The upper god 'Sadista' was dead, yet the Yulan Continent remained as calm as ever. Ordinary people lived out their peaceful lives, but the god-level powerhouses standing at the top of the pyramid had all sensed a piece of information from that terrifying wave of energy from the west not long ago—
The Yulan Continent was about to experience major upheaval.
Anlas was dead. Sadista had gone westward and never returned.
Now, among the god-level warriors Sadista had brought to the Loa Empire, his nephew 'Tanner' and another mid-level god, 'Niv,' naturally took the lead. But neither Tanner nor Niv could be sure whether Sadista was alive or dead.
This made them extremely anxious.
In the Loa Empire, within a secluded mansion bathed in the scorching midsummer sun, a silver-haired man in a black short-sleeved shirt that showed off his lean, muscular frame strode into the courtyard where Tanner resided. "Tanner, get out here!"
The door opened, and Tanner walked out. "Niv, what is it?"
"You still have the mood to rest?" Niv said irritably.
"What do you expect me to do?" Tanner was just as frustrated. It had been his idea to suggest Sadista go kill a couple of mid-level gods to blow off some steam. After all, Sadista's perpetual dark mood had been making everyone feel oppressed and uncomfortable.
But who could have predicted that his uncle, 'Sadista,' would simply never come back?
"Three days ago, you felt that shocking wave of energy from the west too," Niv said solemnly.
Tanner nodded. "Yes, I felt it. It was definitely Uncle's aura. But Niv, what does that prove?"
"What does it prove?" Niv scoffed. "Tanner, stop dreaming. The situation is perfectly clear. Energy fluctuations of that magnitude—I don't believe Lord Sadista would unleash them just for idle amusement. He must have been in an intense battle."
Niv continued, "That day you told me Lord Sadista went west to kill those two mid-level gods. Did those two mid-level gods die?"
Tanner froze for a moment. "I… I don't know."
"You don't know? It's simple. Just extend your divine sense and sweep across that mountain range. I'm sure you can easily determine whether those two mid-level gods are dead or not," Niv said coldly. "Tanner, don't play dumb."
Tanner's expression shifted.
"I've already probed with my divine sense," Niv said, taking a deep breath. "Those two mid-level gods are alive. Tanner, Lord Sadista went to kill them, and the commotion was enormous—yet both mid-level gods survived. And it's been three days since Lord Sadista left, and he hasn't returned. Is the conclusion really not obvious enough?"
"Perhaps Uncle went somewhere because of an important matter," Tanner said bitterly.
Tanner refused to believe his uncle was dead.
Their family was enormous. After billions of years of inheritance, it had naturally split into many branches. And in Tanner's branch, Sadista was the pillar. If Sadista truly died, Tanner could already foresee how difficult his position within the family would become.
Niv understood what Tanner was thinking.
"Tanner, no matter what, we have to face reality," Niv said gravely. "This is the Yulan Continent, not the underworld. On the Yulan Continent, even if Lord Sadista were occupied with something, he would send us a divine sense transmission. A transmission only takes an instant."
"But we haven't received one. No transmission from Lord Sadista."
Niv's face turned serious. "I don't want to admit it, but I have to say—the family's plan has failed. The Pantheon Tomb… at least for our group, there's no hope anymore. Without the power of an upper god, there's simply no way to obtain the treasures the family needs."
Tanner nodded.
As if he didn't already understand that?
"Uncle… may really be dead," Tanner said with a bitter nod. Then he fixed his gaze on Niv. "But Niv, so what if Uncle is dead? Do you mean to—"
"Exactly!"
Niv's aura sharpened. "Tanner, the family's current standing was hard-won over billions of years by countless ancestors who gave their lives. Neither you nor I are particularly talented, yet as members of the family, why were we able to receive divine cores and reach mid-level godhood so easily? It was the family that gave us that!"
Tanner fell silent.
"The Azure Mansion is our greatest enemy! They are far too powerful, and the Four Divine Beast families under their command are even more formidable. That Lin Lei—you know about him too. He's been cultivating for less than a century, yet he's already formed two god-level divine clones!"
Niv let out a cold laugh. "Among the Four Divine Beast families, I've never heard of a genius reaching that level without undergoing the baptism. And Tanner, Lin Lei cultivates Earth and Wind—not Water! Do you understand what that means?"
Tanner nodded.
"Once he undergoes the Four Divine Beast ancestral temple baptism, then I guarantee that within ten thousand years, the Azure Mansion will absolutely produce an upper god of extraordinary power. When that time comes, I don't dare imagine how many of our family members will die at his hands." Niv's gaze was razor-sharp. "And right now, he's only a lower god who hasn't even undergone the Four Divine Beast ancestral temple baptism!"
"If we don't kill him now, when will we?"
Niv's eyes turned icy. "I know Lin Lei has connections within the Yulan Continent, but so what if he does? I'd rather die myself than let him live." Niv had become a mid-level god by refining a divine core, and he knew…
Though he was currently stronger than Lin Lei, in terms of potential, he was far inferior.
"Niv!" Tanner took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'd advise you not to go after Lin Lei right now."