As the Goddess of Beauty departed,
The Sect of Pleasure that had enveloped the area dissipated with the death of the fallen bishop, and the myriad rays of sunlight from the outside world flooded in, covering the scarred surface of the land from the war between the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty and the Sect of Pleasure.
Signs of destruction were everywhere within the territory of the Sect of Pleasure.
But beyond that, Rainbow Sky City remained unscathed, still bustling with life. The contrast between beauty and destruction was stark, creating a bizarre composition.
Saga lifted his head, his vision filled with casters from Rainbow Sky City, including numerous Legendary Casters.
When the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty and the Sect of Pleasure waged their conflict,
These casters stood silently outside the Sect of Pleasure, watching the situation to prevent it from escalating, showing no intention of meddling in the strife between the deities’ factions.
“The people of the Skyrealm Empire don’t wish to make enemies of the gods either.”
Watching this scene, Saga thought to himself.
He didn’t underestimate the Skyrealm Empire, believing that their apparent indifference to the deities’ factional strife on their own territory was a deliberate choice.
Having just been involved in the deities’ factional strife up close, Saga deeply agreed with this sentiment.
While both sides were locked in a deadly battle of Legendary proportions, unable to determine a clear victor, an avatar of the Goddess of Beauty descended. Without even taking action, merely standing in place, she used the passive power of a deity to quell the war, leaving even high-ranking Legends powerless before the avatar of the Goddess of Beauty.
Even a demigod would struggle against the avatar of the Goddess of Beauty.
And the Goddess of Beauty was just one among the myriad deities, a higher deity who was not particularly inclined towards combat.
“Gods are the true rulers of the Great Ring Multiverse.”
“Empires of the prime material world may be strong, but to compare them to deities is a bit of a fantasy.”
Empires of the prime material world have some influence within their own domains, but once they leave the prime material world, they are almost nothing.
“I wonder when I will possess the power to stand shoulder to shoulder with the deities.”
Recalling the unprecedented power he felt when the Goddess of Beauty descended, Saga yearned in his heart.
“It won’t be long.”
“I’m about to break through to Legendary status.”
“And then I will embark on the path of the demigod, step by step ascending the ladder to divinity.”
The Golden Dragon took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the clouds almost within reach of Rainbow Sky City, thinking to himself.
Being a lord, playing the adventurer’s game, and such,
For Saga, these were merely minor diversions, minor episodes.
When the heart-stealing demon stirred the deepest desires within him, what he saw was an image of himself standing at the pinnacle of the world, pursuing power that surpassed everything, including the deities. That was always Saga’s ultimate pursuit.
Meanwhile,
The Pontiff of Beauty flew into the air, approaching a leading female caster among the group near Rainbow Sky City, dressed in a blue robe, supported by wisps of breeze around her. The two whispered inaudibly for a while, and at one point, perhaps because of something the Pontiff of Beauty said, the Wind Caster turned her head to look at Saga with a look of surprise.
When he caught her attention,
Saga’s gaze shifted slightly, also looking towards her.
Although she paled in comparison to the Pontiff of Beauty or someone of his own caliber, the female Wind Caster had a fair countenance and an air of superiority, a disdain for the mundane, starkly different from the usual sapient beings.
What caught Saga’s attention more was,
On the left side of the Wind Caster’s robe, embroidered with exquisite golden thread, was a pattern—a towering city standing amidst the clouds.
Within the Skyrealm Empire,
It was no simple matter to have such a pattern on one’s clothing.
It signified—the status of a lord of the city.
The one whispering with the Pontiff of Beauty was the lord of Rainbow Sky City, a caster of unfathomable strength, who did not show much elemental light.
At the same time,
“Mr. Dragon, the Flower of the World, so strong and peerlessly beautiful, we owe you a great debt this time.”
“Without you, we would have been caught up in this turmoil, and who knows what would have happened.”
“Not only do you possess a majestic and perfect form, but your heart is also kind.”
At this moment, a tiny fairy, delicate as a butterfly, fluttered around the Golden Dragon, ceaselessly singing his praises.
Not just this little fairy,
Many sapient beings who had gathered around Saga were expressing their gratitude for his protection.
