Discipline

However, Refine Divine Spark? No wonder he came to help that boy. The boy would rather give the treasure to those Saint-level experts than offer it to me! Aofen shot Teluzake a warning glance, while Teluzake struggled against his restraints, still refusing to give in.

Become a god! Those two unbelievable words echoed through the minds of everyone present. They had been dealing with Deity-level experts all this time! Some had even tried to pressure the merchant guild and seize its property. The nobles who had done such things were now scared witless.

Those who dared offend the gods met the same fate as the two men who had just spoken out against them!

Earl Hoken raised his trembling head to look at Aier and Lincoln. His voice shook as he asked, "Lord Lincoln, Lady Aier, are you really Deity-level experts?"

Aier smiled gently. "Earl Hoken, there's no need to be so alarmed. We only stood up for this young man. You've always treated me with respect, so nothing will happen to you."

But what about those who hadn't shown her respect? Those who had been unfriendly toward Aier and the merchant guild were even more anxious. Earl Hoken hurriedly said, "Themis is young and doesn't know any better. Please forgive her rudeness, my lady. I'll confine her when we return, and she won't be allowed out until she's mended her ways!"

Aier sighed and quietly agreed. She had never liked revealing her strength and identity for this very reason. Once exposed, the joy of doing business was gone. It seemed they couldn't stay in this plane any longer. It was a shame her enterprise hadn't yet reached its peak; she would have to start all over again.

Lincoln smirked and turned to Aofen. "You're just a Low-God, yet you dare run your mouth. Do you think that Wind Element Low-God still on the way can take us down?" As he spoke, his God's Domain spread out. He reached one hand toward the hall's entrance, and a thunderous surge of divine power made everyone look that way in alarm. A massive force of restraint seized the approaching Light Element Low-God. Before long, he was brought into the banquet hall at a speed faster than he himself could move.

The Light Element Low-God was a white-haired young man, the only Deity-level expert in the Church of Light on the Wata Plane. Now he stood before Lincoln, panic-stricken and cursing his bad luck. He had thought he was only coming to lend support. Who could have guessed his opponent would be unimaginably powerful? He'd been captured alive without even being able to fight back!

"Heris, you..." Aofen was startled, then quickly bowed to Lincoln. "I didn't know how powerful you were, my lord. Please forgive me! I'll give you anything you want if you'll spare me!" What a joke. This man called Lincoln had clearly used Water Element divine power, yet he'd captured them faster than Aofen, a Wind Element expert, and Heris, a Light Element expert, could move. His God's Domain was probably already at Mid-God strength. How could Aofen possibly fight him?

Lincoln regarded Aofen with amusement. "The strong bullying the weak is nothing unusual. But now I'm the butcher and you're the meat. Don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Aofen panicked. "My lord, please spare me! I can—I can offer you the faith of the entire Putuoluo Empire!"

Lincoln shook his head, then seemed to recall something. "You've reminded me. A Low-God daring to meddle with faith is a heretic to begin with. You deserve to be purged."

Aofen bowed repeatedly, begging for mercy. When he saw that Lincoln remained unmoved, the threat of death finally drove him over the edge. "You only got your hands on a Mid-level Sovereign Spark from Teluzake and refined it! You're just a Saint-level nobody, and you dare bully me! And you, Teluzake—you never listened to me! If you'd handed over that Deity-level expert's legacy treasure in the first place, none of this would have happened!"

Lincoln was speechless. A Mid-God Spark? It wasn't even worth a second glance to him. He had refined a Mid-level Sovereign Spark, though. But Teluzake had once obtained the legacy of a Deity-level expert? That was interesting.

"Silence!" Aofen wouldn't stop shouting, and even seemed ready to attack Teluzake. Lincoln shot him a look sharp as a blade. A Wind Element Low-God Spark fell from Aofen's forehead, and he crumpled to the ground, dead and lifeless.

Aier said nothing. As usual, she went over and collected Aofen's spatial ring and God Spark.

Seeing this, Heris was terrified. He quickly prostrated himself. "My lord, I don't know how Aofen offended you. He only invited me to a wedding, and I knew nothing about what was going on!"

Lincoln had initially planned to let him go. Few Deity-level experts were willing to help one another, after all. But after hearing Heris's excuse, he asked, "You knew nothing? Was a junior's wedding really worth rushing over for? I hadn't planned to kill you, but it seems I may as well send you to join him!" With that, he sent a soul attack into Heris's body. Heris's eyes dimmed, and he collapsed.

The hall fell silent. Their ancestors had been killed in an instant. Many people were so terrified they lost control of their bladders. This Deity-level expert was even stronger than their empire's ancestor—and had killed him more easily than crushing an ant!

Aier helped the limp Earl Hoken to his feet and used a little divine power to calm him. Smiling, she said, "Lincoln and I should be going back in a few days. I'll have someone deliver those medicines to your manor. From now on, you'll be in charge of this merchant guild." Then she raised her voice slightly. "Remember, you're managing the guild on my behalf. Make sure you run it well. While I'm away, you have full authority."

Earl Hoken tremulously agreed. Aier collected Heris's God Spark and spatial ring, then walked over to Lincoln.

Lincoln pointed at Teluzake from afar, removing both the battle-qi seal and the voice seal. Then he left the hall with Aier, leaving behind a single sentence: "Follow us. I have something to tell you."

Teluzake pondered for a moment, then hurried after them.

After leaving the hall, Teluzake watched as Lincoln took a strange metal object out of his spatial ring. It floated in the air, transforming into an odd shape as it hovered just above the ground. Then a door opened. Lincoln and Aier went inside, and Teluzake followed without hesitation. There was no point trying to be clever in front of experts who could kill even Aofen in an instant.

Once the three of them were inside, the Metal Lifeform rose into the air and sped toward the headquarters of Aier's merchant guild.

Inside the Metal Lifeform, every piece of furniture and every fitting was in place, all of it exquisitely ornate. A cup of tea that gave off a strange fragrance sat before each of the three. Teluzake took just one breath of it and immediately felt refreshed. The battle qi within him seemed to surge, as if it were being refined.

"Go ahead and drink it. It'll help your cultivation." Aier gestured toward the cup with a bright smile.

Teluzake quickly rose to his feet and bowed respectfully. "I didn't know before that you two were Deity-level experts. I still stepped in and spoiled your enjoyment. Please forgive me!" He was referring to the incident with the Seventh-Level Magical Beast.

Aier smiled as she explained, "We're traveling through the Material Plane, and we never wanted to reveal our strength. After what happened today, staying on the Walun Plane would be no fun for us. So I really should thank you. Otherwise, we wouldn't have helped you today."