The river of stars gradually faded as morning light first broke.

Li Zhexian awoke leisurely, holding Qian Renxue, who was still sleeping soundly. After tucking the cloud quilt around her, he strolled out of the divine palace.

The moment he stepped outside, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

There, amid the sea of clouds,

A grand complex of buildings had already risen from the ground.

They were not the traditional, resplendent palaces of gold and jade, but rather resembled blades about to be drawn from their sheaths. The upturned eaves slanted toward the heavens like sword tips, and the pillars stood straight and sharp like sword spines. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The overall palette was deep azure, inlaid with fragments of starlight crystal that flowed with restrained, icy brilliance in the morning glow.

Though only a portion had been completed,

The sky-piercing sword intent already resonated with the entire Eastern Divine Region, even setting the seas of clouds in motion.

A look of satisfaction appeared on Li Zhexian's face as he nodded.

"You've worked hard, all of you."

"When the construction is complete, I will prepare some modest wine and drink with all of you."

The Earth God promptly led the thirty craftsman gods to bow in return.

"We will certainly come to disturb the Sword Lord when the time comes."

Looking at the white-robed youth before him, the Earth God couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This newly ascended God King, in private, was neither as sharply imposing as he had been in the divine hall the other day, nor as overwhelmingly domineering as when he fought the Asura God.

Instead, he possessed a rare affability.

Recalling how Li Zhexian had personally fetched spirit spring water to comfort and reward them the day before, the Earth God felt his divine power circulate more lightly.

Such a considerate God King toward lesser gods is rare indeed!

I must build the Eastern Divine Region into the finest of the Five Regions!

He thought this to himself, but a trace of bitterness surfaced on his face as he shook his head and sighed.

"A god's lifespan is endless. This task of construction is truly dull."

"I once hoped to find a successor, but unfortunately, none suitable has ever appeared."

There was genuine envy in the Earth God's voice.

"Unlike the Food God and the Fire God."

"I've heard they've already found satisfactory successors—

and they're even old friends of yours from the lower realm, Sword Lord.

Truly enviable."

"Oh?"

A flicker of surprise flashed through Li Zhexian's eyes.

He had been enjoying rare leisure under the covers with Qian Renxue, never expecting that a full day had already passed in the Divine Realm.

Converted to the mortal world—

Another year had gone by.

So his friends were finally about to ascend.

"I'll go take a look at the Divine Realm Plaza. I'll leave things here in the hands of the Earth God and everyone."

"We respectfully see the God King off!"

Just as Li Zhexian was about to depart,

Qian Renxue, dressed in a flowing white gown, drifted to his side and said with mock reproach,

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I wanted you to sleep a little longer."

"Sister Zhuqing is about to ascend. Naturally, I should go with you."

Watching the pair walk side by side toward the center of the Divine Realm, the Earth God shook his head with a sigh, filled with envy.

He then turned back and threw himself once more into the arduous labor of shaping mountains and splitting earth.

...

At the Divine Realm plaza, the gods stood in ranks, yet the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, several deities wearing displeased expressions.

That heaviness vanished in an instant when a clear sword chime tore through the sky and the white-robed youth appeared.

"We greet the Sword Lord God King!" The gods quickly bowed.

Li Zhexian nodded slightly toward Ji Dong and the Asura God, then asked,

"Why is it so lively today?"

Ji Dong laughed.

"Several successors of godhood from the lower realm are about to ascend. Such a spectacle isn't seen often."

"The years in the Divine Realm are long. With even a bit of novelty, the gods naturally all come to watch."

"Hmph!"

Poseidon, the Sea God, first bowed respectfully to Li Zhexian, then let out a cold snort and looked across the plaza.

"I have already chosen Shui Bing'er. Why is the Water God still interfering?"

The Water God, clad in azure robes, stood beside the Fire God whose crimson hair burned like flames, the two resembling twin lotuses on the same stem.

Unwilling to yield, he retorted,

"Shui Bing'er is clearly more suited to inherit my position as the Water God."

"Sea God, you have already taken part of my authority. If you now want to fight over the successor as well—"

He turned to his close sister, the Fire God.

"Then choose a cosmic graveyard. You, me, and Sister Fire God can settle it properly in battle!"

At this, the Sea God's face turned iron-blue. He flung his sleeve and turned away.

On the other side—

A deity shrouded in profound shadows said indifferently to the God of Speed,

"Zhu Zhuqing has already been chosen to inherit my god position."

"The Divine Realm has been desolate for too long. It is time for me to venture into the depths of the cosmos."

As one of the Seven Elemental Gods, the God of Darkness was a formidable First-Class god.

Ji Dong withdrew his gaze and looked toward Li Zhexian, his tone filled with heartfelt emotion.

