Becoming a god?
Soren, the Eye of the Storm, spoke like a bomb in Aofa III's mind, creating a massive upheaval.
For the Reynolds Civilization, which only had two True God in charge, the weight of the True God was undoubtedly extremely heavy.
If they could gain one more True God, the overall strength of the Reynolds Civilization would increase significantly.
If a new True God were to emerge from the pure-blooded Reno People, it would be no exaggeration to say that it would directly alter the internal situation of the Reynolds Civilization, and the balance of power between the two sides would immediately change.
The rapid growth of the Mixed Blood Faction's power has always been a thorn in the side of Aofa III. Although he is nominally the monarch of the entire Reynolds Civilization, in reality, his sense of identity with the Pure Blood Faction far exceeds that with the Mixed Blood Faction.
"As expected, the ancestor could not be fooled." Lancelot grinned, arrogantly releasing his aura. The divine pressure spread out like a raging tide, and the powerful airflow caused Aofa III's white hair to fall backward.
A faint, ethereal image of a Divine Realm appeared behind Lancelot.
This Divine Realm seemed to be composed of blood-red Thorn, with countless large and small spikes crisscrossing and intricate divine runes crawling and twisting like venomous snakes in the Thorn forest, exuding a sinister, bloodthirsty, and violent aura that swept through like a cold current.
Aofa III felt a sudden tightness in his heart, as if his skin was being pricked by needles, waves of stinging pain surging through him, and his very soul trembling slightly.
Thorn Zhuoya was Zhuoya Alfred's nickname during his Demigod stage. This was because he was most skilled in blood-sucking Thorn- type spells, and his attacks were extremely bizarre, insidious, and relentless. Once someone targeted him, it was as if they were trapped in a Thorn forest, from which it was difficult to escape.
"May I sense it more closely?" Storm's Eye Soren narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Lancelot.
Without a doubt, this was a test.
First of all, the Divine Realm, as the source of power for True God within a Law System, is equivalent to the heart of an ordinary human being. Under normal circumstances, it would never be allowed to be sensed or touched by an expert of the same level, unless it is someone extremely close and trusted.
This is the first test.
Secondly, appearance, aura, and mannerisms are easy to imitate, but the Divine Realm, as the core source of power of the True God, is almost impossible to imitate. As long as the Divine Realm of the person in front of him is correct, the Eye of the Storm, Soren, can basically confirm that Zhuoya Alfred's identity is correct.
Unfortunately, what Soren didn't know was that there was a Miracle Divine Artifact in this world with a characteristic called "Replication," which could be called the patriarch of the counterfeit world. Under Lancelot's manipulation, not to mention him, even if Upper God carefully sensed it, he wouldn't be able to see anything wrong with Zhuoya's identity.
However, even though he knew the other party wouldn't notice anything, Lancelot couldn't agree too readily.
It's quite simple. Zhuoya Alfred's personality is that of a treacherous, ruthless, and vindictive individual. Such people are generally extremely self-centered, and would never act so nonchalantly in the face of distrust from their own kind.
Therefore, upon hearing Soren's words, Lancelot immediately adopted a gloomy expression, his voice slightly angry, and said, "Does the Ancestor still doubt my identity?"
Soren gazed at the bloodline descendant before him, and after a moment, sighed, "The situation is complex, and this is the only way. Rest assured, once your identity is confirmed, I will make the appropriate compensation."
Aofa III also advised from the side, "Uncle, you are wise. The Reynolds Civilization is now extremely vulnerable and cannot afford to be careless in the slightest. We must be extremely cautious to survive this calamity."
Upon hearing their words, Lancelot's pupils constricted slightly, as if he had been startled. After a moment's thought, he finally nodded. "Very well, since the Ancestor himself has spoken, I believe you are him."
As the words fell, the previously hazy, misty Crimson Thorn Divine Realm began to become clear, as if the moisture on glass had been wiped away, leaving it clear and transparent.
Seeing this, Soren breathed a sigh of relief, and his grip on the staff loosened slightly. His God Level Divine Power formed countless tentacles, which entered the Divine Realm released by Lancelot and carefully examined it.
Divine runes, Divine Law, the structure of the Divine Realm... no detail is overlooked.
After about ten minutes, Soren stopped what he was doing and withdrew his Divine Power.
A hint of fatigue was visibly visible on his face; clearly, exploring the Divine Realm of another True God was no easy task for Soren.
