"Cesar, this is an artifact I obtained by slaying a Dark-attribute lower God. It's not just a lower-grade artifact—it's a mid-grade artifact. I'll give it to you."
Sadius casually pulled out a dagger and tossed it toward Cesar.
Cesar caught the dagger, and the moment he laid eyes on it, a look of pure delight filled his face.
"Thank you, my lord!" He immediately pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the dagger to bind it as his own.
After dismissing everyone else, Sadius kept only Dylin behind.
"Dylin, you should have entered the Necropolis of the Gods before, right?" Sadius asked.
Sadius' knowledge of the Necropolis extended only to the first eleven layers and the eighteenth layer as described in the original records.
As for the twelfth to seventeenth layers? He knew absolutely nothing.
Doehring could only give a bitter smile.
"Sadius… I've been imprisoned for almost five thousand years. The only time I entered the Necropolis of the Gods was five thousand years ago."
Sadius sighed softly.
The Necropolis of the Gods cycles once every three thousand years.
The one Dylin had entered back then was definitely not the same one they were facing now.
The South Sea Necropolis was the most difficult of the three Necropolises. Naturally, its rewards were also the best.
Five thousand years ago, countless divine-level powerhouses from different planes flocked to the Yulan Plane, all seeking the so-called Sovereign Artifacts.
Among them were Infernal Realm's Seven-Star Fiends, even the Twelve-Winged Archangels of the Radiant God Realm… yet none were ever heard of obtaining a Sovereign Artifact.
It was proof of just how impossibly difficult it was to clear the Necropolis of the Gods.
Sadius, of course, didn't expect to obtain a Sovereign Artifact.
He understood very well that the Necropolis of the Gods was nothing more than a trial ground created by Beirut for the natives of the Yulan Plane. The so-called Sovereign Artifacts were just bait to lure in powerhouses from other planes.
And naturally, as a Sovereign, Beirut did possess Sovereign Artifacts. If he willed someone to obtain one, they would. But if he didn't want to give it, then even a Great Perfection Highgod would never get a Sovereign Artifact from the Necropolis.
"Looks like I'll have to head to the Yulan Empire and ask the High Priestess. She should have entered this particular Necropolis three thousand years ago."
So, Sadius and Dylin set off toward the Yulan Empire.
Yulan Empire – Temple of Life
The Temple of Life, revered as the Empire's most sacred ground, was where the High Priestess cultivated.
Unlike the War God O'Brien, High Priestess Catherine had achieved Divinity through her own efforts. Unfortunately, her potential had nearly been exhausted, and her cultivation hadn't improved in the slightest over the years.
Back when the entire Yulan Continent was unified as the Yulan Empire, the faith power Catherine received was vastly greater than it was now—yet even then, she could not progress.
After the continent fractured, the faith she gained diminished further, making advancement even more impossible.
Sadius and Dylin soon arrived at the Yulan Empire.
Sadius sent Catherine a voice transmission in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.
By the time they landed before the Temple of Life, a Saint-level Grand Magus was already waiting to receive them.
"Honored guests, the Master has been expecting you."
The Saint mage respectfully led them into the temple.
Sadius' eyes swept over the hall.
As expected of someone who cultivated the Laws of Life, the entire temple radiated a rich aura of vitality.
Before long, Sadius saw her—wearing a green mage robe, a mask faintly glowing with emerald light covering her face, her long silver hair cascading like flowing water.
"High Priestess, it's been a long time."
Catherine froze for a moment, almost speechless.
We just parted ways at the South Sea… and now he says it's been a long time?
"Please, the two of you are honored guests. Have a seat," Catherine said, leading them into a guest room to talk.
"I wonder, what brings you both here?"
"There's a small matter I'd like to consult the High Priestess about."
"You're here because of the Necropolis of the Gods, aren't you?" Catherine didn't even need to think—she could guess immediately.
In past cycles, only she and the War God O'Brien had entered the Necropolis, so they were the only ones with any experience.
She wasn't surprised Sadius had come to ask her.
"Exactly. This time, the Necropolis entrance is in the South Sea. Among the four of us, only you and O'Brien have been inside. So I wanted to ask if you have any information."
Sadius didn't bother with pleasantries—he went straight to the point.
Catherine gave a faint smile.
"I only stayed within the twelfth layer. I don't know much beyond that. I can only tell you what I know about that layer."
Only the twelfth layer?
Sadius fell into thought.
Indeed, with the War God and the High Priestess's limited strength, surviving even the twelfth layer was already impressive enough.
Still, any intel on the Necropolis was valuable.
"Three thousand years ago, guarding the passage from the twelfth to the thirteenth layer was a Divine Beast with peak lower-God strength. That Divine Beast was called Kui Niu, a thunder-attribute powerhouse.
Even when O'Brien and I joined forces, we were no match for it.
Kui Niu possessed a natural divine ability called Heaven-Treading. When activated, it manifested as a massive Kui Niu phantom—one colossal single hoof descending, as if it could shatter Heaven and Earth themselves.
Moreover, its physical defense was unbelievably strong—even O'Brien couldn't break through.
Fortunately, it only stayed near the passageway. As long as you didn't approach the passage to the next layer, it wouldn't attack challengers."
Divine Beast Kui Niu?
Sadius mused.
The Coiling Dragon universe really felt more and more like a world steeped in Eastern mythology—so many of these Divine Beasts were straight out of ancient legends.
He thought for a moment.
This Kui Niu's divine ability sounded… average at best. Strong defenses, sure, but nothing beyond that.
It seemed clearing the twelfth layer wouldn't be too much of a problem.
"And what's the reward for clearing the twelfth layer?"
By logic, the eleventh layer had already offered three Divine Sparks as a reward. The twelfth layer's prize shouldn't be any worse.
"There is no reward for the twelfth layer. If you must count something, it would just be Kui Niu's Divine Spark and artifact."
Sadius went silent.
Of course. Beirut wasn't about to hand out Divine Sparks so easily.
Still, Sadius didn't mind—he fully intended to claim Kui Niu's Divine Spark and artifact for himself.
"Sadius, if the guardian of the twelfth layer is truly the Divine Beast Kui Niu… then I believe I know its origin." Dylin suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Dylin, you know?"
Dylin nodded.
"Our Yulan Plane once had five continents. Four of them sank into the seas during the apocalyptic war ten thousand years ago.
One of those was the Moro Continent. And on Moro, there existed a Divine Beast Kui Niu."
"So you're saying… you're old acquaintances?"
Dylin shook his head.
Back then, there were plenty of God-level beings on the Yulan Plane. Not all of them were close.
"I never personally met Kui Niu. But I do know this—its innate divine powers aren't limited to just Heaven-Treading. It has two innate abilities."
Sadius turned toward Catherine, eyes narrowing.
Could she have been hiding this from me? Hoping Kui Niu would finish me off so she could reap the benefits afterward?
"How could that be? Back then, I personally witnessed its divine ability—it only used that one!" Catherine replied, clearly puzzled.
"That's because your and O'Brien's strength simply wasn't enough to force it to reveal its second ability."
Sadius understood.
It wasn't that Catherine was lying—she and the War God were simply too weak back then.
Kui Niu hadn't even bothered to take them seriously.
—
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