Council of Deities

In the capital of the Heavenly Flame Dynasty, a heavy silence pervaded the air. The sky was shrouded with a powerful pressure that pinned everyone in place, leaving them unable to move. The sheer force of the presence above made the people look up in fear and confusion.

A young girl's voice broke the silence, sobbing with terror, "Mother, I'm scared…" Her voice trembled with fear. Her mother embraced her tightly, attempting to soothe her with all her strength.

"Don't be afraid, my child. The Emperor will take care of everything. We'll be safe soon," she said, trying to comfort her daughter, though she herself was not without worry.

Suddenly, the overwhelming pressure covering the city dissipated in an instant, allowing people to move freely once again. Cheers erupted loudly throughout the city as all eyes focused on the figure standing high above them—their Emperor himself.

Li Huang stood majestically in the sky, flanked by Hei Long, Qing Ying, and Zhi Yuan. The three stood firm, prepared to fight unwaveringly for their Emperor. Li Huang smiled faintly in acknowledgment of the cheers below, his gaze, however, fixed on the two men hovering before him. Both men wore vivid red robes, their powerful aura filling the atmosphere with an imposing intensity.

Name: Bai Gu Wang

Identity: Member of the Council of Deities, No. 12

Cultivation Level: Saint King, Level 9

Physique: Nine-Element Bone King Body (Emperor Level)

Favorability: 10

…

Name: Ling Se

Identity: Member of the Council of Deities, No. 11

Cultivation Level: Saint King, Level 9

Physique: Eight-Headed Sacred Serpent Body (Emperor Level)

Favorability: 30

Li Huang gazed calmly at the two men before him. With a wave of his hand, his three generals disappeared instantly. Then, he spoke inwardly.

"System, raise my cultivation to Saint King Level 1."

[Your points are insufficient for the host's upgrade,] the system responded.

In a matter of moments, several cities that the Heavenly Flame Dynasty had conquered from the Sword Dynasty and Feather Dynasty on the Star Continent vanished without a trace. People in those cities dissolved in an instant, unaware of their sudden deaths. Even parts of some cities on other low-tier continents disappeared similarly. As this occurred, Li Huang's kill points surged rapidly.

[Total kill points: 1,521,241,120 points] …

[Total kill points: 1,823,991,000 points] …

The system remained silent for a moment before whispering softly, [Truly a ruthless act befitting you… Those people must have been merely emergency kill points for you.]

Li Huang said nothing as he observed the continuous increase in his kill points.

[Total kill points: 2,641,235,810 points]

The system detailed the cultivation upgrade cost: [Saint level costs 100,000,000 kill points per minor level, and Saint King level costs 1,000,000,000 kill points per minor level, totaling 1,800,000,000 points.]

[Total kill points: 841,235,810 points]

Once the system completed Li Huang's cultivation upgrade, his power quietly surged, unnoticed by the two men standing before him. Li Huang smiled coldly, his voice soft as he questioned them.

"What brings you to my dynasty?"

Ling Se chuckled and replied, "We were hired to assist the son of the supreme leader of the Moon Commerce Guild, and now you're about to put us out of work."

Li Huang narrowed his eyes slightly, then asked, "And what exactly do you want from me? I don't quite understand."

Bai Gu Wang, standing beside him, laughed confidently and replied, "Your life, of course." He extended his hand, and a green bone shot from his palm with lightning speed, aiming straight at Li Huang.

Li Huang's smile was cold as his crimson eyes glowed intensely. Gathering his spiritual energy, he summoned the Emperor's Book in mid-air. A blazing, radiant light enveloped him, drawing the attention of Ling Se and Bai Gu Wang immediately.

Ling Se's eyes widened, his voice trembling with surprise, "A Saint King, Level 1, in a low-tier continent like this… Not only that, this youth has a bone age of only 18…"

Ling Se stood still, contemplating briefly before signaling Bai Gu Wang to halt his attack. He then turned to Li Huang and spoke, "I have a proposal. If you hand over Li Jun to me, all that has transpired will be forgotten. What do you say?"

Li Huang merely smiled slightly and responded, "Your proposal holds little interest. How about we divide the Moon Commerce Guild instead? You take what you want, and I'll take everything else. What do you think?"

Bai Gu Wang frowned and asked, "Do you know what it is we're after?"

Li Huang slowly shook his head, replying in a cold tone, "I have an idea."

Ling Se gazed at Li Huang with hesitation before saying, "Then how can I trust you…"

Before he could finish speaking, a fiery spear, seething with energy capable of incinerating everything, shot precisely through Ling Se's head. Ling Se's body plummeted to the ground instantly, blood spraying as half of his face was obliterated.

Bai Gu Wang watched the scene with widened eyes, shock flooding his heart. But before he could react, the roar of flames resounded again. A massive fireball, densely packed with destructive energy, began to form in Li Huang's hand. It expanded rapidly and launched toward Bai Gu Wang.

As Li Huang checked the notifications from the system, he noticed Ling Se's name was absent, signaling that Ling Se was not truly dead. This revelation made Li Huang decisively resolve to destroy the capital along with Ling Se, who was now falling toward it. A second giant fireball began to form in his hand.