Divine Realm.
Celestial mist curled around the sky, and threads of divine power bathed the realm in an even deeper sense of mystery. Countless majestic palaces stood tall across this holy land, and at the center of it all, one grand hall overlooked everything like a mountain at the world's peak.
This was the heart of the Divine Realm — the Divine Realm Committee.
"Alright, let's begin the meeting."
The surrounding exquisite carvings and the level-three divine guards at the door reflected the high prestige of this conference room.
Inside the hall, a handsome young man sitting at the head of the table smiled warmly as he glanced around.
"Xu Cheng, what kind of trouble are you trying to stir up now?" Tang San slammed the table angrily. "I've already said, no expanding the Divine Realm for now! No expansion! I have a premonition of a danger strong enough to threaten the destruction of the entire Divine Realm. We must play it safe!"
"Tang San, this is the Divine Committee, not your neighborhood watch group. If you slam the table again, I'll kindly ask you to leave…"
Xu Cheng smiled and made a "please exit" gesture toward the door.
"You…!" Tang San gritted his teeth and snorted coldly.
"Also, please address me as the God of Destruction," Xu Cheng chuckled.
Tang San: "…"
"Alright, back to business. There are two items on today's agenda." With just a few lines, Xu Cheng had shut Tang San down and turned to the other four members present.
They were Ji Dong and Lie Yan, who had inherited the godhoods of Good and Evil and were also new members of the Divine Realm, and beside them stood a newly ascended Goddess of Life — Meng Hongchen.
"Mhm!"
Hearing Xu Cheng speak, Meng Hongchen excitedly pulled out a notebook and began scribbling notes.
"Two items…"
Ji Dong and Lie Yan hesitated, but followed her lead and started taking notes too.
Especially Ji Dong — his gaze toward Xu Cheng was filled with awe, reverence, and even… fear.
Just days earlier, after Xu Cheng had ascended to become the God of Destruction, Ji Dong had challenged him to a sparring match. But unlike what he had expected — an even match, or maybe slightly losing — what followed was a one-sided, humiliating defeat.
Xu Cheng's destruction power was terrifying, but even more so was his ability to shift between reality and illusion.
In that battle, Ji Dong thought he had crushed Xu Cheng in a glorious victory… only to later realize — it was all an illusion. He had wasted years of his life inside a fake world.
Layer after layer of illusions nearly drove Ji Dong insane. He didn't know when he entered them or how to leave. Only after begging Xu Cheng for mercy did the illusions collapse, and he returned to the moment before the battle even began.
From that point on, Ji Dong became completely obedient.
Because he knew — Xu Cheng had only been playing with him. If Xu Cheng really meant business, he could turn illusion into reality.
That was his true terror — not just invincible in illusion, but capable of merging illusion and reality.
Even now, Ji Dong looked around, unsure what was real anymore.
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
With five people present, Xu Cheng spoke a word, and the remaining three started writing furiously. Tang San's mouth twitched. In his mind, a thousand grass-mud horses (a Chinese meme) galloped.
Not only had Xu Cheng taken the lead — he'd completely dominated the council.
"This is a dictatorship! I want to file a complaint!"
Where is that damn Destruction guy? Let him come back and see what he's brought upon the Divine Realm!
"First item," Xu Cheng cleared his throat. "It's about the Golden Dragon King…"
"You want to kill the Golden Dragon King? Hah! Don't dream," Tang San sneered. "If you release him but fail to kill him, it will be a disaster for the Divine Realm!"
"You got part of it right," Xu Cheng smiled.
"I do plan to release him. But I never said I wanted to kill him…"
"What are you planning?!" Tang San asked in shock.
"Why waste free labor? Especially one capable of expanding the star domain?" Xu Cheng tapped his fingers on the table. "You guys are too weak. You couldn't suppress him. Not even working together. Frankly…"
"…You suck."
All eyes turned.
Ji Dong and Lie Yan nervously turned their heads, opting to stay silent. Even they were afraid to speak now.
"You…!" Tang San's face contorted. Clearly, he was lumped in with "you guys."
Tap…
Xu Cheng gently tapped the table again, and suddenly a ripple of dense black mist spread out, like water rippling, covering the entire hall.
When they reopened their eyes — the room remained, but the surroundings had changed.
"Another illusion?!" Ji Dong was drenched in sweat.
"No, more like… hell itself," Lie Yan muttered. "This deathly aura… even I feel afraid."
"Correct. This is the Netherworld," Xu Cheng smiled.
A shadow of black mist rose beside him, transforming into a figure holding a scythe — a God of Death.
Only Tang San immediately recognized it. His expression turned to shock.
From his vision, a vast, gray figure loomed behind Xu Cheng, cloaked and watching silently.
For the first time since becoming a god-king, Tang San felt the aura of death.
"No…!"
Tang San suddenly yelled.
"Is… is He targeting me?!"
"Smart. Only those about to die can see the God of Death…" Xu Cheng grinned.
Yesterday, Electus had passed the position of Death God to Xu Cheng — a deity that existed outside the jurisdiction of the Divine Realm, yet powerful enough to rival even the mightiest god-kings.
Because he didn't fall under Divine Realm law, Xu Cheng using him to kill Tang San was technically legal.
