Cesar flew over to Sadius.
Under Cesar's protection, every single Saint-level magical beast under Sadius' faction survived. Even the magical beasts from the Sunset Mountain Range remained unharmed.
In the original timeline, one of Dylin's three sons had died within the Necropolis of the Gods.
Now, seeing all three of his sons return safely, the burden Dylin had carried for ten years finally eased.
The War God's face, however, was unpleasant. Fain had been his greatest disciple and, aside from himself, the strongest existence within the O'Brien Empire.
Many matters the War God couldn't openly handle were all taken care of by Fain. For example, when Hayden had traded his territory and subjects to have War God Mountain take action against Sadius, it was Fain who personally moved.
Wasn't all of this for the War God to gain more faith power?
But now, Fain had died within the Necropolis of the Gods. It was equivalent to chopping off one of the War God's arms. It didn't take a genius to realize that in the years to come, the O'Brien Empire would inevitably be suppressed by the Yulan Empire.
"Alliance Leader."
Two little mice flew before Sadius.
Liya didn't call Sadius by name as she used to. Standing next to Nien, she addressed him as Alliance Leader as well.
Sadius noticed Liya's change.
It seemed this journey into the Necropolis of the Gods had drawn the two little mice much closer.
Originally, Liya had blindly idolized Sadius, even wanting to be with him. But now, she appeared far warmer toward Nien.
Sadius was naturally pleased to see this. He had worried his own presence would disrupt the future bond between these two.
If the pair didn't end up together, wouldn't that mean the second Devourer of Gods would never be born?
Liya's gaze flickered guiltily, as though she'd betrayed her former feelings.
Sadius simply rubbed the two little ones on the head.
"Come, tell me everything that happened inside the Necropolis of the Gods."
Soon after, Beirut arrived, bringing with him a middle-stage deity.
That deity was naturally Talossa, the guardian of the first eleven floors of the Necropolis.
Talossa glanced at the four lower Gods before him. He recognized three of them, but not Sadius.
When Talossa saw Dylin, he immediately strode forward and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Woo… Dylin, my dear brother! Your luck is remarkable—you actually escaped from Gebados' Planar Prison alive! The happiest thing about coming out this time… is seeing you again. Let us brothers celebrate!"
Dylin dodged Talossa's overly enthusiastic greeting with disdain.
"And this is?" Talossa turned toward Sadius.
"Infernal Realm, I am Sadius. I only recently became a deity," Sadius introduced himself.
Talossa instantly recognized his magical beast lineage.
"Ah, well met! I'm Talossa. Our magical beast clan grows stronger once more!"
"Alright, disperse for now. The four of you, gather back here in fifteen days," Beirut said calmly.
After that, everyone departed.
Sadius carried the two little mice on his shoulders, leading the gathered Saints as they flew back to the Yulan Continent.
In the Foggy Valley of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Sadius once again gathered the magical beasts together.
Dylin and his three sons were present as well.
"Harsel, ten years ago I promised you all that when you returned from the Necropolis of the Gods, you would be rewarded."
The magical beasts stirred with excitement.
Previously, Sadius had rewarded Nien and Liya each with a Life Origin Pearl.
With those pearls, the two of them had slaughtered their way through the Necropolis, even reaching the sixth floor and safely retreating back to the fifth.
Based on Sadius' character, this time's rewards would definitely not be inferior.
With a casual wave of his hand, five gray crystals appeared before them.
The magical beasts looked at the crystals in confusion.
But Cesar froze on the spot, dumbstruck.
If his guess wasn't wrong, these were Divine Sparks.
The most shocked of all was Dylin.
He knew Sadius had killed five lower Gods within the Planar Prison.
But what was Sadius planning?
Did he intend to reward these magical beasts before him with Divine Sparks?
Dylin stared at Sadius in disbelief.
In truth, he had also wanted to ask Sadius for a Divine Spark.
His three sons were limited by their innate talent—it was far too difficult for them to become deities on their own.
But he felt embarrassed to speak up. After all, Divine Sparks were priceless treasures.
"These are five Divine Sparks—Darkness, Light, Lightning, Destruction, and Earth. The four of you may each select one to refine. Once fully refined, you'll become lower Gods. As for you, Dylin, you may also choose one."
Dylin hadn't expected that Sadius would actually gift him a Divine Spark as well.
For merely pledging his loyalty for a thousand years, Sadius was this generous.
Standing off to the side, Cesar watched with intense longing.
"Cesar, you have the potential to become a deity through your own cultivation. Refining a Divine Spark would actually hinder your path," Sadius explained.
Cesar understood, though he still couldn't help but covet the Divine Sparks.
"Lord, I wish to become a deity through my own training. This journey to the Necropolis of the Gods greatly improved my comprehension of the profound mysteries," said Harsel.
Harsel had already begun to grasp the Profound Mysteries. Though he only made it to the fifth floor of the Necropolis, he didn't waste time idling; instead, he sparred and exchanged insights with other Saints who trained in the Laws of Darkness.
