Influence

Everyone was dismantling the beast materials.

Cal quietly approached Guen, glanced at the Kejia Beast, and said seriously, "Sometimes I really have to admit, there's always someone better. When I went through the trial, my ranking wasn't bad, but I didn't get this little thing. It's rare across all the past sessions—I thought it was just a rumor."

Guen only smiled faintly.

The Kejia Beast was a reward for the Fourth Stage of the trial, but most people could only claim rewards from the first two stages.

Passing the Third Stage and actually obtaining its reward were two different things.

Cal looked around and pulled Guen to a secluded spot.

"I'm trying to warn you—if you really killed a Planetary Level fighter, you need to be careful. Everyone will assume you're at least equivalent to Planet Fifth Order or Sixth Order in strength. The Trial Grounds can guarantee you won't be robbed of your treasures, but only if it judges the threat beyond your ability to resist. With the strength you've shown now, it would take a Planet Eighth Order, Ninth Order, or a group of Planetary Level fighters ganging up on you for the Trial Grounds to intervene. Otherwise, even if you're killed, the Trial Grounds will just treat it as a death in normal combat," Cal said gravely.

"And don't think low-tier Planetary Level fighters can't threaten you. You're only Planet First Order after all. Crossing tiers to fight is hard. Right now, you're relying on treasures. If you get trapped in a dangerous spot, it could still kill you. You need to know—once the Smart Watch is far from the Goddess Temple, it can't keep monitoring each other. You, a Planet First Order, killing another Planetary Level fighter just screams that your treasures are too dazzling. Some people will get crooked ideas."

Guen's heart tightened. He glanced at the distant Goddess Temple fighters and, sure enough, some were casting furtive looks his way.

Guen couldn't help but take a good look at Cal.

Cal remained calm. "Are you wondering why I'm telling you all this?"

"A little," Guen didn't deny it.

Cal smiled. "Because now, you're finally one of us."

Guen was taken aback.

Cal's smile deepened. "Don't think that just because we're all Goddess Temple members with Smart Watch restrictions, there's less scheming. That's just an illusion. Before joining the Goddess Temple, we all trained hard to Apprentice Level 6 or 7 and took the trial. That tough time is what's truly unforgettable. Does joining the Goddess Temple give you a sense of belonging? Most people have deep attachments to the land they grew up in. Don't let the Goddess Temple's vast power fool you—many people still admire the Council of Elders and the Imperial Council in their hearts."

Guen fell into thought.

Indeed, years of exposure had ingrained the Aoyu Empire's emperor as supreme in everyone's minds. Compared to the Goddess Temple or the Crimson Moon Society, which were only vaguely known, the Council of Elders and the Imperial Council were imperial institutions. Fighters raised in the empire mostly held goodwill toward them.

"So, only when you've truly killed fighters from other factions, made mortal enemies, and need the faction's protection, will the Goddess Temple truly accept you. In fact, the more you kill, the more 'loyal' you become. They'd love for you to offend every faction outside the Goddess Temple, binding you tight to them. Otherwise, why do you think killing fighters from other factions—which makes enemies—has such high contribution rewards?" Cal said with a grin. "Don't look at me like that. I've killed a fighter who defected to the Council of Elders too, in the Wild Wilderness Forest, using a dangerous spot to do it."

Cal's expression then turned serious. "But even with that strength, if you can avoid killing, don't kill. Protection is just protection—your own safety matters most. Kill one, fine. Kill two, kill three, and the Imperial Council will go berserk. Then they'll break the rules and send strong fighters to kill you. You'd have to hide inside the Goddess Temple, and that would be miserable."

"Thank you, Cal, for telling me all this." Guen was genuinely grateful.

Clearly, his killing of the Imperial Council fighter had made Cal truly accept him, confirming Guen was reliable—far less likely to stab him in the back than others. Otherwise, Cal wouldn't have warned him so earnestly.

"I'll talk to you later. I need to deal with the materials first." Cal finally returned to the crowd.

Guen stared at the distant figures and muttered to himself, "Reliable?"

Three figures flew down from the sky and landed on the ground.

"My cousin fled in this direction," one man said, landing with a pale face, staring at the pit in the earth.

Tracking all the way, there were signs of battle everywhere, until here. A bad feeling crept into his heart.

A scar-faced man with a sharp, cold aura stomped his foot. The pit shook open, revealing the mangled corpse inside—killed by vibrational force, worn down to death.

"Third Brother, the Flame God Armor is gone, along with the identity token and such. The valuables are still on him," another tall, thin fighter reported after checking.

"Sir, it must be that Goddess Temple bastard. Such a vicious hand! Sir, you must avenge my cousin!" The dead man's cousin couldn't help but shudder. If he'd been slower, he might have ended up here too. Though they shared some blood, the gap in strength and status was too wide—he had to address him with full respect.

"Useless!" The scar-faced man slapped the cousin across the face. Though not fast or heavy, the cousin didn't dare dodge.

"Slap!"

His face reddened instantly.

"Two of you, and you let a newly promoted Super Tier Warrior hunt you down, abandoning your own kin. Go say that to the Family Tribunal when you get back. A newly promoted Super Tier Warrior—if I act, those Goddess Temple bastards will definitely interfere," the scar-faced man said, his gaze growing colder. "Take the body back for burial first. Notify all our clansmen in Eastsea Province. Move in pairs—no, threes. If you spot any Goddess Temple people, be on guard. If you find that kid, inform me. Also, dig up his background. If he passed the Third Stage of the trial, I can only teach him a lesson, not kill him outright. If he passed the Fourth Stage, I wouldn't even dare capture him and bring him back for punishment—I'd have to let the Goddess Temple bleed resources to trade him back."

The tall, thin fighter thought for a moment. "Since he's a newly promoted fighter, he should be from the last four or five trial sessions. Not many pass the Fourth Stage. This year, I heard someone passed the Fifth Stage, but that's less than a year ago. At most, he'd be Apprentice Level 9, maybe not even at peak. I did hear that Kan kid once cut the weeds but didn't pull the roots. His descendant hates him fiercely, joined the Goddess Temple, and is a promising seedling who reached the Fourth Stage."

The scar-faced man raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting. "Kan? A newly promoted little brat, no achievements to his name, and already stirring up trouble? Looks like playing emperor too long has addled his brain. Such a promising seedling, with talent greater than mine—I couldn't even reach the Fourth Stage back then. If necessary, if this kid really has extraordinary talent, sacrificing Kan to win over his son might be worth it. I've heard of the First and Second, but they're unlikely to compete with that Crimson Moon Society woman and the High Priest. This one needs careful consideration. Let's head back and discuss. For now, the priority is preserving the Imperial Council's prestige."

"Yes, Third Brother." The tall, thin man wrapped the corpse in white cloth. The three then rose into the air and flew toward the Armory Camp.