Although Charlotte initially insisted that it was her presence that made the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty and the Sect of Pleasure avoid battle, when the Goddess of Beauty descended using Saga’s body as a vessel, and considering what the fallen bishop had said when he tried to recruit Saga, the other sapient beings were clear in their hearts why a safe zone had formed around Saga.
Clearly,
Both the Goddess of Beauty and the mysterious master of pleasure held this ‘Flower of the World’ in high regard.
The communication between the master of pleasure and Saga in the world of wills was unknown to these sapient beings.
But the descent of the Goddess of Beauty using Saga’s body was plain for all to see.
It’s worth noting that divine descents are exceedingly rare, and witnessing one is an unforgettable experience in a lifetime.
Amidst the continuous praise from the surrounding sapient beings, Saga enjoyed it but also felt a bit of a headache.
Because their nickname for him had generally gained an addition—Flower of the World.
His previous concerns had come true.
Under the watchful eyes of all, the Golden Dragon boldly proclaimed—I am the King of the Near Seas, the Emperor Dragon, and—the Flower of the World!
Thinking of such a scene, Saga shook his head vehemently, unable to accept it.
“Once we leave Rainbow Sky City, it should be fine. There surely aren’t many beings who pay attention to the beauty contest at the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty.”
“The spread of this nickname won’t be widespread.”
Saga consoled himself in this way.
However, at this moment, he overlooked one thing.
Indeed, there wouldn’t be much attention paid to the contest alone.
However, if it involved a factional war and the descent of a deity, the situation would be entirely different.
Due to the barrier of the Sect of Pleasure, the number of sapient beings directly involved in this factional war was very few in the grand scheme of Rainbow Sky City, but because it involved a deity, even if not many knew the details of the event, as time passed, sooner or later, what happened here would spread and become known to the world.
By then, it would be difficult for Saga, the protagonist at the center of the storm, to shake off the title of Flower of the World.
“It’s really unexpected that just by coming to Rainbow Sky City to participate in a beauty contest,”
“To encounter a factional war is one thing, but to witness the descent of a deity is another.”
“The key point is, the Goddess of Beauty descended using your body, Saga.”
Tixil the Amethyst Dragon felt the recent experiences were somewhat surreal, she said.
“How strange, why didn’t the Goddess use Her Pontiff’s body to descend?”
Charlotte blinked, asking curiously.
“Saga, do you know?”
Upon hearing about the Goddess of Beauty and their own doubts, the surrounding followers of the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty, including the Pontiff of Beauty who was conversing with the lord of Rainbow City in mid-air, all focused their attention quietly, and the atmosphere suddenly quieted down.
At the center of attention, Saga was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head and said:
“I don’t know, the intentions of deities are not for us to speculate.”
The Goddess of Beauty’s own words about feeling more novelty and such were not suitable to say in front of the “original” Temple of the Goddess of Beauty, so Saga chose to pretend ignorance.
Hearing this, the followers of the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty were a bit disappointed and gradually shifted their gaze away.
“Indeed, what the gods think, we can’t figure out, and that’s normal.”
Tixil the Amethyst Dragon nodded slightly, looking at Saga with undisguised adoration, and said:
“However, when the Goddess of Beauty descended using your body just now, Saga, you were so beautiful. It was as if all the beauty of the universe had converged on you, a beauty that is indescribable with words.”
“Is that so?”
The Golden Dragon raised his head, the mark of the Flower of Beauty blooming on his brow.
In an instant, he seemed to become a dazzling sun in the night sky, and all eyes involuntarily focused on Saga, converging upon him.
Although it was not to the extent of when the Goddess of Beauty descended and the Flower of Beauty bloomed all over his body,
This beauty, not of the material world, was still enough to stir people’s hearts.
Saga knew when to stop, and with a thought, the mark of the Flower of Beauty disappeared from the scales on his brow.
“Once we leave here, show us privately again.”
Tixil and Charlotte, the two little dragonesses, moved closer to Saga, whispering in a bewitching voice.
“Of course, no problem.”
Saga nodded generously.
