After all, in the eyes of most factions, the two sides in this fierce battle had been the East and West Divine Kings against Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji.
The North God King clearly had not even participated in the battle.
Why had he been the first to fall?
Of course, some factions speculated: Could the North God King have been the Four Divine Kings' trump card, secretly taking part in this decisive battle?
But the moment that thought arose, they dismissed it, because the North God King simply wasn't qualified to be a trump card!
As the weakest of the Four Divine Kings, the North God King's strength lagged far behind the other three God Kings. He simply could not play a decisive role in the battle.
If the Four Divine Kings had wanted to plot against Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji, hiding the North God King would have been worse than hiding Takikawa Ei, the East Divine King.
More importantly, if the North God King had truly been on the East and West Divine Kings' side, then that meant Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji had joined forces to kill three God Kings!
That speculation was simply more terrifying than the idea that the North God King had been the Four Divine Kings' trump card.
After all, the Heavenly God Trial had not yet ended. Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji were still merely "Eighth Order" Earth Deities, still far from becoming Heavenly Gods or God Kings.
If the two of them had joined forces to kill the true bodies of three God Kings, just how terrifying had their strength become?
Precisely because they could not imagine the course of this battle, all the factions began sending out scouts after realizing that the situation had completely spiraled out of control, hoping to uncover what had happened.
Among all the factions, perhaps only Tian Qi of the West Kingdom and Shao Hua of the South Kingdom knew the details of this battle best.
West Kingdom, Mist Veil Society headquarters.
Tian Qi looked up at the shattered West Divine King Statue and listened to his subordinate's report, his face turning livid.
As someone deeply involved in this battle, he understood the strength of both sides better than anyone, so he easily reconstructed the entire course of the battle.
It seems Your Excellency Xi Yue still won!
How is that possible? She's only Eighth Order.
Could it be that even among Eighth Order Peaks, there are differences in strength?
As he thought this, Tian Qi's expression grew even graver.
If it had only been Zhao Ji, perhaps he would not have been so anxious. Although Zhao Ji was powerful, she was rather casual in other matters. There was a high chance she had not discovered his betrayal.
But with Qiu Tu involved, everything was different.
Even though he had only dealt with Qiu Tu a few times, Tian Qi knew that Qiu Tu possessed an extraordinarily perceptive mind.
Given Qiu Tu's grasp of human nature, there was no way Qiu Tu would fail to see through what he had done.
What should I do?
As he thought this, Tian Qi's expression shifted rapidly.
A moment later, his brows furrowed deeply, as though he had thought of something.
Since there's no way back... perhaps I can only follow this path to the end.
If I remember correctly, the West Divine King seemed to have told me that before this battle began, he had left behind a contingency plan.
Maybe I can make use of it.
Meanwhile, in the South Kingdom.
Shao Hua panted heavily and dropped into a chair.
She looked as though someone had just pulled her from the water, her entire body drenched.
Her thin clothes had been soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her graceful figure.
But she seemed completely unaware of it.
She shook her head, then cursed under her breath, "The feeling of dying is truly awful!"
"I actually believed Uncle's nonsense!"
That was right. The one who had helped Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji today had not been White Robe, but Shao Hua.
After Qiu Tu and White Robe spoke that night, White Robe promised to help Qiu Tu, but he also made a request: he wanted Qiu Tu to stay still and not notify Shao Hua. He wanted to see what choice Shao Hua would make and how she would resolve this crisis.
To put it bluntly, White Robe valued his niece greatly and still wanted to temper her.
And Shao Hua had not disappointed White Robe. After discovering that White Robe had tricked her, she thought it over and decided to lay everything out with Qiu Tu.
She directly brought White Robe's Heavenly God avatar, Panda Zhi Yi, to meet Qiu Tu and made a deal with him.
She saw that Qiu Tu's plan at the time had been to scare off the East and West Divine Kings. Thus, whether the true body of the South God King appeared was not important; it only needed to make its stance clear.
So she gave her terms: she could act on behalf of the South God King, but Qiu Tu had to keep the South God King's disappearance absolutely secret and, after ascending to Heavenly God Level, guarantee the South Kingdom's stability and safety.
Qiu Tu had only wanted to divide the Four Divine Kings in the first place, so he readily agreed.
Thus, today's Panda Zhi Yi had actually been controlled by Shao Hua.
That had also allowed her to fully experience what it felt like to be directly blown apart by twelve Takikawa Eis.
Fortunately, her efforts had borne fruit.
As she thought this, Shao Hua looked at the intelligence her subordinate had delivered.
The statues of the East, West, and North God Kings have shattered.
It seems this battle was won.
As she thought this, Shao Hua could not help looking toward the "northwestern region."
Although she did not know how Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji had won this battle.
She knew that Qiu Tu had most likely orchestrated all of it.
