“Mhm.” John nodded and said, “Not only can I enter, but you, Sara, and Bonnie are also eligible to go.”
“We… we’re eligible too?” The three of them were stunned, hardly daring to believe it.
“Eligibility is determined by me!” John declared confidently.
“Old man, I want to go too!” Tracy piped up eagerly from the side.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” John rejected her outright. Her strength was still too weak.
Although Kamal had mentioned that fighting was forbidden within the secret treasure land and there would be no danger, he didn’t trust her word.
After Sara had refined the demon race treasure, there was still one god-tier treasure left.
John glanced at the women and asked, “Who wants to refine it?”
They all seemed tempted.
“Master, I’d prefer a human race treasure from the Skyline Continent,” Ada said, looking at John expectantly.
“Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for one,” he agreed with a nod.
“Master, I want a human race treasure as well,” Yuel added.
As an earth elf, Yuel was born from the power of the Vein of the Earth absorbed by the Tree of Life, so her internal energy had a certain similarity to Ada’s.
“No problem,” John replied confidently. As long as a human race treasure emerged, he was certain he could obtain it.
He turned to look at Judy and Anna. “Which one of you wants to refine it?”
Anna’s gaze lingered on the treasure, but she turned to Judy.
“You take it. The Beast Clan treasure suits me better,” Judy said with a smile.
“Alright. Thank you, old man!” Anna said happily, taking the god-tier treasure.
As a nature elf, god-tier treasures were the best fit for her among all the various races’ treasures.
“Benefactor, I also want to enter the secret treasure land,” Anna said, having successfully refined the god-tier treasure, though she was still far from fully merging with it. She looked at John with longing.
“No.” John refused firmly. “Your strength is too weak, and it would be dangerous. Don’t worry, I’ll collect resources from the secret treasure land to help you fuse with the treasure.”
“Old man, what about me?” Tracy immediately chimed in.
“I won’t forget about you.” John felt a pang of guilt, but to ensure her safety, he had no choice but to limit her freedom.
The secret treasure land held items that could help various races merge with their respective
treasures.
These items could be brought out.
John then took out a pile of divine artifacts, looked at everyone, and said, “Pick whatever you like. Don’t hold back.”
“Husband, did you raid the gods’ main headquarters?” Sara exclaimed in surprise as the group quickly gathered around to choose their weapons.
Everyone was considerate, letting Sara, Bonnie, and Behemoth have the first pick.
Since they were going to enter the secret treasure land, strengthening their abilities would also be beneficial for John.
“A mid-grade divine artifact!” Behemoth’s gaze was fixed on the Dark Dragon Staff. He swallowed nervously and looked at John, asking cautiously, “Master, may I choose this weapon?”
“This was meant for you in the first place.” John picked up the Dark Dragon Staff and tossed it over to Behemoth.
“Thank you, Master!” Behemoth expressed his gratitude repeatedly. The Dark Dragon Staff expanded in his hands, becoming as thick as a pillar. With a casual swing, it sliced through the air with a powerful whoosh.
“With this divine artifact, I feel like my strength has increased by an entire tier!” he said, brimming with excitement and battle intent. He couldn’t help but glance over at Sara and Bonnie, itching to test his newfound power.
But remembering their close relationship with John, he quickly dismissed the thought.
“If only Tony and Ben were here…” Behemoth thought of the two, recalling the times he’d suffered at their hands in the Abyss.
“Big guy, don’t get cocky just because you have a divine artifact. Those two are still way stronger than you,” Black Turtle said disdainfully.
“Oh, really?” Behemoth replied dismissively, sizing him up. “If you weren’t so weak, I’d use you as a practice target.”
At that moment, John spoke up. “You might want to hold off on that thought. Tony has already reached the level of a demigod.”
“Demigod?” Behemoth swallowed hard, his attitude suddenly becoming much more humble.
“H-hey, little turtle, I was just joking earlier. Don’t go spreading nonsense,” he said to Black Turtle, his tone considerably more polite now.
“Hmph!” Black Turtle snorted coldly, not bothering to respond.
“Um, is no one taking this spear?” Judy suddenly asked, holding up a long spear.
This was the mid-grade divine artifact Azure Dragon’s Wrath, dropped after John had slain the Azure Dragon.
“Just keep it for yourself. Out of all of us here, who else uses a spear?” Ada shot her a glance. “Stop pretending to be shy.”
“Hehe, okay then.” Judy, not being one to refuse a good opportunity, grinned and glanced gratefully at John before storing the spear away.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a ripple of spatial power surged through the air as Ben appeared.
“Whoa, look at all these treasures!” he exclaimed, eyes wide with shock at the sight of the divine artifacts scattered on the ground.
“Senior, what brings you here? See anything you like?” John asked, gesturing towards the equipment.
Ben tore his gaze away from the artifacts and cast a wary glance at the nearby Sea of Death. “I came to find you for something else. Come with me to the Heavenly Court.”
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
John felt a twinge of confusion, looking over at the Dark Sea. It was clear that Ben was being cautious of Michelle and Kamal.
