Beyond the Qingya Plane, Spatial Turbulence flowed ceaselessly.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Sovereign's Might surged around Hope, forming a blue ocean that became a point of light within the Spatial Turbulence.
"Ocean, take shape!"
Hope's eyes narrowed. A streak of white light suddenly shot from his mouth, and then a vast amount of Sovereign's Might spread out, condensing into a new Divine Plane. Under Hope's control, a gigantic tower appeared within it. The tower pierced the heavens, its top nowhere in sight.
The tower had eighteen floors, each separated by a barrier of energy, with only one passage connecting them. The higher one went, the denser the elemental energy became.
"Lord Sovereign, Mercury Castle has sent one hundred million Saints and gods to the Qingya Plane."
Palhouse came to Hope's side and spoke quietly.
"Choose some suitable candidates and distribute them among the Graveyard of Gods as Guardians. Send the rest throughout the Divine Plane."
As Hope spoke, he controlled Sovereign's Might to create more than a dozen castles around the Graveyard of Gods, to maintain order throughout the Divine Plane.
With that, the basic structure of the Graveyard of Gods was complete. The first four floors held a large number of divine sparks and divine artifacts. Their Guardians included Blade Demons born in the Abyss Plane, Volcano Giants from the Fire Elemental Plane, and the Water Dragon clan from the Water Elemental Plane. Only Saints could enter.
The fifth through eighth floors were training grounds for Lowgods. They contained a wealth of Middlegod divine sparks and divine artifacts, and most of the Guardians were divine beasts, including Heaven-Swallowing Beasts and Ba Serpents.
The ninth through twelfth floors were for Middlegods to train. Highgod divine sparks and divine artifacts were hidden within, and many of the Guardians were powerful warriors from tribes across the Divine Planes. The final few Guardians were even as powerful as Highgods.
The final six floors, from the thirteenth to the eighteenth, were for Highgods. At present, Mercury Castle had placed Guardians on the thirteenth and fourteenth floors, and even stronger ones would be added later.
Ten thousand years later, news suddenly spread through Mercury Castle on the Water Elemental Plane: in the Qingya Plane, a Material Plane, there was a Graveyard of Gods built by a Sovereign.
The Graveyard of Gods was filled with all kinds of Guardians. Those who defeated them could receive rewards bestowed by a Sovereign.
On its higher floors were Sovereign Artifacts left behind when the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns fell, which could be awarded to challengers.
Most terrifying of all, according to rumor, the eighteenth floor held Sovereign Sparks left behind when the Four Divine Beasts Sovereigns fell. Anyone who defeated the Guardian on that floor might be granted a Sovereign Spark by a Sovereign.
The news set the entire Divine Planes ablaze. Not only the Water Elemental Plane, but all four Supreme Planes and all seven Divine Planes were drawn to it.
The words "Sovereign Artifact" held too much appeal. To any god, such an item was a priceless treasure.
There were usually only three ways to obtain a Sovereign Artifact: become a Sovereign Envoy and receive one from a Sovereign; be a Sovereign's child, who could have one of their own; or earn ten Commander Badges on a Plane Battlefield. There were also a few unclaimed Sovereign Artifacts left behind when Sovereigns fell.
Ordinary Seven-Star Fiends in the Divine Planes could hardly resist the lure of a Sovereign Artifact. Sovereign Envoys and Sovereigns' children, on the other hand, had fought in Plane Wars and knew something of the Sovereign Covenant. They did not believe that the Graveyard of Gods could truly yield a Sovereign Artifact.
But the temptation of a Sovereign Spark was too great. Even knowing the odds were infinitesimal, and that the Water Sovereign probably wouldn't hand one over—well, some still wanted to try, just in case. After all, it was a Sovereign Spark.
This time, the Graveyard of Gods stirred up every powerhouse in the Divine Planes. God-level experts streamed toward the Qingya Plane, leaving its Plane Overseer dazed. In the end, he was so overwhelmed that he simply went numb.
Meanwhile, on Aowei Island in the Radiant Divine Realm, a magnificent white palace stood.
