In the bay world, the morning sun cast its warm light, transforming the sea into a shimmering expanse. On the ravaged Peace Island, the people from the three tribes had dispersed to assist with the wounded and to move the bodies of fallen warriors. With Guluomi's hundreds, if not thousands, of tentacles, clearing the debris from the buildings became less of a chore.
Witch Meg, having awakened from her unconsciousness, was scolded by Guluomi for her carelessness in defeat. She hung her head in apology and actively joined in the post-battle cleanup. Inspired by Guluomi's tentacles, Meg used [Witch's Hand] to simulate assistance, though not yet reaching the miraculous level of Wang Hui and Lilia's restoration, it still significantly sped up the reconstruction.
While working, Meg occasionally tried to engage Guluomi in conversation, subtly probing for details of what had happened during her unconsciousness. Upon learning that the Celestial God had subdued the deep-sea dragon with a mere gesture, she stomped her feet in frustration, regretting missing such a spectacle of divine power!
"Hey, and about that old man from the Kingdom of Storms, even seeing the dragon caught by a god, he dared to climb above the clouds! No wonder he got beaten up!"
Guluomi, while stacking bricks with her gelatinous tentacles, chuckled mockingly.
"Master Bellmoru... went above the clouds?"
Meg was stunned. Having followed Bellmoru for years, she knew well how obsessed her mentor was with the pursuit of the world's peak power. Had he finally succeeded after countless attempts?
Meg looked up at the sky, where the clouds lay serene and unremarkable, unable to spot Bellmoru. Was it worth risking divine wrath to ascend?
On the other side, a bit further away, several high-ranking officials from the Divine Realm were in a meeting. Huyan Gui, with bandaged hands, summarized the casualties and losses:
"One hundred seventy-nine warriors killed, two hundred thirty-one severely injured, six hundred fifty-two lightly injured... Two mid-level commanders killed, nine severely injured, twenty-eight lightly injured... No civilian casualties among the three tribes, one hundred three lightly injured from collateral damage. Additionally, ninety-four houses and shops were destroyed, fifteen streets damaged, but the harbor remains mostly intact and can resume operations at any time..."
The numbers were grim, but considering the opponent was a rampaging giant dragon with a formidable chief wizard, this outcome was quite commendable.
Nalan Jie spoke up, "I'll arrange compensation for the deceased and injured, and the damage to buildings and roads is minor; we'll leave it entirely to Guluomi, who's adept at this. Also, Merlin, the wizard from the Royal Court who provided the intelligence, was crucial in controlling our losses and calling back our Divine Servant. I propose that after we conquer the entirety of the Kingdom of Storms, Merlin receives the highest honors and be recruited into our Divine Realm's wizard system. What do you all think?"
"I agree!"
Huyan Gui nodded in approval, and the other middle-level officials concurred without objection. With their horizons broadened, the leaders of the three tribes were no longer as rigid in their thinking. What did it matter if Merlin was once with the enemy? Soon, the entire Kingdom of Storms would be under Divine Realm rule, and now was the time to win hearts!
It was necessary to show both the might of the Divine Realm's military and the principle of "rewarding merit." Once some of the populace enjoyed the benefits of this new rule, wouldn't others rush to pledge allegiance?
As the meeting drew to a close, Huyan Wu, who had sat silently with his arms crossed in the corner, raised his hand. Despite being heavily bandaged from his battle with the dragon, his aura as a Divine Servant was undiminished.
Seeing Huyan Wu move, everyone focused their attention, awaiting his directives.
"The most crucial point, you've yet to mention."
His words puzzled everyone; all post-war matters seemed to have been addressed. What else could be so important?
Only the sharp-minded Nalan Jie's expression changed, forcing a bitter smile. "Thank you for the reminder, Divine Servant."
She bowed to Huyan Wu before turning to the bewildered crowd.
"Ever since the Divine Realm's sovereignty was violated, leading to our counter-invasion, things have gone relatively smoothly, causing us to grow complacent. Today's battle at Peace Island has exposed our shortage of high-end combat power, which we must address seriously! Otherwise, are we to kneel and beg for divine intervention every time we face a strong enemy?"
Her words awakened everyone!
Huyan Gui looked at his bandaged hands, taking a deep breath. Before that dragon, he, the current head of the Huyan clan, couldn't even withstand a single blow! It was only thanks to his father's desperate fight that the situation didn't collapse...
This was a disgrace!
Recognizing the issue made the subsequent planning straightforward. They unanimously decided to compile a list to intensively train those with exceptional talent among the mid and lower ranks.
The Divine Realm needed more warriors at the fourth or even fifth level of refinement!
Otherwise, expanding territory without enough strong defenders was futile.
After the meeting officially ended, Huyan Gui quietly followed his father, keeping out of sight.
"Behaving like a sneaky thief isn't fitting for a clan leader," Huyan Wu said without turning, his voice flat. "Speak your mind."
"Father, I, well..."
Huyan Gui suddenly felt nervous, as if back to the days when he was disciplined by his father as a youth, stuttering and unable to articulate his thoughts. But fathers know their sons; Huyan Wu could see through his son's intentions.
"Want to get stronger? First, fulfill your duties as a high official of the Divine Realm."
He stopped, turning to look at his disappointed son, continuing, "Finish the day's work, then meet me at the open ground to the west after sunset for special training."
Huyan Gui's face lit up with joy. "Yes, Father!"
...
As Peace Island was bustling with post-war arrangements, the deep-sea dragon, which Wang Hui had casually thrown back into the water, had stealthily returned to its underwater cave. Previously, it would avoid staying in its den except when sleeping, as it was too cramped for its size. But now, the dragon felt nowhere was safer than here!
What did the wonders of the outside world matter when this was its true home?
Bloop, bloop...
Bubbles escaped from its nostrils as the deep-sea dragon lay comfortably at the bottom of the cave, feeling secure. Maybe a nap would make today's horrors just a bad dream? Upon waking, it would still be the unrivaled legend of the seas...
Its dragon eyes began to close but then snapped open as a figure descended from above.
"Yo, planning to sleep?"