Ice Prison Royal City

Fukaloss walked briskly at the very front, her white hair tips swaying gently in the gale of the Gobada Wasteland. Her blue court dress looked entirely out of place in the gray, desolate environment, yet she walked with an air of unbridled confidence.

Behind her, Barn, Declan, and Gideon followed closely. The silhouettes of a man, a dragon, and a bear cast long shadows across the wasteland, forming quite a peculiar sight.

"According to the rules of the Ice Prison Royal City, any subordinate at the God-level can apply to form an Ice Blade Squad. As long as you gather five to ten members, it's official. You can take assigned jobs at the city's mission hall or form a team to hunt in enemy territory; it's quite free," Fukaloss said without looking back, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalance. "But my team, Fukaloss's team, would rather have nothing than settle for less! I must recruit the most gifted and powerful Sanctuary-level fighters. I won't lower my standards just to fill a quota; otherwise, it would be my face on the line if we went out there and embarrassed ourselves!"

Gideon stepped forward with his heavy bear paws, speaking in a muffled, rumbling voice filled with concern: "Young Miss, you've been wandering the wilds with us this whole time, and you've been channeling divine power to us to sustain our physical needs. You haven't even stopped to absorb divine power yourself. Won't this be a significant burden on you?"

This thought was exactly what Barn and Declan were harboring. For the past few days, they had clearly felt a gentle yet pure divine power constantly surrounding them, compensating for the energy consumed by their daily activities. Even without rationing their food, they felt no hunger at all. Although they didn't understand the rules of divine power consumption for God-level beings, they knew this continuous supply was no small feat.

Upon hearing this, Fukaloss suddenly turned around, a mischievous smile blooming on her face as she wagged a finger: "Hehe, that's where you're wrong! This is the benefit of having a divine clone!"

Before she even finished speaking, a faint halo of light shimmered around her. Her original figure split into two, and two identical "Fukalosses" appeared before them—one with blue hair and water-colored eyes, surrounded by dense water-type divine power, and the other with gray hair and black eyes, exuding a gloomy aura of death. The two were identical in appearance, differing only in hair color and the elemental fluctuations surrounding them.

Barn, Declan, and Gideon all felt their pupils constrict, their faces showing undisguised astonishment. The methods of the God-level were truly beyond anything a Sanctuary-level could imagine.

"When a Sanctuary-level breaks through to the God-level, there are two paths to choose from," the two clones spoke in unison, their voices crisp and pleasant. "One is to fuse the Godhead directly into the body, allowing the original self to become a god. The other is to split the soul: one part fuses with the Godhead to form a divine clone, while the other part of the soul returns to the original body, achieving godhood outside the body."

"The benefit of becoming a god within the body is direct: the soul is not split or weakened, and the divine clone can always maintain its peak state, ensuring stable combat power," the blue-haired clone said, brushing a lock of hair aside before speaking of the drawbacks in a flat tone. "But the flaw is fatal—for the rest of your life, you can only cultivate the laws of the same attribute as your Godhead. Your comprehension of other attributes will drop to the absolute minimum, effectively narrowing your own path."

The gray-haired clone continued: "Becoming a god outside the body means that because the soul is split, the divine clone will be in a weakened state initially, with slightly reduced combat power. However, the advantage is that you gain an extra life. Since the original soul is not bound to the Godhead, you can continue to cultivate laws of other attributes, making the future path much broader than becoming a god within the body."

The three finally realized the truth and quickly bowed in salute: "Thank you for your guidance, Young Miss. We have learned much."

The halo flashed again, and the two clones merged into one instantly. Fukaloss returned to her white-haired, golden-eyed appearance. She waved her hand, her tone casual: "Unless forced into a desperate situation, most God-level beings choose to become gods outside the body. Compared to the rigidity of internal godhood, the flexibility of external godhood is on a completely different level. Besides, the weakness caused by soul splitting can be compensated for later; it's not a big deal at all."

"Like me, for instance, I can have one clone act while the other stays in the Soul Sea to absorb divine power."

Barn lowered his eyes, feigning a look of sudden enlightenment, while a trace of contemplation flashed in the depths of his gaze. He had already known this information.

He had seen clearly just now that the two clones Fukaloss split into—one blue-haired corresponding to the water element, one gray-haired corresponding to the Death Law—merged back into a white-haired, golden-eyed form.

He guessed inwardly: It seems Fukaloss has an original body she hasn't revealed yet!

Thinking of her unusually bright golden pupils, he suspected her original form was likely some high-talent magical beast. She was deliberately hiding it just to keep a trump card up her sleeve.

At this thought, Barn couldn't help but sigh: Gobada was truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers resided. This girl, who seemed carefree and simple-minded, was actually meticulous and cautious. In this abyss, there was truly no one who was genuinely simple.

The group continued to advance across the wasteland. Fukaloss occasionally released her spiritual sense, sweeping over the hidden Sanctuary-level auras in the surroundings, while constantly critiquing them: "That Rock Demon has only grasped a trace of the Earth Element Profound Mystery; too weak. That Dark Wing Bat only understands speed and has no offensive capability. Tsk, this Silver Dragon is alright, but it's a pity its innate talent is too low..."

Just as she was being picky and dissatisfied with all the surrounding Sanctuary-level beings, a figure suddenly sped over from the distant horizon, creating a sound of tearing air, and stopped before the group in an instant.

