Chapter 443: The Grand Priest's Warning
The Grand Priest's attendants stopped their pursuit, allowing Uchiha Dali to finally catch his breath.
He looked at them warily, his heart filled with shock.
"As expected of the Grand Zeno's guards. Once they get serious, even with my mastered Ultra Instinct beyond perfection, I can barely cope with them."
"The strength of these two is definitely above that of all the Angels."
Uchiha Dali thought with deep apprehension, when suddenly, Grand Zeno spoke again.
"That's enough fighting between you two. Uchiha Dali, from today onward, you will serve as an apprentice angel."
"The Grand Priest will be responsible for your training."
"Don't disappoint me, or I'll just erase you."
Grand Zeno's childish, sing-song voice carried a warning that sent a chill down Dali's spine.
At that moment, his body stiffened completely.
He was not Son Goku, whose pure heart easily won the King's favor. Dali knew his own standing—he hadn't earned much goodwill in the eyes of this supreme being who reigned above all gods and could do whatever he pleased.
A vivid image surfaced in Dali's mind—Beerus and the Supreme Kai being ridden like horses by the two Zenos.
Even the mighty God of Destruction Beerus acted like a trembling grandson before Zeno. After all, the King only needed to lift a finger or think a single thought to annihilate an entire universe and erase all life within it.
"So this is a threat, huh…"
"It seems I really can't rule out the possibility that one day, if he's ever in a bad mood, he'll just erase me."
"The best way is to take control of my own destiny—and never depend on anyone else's will!"
A spark of rebellion stirred within Uchiha Dali's heart.
Just then, the Grand Priest floated toward him and said calmly, "Come with me."
The next moment, they left the Grand Zeno's palace and arrived on another planet.
The scenery here was beautiful, but Uchiha Dali had no mood to appreciate it.
He knew the Grand Priest must have something important to say.
Sure enough, as soon as they landed, the Grand Priest turned and said straightforwardly, "Uchiha Dali, I don't know how you managed to grow from the lower dimensions to your current level, but your performance just now has shown me limitless potential."
"Thank you for your praise, Grand Priest, but you flatter me."
"My progress so far has been entirely due to my own effort. No one helped me—but it hasn't been easy. I paid a heavy price to reach this point."
Uchiha Dali gave a humble smile.
The Grand Priest ignored the pleasantries and continued, half-smiling, "In terms of talent alone, you are the most gifted being I have ever seen."
"To rise from a mortal step by step to where you are now—I know that wasn't easy. But I must warn you, do not attempt things beyond your ability."
"What do you mean, Grand Priest?"
Dali's heart stirred, though he feigned confusion.
With his hands clasped behind his back, the Grand Priest slowly floated a few meters away before continuing.
"Whether in the lower dimensions or here, you are still under the jurisdiction of Lord Zeno."
"As one of the gods serving under him, you must understand your position and duties. Just do what you're supposed to do."
"As long as you act properly and follow Lord Zeno's will, he won't erase anyone lightly."
After saying this, the Grand Priest stopped and looked back at Dali.
Dali nodded with feigned sincerity.
Right now, he wasn't strong enough to openly oppose the Grand Priest, so he naturally wouldn't contradict him.
But deep down, Dali dismissed the lecture completely.
Relying on others is never as reliable as relying on yourself.
The Grand Priest was right—he had been just a mortal once, clawing his way up through countless hardships to become a god.
But why should he still have to live under someone else's control, unable to act freely?
He refused to accept being a pawn of Zeno. He wanted to live as his truest, freest self.
The Grand Priest didn't seem to notice his inner thoughts. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "The Angel race is an absolutely neutral race. Normally, no being from another race is permitted to become an angel."
"But there are exceptions. Since Lord Zeno has personally appointed you, I will not withhold anything from you."
"However, you seem to have already mastered Ultra Instinct completely, and even transcended its perfect state. Therefore, there's little left for me to teach you."
"From now on, you will stay here and meditate."
"Do not leave without permission. Understood?"
After saying this, he turned as if to depart.
Dali, of course, was displeased.
Wasn't this just a polite way of imprisoning him?
"Wait, Grand Priest—why must I meditate?"
The Grand Priest turned back and said, "Through meditation, you can sense and reflect deeply. In doing so, your divinity will grow."
"Don't forget—you are only an apprentice angel. To become a full-fledged angel, your divinity must reach the required threshold. To quantify it—right now, your divinity is zero. You must reach at least fifty points to advance."
After speaking, a subtle, meaningful glint flashed in his eyes.
Uchiha Dali didn't dwell on it.
Almost all his attention was now fixed on those two words—divinity points.
The Grand Priest had made it clear: only by reaching fifty points could one become a true angel.
If that was the case, didn't it mean the higher one's divinity, the greater one's potential—and perhaps, one day, even the Grand Priest himself could be surpassed?
Seizing the chance, Dali voiced his curiosity.
"Grand Priest, may I ask—how many divinity points do you have?"
"Oh? Are you planning to replace me?"
The Grand Priest gave a faint, amused smile.
"I'm just curious."
The Grand Priest didn't mind the question. He explained,
"Divinity is not only a measure of a god's rank and the key to breaking rank limitations—it's also one of the standards used to gauge a god's true strength."
"The fifty-point threshold I mentioned earlier for becoming a full angel is only an example. Having fifty points doesn't guarantee promotion—it depends on the average divinity among other gods."
"The average divinity?"
Uchiha Dali grew even more curious.
The Grand Priest continued, "Currently, the average divinity of the Supreme Kais and Gods of Destruction across the universes is about three thousand points."
"Even if your divinity reached three thousand, that would only barely qualify you as a candidate for a God of Destruction."
"And what about the angels?"
Dali asked immediately.