Xin Zhuang Ling, inside Tian Xing City, stared coldly at the mountain beneath his feet, his divine essence surging madly into it, making the entire mountain appear more stable.
Beside the mountain, many indigenous gods gathered, their gazes filled with fervent admiration for the Dean of Glory Academy. Xin Zhuang Ling's status in Tian Xing City, and even in the Divine Realm, had risen again, surpassing even the former City Lord of Tian Xing City in prestige.
Xin Zhuang Ling was also exhilarated, yet he maintained a sorrowful expression on his face.
"To slay the great demon who ravaged our Divine Realm, the efforts of the Divine Master and several Divine Kings have been expended! Now, the Divine Master and the Divine Kings have embarked on the path of awakening, a time when our Divine Realm's overall strength is at its most vulnerable!"
"This time, to completely eliminate this demon, I, Xin, must expend the lives of my myriad kin to exhaust this demon's true essence! Then, utilizing all my abilities, I have finally suppressed this demon within, ensuring it can never rise again!"
Xin Zhuang Ling spoke with a pained expression.
"Alas, I am ashamed before the souls of my countless fallen kin!"
A choked cry echoed throughout Tian Xing City, leaving Lian Tian Chuan and Carlo in a state of trepidation. With their intellect, how could they not see through Xin Zhuang Ling's petty machinations?
Indeed, as soon as Xin Zhuang Ling finished speaking, countless gods began to speak in his defense.
"Dean Xin has governed Glory Academy for ten thousand years, always a person of great virtue and selflessness. We, the people, have witnessed this. Dean Xin need not blame himself so."
"Precisely. If Dean Xin had not suppressed this demon, even more of our kin would have been slain by it!"
"Indeed, Dean Xin is truly a good dean. Kind-hearted and compassionate, he cares for the future of our Divine Race."
...
"Exactly, exactly! Dean Xin's strength has greatly increased. Our Divine Realm's Divine Master and Divine Kings have left us to awaken. I believe a selfless god like Dean Xin should become our new Divine Master. I, the Vice Dean of Glory Academy, whose strength has broken through the peak of Divine General, am willing to become a disciple of Teacher Xin, to be under his tutelage!" A frail elder, leaning on a cane, emerged, trembling slightly.
Becoming a Divine Master in the Divine Race was not a simple matter. One had to cultivate a certain number of Divine King disciples before one could be considered a Divine Master, and thus lead the myriad gods of the Divine Realm.
Hearing the elder's words, countless gods immediately expressed their agreement. Lian Tian Chuan and Carlo's faces, however, turned ashen. They, who were originally on equal footing, would face uncertain futures once Xin Zhuang Ling became a Divine Master, and even their positions might be in jeopardy.
They looked at Xin Zhuang Ling's sorrowful visage, marveling at his god-tier acting skills! They felt like rushing forward to tear him to pieces! This shameless wretch, whose subordinates had died, and who was now reaping all the benefits for himself, leaving them as mere pawns!
"Yes! I second that. If any fellow traveler of this demon opposes, they will have to step over my dead body!" A Divine General stepped forward, brandishing his colossal Sea King's Trident, surveying the crowd!
"Suppressing the great demon is an act of immeasurable merit. Count me in!"
From the crowd, generals of the Divine Race with status and influence stepped forward. All the gods believed that if anyone dared to object, these individuals would be the first to strike them down!
Xin Zhuang Ling inwardly rejoiced. His strength had broken through to the peak of Divine King, and the only path to further advancement was through becoming a Divine Master. These people were truly adorable, paving the way for him so smoothly.
"I, Xin Zhuang Ling, how can I be worthy of this Divine Master..." Although he was inwardly ecstatic, he had to maintain appearances.
As more and more gods stepped forward, the matter was essentially settled. As for Lian Tian Chuan and Carlo, they remained silent, and there was little they could do. After all, even some of their own subordinates had come forward to express their agreement, making it difficult for them to object further.
"Suppressing the demon requires a constant influx of divine essence. Carlo, as the City Lord, please handle this matter. After forty-nine days, it will be over," Xin Zhuang Ling descended from the sky, smiling at Carlo with a hint of triumph in his voice. Without waiting for Carlo's response, he turned to leave.
Suddenly, all three of them's faces changed drastically, and they turned to look at the mountain, disbelief flashing in their eyes.
"Zhu Tian! This fellow is actually of the Human Race, and he has learned the Human Race's ultimate forbidden art, 'Zhu Tian'!" Lian Tian Chuan muttered, staring at the mountain.
"I never expected this fellow to be of the Human Race. What does the appearance of a Human Race member here imply?" Carlo's expression also changed drastically.
"What are you still waiting for!? Do you want to see Feng Le Divine City rise again? Stop with all that nonsense. Mobilize your forces and prepare for battle. Our target: Feng Le City!"
Just as Xin Zhuang Ling turned, he suddenly received a specific directive. This same situation was occurring in the other nine major cities.
"Understood!" Towards outsiders, regardless of their identity, they would set aside their internal conflicts and unite against them. This was the greatest guarantee of the Divine Race's number one ranking within the Ten Directions Universe.
Lian Tian Chuan and Carlo turned and left. The teleportation array, besides the teleportation point to the Feng Le City Lord's Mansion, now had an additional teleportation point in the outskirts of Feng Le City. Each teleportation could accommodate up to a million people, but it would take 48 hours to become operational.
An hour later, countless gods emerged from the teleportation array. They were all former students of the two academies. Having received the orders from the two deans of their academies, they had rushed to Tian Xing City without delay.
In less than ten hours, Tian Xing City was once again filled with countless indigenous gods.
However, before they could make any preparations, a colossal greatsword suddenly appeared in the sky, its blade stretching for several kilometers, hovering above Tian Xing City!