Treatment

But Divine Realms achieved by refining Divine Sparks had not been touched by the descent of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, so their inhabitants could not directly absorb divine power from the Elemental Sea. They had to absorb the elements of the world and refine them into divine power instead.

"Lord Aier, they've been refining divine power for over fifty years. They should be able to fly for more than two thousand years."

Eric replied with a bow.

"Then make preparations. We're setting out for Liang'an Prefecture!"

"Yes, Lord Aier."

Before leaving, Aier made a trip to the Amethyst Castle and bought a batch of Wind Element Mid-God Sparks and amethysts. His already meager Inkstone reserves were cut by more than half.

The Wind Element had nine Laws and Profound Mysteries, so barring any surprises, Aier would need considerably more Mid-God Sparks for his Wind Element Divine Clone to reach the level of his Earth Element Divine Clone.

Over the course of two hundred years, Aier refined nearly a hundred Wind Element Mid-God Sparks. His Wind Element Divine Clone fused three Laws and Profound Mysteries, reaching the strength of a Five-Star Fiend.

Aier had refined over thirty thousand Earth Element Godheads, but most of them had been Low-God Sparks. He estimated that only a little over two thousand had been Mid-God Sparks.

Aier estimated that if he refined only Mid-God Sparks, his Wind Element Divine Clone would need at least five thousand.

If he was unlucky and few of the Wind Element Mid-God Sparks he refined contained seven or eight Laws and Profound Mysteries, he would need even more.

Of course, if Aier was willing to spend time refining a large number of Low-God Sparks to broaden his understanding of the Wind Element's Laws and Profound Mysteries, he would need fewer Wind Element Mid-God Sparks.

However, to reach perfection, he needed High-God Sparks!

Only by absorbing all the Laws and Profound Mysteries of an element at once, letting them strike at Aier's mind and soul, could he better find the points where the six Laws and Profound Mysteries aligned and hasten their fusion!

Every time Aier absorbed insights into the Laws and Profound Mysteries, it was like experiencing a minor epiphany.

As long as he had the complete Laws and Profound Mysteries, reaching perfection was a realm he could attain with ease.

That was Aier's confidence, thanks to his Equipment Slot ability!

"Whoosh—"

Outside Snow Wolf City, a Blue Bird dozens of meters long shot into the sky, becoming a streak of blue light as it flew into the distance.

A small pavilion sat on the Blue Bird's back. It was Aier's private seat.

Eric and the others stood around the pavilion, keeping watch in every direction.

A burly, red-haired man stood on the Blue Bird's neck. He spread out his divine power to form a shield, sheltering Aier and the others behind him from the wind.

Behind him, two Mid-Gods sat cross-legged, absorbing divine power.

Like the Blue Bird beneath them, all three had signed contracts with the Green Chamber of Commerce and were flying magical beasts.

To avoid wasting Lord Aier's time, the four of them had decided to take turns traveling.

One would fly while another maintained the divine power shield, switching every ten years.

Bauer, Cain, Archie, Ryan!

Those were their names.

The Blue Bird carrying Aier and the others was Bauer.

"This isn't bad at all!"

Sitting in the pavilion, Aier crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

Compared with flying by himself, this was much more comfortable!

When I was weak, I had to fly myself. Now that I'm this strong and have followers, what was the point of getting stronger if I still had to fly on my own?

During the first few decades, Aier's group rarely encountered anyone along the way.

But the closer they got to a major city, the more groups they came across.

Some of them were even traveling in Metal Lifeforms.

Each group had powerful escorts wearing Demon Badges.

Most people kept a low profile.

Very few, like Aier, used magical beasts with the strength of Mid-Gods as mounts.

After all, even Mid-Gods who had achieved their power by refining Divine Sparks held respectable standing in Hell.

Even in a Prefecture City, a Mid-God could easily join the City Guard if they wished.

There was another, more important consideration.

Anyone who wanted to build a following paid close attention to how their subordinates were treated.

Those considering becoming someone's follower would naturally want to know what sort of treatment they could expect.

If someone treated Mid-Gods as mounts, as Aier did, people would see him as a miserly, ungrateful man unworthy of their allegiance.

Aier hadn't known this at first.

But after Eric received some advice while talking with the others traveling alongside them, he naturally reported it to Aier.

"Don't worry!"

After hearing Eric out, Aier smiled. "Eric, I don't care whether anyone is willing to follow me."

"I imagine you've been wondering why I'm heading to Liang'an Prefecture."

"Not really."

To Aier's surprise, Eric shook his head. "Someone as powerful as Lord Aier wouldn't stay in a little pond."

"Only a Prefecture City could serve as your stage, Lord Aier."

"Hahahaha, Eric, I didn't know you were such a smooth talker."

Aier laughed.

No wonder even the wisest people had a few sycophants around them.

There was no helping it. Often, being made to feel good was more pleasant than receiving something of practical value.

"But you're not entirely wrong."

"I'm going to Liang'an Prefecture to challenge its Prefect and become the new Prefect."

"Huh?"

Eric was stunned.

It was true that he had chosen to follow Aier because of his strength.

But he had never imagined that Aier intended to challenge a Prefect.

A Prefect—the title belonged to one of the 108 people standing at the very peak of Hell!

Even over billions of years, or tens of trillions, there might not be a single successful challenger.

He knew Lord Aier was powerful, but he hadn't realized Aier was strong enough to challenge a Prefect.

For a moment, worry and anticipation flickered across Eric's face.

He was worried because Lord Aier's enemy was one of the beings standing at the pinnacle of Hell. If Lord Aier lost, his followers' fate would likely be grim.

But he was also hopeful. If Lord Aier succeeded, his followers would surely gain status and standing they had never dared dream of.

Eric had clearly never been one to settle for an ordinary life. He had bet everything on Aier as soon as he saw his strength.

If he couldn't reach the summit himself, he would follow someone who could, rely on that person's protection, and stand on a grander stage.

"Then, Lord Aier, what would you have me do?"

"To challenge a Prefect, I first have to win a hundred consecutive matches in the Prefecture City's arena."

"Eric, before I challenge the Prefect of Liang'an Prefecture, I need you to earn me enough Inkstones."

"How many Inkstones you can earn for me during that time will determine the kind of treatment you receive after I become the Prefect of Liang'an Prefecture."