The power of the stars, too, is graded.
To wield the might of the Eternal Gods in open combat—
—that alone proves how terrifying this goddess named Ishtar is. And yet… why does this look feel so familiar?
Tōsaka Rin: "You see it now, right? This is what I call piracy!!"
Demon Sword Spirit: "But they look so cool. Those Noble Phantasms are gorgeous…"
Longkui stared, eyes shining.
She was obviously enthralled by the treasures.
What sword immortal still bothers with swords after seeing that?
Firing a bow like that—now that is stylish.
Chu Dashan: "Not gonna lie, this looks amazing!"
General Yuwen: "I feel like I've imitated this before. Even if I've got god-bestowed weapons in hand, it still feels unbelievably cool to strike like that."
Bearded Swordsman: "Where are your priorities? How hateful is that monster—didn't you see it?"
For Peace: "Brother, it's good to keep your cool. So a monster kills people—if you saw the evil the Celestial Dragons commit, you'd understand what a real blight is."
Junior Brother of Dazhufeng: "Same with the beast gods in our world. Cool heads prevail. If you want peace across the land, you spread the faith."
Mr. Murong: "Brother Bearded, what you're seeing is just a microcosm of the myriad worlds. There are more villains than you think. Look at the status of our Saint's Tomb—how many cultivators have been mutilated there?"
Yan Chixia gradually cooled down.
He felt he truly had made a fuss.
Chaser of Sentient Beings' Salvation: "If you truly wish to save the world, you need a tranquil heart. Brothers, build up the Faith of God in earnest. When the Faith of God spreads across all realms, that's when true peace comes."
Pirates of the Caribbean: "Baldie's got a point. My world's science was backward—people died in all sorts of ways. After joining the Faith, the mortality rate dropped by a hundred percent!"
Demon Sword Spirit: "True grace seldom announces itself. Everyone, keep up the good work."
In the world of Immortal Sword, Longkui and Hongkui sat together, receiving the people's worship.
The human realm had already fallen under their sway; they had drawn the ghost realm into their fold as well.
Only the heavens and the demon realm remained.
Jingtian stood below the dais and asked, "Now that this world is unified, where's our next target?"
"Wherever you want to go, Brother," Longkui said with a smile.
"If you head for the demon realm, we'll go to the god realm—and vice versa."
Jingtian lowered his gaze for a moment.
At last he raised his head. "The god realm. Since the Heavenly Emperor likes to play games with me so much, I'll give him a surprise of my own."
"Alright—then you must be careful, Brother," Longkui urged softly.
After all, even a rabbit bites when it's cornered.
Let alone a Heavenly Emperor.
Jingtian nodded. He gripped the immortal sword, became a streak of light, and vanished.
An instant later, before the South Heaven Gate—
A dazzling sword-light flashed.
The barrier shattered.
"Old dog Fuxi—come out here!"
Jingtian wore simple warrior's garb, but his entire body was sheathed in divine radiance.
His momentum coiled like a dragon.
Murderous intent streamed from him.
Twice now this enemy had killed him; hatred had piled atop hatred.
It was time to settle accounts.
"General Fei Peng!"
A troop arrived at speed and dropped to their knees before him.
These had once been his subordinates.
After Fei Peng's fall, they had been demoted to common heavenly soldiers.
Now, hearing that the South Heaven Gate had been breached, they had rushed to the front.
"So it's you. Go—stand aside and let me mete out judgment."
"Yes!"
The road to the Heavenly Emperor's palace became a river of blood and clashing steel.
The Heavenly Emperor had gathered a great many adepts.
But all of them fell to Jingtian's sword. Even had he stayed his hand, they would have chosen to self-detonate.
Fuxi's heart was vicious beyond measure.
When tens of thousands of soldiers lay slain—
Fuxi finally emerged.
Three sons came with him.
The four arrayed themselves, forming a Great Heavenly Formation.
"Come then, Fei Peng… I have been waiting for you a long time," Fuxi said, voice like ice. "Nuwa herself could not defeat me before. Do you think you can?"
"Fei Peng, return and be my father's hound," the eldest son sneered. "I'll spare your life. Refuse, and you'll die for good."
"Big Brother, don't waste words—kill him!"
All four struck together.
Divine power surged and entwined.
This formation drew upon the entire god realm, channeling power without cease.
Fuxi's eldest took point, swinging an axe that hurled Jingtian back.
Just as he prepared to press the advantage—
A crimson arrow hissed through the air.
It punched through his heart.
His life snuffed out.
"No—my child! Demon… you didn't go to the demon realm?" Fuxi cried, terror and rage twisting his face.
They had lied to him.
Hongkui had not gone to the demon realm at all—she had slipped in behind Fei Peng instead.
They had crept into heaven in utter silence.
Hongkui smiled with wicked charm and said softly, "You didn't know? When you concentrate your firepower on one target, you don't let the enemy draw your eye elsewhere. Did you think we couldn't see you watching?"
"Enough chatter," Longkui said, her voice going cold. "Kill them."
She stepped out from behind them.
She wore a snow-white dress.
