Chapter 581 - Divine Civilization’s Judgment

The ninth guard sensed Han Wu’s strength and flew into a rage at the thought that a Sage life form would dare interfere with him. He struck with lethal intent.

The Runic Lexicons covering him flared with blinding light, and his strength surged severalfold. Still, he failed to push Han Wu by even a single step.

“Impossible! This cannot be. How could a Sage life form possess such strength?” the ninth guard muttered incredulously. He reached out again, probing Han Wu’s strength.

This time, he realized something was wrong. Han Wu exuded Sage aura, but he had a Divine Ring.

A terrifying realization struck the ninth guard.

He is a World life form!

He hailed from the Heaven Stair Association and understood its inner workings well. He knew of a certain special site, accessible only to inner members, that could condense one’s accumulated power and allow far greater advancement. Han Wu displayed the unmistakable signs of someone who belonged to those inner ranks.

The ninth guard howled, “You! What is your relationship with the Heaven Stair Association? I have never seen you before!”

A disturbing thought surfaced in his mind.

Is this mission truly about capturing the thief who exploited a loophole and stole hundreds of Laws from the Heaven Stair Association through the administrator? Or is this a trap set by the inner members, who fear how powerful we have become?

The moment the idea formed, he assumed the worst. This was a trap, one designed by the inner members to eliminate them. The realization chilled him to the bone. He recalled how relaxed the eldest guard had seemed during their infiltration of the Divine Civilization, and unease settled deep within him.

Did Eldest Brother work with the inner members to kill all of us so he could join them later? It’s very likely. He had told us many times that he wished to join them to cultivate.

The ninth guard grew increasingly confused and started to doubt everything. When he saw a dog pass by, he even suspected it of being an assassin sent by the inner members to kill him! His fighting spirit collapsed completely.

Han Wu had defended against his attack and was about to counter when the ninth guard escaped. Han Wu tried chasing after him, but concern stopped him. The other guards could attack the exhausted trio behind him at any moment.

The trio had helped him many times before, and he respected them. If they died here today, he would never forgive himself. Hence, he abandoned the pursuit, gathered the trio, and went to search for the rest of his friends.

Before long, he sensed Qin Shuang, Jing Jing, and Sun Qingnian. He also detected the aura of an unfamiliar person from the Divine Civilization. After confirming the direction, he rushed toward them.

When he arrived, the surrounding area had been reduced to ashes by the battle’s shockwaves. Qin Shuang and Sun Qingnian were covered in wounds. Jing Jing appeared uninjured, but her spiritual presence was faint. She had suffered serious injuries too. Before them stood an unfamiliar woman, her figure bathed in fire as the illusion of a phoenix hovered behind her. At her feet lay the seventh guard, teetering on the brink of death.

Han Wu frowned in confusion. He knew his friends well. Even if they broke past their limit, they could only contend against a Heavenrender life form at best. Only a Skill like the senior trio’s Three as One: Primal Beast could allow three Heavenrender life forms to fight against a World life form.

If his three friends hadn’t defeated the seventh guard, then someone else had. He looked at the woman cloaked in the phoenix illusion. She was stunning and radiated the valor unique to a warrior.

At last, Han Wu remembered who she was. She was the lecturer that Sun Qingnian had seduced! He had never imagined she would be that strong.

Shi Shan met his gaze and immediately sensed that Han Wu was stronger than her. As a warrior, the realization stirred her fighting spirit, and she wanted to test herself against him in battle. Unfortunately, she could no longer endure the strain. She felt somewhat frustrated.

“Han Wu, wait for me to revive. I will challenge you then.” Her figure then started to crumble into ash. When the ashes settled, only a pail-sized phoenix egg remained.

Sun Qingnian rushed forward and carefully wrapped the egg in his clothes.

Qin Shuang and Jing Jing looked at Sun Qingnian with sympathy. None of them could defeat a World life form on their own, so Shi Shan had used her Skill to temporarily increase her strength to the World rank. In exchange, she would have to restart her entire cultivation. Thankfully, she would retain her memories and Skills, so recovery would depend only on time and resources.

After confirming that his friends were safe, Han Wu finally relaxed. Before they could exchange more than a few words, the ground suddenly trembled. Han Wu looked up and saw the ninth guard pummeling the barrier covering Imperial College with his massive fists.

The relentless blows, combined with the Runic Lexicons, left cracks in the barrier until it finally shattered. The ninth guard seized the chance to flee.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The five God Kings below stayed behind to watch over the surrendered guards and didn’t pursue him.

With the barrier destroyed, the restriction around Imperial College disappeared. Various gates opened across the grounds as many students and lecturers returned. When they saw the destruction of Imperial College, pain filled their hearts.

They had fought and invaded countless civilizations without pause to secure resources and protect Imperial College, yet it now lay in ruins. Only the intervention of a few God Kings had limited the destruction. Otherwise, the outcome would have been worse.

The incident produced an incredibly negative impact. Even though the attack occurred at Imperial College, its consequences spread across the Divine Civilization. Many other colleges and factions of comparable standing examined their own vulnerabilities.

They asked themselves a grim question. Could they survive an infiltration by thirteen World life forms, just as Imperial College had faced? The answer was no.

As a result, they reinforced their bases and even hired powerful figures or units to prevent a similar tragedy from unfolding in their own domains.

At the same time, the incident was escalated to those who governed the Divine Civilization. Through the victims and God Kings’ testimonies, they confirmed that the Divine Civilization wasn’t the perpetrator. The Thirteen Guards of the Heaven Stair Association had launched a deliberate invasion.

The Divine Civilization would not let this slide. All of the God Kings convened to determine their response, and 90% voted in favor of retaliation.

Since the Heaven Stair Association didn’t take the Divine Civilization seriously, then they would do it in their stead and deal with them permanently. When it came to invasion, the Divine Civilization had never once feared others.