Chapter 558 - 514: Call Me a God
"When a civilization’s development reaches a barbaric stage, violence and conquest become its main theme."
On New God Star, Bertutan and Uncle Tian walked side-by-side across a ravaged land at the end of a war. Corpses piled up beneath their feet, blood flowed underfoot, and the bodies and souls of fallen warriors settled, bringing new nutrients to the already fertile soil.
A tribal war had just taken place here.
An experienced young chief had led his people to victory over another tribe, achieving a new conquest. This process was typically accompanied by tragic sacrifices, for victor and vanquished alike.
But neither the victors celebrating their triumph nor the vanquished, grievously wounded and dying, could see these two new gods.
Nor could they hear their conversation.
They were like observers from a higher dimension, looking down upon a war between ants.
"Bertutan, is it really so interesting to watch these ants grow? Perhaps it is, but you must realize that in the Tomb Star Realm, the country that should be ours is being stolen. Can you really just stand by and watch as that thief brazenly becomes the true Heir of the Gods of the Cosmic Country right under our noses?"
Uncle Tian asked, a hint of indignation in his voice.
Just a short while ago, his second non-living creation, which he had sent to infiltrate the Tomb Star Realm, had been annihilated by a single strike of Shi Ming’s sword.
The intense backlash had severely wounded his true body. Shi Ming’s control over the Cosmic Country had left his non-living creation with nowhere to hide. Left with no choice, he had once again sought out Bertutan, the Light of Enlightenment, who was lingering on New God Star. He hoped to initiate a collaboration, however small, or at least discuss some ideas to break the stalemate.
"Hehehe, Uncle Tian, neither you nor I are the Heir of the Gods, let alone omniscient and omnipotent. We can’t even walk within the Tomb Star Realm right now. The most we can do is glean some intelligence from its depths. How could we possibly exert any influence?"
"Bertutan, the death energy at the center of the Tomb Star Realm has already been dispelled. If we could bypass the outer perimeter and reach the interior directly, we would no longer be affected by it..."
"And how, exactly, do we bypass it?"
Bertutan spoke as he stepped over a blood-spattered severed arm as if it were a withered branch.
"..."
Uncle Tian didn’t know how to bypass it either.
This wasn’t like climbing over an obstacle.
The Tomb Star Realm was now like an intact egg. The yolk was the purified safe zone, while the egg white was the annihilation zone filled with death energy. To get to the yolk by bypassing the white, even the Time Giant, Candela, would have to traverse a 120,000-year timeline using [Time Leap].
It was a nearly impossible feat.
Strolling leisurely across the brutal battlefield, Bertutan offered a new perspective:
"Rather than wear ourselves out, it would be better to—
"Lie in wait.
"Soon, the death energy in the Tomb Star Realm will be completely purified by the will of the nascent Cosmic Country. Our five-layered seal will no longer be able to conceal this Star Domain’s existence. The emergence of the First Civilization Cosmic Country is now inevitable.
"A kingdom that once belonged to the gods carries an unbearable weight. How can an heir who popped out of nowhere possibly bear such a burden? Among all the civilizations I have nurtured, their young lives would find it very difficult to accomplish such a grand feat alone.
"If he needs our support, we wouldn’t mind lending a hand, becoming the pillars that hold him up.
"And if he doesn’t..."
Bertutan’s gaze seemed to turn cold, a sharp killing intent rising within it.
Uncle Tian finished the thought.
"How can an Heir of the Gods with no backing possibly contend with five new gods?"
"Precisely."
Bertutan walked to the center of the battlefield, having apparently discovered something.
He bent down and touched his finger to the head of a dying, groaning warrior. A hazy glimmer of light emerged from his fingertip and seeped into the warrior’s head. The man’s grievous wounds miraculously vanished. Even his right leg, which had been severed by a Bone Saber, regenerated into a brand new limb.
To these natives, this was nothing short of a miracle!
Not only that, but a new power rapidly blossomed within the warrior. A skill called [Tao-Yu’s Beginning] began to awaken. In what seemed like days, or perhaps just an instant, a life on the verge of absolute death was filled with new vitality, and he became an S-rank Awakened!
"If I grant him life, he lives."
"If I grant him death, he dies."
"Authority is never held by some ethereal title, but by wisdom and power. Even the gods of old—are they not now buried deep in the tomb of time, rotting and putrefying? Does new power not rise from their skeletal remains?"
Bertutan stood up, a faint light emanating from his body, making him look like a true Divine Spirit.
’So, now...’
’You, the loser who was gasping for breath on the roadside like a stray dog, yet were lucky enough to receive your master’s favor—go, and begin your revenge! Use the skill I have bestowed upon you, Tao-Yu’s Beginning, and sever your enemy’s head. Fulfill your destiny, then prostrate yourself at my feet and call out to me—God.’
...
...
...
Beneath the Sword in the Stone, Creator Uncle’s non-living creation was utterly destroyed.
Shi Ming beckoned with his right hand.
The Sword in the Stone, connected to the will of the Cosmic Country, pulled itself free from the ruins and landed steadily in his right hand.
For someone of normal height to wield such a greatsword, the proportions did indeed look strange. Yet, Shi Ming’s control was incredibly fluid. The massive Sword in the Stone was like an extension of his will, moving with a dexterity that made it seem less like a weapon and more like a limb. Using it in actual combat for the first time, the Sword in the Stone had given him a surprise beyond his wildest imagination.
A single strike had swept away everything in all directions.
’These false gods are already getting impatient. Besides this one, the others are probably tearing their hair out, trying to figure out how to break through the ring of death energy like I did, get inside, and obtain the gods’ legacy.’
’No need to rush.’
’Soon enough, you’ll be able to step into this Star Domain, now returned to the Star Sea, in your true bodies.’
’But this time, my rules... are *the* rules!’
Shi Ming put away the Sword in the Stone and temporarily changed his universal title to [Regent of the First Civilization Cosmic Country]. He was now touring the major planets and excavating any surviving Civilization Stones. Over 120,000 years of contamination by death energy, aside from the [Divine Treasure Vault], the [Mercenary Terminal], and the [Teleportation Vortex], only a few well-preserved Civilization Stones had managed to endure. It wasn’t much, but it was still extra income that could be exchanged for useful treasures in the Divine Treasure Vault.
Beyond that, he also intended to use the permissions granted by his [Regent] title to establish new rules for this nascent Star Domain!