Jie Ning held the letter in his hand, feeling uncertain for a moment.
Arannis also asked in disbelief, "Jie Ning, do you think this news is real?"
"His Highness Korur and His Highness Dinar are preparing to head to the Supreme Plane, and they intend to directly divide the territories of the two great empires between you and Senior Gru?"
"Although it sounds unbelievable, that is indeed what Gru's letter says." Sensing the divine power lingering in the letter, Jie Ning confirmed that it had come from Gru.
Jie Ning rubbed his brow, feeling that the whole matter was somewhat absurd.
"Then we should go directly to Senior Gru and ask him about it," Arannis suggested.
"Mm, that was my intention as well." Jie Ning agreed. It would be clearer to ask about such a matter face-to-face.
West of Dalut City, two guests arrived at the entrance to the Temple of the Fire God.
"Hahaha, Jie Ning, it has been a long time since we last met." Sensing Jie Ning's presence, Gru came to the entrance and laughed heartily.
"And Arannis, you are a rare visitor as well."
"You flatter me, Senior Gru," Arannis replied.
"It really has been a long time." Jie Ning sighed. "Ever since becoming a god, I feel as though time has passed a little faster."
"Hahaha, that is because you are still young. After a few more years, you will get used to it." Gru smiled.
Jie Ning shook his head slightly. He could only slowly adapt to such a perception of time himself.
After chatting for a while, the two turned to the main subject.
"Come to think of it, you came here this time because of that matter, didn't you?" Gru said with certainty.
Jie Ning nodded solemnly. "I received your letter, but that matter is truly difficult to understand, so I had no choice but to come and ask you about the details."
Gru spread his hands helplessly. "This was indeed something His Highness Korur personally told me several decades ago. At the time, we had planned to find you and discuss it, but you happened to be away from the City of Life, so we put it aside for the time being."
"Recently, His Highness Korur and His Highness Dinar have grown somewhat impatient. That was why I thought to leave you a letter first, though I did not expect you to happen to be home this time."
Jie Ning's expression grew serious. "Have those two truly decided to head for the Supreme Plane?"
"They have been gods for over a thousand years. Remaining on the Material Plane can no longer allow their strength to improve quickly, so they intend to go to the Supreme Plane in pursuit of greater power."
Jie Ning found it unbelievable at first. "It has only been a little over a thousand years. There are plenty of Saint Realm experts of that age, let alone God-level experts."
Hearing this, Gru first gave Jie Ning an odd look, then asked in return, "Jie Ning, if it were you—if you remained on the continent for over a thousand years and your strength could no longer improve much—what would you choose?"
Jie Ning instinctively wanted to refute him, but on second thought, he seemed to understand something.
Ignoring the change in Jie Ning's expression, Gru continued, "Though they are not as gifted as you, His Highness Korur and His Highness Dinar are also rare geniuses of the Bana Continent. The two of them are not much older than I am."
"I was born in Korur 021. Do you know how old they were when I was born?"
"His Highness Korur was ninety-seven, and His Highness Dinar was ninety-five." Gru had not expected Jie Ning to answer and simply stated it directly.
"The two great empires were founded in the very year the two of them became gods. In other words, when they became gods, His Highness Korur was only seventy-six, while His Highness Dinar was seventy-four."
"They became gods before reaching a hundred years of age. Their strength had long since reached a bottleneck, and with their pride, they could not accept their strength ceasing to advance from then on." Gru's words carried deeper meaning.
"Especially His Highness Korur. What he comprehended to become a god was the Destruction Rule..." Gru said. "The continent's current peace has instead become an obstacle to him."
This is a little outrageous. When Duke Darut said the two gods had gained enlightenment from magic and become gods, I thought it was already astonishing that Dinar, who comprehended Thunder Law, could gain insight from it. I never expected the other one to be even more outrageous, directly crossing over into the Four Rules...
Moreover, Jie Ning had a subtle feeling that the moral standards of these two were unexpectedly high.
Seeming to understand Jie Ning's thoughts, Gru explained, "When His Highness Korur and His Highness Dinar were born, the Bana Continent was in its most chaotic era in more than a hundred thousand years."
"There were no empires in that era, only city-states. Only Saint Realm experts could become the rulers of city-states; everyone else had to live beneath the protection of the city lords."
"Conflicts frequently broke out between Saint Realm experts as well, but most of the time, neither side could do anything to the other."
"So, to vent the anger of their city lords, wars would erupt between city-states."
"Some city lords even started wars for their own amusement."
"The two Highnesses grew up in such an environment..."
"Even before becoming gods, they had constantly worked to stop the wars between city-states. My grandfather and the others chose to follow the two Highnesses during that period. Only after the two Highnesses became gods did they finally rely on their strength to completely end the continent's wars."
Jie Ning could not help feeling respect. Only then did he understand why Gru, despite also being God-level, had always addressed the two Highnesses so respectfully.
"Like you, they chose External Godhood. Soul Division had a great impact on them, and their cultivation speed was affected as well." Gru gave Jie Ning an odd look. He knew that Jie Ning now had a Death God Avatar too, but he did not ask further.
