The system's chime hit like heavenly thunder, EXP addiction raging.
"Ding! Daily Ascension Quest 4: Raid Celestial Treasury (Heavenly Emperor guardians x3). Steal 10 Divine Lord Pills and the Heavenly Mandate Core. Reward: 1,500,000 EXP, Celestial Treasury outpost, Follower ascension boost. Time limit: 24 hours. Fail: Heavenly tribulation wipes north."
I stood in the throne hall, God Transformation Peak qi crackling on the golden throne. Eternal Sovereign's Fang screamed hunger. "Heavens themselves. Pantheon—treasury falls today."
Yue Zhilan The Half-step Heavenly Emperor spear blazed. Seraphine's phoenix wings flared rebirth. Lirael dragons thundered through the skies. Glacia iced floors ready. Kael's blood pooled shadows. Lu Din marked void maps: "Celestial Treasury—floating fortress ninth heaven. Guardians: Heavenly Emperor Realm. Moon Shadows infiltrated—back doors open."
No mercy time. Elite pantheon raid: me vanguard, Yue Zhilan, Seraphine, Lirael dragon core, Glacia ice support, Kael blood ambush. Lian led mortal shadows (Frostveil thunder cloaked). Old Wei hauled Vulcan void-breakers.
Zephyrine winds hurled us heavenward—Raiden lightning cloaking, Nereia tidal clouds shielding. Ninth heaven pierced—Celestial Treasury loomed: a golden fortress drifting in the void, arrays of blinding saints, and guardians patrolling wings of thunder.
First Guardian: Thunder Emperor Zoltar. Armoured lightning colossus, hammer shattering realms. "Mortals invade heaven?!" Bolt chains lashed.
Lirael's dragons swarmed—10,000 scales breathing abyss piercing thunder shields. Seraphine countered rebirth flames melting bolts. +200k EXP.
Yue Zhilan blurred the duel, the Half-step Heavenly Emperor's spear shattering the hammer. Guardian staggered. I plunged Fang—fate's edge severing thunder-core. Guardian down. +300k EXP.
Second: Void Empress Nyx. Shadow queen warping space, tendrils devouring light. "Your unity offends void!"
Kael's Crimson Legion flooded shadows—20,000 blood demons syphoning void essence. Glacia froze tendrils eternal. Mortal Lian thunder-speared heart-gap. Fang Fate-slash imploded her. +350k EXP.
Third: Star Sovereign Vesper. Final guardian, star-metal body, beams piercing souls. "Heavens punish the taxless!"
The Seraphine Phoenix Legion (15,000 rebirth warriors) tanked Starfall. Yue Zhilan chained wings in moonlight. Lirael dragons pierced joints. I leaped crown-high, Fang plunging star-core. Realms shook. Guardian down. Treasury breached. +400k EXP.
Vaults opened endlessly—10 Divine Lord Pills glowing, the Heavenly Mandate Core pulsing fate-gold. Arrays shattered. EXP flooded.
"Quest Complete! 1,500,000 EXP Gained! God Transformation Peak → Divine Lord Early! All Followers, +2 Major Realms!"
Pantheon exploded power: Yue Zhilan Half-step Heavenly → Early Heavenly Emperor. Seraphine God Peak → Celestial Sovereign Peak. Lirael Saint Peak → God Transformation Peak. Glacia God Peak → Celestial Early. Kael God Peak → Celestial Early. Pantheon averaged Celestial Sovereign+.
Treasury outpost annexed—heavenly docks fuelling eternal trade. Pills distributed: mortals leaped realms, Lian Nascent → Dao Refining.
Core swirled cosmic. A figure emerged—thunder-crackling armor, a star-forged hammer, and eyes like electric storms. Crown lightning thorns.
"New Follower: Thunder Sovereign Zoltar. Cultivation: Peak Heavenly Emperor (now Early Divine Lord post-boost). Loyalty: 95%. Innate: Thunder Legion Summon (30,000 lightning titans). Techniques: Storm Emperor Descent, Heavenly Bolt Arrays."
Zoltar knelt, vault-gold, voice rumbling like thunder. "Lord Ling Chen... grounder of storms."
"You know me?" Lightning danced on feet.
He grinned electrically. "Lightning Tribulation Eternal—gods sealed my thunder realm, bolts wild and uncontrolled. I rampaged, dying. You—soul through heavens—shared earth qi anchor, whispering, 'Thunder serves when grounded.' I vowed, "Fate calls; my storms shatter your foes."
Treasury rumbled—30,000 lightning titans rising, bowing electric.
Lu Din marked heaven-maps ecstatic: "Ninth heaven is ours. Pills fuel academies eternal."
Lian swallowed a pill, thunder crackling in her veins: "Mortals touch heavens!"
System previewed tomorrow: "Shadow Abyss Conquest (Abyss Demon Lord)." Daily Quest 5.
EXP snowballed to 5M+. Heavens knelt. Pantheon divine-lorded.
Sovereign raided stars. Followers empowered.
Treasury gold reigned trade. Pills coddled mortals.
Dawn called abyssal blood next.