When the Fiend Castle spread across two continents of Hell, Locke's mastery of the Laws of Fate became equivalent to a five-star Fiend who had fused two profound mysteries.
When the Fiend Castle covered three continents, his Fate Law would rival a six-star Fiend, equivalent to the fusion of three profound mysteries.
Following that logic:
Four continents → a seven-star Fiend, comparable to fusing four profound mysteries
Five continents → a Shura Prefecture Lord, equivalent to five fused profound mysteries
And one day—
when the Fiend Castle spread across all seven continents of Hell—
Locke's Law of Fate would reach Paragon.
Locke never imagined that the Water Laws, the first path he had embarked upon, still lacked two profound mysteries, while the Law of Fate, which he had only just grasped, already revealed a clear, direct road to Paragon.
The feeling was surreal—yet Locke felt no doubt.
As long as he could spread the Fiend Castle across all seven continents of Hell, he would certainly become a Paragon of Fate.
Perhaps… this was the destiny of the original founder of the Fiend Castle.
And now, that destiny—
Had been intercepted by Locke.
So, what should he do?
The moment the question surfaced in his mind, Locke slapped it away without hesitation.
Do it.
Of course he would!
This was a Paragon!
Across more than a thousand epochs, even counting the Sovereign Gods, there had never been more than twenty Paragons in existence!
Even Locke himself could not guarantee that his Water Laws would reach Paragon.
Now that a straight path to Paragon lay before him—
what was there to hesitate about?
More importantly—
Now was the perfect moment to act.
Once the secrets of law fusion spread, Hell would erupt with powerful figures over the next million years. At that point, even with Locke's strength, it would be impossible to build a force that spanned all of Hell.
Only now, while most Highgods were merely at the level of three- or four-star Fiends, could Locke gain universal recognition.
He had to establish the Fiend Castle as fast as possible—
and spread it across Hell before the era changed.
Locke raised his head and looked at the Rockpeak City Lord and Vice City Lord Ryan.
"Apologies, City Lord… Vice City Lord Ryan," Locke said calmly.
"I have no intention of taking the position of Rockpeak City Lord."
"Compared to ruling a single city, I would rather become the founder and expander of a great power."
"I intend to establish a new faction here in Rockpeak City. I hope to receive both of your approval."
The Rockpeak City Lord and Ryan exchanged a glance, both seeing the same trace of regret in the other's eyes.
"So that's how it is…"
"It seems we were short-sighted."
"With your status and strength, Lord Locke, the position of a mere city lord is naturally beneath you."
"Still…" the City Lord hesitated briefly, then asked,
"Do Ryan and I have the qualifications to join the faction you intend to establish?"
Locke smiled faintly.
"Of course."
"More than that—your joining would be most welcome."
What followed was a period of relentless activity for Locke.
The first thing he did was head to the Amethyst Castle to collect his winnings.
The full 2.45 billion inkstones were far beyond what the Rockpeak City Amethyst Castle could pay in one lump sum. Every hundred years, the Amethyst Legion collected the castle's profits—part for themselves, part for the Sovereign God.
Fortunately for the terrified shopkeeper, Locke did not demand immediate payment.
Instead, he issued tasks to the Amethyst Castle, allowing the debt to be offset gradually.
Within one year, a brand-new castle rose beside the Amethyst Castle—
A fortress no less imposing.
The structure was entirely purple, crowned with a colossal stone face carved from pure inkstone.
That single sculpture alone consumed nearly 100 million inkstones.
Because inkstone contained Sovereign God power, the face radiated an innate sense of absolute authority.
This was a deliberate move by Locke.
In this era, most Sovereign Gods were obsessively collecting faith power, appearing before gods only through projections—often as vast, divine faces formed from Sovereign power.
By erecting such a monument, Locke was sending a clear message:
The Fiend Castle is backed by a Sovereign God.
A faction established for the purpose of gathering faith.
With this misconception in place, the expansion of the Fiend Castle encountered far fewer obstacles.
On that day, thousands of city guards released their divine power into the sky.
Boom—boom—boom!
The explosions bloomed into brilliant, multicolored fireworks, bathing Rockpeak City in celebration.
For the first time, people realized that divine power could be used for something other than slaughter.
When the fireworks faded, a massive projection appeared above the city—
Illusory Projection Magic.
The colossal face radiated overwhelming pressure.
Every being who saw it instinctively learned its name:
Fiend Castle.
This was another application of Locke's terrifying soul mastery.
During construction, he had infused large quantities of amethyst with soul imprints. Anyone whose gaze fell upon them would unconsciously receive information directly into their soul.
Even the City Lord and Ryan were shaken by this.
For a god, having one's soul invaded without notice was terrifying.
The projection lasted only thirty seconds—
yet that was enough to announce the Fiend Castle's existence to Rockpeak City and every surrounding tribe.
From that day on, gods flocked toward it.
Upon approaching the Fiend Castle, the name etched itself into every visitor's soul.
Inside, a massive amethyst map revealed the castle's layout.
Beside it was the most important inscription of all—
An explanation of "Fiends."
"Fiend" was the title granted to members of the Fiend Castle.
To become one, a god had to pass the castle's assessment and receive a Fiend Emblem.
Fiends were titles reserved for the strong.
They were ranked into eight stars:
One-Star Fiend — elite Demigods
Two-Star Fiend — minimum God-level
Three-Star Fiend — ordinary Highgod
Four-Star Fiend — ten times stronger than a normal Highgod
Each additional star represented over tenfold growth.
At the peak stood the Shura—
whose strength surpassed ordinary Highgods by more than ten thousand times.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
No one thought Locke was lying.
After all, Locke himself—still only a God—had already Fiendstrated power far beyond ordinary Highgods.
Many believed this star-ranking system was an ancient secret passed down within Locke's own lineage.
At the center of the hall, an illusion stone projected battle scenes:
Ryan, cleaving a mountain in half with a single saber strike — Five-Star Fiend
Rockpeak City Lord, annihilating a mountain with one punch — Five-Star Fiend
Locke, thrusting his spear and tearing open a long, terrifying spatial void — Five-Star Fiend
The sight alone made hearts tremble.
"…Both the City Lord and Vice City Lord Ryan are five-star Fiends."
"That ranking system is terrifying."
"What's truly frightening," someone whispered,
"is that Lord Locke defeated Ryan so easily—yet they're rated the same star."
"So even among Fiends of the same rank… the gap can be this vast?"
The Fiend Castle stood tall.
And Hell had just entered a new era.
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