At the same time,
The Pontiff of Beauty and the lord of Rainbow City seemed to have finished their conversation and then descended together towards Saga’s location, eventually stopping in front of the giant dragon, both looking at the large form of the Golden Dragon.
Under Saga’s shadow, the Pontiff of Beauty pointed to the lord of Rainbow City and said to Saga with a smile:
“Let me introduce you, this is the lord of Rainbow Sky City, a powerful Legendary Wind Caster of the eighth tier, Celia Alpha.”
Then, he introduced to the lord of Rainbow City:
“This is our champion of the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty, the King of the Near Seas, the Flower of the World, Saga Alzhus.”
Saga: .
At this moment, he could very well understand the frustration of his dragon ancestors who disliked certain nicknames.
“Saga Alzhus, my god has descended using your body.”
“This shows my god’s favor towards you, would you be willing to join the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty?”
“If you wish, even the position of Pontiff could be yours.”
The Pontiff of Beauty extended an olive branch to Saga.
Regarding the Goddess of Beauty’s descent upon Saga rather than himself, the Pontiff of Beauty was very envious but not jealous. Those who could become Pontiffs must have complete trust in their own deity. Whatever the deity does, the Pontiff fully supports without any doubt.
Knowing the character of his own deity, he knew that the Goddess of Beauty must have taken a special interest in Saga.
He would even actively recruit Saga for the Goddess of Beauty.
“If I join the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty and become the Pontiff, what about you? Won’t you be dissatisfied if I, a newcomer, take your position?”
The dragon’s helm showed a look of surprise.
“Of course not.”
“The position of Pontiff does not belong to one person; it belongs to the most suitable being.”
“As for me, no matter my status within the Temple, as long as I can serve and relieve the Goddess of Beauty, I will feel content and fortunate.”
The Goddess of Beauty’s PUA skills must be maxed out, making this Pontiff utterly devoted. Hearing the Pontiff of Beauty’s response, Saga felt this guy must have been hit by some kind of psychic enslavement spell.
“I think the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty is quite nice, and I also hold the Goddess of Beauty in awe, but unfortunately, it’s just awe, without a heart of faith.”
Saga spoke frankly, indicating his refusal.
“Alright.”
The Pontiff of Beauty did not insist and was not surprised by Saga’s refusal.
“The doors of the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty will always be open to you, and it will also always provide you with protection.”
“If you encounter trouble or danger, don’t feel embarrassed, please feel free to seek help from the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty. Protecting beautiful things from destruction is one of the reasons for the existence of the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty.”
He spoke sincerely.
Saga nodded, grinned, and shamelessly said:
“No problem, I will give the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty a chance to shine.”
“Thank you very much.”
The Pontiff of Beauty nodded earnestly.
Listening to their conversation, Tixil the Amethyst Dragon and Charlotte the Gemstone Dragon exchanged glances.
At first glance, the conversation seemed unproblematic, but upon closer inspection, something was off.
The Temple of the Goddess of Beauty was supposed to be the provider of protection, yet it seemed as if they were asking Saga for a favor.
The Temple of the Goddess of Beauty’s enthusiastic and friendly attitude towards Saga made Tixil think of a term popular among human nations—simp.
Of course, their warmth and friendliness were to be expected.
After all, Saga was already extraordinary in appearance and was able to receive the descent of the Goddess of Beauty.
For a place like the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty, a gathering place for lookism, if one wasn’t good-looking, ‘simp’ would turn into ‘evil dog.’
“Divine descents are rare to witness.”
“Not being able to witness the descent of the most beautiful deity among the myriad deities is a great regret.”
The lord of Rainbow City shook her head slightly and said.
Outside the Sect of Pleasure, when the Goddess of Beauty descended, she clearly felt a divine and transcendent powerful aura burst forth, the might of a deity that made groups of Legendary Casters tremble, preventing them from acting rashly and only allowing them to speculate about what was happening inside the Sect of Pleasure.
And just now, the exchange with the Pontiff of Beauty let the lord of Rainbow City know what had happened.
God. The more powerful one is, the closer to the realm of the gods, the more one knows the weight of this word.
