerful yer named Hades, who had just resolved the crisis in the Eastern War Preparedness Zone and immediately rushed to save her. Perhaps, it was all part of an ungraspable fate.


    She lifted her head and gently kissed Hades'' cheek, then immediately lowered her head, blushing. She seemed anything but like a goddess. In Morette''s eyes, it resembled the way a great-granddaughter would act when in love.


    A goddess in love? Such a rare and unexpected urrence, but it was happening right before his eyes, and even in the midst of ongoing danger. It left him utterly stunned.


    Sterl was equally stunned, feeling the soft, jade-like lips gently press against his cheek. The sensation was incredibly pleasant!


    When he regained his senses, he looked at Diana, whose head was lowered in what appeared to be bashfulness. He roughly pulled her toward him and kissed her forcibly. The kisssted for several long seconds before he finally released her.


    "Ahh, that was nice!"


    Sterl thought to himself, exhrated. The feeling of forcibly kissing a goddess was definitely amazing! To his surprise, his charm was so great that even this powerful goddess was drawn to him. Truly, strength was the best beauty treatment a man could have!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "This��"


    Morette was left dumbfounded. He almost wondered if his eyes had been damaged in the earlier battle or if this was some kind of illusion conjured by the enemy. After a long pause, he finally epted the incredible��yet somewhat envy-inducing��reality: it seemed that Goddess Diana really had fallen in love?


    "Congrattions, Honorable Hades," he said immediately, bowing to Sterl. Then, as he thought it through more carefully, his heart swelled with even greater joy. It seemed that if Hades truly had feelings for Diana, this powerful and mysterious being would be forever bound to the Kingdom of Orichalcum.


    This was truly monumental news. With such a powerful god in existence, the Kingdom of Orichalcum would undoubtedly be even more stable. After all, this individual''s strength was equivalent to at least five gods of the same rank!


    Sterl, too, was in high spirits. Looking at Diana, he figured that with just a little more "training," it might even be possible to detach her from the Kingdom of Orichalcum. Once that was done, he could refine her into a


    deputy star


    , which would add another god-level force to his side.


    And who knows�� maybe he could even take the opportunity to enjoy the "goddess experience" himself.


    "Alright, the crisis in the Southern War Preparedness Zone isn''t over yet. We can''t afford to waste any more time."


    Sterl spoke up, but his hand remained on Diana''s waist, holding her firmly in his embrace with rough, domineering strength.


    However, Diana, clearly captivated and drawn in by Sterl''s overwhelming aura and power, didn''t make any attempt to resist. Instead, she seemed to almost enjoy pressing her face against his chest.


    Then, Sterl nced at the map module. After all this time, it seemed that the Southern War Preparedness Zone was finally approaching its breaking point.


    The god who had been severely injured had been ambushed during a skirmish and was then decisively in by an Ashen god, who had been lying in wait.


    The bnce that had been tenuously maintained was shattered in an instant. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before the Southern War Preparedness Zone, like the other two locations, fell into a state of desperation.


    Sterl also noticed that the Kingdom of Orichalcum had dispatched several gods for reinforcements. Though they were also entangled by the Ashen faction''s preparations, it wouldn''t take long for them to break free and head toward the Southern War Preparedness Zone.


    Perhaps he wouldn''t even need to take action himself��the crisis there might resolve on its own. But of course, he wasn''t going to miss out on the chance to earn more contributions, reputation, and legendary tales.


    With that, he swiftly gathered Diana in one arm and took Morette with him as they flew toward the Southern War Preparedness Zone.


    The battle was still ongoing at the Southern War Preparedness Zone. Because of the earlier failed assassination by the God of Thieves, the Ashen faction had been given some time to respond. It wasn''t until just now, when a god had been forcibly in, that the situation began to tip in favor of the Ashen faction.

 Chapter 493 The Ashen Gods Silence—A God Tempted by the Allure of a Woman?

    "Kill! Kill these invaders! The world is ours!"


    "Let''s fight them to the death!"


    "Fuck you, you despicable bastards! Die!"


    "My leg! My leg is gone! Someone help me!"


    "Ahhh! I''ll die with you bastards!"


    In the Southern War Preparedness Zone, on the battlefield below, the Ashen forces and the Orichalcum forces were engaged in brutal, close-quartersbat.


    Just moments ago, Ashen had used their military formation to forcefully kill the previously injured god, but the formation was also destroyed by the gods of Orichalcum in the process.


    Now, without the support of their military formations, both sides were thrown into the rawest and most intense battle imaginable. Demigods fought demigods, while the legends sought opponents of equal rank. As for the remaining third-ss soldiers, they fought desperately. These soldiers were the weakest in the battle, and they knew that they had to give everything in order to find a slim chance of survival.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    For those who managed to survive this brutal battle, the contribution points they umted would be enough to exchange for resources to break through to the rank of legend. Although, in a conflict between gods, even a demigod was nothing more than an ant, at least they would have a glimmer of hope��a hope to grow stronger and rise higher!


    Nearly every moment, a warrior fell. The camp was left in ruins, littered with the bodies of the dead and the wounded. The air was filled with the sounds of battle cries, and many severely injured soldiersy on the ground, screaming in agony. Some, in their final moments, gathered all their strength for onest act of defiance, hoping to take down as many enemies as they could in a mutual destruction.


    This brutal battle would not cease unless one side''s entire army was wiped out. It was a fight to the bitter end, a fight that would drive everyone to madness!


    Above, the scene was no different. The four Orichalcum gods were struggling against the encirclement of five Ashen gods of equal rank. Thankfully, with no more military formations to worry about, the Orichalcum gods could focus all their attention on the battle.


    However, the numerical difference was still a significant disadvantage. In a fight where both sides were risking everything, the absence of one god-levelbatant could very well decide the oue of the battle.


    Moreover, if Ashen failed to win soon, they could send one of their gods down below to ughter the Orichalcum forces. Once the entire army was wiped out, Ashen''s remaining forces would face no further obstacles, and they could gradually form a new military formation to shatter the current stalemate.


    "Damn it! It''s been so long, why hasn''t the reinforcements arrived yet?!"


    One of the Orichalcum gods couldn''t help but roar. He didn''t want to die here, but if reinforcements didn''t arrive soon, this might just be his final resting ce!


    "I just sensed it. The Eastern War Preparedness Zone and Northern War Preparedness Zone have also erupted into fierce battles between gods. This time, it''s an attack nned by those vile natives."


    A god skilled in sensing spoke up. Upon hearing this, the other four gods'' expressions darkened immediately. If this was true, then Orichalcum''s royal capital, their true foundation and home, might also be facing a crisis!


    In fact, the reinforcements they had been waiting for might not be reinforcements at all, but more enemiesing to wipe them out!


    With this thought, anxiety gripped everyone''s hearts. Even if they managed to escape and survive, if the royal capital was breached and Orichalcum was destroyed, they would be pariahs, doomed to endless pursuit. The saying "When the tree falls, the branches break" was all too fitting for their situation.


    "What do we do now? At this rate, we''ll definitely burn through our Divine Power."


    One of the gods, who held the divine authority of the rainforest, couldn''t help but say. Due to the special nature of divine authority andw mastery, his recovery abilities were the strongest among the gods. Even so, he was beginning to feel pressure, let alone the other three warriors.


    Meanwhile, the enemy, taking advantage of their numerical superiority, employed a tactic of attrition. When one of them exhausted their Divine Power, they would retreat from the fight to recover, while another stepped in to take their ce.


    As a result, the Ashen side was in much better shape, and as time passed, the disparity in their conditions would only growrger!


    A wave of despair washed over everyone. They could already imagine the scene of their Divine Power being exhausted, one by one, and falling to the enemy. Unless a miracle happened��


    However, if what the sensing god had said was true, and Orichalcum wasn''t just facing an attack in this War Preparedness Zone, but even the royal capital might have been attacked�� could there still be a miracle for such a nation?


    The answer was�� yes! But the miracle wouldn''te from their familiar homnd��it woulde from a powerful, unseen force!


    In an instant!


    Two figures suddenly appeared on the battlefield where the gods were fighting. This unexpected development caused both sides to halt theirbat, and the four Orichalcum gods seized this opportunity to catch their breath.


    "Useless! Only one was killed."


    Sterl couldn''t help but sneer inwardly. He had nned to wait until only one enemy remained, just like in the Eastern and Northern War Preparedness Zones, and then step in, minimizing thebat strength of the Orichalcum gods.


    But now, because the South had beencking in divine power from the start, it had dragged on until now, and they''d only managed to kill the heavily injured god.


    Although Sterl was indifferent, he had to step in, because�� if he didn''t, the reinforcements from the royal capital would arrive soon. If the royal capital handled this crisis on its own, how could he continue to pose as a hero? How could he farm contribution points and reputation? And how could he show off in front of Diana?


    At this point, the gods on both sides finally reacted, looking at the two figures who had suddenly joined the fray. The Orichalcum gods were immediately ted, because among the two neers, one of them was unmistakably The God of Archery from the Northern War Preparedness Zone, a powerful goddess, alongside Diana, another goddess of formidable strength.


    As for the other handsome and imposing man, they hadn''t seen him before, but what shocked them even more was that this dual-divine-authority goddess, Diana, was in the arms of this man, and she showed no resistance. Instead, she was somewhat obediently resting against his chest. This scenepletely stunned them!


    But the next moment, upon learning that Sterl had joined the Orichalcum faction, they also realized his true identity: Hades. The revtion of his power left them stunned. This single person had reversed the situation in both the Eastern and Northern War Zones, killing no less than ten gods in one fell swoop! Such an outrageous feat had them speechless for quite a while.


    "Mr. Hades, you''re probably not a god of Orichalcum, right?"


    One of the Ashen gods spoke, his tone polite yet tinged with a ttering smile.


    "These Orichalcum gods are invaders from outside this world," he continued, "and we are merely trying to protect this world, to protect our people from being destroyed and enved by these invaders.


    I believe joining us would be the best choice for you. The conditions offered by Orichalcum, we can offer you double.


    I hope you''ll give it serious consideration."


    His voice was respectful,pletely void of any sign of the brutal and cruel treatment that Orichalcum gods typically meted out.


    To be a god, no one was foolish. It was just that, in the past two encounters, Sterl had acted too quickly for the gods to even open their mouths. Furthermore, this mysterious powerhouse named Hades looked anything but easy to deal with, so, of course, they had to try their best to win him over first.


    As for the rewards and conditions, as long as they could eliminate Orichalcum, this invader, any amount of resources would be worth it. Moreover, if they could capture the royal capital, the rewards would far outweigh what they''d have to give to this Hades. His real goal was to keep this god upied for now. Once the Orichalcum Annihtion wasplete, they could then turn their attention to dealing with himter.


    "Double?"


    Sterl raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued. At this, the four Orichalcum gods trembled slightly, their expressions turning nervous. If this mysterious powerhouse was truly swayed, their fate would be nothing short of disastrous.


    The Ashen gods were unaware of Hades'' previous achievements, but they knew full well that even Diana was a little worried. If Hades was persuaded, wouldn''t his situation be exactly like before��or perhaps even worse?


    "No."


    Sterl deliberately paused for a moment before shaking his head. "What they offered me, you can''t."


    With that, he nced down at Diana in his arms, and the meaning behind his gaze was unmistakable.


    At that instant, Diana''s heart skipped a beat. Her heart raced in her chest, and she was utterly stunned by Hades'' words. Did this mean�� that he wasn''t interested in resources at all? That his true reason for agreeing was to fight for


    her


    ? And wasn''t she the goddess in question?


    As she felt Sterl''s arm tighten around her, Diana''s body grew warmer and more pliable in his embrace, and Sterl couldn''t help but smirk inwardly. His goal was indeed to recruit this goddess, but he wasn''t foolish enough to act recklessly.


    His real purpose was to further solidify his persona, to make it seem as though he was captivated by Diana, willingly assisting Orichalcum for her sake. By doing so, he would gain even more trust from Orichalcum, making his future operations much smoother.


    And besides, wasn''t Diana''s conquest moving ahead at an elerated pace? This was truly a "kill two birds with one stone" n.


    The moment those words left Sterl''s mouth, the Ashen gods'' faces turned green with envy and disbelief. To their shock, it turned out that Sterl was serving Orichalcum not for the kingdom, but for a woman!


    Get a grip! You''re a god! How could you betray yourself for a woman? Although, they had to admit, that woman was a goddess too.

 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 The Crisis Is Averted, Preparing to Depart!

    Absurd! Utterly absurd!


    The Ashen gods were almost speechless. They had nned to offer more bargaining chips, but seeing Diana quietly and gently resting in Sterl''s arms, they couldn''t bring themselves to speak.


    They certainly couldn''t offer this Hades two goddesses as part of the deal. That waspletely out of the question. As fellow gods, they knew that if anyone found out they were being treated like meremodities in a trade, they''d be torn apart without hesitation!


    Now, with Orichalcum''s side gaining two more gods, their forces were stronger by one. The situation was immediately flipped, and they found themselves at a disadvantage.


    The battlefield fell into a tense silence, with only the sounds of battle below continuing to echo��cries and roars as soldiers and demigods fought on,pletely unaware of Sterl''s arrival.


    After a moment, the Ashen gods exchanged looks, and they all saw the hesitation in each other''s eyes. There was no other choice. Hades'' appearance hadpletely disrupted their ns. Moreover, they were in the heart of Orichalcum''s royal capital. If a few more gods came to reinforce Orichalcum, escaping would be nearly impossible.


    Then, one of the Ashen gods with dual divine authority shot Sterl a venomous re, threatening, "You will regret your decision today. When Orichalcum falls, I will capture you and force you to watch as your so-called goddess is ravaged and enved by a horde of invaders."


    Having delivered his threat, the five gods prepared to retreat. However, they didn''t notice the strange looks Orichalcum''s gods were giving them��eyes full of mixed feelings: schadenfreude, excitement, anticipation, and even a touch of pity, as though they were sympathizing with the Ashen gods'' predicament.


    Thanks to the information passed through their camp and Morette, Orichalcum''s gods knew that Sterl had been particrly ruthless. Just because some northern soldiers had insulted Diana, he''d ughtered an entire group��over ten demigods, a hundred legends, and a whole bunch of third-ss warriors, without so much as blinking. His brutality and iron resolve were clear for all to see. He was not someone to be trifled with.


    While the Ashen gods were still wondering why Orichalcum''s gods were looking at them like that, they suddenly realized��they couldn''t move!


    In an instant, a surge of terror and unease suddenly gripped their hearts. Almost simultaneously, Sterl slowly raised his hand, channeling his star power! Stardust infused! All the Laws of Power converged together, and with the enhancement of both Time and Space Laws, Shattered Void was activated in a heartbeat!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Suddenly, a terrifying force, moving at an incredibly rapid pace, enveloped the five gods entirely!


    The next moment, Void Break��a storm of shing des and savage shes��descended upon them!


    Especially after the full enhancement of Stardust, the power of this strike far exceeded the limits of what could be unleashed by the lower realms!


    The fabric of space shattered inch by inch. Even though this was a direct confrontation and the five gods had enough time to react, two of them even breaking free from the time-space restrictions, they still could not evade the relentless onught!


    The terrifying power spread outward, as if a brilliant Flower of the Stars had bloomed in the void, causing even the battle below to halt. All the soldiers looked up at the sky, though they didn''t know what had happened, they could guess that the gods had unleashed their most powerful abilities in a decisive sh.


    However, they were only half right. This was indeed a battle to decide the victor, but it was the Ashen gods who were being ughtered without mercy!


    In an instant, the three gods who failed to escape the restrictions were utterly annihted��both their divine bodies and souls obliterated. The remaining two, lucky to escape with their lives, were grievously wounded, on the brink of death, their bodies about to shatter.


    As they painfully crawled out of the shattered space, they looked at Sterl with a gaze filled with terror, as if they were staring at a gue god of the highest divine rank. Their will to fight hadpletely disappeared.


    "No... no, please don''t kill me! I swear I''ll submit to you!"


    "Yes, yes, I''m willing to sign a contract and serve you for a thousand years! Please, show mercy!"


    The two gods hastily begged for their lives. Though still dazed, survival instinct took over. Just one strike��one strike��and they almost died. What kind of monster was this? Was it possible that a high-ranking god had broken the restrictions and descended here?


    However, in response to their pleas for mercy, Sterl simply raised his hand again. In the horrified gaze of the two gods, he unleashed Destructive Light!


    A brilliant column of light swept through, instantly erasing the two gods from existence. Even if they had tried to resist, their movements were frozen by the Temporal-Spatial Laws. And because they had wasted their time begging, they missed the only opportunity they had to escape.


    After the Destructive Light subsided, the entire battlefield fell into a deep silence. Diana gazed dreamily at Sterl, almost wishing that she could merge into his body. She knew that for anyone who dared insult her��even a god��Hades would mercilessly erase them without hesitation!


    But the truth was, Sterl had thought carefully. Without more deputy stars at his disposal, he absolutely wouldn''t casually take in a god as a subordinate. What he needed were individuals who could guarantee absolute loyalty.


    At this moment, it seemed that gods of the opposite gender were more suitable as his subordinates. In times of need, they could venture out to face the enemy, and when there were no battles, they could engage in "other kinds of conflicts." So, without hesitation, he had acted and wiped them out in an instant. Explore more at empire


    At the same time, Bionic Tear swiftly absorbed the shattered divine souls of the five gods, transforming them into nourishment for the Fire of Ten Thousand Souls.


    [You havepleted the hidden faction mission: Save the Southern War Preparedness Zone!]


    [You have earned 10,000 Orichalcum Nation contribution points.]


    [Your reputation in Orichalcum Nation has increased by 10,000 points.]


    [Current contribution points: 30,000]


    [Current reputation: (Respect 30,000/50,000)]


    As the system notifications rang in his ears, Sterl felt an immense sense of satisfaction. He had indeed triggered another hidden mission. And he had a strong feeling that the Orichalcum Nation''s treasury would offer him a huge surprise. Thirty thousand contribution points might seem like a lot, but it was very likely that they wouldn''t be enough. He would need to find opportunities to trigger more hidden tasks to earn even more contribution points.


    "Hades, you are truly a hero of the Orichalcum Nation!" Morette rushed forward and bowed deeply to Sterl.


    Twice now, he had been unable to assist. Yet, it was this outsider, Hades, who had turned the tide of the battle. No... He nced at Diana in Hades'' arms and smiled with delight. It wasn''t just an outsider anymore!


    At that moment, the other four gods who had been saved gathered around to express their sincere gratitude to Hades. They presented him with many treasures, including several pieces of epic myth-level equipment, as well as items and healing supplies that would greatly benefit even gods.


    This unexpected windfall was certainly wee. Sterl didn''t hold back and epted everything. After all, he had just saved so many gods of Orichalcum��taking a little interest in return was perfectly reasonable, wasn''t it?


    However, in truth, without him, these four gods wouldn''t have fallen. Morette and Diana, however, had truly been saved by him. But his greatest contribution to Orichalcum was the eradication of Ashen and other factions, including the ughter of a full fifteen gods!


    This would y a crucial role in the final oue of the battle!


    Next, Morette and the others moved in, killing the remaining Ashen forces��those who were to be in were killed, and those who were to be enved were enved, resolving the situation swiftly.


    Soon, reinforcements from Orichalcum''s royal city finally arrived. They hade in great haste, expecting a fierce battle to drive out the Ashen gods. But upon their arrival, they were shocked to discover that the Ashen gods had already beenpletely wiped out by a powerful god named Hades!


    This revtion left them stunned, and they immediately turned to Sterl, showering him with gratitude.


    "Hades, you''ve truly saved Orichalcum from the brink of destruction! If it weren''t for you, I can''t even imagine what would have happened."


    "Indeed, thank the heavens! With your assistance, we will surely annihte these barbarian invaders!"


    "Cough, cough, Diana, you''d better seize the opportunity. A powerhouse like Hades will no doubt attract the attention of countless goddesses."


    The gods who had arrived praised and ttered Sterl, and Diana couldn''t help but feel a rising sense of wariness. Unconsciously, she leaned a little closer to Sterl.


    To maintain his persona, Sterl responded casually to theirpliments, but internally, he couldn''t help but feel overjoyed. Being praised by a group of gods��how could he not be pleased? Moreover, there was a goddess nearby, secretly jealous of him. It was like a dreame true.


    In the past, he would have never even dared to imagine such a situation, but now, it was happening to him. Yet, as this thought passed through his mind, Sterl''s mind remained clear. He knew that all of this was the result of his strength.


    Without his power, he would only be a minor pawn in the divine battles, an insignificant casualty who could be easily crushed by a god at any moment, with no control over his own fate and unable to protect his loved ones.


    So...


    Sterl took a deep breath inwardly. He still needed more power. In the uing great cmity, he would need to secure his own survival, and perhaps even rise above it, carving out a territory that would be entirely within his control.


    "Hades," Morette said with a smile, "now that the danger has passed, how about we head back to the royal city? With your strength, you will surely attract the attention of the higher gods. Perhaps, for the final battle against Ashen, it will be you who leads the charge."


    Morette was in high spirits. His life had been saved by Hades, and if Hades were to take charge, it would be the best possible oue!

 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Mixed Motives, Officially Entering the Nation of Orichalcum!

    "Oversee the final battle?"


    Sterl murmured to himself, a flicker of interest crossing his mind. His inclusion in the Orichalcum faction clearly tipped the scales of divine-level power against Ashen.


    Even if he were to withdraw from the Orichalcum faction now, their current advantage would likely allow them to slowly erode Ashen''s forces. While they might not utterly annihte Ashen, they could still drag things out until the royal city of Orichalcum sessfully fused with the world itself.


    From what he sensed earlier in the royal city, its colossal structure was at least on par with the Hall of Valor,parable to a mighty Divine Power-level deity. Against such a force, Ashen''s weaker gods of minor Divine Power wouldn''t stand a chance. Even Sterl himself wouldn''t dare to step into the city once its fusion wasplete.


    If he could leverage this opportunity to help Orichalcum triumph over Ashen, it would greatly enhance his legend. Not to mention, he''d amass an enormous amount of contribution points and reputation.


    The moment this thought crossed his mind, the four gods from the Southern War Preparedness Zone, whom Sterl had rescued earlier, as well as Diana by his side, couldn''t help but look delighted. Their lives were indebted to him, making their loyalty to him all but assured.


    However, the newly arrived gods who hade to reinforce the Orichalcum faction wore more ambiguous expressions. Thoughts churned in their minds, their allegiance not as clear-cut. As with any faction, internal divisions were inevitable, and it was apparent that these reinforcements were aligned with another powerful deity within the Orichalcum forces.


    Moreover, these neers had not witnessed Hades'' earlier disy of overwhelming power��when he had effortlessly annihted five enemy gods. To them, Hades might indeed be strong, but achieving such a feat was beyond the realm of a minor Divine Power deity. Yet the aura he exuded unmistakably marked him as no more than that��a god of minor Divine Power, without having crossed that critical threshold.


    "No time to waste. Let''s move," Sterlmanded.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The group took off, heading toward Orichalcum''s royal city. Before long, the massive structure loomed in the distance. Along the way, faint traces of battle were visible��scars left behind from Ashen''s desperate attempts to dy Orichalcum''s reinforcements.


    These skirmishes, infused with lingering Divine Power, were part of Ashen''s carefullyid ns to stall Orichalcum''s response. Yet, their supposedly foolproof strategy was shattered by Sterl''s unexpected intervention. His actions hadpletely turned the tide, flipping Ashen''s advantage into an undeniable disadvantage.


    What had once been a clear upper hand for Ashen now stood as their most precarious moment.


    "Mr. Hades, behold! This is the greatest royal city of our Nation of Orichalcum!"


    The speaker, Morette, gestured with pride. "The entire city is constructed from the hardest materials, inscribed with countless formations. It exudes a powerful suppressive force, and any creature not recognized by the royal city itself will be crushed by its overwhelming will simply by approaching. Weaker beings are directly enved by the city, forced into servitude for its operations. Even gods��yes, even upper-tier Divine Power beings��would not dare cause trouble within the royal city!


    However, the city has not yet fully descended. That''s the only reason those natives have dared to encroach upon us. But it won''t be long now. Soon, the royal city will sessfully merge with this world. At that time, even upper-tier Divine Powers will be able to descend and take action through the city. The might of the Nation of Orichalcum will sweep across everything in its path!"


    Morette proudly exined this to the enigmatic Hades standing before him, unaware that this god had already witnessed the Nation of Orichalcum at its earliest descent.


    Back then, Hades had observed everything in secret, cautiously probing. But now, standing openly before the enormous city, he couldn''t hide the awe that rippled through him. Despite everything he had seen before, the sight of this towering, magnificent city left him deeply shaken.


    As Morette noticed the look of astonishment on the face of the aloof and domineering god, he couldn''t help but chuckle. His pride swelled in his chest. No matter how powerful this god might be, he couldn''t ignore the majesty of the royal city.


    "Please rest assured, Mr. Hades," Morette continued. "Your identity has already been recorded in the royal city''s registry. You are now one of the city''s most revered guests.


    I have informed the other gods. They are all gathered in the temple, awaiting your arrival to discuss the strategy for dealing with Ashen."


    "Indeed, my elder brothers are eager to meet the hero who saved our Nation of Orichalcum from peril. They''re curious to see what kind of person you are to have aplished such a feat!"


    The gods surrounded Hades with words of ttery, their admiration palpable. A noble goddess stood gracefully by his side, holding his arm, adding to the picture of grandeur.


    This scene sent shockwaves through the royal city. Soldiers on duty,borers, and mercenaries all paused, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.


    "My heavens! Who is that? Look at the entourage! Could it be an upper-tier god recruited by the royal city?"


    "Impossible. Upper-tier gods rarely make public appearances, let alone march around so brazenly."


    "Wait! Isn''t that the God of Thunder and Courage? And the Goddess of Swamps and Archery, Diana?"


    "No way! Isn''t Diana famous for being untouchable and aloof? Why is she acting so meek and obedient in front of him? Am I losing my mind?"


    In principle, when gazing upon any deity, there is no need for words or exnations to discern the divine authority and power they wield.


    However, when their eyes fell upon Sterl, there was no such indication! Even so, none of them doubted that he was indeed a true god.


    After all, tomand such reverence from so many deities, one''s identity could only belong to the divine. In the eyes of gods, anything below their rank was nothing more than ants, and even speaking to a mortal was considered an act of grace.


    "Just recently, the royal city had only activated Level One War Preparedness. Could it be that the crisis has already been resolved?"


    "My brother in the Southern War Preparedness Zone just sent me a message. He said it was a near catastrophe��the entire south, east, and north regions were nearly overrun by those natives! And all of it was turned around by a single powerful deity named Hades!"


    "Hades? Could it really be him?"


    "To single-handedly reverse the tide of battle�� truly a model for us all."


    As they looked up at Sterl hovering above, a sense of deep respect arose in everyone''s hearts.


    This respect was not only due to the reputation umted by the name Hades, but also the innate reverence that the weak felt toward the strong.


    Sterl nodded slightly, following Morette and the others into the royal city. As he stepped across the threshold, he could feel a powerful will scanning him. Continue reading at empire


    However, he had anticipated this. Whether it was because the royal city had not yet fully fused with the world, or because its powers were still iplete, the scanning failed to prate theyers of disguise provided by his Facade of Vanity and the blood of the Ancient One.


    Besides, as a current member of the Orichalcum faction, Sterl had amassed considerable contribution points and reputation. There was no reason for any issues to arise.


    Seeing him pass through the city''s scrutiny without incident, the gods who had previously reinforced the south allowed themselves a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief. If he could openly pass the royal city''s examination, his identity must be legitimate��certainly not a spy from a rival faction.


    What they didn''t know, however, was that Sterl wasn''t a god at all��he was nothing more than a lowly third-ss being!


    Of course, his past feats left a lingering impression. Even though Sterl had stepped down from his ascend to godhood state and his aura now seemed far less imposing, they were certain this was merely anotheryer of his disguise.


    As they entered the royal city, a radiant, ethereal ribbon of light extended swiftly from the distance and unfurled beneath their feet. Its appearance was imbued with a profound sense of mysticism.


    "This is the Pris Chain," Morette exined. "It is one of the city''s many functions, imbued with the power of Space Law. It allows us to traverse to any location within the royal city in an instant."


    Upon hearing this, Sterl maintained a calm expression and gave a slight nod, though inwardly, he was somewhat surprised. This so-called Pris Chain was essentially a spatial teleportation formation but far more convenient and efficient, unbound by fixed points of travel.


    The group stepped onto the Pris Chain, which immediately began retracting and moving at an incredible speed. Being someone who had mastered Space Law, Sterl could clearly sense the mechanism at work. The Pris Chain traveled through ayer of subspace, allowing it to avoid Spatial Turbulence while maintaining impressive velocity.


    In no time, a massive and opulent pce came into view!


    The towering gates, standing thousands of meters high, and the sheer presence of authority and power emanating from within the pce made it unmistakably the central seat of the royal city''s supreme dominion.


    Sterl recognized this ce��it was the grand pce he had observed from outside the royal city. However, seeing it from the inside was an entirely different experience.


    "Mr. Hades, this is the Ancient One Hall of the royal city. It is one of the most important ces in our Nation of Orichalcum," Morette exined, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. "Every god born under Orichalcum leaves their mark within this hall. The Ancient One Hall is the very symbol of the royal city itself."


    As Morette spoke, his tone carried a touch of sentimentality. He couldn''t help but reflect on how close he hade to dying outside, which would have forever denied him the chance to return to this sacred ce.


    Sterl surveyed the intricately designed hall. Every inch appeared to have been meticulously crafted by master artisans, and its structural integrity was remarkable. Even the mightiest divine battles likely wouldn''t leave a scratch on this ce.


    Deep within the hall, numerous divine thrones were arranged in rows. Upon them sat dozens of figures radiating immense power��these were the deities of the Nation of Orichalcum.


    "Mr. Hades, your ce awaits you," Morette said with a heartyugh as he noticed Sterl inspecting the grand hall.


    It was amon reaction for anyone entering this divine hall for the first time to be awed by its magnificence. Seeing even a figure as mighty as Sterl reveal a hint of amazement filled Morette with a sense of pride.


    The construction of this hall wasn''t solely the work of master artisans; it also involved gods who wielded divine authorities over architecture, aesthetics, and rted domains. The hall was not merely a symbol of Orichalcum''s grandeur but also a powerful artifact in its own right.


    The group of ten deities proceeded toward the conference hall at the heart of the pce.


    As they approached, the gods who had been waiting there for quite some time all turned their attention to them.


    ��

 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Consulting the Upper Deities, A Bold Idea!

    In an instant, dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto Sterl. An invisible pressure surged toward him like a tidal wave. For an ordinary person, facing the gaze of even a dozen peers might induce fear or unease.


    Now, however, the owners of these gazes were none other than bona fide gods. The mere sight of a god''s gaze could impose an unbearable pressure on beings below the demigod level. Even for those who were also gods, such attention couldn''t be ignored.


    Dozens of gazes, each infused with a trace of divine majesty and divine authority, bore down on him. Despite Sterl''sposed exterior, he felt a slight weight under this collective scrutiny. After all, his true strength was only that of a humble third-ss yer.


    That said, Sterl had endured far greater pressures before. Even without activating ascend to godhood, divine descent, or any of his augmentation abilities, his resilience now was leagues beyond what it once was. Having withstood the power of an upper-tier god before, these pressures from minor Divine Power beings were trivial byparison.


    Maintaining hisposure, he met their gazes with a steady, profound look, betraying no hint of fear or hesitation. His calm demeanor subtly elevated his standing in the eyes of the other gods.


    With an air of authority, Sterl strode confidently forward, nked by Morette and the other gods. He approached the core area and sat down on one of the vacant divine thrones, exuding an aura of naturalmand.


    At this, the gods present exchanged subtle looks. The arrival of this mysterious new god, Hades, seemed to have earned the full endorsement of Morette and hispanions. There was even an unspoken implication that Hades might be leading this group.


    "Wee, Mr. Hades. Wee to the Ancient One Hall of the royal city," spoke a god seated in the core area once everyone had taken their seats.


    "You may call me Eterna. I am currently overseeing the resistance against the invasion of native forces during the royal city''s fusion with this world."


    Sterl turned his gaze toward the speaker. Eterna appeared young, with androgynous features and a soft, almost delicate beauty. He exuded an air of warmth, more akin to a wandering bard than a god.


    Yet Sterl couldn''t afford to lower his guard. Beneath Eterna''s gentle appearancey formidable power. He was a god wielding three divine authorities: Hot Springs, Illusions, and Hunting.


    Not only were these authorities highly advanced in their domains, but Eterna''s Divine Power was also at the peak of the minor Divine Power tier. He was only a single step away from ascending to the rank of an upper-tier god.


    Sterl''s sharp instincts warned him that Eterna would be a force to reckon with.


    This was, by far, the most powerful minor Divine Power god Sterl had encountered to date. The only reason Eterna hadn''t broken through to be an upper-tier god, Sterl surmised, was likely due to hismitment to safeguarding the royal city during its fusion with the world.


    If Eterna ascended to the upper-tier level, though he would undoubtedly gain immense power, he would also be bound by numerous constraints. Remaining at the peak of minor Divine Power allowed him far greater flexibility and freedom in his actions.


    "Thank you so much for your generous intervention," Eterna said, his tone sincere. "Should you be willing, you will always be a respected guest of the Nation of Orichalcum."


    He nodded toward Sterl, his expression full of gratitude.


    Sterl''s gaze swept over the Ancient One Hall, where sixty or so divine thrones were arranged in perfect symmetry. Yet, nearly twenty of them now stood empty.


    This meant that roughly one-third of the Nation of Orichalcum''s gods had perished during recent conflicts��a devastating loss and a stain on their legacy. For a nation so dependent on divine authority, the recruitment of every new god carried immense significance, especially someone as powerful as Hades.


    Still, Eterna held some skepticism about Hades'' extraordinary feats��defeating five gods, one of whom wielded dual divine authorities. Such a feat exceeded what even the strongest minor Divine Power gods should be capable of, including himself.


    Eterna suspected that Hades must have used an exceptionally rare artifact to achieve such a temporary burst of power, likely taking advantage of an ambush scenario to tilt the odds in his favor. This exnation seemed far more usible to him and the other gods than the glowing ounts provided by Morette and hispanions, which they dismissed as desperate embellishments born from fear.


    Sterl, however, merely nodded in response, his expression remaining neutral, offering no further exnation.


    "Are there no upper-tier gods present? Or have they all failed to descend into this world?"


    His eyes scanned the room, taking in the assembly of minor Divine Power gods. From his perspective, none of them posed a real threat��there wasn''t a single one among them he deemed truly capable. Still, this worked to his advantage, minimizing the risk of his true nature being exposed while making it easier and safer to navigate the situation.


    Eterna''s expression suddenly turned grave, and he addressed the gathered gods in a measured, solemn tone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I trust all of you are now aware of the vile attacks orchestrated by Ashen and their allied native forces. The eastern, northern, and southern territories have nearly simultaneously suffered their insidious assaults.


    "Even the gods we sent as reinforcements have been ambushed deep within what should be the royal city''s protected hearnd."


    His words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the precarious state of their defenses.


    "This means that if the enemy so desires, our surveince and defenses are nothing but a sad joke. They can strike at the royal city anytime they please. For us, this poses an enormous threat."


    At this moment, Morette and the other gods who had narrowly survived stood up, each recounting their harrowing encounters.


    They left nothing out, detailing every aspect of their experiences. As their ounts unfolded, the mood of the gathered gods shifted��from somber to horrified, from apprehensive to outright dread.


    However, when they reached the part where Hades��disguised as another identity��appeared out of nowhere and obliterated the Ashen gods in an instant, the assembly fell into stunned silence.


    Fearful as they were of their own narrow escapes, the gods couldn''t help but doubt the story. Were they joking? Instantly killing five minor Divine Power gods? Even an upper-tier god would struggle to pull that off. Their gazes naturally drifted back toward Sterl, seated calmly on his throne.


    "Hm? Why are they all staring at me again? Do I have something on my face? Or am I just too handsome for even gods to resist my charm?"


    Sterl inwardly grumbled to himself, utterly unaware of the seismic impact his supposed actions had made on these gods.


    Once Morette, Diana, and the other survivors from the Southern War Preparedness Zone finished their detailed recounting, an oppressive silence settled over the room.


    The gathered gods couldn''t help but question the consistency of the ounts. Had Hades bribed them all? How could every god describe the events so uniformly? Were the Ashen gods truly so ipetent, such pathetic pushovers that they fell like weaklings in a single strike?


    That didn''t make sense. These gods had fought Ashen''s forces before and knew their strength. They were evenly matched in most respects. So why did these gods crumble like small potatoes in front of Hades? Not even ughtering chickens would be that swift and effortless.


    Even Eterna, seated at the heart of the room, couldn''t hide his astonishment. Unfortunately, due to the chaotic nature of battles between gods, the resulting distortions of divinews made it impossible to reconstruct what had happened. They had no choice but to rely on the ounts provided by Morette and the others.


    After a long pause, Eterna finally broke the silence.


    "The native forces have evidently mastered a Shielding Power capable of concealing even from gods. This poses a significant disadvantage for us. They strike from the dark; we fight in the open. One misstep, and we risk falling into another of their meticulouslyid traps."


    The gods nodded in agreement.


    They had deployed countless detection measures along the frontlines of the conflict, ensuring that even a mosquito flying through would be noticed. And yet, the enemy had still managed to infiltrate deep into their territory without making a sound.


    The implications were chilling.


    "So, I''ve decided to consult the upper-tier gods for their opinions."


    "I agree!"


    "We absolutely must find a way to break that Shielding Power, or it will remain a tremendous disadvantage for us."


    "Exactly. To win a hundred battles, one must know the enemy as well as oneself. Those natives fight with despicable methods, and we must be fully prepared!"


    "If we can enlist the help of the upper-tier gods, it would undoubtedly be for the best. That way, we could wipe out those damned natives in one decisive strike!"


    The other gods all voiced their agreement one after another. Even Sterl adopted a serious expression, though his thoughts churned beneath the surface. Fortunately, he hadn''t acted rashly earlier. This level of divine power, as expected, carried the capability to call upon upper-tier gods.


    Moreover, with the right tools, it might even be possible for them to temporarily lift the restrictions on upper-tier gods, allowing them to fight with their full might. If that were the case, he might end up facing upper-tier divine authorities from the Ashen faction directly. His earlier n to swiftly eliminate Ashen now seemed far moreplicated.


    Seeing unanimous agreement, Eterna didn''t hesitate. He retrieved a radiant crystal emitting an iridescent glow and began channeling it through a special method tomunicate with the upper-tier gods.


    Not long after, a surge of overwhelming power descended into the hall. Sterl immediately recognized it��it was the unmistakable power of an upper-tier divine authority.


    Yet, Sterl remained calm. Now that he was officially part of the Orichalcum faction, he was protected by their structure. Even if an upper-tier god were to arrive in person, they wouldn''t be able to uncover his true identity. After all, no matter how powerful an upper-tier god might be, they couldn''t surpass the surveince capabilities of the entire royal city.


    And even if the worst were to happen, Sterl had contingency ns. He could always activate the invincibility ability he had obtained from the Golden Code and force his way out.


    On top of that, he had a plethora of resurrection options. Unless he actively sought his own demise, there wasn''t much anyone could do to truly stop him. At worst, he could log out entirely��just as he had done during the Golden Code acquisition��and wait things out on Earth before logging back in.


    He didn''t believe that the gods of the Nation of Orichalcum would waste their time camping for him while the native forces continued to pose an active threat.


    With this realization, the lingering anxiety in his heart dissipated. Instead, a bold and intriguing idea began to take shape in his mind.


    What if he could showcase his power in front of the upper-tier gods? Could that elevate his status within the Nation of Orichalcum, granting him control over significant resources and authority?


    The more he thought about it, the more usible it seemed. As long as his identity didn''t align with Ashen or other enemy factions, this could truly be within reach.


    ��

 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Open Negotiations! Boriss Cunning!

    Sterl''s heart raced with excitement as he began plotting how to achieve his ultimate goal. If he could seed, he might rise to be the undisputed number one or two figure within the Nation of Orichalcum. With ess to the map module, he could easily set up a trap to decimate the majority of Orichalcum''s active forces.


    The very thought filled him with exhration. His legendary story would be unprecedentedly spectacr, clearing away numerous obstacles for his future ambitions.


    At that moment, the oppressive power of the upper-tier god grew even stronger, pressing down on the surrounding gods with an almost suffocating weight.


    The next instant, a faintly translucent, slightly blurred figure appeared in the divine hall. This was the upper-tier god. Upon closer inspection, one could see that his form was bound by numerous chains, restricting his power and preventing him from fully descending into the world.


    However, with the Heart of Dimensions and his mastery of Space Law, Sterl was acutely aware of every fluctuation in space. He could sense that the chains binding the upper-tier god were weakening ever so slowly. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they could no longer hold back the full extent of his power.


    Eterna began recounting all recent events to the upper-tier god in meticulous detail. After listening in silence, the god paused momentarily before releasing an even more terrifying aura.


    "Shielding Power? Nothing more than insignificant parlor tricks unworthy of mention. No one can halt the descent of the Nation of Orichalcum!"


    With those words, he waved his hand, and three longswords brimming with devastating energy materialized before him.


    "All who stand in the way of Orichalcum shall be annihted."


    His gaze swept across the assembly of gods before finallynding on Sterl.


    Sterl felt his heart skip a beat. Had this upper-tier god seen through him? That shouldn''t be possible, right?


    Fortunately, the god spoke in a calm yetmanding tone.


    "Thank you for your assistance. The Nation of Orichalcum has not yet fully fused with this world, and we cannotpletely descend at this time. However, once these natives are eradicated, we will grant you any wish you desire."


    The words struck like a thunderp, leaving all the gods visibly stunned.


    Such a promise was extraordinary! Any wish? Did that mean even ascending to be an upper-tier god was on the table?


    Sterl, maintaining hisposed exterior, carefully suppressed the storm of thoughts brewing in his mind. This was an unprecedented opportunity, one that might reshape everything he had nned.


    This bold promise from the upper-tier god stirred a wave of jealousy among the gathered deities. Many of them had served the royal city diligently for centuries, even millennia, yet their efforts paled inparison to the reward being offered to an outsider who had joined less than a day ago.


    All because he was powerful?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The stark contrast was hard for many to swallow, especially since most of them doubted whether this so-called Hades was truly as powerful as rumored.


    Sterl, however, remained unperturbed. He''d long stopped believing in promises made by gods or anyone else. No matter how grand the offer, it was nothing more than an illusion unless it was already in his hands.


    He was certain Eterna had ryed everything Morette and the others had said to the upper-tier god. Sterl also understood their intent��they simply wanted to tie him firmly to Orichalcum''s cause.


    And yet, somethingpletely unexpected happened.


    Sterl slowly rose from his throne, fixing his gaze directly on the upper-tier god before him. His voice was steady and deliberate as he spoke.


    "I have no interest in joining your Nation of Orichalcum. As for why I intervened..."


    He nced in Diana''s direction. Her initial shock quickly gave way to a flush of red, her heart racing uncontrobly under his gaze.


    "...helping Orichalcum isn''t out of the question. But I''ll need sufficientpensation."


    The hall fell into stunned silence.


    Even Eterna was caught off guard. Hades was bargaining��openly��before an upper-tier god? Was he insane? Did he not fear provoking the god''s wrath and being obliterated on the spot?


    The air grew thick with tension. Diana''s eyes were filled with worry as she looked at him, already contemting how she might save Hades and escape if the upper-tier godshed out. Morette and the others furiously signaled to Sterl with their eyes, trying to dissuade him from pressing further.


    They knew Hades was domineering and unyielding by nature. He always acted decisively and never wavered. But this situation was different��this was an upper-tier divine authority. Surely even Hades had to recognize the need for caution.


    Yet Sterl''s expression remained calm and resolute as he locked eyes with the upper-tier god.


    This was his n.


    After careful consideration, Sterl had realized that no other approach would be as effective as directly negotiating with the upper-tier god himself.


    It might seem reckless, but in truth, it wasn''t. By openly making his stance clear, he was sending the god a message: I am not aligned with any faction. I am a neutral entity, with no strings attached.


    His calm confidence wasn''t lost on the upper-tier god, who remained silent, seemingly contemting Sterl''s words. The room hung in suspense, the deities holding their breath to see what would happen next.


    "I will not join your faction, nor will I pose any threat or hidden danger to you. If you pay me, I will serve you. The greater thepensation, the better the results. I believe that, as an upper-tier god, you fully understand the message I am sending."


    As expected, the upper-tier god stared at Sterl for several seconds before slowly speaking. "I need you to prove your worth."


    Hearing this, Sterl exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. His guess had been correct. If he had outright dered his intention to join the Nation of Orichalcum, it would have inevitably raised suspicions and concerns. They might have even demanded he sign a soul-binding contract.


    However, cooperating as an independent party was different. One side provides payment, the other fulfills tasks. Once Ashen was eradicated, their rtionship would end. This transactional approach was exactly what the upper-tier god preferred.


    Even Sterl could feel the shifting dynamics of the world. How could an upper-tier god be oblivious to them? The Nation of Orichalcum, in its current state, could not afford any internal unrest.


    Yet, to many of the gods present, the exchange sounded as though the upper-tier god was furious. They interpreted Sterl''s boldness as arrogance��a lower-tier being daring to negotiate so openly, without even a shred of humility or respect.


    "I pulled you out of the fire," Sterl said, his tone calm yet firm. "I ensured that your three War Preparedness Zones were not wiped out. I kept your royal city from being overrun by Ashen. The Ashen gods I killed number no less than ten. What more proof do I need to offer?"


    His words left the assembly of gods stunned once again. Was he boasting? Was he seriously suggesting that the Nation of Orichalcum would have crumbled without him? The sheer audacity! No one could verify the truth of his ims, yet he spoke as though the entire nation owed its survival to him.


    Before the upper-tier god could respond, several gods, driven by jealousy and indignation, stood up in protest.


    "Silence!"


    "Hades, how dare you defy the hierarchy! Such audacity! Were it not for your earlier assistance, I would make you pay dearly!"


    One of the gods, seated among the core divine thrones, unleashed a wave of oppressive energy aimed directly at Sterl. His aura was overwhelming, his presenceparable to Eterna''s. This god also wielded three divine authorities, though his Divine Power fell slightly short of Eterna''s level.


    The oppressive force roared toward Sterl, the gathered gods holding their breath, awaiting his reaction.


    Normally, Boris was already overshadowed by Eterna. But now, with Hades suddenly appearing as a new contender, he couldn''t resist the opportunity to act. This was his chance to prove his worth in front of the upper-tier god.


    Seeing this, Sterl couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly. This is perfect. These gods doubted his strength, and now one of them had foolishly stepped forward to test him.


    Sterl shot Boris a dismissive nce and said tly, "Trash."


    There was a brief silence, and then��


    Pfft!


    Diana, who had been worried about Sterl, suddenly burst intoughter. She hadn''t expected Hades to be so blunt, outright refusing to give Boris even a shred of face.


    Morette and the other gods exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of confusion and amusement. From their perspective, Sterl wasn''t entirely wrong. After all, while Boris wielded the divine authorities of Curses, Desert, and Battle, his overall strength wasn''t far beyond theirs.


    Against Hades��who had surpassed the limits of minor Divine Power and allegedly annihted five gods in an instant��it wasn''t unreasonable to call Boris "trash."


    But to Boris, this was nothing less than an outright insult, a tant provocation.


    Even the upper-tier god frowned slightly at Hades'' brazenness. This so-called Hades was clearly powerful, but his arrogance seemed to have no bounds.


    As the upper-tier god pondered how to respond, Boris, his face twisting with anger, dered, "I challenge you! As the price for your insult, if you lose, you must sign a contract and be an eternal servant of the Nation of Orichalcum!"


    Sterl blinked, surprised by the challenge. Studying Boris more closely, he noticed that the supposed fury in Boris''s eyes was far from genuine. Instead, there was a glint of cunning amusement.


    Ah, so that''s it.


    Sterl quickly pieced it together. Boris wasn''t acting out of pure anger. He was setting a trap. Having analyzed Sterl''s outwardly aggressive and domineering personality, Boris had deliberately provoked him into insulting him first. Now, under the guise of righteous retaliation, Boris could issue a formal challenge. This allowed him to test Sterl''s true strength while earning the approval of the upper-tier god.


    Realizing the ploy, Sterl''s heart tightened. These gods, with their centuries��or even millennia��of experience, were far from fools. He''d need to tread more carefully when dealing with them in the future. Still, he knew that overwhelming strength could shatter even the most intricate conspiracies.


    At this moment, everyone else finally realized what was happening��this was actually a conspiracy targeting Hades! Could it be that Boris truly wielded the divine authority over conspiracy itself?


    The challenge was issued, and Hades, having acted so brazenly, had no choice but to ept it. Refusing would surely anger the higher gods. If Hades were to lose, the consequences would be disastrous��essentially bing a ve to the nation of Orichalcum. But if he won, Boris wouldn''t suffer a loss either. At the very least, he would earn the favor of the higher gods.


    Cunning! Utterly cunning and despicable!

 Chapter 498 Boriss Challenge! How Did It Become So One-Sided Before It Even Began?

    The high-ranking deity immediately grasped Boris''s intention. Though somewhat surprised, they understood the reasoning. The gods of the Orichalcum Nation were rarely known to employ such minor tricks to deal with their adversaries.


    Typically, when faced with enemies, they wouldunch an overwhelming offensive, swarming their target and annihting them with absolute strength. However, after the Ashen raid, perhaps many gods had started to realize that even at their divine level, strategy and cunning were not entirely useless. At the very least, they had proven effective now, as the arrogant Hades found himself in a dilemma.


    This challenge was one he had no choice but to ept. Whether he wanted to or not, he was forced to agree. To decline was not an option. After all, he had boldly imed he could face five gods of equal power head-on. To then refuse a challenge from a weaker Divine Power-level god would be nothing short of deceit.


    At that point, even if the high-ranking deity didn''t intervene, other gods would surely take action. They would suppress him, force him to sign a Mark of Servitude, and bring him under the dominion of the Orichalcum Nation.


    The high-ranking deity nced at Boris, a flicker of approval shing in their eyes. Perhaps, until the royal capital fully merged into this realm, leaving everything in Boris''s hands wasn''t a bad idea after all.


    Boris, sensing the gaze of the high-ranking deity, felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He had only intended to provoke the arrogant and reckless Hades a little. Yet, to his surprise, Hades had fallen right into his trap, losing hisposure and giving him an opening.


    This was the perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities before the high-ranking deity. Ideally, he could even push Eterna out of the spotlight and take full control of everything himself.


    What Boris didn''t know, however, was that his delight was mirrored by another��none other than Sterl.


    If Sterl had been bluffing, now would indeed be the moment to panic. But the truth was, his confidence was well-founded. He truly possessed the strength to back up his boldness. He had initially been pondering how to demonstrate part of his power. Unexpectedly, this self-assured Boris had practically delivered the opportunity right to his doorstep. It couldn''t have been more perfect.


    Sterl''s gaze fell on Boris''s face, his expression brimming with enthusiasm and anticipation. It wasn''t hard to imagine what Boris was thinking��likely envisioning how his victory would earn the admiration of the surrounding gods and even the favor of the high-ranking deity.


    Chuckling inwardly, Sterl spoke, his toneced with derision. "Heh, wagers are never one-sided. Since you want to challenge me, what happens if


    you


    lose?"


    Disguised as Hades, he let out a coldugh and asked with disdain.


    "Lose?" Boris echoed, momentarily stunned by the question.


    Boris froze for a moment, then burst into heartyughter. "You think I''ll lose? Me? A god with


    three divine authorities


    ! My power far exceeds your imagination! Do you really believe that by relying on despicable tactics like sneak attacks to kill a few worthless Ashen trash, you''ve earned the right to defeat me? Utterly ridiculous!"


    His voice dripped with disdain as he mocked Sterl without hesitation.


    In Boris''s mind, he had already seen through this so-called Hades. On the surface, he appeared powerful, but in reality, his strength didn''t hold up under scrutiny. If Hades truly had such confidence in his abilities, he wouldn''t have posed such a question in the first ce; he would''ve simply epted the challenge outright.


    So, Boris was certain: this Hades was nothing more than an imposter bluffing his way through��a liar who was merely barking under someone else''s shadow.


    But to deceive the wise and mighty Boris? Ha�� not a chance! He didn''t even need to think twice before dering, "If you manage to beat me, all my resources and treasures will be yours. Not only that, but I''ll also personally rmend you as the suprememander in the fight against the Ashen. I''ll follow your orders without question!"


    Sterl couldn''t help butugh inwardly at Boris''s offer.


    What a generous fool! This is practically a gift.


    If Boris was so eager to hand everything over, Sterl thought it only fair to let him showcase a bit of his ability, just so his inevitable defeat wouldn''t be


    too


    humiliating.


    Outwardly, however, Sterl fell silent, as if hesitating or uncertain. But to the other gods, this was a clear sign of fear and trepidation. Only Diana, Morette, and the four surviving gods from the Southern War Preparedness Zone stared intently at him. They couldn''t believe that someone who had obliterated five Ashen gods in an instant could possibly be a fraud.


    Under the slightly skeptical gaze of the high-ranking god, Sterl nodded slowly. "Alright, I ept this challenge."


    As his words fell, Boris''s excitement grew even more palpable.


    Finally, he''s taken the bait!


    This was his chance to reverse the current order and take control of everything. With this, he could even leverage his contributions in eradicating the Ashen to secure resources from the high-ranking gods��perhaps even ascend to their level himself!


    "You better think this through," the high-ranking god warned. "Now that you''ve epted Boris''s challenge, should you lose, you''ll be bound by your agreement and will serve as a permanent enforcer for the Orichalcum Nation."


    Though they didn''t explicitly mention the term "envement," the implication was clear in their eyes. Should Sterl lose, he would face the wrath of the high-ranking gods for his deception.


    "Hah, trying to intimidate me?" Sterl sneered inwardly. He saw through the high-ranking god''s ploy immediately. Their words were meant to pressure him into revealing his true nature��a transparent trick, boring and petty.


    And yet, despite his confidence, a faint unease stirred in his heart.


    This kind of emotion waspletely unlike what a high-ranking deity, overflowing with divinity, should possess. In other words, even the high-ranking gods were gradually losing their divine nature and regaining their humanity!?


    Realizing this, Sterl felt a sense of urgency rising within him. Time was of the essence. He had toplete his task as soon as possible, break through to the Legendary tier, and, with the massive amount of experience he had umted, rapidly ascend to demigod status��or even full godhood!


    After all, he possessed the radiant-level ss Harness the Stars! As long as he reached Level 500, he would instantly obtain the Ster Divine Authority, bing a true deity in one fell swoop. With his current third-ss power, he could already y gods in defiance of the natural order. Once he ascended to godhood, how much stronger could he be? At the very least, he would secure a sliver of hope to survive theing catastrophe.


    This was his worst-case scenario. With his cheat abilities and radiant-level profession, he had more confidence than anyone else. Even in the face of catastrophe, he believed he could defy the tide and overturn the situation!


    Stay tuned for updates on empire


    "A mere piece of trash. Does it even warrant consideration?"


    Snapping back to the present, Sterl looked directly at the high-ranking deity and enunciated every word clearly.


    The high-ranking deity was momentarily stunned. They had assumed his hesitation stemmed from fear and doubt. But now it seemed that wasn''t the case at all. This person, when faced with a challenge, was just as domineering and confident as before!


    The other gods'' expressions shifted slightly. Could it be that what Morette and the others had said was true? Could this Hades truly possess the Transcendence-tier power at the extreme limits of weak Divine Power?


    Thinking it over, Morette was a god with dual divine authorities, one of which was the exceptionally powerful Thunder Authority. In terms ofbat strength, Morette ranked among the top eight gods in the Orichalcum Nation. Could such a formidable deity really be deceived by mere illusions?


    Seeing the reactions of the gods, Boris felt a twinge of unease, but his overwhelming fury overshadowed it. This arrogant, presumptuous Hades, who had no regard for divine etiquette, still dared to insult him so tantly!


    "Fine! Very well! Soon, I''ll crush your head underfoot and tear your mouth apart piece by piece until you understand the cost of disrespecting me!"


    The high-ranking deity fell silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. Then, with a wave of their hand, a small space materialized in front of them.


    This was not a space they had created on the spot��theycked the power to do so. Instead, it was an area inherent to the temple itself, designed specifically for gods to cultivate and test various abilities. This space, reinforced by the temple''s divine essence, was extraordinarily sturdy. Even a high-ranking deity would find it difficult to break through.


    "Since both parties have confirmed their intentions, enter the Temple Space and begin immediately," the high-ranking deitymanded.


    As the high-ranking deity spoke, the Temple Space manifested a Portal of Space. Boris snorted coldly and, without hesitation, stepped directly into it.


    "Hades... please, be careful..."


    Just as Sterl was about to follow, Diana quickly approached him, her face full of concern as she spoke softly.


    This scene ignited waves of envy and jealousy among the other gods.


    "Why does


    he


    get the favor of the goddess?"


    "Is it because he''s good at boasting?"


    They muttered inwardly, already plotting to emte Hades'' cold and domineering demeanorter on, hoping to win the favor of goddesses themselves.


    Soon after, Morette and the other gods who had been saved by Sterl also approached, one after another, urging him to be cautious.


    Seeing this, Boris, standing within the Temple Space, felt his fury boil over. He silently vowed to crush this Hades'' dignity beneath his feet and expose his fa?ade for the fraud it was.


    Even Eterna couldn''t help but frown, sensing his own position under threat. If Hades lost, there was nothing to worry about. But if Hades won�� it was entirely possible that he might end up being entrusted with leading the campaign against the Ashen and other indigenous forces.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fact that Hades wasn''t originally a god of the Orichalcum Nation didn''t matter. This world operated solely on interests. There were no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies��only eternal benefits.


    Hades himself had made it clear: pay him, and he would serve Orichalcum.


    More importantly, the situation now was exceptionally dire.


    The Ashen''s bizarre Shielding Power was something even the high-ranking deities couldn''t resolve. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have handed out three divine swords��they would''ve provided a direct solution to eliminating the Shielding Power instead.


    In this scenario, where high-ranking gods on both sides were unable to intervene, the Orichalcum Nation desperately needed a powerful figure to eliminate the disparity caused by the Shielding Power.


    However, upon deeper reflection, Eterna''s worries began to fade. Even if Hades won, his victory wouldn''t truly shake Eterna''s position. After all, Hades did not belong to Orichalcum and would naturally leave once the war was over.


    On the other hand, if Boris lost, Eterna would have no furtherpetitors, and his position would be unassable.


    With this thought, a faint smile appeared on Eterna''s face. He nced at Hades, who was about to step into the Temple Space, and offered him a small nod of goodwill. "Be careful in there."


    That was the final straw for Boris, who was now fully inside the Temple Space. He could no longer hold back his rage!


    ...

 Chapter 499 The Power of Three Divine Authorities! Is Hades in Danger?

    Damn it! Damn them all! How dare they? He was the god of the Orichalcum Nation, yet these people were showing concern for an outsider?


    The battle hadn''t even started! He hadn''t lost yet! These despicable fools were openly humiliating him. Were they conspiring together to disgust him deliberately?


    Even the high-ranking deity hadn''t anticipated that Eterna would extend goodwill toward this Hades. Did that mean Eterna also believed this man might actually possess the power to stand against five gods?


    But the high-ranking deity didn''t dwell on it for long. Whether it was true or false would soon be revealed in battle. Discover hidden tales at empire


    Sterl didn''t hesitate either. After briefly acknowledging the surrounding gods, he strode confidently into the Temple Space.


    The scenery before him shifted instantly. He now stood in a serene, open in, where strange and vibrant flowers and herbs grew in abundance, adorning the entire space with an extraordinary beauty and divine charm. In the distance, rolling mountains stretched toward the horizon, and atop them, intricate and towering structures could be faintly seen.


    It was clear that this ce wasn''t just a space for gods to hone their abilities through trials. It also served as a perfect retreat for istion and reflection.


    Sterl''s gaze moved skyward. The sky above reflected the happenings within the temple itself. Inside, the gathered gods were all intently watching the events unfold in the Temple Space. The two spaces were entirely connected, and every move, every action, was visible in perfect rity.


    Only then did Sterl shift his attention to Boris, who stood before him. Thetter''s face was already twisted with rage. The sheer fury he felt made his expression appear grotesque and distorted.


    "You finally came in. I was starting to think you might kneel down and beg me for forgiveness instead," Boris snarled, his voice dripping with venom as he stared at the calm, indifferent "Hades" with clenched teeth. His resentment toward Sterl was written inly across his face.


    Sterl''s response to Boris''s hostility was nothing more than a dismissive nce. "The strong speak with their strength. Trash�� can only run their mouths."


    The retort hit Boris like a hammer, leaving him utterly speechless. His face flushed an angry red, turning the color of a bruised liver, as he struggled to contain his humiliation and fury.


    "You''ll regret every single thing you''ve done today!"


    Unable to endure Hades''s arrogance any longer, Boris snapped. His initial n to humiliate and torture his opponent step by step was thrown out the window. Now, all he wanted was to unleash his full power and crush this man into the ground. He would obliterate everyst shred of that insufferable pride.


    With that resolve burning in his chest, Boris prepared to deliver his most devastating assault, determined to leave Hades utterly suppressed and shattered.


    In an instant, the powers of the three divine authorities��Curses, Desert, and Battle��burst into action!


    Boris''s Divine Power surged within him, activated to its full potential.


    "Curse Aura!"


    With a low shout, an invisible halo expanded outward, engulfing everything around it.


    The power of the aura spread across the skies and thend, leaving no ce to escape.


    This was an ability Boris had developed himself after mastering the Law of Curses and the Curse Divine Authority.


    Using the wide-range capabilities of the Curse Aura, he would first lock onto his target, then concentrate all his curse power to weaken his opponent to the greatest extent.


    Immediately, Sterl felt the effects. His energy, attack power, mental focus��everything began to decline at an rming rate. His various attributes were plummeting across the board.


    Not only that, but after mere moments, he noticed that over a dozen debuffs had been applied to him, including slowing, weakening, pain, and life drain, among others.


    Of course, this was happening before Sterl had fully revealed his own power.


    Seeing Boris grow more confident, Sterl decided not to dy any longer. He drew upon the Divine Power within him and activated his ascend to godhood state!


    Suddenly, various Laws and divine authorities merged into his body. The debuffs on him were shattered, with most of them dissipating instantly.


    The remaining debuffs were neutralized by the overwhelming number of buffs that surged to life within him.


    "Humph. Acting now? It''s far toote!"


    Boris sneered coldly as he unleashed the full might of his three divine authorities.


    The Curse Aura around them red brightly, and the curse-infused Divine Power quickly gathered, converging onto Sterl.


    "You shall suffer the Curse of Fate! You will be imprisoned by the desert! Let me show you the extent of my power!"


    The cursed light intensified around Sterl, and a system prompt appeared before him:


    [You have been struck by the Curse of Fate Divine Power. Your energy has decreased by 80%, HP has dropped by 50%, and defense has fallen by 50%. Additionally, all attributes will decrease by % every minute.]


    Sterl''s eyes narrowed as he processed the effects.


    Before he could react, the in beneath his feet suddenly transformed into an endless desert.


    The rolling golden sands, seemingly soft and loose, were infused with a Power of Confinement akin to a swamp.


    If this were an ordinary desert or marsh, no matter how vast, it would never have been able to hold Sterl''s body in ce. But this was no ordinary terrain��it was the manifestation of the Desert Divine Authority''s power!


    Every single grain of sand contained a trace of Divine Power.


    In mere moments, the swirling sandspletely enveloped Sterl.


    The sky and earth disappeared, reced entirely by the omnipresent yellow sands.


    The desert churned and swirled with relentless force, amplifying its Power of Confinement with each passing second, tightening its grip on Sterl.


    Even for gods, under the weakening effects of the Curse of Fate, it was almost impossible to escape the confines of the desert. Even if one used their divine authority and Divine Power to counteract it, they could at best neutralize the weakening effects of the curse. But Boris��he wielded the power of three divine authorities!


    "Boris''s power has grown stronger again!"


    "I remember his Desert Divine Authority didn''t have this kind of effect before."


    "A dualyered weakening and imprisonment... Hades might already be trapped."


    "With Boris''s strength now, isn''t he almost on par with Eterna?"


    "If it were me facing this kind of attack, I''d probably surrender immediately."


    This scene left many of the gods in the temple murmuring in amazement. Clearly, Boris''s outburst of power had exceeded their expectations. It was no wonder he chose this moment to step forward��his true intention was likely to use Hades as an excuse to topple Eterna from his position and im the role of the King''s City''s primary overseer for himself.


    For this day, who knew how long Boris had been hiding his strength and how much preparation he had made?


    The gods asionally nced at the high-ranking deity, only to find that even they had a hint of surprise on their face. Boris''s sequence of attacks was a perfectbination of AOE, control, debuffs, and considerable damage.


    And yet, this was merely a cover for Boris''s real ultimate move!


    The high-ranking deity could feel it��Boris was building up to a devastating strike, with his Battle Divine Authority as the core,yered with the overwhelming power of Curses and Desert.


    While the gods watched with rapt attention, Morette, Diana, and others were visibly anxious. Diana, in particr, looked deeply concerned. Her own divine authority, The God of Archery and the Swamp, had significant capabilities for pulling and controlling enemies. Yet now, Boris had developed the controlling abilities of his Desert Law to a levelparable to her Swamp Law.


    "Hades, you mustn''t let anything happen to yourself," Diana silently prayed, her heart filled with worry.


    Likewise, Morette and the other five gods, who owed their lives to Hades, were internally screaming in panic. They didn''t want anything to happen to him.


    But under the current circumstances, doubt crept into their minds. Could Hades really escape? Was he simply skilled at offense but weak when it came to defense?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Hahaha! This is the price of underestimating me!"


    "You arrogant fool��kneel before me!"


    At that moment, Boris''s ultimate power was finally fully unleashed. Though it seemed as if a long time had passed, in reality, it had all happened in an instant.


    Now, Boris had transformed into a giantposed entirely of desert sands!


    The giant raised its right hand, and the surrounding golden sands, as if responding to some invisible summons, began to converge frantically toward the massive arm. In mere moments, the sands coalesced into a long and razor-sharp spear!


    At the spear''s tip, Curse Divine Power swirled and gathered, its dark energy pulsating ominously. Simultaneously, a heavy, iron-blooded aura surged from Boris''s body��he had activated the Law of Battle!


    The three divine authorities and the apanying Law melded together almost perfectly, with theirbined power causing both his attack and destructive potential to rise exponentially.


    Meanwhile, the swirling sand vortex that had been engulfing Sterl rapidly began to shrink. Within moments, Sterl''s figure was revealed, standing in the center. Yet the force of confinement and control surrounding him hadn''t weakened in the slightest. On the contrary, it had grown even stronger!


    The gods within the temple watched this unfold with wide eyes, stunned by what they saw. Sterl remained in the exact same posture as before, motionless and unresponsive. It was as if his divine body had beenpletely bound and rendered helpless, unable to resist in any way.


    "Such powerful Curse Divine Power... If Boris continues refining his abilities for a few more centuries, he might very well ascend to a high-ranking god!"


    "To push Curse Divine Power to such an extreme, stripping an enemy of their energy so thoroughly... I also wield Curse Divine Authority, but the gap between us is enormous."


    "What a pity. This Hades hasn''t even had the chance to make a move before being utterly crushed by Boris."


    "The disparity... it''s just too vast. Even though they''re both gods, the difference in the level of Divine Power and mastery of Law is undeniable."


    Many of the gods couldn''t help but sigh in amazement as they watched the scene unfold in the Temple Space.


    Boris stood like a desert titan, majestic and invincible, while Hades appeared as nothing more than an ant, trapped and immobilized in the endless sands. It was as if an almighty god was about to deliver a devastating blow to a helpless mortal, leaving no hope for resistance.


    This wasn''t a battle between equals��it looked more like a high-ranking god utterly dominating a weak divine being.


    Even the high-ranking deity shook their head, their disappointment evident. The oue was clear. This Hades had been utterly underwhelming. For all his earlier bravado and strength, he was nothing more than a show-off with no substance��a silver spear with a wooden shaft.


    In contrast, Boris had proven himself impressive. He was clearly worth cultivating further.


    Once the battle concluded, it might be a good idea to let Boris take charge of the royal city. Such a gesture of goodwill toward a god who was on the brink of ascending to high-ranking divine authority might yield even greater returns in the future.


    "Maybe I''ll even throw in a surprise for himter," the high-ranking deity mused inwardly.


    "No... this is impossible!"


    Morette''s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene unfolding before him.


    ��

 Chapter 500 The Ultimate Reversal! True Domination!

    As Boris''s massive fist was about to smash Hades into the ground, Morette couldn''t help but cry out.


    How could the man who seemed like an invincible deity possibly lose?


    This was the same Hades who had effortlessly in five Ashen gods, leaving them no chance to resist. So why now, against Boris, did he appear so weak?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Had Morette misjudged him?


    Was it possible that Hades had relied on some rare artifact to kill the Ashen gods? Or worse, had the entire spectacle been a ruse��a carefully staged performance meant to deceive them all?


    It wasn''t just Morette. The other gods whom Sterl had saved wore the same expressions of doubt and disbelief.


    Many of the other gods nced at them with pity.


    Hades was their chosen savior, the one they had brought back with them, and just moments ago, they had even gone along with him to deceive the high-ranking god. Even if they hadn''t known, they wouldn''t escape punishment entirely.


    The sight of Diana''s distraught and horrified expression brought a wave of schadenfreude to the watching gods.


    Wasn''t she just fervently supporting her so-called "god of choice"?


    Now, her beloved "god" was about to be crushed before everyone''s eyes, forced to kneel and beg for mercy!


    The thought of this scene sent a thrill of anticipation through many gods'' hearts. Their gazes locked onto the unfolding battle in the Temple Space, eagerly awaiting the moment when Hades''s face would twist with panic and terror.


    However, to their surprise, Hades remained expressionless, calmly observing Boris, whose overwhelming aura of violence swept across the battlefield.


    It was as if he saw Boris as nothing more than air.


    "He''s really good at keeping up appearances," someone muttered, sneering. "Still pretending even at death''s door."


    "Hahaha, you don''t get it, do you? He knows he''s doomed. This is just his attempt to preserve a shred of dignity before the end."


    "I honestly don''t understand him. Why not just surrender quietly?"


    "So arrogant. I''ve hated him from the start. Too bad Boris beat me to it."


    The mocking jeers in the temple grew louder, their scorn directed at Hades, while Diana and the others grew increasingly pale.


    "You''d better watch closely! The only trash here is YOU!"


    Seeing Hades''s unchanged demeanor, Boris let out an enraged roar. His massive sand-formed fist, brimming with divine energy, mmed down with unrelenting force.


    The space trembled violently. The sheer power behind the blow seemed capable of punching through the very earth itself. Even the residual pressure radiating outward caused some of the weaker gods in the temple to feel a sense of suffocation.


    This was no ordinary attack��this punch could overpower two or three gods simultaneously without effort.


    BOOM!


    Under the watchful eyes of dozens of gods, Boris''s devastating punchpletely engulfed Sterl. Thebined force of his three Divine Authorities erupted simultaneously at that moment.


    If this attack had taken ce in the mortal world, it would have reduced an entire kingdom''s capital to ruins.


    This was the power of a god��enough to overturn the heavens and rend the earth, a walking catastrophe in humanoid form.


    "This is the price for underestimating me."


    Boris''s body emanated an unstoppable divine aura as he stood with his hands sped behind his back, not even sparing a nce at Hades, whom he assumed was half-dead. He exuded the demeanor of an invincible champion.


    Then, with a casual sweep of his gaze, Boris looked toward the temple''s projection of the battle.


    What he saw filled him with a rush of euphoria and satisfaction��the faces of the gathered gods frozen in shock, their expressions a mix of disbelief, horror, and awe.


    You see that?


    They were stunned, utterly blown away by his strength.


    He had hidden his true power for so long, just for today, for this moment when he makes an incredible impact!


    These fools��just minutes ago, they were fawning over Hades with all their concern and care. But now? He was the victor, and they must be drowning in regret.


    From this day forward, the name Boris would echo throughout the royal city��no, across the entire world!


    He would lead the Orichalcum Nation to crush the Ashen, subdue the world, and be its sole ruler!


    "You''ve lost. Considering your contributions to the Orichalcum Nation, I''ll spare your life. Sign the Spiritual Bond now, and from this day on, you will serve me, Boris, forever as my ��"


    Boris turned toward the battered, defeated Hades as he spoke. But as soon as his eyesnded on the scene before him, the words caught in his throat.


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    His eyes widened in disbelief, his body frozen in ce, utterly shocked by what he was seeing.


    Before himy a massive crater, as if a meteor had struck. With the power of his punch, creating such devastation was effortless.


    But above the crater, a figure hovered in midair, exuding an unshakable presence, staring calmly down at him.


    The figure was none other than the Hades he had imagined lying half-dead at the bottom of the pit.


    But Hades showed no sign of injury��there wasn''t even a crease in his clothing.


    It was as if Boris''s devastating punch, an attack powerful enough to pierce Subspace, to obliterate anything hidden within, had been nothing more than a puff of air, utterly insignificant.


    "This�� this is impossible!" Boris cried out, his voice trembling with horror.


    Almost simultaneously, the gods watching from the temple erupted in astonished exmations.


    "He�� he''spletely unharmed?"


    "By the heavens! Did Boris''s attack hit nothing but air?"


    "What is going on? Wasn''t Hadespletely drained by the Curse Divine Power and immobilized by the Desert Law?"


    One by one, the gods stared in stunned silence, their disbelief painted clearly on their faces.


    Meanwhile, Morette, Diana, and the other gods who had been saved by Hades stood momentarily frozen. Then, their faces lit up with boundless joy and relief.


    As expected! They hadn''t misjudged him after all. Hades hadn''t been paralyzed by fear or despair moments ago��he had simply chosen topletely disregard Boris''s outburst of power.


    It was as if an adult were watching a child''s make-believe battle. What the child perceived as an epic disy was, in the adult''s eyes, utterly boring and devoid of meaning.


    "I nearly doubted my judgment," the high-ranking deity muttered.


    Even they hadn''t anticipated such a dramatic reversal. However, with their superior strength and perception, they had managed to glean some understanding of what had just urred.


    In that critical instant, Hades had used Shadow Stealth to slip into the shadow world, evading part of the attack''s force. The remaining power had indeednded squarely on him, but the high-ranking deity couldn''t fathom why Hades emergedpletely unscathed.


    Perhaps it was some unique ability or the activation of a rare and valuable artifact. Regardless, it was all part of his strength.


    "Pathetic�� utterly weak. So weak that you can''t even pique my interest," Sterl said, his gaze cold and disdainful as he stared down at Boris, who looked as though he had been turned to stone in shock.


    To be fair, Boris''s attack had been formidable. If Sterl had taken it head-on, thebined might of the Curse Divine Power''s weakening, the Desert Divine Power''s confinement, and the Law of Battle''s killing force would have undoubtedly obliterated him in an instant.


    However, that was contingent on the attack actuallynding.


    In that brief moment, Sterl had activated Stardust at maximum capacity to amplify his Shadow Stealth ability. This,bined with his Divine Power, neutralized the spatial constraints of Boris''s divine authority, allowing him to enter the shadow world.


    Then, he activated Eternal Reincarnation, a nearly invincible ability that reduced iing damage by 99%. Paired with the Star Power recovery ability and various passive buffs, Sterl didn''t even need to use the invincibility power from the golden code he possessed.


    Though the process carried its risks, the result had been extraordinarily effective.


    Sterl nced at the gods in the temple, their faces filled with stunned disbelief. He couldn''t help but smirk internally. This was exactly his goal��not only to secure a bargaining chip with the high-ranking deity through his disy of strength but also to utterly dominate the perceptions of these gods.


    As for Boris? From beginning to end, he was nothing more than a pawn who had willingly stepped onto the board.


    "The gap between you and me is far beyond what you canprehend. I''ve taken one of your attacks. Now�� it''s your turn."


    With that, Sterl raised his hand slowly. Careful not to reveal too many of his trump cards, he casually unleashed a sliver of his Temporal-Spatial Law, freezing Boris in ce.


    To the onlookers, it appeared as though Boris, still reeling from shock, simply hadn''t recovered enough to react.


    Then, the Iridescent-Level ability, Destructive Light, was unleashed!


    In an instant, a terrifyingly brilliant beam of light surged from Sterl''s hand, appearing before Boris with blinding speed. Boris immediately realized the danger, his face twisting in horror as he desperately tried to mobilize his Divine Power to resist.


    But his body, frozen in ce by the Temporal-Spatial Law, couldn''t move an inch.


    With no time to react, Boris waspletely engulfed by the devastating force of the Destructive Light.


    BOOM!


    The ground trembled violently as a massive, scorched trench carved its way through thendscape, extending far into the horizon.


    At the center of the destructiony Boris, copsed and broken, his body sprawled pitifully within the trench.


    His once-pristine garments were shredded, his entire body covered in wounds, his aura weak and flickering. Gone was the proud and confident demeanor he had shown just moments ago.


    Even now, Boris''s mind was reeling in confusion.


    How had Hades managed to avoid his full-powered attack? Or worse��was it possible that his best effort had been so insignificant in Hades''s eyes that it had been brushed aside like a mere gust of wind?


    He couldn''tprehend how a fellow god, also ssified as a weak Divine Power, could possess such overwhelming and destructive strength��enough to leave him half-dead with a single strike.


    Before he could piece together an answer, Hades''s figure suddenly appeared in front of him.


    The abruptness of it sent a jolt through Boris''s body, like a bolt of lightning striking him awake. Instinctively, he tried to retreat, but his path was blocked by the ss-like, solidified earth behind him.


    Hades raised his hand slowly, pointing it directly at Boris''s head.


    "Now, do you understand?"


    The calm yet chilling voice reverberated in Boris''s ears, wrapping him in an oppressive killing intent.


    It felt as though, at any moment, Hades would unleash another Destructive Light, utterly annihting him without mercy.


    The crushing weight of his defeat, coupled with the overwhelming fear flooding his heart, shattered what remained of Boris''s fighting spirit.


    His knees buckled, and he copsed to the ground, kneeling before Hades. His head bowed low, trembling as he stammered out his plea.


    "I�� I surrender. Please, Lord Hades�� spare my life. Don''t kill me."


    ��

 Chapter 501 Reversal! A Sudden Attack from the High-Ranking Deity!

    The chilling sound of Boris''s plea echoed through the Temple Space, reverberating into the temple itself.


    For a moment, there was absolute silence.


    Every god in the temple stood frozen, eyes wide in shock, staring at the scene unfolding before them.


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    The dramatic reversal hit them like a thunderous hammer, shaking their very cores. The sheer disbelief left their minds spinning, unable to process what had just urred.


    Boris... lost? No, worse than that��he knelt. Boris knelt.


    This was Boris, the god of the three Divine Authorities, arguably the strongest in the Orichalcum Nation after Eterna. And yet, against Hades, he hadn''tsted a single move!


    "Hahaha! Lord Hades is truly unstoppable! I told you��at this level, no one can defeat him! No god stands a chance!"


    "Incredible. If it had been me, my fate would''ve been even worse than Boris''s."


    "Tsk, tsk. To challenge Lord Hades''s authority, even after all the warnings? This is what they mean by, ''You can''t save someone who doesn''t want to be saved.''"


    The gods who had been saved by Sterl��and had supported him all along��couldn''t contain their excitement. Their eyes gleamed as they nced mockingly at the other gods, many of whom still stood dumbfounded, unable to ept the oue.


    Though their words carried an air of ridicule, no one dared respond.


    Firstly, the gods were still reeling from the sheer devastation of the battle they had just witnessed. Secondly��and perhaps more importantly��they were afraid.


    The implications were clear. With strength like this, the high-ranking deities of Orichalcum would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to bring Hades fully into their fold. He would be the key figure in their war against the Ashen and other forces, possibly even granted fullmand of the campaign.


    And if that happened? Hades would have the power to deal with them however he pleased. None of them wanted to risk being on the receiving end of his wrath.


    Inside the Temple Space, Boris, after uttering his plea, seemed to copse in on himself. His body fell limp, his strength drained, his eyes hollow and unfocused.


    He had always believed that, when faced with a desperate situation, he would never bow like a mortal, never beg for his life. He had thought himself unyielding, even in the face of death.


    But he had been wrong.


    When he felt the overwhelming presence of death bearing down on him, his pride, his dignity��everything he thought he stood for��shattered in an instant.


    Every cell in his body screamed for survival, pleaded for mercy, and he had followed the most primal instinct of all: to kneel.


    The suffocating sense of imminent doom finally began to dissipate. He�� had survived.


    Boris''s mind was a chaotic mess. He was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, teetering on the verge of breaking down into tears.


    The faint divine nature that had once coursed through him seemed to fade even faster, eroded by the humiliation and despair of his defeat.


    He felt it slipping away entirely.


    "Don''t forget to offer all your resources and wealth," Sterl said tly. His tone was calm, devoid of any emotion.


    With that, he withdrew his oppressive aura and deactivated his ascend to godhood state. Instantly, his presence diminished to something entirely unremarkable, almost as if he were an ordinary mortal. Yet, despite this subdued appearance, every god present knew the truth: he could re-enter his godhood state at any moment, unleashing his overwhelming power.


    With his array of invincibility abilities, resurrection skills, and powerful artifacts, Sterl was entirely unafraid of any ambushes or sneak attacks.


    Even now, though his aura was restrained, not a single god dared to underestimate him. Boris''s humiliating defeat was a stark reminder of what happened to those foolish enough to do so.


    Sterl nced at Boris, still copsed on the ground. If it weren''t for the fact that Boris was part of the Orichalcum Nation��and that a high-ranking deity was watching��Sterl wouldn''t have hesitated to end this insolent fool.


    Still, for all of Boris''s weakness, he had served a purpose, providing Sterl the perfect opportunity to showcase his strength.


    Without giving Boris another thought, Sterl stepped out of the Temple Space, his form reappearing in the temple.


    The moment he emerged, dozens of eyes turned to him.


    Every god stared at Sterl without blinking, their gazes filled with a mix of shock, awe, disbelief, envy, and even fear.


    This was the reward for power��a respect that came with dignity, admiration, status, and authority.


    Boris, on the other hand, also exited the Temple Space, but he stood off to the side in a daze. His posture was unsteady, his mind still struggling to process what had happened.


    None of the other gods paid him any attention.


    The few nces he did receive carried traces of pity, regret, and even mocking disdain.


    He hadn''t wanted it to end like this. Boris had thought he could crush Hades, or at the very least, fight him to a stalemate. What he hadn''t anticipated was that Hades''s strength would far surpass even the terrifying reputation Morette and the others had described.


    This kind of power��it could easily belong to a high-ranking divine authority.


    But then, a sudden sense of danger flooded Sterl''s mind, sharp and overwhelming.


    Without hesitation, he immediately reactivated his ascend to godhood state, spinning around in time to see the high-ranking deity raising a hand toward him.


    A beam of power, infused with the terrifying might of a high-ranking Divine Power, tore through the air toward him.


    The beam was imbued with only a single Law��the Law of Strength.


    Despite its simplicity, the sheer power it contained was overwhelming. At that moment, it felt as though the entire world was copsing inward, bearing down on him.


    That single beam of divine light wasn''t just an attack; it was like an unimaginably vast and oppressive world, descending to crush him entirely.


    Sterl''s heart skipped a beat. What was happening? Why would the high-ranking deity suddenly attack him? Could it be that his true identity had been exposed?


    Countless questions surged through his mind, but there was no time to dwell on them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The power from this high-ranking deity carried enough terrifying Divine Power to erase him instantly.


    He acted instinctively.


    Blood of the Holy Spirit activated.


    Eternal Reincarnation engaged.


    Then came Stardust, amplified to its highest multiplier.


    Simultaneously, he unleashed a series of devastating abilities: Destructive Light, Silent Domain, Shattered Void, and Fission Law.


    In an instant, these disparate abilities fused together in his hands. With the amplification provided by Blood of the Holy Spirit, the Destructive Light rose to radiant-level. Surrounding the light were thebined effects of Shattered Void and Fission Law, boosting its destructive and auxiliary properties to new heights.


    At the same time, his Invincibility Power was kept on standby. Eternal Reincarnation could not fully withstand radiant-tier abilities, and he wasn''t certain whether the high-ranking deity wielded such power. He had to prepare for the worst.


    Even though the core ability remained Destructive Light, the version he unleashed now was leagues beyond the one he had used during his battle with Boris.


    Under the shocked, anxious, and disbelieving gazes of the gods, the two divine beams collided in an instant.


    The sheer impact unleashed terrifying shockwaves that rippled outward, prompting all the gods to hastily raise their own Divine Power barriers in defense.


    Even the temple itself reacted, emanating a powerful aura that suppressed the expanding energy waves before they could spread further.


    After all, the royal city was equivalent in strength to a powerful Divine Power-tier god. Suppressing the energy of a high-ranking deity was a simple task. Though the city hadn''t yet fully merged with the world, its location within the temple allowed it to exercise considerable influence.


    "What''s going on? Why did that deity suddenly attack?"


    "Didn''t Hades already win? What could that high-ranking god be thinking?"


    "Is this the price of returning to the Orichalcum Nation?"


    "Oh no�� please, nothing must happen to Lord Hades!"


    Every god was wide-eyed, utterly bewildered. The attack hade so suddenly, with no warning or exnation.


    Had Hades not reacted quickly enough, he might have been obliterated on the spot. The onlookers silently acknowledged that if they had been in his position, there was no way they could have responded in time.


    Boris, too, stood frozen, his mind nk as he watched the sh unfold.


    Feeling the power radiating from Hades''s Destructive Light, a bitter realization struck him.


    Hades hadn''t used his full strength during their battle.


    He, Boris, had never even qualified to be taken seriously.


    The thought wasughable��tragically, patheticallyughable.


    Two powerful forces directly concealed the location of Hades and the high-ranking deity, making it undetectable even to the gods. Under the wide-eyed and fearful gazes of everyone, these dazzling lights slowly faded, revealing two towering figures��it was none other than the high-ranking deity and Hades!


    "Thank heavens, Mr. Hades is unharmed!"


    Morette immediately sighed in relief, and Diana, who had been anxiously awaiting the oue, also rxed. Just moments ago, her mind had gone nk, and she had thought Hades was about to be struck down by the high-ranking deity. At that moment, her heart felt as if a part of it was missing, leaving a hollow emptiness.


    Fortunately, Hades had once again performed a miracle, surviving the attack from the high-ranking deity.


    "He''s actually...pletely fine?"


