Light Fortress

"Lord Divine."

In the vast Storm Temple, a man knelt on the ground.

It was none other than the Spring Plow Saint.

After the saints’ meeting concluded, he came here, his voice heavy, every word filled with murderous intent: "The assassination plan of the ’Old World’ is set... This time the battlefield is six hundred miles outside the starship, in the void."

"...Hmm."

The Storm God’s Throne responded with a faint hum.

The entire starship was within his Divine Domain... Naturally, nothing happening here escaped his notice.

He had also heard the earlier complaints from the saints in the meeting room.

Spring Plow wanted to draw out the Red Dragon, which wouldn’t be easy.

On this starship.

He was essentially the heavenly law, everything that happened was under his control.

For four years, the Spring Plow Saint dared not confront the Red Dragon directly, yet today he dared to set up an assassination plan...

There was only one reason.

He had received tacit approval from the Storm God’s Throne.

"There is something I don’t understand."

The Spring Plow Saint raised his head, trying to discern the features of the man on the throne, but the heavy curtain of flowing water in the depths of the hall obstructed his view of the Divine Throne’s array.

"Speak."

"Since you agreed for me to act against the Red Dragon... then why wait until today?"

The Spring Plow Saint’s voice was complex, as he had been in a state of anxiety over gains and losses for four years.

The Divine Favour was no more.

He was constantly under pressure.

His days were not easy.

If Lord Divine had always trusted him, why create a Red Dragon, why treat him that way?

After a long wait.

The Storm God’s Throne softly said: "Jade must be polished to be valuable."

The Spring Plow Saint was stunned.

"Having known you for decades, naturally I know you are no longer raw jade. But there are some things you still seem not to understand." The Storm God’s Throne slowly said: "I supported the Red Dragon just so you could see... the Red Dragon can stand in this position, not because he is strong enough."

The Spring Plow Saint suddenly fell silent.

How could he not understand the Storm God’s Throne’s meaning?

The Red Dragon could stand in this position only because the Red Dragon signed a soul contract... For Transcendents of their level, unless willingly, even Lord Divine cannot force them to bow.

Voluntarily offering one’s soul is akin to becoming a walking corpse.

These years, not once did the Storm God’s Throne not remind him about the Red Dragon’s situation...

Clearly.

The Storm God’s Throne hoped he would also voluntarily offer his soul.

Lord Divine could ask him to do thousands of things, even if walking through fire and water, the Spring Plow Saint wouldn’t flinch.

But this one thing.

The Spring Plow Saint was unwilling.

Without waiting for Lord Divine to continue, the Spring Plow Saint hoarsely said: "I am not the same type of person as the Red Dragon, even though I haven’t signed a ’soul contract’ with you, my loyalty to you is as honest as heaven and earth."

"..."

This time, it was the Storm God’s Throne’s turn to fall silent.

The silence in the grand hall persisted for several minutes.

"Hmm... go back."

After a long time, the man on the throne wearily waved his hand, quietly speaking: "This time, make sure to kill cleanly."

The Spring Plow Saint knelt before the throne, looking up.

He didn’t hear the regret and lamentation in the Storm God’s Throne’s final sentence.

...

...

"Kill cleanly?"

"Since we are taking action, naturally, it must be thorough... but must it really be done this way?"

In the Storm Temple, the scene of a solitary figure kneeling remained.

But this time, it was not the Spring Plow Saint kneeling.

It was the Red Dragon.

The Red Dragon knelt on one knee before the imposing throne, looking up at the Storm God’s Throne.

The Hai Tong Saint had just delivered the Spring Plow Saint’s message to him, and he had come to the temple to report the matter.

Due to the soul contract.

The Red Dragon almost had no secrets... there was no point in hiding these matters.

These days he ’took and seized’, every time applying pressure on the Spring Plow’s saints, the Storm God’s Throne watched closely.

As stated by the Spring Plow Saint in the previous meeting, the Storm God’s Throne’s silence over four years was not due to being ’unaware’, but merely not wanting to intervene...

And now.

The Storm God’s Throne gently tipped the scales that had maintained balance for four years.

First, he supported Spring Plow in drawing out the Red Dragon from the starship.

Then he conveyed to the Red Dragon the intention of ’thorough eradication’.

Moments ago, after completing his report, the Red Dragon thought the Storm God’s Throne would intervene in this task, forcibly stopping it to prevent conflict escalation, just as he had done for the past four years.

But unexpectedly.

The Storm God’s Throne did nothing of the sort, instead instructing the Red Dragon, once outside the starship, to kill every Transcendent involved, saint or believer, leaving no survivors!

Thus, came the Red Dragon’s earlier question.

Even the Red Dragon, long eager to act, was astonished by the Storm God’s directive, seeking confirmation in disbelief.

"What’s wrong with that?"

A derisive chuckle.

The man on the throne gradually appeared behind the curtain of flowing water.

With the authority of [Tide], countless water droplets encircled and enveloped the Storm Temple, under the layers of this water curtain, the man sitting on the throne revealed only a vague silhouette.

With one hand propping his chin, seemingly dozing, his gaze pierced through the water curtain, falling solemnly on the Red Dragon kneeling on one knee before him.

"Those people, killed, are simply killed."

"The reason they have today is entirely because of my cultivation; should one day I wish to take back my previous ’gift’... they should have no complaints."