Over ten years, his mastery of the Profound Mysteries of Evil had advanced significantly.
Sadius nodded. The ability to comprehend the Profound Mysteries of Evil already spoke of his high talent. Since he wished to train to become a God himself, Sadius naturally supported it.
"Lord, I too want to cultivate my own path to Divinity," said the black-armored Saint Scorpion.
Sadius couldn't help but glance at the scorpion with new appreciation.
In the original story, this one had repeatedly surpassed the limits of his species, evolving from a ninth-rank magical beast into a Saint at the peak—and had performed outstandingly within the Necropolis.
"Very well. But you may still select a Divine Spark. You can decide who to gift it to."
The two magical beasts immediately thanked Sadius.
Then, the four magical beasts began to choose their Divine Sparks.
Harsel chose the Lightning Divine Spark, clearly intending it for the Saint Thunder Dragon, Rexus.
The Saint Golden-Furred Ape chose the Light Divine Spark, fitting as he was already attuned to the element of Light.
The Saint Nine-Headed Serpent King chose the Darkness Divine Spark.
The Saint Black-Armored Scorpion glanced at the remaining two Divine Sparks and selected the Earth Divine Spark.
Lastly, Dylin looked at the Destruction Divine Spark before him. Naturally, he knew the Black-Armored Scorpion had intentionally left the Destruction Divine Spark for him, since all three of his sons cultivated the Laws of Destruction.
All five collected their chosen Divine Sparks.
"Half a month from now, Dylin and I will both enter the Necropolis of the Gods. It is filled with endless dangers. We cannot guarantee we will return alive. So you must all cultivate diligently. Only by becoming Gods can you safeguard the foundation we've built."
The magical beasts nodded.
Those refining Divine Sparks went off to refine them. Those who would train continued their cultivation.
Of course, Sadius wouldn't neglect Cesar.
'Heaven-Treading' is merely the simplest material attack—while 'Thunderclap' is the true killing move, a soul attack."
An innate divine ability capable of simultaneously encompassing both physical and soul assaults… it was clear that this Kui Niu's strength was far beyond an ordinary peak lower God.
Even so, Sadius was not afraid.
As a triple-element soul mutate, his soul defense far surpassed that of his peers. Moreover, he still possessed the incomplete soul-defense Sovereign artifact—the Coiling Dragon Ring.
Unless that Kui Niu was actually a Highgod, it would be impossible for it to truly harm him.
Having obtained the information he wanted, Sadius bid farewell to Catherine. Doehring returned to the Magical Beast Mountains, waiting for the Necropolis of the Gods to open once again.
Sadius himself returned to the royal palace of the revived Proulx Empire.
Reyna was cultivating quietly in her own chambers.
Ever since becoming Sadius's woman, Reyna had trained even more diligently.
She was merely a ninth-rank magus, not yet a Saint. One day, she would still grow old.
She didn't want to die like an ordinary mortal—she wished to remain by Sadius's side forever. Thus, she continued to cultivate tirelessly.
Yet, perhaps due to innate talent, advancing to the Saint-level had not been easy for Reyna. Ten full years had passed, and she remained stuck at the ninth rank of magus.
"My lord… I feel so useless…" Reyna's eyes shimmered with tears as she spoke softly while in Sadius's embrace.
Sadius gently stroked her hair.
"How could that be? You're only thirty-six years old and already a powerful ninth-rank magus. Across the entire Yulan Continent, there aren't many whose talent exceeds yours."
"But… I'm afraid of growing old…"
Sadius comforted her for a while longer.
"My lord… this time you'll be entering the Necropolis of the Gods again. Once you go, it'll be another ten years…"
There was a hint of sorrow in her voice. If Sadius returned after ten years and she still hadn't reached the Saint-level, she would already be a fading beauty, no longer in her prime.
Sadius thought for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Little Reyna, why don't you try cultivating Life Magic instead? Perhaps your talent in the Laws of Life is higher than in the Laws of Light.
And within Life Magic, there are secret techniques for preserving youth and prolonging vitality."
Reyna's heart was moved.
She had been focused solely on training in Light Magic, hoping to reach the Saint-level as soon as possible, never once considering whether she might have greater talent in the rules of Life.
Now that she'd hit a bottleneck in Light Magic, perhaps Life Magic could be her new path forward.
The very next day, Sadius sent a soul transmission to the High Priestess Catherine, requesting methods to cultivate Life Magic.
For Catherine, this was a trivial matter. She instructed one of her Saint-level archmagus to deliver the relevant tomes and scrolls to the Pouant Empire.
Time passed swiftly. Soon, the day arrived when the Necropolis of the Gods would reopen.
Four lower God experts gathered at the South Sea.
Leylin's eldest and second brothers, along with Tarossa who had just emerged from the Necropolis, did not participate in this round of trials.