Sensing the urgency, he exited the Death Land and returned to the Saint Martial Sect. He then used the teleportation array to travel to the Beast Clan city, Heavenly Court.
The teleportation arrays in the cities under his control were all interconnected, making it easy to provide swift support in case of any danger.
Just as John stepped out of the teleportation array, Ben approached him immediately.
Pulling John aside and ensuring that there was no one else around, Ben finally spoke. “Kid,
you can’t enter the secret treasure land.”
“Oh? How did you know?” John asked curiously. He had secured his spot through the demon race’s quota, and Ben, being from the Beast Clan, shouldn’t have known about this
arrangement.
“It’s not just me—powerhouses from all the major races already know about it,” Ben said
gravely.
John frowned. “Is this some kind of trap targeting me?”
Ben nodded. “Yes. The powerful figures from various races, including a few factions under the gods themselves, have reached an agreement to eliminate you in the secret treasure land.” John sneered. As expected, the demon race didn’t have good intentions.
Kamal was certainly aware of this; otherwise, the demon race wouldn’t have offered him a
spot so easily.
“Didn’t they say that no one can kill each other in the secret treasure land?” John asked, still
puzzled.
Ben explained, “That’s right. But that rule only applies to those below the ninth tier. This time, a few people who meet the conditions to break through to demigod-level will be entering the secret treasure land. They’re only missing the final step-merging with their treasures. Once they become demigods inside, they’ll be able to kill you.”
John’s eyes lit up. He’d been wondering how to find demigod-level opponents, and now these guys were practically delivering themselves to his doorstep.
He asked curiously, “If demigods can attack me in the secret treasure land, does that mean I can attack demigods as well?”
“Of course you can. Do you think the rules would force you to just stand there and get beaten up?” Ben gave him a sideways glance. “Kid, you’re not planning to kill a demigod, are you?” John smirked coldly. “If they’re coming for me, why wouldn’t I strike back?”
Ben frowned deeply. “I know you’re capable of killing demigods, but doing so will provoke other gods. The opening of the secret treasure land requires mid-tier gods to intervene. If they decide to take action against you, you won’t stand a chance.”
John hesitated for a moment. While he was confident in his ability to take down demigod- level powerhouses, he knew that facing lower-tier or mid-tier gods would mean certain
death.
“Would they openly attack me?” John asked.
“It’s hard to say,” Ben replied, shaking his head. “Lately, even Tony has been hitting walls. He’s met with several powerful gods, but none of them are willing to support you.”
John fell silent, pondering for a long time before finally speaking. “I’m willing to take the
risk.”
The secret treasure land held many items that could help merge treasures and significantly increase his power. He couldn’t afford to pass it up.
“Kid, you’re insane! Forget mid-tier gods-even lower-tier gods could easily wipe you out!”
Ben said angrily. “What if I hide inside the secret treasure land?” John suggested.
The secret treasure land was unique in that only ninth-tier and lower-tier powerhouses could
enter.
Gods were unable to set foot inside.
Ben was stunned for a moment, realizing it was indeed a viable option. But then he shook his
head. “Are you planning to hide in there forever?”
“Well, we’ll see who can hold out the longest,” John said with a smirk, doubting that those
gods would camp out there indefinitely.
“Ah, I knew I wouldn’t be able to convince you.” Ben sighed helplessly. After a brief moment
of hesitation, he continued, “Go ahead and do what you need to do. Tony will be there too. He has a treasure that can deter even the gods. He’ll ensure your safety.” “Thank you.” John expressed his gratitude, curious but refraining from asking further
questions.
“I’m off. I have other matters to attend to. Be cautious for now. If the other gods from various
races refuse to cooperate, we’ll have to make a big move.” As soon as Ben finished speaking, his figure blurred and vanished before John could respond.
“A big move?” John wondered aloud, perplexed by what Ben and Tony could be planning.
With Ben gone, there was no one left to answer his questions. He returned to the Saint Martial
Sect.
The next day.
Michelle and Kamal appeared, accompanied by nine other demon race powerhouses, all at the
peak of the ninth tier and having refined demon race treasures.
They were only a step away from becoming demigods.
The group sized John up, heads held high, expressions full of disdain.
John couldn’t understand where they got their sense of superiority from.
If it weren’t for his caution around Michelle and Kamal, he’d have liked nothing more than to
blast these arrogant fools into oblivion.
“Human, the demon race is only providing you with one spot. As for the other three slots,
you’ll have to earn them yourself. We won’t assist you,” Michelle said indifferently, clearly having heard the situation from Kamal.
“I understand. I won’t trouble you.” John’s voice remained calm, his expression nonchalant.
Seeing that he showed no sign of respect towards Michelle, the demon race powerhouses looked even more displeased.
“Enough. Let’s go,” Michelle commanded, spreading her demon wings and soaring into the distance.
John and his companions followed closely behind.
There were a total of eleven people on the demon race’s side: nine ninth-tier powerhouses
and two gods, Michelle and Kamal.
On John’s side, there were only five-Sara, Bonnie, Elsa, and himself. Their strength was insignificant compared to the other mighty races.