The tone of the Storm God’s Throne was very indifferent, every word filled with the sense of inevitability.

In his view, everything he bestowed upon the saints, upon the members of the congregation... could be reclaimed at any time.

And among the things given, it also included one thing.

Life.

Taking back the lives of these people was nothing more than a trivial matter.

Red Dragon took the order and left.

...

...

After everyone had left.

A slightly muffled, painful cough echoed in the empty temple.

Behind the water curtain.

The Storm God’s Throne, resting his elbow and dozing, lowered his head, he looked at the open collar on his chest, where the skin and flesh had an imprint of a golden palm, the wound left from his battle with Bai Shu... although there was an S-level "Death Substitute Seal" to resist, this palm left a great shadow on him.

For these four years, he had been in seclusion cultivating in the Storm Temple.

So-called seclusion.

Actually... it was just "licking" his wounds.

The Storm God’s Throne did not expect that the agreement to battle Bai Shu with Deep Sea back then would bring such a strong backlash upon himself, despite Bai Shu being a newly ascended Battle God Throne, his combat power was truly shocking.

This palm contained the pressure of three layers of the Reverse Flow Divine Domain!

The ability of Reverse Flow, after Bai Shu fused the Battle Fire, touched upon the power of Time Origin... among countless origins, this is the hardest to comprehend and also the most forbidden Origin Power.

The Storm God’s Throne had used countless methods, yet was unable to remove this palm imprint.

This golden palm imprint, like maggots feeding on the bone.

At first sight, it seemed indifferent.

But the longer it remains, the greater the damage this palm imprint leaves behind... these four years, the pain in the chest has never ceased for a single moment.

Fortunately... the Storm God’s Throne still holds an ace up his sleeve.

The old wound left by Bai Shu, mixed with three layers of Reverse Flow force, continuously exerted pressure on this body, the Storm God’s Throne knew his physical body could not last much longer.

If he still cannot conquer this "Time Origin" power that continues to poison him.

He would have to consider the matter of switching bodies.

This is also the main reason he decided to flee to the Southern Continent... after the battle with Bai Shu ended, he vaguely guessed his own fate.

Back then, the gene bill was abolished openly across the Five Continents.

But the Storm God’s Throne secretly nurtured a batch of "babies," these babies were raised in nutrient pods, their souls clean as blank paper, now it seems, these "transcendent geniuses" created by the gene bill are the best choices for replacing his physical body.

Only...

If he were to "replace the body" just like this, he would inevitably face a period of dormancy.

During this period, the Storm God’s Throne needs sufficiently trusted subordinates for support.

Originally, Spring Plow was the first choice in the Storm God’s Throne’s mind.

But now.

Spring Plow is no longer.

Over the years, he summoned the Spring Plow Saint more than once, hinted, reminding this "crown bearer" who followed him for many years, that Red Dragon was able to rise to such a high position not because of outstanding ability, but due to being loyal enough.

The most loyal people in the world are those who have signed a soul contract.

Even if he replaces his physical body, as long as this wisp of soul does not change... then Red Dragon must unconditionally follow his orders.

Spring Plow Saint is a clever person.

But repeatedly at critical moments, he pretends not to understand his reminders.

Actually, the Storm God’s Throne can understand Spring Plow... standing under one person, above tens of thousands of others for so many years, Spring Plow Saint believes that his relationship with him is strong enough, thus he always refuses to mention the matter of a "soul contract."

Once something like a "soul contract" is signed, it is equivalent to personally giving up one’s own life.

But it was precisely because of Spring Plow’s evasive attitude.

That the Storm God’s Throne solidified his current resolve.

Kill!

Have Red Dragon kill those saints under Spring Plow, those vassals, all cleanly!

Thus... during the days of forced rest while replacing his physical body, there will not be so many "troubles."

He knows everyone in the congregation is loyal to him.

All the Transcendents on the entire starship recite the name of the storm daily, a single command, and these people will unhesitatingly sacrifice their lives for him!

Only, he does not trust anyone.

He only trusts his own power.

Once he is no longer the lofty "Storm God’s Throne," can he still have so many followers?

Once he falls from the Divine Altar.

Even if it’s just a temporary fall...

Will these people still crowd around him, still worship him, still raise this high Throne for him?

He does not believe.

He doesn’t even trust himself.

He has fallen from peak, is no longer that invincible supreme throne that roamed the Ice Sea in the past... after being severely wounded by Bai Shu, the most serious damage he suffered was not to the flesh but to the spirit.

In this lifetime, he never suffered defeat.

But this time, he returned defeated.

Struck half-dead by Bai Shu, he fled in embarrassment to the Old World, only to find the injuries untreatable...

The Storm God’s Throne began to doubt life, also doubted himself.

If he hadn’t fled that battle in Changye back then, would the outcome have been different?

Now replacing the body, can he really "get better"?

If in the future he returns to the peak, facing Bai Shu again, would he still have the courage for another fight?

These questions, across over a thousand days and nights of wandering, the Storm God’s Throne asked himself more than once.

No answer.

This is the most bleak answer.

It’s not that there is no answer, but that he dares not have an answer.

Everything he does now... is not for Spring Plow Saint, not for Red Dragon, not for anyone, just for himself.

From beginning to end, he was a person only thinking about himself.

He wants to live well, he wants to continue sitting upon this Throne.

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