However, Soren's eyes shone brightly. His gaze toward Lancelot was no longer wary, but instead filled with relief, joy, and a touch of affection.
Seeing this, Aofa III was overjoyed, but still tentatively asked, "Ancestor, how is it?"
"Yes, that's right. Even Upper God skilled in disguise could never disguise himself so convincingly. He is Zhuoya! Your uncle!" Soren looked at Lancelot and said, enunciating each word clearly.
"Heh, how could such a thing be false?" Lancelot's voice was slightly cold. "Now the Ancestor and His Majesty should be relieved!"
Upon hearing this, Aofa III quickly explained, "Please don't be angry, Uncle. The situation is such that we cannot afford to be careless..."
As he spoke, Aofa III recounted the current predicament of the Reynolds Civilization, both internally and externally, in great detail, including a wealth of secret information, some of which even Logo had failed to uncover.
It's not that Logo lacks the ability, but rather that the Reynolds Civilization isn't worth his investment of so much energy.
The Prado Civilization is the toughest bone in the universe, and Logo devoted the most of Logo energy to it, making many arrangements within it.
Renault is merely an appetizer, not worth mentioning.
"Oh? So much has happened in the years I've been gone. The Prado Civilization has lost its position as the dominant power in the universe. The Golden Divine Kingdom, the True God of Holy Light... such terrifyingly powerful beings have actually appeared in a border region like ours..."
Lancelot sighed with emotion, showing no embarrassment whatsoever as he boasted about himself. While his skin wasn't as thick as Gustavo's or Logo's, it was still quite thick.
After a moment of hesitation, Lancelot frowned and asked, "Since the Golden Divine Kingdom is so powerful, why don't we submit to them? From what you've said, the True God of Holy Light has a high probability of becoming Main God. If that's the case, wouldn't the Golden Divine Kingdom have the qualifications to directly communicate with advanced Astral Realm? Our Reynolds Civilization is just a low-level Astral Realm civilization. Being a vassal of an advanced Astral Realm doesn't seem shameful, does it? Perhaps we can even seize this opportunity to usher in a wave of opportunities and develop rapidly?"
Upon hearing this, Soren and Aofa III exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with embarrassment and awkwardness.
Lancelot chuckled inwardly, but feigned ignorance, asking with suspicion, "Is there some hidden story behind this?"
"Sigh, Zhuoya, you're one of us, so I won't hide it from you anymore. It's extremely difficult for our Reynolds Civilization and the Golden Divine Kingdom to reconcile."
Soren sighed.
They then recounted their past grievances with the Golden Divine Kingdom, their secret involvement in the Prado Civilization's plan to make peace with the Eight Gods' Realm, and their provision of resources to help the latter eliminate Lancelot.
Upon hearing this, Lancelot felt a surge of murderous intent, but he feigned astonishment, then sighed with disappointment, "Compared to those overlords, our Reynolds Civilization should be humble and engage in balanced diplomacy. How could we so easily turn to one side?"
"It's not as simple as you think. The Prado Civilization has infiltrated the entire universe too deeply; they control many vital aspects of the Reynolds Civilization. We have no choice but to listen to them."
Soren sighed deeply, his expression desolate, revealing a worry he would never show to ordinary members of his tribe.
If we were to say who faced the greatest pressure within the entire Reynolds Civilization, it would undoubtedly be Soren, because he was, in a true sense, the leader of the civilization.
Even those Mixed Blood Faction acknowledge this.
The knight True God's smooth growth and ascension to godhood were also aided by the progenitor Soren.
This is why, although the Pure Blood Faction and Mixed Blood Faction fought fiercely, the royal Alfred Family remained steadfast. Even the half-bloods acknowledged the royal family's status and never made any declarations of overthrowing the royal family.
"So what is the Prado Civilization planning to do now?" Lancelot changed the subject and asked.
Soren had no doubts. After all, the question was not abrupt. Since the Golden Divine Kingdom was already an enemy and almost irresistible, it was natural to try to use one enemy against another and find a powerful ally to help resist.
Since the Prado Civilization took the lead in making peace with the Eight Gods' Realm, it has the obligation and responsibility to lead other civilizations through difficulties.
A civilization that rushes forward when good things happen but retreats when trouble arises won't last.