"Alright, the four of you are all here. Let's depart."
Beirut led the team. Just like before, five figures entered the Necropolis of the Gods together.
"This time, you will be sent directly through the passage to the twelfth layer. Ten years from now, I will wait for you here."
Then, with Catherine in the lead, the four of them stepped into the shimmering passage one by one.
The Twelfth Layer of the Necropolis of the Gods.
The four emerged from the tunnel into a world of towering mountain peaks.
"Catherine, you've been here before. You know where that Divine Beast Kui Niu is located. Why not lead the way?" Sadius asked.
Catherine's brows furrowed slightly.
"Sadius, are you sure? Kui Niu's strength is no weaker than that of some ordinary mid-level Gods. Facing it carries significant risk."
Sadius only chuckled.
"If I lack even that much confidence, how can I talk about cultivation and advancement?"
"…Very well. In that case, I'll guide you. But I won't take part in the battle."
She simply couldn't gamble her life; after all, the Yulan Empire still needed her support.
War God O'Brien remained silent, following the trio.
They flew over ridge after ridge until they finally spotted an unusual place.
The surrounding mountains curved inwards, forming a natural basin. At the center was a low-lying valley—like a massive, natural trumpet-shaped amphitheater.
From afar, the four of them could already see a colossal Divine Beast standing sentinel there.
"Gentlemen, this is as far as I go. From here on… it's up to you."
Catherine turned back toward Sadius and Dylin.
Sadius nodded his thanks, then flew together with Dylin toward the massive Kui Niu.
As they neared the valley, the previously resting Kui Niu slowly opened its enormous eyes.
"Intruders… leave my domain. Otherwise… you die!"
Its voice boomed like a great war drum, echoing across the entire twelfth layer of the Necropolis of the Gods.
Dylin glanced at Sadius and spoke, his tone calm yet eager.
"My friend, allow me to test him first. As a fellow Divine Beast of the Yulan Plane, I'd like to gauge his strength."
Sadius nodded slightly.
"Be careful. If you truly can't withstand him, don't force it."
"Understood."
Dylin flew forward.
"I am Dylin of the Yulan Continent. Please grant me some guidance!"
The Kui Niu tilted its massive head slightly, as if recognizing him.
"You… you are the Suanni Divine Beast from the Yulan Plane?"
"Indeed."
Kui Niu's eyes gleamed with interest.
"I am Usor, the Kui Niu from the Moro Continent. If you truly wish to battle… should you fall here, you can only blame yourself."
Then, beneath Kui Niu's thousand-meter-tall frame, a single massive hoof stomped down. The entire valley quaked violently.
Dylin didn't hesitate—he directly transformed into his true body, the mighty Suanni lion, unleashing a terrifying roar as the aura of Destruction burst forth.
Moments later, the two titanic beasts collided in a clash of raw might, shaking the mountains themselves.
This valley became like a giant arena, the two Divine Beasts slaughtering each other amidst endless echoes.
Though Usor only had a single leg, as a lower God it could freely fly; its mobility in combat was unaffected. Yet Dylin's reaction speed was clearly faster, allowing him to slash and rake with his claws.
Usor could only rely on the massive horn atop its head to ram and strike back.
But the Kui Niu's defense was astonishing. Dylin's fierce blows barely managed to leave a mark.
Realizing this, Dylin shifted back to his human form, summoning his artifact-grade gauntlets before striking once more at the massive Kui Niu.
But in that instant, arcs of thunder and lightning surrounded Kui Niu's body—it lowered its head and directly met Dylin's fist with its horn.
Destruction power and thunder law collided violently—an earth-shattering explosion erupted.
Dylin's body was sent flying backward through the air.
Even from just that brief exchange, he knew… he couldn't truly match this opponent.
Still, Dylin did not feel dejected.
The opponent's strength was indeed overwhelming, but not exaggerated to the level of a true mid-level God. He could still stand his ground and continue the fight.
"Again!"
Dylin roared and charged back into battle.
Outside the battlefield, Sadius watched the fight with narrowed eyes.
He'd gained a rough sense of the Kui Niu's power.
"If I use a dual-element fused divine power, I should be able to defeat this creature… but it would take some time. What I really want to see is its innate divine ability. If Dylin can force it to unleash that, I'll have a much clearer idea of what we're dealing with."
In the valley, Dylin shouted mid-battle:
"Usor, your defense is indeed formidable. But your attack speed is lacking. If this drags on, once I find an opening, you'll still be defeated!"
Kui Niu Usor sneered, a deep rumble in its chest.
"Then let's see if you truly have that ability."
With that, Usor transformed—his massive beast body condensed into that of a towering, muscle-bound warrior. In his hands appeared an artifact-grade gauntlet, gleaming ominously.
High in the air, two figures—one wreathed in the aura of Destruction, the other crackling with lightning—clashed again and again, their fists meeting like thunderclaps in the sky.
—-
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