Xiao Huo was stunned.
The truth slammed into him like a hammer: his battle qi had been regressing all these years because of that old ghost festering inside the ring.
Damn it…
Before he could react, Xun'er had already turned, her figure retreating with effortless grace. The sight of her back — that confident, untouchable figure — shredded the last threads of his delusions. His anger bled into helplessness.
Yao Lao's voice came from the ring, calm and cutting.
"Do you see now? This is what it means to be Tianjiao of the Ancient Clan. She's no ordinary girl, boy — she's something you cannot even imagine. Overnight she broke through to semi-sage."
Semi-sage.
The words made Xiao Huo's head spin. That was a level he could barely dream of reaching in his lifetime.
Yao Lao's tone sharpened. "Do you still want to pursue her?"
"How?" Xiao Huo muttered without thinking.
Yao Lao chuckled dryly. "With my guidance, you can grow. I was stronger than semi-sage in my prime. Do you really think I absorbed your qi for nothing? With me, the path is open. You just have to work hard."
Xiao Huo looked hopeful. "Then… can I break through to semi-sage overnight?"
Yao Lao went silent. His spiritual face darkened. If I could break through overnight, boy, do you think I'd be stuck rotting inside a ring?
He coughed twice to cover his irritation. "Ahem… no, not overnight. But if you're willing to put in the effort, you'll catch up in time."
Xiao Huo scoffed. "So in other words, I'm still inferior to her."
The old phantom's expression turned black as charcoal. "Do you even have a choice? With your broken family background, how can you compare with her bloodline?"
The words pierced like a blade. They silenced Xiao Huo. Deep down, he knew Yao Lao was right. No matter how much he dreamed, Xun'er had already left him far behind.
The World Association
Meanwhile, in another world, Xiongba stood atop a mountain peak. His robes fluttered in the roaring wind as he practiced Eternal Meditation.
The moment he closed his eyes, the weather itself shifted. Stars trembled. Clouds swirled like frightened beasts.
Unlike Xun'er, who had approached with caution, Xiongba had no hesitation. He immediately chose to join the divine system.
The reason was simple: in the chat group, even a small fry could fly on a sword. If such minor characters could reach that level with divine grace, then what reason did he — a warlord who commanded the world — have to refuse?
"I will master this world," he whispered. "From today, I shall cultivate the Laws of the Eternal God."
When he opened his eyes, the world looked new. His cultivation doubled. Old wounds that had lingered in his body for decades were healed in an instant by divine power.
And then came the greatest shock of all.
As a junior believer, he was allowed to select a divine cultivation path. Most would have chosen the basic elements: wind, ice, or storm. But Xiongba chose something else.
Darkness.
A power that fused all others together. A path to stand above the rest.
His ambition surged. If he must be a dog of the gods, then he would be a dog that barked from the highest peak, laughing down on the world.
He looked down at the sprawling headquarters of the World Association below — a fortress city four kilometers across. He pressed lightly on the mountain peak and launched himself like a cannonball.
A streak of black light tore through the clouds.
Boom!
The violent shockwave ripped apart the wind.
"Enemy attack!" the guards shouted in terror.
"Enemy attack, my ass. I am your leader!" Xiongba barked. His black aura thundered around him.
One guard, trembling, stepped forward in confusion. Xiongba's kick sent the man exploding into a mist of blood.
On the steps below, Wen Chou Chou watched in horror as his master descended like a devil. His legs gave way, and he knelt, trembling.
This was no longer the same man. Xiongba's presence was overwhelming, monstrous, suffocating. His dominance was no longer arrogance — it was terror itself.
"Help… Lord Helper…" Wen Chou Chou stammered.
Xiongba's voice boomed. "From today forward, the World Association will be renamed the Eternal God Cult. All members are forbidden to harm the common people. If anyone dares, I will personally kill them."
Wen Chou Chou gaped. "The… gods?"
Xiongba nodded firmly. "Yes. Only the glory of the true God can guide the people forward. Call all my disciples here at once. I will begin contact with the envoys of God."
Wen Chou Chou didn't dare to argue. He bowed quickly. "Yes, Lord Helper."
Only after Xiongba left did Wen Chou Chou let out a shaky breath. He looked up toward the mountaintop and felt his heart seize — the clouds above had been pierced open, the summit now visible to the naked eye.
He quickened his steps.
The Eternal Shrine
In the Eternal Shrine, Rin Tohsaka lounged in a bright courtyard, giggling as she read the chat group messages.
Call her vain, call her a show-off — she didn't care. She was proud, and why shouldn't she be? Her sister Sakura and her mother Aoi were here with her. That was all she needed.