"Sword Lord… you truly make me envious."

Li Zhexian raised his sword-like brows slightly.

"Why do you say that?"

"I've been in the Divine Realm for a long time now, yet I still don't have a single First-Class god under my command."

"You've only been in the Divine Realm for a few days. Once your friends from the lower realm ascend, your Eastern Divine Region will truly live up to its name."

...

Heaven Dou City.

At the central plaza,

Li Zhexian's divine statue stood tall and majestic.

Around it stood statues of Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng, Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and every heroic figure who had once defended Heaven Dou—each of them having their own monument.

This had been Li Zhexian's proposal long ago.

Incense burned in abundance, sandalwood smoke billowing like clouds and winding around the sculptures.

The plaza was packed with people. The citizens of Heaven Dou held their breath, gazing upward at a spectacle destined to be recorded in history.

Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng, and the others sat cross-legged atop their respective statues. Spirit Power surged around them like roaring tides, pressure sweeping across the four directions.

"Today, we ascend and become gods!" They shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

In the next instant—

Beams of guiding divine light descended from the nine heavens, enveloping them completely.

Within the pillars of light,

They slowly rose into the sky.

Their Spirit Power was cleansed and transformed by the divine radiance, converting into pure divine power. The authorities of their respective godhoods awakened, flowing and manifesting around their bodies.

Dark divine power coiled around Zhu Zhuqing as the Hell Sacred Cat merged into shadow—she became the Goddess of Darkness.

Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor evolved into a jade-horned, emerald-scaled dragon. Poison reached its ultimate sublimation—she became the God of Destruction.

Ye Lingling inherited the Goddess of Flowers, while Feng Buyu succeeded the God of Wind—gpd positions once cut down by Li Zhexian now found new masters.

Shui Bing'er mastered water and ascended as the Water God, while Huo Wu wielded flame and rose as the Fire God.

Huo Wushuang became a Second-Class god—the God of Molten Flame.

Yu Tianheng's fists erupted with thunder as he revealed the bearing of a God of War.

Feng Xiaotian's Wolf Emperor Martial Soul sprouted wings. Favored by the God of the Firmament, he took control of the authority of the skies.

Ning Rongrong became the Nine Heavens Goddess. She was no longer bound to the new generation Food God, Oscar, and their god-level Martial Soul fusion technique faded into history.

From this moment onward—

Li Zhexian's closest friends had finally become gods.

The god positions they inherited did not necessarily perfectly match their original aptitude assessments.

This was both the result of relentless postnatal cultivation and a matter of whether suitable vacant godhoods existed in the Divine Realm.

For example, among support-type deities, the highest rank was only Second-Class godhood.

...

"Does that mean… I still can't become a god?"

At that moment—

Xiao Wu lowered her head and looked at herself. No divine light descended upon her.

Watching her sisters bathed in divine radiance as they slowly ascended to the Divine Realm, her pretty face dimmed, her pearly teeth clenched tightly.

"Even if a Spirit Beast transforms into human form… is it still not accepted by the Divine Realm?"

She murmured in a voice barely audible.

Every word was like a sob—

Seeping from the deepest part of her heart:

"Li Zhexian… Xiao Wu… won't be able to see you again…"

Above, in the Divine Realm—

The smile vanished from Li Zhexian's face.

"So the laws of the Divine Realm are this cruel?"

"Not even Spirit Beasts that have taken human form are granted the slightest chance at godhood?"

The young man's voice rang like a sword's cry, sword intent surging around him like a raging tide.

The once-noisy gods instantly fell silent, holding their breath. The plaza descended into utter stillness.

"Sigh…"

Ji Dong shook his head and sighed.

"The laws of the Divine Realm have never been guided by compassion or reason."

Li Zhexian narrowed his eyes slightly.

His gaze fixed upon that desolate, heartbroken figure.

With a flicker of divine sense, he also felt the countless offerings raised for him in the Star Dou Forest—innumerable Spirit Beasts, day and night, clumsily presenting their finest fruits as they knelt in worship.

Back then, when he alone had fought Bibi Dong and the Slaughter King, unleashing Calamity Rebirth—

Xiao Wu had been willing to sacrifice herself to exchange her life for his survival. He only learned of this later, when Zhu Zhuqing told him.

It was just that Calamity Rebirth was too overbearing—

Even the power of sacrifice had failed to take effect.

"I, Li Zhexian, do not allow regrets to remain by my side."

"If Spirit Beasts still hold hope—then I shall establish it myself."

"Let today be the day we set a precedent for the Divine Realm."

Li Zhexian stepped forward, his hair and white robes whipping wildly.

"Calamity Rebirth…"