"You're a dual-god!" Tang San's face turned ashen.
"Knowing now is still better than never," Xu Cheng smiled gently.
He pointed — power of divine authority crushed Tang San and swallowed him into darkness.
The illusion faded.
Tang San's seat — now empty.
"Any objections?" Xu Cheng smiled at Ji Dong and Lie Yan.
"N-no… none at all…"
Both shook their heads like madmen.
"Good. Second item: I predict that in a few years, there will be another spatial turbulence, stronger than the one from a million years ago. So before that arrives, the Divine Realm will not expand recklessly."
"Stronger than a million years ago?!" Ji Dong's eyes widened.
"Relax. I'm here," Xu Cheng nodded.
Whew — Ji Dong exhaled. With the old committee, they'd be in panic mode. But now, with one less god-king and Xu Cheng in charge, he felt unexpectedly secure.
Like hugging a prehistoric golden thigh.
Overlooking the serene Divine Realm scenery, Xu Cheng stretched lazily.
Right now, he had only one thought: "Finally… they fell for it (the plan)."
Destruction had once used him as a counterbalance to Tang San — because the Divine Realm was meant to be governed by checks and balances, not by one voice.
But…
Disgusted by Tang San?
Impossible.
If I can't make the rules after becoming a god, what's the point?
If he liked you, he'd let you stay. If he didn't, he'd end you on the spot.
This had been his first official meeting as a god — and before it, he expanded the Netherworld to cover all the planes beneath the Divine Realm, using the Abyss Plane as fuel. Its energy became a massive tributary of the River of the Dead.
Meanwhile, time moved faster in the mortal world.
The Sun-Moon Empire was rapidly developing.
The upgraded interstellar warships with Star-Annihilation Cannons had been built three years after Xu Cheng's ascension, and mass-produced two years later.
With breakthroughs in warp technology, humanity had now stepped beyond the Milky Way.
Ye Guyi, though not famous in the Divine Realm, had become a real god and was leading the angel army in the Sun-Moon Empire. She'd soon finish military duties and ascend.
The other women had mostly ascended, except for Juzi, whose weak talent forced Xu Cheng to use a "family quota" to bring her. The rest inherited god positions.
Elder Yi went to roam the mortal world.
Elder Cheng requested a divine officer role and chose to stay in the mortal realm to study spatial turbulence.
Xiao Hongchen stayed as dean of the Sun-Moon Empire Academy. He aimed to create his own divine seat — the God of Machinery — and, with Xu Cheng's full support, began his tireless work.
"Brother Cheng, are you really releasing the Golden Dragon King?" Meng Hongchen followed and asked curiously.
"With my current strength, I can crush him. For the Silver Dragon King's sake, I'll give him a chance."
Xu Cheng nodded.
Divine Forbidden Land.
Deep within — countless divine chains bound a colossal golden dragon.
They restrained it completely, though divine power constantly flowed into the dragon via the chains, strengthening it steadily.
The Golden Dragon King roared into the void.
Because he sensed, through bloodline connection, that his sister… had been taken by a man.
"Brother?"
A gentle voice echoed.
The dragon trembled. That sounded like his sister. But that was impossible — no one could enter this prison.
He opened his eyes—
And froze.
A beautiful figure stood in front of him.
"Silver Dragon King?!"
He panicked: "Leave! This place isn't for you!"
Then he saw a human man beside her.
No — a God-King!
"ROAR!!"
The Golden Dragon King exploded with rage.
Sister? Here? That could only mean — she was captured.
The dragon burst forth with power, shattering the divine chains, roaring and ready to destroy.
"Someone! Quick! The Golden Dragon King is raging again!"
"Alert the God-Kings!"
The Divine Realm shook.
BOOM!
As the final chain shattered—
The Golden Dragon King glared down at Xu Cheng. The man looked puny — smaller than his pupil. Yet Xu Cheng stood unmoved.
"Run! He can't stop both of us!" the dragon yelled to his sister.
But Silver Dragon King simply smiled.
"Brother, he's not a bad person…"
"He came to rescue you."
Golden Dragon King: "…"
A giant question mark filled his pupil.
"Let me introduce us," Xu Cheng said gently.
Tap — memories surged into the dragon's mind. He was the one who saved the soul beasts? And he had to call this guy… brother-in-law?
"ROAR! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Let's calm you down." Tap.
The Golden Dragon King shut down like a computer — frozen in place.
Just then, countless divine beings arrived.
"There you are," Ji Dong and Lie Yan sighed in relief.
The rest looked puzzled. The Elemental Gods glanced around — Tang San was gone.
"It's fine. Dismissed."
Xu Cheng waved.
Ji Dong and Lie Yan immediately retreated.
The others looked at one another.
It was now clear who ruled the Divine Realm.
Huff… huff…
Xu Cheng snapped his fingers.
The Golden Dragon King reawakened, terrified, glancing around.
"Where… where am I?!"
"The Divine Realm," Xu Cheng grinned.
"What do you want!" The dragon trembled.
This terrifying ability…
"Work for me. Nod and live. Refuse and die." Xu Cheng smiled.
"…Fine."
The Golden Dragon King gulped and sighed, seeing his sister wink at him frantically.
(Main story complete)(End of Chapter)