Achieving godhood marked the completion of his training.
However, he didn't rush to leave. After dismissing several hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, he decided to take this opportunity to refine the Coiling Dragon Seven Kill Sword into a new divine artifact!
Meanwhile, the Sun and Moon Continent was already in an uproar.
The commotion caused during the inheritance of the Asura God position was no small matter.
Why else would those hundred-thousand-year Tyrant Evil Eyes have appeared in the core area if not for being drawn by that disturbance?
When Ning Tianchen awoke, the commotion had only just begun to dissipate.
At the moment the divine power was bestowed upon him, the resulting disturbance could be seen across thousands of kilometers.
Within the Soul Beast Town, envoys from both empires had already gathered. Such a massive event certainly hadn't escaped their notice.
Recalling that Ning Tianchen had previously entered the Evil Demon Forest, they suspected the disturbance originated from him. They immediately sent letters ordering messengers to return to the imperial capitals and report the details to their respective emperors.
Such a significant development, coupled with the enormous commotion, indicated that Ning Tianchen's strength had far surpassed any other powerhouse on the continent.
Even though the Radiant Sun Empire desired to unify the continent, they now had no choice but to hold back.
To show their seriousness, the emperor of the Radiant Sun Empire personally headed toward the Soul Beast Town.
The Crescent Moon Empire was on the brink of destruction. To ensure the survival of their nation, the Crescent Moon Emperor naturally sought Ning Tianchen's support—perhaps even to launch a counterattack against the Radiant Sun Empire.
Thus, the two emperors coincidentally arrived at the Demon Town.
With both emperors present, the atmosphere in the Demon Town instantly became tense. However, both sides tacitly chose not to act, avoiding disturbing Ning Tianchen and bringing catastrophic consequences to their respective empires.
"Let us each rely on our own abilities." The Radiant Sun Emperor sneered.
The Crescent Moon Emperor wasn't about to back down. "Likewise."
…
With Ning Tianchen's current perception, the entire Evil Demon Forest was within his awareness.
Yu Die and Cai Die were no longer in Butterfly Valley; it was likely that Lone Wolf had left with them.
As for the situation in the Demon Town, he paid no attention to it—refining a transcendent divine artifact was more important.
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, he received guidance from two God Kings and three Enforcer Gods. His transcendent divine artifact was completed.
From this point on, the Coiling Dragon Seven Kill Sword would no longer be his martial soul.
However, the Kindness God King had reminded him that he possessed twin martial souls and could refine two divine artifacts.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was an auxiliary-type martial soul, and since the Asura God had never historically possessed an auxiliary divine artifact, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda would need to be refined into an offensive divine artifact instead.
Ning Tianchen hadn't yet decided on the direction for the divine artifact's development, so he temporarily set the matter aside.
Gazing at the newly forged divine artifact in his hand, he slowly sat up.
Before returning to the Douluo Continent, he decided to go find the two sisters.
"Never mind, I'll meet with these two emperors first."
With the two sisters undergoing trials on the continent, if the two empires could look after them, it would save them much trouble.
With a thought, he locked onto the location of the Soul Beast Town with his divine consciousness. His body vanished into the void, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared above the town.
…
On this day, everyone present in the Soul Beast Town would never forget what they witnessed.
The originally clear sky suddenly darkened, and then the heavens tore open. A young man clad in dark crimson armor stood atop the void, exuding an air of disdain.
The emperors of the Radiant Sun and Crescent Moon Empires hurried to the center of the town and knelt together. "We pay homage to Your Eminence, the Supreme God."
The aura emanating from Ning Tianchen transcended mortal limitations. This was something no Title Douluo could achieve—not even the powerful figure within the Radiant Sun Imperial Family could match it!
Such a mighty being—if not a god, then what?
Yu Qingtian's gaze swept over them.
The emperors who enjoyed boundless glory among mortals paled in comparison before a deity.
Having ascended to godhood, Ning Tianchen would not interfere in trivial matters.
As a future enforcer of the divine realm, he should set an example and absolutely must not break the law.
The Radiant Sun Emperor spoke first. "Your Eminence, would you consider staying within the Radiant Sun Empire? Our empire is on the verge of unifying the continent. If Your Eminence would become the divine patron of our nation, once the situation stabilizes, we will build a shrine in your honor, and the Radiant Sun Imperial Family will worship you for generations to come."
The Crescent Moon Emperor didn't want to fall behind. Going further than the Radiant Sun Emperor, he was even willing to revere Ning Tianchen as the supreme sovereign and highest leader of the empire, with the emperor himself subject to his command.
As the dominant party, the Radiant Sun Empire naturally wouldn't agree to such excessive concessions.
The Radiant Sun Emperor's expression turned ugly.
The Asura God did not rely on faith-based divine power. Otherwise, he wouldn't have missed out on the faith of the entire Sun and Moon Continent.
After a brief silence, Ning Tianchen slowly spoke. "I am not from the Sun and Moon Continent, so I will not interfere in your internal affairs."