    "Did the high-ranking deity hold back? How could there be a faint Divine Power strong enough to resist the authority of a high-ranking god? This is simply unbelievable!"


    "The gap between gods is far greater than the one between legends and faint Divine Power. Isn''t this equivalent to a legend withstanding a god''s strike?"


    Without a doubt, Sterl''s disy of power had once again shattered their worldview.


    If these gods knew that Sterl was neither a god nor even a legend, would their entire worldview copse?


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Sterl took a deep breath, feeling a tightness in his chest, as if he had just been struck by a powerful blow. The force of the Law was too rough and overwhelming. Despite using every ounce of his strength, except for Time Law, he still couldn''t fully block it.


    Fortunately, this divine light wasn''t of Radiant level, so Eternal Reincarnation was able to endure it.


    He then fixed a steely gaze on the high-ranking deity, his dissatisfaction ring in his eyes.


    Earlier, he had thoroughly checked himself, and there was absolutely no way his presence could have been exposed��if even the royal pce couldn''t detect him, how could this high-ranking deity have possibly found him?


    If he didn''t get a satisfactory exnation, he wouldn''t hesitate to activate his invincible power along with Time Law, creating a huge disturbance here and then descending further.


    As for the legendary story, even if his previous ns didn''t seed, he had ways of slowly wearing down the strength of Orichalcum and Ashen forces. With his cheat, he was growing stronger every day and didn''t have to worry; it would just take a bit longer!


    ��

 Chapter 502 Proof of Power, Making an Outrageous Demand!

    In response to Sterl''s question, the high-ranking deity calmly retracted his hand. In a ce unseen by anyone, a bloodstain on his palm quickly began to heal.


    He gazed steadily at Hades, but inside, his mind was in turmoil. To think that this faint Divine Power level had withstood his full-force strike��there was no doubt this could be called a turning point. Even though he had not been able to strike at full power due to the constraints of the world''s rules, and had refrained from using his high-ranking deity''s various abilities, it was still impossible for someone at the faint Divine Power level to resist it.


    And yet�� he had been wounded!


    As for Hades, after taking the blow, he appearedrgely unharmed. Such strength, before the world''s fusion wasplete, was undoubtedly incredibly powerful! In any faction, this would be enough to change the course of a battle.


    The reason he had struck was simple: he had sensed that Hades had not used all of his power. So, he wanted to see just how far this person''s limits truly extended.


    "Apologies, I was merely testing your value."


    After realizing Sterl''s true strength, the high-ranking deity immediately changed his tone, speaking to him earnestly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ve already defeated that useless fool��doesn''t that prove enough?"


    He chuckled, ncing briefly in Diana''s direction. His cold demeanor softened slightly.


    "Mr. Hades, this concerns whether my Orichalcum Kingdom can sessfullyplete the fusion. It''s something I had no choice but to do, so I hope you understand. To show our sincerity, the war against Ashen will be co-led by you and Eterna."


    The other gods of the Orichalcum Kingdom were almost stunned at the sight of such a humble attitude from a high-ranking deity. Was this�� a plea? A high-ranking god, pleading with a faint Divine Power-level being?


    At the same time, their hearts were filled with shock. Clearly, the value of Hades had been acknowledged by the high-ranking deity��he was someone to be contested for, extremely important and crucial.


    To co-lead the entire Orichalcum Kingdom with Eterna��didn''t that mean this outsider had reached the highest level of visible power in the Orichalcum Kingdom in less than a day?


    This was utterly absurd!


    But with Hades'' disyed strength, no one dared voice any objections. It could only be said that surprises awaited the strong everywhere. With power, one could truly do as they wished.


    "Is this what you call sincerity? I''m not interested in being some freebor."


    He interrupted without showing any courtesy. While it seemed like he was bing the second-inmand of the Orichalcum Kingdom, in reality, it was merely a public position. Sooner orter, he would fall out with the Orichalcum Kingdom, and this avatar held almost no value to him.


    "You can make demands. As long as it''s something my Orichalcum Kingdom can fulfill, we will meet your request."


    The high-ranking deity continued, his eyes shing briefly with a barely noticeable shadow. Hades'' strength was immense. For an ordinary faint Divine Power-level being, Hades could easily crush them.


    Moreover, the Ashen side had now mastered some mysterious Shielding Power, and the high-ranking deity had no way of dealing with it. Even the three Sword of Doomsday Judgment des he had bestowed were only scratching the surface of the problem. At best, they could block three attacks, and only if the Orichalcum Kingdom stayed within the royal pce without venturing outside.


    But that was impossible. The local forces would never pass up such an opportunity; they would do everything in their power to sabotage the fusion of the royal pce with the world.


    Thus, they urgently needed a solution, and Hades'' appearance had clearly given him hope. With Hades'' strength, he wouldn''t need to worry about Ashen''s attacks. On the contrary, he could use the Sword of Doomsday Judgment to strike back at them. Your next chapter is on empire


    For this reason, he absolutely could not let Hades leave. While he wasn''t sure if Hades would join forces with Ashen or simr factions if he left, he knew that as long as there was the slightest chance, he couldn''t afford to let him go. Otherwise, the Orichalcum Kingdom would be doomed to eternal ruin!


    In his mind, a n began to form. If Hades refused to stay in the Orichalcum Kingdom, he would, at any cost, take action and erase him.


    Sterl wasn''t a fool. Since he had disyed enough leverage, he certainly wasn''t going to leave empty-handed. He had already vaguely guessed the high-ranking deity''s intentions. While he wasn''t afraid, he knew that they were within the royal pce temple. If the other party invoked higher-level authority and used the temple''s powers to suppress him, he wasn''t even sure if his invincible power could withstand it.


    However, on the surface, he pretended to be deep in thought. As the high-ranking deity''s increasingly grim gaze bore down on him, he slowly spoke.


    "Fine, this is what you promised."


    "My terms are three. First, the Soul Treasure that Morette mentioned earlier. I want it now. Second, I want ess to the Orichalcum Kingdom''s treasury, and I''ll choose ten items at will. Third..."


    He turned his gaze toward Diana, extending a finger slowly. "She is mine. Break the contract between Diana and the Orichalcum Kingdom."


    Even though the gods had mentally prepared themselves, they were still shocked by Sterl''s words.


    What is with this guy? His heart is absolutely ck!


    That was a Soul Treasure. You haven''t even done anything yet, and you want to take it? What if you run off with it?


    And to pick any ten items from the treasury?


    You have to understand, that treasury contains treasures that have been umted by the Orichalcum Kingdom over countless generations. Some of those items would even make high-ranking deities, and even powerful Divine Power-level gods, covetous!


    If this kid has a good eye and picks only the best items, their value could easily exceed that of the Soul Treasure itself!


    As for thest condition, from a certain perspective, it wasn''t as valuable as the first two. But it caused all the male gods present to feel a sudden sense of displeasure, envy, and jealousy.


    What a guy!


    He wants to take everything��he wants not just the resources and treasures, but he also wants to steal the goddess of the Orichalcum Kingdom? The audacity of this person! If anyone had the greed to wield a divine authority, it should be him!


    However, Sterl naturally had his own ns. Since this high-ranking deity dared to speak up, he would certainly take full advantage of the opportunity to gather as much as he could. That Soul Treasure was too important to him; he had to get it.


    As for the Orichalcum Kingdom''s treasury, it surely contained valuable items.


    Whatever, he would ask for ten or eight items first and see what he got.


    And thest condition? Not only could it be used to take advantage of the final progress with Diana, but it also served as a reassurance to the high-ranking deity, showing that he was helping the Orichalcum Kingdom solely for Diana''s sake. Since Diana was from Orichalcum, no matter what, he wouldn''t turn against them.


    Upon hearing this, the high-ranking deity''s mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn''t help but regret what he had just said.


    This Hades doesn''t have a shred of humility or decency left, does he? Is he trying to hollow out the royal pce or something?


    But once the words were spoken, they couldn''t be taken back. Upon further thought, he realized that if these were the only costs to bind Hades to their side, then after dealing with Ashen and other local forces, and once the royal pce fusion waspleted, they could win him over. The Orichalcum Kingdom would gain a deity with unlimited potential, and in the great catastrophe toe, they would have an added hope!


    Cough, cough


    , ten items is too much, but I can make the decision to allow you to choose five. However, this can only happen after we''ve decisively defeated Ashen. Also, the Soul Treasure will only be given to you after we''ve helped you eliminate most of Ashen''s forces and after the Orichalcum Kingdom ispletely out of danger."


    "As for Goddess Diana, given that the Orichalcum Kingdom is currently facing a critical moment, the contract cannot be dissolved until the crisis is fully resolved. Additionally, I must consult with Goddess Diana herself on this matter."


    With that, he turned his gaze toward Diana. She was still immersed in shock and a hidden sense of joy, not believing that Hades actually valued her so much. Moreover, from the looks of it, he seemed to want to keep her as his possession. The thought made her heart race, as if a small deer was leaping wildly inside her chest.


    This Goddess of Archery and the Swamp, as her humanity gradually returned, once again felt the flutter of excitement in her heart��and it was more intense than ever before.


    But the strength and potential Hades had shown so far were simply beyond imagination. If nothing else, it was only a matter of time before he ascended to high-ranking divine authority. There was even a possibility he might reach the powerful Divine Power level in the future.


    Recalling the moment when Hades had descended from the sky in her moment of despair, Diana nearly lost herself in thought. There was nothing wrong with following such a god. She knew that being by his side could only bring her greatness. Without hesitation, she nodded. "I am willing."


    The moment those words left her mouth, the other gods around her looked on with bitter expressions. As gods, why was she so exceptional, while they, on the other hand, had lived for so many years as if they were nothing more than dogs? They had never received the favor of a goddess, nor even held her hand. The only interaction they had with any goddess was a passing nce as they went about their daily routines. asionally, they''d spar in battle when developing their abilities, almost as if they were mere tools.


    As they thought about this, many of the gods couldn''t contain their frustrations. With the pressure from these native factions, a surge of anger rose within them. They made ns to find a few female ves after everything was over, to vent their pent-up desires.


    "Fine, since that''s the case, she is yours now."


    The high-ranking deity nodded, speaking nonchntly.


    A faint Divine Power-level god was nothing to worry about. With the resources of the Orichalcum Kingdom, it wouldn''t take long to cultivate another one once things settled down.


    Inparison, if they could use this opportunity to gain an ally with such potential, it would be a huge profit.

 Chapter 503 Sword of Doomsday Judgment! Conquering the Goddess?

    "Hades, I look forward to seeing you again next time."


    After Sterl agreed, the being of high divine authority smiled faintly and slowly disappeared into the temple. The world''s shackles around them also faded away.


    At the same time, a prompt for a campaign update sounded in Sterl''s ears.


    [You have epted the Orichalcum Kingdom''s main quest]


    [Main Quest: The Crisis of the Royal Pce]


    [Quest Objective: Eliminate most of Ashen''s gods, neutralize most of Ashen''s living forces, and resolve the crisis facing the Orichalcum Kingdom]


    [Quest Rewards: Soul Treasure, 5 chances to choose from the Royal Pce Treasury]


    With the quest sessfully epted, this meeting was considered concluded.


    Originally, Sterl would have needed to eliminate Ashenpletely to receive his rewards, including the Soul Treasure. Now, he only needed to eliminate the majority of their living forces, significantly lowering the difficulty.


    After all, the former might involve a direct confrontation with the higher-level divine authorities of Ashen, while thetter, with a little caution, was within his ability toplete.


    Once the presence of the high-ranking deity hadpletely disappeared, the three swords left behind quickly flew towards Eterna and him. Eterna received two, while he got one. This was already enough to demonstrate his current standing in the Orichalcum Kingdom.


    He reached out to take the sword, and immediately, the information of the de filled his mind.


    [Sword of Doomsday Judgment: A weapon of mass destruction forged by several high-ranking divine beings using Divine Power. It holds terrifying destructive power, capable of annihting even gods!]


    Continue reading on empire


    A short sentence, but it perfectly showcased the terrifying strength of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. This was not a regr weapon; it was a one-time-use item with the terrifying ability to sweep across the battlefield and wipe out everything in its path!


    Had the Ashen forces used such a weapon during their attack, the three War Preparedness Zones would have beenpletely annihted without Sterl needing to lift a finger. With a single strike, the enemy would be reduced to ashes, leaving no trace behind.


    Of course, such a weapon was only effective the first time it was used. After that, the enemy would be wary and avoid being caught in the direct destruction of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment.


    Afterward, the Sword of Doomsday Judgment transformed into a sword symbol, which was imprinted on the back of his hand. With just a thought, he could summon it for use. However, this was only possible because of his affiliation with the Orichalcum Kingdom. Without that, the first person the Sword of Doomsday Judgment would target would likely be him.


    He then casually nced at Diana. She was slightly shy, and with her goddess-like dignity and aura of invibility, she looked even more breathtaking. She radiated an alluring glow that made it hard to resist the urge to rush forward, tear her gown, and imagine her beneath him, groaning.


    "Congrattions, esteemed Mr. Hades," Eterna approached, still overwhelmed by the shock but maintaining a smile as she spoke.


    "The fate of the Orichalcum Kingdom now rests in your hands. If you require anything, I will not hesitate to fulfill it, as long as I am capable."


    "Thank you for your kindness," Sterl replied calmly, nodding. This was the advantage of power��even gods had to show respect.


    Soon, other gods gathered around, offering warm greetings.


    Hades responded casually, walking towards Diana. Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, Diana quickly ran and threw herself into Sterl''s arms.


    Instantly, the smiles on the gods'' faces froze, and they stood still, awkwardly taken aback. It was as if they were witnessing an intimate moment unfold right before their eyes.


    "I''m so d you''re alright..." Diana said gently, wrapping her arms around Sterl''s neck. At that moment, she set aside her goddess facade. After everything Hades had just done, she had epted this powerful man and his desire to possess her. There was no longer any need for pretense.


    Seeing Diana in this state, Sterl, of course, wasted no time. He pulled her in possessively at the waist, his other hand caressing her smooth back. Her skin glowed softly, like a delicate cloud or the purest morning dew, each touch an unparalleled experience. A sweet, fresh scent filled his nose, more intoxicating than any perfume.


    Watching the scene, Eterna''s expression twitched slightly. If he remembered correctly, these two had only met less than a day ago, right?


    The pace was shockingly fast��was Hades'' charm truly that overwhelming?


    "Ahem, Mr. Hades and Lady Diana, truly a match made in heaven," Eterna awkwardly interjected. "I believe, after such intense battles, Mr. Hades must be quite exhausted. As a god of the Orichalcum Kingdom, you are entitled to a private space as your residence. Here is the key. With a simple activation of Divine Power, you can teleport directly into the space."


    At the sound of her voice, Sterl finally set Diana down. He couldn''t help it��the goddess was an entirely different experience. The sensation was simply addictive.


    This waspletely an unexpected delight. The progress with Gloria, who was just recently subdued, was clearly not this fast. He had originally nned toplete the legendary story and, after advancing to Legendary rank, return to properly train the Dark Moon Goddess.


    But who would have thought there would be such a surprise? He had gained a goddess almost by ident, and what''s more, the progress had already nearly beenpleted. Naturally, this was something to be thoroughly enjoyed.


    When Hades took the key, Eterna let out a slight sigh of relief and then continued, "The treasures in the royal vault cannot be directly disyed. If you need to exchange items, you can also enter directly through the key. There''s nothing pressing at the moment, so I won''t disturb you. If anythinges up, I will contact you directly through the key."


    "Understood," Hades responded.


    Eterna nodded and then left the temple. He knew well that, while the entire royal city was currently under his and Hades'' jointmand, Hades could at most contribute with hisbat strength. In other words, he was just a shell��everything else needed to be handled by Eterna.


    Currently, there were power vacancies in the Eastern, Southern, and Northern War Preparedness Zones. He needed to quickly make adjustments and arrangements. At the same time, he had to devise a n tounch a counterattack against Ashen and other native forces, to prevent another surprise assault.


    After Eterna left, the other gods followed suit, even Morette and the others departed.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for Boris, he too slunk away in disgrace. When facing someone slightly more powerful than himself, there could be resistance, jealousy, and other negative emotions. But if that person''s power far surpassed his own, those emotions would turn into admiration and fear. Even a god wasn''t exempt from this.


    Having been nearly beaten into submission by Sterl''s relentlessbo, Boris certainly didn''t dare show his face in front of him. If Sterl took a disliking to him, a divine beam could easily strike him down. Even if a higher-level god intervened, they wouldn''t be able to do anything. That''s just the reality.


    Soon, inside the grand temple, only Sterl and Diana remained. At this point, Sterl no longer needed to hide his intentions. He immediately pulled Diana close and kissed her, gently taking in the two soft, smooth petals of lips.


    "Mm..."


    Diana let out a soft hum, startled by Sterl''s actions. Instinctively, she wanted to resist, but soon she realized what was happening, and her gaze slowly became dazed.


    All she could feel was a strong tongue prying open her teeth and wrapping itself around her soft tongue, invading her mouth.


    On Sterl''s side, he merely felt that he had entered a warm and humid ce. The tender touch of lips and tongue constantly stimted the desire in his heart. He simply reached out his hand and kept roaming and caressing Diana''s body, roughly invading hers.


    "Don''t... don''t do it... here..."


    Diana gasped, unsure if it was because she had not fully regained her humanity or if her sensitivity to various emotions, especially sexual desire, was heightened. She felt as if there was a fire burning within her body, wanting to be released, and all her strength seemed to ebb away at this moment.


    Sterl''s eyes lit up as she looked at Diana now. Diana''s delicate white skin was tinged with pink. It looked like a flower petal that had just opened, so delicate that she could not see any ws caused by age.


    Her lips slightly open, the eyes are full of temptation and desire, the mouth is still a trace of crystal liquid, and belongs to the glory of the gods shrouded, the holy and temptation of twopletely different feelings perfectly intertwined, just like a goddess controlled by Subus!


    Without hesitation, Sterl grasped Diana''s slender, supple waist and picked up the key to activate Divine Power.


    The next moment, he and Diana were in a ce simr to the temple secret, only with a thousand miles ofughter, a lush in in the middle, and a beautiful building.


    When Sterl got here, he got rougher.


    With a loud snort, Diana''s hemline ripped, revealing her long, round, wless legs. He reached out and stroked them vigorously.


    Her skin was very soft, but very firm and stic, and as his touch left a mark, it seemed that the water woulde out with a single pinch.


    This wonderful feeling made Sterl more excited, the huge long gun held high, against Diana''s lower abdomen, even if Diana is a god, still scared by the huge size of the pale, surprised and disturbed.


    In fact, she is still in a state of confusion, because everything is going so fast, so fast that there is not even half a day.


    This powerful but domineering god began to prepare to invade her body, although she did not reject Sterl itself, but still some do not adapt.

 Chapter 504 The Pleasure No One Can Refuse!

    "Please... please wait..."


    Diana''s mind was in a daze. She exerted a slight force with her hands, trying to push the domineering and forceful Sterl away. However, Sterl had already been prepared. He silently activated his "ascend to godhood" state, his pure power effortlessly overwhelming Diana.


    Her hands pressed against Sterl''s chest, the firm yet stic sensation was oddly fascinating, while at the same time, it felt as if she were trying to push against an indestructible mountain, and it didn''t budge in the slightest.


    "Looks like you''re not ready yet?"


    He leaned in close to Diana''s ear, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her skin, and whispered softly. The heated air brushed past her ear, sending a wave of confusion through her emotions.


    This feeling was as if she were about to sinkpletely, yet time moved too quickly. Things she hadn''t experienced in thousands of years were all happening today.


    Especially after her humanity returned, this strange yet familiar sensation made her feel an undeniable sense of panic.


    Sterl''s hand was now against the soft, delicate root of her thigh, and it was only necessary to lift theyer of gauze to prate the mysterious zone.


    The intense heat from his palm made Diana feel as though she was about to melt.


    "Ha... Hades, this is happening too fast..."


    The mosquito-like sound came, making Sterl''s sexual desire more expanded, and this feeling of viting the goddess''s body was simply something he had never experienced before!


    However, he stopped the hands of further action, not because of worry or pity, with his current strength, canpletely force a fierce charge on Diana, with his huge hard penis, will severely Diana vagina open!


    He believed that even if he did that, even if Diana resisted a little, nothing significant would happen afterward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Besides that, he had another method: he could activate the blood of the Ancient One and imnt the followers'' mark within Diana. Although the deputy star had already been given to Gloria, the followers'' mark had a simr effect��it could control a god.


    However, he didn''t want to do that. The goddess before him was already on the brink of being conquered by him, and he wanted to try something else. He wanted to see if he could, without relying on these envement methods, use his own charm and personality to gradually mold Diana!


    Thinking about this made his desire burn even hotter. After all, she was a goddess��a noble and pure goddess, just like Gloria. To conquer a goddess with his own charm was a temptation no man could resist, not even a god! Your next read is at empire


    So... His palm has been hovering between the thigh roots, greedily touching every inch of Diana''s skin, and from time to time, his fingers move to the mysterious flower, making Diana slightly twitch from time to time, more sensitive.


    "Don''t worry, I can wait, wait for the day when you''re ready. After all, you... are already mine."


    The incredibly maic voice echoed in Diana''s ears, causing her to be momentarily lost in the sensation.


    At the same time, a warm feeling stirred within her. Indeed, Hades loved her; he had restrained his own desires just for her sake.


    This made her feel a mix of guilt and, at the same time, deeper fascination. Powerful, domineering, considerate, handsome, and with the ultimate hero''s aura of saving the damsel in distress�� even a goddess like her couldn''t help but lose herself in him.


    "Squat down."


    At that moment, Sterl''s voice sounded again. Diana paused for a moment, but then obediently did as she was told.


    The long dress with the hemline torn off is more like a delicate ultra-short qipao. With Diana''s movements, the tight and thin clothes are outlined on her full and soft body.


    The perfect body that is so pink that it is about to drop out of water is more attractive, like a piece of extremely delicious food that people can''t help but want to eat!


    In particr, the waist with a full grasp, after squatting, so that the rich buttocks appear more prominent, as if with a rope strap, constantly impacting the people''s senses.


    Sterl, resisting the urge to grab that beautiful waist and m it against that perfectly curled butt, just took off his clothes.


    Suddenly, a huge, towering, ferocious penis was suddenly exposed to Diana.


    "Ah!"


    Diana let out a gasp, her eyes zed over, as she felt the stiffness and strength of the penis against her.


    Now exposed directly to her eyes, the impact was even stronger, and Sterl''s perfect, strong body appeared before her eyes.


    Each muscle, like the carefully crafted product of a divine craftsman, is full of explosive power and perfect coordination, so that she can''t help but want to hold it in her arms and feel the pleasure of this body.


    Seeing Diana''s wide eyes, mouth slightly open, dumbfounded appearance, Sterl''s heart burst with pride and fire, and the terrible penis became stronger, and what raised blue veins, just like a roaring dragon, made people scared.


    "My God, why is Hades''s penis so big, if it goes in, I will die?"


    She could not help thinking that just seeing this giant, she felt her vagina slightly twitching, not knowing whether it was excitement or fear.


    At the same time, she could not help recalling that the god who had tried to vite her in public did not seem to be half the size of Hades.


    The more she think about it, the more she feel rmed, and even begin to fantasize about the scene of this big stick opening up her vagina a little bit, which is afraid that it will be directly stabbed into the stomach!


    Even though she was a deity, her body was both soft and filled with an indestructible quality. Even if those legends attacked freely, she wouldn''t sustain any injuries. But now, she truly couldn''t be certain whether her body could withstand this powerful force.


    "Open your mouth."


    Sterl''s voice starts up again, giving Diana a shock. Is Hades trying to get her to hold the stick?


    For a moment, her mind seemed to freeze. It took quite some time before she could gather her thoughts. When she finally looked up, she saw Hades standing above her, gazing down at her. His eyes held a mix of tenderness and dominance, with a hint of an unyielding,manding expression that left no room for refusal.


    On top of that, she had already rejected Hades once, and guilt had started to take root in her heart. If she were to refuse him again, even though he was considerate and would not harbor any resentment, she knew she would feel uneasy about it herself.


    Sterl didn''t say much; he simply watched the scene unfold. He observed her, crouched on the ground, her expression shifting from resistance to struggle, and then to hesitation. The sense of pleasure he felt was no less intense than if he had forced the situation himself!


    Because, in front of this goddess, on the basis of not exerting any ability, is being gradually conquered by her discipline!


    Before long, under Sterl''s expectant and excited eyes, Diana''s crouching body turned into a kneeling position, moving her body closer to Sterl''s penis.


    Soon, Diana''s wless face appeared under the stick, and she could even feel the heat emanating from the giant object, which made Diana feel ashamed, but there was a kind of curiosity and excitement in her heart.


    "Diana, you can do it, you can do it!"


    "It''s just a little bit of flesh, as long as it makes Hades happy, everything is OK.Hades is already so considerate, how can you let him down?"


    She kept telling herself secretly in her heart, carrying out mental construction, and Sterl was not worried, quietly waiting for Diana to do it herself.


    Feeling Sterl''s increasingly hot and admiring gaze, Diana swallowed, nervously parted her lips with a soft pink kiss, and then... Put it on gently.


    Suddenly, a hot feeling filled the whole mouth, Sterl subconsciously stabbed forward, Diana issued a whine, feel the whole mouth is packed, and even a feeling of being through, and this, only half of the depth ah!


    "Hiss..."


    Even if Sterl had been prepared, but at this moment, he could not help but inhale a cold breath, a kind of unexplicable warm and soft feeling, directly wrapped his entire penis, as if the soul was shaking.


    "Yes, Diana, that''s it. You can do it."


    He whispered encouragement, and when Diana got his approval, her mind went nk, a flush rose on her perfect face, and she began to swallow little by little, based on what she once knew about men and women.


    Soft little tongue, dexterously in little Sterl''s head gently stroked, gentle and delicate, belonging to Sterl''s breath, apanied by burning temperature, filled her whole mouth, nasal cavity, and even brain!


    At this moment, it seems that her whole personpletely belongs to the man in front of her, and the trace of resistance and alienation in her heart is quickly disappearing.


    Compared with the physical pleasure, the spiritual feeling made Sterl more unable to extrude himself. He looked down at Diana kneeling on the grass, gently and carefully licking his penis. The thick stick from time to time stabbed Diana''s face out of various shapes, and the crystal spittle dropped from the lower body and the corners of the mouth.


    In the eyes of countless people, the goddess who is high above him is kneeling in front of him at the moment, like a well-behaved and obedient bitch, and this scene, even if Sterl''s heart and experience are extraordinary, it is also very much enjoyed.


    At this time.


    Diana gently pulled the stick out of her mouth, lifted her head, put out her cute little pink tongue, licked the liquid that contained Sterl''s breath on her lips, and then looked at him with a little charm and charm.


    "Do you like it..."

 Chapter 505 The Ravages of Madness.The Goddess is Being Played with Her Mind

    At this time, Diana, there was a crystal liquid between her lips and kisses, and she spit out a mist from time to time. Her beautiful and delicate eyes were filled with endless temptation.


    Before Diana began to serve Sterl, she was a little resistant and unfamiliar, but because of her good feelings and love for Sterl, she quickly adapted to Sterl, and now she even feels a direct challenge to Sterl.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This, like a match, fell into a room full of natural gas, exploded in Sterl''s heart, the heart of the desire to pour out like a sea!


    "You''re ying with fire!"


    Sterl could bear it no longer and let out a low growl, a husky voice full of desire and repression. Experience tales with empire


    Then he suddenly reached out his big hand and pressed it hard on the top of Diana''s head, pushing it down and pushing it hard at the waist!


    The strong stick suddenly pry open the perfect white shell teeth, deep into the mouth, and even directly into the throat!


    "Whoo whoo!"


    Diana''s eyes widened and her brain went nk by the sudden impact. The whole mouth and throat were like being forcibly stabbed into it by a huge stick. This huge sense of foreign body made her want to close her mouth, but the huge stick was harder than an arcanum at the moment, whichpletely left her no room for resistance.


    And Sterl was feeling so cool that his heart was moaning, and the mouth and throat of the goddess under his legs contracted, making him feel as if he had entered heaven in an instant.


    "Dare to provoke me, and you will regret your actions."


    At this moment, he did not care about any tenderness, one hand pressed Diana''s head, the other hand slipped over the soft and delicate face, strangling Diana''s neck.


    After thoroughly controlling the other side, the waist immediately shook like crazy, crazy vent their own desires, and just face the pressure brought by the threat of the upper god!


    At this moment, Diana did not react at all, helpless, hands hanging in the air, the body seemed to be stiff and petrified.


    She can only feel, a strong hot rod, in the extremely rude and violent vition of her mouth, throat, as if to stab her throat directly, deep inside, more like a pair of big hands, she belongs to the dignity and nobility of the gods,pletely torn, like a bitch, who is wantonly yed with!


    Attack! Attack! Impact!!


    Sterl, like a high-speed pile driver, ms wildly, each time the whole thing enters, filling Diana''s throat so thoroughly that even the earth quivers slightly under the terrifying force.


    This intense pleasure and the excitement of conquering the goddess made Sterl go faster and faster and faster!


    "Whoo whoo!!"


    "Whoo whoo!!"


    Diana felt a numbness in her tongue and throat, and a tug in her neck, as if her body were about to be torn apart by the violent impact. Sterl''s breath overwhelmed her brain and thoughts.


    Is it painful?


    No, the God''s body showed a strong resilience at this moment, even in the face of Sterl''s full impact in the real sense, it can still withstand perfectly, on the contrary, Diana can clearly feel that her body quickly hot up, at the same time, the original desire to restore humanity and re-emerge, is in crazy expansion!


    This strange feeling made her feel very real, and, clearly she knew that the person who vited her now was Hades, but there was still a particrly stimting feeling.


    But just then, the big hands suddenly pressed her face, and before she could react, the two thumbs pressed her nasal cavity.


    Suddenly, a strong sense of suffocation into the brain, although as a god, even if you do not need to breathe can survive, but she is now, but Sterl crazy output state ah!


    "That''s it! That''s it! It''s so thrilling!"


    Sterl, on the other hand, was screaming in his heart. After holding Diana''s nasal cavity down, the whole mouth and throat were in a kind of vacuum, and the gentle and tight wrapping feeling was directly raised to a new level!


    And hold down Diana''s face, looking at this perfect goddess face, arbitrarily ravaged in their own hands, like a sex ve appearance, the pleasure in the heart is still surging!


    By now, he couldn''t help but activate various enhancement abilities, making his body even stronger. With each impact, the speed and force only grew more intense.


    It was easy to imagine. Diana, as a goddess, had always been exalted, basking in the worship of countless mortals. No one dared to touch her body, and not even a thought of it crossed their minds.


    Every inch of the goddess''s skin was incredibly noble, sparking endless imagination, yet also creating an aura that made others hesitate, too fearful to make any rash moves. Even among deities, one had to tread carefully.


    But now, this goddess, but on her knees, bearing the output of her crazy frenzy, stand up and push crazy!


    Now, even though Diana was a goddess, she found herself struggling to hold on. In the "ascend to godhood" state, Sterl''s attributes already surpassed hers, not to mention the various enhancement abilities he had activated.


    Suddenly, the impact of what had been like a tiger turned directly into an elephant, giving Diana a feeling that she was about to be yed to death and her throat was about to be pierced.


    She put out her hand to stop Sterl''s impact, but she was weak and confused, unable to exert any strength. She tried to speak, but her mouth and throat were so full of the stick that she could not even breathe, and she could not say anything except SOB.


    At this moment, Dianapletely regretted that she had provoked Sterl and challenged the man who was like the lion God. She did not expect that Sterl''s strength in this aspect was so terrible, just like his fighting force, which was frightening.


    Unfortunately, all regret at this moment is toote, she now, can only pay the price for her ignorant provocation.


    Time goes by minute by second, ascend to godhood state, Sterl is not only stronger, but also high endurance is scary, on weekdays, because the strength of the opposite sex to serve him is too weak, even his maid group, dozens of people can not meet him, let alone the current ascend to godhood state.


    It had been going on for an hour or two. Diana''s eyes were rolling white, her jaw was on the point of dislocating, and her charming, wless face was now smeared with Sterl''s liquid.


    Only now did Sterl suddenly thrust the big, thick stick down Diana''s throat and spit it all out!


    "Rumbling..."


    "Ahem! Ahem!


    Diana''s trachea was directly filled with hot, rich fluid, her eyespletely turned white, like a suffocating bitch, kneeling on the ground coughing, looking very ufortable.


    A lot of rich body fluids, is oozing down the nose and mouth, but most of them were swallowed by her. After a while, Diana slowly came to her mind and looked at Sterl in front of her with a dull expression.


    Sterl enjoyed the face, the heart is quite feeling, only the goddess''s body, can meet his desires to the greatest extent, in exchange for any legend, even if it has been a terrible death on the spot, even demigod, after such a severe impact, it has to be dying, need to lie for ten days and a half months to recover.


    As for Diana, it only takes a few hours, or even less, to fully recover. The key is that, with the powerful body of a goddess, she can support Sterl in performing all kinds of crazy positions!


    Thinking of this, I looked at Diana''s pink and white face, which was tainted with a lot of body fluids, and the big stick in her hip not only did not shrink and rx, but expanded again.


    Seeing this, Diana trembled all over and immediately shook her head repeatedly.


    "No, Hades, I can''t do it anymore..."


    She knelt on the ground, her face full of supplicants and fears, and looked at the still towering behemoth as if she had seen a demone out of the abyss.


    Even now, her mouth is still full of Sterl''s bodily fluids, the rich breath, in her bodypletely stamped Sterl''s logo.


    But if she does it again like this, she might really die!


    "Please spare me, Hades, I was wrong, I won''t do it again."


    Sterl took a deep breath. He suddenly realized that Diana now seemed even more alluring. Her pleading expression made one unable to resist wanting to hold her in his arms and tease her at will.


    But he still held himself back. For now, he was already satisfied. He couldn''t rush things; otherwise, the goddess, whom he had worked so hard to win over naturally, might one day start to fear this. Of course, after experiencing Sterl''s strength, most people would find it hard to walk away.


    However, Diana had only recently regained her humanity, and she still needed time to adapt and recover.


    Then, a trace of regret appeared on his face. He gently approached and wrapped his arms around Diana, whose body was still trembling slightly.


    "I''m sorry. Your beauty makes it hard for me to control myself. I''ve made you suffer."


    His strong arms pulled her close, and instantly, the unease and nervousness that had been in Diana''s heart faded away. Feeling Sterl''s warmth, her body gradually rxed, and all the emotions she had been feeling were reced by his care and tenderness. It could only be said that in the eyes of a lover, every woman looks like a goddess. Since the moment Sterl saved her from despair, her heart had been his forever.


    "Let me help you clean up."

 Chapter 506 The Royal Castle Treasury! Unimaginable Wealth!

    Diana said softly, her face covered in Sterl''s bodily fluids, but she had a holy glow.


    Then she pointed to Sterl''s genitals.


    Sterl was stunned by the look, and before he could react, Diana moved closer to his penis and opened her mouth to lick the residue.


    After the extreme crazy output, this gentle feeling is to let Sterl have a feeling of awakening.


    After she had swallowed all the remnants of Sterl''s behemoth, she cast a spell that cleaned the dust and various stains from both bodies.


    "You''ve worked hard. Rest here for a while, I''ll step out for a bit."


    Sterl gently stroked Diana''s face. He had to admit that his previous actions towards Diana were driven by a clear purpose. His main goal was to lower the guard of the gods of the Orichalcum Kingdom, eliminating any doubts they had about him. On top of that, he had wanted to experience what it was like to be with a goddess, and perhaps gain another divine-level ally.


    But now, Diana''s response had stirred something within him.


    "I really am too soft-hearted," he thought to himself. Since that was the case, he would find a way to protect this goddess who looked at him with such devotion during the war.


    After all, for someone like him now, taking a goddess wasn''t that hard. All he needed to do was help Orichalcum win a small victory first, then break the contract between Diana and the Orichalcum Kingdom. This way, even if he eventually came to terms with Orichalcum, Diana wouldn''t suffer because of the contract.


    As for whether Diana would choose to follow him and turn against Orichalcum, he couldn''t be sure.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was the first goddess he had ever conquered without using the deputy star or the blood of the Ancient One��just his personal charm and methods!


    Because he hadn''t used such coercive means as the deputy star, the decision was entirely in Diana''s hands. It all depended on how much of a ce he had in her heart.


    "Go ahead."


    Diana spoke softly. She was truly exhausted, though not physically. Her body was almost at its limit, but the recovery ability of a goddess was incredibly strong��she would be fine in half a day. The exhaustion she felt was emotional.


    For a goddess who hadn''t even held hands with the opposite sex for hundreds, even thousands of years, being so suddenly and intensely vited had taken a toll. It would take time for her to recover. On top of that, Sterl had been so forceful that he had nearly pushed her to the brink of copse, almost making her lose consciousness.


    Sterl shared the key''s ess privileges with Diana, allowing her toe and go freely. He then activated the key and left his private space.


    Diana watched Sterl''s departing figure, lost in thought. As she recalled his domineering and rough actions from earlier, along with the strong scent of him that filled the air, it kept echoing in her mind, stirring an inexplicable feeling within her.


    As a goddess, she had always been worshipped from afar by countless mortals, never daring to be offended. But now, after being so humiliated by this man, she unexpectedly felt a strange pleasure deep within her, a sensation that bordered on fascination.


    Thinking of this, a look of shame and anger appeared on her face.


    "How can I think like this? Diana, you are The God of Archery and the Swamp! You are a goddess of the Orichalcum Kingdom!"


    She shouted in her mind, yet deep down, she couldn''t help but recall the sensation she had just experienced.


    "What would it be like to be prated by that kind of guy..."


    Thinking of the scene where Sterl went crazy because of her beauty and allure, she found herself strangely anticipating it, no longer feeling repulsed.


    ...


    "It''s truly unforgettable."


    Sterl''s figure reappeared in the temple, reminiscing about the scene from earlier. It seemed that traces of Diana''s softness and scent still lingered on him.


    Just thinking of Diana''s appearance, broken and ruined, Sterl couldn''t help but smile.


    His thoughts shifted slightly as he activated the key in his hand. This key was not only for essing his private space but also a tool of authority. With it, he essentially held the power of a divine being of the Orichalcum Kingdom. It allowed him to enter any ce and even gave him the ability tomand the military.


    Where he was headed now was the Orichalcum Kingdom''s treasure vault. He had umted 30,000 contribution points. While it might seem like a small amount, it was actually the result of saving three critical War Preparedness Zones in the Orichalcum Kingdom, so its value was certainly significant.


    And judging by the way the gods looked, the Royal Castle Treasury had been umted over countless years, filled with various treasures. Of course, he had to go take a look.


    If he revealed his true intentionster, those 30,000 contribution points would be useless, so it made sense to convert all his chips into power while he still had the chance.


    Before that, however, he used the map module he had obtained from the golden code to check on the local forces, such as Ashen. After suffering a crushing defeat, Ashen''s side was clearly in disarray and hadn''t made any major moves. The forces on the front lines, however, had begun to retreat, possibly to prepare for an Orichalcum Kingdom attack.


    He smiled faintly. With the map module in hand, even the Shielding Power, which higher-level divine authorities couldn''t solve, was no obstacle for him. Defeat��or even annihtion��was a fate that had already been sealed.


    The Royal Castle Treasury was not far from the temple, concealed by aplex and powerful chain formation. Without the key and sufficient authority, it would be impossible to even detect its presence.


    After activating the key, the formation opened automatically. Before him appeared a seemingly ordinary mountain wall, with no visible passage. But he didn''t hesitate��he stepped forward and passed right through it.


    He instantly passed through the mountain wall, and the scene before him changed dramatically.


    He now found himself inside a massive treasure vault, towering at over a thousand meters in height. As he looked around, the countless treasures made his head spin, and his eyes nearly popped out from the overwhelming sight.


    "This time�� I''ve really hit the jackpot!"


    He shouted in excitement, but quickly realized that this vault probably wasn''t his to im.


    Taking a deep breath, his heart raced as he surveyed the piles of treasures before him. Though he had seen his fair share of grand sights, the wealth and treasures umted over countless years by the Orichalcum Kingdom, a divine force on par with the Hall of Valor, still left him in awe, unable to calm down.


    Various tinum and diamond-tier equipment, items, and scrolls were scattered across the floor, looking like discarded trash. Even legendary-level, epic-level, and mythic-level equipment and items were nothing more than a drop in the bucket in this treasure vault��barely worth mentioning!


    [You have entered the hidden map: Orichalcum Royal Castle Treasury]


    [Contribution Store has been unlocked]


    [You can exchange any items based on your contribution points]


    [Reminder: You are now under the surveince of the Royal Castle. Do not forcibly take unexchanged items, or you will face punishment from the Royal Castle]


    A willful presence seemed to envelop him. It was clear this was the will of the Royal Castle. The Royal Castle of the Orichalcum Kingdom itself was a forceparable to a powerful Divine Power-level entity��this was a power even more terrifying than high-level divine authorities!


    Although he wasn''t sure what the punishment entailed, Sterl had no desire to find out.


    He then browsed through the Contribution Store, but quickly lost interest in exchanging anything.


    As he had suspected, 30,000 contribution points were quite a lot. Even a piece of mythic-level equipment only cost about 1,000 to 2,000 points, at most 3,000 or 4,000.


    This meant that with his current stock of contribution points, he could easily assemble a full set of mythic-level equipment!


    However, the truly valuable items in the vault far surpassed anything in the mythic-tier equipment category. But those items were all extremely expensive. Even with his current reserve of contribution points, he found himself hesitant to make a purchase.


    [Hourss of Time]


    [Description: A magical hourss containing the power of time. ording to legend, it was crafted by the God of Time, a divine artifact containing the God of Time''s sudden insights. Over endless ages, this insight has undergone a miraculous transformation, granting the hourss extraordinary powers.]


    [Effect: Can alter the flow of time within a certain range. In critical moments, the stored power in the hourss can be consumed to reverse or elerate time, either to change the course of battle or to obtain crucial information that may have been missed.]


    [Price: 20,000 contribution points]


    ...


    [Dream Orb]


    [Description: A gem containing the Law of Dreams, seemingly fused with some mysterious power that grants the ability to connect with unknown worlds. It is said that by using this orb, one could gain unimaginable rewards��or perhaps face unforeseen dangers. Once, the Orichalcum Kingdom used this orb to acquire immense wealth, until an uncontroble crisis arose. After that, the orb was sealed away in this vault forever.]


    [Effect: Can open a gateway to traverse into the endless Dreamworld, allowing exploration of its mysteries and powers.]


    [Hint: Current avable uses of the Dream Orb: 3]


    [Price: 30,000 contribution points]


    ...


    [Light Holy Shield]


    [Description: A divine artifact once used by the God of Light. After countless ages of refinement, the residual Divine Power on it has caused a special transformation, perhaps allowing one to establish a connection with the legendary God of Light.]


    [Effect: Emits an endless force of light, capable of repelling the corruption of dark powers and reflecting all negative attacks.]


    [Price: 50,000 contribution points]

 Chapter 507 The Terrifying Price!

    Looking at the priceless treasures in the Contribution Mall, Sterl was filled with excitement. His eyes widened, and he almost couldn''t resist the urge to steal them outright.


    This was too overwhelming. No wonder it''s the vault of a god-level force. Every item in here, truly valuable beyond measure, could stir up a storm of blood and chaos in the outside world!


    The Hourss of Time even contained a trace of the residual power of the God of Time. Setting aside its function, this alone was enough to make even gods covet it. With the Hourss of Time, one might evenprehend the mysteries of the Time Law!


    As for Sterl, such an item with numerous ws was actually the best value for him. After all, he had a cheat that allowed for evolution. He might be able to enhance the tiny trace of power contained within the Hourss of Time. If that happens, the value of this item would be beyond imagination!


    In addition, the Dream Orb was also an extremely rare and valuable item. It could connect to the Endless Dreamworld, almost like a brand-new mysterious world ready to be explored. Of course, while exploring, one might acquire many treasures and resources, but there would also be dangers. In fact, the risks contained within this world were so terrifying that even gods feared and regretted their involvement, which was why it had been sealed away.


    But that didn''t matter. With Sterl''s ability to evolve, he might be able to perfect it, reducing the risks to a minimum or even eliminating them entirely.


    As for the Light Holy Shield, it was an exceptionally powerful weapon. Not only could it resist the corruption of dark forces, but it could also reflect all negative attacks. This included physical attacks as well as curses, toxins, gues, and more. It was truly a versatile treasure, and the most crucial part was the bond with the God of Light!


    If used wisely, it could provide unimaginable rewards and offer an opportunity��an opportunity that even gods dream of, one that couldpletely transform them!


    "This is�� this is too hard to resist. I didn''t expect the Kingdom of Orichalcum to be so rich," Sterl murmured, taking a deep breath. His voice trembled slightly. He had to admit, the umtion of a divine-level force was beyond anything he couldpare to. Although his strength was advancing quickly and his evolution ability allowed him to shorten the gap with any god, no matter what, the time it took him to get from nothing to where he was now was less than a fraction of the time that these gods had experienced.


    So, no matter how much he umted, with the rtively insignificant power at his disposal, Sterl knew that he could neverpare to a royal city that had existed for an unknown number of years, with generations of gods constantly being updated and reced.


    As this thought crossed his mind, a sudden idea sparked in his head. It seemed that there was a way to quickly umte such resources.


    That was�� stealing!


    The so-called Killing and Arson, Golden Belt, while it might sound unimpressive, was, after all, the path Sterl had walked. The strength he had today wasn''t just a result of cheats; arge part of it hade from his own strength and wisdom, forcefully seized through his efforts.


    Originally, the process of bing stronger was about continuous plundering and harvesting. The weak were eliminated, and the strong devoured everything!


    With that in mind... could he not sweep through the Kingdom of Orichalcum,pletely suppressing and destroying it, and then seize the countless treasures and resources it had umted over countless years?


    Not just the Kingdom of Orichalcum, but also Ashen, and all the god-level forces in this world. To him, weren''t they all giant treasure vaults, glittering with gold?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thinking this way, Sterl felt his desire growing. But before that, he needed to strengthen himself. After all, achieving this goal wasn''t just about dealing with a few weak Divine Power-level gods; there were also the powerful hidden gods from the upper realms of Orichalcum, and even the royal city itself!


    One step at a time, bite by bite��Sterl wasn''t in a rush, but the seed had already been nted in his heart. Once the time was right, he would reap the rewards!


    After a brief pause, Sterl continued to look at the other items, and soon, many other objects caught his attention.


    [Starry Battle Armor]


    Description: This set of armor is crafted from the core of stars. It is said to have a deep connection with the long-lost Starry n. Perhaps it was once a treasure of the Starry n, though for unknown reasons it ended up in the outside world. Or perhaps, it is the spoils of war from some powerful existence. It serves as proof of a forgotten history and is a radiant treasure filled with starlight.


    Effects: Increases all attributes by 0%.


    It can automatically absorb star power, forming an imprable defense. When worn, the user is surrounded by the power of the stars, greatly enhancing energy, vitality, and recovery limits. Additionally, the armor grants some control over star power.


    Note: If the wearer is already blessed by the stars, they might experience unexpected benefits.


    Price: 60,000 Contribution Points


    ��


    Strong! Very strong! Extremely strong!


    There were no specific attribute boosts, but it could increase all attributes by 0%!


    Doesn''t this mean that no matter the level, this effect applies? Even gods, or beings with higher divine authority, could still receive this 0% boost?


    Sterl was sure that this armor was definitely rted to the Starry n. The moment heid eyes on it, his body faintly transmitted an inexplicable signal, almost as if it was trying to remind him of something.


    And the final note... no need to think twice. This was definitely a treasure of the Starry n. If he wore it, it would be like constantly being in the Avatar of the Stars state. It would essentially be the effect of a double Avatar of the Stars!


    This truly gave him a huge surprise. He hadn''t expected to encounter something so closely rted to him in the Kingdom of Orichalcum royal vault.


    But...


    Sterl looked at the hefty price of 60,000 contribution points and felt a slight shiver in his heart. This was simply too expensive. He even doubted whether a god from the Kingdom of Orichalcum, even after exhausting their entire life''s savings, could afford it.


    Besides this, there were numerous other items that caught his attention, but none of them were within his reach with his current 30,000 contribution points. In fact, 30,000 contribution points were already quite a lot��most weak Divine Power-level gods in the Kingdom of Orichalcum, after centuries of umtion, might not even have that much.


    It could only be said that everything he was interested in was far from simple, and even beings with higher divine authority would be tempted by them.


    No wonder, when he had negotiated with that high-level divine authority earlier, the condition of being able to choose ten items at will had caused such a strong reaction from the other gods.


    "Right, I still have five more choices left!"


    He suddenly remembered the agreement he had made with the Kingdom of Orichalcum. As long as he helped them sessfully eliminate the threat of Ashen, he would be able to choose freely from the vault. This way, although he couldn''t exchange everything he wanted, he could still acquire most of it and save nearly 200,000 contribution points.


    Thinking this, he felt much better. Otherwise, the feeling of only being able to look but not get would have been unbearable. It also puzzled Sterl why such a painful experience would cause so many people to willingly be sycophants. Was there some special fetish involved?


    Shaking his head, Sterl took onest lingering nce at the items in the vault. He had no intention of making any more exchanges.


    Rather than exchanging for unnecessary items, it would be better to wait and umte more resources, then exchange everything at onceter. This way, he could get even more of the things he really wanted.


    As for the Soul Treasure that the Kingdom of Orichalcum had mentioned, he hadn''t seen it in the vault. Perhaps it was stored elsewhere. This Soul Treasure was far too important to him. He would even be willing to forgo the items in the vault if it meant obtaining it.


    Not only would it greatly enhance his strength, but more importantly, it would allow his followers to fully keep up with him, preventing them from bing useless like some deadweight.


    Not wanting to stay any longer in this ce where he could only look at treasures that didn''t belong to him, Sterl decided to leave. The feeling of being surrounded by things he couldn''t have wasn''t pleasant.


    He then used his key to return to his private space. At this moment, Diana was lying on the soft flowers and grasses, deeply asleep. Her serene face held a hint of mysterious allure that made Sterl''s desire re up once again.


    He quickly walked over and, before Diana could react, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the building. Without a second thought, he roughly tossed her onto the bed.


    "No, Hades, don''t! I... I..."


    The sudden scene startled Diana into speechlessness. How long had it been? Could it be that Hades'' true identity was that of a dragon? If this kept happening, she really wouldn''t be able to handle it. She''d be ruined!


    However, her worries were clearly unnecessary. After tossing Diana onto the bed, Sterl removed his clothes and then roughly pulled Diana into his arms. Theyy down together on the soft, spacious bed and fell into a deep sleep, with nothing further happening.


    "Huh?"


    Diana''s face froze in panic, but it took her a long time to process what had happened. Gradually, her tense body rxed. It turned out that Hades just wanted to hold her while he slept.


    As she felt his massive form pressing against her back, the panic slowly faded away.


    It wasn''t until some time had passed, and she realized that Hades was really doing nothing else, that shepletely rxed.


    "What a monster... even asleep, he''s this huge. I don''t think even a giant would have such terrifying talent, would they?"


    While she felt relieved, for some reason, there was also a sense of loss in her heart.

 Chapter 508 Preparation for the Plan, Boriss Hatred!

    Over the next few days, Sterl asionally wandered around the royal city. With the divine authority granted to him, he managed to get a rough understanding of the overall situation. During the remaining time, he would often flirt with Diana, savoring the goddess''s gentle andforting kisses, while also gradually making progress toward a more intimate rtionship.


    After spending these days together, there had clearly been significant progress. At the very least, Diana had be increasingly attached to him, and there was almost no longer any resistance in her heart. From the initial fear of Sterl''s "talent," she now felt nothing but awe and curiosity.


    Moreover, Sterl didn''t waste the daily evolution ability. He focused all his points on the Blood of the Holy Spirit, allowing the ability to finally achieve a breakthrough. The duration of the power was now extended to two days.


    "A little gentler... if we''re caught... it''ll be a disaster... "


    Sterl wrapped his arms around Diana''s face in the thick of the room, the shock of power from his lower back reaching deep into her throat each time.


    With a strong impact, Sterl suddenly pulled out his penis, and the thick stick hit Diana''s smooth and delicate face. Then, the hot and hot thick liquid was sprayed out, sshing Diana''s delicate and perfect face.


    Looking at Diana, whose whole face was stained with his liquid, Sterl felt quite happy, and could not help but think of a famous saying on Earth that the sun that shines on the face in the morning may not necessarily be concentrated essence.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This is the physical quality of the goddess, even ifst night suffered a violent collision, this only one night to recover, it is amazing.


    "PRRRRR... Hate it!"


    Diana coughed a few times, and a lot of liquid was sprayed directly into her nasal cavity. It took a while to recover her breath, and Sterl, who did not know how to cherish jade, abused her every time like an animal.


    Well, this should be thanks to my own beauty, she thought to herself, and in fact, it was true. Who could resist a battle with the goddess in the early morning?


    "Come, help me clean up."


    The still hot stick gently patted on Diana''s face, thetter gave him a white look, but did not resist, but cleverly and naturally licked all the residues above, and swallowed them all.


    "Not bad, you''re really obedient."


    Sterl nodded in satisfaction, rubbed her head with his hand, and spread the fluid from her hair everywhere, which caused Diana toin.


    He smiled faintly in his heart, the progress is faster than he imagined, ording to this speed in the afternoon, even if it is not long, the goddess will be thoroughly trained by him, voluntarily be his woman, and let him vent vition.


    Your next chapter is on empire


    The thought of Diana''s fiery, perfect curves, plump, juicy hips and heaving waist made his heart burn again.


    "Alright, we can''t dy any longer, or everyone will be waiting for the two of us."


    Seeing that little Sterl was still showing signs of arousal, Diana quickly said, then cast a spell to clean both of them up. Afterward, she put on a new robe.


    "You''re so beautiful."


    Looking at Diana, dressed in a pure white robe, exuding a sacred and noble aura, Sterl spoke from the heart. This was the unique charm of a goddess. Even though his own Linna and Rayna, in terms of appearance and figure, were not much different from Diana, the aura Diana carried was still unmatched.


    After all, Diana was a god. Years of being in a higher position had imbued her with an air of authority and status, something that couldn''t be surpassed in a short time.


    But that didn''t change the weight and position Linna and Rayna held in his heart. They were his true family, irreceable.


    "Hmph, you''re lucky."


    Dianaughed with a teasing expression but was genuinely pleased inside. It felt good to be so adored by Hades.


    Once they were ready, Sterl no longer hesitated. He activated the key, leaving the private space, and was transported to the temple.


    Inside the temple, all the gods of the Orichalcum kingdom had already taken their seats. As soon as the two appeared, their gazes turned toward them.


    "Wee, Mr. Hades."


    "Please, have a seat, Mr. Hades."


    "Today, we''re preparing for a surprise raid on Ashen and other factions. Without you, Mr. Hades, we wouldn''t dare to proceed."


    The gods spoke to Hades, though there was some resentment in their hearts from the long wait. But Boris was the perfect example��every time they saw him, it would instantly remind them to stay in line.


    However, when these gods looked at Diana, they couldn''t help but feel a strange sense of meaning. Gods weren''t fools. Even though all traces had been cleaned, they could still sense the lingering, intense scent and marks of Hades on Diana''s perfect face.


    This made all the gods'' minds go into a whirlwind. They were shocked to realize that the goddess of the Orichalcum kingdom had been vited by an outsider, and what was worse, it had been done so openly, with no attempt to conceal it. It was utterly outrageous!


    For a moment, many of them felt their hearts breaking. The goddess, whom they couldn''t even touch, had been imed by someone else. The difference between gods was simply too vast.


    "Wait! Why is this scent so strong? It''s like... it was just released!"


    Could it be that the reason they were sote was because... they were��


    Boom!


    This thought exploded in the minds of the gods like a thunderp. How could they not take them for fools? This was beyond disrespect!


    At this moment, Diana also sensed that something was wrong. Instinctively, she touched her face, a look of surprise appearing on her expression. "Did she not clean it up properly just now?"


    Immediately, she shot Sterl a reproachful nce, a hint of resentment in her eyes. It was all Hades'' fault, causing everyone to find out now.


    However, for some reason, she didn''t feel much shame. Instead, she had a sense that it was only natural, as if she had subconsciously epted the role of being Sterl''s woman.


    It was such a small gesture, yet itpletely confirmed what all the gods had suspected. Damn it! So it was exactly as they had guessed!?


    Sterl felt a sense of pride in his heart. So what if they knew? Diana was still a goddess they couldn''t touch. She was his forbidden treasure, and he led her to the main seat at the core, sitting down without a care. If looks could kill, Sterl would have been dead countless times by now.


    "Ahem, since Mr. Hades has arrived, let''s begin," Eterna said, clearing his throat twice to ease the awkward atmosphere. He had already guessed the special rtionship and behavior between Hades and Diana. But that was their personal business. While he was a little envious and jealous, there was nothing he could do about it. The most important thing was that none of the gods present were a match for Hades. That made things�� awkward.


    "Thanks to Mr. Hades'' timely assistance, the assassination n by those despicable natives failedst time, and we were granted some precious breathing room. However, because Mr. Hades wiped out all those attackers, they still don''t know the true reason their attempt failed. This is our chance."


    Eterna quickly exined. Among gods, mostmunication was done through mental exchange, allowing them to convey vast amounts of information in an instant��things beyond the understanding of mere mortals.


    Eterna''s n was simple: Take advantage of the fact that Ashen and other native factions didn''t know the true details of Orichalcum''s kingdom, including that all the attackers had been wiped out. Now was their opportunity tounch a deadly counterattack!


    If everything went ording to n, they could possibly crush these native factions. Even if they couldn''t wipe them outpletely, it would be enough to eliminate the threat they posed to Orichalcum. Once the capital city fully integrated with the rest of the world, it would mark the end for these native factions!


    "Mr. Hades and I will lead the attack. We won''t send any legions, as that would risk exposure. We just need to leave ten gods to guard the capital. This n will be foolproof!"


    Eterna said with excitement. If this mission seeded perfectly, he would earn a lot of contribution points, and perhaps, he would finally break through his limits to be the new supreme divine authority of the Orichalcum kingdom!


    "Of course, all of this still requires Mr. Hades'' assistance," Eterna turned his head and said respectfully to Sterl.


    "There''s no need to be so formal. We''ve already made an agreement, and naturally, we will assist fully," Sterl replied calmly. However, inside, he was calcting how to create a situation where both Orichalcum and the Ashen factions would be mutually weakened. Otherwise, letting Orichalcum emerge as the dominant power was not what he wanted to see.


    At that moment, a faint sensation stirred within him, and a piece of information from the bloodline of the Ancient One entered his mind. He subtly turned his head and happened to nce at Boris, sitting in the corner.


    Boris was staring bitterly at Eterna and Sterl, who were discussing the grand ns, his eyes filled with concealed but intense hatred. The resentment was deep, yet carefully hidden.


    It should have been me in charge! It should have been me!


    He kept screaming inside, raging. Unfortunately, he had lost to Hades, this outsider, and allowed Eterna, that damned useless fool, to reap the benefits. This made him feel extremely off-bnce.


    His hatred for Eterna was even stronger than for Sterl. The reason for this was obvious��Sterl was too powerful. After being severely beaten by him, Boris had lost any thoughts of challenging him. As for Eterna, he naturally became the target for all his frustrations and resentments!

 Chapter 509 The Power of Ancient Ones Blood! Schemes!

    "I didn''t expect the power of Ancient One''s blood to be so useful. I can actually sense Boris'' emotions and thoughts!" Sterl reflected on the ability''s effect.


    [You have acquired the bloodline of the Ancient One. You will have a natural affinity for cosmic powers from the Outer Universe series, and you can use all skills within the Ancient One System, except for exclusive abilities (once learned).


    Each of your attacks will cause a mental check for your opponent. If they fail the check, there is a chance they will be permanently marked with the


    followers


    imprint. Depending on the effects of your


    followers


    imprint, they will experience various influences (this skill can be activated or not).


    If your current information is disguised, your opponent will be unable to read it. If it is in its true state, your opponent must perform a mental check when trying to read it. If they fail, they will fall into a madness that directly affects their soul and cannot be removed. Units killed because of this madness will transfer their experience to you.]


    Clearly, the reason he had such an experience was due to the second effect of the Ancient One''s blood. Every time he attacked, it triggered a mental check, and if the check failed, the opponent would be permanently branded with the


    followers


    imprint.


    During their previous battle, although he only made one move that directly defeated Boris, his mental attributes were clearly superior to Boris''��especially given his


    ascend to godhood


    status and various amplification powers. Moreover, the fear induced by being crushed by Sterl had enhanced the effect. As a result, the


    followers


    imprint had been sessfully activated, and Boris had no idea. He waspletely unaware that he had been branded by Sterl''s imprint. With just a thought, Sterl could activate the imprint and make him his ve!


    "Interesting, I didn''t think even gods could be controlled!" Sterl couldn''t help but feel excited. He had previously underestimated the power of this ability. Then, he carefully examined the unique effects of the


    followers


    imprint.


    "An unbreakable disguise, the ability to bestow followers with the powers I possess, and followers will have absolute loyalty to me!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When he saw thest effect, Sterl''s spirits lifted. This ability was insanely powerful. In essence, the


    followers


    imprint was like a weakened version of the


    deputy star


    ��but without the reciprocal benefits to him.


    However, it could perfectly solve the issue of insufficient strength in his ranks because the


    followers


    imprint worked even on gods. He could easily use this ability to enve a whole legion of gods!


    With that thought, a glimmer of brilliance shed in Sterl''s eyes. The feasibility of this n was very high because the method of marking was so subtle. As long as someone had fought with him and been hit by his attacks, they would undergo a mental check. Perhaps once or twice wouldn''t be enough, but what if it were hundreds of checks over time?


    Even gods, with their mental fortitude, couldn''t maintain peak conditions all the time. Once they let their guard down even a little, they would be marked by the Ancient One''s blood and branded with his


    followers


    imprint, a mark that could never be erased!


    He then felt further, and to his shock, he discovered that even Diana''s body had his


    followers


    imprint on it!


    "..."


    Sterl was a little stunned. Could it be that even a powerful physical impact could be considered an attack?


    But upon further thought, considering his own strength and the shockwave he could generate, it did make sense that, for Diana, it would be a form of both physical and mental damage. Moreover, Sterl was extremely fast, and at the peak of his excitement, just a moment of impact could trigger hundreds of these checks. If Diana weren''t a goddess, she would have already been thoroughly dominated, but even so, she couldn''t escape being branded with the


    followers


    imprint.


    It could only be said that the evolution of the Ancient One''s bloodline,


    modified


    to its ultimate form, was truly monstrous.


    Thankfully, as long as the


    followers


    imprint wasn''t activated, it had no effect on those who bore it, and they couldn''t detect it. Otherwise, Sterl was already considering how to shield himself from this ability. After all, he didn''t want to identally turn Linna, Rayna, or anyone close to him into his


    followers


    while being intimate with them.


    "This is just too strong..." he muttered to himself.


    While sensing the swirling hatred within Boris'' heart, Sterl''s gaze shifted to the other gods in the room.


    "Ancient One''s blood also grants a disguise ability that can never be seen through. If I use this ability topletely mask my aura and assume a new identity, then..."


    A grand n began to take shape in his mind. Right now, he desperately needed a group of powerful subordinates to help him shoulder theing cmity and the pressure from Orichalcum and the native Ashen factions. But training followers and subordinates slowly would take too long, even with the help of Ancient One''s blood.


    So, his gaze turned toward the gods. If these gods could be made to serve him, they would be the perfect ready-made assets.


    With the abilities granted by the Ancient One''s blood, this idea had a very real chance of sess.


    Once again, his gaze fell on Boris, his eyes flickering with contemtion. Using Boris as a conduit, it might allow him to


    kill two birds with one stone


    .


    "Since you resent all of this so much, why not destroy it yourself?"


    Suddenly, Boris'' gaze shifted, and he found himself staring directly at Sterl, whose eyes were fixed on him with an intense, piercing look. At that moment, Boris'' entire body trembled, a chill rising from his heart as though something terribly frightening was about to happen. But the source of this feeling, he couldn''t pinpoint.


    "Did Hades see through my thoughts? No! That''s impossible! Absolutely impossible!"


    Boris quickly lowered his head, unable to meet Sterl''s gaze. After theirst battle, he had been left with deep psychological scars. The defeat had shattered him��his battle spirit and dignity obliterated. What he didn''t know, however, was that the pitiable fool had already be the target of Sterl''s watchful eyes.


    "Well, if no one has any objections, let''s begin."


    "The ultimate victory will belong to the Orichalcum Kingdom! This world will be bathed in the glorious light of Orichalcum!"


    After making the necessary arrangements for everyone''s roles, Eterna spoke excitedly, as if he could already foresee the Orichalcum Kingdom''splete triumph over Ashen, wiping out all the native factions and ultimately dominating the entire world.


    But at that moment, Sterl''s expression shifted slightly, a barely noticeable surprise flickering across his face.


    Thanks to the map module, he essentially had ess to an infinite view of the entire world. Everything happening across the globe was now within his reach, and just now, he had discovered that Ashen and the other native forces were also nning to use their Shielding Power to strike at Orichalcum once again!


    Both sides seemed to be on the same page. Orichalcum, taking advantage of Ashen''s ignorance and hesitation, intended to press the advantage while Ashen''s native factions had another n altogether.


    As they withdrew their front-line legions and shrank their territorial scope, they had noticed that for several days, Orichalcum made no move. This unexpected calmness had allowed their anxious minds to settle.


    They became increasingly convinced that Orichalcum was simply bluffing. If Orichalcum truly had any powerful trump cards, or the means to break their Shielding Power, they would have alreadyunched an attack. The fact that Orichalcum hadn''t moved at all made them certain that the kingdom''s power was not as formidable as it seemed.


    Thus, they decided to gather their strength and use the powerful divine artifacts granted to them from the upper realms to strike directly at the capital of Orichalcum!


    "Interesting, the gods from both factions are choosing to strike at the same time. This is truly a gift from the heavens!"


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He had been contemting that, with the full preparation of the Orichalcum Kingdom, if theyunched a lightning-fast strike against Ashen and the other factions, they could deal a devastating blow using the Sword of Doomsday Judgment before the Shielding Power had a chance to activate!


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    In this way, the difficulty of dealing with Orichalcum Kingdom would increase significantly. Without the distraction of Ashen''s native forces, he alone would be unable to stand against them.


    Moreover, his goal wasn''t just to prevent the capital from fully descending, but also to seize the various treasures and wealth umted within the royal city!


    Now, with both factions choosing to strike at the same moment, and with the map module and Boris as a hidden piece, everything was falling perfectly into ce.


    Thinking this, Sterl couldn''t help but smile. Watching this scene made Eterna believe that Hades had truly settled on Orichalcum, making him even more pleased. If Hades were willing to go all out, the sess would be guaranteed. After all, it was no small feat that even an upper-tier divine authority couldn''t handle was falling to a long-forgotten trick, sealed away for centuries.


    Boris, watching this unfold, felt a surge of jealousy rising in him, an intense me burning within his heart. But he failed to realize that he had been blinded by this very anger, slowly losing his ability to think clearly.


    Soon, aside from the ten or so gods remaining behind in the royal city, the remaining thirty gods used high-level permissions to teleport outside the city. The purpose was to avoid spies from the native factions within the city, preventing the leak of any ns that could turn the tables on them, or worse, allow the enemy to counterattack.


    "Hades, please be careful. Once you approach the native factions, if you encounter any threat, use the Sword of Doomsday Judgment immediately. It is a massive weapon forged by several high-ranking gods. Even if they have some strange ability to block perception, they will not be able to escape its effect!" Eterna said with confidence. He was clearly determined to seed in this mission.


    "Mm, I know. The same goes for you," Sterl replied, his voice carrying a tone of subtle meaning.


    Eterna quickly took the lead, flying with the gods under hismand toward the Ashen faction.


    Sterl, meanwhile, nced over the forces he had brought with him. A barely noticeable glint of coldness flickered in his eyes.

 Chapter 510 Preparing for Action, The Plan Begins!

    ording to his own request, Sterl only asked for a team of ten people, including Diana and Morette. Most of these ten were individuals he had saved, and they were deeply grateful, obedient, and even idolized him. The others, though they might have some dissatisfaction in their hearts, were stillpelled by their strength and the principle of the majority, so they also followed his orders without question.


    In addition, the remaining twenty or so gods were all led by Eterna. At first, Eterna didn''t fully understand the reasoning behind this arrangement, but since it was Sterl''s own request, she didn''t dare oppose it.


    Moreover, for Sterl, this was actually a good thing. The more people leading the team, the less likely they would encounter danger. He still had some concerns about the Shielding Power of forces like Ashen''s, even though he wielded two


    Sword of Doomsday Judgment


    . No one could be sure if the enemy had some hidden trump card.


    "We can begin��"


    At that moment, Boris from Sterl''s team suddenly broke away and sped off into the distance.


    "Huh? Boris is leaving!"


    "What is he doing? How dare he disobey Lord Hades'' orders and act alone?"


    "Such audacity! This is a battle that will determine the fate of our Orichalcum nation!"


    Watching Boris vanish into the distance, Morette and the others were filled with both surprise and anger. As for the possibility of Boris betraying them, that was out of the question. The bond between the gods of Orichalcum and the royal city was far too strong. If the city were destroyed, they would suffer greatly, even fall from grace.


    Moreover, betrayal was meaningless at the divine level. Very few factions would truly ept a traitor, unless that individual was bent on destruction without a care for anything else.


    Although Boris had been publicly defeated by Sterl, which had hurt his pride, as a god, his mental resilience was usually strong enough not to be swayed by such a minor incident. No one had considered the idea of betrayal, so no one thought along those lines.


    "Don''t worry about it. He''s just carrying out a solo mission I assigned to him," Sterl said calmly.


    Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, staring at him in disbelief.


    They had always ced Hades on a pedestal in their minds, but now it seemed they had underestimated him. The hatred Boris harbored for Hades was no secret, yet Hades had managed to persuade him to act on his behalf. This was no longer just a matter of strength��Hades'' tactics and decisiveness were equally impressive.


    No wonder they had been confused earlier about why Boris had willingly followed their team. It turned out he had already fallen under Hades'' overwhelming influence.


    "As expected of Lord Hades, he was able to suppress someone like Boris!"


    "Yes, Lord Hades is truly impressive. Boris is notorious for being a troublemaker, and he doesn''t even give Eterna any face."


    "I have a feeling that in this battle, those damned natives will bepletely wiped out by Lord Hades'' hand. Your achievements, my lord, will be forever recorded in the history of the Orichalcum Kingdom, sung by countless generations!"


    The group was busy ttering him, which secretly pleased Sterl. Diana, standing by his side, gazed up at him with adoration, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and happiness. This was her man, and only such a god had the right to im her, to take every inch of her body!


    However, none of them noticed the faint flicker of struggle in Boris'' eyes as he disappeared into the distance. It was barely perceptible, but it was there��before being quickly suppressed by some mysterious force, an invasive force at that.


    Or perhaps it was that this force had long been lying dormant deep inside him, only now being activated and unleashed in full.


    "Luckily, it seems as long as no one notices, the faction system won''t be affected. I am still a god of the Orichalcum Kingdom."


    A faint smile curled on Sterl''s lips. He had been wondering earlier whether activating Boris'' follower''s mark would be considered an attack on an ally, causing the faction system to copse. Now, it seemed that he had been overthinking things.


    After all, gods were beings that even the [Transcendence] system couldn''t fully interfere with. The so-called faction system was only for yers, and this was a real world. As long as no gods of the Orichalcum Kingdom discovered his methods, his actions would remain undetected��forever hidden!


    With that in mind, his room to maneuver had just expanded. Maybe, without firing a single shot, he could seize the Orichalcum Kingdom itself!


    "Alright, let''s head out as well. Since Eterna is going in one direction, we''ll take another route."


    With that, he arrogantly pulled Diana into his arms, his handzily tracing the soft, slender curve of her waist. He began flying toward the direction of Ashen''s forces. The others winced slightly, and it felt like a million virtual horses were galloping in their minds. Without hesitation, they quickly followed suit.


    This time, even the gods couldn''t help but feel excited and thrilled. After all, barring any unexpected developments, victory seemed all but guaranteed. Once they wiped out those natives, the Orichalcum Kingdom would be stabilized. They would earn a lot of contribution points, and who knows��perhaps even pure Crystal of Faith as a reward!


    This was something so precious that even gods could not ignore. Inside it contained the pure, unimed power of faith. By refining the Crystal of Faith and branding it with one''s own divine authority, it could be directly absorbed, converting it into personal Divine Power or enhancing one''s divine authority.


    Sterl, too, wore a smile on his face, feeling quite pleased.


    This battle had arrived sooner than he had expected, and he couldn''t wait. After all, only bypleting this mission could he truly enter the ranks of legends, progressing further in his quest for power!


    Although it seemed like he was focused on the journey, in reality, his attention never left the map module. He was closely monitoring the movements of both sides.


    At this moment, the gods allied with Ashen, empowered by their Shielding Power, were heading toward the Royal City of Orichalcum. The gap between the two factions was still quiterge, and at this rate, Ashen''s forces would end up misaligning perfectly with Eterna and her group, creating an opportunity for mutual ambushes.


    However, Sterl would not allow such a situation to unfold. He sent a message to Boris, who was under the control of the followers'' mark, and utterly loyal to him. Although Boris had initially strayed off course, he immediately corrected his path and flew straight toward Ashen''s forces. His speed was far faster than Eterna''s cautious approach.


    Before long, Boris had arrived at the battlefield, positioning himself atop a mountain near Ashen''s side. He waited in silence. If one looked closely, they would see a strange calm in his eyes, an eerie stillness, like a pool of stagnant water. If he stood still, he would appear�� like a lifeless statue.


    Everything around him was eerily quiet. The sky was vast and empty, not a single figure in sight, as if Boris were the only being in the world.


    However, despite this solitude, Boris, aided by the powers and senses of his three divine authorities, began to feel that something was amiss. It seemed that something was slowly approaching him, closing in, and gradually encircling him. It was as if he were prey being stalked by a spider. By the time he fully sensed it, it would be toote.


    Still, Boris did not panic. Instead, he smiled faintly. "Friends of Ashen, surely it''s not customary to draw your ice des the moment we meet. That''s not very polite, don''t you think? After all... Ie here with sincerity."


    At his words, the growing sense of danger paused abruptly. The next moment, a sharp sh of cold light appeared right in front of Boris, like the edge of a razor-sharp de, grazing his neck.


    In the next instant, a rugged and even somewhat grotesque-looking god appeared. It was none other than a member of Ashen''s forces��the God of Werewolves!


    This respected deity could be considered the most powerful being of the werewolf n. His divine authority determined the speed, strength, and potential of his werewolf transformations, as well as other attributes. Furthermore, he possessed the power to control the moon, making him the ruler under the full moon, a formidable force indeed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, at this moment, he was staring at Boris in front of him with a grave and serious expression, his eyes filled with wariness and shock.


    Because this person had actually discovered their Shielding Power, and it seemed as though he had already known their movements and position. He was waiting for them to arrive!


    "Curses, Desert, and Battle... you are Boris of the Orichalcum Kingdom!"


    Among gods of the same tier, there was no need for any special detection. As long as the person did not deliberately conceal their information, basic details about their identity would automatically appear.


    The three-year-long tug-of-war might not have been long by divine standards, but it had been intense andpressed. They had be very familiar with their enemies. Within the Orichalcum Kingdom, only one god possessed all three divine authorities��Desert, Curses, and Battle��and that god was none other than Boris. He was one of the most powerful gods in the Orichalcum Kingdom, and one of the strongest even among those who resided in the upper realms.


    But now, this very Boris hade alone to wait for them. What was going on here? The moment they discovered Boris, several gods from Ashen''s side spread out to investigate the situation. But aside from Boris, no anomalies were detected.


    In other words, if they wished, they could immediately concentrate their forces and, with lightning speed, erase this critical asset of the Orichalcum Kingdom in an instant.


    This realization left the leader of Ashen''s forces stunned. Cautiously, he ordered the God of Werewolves to drop the Shielding Power and approach Boris to engage in conversation, to find out what was truly happening.

 Chapter 511 Boriss Betrayal? The Useless Charm of the Law!

    "You broke our Shielding Power?"


    The God of Werewolves cut to the chase, not wasting any pleasantries. His tone was stern as he asked the most important question, his expression serious, as if ready to attack at any moment and leave Boris no chance of escaping.


    This was the question all the gods were dying to know, and the one that the leader of Ashen''s forces feared the most. The Shielding Power was, in essence, their trump card against the Orichalcum Kingdom. This mysterious power was created by Ashen''s gods in the upper realms, who used a special method to blend a tiny fragment of world code into the very fabric of their divine authority.


    Those below the level of higher divine authority could not detect the Shielding Power at all. This was why they had been able to slip unnoticed into the heart of the Orichalcum Kingdom and into its military stronghold, undetected until now.


    If the Shielding Power had truly been broken, they would lose their advantage entirely. In the current situation where Orichalcum had the upper hand, they would fall behind and be slowly consumed by the forces of the kingdom.


    Even if they could hold out for a while, time was not on their side. If they stalled too long and allowed the Orichalcum Kingdom to sessfully merge with the world, Ashen''s forces would be the ones to lose.


    A heavy pressure descended upon Boris, the invisible weight of the Law Power distorting the very space around him. Even the Teleportation Formation could not activate under such influence.


    Boris wasn''t the only one affected. If this power were suddenly unleashed, even Sterl��if he attempted to use The Power of Spacetime��would be crushed into dust by thebined forces of the dozens of gods standing around them.


    Even gods of higher divine authority, facing such overwhelming numbers, would feel immense pressure, perhaps even retreat in the face of it.


    The pressure was so suffocating that it felt as though Boris''s heart would stop, yet under the control of the followers'' mark, he remained outwardly calm. He locked his gaze steadily on the God of Werewolves.


    "No, no, no, I don''t have such abilities."


    He gave a self-deprecating smile, and then, under the confused gaze of the God of Werewolves, he pointed in the direction of Ashen''s forces.


    "I just used a small trick to roughly analyze your movement direction. Even if I don''t encounter you here, you''ll run into my avatars elsewhere. The result will be the same."


    Upon hearing this, the God of Werewolves narrowed his eyes, a cruel glint shing in them. Of course, they didn''t believe this absurd story. But they still couldn''t fathom exactly what the Orichalcum Kingdom was up to, nor what their true intentions were.


    The God of Werewolves subtly nced to the side, where there was nothing but empty space, as though asking the higher-ups in charge for guidance. It seemed they were in agreement. For now, there was no need to kill Boris immediately.


    Because of Boris''s actions, they were now fully convinced that the Shielding Power they held might have been broken by the Orichalcum Kingdom. The fact that Boris had been sent here could be part of some strange conspiracy.


    Moreover, the Orichalcum Kingdom,ing from outside and remaining shrouded in mystery, was unpredictable. They had no idea what other trump cards or secrets the kingdom might have. If they impulsively killed Boris, they would lose the chance to learn Orichalcum''s ns. This could lead them into panic, confusion, and a loss of control.


    "Really? Do you think I can be fooled by such child''s y?"


    The God of Werewolves red at Boris, his eyes full of malice.


    But Boris remained unphased. Instead, he spoke earnestly, "I swear by my divine soul, I may have been looking for you, but meeting you here was purely by coincidence. As for breaking the Shielding Power, I have no such ability. Eterna''s fools couldn''t do it either. I told you, I''vee with sincerity."


    The moment those words were spoken, the gods hidden by the Shielding Power reacted, their expressions shifting. They all knew that the leader of Orichalcum''s forces was a god named Eterna. But seeing the look on Boris''s face as he spoke about Eterna, it was clear he harbored deep resentment. Such raw hatreding from the soul��was not something one could fake.


    "Could it be that Boris and Eterna have some irreconcble conflict?"


    "His target is definitely us. Could he be nning to betray the Orichalcum Kingdom?"


    "If he''s an invader, we shouldn''t trust a single word. I say we kill him on the spot!"


    "Impossible. What if Orichalcum really has information about us, or has somehow broken the Shielding Power? Killing him would destroy our only source of intel."


    "Has he really not broken the Shielding Power? Let''s test it and find out."


    The Ashen gods exchanged covert whispers, while the lone God of Werewolves observed Boris, seemingly lost in thought, wondering what he was nning.


    At this moment, in the eyes of the God of Werewolves, a god shrouded in Shielding Power was slowly approaching Boris, holding a legendary weapon��a sharp knife. The god raised the knife with a deliberate slowness, and as it was enveloped by Divine Power, it pulsed with a menacing energy, aimed directly at Boris''s face.


    At such close range, if the knife struck, even a higher divine authority would be severely wounded. As for Boris, there was a strong possibility he would be pierced through the brain and soul, dying on the spot.


    However, at thest critical moment, the knife in the god''s hand suddenly stopped. It hovered just above Boris''s eye, within a hair''s breadth��less than 0.1 millimeter away from puncturing his eyeball.


    However, Boris remainedpletely unaware, as if he hadn''t noticed anything at all. His gaze pierced through the Shielding Power, which obscured the mysterious god before him, locking eyes with the God of Werewolves.


    "Could it be that all of this is really just a coincidence? He truly has no means of breaking the Shielding Power?"


    The God of Werewolves was stunned. From the reflection in Boris''s eyes, he could clearly see that the shadow god''s form wasn''t reflected at all, only Boris''s own image.


    Moreover, facing such a life-threatening danger, even a trained deity would find it impossible to remainpletely still. After all, this was an unmasked, direct threat from a god��life and death hanging by a single thought.


    For the God of Werewolves, even knowing it was a mere test, he couldn''t have remained so calm unless... unless Boris genuinely hadn''t seen him.


    "Interesting, not even the slightest change in his expression..."


    The shadow god was exceptionally sensitive to any shift in aura, and even gods couldn''t hide their presence from him. Yet, it appeared that Boris truly hadn''t noticed him, blocked off entirely by the Shielding Power.


    The God of Werewolves then waved his knife in front of him, making a few casual gestures before turning away and sheathing the weapon, shaking his head in frustration.


    At this point, some of the gods who had previously doubted Boris began to waver. If the Orichalcum Kingdom hadn''t broken the Shielding Power and Boris was genuinely here to surrender, it would present an immense temptation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In truth, they had always been wary of the Orichalcum Kingdom. The ancient city''s true strength was a mystery to everyone. With someone like Boris��second only to Eterna in terms of power��defecting and offering their assistance,bined with an internal and external assault, they could strike a decisive blow. It would ensure that their attack would be wless and deal a crushing blow to Orichalcum.


    However, every god who had risen to power was far from naive. They were all masters at manipting the hearts of others and understood that the greater the temptation, the greater the reward��and the greater the risk.


    After a moment, the leader of the Ashen faction made a subtle gesture. At his signal, a goddess emerged from the shadows, her presencemanding attention.


    She was the Goddess of Seduction, a deity who controlled the Law of Seduction. Though herbat strength wasn''t particrly impressive, she was extraordinarily powerful in the arts of maniption and interference.


    She wore a form-fitting ck leather dress that entuated her voluptuous form, deep grooves carved into her chest and hips. The tight fabric clung to her curves, and even the faintest hint of the gap between her legs was visible, suggesting that her body was on the verge of bursting out of the dress, exposing itself to all who were watching.


    She walked straight up to Boris, slowly extending her soft, delicate tongue, gently caressing her lips, her body subtly shifting in front of him. The subtle charm of Law activated silently.


    Over the years, she had honed this divine authority to its utmost limits, capable of altering any sensory perception affected by the power of seduction. What she was activating now was none other than vision and perception!


    If Boris truly managed to break through the Shielding Power, he would be directly ensnared. At that point, any deception or lies he had spun would unravel by themselves.


    In this moment, the Goddess of Seduction moved with an endless, captivating grace, drawing out the hidden desires deep within one''s soul. Even a god would not be able to resist!


    This feeling, let people want to drop everything, will her hard pressed in the crotch, crazy output ravage, will her son pinch! I''m gonna stick her pussy in the crash!


    This is no longer a simple sexual desire, but is controlled by the desire of madness!


    The gods of the Ashen faction were well aware of the Goddess of Seduction''s abilities, and they quickly shut their eyes, fearing they might inadvertently fall under its influence.


    At the same time, they focused intently on Boris''s movements. With the Charm Law being applied so closely, even someone with only the weakest Divine Power like Boris would be unable to resist. Even a higher-level divine authority would not be immune and would fall prey to it.


    Yet, despite the Goddess of Seduction''s body twisting almost beyond endurance, Boris remainedpletely unaware. Under the influence of the Charm Law, even a eunuch would lose control of their desires and would be driven to rip her apart with his hands!


    "This is impossible! No one can resist my Charm Law!"


    "Unless... he is truly shielded by the Shielding Power!"


    ...

 Chapter 512: Gaining Trust, Successfully Infiltrating!

    Grinding her teeth, the Goddess of Seduction''s expression became even more alluring. She extended her hand and slowly ced it on the zipper of her chest, tugging it downward little by little. The delicate skin of her chest gradually became exposed, glowing with a lustrous sheen, captivating anyone whoid eyes on it. It was as though it was begging to be touched, impossible to look away from.


    Her movements were slow, like a perfectly ripe peach being revealed, little by little. Meanwhile, her other hand rested at the hem of her skirt, gently lifting it just enough to reveal a small gap.


    It was almost as though she was issuing an invitation to Boris. At this point, even without the Charm Law, no one��let alone an ordinary mortal��could resist such an irresistiblebination of actions.


    "Not bad, not bad... what a tempting little creature," he muttered.


    Through the map module, Sterl watched this scene without missing a single detail, his blood surging. With the map''s permissions, he could view every angle, zoom in and out, and see it all clearly. The Goddess of Seduction''s appearance, as far as he was concerned, was as good as beingpletely naked. Every inch of her skin wasid bare to him. No, it was even more enticing than if she werepletely exposed.


    This left Sterl only able to quietly relieve his tension on Diana, his hand roaming as he toyed with her, causing Diana to flush with shame and irritation. She didn''t resist too strongly, though, knowing that any overt rebellion would draw unwanted attention from everyone around them.


    Fortunately, Sterl restrained himself��he couldn''t strip Diana naked and act on his impulses in front of everyone. After all, Diana was his woman, and he didn''t want to look like some monkey being ogled by the crowd.


    "Little slut... if I get the chance, I''ll definitely mark you with the followers'' seal," he thought to himself, ncing at Diana and considering what kind of outfit would make her even more tempting.


    After a while, noticing that Boris still hadn''t reacted, the Goddess of Seduction angrily retracted her Law Power with a cold snort and moved to the side.


    It wasn''t Boris''s fault, though. If he had seen the seductive scene before him, there was no way he would have been able to resist.