Murder glinted across her lovely face.
Where a moment before it had been four-on-one—
Now it was three-on-three.
The balance of power was nothing like even.
Seeing this, Fuxi barked, "Demon Venerable—still sitting there enjoying the show? How long do you intend to play someone else's dog?"
A booming laugh rolled across the sky.
"Fuxi, Heavenly Emperor—who would've thought you'd fight like this?"
With that hearty laughter, the Demon Venerable Lou appeared before Longkui and the others.
At that moment, his presence was both light and darkness.
Holy radiance shimmered within his evil aura.
He had made himself a body of light and dark in one!
"Two Divine Envoys," the Demon Venerable said, spreading his hands, "how do you like my perfect body? Isn't it stronger than yours? Serving others as a dog will never do. Sever your ties to that so-called deity. Sit with me instead, and let's rule the Three Realms together—how about it?"
"Too much nonsense," Hongkui said coldly. "Have you really seen our power?"
Though Fuxi had bribed the Demon Venerable with treasures—and the two had tangled and amplified their forces—
They had all overlooked one thing.
Longkui and Hongkui were one to begin with.
When the sisters merged, true power, light and dark interwoven, was born.
Longkui's dawn-bright light, Hongkui's abyssal darkness—
The two became one.
"Do you still think you can win?" Longkui's lips curved with a faint smile.
She pointed at Fuxi's remaining sons.
Two fountains of blood burst in immediate succession.
By now the Heavenly Emperor's handsome face was slick with blood.
It dripped ceaselessly.
Terror gripped him.
Too dreadful…
They had always treated the sisters as two separate beings—and forgotten they were one originally.
Their union was far more than one plus one.
"Damn—!"
With a strangled scream, Fuxi shattered the god realm's defensive formation in blind panic, letting power bleed away.
Whsst—
A streak of light flashed.
It nailed his arm to the ground.
He reacted too slowly.
The Demon Venerable wheeled and bolted, abandoning his ally without a backward glance.
Allies be damned.
If he didn't run, he would die.
Having feasted on borrowed strength, the Demon Venerable was very fast. In the blink of an eye he reached the edge of heaven.
But an arrow sped after him—
Faster than his flight.
It tore the void.
His soul unraveled.
"You would run from me?" Hongkui's voice was ice. "Ridiculous. All enemies will perish today!"
Her fingers flicked.
Thirteen energy arrows leapt forth—
Rending space, shredding the Demon Venerable Lou into dust.
Then she turned to the Heavenly Emperor lying in his own urine on the ground and smiled sweetly. "How would you like to die? Your Majesty, ruler for so long—surely there must be so many things you still resent…"
Hongkui's smile turned wicked.
Fuxi shrieked in raw panic.
A sword-light flashed with a click.
Fuxi's head flew up.
"Brother, what are you doing?" Hongkui snapped, eyes narrowing.
"Sister—kill to avenge, and stop there," Jingtian said quietly. "Don't let hatred turn you into a monster."
Longkui fell silent at his words.
Light flickered.
The two separated once more.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother," Longkui said, bowing her head.
"Mhm." Jingtian smiled. That was the good sister he knew.
Truth be told—
He had been terrified a moment earlier.
His blackened sister fused with the wicked Hongkui—too horrifying to behold.
Separated was safer.
At least this way he could protect Longkui and let her heal slowly.
Don't let the darkness deepen.
Hongkui looked out over the shattered god realm. "There aren't many left here. Prepare to gather faith and promote the world."
As for the demon realm's devil spawn—
They were simple to deal with.
The largest fist makes the king.
By now the human realm had become a bastion of faith; with the god realm fallen into their hands, it was time to promote the demon realm as well.
Longkui nodded. "Alright. I'll listen to Sister."
Half a month later—
The Immortal Sword world held a grand festival.
This sacrifice was a world-scale celebration.
Naturally, there was no need to prepare any special tributes.
Experienced in promoting worlds, Ao Qian drew three small worlds along and offered them up to the Eternal Divine Realm.
"Ding… Your followers have sacrificed the Immortal Sword world. A hundredfold amplification has triggered: the world evolves into a five-star immortal world. You receive a 15% divine power bonus, and God's Domain expands by 15%."
"Ding… A complete cultivation system has been detected in this world. Do you wish to continue it?"
"Note: If retained, the highest strength attainable will be a one-star god."
A one-star god—not a mere immortal.
It meant that the Immortal Sword world would surpass the other worlds that had been gathered.
That was sufficient.
Liu Che said to the system, "Continue this world's development. Establish an Ascension Platform. Directly elevate it to a one-star God Realm."
To have reached this point—
There was no need to switch out the framework on a whim.
After all, the people here were accustomed to the immortal-dao system.
Once they climbed to a higher world, they could convert to a different cultivation path.
As for the newly promoted citizens of the God-Realm Star—
There were very few for now; all told, fewer than thirty.
But Liu Che was in no hurry. He would take the long view. Sooner or later, all believers would break through to the god level.
He had that confidence.
Because within his God's Domain, there was no shortage of primal divine power.