Ice Prison Royal City

Fukaloss walked briskly at the head of the group, the white tips of her hair swaying gently in the fierce winds sweeping across the Gobada Wasteland. Her Blue Court Dress clashed with the surrounding desolate, lifeless landscape, yet she strode through it with carefree confidence.

Behind her, Barn, Declan, and Gideon followed close at her heels. The trio—a man, a dragon, and a bear—cast long shadows across the wasteland, making for a rather peculiar sight.

"By the rules of Ice Prison Royal City, any Godlevel under someone's command can apply to form an Ice Blade Squad. You just need five to ten members. You can take assigned jobs from the Royal City's mission hall, or form your own group and hunt in enemy territory. You're free to do as you please." Fukaloss spoke without looking back, her tone casual. "But my squad will never settle for second best! I'll only take the most talented and strongest Sanctuaries. I refuse to compromise just to fill out the numbers. Otherwise, I'd be the one losing face!"

Gideon lumbered along on his heavy paws and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, his tone full of concern. "Miss, you've been taking us around out here the whole way, and you keep supplying us with Divine Power to sustain our bodies. You haven't stopped to absorb any Divine Power yourself. That must be quite a burden on you, doesn't it?"

Barn and Declan shared the same concern. Over the past few days, they had clearly felt a gentle yet pure Divine Power constantly lingering around them, replenishing the energy they used in their daily activities. They didn't even have to ration their food, and they never felt hungry. They didn't know the rules governing how much Divine Power a Godlevel consumed, but they knew that providing it so continuously couldn't be easy.

At that, Fukaloss suddenly turned around and flashed a sly smile. She waggled a finger. "Heh, you just don't understand. This is the benefit of having a Divine Clone!"

Before she had even finished speaking, a faint glow suddenly appeared around her. Her figure split in two, and two identical Fukalosses appeared before them. One had blue hair and watery eyes, with rich Water Element Divine Power swirling around her. The other had gray hair and dark eyes, and exuded a gloomy Death Aura. They looked exactly alike; only their hair color and the elemental auras around them differed.

Barn, Declan, and Gideon's pupils all shrank, their faces revealing undisguised astonishment. The methods of a Godlevel truly lay far beyond the imagination of a Sanctuary.

"When a Sanctuary breaks through to Godlevel, there are two paths to choose from." The two Fukalosses spoke in perfect unison, their voices clear and sweet. "One is to fuse the Godhead directly into your body, making your true self a god. The other is to split your soul in two: one part fuses with the Godhead to form a Divine Clone, while the other returns to your original body. That's External Godhood."

"The benefit of Internal Godhood is straightforward: your soul isn't split and weakened, and your Divine Clone can remain in peak condition. Your fighting strength stays steady." The blue-haired clone raised a hand to brush her temple, her tone calm as she explained the drawback. "But the downside is fatal—you can only cultivate laws of the same element as your Godhead for the rest of your life. Your aptitude for other elements will plummet, narrowing your path."

The gray-haired clone picked up where she left off. "With External Godhood, splitting your soul leaves your Divine Clone weakened at first, so its fighting strength is slightly reduced. But you gain an extra life, and since your original soul isn't bound to the Godhead, you can keep cultivating laws of other elements. Your future path is much broader than it would be with Internal Godhood."

Only then did the three understand. They hurriedly bowed. "Thank you for enlightening us, Miss. We've learned a great deal."

Another flash of light passed over them, and the two clones instantly merged. Fukaloss returned to her white-haired, golden-eyed appearance. She waved a hand, her tone casual. "Unless they're driven to desperation, most Godlevels choose External Godhood. It's far more flexible than the rigid path of Internal Godhood. Besides, there are plenty of ways to make up for the weakness caused by splitting your soul later on. It's not a big deal."

"Like me right now: one clone can go out and take action while the other stays in the Soul Sea to absorb Divine Power."

Barn lowered his eyes, pretending to have had a sudden revelation, but a thoughtful look flashed through them. He already knew this information.

He had seen clearly just now that the two clones Fukaloss split into were one blue-haired clone corresponding to the Water Element and one gray-haired clone corresponding to the Death laws. But after they merged, she had white hair and golden eyes.

He guessed to himself, It seems Fukaloss has another true body she hasn't revealed!

Thinking of her unusually brilliant golden eyes, he suspected that her true body was some kind of exceptionally gifted magical beast. She was deliberately keeping it hidden to preserve her trump card.

At the thought, Barn couldn't help reflecting, Gobada really is full of hidden talents. This young woman looks carefree and simple-minded, but she's actually meticulous and cautious. There truly aren't any genuinely simple people in this Abyss.

The group continued across the wasteland. From time to time, Fukaloss released her mental power to scan the surrounding area for hidden Sanctuary auras, all the while offering commentary. "That Rock Demon has only grasped a sliver of the Earth Element Profound Mystery. Too weak. That Dark Wing Bat only knows speed; it's no good at breaking through defenses. Tsk, that silver dragon's all right, but its natural talent is too poor..."