    But the truth was, Boris couldn''t break through the Shielding Power. So, everything the Goddess of Seduction had done had been nothing but air in his eyes. He only knew about Ashen''s approach because Sterl, who had ess to the map module, saw it and ryed the information to Boris.


    At this point, the gods of Ashen, who had been on edge, finally rxed. They could now be certain: Boris did not possess the ability to break through the Shielding Power.


    So, the country of Orichalcum was the same. Even now, they still held the upper hand, remaining the absolutely secure and dominant force.


    At this moment, the God of Werewolves no longer carried the sharpness and murderous intent he had earlier. He fell silent for a moment, and at themander''s signal, he spoke again.


    "Why did you betray Orichalcum? This will bring you no benefit."


    At the sound of this question, Boris suddenly burst into wildughter. The sudden outburst startled the God of Werewolves, who jumped back in surprise. The others also froze, wary of Boris, unsure of what exactly he was doing or what had gotten into him.


    But within thatughter was an unmistakable bitterness and deep resentment.


    "Why?" Borisughed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Because I want Eterna dead!


    I am the strongest! I am the true leader!


    But that damned outsider took everything from me! Eterna is just a vile opportunist, sitting back and reaping the rewards. I won''t ept it!"


    He suddenly turned to the God of Werewolves and roared, his voice filled with defiance and poison, the full force of three divine authorities bursting forth without restraint. The pressure hit the God of Werewolves like a physical blow, causing his body to tremble. His pupils dted in fear, and he nearly instinctively shifted into his werewolf form.


    He was terrified. There was no doubt about Boris''s strength. Even the Ashen faction, with all their power, had no more than a handful of gods who could stand against him. If Boris truly lost control and decided to kill him, there would be little hope for escape. The odds were grim. The God of Werewolves felt his panic rise.


    Thankfully, after Boris''s outburst, he suddenly calmed down again, as if everything that had happened before had never urred.


    "Crazy... he''s really a madman!"


    It took a while for the God of Werewolves to regain hisposure, but when he looked at Boris again, there was a new hint of fear and wariness in his eyes. He was no longer as brazen and arrogant as before.


    "You spoke of an outsider... who exactly is that?"


    Having regained hisposure, he immediately seized on the key words and asked.


    At this, Boris paused for a moment, thenughed again. This time, however, it was not theughter of madness, but one of scornful derision. Many of the gods from Ashen felt a fire stir in their chests, unable to resist the urge to teach him a lesson.


    "You don''t even know that?" Boris scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "It''s trulyughable. The outsider''s name is Hades. He''s the one who ruined your ns to invade the heart of the royal city. He doesn''t belong to your faction. Hell, he doesn''t even belong to this world. He''s a powerful, mysterious yer."


    Boris paused for a moment, savoring the impact of his words.


    "His strength is immense, far greater than mine. Half of your people��at least��died by his hand."


    Under Sterl''s direction, Boris revealed all this information without holding back.


    Read thetest on empire


    Immediately, the gods of the Ashen faction erupted in chaos. No wonder their supposedly foolproof n had resulted in such massive losses�� it was because of that damn outsider, Hades!


    And to make matters worse, even Boris wasn''t a match for him. It seemed he had been thoroughly crushed, with half of their gods falling at his hands. That meant Hades had single-handedly killed seven or eight gods?


    This news left the gods of Ashen struggling to process it. Such immense strength��could Hades be an upper-level divine authority?


    No! Impossible! While the restrictions of the world''s rules had been loosening, an upper-level divine authority would still never act so recklessly. It couldn''t be that simple. To possess this kind ofbat power, Hades must have used some sort of special technique.


    Wait...


    The God of Werewolves suddenly caught onto something. They hadn''t known about Hades''s existence before, but clearly, the Orichalcum faction was aware of him. That meant they could lead this newly allied powerful outsider against them in a surprise attack!


    Not just him��other gods quickly realized the gravity of the situation. They scrambled to contact their main base, but to their shock, there were no signs of any abnormal activity.


    "What do you mean by ''sincerity''?" The God of Werewolves snapped, turning toward Boris. "What exactly is Orichalcum nning?"


    At this question, Sterl, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn''t help but break into a restrained smile. Finally, they''d taken the bait!


    Boris, too, let out augh. "Looks like you finally believe me. But right now, you have no choice!"


    "Eterna and Hades have already led all of Orichalcum''s gods and are preparing tounch a surprise attack on you. They''ll wipe you all out in one fell swoop. They should have already set off. I''m only here now because this n gave me the chance to slip away from the royal city''s watch."


    He spoke leisurely, watching with some amusement as the God of Werewolves''s expression shifted. Although controlled by the followers'' seal, Boris was still Boris. At his core, his consciousness hadn''t changed much. He was simply forever loyal to Sterl.


    Watching the God of Werewolves''s expressions shift from cold malice to shock and now to panic was, without a doubt, a unique pleasure for Boris.


    "Tell me! Where are they now? Which direction did they head in?"


    The God of Werewolves demanded urgently. His people were still in the base, and if Orichalcum''s side destroyed it, it would be the equivalent of wiping out the heart of his race. He would lose a significant portion of his loyal followers, and he couldn''t let that happen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, Boris simply smiled indifferently. "Since you didn''t kill me, that must mean you believe what I''ve said. I''ve brought you such a great show of sincerity and such a valuable gift, surely you can return some of that sincerity to me, right?"


    This time, he didn''t look at the God of Werewolves in front of him. Instead, he nced around the air, as if there were others present, beyond just the God of Werewolves.


    Sure enough, as soon as these words left his mouth, the God of Werewolves''s expression immediately shifted. His face became impassive as he quietly began to step back. In the next instant, more than thirty gods appeared, surrounding Boris.


    All of them gazed at him with eyes that were eitherplicated, wary, or cold. It was clear that they had already encircled him, and with a single thought, they could bring him down right here.


    Even though Boris had been mentally prepared for this, he was still taken aback. It was clear now�� he had always been teetering on the edge of death. His heart raced as he realized that the power of Shielding Power was far stronger than he had imagined.


    If it weren''t for his master, Orichalcum might truly have no chance of victory.


    At that moment, a man with a cold demeanor and a stern expression stepped forward, standing directly in front of Boris. He was none other than the leader of the Ashen faction, the powerful god Terran, who wielded the three divine authorities of Power, Maic Burst, and Frost Blossom.


    Terran had observed Boris''s reactions when they first appeared. His behavior had confirmed Terran''s suspicion��Boris truly couldn''t break through the Shielding Power.


    "Mr. Boris, wee to our side. I can assure you, this will be the best decision you''ve ever made. Whatever you require, simply state it, and we will spare no effort in fulfilling it."


    Terran spoke with grave sincerity, his expression serious.


    By now, it was clear to him that Boris had truly betrayed his former side. Bringing him into their fold was enough topletely turn the tide of the current situation.

 Chapter 513: Terran’s Relief—Victory is Certain!

    Let''s not forget that Terran himself was a powerful god wielding three divine authorities. With his position, he must have ess to many of the secrets and inner workings of the Orichalcum Kingdom.


    This included the ns for Orichalcum''s current operations, their strategies, and even the privileges of the royal city itself!


    That''s right��privileges! Much like Ashen''s main base, without the proper permissions, foreign gods attempting to enter would be immediately suppressed. Given the scale of the royal city, it was clear this was a formidable artifact.


    But with Boris''s divine-level permissions, everything changed. Their original n was to use an item from the upper realms to forcibly attack the royal city. Now, with the ability to enter, they could strike from the inside outunching an internal surprise attack!


    Perhaps they could even destroy the royal city in one blow, sever its connection with the world, and shatter any ns Orichalcum had to bring their forces into this realm!


    Not only that, but using this information gap, they could surprise Orichalcum''s gods, exploiting the difference in knowledge under the protection of the Shielding Power.


    If they acted quickly, unleashing a series of powerful attacks, they would be able to ughter half of Orichalcum''s gods! This would cripple their resistance, leaving them even weaker.


    When Terran thought about it this way, he realized just how valuable Boris truly was��immensely valuable. As long as the Orichalcum Kingdom was still intact, Boris had great utility.


    "Ha ha ha! Terran, my friend, this is the kind of decisiveness and generosity a god should have."


    A pleased expression spread across Boris''s face, and he spoke slowly, "Don''t worry, my demands aren''t high. After Orichalcum''s destruction, I want five Crystals of Faith. Additionally, you must sign a pact with me, swearing on your divine souls that you will never turn your weapons against me."


    He paused for a moment, and a deep, poisonous malice filled his expression as he continued. "Moreover, I want you to capture Eterna and Hades alive! I want to personally cripple them and turn them into lowly ves, forever tormented by pain!"


    "Those are my terms. If you can''t meet them, you can either kill me, or let me go."


    Boris quickly regained hisposure and addressed Terran, watching him intently as he spoke.


    Terran furrowed his brow slightly. Were these conditions too difficult? Not really. The five Crystals of Faith were precious, but they were nothingpared to the destruction of the royal city.


    However, considering the subsequent terms, he surmised that Boris must have beenpletely cornered in the Orichalcum Kingdom. His hatred for Eterna and Hades must be deep, which is why he had no choice but to join them.


    It seemed that Boris also hoped to remain within the Ashen faction, to find some refuge for himself. Terran gave him a nce, and a barely perceptible sneer shed in his eyes.


    Betrayers, no matter where they go, will always be treated like pariahs��hunted and despised by everyone. And this person actually wants to join Ashen?


    Of course, Terran wouldn''t show any emotions now, but once the royal city of Orichalcum was thoroughly destroyed, a mere contract would be nothing. He wouldn''t even need to call upon the upper realms for help. He had methods at his disposal��using certain items to perfectly dissolve it if necessary.


    "Very well, Mr. Boris. On behalf of Ashen, I ept your terms. From now on, we are allies."


    With those words, Terran took out a divine-level contract and inscribed the agreement between the two of them. He then sealed it with the Mark of the Soul and handed it to Boris. Thetter''s face lit up with wild joy, as if he had finally achieved his goal. He quickly signed the contract.


    Immediately, the contract transformed into two glowing orbs, each sinking into the bodies of Boris and Terran, marking the sessful binding of their agreement. Boris had officially joined the Ashen faction.


    "Alright, Mr. Boris. Now that we''re in this together, we need to discuss how to make our shared enemies pay the price they deserve."


    "Of course."


    A faint, unshakable smile remained on Boris''s face, as though he could already foresee the misery that awaited Eterna and Hades.


    "I didn''t expect the n to go so smoothly!"


    Sterl was in high spirits. He had anticipated a more challenging process, but things had gone far easier than he expected. He had sessfully ced his dark piece into the game without any real trouble.


    However, while it seemed easy, the necessary conditions for sess were not trivial. First, there was the evolved Blood of the Ancient One: Reforged, a power enhanced to its absolute limit. Its effects were likely even stronger than many of the Ancient One''s abilities, granting Boris unwavering loyalty and forcing him to act ording to Sterl''s will.


    Second, there was the map module��an almost cheat-like, monstrous ability. On the surface, itckedbat capabilities, but in terms of support, it was incredibly powerful!


    Thebination of these two abilities exceeded anyone''s expectations. Terran and the other gods would never believe that Boris, a powerful god with three divine authorities, could actually be Sterl''s puppet!


    "Now, let''s see where Eterna and the others are."


    With a thought, Sterl''s divine sight switched to the location of Eterna and the other gods.


    Eterna and the others, in order to minimize their presence and energy signatures, were not moving quickly. They had only just crossed the boundary between the two factions and were slowly heading toward Ashen''s main base.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Though they didn''t have a Shielding Power-like ability, it was clear that they had used many valuable items to conceal their movements. Apart from other gods, no one would have been able to detect their presence.


    "Hades, what are you thinking about?"


    At this moment, Diana seemed to notice that he was distracted, and couldn''t help but ask.


    "It''s nothing, just thinking about a few things."


    "Oh? What things?"


    "You''ll find outter."


    He smiled mysteriously, then, with a swift motion, he pped Diana''s rounded, full backside hard. The sharp crack of the p rang out, and her soft, plush rear end seemed to ripple like jelly under Sterl''s hand, the whole palm sinking into the extreme softness, before quickly springing back, gently rippling. The sight was so pleasing to the eye that it almost made one want to pounce and take a bite. Find adventures on empire


    "You''re disgusting," Diana muttered with a light grunt, trying to pull away, but Sterl wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close. She had no choice but to obediently lean against him.


    Behind them, Morette and the others looked somewhat awkward, quickly averting their eyes and avoiding a more detailed look. asionally, their gazes met with the others, but they could only smile helplessly. In their view, Hades still seemed too carefree, not at all resembling the demeanor of a god. Instead, he seemed more like... a mortal!


    Of course, this was just a passing thought, and perhaps they reasoned that Hades was so powerful that he wasn''t bound by the restrictions of divinity.


    But little did they know, they had almost stumbled upon the right answer, only to deftly avoid it. If they knew that Sterl wasn''t a god at all, not even a legend, but just a mere third-ss being, they would likely show apletely different reaction!


    However, the stereotypes had already been formed, and even if Sterl confessed to his true identity, they wouldn''t believe him. Instead, they would likely think it was just a dark joke of his, a twisted sense of humor.


    Meanwhile, Boris and Terran were finishing their discussion.


    "Hmph, they actually think they can take advantage of this opportunity to attack our headquarters? They really don''t know their ce!"


    One of the gods, after hearing the details of Orichalcum''s n from Boris, couldn''t help but snort in anger, his face filled with rage. At the same time, there was also a trace of fear and worry in his heart, because they now knew that Orichalcum''s trump card consisted of three Sword of Doomsday Judgment, each created by a higher-level divine authority!


    The power of those swords,ing from a higher divine authority, was something these weak Divine Power-level gods had no means of resisting. If they were caught unaware and struck by one, the consequences would be unthinkable. The casualties would be devastating!


    "Thank goodness Boris warned us. Otherwise, the oue would have been unimaginable."


    "This attack on the royal city... Boris should definitely take the credit!"


    "You are truly a blessing for us in Ashen!"


    After snapping out of his initial shock, the gods showered Boris with constant praise and gratitude. Words of admiration flowed endlessly, and they almost began topare him to a world-saving hero.


    "Since that''s the case, then we absolutely cannot let them seed. We must intercept them and annihte them in one fell swoop!"


    Terran''s heart was also deeply shaken. If Eterna and the others were allowed to get too close to the Ashen headquarters, the three Sword of Doomsday Judgment would tear the ground apart. He could hardly even begin to imagine such a scene.


    "Don''t worry," Boris said with a confident smile. "I''ve made a few adjustments with the two teams. They won''t detect anything. Right now, I have the coordinates of both directions under control. It''s as simple as catching fish in a barrel. The oue is already decided."


    A look of smug satisfaction appeared on Boris''s face, which made Terran''s heart rx. Just a moment ago, he had felt some disdain toward Boris, but now he felt true relief and gratitude.


    If it hadn''t been for Boris''s defection, Terran might have already perished beneath the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, and the Ashen forces would have beenpletely shattered. They would have been left helpless, watching as the royal city merged with the world, and more of Orichalcum''s forces flooded into this world to sweep everything clean.


    "Mr. Boris, you must be the one most familiar with the specific arrangements. So, we ask that you takemand."


    Upon hearing this, Boris''s eyes gleamed with sharpness. "Then you''ll have to tell me your trump cards first. You can''t just have Shielding Power. While Shielding Power can block their presence, it can''t stop the power of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. I don''t want to go to my death alongside you. If Eterna and the others catch us, the oue will be... unimaginable."

 Chapter 514 The Cunning Terran, The Siege of Ten Gods!

    Terran paused for a moment, considering the situation, before deciding to reveal his trump cards. Up until now, he hadn''t noticed anything suspicious about Boris.


    Moreover, the contract they had just signed was crafted with caution. If Boris had any other malicious intentions or ideas against the Ashen side when he signed it, those thoughts would have been immediately wiped out by the power of the contract.


    Thus, Terran was certain that even if Boris still had other hidden motives, they could not possibly be rted to the Orichalcum Kingdom. The hatred and resentment Boris disyed were far too genuine to be fake.


    Soon, Boris learned of one of Terran and his allies'' hidden cards. It turned out to be another powerful item from the upper realms.


    It was a in-looking golden shield. This shield could form a Divine Power barrier, capable of withstanding attacks from higher-level divine authorities while also absorbing and rebounding the force of those attacks. However, it was a one-time-use item��after activation, it would break apart.


    All of this information was also learned by Sterl, who was deeply impressed. He couldn''t help but acknowledge that the established divine forces like Ashen had deep roots. Even a seemingly ordinary item could be invincible to gods of weak Divine Power levels.


    "Given this, I propose that we split into two groups," Boris quickly suggested. "I''ll lead part of the team to assassinate Hades and his followers, while the majority of you, under Mr. Terran''s leadership, will use Shielding Power tounch a surprise attack. Let''s aim to take down Eterna in one strike! That way, we might not even need to use the shield!"


    Boris''s quick analysis sounded sharp, but in reality, these ideas were Sterl''s.


    Terran was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Then, he gave Boris a long, scrutinizing look. "Hades is strong and shouldn''t be underestimated. Should we bring more people?"


    Boris immediately shook his head, decisively rejecting the suggestion. "Hmph, he''s nothing more than a trickster. As long as we strike with Shielding Power in effect, we can severely wound him in one blow, and he won''t be able to retaliate. Besides, Eterna already possesses all three Sword of Doomsday Judgment. Hades has no chance of turning the tide."


    "Then it''s settled," Terran said, without hesitation, and immediately began arranging the forces.


    With Boris included, ten gods were assigned to deal with Hades''s group. The rest of the forces would carry out the attack on Eterna''s main army, based on the coordinates provided by Boris.


    At Boris''s subtle request, the Goddess of Seduction was also added to the team targeting Hades. Her task, as she imed, was to use her charm abilities to reduce the margin for error.


    "Let''s go, victory will belong to us!"


    Terran said, and through their uniquemunication channel, he instructed everyone to keep a close eye on Boris. Then, leading over twenty gods, he sped toward the coordinates provided by Boris.


    This was the advantage of Shielding Power��with its protection, there was no need to worry about their presence being detected. They could fly at full speed, making it difficult for even gods to notice their movements!


    "Heh, Hades, you''ll pay a painful price for your actions. You will forever regret what you''ve done!"


    Boris threw a symbolic threat as he led the remaining nine gods toward Hades''s direction.


    "The show is about to begin,"


    Sterl, who had orchestrated everything, smiled expectantly. If things went as nned, both the Orichalcum Kingdom and Ashen would suffer heavy blows. He would emerge as a hero and savior of the Orichalcum Kingdom, and also the biggest beneficiary of it all. The thought alone made him excited.


    "Mr. Boris, do you truly hate the Orichalcum Kingdom so much? ording to what you''ve said, you only resent Hades and Eterna, but you''re also so disillusioned with your own kingdom?"


    The voice of the God of Werewolves rang in Boris''s ear. He had joined the group targeting Hades, but he couldn''t shake the strange feeling he had about Boris. It was as though the powerful three-divine authority god before him had a strange, puppet-like aura.


    However, Boris''s outburst of divine authority during his anger earlier could not have been faked. After all, they were all gods, and none of them were fools.


    Still, the God of Werewolves remained suspicious. Moreover, Terran''s warning had made it clear that even he did notpletely trust Boris. But with the stakes so high, and the fate of both factions hanging in the bnce, even if there was only a fifty percent chance that Boris was genuine, it was still worth the risk. After all, they had Shielding Power��even if this turned out to be a trap, they could use the upper realms divine shield to block the attack and escape immediately.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You don''t understand."


    Boris''s heart sank slightly. This beast covered in fur still doubted him. He darkened his expression and said coldly, "You don''t understand what it''s like. I''ve worked so hard for the kingdom for so many years, but in the end, I''m treated no better than some outsider who just joined. A kingdom like that doesn''t deserve my loyalty."


    The God of Werewolves paused. After a moment of reflection, he felt a touch of sympathy for Boris''s plight. He said no more, thinking perhaps he had been overthinking the situation.


    Under the cover of Shielding Power, their speed was incredible. Before long, they were near Sterl''s location.


    "Finally, they''re here."


    Sterl''s anticipation grew stronger as he watched the sword mark on his hand. He slowed his pace again, silently waiting for his prey to arrive.


    Morette and the other gods were puzzled as to why Hades was moving so slowly, but they just shook their heads in resignation, not addressing it. They knew Hades''s personality��he was stubborn and free-spirited, perhaps even secretly flirting with Diana at the moment!


    "Right there! Hurry!"


    Only about ten miles away, under the protection of Shielding Power, the group easily made their approach. At this distance, they could clearly see their target with the naked eye!


    Boris immediately pointed toward Sterl''s location, his eyes filled with the excitement and satisfaction of revenge about to be served.


    The God of Werewolves and the other gods exchanged nces, silently nodding to each other. They then used their privatemunication channels to ry information to Terran.


    "We''ve spotted Hades. We''re about tounch the ambush. Boris''s words seem trustworthy.


    I haven''t detected any signs of other gods, unless they too have Shielding Power, but that seems unlikely."


    Upon receiving this, Terran''s tension eased. He had never intended to go to the coordinates Hades had given him. Instead, he had quietly followed behind them, preparing for the final precaution.


    If this had truly been a plot from the Orichalcum Kingdom, his best strategy would have been to split them up, using the coordinates as bait to lure them in. Then, he would gather forces to destroy the smaller group. That way, a vast power disparity would emerge, and Orichalcum would secure victory.


    Fortunately, his concerns were unfounded. It seemed that Boris had indeed betrayed them. This wasn''t the Orichalcum Kingdom''s scheme��it was their chance! A chance to eliminate their greatest enemy in one fell swoop!


    "Let''s go! We can''t let them react in time!" Stay tuned for updates on empire


    After confirming the truth, Terran wasted no time and immediately changed course, heading toward Eterna''s location.


    "Heh, what an old fox."


    Sterl chuckled softly. He had to admit, Terran''s level of caution exceeded his expectations. Terran hadn''t trusted Boris at all and had been following them all along, preparing for any potential trap.


    But what he didn''t anticipate was that Sterl had Map Modules��a tool that allowed him to track their every move.


    Watching as Terran and his group veered off toward Eterna''s forces, he signaled Boris to begin the trap.


    "These fools, they haven''t realized anything yet. No wonder Shielding Power is so powerful!"


    Boris said, both excited and shocked.


    "Of course, Mr. Boris. You won''t regret joining us. Our foundation is far stronger than you might have imagined."


    After receiving Terran''s confirmation, the God of Werewolves no longer acted aggressively or skeptically toward Boris. Instead, he seemed quite rxed, watching the "unaware" Hades and the other gods in the distance, a cruel smile spreading across his face.


    "Let''s go together! Strike while the iron is hot and take down Hades first!"


    Under the cover of Shielding Power, with Boris leading, the group of ten gods quickly closed the gap to less than a kilometer from Sterl and his forces. For gods, that distance could be crossed in the blink of an eye.


    Sterl, however, was slightly surprised. He tried not to rely on the Map Module and instead relied on his senses. Yet, he couldn''t detect the gods approaching. It was clear now that Shielding Power wasn''t just an ordinary artifact. It reminded him of his own Map Module��this power likely belonged to some special privilege within [Transcendence], or perhaps... it was the power of code itself!


    "Kill!"


    At that moment, the ten godsunched their attack, but Sterl was already prepared. In his Ascend to Godhood state, he immediately activated Temporal-Spatial Law. Even though the ten gods attacked in unison, Time Law��a power that transcended the lower realms��froze their movements for the briefest moment.


    During that pause, Sterl quickly shoved Diana out of his embrace and shouted, "We''re under attack!"


    He then activated his greatest level of Invisibility, vanishing into the shadows of the world. By the time God of Werewolves and the others recovered, they were left dumbfounded as they realized that Hades... had disappeared!

 Chapter 515 Dianas Sorrow, Fishing in Troubled Waters

    "Damn it! He got away!?"


    Boris howled in fury, his face contorted in a snarl, resembling an enraged beast ready to devour its prey. The next moment, he looked ready tosh out violently.


    The God of Werewolves stood frozen, almost believing it was some kind of conspiracy or trap. But seeing no other gods nearby, and noticing Boris''s frantic expression, he quickly realized that Hades had truly vanished, slipping away right under the noses of the ten gods.


    It was absurd, but just as Morette and the other gods wereing to their senses, they suddenly realized that Ashen''s gods had managed to approach them undetected.


    "Those damn natives! How dare they attempt to ambush us! Kill them!"


    "Isn''t that Boris? What is he doing on Ashen''s side?"


    "What the hell! Did that bastard betray us?"


    One of the gods was horrified and tried to send a signal to Eterna''s side, only to realize it was being blocked by Shielding Power, preventing any messages from going through.


    "Where is Hades? Where did Hades go?!"


    "Could he have been killed by these natives working together?"


    The movements of the gods were all imbued with Divine Power, making them incredibly powerful. With ten gods acting in unison, they had already drowned out Sterl''s location, their chaotic Divine Power blocking any attempts to detect what was happening.


    So, they werepletely unaware of Hades'' current situation. However, deep down, they feared the worst.


    Though Hades was incredibly strong and could take on four or five gods of the same rank, that strength was built on the premise of a direct confrontation or an ambush. But now, the one being ambushed was Hades himself!


    Ten gods working together��no matter how powerful their Divine Authority, they would still be at risk of injury.


    "Damn it! These damn bastards! And Boris, that disgusting traitor��he''s going to die too!"


    Morette and the others were almost driven to madness. They had painstakingly recruited Hades, and now he was killed in a single blow? Hades had still possessed a Sword of Doomsday Judgment! Not only had they lost a top-tier fighter, but they had also lost a crucial trump card. How could they ept that?


    "Let''s fight them to the end!"


    One of the gods roared in fury, no longer caring about strategy. He charged straight at one of Ashen''s gods. Morette, meanwhile, summoned the Thunder Law, his body crackling with energy as he frenziedly rushed toward Boris, consumed with rage. He would obliterate this traitor, turning him to dust!


    "Forget about it! Whether Hades is dead or alive, we need to suppress the others first!"


    One of the Ashen gods spoke up, and immediately joined the fray. The God of Werewolves felt his mind spinning, confusion clouding his thoughts. But with enemies charging toward him, he had no choice but to fight back.


    Now that Hades was gone, Orichalcum''s gods had one less powerful warrior. However, they still had Boris, the traitor with three Divine Authorities on their side. Their odds were high. Once they secured the battle here, they could shift focus and assist Terran, ensuring their victory was absolute.


    The battle grew fierce, and all the gods were now fighting with everything they had.


    Meanwhile, Diana, who had been pushed aside by Sterl moments earlier, slowly began to realize what was happening. She stared at the chaos unfolding on the battlefield, stunned at first. Then, an indescribable sense of sorrow surged within her. Her eyes quickly filled with tears, and they began to roll down her cheeks.


    Her Hades... was he dead? Had he died for her, killed by these despicable natives, all of them working together to destroy him?


    She stood frozen, unable to face the brutal reality. Her body trembled involuntarily from the overwhelming grief.


    Though Sterl and Diana had only been together for a few days, that figure seemed to possess some kind of magic, filling her heart, which appeared strong on the outside but was actually empty and hollow, with an overwhelming presence.


    At this moment, her mind kept shing back to "Sterl"��his dominance, his yfulness, his tenderness... and the day he descended from the sky, stepping onto the rainbow-colored divine light, instantly obliterating the gods who had sought to vite her and rescuing her from the depths of despair. That scene still tore at her heart, leaving her in indescribable pain.


    Gradually, a terrifying power began to gather within her. Her reddened eyes were shrouded in darkness, as the two Divine Authorities of Swamps and Archery swirled around her, activating with immense force. But at this moment, it felt as though a new power was awakening inside her, one she quickly seized control of.


    This power was known as Sadness... and Destruction! Experience new tales on empire


    Of course, she hadn''t gained new Divine Authorities. Instead, she had tapped into the Laws associated with these two forces.


    "I''ll kill you all... for my Hades... for revenge!"


    She let out a roar as cold as the depths of the sea, her once gentle and graceful face now shrouded in endless frost. She looked like a god of sorrow, emanating an aura that struck fear into anyone who dared look upon her.


    "Die, die, die, die!!"


    Harnessing overwhelming Divine Power, she shoved Morette aside andunched herself into a frenzied battle with Boris. She was determined to kill this traitor with her own hands��this traitor who was responsible for everything that had led to this tragedy.


    Morette blinked in surprise. When he realized it was Diana, he let out a soft sigh. Then, he shifted his fury to the other gods of Ashen.


    Meanwhile, through the Shadow World, Sterl, who had already moved dozens of miles away from the battlefield, watched the scene unfold on his map module. He saw Diana, consumed by grief and rage, fighting Boris with an intensity that made him feel both pleased and conflicted.


    It was, without a doubt, a source of pride to know that a goddess could feel such sorrow and madness for him. But at the same time, the deeper Diana''s feelings grew, the more it made Sterl feel guilty. After all, when he first approached Diana, it was with the intent to manipte and possess her. He hadn''t expected her feelings to run so deep for him, and now he didn''t quite know how to face her.


    While Sterl was troubled by this, the one truly suffering was Boris.


    Having already activated the Follower''s Mark, Boris had be Sterl''s most loyal subordinate. So when Dianaunched her berserk assault, he was at a loss, unable to speak his mind. After all, this was his Mistress. If he identally harmed her, his master would definitely y him alive.


    Reluctantly, Boris could only retreat as he fought, quickly pulling Diana out of the central area of the battle. If any careless fool harmed the Mistress, he would have no way to exin it.


    At this moment, Diana gathered her Divine Power, drawing her bow and releasing an arrow. Caught off guard, Boris could only hurriedly defend himself, but the arrow pierced straight through his defense, causing him to cough up blood.


    "Damn traitor! Coward! Trash! How dare you betray my Hades! I''ll capture your soul and turn you into a filthy wild boar!"


    Diana continued her relentless assault, attacking with fury while tears streamed down her face. This sight caused Boris to feel a wave of grievance, but he couldn''t voice it. This wasn''t his fault��everything was part of his master''s n, so how could he be med? He wanted to cry, but there were no tears.


    Sterl shook his head. "Women are troublesome, even goddesses. Whatever. If worsees to worst, I''ll just confront Diana directly. If she can''t ept it, I''ll activate the Follower''s Mark. I don''t have time to exin orfort her."


    Although Hades'' personality had been deliberately disguised by him, it wasn''tpletely far from his true nature��dominant! Forceful! He never epted opposition.


    Sterl then activated Blood of the Ancient One: Reforged, shifting his appearance and aura to that of apletely unfamiliar being. He also triggered the third function of the ability, concealing all of his personal information. This way, even gods wouldn''t be able to detect his true identity, and no one would be able to link him to either Hades or Sterl.


    "Truly a perfect support ability."


    He muttered with a touch of admiration. "The Ancient One really does produce top-tier items." He had lost count of how many useful items he had "acquired" from the Ancient One by now.


    After doing all of this, Sterl activated The Power of Spacetime and instantly reappeared at the core of the battlefield. The battle had be utter chaos. Twenty gods were fighting fiercely, and the various Divine Powers in the air werepletely disrupting the flow of energy. With Sterl hidden so deeply, no one had noticed the presence of an additional person on the battlefield.


    At this moment, Morette was engaged in a fierce battle with a two-Divine Authority god from Ashen. Fueled by anger and divine empowerment, Morette was steadily overwhelming his opponent, raining down a barrage of deadly strikes as if they cost nothing. The Ashen god, enduring a storm of Lightning Judgement, constantly retaliated. In this state, it would take at least half a day before any clear winner could be determined.


    "Heh, why don''t I lend you a hand?"


    Sterl''s face lit up with a smirk of eager anticipation. Taking advantage of the brief moment when bothbatants were gathering power, he appeared between them in an instant.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The sudden appearance caught Morette and the other god off guard. The aura that radiated from Sterl was unlike anything they had ever encountered before��apletely unfamiliar presence. Was this a new god?


    "Who are you��?"


    Before Morette could finish his sentence, Sterl immediately activated Temporal-Spatial Law, and simultaneously unleashed both Flowing Water Law and Dark Moon Law on the two gods. The force of the attack sent them both staggering back, their auras disturbed, and they couldn''t help but vomit blood.


    As they tried to regain theirposure, preparing to counterattack, they were stunned to realize that their opponent had vanished without a trace!


    Both gods blinked in shock, their eyes wide with confusion. Could this be some insane person who had appeared out of nowhere?


    In the meantime, Morette, still recovering from the shock, channeled his Thunder Law and hurled it toward the Ashen god. The Ashen god, now alert, quickly responded, and the two gods resumed their fierce battle.


    Meanwhile, Sterl stood outside the battlefield, a grin of excitement on his face.


    "The mark�� it''s been ced!"

 Chapter 516 Stirring Chaos, All Engravings Complete!

    He unleashed hundreds of attacks in rapid session against the two targets. Each strike triggered a mental resistance check from the power of


    Blood of the Ancient One


    . In his ascend to godhood state, Sterl''s mental attributes were on par with even the weakest deities wielding minor Divine Power.


    This meant every attack carried a high probability of passing the check. However, to ensure absolute sess��especially since both deities were fully conscious, unlike Boris, who had been burdened by a dual curse of fear and the looming threat of death��Sterl executed an overwhelming number of strikes. Thanks to the augmentation of the Time Law, this barrage of attacks was executed in a single, blinding instant.


    And the result?


    Sterl''s heart surged with tion as he sensed the follower imprints within Morette and the other deity. The power of


    Blood of the Ancient One


    was beyond extraordinary!


    Come to think of it, even Gloria had once been subdued by this very force, without a sound or trace. And back then, the power at his disposal had been an extremely diluted fragment of the Ancient One''s essence��a mere shadow of its true strength. Now, enhanced through his cheat system, that fragment had evolved into theplete Blood of the Ancient One, further refined with numerous beneficial enhancements. Naturally, the effects were far more devastating.


    "Gaining two divine-level subordinates so effortlessly�� This is truly��" Sterl muttered, unable to suppress his amazement.


    But deep down, he knew this was not the pinnacle of the


    Blood of the Ancient One


    . The current limits of his evolution abilities prevented the bloodline from advancing further. However, once his evolutionary powers reached the next stage, the


    Blood of the Ancient One


    was bound to undergo an even more profound transformation!


    Who could say? Perhaps it would gain efficacy against higher-tier divine authorities or even greater entities. Alternatively, it might grant some other unforeseen advantages. In any case, with the Ancient One''s might as its foundation, the potential of


    Blood of the Ancient One


    was nothing short of limitless.


    "Let''s keep going��"


    Narrowing his eyes, Sterl decided not to activate the follower imprints within the two deities just yet. The timing wasn''t ideal for achieving maximum impact. After all, his goal wasn''t merely to secure victory for the Nation of Orichalcum, but to utterly crush both Orichalcum''s enemies and the local pantheon of gods, iming dominance as the sole ruler! Explore more at empire


    This ambition required every move to be calcted with the utmost precision, ensuring maximum effectiveness and reward.


    Returning his focus to the battlefield, Sterl prepared to strike again.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Battles between gods could manifest as spectacr shes of destructive abilities, with each strike resembling an apocalyptic disaster. But they could also take the form of silent, razor-sharp contests of Laws and divine authority, appearing deceptively calm yet brimming with lethal peril.


    At this moment, two gods stood locked in battle, each unleashing their divine authority and Law Power. One transformed into a searing, boiling flow of molten magma, while the other manifested as a torrential downpour of rain.


    The two starkly contrasting forces surged and collided, rapidly expanding in scale. The rain, imbued with Divine Power, poured down with unrelenting force, seeking to extinguish theva entirely. Below, the magma churned and rose, stacking upon itself and surging toward the heavens like a catastrophic me rebelling against the skies.


    "Be extinguished!"


    "I''ll burn you to ashes!"


    Boom!


    The heavens trembled, and the earth turned crimson. On the battlefield created by their sh, the sky shifted into a deep red hue. Scorching droplets of Divine Power rained down intermittently, creating massive craters in the ground, as though struck by cannon fire. Even the Divine Power barriers erected by other battling gods nearby began to show signs of erosion under the assault.


    After unleashing their ultimate attacks, the two gods revealed their physical forms. They red at each other with undisguised hatred��one fighting to repel an intruder, the other battling desperately for a ce to call home.


    Even as gods, with their humanity gradually resurfacing, they disyed raw emotions, their faces twisted in fury and enmity.


    "It''s my turn now," Sterl murmured.


    Hiding deep within the shadow realm, his presence fully cloaked by the Blood of the Ancient One, Sterl let a faint smirk y on his lips. The very next moment, without any warning, he leaped out of the void, catching both gods entirely off guard.


    The two froze in unison, their eyes wide with shock. A primal sense of dread surged through their souls, but before they could even react, their bodies became immobilized. It was as if they were insects trapped in resin,pletely unable to move, only capable of watching helplessly as the creeping corruption overtook them.


    "Why resist? Wouldn''t it be better to just surrender peacefully?" Sterl''s voice wasced with calm mockery.


    In a single, seamless move, Sterl struck. Taking advantage of the two gods'' terror-frozen state, he effortlessly imnted follower imprints within their very beings. As the gods felt the barrage of what seemed like hundreds of attacks piercing their bodies, despair filled their hearts.


    The sheer strangeness and overwhelming strength of this entity were beyondprehension. Over a hundred attacks in such a brief instant��when their bodies finally regained control, wouldn''t they have been reduced to nothing but ashes?


    But just as the two gods teetered on the brink of utter hopelessness, the mysterious figure suddenly vanished, leaving them stunned. Their bodies returned to normal, entirely unharmed.


    "What�� what just happened?"


    The god on Orichalcum''s side stood dazed, inspecting his body carefully. To his astonishment, he found no visible damage. Gathering his soul''s power, he conducted a thorough scan, checking for any hidden injuries or traces of corruption left within him.


    However, even as gods, their soul levels only reached a mere five or six. Sterl''s soul level, on the other hand, was a staggering 60. On top of that, his recent spree of carnage had earned him two additional levels of soul experience, still unallocated.


    The gap was insurmountable. Even if they searched for an eternity, they would never discover the shadow he had left behind.


    The disparity in strength was so vast that, no matter how meticulously the god examined himself, the result was the same: nothing appeared to be wrong.


    Turning his gaze to the enemy opposite him, he saw the same expression of confusion and uncertainty. Suspicion flickered across his mind��just who was this lunatic that had suddenly appeared? And why had he attacked them both simultaneously?


    However, with everything seemingly back to normal, the battle resumed immediately. After all, as long as the opponent was still standing, there was always the risk of being the one to fall.


    This time, though, both gods exercised more restraint. While continuing to fight, they each held back some of their strength, warily observing the surrounding space, prepared for the madman to reappear without warning.


    "Two more!"


    Sterl''s spirits soared. This was like striking gold! Every god wasn''t just a powerful asset but also a treasure trove of resources.


    If not for this war, it would have been nearly impossible for him to find lone gods to target. But now? Finding gods was as easy as picking fruit from a tree.


    "Am I... profiting from war?"


    The thought crossed his mind, and he realized it might indeed be the case. This war was destined to happen, but with his meddling, it had escted faster. Besides, he was a participant too��albeit still under a concealed identity, quietly biding his time.


    And since he was lying low, he had to maximize his growth. By the time the decisive battle arrived, he intended to have amassed overwhelming power. Sterl was facing multiple divine-level factions, while he himself was only a third-ss being��the difference between a human and an ant.


    Of course, this particr "ant" was farrger and more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.


    As the battle raged on, Sterl continued to watch for opportunities, ensuring every move carried a foolproof sess rate. A single misstep��whether being ganged up on by other gods or exposing his identity��couldpletely derail his ns.


    Fortunately, with his mastery over the Time Law, even four or five gods could be frozen for a time, let alone two. The chaotic elements and overflowing Divine Power in the area couldn''t interfere with the higher-tier effects of his temporal powers.


    Before long, aside from Boris and Diana, Sterl had sessfully marked every one of the eighteen gods from the Nation of Orichalcum and Ashen with his follower imprints.


    Unaware of their fate, these gods had all unknowingly be Sterl''s eternal vespletely loyal, incapable of betrayal.


    "My Lord, save me! Please, save me!"


    A weak, panicked voice suddenly echoed through one of the follower imprints. Sterl focused on it and quickly realized��it was Boris calling out for help.


    "Well, well��" Sterl muttered, narrowing his eyes. This should be interesting.


    At this moment, Boris was on the verge of being beaten to a pulp by Diana. Despite his strength being superior to hers, he held back in fear of her status and identity. Faced with Diana''s relentless and ferocious onught, Boris could only dodge and defend, avoiding direct confrontation.


    But Diana was still a god, after all. The gap between them was minimal, and as the battle dragged on, Boris was left battered and bloodied. His waist had been pierced by an arrow, leaving a gaping wound, and one of his kidneys had beenpletely destroyed.


    If not for his extraordinary vitality, he would have been dead on the spot long ago.


    "Almost forgot about this," Sterl muttered to himself, observing Diana''s icy demeanor and murderous intent. The contrast between her current state and her previous gentle, clinging attitude toward him was stark��it was like looking at twopletely different people.


    No wonder they say women are unpredictable. It''s not a lie, after all.


    Still, Boris couldn''t be allowed to die��not yet, at least. A god wielding three divine authorities was already a rarity. Now that Boris had be his follower, there might be a way to push him beyond his limits. If that seeded, Sterl would gain a subordinate at the level of high-tier divine authority.


    However, rushing into the battle directly seemed beneath him. It wouldn''t do to damage his carefully maintained image of superiority.


    With a subtle thought, Sterl sent a signal to Boris.


    Upon receiving the message, Boris''s face immediately contorted in despair.


    "Master, are you sure about this?" he asked with a trembling voice.


    "Just do what I told you! Stop wasting time with pointless questions!" Sterl barked in response.


    Boris let out a helpless groan, his expression a mixture of reluctance and resignation. Yet, bound by the absolute loyalty of the follower imprint, he had no choice but to obey Sterl''smands.


    "Master, please�� please don''t leave me hanging! If you''rete, I''m done for!"


    Muttering a silent prayer, Boris braced himself. In the next moment, an overwhelming surge of power erupted from within him.


    The strength he had been suppressing out of hesitation and concern now exploded with terrifying intensity. Boris, the strongest warrior of the Nation of Orichalcum aside from Eterna, finally unleashed his full might.


    There was no way he could lose to Diana��not when he stopped holding back.

 Chapter 517 Is the Goddess Ready to Die for Love?

    The higher the level of existence, the less likely it is to see the so-called "berserk mode" often depicted in novels and TV shows. Gods are no exception. At this level, every ounce of power requires painstaking effort to umte and cannot simply erupt in bursts.


    As for anger and hatred, these emotions only serve to weaken a god''s rationality. Once their logic deteriorates, not only will their strength fail to improve, but they might struggle to wield their full capabilities effectively.


    The same principle applied to Diana. Though she appeared to be growing stronger under the shroud of hatred, forcing Boris, a god with three divine authorities, into retreat and leaving him defenseless, the truth was far simpler: Boris had been holding back, unwilling to counterattack due to her status.


    Now, however, with his master''s permission, Boris''s long-suppressed frustration erupted all at once. He was no ordinary deity; he was a being with three divine authorities and one of the most crucial figures in the Nation of Orichalcum. To be beaten into such a sorry state by Diana��how could he endure it any longer?


    In an instant!


    The overwhelming pressure of three divine authorities exploded outward. Diana, who had moments earlier been brimming with aggressive momentum and forcing Boris to retreat step by step, suddenly found her breathing falter. Her aura, previously dominant, was immediately suppressed.


    It was evident that Diana was no match for Boris when he unleashed his full strength. If Boris had wanted to, he could have easily used the same attack he had employed against Sterl to directly suppress her.


    Yet, despite the terrifying pressure, Diana''s expression remained unchanged. The only difference was the resolute determination and willingness to die now gleaming in her eyes.


    Her Hades was dead, and it was all because of this damned traitor. If she had to perish, then she would take Boris down with her!


    Suddenly, the powers of Swamp divine authority and Archery divine authority began rapidly converging in Diana''s grasp. A colorful arrow, entwined with the energy of the swamp, materialized in her hand. Her delicate, jade-like fingers drew an ethereal bowstring from the air, and in a sh, a massive longbow manifested.


    The next moment, Diana channeled all her Divine Power into the bow, infusing the already terrifying arrow with even greater destructive force. The sheer intensity of the arrow''s power seemed capable of piercing through space itself.


    At this, Boris''s expression shifted, turning serious. He hadn''t expected Diana''s outburst to be so fearsome. Now, even without Sterl''s orders, he had no choice but to take action. Otherwise, he faced a genuine risk of annihtion.


    Without hesitation, Boris activated his three divine authorities: Curses, Desert, and Battle. These powers intertwined and formed a rapidly spinning vortex before him, growing stronger with every passing moment.


    In an instant!


    Diana''s arrow, infused with all her Divine Power, shot forward. As it tore through the air, it left ripples of distorted space in its wake. The speed was blinding, resembling a radiant beam of light streaking toward Boris with unstoppable force.


    In the blink of an eye, the arrow closed in on Boris, carrying thebined might of the Swamp and Archery Laws. Its sharp and deadly power radiated an overwhelming sense of danger, so intense that even Boris felt a deep and primal threat.


    But by this moment, Boris''s counterattack was fully formed. The vortex in front of him spun faster and faster, a cursed whirlpool imbued with terrifying gravitational force, perfectly positioned to intercept the iing arrow.


    Immediately, the arrow''s speed dropped sharply. The powers of the two divine authorities and Laws embedded in it shed violently with the vortex, which was infused with the Curses and Desert divine authorities. The two forces, evenly matched, grappled with each other, locking the arrow in ce. Simultaneously, the strength of the vortex began to wane, rapidly consuming itself in the struggle.


    At this critical moment, Boris unleashed the power he had been channeling in his hand. With a roar, he hurled a punch forward, activating his Battle divine authority. Behind him, a massive shadow materialized, its fist cloaked in zing Divine Power, mirroring Boris''s movements as it mmed into the arrow with earth-shaking force.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Boom!


    In an instant, the arrow��already immobilized by the vortex��was utterly obliterated by the punch. Diana''s ultimate attack, imbued with all her strength and divine essence, shattered into countless fragments, vanishing like ephemeral bubbles. Only the residual shockwaves, saturated with lethal destructive energy, remained, bearing witness to the arrow''s terrifying presence moments ago.


    Diana faltered, her heart sinking into an abyss of despair. She had underestimated Boris''s strength. In the earlier battle with Hades, Boris''s swift defeat had led many gods to question his power.


    Your next chapter is on empire


    But now, facing Boris head-on, she understood the truth: Boris wasn''t weak��Hades was simply too strong. Strong enough to make even someone as terrifyingly powerful as Boris crumble like paper before him.


    However, as she thought about her mighty,manding Hades, she felt a deep and agonizing sorrow. That invincible figure, reduced to a victim of betrayal, had been killed by these gods who exploited Shielding Power. The grief gnawed at her, sapping her fighting spirit.


    Adding to her despair was the fact that herst arrow, a strike containing everything she had, was effortlessly neutralized. She no longer had the strength to continue this battle. Against Boris, she was utterly powerless.


    Meanwhile, the vortex still lingered, and Boris stood wrapped in the energy of Battle Law, his form enveloped in the remnants of the apocalyptic whirlpool. His presence was awe-inspiring, a manifestation of raw power. Even the gods from the Ashen faction were taken aback by Boris''s overwhelming disy.


    None of them had expected this so-called defector to possess such terrifying strength. It was now clear that without two or three gods of simr standing working together, it would be impossible to contain or defeat him.


    With Boris dominating the battlefield, the tide of this conflict would soon turn in their favor.


    At that moment, the gods from the Ashen faction realized that with Diana''s defeat, they could quickly shift their forces to support the Terran front,pletely annihting Orichalcum''s remaining strength in one decisive strike. This thought ignited their morale even further. Their relentless pressure continued to bear down on Orichalcum''s gods, who were already outnumbered without Sterl. Even if they wanted to assist Diana, they couldn''t spare the manpower.


    If Diana were to fall to Boris, the already disadvantageous situation of nine against ten would worsen to eight against ten. And with Boris''s terrifying strength, there seemed to be no hope of turning the tide.


    "Boris, you damn traitor! Curse you!"


    "Betrayer! You will be forever nailed to the pir of shame and condemned to an eternity in hell!"


    "Do you think these filthy natives will value you just because you defected? Trash is trash, no matter where it stands! Eventually, you''ll be discarded like a pig��skinned, dismembered, and devouredpletely!"


    Seeing that victory was slipping away, the gods of Orichalcum lost all pretense of dignity. Their rage and despair at the prospect of death spilled over into furious insults hurled at Boris, their voices trembling with venomous anger and unwillingness to ept their fate.


    "Mr. Boris, please rest assured!" one of Ashen''s gods quickly interjected. "The Nation of Orichalcum was blind to neglect a hero and a top-tier powerhouse like you. Thanks to your contributions, our victory is assured. You will forever hold a ce of honor among us Ashen gods!"


    The gods of Ashen scrambled to defend Boris. They knew the oue of the entire battle hinged on him. If Boris suddenly had a change of heart and turned against them, the situation could reverse in an instant. Regardless of their personal feelings, none dared to say or do anything that might upset him.


    But deep down, Boris sneered. Orichalcum? Ashen? What were theypared to his master?


    After being subdued by Sterl and marked with the follower imprint, Boris had learned something astonishing: his master wasn''t even a legendary figure. Sterl was merely a yer, not even part of the divine hierarchy!


    And what did that mean?


    A being of third ss rising to y gods, challenging the heavens themselves. Even the mythical chief deities of old couldn''t aplish such feats during this era.


    But Sterl had done it. He ughtered gods as easily as butchering livestock. Even the power of high-tier divine authority couldn''t suppress him. The potential Sterl carried was immeasurable��a future where he would establish his divine kingdom and ascend to be a chief deity, standing above countless worlds and gods.


    No��Sterl''s future was even brighter than that. Transcendence. He would rise beyond all gods, surpassing the concept of divinity itself.


    To follow such a master was to unleash Boris''s own potential to the fullest. Only under Sterl''smand could Boris hope to explore the vastness of true power and witness an even grander future.


    For this reason, Boris resolved toplete his master''s ns wlessly, without reservation or hesitation. Sterl''s will was absolute.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Boris''s gaze toward Diana changed. The tension and fear that once filled his eyes were reced with a resolute determination.


    "Mistress, forgive me. This is all by the master''smand," he murmured softly.


    In the next moment, thebined powers of his three Laws and divine authorities surged together. The force he unleashed here, in the open battlefield, was far superior to what he could wield within the secluded sanctum of the temple.


    The heavens shifted dramatically. Dark, churning clouds rolled across the sky, and an unrelenting storm of yellow sand swept in, shrouding everything within a radius of hundreds of miles. Within this sandstorm was an eerie Power of the Curse, which drained the strength and spirit of every being caught in it. Whether they were mere mortals or legendary demigods, all felt a debilitating weakness, their legs trembling beneath them as they struggled even to remain standing.


    Amid the swirling sands, Boris''s Battle Law coalesced into his fists. Step by step, he advanced through the air toward Diana, an imposing figure framed by the storm. Behind him, a towering avatar of yellow sand materialized, its form resembling a Doombringer Demon God, an apocalyptic specter born of despair and destruction.


    Raising his hand, Boris unleashed a devastating punch toward Diana with the full force of his power.


    Diana, however, stood motionless in the void. Unlike before, this time she did not flee, nor did she disy fear. She merely stared nkly at the iing attack, so close now that it was nearly upon her. In that fleeting moment, her mind wandered, recalling the day when she had been besieged by numerous gods, on the verge of being suppressed and enved.


    In that desperate hour, he had appeared. Descending from the heavens, shrouded in rainbow-colored light, a white-d war god stood before her like a sacred knight sent to protect her from the divine realm. He was domineering, powerful, extraordinary, and breathtakingly beautiful��


    But s, it was all just a dream. A fleeting illusion that had dissolved in the blink of an eye.


    "Hades�� have youe to take me with you?"


    Her body trembled with fear, every cell screaming at her to run, to escape. Yet, her eyes remained vacant, fixed on the approaching attack. In that moment, it was as though she were gazing upon a figure she could never see again��a figure forever lost to her.

 Chapter 518 The Drama King Takes the Stage, A Perfect Curtain Call!

    A fierce hurricane roared past, scattering countless grains of sand across the earth. In this moment, everything returned to stillness��dust to dust, earth to earth.


    Diana finally closed her eyes, her consciousness slowly slipping away�� or so she thought.


    "Is this�� death? Why does it feel so empty, so devoid of sensation?


    So this is what true death feels like. That''s good, I suppose. Hades must not have felt any pain either. He passed so quickly, after all."


    She murmured to herself as she felt her awareness gradually descending. Her body seemed to grow lighter, almost ethereal. In her heart, she clung to oneforting thought: she was a god, and so was Hades. If even mortals had the chance to ascend to the heavens after death, then surely she and Hades would meet again in the divine afterlife.


    But�� why did it feel like someone was standing beside her?


    "Stupid girl, are you so eager for me to die?"


    Suddenly, arge hand wrapped around her slender, delicate waist and pulled her forcefully into a solid embrace.


    Diana''s entire body jolted. That voice��it was familiar, impossibly so. A voice she should never have been able to hear again. Could it be�� Hades? Had hee for her?


    "No, no, this must be an illusion," she muttered to herself. "I''m a god. Even if my soul is fading, there''s always a transitional phase beforeplete annihtion. This must be my heart''s deepest longing ying tricks on me. But it''s all a dream�� Hades is gone."


    She sighed sorrowfully, yet something didn''t add up. In this supposed "illusion," why did the voice seem to echo right next to her ear? And why did the familiar sensation of that hand around her waist feel so vividly real?


    Confused, Diana slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was not a dream, but a pair of eyes��Sterl''s eyes��gazing at her with a mix of warmth and a look that could only be described as seeing an idiot.


    "So, this is what gods are like? Turns out, they can be idiots too," Sterl said, exasperation coloring his voice. Was this a universal thing with women? He''d seen this kind of reaction far too many times before.


    As Diana remained in a daze, her face full of disbelief, clearly still questioning whether this was reality or an illusion, Sterl raised his hand high into the air. Without hesitation, he brought it down in a firm p on her soft, round behind.


    Smack!


    The crisp sound echoed through the quiet surroundings. Diana''s shapely hips, struck with such force, deformed momentarily under the impact, bouncing and rippling like a springy jelly. The sight was almost enough to tempt someone into delivering another blow, perhaps with something far more direct.


    Before long, the skin beneath the thin fabric began to flush a vivid red, swelling slightly from the sting. The sharp pain shot through Diana''s nerves, snapping her out of her daze.


    This wasn''t a dream. This wasn''t an illusion. It was all real!


    She looked up, stunned, at the tall and imposing figure before her. It was Hades��his towering frame casting a shadow thatpletely enveloped her, as if shielding her from all the harm in the world.


    For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt safe. Like nothing could reach her so long as he was there.


    A faint divine radiance enveloped the figure, casting a dreamy glow that seemed almost surreal. Watching this scene unfold, Diana was momentarily transfixed. A profound sense of loss and recovery surged through her heart, overwhelming her emotions.


    "Don''t fall for me. I''m just a legend," Sterl thought smugly to himself, barely holding back augh. He had waited patiently for this perfect moment to execute his grand entrance. The timing was impable, and the effect? Absolutely wless. Explore stories on empire


    His gaze swept forward,nding on Boris, who was frozen in ce with a face full of disbelief. Boris raised a trembling hand, pointing at him like he was staring at an unfathomable demon god.


    "H-how�� how is this possible?!" Boris stammered, his voice quivering. "It''s you?! You''re supposed to be dead! Didn''t we kill you together? How can you still be alive?!"


    Boris''s expression went through a masterss transformation: from stiff shock to doubtful disbelief, then gradually twisting into terror and utter dread. If there were an award for divine acting, Boris would have swept it effortlessly. Compared to him, the so-called Oscars were mere trinkets for amateurs. Boris wasn''t just an actor��he was a seasoned veteran, a true master of the craft. His performance couldn''t have been more perfect.


    The other gods, equally stunned, fixed their eyes on Sterl, who now stood beside Diana. The gods from the Ashen faction began to panic.


    Where had this mane from? Hadn''t they collectively annihted him just moments ago? Even if they hadn''t outright killed him, surely he''d have been gravely wounded and forced to flee. Yet here he was, not just alive but seemingly in perfect condition, as though he''d just finished watching an action movie rather than surviving an epic battle.


    On the other hand, Morette and the other Orichalcum gods froze for only a second before erupting into unrestrained joy.


    They had known it all along! With Hades''s strength, how could these despicable worms possibly kill him? Their pitiful tricks couldn''t harm him in the slightest.


    As expected, here he was, once again appearing at the most critical moment, making his dramatic and invincible entrance to overturn everything.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At this point, Boris let out another piercing cry, though this time his words bordered on nonsensical.


    "No! No one can survive an attack from ten gods! Not even a high-tier divine authority! Who are you?! Are you an avatar of one of the chief deities?!


    How can someone like you exist��so powerful, invincible, domineering, beyondprehension?! This defies the boundaries of the world, surpasses all rules of reality! Could it be�� are you aiming to be a chief deity yourself?!"


    Sterl''smanding, imperious expression faltered ever so slightly, his brow twitching as ck lines metaphorically appeared across his forehead.


    He had just been admiring Boris''s acting, and now this fool hadpletely overdone it. What was this nonsense? It wasn''t even exaggeration anymore��it was outright incoherent praise. Sterl silently groaned to himself. This was amateurish ttery at its absolute worst.


    Boris seemed to realize his earlier misstep. A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly twisted his face into an expression of seething anger.


    "Hades! You dare appear before me again? I swear I''ll drag you down with me, even if it costs me my life!"


    With a furious roar, Boris summoned all his strength andunched himself recklessly at Hades, throwing another ferocious strike with everything he had.


    However, at that moment, Sterl raised a single finger and casually pointed forward. It was as if some unseen, inexplicable force coursed through the air. Boris''s body convulsed violently. The next second, as if struck by an invisible hammer, he spat out a mouthful of blood and was hurled backward at incredible speed.


    His form tumbled uncontrobly through the air until he disappeared from view, only to crash heavily into the ground far in the distance, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust. His aura immediately plummeted, leaving him feeble and lifeless.


    This explosive turn of events stunned everyone present into silence.


    Hades had grown even stronger during his brief absence?


    Could Boris''s earlier words have been true? Was Hades truly some avatar of an unimaginably powerful chief deity, descending to this world merely for amusement and to experience mortal life for a time?


    "Retreat!"


    "Use the Shielding Power!"


    Ashen''sst remaining god with dual divine authorities shouted with no hesitation. In his desperation, he even willingly took a direct blow from his opponent, staggering as he turned to flee without so much as a nce behind him. After putting some distance between himself and the battlefield, he immediately activated Shielding Power in a frantic bid for safety.


    The remaining eight gods, including the Goddess of Seduction, followed suit, scattering in panic. They had no desire to stay any longer.


    What they had just witnessed was pure madness. None of them had even seen how Hades attacked. There had been no perceptible aura, no buildup��nothing. All they saw was Boris, a powerhouse wielding three divine authorities and the strongest in the Nation of Orichalcum besides Eterna, being blown away like a rag doll. His fate was now unknown, and he might even be dead.


    This power went far beyond their understanding of minor divine authorities. It was unmistakably the kind of strength only a high-tier divine authority could wield��if not greater. To encounter such overwhelming might here, in this ce, was beyond unfair.


    Fear had utterly consumed them, draining their will to fight. All they could think to do was run.


    Morette and the others initially considered giving chase, but the fleeing gods quickly activated their Shielding Power, vanishing without leaving behind even a trace of their presence or aura.


    Sterl, however, wasn''t finished. His eyes lingered on the space where the Ashen gods had disappeared. Slowly, he lifted his foot and then, in an instant, vanished from his spot.


    Momentster, from the empty sky in the far distance, a sudden, agonized wail echoed through the air. A surge of Divine Power rippled outward, apanied by the sound of blood erupting like a bursting balloon.


    Not long after, another explosion of blood urred, followed by the fleeting trace of an Ashen god''s aura��which then vanished entirely, as if the god had been utterly destroyed.


    To the onlookers, it seemed as though Sterl had turned even the fleeing gods into nothing more than a memory.


    After several more bursts of blood explosions, Sterl reappeared before Diana. Standing tall with his hands behind his back, his golden hair danced wildly in the air, and his overwhelming aura filled the heavens. To Morette and the other gods, only two words came to mind: invincible power.


    "Unfortunately, they ran too fast. I only managed to take down five of them. Sadly, Boris escaped, so I couldn''t avenge you," Sterl said softly, his tone carrying a trace of regret. As he spoke, he gently caressed Diana''s smooth, delicate cheek, his voice calm andposed.


    Diana, however, waspletely stunned, her gaze fixed on him in awe. Her heart swelled with boundless joy, as though wrapped in the warmth of the sun. Of course, her hero would never abandon her. But then, she realized that everything she had done earlier��all of it��had been seen by Hades.


    At that thought, her cheeks flushed crimson, resembling a ripe peach so tender and inviting that it seemed irresistible.


    Meanwhile, Morette and the other gods, who had barely survived the ordeal, were growing numb to Sterl''s words.


    Did he just say he managed to kill five gods despite them using Shielding Power to flee? How was that even possible?


    Surely, this had to be cheating, right?


    And, as it turned out, they were correct. Sterl was indeed "cheating," using abination of omniscient vision and god-level tracking, rendering all attempts at disguise and concealment entirely useless.


    Of course, the truth was slightly different. Sterl hadn''t actually killed those fleeing gods. Instead, he had only injured them, as they were all marked with his follower imprints. They were his loyal subordinates, after all, and killing them outright would be counterproductive.


    His real motive was twofold: first, to deceive the Nation of Orichalcum into believing their gods had perished, and second, to test if he could im some extra contribution points for their "deaths." After all, no one could prove whether they were truly dead or not.


    As for the escaping Ashen gods, they had initially intended to send a warning to the Terran faction. However, with a subtle activation of their follower imprints, Sterl erased this thought from their minds entirely.


    Of course, he didn''t fully activate the imprints. With so many marked followers, doing so could risk attracting the attention of higher-tier divine authorities or even more powerful beings.


    Sterl, as always, moved carefully, every action part of arger n.

 Chapter 519 Eternas Ominous Premonition, Divine Light Strike!

    The followers'' Mark had be one of his trump cards��a powerful one that could decisively determine victory. Unless it was an absolutest resort, he would never use it. Although activating it now could provide him with immense assistance and resources, its value paledpared to the impact it could have in a critical reversal.


    Moreover, this hidden card could only be used once, and only the first time would it achieve the most potent effect. Take Boris, for example. Without him, things wouldn''t have gone so smoothly. Otherwise, the gods of Ashen would have swarmed toward the royal capital in an instant.


    Even with the map module in his possession, Sterl dared not rely solely on himself to face more than thirty gods simultaneously without exposing this ability. That would be courting death. The sheeryering of various Divine Powers and Laws could tear apart his Temporal-Spatial Law, leaving him with no path but destruction. Even if he didn''t fear death, it would waste too much time and cause him to miss countless critical opportunities.


    At this moment, silence engulfed the scene. Everyone stood in stunned awe, their gazes fixed on Sterl. Their expressions resembled those witnessing the descent of a high-ranking divine authority. This level of power had already exceeded their understanding of the limits of a mere weak Divine Power.


    It took a long time for them to finally recover from the shock. When they looked at Sterl again, their eyes were filled with a mixture of reverence and a tinge of fear.


    "Mr. Hades, Boris has betrayed us and colluded with these natives. This must be reported to Eterna immediately! I suspect there may already be danger over there!" Morette was the first to regain hisposure and immediately connected the dots regarding their current situation.


    The group sent to ambush them consisted of exactly ten gods, matching their own numbers. Their purpose was clear: to avoid wasting strength unnecessarily. And the reason for this strategy? It was obvious��they intended to allocate more forces to confront the Orichalcum main army on Eterna''s side!


    But what shocked Morette the most was how Hades had managed not only to survive the coordinated assault of ten gods but also to turn the tables and crush thempletely. Their forces were now routed and in total disarray.


    It was clear that Ashen''s remaining forces must be targeting Eterna. In fact, the assault on the other side had likely already begun!


    At this thought, a sh of anxiety appeared in Morette''s eyes. Even though they had won this battle, if Eterna''s side were wiped out due to the ambush, the consequences would be unimaginable. The losses would be catastrophic!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The other gods quickly understood Morette''s concern and grew equally restless. One after another, they used their special means ofmunication to contact Eterna''s forces.


    However, though the messages were sent, there was no response. It was like casting stones into a vast sea. The silence made it evident: Eterna''s side was already covered by Shielding Power, cutting off allmunication.


    "Don''t worry. Eterna has two Swords of Doomsday Judgment in their possession. Even if they''ve been ambushed, they won''t be in immediate danger. Let''s move out to support them right away."


    The words immediately earned the agreement of the assembled gods.


    "Good! These despicable natives��once the royal capital fully descends, I''ll bathe this world in blood!"


    "Speed up. We can''t afford the situation to tip too far out of bnce."


    Sterl chuckled faintly as he held Diana, who still looked dazed and bewildered, and led the group swiftly in the direction of Eterna''s forces. However, in reality, the situation on Eterna''s side was already under his surveince. An ambush targeting the Orichalcum main forces was about to begin.


    "Maintain vignce. Do not reveal even the slightest trace of our presence. We must strike with a killing blow andpletely annihte the natives'' headquarters, severing their source of faith," Eterna quietly instructed the other gods. At the same time, he expanded his senses, carefully probing the surrounding environment.


    As they flew onward, bolstered by various enchanted tools, they disturbed nothing in their path. It was unlikely that Ashen''s forces would expect them to take the initiative andunch an attack.


    When the ambush came, the sudden assault would surely throw the enemy into disarray. They would grovel and wail under the might of the Swords of Doomsday Judgment.


    In his mind, Eterna could already picture the scene. A faint smile of anticipation appeared on his face. But what he didn''t realize was that more than twenty pairs of eyes were silently watching him from the shadows. An icy, murderous intent was slowly building and surging around him.


    "So, this is Eterna? And the Sword of Doomsday Judgment is in his hands?"


    On Ashen''s side, Terran fixed his gaze on the enemy who had been his adversary for three years. A glint of ruthlessness shed in his eyes.


    "Any movement on their side?"


    "None," replied a god nearby. "A few minutes ago, the God of Werewolves sent a message saying the battle would be over in fifteen minutes at most. They should be wrapping things up by now. Should we wait?"


    Excitement flickered in the speaker''s voice. This was shaping up to be an unprecedented victory. Killing dozens of gods would mean the Orichalcum nation was left defenseless. The next target would undoubtedly be the royal capital. The spoils and resources that awaited them were boundless!


    "There''s no need to wait. The longer we dy, the greater the risk. The Sword of Doomsday Judgment? Hah, let''s see if he even gets the chance to use it."


    Terran let out a cold snort and issued themand to prepare for the ambush. Immediately, all the gods on Ashen''s side began closing in under the cover of Shielding Power. They quickly surrounded Eterna and the gods nearby, intending to strike first and eliminate them in one fell swoop. Once the first wave was wiped out, the rest would be picked off one by one.


    Subsequently, a massive convergence of Divine Power and Law Power silently took shape. An overwhelming murderous intent gathered in the path ahead, a ce Eterna and his group were certain to traverse.


    This killing intent was so intense that even across half a continent, it could make anyone''s heart palpitate. Yet, under the effects of the Shielding Power, this deadly aura was entirely concealed. Not a single trace leaked out.


    Even the gods of Orichalcum, who were most adept at sensing such threats, failed to notice anything unusual.


    At that moment, however, Eterna''s brow furrowed deeply. A vague sense of unease crept into his heart. He didn''t know why, but something felt profoundly wrong. Discover stories at empire


    Eterna possessed a rare and priceless artifact that granted him the ability to sense impending crises and misfortunes. It didn''t provide direct warnings but significantly enhanced his perception��or, more precisely, his intuition. This artifact had saved him from countless dangers and was one of the reasons for his remarkable sess today.


    But now, despite feeling that something was amiss, he couldn''t pinpoint the source of the threat. Even worse, the sensation was faint, almost like an illusion.


    Eterna knew better. His artifact had never failed him before, and there had to be something he was overlooking. Scanning the vast, eerily silent surroundings, where even the chirping of insects and birds was absent, his sense of foreboding only deepened.


    "Wait�� why haven''t we received any messages?"


    Suddenly, a sh of realization struck Eterna. Before setting out, he had specifically instructed Morette to send a message every minute to ensuremunication remained uninterrupted. Yet, an unusually long time had passed without any updates. Worse, the messages he had sent himself had not received a single reply.


    In an instant, his mind leaped to one terrifying conclusion: the Shielding Power, a near-unbeatable ability unique to the Ashen forces.


    The moment the thought crossed his mind, rms red in his head. He finally understood the source of his ominous premonition. It was none other than Ashen''s forces!


    "Watch out! Move, now!!"


    Eterna shouted urgently, his voice ringing out like thunder. Acting on instinct, he activated his ability, attempting to teleport away from the location.


    But it was already toote.


    In the next instant, an enormous and chaotic Pir of Divine Light erupted from the horizon, aimed squarely at their position. Thebined power of over twenty gods roared into existence. The sheer force of the attack distorted space and time, rendering them utterly chaotic.


    The Pir of Divine Light ignored the constraints of distance, instantly materializing directly over Eterna''s location. Without pause, it unleashed its devastating energy, cascading with unimaginable might!


    In an instant, four or five gods in the vicinity were reduced to nothing but dust, vanishing without a trace. Even those who managed to react in time found their individual powers utterly insignificant against this chaoticbined force, like mere specks of driftwood in a raging ocean.


    As for Eterna, though he had responded swiftly, the Pir of Divine Light was too fast, too powerful, and too vast in scope. Despite his efforts, the edge of its terrifying energy still managed to engulf him.


    "Arghhh! Hold it back!!"


    He roared in desperation, frantically deploying an array of rare artifacts and enchanted equipment. Yet, before the Pir of Divine Light, these precious items were no more than fragile paper, crumbling to pieces upon contact.


    With an anguished howl, Eterna unleashed the full might of his three divine authorities��Hot Springs, Illusions, and Hunting��just barely managing to buy himself a fleeting moment.


    Without hesitation, he activated the Sword of Doomsday Judgment.


    In the next instant, a sword-shaped marking on the back of his hand detached itself, transforming into a grand, majestic divine de. The sword exuded a terrifying power drawn from a high-ranking divine authority. With a furious swing, he shed the sword toward the cascading divine light.


    And then��


    A blinding explosion of light, as brilliant as the sun crashing to the earth, erupted skyward. At the core of the radiance, two distinct forces shed violently, grinding away at one another. The residual shockwaves, rippling outward in unrelenting waves, surged with destructive force.


    Many gods who hadn''t retreated far enough were caught in the aftermath. Their Divine Power barriers shattered, sending them hurtling through the air with grievous injuries. Their divine auras flickered weakly as they struggled to recover.


    Eterna was no exception. While the Sword of Doomsday Judgment was a weapon forged from Orichalcum''s high-ranking divine authority, the residual force from its collision with the Pir of Divine Light was indiscriminate in its devastation.


    The savage shockwave tore through all of Eterna''s defenses, mming into his body with overwhelming might. He felt as though he''d been trampled by a colossal beast thousands of meters tall. His body teetered on the brink of destruction, threatening to explode under the strain.


    Yet, by sheer fortune and the resilience of his formidable divine physique, Eterna managed to withstand the fiercest wave of energy. Gritting his teeth, he retreated from the core of the shing forces, escaping the deadly epicenter.


    ��

 Chapter 520 Brain-Dead Ashen? Are They Trying to Tank the Divine Sword?

    "Urgh!"


    Eterna spat out a mouthful of blood, his body drenched in crimson. Even though he had narrowly escaped death, he felt as though he were falling apart, his condition weaker than ever before.


    There was no time to rest. Hastily pulling out a few restorative artifacts, he managed to regain a semnce of stability. However, his injuries were so severe that unless he used some of the rare treasures from the royal capital''s vault, it would take him years to fully recover.


    It was unavoidable��both the Pir of Divine Light and the Sword of Doomsday Judgment had unleashed powers far beyond what his body could withstand. Naturally, he had suffered grave internal damage.


    At this moment, the sh at the core had also reached its conclusion. In the end, the strength of a high-ranking divine authority prevailed. Even though the Sword of Doomsday Judgment had been activated hastily, leaving much of its power untapped, it still far surpassed thebined force of gods wielding only weak Divine Power.


    A devastating de of destruction obliterated the Pir of Divine Light, scattering its energypletely. The residual power surged forward, roaring in the direction from which the Pir of Divine Light had originated. Wherever it passed, space shattered, the earth crumbled, and an entire mountain range in its path was reduced to dust under the terrifying light of the divine de, disappearing entirely.


    The sword''s energy persisted until it finally dissipated at the horizon, its power entirely spent.


    However, the gods on Ashen''s side seemed to have anticipated this oue. As if they had coordinated their retreat beforehand, they had already moved far away from their previous position, scattering in both directions. Apart from a few who had been injured by the earlier shockwaves, the attack had caused no significant casualties.


    "Ahahaha! Orichalcum Nation, you hideous invaders��today marks your doom!"


    "The so-called Sword of Doomsday Judgment? Impressive power, sure, but what good is it if it can''t hit anyone? All that effort for nothing."


    "It''s over��everything is over. Orichalcum Nation''s resources will be ours!"


    "And to think we owe it all to their own people. If not for that Boris providing us with their coordinates, we''d never have had the chance to witness such a spectacr scene."


    "By now, the battle on the other side must be finished. Once we''re done with this lot, we can march on the royal capital and im it in one fell swoop!"


    As the residual shockwaves dissipated, the world returned to an eerie silence. Yet, the lingering traces of chaotic Divine Power in the air and the fragile state of the surrounding space served as haunting reminders of the horrifying battle that had just unfolded.


    Hearing those words, Eterna froze, his pupils dting rapidly as the taunting voices of the Ashen gods echoed in his ears.


    Boris�� had betrayed their ns and revealed their whereabouts? And Hades'' side��had they also been ambushed!?


    In that instant, everything became painfully clear. No wonder there had been no response to his messages. The connection had been severed by Shielding Power, and Hades'' group had likely already suffered an attack or worse.


    Victory had been within reach��so close he could almost grasp it. Yet now, it was slipping away, all because of Boris, a traitor who should never have existed among them. The entire n had copsed.


    "This�� this can''t be happening..."


    Eterna stood in stunned disbelief. He understood Boris'' resentment toward both him and Hades, but as a god, as a divine being, how could Boris allow such petty emotions to consume him? Betraying Orichalcum Nation brought him no benefit whatsoever!


    Setting aside the divine contracts that bound the gods of Orichalcum, Boris was still an outsider. Once Ashen crushed Orichalcumpletely, did he honestly believe they would treat him as a hero?


    Eterna had foreseen countless possibilities, but he had never anticipated Boris would y such a treacherous role. Even so�� it wasn''t over. Not yet. He hadn''t lost everything. He still had one Sword of Doomsday Judgment in his possession. If he used it wisely��


    A glint of determination shed in his eyes. He also held onto a sliver of hope that Hades, who wielded another Sword of Doomsday Judgment and was even stronger than him, might still be alive. Despite the earlier ambush, Hades'' strength made his demise far from certain.


    So��


    Eterna took a deep breath, suppressing the searing pain wracking his body. Slowly, he rose to his feet.


    "Orichalcum Nation will never fall!"


    He raised his arm high, his voice resounding like a thunderp. The rallying cry shook the gods around him, snapping them out of the dazed state brought on by the sudden ambush. One by one, they gathered around Eterna with renewed focus.


    In no time, the remaining gods of Orichalcum��around twenty in total��convened. They exchanged nces, and in each other''s eyes, they saw a shared sense of grim determination and sorrow.


    The ambush had been devastating. Six gods had fallen on the spot, wiped out without leaving a trace. The lingering shockwaves had inflicted injuries on many others. Two or three gods who had been close to Eterna''s position were now in a condition simr to his��grievously wounded, their divine vitality severely depleted. Only seven or eight gods had emerged unscathed.


    On the other hand, Ashen''s forces stood strong, twenty-six gods nearly all in pristine condition. The oue of the battle seemed inevitable.


    But at this point, retreat was no longer an option. Even surrender wasn''t possible. Ashen would never ept defectors from the opposing camp, let alone multiple gods. To allow such a thing would invite rebellion down the line, a risk Ashen would never take.


    The gods of Orichalcum were left with no choice but to fight to the bitter end.


    As for Boris, the gods of Orichalcum had already cursed him countless times in their minds. Victory had been within their grasp, the situation firmly under control, only for Boris to ruin it all and hand their advantage to the enemy. If Boris were to appear now, they would dly pay any price to beat him to death.


    Of course, the only reason the gods of Orichalcum hadn''tpletely copsed yet was exactly as Eterna had thought��they still had a trump card. They still possessed a Sword of Doomsday Judgment, and if used properly, there was still a chance to turn the tide of battle.


    "Desperate struggles."


    Terran''s calm gaze carried a hint of excitement as he looked at the battered and nearly broken gods before him. Despite his dismissive words, he wasn''t careless, and neither were the others. The Ashen gods formed a tight encirclement, trapping the Orichalcum gods within. They hurled taunts, but none dared to make the first move.


    Thanks to Boris'' information, everyone on Ashen''s side knew that Eterna still held two Swords of Doomsday Judgment. They had witnessed firsthand the devastating power of the first strike. The God Shields bestowed by the Upper Realms could block one blow if used skillfully, but the second strike? That required a different solution altogether. Discover hidden stories at empire


    From the beginning, Ashen''s n had been to kill Eterna in one decisive strike. However, they hadn''t anticipated his sharp senses. He had detected a trace of the impending threat and dodged preemptively��an action that saved his life.


    Of course, Eterna was unaware of these thoughts. He had no idea that in the eyes of his enemies, he was believed to possess two trump cards, which created a strange stalemate. One side dared not act rashly for fear of a counterstrike, while the other, already at a disadvantage, was even less willing to make the first move.


    "Eterna, why not abandon the darkness and join the light?"


    Terran finally broke the tense silence, offering an olive branch. "Join us, Ashen, and I will personally forge a divine contract with you. I swear on my soul that you wille to no harm, now or in the future. Not only that, but you will enjoy a status equal to mine. What do you say?"


    The offer was clear: if Eterna could be neutralized, either by death or by neutralizing the threat of his remaining trump cards, the remaining Orichalcum gods would be of no consequence.


    However, in the next moment, a terrifying sense of danger surged through Terran''s heart. His eyes locked onto Eterna, whose hand now held a divine sword radiating an overwhelming aura of destruction��the Sword of Doomsday Judgment!


    "Damn it!"


    Terran cursed loudly, his expression twisting in shock. This waspletely outside his expectations. He hurriedly prepared to raise his God Shield in defense but immediately realized the problem. If Eterna activated the second sword simultaneously, no shield would hold. Thebined power of two strikes would be enough to annihte them all!


    So, they had to find another way to block this strike. If they could withstand it, victory would be theirs!


    Without hesitation, Terran immediately activated all the equipment and artifacts at his disposal. The other gods followed suit, unleashing their own treasures and channeling every ounce of Divine Power and Law Power within them, bracing themselves for what was toe.


    Eterna hesitated briefly upon seeing this. Could it be that they truly had no artifact capable of withstanding the Sword of Doomsday Judgment?


    From his perspective, the methods of these gods were limited to the level of weak Divine Power. Without the power of a high-ranking divine authority, nothing could possibly withstand the full force of a perfectly unleashed Sword of Doomsday Judgment.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With this doubt lingering in his mind, Eterna slowly raised the divine sword, its terrifying power surging to life. The overwhelming energy, forged from thebined might of several high-ranking divine authorities, radiated an aura so oppressive that even the mere presence of it caused many gods to tremble.


    Terran and the other Ashen gods gulped nervously, cold sweat dripping from their faces. They were terrified but knew they couldn''t retreat. This wasn''t a force one could escape by running. Attempting to flee would only expose fatal gaps in their defenses.


    "All of you! Transfer your Divine Power to me!" Terran roared, taking out a massive formation artifact. This artifact had the power to consolidate the energy of all gods within its range, creating a nearly imprable Transcendence Barrier.


    Seeing his decisive move, the other gods abandoned all hesitation and brought out their most prized treasures, artifacts they had long kept in reserve.


    Eterna watched this scene with a mixture of confusion and realization. So, they truly didn''t possess any relics from the Upper Realms capable of countering the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. That exined why he had been their primary target from the start��they had no means to confront such a weapon directly!


    As for their barriers and formations, they were nothing but fleeting illusions before the might of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment.


    Initially, Eterna had nned to rely on the distraction of the other Orichalcum gods, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But now, the Ashen gods had conveniently gathered in one ce, refusing to scatter. This unexpected cooperation rekindled hope in the eyes of the other Orichalcum gods, as though they could finally see a sliver of salvation.


    "Doomsday descends! Judgment upon all!"


    With a guttural roar, Eterna poured every ounce of his Divine Power into the de, and the terrifying divine sword shed downward with devastating force.


    ��

 Chapter 521 Faulty Intel! Were We Played?

    "I don''t believe it! The power of a high-ranking divine authority is supposed to be invincible!"


    Terran''s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the sword light that seemed poised to annihte everything in its path. Despite the formation harnessing the full power of over twenty gods and every artifact they had at their disposal, he still felt as insignificant as an ant before a colossal storm.


    BOOM!!


    The sword light crashed down onto the formation with an earth-shattering impact. To the Ashen gods, it felt as though a neutron star had detonated right before their eyes. Their vision went dark, their hearing deafened��it was a sensory overload of divine devastation.


    Unlike the previous sh with the Pir of Divine Light, which was a rushed activation, this strike was a full, perfect release of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment''s power.


    The formation cracked under the pressure, its surface covered in a web of fractures as if a meteor had mmed into it. The twenty-plus gods maintaining the formation groaned in unison, each suffering severe internal injuries. The artifacts and tools surrounding them shattered one by one, releasing bursts of energy in a desperate attempt to absorb the power of the divine sword.


    Eterna stood dumbfounded at the sight. Unlike before, there were no residual shockwaves from the sh between sword and light. The Sword of Doomsday Judgment, this time directed entirely at the enemy, caused no harm to his side. This allowed the Orichalcum gods to stand by, watching Terran and his group struggle under the assault.


    He hadn''t expected the Ashen gods to be so reckless, daring to take on the full force of a power coalesced from the might of multiple high-ranking divine authorities.


    This was Eterna''s final trump card. He refrained from following up with additional attacks because the energy of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment would nullify any external forces. Intervening would only weaken the sword''s destructive potential.


    Crack, crack, crack...


    The fractures on the formation continued to spread. At its center, Terran clenched his teeth, his entire will and spirit focused on maintaining control. He poured every ounce of energy into resisting the sword''s unrelenting power.


    Though his Divine Power drained rapidly, and every fiber of his being screamed in agony, he knew that if he faltered now, he would have to rely on the God Shield for survival. But if it came to that, he would have no way to defend against a second strike.


    He had no choice��he had to endure, no matter the cost.


    Fueled by sheer determination and thebined strength of the gods'' defensive barrier, Terran and the others managed to withstand the peak of the sword''s power. While the residual energy of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment continued to wear away at them, the damage was no longer as catastrophic.


    When the power of the divine sword finally dissipated, what remained was a formation riddled with cracks, teetering on the brink of copse.


    Within the formation, Terran and the other gods finally exhaled in relief. Many of them were drenched in blood, their auras weak and flickering, but their faces betrayed an unmistakable expression of excitement.


    They had survived. They had actually withstood it! Even the power of the Upper Realms wasn''t enough to obliterate thempletely!


    Eterna and the gods of Orichalcum, however, felt a strange and inexplicable sensation. Could the gods of Ashen truly have something wrong with their minds?


    While it was true that the Ashen forces hadn''t suffered any casualties, not a single one of their gods remained unscathed. Every one of them bore injuries, making it difficult not to feel a sliver of relief on Orichalcum''s side.


    Though they were outnumbered by several gods, their overall condition was slightly better. One side was battered and broken, the other merely fatigued. The bnce seemed to level out. Victory was still undecided.


    "Come on, use your final sword!"


    Terran, still maintaining the formation to guard against a potential sneak attack from Orichalcum''s side, locked eyes with Eterna. His tone wasced with both disdain and anticipation.


    Their current state, bruised and battered, was a calcted move to lull Eterna into a false sense of security. He was sure that Eterna, feeling emboldened by their apparent weakness, would unleash the second Sword of Doomsday Judgment to finish them off. That, however, was precisely what Terran wanted.


    In that critical moment, Terran nned to activate the God Shield, absorbing the full power of the sword and reflecting it back at the Orichalcum gods. Such a surprise counterstrike would undoubtedly catch them off guard. Even if it didn''t wipe them all out, it would at least leave most of them dead or crippled.


    This was his n��a gambit meticulously rehearsed and refined through countless simtions. Enduring the first sword had been a calcted sacrifice to bait Eterna into making a fatal mistake.


    But in the next moment, Terran''s excitement evaporated as confusion swept across Eterna''s face. His expression froze when he heard Eterna''s baffled response.


    "What final sword?"


    Eterna''s dumbfounded expression said it all. He was genuinely at a loss. Didn''t he only have two Swords of Doomsday Judgment? How had this somehow turned into three in their version of events?


    Suddenly, a peculiar realization dawned on him. The pieces clicked into ce, and he understood why Terran had so stubbornly chosen to endure his attack. If their intelligence indicated that he possessed three Swords of Doomsday Judgment, then everything made sense.


    After surviving one sword, with all of their forces gravely injured, they must have assumed he would press his advantage and unleash his final trump card to secure victory in a single strike.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, Terran would undoubtedly deploy a power bestowed by the Upper Realms to counteract the attack. That exined everything!


    It all became clear to Eterna. Ashen, though a massive and formidable faction in its own right, couldn''t possibly have gone unnoticed by the Upper Realms during such a high-stakes conflict. They must have been granted a powerful ability or artifact��likely defensive in nature, perhaps even one capable of reflecting attacks.


    Eterna''s lips curled into a wry smile. His suspicions about the Ashen forces now confirmed, he realized that their supposed boldness wasn''t as reckless as it seemed��it was a trap. Too bad for them, their faulty intelligence had thrown a wrench into their carefullyid ns.


    Suddenly, Eterna''s expression became increasingly animated, and he almost couldn''t hold back hisughter. He was certain now��Terran and his group had received wed intelligence, leading them topletely miscalcte his trump cards. The situation was so absurd that it was almostical.


