Chapter 306: The Coordinates, Part 1
Life in the Divine Realm was akin to a retirement haven for the elderly, marked by a quiet, uneventful routine. Once each year, the Divine Realm Committee would meet to address the year's accumulated minor issues and any plans for the future. Yet, these meetings had become more of a formality, as no new initiatives had arisen in decades.
"Why would Destruction suddenly decide to call an early meeting?" Ye Wen sat idly in his seat, waiting for the other God Kings to arrive.
When Destruction had first informed him of the meeting, Ye Wen's heart skipped a beat, fearing his plan to launch an attack on the Divine Realm had been exposed. After all, he had just started preparing for war, and here Destruction was, calling a meeting what were the odds?
But on further thought, Ye Wen dismissed his concerns. If his plans had truly been uncovered, there was no need for Destruction to schedule a formal meeting. He would have been ambushed on the spot. With his relatively "weak, helpless" status as the newest God King, Destruction and Life, both experienced peak level God Kings, would have had no difficulty subduing him. The fact that they hadn't acted directly meant they weren't aware of his true intentions.
Still, Ye Wen stayed cautious, mentally prepared to activate his teleportation skill at a moment's notice if anything seemed suspicious.
Soon, the other God Kings took their seats, and the meeting commenced. The slightly puzzled expressions on the faces of Kindness and Evil told Ye Wen that they were as much in the dark as he was about Destruction's agenda. This was a good sign.
Destruction, seated at the head of the table, wasted no time. "My fellow God Kings, this cannot continue."
Evil, also known as Ji Dong, raised his hand slightly, addressing Destruction in his usual candid manner. "Brother Destruction, what exactly do you mean by 'this cannot continue'?"
Destruction signaled for Evil to hold his questions and continued, "The Divine Realm is now a mere shadow of its former self, its functions reduced to a fraction of what they once were. Over the centuries, its foundations have eroded, albeit slowly. But if we don't act soon, our Divine Realm could be on the verge of collapse in a matter of a few hundred years."
At this, Ye Wen couldn't help but smirk inwardly. So, Destruction wanted to "cut costs and boost resources" after all. He had foreseen this. But being the newest among the God Kings, he kept his thoughts to himself, leaning back in his seat to enjoy the show.
As expected, Evil voiced his opposition immediately. "Brother Destruction, while you're not wrong, you're aware of how precarious our Divine Realm's state is. A bold overhaul could risk causing irreparable damage. I suggest we take a more measured approach perhaps wait until one of us, or rather one of the five of us, reaches the next level of power before making any drastic changes."
Realizing Ye Wen was listening, Evil quickly corrected himself, awkwardly acknowledging the presence of the "oft overlooked" God King of Boundless Seas.
"Wait until someone breaks through?" Destruction countered. "You know as well as we do, Little Green and I have no hope of reaching the next level in the next hundred no, two hundred years. Do you and Kindness plan on achieving that feat?"
As the two pairs of God King couples continued to debate, Ye Wen maintained his silence, mildly amused by their bureaucratic bickering. The committee's setup prevented any single God King from exerting full control, but it also meant that every decision making session turned into a battlefield of personal agendas.
Yet, something caught Ye Wen's interest: they had mentioned a level beyond the God King realm. While Ye Wen had suspected that the God King realm was not the ultimate limit, he had never heard of this realm's details. Poseidon's knowledge of the Sea God's path contained no clues beyond the God King level, and Ye Wen's curiosity grew.
The arguments between the two couples continued, with both sides making little progress. At one point, Evil tried to recruit Ye Wen to support their argument against Destruction. After a moment of thought, Ye Wen decided to go along, not to align himself with Evil but to stall Destruction's expansion plans.
In the end, he kept his objection simple. "Destruction, if you're truly serious about expansion, then please present a detailed plan. Speaking in hypotheticals without a thorough understanding of the Divine Realm's mechanisms is... less than prudent."
His words struck a chord, and Destruction nodded, realizing he had indeed rushed into this.
"Fair point, Boundless Seas. I didn't think this through." Destruction rubbed his temples, a rare moment of self doubt in his gaze. "We are unable to create as the Dragon God once did. The Dragon God's powers were rooted in creation, which made expanding the Divine Realm easy for him."
Listening to Destruction's nostalgic rambling, Ye Wen silently rolled his eyes. "You're wasting everyone's time," he thought. He had already been briefed on the Divine Realm's past as part of his induction as a God King. It was no secret that the once dominant Dragon God had left behind mysteries, including the whereabouts of the Golden Dragon King. Ye Wen himself had considered liberating the Golden Dragon King to gain a new ally. But for now, his focus was on reclaiming control over the Divine Realm itself, using the expansion proposal to his advantage.
With sudden clarity, Ye Wen seized the opportunity. "Brother Destruction," he began, cutting through the conversation and directing the room's attention toward himself. "My Divine Authority is highly versatile. I believe I may be able to examine the structure of the Divine Realm more closely to find ways of stabilizing it. If possible, could I be granted access to the Divine Core? I might uncover methods to strengthen our foundation."
Destruction's face lit up with interest. As someone with a background in soul guided weaponry, Ye Wen's expertise in the intricate workings of divine artifacts was an undeniable asset. Destruction himself had long admired Douluo Star's advancements in soul engineering, which Ye Wen had continued to develop. Hearing that Ye Wen, the newly ascended God King of Boundless Seas, was offering his expertise, he couldn't help but feel hopeful.
"Good thinking, Boundless Seas! I almost forgot you had such a talent," Destruction remarked appreciatively.
He summoned a surge of divine power, which revealed a hidden passage in the council chamber. It was a dark, narrow corridor leading downward, rarely accessed since the days of the Dragon God.
"I haven't set foot in the Divine Core since the Dragon God's time," Destruction admitted with a hint of nostalgia. "Come, my friends. As God Kings, it's crucial we familiarize ourselves with the workings of our realm."
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