Previously, when she learned of Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji's alliance, she had thought much the same as the other factions: Qiu Tu was a man living off Zhao Ji.
But after truly interacting with him, she discovered that Qiu Tu was actually the one leading that alliance.
And in this battle, she had personally experienced the importance of a "brain" to an organization.
When there was no overwhelming gap in strength, one's mind was the key to determining victory or defeat in a battle.
Perhaps this is what Uncle wanted me to learn?
As she thought this, Shao Hua hesitated.
Then her gaze flickered.
I wonder whether Qiu Tu survived.
Perhaps I should go take a look?
Although she knew her side had won, the scene before her "death" had been hundreds of Takikawa Eis standing in the sky.
Those had been hundreds of Heavenly God Level experts.
Qiu Tu might have helped Zhao Ji win the battle, but he might not necessarily have survived.
As an ally, Shao Hua felt that she ought to find out about the battle's outcome.
Well... if she could pick Qiu Tu up, or show more goodwill while Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji were at their lowest point and earn more of their favor, then Shao Hua felt it would be worth it.
After all, with three God Kings fallen and something having happened to her uncle.
This world was destined to be ruled by Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji!
Building a good relationship with the two of them could only bring benefits.
After hesitating for a moment, Shao Hua rose and flew directly toward the "northwestern region."
Meanwhile.
In Burial Dragon City, which had captured the attention of every faction in the Boundless Mind Sea.
Zhao Ji and Qiu Tu's healing had reached its final stage.
It had to be said that Crisis Intuition's calculations might truly have been top-tier.
Only after Zhao Ji had poured all the Calamity Power in her body into Qiu Tu, nearly exhausting even her life force and Mental Power, did the suction from Qiu Tu's body finally begin to slowly stop.
Perhaps because it had been a long time since she had been drained dry, Zhao Ji shook her slightly dizzy head, took a step back, closed her eyes, and sat in meditation, beginning to absorb the Calamity Power in the air to replenish her strength.
Burial Dragon City had been the site of a battle between six Heavenly God Level experts, and more than a hundred Heavenly God Level avatars had fallen here. For a short time, it could almost be considered the place with the densest Calamity Power in the Boundless Mind Sea.
Zhao Ji's talent was extraordinarily astonishing. The moment she began absorbing it, she devoured it like a whale, and all the Calamity Power around her surged into her body.
In just half an hour, Zhao Ji had nearly recovered completely.
She raised her eyes and looked with her cool, detached gaze at Qiu Tu, who still had his back to her. With a wave of her hand, she put on a set of her clothes.
Once dressed, Zhao Ji drew her sword, walked behind Qiu Tu, and placed it directly against his neck.
Qiu Tu had been immobilized by Zhao Ji from the very beginning.
When the sword suddenly lay across his neck, every hair on his body stood on end.
At the same time, Zhao Ji's cold voice came from behind him. "Have you decided how you want to die?"
If Zhao Ji had not spoken, Qiu Tu might have still been uncertain. But the moment she spoke, he immediately felt at ease.
He forced out two laughs and said, "What do you mean by that, Sister Zhao Ji?"
Zhao Ji's eyes were deep and cold, like an icy pool in the abyss. "You don't know what I mean?"
"I kindly saved you just now, yet you took liberties with me."
"Do you think you don't deserve to die?"
As she said this, Zhao Ji tightened her grip on the sword. Qiu Tu felt a chill against his neck.
He coughed, then said cautiously and timidly, "If I think I don't deserve to die, will Sister Zhao Ji let me go?"
Zhao Ji: ...
As though infuriated by Qiu Tu's shamelessness, Zhao Ji took a deep breath before saying, "Of course not."
At her words, Qiu Tu kept glancing back, trying to see Zhao Ji's expression.
But not only had Zhao Ji immobilized him, leaving him unable to move, even if he could move and turn around, Zhao Ji had drawn all the light from Burial Dragon City. He would not have been able to see anything.
So after glancing twice, Qiu Tu finally gave up on that shortcut.
He could only continue probing Zhao Ji's attitude. Carefully, he said, "But... I think Sister Zhao Ji would."
"After all, if you truly wanted to kill me... why did you save me?"
Zhao Ji seemed to have prepared her answer long ago. She said coldly, "I saved you because my Calamity Power was connected to yours at the time."
"If I forcibly severed it, I would be injured as well."
If Qiu Tu had still suspected that Zhao Ji truly wanted to kill him before, now he was certain—Zhao Ji did not want to kill him at all.
The reason was simple.
Qiu Tu remembered something written in the Affection Handbook: if a woman was willing to explain herself to you, or willing to hear your explanation, then it proved she did not want to break up with you.
If she wanted to hear your explanation or was willing to keep arguing with you, it meant she did not actually want to break up.