"Later, in order to pursue greater strength, they had their Sanctuary Main Bodies refine Divine Sparks..."
Jie Ning suddenly found something strange. "Are there really that many Divine Sparks on the continent? Then why did it seem that no gods who had been Saint Realm experts refining Divine Sparks appeared before?"
"Not at all. Other than the one my grandfather, Darut, refined, there has only been one Divine Spark discovered by accident in recorded continental history." Gru did not know that Dale possessed another one.
"You may not know this, but that Divine Spark was discovered in your Life Duke's Territory." Gru raised his eyebrows at Jie Ning.
Of course I know. I also know that the God Corpse belonging to the Divine Spark's original owner is beneath my home. Jie Ning grumbled inwardly.
"The two Highnesses even fought over that Divine Spark. This was also the only battle they fought after becoming gods."
"However, it is said that through that battle, the two Highnesses realized that God-level battles had too great an impact. After that, they never fought each other again."
Jie Ning suddenly noticed something strange. "Wasn't there only one? Why did you say that both Highnesses refined Divine Sparks?"
"Because the continent did not originally have only two God-level experts. Another Divine Spark was given to His Highness Dinar by this person," Gru said astonishingly.
Arannis had been immersed in all kinds of secret histories. Upon suddenly hearing that someone had given away a Divine Spark, she jolted alertly as well.
Jie Ning was thoroughly confused and asked strangely, "Then why have I never heard of this person? And why would he give away a Divine Spark?"
"This God-level expert is called Dikas. I have never met him either." Gru shrugged. "But according to His Highness Korur, Dikas is a Divine Beast. He should have been born or grown after the Overgod descended."
"Dikas especially loved sleeping and usually slept beneath the sea in the Southern Domain."
"Because the battle between the two Highnesses made it difficult for him to sleep, after discovering that they were fighting over a Divine Spark, he gave them another one."
Jie Ning could not help sighing. "That is too bizarre."
"Yes." Gru agreed with Jie Ning's sentiment, then continued, "It is said that after ending the battle between the two Highnesses, Dikas went back to sleep."
Jie Ning guessed, "Perhaps the Divine Sparks of the Divine Beasts first killed by the Overgod are all in Dikas's possession."
Gru waved a hand casually. "Who knows?"
"With two Divine Sparks, the two Highnesses naturally had no need to continue fighting, so they each chose one and refined it."
"Originally, they had hoped that after their respective Sanctuary Main Bodies refined Divine Sparks and became gods, they could advance along both paths. But afterward, they learned that becoming a god by refining a Divine Spark basically meant losing all room for further improvement..."
"What we now know about the consequences of refining Divine Sparks was information revealed by the two Highnesses."
With his doubts resolved, Jie Ning felt as though everything had suddenly become clear.
However, one question remained. "Why did they choose to leave at this particular time?" Jie Ning asked.
Gru looked deeply at Jie Ning. "Because you gave them too great a shock."
Jie Ning was baffled. "I do not know the two Highnesses."
"Because your talent allowed them to see their former selves," Gru explained.
Jie Ning fell silent. He wondered whether, if he too stagnated as a Low-God, he would choose to head to the Supreme Plane and take a chance. After all, comprehending the Heaven and Earth Laws in the Supreme Plane was far less difficult than on the Material Plane.
I would. Jie Ning gave himself the answer in his heart.
After calming down, Jie Ning looked at Gru. "So, what do the two Highnesses mean?"
"They do not want the continent to return to the chaotic age of war, so they hope someone can maintain the current situation."
"Then why not merge the two and leave only one empire?" Arannis asked curiously.
"Because of Faith Power," Jie Ning answered for Gru.
"On the Material Plane, Faith Power is an important cultivation resource for ordinary God-level experts. If one empire has two God-level experts, their faith becomes mixed together, reducing the output of Faith Power."
"Therefore, it is most suitable for different gods to rule different empires."
"But why has Duke Darut not been included?" Jie Ning was somewhat puzzled by the end of it. "Logically speaking, the Duke should have already refined a Divine Spark and become a god after all this time, right?"
"That is right. That is exactly the reason. As for my grandfather..." Gru first nodded, then a look of envy appeared on his face.
"He said that becoming a god by refining a Divine Spark left him with no potential for improvement, so he did not need this. He has already concealed his identity and gone traveling everywhere."
Jie Ning nodded in understanding. That was exactly the sort of thing Duke Darut would do.
However, Jie Ning suddenly remembered that his own grandfather also possessed a Divine Spark. He wondered whether his grandfather had refined it.
"So, what do you think?" Gru looked at Jie Ning. "Which empire will you choose?"
In response to Gru's question, Jie Ning smiled calmly. "I do not need either. Give them both to you."
Thanks to the editor for the recommendation, and thanks to everyone who has continued reading and following along.
Special thanks: Dark Night Demon Shadow zy, Senseless Bookworm, Typing.
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