"However, I have two friends still on the continent. I hope that in the future, you do not make things difficult for them, and I especially do not wish for them to be involuntarily dragged into the war."
The Radiant Sun Emperor quickly responded. "Your Eminence's friends are also friends of the Radiant Sun Empire. If they are willing to serve as officials, the Radiant Sun Empire will not mistreat them."
Ning Tianchen's non-interference in continental affairs naturally pleased the Radiant Sun Emperor.
After all, if things proceeded according to plan, the entire continent would eventually fall under their control.
On the other hand, the Crescent Moon Emperor was filled with anxiety.
Without external intervention, and with Ning Tianchen forbidding his friends from joining the battle, how could the Crescent Moon Empire possibly survive under such circumstances?
How could this be acceptable?
"Your Eminence, please reconsider! The Crescent Moon Empire is willing to pay any price, so long as we can gain your support."
Ning Tianchen glanced at him. "Don't even think about involving my friends, and don't provoke them!"
"The identities of those two friends are known to the city lord's residence of Binhai City and the Cang Family. If you're unclear, you can inquire!"
With that, the sky split open once more, and Ning Tianchen's figure vanished from sight.
The Crescent Moon Emperor collapsed to the ground, utterly disoriented.
The Radiant Sun Emperor, however, didn't dare to let his guard down or mock the other side. Instead, he turned to give instructions to his subordinates.
A resourceful minister of the Crescent Moon Empire quickly approached the emperor's ear.
"Your Majesty, we haven't lost. Since His Eminence revealed the identities of his two friends, why can't we use this to our advantage?"
Indeed, Ning Tianchen didn't want the two sisters to be dragged into the war.
But what if they voluntarily chose to assist the Crescent Moon Empire?
With these two individuals, Ning Tianchen would implicitly side with the Crescent Moon Empire, which was their only hope of turning the tide.
Currently, Binhai City had yet to be occupied by the Radiant Sun Empire. They could still find ways to contact the Cang Family and the city lord's residence to uncover the identities of the two individuals.
In contrast, the Radiant Sun Empire would need to first capture the cities along the way before reaching Binhai City.
Realizing this, the Crescent Moon Emperor immediately regained confidence and summoned various nobles and ministers to a temporary court meeting to discuss their next steps.
…
With Ning Tianchen's current strength, locating the two sisters didn't require much effort.
At this moment, the sisters were engaged in battle with evil soul masters.
Their current training mission was to exterminate the remnants of the Holy Spirit Sect in the outskirts of Hasse City.
Lone Wolf stayed close by their side and contributed significantly to the fight.
Seeing that the battle was nearly resolved, Ning Tianchen descended beside them. With a single thought, the remaining evil soul masters were instantly obliterated.
The three of them were momentarily stunned. Ning Tianchen's appearance and demeanor had changed drastically, and they didn't recognize him at first glance.
After a moment, seeing his familiar face, Yu Die stepped forward and teased with a smile, "What's this? Is the situation on the continent so dire that even you're struggling? Your hair has turned white!"
Ning Tianchen chuckled and shook his head.
His white hair was part of the Asura God form. With a thought, he shed the divine appearance and reverted to the appearance of an ordinary person.
Cai Die whispered softly, "The divinity on your body is so strong—it feels like a true god has descended."
Yu Die couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Ning Tianchen gave a faint smile. "I've already completed the final trial, which is why I've become like this."
"Lone Wolf, greets senior," Lone Wolf quickly clasped his hands together and bowed.
In the world of soul masters, strength determined seniority, so this way of addressing Ning Tianchen wasn't wrong.
With just a thought, Ning Tianchen released a gentle force that lifted Lone Wolf's body upright.
"We're on the same side—no need for formalities."
He had observed Lone Wolf's behavior and never put on airs with his own people.
"I won't stay here for long. I just came to confirm that you're all safe."
Yu Die couldn't help but complain, "The situation on the continent has changed drastically. The Radiant Sun Empire's army will soon reach Hasse City. Once the war begins here, we won't be able to continue our training."
When the army arrived, the evil soul masters would scatter like birds and beasts. Where would they find targets then?
Ning Tianchen shrugged, indicating there was nothing he could do.
He didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Sun and Moon Continent, nor did he wish to leave behind any legends here.
"By the way, if you're interested, you can join the Radiant Sun army to learn military tactics. Of course, it'd be best to conceal your identities. When you return, I'll still need you to act as my vanguard generals."
Gods couldn't directly interfere in human wars, so at that time, people like Yu Die would need to step in.
Earlier, when he was in Demon Town, he hadn't rushed to leave. Instead, he had observed the two emperors' words and actions from the void.
Both were Title Douluo, but their performances under pressure were quite different.
The Radiant Sun Emperor, knowing the threat hadn't been eliminated, immediately sent people to Binhai City.
On the other hand, the Crescent Moon Emperor relied entirely on his ministers.