Just as she was picking apart the Sanctuaries around them, dissatisfied with every one, a figure suddenly streaked toward them from the distant horizon, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. In an instant, he stopped before the group.

The newcomer was a tall, slender man clad in a blue-green Godlevel battle armor. The Wind Divine Power around him was sharp and cold, and he looked at Fukaloss with clear respect.

"Miss Fukaloss." The man bowed slightly, respectful but not obsequious.

Seeing him, Fukaloss smiled as if greeting an old acquaintance and waved. "Uncle Oliver, what brings you here?"

Barn, Declan, and Gideon exchanged glances, understanding at once. The man was clearly a Godlevel of Ice Prison Royal City: he spoke with Fukaloss so casually, and she even called him "Uncle." Judging by his attitude toward her, Fukaloss's standing in Ice Prison Royal City was clearly far above that of an ordinary Godlevel.

Oliver's gaze swept over Barn, Declan, and Gideon behind Fukaloss, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he turned back to her, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. "Miss Fukaloss, word has come from the front lines. A Soul-Hunting Squad from Evil Royal City infiltrated the rear of our territory and has been attacking our resource sites. The lord was worried you might run into danger out here, so he sent me to find you and bring you back."

The Soul-Hunting Squad was the name of Evil Royal City's fighting force.

"A Soul-Hunting Squad, huh?" Fukaloss's smile faded a little, but her tone remained casual. "I ran into them once before, actually, and killed two of their Sanctuaries. Their Godlevel wasn't weak, though, and his methods were vicious. I could only force him to retreat; I couldn't keep him there."

Oliver's brow furrowed even more deeply. "I'm glad you're safe. Leave it to me to track down the Godlevel who escaped. Miss, you should come back to the Royal City with me as soon as possible. Things are unsettled in the rear of our territory, and quite a few enemy Sanctuaries are roaming around."

Fukaloss looked troubled and stamped her foot. "Go back to the Royal City? Well, I do need to return there to form an Ice Blade Squad and submit the application for registration. But I still don't have enough members. Wouldn't going back now mean giving up halfway?"

She was determined to recruit the most talented Sanctuaries. She had only recruited three so far, still two short of the Royal City's minimum of five, so naturally she wasn't willing to return just yet.

Oliver glanced at Barn, Declan, and Gideon behind her, a trace of approval in his eyes. The Sanctuaries Fukaloss had chosen must have considerable strength and talent. He then suggested, "If you're in a hurry to complete your squad, you could recruit members in the Royal City. Quite a few descendants of Godlevel residents there are still at the Sanctuary level. They grew up in the Royal City, so they're all talented, and they know its rules well. If they learn they can follow you on your adventures, they'll surely be happy to join."

The suggestion gave Fukaloss an idea. Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands. "Uncle Oliver, that's a great idea! The Sanctuaries in the Royal City must have a much better foundation than those wild recruits out here. Maybe I'll find someone who suits me!"

With her mind made up, Fukaloss didn't hesitate any longer. She waved to Oliver. "Then I'll take them back to the Royal City first, Uncle Oliver. Sorry for the trouble—please take good care of things out here."

"Don't worry, Miss. I'll keep the rear of our territory secure." Oliver bowed in acknowledgment. He watched Fukaloss and the others depart, a fond look flashing in his eyes. Then he blurred into a streak of blue-green light and sped toward the depths of the wasteland to continue searching for the escaped Godlevel from Evil Royal City.

After quickly bidding Oliver farewell, Fukaloss led Barn and the others northeast. She flew at speed, a faint blue glow of Water Element Divine Power surrounding her as she carried the three men along. The wasteland rushed past beneath them.

Noticing the puzzlement in the eyes of the three behind her, Fukaloss explained as they flew. "Judging by your faces, you're wondering why Uncle Oliver treats me with such respect, aren't you? It's nothing special. My grandmother is a veteran powerhouse in Ice Prison Royal City, with a high standing there. I'm the most talented of her descendants, so people in the Royal City are naturally polite to me for her sake."

She spoke as if it were nothing, but her words indirectly confirmed Barn and the others' suspicions: Fukaloss had a far more powerful background than she let on.

Declan immediately followed up with a compliment. "Miss, you're already extraordinarily talented. You've become a Lowgod in both the Water and Earth Elements. You're sure to surpass your elders and become one of Ice Prison Royal City's top powerhouses!"

Gideon chimed in with his deep, rumbling voice. "Miss, you're strong and have a keen eye. If we follow you, we'll definitely break through to Godlevel soon!"

Barn said nothing, but he gave a slight nod, his eyes showing his agreement.

Fukaloss beamed at their flattery, her eyes curving into crescents as her mood brightened. "You three really know how to sweet-talk me! Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well taken care of as long as you follow me. Once we're back in the Royal City, I'll get you some local specialties. They're much tastier than the dry, tough beast meat out here!"

As they spoke, a vast city appeared faintly on the horizon ahead, shrouded in a blue glow. It was the heart of northern Gobada—Icе Prison Royal City.