    Watching Eterna and the other Orichalcum gods'' expressions, Terran''s face began to stiffen. Could it be�� that Boris'' intelligence was wrong? Did Eterna only have two Swords of Doomsday Judgment after all?


    If that was the case, then he had grossly overestimated the strength they were up against. What should have been a guaranteed victory had turned into them needlessly taking heavy damage.


    As the realization hit, Terran was dumbfounded. The other Ashen gods were equally stunned. Just moments ago, they had been praising Boris. Now, it was clear��this wasn''t just a mistake. Boris had utterly sabotaged them!


    But one person was enjoying this turn of events far more than anyone else��Sterl, the mastermind behind it all.


    Sterl had deliberately exploited the Ashen forces'' trust in Boris, feeding them false intelligence. His n had two goals: to reduce the number of forces targeting him and to push Terran into making critical misjudgments. What he hadn''t expected was just how stubborn Terran and his group would be, walking headfirst into Eterna''s full-powered strike.


    "Damn it�� Boris, I''ll skin you alive one day!" Terran roared in fury. Without hesitation, he activated the God Shield bestowed by the Upper Realms. A dark radiance enveloped him and the other Ashen gods, forming an imprable barrier around them.


    The God Shield''s effects wouldst for one minute. During this time, any attack directed at them would be fully absorbed and reflected back, creating an absolute defense.


    "Even so, you''re still all doomed to die!" Terran growled.


    The failure of his earlier n didn''t matter anymore. With the God Shield, they were invincible for the next sixty seconds. The Orichalcum invaders had only one fate��Annihtion.


    "Everyone, attack! Wipe them all out!"


    At Terran''smand, the Ashen gods surged forward, unleashing their Law Power against Eterna and his group.


    "Don''t attack!" Eterna shouted hastily.


    His instincts screamed that something was wrong. The protective glow surrounding the Ashen gods seemed ominous, and he knew striking it would lead to disaster. But his warning came toote.


    Terran paid no heed to Eterna''s outburst. The twenty-six Ashen godsbined their might, focusing their power on the nearest Orichalcum god. The targeted god tried to escape, but the Ashen gods sealed the entire space. Even though many of them were injured, theirbined strength was overwhelming.


    In mere moments, the unfortunate Orichalcum god was obliterated, wiped outpletely. Worse still, others who tried to assist were caught in the God Shield''s reflective power. Their attacks were absorbed and rebounded, injuring their own forces instead.


    With one target eliminated, Terran immediately turned his focus to the next, repeating the same strategy. One by one, the Orichalcum gods fell under the relentless assault, their attempts to fight back only serving to deepen their plight.


    Under the protection of the God Shield, there was no need for defense. All they had to do was kill their enemies one by one. A single minute might mean little to mortals, but for gods, it was more than enough to ughter everyst one of the Orichalcum forces.


    "Scatter and run! Don''t engage them!"


    Eterna quickly deduced the shield''s effects and shouted a warning to hisrades. However, this immediately caught Terran''s attention.


    "Take that trash out first!"


    Terran roared furiously. Eterna had repeatedly foiled his ns, and his hatred burned hot. Unless Eterna was dead, Terran would never feel satisfied. Without hesitation, all twenty-six Ashen gods turned their focus toward Eterna, intent on erasing him with a coordinated strike.


    Eterna''s heart skipped a beat. Acting swiftly, he activated his Law of Illusions, conjuring countless decoys. Simultaneously, he used the Law of Hunting to slip into the void, vanishing entirely from sight.


    When the Ashen gods finally destroyed all the illusions, Terran realized, enraged, that Eterna had long since escaped. Snarling in frustration, he redirected his efforts toward the other fleeing Orichalcum gods. However, the brief dy caused by Eterna had given hisrades a chance to gain some distance.


    "Damn it! Chase them down! Don''t let a single one escape!"


    Stay tuned to empire


    Terran''s fury surged like a tidal wave. What he had expected to be an easy, foolproof ambush had now cost him dearly. Fueled by rage, he ordered his invincible squad to split up and pursue the fleeing Orichalcum gods.


    It wasn''t long before several of the Orichalcum gods were caught. The Ashen gods unleashed relentless attacks, striking without hesitation or mercy. Due to the shield''s reflective effects, Orichalcum''s forces were trapped in a cruel dilemma��fighting back only harmed themselves, while doing nothing led to their inevitable deaths. Every passing second was sheer agony.


    "No!!"


    A god wielding dual divine authorities let out a roar of defiance. Desperation etched into his face, he gathered all of his Divine Power andunched a reckless attack.


    Yet his Ashen pursuer simply smiled coldly, spreading his arms wide, making no attempt to defend himself.


    The attack struck the Ashen god dead-on, but instead of causing any harm, it transformed into a radiant column of Divine Power, which turned and mmed back into the Orichalcum god with devastating force.


    The result was carnage��utterly gruesome and heart-wrenching.


    ��

 Chapter 522 A Devastating Battle, The Tragedy of the Divine!

    This wasn''t a battle in the true sense; it was a brutal massacre, a savage ughter of gods!


    In less than half a minute, four or five gods had already fallen. The chaotic Divine Power filled the sky, and Eterna could only watch in disbelief, his heart burning with rage. But he couldn''t even think about taking action. He was gravely wounded and barely able to protect himself. The only thing he could do now was to survive long enough to endure the remaining duration of the divine shield. Only then would he have a slim chance of survival.


    On the other side, Terran was growing increasingly anxious. Time was passing too slowly, and yet, there was still no news from Boris. This growing silence filled him with an ominous premonition.


    Could Boris''s defection be a lie? That was absolutely impossible. The information from the contract, as well as the expressions of the Orichalcum gods like Eterna, all confirmed that Boris had indeed joined their side.


    If that was the case, then the n should have been foolproof��


    Suddenly, a sh of insight struck his mind. "Wait a minute!"


    He froze in realization. ording to Boris, the higher-ranked divine beings from the Orichalcum Kingdom had granted three Sword of Doomsday Judgment weapons. Terran had assumed that all three swords were in Eterna''s hands, but now he realized that Eterna only had two. The third sword�� must be in the hands of someone named Hades!


    Terran''s heart skipped a beat. Hades was a mysterious figure, and his divine origins and strength were unknown. If Hades possessed any kind of crisis-sensing ability, he could easily wield the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, and with thebined power of ten gods, they would stand no chance of fighting back.


    Thinking of this, Terran felt a surge of panic. Boris''s group may have already encountered danger!


    Meanwhile, the gods who were slightly slower in their movements had been killed off one by one. The remaining gods had already fled a considerable distance, making it nearly impossible to catch up with them.


    "Damn it! A bunch of useless fools!" Terran cursed under his breath.


    "After them! Chase them!!"


    With a low growl, he took out a trump card he had been holding onto for a long time��an item that would briefly allow him to use the power of the Space Law.


    Suppressing the painful feeling in his heart, he activated the trump card, then waved his hand, propelling himself directly toward one of the Orichalcum gods. The sudden assault caught the god off guard, and in the panic, he forgot to activate his divine shield for defense. Instead, he attacked with everything he had.


    But the god''s counterattack was skillfully reflected back with a single, precise strike, and Terran instantly unleashed a powerful blow that severed the god''s head, killing him in a single move.


    This was the power granted by the upper realms��unstoppable, forcing the target to endure without the possibility of resistance. But between gods, power wasn''t something that could be easily resisted. Every one of them had the ability to instantly annihte their opponent.


    After killing one god, Terran continued to move through the space, nning to eliminate the remaining thirteen or fourteen gods.


    At that moment, Eterna could no longer afford to hesitate. He activated the Hunting Divine Authority, rapidly appearing in front of Terran, blocking his path. Your journey continues on empire


    "You trash who can only cower and flee, yet you dare show your face before me? Fine, I''ll deal with you first!"


    Seeing Eterna appear, Terran wasted no time. He enveloped himself in Divine Power and charged directly at his opponent, showing no concern for any potential counterattacks from Eterna.


    This was confidence��confidence born from the power of the upper realms. Without the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, it was absolutely impossible to break the godly shield''s defense! Even with the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, the shield could still withstand a strike for a moment and reflect it back. This was the foundation of his reckless ughter.


    "Die!"


    With a growl, Terranunched a punch infused with the power of three Divine Authorities, striking straight at Eterna.


    Puff��


    The punch seemed tond on a cushion of cotton, passing straight through Eterna''s body. In the next moment, Eterna''s form dissolved like foam, vanishingpletely. This was clearly an illusion��an illusion so realistic that even a god could be deceived by it!


    However, Terran wasn''t angered. With a steady expression, he struck again, this time at the empty air in front of him.


    With a loud bang, a beautifully crafted shield was shattered into pieces, and Eterna''s form emerged from behind the broken shield.


    "Rat, where else can you hide?"


    Had it been before, Eterna''s Hunting Divine Authority,bined with his Illusion Divine Authority, would have allowed him to perfectly hide in the subspace. Even someone like Terran would have needed time to track him down. But after briefly gaining control over the Space Law, Terran could immediately sense where Eterna was.


    The concept of hiding was a joke in the face of the Space Law.


    Eterna didn''t panic, though. While simultaneously using the Hot Spring Law to heal his wounds and replenish his strength��his uniquebat style��he knew that the Hot Spring Law would allow him strong endurance in battle. The Illusion Law provided him with the ability to mislead or even trap his enemies.


    As for the Hunting Divine Authority, it was his ultimate weapon��one strike, one kill.


    It could be said that, whether it was in terms of endurance, distraction, or sudden strikes, Eterna could handle it all with ease. Even though he was heavily wounded, he was still in a better state than Terran, especially with the support of the Hot Spring Law. Eterna''s overall condition was slightly better, thanks to his healing abilities.


    Of course, Terran, protected by his divine shield, would not engage directly in a head-to-head confrontation. Instead, he continued to use tactics to dy and control the situation, buying time.


    The other gods being pursued were in a simr situation, doing everything they could to stall for time. The few who were uninjured and at full strength even tried to fend off two or three pursuers at once.


    Before, when the Ashen side had endured a strike from the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, nearly everyone was severely wounded. This had nullified their numerical advantage, leaving them in a much weaker position than before.


    As time passed, Terran''s anxiety grew. Eterna was like an elusive fish, slippery and difficult to catch. Despite using all of his methods, Terran still couldn''t take him down. asionally, Eterna would take one or two of his attacks, but with the aid of the Hot Spring Divine Authority, he quickly recovered. Meanwhile, Terran''s Divine Power was beginning to run low due to the continuous onught.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Looking at the situation elsewhere, Terran''s expression was filled with hesitation and struggle. He had no way of knowing the exact situation with Boris. If Boris was being overwhelmed and killed, then they, too, would be caught in a pincer attack from the Orichalcum gods who wereing to the rescue, and they would fall into a dangerous predicament.


    On the other hand, if Boris''s side won, and Terran retreated now, it would be a wasted opportunity, and the Orichalcum faction would have a chance to recover and regroup.


    He found himself in a difficult, conflicting position. But with only five seconds remaining on his divine shield, he grit his teeth and gave the order to retreat.


    There was no choice. He couldn''t afford to take the risk. If Eterna could have been killed in the first ce, perhaps there would have been no need for anything further. But from the moment Eterna escaped death, it signified the failure of their ambush. Continuing the battle would only lead to a mutually destructive oue.


    "Retreat!"


    With themand, the remaining Ashen gods stopped their pursuit. They, too, shared the same thought. They were all heavily wounded, their conditions not optimal, and a single mistake could lead them to fall into the abyss. The best option now was to withdraw, regroup, and recover their strength.


    Upon seeing this, the Orichalcum gods, who had been desperately resisting, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Many of them had begun to despair, knowing that they wouldn''t be able to withstand the assault much longer. In just a few seconds, they would be overwhelmed and killed.


    Eterna took a deep breath, watching as Terran and the others began to retreat. He silently sent out a signal, calling for the scattered Orichalcum gods to regroup. He suspected that the effect of the divine shield was nearing its end. If that was the case, even if Terran had some other tricks or conspiracies up his sleeve, gathering their forces together would give them a better chance to fight back.


    The Hot Spring Law continued to flow, healing the wounds and restoring the strength of all the nearby gods. Eterna took a brief moment to assess his own condition, and he could only describe it as pitiful. His divine body was nearly destroyed. Even with the healing provided by the Hot Spring Divine Authority, he was barely hanging on, barely able to survive. In a few minutes, he would no longer be able to continue.


    Fortunately, seeing the way the Ashen gods were retreating, it seemed like they were really nning to withdraw. He let out a long sigh of relief. For some reason, though, he couldn''t shake a feeling deep inside him, a sense of unease.


    Their battle with Ashen, it felt as if some unseen hand had been pushing everything forward, pulling them deeper and deeper into the whirlpool of war. It hadn''t even been long, yet the number of gods lost on both sides was probably already greater than thebined toll of the past ten thousand years, or even longer!


    This world was clearly undergoing a great upheaval, with all kinds of rules and forces slowly loosening. Otherwise, the Divine Blood Rain��the blood-drenched storm of divine destruction��would surely have continued for years without stopping.


    But when he thought more carefully about it, the conflict with Ashen seemed to follow a logical course. It wasn''t the result of some mysterious hand guiding events. It was merely a series of coincidences that had culminated in this mutually destructive oue. Perhaps the so-called "unseen hand" was just his imagination running wild.


    Shaking his head, Eterna''s heart grew heavy again. Of the forces he had led into battle, half of them had perished in this fight. Originally, there had been around twenty-six or twenty-seven gods under hismand, but now only thirteen remained.


    As for Ashen, while they had all suffered considerable injuries, their losses hadn''t been nearly as great. He still didn''t know what was happening on Hades''s side, but if things had gone badly there, they might have beenpletely wiped out. Of course, he believed that Ashen''s side would still suffer some significant losses.


    However, if the Ashen gods had time to recover, the difference in power between the two sides would be even more pronounced. The gap in divine strength would be at least double, maybe more!


    Such a massive disparity almost made victory seem impossible.

 Chapter 523 Ashens Victory Report, Eternas Despair

    Eterna could not afford to ignore the situation any longer. Once both sides had rested and recovered, the natives would certainly take full advantage of their knowledge of their weaknesses andunch a full-scale attack.


    Through this battle, he hade to a grim realization: these natives were not to be underestimated. Their umtion of strength, their hidden trump cards, and even the power of the upper realms��all of it may have been just as potent as that of the Orichalcum gods, if not more.


    Faced with the inevitable onught of these natives, gathering all their strength into a single, overwhelming strike, there was no doubt in Eterna''s mind that they would not be able to hold their ground. Defeat was only a matter of time. When that happened, the royal city would be destroyed, wiped from existence, and utterly erased from the world.


    At this thought, Eterna''s face twisted with frustration. He was caught in a dilemma��should he give everything to keep Terran and his forces here, or should he let them leave? However, as he nced at the state of his own gods, the decision became even more difficult.


    If it came to a battle, they would be at a severe disadvantage. The Ashen gods, despite their injuries, outnumbered them by arge margin. While only three or four of them were still at full strength, the rest were heavily wounded. In contrast, their forces were severely depleted, and the gap in numbers was too great. A single round of siege would likely annihte those remaining gods in a brutal disy of overwhelming numbers.


    Eterna''s gaze became increasingly mncholic. With a sigh, he began to think about the future of the Orichalcum kingdom. If their integration with the world was to be severed here, they would be forced to drift endlessly through the void. Forgotten by all, with no source of belief to sustain them, they would face the impending catastrophe and the various threats lurking in the void.


    The oue would likely be no better than a total defeat.


    Unfortunately, it was toote to turn back. There was no way to reverse their fate. To survive with even a single life would be considered a stroke of luck. It was far better than those below demigod rank. Even the Ascendants, those closest to bing demigods, were still nothing more than fragile reeds in the vast sea��insignificant pawns in the grand game of fate.


    Terran shared a simr line of thinking. After all, they had already wiped out over a dozen of the enemy''s gods. Even if Boris''s side were to fail, as long as they protected their remaining forces, they would still hold a decisive advantage once they recovered.


    He cast a nce at the wary enemies observing them, a dangerous glint of malice shing in his eyes. Sooner orter, he would wipe out these invaders. He would use their souls and Divine Authority as stepping stones to elevate his own power to greater heights!


    "Heh, looks like they aren''tpletely brainless after all. They actually know when to pull back," a mocking smile appeared on the face of Sterl, who had intentionally slowed his pace and was now heading toward their position.


    The scenes of battle between the two sides were all within Sterl''s view. He had originally expected both sides to continue fighting until the Orichalcum forces were entirely wiped out. However, to his surprise, Terran remained so vignt.


    Just because of a slight suspicion, he had stopped his advance before the divine shield expired. It could only be said that experience truly counted for something.


    Unfortunately for them, everything had already been under Sterl''s control. With the map module in ce, Sterl was operating from a high-dimensional perspective, strategizing andying out his ns on a much grander scale. Even the gods themselves could not perceive the truth of the situation.


    "You''re leaving? Then all my efforts would have been in vain..." he muttered to himself, eyes narrowing. At present, the Orichalcum side still had more than ten gods remaining, andbined with those stationed in the royal city, they had nearly thirty gods in total.


    The Ashen side, too, had a simrlyrge number, perhaps even more than the Orichalcum forces. The more gods that died now, the easier it would be for Sterl to deal with themter. So��


    With a sudden shift in thought, Boris, who had been desperately fleeing with nine other Ashen gods towards their base, came to a sudden stop. He had received an order from his master.


    Without hesitation, he immediately sent a message to Terran through the specialmunicationwork of the Ashen faction.


    Under Sterl''s meticulous nning, sure enough, Terran, who had been preparing to retreat, halted abruptly. A look of surprise, mixed with delight, instantly spread across his previously angry and determined face!


    He had received Boris''s message. The content of the message was startling: the Orichalcum-recruited individual named Hades, along with the other nine gods, had all been in!


    The dy in the transmission had been due to the chaotic Divine Power and Hades''s desperatest struggle, which had left many injured. That was why the news had been dyed in reaching them.


    "Heh..."


    Terran lowered his head slightly, a grin spreading across his face as he let out an exaggeratedugh.


    "Hahahaha! The Orichalcum kingdom... it looks like their future is already sealed. Today... marks the day of your Annihtion!"


    The other Ashen gods also received the shared information from Terran, and the anxiousness that had been weighing on their hearts instantly vanished. Just like Terran, they too wore expressions of joy and relief.


    Their retreat hadn''t been out of fear of Eterna and his forces, but because of concerns regarding the situation on the other front. Now that good news had arrived, the retreat was no longer necessary. They would strike while the iron was hot and wipe out the Orichalcum forces once and for all!


    Without even needing amand from Terran, all the gods, as if they had already agreed upon it, charged forward with ferocity, heading straight for Eterna and the others.


    This scene made Eterna''s eyes widen. His mind quickly began to race. In an instant, he deduced the reason. If the cautious Terran had changed his mind, it must be because he was absolutely certain of the oue.


    And what could make Terran so certain? It could only be that Hades and his forces had truly been annihted��only then could it be considered a foolproof victory!


    "Is it really true that this world cannot amodate Orichalcum?" Eterna was stunned. His mind was suddenly consumed by endless gloom. He had once been full of confidence, but now, he was about to face death and destruction. The intense, rollercoaster-like emotional plunge kept jolting his nerves.


    Finally, he took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the Ashen gods charging at him. His eyes, bloodshot and filled with fury, hardened with resolve. "We''ll fight them to the end!"


    In an instant, a battle even more brutal than the previous one erupted.


    This time, the Ashen side was without divine shields, and the Orichalcum side had no more Sword of Doomsday Judgment. All their trump cards and items had been used up in the previous battle. Now, they could rely only on their bodies, their Divine Power, and their Laws!


    Boom!!


    The battle entered a heated phase right from the start. On one side, the Ashen gods were filled with madness and excitement, while on the other side, the Orichalcum gods were filled with unwillingness and a sense of inevitable death. Various attacks and abilities rained down on each other without restraint.


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    However, the disparity in numbers was too ring. Nearly every Orichalcum god had to face thebined assault of two gods. Even though these Ashen gods were also wounded, they were in better condition than their opponents, who were not in much better shape.


    "You didn''t expect this, did you?" Terran''s gaze was cold as he stared at Eterna. He didn''t call for assistance but wanted to take Eterna''s head himself, as this would allow him to free up abatant to deal with the others.


    Eterna said nothing, but his eyes remained eerily calm. He knew that in this situation, maintaining absoluteposure was key. If fear took hold, he would copse without a fight!


    Especially now, as his divine nature was gradually being overtaken by human emotions, he needed to exert even more control over his feelings.


    "Heh, you don''t know what you''re talking about. I had nned to kill you directly, but now, I''ve changed my mind. I''ll capture you, strip you of your power, imprison your soul, and make you my eternal ve," Terran sneered.


    Eterna''s expression didn''t change much, but Terran could feel the excitement building within him. He could sense an undercurrent of fear��subtle yet undeniable��seeping out from Eterna. For a god, such emotions were too obvious, like the scent of blood in the darkness, impossible to hide.


    At that moment, the air was filled with the sounds of unwilling screams and anguished wails, as many of the Orichalcum gods, under the relentless siege, were ughtered. However, as they realized there was no hope of survival, they began to fight back desperately, causing a few of the Ashen gods to fall as well.


    "First, I''ll suppress you, then you''ll see how I personally ughter them," Terran sneered.


    With that, heunched a fierce assault, his fist mming down. As expected, the figure of Eterna before him was merely an illusion. However, Terran had long since figured out Eterna''s methods. With a malicious grin, he suddenly spun around and struck with full force.


    This punch, devoid of any shy light orplicated aura, appearedpletely ordinary��but its speed was astonishing. It cut through space like a bolt of lightning!


    Almost simultaneously, a glint of cold light shed from behind him, aiming directly for Terran''s head. However, the punch intercepted it.


    Bang!


    The two forces collided with a sharp, clear sound. There was no lingering shockwave, but the very space around them seemed to copse inward.


    "You''re nothing but a rat. Your tricks are useless against me now," Terran sneered, grinning as he readied himself to attack again.


    "Shit! Do you think I''m afraid of you?" Eterna roared, his voice filled with rage. Desperation drove him to summon his true strength. With the divine shield gone, he had no more hesitation andunched into a furious assault.


    The two figures blurred into shadows, each moving with lightning speed. Every second, their strikes shed hundreds of times.


    From his vantage point, high above, Sterl observed the battle with a satisfied nod. "Now, this is more like it. You''re gods, after all. Fighting to the death��this isn''t some children''s game."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A mysterious smile yed across Sterl''s face as he watched god after god fall. He felt a surge of pleasure, but there was a tinge of regret. These were valuable souls, after all. However, he quickly dismissed that thought. In the grand scheme of things,pared to the rewards he would gain frompleting the legendary story, these souls were hardly worth worrying about.

 Chapter 524 Sterls Appearance—To Hell With That "Good News!"

    "Hmm, it''s almost over. It''s my turn now."


    From his vantage point, seeing everything unfold from a god''s-eye view, Sterl had been monitoring the entire battlefield. Most of these gods were already in a weakened state, their strength worn down by the ongoing battle. Now, with lives hanging in the bnce, their numbers were dwindling rapidly. There were moments when one wouldnd a decisive blow on an enemy, only to be ambushed and killed by another.


    It had barely been five minutes since Boris sent the "good news." On Orichalcum''s side, including Eterna, only six gods remained, still fighting with all their might.


    Meanwhile, the Ashen side had lost five or six gods in the chaotic mutual destruction of battle. The losses had reached a ratio of roughly 2:1. Despite their injuries, Ashen''s gods hadn''t been able to fully capitalize on their numerical advantage.


    After regrouping, the remaining twenty Ashen gods started to y it safe, carefully defending against thest desperate attacks from the remaining Orichalcum gods. They had no intention of charging headlong into the fray.


    Their goal was simple: to stall, and to stall until the very end.


    Under this strategy, the relentless attacks from Orichalcum were easily deflected, and thebined might of the twenty Ashen gods could overwhelm their opponents with ease. Every attack sent Orichalcum''s remaining gods scrambling, forcing them to expend ever greater resources just to hold their ground.


    There was nothing Orichalcum could do about it. They wanted to fight desperately, but their opponents had no intention of meeting them head-on. Every time they rushed in, they risked being caught off guard and wiped out in a single counterattack. The only option was to keep up the stalemate. If it continued like this, it wouldn''t be long before they were slowly worn down and extinguished.


    On the other side, Eterna''s situation wasn''t any better. His body had already reached its limits. After minutes of pushing himself to the edge just to fight Terran, he was nearing copse. His once formidable figure was now barely holding on.


    Terran, facing him, wasn''t in much better shape himself, but overall, his condition was far better than Eterna''s. At the very least, he wasn''t as close to falling apart.


    "Don''t worry," Terran sneered, "You won''t die just yet. I''ll let you watch as we destroy your so-called ''royal city,'' piece by piece."


    Terran let out a cold grunt, forcing his body to move forward slowly, closing in on the exhausted Eterna, while keeping a wary eye on any possible counterattack.


    The battlefield was unpredictable, and he hadn''t expected Boris''s report of sess toe through. What had seemed like a lost opportunity was now back in his hands. Despite some casualties, they were on the verge of wiping out Orichalcum''s remaining forces. With that, the situation was tilted in their favor, and it felt like a substantial win��far more than he had anticipated.


    What''s more, as long as the base of operations wasn''t destroyed, and the ce where they stored their souls remained intact, a little sacrifice in resources could bring them back to life. Although some gods vehemently opposed this idea, arguing that a resurrection meant they wouldn''t be the same as before, it still served to lessen their fear of death. After all, in a desperate situation, having even the slightest chance of survival was better than giving in to hopelessness.


    "I never thought Boris would give me such a huge surprise," Terran muttered to himself. "Otherwise, we''d have been at risk of losing everything��hell, you would have pulled a fast one on us." He looked at Eterna, then pointed to the five gods who were still desperately trying to hold on, sneering as he spoke. "You see that? This is the price of going up against Ashen. In this world, we are... invincible."


    With that, heunched another attack on Eterna. The blow sent Eterna coughing up blood, and his aura weakened even further. His Divine Authority was barely holding together; it seemed that, any second now, he might fall from the heavens, his strengthpletely exhausted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The other five gods weren''t faring much better. Surrounded by twenty gods of equal power, every second was a torment, every movement a struggle for survival. One wrong step, and they would be obliterated.


    "Boris..." Eterna muttered weakly, his heart filled with hatred. He had never imagined that it would end like this. If it weren''t for Boris, this mission would have gone off without a hitch. But now, everything was over. This battle had been a crushing defeat for Orichalcum. They might be driven out of this world entirely, or worse, bepletely wiped out in the aftermath.


    Eterna refused to ept it. He had such tremendous potential, immense talents that set him apart. His Divine Power, though still weak, was not his limit��he was so close to reaching the higher tiers of Divine Authority. Only one step stood between him and the highest echelons of power!


    But, as it stood, it seemed that thisst step would forever remain out of reach.


    As Terran closed in on him, Eterna''s heart burned with resentment and unwillingness. He let out a deep sigh, as if all the anger and despair had been siphoned away in that one breath. He slowly closed his eyes. Submit? Be captured and turned into a ve?


    No. That was absolutely out of the question! He was the supreme ruler of Orichalcum, the master of the royal city. Even in death, he would not go down quietly. If he was going to die, it would be with his enemies, not as their prisoner or their ything!


    With a final surge of willpower, he summoned thest bit of his strength, preparing for a desperate, final struggle. He would try to take Terran down with him, at least make it an exchange��if he was going down, he wasn''t going to let his enemy leave unscathed.


    But just as he was about to make his move, arge hand gentlynded on his back. A sudden shock ran through his body. How could someone have approached him so quietly without detection?


    Before Eterna could even turn around to see what was happening, a familiar voice slowly echoed, "Eterna, you''ve disappointed me."


    The voice carried a hint of reproach, but it made Eterna''s eyes go wide in shock. The speaker was none other than Hades, the very one he had thought was killed in the battle just moments ago!


    In the next instant, a longsword materialized beside him. The sword radiated a fierce and terrifying aura, swirling around it like a storm. Sterl gently caressed the de, his voice tinged with awe. "So, this is the power of higher Divine Authority, huh? Truly terrifying."


    He spoke with a note of admiration, and the sword he was holding was unmistakably the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, a powerful artifact created by thebined will of several gods��something he had received previously from the higher Divine Authorities.


    "Too bad, Orichalcum is also my target. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had to discard this identity. In that case, this sword could be used as a trump card."


    However, after a brief moment of contemtion, Sterl decided it was best to use it now. If he waited, and his faction''s changes were detected someday, the Sword of Doomsday Judgment might explode within him, wiping him out entirely. Better to use it while he still had control.


    "Hades... It''s Hades!" Read thetest on empire


    A wave of indescribable excitement surged through Eterna. The cloud of despair that had hung over him dissipated in an instant.


    On the other side, Terran stared nkly at the terrifying figure beside Eterna, whose presence radiated an ominous aura. His eyes narrowed, and the Sword of Doomsday Judgment was gripped tightly in the stranger''s hand.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Countless questions flooded Terran''s mind. He scrambled to contact Boris through their faction system, his mind reeling. Didn''t Boris just send a report saying that the battlefield was over, that Hades had been in in an instant? So then, who the hell was this figure in front of him, holding the Sword of Doomsday Judgment?


    He waspletely dumbfounded. They had just won, but now it seemed as though the heavens were ying a cruel joke on him. Another hidden boss had appeared. If he were at full strength, he wouldn''t have feared this at all. But now, after everything that had happened, he was barely in better shape than a half-destroyed wreck.


    "I��"


    Terran opened his mouth but could barely speak, his mind cursing Boris''s ancestors over and over. He quickly began calcting a n, searching for any possible way out.


    Meanwhile, the other Ashen gods, sensing the overwhelming aura emanating from the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, froze in their tracks, their expressions filled with awe and disbelief.


    "Hah, Hades! It''s really Hades!"


    "Finally, Hades has arrived! We''re saved!"


    "Hahaha! You filthy, disgusting natives! Hades will wipe you all out! Every single one of you!!"


    The five who had narrowly escaped death were ecstatic. Over twenty of theirpanions had perished, and they had barely escaped themselves, their lives hanging by a thread. But now, everything had changed. Everything was going to be alright.


    "Run!"


    Without any warning, Terran threw his head back and let out a furious roar. He immediately tried to activate the remaining power of the Space Law, attempting to teleport himself and his remaining forces to a distant location. However, the moment he did, something strange happened. The space that had been so easily manipted just moments ago nowypletely still.


    It turned out that Sterl had also activated his own Temporal-Spatial Law powers, freezing the surrounding space. Though both he and Terran were manipting Space Law, the difference was that Terran relied on tools to control it for a brief time, while Sterl wielded this power directly as part of his own divine abilities. The difference in strength was clear��there was noparison.


    Unable to open the space for teleportation, Terran immediately turned and began to flee, as did the other twenty gods. But the five gods who had been beaten down and nearly killed were not about to let these enemies escape. Each one burned their divine soul to push forward, determined to stop them. Despite this, over ten gods still managed to break free, fleeing toward the distance.


    At that very moment, nine more figures appeared from the shadows, surrounding the fleeing gods. It was Morette, Diana, and several other gods who had appeared out of nowhere. These newly arrived gods caught the Ashen forces off guard, and before they could react, at least three were struck down.


    After all, the Ashen gods were heavily wounded, while Morette and her allies were nearly at full strength. The difference in power made the battle seem one-sided, like a father punishing his child��every blownded true.


    Amid the terrified gazes of over a dozen gods, Sterl slowly raised the Sword of Doomsday Judgment in his hand.


    In an instant, a terrifying aura surged from the de, as though the very heavens themselves were enraged and roaring!


    The surrounding area, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, was cloaked in a thick, ominous cloud.


    "No! This is impossible! How could you bepletely unharmed?!"


    Terran, feeling the overwhelming pressure of fear and power closing in on him, could not help but scream in panic. Boris had told him that Hades and his allies had beenpletely wiped out, but what was happening now?


    Ten gods, not even a single hair out of ce. This was supposed to be their total annihtion?!

 Chapter 525 A Powerful Strike, Total Annihilation!

    Without a doubt, he had beenpletely duped by Boris.


    If it hadn''t been for the false information from Boris, he would have activated his divine shield right after the second strike, and the battle would have been over by now.


    If it hadn''t been for the "good news" Boris sent, he would have already led everyone to retreat, returned to regroup, and waited for the next opportunity.


    What he thought was going to be a great surprise, turned out to be a trap. Had he really been yed for a fool by Boris? Could it be that all of this was part of the Orichalcum Kingdom''s plot!?


    Impossible! Absolutely impossible!


    After all, the losses on Orichalcum''s side weren''t any less than his own. And judging by Eterna and the others'' states, he never suspected that Boris would betray them. How could it be part of a grand scheme?


    At that moment, he thought of many things, but no matter how he considered it, he couldn''t figure out what advantage Boris could gain from this. Betraying Orichalcum and alienating the local forces��he knew exactly what kind of fate awaited Boris.


    Unless��


    Perhaps, in this desperate moment, his mind was racing with possibilities. What if�� what if Boris had a powerful backing? Someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, orchestrating everything and waiting for the perfect moment to reap the rewards when the snipe and the m fight, and the fisherman benefits?


    If that were the case, everything would suddenly make sense!


    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a cold chill ran down his spine. He realized, with a sense of horror, that there was an invisible hand manipting two divine powers. And the most frightening part was that it was all happening silently, without anyone noticing. Everything was perfectly calcted and made sense, with no ws to be found. The situation was incredibly eerie. Too eerie.


    But for all of this to be happening, it was impossible for just Boris to be behind it. Not to mention, Boris would need the power to break through Shielding Power, and more importantly, to have full knowledge of all of Orichalcum''s ns and movements.


    "Who... is it?"


    In this life-or-death moment, he found himself not thinking about the Sword of Doomsday Judgment hovering above him, but instead desperately trying to figure out who the true mastermind was behind all of this.


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    At that moment, the sense of danger above him grew even more intense. He couldn''t help but look up. As his eyes met the gaze of Sterl, those eyes glimmering with a faint excitement, yet full of disdain and contempt, everything suddenly clicked.


    In an instant, it was as though a thunderp exploded in his mind. All the doubts and clues fell into ce. It was him! It was Sterl! This mysterious, foreign powerhouse was the one pulling the strings behind everything!


    Terran''s mind cleared in an instant. This person''s identity was mysterious, and his power was formidable. If he had the ability to bypass Shielding Power, he could indeed craft such a wless n to infiltrate Orichalcum''s inner workings. And as for the "letters of allegiance," recalling Boris''s words earlier, wasn''t that precisely what they used to eliminate those in the three War Preparedness Zones!?


    Sterl watched as Terran''s expression shifted to one of sudden realization, seemingly understanding everything. He was slightly surprised. He hadn''t expected Terran to catch on to some of the finer details and uncover a portion of the truth.


    Unfortunately, the situation had already been decided. The man was about to die��he should just lie down and rest in peace.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a vicious grin, Sterl activated the full power of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment and swung it down with all his might. In that instant, the heavens trembled, the earth cracked, and mountains shook!


    A terrifying, dazzling sword light erupted from the divine de, slowly descending toward the Ashen gods below. Though the sword light moved at incredible speed, for some unknown reason, the moment they saw it, a sense of death enveloped them.


    It was as if, upon seeing the sword''s light, they had already died. The speed was simply so fast that their awareness hadn''t caught up yet.


    Boom!!


    With a deafening explosion, the immense Divine Power within the sword surged forth like an unstoppable tidal wave. Everything that did not bear the Orichalcum Kingdom''s insignia was struck indiscriminately by the divine de.


    "No! How could I... die here!?"


    "I am a god! I am the mighty God of Ignorance! I possess endless lifespans! I cannot die!!"


    "Spare me! I am willing to serve you forever!"


    The sword light spread out, transforming the surroundings into a chaotic ocean of Divine Power. Amidst the chaos, one or two anguished, defiant screams could be heard, but as the power of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment finally depleted, everything fell silent once more.


    Sterl looked at the scene with some surprise, his fear and respect for the higher-level divine authorities growing just a bit more.


    "Impressive," he mused. "To think that this weapon was forged from thebined power of multiple higher-level divine authorities. Its power is indeed terrifying."


    He sighed, his gaze turning downward. Where several winding mountain ranges had once stood, now there was nothing but a vast in of yellow earth. All the nts, even the smallest living creatures, had been reduced to ash. In the center of the in, a deep and bottomless chasm seemed to split the entirend in two��


    "Such a shame," Sterl murmured. "Only one strike. If there had been more, it would have made an excellent trump card."


    He paused for a moment, thinking aloud. "Perhaps next time, I''ll capture a few higher-level divine authorities, just to make more of these weapons."


    A malicious thought rose in Sterl''s mind. Of course, once he gained the power to suppress higher-level divine authorities��or even enve them��he would no longer regard the Sword of Doomsday Judgment as anything particrly special.


    With a sweep of his hand, a divine wind swept through the area, dispersing all the chaotic Divine Power and dust within the reach of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. "There are survivors?"


    Sterl gazed down in surprise. At this moment, Eterna and the other gods also realized what had happened. They looked around at the apocalyptic scene caused by the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, feeling an overwhelming sense of disbelief.


    They had all prepared themselves to die, but the reversal came so quickly. From Sterl''s appearance to the swing of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, only a few seconds had passed.


    Staring at the imposing and powerful figure of Hades, they felt a strange, unspoken sensation. It was as if this Hades had saved Orichalcum for the second time. If it hadn''t been for him, the Ashen assault earlier might have seriously crippled them, and they would have been unable to withstand any future attacks.


    As for Sterl, he looked at the few remaining survivors with curiosity. He clicked his tongue in admiration. Three Ashen gods��among them, Terran, the leader of Ashen, and two other divine authority holders��had bits of broken equipment and gear falling from their bodies, revealing their battered forms beneath.


    "Interesting," Sterl mused, a slight smile curling on his lips. He reyed the map module''s recordings and discovered that, before the full power of the divine sword had unleashed, these three had actually worked together. In their final moments of desperation, they had pulled the gods who had already copsed from despair and ced them in front as shields, using every piece of gear and item to block the iing might of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. This had allowed them to survive the deadly onught, albeit by the thinnest of margins.


    But even so, these three were gravely wounded, and now, they had no Divine Power left. Their consciousness was starting to fade. Only Terran, with his indomitable will, red at Sterl, as though asking him��who was behind this? Who had orchestrated the downfall of two mysterious divine forces? And for what purpose?


    Unfortunately, what awaited him was a swift Destructive Light, which engulfed him entirely, cutting off thest shred of hope for all three of them.


    "Mission aplished!" Sterl said, his mood exceptionally pleased. Though there had been a few small hups along the way, overall, it had been a near-perfect execution.


    On Ashen''s side, including the leader Terran, the entire force had been annihted��no one had survived. On Orichalcum''s side, only six gods remained, including Eterna.


    As for Morette, Diana, and the ten Orichalcum gods, along with the ten lucky survivors from Ashen, they were all a part of his n. This meant that, through his covert maniptions, he had sessfully reduced the fighting forces of both Orichalcum and Ashen to just over ten gods each. In fact, their current strength was no longer even close to his own!


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. The feeling of controlling everything from behind the scenes, pulling the strings from a distance, was something he found utterly addictive.


    Now, his first step was nearlyplete. All that was left was to spend his umted contribution points, use the Soul Treasure, and take advantage of the five opportunities for treasure vault selections. Once that was done, he could abandon this false identity, take a brief period to develop his true form, and then reveal his real self��sweeping through everything and creating a legendary story like no other.


    He couldn''t help but wonder just how terrifying the legendary power he would gain from such a story would be.


    Shaking off the surge of excitement, Sterl calmly turned and looked at Eterna, who was still in a state of shock. He spoke slowly, "If I were you, even if I had the victory in hand, knowing about Shielding Power, I would still tread carefully, step by step."


    Upon hearing this, Eterna''s heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head in shame. It was true. If he had been more cautious, if he had taken better precautions and kept a constant watch for Ashen''s attacks, avoiding the first wave of assault, then with the two Sword of Doomsday Judgment, he could have wiped them out without a trace.


    Looking at the undamaged Hades, who had just wiped out over ten Ashen gods with a single swing of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, Eterna realized something: when it came to dealing with the traitor Boris and the forces he led, Hades hadn''t even needed to use the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. He had defeated the enemy without losing any of his own strength andpletely annihted the invaders with overwhelming force.


    As for Eterna, he had nearly perished in the first wave of the ambush. So, when Sterl mocked and reproached him, he had noints. On the contrary, deep inside, he felt nothing but gratitude toward Sterl.

 Chapter 526 Eternas Inner Doubts, Main Quest Complete!

    After all, if Sterl had not appeared at the crucial moment, descending from the heavens and using the


    Sword of Doomsday Judgment


    to wipe out all of Ashen''s forces, not only would the gods under hismand have beenpletely annihted, but even he himself would not have escaped, falling at the hands of Terran.


    Moreover, that single sword strike hadpletely reversed Orichalcum''s earlier losses, bringing back all the strength they had lost in battle. What should have been a disadvantageous situation was nowpletely turned around. Now, it was they who held the absolute advantage!


    The other surviving gods, too, looked at Sterl with expressions of profound gratitude, their hearts filled with immense relief. They were d that Hades and Ashen had their own vendetta, and even more fortunate that he was willing to join their side.


    Before, they had felt some dissatisfaction with Hades'' pride, his arrogance, and his seemingly disdainful attitude towards the high-tier divine authority. But now, all of that seemed like a distant memory. In retrospect, if it hadn''t been for Hades, they would have likely been reduced to nothing but corpses at the hands of these natives. The royal capital might have even fallen, and the entire Orichalcum Empire would have seen no hope, no way out.


    So now, all they felt for Hades was nothing but gratitude, reverence, and a sense of fortunate relief.


    However, Eterna couldn''t shake off a trace of doubt in his heart. Every time Hades had intervened, it had been at the perfect moment, right on the critical threshold. One secondter, and it might not have worked. It was as if everything had been meticulously nned in advance, as if it were all part of some orchestrated strategy.


    This thought immediately brought to his mind the shadowy figure he had vaguely suspected to be behind everything��the mysterious force pushing Orichalcum and the native factions into conflict. But upon further reflection, he discarded this notion. There could be no other forces in this world, and it was impossible for a hidden hand to be controlling things.


    Moreover, if Hades really were an agent of some outside faction, he wouldn''t have gone through all theseplicated steps. He could have simply led his forces directly; as long as the higher-tier divine authority stayed out of it, he possessed enough power to sweep everything before him��unstoppable, invincible!


    Shaking his head, he dismissed the immature thought from his mind. He then turned to Sterl, his face sincere, and spoke with gratitude.


    "Thank you. If it weren''t for you, the Orichalcum Empire would have been doomed to eternal ruin. As long as I, Eterna, live, you will forever be the most respected guest in our royal city, and�� the gates of the royal city will always be open to you."


    Eterna spoke each word slowly and with certainty, his voice filled with conviction. The others shared the same sentiment. In their hearts, Hades had be like a second father to them. Anyone who dared to oppose Hades would face the wrath of the entire kingdom!


    Diana was beaming with pride, her face full of satisfaction as she watched Eterna and the other high-ranking gods show their utmost respect to her man. Her heart swelled with happiness, and she nearly wished she could shed her clothes and press Hades into her embrace right there and then.


    Sterl, too, felt a quiet satisfaction. The genuine respect from so many gods deeply fulfilled his inner desires. This was the benefit of power. As long as you were strong enough, even gods would show you the respect, even awe and worship. Especially now, with the ongoing fusion of worlds, the divine essence of gods was gradually being reced by human qualities, bringing about a change in their perception.


    He casually waved his hand, dismissing the praise. "Since I''ve already reached an agreement with the Orichalcum Empire, I''ll naturally give it my all. Besides, I''ve already received my due rewards."


    His expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with anticipation. This should be considered a hidden mission within the Orichalcum faction. What intrigued him was how substantial the rewards for saving the war and annihting nearly twenty Ashen gods would be.


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    "Thank you for your generosity," Eterna replied. "Since all the main forces of these natives have been eliminated by Mr. Hades, we should strike while the iron is hot andpletely capture Ashen''s main base!"


    However, before he could finish his sentence, Eterna suddenly coughed violently. It was clear that his weakened body could not bear the emotional strain.


    The others had been thinking along simr lines, but upon feeling their own physical state, they immediately fell silent.


    "It seems this is not the best time," Sterl said lightly. As things stood, aside from the gods branded with the


    followers


    mark, there were only about a dozen or so gods left guarding the Ashen camp.


    This massive loss would undoubtedly alert Ashen''s upper realm forces. If Sterl agreed to attack without the various powers granted by the upper realm or any higher-tier divine authority following him, he would be courting death. It would be no different thanmitting suicide.


    Besides, the living forces on both sides had already been reduced to a satisfactory degree for Sterl. Moving forward, the two sides would either fall into a period of silence or plunge into even more brutal warfare.


    Losing dozens of gods was significant. By this point, both sides were locked in a death struggle. Ashen would do everything it could to disrupt the royal city and the fusion of worlds, while Orichalcum would strive to destroy the remnants of Ashen''s forces.


    Sterl had no desire to involve himself further. Not only would it expose him to risk and danger, but he wouldn''t gain much from it either. For now, he decided to secure the rewards he was due and assess the situationter.


    "The battle here can''t stay hidden for much longer; they''ll find out soon enough. When that happens, the powerful beings from the upper realms might not be able to resist forcefully descending to the lower realms. So, for now, it''s best to head back and regroup. First, you need to recover your strength, and second, we need to discuss our ns."


    Sterl spoke without mercy, but no one objected or showed any displeasure, because his words were the in truth.


    When they had set out, there had been more than twenty gods, yet now only six of them remained alive. The fall of so many gods had shaken even their spirits. Facing such a battle again, they were unlikely to have the same death-before-dishonor fighting spirit as before. They all silently resolved to prepare more life-saving items and tools once they returned.


    Before, they hadn''t felt the urgency. After all, they were gods, and even if they were attacked by two of the same tier, they believed they could escape if they really wanted to. What''s more, killing a god wasn''t an easy task��history had shown that gods rarely fell. It was this mindset that led them to underestimate the situation. But now, the truth had hit them hard. In a battle between gods, even gods were just flesh and blood in a grinder. One wrong move, and the godly status they had fought for centuries to achieve could be shattered, their souls destroyed, their bodies lost.


    "By the way, about Boris''s betrayal, I need an answer from you. I''ve used up a precious trump card in the process," Sterl continued, his gaze steady as he looked at Eterna.


    Eterna''s heart sank. His face immediately turned serious. It was true then��Boris had indeed betrayed them. If Hades hadn''t been prepared in advance, he might already have died in the deadly ambush.


    Morette and the others also agreed with Sterl''s words, and their agreement was genuine. Sterl hadn''t activated their


    followers


    marks, for they had witnessed, firsthand, the ambush that the ten Ashen gods hadunched under Boris''s leadership.


    At that moment, they had truly believed that Hades had perished. But to their surprise, he had some life-saving item��how exactly he had used it to avoid the fatal strike, they didn''t know, but it was clear that Hades had been well-prepared.


    The betrayal from their own side had nearly caused a disaster for their allies. Failing to provide an exnation for this was simply uneptable. What if this angered Hades, and in a fit of rage, he decided to sever ties with Orichalcum and even defect to Ashen? The consequences would be unimaginable. Moreover, Ashen would certainly not care that Hades had in nearly twenty of their gods with a single strike. Instead, they would likely wee him with open arms, offering massive rewards��this was the value that the power to make such decisions brought.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hades, rest assured. I will report this to the royal city. Orichalcum will definitely offer you satisfactorypensation," Eterna said, struggling to keep his weak body upright, but his voice was firm. This was a matter of utmost importance, and Hades''s status was only rising with each passing moment.


    "Very well, then. Let''s return to the royal city for now. This is Ashen''s territory. Once they realize what has happened, they might resort to a swarm tactic and forcefully strike back," Sterl said, his tone calm but filled with a hint of warning.


    In some ways, gods and divine beings were not afraid of such tactics, but here, "swarm tactics" referred to ordinary, second-ss soldiers.


    For a force of divine beings, even their lowest-tier soldiers were at least third-ss in strength. Their legions were made up of legends in abundance��not the ordinary, low-level ones, but mid-tier and even high-tier legends. These were the true backbone of the army.


    As for third-ss soldiers, in many ways, they were considered just cannon fodder. Positions that could be likened to officers were often filled by Ascendants��beings who were below demigod level, but who had reached at least level 300. Only by bing a demigod could one truly rise to the upper echelons of the army, though even then, they were still part of the military structure. They were not independent like gods, who could fight solo.


    However, when a godly force consolidated its entire army, with the added effects of military formations and various other buffs, the resulting power wasn''t just some simple swarm tactic��it was the true, brutal force of a god-ying battle.


    Some military formations even used gods as their core, capable of wiping out multiple gods with ease. This was one of the reasons why divine factions also focused on building armies��because legionsposed of legends were truly terrifying in power.


    Even Sterl, as strong as he was, didn''t want to find himself caught in the middle of a military formationmanded by gods.

 Chapter 527 The Title [Godslayer]

    "Alright! We will follow Hades'' orders. Let''s retreat for now." Eterna agreed, his voice steady despite his weakened state. "Once we''re back, I''ll give themand to bring the full force of the army down upon them, ensuring these natives don''t have a single moment to react!"


    Upon hearing these words, Sterl''s ears were filled with the familiar [Transcendence] system notification sound.


    [Main Quest "The Crisis of the Royal City" has beenpleted. You can now collect your rewards in the Royal City.]


    [Congrattions on sessfullypleting the main quest. Your performance in the battle is being calcted.]


    [Calctionplete. Your performance for this mission is: wless!]


    At this moment, an image shed before Sterl''s eyes��his own figure single-handedly driving back ten Ashen gods, followed by the powerful strike that turned the tide of the battle, annihting nearly twenty Ashen gods in one fell swoop.


    Then, more notifications followed.


    [Based on your final performance score, you will receive an additional 100,000 Contribution Points and 100,000 Reputation! ]


    [Your Reputation level has increased from "Respected" to "Worshipped".]


    [You have gained 50 experience points based on your current level 50.]


    [You have gained 100 Legend Points!]


    [You have earned the title [Godyer].]


    The sound of the notifications echoed in his ears, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of Sterl''s mouth. His mood lifted instantly.


    Though the rewards seemed modest at first nce, they were actually quite concentrated, with immense value!


    The 50 levels of experience alone,bined with the considerable experience he had umted previously, would easily push him beyond the legendary boundary. The moment he broke through, he could leap to level 200 or even 300! His base stats and abilities would receive a massive boost.


    As for the 100 Legend Points, their value was immeasurable. With the right items, he could transfer those Legend Points to others, like Linna and Rayna, amplifying their own powers.


    What excited Sterl the most, however, were the 100,000 Contribution Points and Reputation. The Reputation boost was particrly significant, elevating his standing to "Worshipped." This wasn''t just any Reputation��it was a divine faction''s reputation level. Even the title of [Resistor] would be ineffective against such high regard. This meant that even gods with higher divine authority would show him respect, and for lesser divine beings, he was now a revered hero.


    And as for the 100,000 Contribution Points? That was an astronomical fortune. After turning Boris into his follower, Sterl had a clearer understanding of how valuable Contribution Points were. For most gods, umting even 10,000 Contribution Points was already considered impressive. But 100,000? Even if one lived a thousand lifetimes, such wealth would remain out of reach!


    With the addition of the previous 30,000 Contribution Points, Sterl now had a total of 130,000 points��enough to exchange for anything from the Royal City''s treasury. These were merely extra rewards forpleting the main quest. The real rewards woulde once he returned to the Royal City.


    "This time, I''ve really struck it rich!"


    Filled with excitement, Sterl took another look at the title [Godyer]. Just reading the name alone made him feel the weight of its significance. This was a title earned through a divine war, after all!


    [Godyer]


    [Type: Title]


    [Description: You are the living embodiment of The Tragedy of the Gods. This title is one that sends tremors through the gods and makes the heavens themselves tremble. Those who possess the title of "Godyer" are destined to be the nemesis of gods, fearless warriors who challenge divine authority. They wield the immense power to shatter the chains of divinity and overturn the reign of the gods!]


    [Effect: While wearing this title, all gods who face you will be subjected to the "Godyer" suppression effect. All defensive effects will be reduced by 30%. Additionally, your attacks will deal 50% more damage to gods.]


    [Any abilities from gods (including output, curses, suppression, and all other effects) will have zero impact on you!]


    [Note: Every battle you fight is a challenge to divine authority, and every victory is a desecration of the gods'' dignity. Equipping this title may provoke hostility from neutral gods.]


    [This is the power of destruction, the dawn of a new order!]


    Even though Sterl had been mentally prepared, he was still shaken by the immense power of the title.


    He stared at the description of the title, his eyes wide. Godyer��it was destined to be the nemesis of gods! The one who would shatter their chains and overthrow their rule!


    As for the effects��those were even more terrifying.


    First off, all defensive effects would be reduced by 30%. This wasn''t just about divine authorities with defensive abilities, but also any skills, formations, weapons, and even the natural resistance and defense of a god''s body. Everything would be reduced by 30%!


    But that was just the beginning. His own attack power would increase by 50% when targeting gods. That was incredibly dangerous because it meant hisbat effectiveness would skyrocket��his abilities, amplifications, and enhancements would stack together, pushing his battle power to an entirely new level. It was downright broken!


    And as for the best part? The impact of divine abilities on him would bepletely nullified��100% reduction! This meant that attacks that would have once inflicted fatal damage would now only leave a scratch at most. Meanwhile, weaker attacks would pose no threat at all.


    Sterl could hardly believe his luck. This was the power of a Godyer��a title not just of great prestige but of immense practical advantage. He could hardly wait to see how it would turn the tides in the battles ahead.


    The effects of this title were terrifying to even imagine!


    The three effects had no impact on enemies below the level of gods. They were entirely designed to target divine beings. After all, below the divine level��whether demigods or legends��before him, they were no more significant than ants.


    Whenbined, the effects would make even a weak Divine Power-level god nothing more than a small fry. There would be no room for resistance or threat.


    Now, equipped with this title, he could take on multiple gods at once with ease!


    Moreover, the potential of this title was staggering. It wasn''t just limited to weak gods; it affected any divine being! This meant that even the powerful upper realms'' divine authorities, or more potent Divine Power entities, would feel the effects of this title!


    Terrifying! Overwhelming! It was almost beyond description!


    Sterl was incredibly excited. He never expected to gain such a powerful title. As for the title''s negative effect��the potential hostility of neutral gods��it was nothingpared to the enormous benefits it provided.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Besides, as long as he was strong enough, any neutral gods who came to challenge him would just give him a chance to hunt them down, turning them into resources to grow even stronger.


    "This is truly an unexpected windfall. But, with this title, maybe I''m the only one in all of [Transcendence] to have earned it."


    After obtaining the title, he learned the conditions for acquiring it: One must be below the level of gods, and have killed more than thirty gods to trigger the title!


    Killing thirty gods at a lower level than divine beings was practically impossible. Anyone else would have dismissed such an idea as absurd��no one would believe it, not even in a novel.


    However, Sterl''s immensebat power didn''te out of nowhere. Built on the foundation of cheats and starting from level one, he had been constantly enhancing his strength, breaking through limit after limit. The speed of his umtion was like riding a rocket, which was why he had achieved this point.


    For anyone else, even a powerful Divine Power being reincarnated, knowing the conditions for this title, would likely ignore it. It was the sort of thing that seemed like a cruel joke from the world itself.


    But Sterl had once again done the impossible. The umted foundation was enough to give him a tremendous advantage when facing the next impossible challenge!


    Without any hesitation, Sterl equipped the title. After all, the effects of titles could stack infinitely��so the more, the better.


    The moment the title was equipped, an indescribable aura surged from Sterl''s body. Instantly, all the surrounding gods couldn''t help but shudder, a deep sense of dread creeping into their hearts, as if they had been locked onto by some ancient nemesis.


    "Be careful!"


    "What... what is this aura? Why does it feel so terrifying?"


    "Stay alert!"


    "My gods, I can feel the power of the Abyss!"


    "Could it be that a Demon God is about to appear?"


    The gods instantly became flustered, their vignce on high alert as they scanned their surroundings, their nerves stretched thin.


    Sterl himself was taken aback by the effect.


    "This effect is a bit too much!"


    He quickly tried to control the power of the title. Once he regained control, the terrifying aura naturally dissipated.


    After a while, when no abnormality was detected, the gods slowly began to rx.


    "What was that? For that brief moment, I felt like my Divine Power was sluggish."


    "Same here! Under that aura, I felt fear��fear as if I was facing a natural enemy!"


    "Maybe some terrifying entity from a higher dimension passed by? I remember reading something like that in ancient texts."


    The gods continued discussing, but the moment passed. When they were allposed again, they dropped the subject. However, unbeknownst to anyone else, Eterna had turned to nce at Sterl, her heart gripped by a chilling fear.


    Because of her unique ability, she was especially sensitive to such auras. It was no wonder that, even under the effect of Shielding Power, she had been able to sense the danger and react in time to avoid it.


    Just now, she had faintly sensed the source of that mysterious and terrifying aura��it had seemed toe from Hades himself!


    In her perception, at that moment, Hades had seemed to transform into a reaper, his body surrounded by countless wailing souls. What shocked her even more was that these souls�� were all gods!


    But that sensation hadsted only an instant and then vanished. She nced at Hades, whose face mirrored her own shock, and shook her head slightly.


    "Maybe I''m just too weak�� I must have misinterpreted it."


    The eerie feeling still lingered, but for now, the gods couldn''t afford to dwell on it.

 Chapter 528 The Wrath of the High-Level Divine Authority!

    Eterna shook his head. Although his sensory abilities had saved him many times, they were also prone to errors.


    At this moment, Hades was the greatest hero of Orichalcum, revered and even worshiped by everyone throughout the entire kingdom. Therefore, Eterna didn''t want to jump to conclusions over such a minor incident.


    Moreover, the matter of Boris''s betrayal had yet to be properly exined. If he started doubting Hades now, it could make things worse. If Hades got angry enough to just walk away from his position, Eterna would be a traitor in the eyes of the royal city!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After carefully investigating and confirming there was nothing particrly unusual, the group picked up the pace and hurried toward the royal city.


    Meanwhile, Sterl was secretly rmed.


    "That was close, I almost blew my cover. I didn''t expect this title to have so many hidden effects."


    Sterl was shaken. Luckily, his acting skills had been on point, and he had managed to suppress the aura brought on by the title just in time. Otherwise, he might have been exposed, and in that case, he would have had to take drastic measures.


    This title, aside from the three abilities granted by the [Transcendence] system, also had an aura amplification effect.


    At first, Sterl hadn''t paid much attention to it. What use was a mere aura enhancement? Could it really intimidate a god?


    But now, seeing the effect, it was clear that not only could it intimidate gods, but it could also cause them to experience fear and sluggishness to a certain extent. It even seemed capable of briefly suppressing Divine Power. This meant that, in the presence of an ordinary god, their ability to resist him would be significantly weakened.


    Of course, this aura had both advantages and drawbacks. Sterl was certain that even neutral gods, who had never met him, would sense this aura and regard him as some ancient, terrifying demon about to awaken. They might even join forces to suppress him.


    Thus, in front of higher-level divine authorities, he couldn''t afford to release this aura carelessly. Yet, a thought rose in Sterl''s mind.


    With the [Godyer] title, even a high-level divine authority should be within his reach, right?


    He recalled the high-level divine authority that had made a move against him before, as well as the power of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment. If the title''s effect was activated, the gap between them would shrink several times over. With his own powerful offensive capabilities, even a high-level divine authority would face significant threats, possibly even sustaining injuries to their divine form!


    At this thought, Sterl couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement, an impulse to challenge a high-level divine authority and test his own strength. But he wasn''t a fool. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn''t do something as reckless and dangerous as that.


    During the journey, he made use of the map module and the followers'' marks on Boris and the others. It was just in time to see them enter the Ashen Temple. The temple was the dwelling ce of the gods, protected by Divine Power and various formations.


    Even with the [Transcendence] ability, it was impossible to fully restrict the gods, so the map module couldn''t reveal the scenes inside the temple. However, by utilizing the followers'' mark inside Boris, he was able to sessfully perceive what was happening at that moment.


    He saw that the ten gods, including Boris, upon returning to the temple, showed no hesitation and immediately called upon the power of the upper realms while simultaneously inspecting the faint soul mark left by Terran and the others.


    This was a tool used to monitor the life and death of gods. As long as a soul mark was left behind, it would disappear along with the death of its owner.


    However, upon closer inspection, the item that recorded the soul marks of all the gods of Ashen was almost empty. Half of it was gone, leaving only about twenty faint marks still glowing weakly.


    Upon seeing this, all the surviving gods'' faces instantly filled with terror and disbelief.


    "This... How is this possible! Terran... is dead!?"


    The gods guarding the temple hurriedly gathered together, staring at the empty soul marks with wide eyes. Weren''t they told that Orichalcum would not act rashly, and that there was no solution to the Shielding Power?


    But did they also not take away the divine shield granted by the gods of the upper realms? Didn''t they receive word earlier that Boris from Orichalcum hade to surrender, and that this assassination would be foolproof, with preparations already made to attack the royal city of Orichalcum?


    So what the hell was going on now?! Not a single god who attacked Hades was dead, but Terran''s entire force had been wiped out! Were they dreaming?


    "What''s happening? What is going on here?!"


    "What happened over there? We need an exnation!"


    "My god! Dozens of gods have fallen! Ashen has never suffered such a great loss!"


    "This is the War of Annihtion! To the death!"


    The gods guarding the temple shouted in panic and fury. The reason was simple: Ashen had lost so many gods at once, plunging them into an absolute disadvantage. With this, Orichalcum would undoubtedly press their advantage, and their own safety would now be at great risk!


    "Everyone, calm down."


    A voice rang out, immediately drawing everyone''s attention. The speaker was none other than Boris!


    However, upon seeing Boris, the outsider from Orichalcum, many of the gods guarding the temple revealed unfriendly and scrutinizing gazes, and it seemed they were subtly surrounding him.


    "You are Boris, the so-called strongest in Orichalcum after Eterna, right?"


    "Hmph!


    Those who are not of my kind will surely think differently!


    Maybe this is all part of your n!"


    "Capture him! Torture him; we''ll get useful information from him!"


    Surrounded by a group of malicious gods, Boris felt a rush of panic in his heart. However, having experiencedrge-scale situations before, he managed to keep hisposure and maintained a calm demeanor, even making eye contact with each of them.


    "I''ve already made a contract with Terran. If this truly is some so-called scheme, then I believe all of you here would already be running for your lives right now," he said coldly, his eyes filled with disdain.


    But gods were gods. Despite the huge blow from the deaths of Terran and the others, they couldn''t let their emotions dominate them. Their gazes quickly calmed, and they epted Boris''s words. After all, if this had been some trap, the nine gods who had returned unharmed wouldn''t be standing here now. They would have been wiped out, and Ashen''s forces would be even more vulnerable, on the brink of copse.


    Seeing the tension ease, Boris let out a long sigh of relief and proceeded to exin the n he had made with Terran. The other nine gods present confirmed his story, and as a result, it wasn''t met with any real skepticism.


    "Hades is mysterious; I don''t know what method he used, but he managed to avoid our attack. Fortunately, he didn''t have the Sword of Doomsday Judgment with him, or none of us would be alive right now."


    "Also, the reason I told you not to panic is because not long ago, Terran and the others sent me a message. Eterna''s team was almostpletely wiped out. However, they were all severely injured due to the Sword of Doomsday Judgment''s power. We don''t know the exact cause of theplete annihtion, but I suspect it''s due to reinforcements from Hades''s side."


    "Hades... that guy is ridiculously strong, like some kind of monster!"


    As he spoke, a trace of fear appeared in Boris''s eyes, and the other nine gods who had participated in the ambush disyed simr expressions. They had witnessed firsthand the power of Hades.


    Boris, a three-divine-authority god, had been effortlessly struck down with a single blow from Hades. That level of power was on par with that of a high-level divine authority!


    Upon hearing this, the atmosphere inside the temple grew heavy and serious. Deep wariness filled everyone''s eyes, mixed with a hint of resentment. How could Orichalcum, this damned invader, be worthy of receiving the support of such a powerful god?


    Fortunately, Boris had allied with them; otherwise, this would have truly been a situation of total annihtion. The temple might even have suffered damage from the power of the Sword of Doomsday Judgment.


    Just as the entire temple was engulfed in silence, a powerful aura suddenly descended upon it.


    A figure shrouded in high-level Divine Power, with its features obscured, stood among them. Due to its high-level divine authority, the figure was bound by numerous shackles from different worlds.


    However, Boris''s pupils contracted, and his heart skipped a beat. As a high-level divine authority himself, he could immediately tell that the figure''s shackles were only half as many as those on the previous Orichalcum god. It felt as though, with minimal effort, the figure could shatter these shackles at will!


    "Greetings, Lord of the Upper Realms."


    Upon seeing the divine being from the upper realms descend, all the gods immediately lowered their heads in respect. They then gave a detailed report on the current situation in Ashen. After delivering the final words, an even more oppressive aura surged forth, causing all the gods to struggle to breathe.


    Soon after, several more high-level divine authorities appeared, which caused Boris''s heart to race with panic. He feared that his mark would be exposed. If that happened, he would be torn apart by the fury of these gods. It was a fate too terrible to imagine, and he was certain it would be unexpectedly brutal.


    Fortunately, the mark from the


    Ancient One


    ��a mark even more powerful than the Ancient One itself��was not detected by these high-level divine authorities.


    This brought some relief to Sterl. If Boris''s mark had been discovered, it was possible that the marks he had ced on other gods would also be exposed. In that case, he would have to seriously reconsider whether he should return to the royal city of Orichalcum at all.

 Chapter 529 The Worship of the Divine Forces, a High-Level Divine Authority Apologizes?

    "A great catastrophe is approaching. This world cannot tolerate any anomalous changes. It must belong to us. Therefore, no matter the cost, Orichalcum must be destroyed!"


    A high-level divine authority spoke in anger, its divine might overwhelming. Even though they were all gods, at that moment, they all felt an immense threat.


    "Order it. Consolidate all the forces in this world. I will reduce Orichalcum to ashes!"


    The high-level gods began discussing how to deal with Orichalcum. Boris, as a key source of intelligence, was spared the wrath of even the high-level divine authorities. In fact, he was given significant authority, even being appointed to take over from Terran and oversee everything.


    Of course, this was merely a tactic to gain loyalty. Besides that, two other powerful gods were assigned to assist him and share the responsibility.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Soon, orders began to pour out of the temple, and Ashen''s allied forces started aggressively recruiting powerful beings from this world��those above third ss, with no upper limit on numbers!


    With Ashen and the other divine forces united, their influence and prestige in this world were already immense. In an instant, the number of their legions began to grow rapidly.


    Their goal was clear: they would use a human-wave tactic to wear down the divine forces of Orichalcum, even directly gathering the power of countless legends and demigods to forcibly breach Orichalcum''s defenses!


    After all, this world had always been their home turf. Orichalcum had only just arrived and was still in the process of merging with the world. In terms of both prestige and influence, it was no match for Ashen, which had existed for countless years. Naturally, Ashen''s forces vastly outnumbered Orichalcum''s.


    "So it''s a human-wave tactic..."


    Sterl, through the followers'' mark within Boris, learned of Ashen''s strategy and raised an eyebrow. The human-wave tactic, for gods, was the most useless, yet at the same time, the most unstoppable strategy!


    If the numbers hadn''t reached a critical mass, it would be nothing more than sending the forces to their deaths. But once the numbers reached a certain threshold, even gods could not resist the will of tens of thousands of powerful beings. Moreover, with the formation of such numbers, countless murderous intentions and wills could coalesce into a barrier, known as the


    Godyer Formation


    .


    Within this formation, a god''s faith would be temporarily severed, and their Divine Power would be suppressed.


    Without the


    Power of Faith


    , there is no source for Divine Power, and every blow from a god would be absorbed by the formation, distributed evenly among all those within it. As a result, unless one could eliminate thousands, or even tens of thousands, of legendary beings in an instant, any attack would be futile.


    This is also why Orichalcum had been hesitant to engage Ashen in a full-scale battle. Even though their divine-level strength initially outssed Ashen''s [Transcendence] level, this very fact made them hesitant. They feared the repercussions of overstepping, given the situation at hand.


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    However, with the recent loss of half of Ashen''s gods, the anger of the higher-ups in the upper realms had been sparked. They were willing to pay any price tounch a divine war.


    It could be expected that after this battle, even if Ashen emerged victorious, the world''s potential would be shattered. It would take at least several hundred years to recover its strength, and the losses would be monumental.


    Yet,pared to the destruction of Orichalcum, even bearing such a price, they were still willing to go to war!


    Sterl didn''t care. He nned to collect his rewards forpleting this task, then find an excuse to disappear, letting the two factions fight it out to the death. Afterward, he would return to


    reap the benefits of a fisherman''s gain!


    By then, they had arrived at the royal city of Orichalcum. But unlike their first arrival, Sterl could clearly sense that the legendary beings living in the city were now looking at him with different eyes.


    From the initial awe and respect, their gazes were now filled with fervor and worship. They looked at him as if he were some sort of divine figure��like they were in the midst of a pilgrimage!


    This was the benefit of


    reputation


    . A series of actions had raised Sterl''s reputation in Orichalcum to the level of


    adoration


    . If it rose one level higher, he would reach the pinnacle of


    Worshipped One


    !


    This level of reputation was something he had only encountered once before, in the


    Land of the Sacred Mountain


    . The benefits were self-evident. However, Orichalcum was a divine-level power,parable to the


    Hall of Valor


    . The difficulty in increasing one''s reputation there was far greater than bing a high-level divine authority!


    If he could truly achieve the status of


    Worshipped One


    , it was likely that the minimum requirement would be for his power to reach that of a high-level divine authority. After all, strength was the foundation of everything. Without it, no matter how high your reputation, it would only make you a mere respected figurehead, a vase admired for appearance alone.


    Of course, Sterl''s current reputation level was already sufficient. He even suspected that with his current reputation, if he were to kill a god in the royal city, he would face no punishment. In fact, the dead god would likely be seen as a traitor sent by the local faction.


    The group didn''t hesitate and directly entered the temple. At this moment, more than a dozen gods stationed in the royal city had evidently been waiting for quite some time. Upon seeing Sterl and the others return, each one''s gaze was a mixture ofplexity and respect.


    They already knew what had happened. Boris had betrayed them and nearly beenpletely wiped out by Ashen''s faction. If it hadn''t been for Hades'' immense strength, which allowed him to narrowly avoid the fatal blow, then reverse the situation and immediately provide support to Eterna, Orichalcum would have truly fallen into despair.


    Although, overall, they hadn''t suffered terribly, losing twenty gods was an unprecedented blow. It far exceeded the nine casualties from Ashen''s previous ambush, as well as the six casualties from the mysterious attack three years ago. The losses were staggering!


    So, even though they had won, there was no joy in their eyes.


    At the center of the temple, another figure was quietly waiting. It was the same high-level divine authority who had descendedst time!


    He turned around and looked at Eterna and the other five heavily wounded gods. A deep, simmering anger appeared on his face. He then waved his hand, and several glowing items with a soft green hue flew into their bodies. Soon, the injuries of these six gods began to heal rapidly.


    What would normally take several days or even years to fully recover from had now beenpletely restored to peak condition.


    "Thank you, Lord High Divine Authority, for your healing," Eterna and the others immediately bowed and expressed their gratitude. While they could recover on their own, doing so would deplete their hard-earned contribution points and various resources, which was painful to think about. Now, it was clear that this was either an acknowledgment from the higher-ups in the royal city or, in a way, a form of reward. After all, they had fought for the nation of Orichalcum.


    The high-level divine authority ignored their thanks and turned his gaze toward Sterl. Thetter calmly met his gaze, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.


    "Seems like�� I could actually defeat this high-level divine authority?"


    A thought rose in Sterl''s mind. He activated his


    Ascend to Godhood


    state, using the Temporal-Spatial Law and his other powerful abilities. His strength already surpassed that of a weak Divine Power. Though there was still a gap between him and a high-level divine authority, the difference was not so vast that he couldn''t put up a fight. With the added support of the


    Godyer


    title, his chances of victory would be even higher.


    This title''s enhancement for battles against gods was incredibly potent. Whether he could defeat this divine authority remained to be seen, but he''d test it when the opportunity arose.


    At this moment, the high-level divine authority spoke first.


    "Mr. Hades, regarding Boris'' betrayal, on behalf of the Kingdom of Orichalcum, I would like to offer my sincere apologies."


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone instinctively turned their gaze towards him. A sense of unease swept over them. After all, the betrayal came from their own side, yet it almost resulted in the death of their ally. It was undeniably hard to justify.


    Sterl calmly watched the high-level divine authority, waiting for him to continue. However, seconds ticked by, and the divine authority still didn''t seem to intend to say anything further. This instantly caused Sterl''s temper to re.


    Although Boris was still under his control, his man, although everything was under hismand, and although he was the true mastermind behind this war, on the surface, nobody knew that. And now, in less than a moment, they expected him to ept a mere apology? Where were thepensations? The resources? What, was the apology supposed to be worth something? Was their mouth made of gold?


    "So, this is how you, Orichalcum, express your apology?"


    On the surface, Sterl furrowed his brows slightly, a dangerous aura rising around him, almost like he was about to express his displeasure openly.


    This remark immediately caused Eterna to feel a jolt of anxiety. She feared that Hades would fall out with the royal city. If that happened, how would they continue the battle? Could they really send him into the fray?


    The other gods also began to feel uneasy. Normally, a personal apology from a high-level divine authority, even using respectful titles, would be more than enough. But this was Hades! The arrogant and domineering Hades! He wasn''t one to be swayed by such formalities; he demanded real, tangible rewards!


    Upon hearing this, the high-level divine authority revealed a knowing smile, as if he had anticipated this reaction. He gave a slight smile and spoke again, "Of course, it''s not just an apology. To properly show our remorse, the previous terms can now be put into effect. Moreover, should you assist us inpletely eliminating these local forces, you may choose ten items from the royal treasury of the city."


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a bit speechless. This old fox had set him up. The overly respectful attitude earlier? If it were anyone else, they might have epted it, but in this case, if he were to ept such a verbal apology, he wouldn''t receive any tangible benefits at all.


    "Old bastard, you''re truly devious!"


    Sterl inwardly cursed, frustrated by the subtle trap beingid out before him.

 Chapter 530 Finally Obtaining the Soul Treasure! Am I Being Tricked?

    In his heart, Sterl cursed the high-level divine authority, but on the surface, he maintained aposed smile.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It had to be said, the subsequent terms were still quite tempting. This divine authority was certain that Sterl had visited the royal treasury of the Kingdom of Orichalcum. The offer to choose ten items at will was irresistible; no one could turn down such an opportunity.


    Even Sterl was a bit surprised at the generosity of the Kingdom of Orichalcum. But if they could truly annihte these obstacles, who would care about ten items? Even twenty or thirty would be worth it.


    "Very well, I see your sincerity," he said, nodding in approval. The tense atmosphere dissipated instantly, and everyone else let out a sigh of relief. If Hades and the high-level divine authority had fallen out, things would have beenplicated.


    First of all, Morette and Eterna, the gods saved by Hades, would certainly not intervene. The others would likely just watch from the sidelines. Even if they tried to suppress Hades, they wouldn''t achieve their goal. Instead, it would only cause the Kingdom of Orichalcum''s reputation in this world to plummet. Local powerful forces, who feared being abandoned once their usefulness was exhausted, would never join them, no matter the rewards offered.


    Thankfully, none of that happened. It was just a few resources after all. If this had happened earlier, before they understood Hades'' true value, they might have been surprised or even displeased, possibly even protesting. But now, all they could think was that the offering was insufficient; it didn''t adequately reflect their gratitude and sincerity.


    "I''m d you''re satisfied, Mr. Hades. This is the contract between Lady Diana and the royal city. As long as Lady Diana is willing, she may directly nullify the contract," the high-level divine authority continued, pausing briefly before pulling out a dark purple glowing orb. Sterl''s gaze was immediately drawn to it. He recognized the orb instantly. In fact, it was one of the main reasons he had chosen to join the Kingdom of Orichalcum. This was his target��the Soul Treasure of the Kingdom of Orichalcum!


    "This is the Soul Treasure of our Kingdom of Orichalcum. Now, it is yours."


    The high-level divine authority''s expression was somewhatplex. The orb was known as the Soul Treasure of the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum. It was a rare and valuable object that existed independently of the royal treasury. Once considered the Kingdom''s most powerful secret treasure, it was also the key to Orichalcum''s rise.


    Unfortunately, the conditions to use this treasure were not only harsh but also practically uneptable. Since the kingdom''s founding and the disappearance of its original creator, the treasure had been left unused.


    There were two main reasons for this. First, no one was qualified to wield it. Second, even if someone was eligible, no one was willing to use it. There had even been a brutal civil war once over this very treasure.


    Since then, the Soul Treasure had beenpletely sealed off, isted from the outside world, and few ever mentioned it. Who would have thought that now, it would be handed over to an outsider?


    Of course, the high-level divine authority''s regret was more for the history surrounding the treasure. In his eyes, the Soul Treasure didn''t hold much value. If it was given away, then so be it. Moreover, by calling it the Kingdom of Orichalcum''s most precious treasure, it added a bit more leverage in their dealings.


    The other gods looked at the glowing orb, their gazes varying��some calm, someplex, and some filled with emotion. But Sterl could sense that the allure of this Soul Treasure was not even close to that of the contract.


    With a casual toss, two items appeared in Sterl''s hands. At once, the information about the Soul Treasure flooded his mind.


    Unlike the partial information Morette had shown him earlier, this time, he received theplete details of this secret treasure!


    Instantly, an overwhelming sense of excitement and exhration surged within him! He almost couldn''t hold back from bursting into wildughter.


    "I''ve hit the jackpot! This is it, I''ve really made it!"


    Looking at the effects of the Soul Treasure, Sterl''s heart surged with joy��he felt like he could almost fly!


    While he had once harbored some doubt about his ability to sweep through everything andplete his legendary story, now, with the Soul Treasure in hand, it felt like a sure thing.


    The power of this artifact was truly terrifying��it was incredibly potent!


    The reason why this high-level divine authority, and even the other gods, seemed indifferent, even a bit dismissive of the Soul Treasure, was because of the extremely strict conditions for its use. First, the user''s soul had to be extraordinarily powerful and resilient. Secondly... when used on others, there was a prerequisite: the person using it must ensure absolute loyalty from the bearer of the treasure.


    No wonder no one cared about it. No wonder it was so casually handed over. The first condition, about the soul''s strength, was already a dealbreaker. Even for high-level gods, the strength of their souls wasn''t particrly impressive. What determined the strength of a soul, however, was the soul''s level.


    Normal gods had soul levels around 5 or 6, while his soul level was already 62!


    As for the absolute loyalty use, even legendary beings would never voluntarily pledge such loyalty to a god. And using coercive methods to ensure loyalty would only lead to rebellion and war.


    Thus, this treasure, which should have been incredibly powerful, had be a worthless, wasteful relic��a chicken rib that no one bothered with, despite its immense potential.


    But for Sterl, this was undoubtedly an incredibly rare and valuable top-tier treasure. As for the detailed information and effects of the Soul Treasure, he didn''t examine it too closely, lest he inadvertently reveal the truth��that he could actually use the Soul Treasure.


    So, on the surface, after holding the Soul Treasure in his hands, he first disyed a joyful smile. Then, it quickly froze, and he frowned, staring at the crystal-like dark purple orb with a somewhat gloomy expression.


    "Are you messing with me?"


    He raised his head and looked at the high-level divine authority before him, then turned his gaze to Morette. At this moment, Morette was practically bowing to the ground, not daring to meet his eyes.


    Diana, on the other hand, flinched. A mix of nervousness and confusion appeared on her face. It wasn''t that she didn''t know, but when she was with Sterl, she had been so preupied with other thoughts that shepletely forgot about it.


    Immediately, her mind scolded herself, filled with worry. She feared that Hades would misunderstand her and create a rift between them. Discover stories with empire


    "What�� what should I do now? Diana, you''re such an idiot!"


    She repeatedly cursed herself in her mind, tears nearly welling up in her eyes, unsure of how to exin. After all, for this Soul Treasure, Sterl had almost been killed by the traitor Boris!


    Sterl couldn''t help butugh inwardly at this scene. This girl was still worrying about how to make it up to him.


    The other gods were all maintaining silence, observing the situation with a calm demeanor. They knew well the effects and limitations of the Soul Treasure. To be honest, only a legendary god with powerful Divine Power��one capable of creating worlds with a mere wave of their hand��could freely use this treasure.


    However, beings of that level had no interest in such an item, and those who would be interested were unable to use it. It was a tormenting paradox.


    When Sterl had first requested the Soul Treasure, everyone knew he had been yed, but no one could deny that this treasure was valuable. After all, it was the most powerful and coveted artifact in all of the Kingdom of Orichalcum.


    In simple terms�� it was immensely precious, but its value was almost null. It served better as a decorative piece with historical significance.


    Ahem.


    The high-level divine authority coughed twice, trying to ease the awkward tension of almostughing. Seeing Sterl''s disgruntled expression gave him a feeling of satisfaction. Even this domineering, arrogant man could be tricked.


    Upon hearing this, a look of "shame and anger" appeared on Sterl''s face, as though he had just realized that this was precisely the thing he had specifically requested.


    After a moment of silence, the anger on his face gradually faded, and without saying a word, he stowed the Soul Treasure and the contract into his space.


    "This time, I''ll choose six items."


    His voice seemed to be suppressing deep anger, sounding somewhat hoarse. The high-level divine authority before him seemed to have anticipated this reaction and agreed without hesitation.


    "No problem, Mr. Hades. We can certainly fulfill this request."


    Upon hearing this, Sterl snorted coldly. "I''m only doing this for Diana''s sake. But if something like this happens again, don''t me me for turning hostile."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Hades, the Royal City will never let your efforts go unrewarded." The divine authority then nced toward Diana. "Thank you, Lady Diana. You are a hero of our Royal City."


    Although it was meant as apliment, Diana felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Her face turned a deep shade of red with embarrassment, and she became flustered. This time, she had truly betrayed this person who had been so focused on her.


    Sterl suppressed his emotions, signaling that the matter was now closed.


    "Mr. Hades, your privileges have been unlocked by the Royal City. After this meeting ends, you may go directly to the treasure vault and select what you wish."


    "Mm."


    Sterl nodded, his face returning to a calm expression, though inwardly he was bursting with joy. He hadn''t expected to receive yet another opportunity��it was aplete stroke of luck.


    "My acting skills are really getting better and better. If I had gone back to Earth without this power, with my acting alone, I could have made it big, no problem."


    He thought to himself, then casually chose a spot to sit down. After this battle, the temple now appeared even more spacious, with a certain deste feeling hanging in the air.


    Soon after, the high-level divine authority began the meeting, focusing on the actions of Ashen''s side.

 Chapter 531 The Royal Citys Probe, Almost Exposing Me!

    However, what Sterl didn''t expect was that the first words from this high-level divine authority almost made him lose hisposure.


    "The betrayal of Boris has caused the Royal City to suffer unprecedented damage. This is also a humiliation for the Orichalcum Kingdom!"


    "If it weren''t for Mr. Hades'' intervention, the Royal City would already be under the final assault of the natives."


    "Therefore, to prevent a simr situation from happening again, I will activate the Royal City''s power to monitor everyone''s current condition, to ensure no ''rats'' have infiltrated."


    As soon as these words were spoken, Sterl''s heart jolted!


    He was going to use the Royal City''s power to clear out any anomalies?!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This "anomaly" referred to things and powers that didn''t belong to the Orichalcum Kingdom, primarily focusing on probing the bodies and souls of these gods to check for any lingering contracts or marks from other factions.


    It was also a method used to prevent espionage, but every time this was activated, it consumed a significant amount of resources. Since most of the gods had contracts with the kingdom, betrayals were extremely rare.


    After all, even someone like Boris, who betrayed them, wasn''t just a god of the Orichalcum Kingdom. He was a being that had emerged from the kingdom itself, with deep ties to the Royal City. Even if there wasn''t much personal attachment, many of their descendants and subjugated forces, including vast numbers of faithful followers providing the power of faith, were tied to the kingdom.


    However, since Boris still betrayed them, the gods under him and their descendants would bepletely purged, and all their followers would either be absorbed by other gods or turned into ves.


    But what worried Sterl wasn''t this. It was the followers'' marks left in the bodies of Morette, Diana, and the others through the "Blood of the Ancient One: Reforged." These marks were from the Ancient One''s power, not from Orichalcum Kingdom.


    If the Royal City''s power detected these marks, it would be disastrous! Not only would it reveal that the Ancient One''s influence was present in these gods, but if factions like Ashen or others found out, they would abandon their grudges with Orichalcum and unite to eliminate them all!


    "Fine!" Sterl thought to himself, trying to control his growing panic.


    "A person with integrity has nothing to fear from false usations," he muttered, trying to calm himself, "But I''ll be damned if I let some trash pop up again!"


    "Humph, fine. I want to see if there''s another Boris among us," the high-level divine authority continued. "Let me make it clear: If anyone is caught, no matter who it is, I will tear them apart!"


    "Agreed," another god chimed in. "The Royal City''s power is now at an unprecedented lull, and we cannot allow any idents to happen."


    "Agreed. Let''s start immediately."


    Once the high-level divine authority spoke, the others quickly agreed. They couldn''t help but feel offended by the idea of being monitored, but after the chaos caused by Boris, they were genuinely terrified. Discover hidden tales at empire


    Sterl, on the other hand, sat there silently, his mind racing. If these marks were detected, it could alle crashing down. He needed to think fast, or else everything might be exposed!


    Just one traitor had caused the downfall of over twenty gods, almost leading to theplete annihtion of their forces. If there was another hidden betrayer among them, the consequences were too terrifying to imagine. It would be like a ticking time bomb, buried among them, its existence unknown, and no one knew when it might explode. The impact would not only be the potential fall of gods but also a tremendous strain on their mental state.


    Some of the gods also saw this as an opportunity to prove their innocence, hoping to avoid suspicion. But no one noticed that Sterl was now panicking. If the followers'' mark was detected, the entire Royal City might be activated, locking down all surrounding space and time. Even more terrifyingly, a great Divine Power being could descend, sweeping everything away.


    At that point, Sterl''s true identity would inevitably be exposed.


    "Fine, in that case, I will activate the Royal City''s authority," said the high-level divine authority, nodding. He then took out a key that proved his power, and with a slight thought, a brilliant light surged throughout the entire temple.