The Skyrealm Empire, a powerful empire of the material world, is very clear about how strong deities are.
There is an ancient saying in the Skyrealm Empire.
Do not make enemies of deities unless absolutely necessary.
Simple, yet it seems to carry the lessons of blood and tears.
The Skyrealm Empire is already quite strong in the eyes of ordinary beings.
However, as a member of the Alpha Royal Family of the Skyrealm Empire, the lord of Rainbow City is clear about the history of the Skyrealm Empire—before the Alpha Royal Family came to Saiga Planet and founded the Skyrealm Empire, the earliest group of wind casters came from the Alpha Empire, which was many times more powerful than the Skyrealm Empire.
But,
The Alpha Empire no longer exists.
The specific reasons are not very clear to someone of the lord of Rainbow City’s level, but it is known to be related to gods.
In order not to repeat the same mistakes, the Skyrealm Empire has put away its once disdainful attitude towards deities and chosen to revere them.
“I remember the Skyrealm Empire has hunted true gods.”
“Divine descents like this should be nothing new to you.”
The Pontiff of Beauty said cheerfully.
The encirclement and suppression of the hunting god were led by the Skyrealm Empire.
This empire reveres deities, but it is not a soft persimmon that can be easily squeezed.
“Gods and gods are different.”
The lord of Rainbow City said succinctly.
“Indeed, the hunting god is just a lower deity, compared to my god, it’s like comparing fireflies to the bright moon.”
The Pontiff of Beauty nodded, speaking proudly.
The gap between lower deities and higher deities is countless times greater than the gap between ordinary beings and Legendary beings.
Immediately after, the lord of Rainbow City also extended an olive branch to Saga and the dragons, inviting Saga and Tixil to become citizens of the Skyrealm Empire in her capacity as the lord of the city.
However, the lord’s invitation was no more attractive than the guardian’s invitation.
Saga still refused.
To become a citizen of a great empire, the most basic condition is to swear absolute and complete abandonment of previous citizenship in other countries, or loyalty to any race, sovereignty, and the like.
Although Saga is rather self-serving and doesn’t think he has a strong racial belief,
To ask him to give up recognition of Dragon Kind and instead pledge loyalty to the Skyrealm Empire is completely impossible.
“The doors of the Skyrealm Empire will also be open to you.”
“Additionally, although you do not wish to become citizens of the Skyrealm Empire, I can guarantee you, including Rainbow Sky City, permanent residency rights to all Sky Cities in my capacity as the lord of the city.”
Saga scratched his chin and said:
“Isn’t permanent residency in Sky Cities only available to citizens of the Skyrealm Empire?”
The lord of Rainbow City smiled slightly and said:
“There are exceptions to everything.”
A True Dragon, an Outsider who can receive divine descent and is also very promising, even if it cannot be developed into a citizen of the empire, it is certainly good to have a friendly attitude towards the Skyrealm Empire.
Of course, just a permanent residency right won’t increase much goodwill.
Saga’s goodwill towards the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty is far higher than towards the Skyrealm Empire.
After all, he can truly gain many benefits from the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty, while the permanent residency rights offered by the Skyrealm Empire are dispensable to Saga. He has little interest in living in Sky Cities with many rules; an occasional visit is fine, but a long stay would bore him.
At the same time,
Casters and priests and bishops of the temple used spells and divine magic to restore the destroyed area in less than a few minutes, showing astonishing efficiency.
Not only the destroyed buildings, but even some innocent passerby casters who had died were revived with resurrection spells and divine magic.
Beings who had died recently and were of relatively low life tiers could be easily resurrected by some Legendary mages and deity priests.
The lowest level of resurrection spells didn’t even reach the category of Legendary spells.
Afterward,
Saga and the dragons were invited by the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty to enjoy a grand banquet prepared for the descent of the Goddess of Beauty and also for Saga, the protagonist of the divine descent.
The banquet lasted three days and three nights.
Various rare delicacies, even those made from Legendary creatures as ingredients, allowed Saga and the dragons to feast to their heart’s content.
The dances performed by the incredibly beautiful priests from the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty also pleased Saga.