But those ministers weren't loyal—they only proposed ideas that benefited themselves, without considering the empire's welfare.
Even if they managed to achieve short-term success, given the Crescent Moon Emperor's personality, he wouldn't be able to hold onto the throne.
In contrast, the Radiant Sun Emperor at least appeared to be a capable ruler.
Using the Radiant Sun Empire's army for training would allow the sisters to fight some easy battles and build their confidence.
…
After chatting with the sisters for a while, Ning Tianchen returned to the Douluo Continent.
However, instead of returning to his sect, he headed toward the Spirit Hall.
As the Asura God, he used his divine consciousness to locate Qian Renxue's position without her noticing.
At that moment, inside the Angel God Palace.
Qian Daoliu was still nagging Qian Renxue, urging her to take up the mantle of leadership for the Spirit Hall.
But he didn't know that gods who inherited their positions couldn't interfere in worldly affairs. Even if Qian Renxue wanted to become the Pope, she couldn't.
Only gods who created their own godhood could interfere directly in the world's development while staying in the mortal realm.
The rules of the divine realm couldn't be spoken of in the mortal world.
Qian Renxue could only use the excuse of cultivation to constantly dodge Qian Daoliu's requests.
"Old Man Qian, stop making things difficult for her," Ning Tianchen's voice suddenly rang out.
Qian Daoliu instantly became alert.
Qian Renxue, however, let out a soft laugh, turned around, and upon seeing Ning Tianchen at the entrance of the hall, smiled. "It seems you've succeeded as well."
Ning Tianchen responded, "You shouldn't have forgotten our shared ideals."
Qian Renxue nodded.
Qian Daoliu asked in confusion, "You're Ning Tianchen?"
Qian Renxue chuckled and asked, "Should I call you Ning Tianchen, or should I respectfully address you as Lord Asura God?"
"As you wish." With that, Ning Tianchen casually took a seat.
Qian Daoliu was merely a divine servant. He didn't dare stay in the hall during a meeting between two gods.
After leaving the hall, he closed the doors and stationed guards around the palace to prevent any unwelcome intrusions.
"So, tell me about your plan?" Ning Tianchen asked.
Qian Renxue's idea was simple: the Spirit Hall already controlled the Tian Dou Empire. The war to unify the continent would begin with the Tian Dou Empire firing the first shot, while the Spirit Hall supported them from the shadows.
When the time was ripe, the Spirit Hall would step in to pacify the populace and handle the final cleanup.
Her idea wasn't wrong, but it lacked a crucial element.
"What's your reason?" Ning Tianchen countered. "Without a valid reason, if the Tian Dou Empire declares war on the Star Luo Empire, it would go against the will of the people. Losing popular support, even if the continent is unified later, there will still be countless uprisings in secret."
The concept of unification hadn't yet taken root in people's hearts. At that time, groups like the restorationists would pop up from time to time. Suppressing them alone would be a headache.
And during this period, who could guarantee that innocent people wouldn't be dragged into the conflict?
As more innocents got caught up in the chaos, wouldn't everyone on the continent live in fear?
What if someone shouted, "Are kings and generals born to rule?" Wouldn't the continent descend into endless civil war?
Qian Renxue sucked in a breath of cold air. "I hadn't thought about the reason—I only outlined the method of execution."
These past few days, Qian Daoliu had been nagging her nonstop. How could she have had the mental energy to think about the justification for going to war?
Having a righteous cause was extremely important—it would affect the stability of the continent after unification.
Moreover, after the continent was unified, whether to continue the imperial system or adopt another form of governance also needed careful deliberation.
Ning Tianchen said, "The reason for the Tian Dou Empire to march south can only come from the Star Luo Empire handing us an excuse. If we intervene directly, we'll inevitably be discovered later."
"And don't forget our identities—there are many things we can't do ourselves."
Unifying the continent could be justified by claiming to save the common people suffering under oppressive rule, avoiding accountability from the Great God Circle (Divine Council).
If they didn't formulate a foolproof strategy and ended up having to intervene personally, they'd have a lot of explaining to do when the Divine Council questioned them later.
Furthermore, considering the temperament of the God of Destruction, Ning Tianchen wasn't confident he could stand up to him.
Qian Renxue pressed, "Your idea is to exploit Dai Mubai or Dai Weisi?"
Ning Tianchen nodded.
Previously, he had hinted to Zhu Zhuyun. If they dared to act, once Dai Tianfeng died, the Star Luo Empire would inevitably fall into internal chaos.
Regardless of who succeeded, they could use the other person's name and the banner of restoring the empire to borrow troops from the Tian Dou Empire.
Whether Dai Weisi or Dai Mubai lived or died didn't matter.
Don't forget, some of Dai Tianfeng's brothers who had failed in the competition for the throne were still alive.
They had merely had their martial souls disabled. For a god, restoring a martial soul wasn't a difficult task.
They could also approach the Tian Dou Empire to "borrow troops" in order to avenge the late emperor.
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