    Within that light, a mysterious and powerful energy seemed to be brewing. As the light trembled, a peculiar aura slowly spread.


    "This is bad," Sterl thought as his heart sank to the bottom. This was the Royal City of Orichalcum, a powerful artifact like the Hall of Valor, created by a being of Divine Power. Its inherent strength was equivalent to that of a formidable Divine Power god! Even though the Royal City hadn''t fully integrated with the world yet and its full power couldn''t be unleashed, its detection ability surpassed that of high-level gods.


    As for how well the [Blood of the Ancient One: Reforged] could conceal itself, Sterl didn''t know. So now, it seemed like it was all down to fate.


    His heart tightened, and just as he felt a wave of unease, he suddenly sensed a probing gaze. He turned his head, and sure enough, the high-level divine authority was silently watching him.


    "Hades, is something wrong with your body?" the god asked.


    Sterl quickly recovered, his odd expression vanishing as he reced it with a neutral smile.


    "No, I was just admiring the power of the Royal City. It truly opens my eyes," he said with a look of genuine wonder, his face briefly showing a subtle hint of envy.


    The high-level divine authority saw this and inwardly smiled with pride. This was the depth of Orichalcum''s foundation, a power created by a great Divine Power god. Hades, someone without any forces or support, could never understand just how vast and profound the Royal City''s foundation truly was.


    "Hades, if you ever think of joining us, Orichalcum is always open to you. When that timees, you will see that the Royal City''s foundation is far more than what you have seen so far. The power of the Royal City is also stronger than you can imagine."


    As he spoke, the high-level divine authority extended his hand and pointed upwards, clearly indicating that in the upper realms, Orichalcum still possessed a great deal of power.


    "Now then, let''s see if there are any other rats hiding around. It just so happens that Hades is here, so if there are any, we''ll leave them to you. Consider it a form ofpensation."


    With that, the dazzling light from above the temple was ready, and in the next moment, a beautiful and brilliant chain of light descended slowly. The first light of this chain of radiance seemed to focus directly on Diana!


    Sterl nearly lost hisposure, his heart in chaos. What if the follower''s mark within Diana was detected? What should he do then?


    "Hades, don''t worry. Diana is devoted only to you. If there''s an issue with her, then it''s likely that all of us would have issues," came the voice of the high-level god, who seemed to have sensed Sterl''s nervousness. He gave a knowing smile and said these words of reassurance.


    On the other hand, Diana, feeling ashamed, nced at Sterl. Then, with calm resolve, she stood still, allowing the temple''s light to epass her for inspection.


    Watching the light settle over Diana, Sterl''s heart sank. His mind sharpened, and a cold glint shed in his eyes. If the follower''s mark was discovered, he would simply activate all the followers'' marks andunch a full-scale assault on Orichalcum!


    With his decision made, Sterl wasn''t as panicked as before. After all, he already had the Soul Treasure in hand, and with the [Godyer] title boosting his power, even high-level gods didn''t intimidate him. With some unexpected tactics, he was confident he could suppress them.


    As for the higher-tier Divine Power beings, even though the restrictions on the lower realms had been loosening, such beings were still not easy to provoke. Even if one forced their hand and killed him, what difference would it make? Sterl had many ways to escape death��if needed, he could simply resurrect!


    With these thoughts in mind, he focused on controlling the follower''s marks, hiding them as best he could.


    Time passed, and the divine light still remained active, probing every inch of the temple. No one paid much attention, convinced that whoever the traitor was, it couldn''t possibly be Diana.


    "Indeed, Lady Diana is a hero of Orichalcum. She can''t possibly be one of those damned traitors," the high-level god''s voice rang in Sterl''s ears.


    Sterl''s half-closed eyes snapped open as he saw the light that had been hovering over Diana suddenly disappear. It shifted and now enveloped another god.


    "Impossible... Nothing happened?"


    Sterl was genuinely surprised. The power of Orichalcum''s Royal City wasparable to that of a high-level Divine Power, and yet it hadn''t detected the presence of the follower''s mark!?


    He found this both unbelievable and extremely fortunate. After all, it was best if nothing had happened. His identity hadn''t been exposed yet, and he had no intention of starting an all-out war just yet. If that had happened, especially within the Royal City''s temple, it was highly likely that the temple''s power could have ended him on the spot��far too dangerous.


    "Could it be that the Blood of the Ancient One''s power level is even higher than that of a high-level Divine Power?"


    "No, that''s impossible."


    Once the immediate danger had passed, his mind began to race again. The Blood of the Ancient One was essentially the power of the Ancient One before it had fully matured, even weaker than that of most gods. Its potential was simply immense, but how could it possibly surpass the Royal City''s power level? That didn''t make sense.


    He pondered quietly, wondering if perhaps his Blood of the Ancient One had been enhanced or evolved by some external influence. It might have transcended its original limits, or perhaps it had been directly upgraded to be the purest form of the Ancient One''s bloodline.


    Just like how gods themselves could have differences in power levels, if his Blood of the Ancient One was equivalent to the bloodline of a powerful Divine Power-level Ancient One��or even one that hadn''t fully matured yet��then it made sense that it could block the Royal City''s detection.


    Another possibility was that the follower''s mark simply hadn''t been fully activated yet, rendering it dormant and having no detectable power or aura, which was why the Royal City''s power overlooked it entirely.


    Of these two possibilities, he felt that thetter was more likely. Still, the Blood of the Ancient One had given him a huge surprise.


    Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the other gods present. Aside from Diana, there were still eight others who had received his marks!


    ...

 Chapter 532 The Terrifying Effects of the Soul Devourer Sphere

    Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. None of the gods who had received the follower''s mark from him were discovered by the Royal City, which caused Sterl to let out a heavy sigh of relief.


    Soon after, that dazzling light began to sweep over the other gods. Now that there were no more worries, Sterl''s expression rxed, and he leaned back, watching the proceedings with great interest, like a bystander enjoying the show.


    However, betrayers among gods were undoubtedly rare. Betrayals like Boris''s were the rarest form of disgrace. As the saying goes, only those who wrong you truly understand the depth of your grievance. Despite Boris''s resentment toward Sterl and Eterna, there was no way he would have ever truly betrayed them. His allegiance to Ashen hade solely from Sterl''s interference.


    Thus, none of the gods present were betrayers. This was a cause for relief, though there was also some regret. While they were thankful there was no ticking time bomb among them, they couldn''t help but feel disappointed that they couldn''t vent their anger over Boris''s treachery.


    "It seems that you all haven''t let the Royal City down," said the high-ranking deity, a faint smile appearing on his face. However, he didn''t suspect that there were any betrayers among them. The reason for the inspection was merely to avoid any risks.


    "Now, Ashen has suffered greater losses than we have. The integration of the Royal City is at its final stage, so they will likely be desperate and rally all their forces for arge-scale assault on the city."


    As gods, they had a clear understanding of the situation. If they were in Ashen''s shoes, they too would choose to go all in, leaving no room for retreat. If they let the Royal Cityplete its integration, the indigenous forces would find it much harder to survive in the future.


    "Hmph! With Hades on our side, those despicable natives will never return!" one of the gods dered.


    "And as for that traitor Boris, I will personally capture him, strip his soul, and make him a ve forever!" another god added, filled with righteous fury, unafraid of the impending battle.


    The surrounding gods were all equally indignant, showing no fear of the uing final showdown.


    "Very well, with such determination, Orichalcum will undoubtedly achieve ultimate victory," the high-ranking deity said with satisfaction. He then proceeded to discuss their detailed n, with Sterl listening attentively. However, he did not participate in the discussion, and the other gods took no offense.


    To them, as long as Hades was willing to act, it was the best oue. After all, anyone who had just recovered a worthless trinket, a "shame to waste" kind of item, would be quite frustrated and not eager to talk about it. It was understandable that Sterl didn''t want to engage.


    However, what none of them knew was that Sterl''s full attention was focused on the Soul Treasure, the Soul Devourer Sphere. He was carefully studying its every effect and function.


    Soul Devourer Sphere


    Category: Special


    Description: This item was born during the ancient era, amidst a catastrophic event that shook the very foundations of the world. ording to legend, a mad god sought to break the boundaries between life and death, attempting to control the power of souls. To achieve this, the god spent countless precious materials and performed forbidden magical rituals, using the souls of innumerable living beings as the raw material. In the wailing and blood of these creatures, the Soul Devourer Sphere came into existence.


    Throughout the ages, this crystal orb has been fought over by countless beings. Ultimately, it fell into the hands of a god with a unique soul and talent. From that moment onward, a powerful god-king was born, and a vast kingdom rose from the ground. The Soul Devourer Sphere was perfected to an unimaginable degree. It became both a treasure and a disaster. However, now it has fallen into your hands��what future awaits with such a powerful object?


    Effect:


    When the user kills an enemy, the Soul Devourer Sphere automatically absorbs the soul that just escaped from the enemy''s body. The absorbed soul is gradually refined within the crystal orb, turning into pure soul energy.


    The refined soul energy can be used by the wielder in various ways, including but not limited to restoring or enhancing energy, vitality, physical constitution, Divine Power,prehension ability, lifespan, and soul.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The wielder of the Soul Devourer Sphere can also imbue this pure soul energy into followers, disciples, subordinates, etc., ording to the wielder''s will, enhancing or restoring their power.


    The wielder can gather all the pure soul energy in the Soul Devourer Sphere and unleash an explosion of terrifying power at the limit of [Transcendence] (either to empower oneself or in a direct burst). This power cannot be resisted by anything other than abilities rted to the soul!


    Current Soul Power Reserve: 0


    Note:


    The wielder of the Soul Devourer Sphere must possess a very strong soul and remarkable resilience, as well as high mental willpower, to withstand the torrent of soul energy during absorption. If the soul''s strength is insufficient, the wielder may experience soul fragmentation, confusion, nkness, or even annihtion.


    Your journey continues at empire


    When absorbing a powerful soul, the soul may resist, and if the user cannot suppress this resistance, the soul will retaliate.


    When the user infuses soul energy into others, they must ensure the absolute loyalty of the recipient, or else they will suffer massive bacsh damage, causing irreversible effects!


    Sterl''s eyes widened as he carefully read through the contents of the Soul Devourer Sphere, word by word. Without a doubt, this Soul Treasure from the Royal City of Orichalcum had an incredibly rich and long history.


    The original Soul Devourer Sphere was created by an unknown chaotic god. Although the description is brief, it''s not hard to imagine just how cruel and shocking the circumstances surrounding its creation must have been. The chaotic Divine Power that forged this object was surrounded and killed by countless powerful beings before it had a chance to use it.


    Afterward, the Soul Devourer Sphere changed hands multiple times, as its harsh usage conditions made it an object that few could fully wield. Eventually, itnded in the hands of the founder of the Orichalcum kingdom, providing him with immense aid. However, Sterl spected that the Soul Devourer Sphere was likely not in its current form when it first came into the hands of the Orichalcum founder. Its abilities and limitations were likely different then.


    As for the "improvement" mentioned in the description, it''s unclear whether this refers to enhancing its effects or simply modifying its usage restrictions.


    Putting himself in the shoes of the previous owner, if Sterl hade into possession of such a treasure, even if he didn''t need it for himself, he would not want others to use it to follow in his footsteps. He would likely impose some restrictions. Perhaps these two excessively harsh limitations were a result of that mindset.


    But none of that mattered. Despite the limitations, the Soul Devourer Sphere''s powerful abilities still couldn''t be overshadowed.


    First, after killing an enemy, the Soul Devourer Sphere would automatically absorb their soul and refine it into the purest form of soul energy. This simple sentence doesn''t mention any upper or lower limits on the souls it can absorb. Does this mean that even ordinary mortals can be refined into soul energy?


    Sterl''s mind jolted with realization. It made sense��souls of beings below the level of gods were not much different in terms of their soul grade and strength. As long as they were living beings, their souls could be absorbed and converted into soul power.


    A chill ran down his spine. If this artifact fell into the hands of someone with malicious intent, they might very well choose to target weaker kingdoms and cities. After all, it''s much harder to kill a god, but annihting millions of mortals is incredibly simple.


    In a way, Sterl could almost envision the bloody storms the Soul Devourer Sphere must have stirred over the course of history. Perhaps the great god who created it had another intention��to prevent such indiscriminate ughter.


    As for the uses of soul power, that was where things got truly terrifying. The soul power could restore and enhance nearly all aspects of one''s own abilities. This thought made Sterl excited. His soul grade had reached a point where even hunting the souls of gods only provided minimal soul experience. Perhaps, by using the Soul Devourer Sphere, he could directly use the soul energy to raise his soul level, or even forcibly increase his base attributes within the limits of his current level!


    If that''s the case, then the Soul Devourer Sphere''s effect on Sterl would be nothing short of monumental, on par withpleting a legendary tale, if not more important!


    The third ability, which allows the user to infuse soul power into their subordinates, is particrly striking. This power can enhance their overall strength without any side effects.


    Sterl''s mind began to race with possibilities. If he could enhance his subordinates without any limitations, he could quickly raise an incredibly powerful army!


    As for the restriction, which demands absolute loyalty from those receiving the infusion, that wasn''t an issue for Sterl. Thanks to his Blood of the Ancient One, he could control a vast number of followers, and none of them were truly disloyal to him. Why would he waste soul power on strengthening someone who didn''t owe himplete loyalty?


    Of course, he suspected that this restriction was put in ce to prevent powerful individuals from using the Soul Devourer Sphere to forcibly control others and absorb soul power for their own gain, leaving the side effects to the controlled ones while the controller enjoyed the benefits without consequence. This restriction effectively eliminated that possibility.


    The next ability was even more astounding. It allowed the user to gather all the soul power into one burst and unleash a [Transcendence]-level power, a terrifying force described by the [Transcendence] system in such extravagant terms that it was clear how immense its power must be. After gathering enough soul power, it might even be able to wipe out higher-tier gods in an instant!


    What''s more, the power released by the Soul Devourer Sphere directly targets the soul, a form of attack that is almost impossible to defend against��essentially dealing real, unmitigated damage. Even gods, who have a limited understanding of the soul, are helpless against an attack of this nature. How could anyone resist an assault from the very essence of their being?


    Sterl felt a surge of impatience, eager to test the Soul Devourer Sphere by obliterating a group of enemies to see if it truly lived up to its fearsome description. However, he had learned one important rule from his experiences: the actual power of anything always exceeded the description given by the [Transcendence] system!

 Chapter 533 The Cruel “Punishment” for Diana!

    After carefully reviewing the restrictions and side effects of the Soul Devourer Sphere, Sterl began to understand why this treasure, which was worth as much as a radiant-level artifact or even stronger, had been left to collect dust in a corner.


    First and foremost, every time the user infused soul power into themselves or their subordinates, they would bear the full brunt of the soul power''s impact. If the user''s soul strength was insufficient, it would be like a mud-built dam being instantly washed away by a fast-flowing river of soul power!


    The consequences of soul damage were severe: either the person would lose all potential for further improvement or be reduced to aplete fool��though that was still a rtively better oue. With worse luck, the soul could be torn apart, and the agony wouldst for a lifetime.


    Even gods couldn''t withstand such pain and often chose to end their lives rather than endure it. If the luck was even worse, the soul might bepletely destroyed on the spot, resulting in death.


    Even a soul stronger than the average person''s would still face a deadly test each time they used the Soul Devourer Sphere.


    Moreover, when absorbing the soul of a powerful entity, the user would suffer irreversible bacsh damage. Combined, these two factors created a level of risk that was nearly unbearable.


    Using it on oneself carried a very high chance of death. Using it on others meant not only the risk of death for the user but also the possibility that others might rebel��who would willingly give up their loyalty and everything they had for someone else?


    These limitations, when taken together, meant that almost any god who saw the effects of the Soul Devourer Sphere would be overjoyed, only to be immediately horrified by the near-insurmountable restrictions. It was a feeling of wanting something but being unable to use it, a feeling so frustrating that it could ruin one''s mood.


    Sterl didn''t know that the Orichalcum Kingdom had also attempted to reduce the restrictions on the Soul Devourer Sphere. However, even gods of great Divine Power had been unable to alter its nature. After all, this was an artifact forged by a legendary god.


    "Hades, we sincerely hope you can offer us your full support," said the high-ranking god, turning to Sterl as the meeting drew to a close, his tone earnest.


    "Of course," Sterl casually replied. Since the Soul Devourer Sphere needed to absorb the souls of enemies to refine them into pure Soul Power, it seemed only natural that he should participate in the uing battle.


    It was clear that in a battle of gods, the number of potential enemies he could hunt would be countless!


    Sterl had already made up his mind. In this war, he would strategically disappear, allowing the identity of Hades to fade intoplete obscurity. He would remove himself from the sh of the two forces, waiting for the right moment to reappear and sweep everything aside!


    Soon, the high-ranking god''s figure gradually faded, and Eterna and the others began mobilizing all the forces within the king''s city. They also began to retract the forces positioned in the War Preparedness Zone, preparing for the arrival of the impending storm.


    Before long, the massive temple was left with only Sterl and Diana. The former was not bound by any constraints, so Eterna could not order him to do anything. Thetter, due to Sterl''s influence, was in a special position, and judging by the look of shame and self-reproach on Diana''s face, it was clear she had something to say to him.


    "I''m sorry, Hades, I''m the one who caused this trouble for you."


    Feeling Sterl''s gaze upon her, Diana couldn''t hold it in anymore. She threw herself into his arms, her voice trembling as she began to me herself.


    "I shouldn''t have forgotten such an important matter. I should have told you about the Soul Devourer Sphere''s limitations immediately.


    It''s all my fault. It''s all because of me.


    You paid such a huge price to obtain that Soul Treasure, and now�� now��"


    The more Diana spoke, the more guilt-ridden she became. Despite being a god of great stature, she was overwhelmed by the emotions of humanity, and she began to sob uncontrobly, tears streaming down her face.


    "You�� you can hit me. Any punishment is fine, but, but please don''t abandon me. I�� I can''t live without you anymore��"


    Diana clung tightly to Sterl''s body, as if trying to force herself into him, merging with himpletely. Her soft, full chest pressed against him, ttening like a pliable loaf of bread under the pressure. The unusual sensation,bined with Diana''s frantic, self-reproachful expression, made it impossible for Sterl not to pull her closer, feeling both pity and affection for her in that moment.


    Read thetest on empire


    "You said�� any punishment would be fine?"


    Sterl''s voice was deep and calm, though there was something chilling in that calmness. Diana shuddered, tightening her embrace even more.


    But in the next instant, she suddenly realized that the scenery around them had drastically changed. She and Sterl were no longer in the temple. Instead, they found themselves in Sterl''s private space.


    Still somewhat disoriented, Diana was about to speak when a deep, gentle voice interrupted her.


    "It''s just a mere artifact. How could I possibly punish you?"


    Sterl''s tone was smooth, almost teasing.


    "If I really had to call it a punishment�� then, let it be this��be my woman,pletely."


    With a soft, amused sound, Sterl''s words left Diana breathless.


    The white dress was vigorously ripped open to reveal the white jade, delicate and smooth skin underneath.


    Diana gave a little pause, stiffening slightly, but then calmed down. Sterl, who was looking at her with interest, went limp.


    She saw that in Hades''s eyes, there was nothing to me her, only pity, possession, desire and love.


    "Hades�� Me... I can do this..."


    This time, instead of resisting, she moved closer to Sterl''s body and leaned gently against his chest.


    "Fuck! I can''t stand it!"


    Sterl roared in his heart, and the idea of going to the treasure house first was thrown aside by him. He now had only one idea in his heart, that is, to bang the goddess of Renjuncaijie in front of him!


    He directly opened the ascend to godhood state, and then a variety of forces to strengthen the body, hands hard pressed on Diana''s plump and supple buttocks, rough action, directly pressed the entire buttocks appear deformed.


    "Ah!"


    Diana snorted, her perfect and delicate face was flushed like sunset, with a hint of anticipation and nervousness. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time, or she had thought of such a scene in her heart.


    Still, when it actually happened, there was some nervousness.


    But Sterl couldn''t handle it. Like a fierce, strong lion, Sterl lifted Diana by the buttocks, then opened his mouth, bit Diana''s crotch and tore it away.


    The hemline, which was enough to withstand the arbitrary attacks of the legendary power, was torn to pieces, revealing the delicate pink mysterious area, and Sterl violently buried his head in it, his tongue directly into the gap.


    "Uh..."


    Diana shuddered and her legs wrapped around Sterl''s head involuntarily. The soft touch on her inner thigh made Sterl''s inner desire expand.


    At the same time, the vagina, which her tongue had sunk into, quickly became moist and even twitched slightly, and Diana, although she was a god, was like a little white who didn''t know anything about it.


    And that made Sterl even more excited. What could be more irresistible than developing a god?


    Then he explored Diana''s most private ce even more vigorously, and even began to bite it with his mouth constantly, making Diana send out waves of Jiao and moan.


    Sterl then stripped off all his clothes and gear and lowered Diana towards his penis.


    At this moment, Diana''s heart was particrly nervous, thinking of the extremely horrible size when she gave Hades to swallow before, and she also went to understand that Sterl was unique, even among the gods!


    Only the trolls could be so big!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even at a distance, you could feel the heat emanating from the giant root, and Diana couldn''t help but twitch twice more.


    Sterl felt Diana, a little tense and stiff in his hands, smile on his face, then lifted her buttocks up with his hands and pressed down hard!


    Oooooo!


    "Aah!!"


    The strong, strong root, like a powerful arm, pierces Diana into the tight vagina she has never been involved in.


    At this moment, the intense pain apanied by an unexinable feeling rushed into Diana''s mind, her whole person instantly tense, the body can not stop the twitching.


    Bright red blood, slipping slowly from the edge.


    However, the body of the gods is extremely adaptable, Sterl can feel the obvious obscure and obstruction, but now, the soft channel full of particles is slowly rxed, gradually from the obstruction to the tight wrapping, he do not know whether because of the God, Sterl can feel, every soft grain, are gently stroking every inch of his giant root.


    At this point, Diana had recovered a bit, but before she had fully adjusted, Sterl gave her a merciless push!


    The penis inserted into Diana''s body turned into a long gun, making her feel as if her whole body was about to be pierced and torn.


    "Be... gentle."


    Diana tried to beg for mercy, but in return Sterl more violent collision, each impact, all the strength, forced Diana that no one has ever touched the vagina, stabbed into his shape.


    "Nooooo. Nnnnnoooo... Don''t!"


    Diana''s eyes were loosed, she almost stopped breathing, and instinctively shook her head, but Sterl was more excited by this appearance, stretched out a hand, and directly stripped Diana of all her clothes, and looked at the two exquisite pieces of meat that looked like works of art, and severely bit her down!

 Chapter 534 The Goddess Faints, Terrifying Output Comparable to the Battlefield!

    "Ah!!"


    The above and below were stimted at the same time, and this unprecedented feeling constantly stimted Diana''s nerves, and the originally stiff body gradually became crisp and numb, and the painful lower body was gradually reced by an extreme impactfort.


    Then her voice became wistful and seductive, and she wrapped her arms directly around Sterl''s head, burying him hard in her chest.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterl''s eyes were white as if his whole head had sunk into a soft, delicate patch of cotton.


    A faint scent lingered between his mouth and nose, making Sterl interested.


    "Worthy of being a god, the ability to adapt is fast."


    He could not help feeling that with his size and strength, if it were his maid corps, it would have to be reced by one in a minute or two, otherwise it would not be able to bear his grace any longer, and would be forced to y directly!


    But Diana not only adapted, but gradually entered the state, and began to cater to any "attack"unched against him.


    At this moment, Sterl suddenly froze, suddenly gasped, and the already tight wrapping suddenly contracted, every inch of soft particles were madly squeezing and pressing against his giant penis.


    Originally extremelyfortable senses, directly amplified countless times, the ultimate sense of friction, like countless pairs of delicate tender mouth, in the crazy sucking, want topletely squeeze him dry!


    "Is itfortable..."


    Diana leaned softly to his ear, opened her red lips and let out a hot, fragrant mist, the sound as if it had some kind of magic pull on his heart.


    Seeing Sterl''s stupidness, Diana''s heart rose with great pleasure, and then controlled her thigh base and vagina, straining to contract and tighten, but... She had apparently forgotten the cost of provoking Sterl, and no doubt she was about to regret it again.


    "Well, well, in that case, let you see my real strength!"


    In the face of Diana''s provocation, Sterl simply did not hide it, he was worried about being too rough, so that Diana could not bear it. But he still underestimated the physical quality of the God. Compared to the women beneath the gods, they were far superior in every aspect!


    So...


    His eyes shed a scarlet light, under the expansion of Qi and blood, the body actually expanded a big circle, and suddenly became a small giant of nearly three meters, and the huge long gun in the lower body became more terrible at this moment, the blue veins of the storm, like the roots of the roots of the growth of the same strong!


    Diana shuddered and then let out a scream. She felt as if her whole penis was about to explode. The giant rod nearly doubled in size and skyrocketed in length, as if it were going to stab her through!


    "Nooooo. Don''t Hades, I''ll be broken..."


    She was terrified. Diana had never thought Sterl could pull such a stunt, but apparently it was toote to ask for mercy!


    Sterl let out a low growl. In response to Diana''s surprise, Sterl reached out hisrge, thick palm like a pair of mechanical pliers and grabbed Diana''s waist one-handed!


    Then, turning the other direction, he lifted Diana up, pointing her plump, white butt at the penis, which was as thick as Diana''s arm, if not a little thicker.


    Before Diana knew it, Sterl gave her a lumbar jerk!


    Poof !


    The shock and size of the horror forced the delicate vagina to burst open, and a stimulus several times, even ten times, stronger than before, rushed into Diana''s mind.


    Thetter instinctively wanted to struggle, but at this point, she was suspended by Sterl''s waist with one hand and her hair with the other hand, and there was no possibility of struggle.


    Then Sterl immediately elerated, crazy output, constantly impacting Diana''s vagina, each impact, is hard against the innermost part, even part of the uterus almost deep!


    And Diana''s lower abdomen and even the whole abdomen, like a huge foreign body, constantly disappeared, sometimes almost directly to the chest!


    In Diana''s feeling, the extreme pleasure mixed with pain filled all her senses, her brain went nk, and she even had no ability to think. Her whole body seemed to be torn apart and thoroughly pierced!


    From the third perspective, Sterl looks like he''s holding an airne cup, which is extremely impactful!


    "What a ride! It was fucking awesome!"


    He looked down, Diana''s slender and soft waist, just wrapped in his palm, looked extremely conquering, and the god''s body, really extraordinary, in the face of his real sense of full impact, the breath of life is actually no problem, in other people, even demigod, it is also dying.


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    In addition to the gods can let him really vent, the other can only rely on the number to meet him, just like his maid corps, each time to vent, at least dozens of girls are needed to barely meet him.


    After each time, those girls need to be cultivated for at least half a year, which is still the case that he did not really activate the full force, like now, even if every impact can let it fall directly into a near-death state!


    Although there was nothing wrong with Diana''s breath of life, her mental consciousness was extremely confused, her limbs were weak and sagging, her eyes were loose and blurred, and her body was very hot.


    Seeing this look, Sterl turned it around in a direction, and kept picking Diana up, but quickly aligned and inserted it, just like arge toy. In addition, Diana''s god''s body was quickly adapting to his strength and size, so each time he entered, there would be a different feeling, which made him enjoy it. The output speed is even faster, but it actually produces countless residual shadows in the air.


    Later, he grabbed Diana''s two thighs with both hands, forced them apart, presented a backward opening and closing state, and then mmed into it, this posture, can make her pink vagina and his lower body more intimate contact together! The feeling is more intense, especially the desire to conquer brought about by this posture, is greatly satisfied!


    This is God. Not only is the experience better, but most importantly, Sterl, he don''t have to worry anymore, he don''t have to worry about using a little bit of force to smash those weak bodies into the ground!


    There is no need to worry that a little roughness will exert an unimaginable bearing force on the other, and, without any change of posture, the flexibility and strength of the divine body can satisfy all the thoughts and desires of his heart!


    "Uh uh..."


    Diana''s eyes turned slightly white, long mouth instinct big mouth gasping for breath, she has not even called out, every impact, will let her body produce a violent sphere, physical energy is in fit consumption.


    Now, it is necessary to use Divine Power to support her own body, will not be Sterl to y bad!


    Pa pa pa!


    The dense sound of percussion, like a burst of thunder, can not be associated with the sound of physical intercourse, Sterl is faster and faster, faster and faster, hard to release his own pressure!


    Then Diana was pinned directly to the ground, and Sterl''s massive body was crushed, and a fierce charge wasunched against the delicate body.


    The earth shook, and the surrounding flowers and nts were blown away by the fierce aftershock. It looked like a brutal war was going on.


    For more than an hour, during which Sterl tried every pose he could think of, thewn in his private space was destroyed beyond measure.


    Atst, in the midst of Sterl''s roar and Diana''s unconscious groans, a hot, thick body fluid, like a digging flood, all poured into Diana''s body!


    "Whew..."


    Sterl slowly stood up, and had recovered to normal appearance. As for Diana, she was limp and lying in a pit more than 10 meters deep, her body was pink, and her body was in a private twitch from time to time, and she hadpletely lost consciousness. In addition, Sterl''srge amount of bodily fluids had filled her body. At this moment, it is slowly oozing from the pink carved jade vagina, mixed with a little if there is no blood color, it looks like countless hungry ves to turn to the same.


    "That was a lot of indulgence this time."


    Sterl gently picked Diana up, held her in his arms and walked out of the pit he had forced her into.


    Aftering outside, at a nce, thewn of more than a thousand meters, now can not see any good ce, as if by a crazy like looted, miserable.


    Seeing this scene, he heaved a sigh of relief, he had not been such aplete indulgence for a long time, before or when he was weak, at that time, whether Rayna or Linna, or Teresa, can bear his vent, but now not, now he, even in the normal state, is not they can bear.


    What''s more, if he want to really vent with all his strength, he naturally need to be in full swing and go all out.


    The kind of heart has concerns, dare not too force of the game, has been unable to let him feel the most primitive happiness.


    But today, from Diana''s body, he is once again found that feeling. It can only be said that she is truly a goddess, just enduring.

 Chapter 535 Dianas Choice, Ashens Movements!

    One hand held Diana''s waist, and thetter was unconsciously lifted backward, with a lot of soil on her body, but it looked like a unique aesthetic feeling, like a goddess falling down on the altar, with a mixed sense of holiness and destion.


    Sterl performed a little magic to remove all the dirt and dirt from their bodies, and Diana was restored to her perfect, holy white body, with Sterl''s bodily fluids still oozing from underneath.


    After performing a restorative power on Diana, Diana slowly wakes up after falling into aa.


    Suddenly, her body suddenly tight, a pair of round white thighs and together, constantly convulsing and domain, after a while to slow down, but still from time to time convulsing a few.


    After regaining consciousness, the feeling of being invaded by Sterl became more intense, with pain and inexplicable pleasure, constantly stimting her nerves.


    But now that Sterl had finished exporting, Diana, who was a god anyway, quickly eased up.


    Looking back to normal in front of her, calmly and gently looking at her Sterl, it was hard to rte the rough and wild scene that had just urred when she thought she was being pressed to the ground by an elephant.


    Looking at the mess around her, she shuddered. "Ha... Hades, this is crazy... Are you going to kill me?"


    Despite regaining her breath, Diana was still weak, as if she had been in a fierce battle with an enemy.


    "I told you, this is your punishment."


    Sterl''s face had a look of unfulfilled desire, and the second brother, who had just been calm, gradually lifted up.


    Feeling the huge object against her abdomen, Diana''s body suddenly froze. Her lower body seemed to sense something, a constricting twitch. "No, don''t do it again, I''ll really die."


    Her face with a trace of horror and fear, at the same time in the heart is regret, he dared to provoke Sterl, but it is really good scar forget pain, this is a,parable to the monster of the same man ah!


    "But the punishment is not over, and besides, it is not my fault, your beauty is like poison..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gently touching Diana''s face, after unlocking the level of God, many non-human posture also quickly emerged in his mind, he suddenly felt that his way just now, or not enough fun.


    Feeling Sterl''s emotional changes, Diana shook her head again and again. If Sterl ransacked her once more, she would not say she would die, but at least she would have to lie in bed for several days.


    So, without hesitation, she knelt directly under Sterl''s crotch, slowly opened her seductive lips, gently cradled the newly raised behemoth, and began to swallow.


    "It''s not impossible."


    Sterl smiled lightly, with the god''s body, although not by him to y bad, but also know how to cherish it, in addition, in addition to Diana, but there is a goddess he was set up as a deputy star waiting for him to train and develop it, it is the Dark Moon Goddes Gloria, At the thought of Gloria''s plump body, Sterl''s lower body expanded again, making Diana''s mouth bulge.


    An hour or twoter, with Sterl''s spray, it was the end of a very difficult battle for Diana.


    Swallowing Sterl''s exhaled fluids, Diana felt her mouth and throat, and her entire upper body, falling apart.


    Fortunately, she is a god, if just an ordinary person, afraid of this moment haspletely be a puddle of rotten meat, no, even if the God body, also feel some support.


    "Do you want to find someone else for Hades, or I''ll be the only one..."


    A shiver ran through her body, and from now on she would have to stay in bed.


    "You are a monster of a man."


    She looked at Sterl and couldn''t help but say, and Sterl smiled and grabbed Diana, reached out and yed with Diana''s body, and then put it down.


    "Go in and rest. I''ll go out."


    Sterl said, taking out a dress and putting it on Diana.


    Diana looked at her body wrapped in very tight ck silk, can not help but be speechless, this Hades is really a fun guy, but she did not care, for the gods, does not care about these aspects of things, but she really needs a good rest, otherwise it is difficult to deal with the next crazy.


    Then, Sterl took out a contract and ced it in Diana''s hands. "Decide for yourself."


    This contract was one of the three conditions Sterl had mentioned earlier. It clearly outlined the connection and binding force between Diana and the Kingdom of Orichalcum. As long as this contract existed, Diana would never be able to leave the Kingdom of Orichalcum.


    However, most gods voluntarily signed this contract. While, on some level, they would lose a degree of freedom, they gained the protection of divine-level forces. Moreover, they were provided with abundant resources and opportunities to ascend to even higher levels!


    Not only that, even after signing the contract, a god''s power would remain vast, and they would be granted significant authority. Within the borders of Orichalcum, they would be respected by everyone.


    From this perspective, there was essentially no downside.


    But looking at the contract in her hands, Diana''s expression becameplex. Within the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum, she had grown closest to Hades, and their rtionship was especially unique. With her distinct sensitivity as a woman, she had a vague sense that Hades was hiding something.


    She had a gut feeling that if she signed the contract, it was highly likely she would stand with Hades against the Kingdom of Orichalcum in the future. On the other hand, if she chose not to sign, she might end up standing with the Kingdom of Orichalcum against Hades.


    Diana fell silent for a moment, not thinking for long before she decided to cancel the contract. In an instant, the soul mark binding her to the Kingdom of Orichalcum was erased. However, her authority and position remained unaffected. After all, without the constraints of the contract, she was still a god of Orichalcum, at least for now.


    Upon seeing this, Sterl showed a satisfied smile. Diana hadn''t disappointed him. If she had, he would have had no choice but to activate the follower''s mark and convert Diana into one of his followers.


    After all, he could never allow Diana to leave. In his eyes, everything that bore her mark could only belong to her forever. Even if she didn''t want it, she could not undo his will!


    This was Sterl''s dominance. In another way, it was also a kind of determination��an unshakable resolution and attitude. It was because of this resolve that he had reached this level with the help of cheats. If he had hesitated, afraid of losing his life, he would never have been able to seize and master the opportunities, even if they had presented themselves.


    Thus, Sterl himself had the qualities of a strong leader. As his experience and strength grew, these qualities only became more pronounced.


    "Get some rest."


    With those words, Sterl activated the key to his private space and disappeared without a trace, leaving behind Diana, her expressionplex. She stood there, gazing in the direction where he had vanished. For some reason, there was a feeling in her heart that she couldn''t put into words. It was as if the man who had taken everything from her��she had never truly seen through him from the very beginning.


    But it was toote now. She had already be his woman. This fact could not be changed. Before taking this step, she had already made up her mind. No matter what Hades faced in the future, she would stand by him, even if it meant her death. After all, Hades had saved her twice!


    With that thought, all her lingering doubts and concerns vanished. She returned to her room,y down on the bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep. She was simply too exhausted. Even in her dreams, the power of Sterl haunted her, leaving a trace of unease.


    Meanwhile, Sterl had returned to the temple. A flicker of thought activated the map module, and the entire world unfolded before his eyes. He first checked on the movements of Ashen''s side.


    Within Ashen''s territory, all the high-end powers and kingdoms were rapidly gathering at the temple. Those who were legendary figures in the outside world were reduced to mere ordinary soldiers in Ashen''s army.


    As for the third-ss and second-ss, they had be little more thanborers and support staff. In Ashen''s army, formed through any means necessary, they were no more than insignificant ants.


    Outside the temple, a massive and terrifying army was gradually taking shape. Sterl''s eyes swept over the scene, and all he could see were dark masses of people. At the front, the third-ss soldiers��used as cannon fodder��along with third-ss pets and war beasts, numbered in the millions. And with every passing moment, new units were joining the ranks.


    At the rear, legendary legions led by gods themselves were slowly assembling. The sheer aura emanating from them cast an oppressive, chilling atmosphere over the entire area, making it feel like a deathly silence, stretching for miles.


    "This is impressive..." Sterl couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe. He had underestimated the depth of these gods. After all, in the human race of the old Earth, third-ss beings could control arge base or hold an important position in a family. They were the true upper echelons.


    But here, in Ashen, they were nothing more than cannon fodder.


    And to maintain the morale of the army, Ashen''s methods were simple and brutal��truly an example of Spare the rod, spoil the child.

 Chapter 536 This Time, I Really Got Screwed!

    For those who refused to followmands and arrangements, demigods and even gods were directly dispatched to forcibly destroy them. However, for those who were willing to join the army under threats and promises, Ashen opened up its treasure vault.


    A contribution system was also established. As long as they umted enough contribution points on the battlefield, they could exchange them for anything within Ashen''s treasure vault!


    Although for ordinary legends, even a single item required a vast number of contribution points, at least there was now a glimmer of hope, something that provided inner bnce andfort.


    Moreover, those who performed outstandingly could even earn the opportunity to perceive the Law Power. This gave the legendary figures even more drive to risk everything. After all, refusing themand meant certain death. But if they followed it, even though they would have to fight against the Kingdom of Orichalcum, with some luck, they might seize the chance to be demigods, or even attain godhood!


    As for those in the second and third sses, they didn''t even have the right to resist. They could only be controlled and manipted, for killing third-ss and second-ss individuals was no different than exterminating a swarm of ants. Their role was solely to be consumed in the formation, their lives offered as sacrifices to create a barrier that would restrict Divine Power. In simpler terms, they were tools��tools that had no control over their own destinies.


    Sterl casually nced over the situation. At this pace, the Ashen army would be fully assembled in no more than a week. It might even take only two or three days before they were ready to march toward the Kingdom of Orichalcum. The other reinforcements could be filled in as needed.


    Next, he checked the movements on the Orichalcum side. During his and Diana''s chaotic period, under the direction of a higher deity, Eterna and other gods had begun arge-scale purge of the entire capital. Dozens of spies were captured and executed, and preparations for theing war were beingid out.


    They were recruiting soldiers, setting up formations, and building numerous war cannons in the capital, including Magitech Cannons that could even kill demigods.


    In fact, the Kingdom of Orichalcum had made arge investment, offering resources meant for their gods to recruit warriors. Even though everyone knew that Orichalcum was an invader, the promise of great rewards would surely draw brave souls. After all, for most beings, who ruled the world was of little concern. What mattered was what they could gain from it.


    This was human nature��or rather, the inherent w found in all intelligent beings. But this very desire was also the driving force and key to continuous development.


    "Everyone else is preparing, so I can''t be an exception."


    Sterl felt a surge of excitement in his chest. The more armies Ashen gathered, the happier he was. It was the perfect opportunity for a bloody rampage, to plunder souls like a madman and refine them into pure soul power.


    After getting a clear understanding of both sides'' movements, Sterl used his authority and once again entered the treasure vault of the Kingdom of Orichalcum.


    "No matter how many times I see it, it''s still breathtaking."


    Looking at the mountain of wealth and a dazzling array of items before him, Sterl felt an itch in his heart, eager to take everything.


    However, while he couldn''t steal it all, he could pick six items he wanted��without needing any contribution points!


    With a flick of his mind, he activated his authority to select the six highest-value items. Yet, despite activating it, the contribution marketce didn''t open.


    "What the hell is going on here?"


    Sterl was stunned. He tried again, but still couldn''t ess it. At that moment, a flood of information rushed into his mind. Upon receiving it, Sterl frozepletely.


    The so-called six opportunities to randomly select items from the vault... were actually... a blind pick!?


    "Damn it��"


    A surge of anger welled up within him. Was the Kingdom of Orichalcum trying to treat him like a fool!?


    The so-called "blind pick" didn''t mean choosing with his eyes closed. It meant selecting items without being able to assess their value or properties. This way, he might pick something that looked impressive, only to find out it was a diamond-tier item after the fact.


    To make matters worse, diamond-tier items had already been discarded by him long ago��back when he was still second ss. Only divine-level items held any real value and could benefit him now.


    But if the gods of the Kingdom of Orichalcum knew what Sterl was thinking, they would surely cry out in injustice. To them, "random selection" was exactly what it sounded like��choosing items without knowing their value. Otherwise, the six opportunities to pick items would have allowed him to select the six most valuable treasures.


    After all, this was the entire treasure vault of the Kingdom of Orichalcum, containing the wealth of the entire capital. Not only did it hold treasures useful to gods, but it also included items that even high-tier gods or those with powerful Divine Power could use. The most precious items were worth half the kingdom itself!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If the selection process were truly open, one could easily empty the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum''s centuries of umtion in just a few picks. Clearly, that was never going to happen!


    But in Sterl''s eyes, he had truly been screwed over!


    Although he had indeed caused some trouble in this battle, leading to extremely heavy losses for both sides'' gods, that didn''t change the fact that the people of the Kingdom of Orichalcum had no idea. They didn''t know, and as long as they didn''t, it wasn''t his fault. On the surface, he had single-handedly reversed the tide of battle and saved the Kingdom of Orichalcum from certain destruction.


    And yet, after all that, they were still so stingy and petty? It was simply too much to bear!


    "Fine�� do they really think I have no temper?"


    A cold light shed in Sterl''s eyes. However, six opportunities to choose freely were nothing to be passed up, especially when he still had 130,000 contribution points left unused. Once he had digested these rewards, there would be plenty of ways to deal with them on the battlefield.


    He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger building in his chest. Originally, he had nned to use this opportunity to select the few treasures he had been eyeing. Now, he would just have to rely on luck.


    Though the selection was a blind one, and he couldn''t see the items'' details, Sterl still felt confident. After all, to a certain extent, if he had a keen eye, he could still pick out valuable items.


    And Sterl, from the beginning until now, had only ever obtained extremely precious items. The more one saw, the more of an expert one became. He was far more likely to pick treasures than most.


    With that thought in mind, he walked straight into the heart of the vault. As he did, a semi-transparent screen appeared over every item. This was a method used to block information. With the power of the capital, even an existence with immense Divine Power would find it incredibly difficult to pry into the specifics of the items.


    But Sterl didn''t mind. He continued to wander through the vault. It was so vast that standing inside it felt like being in a massive human race temple, surrounded by mountains of various treasures. Gold and silver piled up everywhere, and in this immense space, he felt almost insignificant. Experience tales at empire


    But there was a simple rule: the more ordinary the item, the more carelessly it was stored��often piled up haphazardly. On the other hand, truly valuable items were arranged in formations, floating in midair, or stored in various chests and disy stands.


    In short, Sterl took a moment to assess the situation, and soon found himself overwhelmed by the sheer variety of treasures before him.


    "Damn it, how am I supposed to choose?"


    Just moments ago, he had been full of confidence, but after sifting through a few items, he nearly lost hisposure. No matter how roughly he scanned, the remaining items were still far too many.


    After all, he only had six chances, and every time he used one, it would be gone. Once this opportunity was used up, unless he could somehow forcefully conquer the Kingdom of Orichalcum and take control of the vault, he probably wouldn''t have another chance to pick anything from this treasure trove.


    However, if others knew what he was thinking, they would probably be speechless. Because, apart from the piles of ordinary items, everything else in the vault was anything but ordinary. Even those stacked mountains of items��if he picked any one of them at random��would still be treasures rare and valuable to legendary-level powerhouses!


    Sterl, with his picky nature, was probably suffering from what could be called "decision paralysis" in this situation.


    "Forget it, I''ll just pick something at random and gamble on my luck," he muttered after a long pause.


    For a moment, Sterl was at a loss. The aura of these items was undetectable to him, as all the information was blocked by the vault. Not even the radiance of the treasures could be seen. He had considered summoning the Star Radiance Dragon to help him��dragons were known for being sensitive to treasures��but after thinking it over, he decided against it.


    He suddenly realized that dragons had no resistance to shiny things. If he let the dragon out, he would probably have an even harder time choosing.


    Still, there was one thing he was certain of: anything that looked like armor or weapons was likely just that��equipment. Meanwhile, items that appeared strange or ordinary on the surface might actually be the real treasures, or even rare and valuable items with special abilities.


    Just like the Soul Devourer Sphere he had obtained��if you removed the eerie purple mist that surrounded it, and the countless tortured souls trapped inside the sphere that seemed to struggle and scream, and then hid its sinister aura, no one would ever guess that this was anything other than an ordinary object.


    So, to y it safe, he decided to choose something more akin to equipment.


    With that in mind, he stretched out his hand and, using his power, pulled towards him an item floating in midair. It was wrapped in an invisible energy field, and resembled a pair of boots.

 Chapter 537 A Turn of Events! Boots of the Void—Striking it Rich!

    As soon as Sterl picked up the boots, a surge of information from the capital city rushed into his mind, asking if he had finalized his selection with the pair of boots in his hands.


    Sterl nodded. There was no choice��he couldn''t glean any information from the vault''s contents, so he had to settle for selecting something at random to get a feel for the process.


    Once he confirmed his choice, the invisible aura enveloping the boots slowly faded away. What Sterl hadn''t expected was that, although the boots had appeared to have a metallic sheen, seemingly made from some special alloy, they began to gradually transform into something entirely different.


    Soon, a pair of shoes that were as thin as a cicada''s wing, weightless and semi-transparent, appeared in his hands. Sterl froze, stunned. It turned out that all the items in the vault had been disguised!


    This meant that, apart from the general shape and type, everything else couldn''t be seen through by the naked eye.


    This was starting to feel ridiculous. For example, something that appeared to be a glittering, ornate scepter could very well turn out to be nothing more than an inconspicuous stick once its true form was revealed.


    However, Sterl had already tempered his expectations for these six picks. He had mentally prepared himself for Orichalcum''s tricks, so while he was slightly annoyed, he wasn''t entirely shocked. After all, he was just testing the waters.


    He stared at the semi-transparent shoes in his hand, which looked so fragile that a light tug could tear them apart. But as soon as the shoes were selected, their true nature and original properties began to reveal themselves. At that moment, Sterl froze again, his face showing an expression of disbelief.


    Because, on these shoes��something that looked nothing like a typical pair of boots��he could actually sense an aura of Space Law!


    Without hesitation, he quickly checked the details of the shoes.


    [Boots of the Void]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: A mysterious item from the Endless Void. It may have once been a pair of ordinary battle boots, identally falling into the Endless Void. Over time, they were corrupted by some mysterious force, and their original properties werepletely transformed. Due to their unassuming appearance, they were overlooked by many powerful beings. That is, until one day, by chance, they fell into another world, just as they had before. These boots are now revered by countless thieves, shadows, ghosts, and space-rted deities as a priceless treasure, conferring their wielder an extremely special status.]


    [Effect: Upon equipping the Boots of the Void, your affinity with and understanding of the power of space is enhanced by 30%, all attributes are increased by 10%, and your movement speed is increased by 200%!


    Wearing these boots allows you to ignore any spatial barriers over short distances and instantly teleport. This teleportation cannot be interrupted, detected, or interfered with (this effect is only useful against beings with Divine Power and below). Additionally, you gain the ability to freely walk within the Endless Void.**n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Note: Due to the special nature of the Boots of the Void, unless destroyed by the power of spatial annihtion, they cannot be damaged, will not drop, and will not conflict with other equipment slots.]


    Sterl stared wide-eyed at the effect and description of the [Boots of the Void], reading each line of information with intense focus, unwilling to miss a single detail.


    It took him quite a while to fully absorb and process all the information. Finally, he let out a long breath, "Did I�� just find a treasure?"


    He looked down in disbelief at the Boots of the Void in his hands. This item was truly top-tier. Forget about its long history and special status��Sterl wasn''t particrly concerned with that.


    What really caught his interest was the mention of the Endless Void. The Endless Void seemed to refer to the gap that exists between worlds��a merging of all gaps, known as the Endless Void. It was an incredibly vast concept.


    In other words, everything beyond the world could be considered the Endless Void. However, the Endless Void was said to be extremely dangerous, often gued by destructive storms. The storms and natural disasters that originated from the Endless Void were terrifying, and even deities were helpless against them. Only aplete world could be immune to such forces.


    Additionally, within the Endless Void, there were massive Void Behemoths��powerful beings of great strength. Legends told of some of these Void Behemoths that even feasted on entire worlds. To an ordinary deity, these creatures were like nothing more than a small snack.


    This was also why Orichalcum was willing to sacrifice everything to merge with the world��it was a matter of survival. Without this fusion, even the vast Orichalcum Kingdom would be at risk of annihtion, should it fall into the Endless Void.


    Shaking his head, Sterl decided not to delve deeper into the Endless Void for now. Although he would encounter it eventually, this wasn''t the time. Instead, he refocused on studying the Boots of the Void and its effects.


    Strong! Very strong! The mere boost to his affinity and understanding of the power of space was invaluable, something that couldn''t be measured with conventional standards. Furthermore, the 10% increase to all attributes might seem small at first nce, but it came without any restrictions.


    This meant that even gods, higher-level deities, and beings with immense Divine Power would be subject to this effect��10% boost to all attributes. With this, the increase in values was enormous!


    Additionally, the movement speed was doubled, and the ability to ignore spatial barriers and interference to perform instant teleportation was a skill that could be a lifesaver or used for surprise attacks!


    For example, imagine the enemy setting up an intricate trap, surrounded by aplex formation designed to confine you. Just when they believe victory is assured, you suddenly teleport, appearing behind them. The damage and shock this causes would be utterly torturous!


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    As for the ability to walk within the Endless Void, Sterl''s instincts told him that this might be the most valuable feature of the Boots of the Void, though it couldn''t yet be fully demonstrated. Furthermore, these boots, despite their delicate appearance, were actually indestructible unless faced with the power of spatial annihtion. Nothing else could harm them. Most importantly, there were no level restrictions! This meant that they didn''t interfere with his other equipment slots, so he could wear two pairs of boots at once!


    "Cough, cough, looks like Orichalcum Kingdom isn''t as bad as I thought��"


    Without any hesitation, Sterl equipped the Boots of the Void. Immediately, he felt lighter, as though the very space around him was responding to his presence. His understanding of Space Law deepened, and it seemed like, with just a thought, he could freely traverse the surrounding space with no cost or limitations.


    Looking down at his feet, he realized that the boots had seemingly vanished, as if they had fused with his body. The Boots of the Void were no longer visible, as if they had be part of him.


    This unexpected windfallpletely changed his view of the Orichalcum Kingdom. It also made him realize just how impressive the Royal Vault of the Orichalcum Kingdom was. The fact that such a treasure was stored so casually meant that almost anything in this vault could be incredibly valuable!


    Thinking of the five more chances he had to choose, Sterl''s eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly focused on his next pick��an ornate pair of wings, positioned atop a delicate stone pir,pletely different from the surrounding items!


    Wings! This was a special equipment slot, so it wouldn''t conflict with any other gear. And judging by their appearance and design, these wings were certainly no ordinary items!


    "It''s settled then!"


    With this in mind, Sterl activated the power of the Boots of the Void. In an instant, he appeared silently in front of the wings. The surrounding space remained calm, without a single ripple or fluctuation. It was as if Sterl had flown there at an incredibly high speed, but in reality, it had taken him no more than a fraction of a second to arrive.


    "Such an incredible ability."


    He couldn''t help but marvel again. When the Boots of the Void activated the teleportation, it seemed to draw energy from the surrounding space, then merged that energy with Sterl himself, turning him into part of the space itself, allowing him to instantly leap to another point in space.


    This method, even though Sterl had mastered Space Law, was beyond his reach. It was truly a masterpiece of spatial maniption.


    To think that such a powerful effect coulde from a pair of shoes that were chosen at random��then these wings, which were ced high up and looked so unique, must be even more precious!


    With a surge of excitement, Sterl grabbed the wings. They were surprisingly heavy, which only fueled his anticipation. Whatever these wings were, they were definitely something extraordinary!


    [Confirm selection?]


    [Confirm]


    Without hesitation, Sterl chose the wings. Based on his instincts, he could tell that these wings were an extremely important treasure for the Orichalcum Kingdom.


    As expected, once he confirmed his choice, a brilliant glow enveloped the wings. The next moment��


    Boom!


    Sterl''s vision went dark, and he felt as if he''d been hit by a speeding freight truck. His body was flung across the room, crashing hard into the vault''s wall.


    The impact caused him a great deal of pain, but he didn''t mind it. In fact, it made him even more excited. He fixed his gaze on the wings inside the radiant light, knowing that something as powerful as this had to be a priceless treasure!


    He teleported once again, silently waiting. After a short while, the brilliance surrounding the wings faded, revealing their true form�� a pair of enormous wings, each more than fifty meters long!


    "Uh..."


    Sterl''s eyes widened, and he stared without blinking at the massive wings in front of him. A question rose in his mind: was this truly the equipment he had hoped for?


    "Just a palm-sized object a moment ago, and now it''s this enormous... It must have the ability to grow and shrink. And even if it''s not some kind of equipment, it''s definitely incredibly valuable!"


    He muttered to himself, then proceeded to check the item''s details.

 Chapter 538 Dream Power, The Power to Turn Falsehoods into Reality!?

    [Wings of Glory]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: The Kingdom of Orichalcum once drifted within the Endless Void, a ce gued by natural disasters and ravaged by Void Behemoths. The entire kingdom was battered by storms and chaos. This is the historical record. Long ago, the founders of Orichalcum killed a rogue Void Behemoth, tearing one of its thirty-six pairs of wings off. They extracted all the flesh and power from the wings and forged them into a banner, marking the kingdom''s war efforts. This banner became a symbol of the kingdom''s unique and exalted honor, a symbol of the great divine power!]


    [Effect: By possessing the Wings of Glory, you gain the friendship and respect of the Orichalcum Kingdom. Additionally, your courage and battle intent are enhanced!]


    [Note: Perhaps its greatest power lies in symbolizing a glorious history, a war that determined the fate of the capital.]


    Sterl stared at the enormous wings in front of him,pletely dumbfounded. He had expected something extraordinary from these seemingly magnificent wings��some powerful treasure or artifact. But now he was being told that this was just a symbol of honor!?


    "Goddammit!"


    It felt like a storm of frustration had built up inside him. He pped the Wings of Glory, but the wings were surprisingly sturdy. While there was no visible damage, the force of his p sent a sharp pain through his palm.


    The good mood he had gotten from the Boots of the Void waspletely ruined by this thing.


    The change in his view of the Orichalcum Kingdom, which had started to improve, vanishedpletely. This wasn''t just a small pitfall��it was a full-on trap, set to take him down!


    For the Orichalcum Kingdom, these wings might hold immense meaning and value. But for him? They were just a useless piece of trash��no practical use whatsoever.


    The only effect was to increase his courage a bit? But was that the kind of courage that could turn the tide of a battle, reverse fate, or defeat powerful enemies? Absolute bullshit!


    Wasn''t Morette the god of Thunder and Courage? Yet, didn''t he almost get his ass handed to him? If it weren''t for Sterl stepping in to save him, he''d probably have grass growing three meters high over his grave by now.


    "Forget it... Forget it," he muttered to himself, trying to calm down. "I got the Boots of the Void. Even if the next five items are trash, I''m not at a loss. If I happen to find something truly priceless, that''ll be a huge win."


    He took a deep breath and tried to console himself. As long as he kept his expectations low, his mindset wouldn''t implode. Of course, Sterl also knew that while some treasures in the royal vault were genuinely powerful, others were, without a doubt, infuriatingly pointless.


    Sterl stored the Wings of Glory into his small world. After all, it was something he had spent one of his precious opportunities on. Besides, the material itself was quite exceptional. Just based on its durability alone, it could rival epic-level or even mythic-level shield-type equipment, though itcked any additional attributes.


    Moreover, it was apparently taken from a Void Behemoth. Void Behemoths were terrifying beings that consumed worlds as their sustenance. That alone made the wings a rare and valuable item. Perhaps it might have some other use in the future.


    In any case, throwing it away was not an option for Sterl.


    With his mindset adjusted, his expectations for the remaining five opportunities weren''t very high. Casually, he picked another item floating in midair.


    Once he confirmed his choice, the disguises and restrictions on the object dissipated. What had seemed like a in, unimpressive lump of iron transformed into a shimmering sphere, radiating a dreamy glow.


    [Illusory Dream]


    [Category: Special]


    [Description: ording to legend, there exists an opposite realm to the real world, known as Dreand. Dreand resides within sleep, hidden in the deepest recesses of consciousness. Only by falling into absolute stillness can one touch the tendrils cast forth by Dreand. It is said that Dreand contains all manner of unique and conceptual entities. asionally, Dreand leaks its mysterious energy, granting ordinary items extraordinary and powerful abilities.]


    [Effect: Activating Illusory Dream allows you to pull a selected enemy into a false world woven by Dream Power. Until the Dream Power is exhausted, you can freely alter all rules and elements within this false world.]


    [Note: If sufficient Dream Power is invested, perhaps the false... could be real!]


    "Huh? This is pretty good," Sterl murmured, raising an eyebrow as a glimmer of delight shed in his eyes.


    This item was clearly a powerful support tool��and it wasn''t even a one-time use artifact. As long as the Dream Power within it wasn''t depleted, it could be used repeatedly.


    Moreover, the Illusory Dream seemed to be connected to a ce called Dreand, which piqued Sterl''s interest. It appeared to share origins with a certain Dream Orb he had noticed earlier in the contribution marketce.


    [Dream Orb]


    [Description: A pearl infused with the Law of Dreams. It seems to have merged with a mysterious power, granting it the ability to connect to unknown worlds. Using this orb might lead to unimaginable rewards��or possibly, unforeseen dangers. In the past, the Orichalcum Kingdom obtained immense wealth through this orb, until a catastrophic crisis forced them to seal it away permanently.]


    [Effect: Opens a gateway to traverse the Endless Dream World, allowing exploration of its mysteries and powers.]


    [Hint: Current number of uses remaining: 3.]


    [Price: 30,000 Contribution Points.]


    However, the Dream Orb opened the path to Dreand, while the Illusory Dream was the power that leaked from Dreand. Although the two served different functions, there was some kind of special connection between them.


    Sterl then focused on thest line of information, a look of surprise spreading across his face. "If there is enough Dream Power, even illusions can be reality?"


    Was this information suggesting that Dream Power had the ability to turn the false into the true? If that was the case, then it was somewhat terrifying.


    His intuition told him that the Illusory Dream might hold even more value than the Dream Orb. However, the Dream Power contained within the Illusory Dream was limited. Once depleted, how would it be replenished?


    At that moment, Sterl paused for a second, because, while holding the Illusory Dream, he discovered something astonishing��it could actually be evolved and upgraded!


    Previously, he had tried to use cheats to upgrade the Soul Devourer Sphere and Boots of the Void, but both had failed. The former was too perfectly crafted, having been improved by a mighty divine being to its ultimate form. Thetter, born in the Endless Void, had a very high status and couldn''t be upgraded for now.


    However, after the cheat upgrade, these two items might be enhanced, but the Illusory Dream could indeed be evolved.


    "Well, the evolution update came today. Let''s see how it works," he muttered.


    Gripping the Illusory Dream, Sterl chose to evolve it. Immediately, a mysterious force surged into the Illusory Dream.


    From Sterl''s senses, although the Illusory Dream didn''t seem to change much outwardly, the unfamiliar energy inside began to swell rapidly. Before long, it had expanded to roughly twice its original size!


    "Did it just double the Dream Power stored in the Illusory Dream?" he thought, his heart lifting. Just as he was wondering how to replenish the Dream Power, this unexpected upgrade seemed to solve his problem. Now, he didn''t need to worry about running out of Dream Power.


    But what truly surprised him was that after the first evolution, the Illusory Dream could still be upgraded. This was a huge revtion for Sterl. "Can the Illusory Dream''s Dream Power capacity be infinitely increased?"


    He thought back to the line: "As long as there''s enough Dream Power, even the false can be real." A spark of inspiration lit up in his mind. "Let''s see what this so-called Dream Power can actually do first."


    Holding the Illusory Dream, Sterl immediately understood how to use it. With a simple thought, a surge of energy rapidly poured out of the Illusory Dream, enveloping the entire treasury. Thisyer of power was incredibly subtle, almost like a breeze, and though a careful examination might be conducted, nothing could be found.


    This was the true power of Dream Power. Since it came from Dreand, a realm outside the real world, the energy waspletely undetectable. If Sterl weren''t the owner of this Illusory Dream, he probably wouldn''t have been able to sense this power either.


    Soon, the power within the Illusory Dream began to fade, and a massive figure suddenly appeared in the treasure vault. The figure''s face was obscured by an endless glow, its enormous body nearly spanning the entire vault. Behind it, six pairs of pristine white wings sprouted, and in its hand was a terrifyingly immense sword, radiating overwhelming power!


    It was unmistakably the appearance of the Twelve-Winged Angel from the myths of Earth''s past. The angel''s presence was so powerful that it made the entire vault tremble. Slowly, it raised its long sword and struck down with immense force.


    In an instant, the vault shattered, everything inside was reduced to nothing, and the residual energy instantly destroyed the protective barriers of the royal city, enveloping the entire kingdom!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But��


    Sterl knew that all of this was an illusion, a false world woven by the Illusory Dream.


    However, Sterl remained frozen in ce, his breath momentarily halting. The scene was one he had created himself, yet he was still caught off guard. Why? Because�� this Twelve-Winged Angel, with its majesty, its aura, and its massive form, felt so incredibly real. Even the scene of the sword crashing down was indistinguishable from reality!


    If other gods hadn''t detected this, the sudden appearance of such a terrifying being could have had a truly surprising effect!


    This was not just any illusion; it was a false world! And how could beings enveloped by this false world ever perceive it as fake?


    Furthermore, divine battles could change in an instant. Even a small amount of hesitation, or a fleeting moment of intimidation, could be enough for the enemy to seize the opportunity and deliver a devastating blow!

 Chapter 539 Endless Energy Pool! The Power of Infinite Concepts!

    "Looks like I underestimated the power of Dream Power," Sterl said with a hint of excitement. The Royal Vault of Orichalcum truly had extremes��some treasures were iparably extraordinary, while others were utterly useless.


    He then focused on the remaining Dream Power within the Illusory Dream and gave a knowing smile. "No wonder this item has remained unused for so long. Just creating one false world consumed about one-tenth of its total Dream Power."


    This was after he had doubled the Dream Power reserve through his evolution ability. If it had been the original Illusory Dream, a single use like this would have consumed one-fifth of its energy.


    At this rate, it wouldn''t take many uses for the Illusory Dream to bepletely drained and fade into nothingness.


    "This must be something the Orichalcum Kingdom extracted from Dreand using the Dream Orb. The energy consumption is high, but with my evolution ability, I can use it continuously without worrying about replenishing its Dream Power."


    "Next, let''s test the so-called ''turning the false into reality'' and see how far it can go."


    If it were only capable of creating a false world, Sterl wouldn''t be too impressed. After all, illusions are always just illusions. Even if he conjured a world-ending scene, the enemies he faced were gods��beings at a divine level. No matter how terrifying the spectacle, it wouldn''t break their resolve.


    On the contrary, overly exaggerated illusions might arouse their suspicion and prompt them to uncover the Illusory Dream''s limitations, breaking its effects entirely.


    Soon, the energy within the Illusory Dream began to fade again, and within the vault, the phantom of the Twelve-Winged Angel continued to radiate a terrifying aura. However, it stillcked a physical form.


    But then, Sterl noticed something: the very tip of the angel''s enormous sword, spanning hundreds of meters, was starting to solidify, bing real!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Momentster, the angel swung its sword once more. The same apocalyptic scene reyed itself in the vault. Yet this time, Sterl, standing outside the false world within the treasure vault, could clearly feel the entire vault tremble!


    It was as if that sword strike had nearly shaken the protective defenses of the Royal Vault itself. At the same time, sharp aftershocks rippled through the vault, causing the treasures under the vault''s protection to shimmer with wave-like disturbances, as though a storm had passed over them.


    Sterl''s face reflected disbelief. Initially, he had assumed the Illusory Dream could, at best, mimic the power of a low-tier divine being. But now, this sword''s impact had exceeded the limits of minor Divine Power. It was on par with the full force of his Destructive Divine Light, nearly reaching the lower threshold of a high-tier deity''s strength.


    Sterl sensed the remaining Dream Power within the Illusory Dream. It was nearly depleted, with only the faintest trace left��essentially, this single strike had consumed all of the Dream Power.


    Thinking about it, it didn''t seem like such a big deal, but then again, the Illusory Dream could still evolve. Sterl could continuously evolve it to increase its capacity!


    This was only twice the original amount, and it had already unleashed such overwhelming power. What would happen if he increased it five times? Ten times? Even a hundred times?


    Could he make this Twelve-Winged Angelpletely real? Could he turn the world-destroying power into reality?


    His heart raced with excitement. At this point, the value of Illusory Dream might even surpass that of Boots of the Void��it might even rival the power of the Soul Devourer Sphere!


    In that moment, Sterl had an epiphany. He didn''t need to chase after high-quality or high-level items. Treasures like Illusory Dream, which seemed limited in use to any other god, could unleash unimaginable power in his hands! His cheat ability still hadn''t reached its full potential!


    He carefully stowed the Illusory Dream away. There was only a tiny bit of Dream Power left. If he wasn''t careful, this item would disappearpletely.


    To obtain something simr would likely require entering Dreand itself. However, Sterl had no knowledge about Dreand. Even the Orichalcum Kingdom had been forced to cease its exploration of it, which suggested it was a ce fraught with danger.


    So, until he was fully prepared, he would definitely not risk entering.


    "There are only three chances left. Even if I get nothing but junk, with the Boots of the Void and Illusory Dream, this will still be a big win," he reassured himself. It was better to calm down before getting too excited. If the next few items turned out to be worthless, it would be quite theical situation.


    With that thought, he didn''t hesitate and quickly selected three items floating in the air. After confirming his choices, a burst of dazzling light engulfed the items. All of their restrictions disappeared, revealing their true forms.


    Sterl didn''t bother to examine them closely. Instead, he went straight to the item information��life and death were in the hands of fate now. This next round would be a pure gamble.


    "What if one day I could make the Goddess of Luck my deputy star? What if I could conquer and enve her? Would my luck then break through its limits?" he wondered to himself. But that was probably impossible. If he had the power to suppress the Goddess of Luck, how could the force of mere fortune affect him?


    Shaking his head, he focused and began to check the detailed information of the three items.


    Staff of Glory: Shattered


    Category: Special


    Description: Once the highest authority in the Orichalcum Kingdom, this staff symbolized absolute power, capable ofmanding all things and forces within the royal city. It was also a symbol of the divine status of the greatest gods. A powerful artifact forged from the world''s core, it was, however, shattered during a cataclysmic battle between gods��a battle so fierce it turned this mighty treasure into little more than an ornament.


    Effect: While holding the staff, you possess a faint healing power and can also block certain mental and spiritual attacks.


    Note: Though it is a broken staff, it still carries the weight of a glorious history. If you manage to restore the staff to its former state, you might be the new ruler of the Orichalcum Kingdom!


    Mind Shield


    Category: Special


    Description: A shield imbued with a Mind Gem, this item appears unremarkable at first nce. One of the countless spoils of war of the Orichalcum Kingdom, it is not just a shield, but a testament to a lost power and a mark of Orichalcum''s glory.


    Effect: Greatly enhances mental resilience, granting immunity to all mental attacks and influences from gods of lower rank. It also weakens mental assaults from upper-tier gods by 80%. Furthermore, any mental assault you suffer will be fully reflected back at the spellcaster.


    Endless Energy Pool: Faux


    Category: Special


    Description: It is said that deep within the Endless Void, there exists a mysterious ce known as the Endless Energy Pool, a source that gathers all the energy spilling out from the countless worlds within the Void. Legends tell that whoever controls the Endless Energy Pool will wield a power vast enough to transcend countless worlds, bing a creator god-like existence. Countless powerful beings have sought to uncover this legend, and from this concept, they have crafted their own versions of the Endless Energy Pool. However, even those created by great gods are a mere fraction of its true form. Still, the Endless Energy Pool represents a monumental history and the relentless pursuit of countless beings.


    Effect: Automatically absorbs any excess energy you generate, storing it forter use. When needed, the energy can be freely mobilized.


    Looking at the three items, Sterl immediately dismissed the first one. He had figured it out��anythingbeled with "Glory" in its name was utter trash!


    A staff forged from the world''s core, reduced to its current state? If he had the strength to restore it, he would already be powerful enough to surpass the entirety of the royal city. Why would he need a little kingdom like the Orichalcum Kingdom?


    Thankfully, the remaining two items turned out to be quite decent. The Mind Shield was a palm-sized shield, entirely silver-white and exquisitely crafted. At its center was a pink Mind Gem, adding an almost elegant touch to its design.


    "Not bad," Sterl remarked, tossing the shield lightly in his hand. This item didn''t even need to be actively equipped��just cing it in the inventory slot would activate its effects. It could defend against any mental attacks from beings below upper-tier gods, weaken the attacks of upper-tier gods by 80%, and even reflect those attacks entirely. Against an opponent specializing in mental powers, this shield would ensure an absolute and overwhelming victory.


    What surprised Sterl the most, however, was the Endless Energy Pool.


    "There''s a natural creation like this in the Endless Void?" he murmured, deeply shaken as he read through the description. A mysterious ce that contained limitless energy��it was impossible to fathom such an existence.


    Limitless energy included infinite Divine Power, infinite magic, infinite elements, and every known type of energy, endlessly flowing. Even the greatest of gods, standing before the power of the Endless Energy Pool, would likely find it untouchable.


    Sterl couldn''t help but feel a yearning in his heart. Perhaps, one day in the future, he might get to witness the true face of the Endless Energy Pool!


    For now, though, what he held in his hands was an object that resembled a heart. This was a creation modeled after the Endless Energy Pool, crafted by a powerful figure of the Orichalcum Kingdom in an attempt to replicate its properties.


    It was said that the Endless Energy Pool had no definitive form��it was a concept of boundless energy. It could take the shape of ake, a sphere, or even a single speck of dust. Because no one had ever truly seen the Endless Energy Pool, it had be the subject of infinite imagination. Until proven otherwise, one could imagine it to be anything!


    However, the [Endless Energy Pool: Faux] in his hands was, unfortunately, far less impressive than the real thing.

 Chapter 540 Exchange Complete, an Insult from the System!?

    "It can only absorb the excess energy it radiates, but the upper limit hasn''t been specified."


    Sterl was left speechless. Holding the object, which resembled a heart, he could vaguely sense that the energy storage limit was roughly ten times his own energy reserve.


    However, the issue was this: not only did his currentbat power rival that of a god, even an ordinary legendary powerhouse could control their own energy with such precision that almost no excess energy leaked out!


    In other words, was this so-called [Endless Energy Pool: Faux] just a useless decoration?


    Now, it seemed that way. Since he had chosen this item, all the information about it was under his control. He knew that it could indeed only absorb the energy leaking from his own body. Beyond that, actively feeding it energy would have no effect and could even cause it to break or be damaged.


    As for absorbing external energy, that was out of the question. If he tried to use it and the iing energy shed with his own, it would only damage hisbat power instead of enhancing it.


    So, did that mean that for his three remaining selection chances, he had picked two duds in a row? Together with the previously selected Wings of Glory, that made three useless items. It was a perfect 50-50 split.


    "Well, at least this item can be improved through evolution. I wonder if it will change once enhanced."


    Sterlforted himself. After all, this item was based on the legendary Endless Energy Pool. Both its concept and purpose were lofty, and as for the materials, he wasn''t sure what creature''s heart this came from, but his instincts told him that the quality of the material wasn''t low. So, after using his evolution ability to enhance it, it might still turn out to be useful.


    At the very least, it wouldn''t be as useless as it was now, just sitting there as a decoration.


    With that, all six selection opportunities had been used. Aside from [Endless Energy Pool: Faux], which still couldn''t be judged for its value, Wings of Glory and Staff of Glory were confirmed to beplete junk. The other three items, however, were of great use to Sterl and could be considered treasures: [Boots of the Void], [Illusory Dream], and the final one, [Mind Shield].


    Among these three, Boots of the Void and Mind Shield were both pieces of equipment that had already reached their full potential and could no longer be improved. On the other hand, Illusory Dream was a treasure thatbined offense, defense, and support. If it could be infinitely enhanced through cheats, its potential was unimaginable. It was undoubtedly the most precious item among the three for Sterl.


    [Selection Complete, Please Leave the Vault Immediately]


    The voice of the royal city echoed in his ears. Sterl reluctantly cast a final nce at the mountain of treasures. He was sure that there were many incredible items hidden within, but unfortunately, his opportunities were limited. At this point, unless he could conquer the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum, along with the royal city, he wouldn''t have another chance to enter here.


    He shook his head. If I gain it, I am fortunate; if I lose it, it is my fate. He couldn''t see the things he didn''t acquire as losses. While there was regret, he didn''t linger on it. With his evolution ability, he had already surpassed countless rare treasures. Moreover, his cheat ability was close to turning a piece of junk into something valuable. If he evolved it once more, just how powerful would the evolution ability be?


    With that thought, he quickly walked out of the vault, moving away from the treasures to avoid punishment from the royal city. After all, while you could say it had some level of intelligence, at its core, it was just a program. No matter who you were or what your status, as long as you triggered an issue with its program, you''d inevitably be targeted and attacked.


    "Open the Contribution Marketce."


    After exiting, Sterl didn''t leave immediately. Instead, he called on the [Transcendence] system to open the Kingdom of Orichalcum''s contribution marketce. Compared to relying on luck in the vault, this was the real deal!


    Moreover, the contribution marketce was connected to the vault, meaning everything in the vault could be exchanged for items here.


    Soon, a glowing screen appeared before Sterl''s eyes. Various items, equipment, consumables, and even powerful abilities that could be directly learned began to manifest, leaving him a bit dazzled.


    However, this wasn''t his first time opening the Kingdom of Orichalcum''s contribution marketce. He didn''t bother with the items at the front of the list, which required millions of contribution points. Those items were either rted to the authority of the Kingdom of Orichalcum or involved powerful Divine Power-level objects and abilities.


    He activated the filtering function, and soon found the item he had already set his sights on among the countless treasures: the [Dream Orb].


    The system immediately informed him that the Dream Orb was connected to the Dreand, which had significant importance to him. At the very least, due to his connection with Illusory Dream, he had a deep and curious interest in the mysterious and dangerous Dreand. If he had the chance, he would definitely venture in to explore it.


    With a slight thought, the Dream Orb was sessfully exchanged. Thirty thousand contribution points disappeared, and a small object the size of an egg appeared in his hand. It glowed with a dreamlike mix of blue and purple, with swirling mists seemingly moving within it. Its exquisite, almost ethereal design was mesmerizing.


    Holding the Dream Orb, a glimmer of excitement shed in Sterl''s eyes. "This is great! The Dream Orb can also be enhanced through the cheat ability!"


    Previously, he had been concerned that the Dream Orb would only have three uses before bingpletely useless. But now, knowing that the cheat could enhance it, he was certain it could not only increase the orb''s usage count but perhaps even improve its overall functionality.


    Unfortunately, today''s evolution attempts had already been used on Illusory Dream, and the items he needed to evolve were piling up.


    Whether it was Illusory Dream, Dream Orb, or the [Endless Energy Pool: Faux], all of them were waiting for enhancements.


    "It looks like I''ll need toy low and focus on development for a while," he muttered to himself.


    Sterl had never been one to recklessly chase after danger, but he wasn''t a fool either. Until his strength reached a certain peak, he wouldn''t allow himself to act too boldly.


    ncing at the map module, he saw that both Ashen and the Kingdom of Orichalcum were elerating their preparations. Armies and various weapons were being assembled, creating a tense and foreboding atmosphere. However, based on their current progress, it would take at least another week for either side to reach their peak readiness andunch an unprecedented war.


    This meant he had ample time to safely develop himself and enhance the new items and abilities he had acquired.


    "Still got a hundred thousand contribution points left," he noted.


    After exchanging for the Dream Orb, Sterl continued browsing the contribution marketce. It was no wonder he had been overwhelmed in the treasure vault��there was simply too much to choose from. Even now, the sheer number of items in the marketce alone was enough to make his head spin, let alone the physical treasures hidden behind their magical seals.


    With one hundred thousand contribution points, most items in the marketce were within his reach, except for those closely tied to the Kingdom of Orichalcum''s authority. However, trying to acquire every item that caught his eye was impossible. Even with a million contribution points, it would be a drop in the oceanpared to what he truly wanted.


    After much deliberation, Sterl settled on three items. Two of them were things he had been eyeing during his previous visit: the [Hourss of Time], the [Starry Battle Armor], and the [Ruin Belt: Shattered].


    [Hourss of Time]


    [Description: A mystical hourss containing the power of time. In myth, it is said to be an artifact casually crafted by the God of Time, holding within it the fleeting insights of the God of Time. After countless ages, these insights have undergone a magical transformation, granting this ordinary hourss extraordinary abilities.]


    [Effect: It can alter the flow of time within a certain range. At a critical moment, the power sealed inside the hourss can be consumed to reverse or elerate time, either to change the tide of battle or to recover important information that was previously missed.]


    [Starry Battle Armor]


    [Description: This is a suit of armor crafted from the core of stars. It is said to have deep connections to the legendary, now vanished, Starry n. Perhaps it was once their treasure, though for some unknown reason it ended up in the outside world. It could also be the spoils of war from some powerful being. It serves as proof of a bygone era and is a treasure that shines with the brilliance of stars.]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 10%!


    It automatically absorbs star power to form an imprable defense. While worn, the user is enveloped in star power, greatly enhancing their energy, vitality, and regenerative limits. Additionally, the armor grants some control over star power.]


    [Note: If the wearer is already blessed by the stars, unexpected gains may ur.]


    Sterl spent a total of 20,000 contribution points on the Hourss of Time and the Ruin Belt, while the Starry Battle Armor cost him a hefty 60,000 contribution points!


    Now, his remaining contribution points were as empty as his pockets��he was broke.


    [Your contribution points are now zero. The contribution marketce is now closed. To reopen the contribution marketce, you must have at least one contribution point.]


    The system''s message served as a reminder of his poverty, and it promptly shut down the marketce. Sterl could feel a slight vein bulging at his temples. He had to admit, he felt insulted.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But it was probably for the best that the marketce was closed. Out of sight, out of mind. Otherwise, seeing the endless treasures he couldn''t afford would have only further soured his mood.


    Momentster, three glowing orbs, each about the size of a palm, materialized in front of him, containing the three items he had just exchanged for.

 Chapter 541 Activation! Lord of the Endless Stars Set!

    Sterl reached out and took the first glowing orb. As the orb shattered, the Hourss of Time was revealed inside.


    The hourss was no bigger than the size of a palm, and its surface glowed with a faint, mysterious light. With his understanding of the Time Law, Sterl could immediately recognize that these ethereal lights were the manifestation of the time power contained within the hourss!


    Despite having already mastered the Time Law, the reason he still chose the Hourss of Time was, of course, after careful consideration.


    First of all, there were very few items or artifacts rted to the power of time. Each one was incredibly rare and precious. While the Hourss of Time was just a consumable, it still held immense value in the hands of a deity. To call it an item with the ability to change the course of battle wouldn''t be an exaggeration.


    However, Sterl''s true intention wasn''t just to possess it��he wanted to use the cheat ability to see if he could enhance it, much like how he had once strengthened the Blood of the Ancient One. His goal was to trace the remnants of the God of Time''s power within the hourss and potentially harness the power of the God of Time himself!


    That was his n. After all, even the tiny mark left by an Ancient One on Gloria had been enhanced into theplete Blood of the Ancient One, so using the Hourss of Time as a basis to trace back to the God of Time''s power seemed like a real possibility!


    As Sterl held the Hourss of Time, any trace of nervousness on his face faded away, reced by a look of delight.


    The Hourss of Time could indeed be enhanced! Now, yet another item had been added to his list of things to evolve. It was a good thing��better to have more items to enhance after a cheat ability refresh than to have nothing worthwhile to work with.


    He carefully put the Hourss of Time away. He could feel that the power within it was limited, but its rank was exceedingly high. It was far stronger than the meager amount of time power he currently controlled.


    Next, he reached for the second glowing orb. Once it shattered, what emerged was a suit of armor, shining silver with an intricate surface that glimmered with countless streams of light, resembling a gxy. Every so often, a few brilliant stars could be seen sparkling across the armor!


    This was the Starry Battle Armor, the second item Sterl had exchanged for.


    The battle armor appeared incredibly refined, like a perfect work of art that had been meticulously carved and crafted over hundreds of years. Every detail was breathtaking, and as soon as Sterlid eyes on it, he felt an instinctive connection, as though some force within his body was resonating with the armor.


    From the description of the Starry Battle Armor, it seemed likely to be a relic of the Starry n��a n that had vanished long ago. This was especially significant because his authority heart was also rted to the Starry n. The Starry n had been bound by taboos, and even S-rank beings found it difficult to break through. However, Sterl had not only broken through this limitation but had, with the aid of his cheat, undergone a glorious transformation into a Radiant-level ss!


    This was why he had chosen to exchange for the Starry Battle Armor��he had a feeling that this armor would undergo a particrly unique transformation in his hands.


    Without hesitation, he removed his original armor and immediately equipped the Starry Battle Armor. Instantly, the majestic armor in front of him shattered into countless dazzling starry lights, swirling around Sterl as they rapidly spun. Within moments, it perfectly fitted onto his body!


    At that moment, Sterl''s authority heart trembled wildly. Waves of star power continuously surged through the armor, and immediately, it seemed as if the armor had been stimted, bursting forth in a radiant explosion of starlight!


    "I wasn''t wrong! This really is the treasure of the Starry n!"


    Sterl felt an immense thrill. The Starry Battle Armor was already a fine piece of equipment, but for Sterl, it hadn''t been worth the 60,000 contribution points to exchange for it. With those points, he could have gotten an item with better attributes or even a full set!


    However, with his authority heart, which had evolved to the Radiant level through the Starry n, everything had changed. He could feel that as the star power within him pulsed, a mysterious force began to awaken within the Starry Battle Armor, gradually unleashing its true potential!


    [Starry Battle Armor has undergone a special transformation with your authority heart. A powerful force is awakening.]


    [Your Starry Battle Armor has been activated, and its attributes have changed. Please check them.]


    [You have collected one part of the Ster Set, collection progress: 1/9.]


    A prompt from the [Tanscendence] system echoed in his ears. Sterl slowly clenched his fists, and a surge of overwhelming power erupted from within him.


    The originally silver armor now seemed to transform into a crystalline structure shining with silver brilliance. Every inch of the armor glimmered with endless starry light, as though�� an entire starry sky had been embedded into the armor itself.


    "I didn''t expect to identally collect one of the nineponents of the Ster Set," Sterl thought, his eyes glowing with excitement as he opened them. At the same time, the information flooding into his mind was quickly absorbed.


    The Ster Set was the ultimate treasure crafted by the Starry n using the power of the entire n, formed from countless star cores condensed into the Core of Ten Thousand Stars. Its true name was Lord of the Endless Stars, and as its name suggested, a being who wielded star power and wore this armor would possess the ability to control all forms of star power!


    It was the Starry n''s most precious possession, the highest and most supreme form of power!


    The nine parts of the set were: the chest armor, arm guards, gloves, shoulder guards, helmet, leg guards, boots, and the Ring of the Stars and Ster War de!


    Every time a part of the Lord of the Endless Stars set was collected, it would activate a portion of its power. However, this set had long been lost in the Endless Void, and it was unexpected that one of its pieces had actually been acquired by the Orichalcum Kingdom.


    The reason this set was so valuable was that only those with a Starry n upation could fully activate the true power of the armor. As such, the Starry Battle Armor, in its dormant state, was nowhere near as effective as other pieces of equipment and had been stored in the treasury for a long time. But due to its special status, linked to the Starry n, it had been priced extremely high.


    Otherwise, for equipment with simr attributes, one wouldn''t need 60,000 contribution points to obtain it��perhaps 10,000 or 20,000 contribution points would suffice!


    And now, the Starry Battle Armor had transformed into something extraordinary.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Starry Battle Armor]


    [Description: A long-dormant treasure, awakened after countless years. The star power that had been slumbering in history has once again revived. As the most precious equipment of the Starry n, it is also a part of the supreme authority. Holding it may allow you to summon hidden powerful Starry n beings from the shadows.]


    [Effect: Increases all attributes by 50%!


    Automatically absorbs star power to form an imprable defense. While wearing it, the user is enhanced by the star power, significantly boosting stamina, vitality, and recovery limits. Additionally, the armor grants some abilities to control star power.]


    [Bonus Skills:]


    1. Realm of the Stars: Converge star power and release a Realm of the Stars. Within the field, all Starry n followers and armies receive a 10% boost to all attributes. Additionally, any non-Starry n power will be suppressed (the suppression effect is proportional to the user''s attributes).


    2. Ster Barrier: Instantly release all star power to create an absolute defensive barrier. The duration of the barrier is proportional to the user''s power, with the minimum durationsting at least a few seconds.]**


    [Lord of the Endless Stars (1/9)]


    [Effect: Light of the Stars (Communicates with the Endless Stars, ensuring you are forever bathed in their light)]


    ��


    Looking at the activated attributes of the Starry Battle Armor, even though Sterl had been prepared for it, he couldn''t help but gasp in astonishment, his heart filled with shock and exhration!


    This was simply�� overwhelmingly powerful!


    Compared to before its activation, it was like heaven and earth. The first effect, which previously increased all attributes by 10%, had skyrocketed to 50%!


    Just this one effect alone made it worthy of being called a treasure��not by increasing a set number of values, but by enhancing them proportionally. It meant that the stronger Sterl''s own power became, the more terrifying the growth rate of the armor would be! This was truly a piece of equipment that could be used forever and would continue to grow stronger over time!


