"Not bad… I didn't expect the Sun Moon Empire to have developed to this extent after ten thousand years."
Underground.
Within the Starlink Railway.
Bibi Dong looked out the window with great interest.
Though she was currently in soul form, she had still manifested her former Pope attire.
Transportation and mobility have always been the fundamental pillars of a nation's infrastructure. Now, with this so-called railway capable of carrying ordinary human bodies at such speeds, she—once the Pope—could naturally perceive the deeper significance behind it.
"Approximately 400 kilometers per hour…"
Xu Cheng clicked his tongue.
So-so, at best.
Although he had started this life at the peak of his previous one, this was, after all, a xuanhuan (mystical fantasy) world—one where gods existed—so such speeds didn't particularly surprise him.
Just the spirit masters maintaining this entire Starlink Railway included two Soul Sages. Add to that the initial maintenance costs… the early stages of the Starlink Railway were inevitably going to lose money—bleed money, even.
But he had no choice but to proceed.
Fortunately, he had just earned a generous sum—enough to splurge for a while.
He even planned to extend the railway beneath the sea...
Xu Cheng suddenly thought of the Sea Princess clan. With his interference, the evil soul masters guarding the coast had already been recalled to headquarters one after another. The scam incident from his past life wouldn't repeat itself. Otherwise, once his identity as the Holy Son of the Holy Spirit Cult was exposed, dying at the bottom of the ocean would be the least of his problems.
Negotiating with the Sea Princess clan was, in truth, not all that difficult.
After all, the fact they were scammed in the previous life showed just how isolated those soul beasts had been from the outside world. Their wariness toward other beings was close to nonexistent.
Had it been the Star Dou Forest, battered by human invasions for millennia, you'd be lucky to escape with your nose intact.
"I'll have to pay them a visit," Xu Cheng murmured.
If someone else beat him to the punch and used up that initial trust, it would be troublesome...
The ocean's resources were truly abundant—enough to propel the Sun Moon Empire into another technological explosion.
Meng Hongchen sat beside Xu Cheng, her jade arms wrapped around his like a protective little cat, her beautiful eyes warily watching Bibi Dong, who sat across from them.
"What are you looking at? You think I'm going to steal your man?"
Bibi Dong was clearly displeased.
She was at least a deity—even if a fallen one—and her standards weren't so low that she'd fall for some wet-behind-the-ears brat.
Had it been anyone else, she'd have smashed them with a palm already.
But this was Xu Cheng's woman…
"Who knows?" Meng Hongchen still looked guarded.
Her Ah Cheng was far too attractive. Even the Silver Dragon King had acted strange around him. Now, some ancient old witch from ten thousand years ago had popped out of nowhere.
Hmph. What if she really did have ulterior motives?
"You…"
Bibi Dong gritted her teeth.
She forcefully swallowed her anger. When you're under someone's roof, you must bow your head.
Even as the former Pope, she had endured humiliation before—she had outlasted that old bastard, after all…
Turning her head to the pitch-black scenery outside the window, her clenched fists slowly relaxed.
Xu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
He wondered what it would be like when Bibi Dong met Ye Xishui.
Those two were practically carved from the same mold.
"Now that I've taken control of the Sun Moon Empire, and as Crown Prince Regent, the old emperor has essentially handed everything over to me and stepped into the background. As long as I don't engage in some heaven-cursing, cruelly absurd antics and just lead the empire forward, he likely won't say much."
Xu Cheng muttered to himself.
"In that case…"
…
Vast Continent.
Before a densely packed field of graves—
A middle-aged man knelt on the ground. Half his hair had turned snow-white. His expression was desolate.
"Had I known, I should have accepted his Shura God inheritance back then… Even if it only allowed a few of us to ascend, it would've been far better than now…"
"My last family member… is gone too."
Zhou Weiqing let out a sigh.
After refusing Tang San's invitation, he had retreated into a shamelessly peaceful rural life. But as the years passed and time marched on, he watched one loved one after another go gray and pass away. Even as the strongest being in this world—what of it?
He had tried to contact Tang San long ago. But no matter how powerful he was here, he was still just a mortal in this plane. How could he possibly reach a god?
Now, he was completely without hope.
"To hell with it… I'll just go down and join them…"
Zhou Weiqing slowly stood.
A trace of determination began to form in his eyes.
But in the next instant—
A voice echoed beside his ear:
"Hmm… A rare find—such exceptional talent. Kid, interested in becoming a god?"
Zhou Weiqing's pupils contracted sharply.
"Become a god?!!"
Just like how that man once offered him an olive branch?
"If I become a god… can I bring my loved ones back?" Zhou Weiqing asked, his voice trembling.
Back then, he had refused that man. But today, if that man were to ask again, he would reply with just three words—
"That… Becoming a god just for that?" The God of Destruction was momentarily stunned.
It was rare to find such a promising talent, fully meeting the requirements to ascend—yet he turned out to be another hopeless romantic.
"According to the rules of the God Realm, no," the God of Destruction shrugged.
"…I see."
The glimmer in Zhou Weiqing's eyes dimmed again.
"But I won't speak in absolutes. Once you become a god and reach a certain level of strength— ahem ahem…" The God of Destruction blinked rapidly, hinting frantically with his eyes.
Some things—you had to figure out on your own.
He couldn't spell it out due to his duties. But that didn't mean you couldn't try things behind closed doors.
In the end, the God Realm was just a ramshackle troupe.
Just look at God King Tang San—openly running the "Tang Family Troupe" in the divine realm, secretly pulling strings in the mortal world. Even when caught by other God Realm committee members, what happened? A slap on the wrist at most.
"I get it. I get it…"
Zhou Weiqing clearly understood the hint.
A glimmer of hope reignited in his eyes.
As long as hope remained, he had a reason to keep living.
"I'm willing to become a god!"
"Willing? Becoming a god isn't that simple. You have to pass my trials first! Now tell me—why do you want to become a god?" The God of Destruction cleared his throat.
Zhou Weiqing froze.
"???"
"Didn't you just ask me to—"
"Ahem ahem!" The God of Destruction coughed again. "Come on now, you think becoming a god is child's play? Joining the God Realm is a supreme honor! Know that I, the God of Destruction, serve directly under the God of Destruction's superior—one of the Seven First-Class Deities. To inherit the authority of destruction is to—"
"I…"
Zhou Weiqing was about to mention how, many years ago, someone claiming to be the Shura God had offered him a divine inheritance. But for some reason, he hesitated—and kept it to himself.
"Very well. For the sake of my loved ones—I'll take your trial!"
Zhou Weiqing drew a deep breath.
"Hahaha, good!"
The God of Destruction grinned widely.
And he wasn't the only one smiling—so too was Tang San, hidden in a spatial rift nearby.
"This hidden chess piece is now placed. A pawn with no ties or burdens… It really did cost me quite a bit of effort."
(End of Chapter)