Her home plane, the Moonlit World, was managed by Alaya and Gaia. She could relax, chat, learn divine magecraft, or simply enjoy leisure time.
Sometimes she went fishing with Sakura. Sometimes she learned needlework from her mother. Even if the divine robes they wore were artifacts woven by eternal power, Rin still enjoyed the craft.
Not long after, Illyasviel floated down in a frilly dress, holding Alice's hand.
"Thank you, Miss Crane," Illya chirped to the shrine's attendant.
The crane spirit bowed politely before vanishing back into the sky.
Rin grinned. "So, is today's mother-daughter time over?"
"Hmph!" Illya puffed out her cheeks and clung to Alice's leg. "Illya's not a little kid. I just like being with Mommy!"
Rin shook her head with a smile. Their little faction had grown quickly since leaving the Moonlit World.
Their roster included:
Nero Claudius, the flamboyant Emperor of Roses.
Artoria Pendragon, the stalwart King of Knights.
Rin herself and her mother Aoi.
Sakura, still shy but gradually opening.
Illya and Alice, the artificial vessel of the Holy Grail.
Each had their role. Alice, after receiving divine empowerment, had ascended straight to the rank of an eight-star goddess. She was their strongest combatant by far.
Artoria and Nero followed closely behind. Artoria's ability to grasp any technique with astonishing speed made her indispensable. Nero, meanwhile, wielded her emperor's privileges shamelessly, even copying abilities outright.
Hina had complained to the Eternal God about Nero's plagiarism. But the god had only laughed and said, "That too is a gift."
So Nero strutted further and further down the path of shameless mimicry, reveling in her strange form of talent.
Rin's mother, Aoi, considered herself a maid. She threw herself into menial tasks with devotion, caring for divine beasts and shrine grounds alike. No one looked down on her. In fact, everyone respected her diligence. She was the shrine's model worker.
Inside the Eternal Temple
Three women knelt before Liu Che: Hinata Hyuga, Tsunade Senju, and Samui of the Cloud.
"Please grant us an oracle," they said together.
"You don't need to be so formal," Liu Che said kindly. "This is the first trial of the Heroic Spirit System. There may be flaws. Go and experience freely."
"Yes, my lord."
"One more thing," Liu Che added, looking at Tsunade. "If you wish to resurrect Nawaki, you can do so now with your current strength. Go."
Tsunade's eyes softened. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord."
Hinata, too, quietly resolved to summon her late uncle, Hizashi. Even though Neji had once resented her, she understood too well the pain of losing family.
Their souls shimmered with light, rising toward the altar.
The Heroic Spirit System
The Heroic Spirit System was a minor system plug-in beneath Liu Che's grand amplification system.
Through blood ties or personal items, believers could summon heroic spirits. Unlike the flawed system of the Moonlit Plane, this one required no spirit vessel. Temporary bodies would be created from the world's power itself.
This first trial would be conducted by Orochimaru. Liu Che wanted to see the results firsthand.
The Konoha Branch
The village once called Konoha no longer existed. In its place rose towering structures: the Eternal God Sect, Konoha Branch.
Orochimaru had returned from the Moon, bringing relics: Tsunade's necklace, Hinata's forehead protector, and Samui's cherished sword.
The Hyuga clan knelt in reverence. Clan head Hiashi approached nervously. "Master, why hasn't the goddess arrived yet?"
"Patience," Orochimaru replied, though he too felt unease. "The first summoning takes time. But they will come."
In the distance, Naruto knelt silently. His heart ached. Once, these women had been his classmates and comrades. Now they were goddesses, far beyond his reach. He remained only a believer.
Kirabi, calmer now since losing Gyūki, sat cross-legged. "Brother, Goddess Samui's arrival makes me nervous."
"Cut it out," A rumbled, punching him lightly. "What's there to be nervous about?"
Kirabi smirked. "Then why are your legs shaking?"
"Idiot! That's the wind!"
Their banter was cut short by a sudden blaze of light.
Three beams of radiance fell from the heavens. One green, one white, one golden.
Energy gathered at the altar. The shapes of three women slowly emerged.
Ten minutes later, Tsunade, Hinata, and Samui stood before the believers.
They opened their eyes, flexing unfamiliar fingers. The new bodies felt strange — strong, yet unstable. They could sense their power had been greatly weakened, some techniques sealed.
The Heroic Spirit bodies were pure energy given form. They would endure only so long as divine energy sustained them. When the energy ran dry, their consciousness would return to the Eternal Realm.
But for now, they lived again.
And the world trembled in awe.