    The subsequent effects didn''t change, but two additional abilities were added. One was a field effect, simr to a group-wide aura, which was even more powerful than a simple aura. The 10% increase might seem modest, but it applied to the entire army, boosting the attributes of every soldier by 10%. This alone was enough to drastically enhance the strength of his forces!


    The second ability was a life-saving skill: an absolute defensive barrier thatsted at least one second, essentially providing a moment where Sterl could not be killed.


    Additionally, although only one piece had been activated, it still triggered part of the set''s overall power. The time-space was now shrouded under the light of the stars, meaning that both his Authority Heart and the Starry Battle Armor were permanently maintained at their peak state!


    Strong! It was absurdly strong, frighteningly strong!


    Now, these attributes were enough to make any god covet them endlessly. Even high-ranking gods, beings with truly powerful divine energy, would bepelled to fight for the Starry Battle Armor the moment they learned about its powers.


    Feeling the surge of newfound power within him, Sterl was certain that, even in the face of a high-ranking god, with the dual enhancements of the Godyer title and the Starry Battle Armor, he had more than enough power to fight back, even defeat them!


    This wasn''t arrogance; it was the undeniable confidence the Starry Battle Armor gave him.


    With a slight focus of his mind, the overly extravagant, dazzling starlight and the gxy patterns slowly receded from the armor. It now appeared as a more ordinary silver armor, still exquisitely crafted but far less conspicuous. At least, it didn''t scream "I''m a priceless treasure" like it had earlier.


    Amon man has no crime, but possessing a gem is his sin. He could unt his newfound power, but only if he was in control of the situation. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be showing off��it would be a death wish!


    "I wonder where the other eight pieces of the set are. If I could gather them all��"

 Chapter 542 Ruin Belt! The Power of Annihilation!?

    Sterl silently pondered to himself: If he were to fully collect the Lord of the Endless Stars set, just how powerful would he be?


    He suspected that, with just the power of the set, he could probably match or even surpass the Divine Power of a Transcendent god.


    "But relying on the strength of external objects is always a hollow victory. Only one''s own power is truly irreceable," he thought.


    He lightly clenched his fist. The set was simply another goal on his path to greater strength. Even if he acquired it, he would not stop striving to grow stronger.


    History had already shown him that only by continually moving forward could one avoid bing obsolete. Relying solely on external power would ultimately lead to one''s downfall��just like the Starry n. Despite possessing this incredibly powerful set, they were almostpletely wiped out, and even the ultimate symbol of their authority and power was scattered to the winds.


    Thinking this, Sterl''s initial excitement gradually faded. He reminded himself not to be overly proud of temporary sess, nor overly disheartened by failure. Maintaining an attitude of calmness in the face of both glory and setbacks was the key to going further.


    Moreover, he suspected that he was not the only one who knew about the power of the Lord of the Endless Stars set. This meant that others were likely secretly collecting the pieces of the Ster Set as well. Since he had already obtained the Starry Battle Armor, he knew that others would not simply give up their pieces. Confrontation was inevitable.


    When that time came, facing enemies who also possessed pieces of the Ster Set, his Starry Battle Armor would no longer provide him any advantage. Ultimately, he would have to rely on his own abilities.


    With that thought in mind, he reached for the final light orb. As it shattered, a ck belt with a faint aura of destruction appeared before him.


    Ruin Belt: Shattered


    Category: Special


    Description: A devastating weapon that was forcibly destroyed and drifted through the Endless Void for countless years. It was eventually captured by chance and sealed within the royal treasury. Legends say that this is one of the strongest pieces of the Armor of Chaotic Destruction, one of the most powerful sets in the Endless Void, with the ability to destroy everything. However, this is merely a vague and distant legend. At least, the Kingdom of Orichalcum has not discovered anything unusual about it, or it would have likely disappeared long ago.


    Effect:


    All Attributes Increase by 10%.Stamina Increased by 50%.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Apanying Abilities:


    Aura of Destruction:Release an Aura of Destruction with a radius of one kilometer. Within this area, all enemies'' defenses are reduced by 10%, their speed is decreased by 30%, and they continuously suffer a certain degree of destructive damage each second.Destructive Impact:Activate the armor''s effect to release a shockwave imbued with destructive power, dealing massive damage and potentially causing grievous injuries, possibly even debilitating the enemy.Power of Annihtion:Inbat, there is a 0.0001% chance that the special power within the equipment will activate, instantly annihting all enemies.


    Note: The equipment is in a severely damaged state, and all its effects are greatly reduced. You may attempt to repair it, which could unlock unforeseen powers.


    "One of the strongest sets?"


    Sterl read the description of the Ruin Belt, and although the legend seemed dubious, even the Transcendence system appeared to harbor some skepticism.


    However...


    Looking at the effects of the Ruin Belt, Sterl''s emotions, which had only just calmed down, once again stirred. The attribute increases alone made the 20,000 contribution points worthwhile, and the Aura of Destruction and Destructive Impact were both powerful abilities.


    But the third ability was strange and subtle��instant annihtion of all enemies?


    Could it be that if activated, even if he were facing an enemy with immense Divine Power, even one of the legendary, transcendent gods, he could still have the ability to instantly annihte them?


    Sterl had a hard time believing it, yet there was no mention of any restrictions on instant kills. It seemed as though it could truly be possible?


    Shaking his head, he thought to himself that even if such a power existed, the incredibly minuscule chance��only 0.0001%��was likely so small that it might never be activated, even after using it repeatedly until it broke. That probability was smaller than the odds of winning a lottery, after all. At least with the lottery, if you bought all the tickets, you''d eventually win. But this one-in-a-million chance couldn''t be stacked or increased.


    Sterl chuckled at the thought. Still, no matter how unlikely, the potential of the Ruin Belt was undeniable, and it was certainly a tool worth considering in battle.


    That is to say, even if you attack tens of thousands of times per second, each attack still has a one-in-a-million chance, and when facing a strong enemy, the oue is usually decided in an instant. How could you afford to attack millions or even tens of millions of times just for that tiny chance?


    "However, if this belt were in itsplete state, it might not be any less powerful than the Starry Battle Armor," Sterl thought to himself, speaking aloud. This item was definitely not ordinary. He had tried using his evolution ability on it, but found that it was ineffective on the Ruin Belt. Perhaps once the cheat evolution was sessful, he would be able to evolve it, thus repairing it.


    At that time, he would truly discover if the so-called strongest set was just a legend or something real.


    After equipping the belt, Sterl felt that his haul from Orichalcum wasplete. The Boots of the Void provided a 10% increase to all attributes, the Starry Battle Armor granted a 50% increase, and the Ruin Belt added another 10%. That meant his base attributes had surged by 70%, an enormous boost. And this didn''t even ount for the various powerful effects and abilities of the three pieces of equipment.


    This could arguably be his biggest gain from the trip. It was clear that being from a divine-level force, Orichalcum had incredible depth and resources.


    "Time to head back," Sterl muttered.


    He didn''t linger much longer. After carefully scanning the contribution market, he saw that there were no other parts of the Ster Set or any items rted to the Ruin Belt. So for a penniless man like him, there was little left of interest in this ce.


    Back in his private space, Sterl quicklyid out his next ns. Now that both Orichalcum and Ashen were gathering their forces for a major battle, the process would likely take a week or even half a month��though if things went quickly, it might only take a few days.


    In the meantime, Sterl nned to wait for his evolution abilities to refresh, using the time to evolve the Illusory Dream, Dream Orb, Hourss of Time, and Endless Energy Pool: Faux to their utmost limits.


    Once the great battle began, he would hunt down enemies on the battlefield, harvesting souls with the Soul Devourer Sphere, and collecting a batch of soul power. He would also take the opportunity to spread the influence of his followers. Afterward, when both sides were locked in an intense battle, with forces from the Upper Realms involved in a mutual destruction fight, he would step in to reap the rewards.


    "Perfect n," he muttered with a smile curling at the corner of his lips, his anticipation growing. He had already gained so much from the unfolding legendary story��what powers would he gain once the story reached its conclusion? The possibilities were exciting.


    Of course, with so much time left before the final battle, he couldn''t afford to sit idly by and do nothing. Just because he couldn''t engage the enemy yet didn''t mean Sterl was incapable of doing anything.


    With a slight movement of his body, he activated the Boots of the Void''s teleportation ability. In an instant, he appeared silently by the bedside in the room, where Dianay asleep,pletely unaware of his presence.


    At this time, she was wearing the ck silk tulle that Sterl gave her before, and the attractive body was outlined very beautiful, and under the weight of the ck silk, don''t have a unique allure, and people can''t help but surge in interest.


    As it happens, Sterl still has some feelings about the previous "battle", his previous idea is too limited, this is a goddess, God''s body, can fully withstand all exaggerated gestures and parts!


    He then slowly extended his hand towards Diana, gently lifting her from the bed. With a flicker of thought, the power of space was activated.


    After equipping the Boots of the Void, his spatial Power of Confinement had grown significantly stronger than before. Combined with Diana''spleteck of defense, it was as if she were a small insect trapped in a tiger''s mawpletely immobile.


    However, her consciousness remained intact. A look of shock and anger appeared on her face. This was Hades'' private space, and she was Hades'' woman. Who dared to vite her here?


    But when she sensed that it was Hades, she breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time she felt a little uneasy, when she thought of Hades''s monster like performance, she was soon swept away, and the body that had not recovered had a spasm, but was confined by space, and even spasms could not be shown.


    Next thing she knew, a pair of big hands pressed down on her perfect ck-wrapped thighs, forcing her against the wall, then pushing with both hands.


    Diana''s legs were pushed directly behind her head, leaving the perfectly delicate vaginapletely exposed, open and closed.


    "No, don''t."


    She struggled in her heart, how can this, love love can also make such a posture? You''re not gonna stab her to death?


    However, she was confined, like a toy in Sterl''s hands, without resistance, looking at the immovable Diana, the delicate and pitiable expression, so that Sterl temperament, the lower body instantaneously up, it seems to Pierce everything, without hesitation, he directly lifted the equipment on the body, revealing the strong perfect body.


    That giant stick seems to know how wonderful Diana is, and it''s still expanding slightly!


    Then Sterl took Diana''s legs in one hand, ced them little by little on his penis, and smashed them down!


    Pfft!


    The horror of the impact and pration of the moment that delicate little cave, even the whole belly was stretched out, Sterlughed twice, began the crazy impact!


    ...

 Chapter 543 The History of the Goddesss Taming!

    The earth trembled, and the entire building shook incessantly, as though a giant dragon had turned over beneath it. The violent tremors continued for nearly half a day before they finally began to subside. By that point, the structure of the resting quarters had been reduced to a state that seemed on the verge of copsing.


    Inside the room, Sterl was lightly panting, his face showing a satisfied andfortable expression. He shifted his body slightly, his muscles still rxed from the release of the pent-up tension and excitement he had been holding. The frustrations and exhrations from the Royal Treasury had all beenpletely vented. At this moment, he felt an unusually calm sense of peace, his mind as still as a tranquil sea.


    And Diana... Sterl looked at the soft bed that had beenpletely deformed and copsed, and a white and plump perfect body was lying on the bed at the moment, with the hips raised high, and the whole person was still not convulsed, and arge number of fluids belonging to Sterl had contaminated almost all of her entire body.


    "A god is truly a god. Even after all that, her body has barely suffered any harm. It''s truly unforgettable," Sterl remarked with a sigh of admiration.


    This time, he hadpletely shattered his previous way of thinking, inventing numerous unconventional and intricate positions that defied human limits. Some of these would be outright perilous for ordinary people, even potentially fatal. Yet, Diana''s divine physique was able to endure his creative whims wlessly, delivering an unprecedented and unparalleled experience for him.


    Sterl, on the other hand, was at full strength this time, digging deep into the depths each time, even knocking her internal organs out of ce.


    Even so, despite enduring such intense "battles," Diana, aside from feeling a bit disoriented and faint from overstimtion, with her body constantly spasming and convulsing, did not suffer any significant injuries.


    Even if there were some, in her current state, she would probably recover fully in half a day, and her mind and body would be back to normal in two or three days.


    If others were to find out, they would undoubtedly call Sterl a monster. After all, she was a god! Even legendary figures or demigods, in a full-force attack against a god, wouldn''t necessarily be able to harm its body. Yet here, after just one session of indulgence, Sterl had managed to injure a god with dual divine authority, sending her mind and will into confusion and faintness. He truly seemed like some kind of freak!


    However, with the uing war between Ashen and Orichalcum still some time away, and his items needing to wait for the evolution ability to refresh, to avoid any risk of exposure, Sterl had no intention of leaving the area just yet.


    But these times, it is too boring to wait, looking at the bed, that slightly twitching beautiful posture, Sterl''s interest rose again, after all, he is not those mortals, there is no so-called sage time, and I do not know why, perhaps because the God''s body is some special, every time Sterl has a great interest. No boredom at all.


    At this moment, a thought suddenly crossed Sterl''s mind. He recalled the Goddess of Seduction from the Ashen side, her lips curling into a faint smile, a glint of amusement in her eyes.


    When facing Ashen''s side, he wouldn''t need to be as gentle as he had been with Diana. He could simply activate the followers'' mark, ensuring theirplete submission to him, allowing him to indulge and manipte them without restraint.


    Of course, the condition was that the Goddess of Seduction would need to survive the impending battle. Though Sterl found her somewhat intriguing, he wouldn''t risk derailing his ns for the sake of a woman��no matter how divine she might be.


    He then waved his hand over Diana, casting a restorative spell, and took out a vial of healing potion, pouring it directly into her mouth.


    This was a potion that Sterl had enhanced with his evolution ability during his spare time. Even for a god, its effects were substantial��it could be considered a life-saving trump card. If it were known outside, it would undoubtedly cause a fiercepetition or frenzy among gods, who would scramble to obtain or buy it.


    Even though Sterl could continue to strengthen these restorative potions with his evolution ability, he had so many things that required his evolution power that he could barely keep enough for himself, let alone give them away. It was simply impossible.


    After swallowing the potion, Diana let out a weak moan, and the injuries to her body instantly healed. However, she still felt mentally fatigued.


    But Diana opened her eyes, the whole person was directly silly, because Sterl was standing beside her, with a smile on his face, looking at her directly, this is not the most critical, the most let her panic is that the root just ruthlessly swept her, almost directly stabbed her body through the penis, directly y bad. And it''s up again!


    Thick, bulging veins coiled across its surface like a ferocious dragon snarling at her, its terrifying presence making her shudder. It looked utterly menacing.


    "No... I really can''t take it, Hades. Please, have mercy on me..." she pleaded weakly, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperation.


    Diana was so scared that she trembled when she spoke. She felt like dying and being tortured to the extreme. Although she felt unspeakable pleasure andfort, she was physically on the verge of copse.


    The main thing was that the movements were so frightening that they were not human at all, and often made her feel as if she were dying on that giant stick.


    "Never mind, we''ll be a little softer this time."


    Looking at Diana''s appearance, Sterl''s desire to conquer was even stronger, and then lifted the other side with one hand, then lifted the two round and tender legs, and hit his crotch hard!


    "Ahhh!!"


    Just recovered the body, once again subjected to violent impact and stimtion, that has been sensitive to the extreme body, an instant burst of strong feelings, straight into her mind.


    Diana''s spirit waspletely at its peak, her eyes rolling white, like a soft toy, let Sterl''s impact again and again.


    As the days passed, the activity within this private space hardly ceased. Fortunately, this small area had an automatic regeneration ability; otherwise, it would have long since turned into a post-apocalyptic wastnd!


    "Quick! Move it! Hades, harder, harder!"


    "HMMMM... Aaargh! That''s it, fuck me!"


    On the tangled grass, Sterl''s muscles bulging, his body bubbling with mist and breathing heavily from his mouth, he looked like an enraged lion.


    In her hands, Diana wrapped her legs and feet around Sterl''s hands, like a toy airne cup, letting Sterl run into her madly. However, unlike before, Diana was enjoying and crazy from her resistance and fear a week ago, and even began to take the initiative to cater to Sterl''s impact. Each time, Diana convulsed and convulsed.


    "You want to die!"


    Looking at Diana who dared to make a provocative sound, Sterl roared, and directly reached out to choke the neck as soft as a swan.


    Suddenly, Diana directly into a state of suffocation, pink face gradually turned red, the vagina became more delicate, and a unique vacuum feeling, Sterl''s penis is dead wrapped.


    He roared, opened all the increase state, deadly general violent collision, in this inhuman strength, Diana''s legs are about to break, by the huge rod friction a burst of red hot, but apanied by a kind of indescribable pleasure, let her pain at the same time, the spirit ispletely lost into.


    But the neck was strangled by Sterl, unable to moan and scream, only a whine, but the hands and legs wrapped around Sterl''s arms were even harder, as if she wanted to integrate the giant stick into her own body.


    Seeing that Diana was still able to bear it, Sterl felt an inexplicable impulse in his heart, and then the movement of his hand was slightly stopped, and the hand gripping Diana''s neck was also lowered.


    "Ahem, ahem, well... Sofortable ~"


    Diana''s body trembled constantly and her face was full of intoxication and obsession, just like a ve who had been conquered by desire, but even so, there was still a trace of holiness and nobility belonging to the gods.


    And it was this difference that made Sterl feel apletely different feeling, wanting to see this perfect face, showing the same look of pain and ignorance.


    "Hades, you... You''re not gonna make it?


    Haha... Ha ha ha, this time, I finally won..."


    With a defiant voice in Sterl''s ear, Diana seemed excited, wrapping herself around Sterl''s arm and even moving it up and down.


    Sterl watched the scene quietly. It had been a week since he came out of the treasure house. During this week, he had taken everything out on Diana except waiting for his evolutionary powers to refresh and use.


    It takes dozens of people to force Sterl, but now it is all aimed at Diana''s body, so that Diana''s vagina and lip kiss, almost never stopped!


    Diana also went from a painful struggle at the beginning, to aplete breakdown, and then to numbness, gradually transformed into enjoyment and excitement.


    Even under the output, she felt a stronger pleasure than the breakthrough,pletely addicted to Sterl''s penis, although it will still be hurt in the fierce battle, but still enjoy it, but more infatuated.


    "So... Am I sessfully trained?"


    Looking at this in front of him, like a goddess enved by desire, Sterl''s face was calm, but there was an indescribable feeling in his heart.


    The next moment, he swung Diana at his penis and smashed her down with all his might!


    Bang!!


    The immense force instantly pierced through everything, even diving straight into the depths of the lungs!


    "Pff!"


    Diana''s eyes widened as a stream of fresh blood seeped from her mouth.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 544 The Battle is Near! The Power of the Human Wave Tactics!

    After beating Diana like a sledgehammer for more than 10 minutes, Diana began to cry for mercy, and after beating for more than half an hour, shepletely fainted, and even the god''s body, the original pink vagina, was red and swollen at the moment.


    That mysterious channel, and even the internal organs, have been damaged to varying degrees, if before, just a little bit of small injury, and this moment, it is really light injury.


    Such an injury, for the gods, also need a period of self-cultivation to gradually recover.


    With the final blow, Sterl held Diana''s soft, hot body, draining all the essence out of her body. Diana let out an unconscious, instinctive groan. When Sterl let go, she fell to the ground like a dead fish, her body slightly twisted and convulsed.


    "What of the goddess? Does she think she can reverse the tide and conquer me?"


    Sterl gave a faint smile, but he had to admit that Diana was indeed the most resilient and evenly matched "opponent" he had ever encountered.


    However, even if two more came, there was no way they could turn his Suppression against him. In this regard, he had absolute confidence.


    With a thought, he activated the permissions for his private space. Soon, the small area, which had been damaged beyond recognition, began to visibly repair itself at an incredible speed, and within moments, it was restored to its original state.


    After tidying up Diana''s body, he ced her back on the bed to rest. From the looks of it, even with the recovery potions, it would take at least three to five days before she fully recovered.


    "It looks like it''s about to begin."


    After ensuring Diana was settled, Sterl donned all of his clothes and equipment. He then called up the map module, which kept a constant watch on the movements of both Orichalcum and Ashen''s forces.


    Not long ago, Ashen''s army had nearly finished assembling. Almost the entire world''s high-level forces had been forcibly concentrated. Some factions, pretending to cooperate, had even dispatched gods to be annihted without mercy!


    Under the pressure of divine power, even some legendary beings or demigods, who typically kept to the shadows, had no choice but to join Ashen''s ranks, lest they face annihtion.


    As for Orichalcum, although its prestige and influence were far less than that of Ashen in this world, it had used an immense amount of resources and bargaining chips to attract many powerful figures willing to fight for the Orichalcum nation.


    Sterl could understand this, for he had personally visited the royal treasury and had even been there twice. He knew very well the immense depth of Orichalcum''s resources.


    Additionally, some local factions, threatened by Ashen and disapproving of its methods, had chosen to side with Orichalcum. From what had been revealed thus far, Orichalcum''s overall strength was very formidable��possibly even superior to Ashen.


    For these factions, this was a gamble, but if they were right, they stood to gain immense rewards. Furthermore, the battle involved the entire world, and no one could remain uninvolved.


    Even so, when it came to the scale of the armies, Ashen still had the upper hand. To close the gap, Orichalcum''s upper realms rulers had even opened part of the treasury, taking out a number of powerful weapons and artifacts.


    Now, Ashen''s army had officially set out toward the Orichalcum Kingdom. The massive legion surged forward like a terrifying natural disaster, a flood of destruction, roaring as it came.


    Using the God''s-eye view provided by the map module, Sterl observed from above. Just the legendary-level experts alone numbered no less than 100,000!


    However, many of their auras seemed rather superficial, clearly indicating they had only just broken through. Sterl guessed that Ashen had leveraged its vast resources to forcefully elevate those willing to fight for them��third-ss warriors��directly to this legendary level.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After all, breaking through to the legendary realm was no simple feat for ordinary third-ss warriors. But for a divine-level force, mass-producing such breakthroughs posed little difficulty. A full 100,000 legendary warriors��it was enough to make Sterl''s heart skip a beat. Thebined power of such numbers, especially when coupled with formations, would create a terrifying force.


    At least for Sterl, he would never face such a terrifying army alone. Thebined abilities of 100,000 legendary warriors would be enough to turn an entire space into a hellish wastnd. Even the Laws and Divine Power of a god would be suppressed and eradicated!


    Not to mention, the army also included hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of second-ss and third-ss warriors. Though they were likely to be used as cannon fodder, the sheer size of their numbers, especially with formations, would still unleash unimaginable destructive power. This was no longer just a threat to gods��it was a force capable of vanquishing divine beings!


    "Is this the power of a legion?"


    Sterl gazed at the scene in awe. He alsomanded his own army, butpared to Ashen''s forces, it was almostughable��mere small potatoes. Not to mention going up against a higher god or a powerful Divine Power, just a single god could wipe them all out effortlessly!


    "However, with the Soul Devourer Sphere,bined with the Blood of the Ancient One, if I y it right, I too can amass a powerful legion."


    He thought to himself, reflecting on how, before, he had looked down on the tactic of overwhelming force. After all, there was a vast difference between beings above and below gods. A god''s casual strike could be considered a natural disaster for any other lifeform.


    But after seeing this, Sterl immediately understood. No matter whether it was individual power or thebined strength of a faction''s army, once developed to a certain level, it could trigger a terrifying transformation and destroy any force!


    Thinking about it this way, it seemed to be the case. Take the most ordinary of reborn beings, for example. Perhaps they can only cast a simple Fireball spell. But what if the number of such beings were increased by a million, ten million, or even a hundred million times?


    Thebined base power of that many beings would reach a level capable of devastating entire worlds. Even though Laws and divine authority could shield everything, once the numbers reached a certain scale, even the influence of Laws and divine authority would have limits.


    "Therefore, any legion of a certain size should never be underestimated."


    He deeply etched this image into his mind. With this, in the future, when faced with a simr situation, he wouldn''t be caught off guard.


    As for the Orichalcum Kingdom, they had clearly noticed Ashen''s movements. After all, such a massive army made a lot of noise with every move. Additionally, in the past week, while both sides seemed to be gathering power, many small-scale skirmishes had already erupted, and even gods had gotten involved.


    The spies and scouts sent by both sides were innumerable and everywhere, doing whatever they could to uncover the enemy''s secrets. After all, the more information you had, the fewer risks you would face.


    If they could seize an opportunity and learn just one or two of the enemy''s trump cards, they could craft strategies specifically to counter them, increasing their chances of victory by at least 5%.


    Sterl, however, only nced at it briefly. He knew that the war was about to break out, and soon Eterna would personallye to summon him. After all, the identity of Hades now represented the most powerful force in the world, second only to the higher gods.


    Additionally, his reputation in the Orichalcum Kingdom was incredibly high, with rumors circting that he was being hailed as the kingdom''s hero. There were even ns to erect a statue in his honor.


    Sterl didn''t pay much attention to this, however. His focus at that moment was on Illusory Dream, Dream Orb, Hourss of Time, and Endless Energy Pool: Faux��the four items that were now awaiting evolution. The ability to evolve had refreshed today.


    In the past six days, he had made incremental improvements to Illusory Dream, Dream Orb, Hourss of Time, and Endless Energy Pool: Faux. Specifically, he added a little to each, with Illusory Dream receiving three upgrades in total. The first upgrade restored all of the Dream Power within Illusory Dream. The remaining two upgrades sessfully increased the capacity and storage limits of Illusory Dream to ten times its original amount!


    Now, with Illusory Dream holding ten times the power it once did, it had clearly be one of his most powerful trump cards. Previously, with just twice the Dream Power, he had almost managed to manifest a powerparable to the ultimate form of weak Divine Power. Now, with ten times the Dream Power, not only could he easily bring forth the massive sword that was nearly as tall as the Kingdom''s Treasury, but the manifestation of that sword''s full form was also well within reach. The strength of that power could easily suppress even a higher god!


    As for Dream Orb, after the additional upgrade, it had undergone some subtle changes.


    Now, the effect had be:


    [Dream Orb]


    Description: A pearl containing the Law of Dreams, seemingly fused with some mysterious power, granting it the ability to connect with an unknown world. Perhaps using this orb would lead to unimaginable rewards, or perhaps�� an unexpected crisis. In the past, the Orichalcum Kingdom obtained vast wealth through this orb, but after an uncontroble crisis, the orb was sealed away here forever.


    Effect: It can open a portal to traverse into the endless Dream World, allowing one to explore its unknown wonders and powers.


    When entering the Dream World, your identity will experience a slight enhancement.


    Warning: The current avable uses for the Dream Orb are: 5.


    The orb''s newfound properties intrigued him, and though the Dream Orb''s power wasn''t immediately earth-shattering, the potential for discovery was limitless. It seemed as if using it could lead to breakthroughs or create unforeseen challenges, but Sterl didn''t hesitate. It was another piece of the puzzle, and with its addition to his growing arsenal of power, he felt more prepared for whatever the uing battles might bring.

 Chapter 545 Evolution of Illusory Dream, Fifteen Times Dream Power!

    Compared to before, the remaining uses of Dream Orb increased from 3 to 5, and this discovery pleasantly surprised Sterl. Originally, Dream Orb could only be used three times, and he had been worried that after those three uses, the item would be useless. But now that the number of uses could be cheated to increase, it was no longer a problem.


    What surprised Sterl even more was that the effect of Dream Orb had expanded. Upon entering Dreand, his identity would experience a slight enhancement.


    Sterl frowned, feeling somewhat confused. "What does this mean? Does entering Dreand give you a different identity?"


    This idea gave him the feeling of ying a game in his past life. Dreand was like a massive game world where everyone who entered would randomly receive an initial identity. Depending on the identity, the permissions, development opportunities, and even the dangers they faced would vary.


    An enhanced identity naturally meant more resources and opportunities in Dreand, but Sterl still had no idea what Dreand truly was.


    However, his intuition told him that this effect would be crucial once inside Dreand. With that in mind, he decided that before entering, he would find a way to cheat and strengthen Dream Orb to its peak, aiming to acquire the strongest possible identity. That way, he could immediately reach the pinnacle of power and obtain whatever he desired with ease.


    As for the Hourss of Time, a consumable, after one evolution, it became somewhat simr to Illusory Dream. The power of time within it had increased significantly, and its effect had also been improved. However, it still fell short of the oue that Sterl hoped for. He estimated that he would need to evolve it another dozen times, just like with the Blood of the Ancient One, or perhaps he would have to wait for a cheat evolution to truly reach its peak and unlock the power of the God of Time.


    But Sterl wasn''t worried about this at all. Cheat refreshed every day, and in simple terms, it just required a bit of time. Once sessful, the reward could be the power of the God of Time, and the return would far exceed the investment and effort.


    The most disappointing item, however, was the Endless Energy Pool: Faux. After being upgraded once, it was practically useless. There was no change whatsoever��no improvement in its description or effects.


    This was the first time Sterl had encountered such a situation. Because the power of cheat was extremely potent, every time an evolution was sessful, it typically resulted in a dramatic, transformative upgrade. But Endless Energy Pool: Faux just sat there, showing no reaction, and that left him frustrated.


    However, after closely examining the mysterious object, which resembled a heart, Sterl noticed a subtle change after its evolution. Originally, this heart-shaped object was entirely red, almost like a gemstone carved into the shape of a heart. Now, however, a faint hint of purple had appeared on its surface, though it was barely noticeable.


    "It can''t be without any change," Sterl murmured to himself. "The only possibility is... this thing is umting power. Once it reaches a certain threshold, it will undergo a transformation. I hope that when it does, it provides me with a satisfying result."


    He casually said this, before cing the Endless Energy Pool: Faux back into his spatial storage. The situation was currently urgent, and every evolution opportunity had to be used wisely.


    After carefully sifting through his items, Sterl decided to put away both the Hourss of Time and the Dream Orb, leaving only Illusory Dream out.


    Both the Hourss of Time and the Dream Orb were merely auxiliary items; they couldn''t boost hisbat power or survival abilities in the short term. But Illusory Dream was different.


    This item could truly enhance hisbat power. The current ten times Dream Power already had the strength to fight and even overpower high-level gods. If it were to increase again, it would surely be even more formidable. This would be one of his most powerful trump cards, especially in terms of offensive power��it was undeniably his strongest card right now.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With that in mind, he focused his thoughts and lightly tapped the plus sign behind Illusory Dream. Immediately, a mysterious force surged into it, and in an instant, intense changes urred within Illusory Dream. Every second, the Dream Power and its storage capacity increased steadily.


    Ten times... eleven times... twelve times...


    This time, it increased by a full fifteen times before graduallying to a halt. Everything returned to calm.


    Fifteen times the Dream Power!


    Holding the Illusory Dream in his hands, Sterl felt an unprecedented excitement. The amount of Dream Power now at his disposal, when unleashed, was enough to make his enemies pay dearly. Furthermore�� with a little clever maniption, these Dream Powers could easily be used to set up a massive scheme!


    "It can actually be enhanced even more!?"


    Looking at the Illusory Dream in his hands, a look of uncontroble anticipation and excitement appeared on Sterl''s face. Could this thing really have no limits, expanding and evolving endlessly?


    Upon further reflection, he realized that the description of Illusory Dream was tied to the power that leaked out from Dreand. In other words, it was a product of Dreand itself. While it might not initially contain much Dream Power, its origin��once traced back��was none other than the entire Dreand!


    Moreover, his cheat ability was precisely meant to break through limits again and again. Even when facing items or abilities that were perfected and reached their maximum potential, they weren''t necessarily impossible to enhance; it just required evolving the cheat once more. So, this was definitely worth pursuing!


    "Since that''s the case, I might as well put all the evolution points into Illusory Dream for now. After all, the Soul Devourer Sphere and Boots of the Void can''t be upgraded for the time being. Most of my abilities, aside from the Blood of the Holy Spirit, have already reached their limits. Leaving any evolution opportunities unused would be a waste, so it''s better to boost my trump card."


    Once he made up his mind, Sterl ced the Illusory Dream back into his storage. The next thing to do was wait��wait for the battle to begin, and also for the next refresh of his evolution abilities.


    However, less than half a dayter, Eterna came rushing in, visibly anxious.


    "Hades, the Ashen forces have already begun their march on the capital! Please, we need your help immediately!"


    "Oh? So soon?"


    Sterl activated the key and ced Eterna into his private space. Seeing Eterna''s anxious expression, he focused for a moment and cautiously activated the map module. Sure enough, as he expected, Ashen had somehow managed to teleport their entire army right to within three hundred miles of the Orichalcum capital.


    This distance seemed far, but Ashen''s army was not just marching��it was a vast and sprawling force, stretching for miles. The war beasts, siege weapons, and other equipment lined up for dozens of miles, creating a sight that seemed to stretch endlessly. The air was thick with a chaotic, overwhelming energy, filled with an aura of battle intent and murderous intent. This alone formed an imposing barrier around them.


    Within this barrier, all enemies would feel the oppressive weight of the aura, weakening and diminishing their strength. All it would take was one charge, and the lowest-ranking soldiers, who were peak second ss or even third ss cannon fodder, would soon reach the city gates. And with one hundred thousand legendary fighters and several hundred to a thousand demigods at the ready, the situation was rapidly bing critical.


    Naturally, upon realizing this, Orichalcum had immediately mobilized. All the assembled legions marched out of the city, with the powerful weapons on the city walls already activated and ready to unleash devastating power at a moment''s notice. The remaining gods were also prepared to intervene, not only to intercept Ashen''s gods but also to break the formation of their army.


    However, Ashen''s move had foiled many of the traps and formations Orichalcum had nned to deploy, making them impossible to carry out.


    Of course, Eterna was unaware of Sterl''s map module��an ability akin to cheating��and continued to describe the current situation in great detail.


    After discussing the situation for a while, Sterl nodded slightly. "I understand. In that case, let''s go."


    Upon hearing this, Eterna''s face lit up with a smile. As long as Hades didn''t falter, there was no need to worry about the battle. No matter what, victory was guaranteed. However, if Hades were to betray them or back out at thest moment, they would be left with no options.


    "Lady Diana..."


    At that moment, Eterna suddenly realized that Diana was nowhere to be seen. He nced discreetly toward the vi not far off and sensed Diana''s presence. She seemed to be mentally exhausted, and�� the entire building was practically suffused with Hades'' aura. This thought made his expression turn a bit strange, but he quickly snapped out of it. As he turned his gaze to Hades, he noticed that Hades was calmly watching him, which caused Eterna''s heart to skip a beat.


    "Diana is tired. It doesn''t matter if she''s here or not. A bunch of trash natives won''t make a difference."


    At this point, Hades had already started to see Diana as his woman. While she didn''t hold as high a ce in his heart as Rayna or Linna, she wasn''t as expendable as the few deputy stars either. After all, she was a goddess, and she had provided him with such delightful experiences. So there was no need for her to be involved in the fight.


    "Of course, sir. As long as you are here, these natives are nothing to worry about."


    Eterna felt a sense of helplessness. The current situation was critical, and having another god-level warrior would naturally increase their chances of victory. However, since Hades didn''t allow it, he didn''t want to push the matter further. After all, Eterna was well aware of Hades'' power��if Hades decided to go all-out, he would be more than a match for five or six gods of the same level!

 Chapter 546 The Army Approaches the City – The True War of Divine Forces!

    Moreover, he knew that Hades had even visited the royal city''s treasury, using up all the opportunities and contribution points in his possession.


    Even with the worst luck, he would have at least obtained one or two powerful items or pieces of equipment, which would definitely boost hisbat power. This would certainly benefit the country of Orichalcum.


    ncing at the building, which was noticeably tilting, he couldn''t help but feel some surprise. What kind of monster was this Hades? Even the goddess couldn''t satisfy him? He couldn''t imagine how much bat power" would be needed to toy with a deity in such a manner.


    Afterward, Sterl activated the authority of his private space, taking Eterna with him as they left and reappeared in the temple.


    Immediately, under Eterna''s guidance, they hurriedly made their way to the winter-facing city walls of the royal city, the very direction where Ashen''s vast army was pressing toward.


    "Hades! Hades is here!"


    "Wonderful! With Hades here, we can wipe out all these trash!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Hmph, this time, we''ll make sure these despicable natives never return!"


    Upon seeing Hades, all the gods hidden in the shadows or stationed on the city walls cheered with excitement. The heavy mood that had lingered before lightened considerably.


    It couldn''t be helped. Although the country of Orichalcum still had some divine-levelbat strength, when they saw the massive, endless army, they were still shaken. Most gods had their own followers and had experienced major battles. They knew all too well the potential and limits of a "human wave" tactic.


    Millions of second-ss and third-ss soldiers! At least 100,000 legendary troops! When such a force gathered together, even ordinary, weak Divine Power gods would be shocked. Even an upper-tier god, facing these vast numbers of mortal ants, would be ripped from their divine pedestal!


    As the saying goes, "Enough ants can take down an elephant"��even if the gap between gods and mortals were as great as the one between an elephant and ants, the gods would still be gnawed to death.


    "Hades, the War God? Is he the one who defeated Ashen and saved our Orichalcum from disaster?"


    "He is the hero of our Orichalcum nation!"


    "The power of the War God, Hades, is incredibly strong. No one even knows how many levels of divine authority he possesses. It is said that his power is so great, even The Hot Spring Vision and the Hunter God would be ashamed inparison!"


    "With the War God''s help, we will surely win!"


    At this moment, outside the royal city, many soldiers from the Orichalcum army were also stirred by Sterl''s appearance. One by one, they turned their heads, gazing at him with fervent admiration and worship, their hearts filled with boundless respect. Their fighting spirit surged, and they noticed that Eterna, the overseer of the royal city, had voluntarily chosen to follow behind Hades. The significance of this was obvious.


    It was important to note that Sterl''s reputation in the country of Orichalcum was at the second-highest level of adoration. Furthermore, his deeds were well-known to all. With him present, to the eyes of the army, he was an invincible banner!


    Seeing this, Eterna breathed a sigh of relief. Due to time constraints and the issues of defending their home territory, the Orichalcum army''s numbers were barely more than a tenth of Ashen''s forces. This vast difference had caused the morale of the Orichalcum soldiers to falter. The fact that there had been no signs of soldiers fleeing the battlefield could be attributed to the great efforts of the royal city. Now, at least their morale was stabilized.


    "Ashen ns to use these cannon fodder to attack the royal city?"


    Sterl, d in shining silver armor and with a long, majestic cape billowing behind him, looked every bit like an invincible war god. Even though the natural luster and special effects of the Starry Battle Armor were mostly obscured, its exquisite structure was still clearly visible, enough to show its exceptional quality. With Sterl''s muscr and towering figure, he looked like a deity who could gaze down upon the world with disdain.


    Eterna paused for a moment, staring in awe before quickly speaking up. "Mr. Hades, please don''t underestimate them. While individually these soldiers may seem like insignificant mortals, when gathered together and bolstered by their formations, they possess power that can rival even higher gods. We must not underestimate them!"


    What truly worried Eterna, however, was not Ashen''s gods or hidden trump cards, but this vast, overwhelming army. These forces were clearly meant to serve as cannon fodder, but if a few of Orichalcum''s gods were reced or their army shattered and destroyed, the bnce of the battlefield would be broken, and the consequences would be unimaginable.


    But Hades shook his head. "Have you ever seen an egg?"


    "What?"


    Eterna''s expression froze for a moment, his train of thought clearly interrupted.


    Sterl said nothing further. Instead, he took an ordinary egg from his small world. "Even if this were multiplied by a million, a billion, or a trillion, could it shatter the armor on my body?"


    With a sharp crack, the egg shattered, spilling its scrambled contents, and the broken egg fell from Sterl''s hand. "So, no matter how much garbage you pile up, it will always just be garbage. Even if you stack a world''s worth of eggs, they cannot shake my armor."


    Listening to Sterl''s words, Eterna''s expression froze for a moment. It seemed like there was some truth to it? But then, he quickly realized something was wrong! This waspletely misleading! This wasn''t a metaphor for eggs��those troops weren''t eggs at all. They were soldiers, each one at least second-ss at the peak of their strength. Individually, they might seem insignificant, but when gathered together, theirbined power could trigger an energy tide, causing a terrifying transformation. The resulting force could be so overwhelming that even gods would feel despair.


    However, Eterna quickly regained hisposure. Although the gods understood the truth behind the matter, Sterl''s words seemed to have strengthened the fighting spirit of the troops below. Now he understood that this was exactly what Sterl had intended all along. It was...


    Eterna nced at Hades, unsure of what to say. In his heart, however, he couldn''t help but deeply respect the man. This Hades was truly a blessing to the nation of Orichalcum. If he were willing to join the royal city, he might very well be the cornerstone of the kingdom''s future, leading the city toward the great revival they had once dreamed of!


    Suddenly, a long, ancient roar echoed across the battlefield, shattering the previously tense and silent atmosphere. The next moment, a terrifying giant elephant, over 300 meters in size, emerged slowly from the rear of Ashen''s army, appearing like a small mountain.


    Some second-ss and third-ss cannon fodder, unable to avoid it in time, were trampled into nothing more than meat patties by the elephant''s massive hooves, their deaths brutal and unrecognizable.


    The giant elephant swung its trunk, and its enormous eyes seemed to pierce through a distance of hundreds of miles, locking onto the army at the foot of the royal city of Orichalcum. It appeared to want to crush them into dust.


    Additionally, the elephant''s body was etched with countless formation runes and various tools and items. There was a faint sense of a special connection lingering between the elephant and the army behind it.


    "This is Ashen''s Colossal War Beast. Its strength isparable to a demigod, but its vitality and defense are so high that even a god would find it difficult to kill. It also possesses extreme resistance. Furthermore, this Colossal War Beast seems to be the core of the army''s formation. In other words, to destroy the army, one must kill this Colossal War Beast. However, this beast has absorbed the power of the entire army''s formation, which means its strength will likely be incredibly terrifying."


    Eterna''s expression darkened slightly. He was clearly very familiar with the Colossal War Beast, and it was obvious he had been aware of Ashen''s card all along.


    Sterl, too, was shaken. While he had clearly referred to the army as nothing more than cannon fodder, that was a tactical dismissal. Strategically, he took them very seriously. Seeing this immense and unending army with his own eyes had a far greater impact than what he''d observed from the god''s-eye view of the map module.


    A Colossal War Beast, already at the level of a demigod, was used as the core of an army formationprising millions of soldiers. While this approach would drastically shorten the Colossal War Beast''s lifespan, potentially limiting it to only a few days, its power would continue to grow without limit. The key advantage here was that, unlike those gods from the upper realms, it wouldn''t be subject to the suppression of the world''sws.


    Sterl nced at Eterna beside him. Despite the heavy situation, thetter did not seem panicked or overly worried. It was clear that Eterna had a countermeasure up his sleeve, which opened Sterl''s eyes to the depth andplexity of divine-level warfare. The conflicts between gods and divine forces were indeed far more intricate and exciting than he had imagined.


    As expected, Eterna spoke up, addressing the Colossal War Beast directly. "Mr. Hades, there''s no need to worry. While this Colossal War Beast is powerful, we have already retrieved the Godyer Crossbow from the royal treasury. It can channel part of the royal city''s power and,bined with the army''s will, it is more than enough to severely wound this Colossal War Beast��or even destroy it outright! Although the Godyer Crossbow can only be used once, that will be sufficient."


    Sterl nodded silently, outwardly calm, but inwardly, he was shaken. He hadn''t expected such a powerful weapon to be avable. It was a true revtion to him��real divine-level warfare was never as simple as mere hand-to-handbat.


    The various assets and war weapons, each with their own countermeasures and tactics, all yed a crucial role. Beyond these, there were decisions, strategies, and careful nning. Only when both sides were evenly matched, with their trump cards exhausted, would the battle escte into a chaotic free-for-all.


    However, if one side could oust the other''s resources and weapons, what awaited them would be a brutal ughter.


    Thus, in divine warfare, intelligence and resources were of utmost importance. Personalbat strength, unless at a very high level, would rarely be decisive in the grand scheme of things.


    Sterl absorbed these insights and lessons. This was his first true exposure to the battle tactics of divine forces, and it was a momentous experience for him.

 Chapter 547 Boris Appears, The Art of Psychological Warfare

    It''s only natural��though mortal wars often employ various methods to achieve victory, gods are far from brutes. Every god has lived for at least several hundred or even thousands of years. Even if most of that time was spent in cultivation, just a small fraction of time dedicated to study and reflection far exceeds the umted knowledge of mere mortals.


    Sterl observed the array of weapons, equipment, and formations on the city walls. Once Ashen''s army was broken, these things would unleash terrifying destructive power in an instant. Moreover, Sterl could sense that, after the Colossal War Beast''s appearance, a massive presence was also gathering power above the Orichalcum army.


    Soon after, through his followers'' marks, Sterl quickly essed Boris''s memories. Before long, he knew all about Ashen''s strategies and some of their hidden trump cards.


    Of course, to guard against Boris potentially turning on them, many of the hidden cards and details were kept from Sterl. But that didn''t matter.


    For Sterl, his involvement in this battle wasn''t to help Orichalcum win��it was an opportunity to harvest souls. Using the Soul Devourer Sphere, he nned to acquire a pure form of Soul''s Power while secretly controlling a group of followers through the Blood of the Ancient One.


    Thus, no matter what hidden cards or weapons Ashen might have, it wasn''t his concern. Let Eterna and the others worry about that. What Sterl needed to do was control the situation on the battlefield while harvesting souls, ensuring that the fight didn''t be one-sided. If Ashen''s forces became too strong, he would step in to eliminate a few. If Orichalcum gained the upper hand, he would find a way to restore bnce. Only by maintaining that bnce could the battle be dragged on long enough to reach the boiling point of a grueling, all-out war. The best oue for him would be a mutual annihtion��where both sides destroyed each other.


    "ROAR!!!"


    The Colossal War Beast let out a deafening roar, its terrifying voice carrying an oppressive force that surged toward the Orichalcum side. However, Orichalcum''s massive royal city, as if embodying the very boundary between heaven and earth, emanated a faint glow thatpletely negated the intimidating and weakening effects carried by the Colossal War Beast''s roar.


    Then, it enveloped the army with an amplification aura, boosting their courage, fighting spirit, and even enhancing the four basic attributes and physical strength of the troops to a certain degree.


    This could be considered a small skirmish before the official battle began. Sterl, through the map module, clearly observed that around the main battlefield, there were already numerous elite squads engaged in intelligence gathering or setting up trap formations, fighting amongst themselves. Battles were never just about the final confrontation; these smaller shes were equally intense, and strong warriors could fall at any moment. Among those involved were soldiers from both Orichalcum and Ashen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The bnce of victory constantly swayed between the two sides, and what might seem like a small advantage in one area, when umted, could potentially be the deciding factor in the grand scheme of things.


    At that moment, a powerful surge of Divine Power emanated from Ashen''s side. In the next instant, a towering figure cloaked in Divine Power appeared, surrounded by the forces of Curses, Desert, and Battle divine authorities.


    The moment theyid eyes on this figure, the soldiers of Orichalcum were struck with disbelief, their faces paling in horror. Even the gods among them were enraged. The figure was none other than Boris, the most dishonorable traitor of Orichalcum, the god who wielded the powers of Curses, Desert, and Battle!


    "That�� that''s Boris, the God of Curses, Desert, and Battle? Why is he with Ashen? Could it be��"


    The soldiers widened their eyes in shock, unable to believe what they were seeing. Most of them had no idea about Boris''s betrayal. Had they known, those factions that had chosen to join Orichalcum would have likely reconsidered their decisions.


    No one was a fool. When a high-ranking, influential god betrays, it doesn''t just mean the loss of a powerful deity''sbat strength. The most critical loss was the intelligence leak!


    A god like Boris would undoubtedly possess critical information about the royal city''s secret methods and trump cards. If all of this knowledge was passed to Ashen, Orichalcum would essentially be fighting with its hand exposed, its cardsid bare.


    "I am Boris, once a god of Orichalcum, the God of Curses, Desert, and Battle. But Orichalcum, in its folly, has decided to harm me, a loyal servant, for the sake of an outsider. This betrayal, this abandonment, has shown me that the royal city�� is already decaying!"


    Boris spread his arms wide, loudly proiming, "Remaining in Orichalcum will only drag me into the endless abyss, to be torn apart in the Endless Void! The victory of this war has long been decided. Now�� I am the leader of Ashen''s divine temple! Those who surrender to the Mechanism will be generously rewarded, and may even earn the chance to be gods themselves!"


    As Boris spoke, several massive giants carefully set down a huge, heavy chest and slowly opened it. Immediately, a dazzling array of treasures and rare artifacts burst forth from within, their radiant glow lighting up the area. Even though the chest was ced a hundred miles away, the soldiers��none of whom were mere mortals��could still clearly make out every detail.


    At this moment, many of the soldiers could no longer stay calm. It felt as though their minds had been struck by a heavy hammer. Boris, a god with three divine authorities, was openly dering that the royal city had already decayed and that he had betrayed it!?


    Could it be true? Had the royal city truly abandoned a god who had served it for so long, all for the sake of an outsider? If that was the case, weren''t those who had pledged their loyalty just cannon fodder for the royal city? Once they were used, would they be discarded?


    As for who this outsider was, there was no need to think twice. It had to be the hero of the royal city, the mysterious Hades! Only he could be the reason why the royal city valued him so highly, to the point where they didn''t even care about a powerful god with three divine authorities.


    The most shocking part was that Ashen had epted Boris''s defection and even appointed him as the leader of Ashen''s divine temple, giving him the same status as Eterna of Orichalcum! The level of importance ced on him was simply too high. Did this mean that if they switched sides now, they would be highly valued and rewarded by Ashen?


    The thought caused many soldiers to waver. Some factions that had staked their futures on Orichalcum began to hesitate. If Orichalcum really was a ce that abandoned those who had served it, then they would have to seriously reconsider their future.


    "Come! Join us! Status, power, strength, wealth! We have everything you desire! And this is your chance to survive! Otherwise�� wherever our legion goes, nothing will be left standing!" Boris''s voice was powerful and persuasive, his words carefully bnced with promises of reward and threats of destruction. His approach, mixing both carrot and stick, was a psychological blow to the heart.


    At that moment, many soldiers hesitated. Looking at Ashen''s massive forces, they began to wonder if perhaps everything Boris said was true. After all, how could so many people be willing to join Ashen and form such a terrifying army, unless there was some truth to what he was iming?


    The morale of Orichalcum''s army began to rapidly decline. But that wasn''t the end of it. Suddenly, several legendary warriors from the Orichalcum side shot forward, flying toward Ashen''s ranks.


    "I��I am willing to surrender! I want to join Ashen''s divine temple!"


    "Me too! I''ve had enough of Orichalcum''s ways. How dare they use us for their own gains!"


    "Please, Lord Boris, don''t let us down!"


    These legendary figures, utilizing their legendary abilities, moved with astonishing speed, escaping Orichalcum''s ranks. At this moment, the divine guardian overseeing the army became furious and was about to intervene, but Boris acted first. It was as if he had anticipated this moment. He swiftly appeared beside the defectors, blocking the iing attack from the god and then instantly capturing the legendary warriors, taking them away with him.


    When Boris reappeared, he had brought the traitorous legends directly before Ashen''s army.


    "A wise man adapts to the times," Boris dered with a boomingugh. "I swear, anyone who joins my forces will be under my divine protection and will not die! As for you few," he continued, his tone growing more dramatic, "I told you that anyone who willingly swears loyalty to Ashen will receive all the rewards they desire, even the chance to ascend to godhood. And this," he gestured grandly, "is the reward you all deserve!"


    With a grand wave of his hand, Boris revealed several glowing orbs, each radiating an otherworldly light. "These are Law Crystals, each containing a divine authority. By absorbing these crystals, you will gain the power of the divine authority they hold and achieve the rank of a god. Now, they are yours!"


    As Boris spoke, the Law Crystals floated toward the traitors. Their faces lit up with ecstasy as they eagerly seized the crystals. Dropping to their knees, they bowed before Boris and said, "Thank you, Lord Boris, for your divine gift! Thank you, Ashen''s Temple, for this opportunity! From now on, we will serve the temple with all our hearts!"


    The legends, thrilled beyond measure, continued to sing praises of Ashen and Boris, caressing the Law Crystals with reverence. Their joy was almost uncontroble, and it took a long time before they could finally be led away from the scene.


    "Did you see that?" Boris boomed, his voice full of triumph. "Anyone who joins me is forgiven for their past deeds. Even gods can find a ce in Ashen''s Temple!"


    His aura swelled even further, making him seem almost divine, like a being filled with endless hope. His very presence was overwhelming, as if he truly were a god bestowing salvation upon the world.


    At this moment, many in Orichalcum''s army couldn''t help but waver. The seeds of doubt had been sown, and it seemed as if the allure of Ashen''s promise was too great to resist.

 Chapter 548 The Appearance of a Powerful Deity, One Power Conquers All Techniques!

    The temptation had beenid out, the threats had been delivered, and even a few legendary figures had personally demonstrated that leaving Orichalcum and joining Ashen not only guaranteed safety from elimination but also promised rewards, positions of power, and even exemption from participating in the current war.


    Such an enticing offer, though many could feel something was amiss with the behavior of the few legends who had just defected, Boris''s betrayal was irrefutable. It was clear that this was no mere trick by Ashen��if it were, the gods of Orichalcum would have already stepped forward to refute it. Furthermore, some of the people who knew the truth understood that Boris had indeed betrayed Orichalcum and had nearly led the kingdom into an unimaginable abyss. With this traitor''s revtion, Orichalcum''s chances of winning this battle seemed increasingly slim.


    Soon, the entire army began to stir with unrest. Witnessing this turn of events, Boris appeared particrly exhrated, a sinister grin curling at the corners of his mouth.


    Sterl, though having learned about Ashen''s n through Boris beforehand, was still somewhat shocked by the effectiveness of the strategy when he saw it y out. This was nothing less than a tant scheme��Boris''s betrayal was not a rumor, but a fact. For Orichalcum, the morale blow was devastating. What made it worse was that Boris was not just any deity; he was second only to Eterna in terms of power and influence.


    On top of that, after his betrayal, he had been heavily favored by Ashen, appointed as the head of their temple, given an extremely high position, and granted vast powers��this was a direct, crushing blow. Adding to that were the undercover Ashen legends, who had now put on a grand show in front of everyone. This expertly staged performance had dealt a severe blow to Orichalcum''s morale and resolve, creating chaos in their ranks and significantly reducing their fighting strength.


    "This psychological warfare is truly devious," Sterl thought with interest, watching the unfolding scene. He couldn''t help but wonder which god of conspiracy was behind this plot. However, what intrigued him more was how Eterna and the others would respond.


    After all, if the morale of the army could not be stabilized in time, the entire legion was bound to copse. And when Ashenunched its full-scale assault, they would have no means of defense. The royal city would be directly exposed to the enemy''s advance.


    At this moment, Eterna''s face was dark with fury as he watched the arrogant Boris. The murderous intent in his heart almost materialized. He had never imagined that Boris would betray him, and even worse, to turn against his former kingdom with such insidious cunning and ruthless determination.


    However, despite his anger, Eterna was not overly panicked. It seemed as though he had already anticipated such a situation.


    He surveyed the unstable army below and noticed many soldiers beginning to waver, tempted to defect to Ashen''s side. Slowly, Eterna stepped forward, and in an instant, his Divine Power surged outward.


    A powerful aura, no less than Boris''s own, erupted from Eterna, suppressing Boris''s presence entirely.


    "A defeated general dares to be so arrogant? Even your Ashen Temple''s Terran was in by my Orichalcum''s War God, and now you dare to spout such nonsense? You are only deceiving yourself!" Eterna''s voice rang out, firm and unyielding. "There has never been failure in the history of Orichalcum, not in the past, and it shall never happen now!"


    As his words fell, a massive pressure descended upon the royal city. It was as though a tidal wave of force surged forward, and the sky above darkened as countless clouds and mist gathered rapidly over the city.


    In the next moment, a face formed from swirling clouds and mist slowly materialized. Despite being made of vapor, the face appeared lifelike, captivating everyone''s attention. Boris''s expression flickered with rm as he stared at the ethereal visage.


    The face slowly opened its eyes, and at that instant, everyone felt an overwhelming pressure, as if an enormous mountain had been ced upon them. Breathing becamebored, and an intense weight pressed down on their chests.


    "Any force that seeks to oppose the Orichalcum Kingdom shall be struck down with destruction."


    The godly face spoke in a deep, resonating voice, and suddenly, an invisible force descended upon Boris. His body trembled as he attempted to activate his Divine Power to resist, but it was as if he were a grasshopper trapped in a spatial prison��his movements werepletely paralyzed.


    A destructive wave of energy erupted from the eyes of the divine face. As the wave surged forward, countless shackles materialized, trying to bind and weaken the force. Yet, despite the struggle, the force struck Boris with pinpoint uracy.


    "Pfft!!"


    Boris''s eyes bulged, his body covered in countless fine wounds. His internal organs were utterly shattered, reduced to a pulpy mess. His breath plummeted as if he had fallen off a cliff, his energy crashing to the ground.


    "Strong... so strong... Divine Power... how... how is this possible?" Boris gasped, his voice strained and filled with disbelief.


    He stared at the face in the sky, trying to speak, but his vision blurred and his Divine Power failed to support him. In the blink of an eye, he fell from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground. In the midst of countless shocked gazes, Boris fell with a thud, and his fate remained uncertain��alive or dead, no one knew.


    At this moment, the entire battlefield fell silent. The Orichalcum army, which had been in a state of unrest just moments ago, suddenly calmed. Eyes wide open, they watched in stunned disbelief as Boris��who had almost been killed instantly��crashed to the earth, while the terrifying face still loomed in the sky.


    From Boris''s final words, it seemed... this was the existence of an incredibly powerful Divine Power��the kind of strength spoken of in legends!


    Orichalcum''s kingdom actually had such a powerful deity watching over it. And from the looks of it, even the suppression of the world''s will couldn''tpletely weaken the power of this mighty Divine Power. At least, for weaker Divine Powers, this would be a definite, overwhelming weapon!


    Now, not only were the Orichalcum forces stunned, but even the gods of Ashen were left speechless. A divine being of such strength had directly intervened. Wasn''t this like cheating or activating a cheat code!?


    Though they also had powerful deities, they were in the upper realms, and to intervene in the lower realms came with a tremendous cost. Could it be that Orichalcum had truly gone all out, or did they possess some ability to counteract the world''s suppression?


    Whatever the case, it was an extremely frightening prospect. Especially if it was thetter��if Orichalcum could bypass the world''s suppression, then this battle could no longer be fought.


    Sterl, looking up at the enormous face in the sky, felt his emotions stir. So this is the power of a divine being at the level of Divine Power?


    This was the first time he had witnessed such a disy of strength from a god. Even with the world''s will pressing down, the power unleashed was still beyond what he could hope to resist. Of course, if he were to use fifteen times the Dream Power from Illusory Dream, that might be a different story.


    The face slowly scanned the battlefield, taking in both Orichalcum''s army and Ashen''s forces. The overwhelming pressure in the air stilled everyone��no one dared make a move.


    However, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the face began to dissipate, and the sky returned to its original state. But where Boris had once stood, full of arrogance and confidence, he nowy crumpled on the ground, his breath faint and his energy all but drained.


    At this moment, a two-authority god quickly appeared and hurriedly carried the severely wounded Boris away. If Boris wasn''t treated in time, he would surely die. And if that happened, Ashen''s morale would plummet, possibly causing their forces to copse as well.


    At that moment, several piercing screams rang out, followed by the sound of severed heads falling from the sky,nding at the center of the battlefield. Everyone quickly focused their attention on the heads, using various means to get a closer look. To their shock, these were none other than the heads of the legendary figures who had just defected from the Orichalcum army to join Ashen!


    Were they killed so quietly and effortlessly, right under Ashen''s very nose?


    Instantly, the Orichalcum army��whose morale had been waveringpletely calmed down. A sense of relief and fear swept over them. If they had given in to the temptation to defect earlier, abandoning Orichalcum, they likely would have been dead by now, with no trace left of them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Eterna, whose morale andmand had been restored, stood calmly and coldly, his face an emotionless mask. He raised his hand and pointed at Ashen''s forces in the distance.


    "Orichalcum will never be defeated! Anyone who stands in our way will be destroyed!"


    The words sent a ripple through the entire army, with every soldier roaring in unison. They shouted to release the fear within them, as if the louder they screamed, the more they could prove their loyalty to Orichalcum and ensure they wouldn''t be suspected of any betrayal or thoughts of defection to Ashen.


    As they shouted, their morale surged, and there was no doubt left that Ashen''s psychological tactics hadpletely failed. Worse, they had nearly lost Boris in the process!


    Sterl watched with a look of admiration, marveling at the scene.


    "So this is what they mean by One power conquers all techniques?" he muttered. "The effect is indeed overwhelming."


    He hadn''t expected Orichalcum to use such a method to break the situation. With the overwhelming might of a powerful divine being, they had suppressed the turmoil within their ranks and decisively crushed Boris. This demonstrated, at least on the surface, that Orichalcum was powerful��immensely powerful��and could not possibly be defeated.


    Then, as a further show of dominance, Orichalcum sent their elite forces to eliminate the so-called "traitors," sending a clear message: even if one defected to Ashen, they would be hunted down and eradicated by Orichalcum!


    This straightforward, brutal approach was, without a doubt, the most effective method. It shut down any thoughts of rebellion and silenced any potential traitors, ensuring that no one dared to entertain such ideas.


    As for how those legendary figures were killed, Sterl saw through the map module that several strange beings, seemingly merging with the very fabric of space, were responsible. They appeared to be one of Orichalcum''s hidden trump cards��silent and nearly invisible, they seemed to have melded with the space itself, undetectable even to gods. It was no wonder they had been able to take out the traitors so easily.

 Chapter 549 Countering the Moves, A Long-Lasting Strategic Game

    "The methods aren''t particrly sophisticated, but they are simple and effective. No wonder this divine power has existed for countless years," Sterl couldn''t help but think to himself, feeling a deep sense of admiration. If it were up to him tomand this battle, even with knowledge of every hidden card Orichalcum had, he still might not be able to execute it as wlessly.


    This was not just about blindly ying one''s cards. It required careful calction of both sides'' hidden strengths and resources. If too much power was used, it would be wasted unnecessarily; if too little, the effect wouldn''t be enough to turn the tide.


    Looking at the Orichalcum army below, their faces a mix of relief and fear, it was clear that Ashen''s psychological tactics had failed. In fact, the appearance of such a powerful divine presence had weakened their own fighting spirit while simultaneously boosting the morale of Orichalcum''s forces.


    After all, they had a mighty divine power standing behind them. While rumors spoke of such entities existing within the Ashen Temple, rumors were still rumors. Seeing it firsthand from Orichalcum''s side made all the difference.


    Of course, if the people were to calm down and think about it carefully, they''d realize that even the mighty divine being that had appeared was still subject to the world''s suppression. The power it unleashed was no different from that of an upper-tier god, so there was no need to overly concern themselves.


    But for now, the appearance of that immense divine presence had been so sudden, without any warning signs, that no one had considered this possibility. Besides, upper-tier gods were still formidable beings, and something they couldn''t resist.


    "This kind of war strategy isn''t suitable for me," Sterl muttered, putting himself in the situation to feel it out before shaking his head. He felt a bit overwhelmed. The kind of warfare he liked was one where strength dominated, where absolute advantage and power shattered any conspiracies or schemes. Of course, this didn''t mean recklessness, but rather extreme caution.


    He didn''t like to leave victory to chance orplex calctions. Every battle he fought was one where he ensured he had an overwhelming advantage before stepping in. Otherwise, he would always prioritize building up his power first and "y it safe" until the moment was right.


    This approach to warfare was uniquely his own. After all, with powers like Ashen Temple and Orichalcum''s, their strength was more or less fixed at a certain threshold. There might not be significant fluctuations for centuries toe, and the likelihood of their overall strength diminishing was greater than the possibility of an increase.


    But Sterl was different. He possessed the ability to evolve, and the speed at which his strength increased far exceeded what others could imagine. Every time he "developed" a bit, his power would make a qualitative leap. This was something even gods couldn''t match. Anyone who wished to harm him would surely be misled by the sheer power he possessed.


    "A fighting style like mine requires a very different kind of army. It can''t just be a regr force," Sterl thought to himself. "It needs to have explosive power, strong vitality, rapid recovery capabilities, and even powerful group effects."


    Without such an army, regr soldiers with insufficient vitality and recovery would be easily overwhelmed. Even if the enemy''s army outnumbered his by ten times, their tactics and hidden cards could easily wipe out his forces if he relied only on a head-on, overwhelming approach.


    At that moment, Sterl suddenly thought of the legendary Undead Scourge!


    An army driven by endless Undead Legions��though these legions might not possess great vitality, they had a form of immortality. An army like this would be much better suited to his style.


    Shaking his head, Sterl pushed the thought aside. Developing an army was just one of his ideas. What he needed to focus on now waspleting his legendary story. If he dyed that, his growth rate in power would slow considerably.


    He turned his attention back to the battlefield below. At the moment, it was clear that Orichalcum''s army had the upper hand in terms of morale. Despite that, Eterna still hadn''t given the order to attack.


    After all, the disparity in numbers meant that Orichalcum''s forces were bound to hold their ground. If they dared to advance recklessly, they might fall right into the enemy''s trap, risking total annihtion.


    On the other side, although Ashen seemed to be at a disadvantage, in reality, this was merely the preliminary stage of the battle, a mutual test of strength. As long as their army wasn''t significantly damaged, the advantage would always belong to Ashen.


    Before long, Boris, who had almost been instantly killed earlier, reappeared. His injuries had mostly healed, suggesting that Ashen had used some kind of rare potion or treasure to expedite his recovery. There was no other exnation for such a rapid recovery.


    Boris approached the frontlines of Ashen''s army, casting a wary nce at the direction of the royal city. When he didn''t see that terrifying face, he finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling a great sense of fortune. After all, that was a divine power of incredible magnitude. If not for the full suppression of the world, he would have beenpletely annihted.


    "Orichalcum! I didn''t expect them to be so despicable!" Boris sneered, his voice filled with indignation. "A dignified upper-tier god, engaging in a sneak attack like this? Shameless! They dare defy the gods!"


    "You think such despicable methods can defeat us? A foolish dream! My army will trample everything!"


    Boris returned andunched into another tirade. However, Eterna didn''t pay him any mind, and the army below remainedpletely unshaken. Unless Ashen brought out another powerful deity, there was no chance for Boris to stir up any more thoughts of betrayal, no matter how much he blustered.


    But of course, letting the enemy insult and nder them without response was not an option. Therefore, a sharp-tongued god from Orichalcum''s ranks, one with the authority of divine education, stepped forward to trade insults with Boris.


    It could only be said that he truly lived up to his position as an educator, especially one wielding the power of divine authority. His insults were fearsome in their intensity��hundreds of lines without a single repeat. Under the influence of the divine authority of education, his words carried an almost irresistible power, forcing everyone who heard him to agree with his harsh criticisms. Combined with his refined skill in verbal warfare as the God of Education, he nearly drove Boris into a state of istion.


    The soldiers of Ashen were left red-faced, blood surging in their veins, on the verge of losing theirposure. If Ashen hadn''t used a special artifact to block the divine authority''s effect, it wouldn''t have been long before some soldiers might have even resorted to suicide.


    Yes, suicide. The shockwaves from the divine authority of education made them self-doubt, amplifying their insecurities and negatively affecting their mental states. This was another form of psychological warfare��one that could have disastrous effects if there were no proper countermeasures.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Truly, the God of Education is terrifying��"


    Sterl looked at the God of Education, who appeared utterly proud and confident, radiating an aura of invincibility. He couldn''t help but feel a little speechless. Was this god really teaching people how to engage in verbal warfare?


    "Aren''t you nning on just dragging this out?"


    Seeing both sides returning to their standoff, Sterl couldn''t help but ask Eterna.


    Eterna gave a wry smile before answering, "Mr. Hades, this is our only choice. Though our gods may be stronger in individualbat, Ashen''s overall strength is still superior. If we attack rashly, we might dig our own graves. On the other hand, Ashen won''t attack recklessly either. Until they fully understand our trump cards, they won''t risk an assault. Otherwise, a single mistake could trigger a godly battle, and once that happens, there will be no turning back."


    "I see."


    Sterl nodded. Essentially, what they were saying was that, before the true battle began, both sides would do everything they could to improve their chances of victory��even if it was just a 1% increase, they would fight for it with everything they had.


    "So, how long is this going to drag on?"


    Sterl mused to himself. If this were like the ancient world from the time before his transmigration, it could stretch on for ten days, half a month, or even a year. However, he certainly didn''t have that much time to waste on their endless stalemate.


    Moreover, given the current pace, it would only take a few months at most for the royal city to fully merge. If that happened, even if Ashen won the battle, it would be meaningless.


    "Perhaps I should just elerate the process��"


    A thought crossed his mind. He considered whether he should activate the hidden followers'' marks on both sides, forcing the battle to start. After all, he had already verified that the followers'' marks were well-hidden, so deeply, in fact, that even the royal cityparable to a powerful Divine Power deity��couldn''t detect them.


    So, even if he activated them, the risk should be minimal.


    Just as he was about to take action, however, he raised an eyebrow, a look of interest crossing his face.


    Using his map module, he noticed that Ashen had several gods cautiously drawing closer to Orichalcum''s side. This was something Eterna and the others hadn''t noticed, and the reason was clear��Ashen''s side had mastered Shielding Power. Sterl guessed that, like the map module, it was a code-like force.


    "Right, I almost forgot about this. It seems Eterna and the others haven''t figured out a way to crack Shielding Power yet. And... these gods, they seem like unfamiliar faces. Well, well..."


    Sterl watched the scene unfold with a sense of amusement. Almost all of Ashen''s gods had been watched by Orichalcum''s deities, whose sole purpose was to prevent any sneaky attacks using the mysterious Shielding Power.


    However, these unfamiliar gods��whether new recruits or hidden forces within Ashen��were slowly drawing closer to Orichalcum''s side without anyone noticing.


    Before long, even though these gods tried to conceal their auras and slowed their pace to avoid detection, they crossed over a hundred miles of battlefield and arrived just above Orichalcum''s royal city, directly over the army!

 Chapter 550 The Target of the Sneak Attack is Me!?

    "This is going to be interesting."


    There were five unfamiliar gods who had used Shielding Power to stealthily infiltrate. Together, theirbined strength could deliver a devastating blow to Orichalcum''s forces!


    In this case, it was as if they were about to sever one of Orichalcum''s limbs. With the army charging forward, not even gods could withstand it. Even if their target wasn''t the army itself, but the powerful weaponsid out on Orichalcum''s royal city, or perhaps even a surprise attack on one or two gods, it would still bring great gains!


    Sterl watched with great interest. If they seeded, the war would no longer drag on. Ashen''s forces would certainlyunch a full-scale assault to quickly seize victory, and Orichalcum would be forced to fight desperately. The war would quickly enter a heated stage, and the timeline would be drastically shortened.


    And Sterl would finally be able to start his own ns and objectives. He had already contacted Boris through the followers'' mark, and Ashen''s n was so secretive that even Boris didn''t know about it.


    Clearly, this was likely a strategy devised by Ashen''s upper realms, and these five unfamiliar gods were probably dispatched for this purpose.


    At this point, the five gods had stopped moving. They were directly beneath the army and not far from the royal city where Sterl and Eterna were positioned.


    Under the cover of Shielding Power, the five gods began to rapidly gather their energy. The five distinct divine authorities and Laws intertwined, and to Sterl''s surprise, there was no conflict or simrity between them. Instead, theyplemented each other perfectly, creating a synergy of extreme control, extreme weakening, and extreme attack.


    These powers not only targeted physical bodies but also attacked the mind, spirit, and soul.


    Clearly, these five gods were a trump card for Ashen��a particrly powerful one. Thebination of five different forces not only magnified their strength fivefold but also caused their might to undergo a qualitative leap.


    It could be said that even an upper-level god, if caught off guard, would be at risk of being instantly killed!


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a terrifying ambush. This power alone is enough to destroy nearly half of Orichalcum''s forces. Even Eterna wouldn''t be able to withstand it, let alone anyone else. And if it catches us off guard, even I could be severely injured."


    Sterl felt the power of the five godsbining, a slight tremor running through him. If they seeded and there was no subsequent interference, Ashen''s victory would be only a matter of time.


    However, at that moment, Sterl paused slightly, as he suddenly realized that the target of these five gods wasn''t Orichalcum''s army, but rather the faintly visible target locked onto the walls of the royal city!


    "Could their target be those weapons?"


    Sterl thought to himself. It was possible, after all. Many of these weapons had been moved from the royal treasury and were extremely powerful, with some even posing a significant threat to gods. Moreover, there were weapons like the Godyer Crossbow, which was a devastating tool. If they destroyed the weapons on the royal city walls or caused some disruption and damage to the city, the effect would still be considerable.


    "Though it could also be Eterna��"


    He nced at Eterna standing nearby. As themander and leader of Orichalcum''s forces in this battle, killing him would not only eliminate a powerful divine enemy, it would also deal a severe blow to Orichalcum''s morale. Furthermore, it could indirectly affect some of the weapons as well. It could be a two birds with one stone situation.


    Sterl observed through his god-like perspective, contemting where he should hide to avoid being caught in the attack. As for Eterna''s survival, that was of no concern to him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After all, whether it was Eterna or any other god of Orichalcum, their respect for him had been based on his allegiance to Orichalcum''s side. Once his true loyalties were revealed, they would be eternal enemies.


    Since that was the case, the fate of his enemies was of no consequence to him. Besides, if Eterna died, the deadlock would be broken, and things would proceed quickly from there.


    Yet, suddenly, Sterl had a strange feeling that something was off. It was as if something bad was drawing closer, and he felt a slight chill down his spine.


    At that moment, the five gods had nearly finished gathering theirbined attack. The terrifying power they had coalesced was almost beyond the limit that Shielding Power could block. In other words, this strike was as powerful as a full-force blow from an upper-level god!


    Then, the five gods slowly changed direction, and the sphere of destruction��formed by the intertwining of five different Divine Powers and Laws��was now aimed directly at�� Sterl!


    "Shit! The target is me!?"


    Sterl was dumbfounded. He had considered many possibilities, but he never anticipated that Ashen would carry out such a covert assassination. Not even Boris knew about it, and yet, the target was him!


    This was absurd. In Ashen''s eyes, was he a greater threat than a million-strong army? More dangerous than Orichalcum''smander Eterna or the massive array of destructive weapons? What on earth had he done to warrant such attention?


    At that moment, the devastating sphere of light was released instantly. Traveling at the speed of space-transmigration, it arrived in front of Sterl in the blink of an eye. It wasn''t until now that Eterna and the other gods of Orichalcum finally reacted, quickly turning their attention toward Sterl.


    As the sphere of destruction was released, Shielding Power naturally lost its effect, and the five gods'' figures materialized.


    An assassination! And the target was none other than Hades!


    Upon sensing the terrifying power contained in the sphere, all the gods'' faces changed dramatically. The force behind this attack wasparable to the Sword of Doomsday Judgment��a power that even upper-level gods could not resist. For any being at the level of weak Divine Power, it was certain death toe into contact with this force. Did this mean that Hades was doomed?


    "Be careful!"


    "Hades, run!"


    But by the time they noticed the deadly light sphere, it had already reached its target. Before their warnings could even be heard, the sphere exploded with a deafening roar, releasing the terrifying force that had beenpressed within it!


    In that instant, the entire space was thrown into chaos. Nearly all teleportation scrolls became useless, torn apart by the destructive force. The weakening and corrosion effects like a curse, the freezing and solidification from the Law of Ice, and the remaining physical attacks��all erupted at once, along with soul-shattering mental assaults!


    The most critical part was that the force did not spread out. Instead, it was confined to a radius of just a hundred meters, maximizing its lethal potential!


    Boom!


    Eterna, who was closest to the st, was thrown back like an insect caught in a storm. Many of the weapons and devices around him were destroyed by the shockwave. Even the soldiers stationed beneath the royal city were caught in the st. Thebined attack of the five gods, even if it was just a ripple, was beyond what these ordinary soldiers could endure. The attack instantly caused the deaths of thousands, if not tens of thousands.


    "Ahhhh!!"


    "You damn, despicable cowards! Die! All of you, die!!"


    Eterna mmed into the ground and shot back into the sky. The power of the attack had been highly focused, so although he had been caught in much of the aftermath, the damage wasn''t fatal. However, he was now disheveled, his clothes torn and hair flying in all directions. He looked utterly ragged.


    But he had no time to worry about his condition. His anger and killing intent boiled over like a volcano as he looked at the area engulfed by the devastating light sphere.


    It was the same trick again, that damn Shielding Power��this was the third time! The third time he had been attacked in this same manner! It was an insult, pure and simple!


    Moreover, the overwhelming power of the attack caused Eterna''s heart to tremble. If nothing unexpected happened, even a higher-level divine authority could be gravely wounded or even on the brink of death. Hades was powerful, yes, but he wasn''t an upper-level god. This time, the assassination seemed to be a real threat to his survival.


    As this thought crossed his mind, a surge of anger filled Eterna''s heart. He looked at the five unfamiliar gods not far from him. He had anticipated many forms of attack, including the possibility of Ashen gods using Shielding Power for an ambush. That was precisely why he had been so cautious, carefully monitoring all movements of Ashen''s gods.


    But now, he never expected Ashen''s temple to deploy five gods in such a silent and hidden manner. Who could have foreseen this?


    "Even if I die, I''ll take you all down with me!" Eterna couldn''t hold back anymore. His entire being was enveloped in a surge of powerful Divine Power, and he charged toward the five gods. But before he could even reach them, the five figures began to blur into semi-transparency, thenpletely vanished, leaving behind not even a trace of their aura.


    It was clear that they had already disappeared from the scene. These five gods hade only to repay a favor to Ashen, and now that the favor had been fulfilled, there was no reason for them to stay and fight to the death.


    Losing his target, Eterna was left even more frustrated. The other gods around him also stared nkly at the now-deserted area, their spirits sinking to rock bottom.


    At this moment, Hades'' status in Orichalcum was well-known. He was second only to Eterna, and in fact, in some respects, even more crucial.


    Now that Hades had taken such a terrifying blow, even if he didn''t die, he was likely in a near-death state. In the short term, they could spare no expense to save him, but the prerequisite for that was that Hades had to survive.


    For a moment, all the gods of Orichalcum were left in stunned disbelief.

 Chapter 551 The Divine War Begins! Mountain Demon Elephant!

    "Hades, the God of War... is dead?"


    It wasn''t until this moment that the soldiers of the Orichalcum Kingdom, stationed below the royal city, started to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. They looked at the lingering, swirling Divine Power in the air, listening to the screams and cries of soldiers who had been severely wounded but not yet killed by the assassination. Each of them felt a sense of unreality, as if the world had suddenly be unrecognizable.


    Hadn''t a powerful god-level being just appeared to oversee the battle not long ago? How could such a sudden attack have urred? And the target of the ambush was none other than the universally recognized strongest warrior, the God of War Hades!?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Now, many of the soldiers looked at Eterna, whose face was a mix of anger and panic, and felt as if the very sky itself were copsing.


    Feeling the terrifying power still radiating from thebined Divine Power, they realized that if the force were to spread, there was nothing they could do to stop it. And now, with Hades in danger...


    This was a result no one had foreseen. The covert and powerful ambush was intended for Hades, and it was clear just how significant Hades was to Ashen''s side.


    "Hahaha! Hades, this is your end!"


    "Orichalcum Kingdom''s trash, you thought that with this outsider, you could turn the tide and save yourselves? Bullshit! A foolish dream, nothing more! Now... without Hades, what do you have left to stop us?"


    "Today will be the day Orichalcum Kingdom meets its doom!"


    Borisughed loudly, his acting still impable. His shrill and arrogant voice continued to taunt and provoke the morale of everyone within earshot. On Ashen''s side, the soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers.


    Many of them had no idea who Hades was, but seeing how excited the gods were made it clear that this was a favorable turn for Ashen. With Hades out of the picture, their chances of victory were higher, and their risk of death lowered.


    In reality, most of them were just pawns in this divine war, unable to choose their fates. If they could survive, that was already the biggest hope they had.


    "Army, heed mymand! March and tten Orichalcum Kingdom!"


    Boris raised his arm high and shouted. With a single order, a massive army of over ten million began to surge forward like a tidal wave, darkening thend as they charged toward the royal city.


    At the same time, the colossal war beast��towering and massive like a mountain��let out a deafening roar. With each heavy step, it began to pick up speed.


    "Formation, activate! Break through this shell once and for all! Today, all contributions will be doubled! Kill! Kill everything! Leave no one alive!"


    Boris pointed at the gates of the royal city, a surge of ambition rising in his heart. Although he knew that everything was just a fleeting illusion, and that once his master decided to act, everything would be crushed under his master''s power, even so, he couldn''t help but feel exhrated. Tomand a divine war��he had never even participated in one, let alonemanded it. Typically, all the affairs of Orichalcum Kingdom, big and small, were handled by Eterna. Even if there was an opportunity, it wouldn''t be his turn, so for him, this was the chance to finally indulge in the experience.


    On the other side, the Orichalcum Kingdom''s army, which had been calm moments ago, erupted into chaos once again. As they watched the vast army of Ashen charging toward them, panic spread through their ranks.


    Eterna, unable to contain his fury, didn''t even have the time to check on Sterl''s situation. The distance between them was only a couple hundred miles. While that might seem far, for these soldiers��many of whom were peak second-ss or even third-ss warriors��it was hardly a stretch to cover such a distance.


    What was most critical now, though, was that Hades'' fate was unknown, and the army was in disarray. If they waited until Ashen''s forces reached the royal city, there would be no room for retreat or maneuvering!


    "Stay calm! Stay calm!" Eterna shouted as he soared above the army. His divine pressure immediately snapped the soldiers out of their panic, forcing them to regain some semnce ofposure. Without wasting another moment, he activated his divine authority, and instantly, all the weapons stationed on the royal city walls powered up, ready to unleash their devastating force at a moment''s notice.


    At the same time, a colossal structure made of dark red, special ore, etched with countless runes and formations, was lifted into the air by two gods. This massive contraption, over five hundred meters long, was none other than one of Orichalcum Kingdom''s ultimate weapons��the Godyer Crossbow!


    Even gods couldn''t withstand the might of the Godyer Crossbow!


    Once the Godyer Crossbow was in position, an overwhelming surge of energy began to umte above the royal city. A massive, three-hundred-meter-long bolt slowly began to take shape, aimed squarely at the Colossal War Beast.


    The enormous war beast clearly sensed the threat. With an enraged roar, it immediately summoned a translucent blood-red shield that enveloped its entire army, which spanned dozens of miles.


    As the shield rose, the entire army''s momentum swelled, and a constant flow of energy began to pour from every soldier, gathering toward the Colossal War Beast.


    This was Ashen''s formation. Now activated, it rapidly formed into a massive military field. Inside this field, even gods would be heavily suppressed.


    As the core of the formation, the Colossal War Beast, infused with endless power, let out a fierce and agonizing roar. Immediately, its already massive body, which had grown to three hundred meters, began to swell again. At a visible rate, its size rapidly expanded to over four hundred meters in height, and its length exceeded eight hundred meters, transforming into the terrifying Mountain Demon Elephant!


    "ROAR!!!"


    The Demon Elephant''s blood-red eyes zed, and with a mighty lift of its massive tusks, it mmed them down onto the ground. In that instant, the entire earth trembled. Even the royal city could feel the seismic waves, and soldiers nearby were caught in the shock, obliterated into fragments on the spot.


    At this moment, the Demon Elephant''s battle power had already reached a divine level. Even as it recklessly drew on life force and regeneration abilities that wereparable to that of a god, it pushed beyond the limits of mere Divine Power, breaking through to the level of an upper-tier god!


    Of course, this was purely physical strength, without the divine authority and Law powers that came with a true upper-tier god. Even so, the Demon Elephant could still be considered a walking natural disaster!


    However, the Demon Elephant seemed dangerously close to losing control and going berserk. But Ashen had prepared for this. As various forbidden seals were activated on the Demon Elephant''s body, its violent, frenzied emotions were suppressed, preventing it from escaping Ashen''s control.


    With its enormous, star-like eyes fixed on the royal city, the Demon Elephant charged forward!


    The ground quaked violently with every step, its massive elephantine feet stomping down like columns holding up the heavens. Each impact cracked the earth, as if the ground itself were on the verge of copsing.


    The force of its charge was overwhelming, akin to a meteor strike, exuding an oppressive force that left Orichalcum''s soldiers rooted in ce. They felt the tremors in the earth beneath them, their eyes wide in shock, their bodies seemingly pinned to the ground, unable to move, even their breaths involuntarily paused.


    It wasn''t just the ordinary soldiers who felt this�� even the gods, witnessing the scene, felt an undeniable sense of helplessness. Thebined strength of the Demon Elephant and the formation''s power created an immense pressure that even gods found hard to withstand.


    Eterna took a deep breath, forcibly steadying his emotions. Having been a god for millennia, he had seen many grand disys of power, but even so, the Demon Elephant was terrifying. However, it was still far from enough to make him lose control of hisposure.


    He fixed his gaze on the charging Demon Elephant. For such a massive creature, the hundred-mile distance seemed negligible. In less than a minute, it would be upon them, crashing through the army with unimaginable force. The entire formation would be scattered, and even the royal city would suffer horrific damage.


    "This is the Colossal War Beast,bined with the power of the formation and the army, huh?"


    At that moment, within theyers of space, Sterl watched the rampaging giant elephant with an intense sense of shock.


    Indeed, he hadn''t sustained any injuries at all. The power fused by the five gods was potent, and the speed of their ambush had been unusually swift.


    However, in the map module, they were essentially attempting petty tricks right beneath Sterl''s nose. He had more than ten ways to perfectly dodge or counter their attack.


    But, to test the defense of his Starry Battle Armor, when the ambush was about tond, he activated the Ster Barrier, creating an absolute defense shield thatsted for ten seconds, effortlessly withstanding thebined power of their attack.


    Afterward, he immediately used the Boots of the Void to teleport into the sky and entered the spaceyers, silently vanishing without a trace. He then quietly observed the battlefield, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    He hadn''t expected that, on Ashen''s side, the first person they wanted to eliminate was actually him. This unexpected ambush��if he didn''t retaliate��he doubted he could sleep for days.


    As for the five gods who had attacked him, did they think they were safe just because they fled using teleportation scrolls? Once he was done dealing with this matter, he was going to track them all down and make them pay!


    Sterl then looked at the War Demon Elephant. Its enormous size and the overwhelming power it unleashed truly reached the level of an upper-tier god. Even he would have to use all his resources to deal with such a beast.


    However, Sterl had no intention of intervening. Instead, he focused on the massive crossbow atop the royal city. The giant bolt had already formed, radiating an aura of total destruction. It was an incredibly terrifying sight.


