The referee's voice rang clearly across the arena.
"Victory — Locke!"
The words echoed through the dueling platform like a stone dropped into still water.
And just like that, without a single exchange of blows—
Barkley City had a new City Lord.
Locke stood calmly at the center of the arena, sleeves fluttering faintly in the wind. There was no triumphant roar, no dramatic gesture. Only quiet certainty.
From this moment onward, Barkley City belonged to him.
And the very first decree he announced after assuming the position was simple—
Fiends would enjoy privileges beyond ordinary gods.
No waiting in line at the gates.
No entrance fees.
Freedom to fly within the city limits.
Special administrative rights when conducting missions.
The announcement spread like wildfire.
Within days, the newly constructed Fiend Castle of Barkley City rose into prominence, and the people of the city finally understood something important—
"Fiend" did not mean some abyssal demon race.
It was a title.
A mark of strength.
Only the elite among gods could pass the Fiend Castle's trials and earn the recognition of being called a Fiend.
And once the word took root—
It ignited.
Unlike Locke, who had carved his authority through direct confrontation, Rockpeak and Ryan encountered no such resistance.
They were already renowned.
Rockpeak — City Lord of Rockpeak City.
Ryan — its Vice City Lord.
Their strength had long since spread across surrounding territories.
When they arrived in Redmaple City and Namu City to establish new Fiend Castles, no one dared obstruct them.
The privileges granted to Fiends were acknowledged without argument.
More than that—
When the two City Lords learned that Rockpeak and Ryan were both Five-Star Fiends within the Fiend Castle hierarchy, something shifted.
Redmaple City's City Lord joined.
Namu City's City Lord followed.
Both were certified as Four-Star Fiends.
And just like that—
A wave began.
A wave named "Fiend."
Within three cities, the word became synonymous with elite.
In taverns and training grounds alike, the same sentiment spread:
"If you don't wear a Fiend badge… are you even worth mentioning?"
Even those unwilling to serve the Fiend Castle found themselves lining up for the trials.
Not out of loyalty.
But pride.
They wanted the badge.
They wanted proof.
Yet once they entered—
Reality humbled them.
There was hierarchy even among Fiends.
A Demigod who became a One-Star Fiend was respected.
But a God stuck at One-Star?
That invited mockery.
Only by advancing to Two-Star could a God reclaim his dignity.
Highgods were exempt from the initial trial. Joining the Fiend Castle automatically certified them as Three-Star Fiends.
But no one was fooled.
Three-Star was merely the starting point for Highgods.
Above them stood Four-Star.
Five-Star.
Six-Star.
Seven-Star.
And beyond even that—
Asura.
They were all Highgods.
So why could some be tens of times stronger?
Hundreds of times stronger?
Thousands?
Why were some the benchmark—
And others merely "units of measurement"?
Pride burned hotter than loyalty ever could.
And so, even for the sake of proving themselves, Highgods began taking Fiend missions.
The ladder had been built.
And no one wished to remain at the bottom.
Like Rockpeak City in its early days, the Fiend Castle system operated on annual cycles.
Trials were held once per year.
Promotion required more than completed missions.
Strength had to match rank.
A Demigod who finished enough tasks to qualify for Two-Star status still had to demonstrate power comparable to a God.
A Three-Star candidate had to prove true Highgod-level combat ability.
And, by Locke's decree—
Promotion trials were conducted by a Fiend one rank above.
Why?
Because Locke wanted every challenger to understand something clearly.
No matter how strong you think you are—
There is always someone stronger in the Fiend Castle.
At present, the Fiend Castle roster stood at:
Three Five-Star Fiends — including Locke.
Two Four-Star Fiends.
Twelve Three-Star Fiends.
For now, that was enough.
But Locke understood something others did not.
Once the Fiend Castle expanded toward Prefecture Capitals… things would change.
Across the Infernal Realm's one hundred and eight prefectures, any Prefecture Lord was at minimum a Six-Star Fiend in strength.
