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Back in the God Realm, Zhou Wu sat, eyes closed, in the peony pavilion. His aura surged around him, turning the surrounding space into a patch of chaos. The flowers bloomed and withered with every breath he took.

The space around him showed traces of the Laws, like saplings sprouting through the dirt.

“Ha….” He let out a turbid breath, then opened his eyes.

His eyes glinted, seemingly crackling with electricity. He seemed powerful and imposing. He glanced at the peonies around him, then stretched out his hand. Every last flower wilted. He waved his hand, and they flourished once more.

A hint of excitement appeared in his eyes, and longing filled him, blazing in his chest like fire.

“I’m still just a little bit off. Just a little more, and I’ll touch upon the gate to transcendence.” Zhou Wu clenched his fists and muttered to himself. Then, he whipped around to face the southeast. His smile gradually faded. Finally, he frowned. “Divine Arbiter.”

“I’m here, sir!” While Zhou Wu was in seclusion, she stayed by side to attend to him. As soon as she spoke, she appeared, lowered her head, and bowed.

“Have you sensed the fluctuations emanating from the southeastern region of the Yao Realm?” asked Zhou Wu.

“I have.” The Divine Arbiter nodded. “They originate from the Nine-tailed Fox Clan. Su Yan of the yao race condensed the godhead of the master god, the Goddess of Life. Furthermore, she was granted a god-given artifact.”

“Another master god!” Zhou Wu narrowed his eyes. Although he was known as the God Emperor, he wasn’t actually a god.

From beginning to end, he’d never condensed a godhead, nor did he possess a god-given artifact. He’d made it to his current position purely through his own power.

When someone worthy of his attention condensed a godhead, he naturally had an emotional reaction to it. For instance, when Bi’an condensed his godhead and became a high-ranked god, Zhou Wu suffered six months of insomnia for fear that Bi’an would attempt to seize his throne. Then there was the Sea of Innocence’s Wish God. He was a master god too, but fortunately, he wasn’t the warlike type, which meant Zhou Wu didn’t need to be so on guard against him. Zhou Wu was, however, deeply concerned about Ocean Emperor Xue Yang.

Now, yet another master god had appeared, the Goddess of Life.

The era was nearing its end. In order to vie against their collective annihilation, it was only natural that new heroes would rise up in the days to come.

The new Goddess of Life was only the beginning. In the near future, more and more people would condense godheads or become emperors.

As God Emperor, this put a fair bit of pressure on Zhou Wu. At least, it would have in the past. But now...

He no longer cared!

“The Goddess of Life?” Zhou Wu grinned. “Back then, the Fox Ancestor condensed the very same godhead, and she even created the Breath of Ice, a skill powerful enough to intimidate the masses. I heard that recently, someone with an incredible natural talent for the skill appeared in the Fox Clan?”

“Su Liu’er. Her talent for the Breath of Ice exceeds even Su Qingyan,” said the Divine Arbiter.

“It seems the foxes are to return to their former peak.” Zhou Wu laughed, then twisted his neck, but he didn’t linger on the topic much longer. “Has there been any news of Xue Tie?”

“None,” said the Divine Arbiter. She lowered her head, prepared for him to berate her. When she’d failed to find news or traces of Xue Tie in the past, he’d always yelled at her.

But to her surprise, this time, Zhou Wu didn’t yell or curse her.

He simply reached out and patted her on the shoulder. “You’ve spent a lot of time searching for news of Xue Tie of late. I know it wasn’t easy. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve found news of him. If you had, that would be excellent, but even though you haven’t, it’s no cause for concern.”

“You…” the Divine Arbiter frowned.

“Xue Tie is no longer the turning point needed for my breakthrough. I’ve gained some enlightenment lately, and I can now succeed with or without imperial celestial fate.” Zhou Wu broke out into a smile.

“You’ve already brushed up against transcendence?” asked the Divine Arbiter.

“You could say that. “Zhou Wu nodded. “But I’m still one step off. Pass down my orders: we’re recruiting bearers of Auxiliary Stars. Any Auxiliary Star of the Milky Way who joins my cause will receive the best possible treatment.”

The Divine Arbiter’s heart suddenly clenched. She looked at Zhou Wu in silence for a while.

“Well, what are you standing there for? Hurry up!” Zhou Wu roared.

“Your Majesty, you…”

“Is that any of your business? All you have to do is follow my orders.” Zhou Wu’s expression darkened. “Divine Arbiter, lately, you’ve disappointed me more and more. Enough. I’m tired. Leave me.”

“Yes, sir!” The Divine Arbiter lowered her head and left the courtyard. After this most recent conversation with Zhou Wu, she was more disappointed than ever.

He was already beyond saving!

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, the Eastern Monarch Taiyi’s imperial residence.

Clad in simple, unadorned robes, the Eastern Emperor gazed towards the southeast, the direction of the Fox Clan’s ancestral home.

He’d known about the invasion there as soon as it started. He knew that the Southern and Western Kingdoms had joined forces with the demons, too.

He saw it all. He’d watched as the towering ancient tree of the Fox Clan’s back mountain tumbled, and he’d watched as the joint yao-demon army mercilessly slaughtered their way through fox territory. He’d watched merely as an observer, a bystander. Although he was the Yao Emperor, he had to maintain harmony in the yao realm.

He now watched with his own two eyes as Su Yan condensed her godhead, that of the Goddess of Life, and he took in the radiance of her god-given artifact.

“Interesting.” Hands clasped behind his back, the Yao Emperor smiled. He then turned silently, and took in his palace, a place that seemed almost at one with heaven and earth. “Yes, very interesting indeed….”

Back in fox territory.

Su Yan had only just condensed her godhead, and she was still unconscious. Even so, the light around her was so dazzling, no one could look at it head on.

The Scepter of Life fell into her hands, and she raised it high above her head.

It was then that Su Yan opened her eyes.

They were now a verdant green, and the aura flowing around her seemed to belong to an angel of life. She walked, practically floating, up to the fallen ancient tree and waved her scepter. The tree then stood upright, towering over the back mountain once more.

The trunk then sprouted countless branches, which sprouted countless leaves and flowers. It was just as it had been before.

Then, she waved her scepter in front of her. Countless specks of green light, like seeds of life, spread throughout the devastated remains of fox territory.

The fallen trees came back to life, and in but a breath of time, they were as vibrant and flourishing as before.

Or perhaps even more so.

“The Sacred Ancestor!” The countless experts of the Fox Clan bowed piously and watched as Su Yan achieved divinity.

The beneficiaries of her power weren’t just the trees of the Fox Clan; countless nearby experts felt their life force flourishing. This sensation left even the imperial-level experts so shocked, they couldn’t hide their disbelief. To do all this with such ease…. Is this the power of a master god?