Locke cast a glance at the five Emperor-rank magical beasts kneeling on the mountainside and slowly lowered his body.
"Kalma, Brick, Baradis, Flaral, Pierce…"
"Thank you all for everything over these years."
"If it weren't for your help, my cultivation wouldn't have progressed so smoothly."
Hearing Locke's words, the five Emperor-rank beasts lowered their heads even further.
It was worth remembering that their first encounter with Locke had been far from friendly.
Only after repeated resistance—and the realization of the vast gap in strength—did they grudgingly submit and bow their heads.
The sensation of losing all external perception—unable to see, hear, smell, taste, or touch—was undoubtedly the greatest torment they could endure.
"I said back then that once I ascended to Sanctuary, I would set you free."
"Now that I have achieved Sanctuary, I will not break that promise."
"From now on, you are free."
With that, Locke no longer concerned himself with the five Emperor-rank beasts and flew down the mountain.
It wasn't until they could no longer sense his presence that the five beasts quietly stood up, scanning their surroundings. Once they confirmed that Locke had truly departed, they rose to their full height and roared toward the sky.
If this had occurred elsewhere, the simultaneous roar of five Emperor-rank beasts would likely have triggered a massive beast surge.
But in these mountains, the local beasts had grown accustomed to these cries, hearing them every few days.
After venting their frustration, the five beasts separated, each returning to its old lair.
…
"Heh, these guys are pretty spirited."
At the foot of the mountain, Locke looked back at the towering peaks as he heard the five roars.
Shaking his head, he verified his direction and continued forward.
Though Locke had become a Sanctuary-level powerhouse, he knew there were at least two god-tier entities in the Wakanda Plane.
Until he understood their personalities and intentions, it was best not to act recklessly.
A thirty-five-year-old Sanctuary might be unremarkable in the God Plane or Supreme Plane.
After all, elemental concentration there was dozens of times higher than in the Material Plane, making comprehension of law principles significantly easier.
Some divine beasts' offspring were born Sanctuary-level.
With exceptional talent, a ten-year journey to Sanctuary wasn't impossible.
But in the Material Plane, a thirty-five-year-old Sanctuary was exceedingly rare.
Compared to the God Plane and Supreme Plane, the Material Plane was like a muddy pond versus an endless ocean.
Anyone who reached Sanctuary in the Material Plane would naturally fare well in the God or Supreme Planes.
Out of a hundred Sanctuary-level beings from the Material Plane, over fifty would eventually attain God-tier status.
A prodigy like Locke, achieving Sanctuary at thirty-five, had a high likelihood of becoming a higher-tier god.
If the Pope of the Temple of Light or the Emperor of the Frost Snow Empire possessed secret arts capable of enslaving souls, they might not overlook a talent like Locke.
After all, those dispatched to the Material Plane to compete for faith on behalf of the gods could not be higher-tier gods themselves.
These two individuals were seventy percent likely lower-tier gods and twenty-nine percent mid-tier, and perhaps may never achieve higher-tier god status in their lifetimes.
At such a time, the temptation of enslaving a servant who could one day reach higher-tier god status was self-evident.
Of course, perhaps this was just Locke's cautious nature. After all, creating secret arts capable of enslaving a soul was no simple task.
Yet Locke didn't want to gamble.
Better to wait another decade or two before revealing that he had broken through to Sanctuary.
A Sanctuary over fifty was still recognized as a prodigy—acceptable to others.
Upon returning to the village, Locke was warmly welcomed, as always.
Over the past ten years, thanks to the Ruchi Guild purchasing Pu'er at high prices directly, the villagers' living standards had risen several notches.
And, of course, everyone understood why.
Though Locke's parents weren't the village chief, even their words carried such weight that the existence of Pu'er Village itself required careful consideration.
During his stay at home, Locke learned of the changes over the past ten years.
His younger brother, Cole, had followed President Ruchi on trade routes ten years ago, married Ruchi's eldest daughter, and now had two children.
Moreover, with Ruchi's help, Cole obtained the Dou Qi Secret Manual and had reached peak-sixth-level warrior strength.
In at most five to ten years, Cole would break through to seventh-level warrior.
After learning this, Locke nodded silently.
Even without him, his family was doing quite well.
Locke selected a secluded corner of the village and, in just one day, built several small wooden houses.
From that day forward, until his parents' natural end, Locke intended to reside there.
Sitting cross-legged inside, Locke closed his eyes in deep thought.
"At the Sanctuary stage, the key to strengthening oneself lies in comprehending law principles and transforming them into ever more powerful techniques."
"Water-based laws—defensively, they're weaker than Earth; in speed, slower than Wind; for recovery, weaker than Light; in attack, weaker than Fire; in explosive power, weaker than Lightning; in unpredictability, weaker than Darkness…"
"The 'Mist Illusion' law principle I've mastered is only an entry-level water-based law principle."
"Compared to others, my greatest advantage may lie in divergent thinking when developing techniques."
"While others focus on using law principles to strengthen offense and defense, my techniques directly affect the soul—they are true illusions."
"However, this means my soul attack power and physical attack power are weaker than others'."
"After all, even the Celestial Dance Treasure Wheel is, at present, merely a supportive technique."
"In encirclement battles, I could call myself the 'strongest support' below divinity."
"But relying on others for victory…"
Thinking this, Locke shook his head.
"So, for now, I need to strengthen my physical attacks."
"Before reaching divinity, mages are indeed stronger than warriors."
"But at that stage, battles tend toward close-quarters combat. Techniques combining bodily strength with law principle power are more effective than purely law principle-based attacks."
God-tier bodies are tempered with divine energy. Though not on par with true divine artifacts, ordinary weapons are nearly useless against them.
"Furthermore, when fleeing, warriors have superior burst speed compared to mages, allowing them to escape the battlefield more swiftly."
(End of Chapter)
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