"Not even the gods," Wilbur added silently.
On the Azeron Continent, the Church of Light and the Church of Darkness were among the oldest powers. Even the Zhongyuan Empire, the longest-standing of the three great empires, was far younger than either church.
Their ties to the God Realm were the greatest trump cards the two churches possessed.
Throughout history, both churches had faced numerous crises, and had even been hunted down to their headquarters. Yet each time, at the critical moment, they had managed to find a glimmer of hope and survive.
There was even an ancient legend on the continent that the Church of Darkness had been destroyed a million years ago, only to rise from the ashes tens of thousands of years later at the hands of the Plane Overseer of that era, and flourish once again.
For all these reasons, before the three gods departed, they knew full well that the Churches of Darkness and Light could pose a serious threat to the empires once they were gone. Even so, they chose not to eradicate either church.
"Let the Church of Light retreat to the Holy Island. There's no need to concern ourselves with them for now," Wilbur ordered after a brief moment of thought.
Then Wilbur's expression turned cold. "What matters more now is purging the empire. With war breaking out, all kinds of monsters and demons have come crawling out of the woodwork!"
"The empire couldn't spare the manpower before. Now... I'd like to see how these vermin can stand against the empire's cavalry, or defy the empire's might!"
"Send word: all nobles of the empire ranked Earl or above, and all nobles of the kingdoms ranked Marquess or above, are to come to the imperial capital. I'd like to see which petty troublemakers don't dare show their faces!"
The Dragon Knight Warrior Academy, Starfire Kingdom.
"Now that the Church of Light has suffered a crushing defeat and the empire's power is at its peak, I think we should avoid its edge for now and wait to see how things develop." After receiving news from the imperial capital, Yao Lao furrowed his brow deeply.
Many powers on the continent now knew that a Saint Domain expert had acted to wipe out the Church of Light's leadership. But because the information was limited, the major powers assumed the Zhongyuan Empire had a hidden Saint Domain expert at the very peak. They had no idea who Lynn really was.
"You want me to avoid their edge?" Xiao Yan said, rubbing his nose, his tone exaggerated.
Yao Lao earnestly tried to persuade him.
"Though you're gifted, you've only recently reached Saint Domain. You should act cautiously and never underestimate the Saint Domain experts of the world."
"Of the Zhongyuan Empire's Saint Domain experts, setting aside the one who destroyed the Church of Light, even Wilbur, who operates in the open, is an exceptionally powerful Saint Domain expert. According to Asers, he killed a Saint Domain expert at the peak with a single palm strike a thousand years ago. His strength is unfathomable."
"Wilbur? He's that strong?" Xiao Yan wondered, a flurry of questions rising in his mind.
Yao Lao paid little heed to Xiao Yan's strange expression and continued, "Quite a few people know that you and I have reached Saint Domain. The empire has also sent us a message, asking us to go to the imperial capital."
"Huh?" Xiao Yan gave him an odd look.
Wilbur really was... born with a gift for inviting wolves into the house.
He'd just sent Lynn off, and now he was summoning Xiao Yan.
But that was actually a good opportunity for Xiao Yan to meet his original self in public.
In the Zhongyuan Empire's capital, the first pale rays of morning light ushered in a grand occasion.
The Central Avenue was lined with imperial guards. Clad in heavy armor and gripping sharp spears, the soldiers stood like a wall on either side of the road.
At the far end of the avenue, under the rising sun, the leaders of the various powers arrived one after another.
Luo En, king of the Starfire Kingdom; Agubo, Duke of Beiyue and lord of Beiyue Ridge; and Baige, the ascetic of Cangluan Peak, hailed as the strongest beneath Saint Domain in the empire...
Those at the head of the procession were either of illustrious birth or formidable strength. Behind them followed nobles of every rank and station.
Before long, the square in front of the central palace was teeming with people. The leaders of the various powers and imperial officials exchanged pleasantries, while the nobles clustered together to trade information.
"Heh... I heard there was quite a commotion in Duke Beiyue's territory a while ago," said Starfire King Luo En, his words laden with meaning.
Duke of Beiyue Agubo's expression was impassive as he replied coldly, "As a duke of the empire, I'm bound to redeploy troops in my territory for defensive purposes when the empire is at war. It's only natural."
"Heh... Whether that was a reasonable redeployment or something more, I imagine the Duke of Beiyue knows the answer himself," Starfire King Luo En said sarcastically.
"That's no concern of yours, Your Majesty," the Duke of Beiyue said. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, along with a trace of deep apprehension.
Baige suddenly spoke, turning to Luo En.
"I just emerged from seclusion. I heard that the Starfire Kingdom has two newly ascended Saint Domain experts?"
"That's right," Luo En replied with a nod. "They're Lord Albert and his disciple, Lord Xiao Yan."
At the confirmation, a smile tugged at Baige's lips.
"Albert... So his dantian has recovered."
"In our last battle... I relied on my advantage in Dou Qi to narrowly defeat Albert by one move, earning the title of the strongest beneath Saint Domain. But I know that if our cultivation had been equal, my understanding would have been inferior to his." A faraway look came into Baige's eyes.
"This time, we can finally have a proper fight!"
Luo En's eyes gleamed. "Lord Baige, have you broken through as well?"
In the Zhongyuan Empire, two men were widely recognized as prodigies: Baige and Yao Lao Albert. Both were warriors who had grasped the power of the world, and could be said to have one foot in Saint Domain.
But each had his own special circumstances. Yao Lao Albert's damaged dantian had not only caused his strength to fall from the ninth-level peak, but had also injured him at the root. Only a Saint Domain expert could heal him; otherwise, he would never reach Saint Domain.
Baige's dantian, on the other hand, was unharmed. However, he had only just advanced to Eighth-level Warrior when he grasped the power of the world. He would need at least another ten or twenty years to accumulate enough Dou Qi to reach Saint Domain.
After all, not everyone was Xiao Yan or Lynn. Xiao Yan had the Fallen Genius talent, which made him accumulate Dou Qi and magic power far faster than ordinary people.
Lynn, meanwhile, had fallen into a state of enlightenment and grasped the Fate Law at its very threshold. His spiritual power had reached Saint Domain overnight, making him a Saint Domain mage.
"My Dou Qi cultivation has reached the ninth-level peak. In another month or two at most, I'll be ready to take the final step," Baige said, folding his arms.
"Hiss..." Several minor nobles nearby sucked in a sharp breath.
"Then congratulations, Lord Baige," Luo En said, his tone complicated.
A dozen or so figures flickered in and out of sight among the clouds.
"It seems quite a few people are missing," Wilbur said, his gaze sweeping coldly over the people in the square.
"Some rats are still trying to fish in troubled waters." A Saint Domain expert turned his gaze toward several nobles who looked uneasy.
"The empire has grown corrupt. It's time to clean house."
Wilbur looked at the list in his hand of powers and nobles who had failed to appear. His voice carried a murderous edge.
Several streaks of light cut across the sky.
Before you continue