What remained was for you to figure out whether she wanted to give you "one last chance" or was merely toying with your emotions.
As he thought this, Qiu Tu's mind began racing.
He did not jump to conclusions. Instead, he continued probing.
"But... even if you couldn't withdraw while saving me, you can still kill me with a single strike now. Why do you keep asking questions?"
"Doesn't that prove you don't want to kill me?"
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Zhao Ji: ...
Perhaps she had not expected Qiu Tu to be so perceptive, but Zhao Ji did not know how to answer for a moment.
However, she was Zhao Ji after all, and she never tormented herself internally. So she said bluntly, "You ask too many questions. It seems you truly don't want to live anymore!"
With that, she tightened her hand, and Qiu Tu immediately felt a sharp pain in his neck. He hurriedly said, "My mistake, my mistake, I was wrong, Sister Zhao Ji."
Seeing Qiu Tu yield, the corner of Zhao Ji's lips lifted slightly.
But before she could take any pride in it, Qiu Tu said, "Sister Zhao Ji, I know my sins are grave, and I deeply understand my mistake."
"But I really don't want to be stabbed to death by a sword."
"You said I could choose how I die, right?"
Zhao Ji narrowed her eyes, feeling that nothing good was about to come out of Qiu Tu's mouth.
Sure enough, before Zhao Ji could ask, Qiu Tu shouted, "Then I hope you can drain me dry! Drain me hard! Drain me until I die!"
"Don't hold back for my sake!"
Zhao Ji's eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth in anger.
But Qiu Tu was not done. As if he had completely thrown caution to the wind, he shouted, "I just like you! I want to sleep with you! What's wrong with that?!"
"You're a woman, I'm a man. I'm unmarried, you're unwed, and there's nothing standing between us. What's wrong with me having that thought?!"
"I—"
"Pfft!" Before Qiu Tu could finish, he suddenly felt a chill in his chest, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. He lowered his eyes and saw half a sword tip protruding from his chest.
In that instant, every hair on his body stood on end, and only one thought remained in his mind.
I'm screwed!
Did I go too far?
Along with that thought, the sword slowly withdrew from his body, taking several drops of blood with it.
Just as Qiu Tu breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly!
"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"
The sword in Zhao Ji's hand turned into countless afterimages, wildly piercing through Qiu Tu's body!
Streams of blood shot out. When the final sword was pulled free, the strength drained from Qiu Tu's body, and he slowly collapsed forward onto the ground.
Looking at Qiu Tu's fallen figure, Zhao Ji stood over him like an iceberg, looking down at him as though he were already dead.
A moment later, Zhao Ji gave a cold snort and left behind a single sentence. "You owe me a life."
Her tone was piercingly cold, but on closer thought, it somehow carried a trace of coyness and embarrassment.
After saying that, Zhao Ji flashed away and vanished from the spot, disappearing completely.
After Zhao Ji left, the rooftop fell silent for a time.
Blood rain fell quietly, and the Heavenly God avatars throughout the city slowly transformed into Boundless God Crystal under its wash.
Five full seconds passed before Qiu Tu suddenly jolted awake!
"Whew! Whew!" He clutched his chest, rolled over, and sprang up, gasping heavily. His face was filled with the terror of having narrowly escaped death.
After rising, he touched his body.
It was covered in blood! But there were no wounds!
Moreover, Qiu Tu recalled that Zhao Ji had clearly stabbed him more than a dozen times, yet he had not felt the slightest pain?
If he did not clearly remember the cold sensation of that sword entering and leaving his body, along with the blood now covering him, he might truly have believed it had all been an illusion.
So...
Was that a warning?
Thinking this, Qiu Tu couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Every time he thought he had seen through Zhao Ji, this woman always managed to bring him a new surprise.
After all, Qiu Tu was an Eighth Order Peak great evil god. The strength of his body had long surpassed that of ordinary living beings.
Yet Zhao Ji had managed to stab Qiu Tu more than a dozen times before he could react, without leaving a single wound.
That showed that her strength far exceeded Qiu Tu's, and that her understanding of Cataclysm Creature anatomy and control of swordsmanship had both reached a pinnacle.
As expected of the Legendary Heavenly God who had dominated an entire era.
But at that thought, a smile appeared on Qiu Tu's face.
After all, he had just said something so excessive. In her anger, Zhao Ji had stabbed him over a dozen times, yet she had not actually hurt him.
That clearly meant his place in Zhao Ji's heart was no longer ordinary.
Heh heh. You got to stab me over a dozen times this time. Next time, it'll be my turn to stab you!
As Qiu Tu thought this—
With a buzz, a sword pierced through space and time, appearing an inch beneath Qiu Tu's crotch before embedding itself firmly in the ground!
In that instant, Qiu Tu felt a chill between his legs and sucked in a breath. He couldn't help looking down.
