By the azure lakeshore, a man gently stirred the clear, life-filled lake water with his fingertips. The calm, mirror-like surface rippled, shimmering with a faint glow under the moonlight.
Across the lake, seven or eight humanoid figures gathered together. Behind them, in the towering dense forest, massive black shadows shifted faintly.
Through the clear, deep-blue water, Chen Fu met the gaze of the majestic, oppressive golden dragon eyes hidden in the depths of the dark lake.
"So that's how it is."
How greedy…
They have soul rings and soul bones. So doesn't that also mean there might be undiscovered immortal herbs somewhere?
After all, these are the three ultimate treasures of soul masters…
Gathering all the fragmented information, Chen Fu pieced everything together. Many things he previously couldn't understand were unraveled one by one, and an unsettling truth slowly surfaced.
Why do those who become powerful first always try to shut the doors behind them?
"What are you talking about?"
A hint of irritation flashed in the golden eyes of the silver dragon at the lake bottom. Facing this human, she always felt restricted at every turn.
"Planning to hand everything over to others on a silver platter?"
The basic structure and general history of the God Realm were introduced during divine trials, including its leaders, laws, and the political correctness enforced under the Dragon God's shadow. The Craftsman God treated him like a junior to be nurtured,though their specialties differed greatly. Even knowing Chen Fu had his own divine path, he still wanted to gift him a few god positions. After all, kindred spirits are hard to find.
"Watch your words!"
A massive figure stepped forward like a steel tower, sending tremors through the lake and raising violent waves.
Taken literally, those words did sound a bit ambiguous.
Chen Fu glanced sideways, then looked directly into Gu Yuena's golden eyes.
"When those in charge are talking, is it not disrespectful for subordinates to interrupt at will?"
"Stand down!"
A majestic, low dragon roar exploded through the forest, carrying a hint of annoyance.
"…Yes!"
The iron-tower-like man, who normally listened to no one,not even Di Tian,obeyed the silver dragon who had recently appeared as meekly as a harmless bear cub.
"Human, explain your words."
"Before I explain, I want to confirm something first. Your Majesty… are you the Silver Dragon King?"
The air seemed to fall into absolute silence. A suffocating heaviness lingered.
"You think that human with a half-divine body can protect you?"
The deep-blue lake parted, forming a staircase of flowing water suspended in the air. A breathtaking silver-haired girl rose from the depths and walked toward Chen Fu. Her brilliant violet eyes fixed on the pitch-black depths of his.
"Before meeting you, perhaps. After meeting you, no longer necessary, Your Majesty."
Chen Fu nodded respectfully to the silver-haired, violet-eyed beauty.
"Now you may tell me what you know,and your intention for joining the soul beasts in founding a nation."
Chen Fu nodded and glanced around at the twenty or so hundred-thousand-year soul beasts nearby. Among them were several humanoid beasts. One was a twin-tailed, cold-as-ice young girl, clearly in a foul mood.
"You saw the commotion in Shrek City. The divine path of this world has been blocked."
"Continue."
Of course she knew. If not for fear of being noticed, she would have watched it live.
"At first, I couldn't understand His actions at all,until I saw you." The praises of that being from Shrek Academy had subtly influenced Chen Fu, giving him a faint natural fondness.
"Your Majesty, did you really think you hid yourself well?"
Seeing Gu Yuena freeze slightly, he continued:
"He even stopped the Sea God Pavilion Master from achieving a divine body. That means He doesn't want anyone from this world becoming a god,or rather, anyone who isn't His own."
"In other words, He doesn't want to surrender ownership of this world. Do you know why?"
Under the quiet starry sky, the man gazed at the faintly glowing girl illuminated by moonlight.
"This world is His vegetable garden. I am the bug. And you…"
"A humanoid immortal herb at the level of a god."
A gentle breeze lifted the girl's silver hair. Her once-radiant eyes reflected the brilliance of the stars.
The moment Chen Fu saw Gu Yuena, he understood why he'd been punished by divine judgment. He carried nearly every possible buff: executor of the ascending path, Sea God Pavilion Master,and still received punishment. For what?
Just because he didn't follow His arrangements regarding the Emperor Auspice Beast? Who other than the god who controlled this world could know his past-life memories?
And considering the divine thought crystal found within the Golden Ancient Tree's spiritual body… had He really treated this world as His personal property?
If gods behaved like you, would any still exist? So after rising, you patched the "gods are too shameless" bug from outside the dimension?
No wonder the world's will would rather bet on an unknown future with me than tolerate you, the master god of this plane.
"The world barrier can last at most thirty years. So this is my chance,and yours."
"…"
Gu Yuena remained silent for a long time. She thought she had hidden well, yet she was just another clown in someone else's garden. Perhaps if not for fear of her unknown connection to Him she would have already been used up long ago.
"The God Realm Committee's world-penetration device can open the barrier."
Gu Yuena provided critical information.
"Oh? How do you use it?"
Chen Fu had his guesses, so he wasn't surprised.
"It requires joint authorization from the entire God Realm Committee." These were things she had learned when she was still in the God Realm.
"Then there's no problem."
Chen Fu's tensed心 finally relaxed.
With the Sea God's outrageous manipulation of the plane, getting unanimous approval was impossible,especially with an enraged Craftsman God and the independent Destruction God King present.
"That's good."
Seeing Chen Fu so certain, Gu Yuena also calmed down.
"Tell me how you intend to found a nation. Since I've already agreed, as long as your requests aren't excessive, I'll do my best to follow them."
Calling the humanoid beasts closer, Chen Fu sat cross-legged before them.
As for the dozen or so non-humanoid soul beasts, they stayed back,their bodies were too large.
Studying each humanoid beast carefully, his gaze lingered briefly on a green-haired woman, then on the icy twin-tailed girl.
"Let's hear your thoughts first."
He wanted to see whether this supposedly intelligent upper echelon of soul beasts actually had brains.
"Use top-level combat strength along with soul tools that suppress humans. Kill all Titled Douluo."
"Just fight!"
"We have few people. Wouldn't casualties be too high?"
"I'll follow Di Tian!"
"Me too!"
Chen Fu glanced at the dark-gold Terrorclaw Bear and instantly gave up hope. At least Di Tian's millions of years hadn't been completely wasted.
"Your Majesty?"
He turned to the oldest and strongest among them.
"With your half-god and that human extreme Douluo, we can just kill them."
With Chen Fu and Gu Yuena, they had more than twenty top-tier powerhouses. If they chose slaughter, they could, at high cost, wipe out all of the continent's Titled Douluo.
"…From now on, listen more to Ning Yi. Please refrain from offering strategic suggestions. Thank you."
Killing was easy. But ruling afterward? With Ning Yi's hundred-some people? Or these excited, violence-hungry beasts?
In the end, compromise would be necessary, leaving behind a fragile foundation and future trouble.
"Strategic defense. Gather civilians. Develop technology. Enlighten the beasts. Sweep the four empires."
If change was needed, then let it be complete,through blood and fire.
To preserve the world barrier, no one could become a god yet. That would accelerate energy loss. So Chen Fu needed to cultivate a group of future god-ascension seeds.
And the soil for these seeds… could only be war.
Even the Titled Douluo who would be slaughtered were part of this selection.
"I call this plan: Divine Refining."
Gods are tempered through blood and fire. When the world barrier finally opens,let the entire world ascend together.
"In that mad era, the mad plan that was carried out was known by many names in later generations. The one I prefer most is: The Divine Refining Campaign."
,"Study of the Divine Refining Era"
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