If those bandits kept their hands off territory under Rockpeak City's control, that was one thing.
But the moment they dared act within Rockpeak City's sphere of influence, Locke would immediately sense it and publish their existence as Fiend Castle missions.
Within a month at most, those bandits would meet utter annihilation.
Of course, during Fiend purges, some especially powerful Gods among the bandits could still escape.
But if their luck ran bad—if they happened to run into a Fiend examination led personally by Ryan or Rockpeak—then even if the bandits included a Highgod, they would still be slain on the spot.
Several of the current Three-Star Fiends in Rockpeak City's Fiend Castle had risen precisely this way.
It could be said that the Fiend Castle's growth was inseparable from the contributions of every Fiend.
Now that their achievements had been openly acknowledged by Locke, many Fiends were moved to tears.
This was their power.
Their home.
Perhaps more than a thousand yans later, the Fiend Castle would evolve into something closer to a neutral "intermediary."
But right now, every Fiend who had passed the examination truly belonged to the Fiend Castle.
If the Fiend Castle needed them—
They would charge through blades and fire without hesitation.
Amid countless expectant gazes, the three metallic lifeforms transformed into radiant streaks of light and flew off in three different directions.
Perhaps by the time those remaining Fiends reached other cities through their own means, the Fiends there would already be greeting them with nods and smiles…
Back in Rockpeak City, Locke stood atop the highest floor of the Fiend Castle, watching the distant streaks fade from view before withdrawing his gaze.
The group heading toward Buckley City consisted of Locke's Water-element divine clone and Little White.
As for Locke's Fate divine clone and his Saint-domain true body, they remained within the Fiend Castle.
"Ryan has already begun fusing two Law profundities. With his talent, he should undergo a qualitative leap within ten thousand years—reaching the peak of Five-Star Fiend strength."
"And Rockpeak has found his direction as well. If nothing goes wrong, in a hundred thousand years, he should reach Six-Star Fiend level…"
"…I really am envious."
Locke sat back down on his meditation cushion and sighed softly.
In the Coiling Dragon universe, a powerful divine body brought an enormous boost to combat strength.
If Locke possessed the physical body of a special lifeform like Ryan, he might already possess Six-Star Fiend-level strength without even breaking through to Highgod.
"Forget it. I'll study bodily refinement later."
"If Auf can research and create bodies comparable to Sovereign-grade artifacts, then surely creating a body on par with a divine spark isn't impossible for me."
"The Fate divine clone's strength depends on the Fiend Castle's expansion, so that can be set aside for now."
"Before the Fiend Castle covers five Hell continents, the Fate clone can at most provide me with some self-preservation ability—it won't be able to help much with expansion."
Only after the Fiend Castle spread across five continents would the Fate divine clone reach Asura Prefect-level strength—barely qualifying as a peak existence in Hell.
Until then, any powerful enemies encountered during expansion would have to be handled by the Water-element divine clone.
"As for my Saint-domain true body…"
"It will remain in a state of unity with Heaven and Earth, supporting the fusion of my Water Law profundities."
"Once five Water Law profundities reach near-great completion, I'll break through to Highgod!"
"At that point, within a year, I'll fully fuse three profundities—I'll be a Six-Star Fiend."
"Within ten years, four—Seven-Star Fiend."
"Within a hundred years, five—Asura."
"And if my Water clone reaches Great Perfection…"
"Then throughout all of Hell, aside from Sovereigns—who could stop my path of Fate?"
The thought sent Locke's blood surging.
For a moment, he almost wished he had already fused all six Water Law profundities and become an invincible Great-Perfection Highgod beneath the Sovereigns.
With his plan clear, Locke closed his eyes, communing with the Water Laws of Heaven and Earth, sinking his consciousness into their vast, boundless flow.
Leaving Locke's cultivation in Rockpeak City aside—
Half a month later, after uninterrupted travel, Locke's group had already moved far from Rockpeak City.
Hell, at this stage, was still desolate.
Although countless beings arrived daily from material planes through teleportation arrays and were distributed among various tribes—
Just as many died every day in endless slaughter.
All things considered, the number of beings entering Hell each day was roughly equal to those dying in battle.
Over the past half month alone, Locke's metallic lifeform had passed seven or eight tribes.
Each tribe possessed anywhere from one or two divine-level experts to as many as seven or eight.
The rest were all Saint-domain beings.
Most divine experts were Demigods, with only the larger tribes possessing one or two Gods.
"Lord Locke, there seems to be movement ahead."
That day, as Locke was aligning Water Law profundities based on insights from his true body, Little White's voice interrupted him.
"Oh?"
The metallic lifeform they traveled in was extremely fast—and its structure clearly indicated multiple occupants.
Ordinary bandits would never dare attack such a vessel.
Anyone who dared must have at least a Highgod backing them.
Locke trusted that if there were no Highgod involved, Little White wouldn't have disturbed him.
Though Little White had refined a divine spark, he was still a Highgod.
Even facing ten or twenty God level bandits, he could handle them alone.
Locke frowned slightly and instantly extended his soul perception.
"Two Highgods… eight Gods."
In an instant, he grasped the situation more than ten kilometers ahead.
Highgods generally flew slower than metallic lifeforms.
Thus, to ambush one, bandits had to predict its route and speed in advance and intercept it directly.
These ten bandits were clearly blocking the metallic lifeform's flight path.
This was a test.
In the Overgod Plane, divine perception was heavily suppressed.
A Demigod's divine sense could barely extend a hundred meters.
A God's—about a kilometer, depending on soul strength.
Only Highgods could extend their divine sense ten kilometers or more.
If the metallic lifeform radiated Highgod perception and altered course, it meant the vessel lacked confidence.
That meant it was lootable.
But if it charged straight through—
Then it meant either multiple Highgods were inside, or a single Highgod as powerful as a city lord.
And city lords were never ordinary Highgods.
Across Hell's 108 prefectures, each containing tens of thousands of cities, only the strongest could hold such a position.
Those who retained city lord status over millions of years were at least ten times stronger than average Highgods.
Prefect lords were on an entirely different level.
To ordinary beings, becoming a Highgod seemed like invincibility.
But to Highgods themselves—
They knew better.
Before true powerhouses, Highgods were still ants.
Watching the metallic lifeform fly straight toward them, Grait smiled.
No Highgod perception detected.
No Highgods aboard.
"Brothers—prepare to move!"
Grait raised his hand, divine power surging as a massive cleaver appeared in his grip.
Purple lightning crackled across the blade.
Yet just as he was about to strike—
A boundless sense of terror exploded in his heart.
The same fear he had felt as a Saint when facing a god.
"No—there's a supreme expert inside!"
But the thought had barely formed—
When a strange Law fluctuation appeared before his chest.
Lowering his head, he saw a translucent palm formed entirely of water elements.
BOOM!
CRACK—CRACK—
PUFF!
The Law power shattered his Highgod artifact instantly.
Then, like flowing water, it surged into his body.
His divine power and divine body collapsed without resistance.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions rang out.
Grait turned in horror—only to see his subordinates bursting into clouds of blood, divine sparks floating silently in the air.
(End of Chapter)
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