Perhaps because it had been thrown with too much force, the blade continued swaying after embedding itself in the ground, producing a constant buzzing hum.
At that moment, Zhao Ji's icy voice came from afar.
"Takikawa Ei had a total of 112 Heavenly God Level clones, all refined from Eighth Order deities."
"After she fell, those clones fell with her and lost their vitality. Within one or two days, they will gradually turn into Boundless God Crystals."
"To help you pay the price, I emptied my treasury. After you collect those Boundless God Crystals, give me forty bodies."
The terms Zhao Ji offered were extremely generous. She had clearly been the main combatant this time, yet she only claimed thirty-five percent of the spoils. So Qiu Tu promptly replied obediently, "Got it, Sister Zhao Ji!"
Seeing Qiu Tu pretending to be a good boy again, Zhao Ji snorted coldly. With a beckoning gesture, the sword drew a circle beneath Qiu Tu's crotch before flying back into her hand.
After that, Zhao Ji gave Qiu Tu a cool glance, then vanished again with her sword.
Watching Zhao Ji's ghostly comings and goings, Qiu Tu couldn't help wiping away a cold sweat.
He had realized that Zhao Ji especially liked to "watch the screen."
She had always been like this. Even when she said she had left, she would actually leave behind a wisp of Mental Power to see whether anyone was badmouthing her.
It was simply both hilarious and exasperating.
After silently complaining about Zhao Ji, Qiu Tu put away his joking manner. He patted his somewhat numb legs, comforted his little brother, and only resumed a proper expression after confirming it hadn't been frightened.
Then he walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked out over all of Burial Dragon City.
Before leaving, Zhao Ji had already restored the light in Burial Dragon City. What lay before Qiu Tu was a stretch of ruins beneath a rain of blood, along with Heavenly God clones scattered everywhere.
The bodies of Eighth Order deities were certainly harder than any ordinary material could compare to, so craters smashed out by corpses and broken walls and tiles covered the city.
It carried a distinctive apocalyptic aesthetic.
Especially when he thought of how every deity corpse could turn into a priceless Eighth Order Boundless God Crystal, Qiu Tu's eyes gleamed faintly.
This was the stockpile several God Kings had accumulated over centuries.
I'm rich. Truly rich.
Qiu Tu might have consumed a great many resources to pay the price just now, but compared to over a hundred Eighth Order deities and the corpses of three Heavenly Gods/God Kings, it was nothing at all.
Even after subtracting the Boundless God Crystals owed to Zhao Ji, Qiu Tu's profits this time would still be seven or eight times his investment.
This feels incredible!
Thinking this, Qiu Tu leaped down from the rooftop, opened Dimensional Space, and began collecting Takikawa Ei's clone corpses one by one.
Six Heavenly God Level experts had fought a decisive battle, and three God Kings had fallen. This battle could practically be called the greatest event to occur in the Boundless Mind Sea in recent centuries.
Thus, once the news broke, every faction dispatched its most elite intelligence teams to investigate.
Although the battle had already ended and these intelligence teams did not dare approach for an inspection, based on the scattered clues they observed, the lingering traces of battle, and Qiu Tu's busy figure, the intelligence teams of all factions quickly reconstructed the battle's general course.
Zhao Ji had joined forces with the North God King and South Divine King against the Eastern and Western God Kings.
The North God King, Eastern God King, and Western God King had fallen. The South Divine King's clone had fallen, while his true body was nowhere to be found.
This deduction fit fairly well with the logic of all the factions.
Although they underestimated Qiu Tu's role in this battle and overestimated the strength of the Northern and Southern God Kings, at least their conclusion was the same.
That was: the era of the God Kings had ended.
Next, the entire Boundless Mind Sea would most likely enter an era of "dual-king rule."
Zhao Ji and Qiu Tu had already been able to defeat God Kings while at Eighth Order Peak. Once the Heavenly God Trial ended and they became Heavenly Gods, no one in the Boundless Mind Sea would be able to stand against them.
Especially since the Heavenly God Trial would end the very next day. The other factions had not even been given time to turn things around.
Under such circumstances, all the factions of the Four Divine Kingdoms made the same choice: they sent their higher-ups to the "northwestern region," hoping to contact Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji and pledge allegiance early to the two new rulers of the Boundless Mind Sea.
If they couldn't beat them, they would join them. Since they had once been able to submit to the Four Divine Kings, they could now submit to Zhao Ji and Qiu Tu.
There was nothing shameful about that.
Being eliminated during a change of dynasties was the truly tragic thing.
Just as the entire Boundless Mind Sea began undergoing a massive reshuffle, another day slowly passed.
Finally, the day arrived when the final list for the Heavenly God Trial would be revealed.
Still 6,000 words, but I started staying up late again. I'm doomed. Please vote with your monthly tickets.
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