The newcomer was a tall, thin man wearing green God-level armor, his body radiating a sharp wind-type divine power. His gaze toward Fukaloss held clear respect.

"Miss Fukaloss." The man bowed slightly, his tone respectful but not servile.

Seeing the man, Fukaloss's face broke into a familiar smile, and she waved her hand: "Uncle Oliver, why are you here? Is something the matter?"

Barn and the other two exchanged glances, understanding dawning on them. To be able to converse so calmly with Fukaloss and be called "Uncle" by her, this man was certainly also a God-level of the Ice Prison Royal City. Looking at his attitude toward Fukaloss, it was clear that her status in the Ice Prison Royal City was far beyond that of an ordinary God-level.

Oliver's gaze swept over Barn, Declan, and Gideon behind Fukaloss, a flash of surprise in his eyes, before returning to Fukaloss with a hint of urgency: "Miss Fukaloss, news has come from the front line. A Soul-Hunting Squad from the Evil Royal City has infiltrated the rear of our Ice Prison Royal City's territory, raiding our resource points everywhere. The Lord is worried you might encounter danger out here, so he specifically sent me to find you and bring you back."

The Soul-Hunting Squad was the name of the combat units of the Evil Royal City.

"A Soul-Hunting Squad, huh." Upon hearing this, the smile on Fukaloss's face faded slightly, and she said casually, "I actually ran into one before and killed two of their Sanctuary-level members. But the God-level on their side was quite strong, and their methods were vicious. I could only barely force him back; I couldn't keep him."

Oliver's brow furrowed even deeper: "I am glad you are safe. Leave the search for that escaped God-level to me. You should return to the Royal City with me as soon as possible. The rear of the territory is not peaceful right now; there are many enemy Sanctuary-level beings roaming about."

Hearing this, Fukaloss showed a troubled expression and stomped her foot: "Return to the Royal City? Ugh, I do need to go back to the Royal City to form the Ice Blade Squad and submit the registration, but I haven't gathered enough members yet. Wouldn't going back now mean giving up halfway?"

She was determined to recruit top-tier Sanctuary-level fighters. Having only recruited three so far, she was still two short of the five-person minimum required by the Royal City, so she was naturally unwilling to go back just like that.

Oliver glanced at Barn, Declan, and Gideon behind her. A flash of approval crossed his eyes—the Sanctuary-level beings chosen by Fukaloss must certainly have decent strength and talent. He then suggested: "If you are in a hurry to gather members, Miss, you could actually recruit them within the Royal City. Many descendants of the God-level residents in the city are still at the Sanctuary level. These people grew up in the Royal City, have good innate foundations, and are familiar with the rules of the Ice Prison Royal City. If they knew they could follow you to train, they would certainly be willing to join."

This remark enlightened Fukaloss. Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands: "Uncle Oliver, your suggestion is great! The Sanctuary-level beings in the Royal City must have much better foundations than these wild ones outside. I might just find someone to my liking!"

Having made up her mind, Fukaloss didn't hesitate. She waved at Oliver: "Then, Uncle Oliver, I'll take them back to the Royal City first. Thank you for your hard work in handling things out here."

"Rest assured, Miss. Your subordinate will guard the rear of the territory well." Oliver bowed in acknowledgment. Watching the backs of Fukaloss and her group as they departed, a trace of doting affection flashed in his eyes. He then flickered, turning into a streak of green light, and sped toward the depths of the wasteland to continue searching for the escaped God-level from the Evil Royal City.

After bidding a quick farewell to Oliver, Fukaloss led Barn and the others flying toward the northeast. Her speed was immense; a faint water-blue divine power enveloped her, carrying Barn and the others as the wasteland beneath their feet receded rapidly.

Seeming to sense the confusion in the eyes of the three behind her, Fukaloss explained while flying: "Looking at your expressions, are you curious why Uncle Oliver is so respectful to me? Actually, it's nothing much. My grandmother is a veteran powerhouse of the Ice Prison Royal City and holds a high status there. I am the most outstanding among her descendants, so people in the Royal City naturally treat me with courtesy for her sake."

She said it lightly, as if it were a trivial matter, but it indirectly confirmed the suspicions of Barn and the others—Fukaloss's background was far deeper than it appeared on the surface.

Declan immediately followed up with flattery: "Young Miss is naturally gifted, having cultivated both water and earth attributes to become a Lowgod. In the future, you will surely surpass your predecessors and become a top powerhouse of the Ice Prison Royal City!"

Gideon also chimed in with a muffled voice: "Young Miss is strong and has a good eye. Following you, we will surely be able to break through to the God-level soon!"

Although Barn didn't say much, he nodded slightly, his eyes filled with a hint of agreement.

Listening to the flattery of the three, Fukaloss's face instantly blossomed into a smile, her eyes curving into crescents, in a very good mood: "You three really have sweet tongues! Don't worry, following me, Fukaloss, won't leave you at a loss! When we get back to the Royal City, I'll get you some local specialties of the Ice Prison Royal City. They taste much better than that dry, hard beast meat outside!"

As she spoke, the silhouette of a massive city shrouded in ice-blue light faintly appeared on the horizon ahead. That was the core of the northern Gobada—the Ice Prison Royal City.