"Roger, have you become a Highgod?"
Only then did Allen hurry over after noticing the commotion, a trace of shock still lingering on his face.
He had not seen Roger's wind divine clone earlier and thought Roger had made another breakthrough in the Death Edict.
"Haha, how could I reach Highgod so quickly? I just made a small breakthrough in the Laws of Wind."
Roger laughed.
"So you became a deity of wind." Allen patted his chest. "If you really had reached Highgod, your cultivation speed would be terrifying."
"Not quite that fast." Roger took out some wine and handed Allen a bottle.
The two sat down, drinking as they chatted.
"By the way, Allen, how is your cultivation coming along? How much longer until you become a Midgod?"
"I gained an initial understanding of the Strength profound mystery a while ago, but progress has been slow. Becoming a Midgod anytime soon is out of the question."
Allen remained optimistic, without the slightest sign of discouragement.
Over the years, Roger had given Allen quite a few Soul Gold Beads, strengthening the souls of both his original body and his divine clone to their limits.
Even so, Allen's cultivation speed was not particularly fast.
In fact, this was the normal cultivation speed for a deity.
Allen also knew his talent was nothing special, so he did not ask too much of himself.
Instead, he gradually shifted some of his attention toward managing the tribe.
After all, Roger usually needed to spend his time refining Soul Gold Beads and cultivating.
That left many of the tribe's everyday affairs to others.
Allen had grown up with Roger, and they had been through life and death together.
Naturally, Roger felt most at ease leaving those matters to Allen.
Allen had shown considerable talent for management, keeping the entire tribe well organized and collecting a sizable number of Sanctuary souls at regular intervals.
After refining them into Soul Gold Beads, Roger set aside a portion for Allen to distribute according to each person's contributions.
As a result...
The entire tribe was more united than ever.
After all, the effects of Soul Gold Beads were immediate. No deity who had tried one could resist their appeal.
But strengthening a soul to its limit required a great many Soul Gold Beads.
For the time being, the Nether Luo Tribe was running very smoothly.
After chatting with Allen for a while and giving him ten Soul Gold Beads to distribute, Roger returned to the secluded chamber. He had his saint domain true body and wind divine clone each consume several Soul Gold Beads to heal their injured souls.
Only then did Roger sit down cross-legged.
Several days later...
Once the souls of his original body and wind divine clone had fully stabilized...
Roger continued consuming Soul Gold Beads, strengthening both souls to their limits.
With that done, Roger resumed cultivating.
As before...
Roger had his original body focus on supplying soul power and divine power to the Jade Disc Fragment deep within his consciousness.
That allowed the Jade Disc to continue growing and evolving.
His wind divine clone continued studying and comprehending the Speed Profound Mystery, occasionally attempting to break through the bottleneck in the Wind Elemental Profound Mysteries.
Naturally, after finishing his work refining Soul Gold Beads, his Death God Divine Clone continued comprehending the Soul Defense branch.
Time slipped quietly by.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the secluded chamber...
Roger opened his eyes, a faint smile touching his lips. "I've finally fully comprehended the Wind Elemental Profound Mysteries."
Buzzz!
The familiar laws of heaven and earth descended once more.
The divine spark within his wind divine clone's head emerged and, enveloped by the laws of heaven and earth, transformed into a God-level divine spark.
Roger's wind divine clone had finally reached the Midgod level.
Feeling the pure wind divine power and the Speed Profound Mystery, which was nearing full mastery, Roger knew his speed had undergone a complete transformation.
He took out the Soul Gold Beads he had stockpiled over the years and had his wind divine clone consume them.
In a very short time...
His wind divine clone's soul was strengthened to its limit.
It, too, surpassed that of an ordinary Highgod!
With that...
Even when his wind divine clone faced enemies alone, he would not have to worry too much about soul defense.
"My strength has begun to take shape, and I've fully mastered the Soul Defense branch of the Death Edict. Staying in seclusion won't bring much improvement in the short term. It's time to properly explore the surrounding area."
Roger rose, drew his wind divine clone and original body into himself, and left the secluded chamber.
By then, Allen, Hagson, and the others were already waiting quietly in the courtyard.
When they saw Roger emerge...
They sensed that Roger's Death God Divine Clone still had the aura of a Midgod.
Hagson and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Over the years...
Roger's aura had grown increasingly deep and terrifying.
That had made Hagson and the others ever more cautious in their actions.
Although Roger was no different from his usual self...
An occasional command or an inadvertent glance was enough to frighten Hagson and the others.
"Since everyone's here, come have a drink with me. This time, it was my wind divine clone that reached the Midgod level," Roger invited them.
Everyone sat around the stone table in the courtyard.
Allen brought out the wine the Nether Luo Tribe had developed over the years.
"Hagson, while collecting Sanctuary souls over the years, have you noticed any unfamiliar experts in the area?"
After several rounds of drinks, Roger posed his question.
"My lord, we haven't found any unfamiliar experts, though a slightly higher proportion of the nearby Sanctuary cultivators have been becoming deities," Hagson said. "And these Lowgods generally aren't willing to join our tribe... They leave for distant places after becoming deities."
"Perhaps you nearly captured them for refining when they were still at the Sanctuary level, or you captured one of their friends or relatives." Roger paused, then smiled. "There's no need to worry about that. Lowgods like those are no cause for concern."
"This time, I'm planning to organize a patrol team to sweep through all our current territory. Which of you would like to join?" Roger asked, looking at them.
"Count me in," Allen said first.
"Not you, Allen. There may be danger on this trip. Just stay here and keep the tribe running."
Roger turned him down with a smile.
Allen was only a Lowgod. If they encountered an unfamiliar Midgod and a fight broke out, he really would be in some danger.
"Uh, all right." Allen rubbed his head. "Looks like I really need to spend more time cultivating."
"Haha, you certainly need to work harder, Brother Allen. Lord Roger is progressing far too quickly," Hagson said with a laugh. "Actually, it's not just Brother Allen. We need to work hard at cultivating, too. I'll join this patrol. Danger gives us motivation."
Hagson had enjoyed a comfortable life over the years.
He only needed to rely on the Lowgods under him to collect souls, and he still received a generous share of Soul Gold Beads.
Without any sense of danger, Hagson's progress had grown slower and slower.
Roger's proposal to patrol their territory greatly appealed to Hagson.
Although the vast territory, spanning millions of li and covering trillions of square li, was now nominally under the Nether Luo Tribe's control...
That was only in name.
Across such an enormous area, many places had never actually been explored in detail.
Some expert living in seclusion might well be hiding in an obscure corner.
Hagson had obtained the Interspatial Ring left behind by Charles, a death Highgod, when he happened to kill a Lowgod.
No one knew how that Lowgod had obtained it in the first place.
Before you continue