Due to the nourishment of transcendent divine power, and now with both body and spirit satisfied, Saga felt his aura becoming more and more unstable, to the point where he might break through to Legendary status at any moment without needing dragon sleep.
During this time,
The Pontiff of Beauty gave Saga an item that allowed him to communicate with him from a distance, repeatedly reminding him that the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty would provide eternal protection and urging Saga not to be a stranger, to speak up if he had troubles.
Now,
If any Legendary being, even a high-ranking Legend, set their sights on Saga and wanted to take action against him, they would most likely capsize in the gutter.
Saga himself is comparable to an ordinary Legend, with maxed-out danger perception and defensive capabilities.
Even if someone is much stronger than him, the difficulty of instantly killing him is extremely high.
And as long as Saga cannot be instantly killed,
His high-ranking Legendary backers are bound to jump out and go berserk.
If even the Storm Queen or the Pontiff of Beauty can’t handle the situation,
In a last resort, Saga could consider calling upon the heart-stealing demon and the Tyrant, the two evil gods who would be very willing to heed his call.
Although Saga prefers not to rely on external forces and would rather solve problems himself, when his life is threatened, he won’t be foolish enough to persist stubbornly; he will use all the power at his disposal, including external forces.
After the banquet at the Temple of the Goddess of Beauty ended, Saga and the dragons set off on their journey, leaving Rainbow Sky City.
At the same time,
On the Yar Continent, in a dark and deep underground world, there secretly exists a city of heart-stealing demons.
In the briny pool at the center of the city of heart-stealing demons, a giant brain soaking in the pool trembled slightly, radiating a rich psychic glow.
The heart-stealing demon’s main brain is the final evolutionary stage.
It is the control center of a heart-stealing demon society, the material and spiritual core of its community. Individual heart-stealing demons can exhibit their own independent personalities and judgment, but they are actually under the control of the main brain.
Of course, there are exceptions within the heart-stealing demon society under the main brain’s control.
For example, Augustus, who had escaped the main brain’s control.
The main brain is the ultimate form of a heart-stealing demon, and Augustus did not wish to be controlled forever, pondering from the beginning why he was the one being manipulated and why he couldn’t become the main brain of the group?
With such thoughts, Augustus found a way to shield the main brain’s remote control through exchanges with numerous Mind Warlocks in the Skyrealm Empire.
After the death of the heart-stealing demon Augustus,
All its memories were automatically uploaded to the main brain and acquired by it.
This main brain, now showing a grayish-white color, covered in wrinkles, and although its psychic glow was vigorous, it could not hide the weakness of its life force, remained silent for a moment. Then, trembling, numerous flesh buds grew from the brain, eventually reweaving into the form and appearance of the heart-stealing demon Augustus.
After infusing memories and emotions, the reborn Augustus opened its eyes again.
Although the true Augustus was dead,
This reborn Augustus was completely identical in personality and believed itself to be resurrected, not reborn.
Seeing the main brain in front of it, the heart-stealing demon Augustus felt a sinking feeling in its heart.
“Augustus, my vitality is waning, and death is not far away.”
Before Augustus could resist the main brain’s control, the voice of the main brain quietly resounded in its mind.
The main brain’s survival requires a large amount of high-quality brain matter, but due to the increasingly poor living environment of the heart-stealing demons, it is unable to obtain enough brain matter and is inevitably walking towards death.
And when a main brain dies, a new heart-stealing demon will become the main brain.
Hearing the main brain’s words, Augustus was slightly taken aback.
“I will choose you to become the new main brain.”
“I have only one request—lead our race to survive by any means necessary and restore the glory of the heart-stealing demon empire of old.”
Following a mysterious deity might allow the heart-stealing demons, who are nearly extinct, to rise again.
Although it could also mean further decline.
But this is one of the few hopes left for heart-stealing demon society.
Moreover, although the heart-stealing demons are nearly extinct, this does not change the fact that this species is powerful. The heart-stealing demons’ influence and enslavement of the mind are also well-suited to the power of the heart-stealing demon.
The main brain, on the brink of death, placed its hopes on Augustus and the mysterious heart-stealing demon.