    With a wave of his hand, Eterna activated a formation in front of the Demon Elephant. In an instant, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of ovepping formations surged up,bining their dy powers to the maximum extent.


    Immediately, the Demon Elephant''s speed plummeted, as though it had entered a viscous liquid, its movements bing sluggish andbored.


    And this was just one part of the trap designed to capture the Demon Elephant!

 Chapter 552 Chain Formation and Shackles of the Forbidden God

    "It begins..."


    Sterl''s eyes narrowed slightly as he realized that the Orichalcum side was finally preparing to make their move. The Colossal War Beast was practically an open card��Eterna and the others had surely prepared for this. However, no one had predicted the sudden ambush by the five gods.


    Still, aside from his part in this, everything else seemed to have been countered, and he was curious to see how Eterna and his team nned to hunt down the war-hardened Demon Elephant, which had absorbed the power of millions of soldiers and grown to the point where it could rival an upper-tier god.


    "ROAR!!!"


    Bound by the power of countless dy formations, the War Demon Elephant let out a furious roar, lifting its massive hooves high into the air before mming them down with full force!


    In an instant, the ground trembled, the mountains shook, and the earth began to copse as if a world-ending meteor had struck. The massive force from the Demon Elephant''s charge shattered thend for thousands of meters around, destroying much of the dy formations ced nearby.


    At the same time, countless formation lights began to shine from the Demon Elephant. These formations had no other function than to iste, to iste all harm, to block all negative statuses and weakening effects.


    After this barrage of abilities, the dy formations around the Demon Elephant lost nearly all of their effectiveness. The beast''s eyes widened as it locked its gaze on the royal city, bloodlust and madness radiating from its every movement.


    Then, more formation lights surged from the Demon Elephant. Sterl could clearly feel that these formations were filled with an enormous amount of divine andw power��essentially, divine-tier energy.


    At that moment, the Demon Elephant''s aura exploded, swelling to a frightening degree, and even its size seemed to increase significantly, now approaching over a thousand meters in height. Clearly, this was a card that the Ashen side had nted on the beast. This sudden power surge would undoubtedly catch Orichalcum off guard.


    If any of their other countermeasures failed, it could lead to an irreversible catastrophe.


    Watching the spectacle, the Orichalcum soldiers were already trembling in fear, their legs shaking uncontrobly. Their fighting spirit waspletely shattered. A creature of this size��one evenrger than a mountain��was enough to make even a god lose theirposure, let alone mere soldiers.


    They wanted to flee, but behind them stood the royal city. The gates of the city were tightly shut, and formations had been set up to block entry. It was impossible for them to escape. Not even a god could break through now.


    As for fleeing in all directions, such a move would only lead to a quicker death. After all, even their weakest members were third-ss level warriors, not mindless fools. They understood this simple truth: if they gathered together and formed a formation, they might stand a chance of resistance. However, fleeing would be like ants under the Demon Elephant''s massive feetpletely helpless and utterly crushed.


    But unlike the panic of these soldiers, the coldness in Eterna''s eyes grew even more intense. He gazed at the Demon Elephant, and with a sharp wave of his hand, he ordered:


    "Activate!"


    At hismand, under the astonished gazes of all, countless brilliant formation lights erupted over a vast area surrounding the Demon Elephant��spanning tens of thousands of meters. Before the Demon Elephant could even react, a massive, dazzling light screen��resembling an enormous inverted iron cauldron��descended, trapping the creature inside.


    In the next instant, countless thick, chain-like structures quickly wrapped around the Demon Elephant, binding it tightly. This all unfolded in the blink of an eye.


    When the dust settled and everyone could fully see, the Demon Elephant, as massive as a mountain, was now wrapped in innumerable chains. It looked almost like a mummified corpse. Moreover, within the light screen, a variety of weakening and restriction formations began to activate.


    Weakness, curses, slowdowns, paralysis, petrification, burning, corrosion�� These were just some of the many negative formations now epassing the beast. The sheer number of them was so vast that theypletely overshadowed the earlier dy formations, which now seemed like nothingpared to the power of these new formations.


    Combined with the mysterious chains that bound the Demon Elephant, it was nowpletely immobilized, unable to move even an inch, let alone make a sound.


    This scene left the Orichalcum soldiers dumbfounded. They stared, eyes wide, at the Demon Elephant now held in ce by the suppressive formations. What had once seemed like an unstoppable, indestructible monster had been so easily restrained? It was nearly inconceivable.


    For a moment, the soldiers'' emotions were in turmoil, like a roller coaster ride. First, there was the tension and uncertainty, followed by Boris''s betrayal and the wavering of a few legendary figures who defected. Then came the immense confidence brought by the powerful gods, only for that confidence to fade when Hades, the war god, was ambushed. Now they were facing this terrifying Demon Elephant, seemingly impossible to defeat, only for everything to suddenly take a dramatic turn.


    If one wasn''t mentally prepared, it was likely that this emotional whish would have driven them to madness.


    After the Demon Elephant was bound, various weakening formations began to relentlessly erode its powerful defenses. As for the istion formations and those designed to amplify frenzy on the Demon Elephant, under the impact of this overwhelming force, they could no longer hold up. The defenses that were once impervious even to gods now, with just a demigod involved, could easily be breached, leaving gashes on the Demon Elephant''s body.


    Meanwhile, on the castle walls, the aura from the Godyer Crossbow grew increasingly ominous. It seemed as though, in the next instant, it would unleash a cataclysmic force that couldpletely obliterate the Demon Elephant.


    Sterl observed the situation, nodding in awe. "What a brilliant game of chess..."


    Although this battle hade about hastily, both sides had prepared meticulously, with carefully nned trump cards. Just the Demon Elephant itself was enough to sweep through the entire world. Without a force strong enough to suppress its level, there was no way to resist its ferocity.


    On the other hand, the Orichalcum side''s formation��abination of thousands of chained formations, spanning tens of thousands of meters��truly opened his eyes. Individually, each formation might only have the power to suppress a third-ss being, perhaps even at most a legendary-level fighter.


    But when these formations were brought together in such a unique configuration, they possessed an unimaginable amount of power. Moreover, he hadn''t felt any threatening aura before, and even for him, if he had carelessly stepped into it, he wouldn''t have been sure of making it out unscathed.


    After all, the Boots of the Void could allow for instant movement, but whether it could prate such a massive array of formations was uncertain. Yet the effectiveness of these formations against a massive being like the Demon Elephant was clearly much greater.


    In addition, the Shackles binding the Demon Elephant were no simple matter. He had seen them before in the royal vault. The exact attributes were still fresh in his memory.


    Shackles of the Forbidden God


    Description: These powerful shackles came from the Abyss, forged from the Essence of ck Iron found deep within. Even the rarest Essence of ck Iron was tempered in the cursed me of the Demon for ny-nine days and nights, imprinting each inch with the natural Rune of Binding. Paired with chains made from shadow spider silk, they were extraordinarily resilient, imbued with shadow energy that instilled terror in countless living beings. Even gods would be reduced to mere mortals when ensnared by these chains. It is said that the Shackles of the Forbidden God also contained the heart of an Ancient Demon God, granting them even more unique powers.


    Effect:


    Shadow Corrosion: Beings bound by the Shackles of the Forbidden God experience a 30% decrease in vitality and a 50% reduction in their recovery rate. At the same time, they will be continuously eroded by shadow energy, which will steadily deplete their internal energy and vitality.


    Abyssal Seal Force Field: Once the Shackles of the Forbidden God are activated, a powerful sealing force field from the Abyss will be unleashed. Divine Powers below a certain level will be suppressed, and the Abyssal energy will constantly drain the being''s intelligence, causing them to fall into a state of confusion.


    Silence of the Divine: Those bound by the shackles will be affected by pulses from the heart of the Ancient Demon God. This effect erodes their divinity while continuously weakening and disrupting them, rendering them incapable of using any items or equipment.


    It was hard to overstate just how terrifying this special artifact was, and what made it even more frightening was the fact that it wasn''t a one-time use item. Shackles of the Forbidden God had a required contribution point cost that Sterl still remembered: a staggering 150,000 points!


    That was more than double the cost of his own Starry Battle Armor. Even with his immense wealth of 130,000 contribution points, he couldn''t afford to exchange for this item.


    Sterl even suspected that this artifact had been deliberately priced so high that it would be impossible for anyone to obtain.


    Considering the pitfall-like practices of the royal treasury in Orichalcum, it seemed entirely usible. After all, if this artifact were to be exchanged and identally circted, it would be an enormous loss and a tremendous threat to the royal city.


    Indeed, even within the royal treasury, this item was one of the most valuable treasures, and to think that it had actually been brought out during this battle was something Sterl hadn''t anticipated.


    "The chain-formed formation,bined with the Shackles of the Forbidden God, plus the terrifying power of the Godyer Crossbow... after this strike, even an upper-tier deity would probably have a hard time surviving," Sterl said with a hint of admiration. The synergy of these items and weapons was truly formidable. This thought made him grow increasingly cautious. The enemies and challenges he would face from here on out would only be stronger, and the likelihood of encountering such potent artifacts would rise. That meant he couldn''t afford to be careless in battle��if he wasn''t careful, he could easily find himself caught off guard and fall into a trap.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Just as Sterl thought the Demon Elephant was moments away from being in, a sudden change took ce. His brow furrowed slightly. Although his focus was fixed on the Demon Elephant, the divine perspective granted by his Map Module allowed him to catch any shift or alteration, no matter how small.


    Emerging from the ranks of Ashen, a mysterious figure cloaked entirely in ominous ck mist slowly walked forward.


    The moment this figure appeared, Eterna''s expression shifted, his brow furrowing involuntarily. He didn''t sense any Divine Power emanating from the figure, but for some reason, a strange feeling of unease settled in his chest.

 Chapter 553 Ashens Grand Gamble, the Quasi-Divine Sacrifice and Eternas Hidden Card!

    Without a doubt, this was another trump card from the Ashen Temple. However, while Eterna felt an ominous premonition, he didn''t panic. The enemy had their unknown cards, but they had theirs as well.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Furthermore, the Demon Elephant had already been controlled. Once they dealt with this Demon Elephant, it would be a significant blow to the entire army!


    Sterl, too, felt an odd sense of unease as he observed the mysterious figure that had suddenly appeared. It appeared to be a single individual, but there was no life energy emanating from it. "What is this thing?"


    The battle between divine-level forces had just begun, and it had already thrown such a huge surprise at him. It seemed like every kind of strange and terrifying entity was emerging from the shadows. But from the current situation, it looked like the Demon Elephant waspletely trapped. Once the Godyer Crossbow was fired, it could be destroyed instantly. What role, then, could this mysterious figure possibly y?


    However, the next moment, Sterl''s expression suddenly changed, his attention snapping back to the mysterious figure as he felt a surge of divine energy emanating from it. He couldn''t help but gasp in shock.


    The figure opened its mouth, letting out a shrill, ear-piercing scream. At the same time, a divine aura flooded from its body, revealing a Curse Divine Authority!


    Curse Divine Authority was a rtivelymon type of divine power. After all, Boris himself wielded both Curse Divine Authority and Law. However, this was different from Boris. The Divine Power surrounding this figure was extremely chaotic, and its aura unstable. Yet the curse and divine authority it wielded were far stronger than the Curse Law that Boris controlled!


    What was even more unsettling was that although the figure radiated divine energy, its mental and spiritual state was inplete disarray. Itcked any semnce of intelligent life, as if it were a Demon Garb that had just crawled out of the Abyss��ugly, ferocious, and terrifying.


    "This is..."


    Sterl''s eyes widened as he began to understand. This mysterious being was likely the result of being forcibly infused with power, effectively creating a quasi-divine entity.


    It was called quasi-divine because, unlike a true deity, this beingcked a divine body and a stable soul or will. It was merely a vessel��an empty shell!


    A quasi-divine, if left unchecked, would soon be torn apart by the chaotic Divine Power and Laws coursing through it, ultimately sumbing to deadly bacsh. However, it was clear that this quasi-divine was intended to be a disposable weapon, a one-time consumable tool!


    The Power of the Curse continued to rise around the figure. Its eyes locked onto the Demon Elephant, and then, without hesitation, it thrust both hands directly into its own chest. A low, eerie chant, resembling the sinister whispers of a Demon Garb, escaped its lips.


    As the chant echoed, countless chaotic sounds rang out around the battlefield. Many soldiers,cking the strength or will to withstand the pressure, instantly had their heads burst open. Meanwhile, the quasi-divine figure grew increasingly weaker, but the Power of the Curse swelled rapidly. In the next instant, the curse energy surged across a hundred-mile span, breaking through the barriers of the massive formation and pouring into the Demon Elephant''s body.


    Almost simultaneously, with an anguished howl, the quasi-divine figure turned to ash, disintegrating into nothingness. But the Demon Elephant''s aura exploded outward, swelling massively!


    Crack... Crack...


    The Shackles of the Forbidden God that bound the Demon Elephant groaned, as if at their breaking point. The light from the formation that had trapped it flickered ominously, as though it was no longer enough to suppress the beast, which seemed poised to break free like a celestial giant shattering the heavens!


    Eterna''s expression darkened. Now, he understood what the Ashen side''s trump card truly was. The Ashen Temple had used some forbidden technique to forcibly elevate a demigod to divine status, pushing their Curse Law and divine authority to the peak of weak divine power, tapping into the maximum extent of what the world could allow.


    The most crucial part was that this forcibly ascended quasi-divine figure had sacrificed itself to unleash a terrifying curse upon the Demon Elephant, boosting its power once again. The Demon Elephant''s strength had surged to the point that even thebined forces of the formation and the Shackles of the Forbidden God could no longer contain it!


    "A truly bold move..." Sterl muttered in awe. After speaking with Boris, he understood what had happened. The Ashen side had paid a significant price to forcibly create a quasi-divine entity. The curse unleashed by this sacrifice was incredibly powerful��on par with a God of Curse releasing their full, unrestrained power, perhaps even exceeding it!


    The curse had a dual effect: it doubled the strength of the Demon Elephant, but after half an hour, the Demon Elephant would die on the spot, with no healing or restoration able to save it. This was a deadly mutually assured destruction tactic, yet Ashen had cleverly used it to break through the Orichalcum kingdom''s defenses. It was a move that could not be called anything less than ruthless and ingenious!


    On the other side, Eterna quickly understood the purpose of Ashen''s move. If the Demon Elephant were to break through the twoyers of restraint, the speed at which it would explode in power could easily overwhelm even the Godyer Crossbow. Even if the crossbow were to lock onto it, without the effects of the formation and the Shackles of the Forbidden God to weaken and consume the Demon Elephant, it might not be able to kill it.


    As long as it wasn''t a one-hit kill, the Demon Elephant, as the core of the formation, would quickly recover to its full strength with the support of the millions of troops. These tens of millions of second-ss and third-ss soldiers weren''t mere cannon fodder��they were the Demon Elephant''s mobile blood supply.


    However, Sterl believed that while the surprise attack by the five gods might have caught Eterna off guard, he was certain that there had been some preparation for this kind of move. Otherwise, if the strategy failed, the Orichalcum kingdom would copse entirely, and all their previous trump cards would have been wasted. As a respected deity and an ancient god at that, it was unthinkable that he would make such a basic mistake.


    Sure enough, though Eterna''s face was grim, he didn''t panic. There was a touch of distaste and regret in his eyes, but he didn''t hesitate. He took out a Space-Translocation Scroll, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared above the Demon Elephant. As the leader of the Orichalcum kingdom, the formation and Shackles of the Forbidden God would have no effect on him.


    Yet, he could clearly sense the frenzy and chaotic energy radiating from the enormous beast bound by the Shackles of the Forbidden God. The surrounding restraints and bindings had reached a precarious state, and any moment now, they could copse.


    Eterna felt a sense of helplessness, but he knew that he could no longer dy. After Ashen''s quasi-divine self-sacrifice, this trump card had be necessary.


    However, hemented that such an item was extremely rare, and the Orichalcum kingdom only had a few left. The one he now held was thest one.


    Endless Void Translocation Crystal


    Description: This is a pass to the Endless Void, but also a ticket to endless destruction. For the strong, it is a gateway; for the weak, it is a one-way trip to the apocalypse.


    Effect: It teleports a target to the Endless Void.


    Note: This translocation cannot be interrupted, disregards the target''s strength, and does not require the target''s consent.


    In his hand, Eterna now held a multi-faceted transparent crystal that looked like some sort of ss product. But this was one of the Orichalcum kingdom''s rarest consumable items.


    The Endless Void Translocation Crystal disregards both the user''s and the target''s strength. Once the crystal locks onto its target, there is no escape. The target is forcibly transported to the Endless Void, a ce that serves as their of a powerful being known as the Starry Sky Giant Catfish.


    This item was said to have been left behind when the Orichalcum kingdom was first established. Its effects are incredibly potent. In the past, many powerful beings ventured into the Endless Void to explore potential pathways, but over time, this object has be a card for the Orichalcum kingdom to use against enemies. A single mistake, and even the most powerful Divine Power could be whisked away to the Endless Void, a ce where they might never return. It is a realm fraught with danger, where even mighty gods face peril. While they might not be killed, they certainly wouldn''t being back anytime soon.


    Now, with no hesitation, Eterna used this trump card on the warfare Demon Elephant. Although he felt a pang of regret, he knew that for the sake of victory, this small sacrifice was necessary.


    The warfare Demon Elephant continued to struggle, and the Shackles of the Forbidden God began to show signs of cracking, with cracks appearing all over. The formation trembled as well. The Demon Elephant, whose power had already reached that of a higher god, had now been amplified even further, reaching a level akin to a higher god who wielded the Law of Power.


    But just as the warfare Demon Elephant seemed on the brink of breaking free, a small spatial vortex appeared directly above its head, an irresistible force pulling it in. The Demon Elephant fought with all its might, but it was utterly helpless. With a roar of frustration, it was yanked from existence, vanishing into the void.


    At the final moment, the formation shattered with a deafening crack, and the Shackles of the Forbidden God reached their limits, on the verge of copsing. Yet, fortunately, the immense warfare Demon Elephant had already been teleported into the Endless Void.


    Inside the Endless Void, the warfare Demon Elephant appeared in an empty, deste space. Nothing surrounded it��no stars, no light, just an endless, inky void. In the distance, there were numerous bizarre celestial bodies, but these weren''t true stars ors. Instead, they were the manifestations of entire worlds.


    The Demon Elephant found itself in a space that seemed intentionally created as a nest, a ce meant to consume and trap. It let out a furious roar, but the next moment, a series of enormous eyes��each onerger than its own massive form��slowly opened behind it.

 Chapter 554 A Feint and a Sudden Assault on the Legendary Legion!

    On the battlefield, Eterna stood mid-air, his gaze fixed on the spot where the warfare Demon Elephant had been moments ago. But now, there was nothing left but the remnants of the beast''s struggles, the marks left behind from its desperate attempts to break free.


    Suddenly, the entire battlefield fell silent. The Ashen army, still charging forward, abruptly halted. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they stared at the spot where the massive Demon Elephant had vanished, an overwhelming shock sweeping through their ranks.


    That colossal Demon Elephant, evenrger than a Mountain, was just gone? How could this possibly be? This was beyondprehension.


    Even Sterl hadn''t expected such an oue. He had assumed Eterna wouldunch the Godyer Crossbow, followed by activating another trump card to finish off the Demon Elephant, effectively erasing it from the battlefield. But to his surprise, the creature had simply vanished.


    Quickly, he essed the map module to review the footage from the battle, and soon he saw what had happened��the Endless Void Translocation Crystal that Eterna had activated.


    "I see. A truly versatile method," he muttered under his breath, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. He hadn''t expected Orichalcum to possess such a grotesque item. He hadn''t seen it in the royal vault, and it was most likely in the hands of some deity in the upper realms, meant to deal with the warfare Demon Elephant. It seemed almost wasteful to use it on such a beast.


    However, given the circumstances, there was no other choice. The Endless Void Translocation Crystal could only lock onto a single target, and at that moment, teleporting the Demon Elephant away was the best option.


    Just then, the Ashen legion''s formation suddenly flickered into existence, and immediately, it began to shake violently. In the next instant, a terrifying wave of power surged from the formation, spreading through the ranks of the millions of soldiers.


    "Poof!"


    In an instant, hundreds of thousands of soldiers dropped dead, their bodies copsing like ragdolls. The survivors, though not dead, were gravely wounded. Worse still, they could feel that the connection between themselves and the formation had been severed. This meant that the warfare Demon Elephant, the formation''s core, had been killed. And before its death, it had endured unimaginable attacks. Even though the formation had attempted to distribute the damage across all the soldiers, no one was spared.


    The shockwave of the transferred energy, even after being passed over such a vast distance, was enough to nearly cripple the entire legion.


    Sterl paused, a look of horror spreading across his face. "That Demon Elephant was sent away only a short while ago, and it''s already been killed?"


    He was stunned. The warfare Demon Elephant was not as powerful as a being with Divine Power, but it was still at the level of an upper-tier deity. How could it have died so quickly? It hadn''t even been half a minute since it was sent into the Endless Void, and now it was already dead?


    "Endless Void... just how dangerous is it?"


    Sterl was momentarily dazed, but Eterna, on the other hand, wore a knowing expression. He was fully aware that the Endless Void Translocation Crystal led straight to the Starry Sky Giant Catfish''sir, and that the warfare Demon Elephant, being the core of the formation, had only strengthened the effects beyond what was expected.


    Now that the warfare Demon Elephant was gone, the Ashen army of millions was crippled. At this point, it seemed like the Ashen side was in an absolute disadvantage.


    Boris and the other Ashen gods in charge of the operation were equally stunned. They hadn''t expected Orichalcum''s trump card to so easily neutralize the warfare Demon Elephant, shattering their formation nearly in its entirety!


    But it didn''t take long for them to recover. After all, this Demon Elephant and the millions of soldiers were nothing more than cannon fodder.


    The true strength of Asheny in the terrifying army of legendary demigods gathered at the rear. Although their numbers were a hundred times fewer than the millions in the front, the power they could unleash was on an entirely different level!


    However, Ashen wasn''t without its own troubles. Orichalcum still had one final, deadly weapon yet to be used��the Godyer Crossbow, which had been umting power above the royal city for who knows how long!


    Perhaps from the very beginning, the Godyer Crossbow was never meant to target the warfare Demon Elephant, but rather Ashen''s legendary legion!


    Now, after having stored power for so long, the Godyer Crossbow was instantly activated. In a split second, it transformed into a blinding beam of light, carrying the force to tear apart space itself, and shot directly toward Ashen''s legendary army!


    Experience tales at empire


    "Form the formation! Block it!"


    The situation unfolded so rapidly that almost immediately after the Demon Elephant''s death, as the bacsh from the divine powers began to hit, Eterna activated the Godyer Crossbow''s power. By the time Boris and the others realized what was happening, it was already toote to react.


    By the time the formation of Ashen''s legendary army was activated, the Godyer Crossbow had already reached the army. Its tail trailed behind it, a long divine light extending like a world-shattering meteor falling from the sky!


    Just as the moment of impact arrived, a shield was thrown out by one of Ashen''s gods. The shield expanded instantly, forming a barrier in front of the Godyer Crossbow. This shield was the very same type Terran had nned to use against the Sword of Doomsday Judgment as a final trump card.


    However, the shield that had been strong enough to withstand, and even potentially reflect the Sword of Doomsday Judgment, was no match for the Godyer Crossbow. With a resounding groan, it shattered almost immediately after contact, breaking into countless shards in just two seconds!


    Fortunately, those two seconds provided Ashen''s side with enough time to react. The hundred-thousand-strong legendary demigod legion sessfully formed, and an endless surge of power flowed from every individual, converging within the formation to create a barrier that resembled the shell of a turtle. The core of the formation was made up of several powerful gods from Ashen.


    Boom!!


    The Godyer Crossbow, having shattered the divine shield, descended in an instant. Inside the formation, everyone groaned as they felt an overwhelming force transmitted from the formation itself. Even after being reduced by a factor of one hundred thousand, the impact was still akin to a rampaging wild elephant!


    The slightly weaker legendaries felt as though their bodies were being crushed by an immense, unrelenting force, as if they were being pulverized into pieces. Even the level-200 mid-tier legendaries had to forcefully swallow their blood, barely holding on. Only those who reached level 250 or above��high-tier legendaries��could just about withstand the impact. Even Ascendants and demigods above level 300 felt the tremendous pressure.


    Outside the formation, the shockwave from the Godyer Crossbow spread like a tsunami crashing through mountains, sweeping across the battlefield. Ordinary soldiers who no longer had the protection of the formation were incinerated instantly, like insects caught inva, vanishing without a trace.


    The area within a ten-thousand-meter radius of the Godyer Crossbow had be a dead zone. Over a million cannon fodder perished, and many of Ashen''s war mechanisms were also destroyed in the wake of the st.


    Sterl watched this scene, feeling a pang of regret. These soldiers had been the perfect sources for replenishing his Soul''s Power, but now they were all dead. Such a waste��


    While feeling this loss, he couldn''t help but admire Eterna and the others'' n. It was brilliantly devious. The Godyer Crossbow hadn''t been intended for the warfare Demon Elephant at all��it was aimed squarely at Ashen''s army!


    It seemed that even Boris hadn''t known about this. The only one who had known the full n from the beginning was Eterna. Of course, Eterna''s reason for withholding this information from Boris and the other gods wasn''t due to mistrust but rather the fear that Ashen might have some kind of special listening devices. If the n had been exposed too early, Ashen could have prepared, and the weapon would have been ineffective.


    "A clever feint..."


    At this moment, the power of the Godyer Crossbow finally faded, revealing the legendary army below, which had almost been wiped out in one fell swoop.


    The gods who formed the core of the formation were panting heavily, their faces filled with a mix of shock and exhaustion. Most of their Divine Power had been drained. As for the demigods below them, they appeared even weaker, their auras erratic and unstable. The legendaries��it didn''t bear mentioning. At least ten thousand low-tier legendaries had fallen in an instant.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, no wonder it''s a legendary legion; they managed to withstand such a terrifying attack..."


    Sterl said with interest, though it was thanks to that divine shield that the Godyer Crossbow''s most powerful initial strike had been blocked. Otherwise, the entire legion would likely have been decimated and rendered useless.


    Even so, Ashen''s side had suffered a devastating blow, and their advantage over Orichalcum''s forces was nowpletely gone��if anything, they were at a disadvantage.


    From the current situation, it was clear that only the legendary legion still had a slight edge over Orichalcum''s forces. However, most of the legendaries were already exhausted, and even the demigods were struggling to hold on. In contrast, they were now facing Orichalcum''s forces at full strength.


    At the same time, the soldiers of Orichalcum were fired up like they had been injected with adrenaline. The disappearance and fall of the warfare Demon Elephant had given them a massive boost, and now, with the Godyer Crossbow''s devastation, their morale had reached its peak!


    A crippled legion��wasn''t this the perfect time to rack up contribution points?!


    Eterna let out a sigh of relief. The Godyer Crossbow had been the most crucial part of his n. Thankfully, the Shackles of the Forbidden God and the chain formation had worked without issues. Otherwise, if the warfare Demon Elephant had been in its frenzy state, he wouldn''t have even been able to approach it. In that case, the Godyer Crossbow would have been the only way to deal the killing blow to the Demon Elephant, but the legendary legion would have struggled to resist.


    Now, everything had been leveled out. But what Eterna hadn''t expected was that Ashen had used the rare opportunity of a surprise attack on Hades. Now, with Hades'' fate uncertain and his whereabouts unknown, it was a major blow to Orichalcum''s capital.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If Hades had been present, the situation would be very different. With him in y, Orichalcum could haveunched a full-scale counteroffensive, forcing Ashen''s forces into a retreat with no chance of return.


    But now, even though the soldiers were itching to charge straight through Ashen''s crippled legion, Eterna understood that Orichalcum would always be on the defensive. All they needed to do was stall for time, waiting for theplete integration of the capital.

 Chapter 555 Supreme Deities, the Lower Realm, and Group Buffs!

    Once the Royal City sessfully merges, victory in this war will undoubtedly belong to the nation of Orichalcum. Under the immense power of the Royal City, any being below the rank of a Supreme Deity will find it impossible to even approach. It has effectively be an unbreakableyer of defense.


    When that timees, the nation of Orichalcum will be free to exact revenge in any form it chooses. After all... the deities of Ashen are powerless against Orichalcum''s Royal City. However, the Ashen Temple is another matter��they will be vulnerable to harassment and attacks at any time.


    For now, Eterna remains steadfast, refraining from any reckless aggression until their forces achieve a definitive and overwhelming advantage. The near-catastrophic defeat from their previous battle had served as a grim reminder. He would never repeat such a mistake again.


    "Truly cautious. They didn''t even choose to press the attack after their victory," Sterl remarked, a trace of admiration shing in his eyes. He now understood why Eterna, despite having strengthparable to Boris, was the one leading the charge. It was because Eterna''s approach was far more prudent andprehensive.


    Such a person was indeed worthy of managing the affairs of the entire nation of Orichalcum. A single reckless decision could spell disaster on an unimaginable scale, and Eterna was not the type to take that gamble lightly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At this moment, the battlefield had entered a brief lull. Orichalcum''s forces remained stationary, conserving their strength and refraining from even using long-range tactics. This restraint afforded Ashen''s side a momentary reprieve. Enjoy new tales from empire


    Under Boris''smand, the disposable army��previously decimated alongside the Demon Elephant and torn apart by the bacsh of the formation��was gradually reorganized into a new formation. Meanwhile, the legendary legion suffered only minor losses. Although some lower-tier legendary warriors had been outright crushed by the might of the Godyer Crossbow, most of the remaining troops had only sustained superficial wounds. With ample supplies, their strength had already been mostly replenished.


    "Well, well, well! Eterna�� I must admit, I underestimated you. I didn''t think you''d resort to such vile tactics!" Boris stepped to the forefront of the battlefield, his cold gaze fixed on Eterna. His eyes burned with hatred and murderous intent, though the shock and unease in his heart had yet to fully subside. The Godyer Crossbow had been far more terrifying than he had anticipated. Had he not retreated into the legendary legion''s formation in time, he might have been reduced to ashes on the spot.


    Staring at the familiar figure above the Royal City, Boris was consumed by a desire to tear them apart. After all, every decision he had made since infiltrating Ashen under Sterl''s direction had been entirely his own.


    That is to say, throughout this war, Sterl had hardly been directly involved. Most of it had been a battle of wits and strategy between him and Boris. Now, looking back, even though he had held an absolute advantage, Eterna had somehow managed to turn the tide and level the ying field.


    Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the undeniable truthy before him��Eterna was, without a doubt, stronger than he was.


    As this thought took root in his mind, it inevitably stirred up memories of years of being overlooked and underestimated. In the past, these slights had barely registered with him, but as the world underwent massive upheaval and human emotions resurfaced in full force, such treatment began to cut deeper, making him far more sensitive to it.


    Perhaps, even if Sterl hadn''t been part of the equation, Boris might still have chosen to betray them��simply because he couldn''t stand the thought of watching Eterna im victory yet again.


    From a hundred miles away, Eterna quietly observed his formerrade. There was no anger in his eyes, no hatred. Only calm... and disdain.


    That expression sent Boris into an even greater frenzy. A wild beast seemed to roar and thrash within his heart, its rage consuming him.


    "Fine! I''ll make you regret this! I''ll make you pay the price! I will raze the Royal City to the ground and trample you beneath my feet! Then we''ll see who the true victor is!" he roared hoarsely.


    Without wasting another moment, Boris activated another trump card. In an instant, a massiveposite formation descended upon everyone on the battlefield.


    A radiant glow appeared over the heads of all the troops, from the legendary legion to the remaining millions of disposable soldiers. However, the glow surrounding the legendary legion was distinct, enveloped by an additional, independent formation.


    This was a chained battle formation meticulously designed by Ashen''s forces, and it served a singr, sinister purpose: to use the lives of the disposable army as a foundation for the legendary legion''s power.


    In other words, the legendary legion could draw upon the strength of the cannon fodder at will. Moreover, any damage inflicted on the legendary legion would be transferred through the formation to the disposable troops. Only after thest member of the cannon fodder army had perished would any harm finally reach the legendary legion.


    This was an abominable, utterly ruthless formation��one that treated the lives of millions as nothing more than weeds by the roadside. Burn them, cut them down, it mattered not; they were entirely disposable.


    The most horrifying aspect was that the formation possessed built-in restorative properties. These second- and third-rate soldiers wouldn''t even realize, up until their dying breaths, that they''d been sold out.


    With millions of lives as their shield, the legendary legion could nowunch a ferocious offensive unhindered. Even though many of their legendary and demigod warriors hadn''t fully recovered their strength or injuries, they could still unleash devastating attacks that couldn''t be underestimated.


    At that moment, an immense and overwhelming aura suddenly surged from the rear of Ashen''s forces. The sheer power of this presence was staggering��no weaker than the War Demon Elephant that Eterna had previously dealt with.


    Even Boris was caught off guard, spinning around sharply to locate the source. What he saw left him utterly stunned. A deity, shrouded in countless chains, was slowly ascending into the skies above Ashen''s ranks.


    This god''s visage was serene and delicate, exuding an air of divinepassion. It was as if a sacred statue from the temple hade to life. Most notably, the aura radiating from this being unmistakably carried the power of upper divine authority.


    This was no illusion��an actual Supreme Deity had descended. Unlike the formidable divine visage that Orichalcum had previously conjured��an entity of condensed Divine Power��this Supreme Deity had manifested in person, fully and truly present.


    However, the numerous chains binding the deity''s body revealed the cost of such an appearance. It was clear that a great price had been paid for this descent. Moreover, the increasing rejection from the world''s naturalws was palpable. It was only a matter of time before this Supreme Deity was forcibly expelled from the realm.


    The deity slowly raised their hand, and a force far surpassing that of ordinary gods began to ripple outward. In that moment, everyone on the battlefield understood the identity of this divine presence��it was the God of Life.


    Indeed, this Supreme Deity wielded only a single divine authority and a singr Law Power, yet the profundity of their power was on an entirely different level. The Divine Power they released carried a mysterious and overwhelming strength that defiedparison.


    Any lesser beings, even those with weaker Divine Power of the same divine authority, would find themselves instantly suppressed. Their connection to Law Power might be severed entirely under this crushing domination of rank��a true and absolute superiority.


    "Go forth, brave warriors. Victory belongs to you. The world�� shall be protected by your hands," the God of Life spoke softly.


    Their voice was androgynous, with a faint maic quality that resonated directly within the hearts of all Ashen soldiers. Simultaneously, the power emanating from the God of Life began to merge into the bodies of the soldiers.


    In that instant, it felt as though a pair of warm, soothing hands were massaging their entire beings. All wounds and exhaustion began to heal rapidly, and both their physical and mental tension were eased.


    Not only that��a powerful group-wide blessing appeared over the entire Ashen army.


    [You have received the God of Life''s Favor: Life Force +50%, Recovery Speed +200%, Iing Damage Reduced by 20%, and All Attributes +10% until the end of the battle.]


    The soldiers stood reinvigorated, their spirits lifted by the divine presence. The battlefield, once gripped by tension, was now electrified with newfound strength and resolve. The God of Life had turned the tide with a single gesture.


    Without a doubt, this was yet another trump card from Ashen''s forces. The descent of a Supreme Deity''s true form into the lower realm, granting blessings and divine favor, was no mere morale boost. The buffs bestowed had directly restored both of Ashen''s legions to peak condition, and theirbat strength had more than doubled as a result.


    After imparting its power, the figure of the God of Life slowly faded from sight. However, the lingering aura and divine energy still hung in the air, permeating the battlefield.


    Seeing this, Boris froze momentarily before a look of delight appeared on his face. Yet deep down, his heart was heavier than ever. While he harbored a burning desire to tear Eterna apart, he was, at his core, a pawn of Sterl. All of his actions revolved around Sterl''s greater ns.


    This unexpected move by Ashen, kept entirely in the dark even from him, had flipped their initial disadvantage into a newfound advantage. If this continued, the nation of Orichalcum would be doomed. That would fail to meet their master''s ultimate goal of mutual destruction between the two sides!


    Even Sterl was momentarily taken aback. He hadn''t anticipated that Ashen would go so far as to summon a Supreme Deity''s true form into the lower realm to intervene in the battle. There was no doubt that the cost of such an act would be anything but trivial. Even with the world''s restrictions having weakened considerably, it still wasn''t something that could be done lightly.


    Sterl''s gaze shifted toward Eterna. While Eterna looked equally shaken, there was no sign of panic or disorder. It was clear that Eterna had anticipated a countermeasure for just such a scenario.


    It made sense. If Orichalcum had been able to summon a powerful Divine Power entity to manifest its might, there was no reason they wouldn''t expect Ashen to employ simr tactics.


    After all, the forces of both sides, whether in the lower or upper realms, were almost evenly matched. Precautions against such contingencies were inevitable.


    With that in mind, Sterl sent Boris a signal to proceed as nned. Then, with a calm demeanor, he resumed watching the spectacle.


    Of course, he knew that this confrontation wouldn''t remain at a stalemate for long. It was only a matter of time before it escted into a full-blown and ferocious sh. And when that time came�� he would be ready to act.


    After all, his purpose for participating in this battlefield was not merely to spectate, but to hunt for souls��allowing the Soul Devourer Sphere to capture a massive number of them and refine their essence into pure soul energy!


    ...

 Chapter 557 The Time Has Come! Celestial Stars Descend!

    Even with Eterna''s resolute mindset, hisposure faltered. The situation had reached a breaking point��if this continued, their army''s strength would be erodedpletely in less than two minutes.


    Once the power imbnce reached a critical threshold, a single sh would be enough to obliterate their formation entirely.


    Left with no other choice, Eterna issued the order to deploy several surplus divine-levelbatants into the army''s battlefront. With the addition of these gods, the gap in strength between the two forces was finally narrowed, restoring a semnce of bnce. At least for the time being, the threat of copse had been averted.


    However, the divine-level battlefield now entered a state of equilibrium as well, with neither side able to gain the upper hand in the short term.


    Seeing this, Boris let out a long sigh of relief. The situation was finally stabilized. Both sides had now fully entered a prolonged battle of attrition. The stalemate not only prevented further chaos but also aligned perfectly with his master''s ns.


    For now, the battle had reached a critical bnce, and the tide could turn in any direction.


    The battlefield had now split into three distinct zones. The first was the conflict between the Royal City''s defensive weaponry, backed by the swamp''s monstrous beast army, and Ashen''s millions of cannon fodder. The second was the direct sh between the two main armies. Lastly, above it all, the deities themselves were locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.


    The entire battlefield had devolved into a prolonged war of attrition, with neither side holding a decisive advantage. Victory now hinged on endurance��who could hold out the longest, who could maintain their strength for just a bit more time. Any breakthrough in one of the three zones would inevitably cascade into a sweeping advantage across the entire battlefield.


    Amid this chaos, Sterl observed the scene from the shadows, a smile of anticipation spreading across his face. His gaze lingered on Ashen''s countless troops below, his expression brimming with excitement.


    These soldiers�� they were all his prey, a vast supply of souls waiting to be refined into power.


    "I''ve waited long enough. It''s finally time for me to act."


    By now, both sides had expended most of their trump cards. Sterl no longer had any concerns that Ashen might pull something unexpected that could threaten him. Moreover, with all three battle zones locked in a deadlock, no one had the capacity to stop him.


    This was, in essence, a grand banquet prepared just for him. The vast army before him was nothing but a hunting ground, filled with prey to be ughtered at his leisure.


    "Let''s begin... It''s time to push this battle to its ultimate climax!"


    Sterl knew exactly what was at stake. On the surface, it seemed as though the fate of the two great factions hinged entirely on this battle. But in truth, this was merely a facade.


    Should one side suffer a catastrophic defeat orplete annihtion, the forces hidden in the upper realms would inevitably intervene, unleashing their full might without restraint.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After all, the true rulers of both factions were not minor Divine Power deities like Eterna and Boris, but the far more formidable Supreme Deities and the terrifying entities of High Divine Power!


    Sterl''s current n, aside from hunting souls, was to break the stalemate and lure out Ashen Temple''s most powerful figures. When that happened, Orichalcum would inevitably respond with their full might, leading to an unprecedented sh of divine forces��a war of gods that would go down in history.


    As for Sterl, that would be the perfect moment to quietly vanish from the battlefield. He would bide his time until the final stages of the war, when both sides were battered and broken. Only then, amidst the wreckage of their conflict, would he make his move.


    Based on the earlier disy of the High Divine Power projection and the true descent of Ashen''s Supreme Deity into the lower realm, Sterl was confident. While their power was formidable, it wouldn''t surpass the Supreme Deity tier. For the legendary tale Sterl intended to craft, he was certain of his sess.


    Thinking of this, a spark of anticipation lit up within him. It wouldn''t be long now��soon, he could ascend to be a true god, no longer reliant on the unstable state of ascend to godhood for his power.


    With that thought, he slowly emerged from the subspace, his form materializing in midair. In his ascend to godhood state, an overwhelming aura of terrifying power erupted from him like a tidal wave.


    In that instant, everyone on the battlefield��whether it was Eterna, the Ashen gods, or the soldiers locked in their desperate struggle��froze. All eyes turned to the sky, staring in shock and disbelief at the newly appeared, awe-inspiring figure.


    "Ha�� Hades�� isn''t dead?"


    Eterna''s expression was nk for a moment before a dazzling light shed in his eyes, followed by an uncontroble surge of joy.


    "Hahahaha! Hades, you''re alive! I knew it! This time, there''s no escape for them��they''ll all be stepping stones for the Royal City!"


    Unable to contain himself, Eterna erupted intoughter, the crushing weight in his heart lifted in an instant. With the forces so evenly matched, the return of Hades, whom they had believed to be lost, tipped the scales decisively in Orichalcum''s favor. With Hades on their side, how could they possibly lose?


    "Damn it! I knew it! Hades couldn''t possibly be dead!"


    Read exclusive adventures at empire


    "Hahahaha! The heavens are watching over Orichalcum!"


    "I said it! A few sneaky cowards could never take down Hades!"


    The gods of Orichalcum burst into jubtion, their excitement so uncontainable that many couldn''t resist swearing. All their previous worries vanished, reced by an unshakable confidence. They could already see the dawn of victory.


    Below, the struggling soldiers of Orichalcum felt the gloom lifted from their hearts. Battle spirits surged, and their exhaustion evaporated. Even the pain from their injuries seemed to disappear as they were ovee with tion and renewed vigor.


    The joy radiating from Orichalcum''s forces was matched only by the despair consuming the gods and soldiers of Ashen. The emergence of this deity, Hades, left their faces ashen with dread. The scales of battle, which had been delicately bnced, could perhaps endure a small disruption without shifting the tide. But now, Orichalcum had thrown an enormous weight onto their side��catapulting them to dominance.


    How could they possibly fight this? How could they hope to win now?


    Below, among the legendary legion and the cannon fodder fighting for their lives, most didn''t recognize Sterl''s assumed identity. But they weren''t fools.


    If Hades warranted Ashen Temple dispatching a team of five deities for an assassination attempt, it spoke volumes about his importance. And what was most terrifying��despite the overwhelming power of that ambush strike��it hadn''t been enough to kill him. Judging by his current state, he hadn''t even sustained significant injuries.


    Sterl, however, paid no mind to the shifting attitudes and emotions of those around him. He was well aware that Ashen Temple ranked him as a significant threat. His sudden appearance now would likely draw the attention of Ashen Temple''s most powerful backers. It wouldn''t be long before they intervened directly to deal with him.


    He needed to act quickly. Very quickly.


    Sterl''s primary objective was to use the Soul Devourer Sphere to hunt down as many souls as possible. This step was critical to his broader ns and could determine their ultimate sess. After witnessing the destructive potential of mass formations and swarm tactics on the battlefield, he valued these souls even more.


    This realization was the reason he chose to infiltrate Orichalcum and carefully orchestrate his ns. Otherwise, he could have implemented his scheme without exposing himself, avoiding unnecessary risks altogether.


    His gaze fell upon the battlefield teeming with cannon fodder. While the souls of legendary warriors, demigods, or even deities yielded far greater Soul''s Power, they were far fewer in number and significantly harder to hunt efficiently.


    So��


    Sterl drew a deep breath. Bathed in the Light of the Stars, he activated every amplification technique at his disposal. Then, he used the Blood of the Holy Spirit to enhance Celestial Stars, elevating the golden-tier ability to a tinum-tier skill.


    As the power coursed through him, Sterl''s aura grew exponentially more terrifying. Slowly, he extended his hand, pointing toward the chaotic battlefield below. His voice, steady and resonant, echoed across thend:


    "Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars!"


    With each utterance, the heavens seemed to respond, and a cataclysmic force began to gather, ready to rain destruction upon the battlefield.


    In an instant, Sterl''s energy began to drain at an rming rate. Simultaneously, he activated Silent Domain, enveloping the entire battlefield in a stifling silence. The once-bright sky abruptly turned dark and ominous.


    Countless pairs of eyes lifted toward the heavens, where massive meteors, engulfed in raging mes and trailing long fiery tails, began their descent.


    With the amplification of Blood of the Holy Spirit and Starry Battle Armor, coupled with Sterl''s already enhanced base attributes, his power had surged by a staggering 70%pared to before. The might of Celestial Stars had reached an unprecedented and terrifying level.


    The air was scorched and torn apart. The very fabric of space seemed to tremble. One meteor�� two meteors�� three meteors�� Sterl unleashed Celestial Stars ten times in session. Ten colossal meteors hurtled toward the battlefield like instruments of divine wrath, as if the heavens themselves roared and raged in fury.


    Under the despairing, horrified, and terrified gazes of all who witnessed, the ten meteors struck the battlefield with devastating precision.


    Boom!


    The ground quaked violently, as if the world itself were being torn apart. The Royal City trembled from the sheer force of the impact. Within the st radius of Celestial Stars, the second- and third-ss cannon fodder soldiers were obliterated instantly, their lives snuffed out before they could even scream.


    mes surged like an unstoppable tidal wave, spreading outward in all directions. The overwhelming destructive power activated the Starlight Spray effect to its fullest extent. In mere moments, the once-treacherous swamp was transformed into an endless sea of fire. The soldiers trapped within had no chance of survival. With Sterl in his ascend to godhood state, resistance was utterly futile.


    The firestorm continued to expand, driven further by Starlight Spray, consuming everything in its path.


    The sight left everyone in stunned silence. Gazing at the apocalyptic destruction, where the world seemed to crumble beneath the meteors'' wrath, even breathing became a struggle for those who survived.


    From a distance, the soldiers fortunate enough to have escaped the direct impact of the ten meteors were paralyzed with terror. Their battle spirit and morale disintegratedpletely. Helmets and weapons were cast aside as they fled in a frenzy, their faces pale with fear.


    None dared to face Sterl��this terrifying god of ughter who had single-handedly turned the battlefield into a living nightmare.


    ...

 Chapter 556 - 557: The Time Has Come! Celestial Stars Descend!

    Even with Eterna��s resolute mindset, hisposure faltered. The situation had reached a breaking point��if this continued, their army��s strength would be erodedpletely in less than two minutes.


    Once the power imbnce reached a critical threshold, a single sh would be enough to obliterate their formation entirely.


    Left with no other choice, Eterna issued the order to deploy several surplus divine-levelbatants into the army��s battlefront. With the addition of these gods, the gap in strength between the two forces was finally narrowed, restoring a semnce of bnce. At least for the time being, the threat of copse had been averted.


    However, the divine-level battlefield now entered a state of equilibrium as well, with neither side able to gain the upper hand in the short term.


    Seeing this, Boris let out a long sigh of relief. The situation was finally stabilized. Both sides had now fully entered a prolonged battle of attrition. The stalemate not only prevented further chaos but also aligned perfectly with his master��s ns.


    For now, the battle had reached a critical bnce, and the tide could turn in any direction.


    The battlefield had now split into three distinct zones. The first was the conflict between the Royal City��s defensive weaponry, backed by the swamp��s monstrous beast army, and Ashen��s millions of cannon fodder. The second was the direct sh between the two main armies. Lastly, above it all, the deities themselves were locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.


    The entire battlefield had devolved into a prolonged war of attrition, with neither side holding a decisive advantage. Victory now hinged on endurance��who could hold out the longest, who could maintain their strength for just a bit more time. Any breakthrough in one of the three zones would inevitably cascade into a sweeping advantage across the entire battlefield.


    Amid this chaos, Sterl observed the scene from the shadows, a smile of anticipation spreading across his face. His gaze lingered on Ashen��s countless troops below, his expression brimming with excitement.


    These soldiers�� they were all his prey, a vast supply of souls waiting to be refined into power.


    "I��ve waited long enough. It��s finally time for me to act."


    By now, both sides had expended most of their trump cards. Sterl no longer had any concerns that Ashen might pull something unexpected that could threaten him. Moreover, with all three battle zones locked in a deadlock, no one had the capacity to stop him.


    This was, in essence, a grand banquet prepared just for him. The vast army before him was nothing but a hunting ground, filled with prey to be ughtered at his leisure.


    "Let��s begin... It��s time to push this battle to its ultimate climax!"


    Sterl knew exactly what was at stake. On the surface, it seemed as though the fate of the two great factions hinged entirely on this battle. But in truth, this was merely a facade.


    Should one side suffer a catastrophic defeat orplete annihtion, the forces hidden in the upper realms would inevitably intervene, unleashing their full might without restraint.


    After all, the true rulers of both factions were not minor Divine Power deities like Eterna and Boris, but the far more formidable Supreme Deities and the terrifying entities of High Divine Power!


    Sterl��s current n, aside from hunting souls, was to break the stalemate and lure out Ashen Temple��s most powerful figures. When that happened, Orichalcum would inevitably respond with their full might, leading to an unprecedented sh of divine forces��a war of gods that would go down in history.


    As for Sterl, that would be the perfect moment to quietly vanish from the battlefield. He would bide his time until the final stages of the war, when both sides were battered and broken. Only then, amidst the wreckage of their conflict, would he make his move.


    Based on the earlier disy of the High Divine Power projection and the true descent of Ashen��s Supreme Deity into the lower realm, Sterl was confident. While their power was formidable, it wouldn��t surpass the Supreme Deity tier. For the legendary tale Sterl intended to craft, he was certain of his sess.


    Thinking of this, a spark of anticipation lit up within him. It wouldn��t be long now��soon, he could ascend to be a true god, no longer reliant on the unstable state of ascend to godhood for his power.


    With that thought, he slowly emerged from the subspace, his form materializing in midair. In his ascend to godhood state, an overwhelming aura of terrifying power erupted from him like a tidal wave.


    In that instant, everyone on the battlefield��whether it was Eterna, the Ashen gods, or the soldiers locked in their desperate struggle��froze. All eyes turned to the sky, staring in shock and disbelief at the newly appeared, awe-inspiring figure.


    "Ha�� Hades�� isn��t dead?"


    Eterna��s expression was nk for a moment before a dazzling light shed in his eyes, followed by an uncontroble surge of joy.


    "Hahahaha! Hades, you��re alive! I knew it! This time, there��s no escape for them��they��ll all be stepping stones for the Royal City!"


    Unable to contain himself, Eterna erupted intoughter, the crushing weight in his heart lifted in an instant. With the forces so evenly matched, the return of Hades, whom they had believed to be lost, tipped the scales decisively in Orichalcum��s favor. With Hades on their side, how could they possibly lose?


    "Damn it! I knew it! Hades couldn��t possibly be dead!"


    Read exclusive adventures at empire


    "Hahahaha! The heavens are watching over Orichalcum!"


    "I said it! A few sneaky cowards could never take down Hades!"


    The gods of Orichalcum burst into jubtion, their excitement so uncontainable that many couldn��t resist swearing. All their previous worries vanished, reced by an unshakable confidence. They could already see the dawn of victory.


    Below, the struggling soldiers of Orichalcum felt the gloom lifted from their hearts. Battle spirits surged, and their exhaustion evaporated. Even the pain from their injuries seemed to disappear as they were ovee with tion and renewed vigor.


    The joy radiating from Orichalcum��s forces was matched only by the despair consuming the gods and soldiers of Ashen. The emergence of this deity, Hades, left their faces ashen with dread. The scales of battle, which had been delicately bnced, could perhaps endure a small disruption without shifting the tide. But now, Orichalcum had thrown an enormous weight onto their side��catapulting them to dominance.


    How could they possibly fight this? How could they hope to win now?


    Below, among the legendary legion and the cannon fodder fighting for their lives, most didn��t recognize Sterl��s assumed identity. But they weren��t fools.


    If Hades warranted Ashen Temple dispatching a team of five deities for an assassination attempt, it spoke volumes about his importance. And what was most terrifying��despite the overwhelming power of that ambush strike��it hadn��t been enough to kill him. Judging by his current state, he hadn��t even sustained significant injuries.


    Sterl, however, paid no mind to the shifting attitudes and emotions of those around him. He was well aware that Ashen Temple ranked him as a significant threat. His sudden appearance now would likely draw the attention of Ashen Temple��s most powerful backers. It wouldn��t be long before they intervened directly to deal with him.


    He needed to act quickly. Very quickly.


    Sterl��s primary objective was to use the Soul Devourer Sphere to hunt down as many souls as possible. This step was critical to his broader ns and could determine their ultimate sess. After witnessing the destructive potential of mass formations and swarm tactics on the battlefield, he valued these souls even more.


    This realization was the reason he chose to infiltrate Orichalcum and carefully orchestrate his ns. Otherwise, he could have implemented his scheme without exposing himself, avoiding unnecessary risks altogether.


    His gaze fell upon the battlefield teeming with cannon fodder. While the souls of legendary warriors, demigods, or even deities yielded far greater Soul��s Power, they were far fewer in number and significantly harder to hunt efficiently.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    So��


    Sterl drew a deep breath. Bathed in the Light of the Stars, he activated every amplification technique at his disposal. Then, he used the Blood of the Holy Spirit to enhance Celestial Stars, elevating the golden-tier ability to a tinum-tier skill.


    As the power coursed through him, Sterl��s aura grew exponentially more terrifying. Slowly, he extended his hand, pointing toward the chaotic battlefield below. His voice, steady and resonant, echoed across thend:


    "Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars!"


    With each utterance, the heavens seemed to respond, and a cataclysmic force began to gather, ready to rain destruction upon the battlefield.


    In an instant, Sterl��s energy began to drain at an rming rate. Simultaneously, he activated Silent Domain, enveloping the entire battlefield in a stifling silence. The once-bright sky abruptly turned dark and ominous.


    Countless pairs of eyes lifted toward the heavens, where massive meteors, engulfed in raging mes and trailing long fiery tails, began their descent.


    With the amplification of Blood of the Holy Spirit and Starry Battle Armor, coupled with Sterl��s already enhanced base attributes, his power had surged by a staggering 70%pared to before. The might of Celestial Stars had reached an unprecedented and terrifying level.


    The air was scorched and torn apart. The very fabric of space seemed to tremble. One meteor�� two meteors�� three meteors�� Sterl unleashed Celestial Stars ten times in session. Ten colossal meteors hurtled toward the battlefield like instruments of divine wrath, as if the heavens themselves roared and raged in fury.


    Under the despairing, horrified, and terrified gazes of all who witnessed, the ten meteors struck the battlefield with devastating precision.


    Boom!


    The ground quaked violently, as if the world itself were being torn apart. The Royal City trembled from the sheer force of the impact. Within the st radius of Celestial Stars, the second- and third-ss cannon fodder soldiers were obliterated instantly, their lives snuffed out before they could even scream.


    mes surged like an unstoppable tidal wave, spreading outward in all directions. The overwhelming destructive power activated the Starlight Spray effect to its fullest extent. In mere moments, the once-treacherous swamp was transformed into an endless sea of fire. The soldiers trapped within had no chance of survival. With Sterl in his ascend to godhood state, resistance was utterly futile.


    The firestorm continued to expand, driven further by Starlight Spray, consuming everything in its path.


    The sight left everyone in stunned silence. Gazing at the apocalyptic destruction, where the world seemed to crumble beneath the meteors�� wrath, even breathing became a struggle for those who survived.


    From a distance, the soldiers fortunate enough to have escaped the direct impact of the ten meteors were paralyzed with terror. Their battle spirit and morale disintegratedpletely. Helmets and weapons were cast aside as they fled in a frenzy, their faces pale with fear.


    None dared to face Sterl��this terrifying god of ughter who had single-handedly turned the battlefield into a living nightmare.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 558 Absorbing Souls! The Terrifying Backlash of the Soul Devourer Sphere

    A single Celestial Stars had obliterated a massive section of the battlefield.


    At least hundreds of thousands of soldiers were annihted in an instant, their lives extinguished without a chance to resist. And the death toll continued to rise rapidly as the lingering effects of Starlight Spray spread, consuming everything in its path. The scale of destruction rivaled��if not exceeded��the catastrophic bacsh caused by the formation copse following the death of the War Demon Elephant at the hands of the Endless Void''s unknown entity.


    This was the terrifying power of Sterl in his ascend to godhood state. By using the Blood of the Holy Spirit, he had forcibly enhanced Celestial Stars to a higher tier. With the added amplification from Starry Battle Armor and other equipment, even his base attributes were nearly double what they had been before. Under such extreme boosts, the limits of Celestial Stars'' destructive range ceased to exist.


    Under the might of Celestial Stars, everything was reduced to nothingness. Even though the skill itself was merely a mid-tier golden ability, its forced elevation to a tinum skill made it fearsome enough to leave even gods pale with dread and inflict serious injuries.


    As for those below the divine tier? It was absolute annihtion. Celestial Stars was nothing less than a devastatingrge-scale AOE, the equivalent of a map-wide cannon strike. If you were caught in it, you died. If you merely grazed its edge, you were grievously injured.


    For a moment, silence fell across the battlefield.


    Apart from the crackling and roaring of the mes spreading through Starlight Spray, and the anguished screams and frantic scrambling of the cannon fodder beneath, no other sound could be heard.


    All the gods ceased theirbat. Both armies froze mid-battle. Every gaze turned toward the domineering and unyielding figure standing tall in midair. The fiery inferno beneath him painted a hellish scene, and yet he stood motionless, like an emperor presiding over the destruction of a world.


    The sight left everyone��soldiers and gods alike��speechless. Their throats bobbed as if attempting to speak, but no words came out.


    Sterl, having unleashed a barrage of Celestial Stars, did not immediately follow up with another attack. Instead, he remained still, unmoving in midair. Was he out of energy? Had he exhausted his strength?


    Far from it.


    With the enhancements of Starry Battle Armor, Sterl was continuously bathed in starlight, his recovery rate doubled from its original speed. Whenbined with his innate capabilities, his energy replenished at an incredible pace. What''s more, Celestial Stars, though devastating, was merely one of the more "ordinary" skills in his current arsenal. With the various amplifications in y, he could have continued casting it for hours without issue.


    So why had he stopped?


    The answer was simple: there were too many souls. Far too many.


    In his hand, Sterl held the Soul Devourer Sphere. At a level invisible even to the gods watching him, countless wailing and screaming souls rose from the sea of fire below. The mes burned away their mortal remains, leaving their very essence to ascend toward him, drawn inexorably into the sphere''s insatiable grasp.


    The sheer volume of souls was overwhelming. Even for Sterl, the influx of such immense spiritual energy pushed the boundaries of what the Soul Devourer Sphere could handle. The sphere pulsed and trembled in his grip, a testament to the terrifying power it was absorbing��and the potential for bacsh it carried.


    Normally, the souls of the deceased would dissipate moments after leaving their bodies, merging with the world to be part of its natural cycle, nurturing new life in the endless flow of creation. However, now, something terrifying was at work. These souls, instead of dispersing, were being drawn with uncontroble force toward Sterl''s location.


    No��not precisely toward Sterl himself, but rather toward the Soul Devourer Sphere in his hand. At this moment, the sphere was unleashing an overwhelming suction, like a ravenous beast that had been starved for countless years, greedily consuming every soul of the soldiers Sterl had in.


    In no time, Sterl was surrounded by a dense, endless swarm of souls, their numbers too vast to count. Yet despite the overwhelming presence, the souls posed no physical harm; after all, the souls of the deadcked any inherent destructive power. No matter how many gathered, they couldn''t harm him directly.


    But the Soul Devourer Sphere didn''t simply absorb and refine these souls. It required its wielder to endure the chaotic remnants of their consciousness and the violent spiritual bacsh they brought.


    For Sterl, the soul of an ordinary second-ss or third-ss being��or even that of a legendary warrior or demigod��was like a fragile bubble. Compared to his own soul, the difference was like that of a speck of dust to the vastness of the heavens. Not only could he ignore the faint echoes of their memories, but even direct soul-based attacks from such beings would be entirely ineffective against him, thanks to the immense power of his own soul.


    But now, when their numbers multiplied by the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands��or even hundreds of thousands��Sterl began to feel the strain.


    The fragmented remnants of countless lives surged against his soul and willpower. His ears were filled with an unending cacophony of screams and wails:N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No! I don''t want to die! Please, don''t let me die!"


    "You monster! Demon! I curse you to burn in hell!"


    "God, save us! Drag this cruel butcher into the abyss!"


    "I''ll fight you to the end!"


    These voices, raw with emotion and desperation, echoed through his mind. Perhaps it was due to the unique nature of the Soul Devourer Sphere, but these souls, which should have immediately lost all consciousness upon death, retained their memories and awareness. It was as if they knew they were about to be refined and erased entirely. Desperate, theyunched one final assault.


    The weight of their collective resistance bore down entirely on Sterl. It felt as if he were standing amidst a relentless hurricane, battered by the storm''s fury, struggling to maintain his footing. Should he falter and be submerged by the chaos of their fragmented consciousness and opposition, the consequences would be catastrophic.


    However, if the souls'' resistance was a hurricane��a torrential storm of chaos��then Sterl''s soul was a towering, indomitable mountain.


    No matter how the winds roared or the rainshed, the mountain stood unmoved, its colossal presence defying the fury of the storm.


    Sterl''s soul, vast and immovable, remained firm against the onught. Though the storm raged, threatening to topple all in its path, the mountain''s unyielding strength was a testament to his unparalleled willpower and the might of his ascended state.


    Even as the storm continued to howl, Sterl stood tall, holding the Soul Devourer Sphere aloft, his gaze unwavering as he prepared to refine the countless souls he had imed.


    A hurricane capable of stripping sand from stone and uprooting trees was utterly powerless against the towering mountain that was Sterl. The relentless gale crashed against him with no effect, and the countless raindrops that apanied it were so insignificant that Sterl ignored them entirely.


    Apart from a brief moment of adjustment at the beginning, this level of impact posed no challenge to him. After all, Sterl''s soul was at an unparalleled level 62! Even the souls of gods were fragile before his might, let alone the insignificant, ant-like second-ss and third-ss souls swirling around him.


    Once he had fully limated to the bombardment of chaotic souls, Sterl''s thoughts flickered. With a singlemand, he directed the Soul Devourer Sphere to increase its absorption speed drastically.


    In an instant, a massive vortex rose around him, spiraling with furious energy. Souls that attempted to escape were caught in its pull and drawn inexorably into the sphere. The suction was so rapid that the Soul Devourer Sphere struggled momentarily to refine them all. But as one of the most treasured artifacts in Orichalcum''s history, the sphere''s refining speed scaled with its absorption, elerating to match the torrent of iing souls.


    The pressure on Sterl''s soul also increased correspondingly. What had once been a hurricane of rain had now transformed into a relentless hailstorm. Yet even the hail could do no more than leave faint ripples on the mountain''s surface, incapable of prating its core.


    With the Soul Devourer Sphere operating at full capacity, it took only a little over ten seconds for Sterl topletely absorb and devour the souls of nearly one million cannon fodder soldiers.


    "Phew��"


    Sterl exhaled slowly, expelling a faint breath of fatigue. Although his soul could easily withstand the chaotic assault of these disordered souls, the experience was still unpleasant. The soul represented the very essence of life, and every sensation it experienced was magnified a hundredfold in the physical realm. The difort was not surprising.


    "No wonder this artifact was left to gather dust in a corner," Sterl mused to himself. "In a way, there''s almost no difference in the quality of second-ss and third-ss souls. The same applies to souls of beings below the second ss. Which means that even when absorbing the soul of an ordinary creature, the wielder of the Soul Devourer Sphere would endure the same chaotic bacsh."


    He paused, his expression contemtive.


    "For gods with weak Divine Power, their soul levels generally don''t exceed five. Even at level five, the final resistance and struggle of these chaotic souls could still cause significant damage. Forget absorbing a hundred souls��absorbing even ten simultaneously could shatter their soul entirely, leading to instant death."


    The realization deepened Sterl''s appreciation for the artifact''s immense power��and its equally immense risks. It was not a tool for the unprepared or weak-willed, but for someone like him, it was the ultimate weapon.


    Sterl shook his head slightly. Soul strength and levels were among the hardest attributes to improve. Even for those born with inherently strong souls, the maximum natural level was usually no more than two or three. Take the example of the Nether Soul n member he had encountered before��despite cultivating soul techniques for countless years, their progress had been minimal.


    The key issue was that without the ability to restore their soul, even gods would require an extended period of rest after absorbing a single ordinary soul. Worse still, if luck wasn''t on their side, it could result in irreversible damage.


    "This thing really is a treasure tailor-made for me," Sterl mused, smirking.


    He had no idea what the founder of Orichalcum''s strength had been when they first obtained the Soul Devourer Sphere, but Sterl could say with absolute confidence that even that figure couldn''t have possessed the overwhelming soul strength needed to absorb a million ordinary souls at once as he had.


    Sterl then raised the Soul Devourer Sphere and examined the results of devouring and refining nearly a million ordinary souls.


    [Current Soul Power Reserve: 9,817]


    Close to 10,000 points of soul power. It seemed that for every 100 ordinary souls, approximately 1 point of soul power could be refined.


    "Let''s see what it can do."


    Gripping the Soul Devourer Sphere, Sterl willed the stored soul power to begin flowing into his body. To be cautious, he intentionally controlled the rate of transfer, limiting it to around 10 points per second.


    The next moment, Sterl''s entire body trembled slightly. A surge of immense energy, like a torrential flood, poured into him and struck his soul with incredible force!


    The impact was so powerful that even his mountain-like soul strength was visibly shaken. It was a sensation far greater than any hurricane or hailstorm��this was a level of force he hadn''t encountered before.


    Fortunately, the initial impact was the only jarring moment. Soon after, Sterl felt a soothing and mysterious energy begin to infuse into his soul. The chaotic damage from the earlier soul bacsh and the powerful surge was now being repaired at an astonishingly rapid pace.


    In less than a minute, even the most minor injuries werepletely healed. What''s more, hidden ws in his soul��so subtle that even Sterl hadn''t noticed them��were restored to a state of pristine perfection.


    ...

 Chapter 559 Soul Level Up! A Power Connected to a Cheat?

    Sterl narrowed his eyes slightly, a deep sense of rity washing over him. Every tiny wound on his soul had been thoroughly repaired. While it seemed insignificant, the result left him feeling extraordinarily refreshed, as though his entire soul had undergone a profound baptism. Even his perceptions felt sharper and more attuned.


    "So this is the effect of soul power? It can even repair the soul itself," he remarked, an edge of awe in his tone.


    Having possessed the Soul Devourer Sphere for so long, Sterl had finally experienced its true potential. Even without considering its other features, the ability to restore the soul alone was enough to ssify it as a legendary treasure. And yet, he knew this was just the tip of the iceberg.


    "However," he muttered, "the prerequisites for using this thing are absurdly high. I hadn''t expected the most significant bacsh wouldn''te from absorbing or refining souls but from actually drawing on the soul power itself. If you''re not careful, the damage could be irreversible."


    The moment he absorbed the soul power, the shock to his soul was at least ten times greater��if not more��than the bacsh from refining the million souls earlier.


    Even Sterl''s vast and resilient soul, with its unparalleled strength and scale, had experienced a faint tremor and minor damage. For an ordinary god, with a soul level of around 4 or 5, such an impact would be catastrophic, splitting their soul in half on the spot.


    The consequences would be dire:


    At best, their soul would fracture, leaving them a mindless lunatic.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    At orst, they would suffer instant death, obliterated with no hope of revival or reincarnation��aplete and eternal end.


    For most gods, the Soul Devourer Sphere was not a treasure at all. It was a suicidal artifact, a perfect tool for ensuring a swift and agonizing demise.


    Sterl nced at the soul power reserve after the brief healing and cleansing session.


    [Soul Power Reserve: 9,700]


    This meant that restoring and purifying his soul had consumed 117 points of soul power. By the calction that one point of soul power required the souls of 100 beings, this equated to approximately 11,700 second-ss and third-ss soldiers'' souls!


    To Sterl, this wasn''t a significant cost. With his current strength, harvesting souls was a trivial matter. And considering that this restoration involved the soul��one of the most fundamental and critical aspects of existence��the price was justified. Anything rted to the soul always demanded a steep cost.


    "Still," he thought, a faint smirk on his lips, "for most beings, this would bepletely impractical. But for me? This thing is priceless. Tailor-made."


    He tapped the Soul Devourer Sphere lightly, marveling at its potential and the strength it could unlock.


    Sterl now truly understood why the gods of Orichalcum had relegated the Soul Devourer Sphere to a dusty corner, forgotten and unused. Restoring even the smallest of his soul''s injuries required a significant amount of soul power. While his soul strength was exceptionally high, making it inherently more challenging to heal, the situation for other gods was even worse.


    When he considered it from their perspective, the Soul Devourer Sphere was nothing but a resource sink��a losing bargain with a terrifyingly high risk of death.


    Imagine enduring the agonizing pain of soul damage, relying on some trump card or sheer willpower to harvest and refine the souls of hundreds of beings, only to earn a single point of soul power. Then, upon attempting to use that point to restore one''s soul, discovering to their horror that it barely repaired the surface, offering no meaningful improvement at all.


    Faced with such a dismal reality, even a god would be left speechless��if not utterly despondent.


    And before they could even absorb that single point of soul power, they''d first have to endure the soul-shaking bacsh of the process. While itsted only a moment, the impact was at least ten times stronger than the bacsh experienced during soul harvesting. Even the soul of a god at full strength could be shattered outright, let alone one already battered and on the brink of copse.


    The odds of survival? Likely 90% in favor of death.


    As for the remaining 10%? They''d either emerge as a raving lunatic or a mindless fool. In the end, no one benefited.


    Not just ordinary gods with weak Divine Power, but even Supreme Deities or High Divine Power entities would find the Soul Devourer Sphere an impractical tool. With its abysmal return on investment, it had long ceased to hold any meaningful value. No matter how rare or precious a treasure might be, it bes little more than an ornament of historical significance when it serves no practical purpose.


    But in Sterl''s hands, the Soul Devourer Sphere had finally found its true master.


    After all, his level 62 soul was unlike anything most beings could fathom. To put it into perspective, even hunting multiple gods would fail to provide him with enough soul experience to advance a single level. That alone spoke volumes about the staggering strength of his soul.


    However, even for Sterl, reaching this level had been the result of an extraordinarybination of circumstances: countless opportunities, relentless effort, and above all, the unique advantage of his evolutionary cheat ability. It was a convergence of luck, chance, and hard work��one that could never be replicated.


    This was why he considered the Soul Devourer Sphere to be a treasure tailor-made for him.


    "Now... let me see where your limits truly lie," Sterl murmured, his tone heavy with anticipation.


    Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on the Soul Devourer Sphere, and immediately, the soul power stored within surged into his body. This time, the influx was even faster than before.


    Sterl''s mind went nk for a moment, as if struck by a sledgehammer. His soul trembled visibly��his mountain-like soul, unshakable and vast, quivered under the pressure, shedding chunks of metaphorical soil and stone.


    Yet after weathering this initial impact, an even stronger, soothing coolness surged through his consciousness, spreading rapidly throughout his body. He could feel it vividly��the soul power, after fully restoring his soul, transformed into a nourishing essence specifically designed to strengthen it.


    His soul was growing stronger, bit by bit.


    Sterl quickly summoned his attribute interface. On the section for Soul Level, the previously lengthy and stagnant experience bar was now filling rapidly. Within moments, it had progressed by more than half��an achievement greater than what he would gain from hunting seven or eight gods'' souls.


    And this was only the beginning. As more soul power poured into him, the soul experience bar continued to fill at an astonishing rate. It wasn''t long before the bar reached its limit. Apanied by a faint vibration in his soul, a wave of refreshing energy emanated from the depths of his consciousness.


    In that moment, Sterl''s soul underwent a subtle but significant transformation. His Soul Level rose from 62 to 63.


    The process didn''t stop there. Shortly afterward, another simr tremor rippled through his soul. Sterl''s expression lit up with uncontainable joy��his Soul Level surged again, reaching 64.


    At this point, Sterl halted the flow of soul power from the Soul Devourer Sphere, allowing the growth in his soul experience to subside. As he assessed the changes in his soul, his excitement was palpable.


    "This is... this is..."


    His chest heaved as he searched for the right words. But for all his effort, he couldn''t find an adequate way to describe what had just happened.


    In less than a minute, his Soul Level had increased by two whole levels!


    It was an unthinkable achievement. Soul Level advancement was notoriously difficult. In the early stages, when one''s soul was still rtively weak, such rapid progress might have been possible. But at Sterl''s current level, he hadn''t experienced growth like this in an incredibly long time.


    Moreover, each new level required an astronomical amount of soul experience to achieve. The higher his Soul Level, the harder it became to advance.


    And yet, this mattered immensely��because the first condition for the next evolution of his cheat ability was a Soul Level of 99!


    For Sterl, this moment was more than just progress��it was a glimpse into the impossible. The path ahead, though steep, now seemed a step closer to realization.


    Before obtaining the Soul Devourer Sphere, Sterl had all but lost hope of ever reaching that fateful day. After crossing level 60, each subsequent level required as much soul experience as the totalbined for all levels leading up to level 59.


    But now, with the Soul Devourer Sphere, hope was no longer just a faint glimmer��it was a zing certainty. Sterl didn''t merely see the possibility of achieving his goal; he could vividly foresee it as an inevitable reality.


    ncing at the remaining soul power reserve in the Soul Devourer Sphere, Sterl noted there were still a full 6,000 points left. He had used 3,700 points to raise his soul level by two.


    Granted, this was an immense amount of soul power��enough to elerate a soul from level 1 to unprecedented heights in record time. Yet for Sterl, even with the remaining 6,000 points, he could only raise his Soul Level by another two levels at most.


    However, he chose not to continue pouring soul power into his soul. The Soul Devourer Sphere''s effects were not limited to soul enhancements alone.


    [Soul Devourer Sphere Effects]:


    When the wielder kills an enemy, the Soul Devourer Sphere automatically absorbs the soul energy of the recently departed.


    The absorbed souls are refined within the sphere, converting them into pure soul energy.


    The refined soul energy can be used by the wielder for various enhancements and recoveries, including but not limited to: stamina, vitality, physical attributes, Divine Power, insight, lifespan, and soul strength.


    The wielder can channel the refined soul energy into followers, worshippers, or subordinates, empowering or restoring them ording to their will.


    The wielder can condense all refined soul energy within the sphere into a single, overwhelming burst of [Transcendence]-level power, which can either be used to enhance the wielder''s own strength or released as a devastating attack. This power is irresistible by any means other than soul-based defenses.


    Reviewing the sphere''s abilities again, Sterl noted its versatility. Beyond soul repair and enhancement, it could be used to improve virtually every aspect of his being.


    This realization struck a chord. The Soul Devourer Sphere''s effects bore an uncanny resemnce to his cheat ability, Evolution, which also allowed for limitless enhancements. Both seemed capable of "adding points" to any attribute, improving anything.


    A thoughtful smile spread across Sterl''s face. Could there be a connection between the Soul Devourer Sphere and his cheat?


    No�� no. The Soul Devourer Sphere was just a vessel. The true valuey in the pure soul power it contained.


    Could it be that his cheat ability��the power to evolve��was itself a form of soul energy maniption?


    The idea intrigued him deeply. His mind raced as he searched for parallels between the two powers, piecing together fragments of understanding.


    ...

 Chapter 561 The Return of the Five Great Gods?

    "It''s a pity, though. The cost was too great."


    His overall basic attributes had indeed nearly doubled, and even his energy and vitality had been boosted more than his basic attributes. However, this came at the cost of all the soul power umted within the Soul Devourer Sphere.


    To put it in perspective, nearly 10,000 soul power points had been harvested from the souls of almost a million second- and third-ss soldiers. Given this, if he wanted to strengthen his followers and create an elite army, just how much soul power would he need to support such a force?


    Moreover, Sterl had always held the belief that anything external��whether it''s an army, weapons, or items��was just that: external. He prioritized his own development above all else. So, if cultivating his followers consumed this much soul power, it would be better to use it to strengthen himself. Once he reached the true limits of his strength, he could focus on nurturing his subordinates.


    "No, if nurturing my followers requires such arge amount of soul power, then this ability is basically useless. There must be something I haven''t discovered yet."


    Sterl thought to himself. Soon, he pinpointed the problem. His current level was at the third-ss limit. Until he broke through to Legendary, his experience would not increase.


    In addition to this, his soul level was at an astounding 62. Even the Nether Soul race couldn''t possibly have a soul stronger than his. Perhaps, because his soul was so powerful, the cost of improving other aspects had also increased. After all, both body and soul were inherently connected��some even considered the soul to be the core of everything. This theory seemed very usible.


    If that were the case, the cost to enhance his followers might be much smaller. Moreover, soul power could possibly raise the level of his followers directly. If that were true, it might even allow him to create batches of powerful elites. This idea didn''t seem unreasonable at all.


    With the Soul Devourer Sphere now empty in his hand, Sterl stopped thinking further. His eyes, gleaming with anticipation, turned toward the cannon fodder army below.


    It seemed like a long time had passed, but in reality, only two or three minutes had gone by. Even now, the damage overflow caused by Celestial Stars was just finishing up, and the sea of fire on the battlefield was slowly dissipating, revealing ten massive, crater-like pits that looked as though they were created by fallen meteors.


    Even in the crushed, ss-like crystalline pits that had been burned away, vague remnants of weapons and armor debris could still be seen scattered around. One could only imagine the apocalyptic brutality that had taken ce here.


    However, although the soldiers of this army were weak, their massive numbers��millions strong��were not so easily wiped out. There were still five to six million soldiers remaining.


    But at this point, they had all lost the will to fight. Honor, contribution points, and resources��all of these things had been cast aside in their minds. They longed to grow extra legs and flee as far away as possible.


    Forget about fighting; simply standing before Sterl without trembling was already impressive. Fight? With what? Their lives? But even that required having a life to begin with!


    Fortunately, because Sterl was still part of the Orichalcum faction, the marsh below hadn''t been affected. Now, the giant poisonous insects and beasts hidden in the swamp had begun to emerge, relentlessly attacking and hindering the soldiers'' escape. Additionally, the swamp itself��slow and sticky��caused their movement to slow to a crawl, even rendering them unable to move at all. So, even escaping had be an unattainable luxury. It was simply impossible!


    As a result, the remaining millions of soldiers were still clustered together, stuck in the swamp, forming a dark, dense mass.


    As for the gods of the Orichalcum and Ashen factions, each of them had stopped what they were doing, staring nkly at Sterl, too afraid to act. They hadn''t expected that Sterl not only hadn''t been injured, but had also unleashed such overwhelming power. The direction of the battle was now entirely in Sterl''s hands, and every move he made would determine the oue.


    "Good thing they didn''t run too far. Otherwise, chasing them one by one would''ve been a real hassle. The Ashen Temple wouldn''t give me that much time��"


    After tasting the sweetness of victory, Sterl looked down at the terrified soldiers below, his face shing with excitement as if he were gazing at precious elixirs.


    He then waved his hand again, and the power within him surged out like a flood. The evolved Blood of the Holy Spirit allowed him to increase the level of any skill by one tier, with a durationsting for two full days.


    This meant that for the next two days, Celestial Stars would retain the power of a tinum Skill, which was already a mighty ability��one that only gods were privileged enough to wield.


    When Celestial Stars wasbined with Starlight Spray, and then activated in Ascend to Godhood mode, it became the perfect skill to wipe out cannon fodder with devastating efficiency.


    "Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars!! Celestial Stars!!!"


    Without any hesitation, Sterl unleashed Celestial Stars once again, and in an instant, the sky, which had just calmed down, was once again shrouded in thick, eerie dark clouds. This time, with his energy enhanced two to three times, the number of Celestial Stars reached a terrifying total of twenty!


    Twenty Celestial Stars, like a meteor shower of annihtion, descended from the heavens, carrying with them overwhelming pressure and me, howling toward the soldiers below!


    "No! Please, no, don''t kill me!"


    "Gods, have mercy! We were wrong! We shouldn''t have joined the Ashen Temple, they forced us into it!"


    "Gods above, save us!"


    The soldiers were utterly desperate, even the will to flee had been erased. They stared up at the Celestial Stars meteors, which were now nearly upon them, trembling uncontrobly. They didn''t even have the energy to resist the creatures from the swamp that were attacking them.


    What good was it to fight these monsters? It was a dead end anyway. Such a natural disaster-like attack, such a devastating force, how could they possibly contend with it?


    At that moment, in the eyes of the millions of soldiers, Sterl was nothing short of the ultimate reaper, a terrifying entity that wielded the divine authority of ughter and destruction!


    "Do not be afraid�� Death is but a new beginning. This is not ughter, it is fusion. It is your honor to merge with me, for I will ascend to the highest peak. I will carry your residual souls and wills, and I will be the supreme god!"


    Looking down at the terrified soldiers, Sterl felt no shame orpassion. Instead, there was a strange sense of satisfaction in his words. His expression, twisted and enigmatic, made him seem like an unfathomable, eldritch god.


    But this was his true belief. Although he had destroyed their bodies and absorbed and refined their souls with the Soul Devourer Sphere, every soul''s final scream and resistance before annihtion was engraved in Sterl''s mind.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, these souls were not much more than tools to disy his honor and power, much like the mountain of bones left by countless other reapers.


    Of course, in this ever-changing world, even gods could not escape the uncertainty of life and death. How much less could these mortals, trapped in a world where they could not even control their own destinies? In the end, whether they died sooner orter didn''t matter. Offering their souls to him was leaving behind something��a trace. At the very least, Sterl would remember them.


    With the Soul Devourer Sphere in hand, Sterl quietly waited for the Celestial Stars tond. He anticipated the soul shockwave that would be caused by the absorption and refinement of souls within the Soul Devourer Sphere.


    Before the Celestial Stars could evennd, the figures of several gods immediately appeared.


    "We can''t let him continue ughtering like this, or the battle will copse entirely!"


    "Destroy those meteors, leave not a single one!"


    These gods instantly activated their divine authority and Law Power, unleashing powerful tinum-level abilities to strike at the Celestial Stars meteors that were about to fall.


    When the five gods appeared, the cannon fodder on the Ashen side breathed a sigh of relief, and even the legendary army let out a long breath.


    There was no other choice��the pressure Sterl had imposed was simply too overwhelming. If the Ashen Temple''s army was truly destroyed, the battlefield would immediately lose its bnce, and this terrifying reaper would have free rein to deal with them.


    Even though they controlled powerful formations, they had no confidence that they could withstand the relentless bombardment of meteors. It was a terrifyingly deadly situation.


    Even the Orichalcum faction''s army, which was part of the same alliance, began to rx a little. It was just too shocking. They had originally believed that the fallen Hades was dead, but not only had he survived, he had made a terrifying return, ughtering mercilessly.


    The sight of him unleashing meteors to massacre the cannon fodder army left a deep unease in their hearts. Each of them felt a chill running down their spine, secretly thinking to themselves that if they ever encountered this killing god again, they would be wise to avoid any provocation. If someone were to try and kill him, even the gods might not be able to save them!


    Sterl felt a bit confused. Clearly, the divine power on both sides had reached a bnce, so how could the Ashen faction dare to send their gods to stop him? What about the other two fronts?


    However, when he saw the faces of the five gods, a look of realization crossed his face, followed by a surge of excitement.


    Because these five gods were none other than the ones who had attacked him before, using a mix of Law and Divine Power to assault him under the protection of Shielding Power!


    He had used the Ster Barrier of the Starry Battle Armor to block the chaotic divine power, and then immediately retreated into a subspace. He had watched these five vanish right before his eyes. Now, to his surprise, they had reappeared and were participating in the battle once again.


    This was perfect. He hadn''t had the chance to properly get back at them for the previous ambush. Now, these five trash gods dared to show their faces and hinder him again? It was time to settle both old and new grudges!

 Chapter 563 Refining the Divine Soul! Advanced Soul Power!?

    "So satisfying..."


    Watching as the five gods disintegrated into ash, Sterl nodded in satisfaction. While he hadn''t sustained any injuries from their earlier ambush, the experience had left him feeling a bit unsettled. Now, not only had he yed with them, but he had also eliminated thempletely, and naturally, his mood was elevated.


    This was the mindset Sterl had now adopted��he could no longer tolerate any annoyance or interference. If something upset him, he would simply destroy the source of it.


    But this relentless pursuit of strength had always been for this very moment, hadn''t it? To do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, without constraint. His fate was now fully in his own hands!


    Of course, he could only im partial control over his fate for now. The higher he climbed, the broader his perspective became, and he began to realize that the world wasn''t as simple as he had once believed.


    Whether it was [Transcendence], or the recently discovered Endless Void, which had even made the Orichalcum kingdom wary, what secrets did it hide? And what of the mysterious Dreand, the origins of his cheat, and the true nature of the impending catastrophe?


    Until he had fully uncovered and resolved all of these mysteries, he couldn''t truly say he hadplete control over his destiny. After all, the unknown was the greatest source of instability, and it could destroy everything he had built at any given moment.


    With that thought in mind, his expression turned to one of anticipation. While he could have used the Followers'' Mark to capture these five gods, pretending to let them go, he had instead chosen to eliminate them all. One reason was for his own satisfaction, and the other was to see how much soul power the Soul Devourer Sphere would extract from refining the gods'' divine souls.


    It was true that most gods didn''t ce much value on strengthening their souls, and their soul levels were generally quite low. But one thing was certain��the souls of gods were entirely different from those of mortals.


    Even if a god perished, as long as their divine soul wasn''t annihted, they could eventually revive. Just like the mysterious will Sterl had encountered when he gained the human race divine authority, or Felicia, who had been absorbed into Faye''s body. These had been gods who should have fallen, yet because of the unique nature of their divine souls, their will could persist, waiting for the chance to awaken.


    Soon, he felt a sudden burst of terrifying suction from the Soul Devourer Sphere in his hand. The next moment, in a ne of existence where no one could see, on the soul level...


    The five divine souls, each radiating with a multicolored aura, were pulled into the Soul Devourer Sphere by its terrifying suction. These five souls were, unmistakably, the souls of the God of Space and the other four gods!


    "No! What is this? What is this!?"


    "Please, no! Spare me! I will forever submit to you and be your most loyal servant!"