After pondering for a moment, Soren said, "Prado hasn't given us a direct reply yet, but the Führer has indicated that he will stand at the forefront of the fight against the Golden Divine Kingdom, and he assures us that we don't need to worry."
Why shouldn't you worry?
"The Golden Divine Kingdom has joined the Civilization Council. Even if they want to retaliate, they can only act within the rules and cannot break out of the circle drawn by the Council. This gives us an opportunity. There are many similar cases in the past that we can refer to," Soren explained.
"So, if the Golden Divine Kingdom takes a hard line, we can't withstand it?"
"Well, that's right, but the Golden Divine Kingdom can't resort to force; they've already joined the Civilization Council," Aofa III continued.
Lancelot frowned and said, "But haven't you considered what if the Golden Divine Kingdom doesn't follow the rules and just forces their way in?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Aofa III shook his head repeatedly.
The progenitor Soren exclaimed confidently, "While our Reynolds Civilization is nothing compared to the Golden Divine Kingdom, the Golden Divine Kingdom Civilization Council like an ant compared to an elephant—pitifully weak. They wouldn't dare disobey the rules of the Council."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Lancelot suddenly gave a cold laugh, and his aura changed, like an insect transforming into a dragon, or a chicken into an eagle, as a magnificent and domineering aura swept out.
"You..."
The moment Soren sensed the change in Lancelot's aura, he immediately realized something was wrong. He slammed his staff down, attempting to unleash a spell and activate the mother plane's defense system.
However, his attempt was like a stone sinking into the sea, failing to produce the slightest ripple.
What is this?
Aofa III trembled all over as he looked up at the dome and discovered that, without his knowledge, the top of the magnificent palace had transformed into blue sky and white clouds, and they had been transported to another space.
"You're not Zhuoya, who are you?!"
Soren let out a low growl, his aura surging forth, and a torrent of Magical Energy rolled around him, making him appear quite imposing.
Unfortunately, Lancelot didn't take these mere Lower God seriously at all. If he hadn't been afraid of alerting the higher-ups of the Reynolds Civilization and making the outside world aware that something was wrong, he could have taken down Aofa III and Soren the moment he appeared.
The reason for waiting so long before taking action was to secretly open up an alternate dimension, shielding it from all fluctuations and isolating it from all unfavorable factors.
If you turn your attention back to the palace, you'll find several lifelike figures conversing in the same spot, as if they were real.
In reality, it was a projection made by Lancelot using Endless Particles.
"I was hoping to talk to you some more, but unfortunately, your attitude disgusts me." Lancelot raised his eyes slightly, a sense of contempt rising within him. A ray of golden light burst forth from his pupils, sweeping across his sword-like eyebrows and spreading throughout his entire body.
A familiar golden light emanated from the area, Soren, who had secretly witnessed the battles of the Longtuo Continent and Dark Celestial Star, immediately recognized the extremely familiar design.
"You are the True God of Holy Light!!"
Soren almost screamed, his eyes more serious than ever before, instinctively gripping his staff tightly, as if seeking some sense of security within it.
Compared to the progenitor of the Reno People, Aofa III performed even worse. Lancelot's undisguised domineering aura directly crushed his psychological defenses, causing him to burst into tears and kneel on the ground, as if he were a lowly demon facing a god.
"Holy Light Excellency, this is the core territory of the Reynolds Civilization, protected by the Civilization Council. You cannot act recklessly, otherwise even if you are Upper God, you will be severely punished!" Soren took a deep breath, barely managing to calm himself, and threatened.
Lancelot's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Oh? You mean the Civilization Council? Do you know which civilizations rule the Civilization Council?"
"What?" Soren was taken aback, somewhat confused.
"It's Hell, the World Alliance, the Northern Spirit Empire, the Adrian Federation..." Lancelot asked himself, answering as he walked, "The rules are set by them, and naturally they interpret them as well. You're telling me about the rules of the council?"
Lancelot raised his head, his gaze filled with deep contempt as he looked down, his fist falling with it.
"I'm telling you, you don't understand the true meaning of power!"
"Fist is power!"
Thump!!
The Iron Fist, gleaming with brilliant golden light, descended like a sun illuminating the heavens, engulfing Soren with its extreme light and heat.
The battle itself is well-documented; a Tier Two True God was utterly powerless against Lancelot, easily defeated like a father beating his son.
The highest level of power structure of the Reynolds Civilization thus collapsed by more than half.