With a single strike, they could tear open space itself — leaving fractures dozens of meters long.
Before such monsters—
Only greater strength commanded respect.
So once Barkley City's Fiend Castle stabilized, Locke delegated authority.
One Highgod under him took the position of City Lord.
Another managed the Fiend Castle itself.
And Locke—
Returned to the top floor.
Closed-door cultivation.
His Saint original body remained in Rockpeak City, immersed in the flow of the Water Laws.
Every ripple.
Every fluctuation.
Every subtle shift in resonance.
He recorded them all.
Meanwhile, his Water divine clone in Barkley City studied those records, searching for deeper points of convergence.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Silently.
And it proved one thing—
Locke's earlier restraint had been brilliant.
By halting other Laws at their final step, he had preserved clarity.
With only two fully completed Laws, his perception remained razor-sharp.
Compared to other Highgods, his sensitivity to Law fluctuations was ten thousand times greater.
And he had found the ultimate teacher—
The Laws of Heaven and Earth themselves.
He did not force comprehension.
He aligned himself with them.
When his understanding resonated with the natural evolution of the world—
Insight flooded into him.
Water Laws began fusing.
Two by two.
Three by three.
Within three years, all six Water Laws had formed mutual points of compatibility.
Within ten—
Locke still sat atop Barkley City's Fiend Castle.
But below him—
The Fiend Castle had reached saturation.
On the third floor, six Highgods sat around a long stone table.
Across from them, standing by the window, was a young man in white.
Little White.
In raw strength, he was merely a Highgod who had refined a divine spark.
Among the six seated before him, at least three surpassed him in combat ability.
But none dared show disrespect.
Because Little White was Locke's most trusted subordinate.
Once, he had been nothing more than an ordinary magical beast in the wilderness of the Infernal Realm.
Now—
He stood at the center of power.
After Locke entered seclusion, all of Barkley City's affairs were placed in his hands.
They might underestimate Little White.
But they would never underestimate Locke.
And within the Fiend Castle, everyone understood the weight of rank.
The strongest among them had yet to break into Four-Star territory.
Meanwhile—
Lord Locke was rumored to be at the peak of Five-Star.
Perhaps already approaching Six-Star.
That gap was not something arrogance could bridge.
"Lord Little White," one Highgod began respectfully, "according to Lord Locke's plan, Barkley City's Fiend Castle is ready to release expansion missions." (T/N: It's so funny how he's a bigshot now but everyone calls him Lord Little White.)
He paused.
"Redmaple City. Namu City. Rockpeak City. All three have already begun expansion."
"In both Redmaple and Namu, their City Lords personally led the teams. Each Four-Star Fiend."
The implication hung in the air.
Barkley City had no Four-Star Fiend.
Only Three-Star.
And its former City Lord had fled like a coward.
Compared to the other cities—
They were lacking.
Little White gazed out the window at the bustling Fiend Castle plaza below.
Hundreds of Fiends waited for the next announcement.
Hope.
Ambition.
Restlessness.
"Lord Locke's plan will not stop," Little White said calmly.
"But you are correct. Without a Four-Star Fiend leading expansion, we may face resistance."
He turned.
"Falk. Kane."
"Send word to Redmaple and Namu."
"Once Lord Ryan and Lord Rockpeak finish stabilizing their cities, have them come here."
"They will escort two Barkley expansion teams and secure footholds in new cities."
"And release the notice."
"Barkley City is forming two expansion teams."
"Let every Fiend who wishes to rise prepare themselves."
The six Highgods froze—
Then realization dawned.
Of course.
They were not isolated.
They were Fiend Castle.
Any registered Fiend could become their ally.
Once a city's foundation was secured, even Four-Star and Five-Star Fiends did not need to remain permanently.
They had been thinking too narrowly.
Little White's gaze swept over them.
"We are not a scattered faction."
"We are building something larger than any single city."
And below—
The Fiends began to stir.
If you'd like, I can now refine Chapter 119 in this same immersive style.
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