    "Why? How could you capture our divine souls!?"


    The five divine souls screamed in terror. From their current perspective, they could only see one thing: in Sterl''s hand was a terrifying object, one that resembled a ck hole, pulling them toward it with unstoppable force. They didn''t know what it was, but their divine instincts screamed that this object was extremely dangerous. If they were sucked into it, their souls would be destroyed, utterly obliterated, with no chance of resurrection!


    Unfortunately for them, once the Soul Devourer Sphere activated, as long as the wielder could withstand the bacsh from the soul, no divine soul could resist its pull.


    With cries of agony and terror, the five divine souls were dragged into the Soul Devourer Sphere and began to be swiftly refined.


    "Ahhh!!! No! I don''t want to die!"


    "It hurts so much! My body... my body is melting!"


    "Who are you? What kind of monster are you!?"


    The five gods'' souls were utterly consumed by despair. As they entered the Soul Devourer Sphere, it felt like being cast into a purgatory filled with hellish divine mes, and there was no exit. They could do nothing but watch as they were slowly annihted.


    "Hades! I curse you! I curse you!!"


    "One day, you too will fall, and you will suffer the same fate as us!"


    Sterl, however, remained calm as he listened to the screams and curses echoing from the sphere.


    "Oh? Is that so..."


    "If that day everes for me, it will only prove that I wasn''t strong enough. This world is a ce where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, and I... will only be the strongest."


    Having already embarked on this irreversible path, Sterl had long since prepared himself for the possibility of his own fall. After all, every mission he hadpleted, every precious artifact he had obtained, hade with risk and danger.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A greenhouse can never cultivate true strength��only weakness. Sterl understood this all too well. As much as his cheat had shaped his path, it was more of a reflection of his will and determination than any mere advantage.


    Without the cheat, he might not have reached this height, but he never would have settled for mediocrity.


    Following a chilling scream, the five divine souls werepletely refined. At the same time, a powerful shockwave suddenly surged into Sterl''s soul. Fortunately, though the bacsh was strong, the number of souls resisting him was far fewer than he had anticipated. With the strength of his own soul, he managed to endure it without much difficulty.


    Sterl took a deep breath. Though his soul remained mostly unharmed, the resistance and struggles of the five divine souls had still left him feeling a bit ufortable. After a brief moment of recovery, he immediately turned his attention to the Soul Devourer Sphere to check on the soul energy.


    Inside the Soul Devourer Sphere, to his surprise, the soul energy reserve still read as 0. But there was a new entry disyed, and it caught his attention:


    [High-Level Soul Energy Reserve: 50]


    [Normal Soul Energy Reserve: 0]


    "Divine souls... refined into high-level soul energy?" Sterl was taken aback. He looked at the Soul Devourer Sphere in his hand. The dark purple glow on its surface seemed to have deepened, as though something was subtly changing within it after the refinement of the divine souls.


    However, no new information emerged, so Sterl didn''t know the full extent of the high-level soul energy''s potential or how it would affect him.


    What surprised him even more was that from just five divine souls, only 50 units of high-level soul energy had been refined. That was far from insignificant. This item was certainly no simple object, though now was not the time for experimentation. After all, he didn''t know how absorbing such potent soul energy might bacsh against him, or whether there would be any restrictions in the process. Until he could ensure his environment waspletely safe, he wouldn''t risk trying it out.


    In addition to the unexpected gain of high-level soul energy, there was another monumental benefit: the Space Divine Authority!


    With the death of the God of Space, the shattered Space Divine Authority naturally became his to absorb. This boosted his understanding and control over space, bringing him closer to mastering Space Law. He could feel hisprehension and application of thew bing sharper and more effortless.


    Meanwhile, the others were just beginning to realize what had transpired. They stared at Sterl with a mixture of shock and fear, as if they were witnessing a doomsday god in person.


    Due to the influence of Temporal-Spatial Law, the other gods had assumed that once the five gods had dealt with the falling meteors, they would teleport away. Instead, they inexplicably found themselves before Hades, only to witness a brilliant burst of light.


    This was no ordinary disappearance��based on the feedback from the world''s will, it was clear that all five gods had perished.


    This tyrant-like man, in the blink of an eye, obliterated five gods, one of whom wielded Space Divine Authority. Yet, despite such power, not even he could escape death''s grip.


    To the ordinary soldiers watching, it felt as though a fleeting moment passed and those five gods were gone. In the sky above, blood began to rain down, signaling the Tragedy of the Gods. The glimmer of hope they had clung to was crushed in an instant, reduced to ashes, and they fell back into the endless abyss.


    "He�� he really isn''t an upper-tier god?"


    A voice��uncertain and filled with disbelief��echoed in the minds of all the gods. Indeed, this mysterious being called Hades, could he really not be an upper-tier god?


    He was powerful enough that thebined Divine Power of five gods couldn''t even wound him. His strength was such that he could massacre gods as easily as ughtering chickens. All of them were gods, all of them were chosen ones, with talent, insight, and fortune standing at the pinnacle. Yet, in the face of this Hades, these exalted gods seemed like mere ants on the roadside, easily crushed underfoot.


    The stark contrast was enough to make everyone question their very existence. The gods of Orichalcum and Eterna were filled with mixed emotions, both relieved and terrified. They were deeply thankful that Hades had chosen to join them��otherwise, they would now be the ones sinking into despair and questioning their ce in the world.


    As for these thoughts, Sterl had no intention of paying them any mind. A vague sense of unease grew within him, for it was clear that the fighting power he had just disyed had exceeded the limits that Ashen''s side could endure. The powerful beings from the Upper Realms could no longer sit idly by��they were surely about to make their move.


    Thus, he had to seize every moment and continue harvesting souls, refining his soul energy!


    Now that there were no more obstacles in his way, he would kill without hesitation, killing to his heart''s content!


    "Celestial Stars!! Fall!!!"


    He raised his hand high, as if trying to capture a star, and immediately, the dark sky lit up with dozens of zing fireballs. Upon closer inspection, they were all massive meteors, burning with terrifying me!


    Sterl did not care about the consumption of his power. He continued to cast Celestial Stars frantically. Even with his current energy, he could feel the strain. Yet, the sky above now held no fewer than fifty enormous meteors!


    Such a terrifying number��a true Sky Cover blocking out the sun. Even if those five gods were somehow revived, they would never be able to stop them all, no matter how hard they fought.


    Sterl exhaled slightly, his breath heavier than before. He had expended quite a bit of energy to summon this onught!

 Chapter 564 Meteors Fall from the Sky, Annihilating a Million-Strong Army in an Instant!

    "He... is he trying to destroy this world?!"


    Everyone froze once again, their hands halted mid-motion. One by one, they looked up, stunned, at the dozens of meteors with long fiery tails streaking across the sky. A single thought suddenly shed in their minds.


    Fifty Celestial Stars��each one powerful enough to severely injure a god. Such strength could only mean one thing: Hades was not trying to destroy the world, he was the world''s end itself. Was he truly not an upper-tier god who had escaped the world''s limits?


    How could a mere god of weak Divine Power do something of this scale? For a moment, all the gods who were fighting ceased their actions. Their eyes were fixed on the meteors, desperately trying to convince themselves that these were just illusions.


    But the overwhelming, bone-chilling power of the meteors shattered their doubts. This wasn''t an illusion; it was reality��true meteors, falling from the sky, carrying with them the terrifying force to annihte the world!


    "What should we do now?"


    One of the gods from the Ashen faction felt a deep sense of hopelessness. If even those five gods, who had worked together seamlessly andmanded Mixed Divine Power, were effortlessly ughtered by this monster, then anyone attempting to stop him would surely be a joke. This creature''s ability to ughter gods was truly a piece of cake!


    Moreover, the gods from Orichalcum were closely watching them. Any movement on their part would surely be intercepted and hindered. Then again, it wasn''t certain. If the target of the attack was Hades, they might even be delighted rather than obstructive.


    It was easy to predict: any gods who tried to provoke Hades wouldn''t evenst ten seconds.


    The Celestial Stars, which made even gods feel powerless, would be even more overwhelming for the lower-tier soldiers on the battlefield. As the meteors rapidly descended, they filled the soldiers'' vision, blotting out the sky.


    In that moment, even the most resilient soldiers broke. Their spirits shattered as they screamed in panic, some fleeing in all directions without a second thought. Others, overwhelmed by terror, began to turn their weapons on their ownrades, desperate to release the fear and horror gripping their hearts.


    But most of them stood frozen, their eyes zed over, weapons falling from their hands. It was as if their very life force had been drained, and they crumpled to their knees with a thud, their heads lifted to the sky to meet the scorching waves of heat.


    Boom!!!


    Fifty meteors fell from the sky, each one carrying with it the power of Star Power and Divine Power from an Ascend to Godhood state. The Celestial Stars, now indistinguishable from real meteors, struck the battlefield with pinpoint precision. The impact instantly annihted tens of millions of soldiers, turning them into dust, their bodies disintegrating and vanishing into ash.


    Endless me erupted from the Celestial Stars, surging out as if fifty terrifying volcanoes had erupted on the battlefield. At the same time, the immense damage from this me overflowed, pushing Starlight Spray to its maximum potential. Coupled with the effects of Cursed Vision, the entire battlefield was soon engulfed by the inferno.


    In an instant, millions of soldiers were reduced to nothingness. Thebined force of the Celestial Stars and Starlight Spray was simply beyond the means of these low-tier soldiers to withstand.


    At this moment, the vast battlefield was silent except for the roar of the me spreading. The screams and wails of millions of soldiers werepletely smothered and blocked by the unrelenting me.


    The gods in the sky could only watch as soldiers, like dry grass caught in a wildfire, withered and melted away in the mes. Even those at the outermost edge of the Celestial Stars'' range were quickly consumed by the spreading fire. The soldiers, struggling in the mes, tried desperately to extinguish them, but their efforts were in vain. Soon, they copsed motionless, their bodies disintegrating, until they too became a part of the me, vanishing from this world.


    Sterl took a deep breath, gazing down at the apocalyptic scene below. To be honest, this was the first time he had wiped out so many lives. However, he felt no difort or remorse.


    As he had thought, these beings weren''t truly dead��they had simply be nourishment for his own growth. As long as he remained alive, all the lives he had destroyed would leave their mark within him.


    After all, death was never the end��forgetting was.


    Moreover, this world was a world where the strong preyed upon the weak. He grew stronger, and with that strength, he could do anything, rewrite any history. Likewise, if a stronger being killed him due to his ownck of power, he would hold no grudges. There would only be a sense of regret, but no resentment. This was reality.


    With a calm mind, he focused and gathered his Soul''s Power, preparing himself for the bacsh from the souls he had just consumed.


    The next moment, the Soul Devourer Sphere in his hand suddenly erupted with an incredibly blinding light. Immediately, from within the vast sea of mes, struggling souls, wing and howling in pain, were forcibly drawn into the Soul Devourer Sphere. Tens of millions of souls, as if entering a realm of ghosts, were drawn together in a shadow that blotted out the sky.


    These souls instinctively struggled, attempting to break free from the control of the Soul Devourer Sphere. Each time they resisted, their energy mmed against Sterl''s own soul.


    However, Sterl had already prepared for this. His soul stood like a towering mountain, unwavering as these souls relentlessly crashed into it. Even though the number of souls flooding into the Soul Devourer Sphere was many times greater than before, and the bacsh was much stronger, the most it did was cause his soul to tremble slightly��there was no real effect.


    This was the difference in soul strength and quality. Just like when he absorbed the five divine souls earlier��though the number was small, the impact on his soul was far from negligible, though the duration of the bacsh was much shorter.


    Of course, what Sterl didn''t know was that the strength of his soul had already reached an absurdly monstrous level. Even the soul shocks that would have shattered an upper-tier god''s soul barely caused him any harm.


    If his soul hadn''t been this strong, the Soul Devourer Sphere would not have been left gathering dust in a corner. It would have been used, without a doubt, and certainly wouldn''t have ended up in the hands of someone like Sterl, an outsider.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Long ago, the gods of Orichalcum had lost interest and hope in the Soul Devourer Sphere. Even for gods of powerful Divine Power, using it was more of a loss than a gain. Only the mightiest of gods might truly unlock its potential.


    However, the mighty gods were always elusive, legends that could hardly be grasped, their appearances rare to the point of myth. Even the founders of Orichalcum, who had once been its rulers, had long since vanished. Thus, the Soul Devourer Sphere had gradually be nothing more than a relic.


    As fifty Celestial Stars fell, nearly annihting an entire army of millions, Sterl had obliterated at least three to four million lives, if not more. Within the Soul Devourer Sphere, countless souls were trapped and rapidly refined under its power.


    Sterl had initially believed that the speed of soul refinement would increase indefinitely, but now it was clear that this was not the case. With more than three million souls umted inside the Soul Devourer Sphere, he could distinctly feel that the refining speed had reached its limit. No matter how many more souls poured in, the speed of refinement remained unchanged.


    As long as the Soul Devourer Sphere continued refining, his soul would face a constant barrage of impact. For an ordinary god, this would be unbearable. But for Sterl, such a strain was nothing. He could easily endure it without any trouble.


    Once the output from the Celestial Stars had been fully unleashed and the Starlight Spray ceased, the hellish sea of mes on the battlefield gradually faded away. Along with it, the massive army of cannon fodder also vanished.


    In the swampynd, the army that had once swarmed like ants was nowpletely gone. In the central area, besides the swamp itself, which was still protected by damage immunity, and the monsters lingering there, not a single soul could be seen.


    In addition, dozens of giant craters, formed by the impact of the Celestial Stars, had scarred thend. These craters spanned a vast area of several dozen miles, and the entire terrain had sunk by at least a hundred meters, leaving behind a massive, gaping pit in the earth.


    Of course, even though the entire army of five to six million, mostly made up of second ss and third ss soldiers, had been decimated, they were not so easily erased. On the outermost edges, where the fifty Celestial Stars had covered, a few fortunate souls had somehow survived. There were still several hundred thousand left, though most of them bore significant injuries. Even those who had lived through the ordeal did not feel joy or relief. Instead, they stood or sat in a daze, their eyes unfocused and their minds nk.


    Some were frozen in ce, standing rigidly, while others slumped down without any dignity, their eyes vacant as they stared at nothing in particr. Their minds had gonepletely numb.


    Perhaps, even for those who managed to survive, they would be little more than walking corpses��forever haunted by the apocalyptic scene they had just witnessed. Until their mental willpletely shattered, until they lost all consciousness and died.


    After all, such a scene was simply too terrifying! An entire army of several million, five to six million soldiers, had just vanished right before their eyes!


    Faintly, they seemed to still see the tragic spectacle��the soldiers struggling and screaming in the endless sea of mes after the Celestial Stars exploded. It was a scene far more horrifying than any hell they could have imagined, a nightmare on a scale they couldn''t fathom!


    "Devil! You''re a devil! A demon!!"


    "Run, the devil hase! The devil has descended upon the world!"


    "This is the Grief of the World! The Grief of the Gods! This world... is finished!!"

 Chapter 566: The Power of the Legendary Army, Hades... Is This It?

    As themander of this battle, Boris held most of the authority over the formation. Under hismand, all the legends, demigods, and the other nine gods acting as formation cores erupted with their powers.


    The immense energy quickly condensed into a thick and resilient defensive barrier above the army, formed through the power of the formation.


    In that moment, all eyes were focused on the barrier, some filled with tension, some praying, while others were confident and hopeful. Then, the massive Celestial Star, powerful and awe-inspiring, like a world-destroying meteor, crashed down onto the protective shield of the formation!


    Boom!


    A terrifying shockwave surged from the formation, causing everyone within to feel a heavy pressure, immediately urging them to mobilize their energies, fully focused on preparing for the impending counterattack.


    However, the next moment, everyone froze in ce. The reason was simple: the mighty Celestial Star, which had seemed invincible and world-shattering, shattered upon impact and exploded into a raging inferno that spread across the formation��s barrier.


    But soon, the power from the formation itself negated the mes, extinguishing them little by little. In other words, that Celestial Star had been destroyed just like that?


    Not even the demigods who had transmitted their powers expected this. Even Eterna was caught off guard, staring at the undamaged defense shield in astonishment. He had expected that the shield would be broken by the Celestial Star, and then the formation would unleash a powerful counterattack to heavily damage this legendary army. But to his surprise, the Celestial Star... was that all?


    "What... what just happened?"


    "Did we actually survive?"


    "The power of that Celestial Star... seems like it��s not that much after all."


    "Could this be a test from that demon?"


    The group couldn��t help but murmur, looking up at the figure in the sky. Though fear still flickered in their eyes, it wasn��t the same panic or hopelessness as before. Had Boris been right? Was this Hades really just some insignificant threat, only capable of wiping out cannon fodder? Was he actually powerless against their legendary army?


    After all, they were the legendary army! Moreover, Sterl had only managed to massacre that cannon fodder legion because their formation had been broken. Without the formation, even other gods, despite their AOE abilities, wouldn��t have achieved the same level of destruction. It was just a matter of time.


    However, despite these reassurances, given the terrifying disy from this creature earlier, no one dared to act carelessly. They still harbored some wariness and hesitated to make any moves.


    "Is this the formation of the legendary army��?"


    Sterl��s gaze rested on the defensive barrier. This legendary army truly lived up to its reputation as the backbone of the Ashen Temple in this war. Although a portion of it had been decimated by the Godyer Crossbow, there were still 80,000 to 90,000 legends remaining. Most of them were mid-level and high-level legends, with a notable number of Ascendants, just shy of demigods. Even a significant number of demigods were present.


    Such a legion,bined with a powerful formation, producing results like this wasn��t surprising. Furthermore, this formation was anchored by ten gods, amplifying its power. Even an upper-tier god might find themselves helpless against it.


    As for the Celestial Star he had just unleashed, it wasn��t a mere probe. It had been a fully-powered Celestial Star, stronger than any he had released before. Yet, it had only managed to achieve such minimal results.


    "Let��s try again."


    With that, Sterl raised his hand toward the legendary army once more. Instantly, everyone��s nerves were on edge, watching his movements cautiously and preparing to resist with all their might.


    A radiant glow began to coalesce in Sterl��s hand, the light gathering rapidly until it formed into a brilliant, dazzling beam. It looked almost divine, but the aura it exuded was nothing short of annihtion.


    With Sterl��s base attributes significantly enhanced, the Destruction Divine Light had naturally grown much stronger as well. Without hesitation, he aimed it at the legendary army below and unleashed his strongest single-target attack in his arsenal.


    Seeing this, every legend and demigod, including Boris himself, pushed their efforts to the limit. They channeled their energy into the formation, driving it to its absolute peak to counteract the iing assault.


    Boom!!


    The Destruction Divine Light struck the turtle-shell-like defensive barrier dead-on. The force behind the attack was far greater than that of the previous Celestial Star, impacting everyone contributing to the formation. Many of the weaker legends felt their chests tighten, struggling to breathe under the pressure. Even the stronger ones experienced a noticeable shock.


    And yet�� that was it!?


    Within less than thirty seconds, the formation hadpletely recovered. The defensive barrier above them remained almost pristine, unscathed. The shock and disbelief on their faces were evident as they stared up at the barrier.


    "What the hell! It��s really fine? Is this some kind of hallucination before my death?"


    A legendary soldier patted here and there, finally confirming that he was truly unharmed. The power of their formation had actually withstood this monster��s attack!


    This discovery sent a wave of joy through the ranks. Panic slowly turned into exhration, and smiles began to rece the fear on everyone��s faces. Indeed, their formation was invincible!


    What was Hades? What was the War God of Orichalcum? Even if he had killed five gods, he still couldn��t destroy their powerful formation. Under the protection of the formation, even divine power seemed insignificant!


    "We��re fine! We��re invincible! Not even this monster can harm us!"


    "Kill him! Kill this damn butcher, this cruel devil, and send him to hell!"


    As they snapped back to their senses, the soldiers unleashed a collective roar of anger. They immediately focused the full power of their formation andunched a Suppression, intending to crush Sterl and permanently remove the fear that had taken root in their hearts.


    Eterna was slightly confused but quickly realized what was happening. He knew Hades�� strength��although formidable, it was still only at the level of a weaker Divine Power. No matter how strong, it was still not on the level of an upper-tier god.


    Therefore, while he had no problem dealing with ordinary gods, the power he released with each move was far beyond what a non-divine entity could resist. But breaking through the legendary army��s formation, one that was strong enough to resist even upper-tier gods, was simply impossible!


    Sterl, however, showed no surprise. It was as though he had anticipated this oue all along. But there was one thing Eterna had misunderstood: it wasn��t that he couldn��t break through the shell, but that it all depended on whether he wanted to or not.


    "No wonder this legendary army can withstand the Godyer Crossbow, even in such a rushed state," Sterl muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice. "The power of a formation, once properly condensed, truly is extraordinary."


    It made sense now why even divine forces would develop their own legions. When a formation reached a certain level of strength, it was no weaker than any individual power. This also made Sterl��s desire to create his own legion even stronger.


    Of course, before that, he would need to gather more soul power. After all, creating a legion would require a massive amount of soul energy. Not only did he need to strengthen himself, but he also needed to store energy as a backup n. Soul power was never too much to have.


    With that in mind, he subtly signaled Boris. Then, with a thought, he activated all his internal energy and began to mobilize his full strength.


    "Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars! Celestial Stars!!"


    With each flow of energy expended, vast amounts of star power gathered in the sky, forming enormous Celestial Stars.


    One�� two�� ten�� twenty��


    Even though Sterl��s energy and vitality were now several times greater than before he joined the Orichalcum Kingdom, he still had to drink a bottle of restorative potion.


    Before hisst drop of strength was spent, the sky above him had gathered a full one hundred Celestial Stars, each swirling with terrifying me and exuding a heavy, oppressive aura!


    However, this time, none of the soldiers in the legendary army looked afraid. Instead, their faces were filled with madness and ferocity.


    "Is this the best you��ve got?"


    "Just some parlor tricks to scare us. This time, let��s show this Hades the true power of our strength!"


    A hundred Celestial Stars��a force that had previously brought utter despair to all who witnessed it��now only fueled the battle spirit of this legendary army. Far from being afraid, they were brimming with confidence and enthusiasm.


    This was why many high-ranking individuals always kept an air of mystery around them when facing others. Once their true nature was revealed, people would realize that they were not invincible after all, and that would strike a massive blow to their authority and status.


    Now, in the eyes of these soldiers, Hades was no longer an enigmatic "higher power," but just another fraud exposed.


    "Fall!"


    In response to the taunts and excitement of the legendary army, Sterl waspletely unconcerned. Everything was going ording to his n. This self-assured legendary army was nothing more than a sulent meal he had already set his sights on.


    "Come on, unleash all your power! The Ashen Temple is invincible!"


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Boris, too, let out a loud cry, using his formationmand to channel all the power of the soldiers. The legends and demigods in the legion gave it their all, pushing their strength to the limit, with the formation almost ready to burst under the strain.


    But no one noticed the sinister and cunning look in Boris�� eyes.


    As the massive power of the legion gathered, the defensive barrier enveloping the entire force grew even thicker, like an unbreakable wall, one that even an upper-tier god would find frustrating to prate.


    At the same time, the hundred Celestial Stars, carrying an overwhelming force, began their descent, ready to strike the barrier and shatter it into oblivion.


    But just as this was about to happen, an unexpected change urred!

 Chapter 568: The Bewildered Eterna — Where Did That Undercover Agent Come From?

    Perhaps, for those who sessfully awaken their talents, their souls are inherently different from those of ordinary mortals.


    This led Sterl to unconsciously recall a time long ago, when he had just awakened his D-tier talent. Although it was nothing special��an utterly mediocre and worthless talent��it still marked him as someone significant within the lowest of bases. As long as one survived, they could rise to be the leader of a base.


    In that batch of individuals, there were very few who awakened any talent, just like him. Thinking back on it, gaining an immense amount of soul power wasn��t so simple after all.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At the very least, those who couldn��t even awaken a talent likely couldn��t refine a single bit of soul power. In other words, if he wanted to acquire soul power, he would have to hunt down those who had awakened a talent, or even better, those who had sessfully obtained a ss.


    Of course, these were merely his spections. Whether the reality was the same would have to be tested at ater time. He wasn��t one to recklessly kill the innocent, but capturing a few criminal mortals for testing purposes didn��t weigh heavily on his conscience.


    He then focused entirely on resisting the bacsh and impacting from the soul realm. The souls of tens of thousands of Legendaries and demigods were being swiftly refined within the Soul Devourer Sphere, and his soul power reserves were rapidly growing.


    Only a few minutes had passed, and the soul refinement was nearlyplete. The bacsh that his soul had been facing gradually subsided. At the same time, the energy released by the Celestial Stars had been entirely depleted by the remaining Legendaries, demigods, and gods working together.


    The area where the legendary army had been was now marked by over a hundred massive craters. However, due to the reactivation of the defensive barrier, the force of the meteor impacts was contained within the army��s formation, preventing any harm to the surrounding areas.


    The army��s location had been transformed into a giant semi-circr pit, which didn��t resemble craters from falling meteors, but rather the aftermath of aet colliding with the world.


    There was still blood and broken weapons scattered across the area, remnants of the demigods and Legendaries who had fallen. Nearly a quarter of the entire army had been wiped out in an instant!


    At this moment, the surviving soldiers finally began to react. They took deep breaths, gazing at Sterl in the sky, whose expression remained indifferent. Astonishment filled their hearts as the fear that had dissipated earlier began to resurface, enveloping them once again.


    Was this the work of the God of Luck? Why was it that at the exact moment the Celestial Stars fell, the formation malfunctioned and encountered issues? This was too suspicious!


    "Who is it? Who��s sabotaging this from the inside!? Why did the formation fail?!"


    At that moment, Boris immediately started pointing fingers, radiating Divine Power as his gaze filled with cold killing intent. He swept across everyone present, looking every bit the picture of someone who had just been through an ordeal. Of course, this was the image he wanted to portray. If it didn��t look genuine, it wouldn��t work.


    "There��s a traitor who wants to destroy the formation... Come out now, and I��ll make sure you get a quick death!"


    Boris raged, his fury so real it almost seemed tangible. His anger was so believable that everyone froze for a moment. Meanwhile, a wave of righteous indignation surged through the crowd. No one had expected a traitor to be hiding among them. They had almost been crushed by the meteors!


    For a brief moment, the soldiers nced at each other, seeing suspicion and distrust in each other��s eyes. At first nce, the formation hadn��t been broken. The only reason for its failure was that so many soldiers had died, weakening the formation��s power. But this small detail made everyone uneasy, hesitant to pour more energy into the formation.


    The legendary army��s formation was highly advanced, and breaking it was incredibly difficult. That was true for anyone from the outside. But if the sabotage came from within, the difficulty level dropped significantly.


    The fact that the traitor within the army had managed to cause a brief failure in the formation raised serious concerns. If the traitor chose to strike again, who knew whether they could cause irreparable damage from the inside? If that happened, the formation could copse in an instant, and they would suffer the bacsh from the failed formation.


    "Ha ha ha! I didn��t expect that there would be one of us hidden inside the Ashen Legendary Army!"


    "Hades, the God of War, is invincible! What��s the point of this Legendary Army? It can��t stop the power of the War God!"


    "Hmph! Boris, you thought about inciting rebellion among our soldiers, but now look at you. Your own army is far from clean, isn��t it? Today is your day to die!"


    On the side of Orichalcum, both the gods and soldiers wore faces full of joy. The cannon fodder army had been destroyed, Hades had killed five gods, and now even the strongest Legendary Army had fallen into disarray. It was clear who the victors would be.


    Originally, there had been some worry and panic, but now all of that had dissipated, leaving only anticipation for victory. Soon, the contribution points they would gain would be enough to take their strength to the next level!


    However, as the leader of Orichalcum, Eterna waspletely bewildered. While it was true that there was a chance the formation could fail, the probability was extremely low. Moreover, with ten gods acting as the core of the formation, the likelihood of failure was minimized as much as possible.


    From what had just urred, it did seem that there were hidden dangers and problems within the enemy��s army. But the key issue was that�� he hadn��t sent anyone to infiltrate the enemy��s ranks!


    Such an operation was incredibly difficult, and besides, when forming a connection to the formation, one was subject to monitoring. Furthermore, a mere legendary or demigod couldn��t possibly influence a formation of such magnitude.


    This left Eternapletely confused. Yet, instinctively, his gaze shifted toward Sterl. Could this be part of Hades�� n?


    Thinking this through, he nodded to himself, realizing that it was indeed a possibility. Hades was a mysterious figure. Although he had joined Orichalcum��s formation and was being monitored by the royal city, such an existence surely had his own power and influence.


    Perhaps this was a trap set by Hades, deliberately targeting the Ashen Legendary Army.


    As Eterna felt a wave of excitement mixed with reflection, he couldn��t help but marvel at the unpredictability of human nature. A god like Boris, who had risen from the royal city, had ultimately joined the enemy, while an outsider like Hades was working tirelessly to n battles for the kingdom.


    "Once the war is over, I must report to the royal city. He deserves a great reward. We can��t let the hero��s spirit fade."


    Meanwhile, as the mastermind behind everything, Sterl remained unaware of how his standing in Eterna��s mind was growing by leaps and bounds. At that very moment, he was examining the soul power reserves within the Soul Devourer Sphere.


    After ughtering five to six million cannon fodder, his original soul power had been 58,000 points. Now, it had surged by over 20,000, bringing his total soul power reserves to a staggering 80,000 points!


    "I��ve struck gold!"


    Sterl eximed, delight filling his voice. "I never expected these legendary and demigod souls to yield this much soul power!"


    He quickly did the math. It seemed that just one legendary soul was enough to refine a significant amount of soul power. In other words, the quality of a legendary soul was about a hundred times greater than that of an ordinary soul!


    However, what surprised him was that the quality of a demigod��s soul didn��t differ much from a legendary one. Therefore, the amount of soul power he refined from a demigod��s soul was nearly identical to that of a legendary soul.


    Next, Sterl looked down at the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers, a sharp glint shing in his eyes. There were still around 60,000 to 70,000 legendary-level warriors left. If he harvested all of them, that would be 60,000 to 70,000 soul power!


    Right now, the entire army was on high alert, suspecting that there were traitors among them, and they were too wary to focus their power into the formation. This was the perfect opportunity!


    "Silent Domain!"


    Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Sterl activated the Boots of the Void��s instant teleportation ability. In an instant, he broke through the outermostyer of the legendary army��s automated defense barrier and appeared directly above their heads.


    Then, the Silent Domain was unleashed. Everyone suddenly felt as if the energy within their bodies had slowed down, making it difficult to mobilize. The demigods felt it even more acutely, as they couldn��t even sense their Law Power properly.


    "How... how can he prate the formation?!"


    "What kind of spatial ability is this? This is terrifying!"


    "Hurry! Hurry, activate the formation and st him out of here!"


    "You want to die? Those traitors might be using this opportunity topletely destroy the formation!"


    "What should we do then?"


    "What should we do? Of course, we run!"


    Faced with the impending threat of death, everyone immediately scattered in all directions. The weakest among them were legendary warriors, so their escape speed was far beyond that of mere third-ss cannon fodder.


    "Don��t run! Even if he��s powerful, he��s just one person! With so many of us, we can wear him down, even without the formation! We can still kill him!"


    A god shouted, and the soldiers who had been about to flee quickly regained theirposure.


    It seemed logical��without the formation, they were still legendary and demigod level warriors. If they all released their strongest abilities together, theirbined power could still obliterate even a god!


    Moreover, while the Celestial Stars were powerful, their falling speed was something they could easily react to. So, if they worked together, there seemed to be nothing to fear.


    However, as the soldiers began to gather back into formation, a radiant smile appeared on Sterl��s face. What a good bunch of people��gathering together obediently like this. It saved him the trouble of hunting them down one by one.


    Then, with a thought, Sterl activated the Temporal-Spatial Law! Simultaneously, the Moon Law and other Laws solidified and empowered the area!


    Before the soldiers, now clustering together, could even react, they were turned into statues��motionless, breathless, unable even to think.

 Chapter 569 Frenzied Hunting! The Silver Moon Wolf God Descends!

    If Sterl were aware of the thoughts running through the minds of the legendary warriors and demigods, he would probably chuckle. To them, the Celestial Stars��which could even challenge gods��were the monster''s ultimate power, not to mention the Divine Light of Destruction.


    But in reality, the Celestial Stars was merely one of the most basic area-effect abilities that Sterl had mastered. As for the Divine Light of Destruction, it was a powerful single-target attack that, honestly, was a bit of a waste against these lesser beings.


    The ability Sterl truly favored was abination of the Temporal-Spatial Law and Moon Law, which he used to first immobilize his enemies and then, with the terrifying power of space, immediately crush them!


    In that moment, the legends and demigods who had scattered and weren''t caught by the Temporal-Spatial Law began to realize why the five gods earlier had been obliterated without even having a chance to resist. This ability was not only bizarrely powerful but also unthinkably potent.


    Once caught, it was like a fish on the chopping block,pletely at the mercy of its captor.


    Sterl slowly extended his hand toward those who had been bound by his powers and gently released his next skill.


    "Shattered Void!"


    With a mere thought, the space around them shattered instantly, transforming into an endless barrage of space des that descended upon the trapped warriors.


    After equipping the Boots of the Void, the Shattered Void ability was exponentially strengthened. Unlike the Celestial Stars, which had a dramatic, explosive presence, or the Divine Light of Destruction, which was filled with overwhelming might, Shattered Void exuded a cold, razor-sharp killing intent.


    These space des passed through without a sound, as though they wereposing a quiet, eerie melody. The only sound was that of the des slicing through flesh and bone, their haunting symphony filling the air with an unsettling, yet strangely beautiful, harmony.


    When Shattered Void finally concluded, only two severely wounded gods remained. Every other legendary and demigod, over ten thousand soldiers in total, were reduced to mangled corpses scattered across the battlefield. The scene was so gruesome it was nearly unbearable to witness.


    "Kill him! Kill this demon!"


    At this moment, over a thousand legends and demigods behind Sterl screamed in terror, releasing their most powerful abilities in a desperate attempt to strike back. With the chaos that had consumed the battlefield, even a god could be heavily wounded or even in.


    However, Sterl remainedpletely indifferent to their fury. Instead, a faint Light of the Stars began to shine across his body, and it effortlessly absorbed all of the iing attacks.


    Immediately, with a wave of his hand, Sterl activated Shattered Void once again. The thousand-strong warriors around him were torn to pieces, their souls captured by the Soul Devourer Sphere and refined into a massive amount of pure soul power.


    This was the strength Sterl wielded now. As long as it wasn''t the power of a formation or the siege of gods, he could simply ignore it.


    Earlier, he had only activated the Rebirth of All Thoughts ability, which, aside from the Iridescent-Level abilities, made him immune to 99% of all damage. On top of that, he had triggered the defense provided by the Starry Battle Armor, which absorbed and neutralized all iing attacks without leaving a single wound.


    Moreover, his vitality had reached such immense levels that he could be considered a humanoid world boss. Even without using any abilities, he could endure any attack without significant harm.


    In fact, if it weren''t for the two gods on the battlefield, whom he had marked with followers'' sigils for future use, they would have already perished under the power of Shattered Void.


    "A group of weaklings. Rather than crawling in this world, you would be better off as stepping stones on my path to the pinnacle!" he dered, standing alone among the legendary warriors. Despite being just a single figure, his presence radiated a force far greater than the entire army around him. He looked down on the legends and demigods with disdain. These were beings who, in any other realm, would have been renowned and legendary, leaving their mark on history, but before him, they were no more than ants and trash.


    "Run! This is a monster! An invincible monster!"


    "How could such a devil exist in this world?"


    "I am a demigod! How can I possibly fall here?!"


    In that instant, the legendary army lost all will to fight. Even themands of the gods were useless now. In this situation, no one cared about what godmanded them. Survival was the only thing that mattered. This terrifying killing machine had clearly made it his goal to exterminate them all!


    "Perfect opportunity! Let''s take advantage of this momentum andpletely annihte the forces of the Ashen Temple!"


    Seeing this, Eterna''s eyes gleamed with excitement. He immediately prepared to rally the troops and deliver a fatal blow to the Ashen forces.


    However, just then, Sterl''s voice rang out, "Everyone, don''t move, or I might identally harm you."


    Seeing the Orichalcum faction growing restless, Sterl quickly reminded them. After all, these were his prey. If Eterna led his army and wiped them all out, what would he have left to hunt?


    Immediately, Sterl shot up into the sky, enveloped by the power of space. His aura was incredibly terrifying. Upon seeing this, Eterna quickly halted his movements. He had already witnessed the power of Shattered Void earlier, and even he wasn''t entirely confident in his ability to withstand it. If he were to be identally harmed, it would certainly be embarrassing.


    "Die!" Sterl growled lowly, and Shattered Void activated once again. With his energy now multiplied several times over, along with the regenerative abilities of his Starry Battle Armor, Sterl''s endurance had dramatically improved. Coupled with the speed of his Boots of the Void and the instant teleportation they granted him, his attacks became exceedingly fast.


    Even those who tried to scatter and flee couldn''t escape Sterl''s relentless hunt. With the vast range of Shattered Void, anyone caught within it was bound to die. In no time, the entire legendary army was being obliterated at an observable speed, the scene utterly gruesome.


    Within just a few minutes, the army of tens of thousands was reduced to barely 10,000 survivors. Those who remained could only watch in horror as countless legends and demigods were ughtered like cattle. The few who survived were on the brink of madness, no longer caring about dignity or pride.


    There were those begging for mercy on their knees, others wailing as they fled, and even some who pushed theirrades in front of them to take the blows. In that moment, the darkest sides of human nature were on full disy.


    However, Sterl couldn''t care less about such things. His sole focus was to hunt��hunt relentlessly!


    Soon, the legendary army, which had started with a force of 100,000, had been whittled down to fewer than 10,000 survivors. Apart from the tens of thousands who had been struck down by the Godyer Crossbow, everyone left had be Sterl''s prey, their souls devoured by the Soul Devourer Sphere and transformed into soul power,pletely vanishing from this world.


    As for the gods overseeing the formation, almost all of them were wounded, with Boris no exception.


    Sterl nced at his current soul power reserves�� a staggering 140,000!


    "Such a pity..." he muttered as he looked at the remaining survivors, shaking his head with a hint of regret. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to wipe them all out, but... time had run out.


    "Theye now? Even with the world merging, it seems the higher gods still find it difficult to break through the world''s limitations." He gazed up at the sky, his thoughts darkening. He could feel the persistent sense of danger that had been haunting him, and now, it was finally closing in!


    "Roar!!!"


    Suddenly, a deep, fierce howl echoed through the heavens and earth, drawing the attention of everyone. Even those legends and demigods, who were on the verge of copse, trembling in fear, couldn''t help but look up at the sky.


    Eterna''s expression shifted slightly, as though he understood something. The next moment, a massive tear in the fabric of space appeared in the sky, stretching long as if the heavens themselves were being torn apart.


    Through the crack, vague glimpses of strange, divine structures could be seen, and then, a massive head suddenly emerged from the rift. Terrifying power surged from its body, slowly forcing the crack to widen!


    Next, a giant paw appeared, followed by the body, and then a long tail...


    A colossal wolf,parable to the previously encountered War Demon Elephant, emerged from the rift in space. Its body was entirely silver, with eyes that shone like stars. Unlike the War Demon Elephant, which exuded a crude, savage aura, this wolf radiated an overwhelming sense of divine power.


    The most eye-catching feature was a strange, crescent-shaped mark on its forehead, resembling the moon itself. The symbol seemed to glow with an ethereal, mysterious energy.


    [Silver Moon Wolf God!]


    At the same time, everyone who witnessed the appearance of the wolf suddenly received an inexplicable surge of information��an intuitive revtion about its identity. This was a divine being from the upper realms!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Th-this... this is... the Silver Moon Wolf God!?"


    Among the remaining legends and demigods, many instantly recognized the wolf''s identity. This was a genuine upper-tier god, a mighty wolf deity whomanded the divine authority of the moon, and most importantly, this god belonged to the Ashen Temple! It was their savior!


    "Wonderful! Silver Moon Wolf God has arrived! This damned monster will receive the harshest punishment!"


    "Great wolf god above, save us! Rescue your people!"


    "We''re saved, we''re saved! The Ashen Temple won''t lose! I knew it, the gods would never abandon us!"


    As they watched the figure of the Silver Moon Wolf God emerge, the survivors wept with joy. Some even sobbed uncontrobly, overwhelmed by the terror they had endured under Sterl''s control. It had felt like an Endless Purgatory, far more terrifying than anything they could have imagined.


    But now, it was all over. The Silver Moon Wolf God had arrived, and that monstrous creature could never withstand the divine punishment. It would be utterly annihted!


    On the other hand, the mood on the side of Orichalcum''s forces immediately took a nosedive. Watching the Silver Moon Wolf God, their eyes filled with awe and apprehension.


    The majesty of upper-tier gods was etched deeply into their bones. Now that the Silver Moon Wolf God had descended, everything felt shrouded in uncertainty.

 Chapter 570 The Overwhelming Pressure of a High-Ranking Deity! Eternas Slight Panic

    However, the forces of the Kingdom of Orichalcum did not lose their fighting spirit. First, their formation remained intact, and with more than ten deities overseeing the formation, even a High-Ranking Deity was not necessarily unbeatable.


    Secondly, Sterl''s demonstrated power could only be described as invincible. In their eyes, their God of War, Hades, was equally as strong as the so-called High-Ranking Deities!


    Of course, all of this was merely spection. The true strength of a High-Ranking Deity was an enigma to almost everyone, a mystery that could not be grasped, making it incredibly difficult to estimate.


    Sterl also raised his gaze towards the massive wolf in the sky. The High-Ranking Deity before him held dominion over only one divine authority andw: the High Lunar Divine Authority. However, he could sense that when facing the Silver Moon Wolf God, his own Moon Law seemed to encounter its natural enemy, making it incredibly difficult to activate. Even if he could, its effectiveness and power were weakened by about 90%.


    Not only that, but aside from the Laws of Time and Space, the otherws and divine authorities were also somewhat affected, their strength diminished overall.


    This was the true pressure exerted by a High-Ranking Deity, vastly different from the avatar that had descended in the Temple of the Royal City of the Kingdom of Orichalcum. Both in terms of strength and the oppressive force it radiated, they were onpletely different levels.


    The key point was�� Sterl''s eyes narrowed slightly. Activating his map module, he also fully focused his attention on observation and perception. He recalled the God of Life that had previously descended from Ashen''s side. It too was a High-Ranking Deity, but upon its arrival, it was severely suppressed by the world, bound by chains of the world''s will.


    However, the Silver Moon Wolf God, while also bearing the world''s shackles, had only a few of them. Moreover, these chains were semi-transparent, suggesting that they had methods to either avoid or resist the suppression and expulsion from the world''s will.


    Looking at the imposing and revered figure of the Silver Moon Wolf God, a sudden thought stirred within Sterl''s mind.


    "I wonder�� if I unleash all 140,000 units of soul power, could I instantly annihte this High-Ranking Deity?"


    As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Sterl couldn''t help but feel eager to try it out. He was curious to see what kind of unexpected effects an attack targeting the soul, released through soul power, might have.


    However, after thinking it over carefully, he decided to abandon the idea. Soul power was hard toe by. He had ughtered an entire cannon fodder legion, millions of soldiers, and nearly wiped out an entire legendary army just to obtain these 140,000 units of soul power. If he were to waste them now, it would be a tremendous loss.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Moreover, he was nning to have the Hades identity disappear for good. If he were to use his soul power to forcefully y the opponent, it would only bring more trouble. After all, his goal wasn''t to y the hero but to sweep through the Kingdom of Orichalcum, Ashen, and every other world in existence, iming them all and bing the sole ruler!


    However, what Sterl didn''t know was that, at the very moment this thought crossed his mind, the Silver Moon Wolf God shuddered. A shadow of death enveloped his heart, and for a brief moment, he almost believed that a powerful deity from the Kingdom of Orichalcum had descended.


    Fortunately, the sensation passed quickly, fading away almost as soon as it appeared. This left the Silver Moon Wolf God somewhat puzzled. "It must have been an illusion. With the current degree of world fusion, it''s impossible for a powerful deity to descend, even using various tools and methods."


    After reassuring himself, the initial shock gradually subsided, but a sense of caution remained. Who knew if the Kingdom of Orichalcum had some sort of ambush in ce?


    He then looked down, his massive eyes scanning the deities of the Kingdom of Orichalcum and the army below, the one led by Eterna.


    Whether it was the soldiers of the army or the deities of the Kingdom of Orichalcum, they all felt an immense pressure, a wave of terror that almost froze them in ce.


    "This... this is the pressure from a High-Ranking Deity?"


    "What terrifying power! Just one nce, and my body feels like it''s freezing!"


    "The High Lunar Divine Authority really lives up to its reputation."


    "If this Silver Moon Wolf God attacks us, can we stop him?"


    "Why is it that Ashen''s High-Ranking Deities can descend, but ours still haven''t appeared?"


    Just one nce was enough to send the entire army into chaos, their minds in disarray. In contrast, the deities and the few surviving soldiers from Ashen were filled with ecstatic joy, as if they had been given a second chance at life, and their fighting spirit reignited.


    "This is the kind of cohesion a true powerhouse brings��"


    Sterl observed the scene calmly. Even though Ashen''s legendary army had been reduced to half its strength, he hadn''t expected that the mere appearance of this Silver Moon Wolf God would be enough to gather the scattered, broken will and fighting spirit of the army. Truly extraordinary.


    Of course, the premise for all of this was that no one truly understood just how powerful a High-Ranking Deity was. Everyone was simply imagining it,pounded by the mystery surrounding High-Ranking Deities, which led to the current situation.


    Suddenly, Sterl felt a heavy pressure descending upon him. He looked up and saw the Silver Moon Wolf God scanning the surroundings before slowly focusing its gaze on him.


    Feeling the scrutiny and faint murderous intent in that gaze, Sterl''s expression remained unchanged. A smile appeared on his face, and he calmly returned the wolf god''s gaze. What of a High-Ranking Deity? It wasn''t his first time facing one. Besides, if it really came down to a battle to the death, the oue was still uncertain.


    "You are the outsider, the one who has repeatedly desecrated my temple��Hades?" The Silver Moon Wolf God fixed its eyes on Sterl, slowly speaking. Its voice was like thunder, shaking the air, carrying an immense divine power that enveloped Sterl. Even though the Silver Moon Wolf God''s target was Sterl, the terrifying aura still caused the surrounding deities and soldiers to feel as if their breath had been stolen.


    "Heh, you''re just asking because you already know. The trash of Ashen''s temple, killed them all, what''s it to you?" Sterl sneered and then his gaze sharpened. With a cold,manding shout, vast Divine Power radiated from him. Compared to the Silver Moon Wolf God, his body was small, almost like an ant, but the majesty and dominance emanating from him were in no way inferior. In fact, it seemed even more overwhelming, as if he were a terrifying overlord, determined to overthrow the heavens and the earth!


    The two locked eyes, and their overwhelming auras shed and collided in the air. The surrounding deities instinctively stepped back a few paces. One was a monster who could kill ordinary gods as easily as ughtering chickens, and the other was a High-Ranking Deity from the upper realms. If a battle suddenly broke out between them, even the shockwaves would be beyond their ability to withstand. If they weren''t careful, they might even die from the fallout, which would be a huge loss.


    At this moment, the survivors who had been rejoicing just moments ago, now looked at Sterl''s overwhelming aura. Even though they were full of confidence in the Silver Moon Wolf God, they couldn''t help but start running for cover.


    The shadow Sterl had cast over them was too great. They were even worried that this butcher might disregard the Silver Moon Wolf God''s interference and forcibly kill them. To them, Sterl was nothing short of a demon wearing human skin��bloodthirsty, cruel, and guilty of every sin imaginable. Who knew, even if the Silver Moon Wolf God did defeat him, they might not dare to step forward to finish the job.


    "Now what should we do...?"


    Eterna looked anxiously at the confrontation between the lone figure and the massive wolf. His heart couldn''t help but race as he continuouslymunicated with the upper realms of the royal city. While Hades'' power was immense, even capable of crushing High-Ranking Deities, he still couldn''t believe that Hades could bridge the gap between weak Divine Power and the formidable divine authority of a High-Ranking Deity.


    Even with the reinforcement of the military formation, it would be difficult. High-Ranking Deities had undergone a transformation in both divine authority and Law, with their Divine Power reserves far exceeding what an ordinary deity could imagine.


    The most critical point was that the enemy''s High-Ranking Deity could casually unleash even a fraction of their power, which would likely require dozens or even hundreds of times the amount of ordinary Divine Power just to counterbnce it. Therefore, whether it was a war of attrition or direct confrontation, there seemed to be no hope of victory.


    Moreover, while Ashen had lost its army, virtually none of its deities had perished, except for the five outliers. If they worked together with the Silver Moon Wolf God in a coordinated effort, the consequences would be unthinkable. They simply couldn''t win.


    But no matter how hard he tried to reach the upper realms, he received no response. This caused a shiver to run through his heart. Could it be... that this was one of Ashen''s ns? Perhaps they had used some method to temporarily block hismunication with the upper realms, preventing the upper realms'' power from descending upon the lower realms. If that were the case, with only the Silver Moon Wolf God, a quick strike could easily wipe them all out, and victory would naturally belong to the Ashen temple.


    "Hades, sir! Don''t act rashly, try to stall him! It won''t be long before the upper realms'' power arrives, and then the Silver Moon Wolf God will no longer be a threat!"


    Eterna quickly spoke to Sterl after realizing the situation. In this moment, Sterl was the key figure for the Kingdom of Orichalcum. As long as he remained unharmed, even a High-Ranking Deity couldn''t hope to destroy Orichalcum in the short term.


    But if Hades were to fall, with only a tenth of Ashen''s strength in their army, they wouldn''t even be able to withstand the Demon Elephant, let alone a true High-Ranking Deity like the Silver Moon Wolf God.


    The enemy could wipe out their entire army in the blink of an eye, and even the royal city would suffer a fatal blow, severing their connection to the world and causing them to fall into the Endless Void, where they would be destroyed by the monstrous creatures and dangers lurking in the void.

 Chapter 571 Skinning and Flaying? The Unaware Hades?

    At this moment, Eterna was extremely anxious, very anxious indeed. He knew Hades'' personality��unyielding, domineering, and strong-willed. In the royal city''s temple, he had even dared to bargain with a High-Ranking Deity. Now, facing the scrutiny and questioning of Ashen''s High-Ranking Deities, Eterna worried that the next moment might see Hades directly shing with them.


    If that happened, the situation would spiral out of control. It would be fine if they could hold the Silver Moon Wolf God at bay, but if they couldn''t, the favorable situation Orichalcum currently had would bepletely lost!


    Sensing Eterna''s anxiety, Sterl secretly smiled. It seemed that the High-Ranking Deities of Orichalcum had encountered some trouble. In any case, they should be unable to arrive for some time, which was exactly what he wanted.


    If Orichalcum''s High-Ranking Deities intervened now, his n to take advantage of this opportunity to escape and disappear would no longer be so easy to execute.


    Moreover, the battle had just begun to intensify. Both sides would inevitably pour more power into the conflict, and sooner orter, it might involve him. Sterl didn''t want to get dragged into this. He nned to wait until both sides were at a stalemate or even mutually destroyed before making his move.


    Seeing that Sterlpletely ignored him, Eterna''s anxiety deepened. He then turned to the massive Silver Moon Wolf God and spoke.


    "Respected Silver Moon Wolf God, perhaps the conflict between our sides is not as great as we imagined. The Kingdom of Orichalcum only seeks a ce to rest, we harbor no hostility toward you.


    The great cmity is approaching. Instead of fighting to the death, wouldn''t it be better for us to bury the hatchet and form an alliance to face theing disaster together?


    Rest assured, I represent the Kingdom of Orichalcum. If you agree to cease hostilities, we will offerpensation that will surely satisfy you."


    Eterna spoke with some respect, addressing the Silver Moon Wolf God in a calm manner. Of course, this was just a temporary measure. Once their upper realms'' power descended, they would settle the score then.


    Upon hearing this, the Silver Moon Wolf God shifted its gaze from Sterl to Eterna, a sarcastic smile curling its lips. It wasn''t a fool. By this point, the conflict between them had already reached a point where reconciliation was impossible.


    Especially given the Ashen alliance. Even though the royal city had not fully integrated with the world yet, it was already difficult to handle. If the Kingdom of Orichalcum were to truly gain a foothold, it would be even harder to fend off.


    Once the royal city seeded in merging with the world, the High-Ranking Deities of Orichalcum''s upper realms would be able to descend more easily. That would strip them of their current advantage.


    Moreover, the war had progressed to the point where it was no longer just a conflict between the Kingdom of Orichalcum and Ashen. It now represented the various forces of this world. If he agreed to Eterna''s proposal, the prestige of the Ashen temple would plummet. Those who had allied with them might even switch allegiances to Orichalcum. Before long, their strength could be eroded piece by piece.


    "Ridiculous," the Silver Moon Wolf God scoffed, a mocking smile crossing its face. "The leader of the Kingdom of Orichalcum dares to make such childish statements? Satisfactorypensation? Heh... If I kill you, all those treasures will be mine!"


    As the words left its mouth, a disk-like silver moon halo suddenly shot out from the Silver Moon Wolf God''s body, moving at an incredible speed toward Eterna and the army below.


    Eterna froze in shock. He hadn''t expected that the Silver Moon Wolf God, having been locked onto by Hades, would still dare to attack them. Did it not fear Hadesunching a surprise assault?


    He nced at Hades and saw a hint of astonishment and surprise in Sterl''s expression. Then, Hades hastily attempted to intercept the attack. But he was a step too slow, clearly not having anticipated that Ashen''s High-Ranking Deity would stoop to such underhanded tactics,unching a sneaky ambush!


    "Stop it!" Eterna roared urgently. He tried to activate the formation''s power to block the silver moon halo, but at that moment, a strange fluctuation emanated from the halo.


    In the next instant, Eterna''s movements froze, as if something had restricted him. The rest of the soldiers in the army fared even worse, standing motionless as if they had been frozen in ce.


    However, a closer look would reveal that they weren''t actually frozen; rather, their movements had be exceedingly slow, as if their thoughts and actions had be as sluggish as a snail''s crawl.


    Sterl''s pupils contracted. He was all too familiar with this power��it was the slowing effect of the Moon divine authority. But the effect of the Moon Law released by the Silver Moon Wolf God was far stronger than his own. It was so potent that even divine beings had their movements slowed.


    The contrasting speeds of the two forces��the fast and the slow��made the silver moon halo appear as a mere sh of light to their eyes, covering thousands of meters in an instant. It struck with pinpoint uracy right into the heart of the army!


    Boom!


    The defensive barrier formed by the army shattered instantly. The silver moon halo transformed into countless smaller rings of light, which spread wildly throughout the army, wreaking havoc. By the time the effects of the Moon Law wore off, it was already toote to resist.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of thousands of soldiers were in on the spot, including more than ten gods, including Eterna, who were severely wounded. The entire army was almostpletely shattered, and the formation waspletely destroyed.


    By the time the silver moon halo had dissipated, nearly half of the Orichalcum army had been wiped out in one fell swoop!


    "Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder it''s the power of a High-Ranking Deity; it''s truly formidable. But�� isn''t this a bit of a waste?" Sterl remarked with a hint of regret. So many potential targets wasted like this. If he had been the one to act, he could have gained a lot of soul power. But for now, he couldn''t reveal himself. In fact, he didn''t want to expose himself until the Hades identity was no longer in y. Revealing himself now would jeopardize his n, alerting both Orichalcum and Ashen to the possibility of a mysterious third party intervening.


    If the threat he posed became too apparent, it might push Orichalcum and Ashen into an alliance, which would make things much moreplicated. He understood the principle of not letting a small gain cause arger loss.


    In reality, that silver moon halo could have been blocked, but there was no need to do so. After all, his goal was to keep the power bnce between the two sides. The Ashen army had already been shattered by him, so it made no sense for Orichalcum''s to remain intact.


    He had originally nned to find a way to deal with Orichalcum''s army as well, but the Silver Moon Wolf God had conveniently done it for him. It saved him the trouble and reduced the chances of his own exposure.


    Cough cough�� "Silver Moon Wolf God, are you dering full-scale war on my Kingdom of Orichalcum?" Eterna struggled to his feet, looking at the corpses and the shattered army. His eyes burned with rage and resentment, practically shooting fire.


    Clearly, this had been a prepared trump card, intended to crush Orichalcum''s army and prevent them from using their formation to stall for time. He hadn''t expected to be caught off guard here.


    He nced at Sterl and saw that thetter was just as furious, staring at the Silver Moon Wolf God with unblinking eyes. Any doubts he had were now gone. He had previously thought that Hades had intentionally let the silver moon halo strike the army, but now, it seemed like that had been a mistake on his part.


    "Hahahaha! Ridiculous!" The Silver Moon Wolf Godughed maniacally, the sound echoing as it radiated arrogance. "Dere war? This battle has already begun! And the ultimate victor will belong to the Ashen Temple!"


    Theughter was loud and disruptive, and Sterl''s temper red. "The ultimate victor belongs to Ashen? Bullshit! The true victor will be me, and only me!"


    "Almost there..."


    After estimating the time, it seemed that the Orichalcum army had already suffered a fatal blow. It wouldn''t be long before a new High-Ranking Deity appeared. He needed toplete his n before that happened.


    With a cold snort, he red angrily at the Silver Moon Wolf God. "A mere wet-born beast dares to boast so arrogantly! To make such a fuss in front of me and strike��this is utterly outrageous! Today, I''ll skin you alive, tear your tendons out, and see what your flesh and blood taste like!"


    As soon as those words left his mouth, the Silver Moon Wolf God''sughter immediately froze. Everyone around them was stunned into silence, even Eterna. He couldn''t help butugh awkwardly. Listening to what was just said, he wondered if he had misheard.


    Had Hades gone mad?! How dare he insult and provoke the Silver Moon Wolf God like that? This was a High-Ranking Deity! It was one thing to call him a beast, but to threaten to skin him and tear out his tendons, to eat his flesh and blood? Such words were incredibly arrogant for someone from a different ne.


    Looking at the gradually darkening expression of the Silver Moon Wolf God, and feeling the terrifying aura that was building around him, Eterna couldn''t help but let out a bitterugh. He had only intended to intimidate the Silver Moon Wolf God, to make him hesitate and buy some time for reinforcements from the upper realms. But now Hades had directly insulted the Silver Moon Wolf God. It was as if he was asking for death!


    It''s important to note that the Silver Moon Wolf God didn''t belong to the human race. He had risen from a wolf-like body, enduring countless hardships to be a High-Ranking Deity. Once he achieved divinity, everyone treated him as a respected deity.


    For these non-human deities, the worst thing you could do was call them "beasts" or "animals." And Hades had just done so. He also knew that Silver Moon Wolf God had a secret: in his weaker days, he had been enved by the human race, treated like a beast, made to serve them as a mere animal. So those two words��"beast" and "animal"��were considered taboo. Even other High-Ranking Deities dared not utter them lightly. To do so could lead to a conflict that would never end, and one party would be forced to perish.


    And now, Hades had openly picked at the Silver Moon Wolf God''s old scars in front of everyone. How was this going to work? What the hell was he thinking?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 572 Repeated Fleeting Jumps, Silver Moon Wolf Gods Fury!

    Outside Orichalcum''s Royal City, in the skies above, an ominous, heavyyer of dark clouds had formed at some point,pletely obscuring the light. The entirend immediately grew dark, as if heralding the dawn of an apocalyptic event.


    On the battlefield, the atmosphere was stifling and oppressive. Whether they were gods, demigods, legendary beings, or the remaining cannon fodder from the Orichalcum army, everyone wore expressions of panic and fear. One by one, they began retreating toward the rear, moving in unison.


    Above, beneath the dark clouds, a massive silver wolf asrge as a mountain was suspended in the sky. It radiated an overwhelming killing intent, the ferocity of which seemed capable of piercing the very sky itself!


    Everyone knew��this was a High-Ranking Deity from the upper realms, and he was truly enraged. If they didn''t retreat, that unbridled fury might soon consume everything, flooding the battlefield and drowning it in blood and souls, as if trying to wash away his anger and bury those ancient memories once more.


    "Do you know... what you are saying?"


    The Silver Moon Wolf God''s enormous eyes locked onto Sterl. Sterl, still somewhat confused, thought to himself: "Wasn''t that just some pre-battle trash talk? After all, this is a High-Ranking Deity, and he gets triggered this easily? Isn''t that a bit too pathetic?"


    At that moment, Eterna''s voice echoed through the army''smunication channel, revealing the Silver Moon Wolf God''s past to Sterl in full.


    "I see."


    Upon learning the backstory, Sterl now understood why the Silver Moon Wolf God had such an intense reaction to those words. Eterna had revealed this history to him in hopes that Sterl would apologize and back off to avoid further enraging the deity. Despite the Silver Moon Wolf God''s true form having descended, he was still suppressed by the world''s rules and expulsive forces, meaning he couldn''t unleash his full strength.


    However, if provoked too harshly, there was a real possibility the Silver Moon Wolf God would disregard all consequences, attacking with full force to annihte Sterl. From there, he could target the Royal City, and the aftermath would be disastrous.


    But a strange smile slowly crept across Sterl''s face. If that were the case, wasn''t this exactly what he wanted? Moreover, since the Silver Moon Wolf God couldn''t fully unleash his power, what was there to fear?


    "Heh, you damn mutt, can''t you even hear properly? I said... you''re just a lucky beast! Sooner orter, I''ll skin you alive, tear out your tendons, drink your blood, and eat your flesh!"


    Sterl''s words echoed across the battlefield, and the Silver Moon Wolf God''s fury was palpable. He seemed poised to explode, his immense body trembling with rage as he took a step forward, the air crackling with violent energy. The very earth beneath them seemed to groan in response, as if the forces of nature themselves were recoiling from the wrath of a true deity.


    "Oh no, it''s quite rare to see a mutt like you in this state. How about I capture you and make you my ve?" Sterl''s voice rang out, calm as ever, but his words carried a chilling mockery. "No, wait, you''re so useless that you probably wouldn''t be good for anything as a ve. Let''s just lock you up in a pen, put a few female dogs in there, and let you serve as a stud dog. That way, you can breed litter after litter, and soon enough, I''ll have a whole army of dog ves."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sterl continued without missing a beat, clearly savoring the insult. "Don''t worry, I won''t treat you badly as a stud. After all, dogs love eating shit, right? I''ll make sure to feed you that every day."


    Sterl spoke slowly and deliberately, as if savoring every word, making sure the Silver Moon Wolf God could hear every part of his mockery. To ensure the deity didn''t misunderstand, he exaggerated his tone, cing emphasis on each syble. Find adventures on empire


    Suddenly!


    Eterna, who had been listening in stunned disbelief, couldn''t hold himself any longer. His entire body seemed to turn to stone, his mind in absolute turmoil. He couldn''t even fathom the words he had just heard. Was his hearing malfunctioning? Had he heard those wordsing from Hades? It was simply... unthinkable.


    He couldn''t find a single word to describe the situation. The only thing he could feel was utter despair. It seemed certain now��the Silver Moon Wolf God would never let this go. This was no longer a matter of life or death��it was a matter of extinction.


    Without hesitation, Eterna immediately ordered the remnants of the army to retreat. Around him, other gods and soldiers were equally stunned, their spines shivering with fear. Some even wished they could plug their ears to avoid hearing any more of Sterl''s taunting.


    But at that moment, an overwhelming, terrifying aura suddenly surged in the air��a bloodthirsty and twisted fury that seemed capable of destroying everything!


    The Silver Moon Wolf God''s fur, once shining silver, now began to glow with a faint red hue. The silver crescent moon mark on his forehead transformed into a deep crimson. In that instant, the Silver Moon Wolf God no longer exuded divine grace. Instead, his entire form radiated an aura of terrifying ughter and brutal cruelty.


    "You will pay for your ignorant words!" His voice boomed, dripping with fury. "I''ll capture your soul and refine it day and night! I will leave you with no ce to rest, no ce to die! You will never escape my wrath!"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Sterl raised his hand, and a devastating Destructive Light surged forward. The powerful beam of energy shot toward the Silver Moon Wolf God in an instant.


    The Silver Moon Wolf God had been furiously venting his rage, but as the Destructive Light came crashing toward him, he felt a true sense of danger. Reluctantly, he fell silent, his body surging with a violent blood-red storm, like a torrential downpour. The energy dissipated, redirecting the Destructive Light in all directions, protecting him from the strike.


    Though the battle was far from over, the atmosphere had already shifted��intense, vtile, and filled with a sense of impending doom.


    "Such incessant noise. A beast is just a beast. Even if it''s lucky enough to be a higher deity, it''s still nothing but a beast. By the way, with trash like you being able to be a higher deity, I wonder if��" Sterl''s words dripped with implied meaning, and to the Silver Moon Wolf God, they were nothing short of insulting. Especially after his earlier disy of power had been so brutally extinguished, the feeling was akin to swallowing a fly��disturbing and unbearable.


    "I will kill you!"


    This time, the Silver Moon Wolf God didn''t waste any more words. The blood-red crescent moon mark on his forehead pulsed with a strange, ominous energy. His massive body suddenly disappeared, reappearing in front of Sterl in an instant, a giant w descending upon him with terrifying force.


    At the same time, the higher-level Moon Law activated. Sterl could immediately feel his entire body bogged down, as though moving through thick msses. It was no wonder that the gods he had crushed earlier had felt so utterly hopeless. Being immobilized, unable to move a single muscle while watching death draw near, was indeed a form of torment.


    In the next moment, a powerful sense of crisis overwhelmed him. If that w, infused with the overwhelming power of a higher deity, were tond, it would likely leave even his formidable vitality severely wounded.


    However, Sterl was not like those ordinary gods. With a mere thought, the power of Time Law began to manifest, and the Moon Law that had bound him shattered in an instant. Time Law was one of the highest Laws in existence. Although Sterl''s control over it wasn''t perfect, it was far beyond what the Moon Law could ever hope to bind, even at its peak.


    With that, he broke free and immediately activated Space Law alongside the Boots of the Void. In the blink of an eye, he teleported a thousand meters away.


    Boom!


    The air was torn apart by the Silver Moon Wolf God''s w, creating a deafening sonic boom. Even the very fabric of space seemed to fracture, as if on the brink of copsing. The ground trembled beneath them, echoing with the intensity of an earthquake. Despite the Silver Moon Wolf God''s airborn attack, the terrifying aftershocks sent ripples through the environment, rattling the earth.


    But the expression on Silver Moon Wolf God''s face darkened with frustration. In that split second, the damnable trash had disappeared using some unknown trick, leaving his mighty strike topletely miss its target.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What terrifying power. You almost scared the heart out of me, but it''s a pity��" Sterl''s mocking voice rang out again. "Seems like you blind mutts are alsocking in eyesight. Can''t evennd a hit with all that power."


    The Silver Moon Wolf God''s rage red once more. He spun around, locking his blood-red eyes on Sterl, his gaze seething with murderous intent. "You fragile rat... let''s see how far you can run!"


    Once again, the Moon Law was activated, and this time, the area covered stretched for thousands of meters. Silver Moon Wolf God employed the same tactic as before, appearing before Sterl in the blink of an eye, and striking once more with a massive w. In that moment, he thought he could already see the scene of Sterl''s flesh torn to shreds, a gruesome spectacle of victory.


    Unfortunately for him, as expected, his strike once again missed. However, this time, due to Sterl''s position��rtively close to the remnants of the Ashen legendary army��the aftershock of Silver Moon Wolf God''s missed attack wiped out several hundred, if not a thousand, legendary warriors. Panicked, everyone nearby fled in all directions.


    The so-called gods fighting, and mortals suffering. The Silver Moon Wolf God was an upper deity, and despite being suppressed by the world itself, each of his movements was still terrifying. To the legendary warriors and demigods, he might as well have been an unstoppable force. They were no different from mere mortals in his presence.


    Without the protection of formations, the battle between Hades and Silver Moon Wolf God was a fight only gods could participate in. The others had no qualifications to even approach.


    "Heh, getting desperate now, are we? But you still can''tnd a blow on me," Sterl mocked with a calm, almost bored smile. Both he and the massive wolf were shing across the sky, each move faster than thest. Sterl was using the Boots of the Void to their absolute maximum potential.


    The Boots of the Void allowed instant movement, capable of bypassing any spatial barriers and, more importantly, could not be interrupted. This special effect worked against any deity below the level of a higher god. Though it was limited to a range of one kilometer, it was more than enough for now. Silver Moon Wolf God was being treated like an aimless wild dog, running in circles while Sterl dodged with ease.


    Soon, the vast battlefield was reduced to ruins. The Silver Moon Wolf God, whose massive form spanned a kilometer, was moving far faster than even the war-demon elephants, and with the divine power of a higher deity behind him, his destructive capabilities far outstripped theirs. In just over a minute, thend beneath him seemed on the verge of copse, the devastation almost unbearable to witness.


    Even more troubling, Sterl''s deliberate actions caused the forces of both Orichalcum and Ashen to be caught in Silver Moon Wolf God''s wake, leading to even more casualties.


    "Dodge! Dodge! Dodge! Let''s see how long you can keep running!"


    After yet another failed strike, Silver Moon Wolf God could no longer hold his temper. He threw his head back and let out a vicious, blood-curdling roar. The very air trembled as a crescent moon, glowing faintly blood-red, began to rise beneath the ominous dark clouds.


    Instantly, the entire battlefield was enveloped in a blood-red haze, like a vast domain expanding over everything. Even those warriors and gods who had fled to great distances found themselves within the reach of this dreadful phenomenon.


    In that moment, fear surged through everyone''s heart, as if some immense, unimaginable terror was about to descend upon them!

 Chapter 573 The Domain of the Upper Divine Authority!

    "Is he going berserk?"


    Sterl watched the blood-red crescent moon hanging above him, a sense of danger instinctively rising in his chest. Under the cover of the blood moon, the aura around Silver Moon Wolf God grew stronger, steadily climbing. The power of the Upper Moon Divine Authority was expanding along with it.


    Sterl could clearly feel his movements slowing down. Even with the full activation of the Time Law, he still felt the effects. Not only that, but the area covered by the blood moon seemed to have turned into a barrier, a realm where everything was imbued with that same, suffocating slowness.


    [You have entered the domain of Silver Moon Wolf God. All powers below the Upper Law will be suppressed. Within this domain, you will be bound by the Moon Law. Your actions and thoughts will be sluggish, with the degree of dy depending on your overall strength.]


    At the same time, a notification from [Transcendence] rang in Sterl''s mind, fully confirming his suspicion. This was indeed a powerful domain released by Silver Moon Wolf God. It seemed the wolf god was preparing to go all out.


    "It seems even those higher gods from the upper realms haven''tpletely solved the issue of world suppression."


    Sterl observed the growing power of Silver Moon Wolf God. Before long, it seemed the god''s aura had reached some sort of limit��not Silver Moon Wolf God''s own limit, but rather the upper boundary that the world itself could tolerate. Soon, arge number of chains began to extend from the surrounding void, quickly wrapping around Silver Moon Wolf God''s body, trying to forcefully suppress his ever-growing power. There were even signs that these chains might expel him from the world altogether.


    However, just then, a golden light suddenly radiated from Silver Moon Wolf God''s form, isting many of the chains from his body. Still, the world''s suppressive force wasn''t so easily resisted. Although no additional chains appeared, his power had been effectively restrained, unable to grow any further.


    "I can only exert eighty percent of my power�� But that''s more than enough to deal with you!"


    Slowly lifting his head, Silver Moon Wolf God''s blood-red eyes locked onto Sterl. As he moved, the chains surrounding him became taut, producing an eerie sound. Yet, this did not hinder his actions in the slightest.


    "How does it feel? You''re finally experiencing the power of a true upper deity! This is the power of the Upper Law domain! Within this domain, I control everything!"


    He let out a maniacal roar, and the power emanating from his body seemed to swell again. However, the world''s suppression had already pushed his strength to its limits, and no further growth was possible. Even so, his power was more than enough to make any divine being at the lower levels of Divine Power feel despair.


    The blood moon''s range covered the entire domain of Silver Moon Wolf God. With the two armies shattered, there was no force left to block the spread of the domain, and as a result, the entire battlefield was enveloped by it.


    In this moment, whether they were gods, ordinary legends, or demigods, both their bodies and thoughts slowed to an unnatural crawl. Especially for the legends and demigods, whocked the resistance of divine authority, their speed within the domain was slower than that of ordinary humans. It was as if they were old men, hunched under a hundred-kilogram burden. The fact that they weren''t crushed instantly was a miracle in itself.


    Even powerful gods like Boris and Eterna, who were releasing their divine authority to the fullest, couldn''t fully prevent the encroachment of the Upper Moon Domain. Their speed was now slower than a normal legend''s!


    Eterna gazed up at Silver Moon Wolf God, his eyes slightly vacant. The massive figure of the wolf god, towering over a thousand meters, seemed even more sinister and grotesque under the blood moon''s light. Without the same level of divine authority to counterbnce it, everything within the domain was nothing more than prey to him.


    If he wished, Silver Moon Wolf God could easily ughter them all, without needing to lift a finger. A mere touch of his divine pressure would be enough to turn it into a massacre of Ashen''s gods.


    In that instant, Eterna feltplete despair. He hadn''t been able to contact any forces from the upper realms, and because Silver Moon Wolf God had forced his full power into an explosion, the world''s suppression had temporarily increased in strength. This meant that any divine being trying to descend from above would face even greater costs. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    Without support from an upper deity, there was no one who could stop Silver Moon Wolf God''s power.


    At that thought, for the first time, Eterna began to doubt whether epting Hades'' aid had been the right decision. Though Hades had repeatedly saved the nation of Orichalcum from disaster, now, it seemed he might be the very one who would bring it to ruin.


    Shaking his head, Eterna quickly cast aside that thought. Although Hades was reckless andcked foresight, if it hadn''t been for him, Orichalcum might have already been destroyed. So, he remained a hero to the nation of Orichalcum.


    However, Ashen had already gained the upper hand in this battle, having first descended a higher-level god. With the presence of such a being, the advantage that Orichalcum had once held had naturally dissipated, bing irrelevant.


    But after Silver Moon Wolf God unleashed his domain, he paid no attention to Eterna or the others. In his eyes, they were nothing more than ants he could easily crush. However, if the insect before him managed to escape, it would be a nightmare that would haunt him��he would dream of that very moment, unable to forget the humiliation he had endured.


    Thus, in Silver Moon Wolf God''s mind, killing Sterl had be more important than anything else.


    "What''s wrong... scared? Afraid? You can teleport, right? Keep going!"


    Silver Moon Wolf God locked onto Sterl, eager to see the look of fear and panic on his face. But Sterl merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his curiosity piqued by the power of the upper-level divine authority domain. Then... nothing more. That was all.


    "You damn mutt, this power isn''t enough."


    Sterl spoke slowly, his voice dripping with disdain as he looked at Silver Moon Wolf God with calm indifference. The Moon Law domain was indeed powerful, but the Boots of the Void''s teleportation ability could ignore all powers below that of a truly godlike being. It was uninterruptible and undisturbable. Even the slow-down effects of this domain could only make him a bit slower��at its core, it couldn''t affect the Boots of the Void''s power in any meaningful way.


    This was the uniqueness of the Power of Spacetime. Even though his mastery wasn''t absolute, itsbat effectiveness was immensely powerful. Otherwise, the Hourss of Time, which contained even a slight fragment of the God of Time''s power, would not hold such a prestigious position and value within the royal vault.


    At those words, Silver Moon Wolf God''s expression stiffened for a moment. However, he didn''t grow overly enraged. Instead, he burst out into a manic, mockingugh.


    "Hahahaha! Insect, you''ve actually made meugh. I thought you were someone of substance, but it turns out you''re just a fool. Did you really think I''m like those garbage beings? You don''t understand the true strength of an upper-level divine authority! Fine, let me show you, you frog in the well, what true power looks like! Let me show you just how vast the gap between you and me really is!"


    Silver Moon Wolf Godughed manically, now fully realizing that this so-called Hades, the War God, was nothing but a fool. To not even understand the power of an upper-level divine authority domain wasughable. Sterl had already sealed his fate, yet he continued to speak as though he could still change it.


    The thought that he, as a high-ranking god, had been driven into a rage by such an insignificant insect made Silver Moon Wolf God shake his head in disbelief. He reminded himself that as a divine being of his stature, it was truly shameful to let an ant manipte his emotions.


    "Fall!"


    With a slight movement of his mind, Silver Moon Wolf God cast his gaze at Sterl. A blood-red ring descended swiftly from the blood moon above, moving so quickly that it exceeded even the limits of a god''s perception. This was not the limit of mortal sight but that of a god''s vision!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Barely as soon as it was perceived, the blood-red ring was upon him, carrying the terrifying aura of upper-level Divine Power, crashing down toward him.


    Sterl could feel not only the slowing effect of the Moon Law but also a sharp, slicing force that seemed as if it would tear everything apart.


    However, ever since Silver Moon Wolf God had unleashed his domain, Sterl had been channeling the power of Time Law. Although this attack caught him somewhat off guard, he still had time to react.


    With a slight shift in his thoughts, he activated the Boots of the Void, triggering his teleportation. In an instant, Sterl vanished from his position and reappeared a thousand meters away, narrowly avoiding the attack!


    But just as he thought he was safe, a strong sense of danger surged within him. Quickly, he looked up, only to see another blood-red ring descending from the sky. It was as if Silver Moon Wolf God had already predicted his location and had prepared this attack in advance. The moment the ring fell, Sterl activated his teleportation again, barely escaping by the skin of his teeth.


    However, as soon as he reappeared, another blood-red ring was already in front of him. Sterl quickly realized that it wasn''t that the rings were moving too fast; it was that Silver Moon Wolf God had anticipated his movements and preemptively targeted his next position!


    Boom!


    This time, there was no chance for him to activate his teleportation. The blood-red ring struck the world directly, smashing into him with full force!


    "Hahaha! Dodge, keep dodging, like a dog!"


    Silver Moon Wolf God threw his head back andughed, his deafening, maniacal cackle echoing through the battlefield. Finally, he hadnded a hit! This damn insect had truly believed that his powers would make him invincible, untouchable.


    In the face of an upper-level god, there was no such thing as absolute evasion. After all, the entire area within several hundred miles was under Silver Moon Wolf God''s domain!

 Chapter 574 The Power to Stand Against an Upper-Level God?

    "It''s over."


    A triumphant expression spread across Silver Moon Wolf God''s face. He had finally caught the insect that had been nothing but a coward, running and evading. The creature had fallen into his Phantom Blood Wheel, a powerful attack formed by the convergence of his upper-level Divine Power and the Moon Law. A mere god with weak Divine Power had no chance of resisting it.


    This was the gap between realms. Even if your strength had surpassed the limits of weak Divine Power, if you hadn''t reached the next level, all Divine Power defenses were as fragile as paper��an overwhelming, dimensional assault.


    Moreover, when Silver Moon Wolf God broke through to the upper-level Divine Authority, his mastery of Moon Law had undergone further evolution. He not only possessed the immense slow-down ability of the upper-level Moon Law, but also wielded terrifying cutting power. Even space itself could not resist the Phantom Blood Wheel''s cutting force.


    To Eterna and the other gods, however, the effects of the domain were so overwhelming that they couldn''t evenprehend what had just happened. All they saw was a sh of something, and then Sterl being struck. Enjoy more content from empire


    Clearly, when facing the full force of an upper-level god, no matter how strong Hades was, it was like an ant trying to stop a chariot��there was no hope of victory. But, inparison, they were in a much worse position. If they had been in Sterl''s ce, Silver Moon Wolf God wouldn''t even need to get serious. One careless strike would have been enough to obliterate them.


    But even if Hades had seeded in angering Silver Moon Wolf God, causing him to unleash all his power, what good would it do? He was an invincible enemy, and all their efforts would be in vain.


    Eterna shook his head in despair. He was already thinking about how to minimize the damage to the capital. But no matter how much he thought about it, it seemed futile. With the power and cards they had at their disposal, facing an upper-level god who hadpletely unleashed his power, they were nowhere near enough to stand a chance.


    Unless they could reassemble a formation... but formations weren''t something you could just put together casually. They required intricate carvings, a high-level formation map, and various materials and resources. Even if they had a new formation map, it would still take at least a day or two to set up. But Silver Moon Wolf God wouldn''t give them that much time.


    At this moment, Silver Moon Wolf God slowly extended his w, a strand of Divine Power condensing into a chain that sped toward the ground. The insect had already been subdued, and now all that remained was to capture it and make it realize the consequences of insulting an upper-level god.


    However, just as he was about to seize his prey, a brilliant divine light suddenly erupted from below. The faint blood-colored glow and smoke that surrounded them dissipated entirely, and the divine light surged upwards. The chains of Divine Power released by Silver Moon Wolf God were instantly shattered, and the light shot toward his head with incredible speed!


    But just as it was about to strike Silver Moon Wolf God, the surrounding slow-down force intensified sharply, dramatically reducing the speed of the Destructive Light. What had started as a beam traveling at the speed of light now moved like a slow-moving flicker.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Bam!


    Silver Moon Wolf God swung a mighty p, striking the Destructive Light with all his strength. Initially, he thought it was just an ordinary light beam, but as his w made contact, a powerful force exploded, and he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his paw. To his shock, a bloody hole had appeared on his w, with divine blood flowing from it.


    He... had been injured!


    The wound on his w began to heal at a visible rate, but the pain was something he hadn''t experienced in a long time. To think that, in the lower realm, there would be someone capable of injuring him.


    This realization jolted him back to rity, dispelling his bloodthirst and madness. His demeanor shifted to one of grave seriousness and caution. He looked down, and their eyes met��Sterl was still in the posture of releasing the Destructive Light,pletely unharmed. Somehow, Sterl had managed to block the Phantom Blood Wheel with an unknown method.


    "I admit, I underestimated you," Silver Moon Wolf God said slowly, his aura beginning to retract. His expression became even more serious and solemn. "I never thought someone like you would emerge from the lower realm. You are no longer like those insects."


    Sterl, in turn, dropped his earlier sneer and mockery, his expression now grave. He could feel the change in Silver Moon Wolf God. Previously, the god had treated him as nothing more than a trivial insect to be toyed with, but after he had used Eternal Reincarnation and Star Armor to block the Phantom Blood Wheel, the god''s attitude had shifted. He was now being regarded as a true opponent.


    Since they were now considered opponents, the so-called insults and mockery no longer needed to provoke anger. What Silver Moon Wolf God needed to do was simply use his own power to defeat, suppress, andpletely subdue his foe.


    Sterl, too, had the same mindset. Now that Silver Moon Wolf God was taking him seriously, the earlier mockery no longer had any significance. In fact, it was the perfect opportunity. He was eager for a fair, head-to-head battle with an upper-level god, wanting to see just how powerful such a being truly was.


    "You''re impressive," Silver Moon Wolf God said calmly. "From here on, I will use my full power to erase your soul, and your head will be one of my trophies. To have made me take you seriously... you have every right to be proud of yourself."


    Silver Moon Wolf God''s tone wasposed, his earlier frenzied state now seeming like a distant illusion. This was the self-control of an upper-level god. Having recognized Sterl as an opponent, he would now kill him with the most calcted and calm approach possible.


    In this state, while Silver Moon Wolf God was no longer as terrifying as before, Sterl felt an even greater sense of danger.


    "Come on," Sterl replied, his voice steady and eager. "It''s been so long since I''ve had a fight like this."


    Instead of fear or panic in the face of danger, Sterl felt his blood surge with excitement. Yes, he was exhrated, longing for a fierce and intense battle!


    It reminded him of the first time before his ss change when he soloed a boss. The sensation of every cell in his body being fired up, every ounce of his being focused and consumed by the battle��it was an addictive feeling.


    But as he grew stronger, the enemies he faced gradually failed to match his power. Even gods seemed as weak as mortals in his hands, unable to stir any excitement. Now, this Silver Moon Wolf God had reignited that very feeling within him!


    The two stood in an invisible standoff, the unseen forces between them expanding, casting a heavy, oppressive sensation over a radius of several hundred miles. Everyone, even the gods, felt as if they were struggling to breathe, as if their throats were being constricted.


    At the same time, the upper-level Moon Divine Authority field that Silver Moon Wolf God had unleashed began to contract rapidly, shrinking from several hundred miles to a mere fifty-mile range. While the range had diminished, the slow-down effect within it had grown even more powerful.


    Eterna and the others finally managed to escape the reach of the field, recovering from the slowed state. For the first time, they could clearly see the true nature of the battle unfolding before them.


    Eterna''s eyes widened in shock, his body frozen as he stared at the standoff between Silver Moon Wolf God and Sterl. What was happening? Hades had actually blocked the power of Silver Moon Wolf God! And... judging by Silver Moon Wolf God''s expression, he now regarded Hades as a true opponent, a powerful being on the same level as himself!


    After a moment, Eterna took a deep breath, his mind still in turmoil. He had always held Hades in high regard, but now it seemed that he had still underestimated Hades'' strength. The fact that Hades could truly possess the power to challenge an upper-level god was beyond his expectations.


    Could this mean that Orichalcum might still have a chance!?


    Looking at Silver Moon Wolf God''s solemn expression, it was clear that the opponent had finally acknowledged the threat that Hades posed. This was why Silver Moon Wolf God had shifted into such a serious state. If Hades could withstand the onught of Silver Moon Wolf God, and hold on for a little longer, perhaps they could wait for reinforcements from the upper realms!


    Of course, Eterna hadn''t considered whether Hades could actually defeat Silver Moon Wolf God. For someone with mere Divine Power, to make an upper-level god treat him as a true opponent was already an astounding feat. It was like a one-year-old baby threatening a world champion boxer��something so unbelievable it defied all logic!


    Yet, unlike before, Eterna''s confidence was shaken. For the first time, he found himself hoping��really hoping��that Sterl had the ability to defeat an upper-level god.


    "No, I can''t think like this!" he suddenly thought to himself. "Once this war ends, I must petition the upper realms. Whatever the cost, I will bring Hades to the Royal City, making him a permanent member of the kingdom!"


    He silently reassured himself that if Hades truly became a god of Orichalcum, perhaps, just perhaps, the kingdom could one day return to its former glory and splendor!


    It wasn''t just Eterna. On the Ashen side, Boris, though his face carried an expression of disbelief and concern, was inwardly ecstatic!


    He had known his lord was strong, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Hades could possess the strength to confront an upper-level god. It was simply mind-blowing.


    This revtion filled him with boundless joy and excitement. He could already picture the future��if his lord ascended to godhood and gained the power of upper-level divine authority, what kind of incredible force would he be? Perhaps Hades would rise to be one of the great gods in the Endless Void!


    At that thought, Boris suddenly felt a surge of pride. To serve his lord, to be one of those by his side, was nothing short of a blessing!


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