"Oh? The Graveyard of Gods? Is this news reliable?"
A golden-haired figure seated high on a throne opened his eyes and fixed a sharp gaze on the person bowing below.
"Father, the news came from Mercury Castle on the Water Elemental Plane. It's absolutely true."
The white-robed man bowed his head, then slowly lifted it. A crimson mole marked his forehead, and he carried an imposing air.
Only one member of the family could appear in the Augusta Clan's grandest hall: its patriarch, Hankin Augusta.
The one seated on the throne, listening to Hankin's report, was the Chief Sovereign of Light, Augusta.
"What is Hope up to?"
Augusta furrowed his brow and pressed a hand to his forehead. His long golden hair stirred.
Under the Sovereign Covenant, Sovereigns could grant Sovereign Artifacts only to Sovereign Envoys, their children, and those who had earned ten Commander Badges in a Plane War. Hope was using unclaimed Sovereign Artifacts left behind by the fallen Four Divine Beasts, but he was still exploiting a loophole.
Of course, the rumor was most likely just bait. Hope probably wouldn't really give away Sovereign Artifacts or Sovereign Sparks. On the one hand, strictly speaking, granting Sovereign Artifacts this way might not violate the Sovereign Covenant, but it would be difficult to justify to the other Sovereigns. On the other hand, no one believed Hope would actually give away a Sovereign Spark.
Still, Augusta couldn't understand what Hope hoped to achieve. Was he drawing so many powerhouses into the Qingya Plane—and the Graveyard of Gods itself—just to find someone worthy of a Sovereign Spark?
"Hankin, arrange for a few members of the clan to go and take a look. Tell them to keep an eye on the situation."
After thinking for a moment, Augusta decided to let them go and see for themselves.
"Yes, Father!"
Hankin bowed in acknowledgment, then couldn't help sighing inwardly.
As the clan patriarch and a Peak Asura, Hankin was one of the most powerful people in the Divine Planes. Naturally, the news of the Sovereign Spark tempted him too, but he had no Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire clones, so there was no point in going.
Thunder Divine Plane, Xinya Continent, Taluoulei Region.
"Father, I want to go see the Qingya Plane."
Yage Huerlei stood below, his voice brimming with excitement. He could hardly wait to rush out at once.
As the son of Huerlei, the Thunder Sovereign, Yage had three Divine Clones: one of the Lightning Element, one of the Water Element, and one of the Life Element. In theory, he could use the Azure Dragon Sovereign's Water Sovereign Spark.
When news of the Graveyard of Gods reached him, Yage was immediately tempted. He knew the Water Sovereign wouldn't easily hand such an important thing as a Sovereign Spark to an outsider, but he still wanted to try. What if? After all, it was a Sovereign Spark.
Seated on the throne, Huerlei, with his purple hair, fell silent for a moment before speaking:
"Yage, from what I know of the Water Sovereign, I doubt this is as simple as it seems."
Huerlei had known Hope for many years. He couldn't claim to understand him particularly well, but he doubted Hope would offer a Sovereign Spark as a reward.
"Father, I understand. But I still want to try."
Yage nodded firmly, showing that he was ready.
Huerlei sighed, then finally nodded.
"Very well. There's no harm in taking a look. You're my son, so I doubt you'll be in any danger. No one would dare truly hurt you."
Yage was overjoyed. After bidding Huerlei farewell, he quickly left the hall and flew toward the teleportation array.
After Yage left, Huerlei took a crystal from his Spatial Ring. Looking dejected, he shook his head and put it away again.
If another Sovereign had been there, they would have been astonished. The crystal Huerlei had just taken out was a Life Lowgod Godhead.
During the great war between Heaven and Earth, a Life Lowgod Godhead went missing, and its whereabouts remained unknown. Some suspected that a Sovereign had hidden it away; others thought it was somewhere in a Material Plane.
But no one had ever imagined that Huerlei, the Thunder Sovereign, had hidden a Life Sovereign Spark. He hadn't even let his son refine it, despite Yage having a Life Divine Clone.